Do You Want To See Him?

Watching the armed forces withdraw one by one, Kaguya breathed a sigh of relief. She did not want to create any major news. However, the fact that they attacked without distinguishing between right and wrong was indeed infuriating. She had held back; if they continued to be so unreasonable, she wouldn't have shown mercy.

Kaguya turned around, only to be startled by a face just inches away from hers. A pair of large eyes were staring at her as if she were an alien—it was Qiao Xiaoqing.

"What are you doing?" Kaguya was shocked and quickly pushed her away.

"I can't believe I met a fox spirit; it's unbelievable and so cool," Qiao Xiaoqing exclaimed, her face filled with excitement. "By the way, can you give me an autograph?"

"Stop fooling around," Kaguya said, exasperated, rubbing her forehead. "Aren't you mad at all?"

"Mad?" Qiao Xiaoqing asked curiously. "Why would I be mad?"

"For example, about me hiding the truth from you," Kaguya replied softly, her eyelashes fluttering as her delicate fingers played with a lock of her hair.

"Isn't that normal?" Qiao Xiaoqing said after a brief pause, matter-of-factly. "People with superpowers usually conceal their identities to keep others from finding out."

"Is that so?" Kaguya sighed with relief, surprised at how open-minded Qiao Xiaoqing was, sparing her from a lengthy explanation.

"But are you really a fox spirit?" Qiao Xiaoqing's eyes sparkled like two bright stars. "You're so powerful; you even defeated the Xilin Pacific Fleet."

"No, I just got lucky," Kaguya replied with a smile.

"Humility is a virtue, but too much of it is insincere," Qiao Xiaoqing said, pouting and making a gesture with her finger.

Kaguya chuckled without saying anything.

"It's really enviable—being so beautiful and having such power," Qiao Xiaoqing said with admiration, then blinked as if she had thought of something. "By the way, since you're so amazing, can you help me with something?"

"Help? With what?" Kaguya asked curiously.

"This," Qiao Xiaoqing said, taking a pink phone from her pocket and looking at Kaguya expectantly. "Can you fix it? It got damaged by an EMP from those guys earlier."

Kaguya looked at the pink phone in her hand, surprised.

This was the phone she had given Qiao Xiaoqing as a birthday gift years ago, which she had seen earlier at the villa.

"Shouldn't you take it to a repair shop?" Kaguya asked, puzzled. "They should be able to fix it, right?"

"No, they can't," Qiao Xiaoqing said, shaking her head regretfully. "The motherboard chip inside is completely destroyed. It can only be fixed with new parts, which isn't possible."

"Can't you just get a new phone? There are many good ones out there, and this one is a bit outdated," Kaguya asked, curious.

"It's not what you think," Qiao Xiaoqing replied, a gentle smile on her face. "This was a gift from the most important person to me, and I want to carry it with me forever."

"The most important person?" Kaguya was taken aback, her eyes widening as if her heart was flooded with mixed emotions.

"Yes," Qiao Xiaoqing smiled with her eyes, "my favorite person."

"What?" Kaguya almost stumbled, nearly falling.

"Is there a problem?" Qiao Xiaoqing asked curiously, noticing Kaguya's expression.

"No, nothing," Kaguya replied with a forced smile.

"He's the person I love the most," Qiao Xiaoqing said self-mockingly. "Yet even now, he doesn't know I love him; it's just my unrequited feelings."

Her expression left Kaguya stunned, as if a bolt of lightning had struck her mind, clearing away the fog surrounding her thoughts.

Kaguya's favorite motorcycle, the dishes she loved most, the photo on the bookshelf, and the pink phone in front of her seemed connected by an invisible thread, linking everything together. Kaguya suddenly realized that the girl she once regarded as a sister might actually...

Seeing the beautiful face of the girl in front of her, Kaguya felt a mix of emotions.

"So, where is he now?" Kaguya asked, even though she already knew the answer, unable to resist the urge to ask.

"He's missing, gone for several years now, with no trace of him dead or alive," Qiao Xiaoqing said calmly, gently fiddling with the phone in her hand. "Maybe he's no longer in this world."

Kaguya had always wondered why Qiao Xiaoqing, so young, joined the National Security Bureau. Now she somewhat understood. But the National Security Bureau isn't a place for relaxation—it requires rigorous training and selection. She must have endured much hardship over the years.

"Why not forget him and start a new life?" Kaguya suddenly asked. "Besides, he might not be worthy of you."

"How would you understand?" Qiao Xiaoqing suddenly shouted, a hint of annoyance on her face. "Even though I consider you a good friend, I don't want to hear anyone speak ill of him."

"I'm sorry," Kaguya said softly.

"It's my fault too; I shouldn't have gotten angry with you," Qiao Xiaoqing said, taking a deep breath. "But he is the most important person to me. Even if he's gone, I still want to wait for him."

"Won't you regret it?" Kaguya asked, her eyes fixed on Qiao Xiaoqing's face. "He might never come back."

Qiao Xiaoqing shook her head gently, saying softly, "As long as I don't see his body, I won't give up."

For some reason, seeing Qiao Xiaoqing's calm profile made Kaguya's eyes sting, her nose tingle. What kind of experience could have transformed her from her once gentle self into what she is now?

"Let's not talk about this anymore," Qiao Xiaoqing suddenly said, her melancholic expression replaced by her usual vibrant self. "I wonder if the fox spirit could help me fix it?"

Kaguya stood silently, her eyes unfocused, not responding.

"It might be a bit too much to ask," Qiao Xiaoqing said, disappointed by Kaguya's silence, forcing a smile. "I'll think of something else. Let's go eat; I'm starving." Without waiting for an answer, she quickly headed upstairs.

"Do you want to see him?" Kaguya suddenly asked from the living room on the first floor.

Qiao Xiaoqing stopped abruptly, turning around with wide, tear-filled eyes, a look of disbelief on her face. "What did you say?"

"I said, do you want to see him again?" Kaguya asked, a warm smile on her lips.

"Yes, of course!" Qiao Xiaoqing exclaimed, "fox spirit, I love you to death!"

"Hey, you're on the second floor! Do you want to jump down and crush me?"