Now, it’s my turn to protect Chengcheng

The girl, dressed in a white t-shirt and shorts, clung tightly to Song Ning.

The two of them walked out of the bedroom side-by-side and entered the villa’s living room.

A quick scan revealed more than ten armed personnel standing in front of the villa’s entrance.

And in the center of the living room sat a man wearing glasses.

Seeing the two young women finally descend from upstairs, he smiled and nodded at them.

“Miss Ping, how is your recovery?”

Ping Chengcheng raised an eyebrow.

Her body felt a little uncomfortable, especially her lower half… it was a bit sore.

The girl nestled in her sister’s arms and slowly sat down on the living room sofa.

“And you are?”

Only then did the girl ask, her tone unhurried.

The man’s expression didn’t change as he laughed heartily.

“Oh, look at me, I forgot to introduce myself.”

“I am Miao Huan from the Biotechnology Group. I’ve only come this time to conduct a routine inspection…”

He shot a quiet glance at Zheng Zhiyi, who was standing at the top of the stairs.

Ping Chengcheng waved a hand dismissively.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

A refined smile remained on Miao Huan’s face.

“Ah… I’m here to conduct a routine check regarding Variants.”

Variants?

Ping Chengcheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the delicate body resting on Song Ning’s lap trembled uncontrollably.

Miao Huan squinted, his smile never wavering, looking for all the world like a cunning old fox.

“During your absence, a very serious incident occurred at the base. A small group organized by Variants assassinated the Head of Logistics, Pei Shoucang.”

“After capturing the culprit, we discovered that Variants seem to have already infiltrated our leadership.”

“Therefore, the base must conduct a thorough investigation.”

“Even you are no exception, Miss Ping. Everyone is being treated the same, including General Commander Lu himself.”

Hearing this, Ping Chengcheng’s lips curled into an interested smile.

Song Ning also frowned.

When she had fused with the girl before, she had learned most of her memories.

Though it had been a fast and chaotic flood of information and she hadn’t retained much… a bombshell piece of news like “Lu Linyuan is a Variant” was something she had firmly committed to memory.

‘Interesting… Lu Linyuan is included too?’

Ping Chengcheng let out a soft chuckle.

“Oh? So, how are we supposed to be checked?”

It was obvious that this fellow, Miao Huan, had been sent by Lu Linyuan to help her cover.

The man’s words just now were a clear hint.

As for the armed personnel at the door? Ping Chengcheng observed their expressions and saw that every single one of them looked on high alert.

‘Hmph, putting on a show. I’m quite familiar with this.’

Upon hearing her words, Miao Huan gave a faint laugh, then pushed up the glasses on his nose in response to her tone.

“As for the inspection…” he took a small glass bottle from his pocket, which contained a bright red liquid.

He unscrewed the cap and placed it gently on the table.

A sweet aroma filled the air…

It seemed to be tomato juice with a bit of red food coloring added.

The girl pursed her lips, feeling rather speechless.

She turned her head to look at the armed men standing guard at the door, their faces tense with vigilance.

Thankfully, they were far enough away that nothing would be exposed.

They sat there like that, waiting quietly for fifteen minutes.

Miao Huan retrieved the glass bottle and nodded at Ping Chengcheng.

“Alright, the test is complete.”

“Miss Ping, Miss Song, and this…”

“Miss Zheng, none of you are Variants.”

“You can lower your weapons.”

As his voice fell, the armed personnel at the villa’s entrance instantly relaxed their guard.

They holstered their weapons, slinging them over their shoulders, and looked at the girls inside the villa with some embarrassment.

“Hahaha, um… sorry about that, we were just following orders, uh, um…”

One of the younger men blushed, lowered his head, and asked in a small voice, “Miss Ping, can I get your autograph on my rifle?”

Saying this, he stepped forward, presenting his firearm and pulling a marker from his pocket.

Ping Chengcheng’s mouth twitched, torn between amusement and annoyance. She glanced at the rifle; the News Department had been hyping her up relentlessly again.

The young man looked at the girl with hopeful eyes, while the rest of the armed men sighed and lamented their own misfortune.

“Damn it… why didn’t I think to bring a pen!”

“Bro, can I borrow it after you?”

Their expressions were filled with envy.

But then came an unexpected response.

“An autograph? Hmph, no!”

Ping Chengcheng’s voice was cold. She immediately turned and threw herself back into her sister’s arms.

She nuzzled against Song Ning’s collar adorably, her expression a complete reversal from a moment ago, as if she were a different person entirely.

“Ah!?” The young man stood frozen in place, only managing an awkward laugh.

“Hahaha… my apologies, I’ll be leaving then…”

He walked out of the villa, his face a mask of disappointment.

‘So it’s true… Miss Ping really is as unapproachable as the legends say…’

‘It’s okay…!’

The thought reinvigorated him.

‘Who is Miss Ping? It’s only normal for her to be difficult to approach!’

She led the A City convoy, traversing a city that was a veritable sea of zombies!

He had heard they even dealt with a super-strong monster in A City. Just thinking about it was terrifying…

The awards ceremony for the operation had been postponed, waiting for Ping Chengcheng to recover.

After everyone had left, Song Ning was a bit surprised.

All this commotion over the past few days, with people coming to ask about Ping Chengcheng’s condition every day…

“They’re just leaving?”

And that so-called test just now?

They just put out a bottle of tomato juice? What on earth was that…

Her lips twitched. Drawing on the memories she’d gained from Ping Chengcheng, she quickly guessed what had happened.

“Was that Lu Linyuan’s doing?”

The girl nodded.

“It was most likely him. He probably wants to help us hide our identities.”

After all, although she had contributed greatly to the development of the base, if she were discovered to be a Variant…

There was an old saying: those not of our kind cannot be trusted.

Perhaps some would support and accept her, but many more would be afraid.

Frowning, Ping Chengcheng let out a soft laugh.

“It’s okay, Sister. I’ll protect you.”

She hugged Song Ning tightly.

But Song Ning just sighed and reached out to gently scrape the girl’s nose.

“You silly thing, I’m the one who should be protecting you now.”

“Chengcheng is so… ahem… so delicate now. Don’t try to act tough in the future, okay?”

The girl was a little dissatisfied.

“So what if I am?”

“Even though I’m weak right now, if, if something happens…”

“I will still—mmph!”

Before Ping Chengcheng could finish, the young woman’s fair hand reached out and covered her mouth.

“Be good, listen to me, okay?”

“Now, it’s my turn to protect Chengcheng.”

The young woman’s voice was calm, bringing a sense of peace to one’s heart.

The words lingered in the girl’s mind, and she was deeply moved.

The girl’s eyelashes trembled, her small face blushing.

She let out a delicate laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Sister~ In that case…”

“Hmph, I’ll listen to you then~”

The girl’s lips curved into a smile.

‘Sister is so gentle… just like in my past life…’

In her past life, even when Ping Chengcheng had been so weak and cowardly, her sister had never once thought of abandoning her.

‘Hmph~’

‘Silly sister… if something truly terrifying happens…’

‘I will still protect you with everything I have. Definitely!’