295: Chapter 295 A token of love? It must be! Absolutely!

Early morning.

Ji Wushuang sat in front of the mirror, looking at herself, her brows furrowed so tightly she could crush a fly.

Scattered on the table was a pile of cosmetics she had "borrowed" from Tang Shiyun: lipstick, eyeshadow, foundation...

"How on earth do you use this thing?"

She held a lipstick in her hand, the pose resembling someone gripping a dagger, as if she were about to stab the throat of the woman in the mirror the next second.

"Maybe... just apply a little bit?"

Ji Wushuang took a deep breath, psyching herself up. Lin Yuan's words from last night had been swirling in her head like a spell all night long.

She felt that she ought to act a bit more like a woman.

So, she tremblingly applied the lipstick to her lips.

Her hand slipped.

Swoosh—

A bright red streak stretched directly from the corner of her mouth to her ear, looking just like a Slit-Mouthed Woman.

"Holy crap!"

Ji Wushuang let out a wail and scrambled to wipe it off, but the more she wiped, the redder it got, until half her face looked like a monkey's butt.

"Knock, knock, knock."

A sudden knocking sound rang out.

"Captain! Emergency assembly! The boss wants you over!"

A team member's booming voice came from outside the door.

Ji Wushuang was scared out of her wits.

Looking at herself in the mirror, who resembled someone who had just devoured a child, she closed her eyes in despair.

"Wait... wait ten minutes for me! No, half an hour!"

Twenty minutes later, Ji Wushuang appeared at the entrance of Lin Yuan's private forging room.

She had washed her face by now.

But because she had scrubbed too hard earlier.

Her skin was beet red, making her look like she had downed two jin of Erguotou.

Moreover, to cover up the strange smell from earlier, she had sprayed half a bottle of floral toilet water on herself.

How should one describe that scent?

It was like a mosquito that had rolled around in a garlic field and then fallen into a vat of medicated oil.

"Um..."

Ji Wushuang stood at the door, her voice booming as she tried to hide her inner panic.

The door to the forging room opened automatically.

Lin Yuan was standing with his back to her in front of the workbench.

He seemed to be fiddling with something.

Hearing the noise, he turned around, his nose twitching slightly.

"You..."

Lin Yuan's brows furrowed. "Did you fall into a pile of Liushen?"

Ji Wushuang's face flushed red, and she wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground.

"That... that is, I did it to prevent mosquito bites! It's a tactic! A tactic!"

"...It's the middle of winter, where would there be mosquitoes? Even if there were, they'd be evolved ones, right?"

Lin Yuan looked at her speechlessly. "Forget it, come in."

Ji Wushuang walked in, moving her same-side arm and leg in sync.

She stood three meters away from Lin Yuan, not daring to get closer.

"You called me here... is there a mission?"

She asked cautiously, her heart pounding.

Lin Yuan didn't speak; he just walked to the side and picked up a long, strip-shaped object covered by a black cloth.

"Reach out your hand."

"Huh?"

Ji Wushuang was stunned for a moment.

Then, she imagined a whole drama in her head: was he going to smack her palms? Just like being punished by a teacher for not paying attention in class when she was a kid?

Although she was an S-rank Ability User.

She had thick skin, but getting her palms smacked was just too shameful!

"Lin Yuan, can you... hit lightly?"

She closed her eyes and extended her hands, palms up, with the resignation of someone facing death.

Lin Yuan: "..."

How exactly did this woman's brain work?

He shook his head and placed the item in his hand directly into Ji Wushuang's.

A heavy sensation greeted her, cold to the touch, yet radiating a warmth.

Ji Wushuang snapped her eyes open.

The black cloth slid off, revealing a large sword that was entirely crimson and featured a wild, imposing design.

The sword was a full 1.5 meters long with a thick, broad blade.

It wasn't made of ordinary metal but was crafted from some kind of translucent red crystal.

Inside the blade, it looked as if magma were flowing, emitting a faint red glow.

The hilt was made of an unknown black metal wrapped in non-slip leather.

The handguard was designed in the shape of two open dragon claws, ferocious and majestic.

"Th-this is..."

Ji Wushuang's eyes widened, and her breathing instantly quickened.

As a Fire-type Ability User, she could clearly feel the terrifying fire element energy contained within this sword.

That sense of familiarity was like meeting a long-lost sister.

"This was crafted using Mutated Fire Essence as the main material, fused with high-strength alloy," Lin Yuan introduced calmly.

"It can not only significantly amplify your Superpower, but the blade itself is indestructible; even against Mutated Beasts known for their defense, it can cut them in two."

"For... for me?"

Ji Wushuang stammered. She stroked the blade, the warm sensation making her unable to put it down.

"Since you're the captain of the Fire-type Ability User team, how can you not have a suitable weapon?"

Lin Yuan leaned against the workbench, arms crossed.

"I watched you throwing punches on the rooftop yesterday. While your movements were... um, bold, they clearly lacked reach. This sword should suit you."

Ji Wushuang's heart raced.

So, he wasn't just watching her make a fool of herself on the rooftop yesterday, but was actually observing her combat style?

He had been planning to make a weapon for her all along?

"Also, look here."

Lin Yuan pointed to the end of the hilt.

Ji Wushuang leaned in to look and saw two vigorous, powerful characters engraved there—Wushuang.

Boom!

At that moment, Ji Wushuang felt a mushroom cloud explode in her mind.

Exclusive weapon! Engraved name! Hand-crafted!

These three keywords flashed wildly across her mind.

What was this?

A token of love? It had to be! Absolutely!

Before the Apocalypse, giving a diamond ring counted as a proposal; in this era, this sword was worth ten thousand times more than a diamond ring!

"Do you like it?"

Lin Yuan looked at her dazed expression, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

"Like it! I love it!"

Ji Wushuang looked up abruptly, her eyes shining brilliantly.

"This is simply... simply my dream sword! I want to sleep with it!"

After saying that, she swung the greatsword twice.

Whoosh—

Crimson flames instantly coiled around the blade, kicking up a wave of heat.

The originally heavy greatsword felt light as a feather in her hand, as if it were an extension of her own arm.

"This is awesome!"

Ji Wushuang yelled in excitement, completely forgetting her plan to act like a lady.

"With this thing, forget about zombies; even if it were a Titan, I could slice it into potato chips!"

Watching her get excited like a three-hundred-pound child who had just received a new toy, the smile in Lin Yuan's eyes deepened.

"But..."

Ji Wushuang suddenly stopped, stroking the name on the hilt.

Her voice lowered. "Such a precious item... I..."

She suddenly felt a stinging sensation in her nose.

Growing up, although many suitors had given her gifts, they were all just expensive things.

They held no meaning at all.

Most importantly, her mindset back then had been higher than anyone's.

She looked down on all men, feeling that none of them were worthy of her.

Now, she had received something from the person she loved...

"What? Are you going to cry again?"

Lin Yuan teased. "Didn't you cry enough on the rooftop yesterday?"

"Who... who's crying!"

Ji Wushuang sniffled, forcing her tears back.

She looked up, her eyes red, but she smiled stubbornly.

"I was just dazzled by the firelight on the sword! Yes, just dazzled!"

Lin Yuan didn't expose her.

He took a step closer and raised his hand.

Ji Wushuang instinctively wanted to dodge, thinking he was going to mess up her hair like yesterday.

But this time, Lin Yuan's finger gently brushed past the corner of her eye, wiping away a teardrop that had almost fallen.

His fingertip was slightly cool, yet it carried an electric sensation.

Ji Wushuang froze completely.

She felt the blood in her whole body freeze, and she could only hear the sound of her own heartbeat—one beat, two beats—deafeningly loud.

"Silly girl."

Lin Yuan's voice was very soft, yet it struck her heart like a heavy hammer.

"You are my person. If I don't treat you well, who would I treat well?"

He withdrew his hand and casually ruffled her hair again, ruining the lingering romantic atmosphere.

"Alright, stop getting emotional. Go to the training ground and test its power."

Having said that, Lin Yuan turned back to continue working on his experiment, as if that tender moment just now were merely Ji Wushuang's hallucination.

Ji Wushuang stood there dazed, hugging the greatsword.

After a long while, she finally snapped out of it.

Watching Lin Yuan's busy back, the corners of her mouth curled up little by little, eventually spreading to her ears.

She rushed out of the forging room like a happy little bird.

Inside the forging room.

Lin Yuan listened to the demonic singing fading into the distance outside and shook his head helplessly.

"Is it only the last little bit left?"

Lin Yuan thought thoughtfully.

Green loyalty—this Ji Wushuang's loyalty was a bit hard to grind.

But since Ji Wushuang was a great beauty on the same level as Xia Bingli, it was acceptable to grant her some privileges.

The current Ji Wushuang could actually be considered completely fallen.

The remaining bit was just a formal breakthrough.

Perhaps, it just needed a catalyst.

At the training ground.

"Holy crap! What is that?!"

The team members who were training felt their eyes light up.

A red whirlwind rushed in.

They saw their captain wielding a giant sword burning with raging flames, unleashing a crazy assault on the training dummy.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

It was truly cutting through iron like mud.

The dummy, made of special alloy, was no different from tofu in front of that red greatsword; the cuts were smooth and even bore traces of having been melted by high heat.

"Hahahaha! Too strong! So awesome!"

Ji Wushuang laughed wildly as she slashed, her laughter heroic and loud, making everyone's eardrums ring.

"Is the Captain... crazy?"

"No, I think she's... in love."

The female vice-captain, holding her butt that had been burned yesterday, analyzed with a profound expression.

"Look at her eyes. Even though she's hacking away, they're full of... maternal love?"

"Maternal love? At a dummy?"

"No, it's towards that sword."

Everyone looked, and sure enough, they discovered that after every slash, Ji Wushuang would stop to affectionately stroke the blade.

She would mutter things like "Baby," "Good girl," or "Hubby is so amazing," things that no one could understand.

"Ahem."

A light cough came from nearby.

Chu Yanran had appeared at the side of the field at some point, watching the crazed Ji Wushuang.

"It seems Lin Yuan gave her quite a few benefits."

Su Yuyan stood beside her, smiling as she said, "That sword is quite extraordinary. Even from this far away, I can feel that violent fire element."

Chu Yanran said somewhat sourly, "Only Lin Yuan could put up with her personality."

"Are you jealous?" Su Yuyan teased.

"Jealous? Would I be jealous of a woman who is all muscle?" Chu Yanran retorted with a pout.

Although she said that, a flash of envy still passed through her eyes.

Who wouldn't want such an exclusive gift?