Chapter 288 - 258: You Miss Him a Lot Now?
Chapter 288: Chapter 258: You Miss Him a Lot Now?
After ending his call with Vine, Andrew sent a message to the young female. A few seconds later, she replied, and he immediately dialed her comm.
"Admiral Andrew..."
The young female’s soft, raspy voice came through his earpiece, like a feather brushing across his eardrum.
Andrew raised his wrist to check the time. It was just past eight.
"Are you awake, or did I wake you?" he asked.
"Not loud. Was awake." Gu Ning yawned and sat up in bed, adjusting the translation earpiece that had come loose before speaking to Andrew.
She hadn’t slept well. The pain had woken her up, forcing her to go to the bathroom and change her period underwear before crawling back into bed.
This time, her period brought an aching back and terrible cramps. There was no ibuprofen or any other kind of painkiller here, so all she could do was try to stay warm, get plenty of rest, and tough it out.
Gu Ning picked up the thermos on her bedside table, took a sip of hot water, and then paused.
The thermos was full.
She remembered drinking most of it before bed.
It seemed one of the beastmen had come into her room and refilled it for her.
"Vine tells me you’re not feeling well," Andrew said.
Hearing this, Gu Ning’s mind cleared a little. She put down the thermos, her tone probing. "Wolf Team says I... am not well? Is that it?"
Andrew chuckled at the young female’s awkward phrasing. "Besides not feeling well," he countered, "are there other troubles on your mind? You can tell me about them."
"No," Gu Ning said. "I will be better soon. For the team... no trouble."
Andrew listened patiently, deciphering her meaning. When she finished, he said, "I’m calling to tell you that Vine and his team have a mission to handle in Zone 15. It will probably take them seven or eight days at the minimum, which might delay your journey."
’What perfect timing!’
She let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "That’s not a delay, not at all."
Andrew said, "It works out perfectly. You and the team can get a few days of proper rest."
"Yes, yes!"
Hearing the new brightness in the young female’s voice, Andrew could almost picture her happy expression, and a smile touched his eyes. "However, it will still delay the journey for you and the two children."
"Hmm?" Gu Ning was confused.
Andrew explained, "Vine’s mission will be a prolonged one. As it happens, another team is heading toward Zone 5, so you can travel with them. Don’t worry. They’re just as capable as Vine’s team, and they are trustworthy."
It took Gu Ning a moment to process the mechanical translation in her ear before she understood that Andrew was telling her she would be switching teams.
"What’s wrong?" Andrew asked after a long silence from the young female. "You don’t want to be separated from Vine and the others?"
Gu Ning hesitated. "...That’s not it."
’But it was.’
Even though they had run into many problems on the road with Vine and his team, every single beastman had done his utmost to protect her. Putting aside their personalities and communication difficulties, they were actually wonderful.
’Vine was rigid and strict, but he was also righteous and responsible—the core that held the team together. Philinos could be sharp-tongued and harsh, making him difficult to talk to. He’d almost mistaken her for a Mutant Species and tried to capture her, and a part of her had held a knot of resentment against him ever since. But throughout their journey, he had been the one patrolling the perimeter, silently protecting the team. He even found her camera and returned it without a word. Unconsciously, that knot inside her had begun to dissolve. And then there was Leo, that human-shaped husky. He was the biggest handful of them all, but after she saw him risk his life to protect her, she figured she could let the puppy be a little rowdy...’
’But now Andrew was telling her she had to switch to a new team. That meant getting used to a whole new group of unfamiliar beastmen. She had no idea what the new team leader’s personality would be like or if they’d be easy to get along with, and the journey ahead was still so long...’
Andrew detected the hesitation in her voice and said with understanding, "They have a mission in Zone 5 too. You’ll have a chance to see them again there."
Gu Ning understood that Vine’s team were Andrew’s soldiers and had to obey his orders, so she didn’t ask if she could stay with them. She couldn’t afford to wait; the road was too full of uncertainties. It would be better for her, Bartok, and the others to reach Zone 5 and get settled as soon as possible.
’Before setting out, she had thought she would be leaving with Alex. She was surprised she hadn’t seen him at all along the way, and now she couldn’t even contact him.’
Thinking of Alex, Gu Ning asked Andrew, "Seth’s group... they come with me?"
’They were Alex’s Wolf Pack, assigned by Alex himself to stay by her and Bartok’s side. Please don’t let Seth have a mission in Zone 15,’ she prayed. ’Otherwise, she’d have to leave with just the new team.’
Andrew replied, "Those young wolves will go with you."
Gu Ning was instantly relieved. As long as Seth and his pack were with her, things would be fine.
Andrew heard a soft sigh of relief through the earpiece. The corners of his lips curled up. "Only asking about Seth?"
Gu Ning didn’t understand what he was trying to say.
Andrew let out a soft chuckle over the comm. "And here I thought you’d ask about Alex."
Gu Ning’s heart leaped at the mention of his name. "The new team," she asked excitedly, "Alex is with them?!"
Andrew asked in a meaningful tone, "Do you miss him that much?"
Gu Ning acted as if she hadn’t heard his question. Suppressing her excitement, she asked only, "Is he coming?"
’She had never dared to bring up Alex in front of Andrew, terrified of causing him trouble. The admiral held immense power. And while she had a private agreement with him, he still held her identity—and Bartok’s fate—in the palm of his hand. Judging by the character of Vine and his men, she didn’t think Andrew was a bad beastman. But even Alex was working under him now. She and Bartok had yet to find their footing, so deep down, she was still on guard against him.’
There was a two-second pause on Andrew’s end before he replied, his tone still placid. "He should be en route. I can’t reach him at the moment, but he will likely be able to catch up with your team."
Gu Ning asked, "He is coming... on your orders? Is it approved?"
Andrew processed her words for a moment. ’The young female certainly knows how things work,’ he thought. He chuckled softly. "It is my order. I’m confident he will execute it well."
"Thank you."
Andrew’s smile faded. He plucked a leaf from a potted plant beside him. "Just ’thank you’?"
Gu Ning said slowly and earnestly, "My mission... I will also carry out well."
Andrew sighed inwardly, crushing the leaf in his hand. The bitter scent of its juices spread across his palm. "You’re a reporter, not a soldier."
"I understand," Gu Ning said. "What I need to do, I will do well." ’These next few days of rest in Zone 15 will give me time to work on next month’s press release for the Military Department’s public affairs division.’
Andrew paced back and forth, running a hand through his hair. For the first time, he felt the impulse to drag her in front of him for a proper "chat."
’Patience,’ he told himself. ’Patience.’
After a few more exchanges, Andrew ended the comm call.
The moment the line went dead, Gu Ning immediately tried to call Alex.
A long BEEEEEP echoed in her earpiece. It hadn’t gone through.
Just as Gu Ning was about to disconnect, a burst of static crackled through the line, followed by a gentle voice she hadn’t heard in what felt like an eternity:
"Ningning?"