---

---

Gu Nanfeng quickly diverted his gaze.

---

That night, Gu Nanfeng lay on his dormitory bed, tossing and turning.

At one moment, he thought about how if Si Yu had controlled his bat better, none of this would have happened. The next moment, he wondered why Si Yu kissed him. Why? Who could have guessed that the same Si Yu who beat and scolded him would kiss him? What was he thinking???

Unable to sleep, Gu Nanfeng got up and sat at the bedside, shaking his legs.

The Cougar raised its head to look at him.

Gu Nanfeng: “What are you looking at? Why are you so pathetic? You start meowing like a cat as soon as you’re touched—it’s so girly. Aren’t you ashamed?”

Gu Nanfeng rambled on: “If it weren’t for you, would I be in this emotional mess? Damn, it’s all because of that mental mark!”

The Cougar yawned widely.

Gu Nanfeng nudged the Cougar’s paw gently: “Was what I said really too much? He was over the line first, slapping me in the face without warning. Did I ever argue about that? I’ve been hit so many times, did I ever say anything…”

Gu Nanfeng paused, then added, “…well, even if I did, he hit me back anyway!”

The Cougar turned around, pointing its Asshole at Gu Nanfeng.

He gave up: “Whatever, whatever. At most, the mental mark will fade in a week, and we won’t see each other after the mission ends.”

Trying to convince himself, Gu Nanfeng couldn’t help but start thinking about the Uke’s lips. What color were they? What texture? What temperature? What if he hadn’t passed out…?

Caught up in these thoughts, he scratched his head in frustration.

Gu Nanfeng tried to reassure himself: “This obsession must be because the mental mark is about to disappear. It’s just a physiological reaction.”

While Gu Nanfeng was still struggling with his thoughts, the Cougar suddenly lifted its head and jumped onto the windowsill, scratching at the window.

It turned out the bat had returned.

Gu Nanfeng slapped the Cougar lightly: “Go back to sleep.”

As Gu Nanfeng was about to close the curtains, the bat politely tapped on the window, blinking its large eyes and looking at him adorably.

Gu Nanfeng: “…”

He opened the window, and the bat wiggled its way inside, waddling over to the Cougar with a tiny piece of beef jerky, placing it in front of the Cougar. Only after seeing the Cougar lick it up with a few flicks of its tongue did Gu Nanfeng realize it was beef jerky.

The jerky was so small that the Cougar swallowed it whole with barely a chew, making a satisfied noise afterward.

Gu Nanfeng: “Pathetic. Have I ever starved you?”

The bat flew onto the Cougar’s head, tugging at the big cat’s ears.

Gu Nanfeng watched the scene with mixed feelings: “You’ve eaten, now go back home.”

The Cougar turned its head and gave Gu Nanfeng a serious look as if accusing him of not properly entertaining the plump bat.

Gu Nanfeng: “Why do you have so many expressions for a lion?!”

Despite his grumbling, Gu Nanfeng stepped out to find a pear, handing it to the bat: “Don’t eat too much. Your belly’s so round you can’t even see your feet anymore.”

The bat spread its legs, flopping onto the table, gnawing on the pear as the Cougar licked its wings nearby.

Gu Nanfeng couldn’t stand watching anymore and went back to bed, lying down and closing his eyes.

He left the window open, assuming the bat would leave after finishing its pear. However, the bat flew onto his head, grabbing onto a hook, and curled up with its wings, closing its eyes.

Gu Nanfeng: “…Hey, wake up. Go home and sleep.”

The bat yawned but didn’t move.

The Cougar stood by the bed, its golden eyes fixed on him disapprovingly, as if saying, “How could you disturb the bat’s sleep?”

Gu Nanfeng: “…”

---

The little bat hung around for two more days, snacking and lounging with Gu Nanfeng.

The mental mark between him and Si Yu slowly faded, but their spirit animals had grown inseparably close. Gu Nanfeng felt annoyed just watching them together.

Despite the Cougar’s imploring looks and the bat’s adorable antics, Gu Nanfeng paid no attention.

Finally, when the mental mark had fully disappeared, Gu Nanfeng grabbed the bat and took it to see Qiao Si Yu.

Si Yu was sitting in his room reading a book.

Gu Nanfeng knocked on the door and handed over the bat by its neck: “It came over to my place.”

Si Yu took the bat and reintegrated it into his spiritual space. The Cougar sat quietly nearby.

The atmosphere felt a little tense.

Gu Nanfeng: “Uh, good evening. You’re reading?”

Si Yu: “…”

The tension in the room thickened.

Deciding to be direct, Gu Nanfeng confessed: “I apologize for my earlier rude words. You hit me enough times, so let’s call it even.”

Si Yu stood still, saying nothing.

Gu Nanfeng: “I already apologized. Can you say something?”

Si Yu’s expression was hard to read, somewhere between hurt and relieved.

When he spoke through their mental link, his emotions were turbulent enough for Gu Nanfeng to notice.

Si Yu: “That’s it? Nothing else?”

Gu Nanfeng, confused: “What else do you want? Look, the entire camp laughed at me after you hit me. If you think my words were over the line, and you don’t want to forgive me, fine. We won’t see each other again, anyway.”

Si Yu suddenly regained his calm expression: “Fine. Just close the door on your way out. I need to pack my things.”

---

The next day, a superior approached Gu Nanfeng, praising his excellent performance during the mission and his past merits. Then, the superior asked if Gu Nanfeng would be interested in joining the Marshal’s independent unit.

Gu Nanfeng was thrilled: “Of course! The Marshal is my idol.”

The superior, surprised: “You’re accepting? Why didn’t you go with Lieutenant Qiao then? Do you have something against him?”

Gu Nanfeng: “What does this have to do with him?”

Superior: “Lieutenant Qiao is the Marshal’s chief guide. Didn’t you know?”

Gu Nanfeng: “How would I know?”

Superior: “I told you on our way to see Lieutenant Qiao for that initial guidance session. I mentioned it.”

Gu Nanfeng looked bewildered.

The superior picked up on something odd: “What were you listening to back then?”

Gu Nanfeng felt lost. That day, the superior had droned on about tactical adjustments and strategy, and Gu Nanfeng had tuned out, only catching that the changes were centered around a senior guide arriving from the frontlines.