Chapter 272 - 244: If I’m Lying, I’m a Puppy
Chapter 272: Chapter 244: If I’m Lying, I’m a Puppy
He shifted his gaze back to her small face, which was so red it looked like it could burst.
In an instant, he knew why she was blushing.
Leo raised an eyebrow. Just as she was about to delete the photo, he snatched the camera away. "You like taking pictures of this?"
Gu Ning immediately lunged for it. "Wh-who said I-I like it!"
Leo held the camera high, teasing her with a grin. "I-I said it. Y-you do like it."
A rush of heat shot to Gu Ning’s head. Annoyed and embarrassed, she snapped, "Give it back!"
Leo sat on the sofa, tossing the camera from his left hand to his right, then back again, just keeping it out of her reach.
Gu Ning finally jumped onto the sofa to grab it, calling on Cook for help.
Cook bared his teeth slightly and pounced. He was much rougher than Gu Ning, but one of his paws was injured, so he could only use one to swipe at Leo.
Leo wasn’t stupid enough to pick a fight with the dog. The moment Cook laid a paw on him, he clutched his stomach, curled up on the sofa, and let out a pained hiss.
Seeing this, Gu Ning quickly pushed Cook aside, gave his fur a soothing pat, and then turned to check on Leo’s injury.
"What’s wrong?"
Leo squeezed one eye shut as he looked at her. "He hit my wound. It hurts."
"Don’t... lie to me." Gu Ning sat down next to her dog.
Leo grumbled, "If I’m lying, I’m a puppy."
Gu Ning couldn’t help but laugh, but she quickly suppressed it and tried to pull his hand away from his stomach. "Let me see."
Leo let her tug twice before he reversed his grip, grabbing her wrist and using her momentum to pull her down into his arms.
Gu Ning: "..."
"Give me a hug and it’ll stop hurting." Leo’s hand rested on her waist, and he couldn’t hide the sly, triumphant grin on his face.
When Gu Ning saw his expression, there was no way she’d believe him. Angrily, she pinched his cheek. "You liar, you stinky puppy!"
Leo grinned from ear to ear. "I already said if I was lying, I’m a puppy."
Gu Ning twisted his cheek hard. ’I’ll see just how thick-skinned this stinky puppy is.’
"WOOF!" Seeing that Leo wouldn’t let Gu Ning go, Cook lunged forward, bit his hand, and pulled with all his might.
His grip was strong. Leo was yanked off the sofa, and Gu Ning tumbled to the floor with him, landing with a dull thud.
With quick reflexes, Leo protected Gu Ning’s head, but she still cried out in pain from the fall.
Cook immediately let go and started pawing at Gu Ning, who was still in Leo’s arms.
"Get lost!" Leo sat up, still holding Gu Ning, and checked her all over. "Where did you get hurt?"
Gu Ning slapped his hand away and glared at him. "My butt!"
Leo immediately tried to pull at her pants. "Let me see..."
SMACK! Gu Ning slapped him on the forehead. "Let go of me!"
Afraid she was genuinely angry, Leo said, "Okay, okay, I won’t look! I was just worried you were badly hurt. This pup of yours is poorly trained. We’re on the same side, why is he biting me? I need to help you teach him a lesson."
Gu Ning said, "You’re at fault, not Cook."
Leo said, "How am I at fault? It was obviously him..."
Cook pulled Gu Ning out of Leo’s arms and barked at him in dissatisfaction. Ordinarily, he would have bitten him half to death by now, but he understood that these annoying beasts were protecting Ningning, so he couldn’t go too far.
Leo was about to snatch the young female back when Vine came out of the shower. He strode over, yanked Leo to his feet, pushed him toward the bathroom, and gave him a kick. "Go take a shower."
"..."
Gu Ning secretly sized up Vine. He was wearing a simple black short-sleeved shirt and knee-length shorts. A white towel was draped over his shoulder, and his hair, still not dry, dripped water from its messy ends.
After getting rid of Leo, Vine turned around, his gaze falling on Gu Ning.
Gu Ning immediately looked away.
Vine noticed her hair was still sopping wet and went over to the luggage to look for a hairdryer.
Just then, the terminal on Gu Ning’s wrist vibrated, and Andrew’s face popped up.
Only then did she remember that Vine had told her earlier that Andrew had called and that she should let the Admiral know she was safe.
Gu Ning glanced up at Vine, who was squatting in front of the suitcase and rummaging through it. She quietly told Cook to behave in the living room, then trotted into the bedroom and answered Andrew’s call.
"How are you?" Andrew’s deep, resonant voice came from the terminal. "Was the journey okay?"
Gu Ning thought for a moment, then answered honestly, "The journey... was not good."
She added, "Very good now. In your house."
She couldn’t explain it clearly. "Will send message. Tell you."
Andrew listened patiently before speaking. "Don’t rush. I heard about what happened on the road. I just need to know if you’re all right. Are you injured?"
Gu Ning: "No."
As she spoke, she rubbed her tailbone. Her scuffle with Leo had left her with a sore behind.
’But there’s no need to tell Andrew about that.’
Andrew: "Did the incident with the Mutant Species frighten you?"
Gu Ning was silent for a moment, then said, "A little."
She had spent so much time in Zone 19 and had her fair share of run-ins with Mutant Species. This time, it wasn’t just their attack that scared her; what unsettled her more was that the other Beastmen had been injured because of it.
Andrew said, "Don’t worry. Once you enter Zone 15, you won’t encounter any more Mutant Species. The men with you are my elite troops. Their abilities and physiques are top-notch. To them, these are just minor injuries that will heal in no time. I’m more worried about you."
Gu Ning said quickly, "I’m fine. Thank you."
Hearing her formal tone, Andrew leaned back, slightly displeased. "And?"
’And what?’ Gu Ning wondered.
’Oh, right. About the puppy.’
"Captain Leo... he..."
"What about him?" It was both unexpected and perfectly logical to Andrew that she would bring up Leo first.
"You should talk to him." Gu Ning scratched her cheek, searching for the right words to complain in a way that would get Andrew to rein him in without actually punishing him. "He’s injured."
Andrew: "I know. The injury is a little serious, but he’s had worse. His recovery is very fast, so don’t worry."
After saying this, he waited expectantly for the young female to say something else—something that would please him.
Gu Ning struggled for a moment before finally squeezing out, "Tell him... to be quieter."
Andrew understood what she was trying to say. His eyes narrowed slightly as he sat up a little straighter. "Did the puppy bother you?"
Gu Ning opened her mouth, thought for a second, and said, "He’s... a little loud."
Andrew smiled faintly. "I see. You want him to be quiet like Philinos?"
Gu Ning: "Yes!"
Hearing how quickly she agreed, Andrew chuckled again. "And the others?"
Gu Ning: "The others... are very good."
"Admiral, this document..."
Andrew raised a hand to silence Cyril, motioning for him to put the document down. He stood up and walked to the window. "How is Vine?"
Cyril glanced at the Admiral, who seemed to be in a good mood. He lowered his gaze and slowly organized the documents, but his movements paused when he heard the faint voice of a certain young female coming from the terminal.
Andrew asked, "Don’t you need me to give Vine any pointers for you?"
Gu Ning: "No, no." ’As if I would dare to complain about Vine.’
Vine walked toward the bedroom with the hairdryer. Just as he was about to push open the ajar door, he heard the young female’s voice from inside:
"The Wolf Team... is very good."