The Guardian

"I'll keep watch tonight. Call me if anything happens."

Lai'en laid out the sleeping bag, got up, and walked straight to the other side. He sat down on the ground and leaned against the tree stump, then leisurely wiped his kukri. Every so often, he raised his head to examine their surroundings, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

He intended to keep watch alone all night.

Song Zhi had been overthinking things earlier. Lai'en probably wouldn't have felt comfortable letting her take a turn on watch, either. Fortunately, this was a tropical climate, so it probably wouldn't be cold at night... right...?

Nights in the rainforest weren't cold, but they were exceptionally damp.

Song Zhi slept soundly until the middle of the night. Then, as she turned over, the back of her hand accidentally brushed the top of the sleeping bag. It was slick with a layer of dew. Fortunately, the sleeping bag was waterproof and moisture-resistant, and its interior was dry and comfortable.

Song Zhi looked over at Lai'en, who was sitting in the dark, but she couldn't make out his expression. He sat alone in the pitch-black night, as though he had become one with everything around him, more like a ghostly guardian hidden in the darkness.

A complicated feeling welled up in Song Zhi's heart. She tried to go back to sleep, but the occasional rustle of leaves kept her from settling down. Whenever she closed her eyes, Lai'en's lonely figure filled her mind, though "lonely" was how Song Zhi herself saw him.

The night seemed to stretch on. In the silent wilderness, every second felt unusually long.

She quietly poked her head out and looked at the hazy figure again by the faint moonlight. He was still in the same position, seemingly without having moved at all. His silent protection was like an invisible pressure, making her chest feel slightly tight.

Noticing Song Zhi looking over, Lai'en turned his head slightly and looked at her with an assessing gaze, as though trying to work out why she had suddenly woken. Only after making sure she wasn't feeling unwell did his gaze soften, but he said nothing.

Song Zhi could hardly go on pretending to sleep, so she sat up and said slowly, "Lieutenant, I'm awake. I can take over the watch..."

Hearing Song Zhi's soft, sweet voice, Lai'en seemed to recall something. He gave a quiet chuckle, his tone less cold and stern than usual. "What, afraid of ghosts?"

Song Zhi's face reddened, and she looked a little bashful. "Of course I am... But I'm not scared now! I'm not alone. You're here, Lieutenant..."

There was a rustle as Lai'en got up and walked over. He crouched beside Song Zhi, though he still towered over her by more than half her height, and lowered his eyes as he said, "Don't be afraid... I'm keeping watch right here. Go back to sleep."

With that, Lai'en sat down beside Song Zhi. He shifted the gun hanging from his body and once again concealed himself in the darkness.

A small hand gently tugged at his sleeve. A pair of bright eyes glistened, like a little civet cat he had once kept, mischievous and clingy.

Lai'en didn't move, letting Song Zhi hold on to his sleeve. He simply lowered his eyes and looked at her quietly.

"We still have to travel tomorrow. You can't stay awake all night. I can keep watch, and when you wake up, you can take over again..." Song Zhi looked up at Lai'en, her gaze hesitant at first before becoming unusually firm.

Lai'en remained silent, seemingly weighing her suggestion. In the moonlight, Song Zhi's small face was unusually earnest, even a little stubborn. Instead of answering directly, he reached out and gently patted her shoulder, a silent refusal.

Song Zhi pressed her lips together and persisted. "I can do it! Besides, we have to travel tomorrow, and we both need to conserve our strength. Do you want me to walk in front and clear the way tomorrow? If I do, we still won't get there by sunset."

Lai'en stared at her for a few seconds, his gaze too deep for anyone to guess what he was thinking. Finally, he sighed and said slowly, "All right, but you must wake me in two hours."

Lai'en agreed.

He simply didn't want to let Song Zhi's good intentions go to waste. Just like that day in Sri Lanka, when he saw Song Zhi drive alone through the fighting and return to pick them up, his initial reaction had been anger because she had disobeyed orders and acted on her own.

Only when he heard Song Zhi say that she had held a gun to Miller's head did he understand that beneath the girl's delicate exterior lay a stubborn, resilient heart. She had been determined to stay with them even if it meant certain death.

She hadn't left! Nor had she abandoned them!

Song Zhi's actions had shaken Lai'en, and even the entire squad, no less than a second nuclear explosion on Earth would have! His initial anger had quickly turned into an indescribable ache that lodged in his chest.

The girl was capable and resilient, though sometimes a little foolish. How could the battle-hardened Miller have been so easily taken hostage by her with a pistol loaded with blanks?

The little fox was cunning, but also a little silly.

Lai'en's compromise surprised Song Zhi. She had thought the commander, who was always so cold and stern as to seem unfeeling, would say in a low voice, "Request denied!"

A faint smile appeared on Song Zhi's face as she crawled out of the sleeping bag. "Yes, sir!"

Lai'en handed the submachine gun hanging from his body to Song Zhi. Rather than climb into the sleeping bag, he lay flat on his back on the moisture-proof mat. His left hand rested loosely in front of him, while his right hand lay close against the outside of his right leg. His kukri was strapped tightly to the outside of his thigh.

Though his eyes were closed, he remained in a position that would let him react as quickly as possible. If someone attacked at that moment, his right hand would draw the kukri instantly, and it would fly toward the attacker's neck.

Holding the submachine gun, Song Zhi sat on the ground and kept watch beside Lai'en. Following his example, she gradually adjusted her breathing, slowing her heart rate and breathing more softly. Then she slowly became one with everything around her, hiding completely in the darkness and taking in every movement around them.

Two hours flew by.

The sky was beginning to brighten, and the stars were twinkling. Before Song Zhi had a chance to wake Lai'en, he was already awake, making her wonder whether he had slept at all.

"Go back to sleep for a while. We'll set out once the dew is gone." Lai'en got up and walked over to relieve Song Zhi.

Song Zhi didn't refuse. She stood up, stretched and yawned, then quickly crawled back into the sleeping bag to catch up on sleep.

When she woke again, the nine o'clock sunlight was falling on her face, and it felt wonderful.

Lai'en sat close beside her with one leg drawn up, looking down as he handled the tactical tablet in his hands. Noticing her stir, he raised his eyes to look at her, tried to give her a friendlier smile, and said, "Morning."