"Riding my beloved little scooter, it will never get stuck in traffic. Riding my beloved little scooter, I'll be home in no time. It takes me far away from..."
After handing over the people from Shrek Academy to the Special Police Unit of the Police Department, Xia Hong hopped onto her motorcycle, humming a little tune as she continued her patrol.
She acted as if nothing had ever happened.
It wasn't until the end of her shift that she walked into a nearby restaurant.
As she passed by a private dining room, she casually looked up and, by sheer coincidence, locked eyes with Xia Yi and Gu Yue.
"It's you guys." Without the slightest hesitation, Xia Hong walked straight in and sat down across from them, treating herself like part of the group.
Seeing the table full of delicious dishes, her eyes lit up instantly. "I really envy you blacksmiths. You're so weak, yet you can afford to feast on such luxurious delicacies."
"Oh? Does Officer Xia want to eat some?" Xia Yi asked with a grin.
"Of course, I do! I want it so bad!" Xia Hong wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and admitted it outright without a hint of shame.
Xia Yi picked up a chicken claw, biting into it as he asked, "You say I'm weak, so why should I treat you to a meal?"
"Hmph! If you're not treating me, then forget it." Xia Hong snorted and called over a waiter. "Give me a bowl of egg fried rice—without the egg."
The waiter was momentarily stunned but soon brought her a bowl of plain oil-mixed rice.
Xia Hong didn't mind at all. She sat in front of Xia Yi and Gu Yue, eating with great satisfaction.
Gu Yue, meanwhile, observed the two of them carefully. For a brief moment, she felt that Xia Yi and Xia Hong looked somewhat alike, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly why.
"Don't listen to him. Eat whatever you like, it's on us. Order more if it's not enough," Gu Yue said.
"Then I won't hold back!" Xia Hong didn't even bother with thanks. She reached out and grabbed a pork knuckle, gnawing on it heartily.
Her mouth was soon covered in grease, showing not the slightest concern for maintaining any ladylike image.
While wiping the oil from her lips, she called out to the restaurant owner outside, "Boss! Bring me thirty more pork knuckles! Xia Yi is paying!"
"You really don't hold back, do you?" Xia Yi said, his face darkening.
"I've never understood what 'holding back' means." Xia Hong remained entirely unfazed.
Be polite to her squad leader?That would just be making things difficult for herself.
Watching Xia Hong behave this way, Gu Yue frowned slightly. The image of Xia Hong in front of her was drastically different from the Silver Dragon Maiden she remembered.
Even though she had been in deep slumber in the Star Dou Forest, she still had some knowledge of the Silver Dragon Maiden.
Noble, elegant.
She would never act like this, completely disregarding her image.
"Could she be deliberately disguising herself?" Gu Yue frowned slightly. Xia Hong's Silver Dragon Martial Soul couldn't be fake.
That day, when she materialized the Silver Dragon Spear, it had been undeniable proof.
Throughout the world, only the Silver Dragon Maiden's Silver Dragon Secret Arts could manifest a true Silver Dragon Spear using bloodline power.
Even Gu Yue herself couldn't do that anymore.
After fusing the real Silver Dragon Spear into Na'er's Martial Soul, Gu Yue had lost the ability to use it.
"As far as I know, there are very few people on the continent with the surname Xia. I wonder what Officer Xia's family does?" Gu Yue asked, probing.
"If you want to ask about my background, just say so." Xia Hong glanced at Gu Yue. "Since you're treating me to a nice meal, I don't mind telling you. I have three older sisters, but my parents and grandparents all desperately wanted a son. Unfortunately, I turned out to be a girl, so my birth was a disappointment to them.
When I was two, my mother finally gave birth to a little brother, but because our family was poor and couldn't afford to raise so many children, I was abandoned on the streets. It was my squad leader who picked me up. His last name is Xia, so I took his surname."
"Your squad leader?" Gu Yue frowned slightly.
"That's right!" Xia Hong gritted her teeth. "He didn't allow me to date before I turned eighteen. But later, I found out that when he was fourteen, he already had a girlfriend! Hmph!"
After speaking, Xia Hong glanced at Xia Yi and Gu Yue and said, "That's why I really despise people who start dating early."
"That was your squad leader's rule, don't take it out on us," Xia Yi said calmly. As he spoke, he casually pulled Gu Yue into his embrace, deliberately provoking Xia Hong.
"Hmph!" Xia Hong snorted and took a vicious bite of the pork knuckle in her hand, refusing to say more.
"Maybe your squad leader was afraid you'd be deceived or wanted you to focus on cultivating. Whatever the reason, it was probably for your own good," Gu Yue tried to comfort her.
"For my own good, my ass!" Xia Hong scoffed. "You have no idea how much of a bastard he was. When I was little, he took me to ride a roller coaster. I was scared out of my mind and clung to him for dear life. But just as the ride reached the highest point, right before the big drop, he received a mission call and—he just left me there!
I was only three years old! I got so scared that I burst into tears!"
"Maybe it was really an important mission?" Xia Yi found himself instinctively defending Xia Hong's "squad leader."
"What mission could possibly justify abandoning a three-year-old girl like that?" Xia Hong said coldly. She looked at Xia Yi, her eyes turning slightly red. Pouting, she continued, "A little girl, just abandoned by her own family, only to be abandoned again. Do you know how hopeless that felt?"
"Yeah, sounds like your squad leader is kind of a jerk," Xia Yi chuckled.
"Kind of?" Gu Yue agreed.
"He can say that. You can't!" Xia Hong glared at Gu Yue, but then suddenly smiled. "Actually, it wasn't so bad. As I grew older, my squad leader started teaching me how to cultivate and introduced me to his organization. Once I truly understood him, I let go of the resentment.
For my squad leader to personally take action, every mission had to be a matter of life and death. If he had given up his mission for me, he wouldn't be my squad leader."
"From what you're saying, your squad leader must be really powerful," Gu Yue commented.
"Of course!" Xia Hong looked proud. "With a mere gesture, he can shatter the stars; with a single glance, he can bring eternal silence. He's just that incredible!"
"Little girls have their fantasies, but don't go overboard with your bragging. What, is your squad leader a god or something?" Xia Yi scoffed.
"A god? What's that? Don't use your ignorance to measure the heights my squad leader has reached!" Xia Hong retorted disdainfully.
"If your squad leader is that amazing, why not introduce him to us?" Xia Yi suggested.
"If you want to meet him, then train hard. You're not qualified yet," Xia Hong grinned.
Then, her smile faded. "Besides, I can't find him anymore."
"What do you mean?" Xia Yi asked.
"Hmph! That bastard kept his true identity hidden from me for so long. If not for a noble family's banquet invitation, I might never have learned who he really was!" Xia Hong gritted her teeth.
"A noble family's banquet?" Xia Yi frowned, confused.
"Yeah. Their peaches were supposed to be really delicious. My squad leader promised to bring me one to try before he left—but he never came back."
Xia Yi and Gu Yue exchanged glances, unconvinced by Xia Hong's tale.
"A being of that level, caring about a mere banquet and some peaches?"
"Hmph! I will find him. He abandoned me once—I won't let him do it again." Xia Hong suddenly turned to Xia Yi, her gaze mischievous. "And when I do, I'll make him pay!"
According to how she described her team leader's height, how could he possibly care about banquets or peaches?
"Hmph, I will definitely find him. He abandoned me once, but he can forget about abandoning me a second time." Xia Hong suddenly lifted her head and looked at Xia Yi. Her eyes once again revealed a mischievous glint as she said, "Hiding his identity from me as well? Once I find him, I'll make sure to teach him a lesson."
"Don't look at me. I'm not your team leader." Xia Yi shot Xia Hong a glare and said, "You want to take revenge on the person who raised you? If I were your team leader and you were this naughty, I'd pin you down on a chair and give you a good spanking."
"Tch, a spanking? Whatever. It's not like he hasn't done that before." Xia Hong said nonchalantly.
"You said you took your team leader's surname, Xia. So what's your team leader's name?" Gu Yue suddenly asked.
"Hehe, Xia Zi!" Xia Hong answered.
"Xia Zi?" Xia Yi shook his head, showing that he had never heard of the name before.
"Alright, I'm full now. Sister Gu Yue, since you treated me to such a delicious meal, I'll give you a book I wrote myself—a historical fantasy novel." Xia Hong smirked mischievously and took out a book, handing it to Gu Yue.
"Northern Sunset"
[T/N: Author's Other book]
Xia Yi looked at the book's cover. It depicted a tall, handsome man with long white hair, dressed in white robes. Behind him was a massive soul beast.
"A Titan Snow Demon." Gu Yue immediately recognized the creature.
She was about to open the book when Xia Hong stopped her.
"It's too much to read here. Take it home and enjoy it slowly. Everything in there is just my imagination—don't take it seriously, just read it for fun." Xia Hong said.
"Alright!" Gu Yue nodded.
Then, she suddenly raised her head and looked at Xia Hong, asking, "Since you want to get back at your team leader so badly, how about I teach you a way to do it?"
"Oh? What way?" Xia Hong's interest was instantly piqued.
"Didn't your team leader forbid you from dating before turning eighteen? Then why don't you have a passionate romance while he's not around? That will show him for abandoning you." Gu Yue suggested.
"Great idea! Do you think there's anyone suitable for me?" Xia Hong's eyes sparkled, looking eager to put the plan into action.
"I'll make a small sacrifice and share Xia Yi with you. How about that?" Gu Yue said, catching everyone off guard.
"Cough cough cough…"
Xia Yi nearly choked on his own saliva.
"Hahahaha…" In contrast to Xia Yi's shocked expression, Xia Hong burst into laughter, her body shaking with amusement.
"What do you think?" Gu Yue asked again, her tone and expression both calm.
"Wait a second, let me process this." Xia Hong patted her well-developed chest and then lifted her head, scrutinizing Xia Yi as if assessing prey.
That penetrating gaze made Xia Yi feel extremely uncomfortable.
After thoroughly examining Xia Yi from head to toe, Xia Hong finally spoke, "Not bad. He seems fun."
"You agree?" Gu Yue asked through gritted teeth.
"Nope." Xia Hong shook her head. "Your boyfriend is nice, but he's not my type."
She and Xia Yi were too familiar with each other—their relationship was that of a teacher, a brother, and even a father figure. She truly couldn't bring herself to think of him that way.
"Playing hard to get?" Gu Yue let out a deep sigh of relief but did not lower her guard.
She didn't believe a single word Xia Hong had just said.
She was still convinced that Xia Hong was the transformed Silver Dragon.
She was intentionally getting close to Xia Yi.
From start to finish, the way Xia Hong looked at Xia Yi was different from how she looked at everyone else.
Gu Yue refused to believe that Xia Hong had no feelings for Xia Yi.
(End of Chapter)