Chapter 452: Chapter 219: The Irritable Little Squid (Part 2)
Su Jiameng had already taken off the cloak so dirty that it was hard to look at directly. Underneath the cloak, her outfit looked sharp and made her appear full of heroism. She held the clean yet cold Xihe in her hand and walked step by step to stand in front of Gu Ningzhi and the others.
She paused, planted Xihe into the ground, and suddenly broke into a smile, "Everything is settled, that thing has gone to hell."
Gong Yulu pressed her lips tightly, reminding herself not to speak, while Gu Ningzhi had no such reservations. He walked forward with a smile and gave Su Jiameng a big bear hug, his face showing a relaxed smile, "Hmm, welcome back safely!"
Having spent the night in fear, thinking that this woman might have fallen into the belly of the Mother Tree, now seeing her healthy and alive, made Gu Ningzhi smile even brighter when he thought of Su Jiameng’s other identity—his brother’s wife.
The Ximolai Ore deposit on this vein greatly exceeded Su Jiameng’s expectations. Both Nascent Stones were saturated, yet the Ximolai Ore here didn’t seem to be depleted. Fortunately, due to the influence of the Nascent Stones, the active energy of the Ximolai Ore had cooled, preventing any catastrophic explosions. Su Jiameng bought a few more Nascent Stones and swept the entire vein clean.
By the time everything was almost finished, it was already two days later. The Expedition Army’s warship landed that morning, led by Li You whose expression was extremely bad... especially when he saw the familiar Su Jiameng, his mood was indescribable.
"How did you end up here?" Li You glanced coldly at Gu Ningzhi, who was slightly guilty, then at Su Jiameng, as a sudden thought of the mysterious cooperation between Gu Ningzhi and Su Jiameng flashed in his mind, making his heart feel heavy, "I don’t think you could have hidden on the Expedition Army warship silently for so many years... not planning to come clean?"
Su Jiameng looked at Li You, always having a good impression of this Lieutenant General. It wasn’t just because he awkwardly looked after her for a time, nor because he kindly warned her, but because his personality reminded her of her earlier self.
"I haven’t even told Gu Ningzhi, do you think... I would tell you?" Su Jiameng wasn’t intimidated by him at all, and her attitude was open and direct, "Lieutenant General Li You, as a lawful citizen of the Alliance, I haven’t violated any laws, so I seem to have no reason to answer your question. As for how I got here, I naturally have my ways..."
Li You’s face turned cold, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity with the Su Jiameng before him... oh well, the number of times they met and intersected could be counted on fingers, never having been familiar, whence the unfamiliarity? He had promised Young Master Qin Mo and Gu Ningzhi that as long as she didn’t harm the Alliance, he’d turn a blind eye to her matters, "Forget it, even the most cunning fox will show its tail one day..."
He refused to believe Su Jiameng could keep this secret for a lifetime! His limit was clear, anyone daring to harm the Alliance, whoever they were... even if it was Gu Ningzhi, he’d shoot without hesitation!
With such premises, things could be flexible. Thinking of this, Li You chose to disregard it.
"So then..." Li You glanced around, noticing Gu Ningzhi’s flickering eyes, Gong Yulu’s indifferent disregard, and Su Jiameng’s disinterest, "Regarding what happened two days ago, is any of you willing to explain?"
Gu Ningzhi quietly raised his hand, grinning, "I’ll explain, but can we wait until we’re back on the warship?"
Li You snorted coldly, his expression very unpleasant, though acknowledging it. Upon learning that the resources on this planet were unusable, Li You only nodded indifferently, devoid of disappointment. The Expedition Army stayed to rest for a day before preparing to return.
Due to someone’s backstage operations, Gong Yulu boarded the warship, while Su Jiameng disappeared. Gu Ningzhi vaguely understood what was going on, and when Li You questioned about it, he was also evasive, causing Li You’s face to darken several shades.
"Alright, now you can spill it all, honestly, can’t you?" Li You slammed the door shut, tugging at his collar in slight frustration, then tossing it onto the nearby sofa, looking like an angry lion.
"Well... it’s a long story..." Gu Ningzhi awkwardly smiled, surprised that even after these days, the little squid’s temper was still raging. It seemed like those days had been holding onto anger... wasn’t sure if he was broken inside?
"Then make it short!" Li You angrily grabbed Gu Ningzhi’s collar, pressing him against the wall, his dark eyes ablaze, "Gu Ningzhi, you’re hiding more and more things from me..."
"Haha..." Gu Ningzhi laughed awkwardly twice, teasingly saying, "Little Squid, you sound like a jealous housewife... we’re all adults, mature a bit, everyone has their personal space..."
"This is beyond personal space! Gu Ningzhi, do you know what you’re doing?" Li You’s fury doubled, especially upon hearing the "jealous housewife" remark, "The slightest mistake and it’s the crime of betraying the Alliance, the consequences are severe!"
Gu Ningzhi noticed he’d gone too far, thinking "uh-oh" and quickly said, "Don’t be angry, I’ll confess, alright?"
Although there was much he couldn’t say, there were still many things he could reveal, hoping these truths would extinguish the little squid’s anger. Gu Ningzhi shared what he could, causing Li You’s face to darken even more.
"Gu Ningzhi... you’ve done quite well, hiding something so important." Li You’s smile was chillingly eerie.
"This will be the last time, little squid cool down..." Gu Ningzhi’s seaweed-like hair was almost twisted into knots.
"If you want me not to be angry, it can be done, but... you have to promise me one thing... stay in the Expedition Army!"
"Ha, that’s the one thing I can’t agree to." Gu Ningzhi shrugged, "I don’t like this place."
Li You firmly said, "Since that’s the case... don’t forget, we also have an agreement, if you want to leave, beat me!" (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendations and monthly votes, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
