The next day, inside Yi Zen's office...
Despite being bundled up in layers of thick winter clothing, Bing Shi still felt the bite of the cold seeping into her gloves and boots.
Yi Zen was visibly agitated, his frustration evident. "What did you do?!"
"I-I sold m-myself," Bing Shi replied through chattering teeth as she struggled to move her numb limbs. Her teeth quivered with cold, "C-cool it down. I'm f-freezing."
Yi Zen's frustration escalated, and the temperature in the room seemed to plummet even further, "This is not the time for jokes!"
"I-I'm n-not j-j-joking. It's t-too c-cold, I'm n-not t-talking."
"How far are you willing to go?!" Yi Zen's glare resembled that of an executioner, but he was starting to realize the seriousness of the situation, "Where is your self-respect?!"
Bing Shi shivered as she tried to warm herself, "I d-did it for y-you."
"Why would you go to such extremes for me?!" Yi Zen's concern mixed with exasperation.
"You w-wouldn't do the same for me?" Bing Shi's gaze dropped, "You have a family now. Of course, you w-wouldn't."
Yi Zen's suspicion deepened as he studied her, "Do you still see me as your big brother?"
"Of c-course. You're always going to be my big brother," Bing Shi affirmed, feeling the coldness around dissipate, "Ren Han and I will be leaving in three m-months."
"You. Are. Not. Leaving. This. Place." Yi Zen's tone was firm, a mix of determination and protectiveness. He was going to kill that man the moment he arrives.
Bing Shi stood her ground, "Yi Zen, I want a chance at happiness too."
"With Ren Han?" Yi Zen's voice held a hint of disbelief. He was not giving his little sister to that scum!
"No," Bing Shi confessed softly, "But having both Ren Han and me around will make Fu Lian uncomfortable. Hey, want to know a secret?"
"Don't try to divert the topic," Yi Zen pinched his brows, thinking how to resolve this disaster.
Despite his resistance, Bing Shi couldn't resist spilling the secret, "The 'Bing' in my name means 'Ice.' Funny, right? It should have belonged to my older brother."
Yi Zen's expression remained impassive, "I thought you only have two younger, blood-related brothers."
"Correct, two living brothers. But before I was born, my mother had a miscarriage," Bing Shi explained, "I never acknowledged this Ice child as my brother. You see? If he was born, I wouldn't have to take care of anybody, and instead, I'd be taken care of."
She continued, "My brothers are a very definition of duck boys, just like you. They are these righteous men, who get bored of girls after a few months. Yi Zen, you have to be this ice child's reincarnation. I bet one potato on it."
Bing Shi's imagination seemed boundless, and Yi Zen found himself chuckling despite himself, "I bet two potatoes that I'm his reincarnation."
"You win," Bing Shi laughed, "Uff, I have too many potatoes. If I don't give some away, they'll end up spoiling."
"...You..." Yi Zen's amusement was tinged with exasperation, "I don't care about my safety. If he does something to you, I'll put an end to him."
He couldn't win against this little sister of his. If she decided on something, it would be impossible to talk her out of it. She was that stubborn. The longer one would try to persuade her, the more they would end up supporting her later. Better stop soon, or she'd make him welcome Ren Han with open arms.
"You are too overprotective," Bing Shi laughed at Yi Zen as she walked out of the office, "Did I tell you that my brothers are siscons? One of them has my picture at the back of his phone case. I hope you'll never do something as crazy."
"💢," Yi Zen's voice turned icy, a chilling undertone in his words as he scoffed at her, "You call that crazy? I've already thought of skinning you alive and using your remains as decor in my office."
Bing Shi let out a startled cry, her voice trembling, "Yi Zen is bullying me again! Someone, save me from this icy tyrant!"
She threw herself before a group of souldiers, dramatically draping her arm over her forehead and posing as if she were a damsel in distress.
The first soldier looked around dramatically, his tone shifting to a more serious note, "Duty calls, my lady. As much as I'd love to save you, duty must come first!"
With a final salute, the soldier turned and briskly walked away, leaving Bing Shi shaking her head in both amusement and disbelief, "Of course, soldier! Carry on with your important tasks!"
Qua Tao struck a mock-salute, his tone still lighthearted, "Don't worry, my lady. We'll keep an eye on General Yi Zen and make sure he doesn't become a victim of your clever schemes again."
Bing Shi put a hand to her heart, feigning innocence, "Me, scheme? Never!"
The soldiers exchanged knowing looks, their eyes sparkling with shared memories. It was as if they could all vividly relive the moments when Bing Shi had pranked Yi Zen at every oportunity she got.
As the news of Bing Shi's departure spread throughout the base, the soldiers who had grown accustomed to her presence decided to come bid her farewell in their own unique ways.
Bing Shi grinned and returned the salute, "Thank you, brave soldier. Keep an eye on General Yi Zen for me, won't you?"
[Host, is it true that you had three brothers?]
["I don't know. My mother had a miscarriage before she got to know the gender."]
[Host, Yi Zen's soul has no ties with your previous world.]
["Kuro, if you believe something is a truth, it's a truth."]
· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·
Amidst the flurry of activity inside the base, Ziek appeared in the main kitchen like a whirlwind.
Walking towards Fu Lian, he rolled up his sleeves, ready to join in the work. "Aren't you supposed to be taking it easy, being all pregnant and stuff? Go and take some rest."
As if choreographed, he swiftly liberated the knife from her grip and effortlessly picked up where she left off, slicing through spring onions with a finesse that could put a master chef to shame.
"So...How was your sleep?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of concern.
Fu Lian's eye twitched, the struggle to maintain a composed facade was real. It was futile to attempt to chase him away, she could only try to ignore this flirting pig.
"You seem a bit worn out, but hey, you're rocking that maternal glow," Ziek cast an appraising look at her big stomach, pretending to be the expert on pregnancy fatigue, "Mini-shrimp in there, make sure you're not giving your mommy a hard time."
"..." Fu Lian focused on her cooking, her mind briefly wandered back to the days when Ren Han first tried to 'help' her. His culinary skills were far from polished, often resulting in minor disasters, driving her absolutely crazy!
However, Ren Han's persistence and the exchange of dozen of lambs as an apology eventually won her over a bit. The memory of that unexpected, one in a lifetime, feast for the soldiers brought a small smile to her face.
Side by side, Ziek and Fu Lian worked in tandem.
Ziek had used Xuan Mu's charm to its fullest extent, effortlessly charming those around him. But even though his efforts were impressive, they were not enough to coax Bing Shi out of her tent. What was wrong with her?! Did that girl know no jealousy?!