142: Kong Jiamu's Pride

"But there were only six of you, suddenly dropped into a swarm of enemies. I imagine that kind of pressure is different.

Just one slight oversight and you wouldn't have made it back."

Tu Nan's praise was sincere.

No matter how much Kong Jiamu spun this as an adventure story, it couldn't mask the danger of the operation.

That he could return alive involved some luck, but his strength was also beyond doubt.

"You truly are a natural-born soldier. Strong, sharp, proactive, and responsible." She did not hold back her praise.

Anyone who dares to use their life to protect their entire race deserves respect.

Kong Jiamu smiled slightly.

The weight on his face hadn't returned yet, but his spirits were much better than a few days ago. His hair had been carefully groomed, but the stray strands could only be braided into his long plait.

When Tu Nan mentioned his identity as a soldier, his back straightened even more.

A rare sense of crispness.

He certainly hadn't joined the military to seek gratitude or praise. It was his own choice; he had long been prepared to face danger or even lose his life.

However, that Pearl could see past his luxurious exterior, crafted by the wealth of the Kong Family, and recognize his proudest identity—the unyielding character of a soldier—

made him even more delighted.

Female Beasts... they become a concern that some can't let go of. Kong Jiamu thought of his fallen comrade.

He had originally intended to swallow all those sad stories, but now he suddenly wanted to tell Pearl a little bit.

"You're right, I almost didn't make it back. Not all of my teammates returned." He concealed the exact number.

"I managed to carry one on my back and crawl all the way out, but..."

Compared to when he was speaking animatedly earlier, Kong Jiamu actually looked calmer now.

Knowing this actually showed he cared deep down, making him more genuine, Tu Nan waited quietly to share his emotions.

"He still didn't make it." Kong Jiamu's gaze fell on the small table in the room, where a military dog tag lay quietly.

The only item he brought back representing his teammate.

"He entrusted me with one thing." Kong Jiamu thought for a moment and felt he could indeed entrust this matter to Tu Nan.

"He asked me to take care of his Female Beast. She is a Foster Mother."

"Could you help take care of her?" Kong Jiamu asked. "I've already bought her, and she should be delivered to Xiuyin Star tomorrow. But I don't think that counts as 'taking care'."

He twitched the corner of his mouth. "I might not be the right person to look after her."

Tu Nan didn't expect Kong Jiamu to entrust such a thing to her. Nor did she expect his heart to be far stronger and softer than she had imagined.

"Leave it to me. I'm very willing to do this." Tu Nan solemnly accepted the task.

"Alright." Kong Jiamu relaxed. "I have another exciting story about my 'savior,' but let's save it for tomorrow. This ship only has one video channel, and I can't hog it forever."

He looked very reluctant.

It's already been an hour... that's enough, Tu Nan thought.

Someone knocked, then presumably pushed the door open to report to Kong Jiamu. "Colonel Kong! The Captain is looking for you for a meeting."

Tu Nan found the voice very familiar.

She had a knack for identifying voices—one could say she never forgot a voice she heard. So this was... Sergeant Song Jie! The sergeant who had looked after her in Mata City.

He was by Kong Jiamu's side?

Tu Nan didn't dare make a sound, silently adjusting the angle of the video call to move her face out of the capture range.

"What is it now, at this hour?" Kong Jiamu was a bit displeased, but fortunately, today's communication was almost over anyway.

"Pearl, see you tomorrow then." He turned back to say goodbye to Pearl, only to find she seemed to be doing something else and had moved out of the frame.

Sergeant Song Jie was still urging him: "Colonel... after delivering you to Xiuyin Star, I still have to return to Capital Star. Please have some pity on me. The Captain wants to discuss the route conditions with you; you're experienced, so go take a look."

"Hanging up now~" Kong Jiamu had no choice but to disconnect.

Tu Nan was dragged back to her former location and identity by the familiar person.

Sergeant Song Jie... he was coming to Xiuyin Star with Kong Jiamu.

Tu Nan calculated his timeline and was relieved to find he had left Sand Star even earlier than Kong Jiamu.

That meant when he left, Tu Nan was still the "noble Young Miss" who used Hain's token as a pass. That military courtyard had even been rented with Sergeant Song Jie's help.

As long as he wasn't an idiot, he should have noticed the relationship between Tu Nan and Li, her pregnancy, and Li's enlistment.

As for the later revelation of her Foster Mother status, she wasn't sure if he knew... it was hard to say.

But at least to him, Tu Nan's name wasn't Pearl. She had only enhanced her appearance, not completely changed it.

In short, meeting him would be troublesome. It would be best to avoid it and wait until he returned to Capital Star.

I can't keep living in Kong Jiamu's house, Tu Nan thought. Better move out first to prevent everyone from running into each other if Kong Jiamu returns home suddenly.

Should she say Lance had struck gold by revealing the matter of the Green Fox today?

Now, she had a reason to tell Hain she wanted to move out.

After all, with the crisis resolved, there was no reason for him to keep such a close eye on her anymore.

The bracelet vibrated, and Tu Nan looked down.

It was Kong Jiamu; he had sent over the information on that Foster Mother.

Tu Nan looked through the data and nodded. Excellent! This made her reason even more compelling.

***

"You're moving out?" Hain's voice was heavy.

"There's no need. Even if you're angry with me, there's no need to move out. Kong Jiamu will be back in a few days."

"If you don't want to see me, I'll move out." He thought Tu Nan was still angry about what happened at noon... It's not your fault, Tu Nan almost said, but what came out was: "Kong Jiamu asked me to help him with something."

She showed the message from Kong Jiamu to Hain.

"It's the Foster Mother of his comrade; he asked me to take care of her.

I've been thinking—does she know her provider has fallen? How does she feel about it? Will being here stir up painful memories? I don't know any of that, but I feel it's inappropriate for her to stay here and run straight into Kong Jiamu."

Tu Nan slowly explained her considerations to Hain as she thought them through.

"Lance and I will eventually need an independent space for work anyway. Once Kong Jiamu returns, the crowd here will be even more chaotic, which isn't ideal either.

It's better if I just go to Lance's place today to get things ready, and tomorrow I'll have that lady sent directly there. I'll take my time to assess the situation and explain everything to her.

What do you think?"

She looked at Hain earnestly; although she seemed to be asking for his opinion, it was clear she had already made up her mind.

Hain thought of the focus of their previous argument—not respecting her opinions. This time, he was more cautious.

After thinking it over, he realized that it was indeed appropriate for Tu Nan to move out now.

Besides, if he wanted to clarify his feelings for Tu Nan to Kong Jiamu, it would be better if she wasn't present.

Hain nodded slowly.

But then a thought occurred to him, and he said to Tu Nan, "I can't be completely at ease about that Green Fox.

How about this, I've thought of a way. Will you hear me out?"

Give and take... Tu Nan couldn't refuse to listen. Hain, too, was only ostensibly seeking her opinion.

Yi Xingye and Lance appeared before Hain once again.