"Don't worry, I won't be taken away," Zhang Fan assured, sensing the urgency to calm Bai Xue before she transformed into a berserker, beyond his control. For everyone's safety, he decisively grasped the blackening Bai Xue and, under the astonished gazes of Arya and Yoko, resolutely kissed her cherry lips.
"Mmm~" Bai Xue murmured softly in surprise. Was this what a kiss felt like? And from Zhang Fan, no less. She instantly melted into his arms, her blackened aura and murderous intent dissipating instantly.
"What...what are you doing? This is highly improper! What if she gets pregnant? Absolutely not! Bai Xue is still in high school, she can't have a child!" Arya, perhaps overly stimulated by the scene, stammered, pointing at Zhang Fan and Bai Xue. But pregnancy from a kiss? Arya, you're far too imaginative!
"Arya, what are you talking about? Kissing leading to pregnancy?" Yoko was equally baffled.
"Arya, where do these thoughts come from? Aren't you British? Kissing is quite normal, isn't it?" Zhang Fan replied, somewhat helplessly, adjusting Bai Xue in his arms. He couldn't help but wonder about Arya's perspective.
"How...how could it be normal! Kissing is only for lovers, and it leads to having children. My father told me so!" Arya blushed, revealing her father's somewhat misguided teachings.
"There, there, Bai Xue. Calmed down, have we?" Zhang Fan shifted his focus back to Bai Xue, who now lay in his arms like a tamed kitten, a stark contrast to her earlier frenzied state.
"Zhang Fan..." Bai Xue whispered his name, her eyes hazy with emotion.
"As for Reiji's matter, let's set it aside for now. Just know that Reiji is our comrade, and I trust her. I hope everyone else can trust her too," Zhang Fan decided. Marriage vows should be gently forgotten; he couldn't marry Reiji, which was unquestionable. If choosing a marriage partner, then Xiaotong would be the prime candidate, along with Xiao Lei and Rebecca. Oh, what a headache!
"Trust and assist your comrades, it's what Master always says. Since Reiji is now our comrade, I naturally trust her," Yoko was the first to express her stance, followed by Arya and Bai Xue. Zhang Fan appreciatively gave Yoko a thumbs up, pleased with her initiative.
Trust, indeed. Upon hearing Zhang Fan's declaration of trust, a flicker of light briefly illuminated Reiji's eyes, revealing her not as emotionless as she appeared. Her stoic heart too was touched by a ripple of emotion.
Thus, Zhang Fan's household gained a new member. Luckily, there was a spare room for Reiji. The drama of the girl's marriage proposal thus concluded.
"Reiji, have you always lived like this?" Visiting Reiji's dormitory to collect her belongings, Zhang Fan was shocked upon entering her room.
Beyond the entrance lay a barren living room, devoid of decor or furniture, lit only by a solitary light bulb on the ceiling. The stark emptiness bespoke a sniper's life of solitude.
"Yes," Reiji replied, moving into her bedroom, which was as spartan as the living room, furnished only with a table for gun maintenance. Zhang Fan wondered if she slept on the floor.
"I can't fathom living like this," Zhang Fan murmured, unable to comprehend her lifestyle, which seemed almost maddeningly isolating.
Ignoring Zhang Fan's comment, Reiji packed her gunsmithing tools and a few boxes of bullets into a small box, then retrieved a plastic bag from the kitchen filled with energy bars. Was this her sustenance?
Overwhelmed with a sour feeling in his heart, Zhang Fan realized Reiji lived like a robot. How could this be the life of a seventeen-year-old girl?
"This energy bar... it's usually for survival situations, right? It's tasteless, just filling the stomach," Zhang Fan thought, deciding Reiji shouldn't live like this anymore.
Seizing the bag of energy bars, he threw it away. Taking Reiji's tool box in one hand and her hand in the other, Zhang Fan declared it was time to eat. He resolved to cook Reiji the most lavish dinner that evening.
Days passed, and Zhang Fan returned to his routine of undertaking tasks with Arya and earning game points. Though not substantial, the accumulated points had now reached 39,439, nearing a significant milestone.
As summer vacation approached, Riko suddenly reappeared, catching everyone off guard.
"Riko, you're back?" Opening the classroom door one morning, Zhang Fan was pleasantly surprised to find Riko seated at her desk, surrounded by curious classmates.
"Arya! Riko is back!" Riko exclaimed, abandoning her classmates and rushing into Zhang Fan's arms. They hadn't seen each other for two months, and Riko had missed him dearly.
"Welcome back. But you really surprised me. Where have you been all this time?" Zhang Fan gently patted her back, then his expression grew serious.