Hill the Rogue

Song Zhi held a peeled apple in her fair fingertips, split evenly down the middle, one half appearing before Wilk and the other before Lu Yu.

"Fellow countrywoman, you really know how to stay impartial and keep everyone happy. A true modern master of fair treatment..." Lu Yu laughed in exasperation as he took the apple and teased her. "I was just wondering which of us you'd give it to first."

Wilk took a large bite and said, "Thank you, darling, but I'm very satisfied that I was the first person you looked at when you came into the ward."

Song Zhi raised an eyebrow, recalling what Kelante had told him: men's psychology was really just children's psychology; she should think of herself as a kindergarten teacher.

Song Zhi disagreed. Kindergarten children were much more innocent and adorable than these great devils.

Leaning against the doorframe and watching the show, Hill lowered his head and chuckled. He had hoped to see a dramatic battle of jealousy! But why could the apple only be split in two? Suddenly, he found that apple a little annoying...

Forget it! Why should I argue with the wounded?

Lu Yu's IV bottle was almost empty. She turned to him and asked, "Your IV's nearly finished. Is there another bottle?"

"No, just this one."

Lu Yu raised his hand to pull out the needle, but Song Zhi stopped him.

"The puncture needs to be disinfected. Call the nurse." She caught Lu Yu's hand and pressed the button by the bed to summon a nurse.

A young nurse entered the ward carrying a tray, only to be so frightened by the three imposing, ice-cold soldiers in the room that her hands trembled and her face went pale beneath her mask.

Song Zhi recognized her as the girl from the rainforest. Her name was Meili, and they had attended nursing classes together. Song Zhi hadn't expected her to become a nurse.

Meili recognized Song Zhi too, and naturally recognized the three mercenaries in the ward as members of the Group A Special Task Squad. She was a little afraid. She had only recently been rescued from another squad, and she hesitated for a long time, not daring to step forward.

"I'll do it..." Song Zhi took the trembling hands in hers and took the tray from Meili.

"Thank you..." Meili thanked her in a quiet voice, then lowered her head and quickly left the ward.

Song Zhi temporarily took over Meili's work. She set down the tray and raised Lu Yu's hand. "Hold it up. Don't move."

With one hand, she pressed an alcohol swab above the needle, and with the other, she gently pulled it out. As the needle came free, she pressed the swab over the puncture, stopping the bead of blood it drew out.

"Hold it there," she instructed, and Lu Yu did as he was told.

Song Zhi stuck the removed needle into the IV bottle, then sat back down. Her movements had been smooth and fluid, and even her tone sounded just like a young field hospital nurse with years of experience and a perpetually stern face.

"You learned well, little nurse." Lu Yu reached out and grabbed Song Zhi's hand, turning it over and over to examine it, as though flowers might grow from it.

"Mm-hmm. I'm planning to take the base station nursing assessment." Song Zhi chatted casually with Lu Yu.

"Not going to Australia to grow radishes anymore?" Lu Yu took the opportunity to throw cold water on her plans.

"You know the answer..." Song Zhi rolled her eyes at him.

"Darling should be with us. If you like growing radishes, I'd be more than happy to help." Wilk reached out and took Song Zhi's other hand, gently placing it in his palm, stars in his eyes.

The three of them were holding hands. Was this a full-scale scene from The Breaking Ice?!

"Let's go..." Hill's chilly voice rang out just then.

"Hey, man, she just got here. It hasn't even been ten minutes..." Wilk complained, looking at Hill with cold green eyes.

"Heh! Someone's got too many little schemes. What's wrong? Didn't she peel an apple for you?" Lu Yu took a bite of his apple and found it especially sweet.

"Mm-hmm. The lieutenant's back." Hill knocked on the ward door, looking extremely impatient.

Song Zhi took the opportunity to withdraw her hands and stood up. She kissed Wilk and Lu Yu on the cheek in turn as a goodbye. "I'll come back tomorrow. Do you need anything?"

"Bring me a few pairs of underwear. The ones I'm wearing have practically developed a patina..." Lu Yu squeezed Song Zhi's hand, grinning wickedly.

"Huh?! Heh..." Song Zhi was speechless. She pulled at the corners of her mouth and gave a dry chuckle.

"Darling, I need a change of clothes too, if it's convenient for you." Wilk kissed the side of Song Zhi's face in return.

"All right, I'd be happy to help you handsome guys... See you tomorrow." Only then did Song Zhi leave the ward, ignoring Hill.

Hill's icy gaze remained fixed on Song Zhi's back, making her feel as though thorns were piercing her.

Hill didn't take a detour on the way back, driving at a moderate pace. Out of nowhere, he asked, "You treat Lu and Wilk very differently. What, do you like both of them?"

"They're innocent... And I promised Kelante I'd take good care of the wounded." Song Zhi sat listlessly in the passenger seat. She didn't want to talk too much with Hill. Speaking with him took effort: he was always setting traps for her to fall into, or laying her few embarrassing thoughts completely bare.

"Innocent? Hahahaha... Do you misunderstand what innocent means? If you want to talk about innocence, you should look in the mirror when you shower... Those two are simply bad!" Hill sounded as though he had heard a joke, his laughter clear and bright. He shook his head, then couldn't resist bursting out laughing again.

"Haha... You're the first person to describe those two as 'innocent.' Do you also think the second lieutenant is an elegant gentleman?" Hill suddenly slammed on the brakes and turned to look at Song Zhi, a dangerous gleam flashing through his brown eyes.

The sudden stop threw Song Zhi forward, before the seat belt yanked her back!

Hill could always see through her thoughts. Damn it! Does he have X-ray vision? She had learned her lesson this time. She said and did nothing, refusing to respond to Hill.

"Hmph! Playing the avoidance card again?" Hill's voice turned cold and low.

Song Zhi clenched her back teeth. She had actually forgotten Hill's theory of avoidance.

"Kelante is charming! He's like an older brother!" Song Zhi thought it over. For now, that was the only way she could describe him.

"Does your older brother kiss his little sister?!" Hill sneered.

Song Zhi said, "..."

He was a perfectly good person, so why did he have to have a mouth?!

"Were you born in the year of the snake? A venomous one, at that! Careful you don't poison yourself to death one day!" Song Zhi shot back.

Song Zhi bristling put Hill in a great mood instead. He started the car again, his deep voice drowned out by the roar of the engine.

"We're all notorious bad guys. A little kitten like you has fallen in among us, and before long, you'll become a tiger guilty of every evil... There's nothing wrong with that, because only tigers can survive... Song, don't let the safety in front of you blind you."

The car sped along, and they soon reached the apartment.

Before getting out, Hill teased Song Zhi, "Good luck."

"What?"

After getting out of the car, Song Zhi had barely entered the apartment when she felt a cold, powerful, and chilling pressure. Lai'en sat at the dining table in training fatigues, fully armed. He held a lit cigarette in one hand, while his helmet and a brown paper document envelope lay on the table.

"Lieutenant." Song Zhi stood at the door, not daring to move, her voice a little weaker. Only then did she understand what Hill had meant by "good luck."

"Mm. Come with me."

His deep blue eyes turned toward Song Zhi, devoid of any warmth. He picked up his helmet and the envelope, stood, and walked into his bedroom.

Song Zhi didn't dare hesitate. She obediently followed Lai'en into his bedroom, then closed the door behind her under the gaze of those cold blue eyes.

Lai'en's room was tidy. The sheets were still white, and on the desk by the window sat the same equipment Song Zhi didn't recognize, along with a finely crafted handgun.

"Sit." Lai'en's voice was cold and hard as iron. It was an order that allowed no resistance.

Song Zhi was troubled. Where was she supposed to sit?

Lai'en was sitting in the only chair, and the only other place to sit was the single bed with its white sheets...

Sit on his bed?

That wouldn't be right...

"Hmm?" Lai'en frowned slightly.

Song Zhi had no choice but to sit on Lai'en's bed.

Only after seeing Song Zhi sit down did Lai'en's slight frown ease, but his cold, somber eyes remained fixed on her, making her restless.