Ni Ji stood in the dim alley, looking at the pointed roof that emerged from the depths of the courtyard.
At the beginning, he would rack his brains to find excuses for himself.
For example, he just wanted to come and see if Lin Yuan's injuries were serious, and to see if the golden tree they secretly brought back would cause her any trouble.
As it happened more often, it gradually became a habit.
After a busy day, when he was tired and had some free time, he would unconsciously come here to stay for a while.
After returning to Kyoto, Ni Ji actually prepared some plans to deal with the accountability, after all, he did not wait for his teammates and came back on his own. But these plans were not used in the end.
Ji Xuan, the adjutant of the Royal Guard, did not express much objection to his returning to Beijing on his own, and even helped him cover for it.
After the contaminated area collapsed, many people entered to search, but they only saw a withered and fallen tree. The branches scattered all over the ground turned into ashes with a slight touch, and there was no way to bring them back, not even a single golden leaf.
The mission that the Queen offered a bounty on, to bring back the trunk of a golden tree, was a complete failure.
"It was not easy for you to open the door and save your life in that chaotic time." Ji Xuan said after he came back.
"Although it is a pity that I failed to complete His Majesty's mission, the collapse of the Golden Tree contaminated area has restored a large amount of land, and the town from four hundred years ago has reappeared in the world. It has brought a large amount of materials and wealth to the empire and the people. You have made the greatest contribution. Commander Luther and I will commend you in front of His Majesty."
Because of Ji Xuan's characterization, Ni Ji has become very busy these days. He officially became a non-commissioned officer of the Royal Guard.
It is said that Her Majesty the Queen even praised him in person in front of Luther, the commander of the Royal Guard.
He was praised for his bravery and courage, for opening the door for others and putting himself in danger, and he was a role model for the young sentinels.
Ni Ji's teacher Cao Junmin was dismissed from his post and completely withdrew from the power center of the empire. However, Ni Ji's position was promoted instead of reduced, and the newly appointed Minister of Military Affairs even awarded him a battle medal with the Queen's portrait printed on it.
Those classmates and colleagues who had been cold and distant to him in the past suddenly became enthusiastic, as if the indifference and estrangement when he had just returned here had never existed, and they were still the brothers who were shoulder to shoulder on campus back then.
He received more and more invitations, and went to various banquets and parties every day, holding a glass of wine, dressed up neatly, and meeting all kinds of people who wanted to make friends with him and people he wanted to make friends with.
In this small circle of world around the White Pagoda, there are banquets and singing every night, fragrant clothes and cloud-like hair, and there is endless delicious food to eat and endless fine wine to drink.
It seems that the years are peaceful, the people are prosperous, and the most important things in life are making friends and feasting. There have never been soldiers in the world who risked their lives for two imperial coins, and there are no children who have to go to the battlefield in their teens.
The soldiers had no need to risk their blood and flesh to fight for the few remaining items in the ruins, and there were no countless hungry civilians around the sentry post.
It seemed as if there were no polluted areas or ferocious deformed creatures in the wilderness, and humans were still the masters of the world as before, enjoying a comfortable, prosperous and resource-rich life.
Sometimes Ni Ji felt like he was in a ridiculous dream, his feet were in a sticky swamp, he was stumbling around, but he couldn't get out of it, couldn't step on the solid ground.
Every day, when the false noise and vanity ended and he calmed down, he would only feel more empty inside.
Although it started snowing quite late in Kyoto, it seemed like a city even colder than the icy north.
Here, there was no place he really wanted to be, no home that would make him feel a little warm.
He would always think of the guide out of habit, the hug she gave him, the warmth of her skin when she pressed her palms against his eyebrows, and the peaceful sleep he had beside her.
Every time I have some free time, my feet will unconsciously turn here.
Sometimes he also knew that this was not so good, a little pathetic and ridiculous, and such behavior was totally unacceptable to outsiders.
Luckily, he was a powerful sentinel with strong perception abilities, allowing him to leave before anyone got close to him.
There should be no chance that someone would discover my private and weird behavior.
When he walked here, he didn't want to do anything, nor did he want to get more. He just wanted to look from afar occasionally.
He saw many visitors arrive, and once he saw a sentry kneeling on one knee outside the door and kissing Lin Yuan's hand.
I still felt a little sad at that time.
She certainly deserves to be surrounded by countless sentinels.
She is the best guide in the world.
Maybe in the future I will see her walking in and out in pairs with other sentries arm in arm, and I will still be like this, just coming to this place and standing occasionally.
"I thought you would be able to find it." The gardener in the courtyard wearing a silver mask said, "I have seen the strength of your mental power. It is very strong, stronger than mine. It even shocked me at one point."
Lin Yuan held the hot teacup and swallowed the dessert in his mouth. His tentacles wandered around and indeed found the little fish. He didn't know why, but he was standing alone in a dark alley not far away.
"But it's impolite to explore the world at will and sense other people's emotions. Isn't it?" Lin Yuan curled up her legs and sat on the sofa inside the window. "Since childhood, teachers in the academy and people around us have always said so."
Lin Yuan told Xunhua his own understanding, "Everyone says so. It is very impolite to sense the surroundings at will, and it is not what a proper guide should do. So I always try to restrain them, and try not to let them run around unless they are fighting."
After Lin Yuan finished speaking, several soft tentacles rested on the windowsill and tapped the tips of their tentacles, expressing both affirmation and dissatisfaction with Lin Yuan's words.
[Yes, it’s annoying. He never lets us go out to play.]
[Say we are impolite all day long]
[Our nature is to play, but we are locked in a cage]
[That’s right, even doing something stupid will get you criticized]
Xunhua stopped planting flowers and said, "How could this be? Four hundred years later, the guides have been restricted to this extent?"
Lin Yuan and the tentacles clung to the windowsill, "Wasn't it like this before?"
"Perception is the nature of a guide. In the past, guides were proud of their strong perception." Xunhua stood in the moonlight, and spoke from under the silver mask. "Sentinels have sharp hearing, and guides have strong perception. Only by cooperating with each other can we capture the enemy attacking from afar. If the guide's perception is restricted on a daily basis, wouldn't it be troublesome in battle?"
"Wouldn't that be considered rude?"
"This is the guide's instinct and fighting talent. How can it be considered impolite? The sentinels can also hear very far and subtle sounds. Who would blame the goshawk for flying too high or the hunting dog for having a keen sense of smell?" Xunhua said.
"If the Sentinels want to avoid being discovered by the Guides, they should train their barriers well, and the Guides will not deliberately pry into other people's lives when they perceive the world."
This was the first time Lin Yuan had heard such a statement. When she heard it, she felt as if she had been freed from all restraints and felt relaxed physically and mentally. Unfortunately, in her era, this kind of consciousness had been extinguished and was not recognized by the public.
Xunhua stretched out his hand and pointed his finger at the rose that he had just planted in the soil. The branch swayed gently against his white-gloved fingers, and the leaves rustled, as if a joyful emotion emanated from within the tree.
A few drops of rain fell on the leaves of the rose.
"Is it raining?" Lin Yuan raised his head and looked at the sky where the bright moon was obscured by dark clouds.
It's raining
Ni Ji raised his head. The moon in the sky was somehow obscured by dark clouds. A few drops of cold rain hit his face.
It's time to go back, he said to himself. It's really cold tonight, and the ground in the alley seems to be frozen with a thin layer of frost.
As soon as he lifted his black combat boots, he saw a tiny tentacle emerging from the cold floor tiles beside his feet.
The sentry's pupils suddenly shrank and his whole body froze.
The tentacle expertly wrapped itself around his leg and climbed up, hooking the tip around his little finger and pulling.
Ni Ji felt that the tentacle was not wrapped around his fingers, but around his heart.
It wrapped around the delicate gut and tugged at it.
In the dark and deserted alley, the sentry's entire face turned red.
He was a little grateful that Lin Yuan didn't come over by himself, but just let the familiar tentacles come over and pull him quietly.
If Lin Yuan walked out of the yard at this time, pushed open the door, and came to this alley in person, he would probably have to flee in shame.
The tentacle pulled hard and hooked the back of his hand soothingly.
The sentry had no choice but to take difficult steps and follow it out of the dark alley and to the locked gate.
The tentacle that pulled his finger tickled his palm and slipped through the crack in the door.
The sentry, who was very comfortable at the banquets of princes and nobles, stood in front of the gate for a long time. It was not until the rain got heavy and wet his hair that he finally gritted his teeth and reached out to ring the doorbell.
A gardener wearing half a silver mask and holding an umbrella opened the door.
The gardener glanced at the sentry outside the door, tilted his umbrella forward, and said only, "Come in if you are here."
The sentry's ears felt slightly hot, after all, it was the first time he stepped into this courtyard that he had been to many times but had never entered before.
It was as if they had just gotten off the car and hadn't seen each other for a long time.
The maid in the room brought a cup of hot tea with a smile.
Ni Ji took out a small box of chocolates from his backpack and placed it on the coffee table by the window as a gift.
The box is very delicate, with a little wear on the edges, as if it has been carried around for a long time.
Lin Yuan was very interested and reached out to open the box. Pagoda-shaped chocolates were wrapped in beautiful tin foil and packed tightly together in the entire box.
Break one open and put it in your mouth. The sweet shell melts and a hint of wine aroma permeates the tip of your tongue.
Lin Yuan's eyes lit up. The silky sweetness paired with the mellow aroma of fine wine was like a chocolate with a liquor-filled texture.
How come it suits her taste so well
She quickly ate the second one.
"Do you have the habit of carrying candy with you?" Lin Yuan asked the sentry sitting opposite him.
This is really a good habit and deserves praise.
The sentry sitting on the sofa had a slight smile on his face.
When he first entered the room, he seemed a little embarrassed about being caught by himself, but now that awkward feeling is gone.
Lin Yuan ate her chocolate with the hot tea made by Guo Suo. She quickly finished half of the box and held the remaining half in her hand, showing no intention of sharing.
"Are you hungry?" Fortunately, she still remembered to ask her guests.
Ni Ji wanted to say that he was fine and there was no need to bother.
But here he sat, with the cold raindrops hitting the grass outside the window and a hot cup of tea in his hands.
The girl opposite was sinking into the soft sofa, eating half a box of candy with relish.
Ni Ji suddenly felt that he was indeed hungry.
He had been busy all day and had hardly eaten anything. He only drank a little wine on an empty stomach at dinner.
Fortunately, in this place he didn't even have to say it, the guide sitting opposite him always knew his status.
"Xiaosuo, cook a bowl of noodles for the guest. I want beef flavor, with a fried egg and some mushrooms." Lin Yuan asked the maid, "Do we have mushrooms at home?"
She even knew her own taste. She had entered her own mental image and seen many memories buried deep in her heart.
The hot noodles were quickly served and Ni Ji stood up to express his gratitude.
"Oh, you're welcome." The little maid was very happy and left sideways with the plate in her hand.
The rain outside gradually became heavier. The cold raindrops formed into lines, gathering and flowing on the ground. Several wild animals crawled out from the ground and hid under the big tree and in the shelter built by the gardener with wooden boards.
Ni Ji sat by the window, holding a bowl, and lowered his head to eat the bowl of mellow and delicious soup noodles. The fragrant beef soup and the fried egg that oozes out when you bite it lightly were his favorite foods in the North.
The hot noodle soup went into my stomach and warmed my cold and tired body.
Ni Ji lowered his head and ate without even raising his head.
Ever since he was wrongly imprisoned and escorted to Kyoto, he has had a poor appetite.
It seems like it has been a long time since I felt so hungry, and I haven't longed for warm food so much.
There was the gurgling sound of boiling water in the kitchen.
Lin Yuan sat on the sofa opposite him, eating chocolate and reading a book casually. She was too lazy to even move her fingers, and from time to time she let the tentacles come out and turn a page for her.
"This chocolate is delicious," Lin Yuan stared at the pages of the book while peeling off the tin foil with his fingers. "Next time you come, buy me another box."
"Next time?" The sentry on the opposite side raised his head, and the steam from the hot air covered his eyebrows and eyes, making him look a little dazed.
"Well, buy it for me next time." Lin Yuan moved his eyes from the pages of the book, "Will you come again next time?"
A matter-of-fact tone.
Lin Yuan saw the sentry's eyelashes drooping, and an emotion was gently shaking in his eyes.
This time, Lin Yuan could feel his happiness without the help of the tentacles.
He was so happy because of his invitation.
If I had known this, I should have invited him to my house earlier.
So many friends have been here, how come they forgot about him
Obviously, every time I am with him, I am in a very happy mood. I have experienced a lot with him and I feel more emotions than at any other time.
Even in my dreams at night, the face of this sentinel often appears.
Why did you avoid him
Ni Ji finished his dinner.
It was raining outside. They sat by the window and talked for a while about contaminated area 77, contaminated area 5 that they had experienced together before, and the unnamed contaminated area on the airship.
The two people have known each other for a short time, but they have been to quite a few battlefields together.
Lin Yuan asked Ni Ji if there were any polluted areas marked by eyes.
"There are many polluted areas marked by eye totems." Ni Ji thought for a moment and said, "Last time, the airship you were on accidentally entered a polluted area, and the key to open the door was the eye of the pillar."
"But if you talk about invisible eyes, it reminds me of a place. Next time..." He repeated the word, as if it was a beautiful word, "Next time I come to visit, I will bring you the relevant information."
When Ni Ji said goodbye and left, Lin Yuan saw him to the door.
The two of them, each holding an umbrella, walked through the rain-flowing courtyard.
"See you next time." Lin Yuan said to him standing at the door.
The sentry stood in the rain, holding the umbrella handle to keep a polite distance, and said goodbye to her softly, "See you next time."
[The little fish seems very happy today]
[I tasted it, sweet and delicious]
[Big fish is also very happy][Everyone is singing]
[I kept moaning all the way, and I can still hear it now]
[Come and play more, if you like it so much]
[He probably likes being rubbed by me. I will hook his hand again next time.]
After Ni Ji left, Xun Hua asked Lin Yuan, "I thought you two were close comrades. I didn't expect that he was too embarrassed to even enter the door."
"It's unlikely that a sentinel and a guide would be close, right?" Lin Yuan asked curiously, "I don't want to get engaged again."
Xunhua was holding an umbrella in the rain, she stopped and looked at her with a look of disbelief on her face.
"I'm talking about comrades, colleagues. Companions who fight and work together. Who says that guides and sentinels can only be husband and wife?" Xunhua's tone was full of surprise. "Guides are warriors as powerful as sentinels, and they are not just tools for reproduction."
Lin Yuan blinked, didn’t he
In her world, everyone thinks that guides are gentle and considerate, able to take care of the family and calm the emotions of the sentinels. They should stay in the rear, be pampered in the white tower, linger at banquets, be content with the family, and play the role of a vase to embellish the prosperity.
This is the consensus of the world. Everyone says this over and over again, and everyone always thinks it is the right thing to do.
(End of this chapter)