Chapter 111

You should chain yourself up around your waist!

"Kiana, stop smelling it, it tickles... How should I know? I was just saving people when the Class President rushed up and beat me up. I couldn't beat her, so I had to run away. Then I ran into this kid, and then the Honkai Beast started chasing us. I'm completely innocent."

Holding Kiana like this, Shen Gonglin felt a sense of security welling up inside him for no reason, like the feeling of a kitten being pinched on the scruff of its neck. Shen Gonglin actually quite liked this feeling. He placed his hands on Kiana's arms, appearing gentle and obedient. Shen Gonglin blinked his deep purple eyes and innocently clarified to Kiana that it really had nothing to do with him.

Holy crap, is this the legendary contrast of Shen Gonglin? When has Rin ever been so well-behaved? I feel like I can't take it anymore... Who can resist this Kiana certainly can't.

The contrast between Shen Gonglin's usual adorable and timid demeanor was incredibly charming. He was usually so tough and clumsy, but now he was acting like this, even with a soft, lilting tone. This Shen Gonglin instantly made Kiana's heart flutter. She quickly put Shen Gonglin down, her innocent face turning away like a fiery sunset. Shen Gonglin was indeed a toxic creature. She didn't really like cats, but why did she want to pet and cuddle Shen Gonglin so much just now?

Well, when she said "stroking," she meant petting Shen Gonglin's fur, and when she said "inhaling," she meant burying her face in his chest and neck and inhaling his breath. There was nothing else to it.

"Your Class President beat you up? Honkai Beast chased you? Shrine, what exactly is going on? And this girl, can you explain this more clearly?"

Kiana blushed and turned to kick a stone, while Mei sensed something was wrong. Not defeated by the sudden change in Shen Gonglin's demeanor, she came over to ask about the situation. Bronya slowly put Wendy back in her wheelchair. Looking at the girl's bandaged legs, a strange light flashed in the emotionless loli's gray eyes. She was injured in the legs too.

Chapter 440 Go ahead and bully me if you dare!

"I don't know, she was probably just an innocent girl. When I found her on the beach, she was almost crying from fright, so I rescued her out of humanitarianism. Mei, I think you should give me a compliment."

Shen Gonglin didn't know Wendy's true identity, or rather, he didn't care at all. Although the girl was quite pretty, Shen Gonglin wasn't the kind of shallow guy who only cared about looks. He paid attention to more things. Even though she had big breasts, a slim waist, long legs, and a cute face, what could he do? She had short hair. Shen Gonglin was a picky person; he was definitely a long-hair fetishist.

After all, there are many options to choose from when you have long hair.

Shen Gonglin stood in front of Mei, earnestly seeking praise. Indeed, she deserved some praise, especially since she had accurately located them. Based on that alone, Shen Gonglin felt it was worth returning for the banquet. This was her retreat route, and everything was under Shen Gonglin control.

Just take it as a serious listen.

"Yes, yes, you really deserve a compliment. Shen Gonglin, you did a great job. I'll make you something delicious when we get back."

Mei placed her hand on Shen Gonglin's head and stroked his fur. The soft, blond Mei felt amazing. Mei was really taking her role as his caretaker seriously, and she really had to praise Shen Gonglin. Not for anything else, but just for the fact that he asked her for praise for doing a good deed. Mei suddenly felt that she was a very important person to Mei Shen Gonglin. This feeling made the girl's heart flutter. Look, he asked her for praise. Isn't it because they have a good relationship?

Otherwise, why wouldn't he go to Kiana for praise?

"Excuse me, who are you, and why are you there all alone?"

Mei stroked Shen Gonglin's Mei, replenishing her Rin element, and felt her heart melt. Lately, she'd had this feeling that Shen Gonglin and Kiana were particularly close, almost like she was, but now it seemed it was just an illusion. In a good mood, Mei shifted her attention away from Shen Gonglin. Meanwhile, Bronya had already placed the girl who had come with Shen Gonglin in a wheelchair. Mei's gaze lingered briefly on the girl's legs. Logically, a girl like that should definitely have someone accompanying her. Had something happened?

"...My name is Wendy."

The girl spoke timidly, perhaps feeling uncomfortable with the increased number of people around her. Noticing this, Bronya stepped forward and comforted her by taking her hand. Seeing the girl reminded her of her own sister and her current condition, where she needed to use a wheelchair. Bronya was very concerned about her.

[Wendy? Looks like you've found your target. And Shen Gonglin, it seems Fu Hua can't keep an eye on you alone. If you dare to act on your own again, I'll have to show you what a teacher's authority is like.]

The communicator was always on, and Himeko could clearly see the interactions between Shen Gonglin and Kiana, and then she was all lovey- Mei. This made the Valkyrie that she wanted to bite her handkerchief. She should have gone with them. Maybe Shen Gonglin would have been with her too... Yes, Himeko was envious. She admitted that she was envious. After hearing a certain name that caught her attention, Himeko realized who it was. Wendy, and considering the girl's appearance, yes, it was her.

What do you mean by acting on your own? It's because the Class President suddenly chased after me and beat me up. And the teacher's authority... who's afraid of who? I'll let her taste what the authority of the Shingu family is like.

Shen Gonglin curled his lip in disdain. Although he didn't say anything, his attitude made Himeko grit her teeth in anger. This guy didn't take her seriously at all and showed no respect for her. It was too much!

"Found the mission objective? But our mission is to find the Gem of Desire, but we only found Shen Gonglin and Miss Wendy... Rin, did you find anything strange?"

Mei looked at Mei Shen Gonglin with confusion. If others had paid attention, they could have noticed the faint blush on her face. The girl had cleverly changed how she addressed Shen Gonglin. Surely no one else had heard her using such an intimate term. She was such a bad girl.

"No, I just found her. Hey, let me ask you, do you have any nicknames, like 'Gem of Desire' or something?"

Shen Gonglin leaned closer to Wendy and looked into her eyes. Not only was her hair mixed with green, but her eyes were green too. She was a girl who was green from head to toe. Was it because she was dressed too lightly? Why did her pectoral muscles look so impressive? She should be about the same size as Kiana.

Gem of Desire... Wendy clenched her fist quietly. It was because of this thing that she had become like this. How annoying.

[Let me explain. According to information from the Oceania Branch, this girl, Miss Wendy, is the one who Gem of Desire. Three years ago, during an experiment conducted at the Oceania Branch, the Gem of Desire was transplanted into Miss Wendy's leg, combining the Honkai Energy Crystal with her shinbone, hoping to gain power on par with Herrscher.]

Himeko on the screen recounted the information she had obtained. The Oceania Branch was currently paralyzed, making it difficult to organize the information. However, finding Wendy was a good thing, and all that was left was to bring her back to the St. Freya Academy.

"Hey, but shouldn't she be incredibly powerful? If she had the same level of power Herrscher, she should be super strong. But right now, I feel like she's as weak as a chicken. Needless to say, the experiment must have failed."

Shen Gonglin reached out and ruffled Wendy's hair, making Shen Gonglin smooth, short hair look like a bird's nest. He rarely had such an opportunity because almost everyone was taller than him. Bronya was often floating in the air, which prevented Shen Gonglin from having the right to pat someone's head. Wendy, sitting in her wheelchair, was the perfect target for Shen Gonglin. Moreover, with the girl's gentle and weak personality, she wouldn't dare to fight back even if he bullied her. It was quite amusing.

"Shen Gonglin, don't bully Wendy. If you want to bully someone, go bully Kiana instead."

Bronya couldn't stand seeing Shen Gonglin bullying Wendy. Although Wendy didn't resist at all and seemed to enjoy it, Bronya felt she should protect Wendy. She took Shen Gonglin's hand and gave it to him to choose a new target: Kiana, who was tough, so go bully her.

"Yeah, yeah, don't bully Wendy! If you're so tough, bully me... No! Bronya, you bad girl, why do you get to bully me?!"

Kiana nodded at first, but then she realized what was happening and gritted her teeth in anger. Why wasn't she being bullied? Bronya, you idiot!

Chapter 441 I'm a Man

The experiment failed. Not only did it not grant Wendy Herrscher - S-rank Valkyrie power, but it also deprived her of her fighting ability, leaving Wendy in a wheelchair ever since.

In the Hyperion's command center, Himeko relayed the compiled intelligence to Shen Gonglin and the others. Looking at the commotion, Himeko sighed and covered her head in exasperation. Seriously, if they wanted to bully her, they could bully her too... Ugh, no, no, they're on a mission! These idiots have absolutely no sense of mission. Anyway, at least they've found the Gem of Desire; the most important mission is complete. As for Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua's mission to search for clothes...

Himeko thought it was just giving the two of them an excuse to go on a date and hang out; it would be best if it didn't happen!

"Oh, I see. It's a pity. I'm currently the fourth S-rank. See how awesome I am? If you want to be the top-ranked one, you can only be the fifth. Come on, call me 'senior'."

With practically no emotional intelligence, after hearing Himeko's words, Shen Gonglin patted Wendy's head triumphantly. This guy wasn't afraid of upsetting the girl's soft heart at all. Mei was speechless and wanted to pull him away, but thankfully Wendy had a good temper and didn't hold it against him. Bronya stepped forward and carefully tidied Shen Gonglin's hair, which Rin had messed up. Shen Gonglin's personality... well, that's just how it is. Hopefully, Wendy won't mind. Actually, he's a... no, actually, he's definitely not a good person.

"Wendy, I'm sorry, he injured himself here before, so he's not quite right."

Not wanting Wendy to have any negative impression of Shen Gonglin, Bronya, despite being not good with words, tried to correct Wendy Shen Gonglin. She pointed to Shen Gonglin's head and asked Wendy for forgiveness. This guy's behavior was as uncontrollable as Honkai Beast, and only people like herself who knew him would spoil him. Other strangers would probably think of beating him up.

Although we might not be able to beat them.

"It's alright, it's just that I'm not strong enough. Not only can I not control the Gem of Desire, but the power of the crystallization has also made it impossible for me to walk... Is Shen Gonglin now the fourth Valkyrie of Schicksal? That's amazing... I thought she was a boy, it's such a pity..."

Wendy was focused on this place. Her green eyes looked at Shen Gonglin with a strange expression. So he was a girl? What a pity. Wendy thought he was a boy. But since he was the fourth S-rank Valkyrie, he was definitely a girl. She had never seen such a flat-chested girl before, and her hair was so short. What a pity.

"Hey! You must have misunderstood something. I'm a real boy. If you don't believe me, ask these girls. They all know whether I'm a boy or not. If you look at me like that again, believe me, I'll beat you up! Let me tell you, I can hit really hard."

Shen Gonglin noticed Wendy's gaze keenly. Another person was beginning to doubt their own gender. If she could, Shen Gonglin would also like to become a tough guy with arms that could carry a horse, but no matter how hard she tried, her body didn't change. She heard that she was under a restriction that would forever keep her body at the age of fifteen or sixteen. According to Kurumi, this was to satisfy the perverse tastes of a certain older sister who was forever seventeen. If it weren't for this restriction, she would definitely be very manly.

Unable to bear being misunderstood, Shen Gonglin pointed at Mei and the other two and shouted this. But when Wendy heard this, her eyes widened even more. Shen Gonglin didn't look any older than her, so how could she be with the three Valkyrie...? They knew he was a boy. The implication was too much for Wendy's little head to process. This meant exactly what she thought it meant.

"Yes, that's right. Shen Gonglin is indeed a boy. I can guarantee that."

Kiana nodded seriously and admitted that he was indeed a boy. When Shen Gonglin was unconscious, they were the ones who took care of Shen Gonglin. It was this girl who stripped Shen Gonglin down to just her socks. So she felt that her words were quite convincing. Although this guy seemed to like wearing girls' clothes, he was indeed a boy.

"Kiana, you can just shut up for now... In short, Shen Gonglin is indeed the fourth S-rank of Schicksal... That's not important, Major Himeko. If that's the case, why not take out the crystal? It's because of that that Miss Wendy is stuck in a wheelchair and can't move."

This girl is just making things worse. Mei pulled Kiana aside and told her to shut up. At the same time, she asked Himeko through the communicator the same question. She just couldn't understand it. If it was because of the Gem of Desire, then why not just take it out? She couldn't accept depriving a girl of her ability to move because of this.

[That's right. In all known media, the form of the Gem of Desire is extremely unstable, but it has stabilized within Miss Wendy's body, so it can only maintain its current state.]

Himeko answered Mei's question very calmly. Himeko knew that this answer might be hard for the others to accept, but it was indeed the only way. Himeko couldn't comment on this solution.

"So, in order to preserve the crystal, Schicksal used Miss Wendy's body as a vessel for the Gem of Desire? This is absolutely outrageous!"

Mei said indignantly that she could not accept this statement. In her opinion, this approach was wrong and should not be taken at all. Kiana and Bronya shared the same attitude as her. They could not accept depriving a girl of her freedom for such a thing.

As for Shen Gonglin, he blinked, seemingly lost in thought. Was it too much? He didn't know what his attitude should be.

[There's no point in arguing about this here. Take Miss Wendy back to the Hyperion first. I remember saying that during a mission, orders must come first. We'll discuss other matters once you're back.]

Not wanting to argue with these immature girls, Himeko issued the order, and then the communicator went dark. She couldn't judge Schicksal's actions; if it was wrong, what was the right choice? She also didn't know what Shen Gonglin's attitude was, or if she would agree with those girls.

Chapter 442 Emotional Intelligence Basin

"Are you going back? But I'm in a wheelchair, and it's a bit inconvenient for me to move around... Um, could you please move a little further away from me? I don't need you to push my wheelchair, really, I can manage by myself. I'm not just being polite..."

Wendy said softly, her voice low. This was a battlefield, and who knew what unexpected things might happen? Bringing her along would only be a burden, as she would not only need to protect herself but also slow down her movements. So she was very concerned about this issue. However, when she saw Shen Gonglin rubbing his hands together, ready to come closer, the girl became a little scared. She had experienced how this guy pushed the wheelchair earlier, and Wendy really didn't want to try it again anytime soon.

That could be fatal.

"It's alright, Bronya doesn't think Miss Wendy will be a burden to us. Heavy-duty Rabbit, start it up."

She seemed unusually enthusiastic today. After noticing Wendy's hesitation, she immediately summoned her combat armor. Seeing the girl in front of her, she felt like she was seeing her own sister. Moreover, no one understood the feeling of being confined to a wheelchair better than her, so Bronya felt that she needed to hug Wendy.

"Huh! It appeared all of a sudden, and it's huge... I mean, a robot."

Wendy stared in astonishment at the mechanical armor that suddenly appeared before her. She had never seen anything like it before—a humanoid robot with huge mechanical claws. The things on Sister Bronya's body were so amazing.

"Heavy-duty Rabbit, lift Miss Wendy up... See, this way you won't walk too slowly."

Bronya controlled the Heavy-duty Rabbit to lift Wendy's wheelchair in her hands. The weight was negligible for the Heavy-duty Rabbit. Bronya understood that Wendy was afraid of causing trouble for others. She knew this mentality all too well, so she had to make her understand that she was not causing trouble for others and that it was not worth mentioning.

"Bronya, you seem unusually helpful today. You've never helped me like this before, which isn't like you at all... Wait a minute, you don't happen to have a crush on this girl, do you? Let me tell you, lesbian relationships have no future. You can't be like Kiana, she's a hopeless lesbian. Bronya, you have to be a good girl."

The group began their return journey. Shen Gonglin looked at Wendy, who was being protected by the Heavy-duty Rabbit, and for some reason, he felt a little jealous. He leaned closer to Bronya and spoke in a slightly sour tone. Although he was indifferent to lolis, seeing how nice she was to others, even girls, made Shen Gonglin Jingu quite concerned.

"Hey! Rin Shen Gonglin, who did you call a lesbian? I'm a perfectly normal person. What's wrong with liking Mei? I like guys too!"

With her exceptionally sharp ears, Kiana, who was leading the way with a proud and confident air, immediately heard Shen Gonglin talking about her behind her back. The girl immediately turned around, puffed out her cheeks, and glared at Shen Gonglin. This guy was talking nonsense again. She was clearly a perfectly normal person, so why did he make her sound so abnormal when he said those things?

Anyone who says something like that isn't normal. This girl, does she really like both boys and girls? But if it's a girl, Shen Gonglin knows it's Mei, but what about a boy? It's hard to imagine that Kiana has a boy she likes. She doesn't even tell me about this. Does she even consider me a brother?

"Then tell me who the boy you like is. You're so arrogant. Is it okay to be arrogant if you like someone? Kiana, I feel like you're showing off to me."

Even though she's still single, how come this girl already has someone she likes? So what if she likes someone? She likes the Class President too! Shen Gonglin raised an eyebrow and looked at Kiana. Kiana is really arrogant. How did she get ahead of her? She doesn't even have a boyfriend yet. How dare she be ahead of her? She's probably just bragging to me.

"I, I... Why should I tell you!"

Kiana blushed, a rare sight indeed. She stood with her hands tightly to her sides like a schoolchild being punished by her teacher. The girl gave Shen Gonglin a shy glare, then looked down at her toes. She couldn't help it; why did she feel like kicking a stone again? Shen Gonglin was so mean! How could he ask such a direct question? She was a girl, after all. How was she supposed to answer?

Kiana was running away as if she didn't dare stay next to Shen Gonglin any longer. She turned around and slipped to the front. Shen Gonglin was such a big idiot!

"Heh, you're obviously just bragging. I knew it. How could Kiana possibly have a boy she likes? I knew she was just bragging... Why are you all looking at me like that? You all look like idiots."

Shen Gonglin curled her lip in disdain. While he was gloating over exposing Kiana's lie, she also noticed the gazes of the others around her. Mei and Bronya were one thing, but why was Wendy above looking at her like that? She felt these gazes were a bit offensive. What was wrong? Had she said something wrong?

It wasn't just the look of someone looking at someone with an idiot; it was the look of someone who was actually looking at someone with an idiot. This guy wasn't pretending to be stupid; he genuinely was stupid...

Mei and the others were speechless. Anyone could have sensed something was off about Kiana's behavior just now, but Shen Gonglin really didn't seem to notice at all. She seemed pretty smart, but you'd only realize how clueless she was if you actually got to know her.

"Sister Bronya, I understand what you said earlier is true. His head does look like it was hit."

Wendy whispered to Bronya, and Mei and Bronya gave her a confirming look. This was Shen Gonglin. She'd get used to it. If this guy really had emotional intelligence, he would have definitely left single life behind and entered adulthood by now. After all, he seemed to have a natural ability to attract girls... It's a good thing he lacks emotional intelligence, otherwise he would easily become a jerk.

"Bronya, I'm so tired, can you carry me on your back?"

Okay, he's already a jerk, yet he still wants Bronya to carry him. He's dreaming.

The Valkyrie ignored Shen Gonglin's nonsense, and Shen Gonglin could only purse her lips and continue following Bronya. Fine, she wouldn't carry her anymore; anyway, the view from this angle was pretty good. Wendy was wearing a dress, sitting in a wheelchair being Heavy-duty Rabbit. From Shen Gonglin's perspective... the pale green sky was alright.

Chapter 443 How are your legs?

"Wendy, are you a little cold? If you are, Bronya can slow down a bit."

The group returned to the Hyperion. Bronya was unusually enthusiastic today, even Shen Gonglin noticed it. This emotionless loli was usually very quiet, but today she kept talking to Wendy. Shen Gonglin was worried about this. Could it be that Bronya had also been infected by Kiana's yuri virus? It was very possible. After all, they spent every day together. It wasn't impossible for Bronya to also like women.

Upon thinking of this, Shen Gonglin quickly shook her head. What was wrong with her? How could she be distracted while admiring the pale green sky? She was really wrong. She quickly took a few more glances. Although it was just a small piece of cloth, why did it seem so special at this time and in this place? Shen Gonglin felt that she had to study this question carefully. This was even more interesting than studying the Honkai.

"No, Sister Bronya, Wendy isn't cold. This speed is just right. Thank you, Sister Bronya."

Wendy shook her head. She could feel Bronya's kindness, a feeling that warmed the heart of this gentle girl. Sister Bronya was a very nice person. If she could move her legs, it would be very interesting to be with her.

"You're welcome. This is what Bronya should do. Wendy, do you see the exoskeleton armor on my legs? Bronya's legs were seriously injured before, and she was in a wheelchair for a very long time. Now, with the help of this exoskeleton armor, Bronya can walk freely. Moreover, with Shen Gonglin's help, Bronya doesn't even need to rely on the exoskeleton armor anymore, so you can definitely do it too."

Seeing this girl reminded Bronya of her past self and her younger sister, and she couldn't help but become enthusiastic. She comforted Bronya, saying that she was an example and that Bronya would definitely regain her mobility. After all, Shen Gonglin was there, and if it were her, she would definitely be able to do it.

Bronya harbored a blind faith in Shen Gonglin.

"Hey, Sister Bronya, are you saying that Wendy will recover someday? And be able to walk and fly freely in the sky like Sister Bronya?"

A glimmer of hope shone in her eyes. No one wanted to recover more than Wendy. She should have had a bright future. She was even younger than Bronya, yet everyone considered her a candidate for the fourth S-rank Valkyrie. But because of this accident, she was now worse off than an ordinary person. Now, the thought that she might recover made Wendy incredibly excited.

Bronya thinks Wendy can definitely do it.

Bronya nodded confidently, but Shen Gonglin disagreed. How could a person fly in the sky? It was one thing to regain mobility, but to actually fly in the sky? That was impossible. Not everyone had Angel Form like her. Bronya was just floating in the air using the levitation field of the Heavy-duty Rabbit. It wasn't simplistic at all.

"Oh right, we still have Shen Gonglin! Shen Gonglin, do you have any ideas?"

Kiana cried out as soon as Bronya spoke, and even Mei cast hopeful glances at Shen Gonglin. How could they forget about him? He had so many special features. He had even managed to heal Bronya's leg back then. After being bitten by him Bronya could run and jump without her exoskeleton armor. And now he was still healing Bronya. Maybe he could do the same for Wendy. Although they felt a little jealous, if Shen Gonglin could save Wendy's future, they wouldn't hesitate.

"Do you think I'm Doraemon?... Fine, fine, I'll take a look, okay? Seriously, my consultation fees are very expensive."

Rin Shen Gonglin was originally planning to continue slacking off, but the Valkyrie Trio and Wendy's gaze made it impossible for her to ignore them. She was a respectable doctor, after all; Bronya paid for her medical consultations, and Bronya always paid for everything when they went out, whether it was food or drinks. But looking at Wendy's poor appearance, she knew she definitely didn't have any money. Shen Gonglin really had no interest in doing things without pay, but those looks from them... Sigh, what can she do when she's a gentle person?

The eldest son of the Jingu family is far too soft-hearted.

With a light leap, he hopped onto the Heavy-duty Rabbit. The height was barely acceptable for Shen Gonglin. He squatted down in front of Wendy and began to carefully examine the girl before him. Her legs couldn't move, right? Then he would study her carefully. Shen Gonglin lifted the girl's ankle and began to examine her calf closely. Himeko said that she had combined the Honkai Crystal with her shinbone, right? He could indeed feel an extremely strong Honkai energy reaction. What should he do next?

"Shen Gonglin, how is she?"

Kiana climbed onto the Heavy-duty Rabbit and snuggled up to Shen Gonglin. Bronya usually wouldn't let her touch her Heavy-duty Rabbit, but today she finally got her chance. Bronya didn't have time to pay attention to Kiana; her gray eyes were fixed on Shen Gonglin. He must have a way.

"Hmm... well-proportioned, slender and tender, neither too fat nor too thin, I could play with these legs for half... no, for a year."

After careful observation, Shen Gonglin gave this evaluation: Putting aside Wendy's loli identity and the issue of her short hair, Shen Gonglin thought Wendy's legs were quite nice, especially the bandages, which were a cute detail. Shen Gonglin thought she was good.

"Who asked you that question! What are you thinking about? We're talking about Wendy's health, Shen Gonglin. There's something wrong with you. Who told you to bring this up? Playing around for a year? You think I won't beat you up for a year?!"