Chapter 14: An Uninvited Guest

Evelyn drank the mental energy replenishment potion, feeling completely at ease—as if she could now march straight onto the battlefield to slay the polluted creatures.

Wen Li had not forgotten her promise and solemnly expressed her gratitude to Evelyn.

“Thank you, Miss Evelyn. I will stroke your spiritual form as agreed.”

Evelyn summoned her spiritual form, revealing a small leopard cub with round eyes of amber. Unlike the one Wen Li had seen in the spiritual sea, this little leopard was noticeably smaller, resembling a recently matured kitten.

Its ears were round and tiny, sparsely covered with golden fur.

Curious, the little leopard looked around, its pink paws padding awkwardly as it approached Wen Li’s feet.

“This is my spiritual form, Emma,” Evelyn said.

Wen Li crouched down and gently held the creature in her arms. “So adorable!”

Emma was clearly fond of Wen Li, nuzzling her head against her warmly and letting out soft, plaintive sounds every so often.

Ban inwardly sighed in embarrassment—after all, she was quite grown yet still acting so young.

Evelyn encouraged the little leopard, “Well done, Emma. Take down the little guide!”

Emma tilted her head and delivered a wink, her secret weapon.

Wen Li felt herself melting under this little creature’s charm.

Unconsciously, she buried her face in Emma’s neck, the warm, tangible sensation of the spiritual form transmitting directly to its owner.

A female sentinel standing nearby blushed deeply.

This... this was far too unfair.

Emma’s fluffy tail curled around Wen Li’s arm as she obediently allowed Wen Li to stroke her.

Ban cleared her throat lightly. “Miss, the purification session has ended. You should get some rest.”

Wen Li snapped back to reality, realizing she had been a little too indulgent. But glancing down at the precious little creature in her arms, she forgave herself.

She simply couldn’t help it—the little kitty was too cute.

Sensing that further excitement might lead to foolishness, Evelyn tactfully took her leave.

After dinner, Wen Li returned to the guide dormitory. While waiting for the elevator, she ran into a colleague finishing her shift.

A fellow worker from the purification floor, somewhat familiar with her, greeted warmly, “Wen Li! What a coincidence!”

Wen Li wanted to say, “Not really; we just happen to be leaving at the same time.”

To avoid trouble, she smiled and nodded politely.

The others exchanged glances.

One with blue hair invited Wen Li, “Wen Li, aren’t you going to the club next week? Are you free this weekend? We could get together.”

Her sweet smile was genuinely pleasant.

Wen Li forced a smile, “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll be busy next week and working overtime this weekend.”

She declined politely but still irritated her colleagues.

“Yes, you’re quite important, going on missions with the leadership.”

The elevator arrived at Wen Li’s floor. She nodded and maintained her polite smile as she stepped out.

Ignoring the glances behind her, she calmly swiped her card to enter her room.

Her forced smile faded as she exhaled a breath of frustration.

She had always known some coworkers looked down on her—a paratrooper and a disabled guide. How could these privileged children not be annoyed?

What a ridiculous situation.

Her smart home had thoughtfully prepared tea, detected her mood, and played a soothing melody.

A pure, innocent child’s voice hummed an unknown tune, like bathing in sunlight, gradually easing all her fatigue and anxiety.

Wen Li found herself humming along, startled to hear her own voice.

Strange—she had never heard this melody before; how could she sing it so smoothly?

Too tired to ponder, she had another appointment tomorrow.

Falling into a deep sleep, Wen Li was unaware that her unintentional humming had been recorded by the smart home system.

A storm was quietly brewing.

“Good morning, Miss Wen. Today is Tuesday, August 26, Federation New Calendar Year 210. Light rain is expected. Your vehicle is ready.”

The smart home had prepared everything with care.

Wen Li enjoyed waking up with a clear mind—her breakfast hot, clothes neatly pressed, and schedule transparently laid out.

She was truly living the life of a contented couch potato.

Taking a hovercar to the underground garage, Wen Li encountered an old acquaintance.

“Good morning, Ban!”

Today, Ban wore a tie with her uniform, making her appear more formal.

The sentinel politely gestured for Wen Li to enter the elevator first. “Good morning, Miss.”

In truth, Ban always arrived at the garage half an hour before Wen Li to clear the area.

The young guide’s movements were already well known, and some ill-intentioned sentinels dreamed of a fateful, beautiful encounter.

Ridiculous.

Despite the gloomy weather, Wen Li’s golden hair was as warm and uplifting as the sun.

Her presence was the very beginning of something beautiful.

Curious, Wen Li asked, “Ban, do you have an important meeting today?”

Ban nodded and pressed the elevator button for Wen Li’s floor.

“Yes, Miss. How did you know?”

Wen Li pointed at Ban’s tie with a smile. “You never wore a tie before. Dressing so formally—are you meeting with leadership?”

Ban replied, “Yes, Miss. This morning, I’m meeting with Major General Sims.”

Wen Li recalled the stern white-haired elder from her award ceremony.

The head of the White Tower, Sims Grant.

So Ban was meeting with such a high-ranking officer today.

Wen Li encouraged her with a thumbs-up.

“Ban, you look really sharp today! Good luck!”

Wen Li meant to tell her not to be nervous and to be confident, but Ban only heard, “You look really sharp today.”

Ban made a mental note to try wearing a tie more often.

Arriving at her floor, Wen Li said goodbye to Ban.

Her mood buoyant, she pushed open her purification room door.

Her smile froze instantly.

She saw the person she least wished to encounter.

A white-haired man in a white shirt and black suit pants lounged lazily on Wen Li’s soft sofa, holding the documents she had prepared.

Seeing the man so relaxed as if browsing his own home, Wen Li’s irritation flared like a small flame.

Stepping forward, she snatched the papers into her arms and asked angrily, “How did you get in here? And don’t go rifling through my documents!”

Cyril propped his face in his hand, grinning mischievously. “Small but feisty, aren’t you?”

Wen Li shot him a displeased glance. “Get out quickly. The sentinel for my appointment will be here soon.”

Cyril’s smile grew wider, eyes nearly disappearing.

“I’m guessing that sentinel won’t be coming?”

Wen Li doubted Cyril would be so bold as to scare off her appointed sentinel. She set down the papers and asked, “How do you know?”

Running his hand through his silver hair, soft as silk between his fingers, Cyril said with delight, “Because I am that sentinel.”

Wen Li’s entire expression soured. She flipped through the documents in disbelief, but the screen clearly showed the sentinel assigned for the appointment was Cyril.

“You’re not from the club. How can you conduct purification in the White Tower?”

Cyril’s fox-like eyes narrowed joyfully as he explained, “Sorry, little girl, but I’m a major in the White Tower’s Operations Department.”

Now it was Cyril’s turn to be in a good mood.