Chapter 61

The New Year is coming.

She realized this when it started snowing more and more frequently outside the window. Shi Yu had been in a daze recently. When she had nothing to do, she would usually sit in front of the window with her knees hugged, looking at the snow scene, thinking about things in the past and present, and she would sit there for the whole day.

Perhaps because he sat in front of the window for too long, Shi Yu sometimes felt dizzy and his concentration became less focused these two days. During dinner, Shi Yu's hand shook and he couldn't hold the spoon properly, and the cutlery fell on the plate with a clear crisp sound.

"Shigure."

Shi Yu was stunned for a moment, and despite the dizziness and headache, she looked at Rain across from her. She responded dully, "Mr. Rain...?"

"You seem a little unwell," Rein had just put down his fork and looked up to observe her expression. Then he stood up and said, "I'll have a robot take your temperature."

Shi Yu didn't eat much. She squinted her eyes and waited until the robot measured her temperature. Then she was semi-forced to rest.

She was indeed ill.

Shi Yu had a severe cold and a fever, and his throat was also inflamed. He slept for only a short while before hearing the robot's reminder. He struggled out of the quilt uncomfortably, picked up the medicine bowl, and drank the fever-reducing medicine brewed by the robot in small sips.

Lei Yin stood at her door with a distant yet polite manner, supervising her to swallow all the medicine. Afterwards, he nodded slightly and instructed, "Get some rest. If you need anything, feel free to contact me through the terminal."

Shi Yu murmured a response, still squinting sleepily.

Lei Yin looked at her with his ice-blue eyes, and without saying anything else, he closed the door for her and turned to leave.

The next day, Lei Yin asked for leave from the military academy.

The busy officer went out at six in the morning, arranged his work, and handed over some courses to Alex before returning home around nine. Shi Yu was still resting at this time. Rein called the robot and checked Shi Yu's temperature again.

Only after learning that the girl's temperature had returned to normal did Lei Yin relax his frown. He raised his hand to unbutton the collar of his military uniform and turned to go back to his room to change clothes. However, as he stepped into his boots, he heard the girl's soft, whispered voice coming from the room behind him: "Sir..."

Rein stopped.

He returned to the other person's door and asked her if she needed anything. However, Shi Yu squinted her eyes and could not say anything except "Sir". Seeing that she was still unconscious and confused, Lei Yin had to let the robot go to Shi Yu's side to record.

"……gentlemen."

Shi Yu's soft voice reached Rain's ears through the robot's line. She panted for a long time before slowly saying a few words: "I want to talk to you..."

Shi Yu wanted Raine to come into the room and keep her company.

Perhaps because of her illness, Shi Yu's mind was full of memories of her family taking care of her when she had a fever and a cold. Shi Yu didn't think about anything more, she just felt physically and mentally exhausted.

"Shigure."

After hearing the girl's words, there was a moment of silence. Lei Yin narrowed his blue eyes and told her calmly and restrainedly, "You still need to rest now. I will come to accompany you after you wake up."

The officer stood as steady as a pine tree, outside the boundary of the door from beginning to end, without taking a single step beyond the rules.

The faint and sweet scent of Omega was just inside the door, but Rain remained calm and unaffected. He lowered his eyes and waited for a while, then through the robot's line, Rain heard the girl's steady and gentle breathing.

He turned around and left calmly.

By the evening, Shi Yu had barely recovered some of her spirits. She had not eaten all day, so her face looked pale and weak. When the robot moved to her side and turned on the green light to indicate that she could order, Shi Yu suddenly looked up and glanced blankly at the officer in front of the door.

"Porridge..." she said softly, "Eight Treasure Porridge... Preserved Egg and Lean Pork Porridge. I also want walnuts, rice cakes, and crispy candies."

Some of the foods she mentioned were not suitable for patients, but Shi Yu still said them out in a daze. These... She thought, these were things that every family would prepare during the Chinese New Year, and Mr. Rain should have them here too.

Lei Yin frowned as he saw the indicator light on the robot's head turn from green to red, indicating that it couldn't understand the command. After the light flashed, a mechanical voice sounded considerately: "We can't detect the name of the food you said. Based on the keyword search, you can change the option to other porridge."

Shi Yu was silent for a moment, as if she was in a daze, before she slowly asked, "Then... white porridge?"

This time the command was successful and the robot left the room.

"Walnuts and candies?" Lei Yin asked in a deep voice, standing outside the door. "Do you want to eat these?"

This wasn't a difficult request, the officer noted, and then asked, "I've never heard of the rice cakes you mentioned. As for the crispy candies, what brand do you prefer?"

He also knows very little about sweets.

Shi Yu thought for a moment and gestured slowly: "Shrimp... Crispy Candy."

These two words had nothing to do with each other. Lei Yin didn't know how shrimp and crispy candy could be connected. The girl continued to add in confusion, "There are red and yellow ones. Those candies are very sticky..."

Rein looked at her quietly. The girl's cheeks were pale and blank. She seemed to have cried in her sleep, with obvious tear marks at the corners of her eyes.

Her condition is getting worse.

The officer realized.

Ever since she came back from going out that day, Shi Yu's spirit has become sensitive and fragile. At first, Lei Yin thought that if he gave her some time, she would be able to adjust naturally. However, Shi Yu became more depressed and silent day by day. This illness might be a sign that her psychology could no longer bear it.

"Shigure," Rain said, "I understand. I will find this type of food for you."

Shigure blinked, then nodded slowly.

"Thank you..." She did not forget to say thank you.

The housekeeping robot soon returned with the porridge. Lei Yin watched her drink the porridge bit by bit, and after calmly advising her to take care of her health, he left and returned to his room.

At night, after thinking for a moment, the officer called General Heinrich.

After two peaceful nights of sleep, Shi Yu's cold had almost completely healed by the third day. Aside from a slight sluggish reaction and her habitual daze, she seemed to be fine. But Lei Yin knew there was more to her than meets the eye. He took another leave from the military academy and stayed home with her as planned.

Shi Yu, wearing a thick coat, sat in the hall with Lei Yin. She held a tablet, but her eyes wandered, not focusing on it. In her trance, unable to concentrate, Shi Yu heard Lei Yin call her: "Shi Yu, is there anything you want to talk to me about?"

“……?”

Shi Yu was stunned for a moment.

"Yesterday," Rain reminded her, "you said you wanted to talk to me."

Yesterday, when she was sleepy and cold, she really wanted Lei Yin to come over and chat with her. However, Shi Yu could no longer remember what she wanted to say to Mr. Lei Yin at that time - but... maybe it was something about the family in the past, Shi Yu thought.

Shigure was silent for a moment, hesitating on what to say.

She felt a little distressed.

She was unconscious yesterday, but now she is awake. She has lived in Mr. Rein's house for so long, and it feels inappropriate to talk about her previous life in a coquettish manner.

"Um, Mr. Rain." Shi Yu lowered her head, and the familiar names on the tablet came into view one by one. She pursed her lips and said slowly, "Can you tell me about your work..."

The nature of an instructor's job is unique. Lei Yin pondered for a moment and was about to decline when he heard her continue, "...about the students you teach?"

The light-blond young man raised his eyes slightly, as if thinking about something: "Whose recent situation do you want to know?"

Lei Yin knew about Shi Yu's experience in the training camp. Due to some accidents during the training camp, there was more than one student who got along with her and had a close relationship with her, but she had never mentioned these things to Lei Yin before.

In front of him, Shi Yu was always careful and cautious. From the very beginning, she did not regard herself as a victim who needed to be compensated by Lei Yin. Perhaps the girl also realized that the incident was a little sensitive among them, so when faced with questions that might make Lei Yin silent and ponder how to answer, she always remained quiet and gentle, and never mentioned them once.

Lei Yin looked down at her, his hands in neat gloves clasped in his knees. Shi Yu saw the first of the recent contacts on the tablet, circled it with her finger, and whispered, "Xia Feng..."

——Last night, she called Shi Yu, but Shi Yu was already asleep and didn't answer the call.

As soon as "Xia Feng" was uttered, Shi Yu gasped softly, then frowned and covered her throbbing forehead. She had been having frequent headaches and dizziness lately, and couldn't pay attention to certain things as much as before. When the room fell silent for a moment, Shi Yu vaguely realized... she seemed to have asked a topic that she shouldn't have mentioned.

Shi Yu's breath hitched slightly, and he bit his lip, wanting to apologize.

Lei Yin observed the girl's pale expression, and just before she spoke, he said calmly, "Xia Feng, I remember her."

Shi Yu's eyelashes trembled, and she seemed a little surprised that Lei Yin answered her. Her hands that were tightly clenched on the corner of her clothes slowly relaxed, and she lowered her head and listened quietly.

"Xia Feng's theoretical performance is average, and her physical performance in various training sessions is average." Lei Yin lowered his eyes as he recalled, his words calmly and rigorously assessing his student from the perspective of an instructor. "But her combat instincts are sharp, and she's good at applying her abilities. Recently, she placed in the top five in a practical training session, showing rapid progress."

"Does that mean Xia Feng is very powerful?" After hearing what Rein said, Shi Yu finally smiled and asked happily.

She chose to ignore the first half of Rain's sentence.

Lei Yin nodded slightly, which was considered as an acknowledgment.

"W-What about Loren? And Akatsuki, ah...that's Kamiya Akatsuki."

Shi Yu was very curious to learn about a side of her friends from Mr. Rain that she had never known before. She quickly continued asking questions, and it seemed as if all the depression that had accumulated in her heart over the past few days was swept away.

"Loren's physique is weak, but he excels in theory and tactics," Rain said. "As for actual combat, he hasn't shown much recently."

"Kamihara Xiao, his qualities are outstanding in all aspects, but his fighting spirit is weak and he tends to lose it in critical moments. Perhaps it's due to his casual personality." Recalling the Alpha's usual performance, the officer's expression remained unchanged as he gave his assessment calmly, "He still needs training and improvement in this area."

Is Loren's physique weak? Shigure thought a little surprised, but he is very tall, and the expressionless look on his face when analyzing various data is also very oppressive.

Xiao doesn't like fighting with others. Hmm... This is the first time Shi Yu knows that he has this side to him - come to think of it, the fight with Xiu was indeed caused by him. If it weren't for this, with Xiao's easy-going and gentle personality, Shi Yu would find it hard to imagine him taking the initiative to provoke trouble.

"Then..." The scenes of being with his friends flashed through his mind one by one. Shi Yu raised his eyes to look at Rein and asked the last name in a very low voice.

"...Where's Wayne?"

Lei Yin narrowed his blue eyes slightly, then looked away, not looking directly at the girl's cautious and expectant expression.

"Wayne Clement," he said, "topped the entrance exam, impeccable in all aspects, but gloomy and belligerent."

The officer's cold words stopped here.

Shi Yu looked at him suspiciously.

"He's been on leave from school recently, so I don't know how he's doing." Rein loosened his clasped hands and glanced at the time on his watch. "That's all, Shigure."

Shi Yu looked at the young man in confusion as he adjusted his collar, then stood up with him and asked, "Sir, are you going to get busy?"

"I'll be with you for the next few days," Rain denied, his calm, ice-blue eyes fixed on the girl's cheeks, which had regained a touch of color. "Are you feeling any discomfort right now? Is your head still hurting?"

Shi Yu subconsciously touched his forehead and replied slowly: "...No."

Rein nodded slightly, looking down at her, trying his best to keep his tone gentle, "Shigure, you've been feeling a little down lately. A doctor I've booked will be here to talk to you in a moment. Maybe he can help ease your stress."

Doctor…?

Shi Yu was a little confused.

Hearing what Lei Yin said, she initially thought that the doctor her husband had invited was an ordinary doctor to see her for her cold and fever, but when the doctor arrived in the hall, sat down face to face with Shi Yu and talked for a while, Shi Yu, who had had this kind of experience, finally reacted.

——This is a psychiatrist.

The other party chatted with her in a gentle manner. Shi Yu cooperated and answered those trivial questions one by one. After about half an hour, the doctor smiled gently and mentioned the topic of going out to her in a soft tone.

Shi Yu pursed his lips, and suddenly, like an uneasy little animal, he instinctively looked for Rein behind him.

"It's okay, it's okay."

The doctor didn't expect her reaction to be so intense, so he quickly soothed her, "Can we talk about something else?"

While she was talking to the doctor, Rain had been standing behind her. Although Mr. Rain was some distance away from her, Shi Yu could still sense a hint of his presence, a distinct and cold scent of fir.

Shi Yu's voice gradually slowed down. The conversation had only lasted about an hour, but she felt extremely tired. Rein, who was guarding her, stopped the conversation at the right moment and said, "Thank you. I'm fine now, doctor."

The sound of their conversation gradually became blurred in Shi Yu's ears.

After she realized that she didn't need to continue the conversation, Shi Yu curled up on the sofa, closed her eyes tiredly, and planned to rest for a while.

When Lei Yin politely sent the doctor away and then returned to the hall, he saw the girl who was alone in the hall, with a pale and quiet face, leaning on the sofa and already asleep.

She hugged her candy pillow tightly, curled up on the sofa as if she had lost her sense of security, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and her black hair fell quietly and softly on her slender shoulders. Even in her sleep, she frowned and did not look relaxed.

Rein stared at Shi Yu silently under the light for a while and noticed that she was much thinner than before.

"Shigure," the officer frowned slightly and tried to wake her up, "Go back to your room and rest. You're not fully recovered yet."

She is already very weak and her condition cannot be aggravated at this time.

Shi Yu was too sleepy. She vaguely heard Lei Yin's voice and said "hmm" softly, but she never moved.

The coat she was wearing fell loosely, barely covering her thighs and abdomen, but it could not keep her whole body warm. Lei Yin took two steps forward, but then stopped. The officer wearing a monitoring ring on his wrist rubbed his brow and gave an order to the domestic robot on standby next to him.

Shi Yu was reluctantly woken up by the robot's alarm clock. The girl stared at Rain with moist black eyes, then slowly sat up, and fell down again with weak limbs.

"gentlemen……"

She buried her head in the sofa and called him in a soft and complaining tone.

Lei Yin originally thought that she wanted to buy herself some more sleep, but he didn't expect that Shi Yu took a light breath, and the breath stretched out like butterfly wings in the air, vibrating out tiny air currents.

She whispered, "Agreed."

——This is the instruction to unlock the monitoring loop.

Shi Yu didn't think much at the moment. She was just sleepy and exhausted, unable to muster any energy. She still remembered her second outing with Rain a few days ago, how she had cried all the way, tugging at his clothes, and how he had brought her home, smelling the scent of fir trees. Shi Yu no longer felt the same fear and timidity towards Mr. Rain, who had protected her that day.

So, please ask him for help.

Shigure, who was so tired that she couldn't think of anything, subconsciously and reliantly wanted Mr. Rain to help her and send her back to her room like before.

The light blond young man clenched his palms slightly, frowned, and suppressed the barely perceptible tremor in his forearm.

Even though he had just wanted to approach her and wake her up, after she finally lifted the restraint, the Alpha officer restrained himself and never took a single step forward. Instinct led him to interpret the Omega's words as some kind of hint, but reason pulled him back.

As if he had completely banished those three words from his mind, the officer's face darkened: "Shigure."

Lei Yin's blue eyes were stern, and his voice was cold and stern. Without a trace of hesitation, he said, "Get up and go back by yourself."

This was almost a scolding. He had never shown such anger towards Shigure before.

Shi Yu was confused and unaware of anything when she was scolded by Lei Yin. Finally, she struggled to get up while covering her forehead, but still returned to the room in a daze.

…

Shigure's problem has not been resolved yet.

The psychologist believes that Shi Yu's current condition requires more companionship, understanding, and comfort. The two unfortunate travel experiences and unexpected situations, coupled with the inexplicable pressure in her heart, have caused her to have signs of depression. If the situation does not improve within a week, she will need to be sent to a specialized hospital for treatment with more professional doctors and medication.

Omega's mentality is very fragile. The doctor gave advice. Shi Yu's mood has not yet adjusted, so he suggested that Rein avoid topics related to "going out" when talking to her.

Lei Yin followed the doctor's instructions carefully and rigorously. Apart from asking about her physical condition today, he did not say anything extra to her.

In fact, given Shigure's condition, he couldn't talk to him much. As the day progressed towards the end of the month and the New Year approached, Shigure became increasingly drowsy and sleepy. When Rein was about to contact the Admiral and take Shigure to the hospital for a checkup, Shigure suddenly proposed to Rein—

"Sir," she said softly, "I must go back to the nursing home."

Lei Yin paused, raised his eyes, and asked, "What?"

As she spoke these words, the girl's frail, haggard expression matched her gentle words, as if she were bidding him farewell. Shi Yu didn't notice Rain's increasingly serious expression. She thought slowly for a moment before saying, "I've already discussed this with Ed."

"I'm going back to the nursing home during the New Year to see him."

Shi Yu said.

Lei Yin was silent. He tapped the table lightly with his knuckles and called her, "Shi Yu."

Shi Yu said "Hmm?", raised his head and looked at him blankly.

"When you come back," Rein said, "I'll take you to the hospital to see a doctor, okay?"

Returning to the nursing home might help her recover mentally. Since she had made the request, Lei Yin felt that it might be worth a try. If possible, he did not want to send her to the hospital for treatment. This would be too cruel for a girl who liked lively occasions and company.

It took Shi Yu a while to understand what Rain said. She smiled and felt that there was nothing to see. But Mr. Rain's gaze was too serious. For the first time, she felt that when Mr. Rain looked directly at people, his ice-blue eyes were like a deep and cold sea.

"Yeah, okay."

She agreed.

Rein sent Shigure back to the nursing home on weekends.

It was similar to the previous time, yet different. She had also requested to return to the nursing home, but this time, the young man helped her out of the car by the shoulder, and then accompanied her all the way in. The officer had to stop just before reaching the living quarters. He handed Shiyu's luggage to Ed, who had come to meet her. Shiyu seemed to sense something and obediently let go of Rain's shirt.

——It seems that the influence of that day was left behind. Recently, she has become accustomed to saying "agree" to lift the restrictions.

"Shigure."

When they parted, Lei Yin lowered his blue eyes slightly to look at her and said slowly, "See you in a week. Have a good rest."

Shi Yu nodded, trying hard to give a light and pale smile.

"Thank you, sir."

She said.

After returning to the nursing home, none of the friends who had promised to hold a party when Shi Yu came back came to disturb her, and they didn't even send her messages. Shi Yu felt a little strange, but she didn't have the energy to ask.

"Ed," Shi Yu fluttered down on the bed as soon as he entered the room, and squeezed out a tired voice, "I'll sleep for a while, you..."

"I'm here with you."

Ed adjusted the corner of the quilt for her, his tone quiet and gentle. Shi Yu didn't see what expression the usually cold and slender boy used to comfort her. When she fell asleep, perhaps because she knew someone was by her side, she felt particularly at ease.

"Go to sleep."

...Following these words, Shi Yu seemed to be completely relaxed and fell into a deep sleep until the last two days before the New Year.

In the past two or three days, a doctor occasionally came to chat with her, and the general also called. Shi Yu forced herself to communicate with them, but her symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion still did not ease.

When Shi Yu regained consciousness, she put on her coat and went to the window. She saw the snow and silver trees outside. Celebratory ribbons were tied to the tree trunks and flower stems. There were also many ribbons hanging on the stone statues in the fountain, like butterflies with bright wings, hovering in the vast white garden.

Her classmates seemed to be preparing to celebrate New Year's Eve. The snow on the garden path had been cleared, leaving an area large enough for activities, where chairs and round tables had been set up.

Shi Yu looked at it for a moment, then returned to the bed in silence. The tablet displayed a message from Natasha, who asked if he wanted to participate in the New Year's Eve event in two days.

Shigure refused.

On New Year's Day, after dinner, she said goodbye to Ed, returned to the house, covered her head with the quilt and fell asleep.

She fell asleep in a daze and was woken up again. In the darkness, Shi Yu squinted her eyes tiredly and vaguely heard the cheers and laughter in the garden. After the boys and girls counted the time neatly, the subtle explosion of fireworks sounded in the air. They raised their cups filled with juice and clinked them with their friends. Countless happy blessings floated lightly into Shi Yu's ears.

Shi Yu hugged the quilt tightly and curled up slightly.

Perhaps because snowflakes were still falling sporadically outside the window, a slight chill permeated her heart and limbs. Shi Yu didn't know what her mood was at the moment. She was just confused and sleepy, and the urge to fall asleep immediately emerged in her mind.

A little after midnight, the tablet rang. Shi Yu guessed that it was probably a call from one of her friends... She had previously told them that she had something to do recently, so she had not contacted them much.

She slowly picked up the tablet and answered the call.

“…”

"Shigure."

After a moment of silence, Shi Yu heard the young man's calm and steady question, "How's your health lately... No, Happy New Year."

Lei Yin calmly changed his tone and explained, "Sorry, I was planning to talk to you tomorrow, but I had something urgent to do, so I can only disturb you now."

Shi Yu paused for a moment, "It's okay, sir."

"I haven't contacted you recently. I forgot," she said. "...Thank you for your well wishes."

Amidst the many noisy and chaotic congratulations and voices below, only Mr. Rain's words reached his ears clearly. Shi Yu wiped his face carelessly, suddenly feeling a sadness that he couldn't suppress.

"How are you feeling lately?" Rein asked. "Are you feeling better?"

Shigure took a deep breath and remained silent for a moment.

"Well...very good." She said after a while.

Noticing the unusual tremor in the girl's voice, Lei Yin couldn't help but frown, "Shigure?"

"If you feel any discomfort now, go to the doctor immediately. I will help you..."

Shi Yu finally couldn't hold back her tears. The officer's solemn and steady instructions were interrupted by her biting her lip. The girl shook her head and said, "I'm not feeling unwell. I'm fine, it's just..."

"Mr. Rain." She cried weakly, as if she was trying hard to suppress her sadness. The whimpering sound like a little animal came through the line. Shi Yu told him, "I just, just..."

"…A little bit, I miss home."

Shi Yu's shoulders shook from crying. She buried her face in the soaked pillow and finally said this.

So much time had passed, Shi Yu thought she had gotten used to the life here, but after that day she realized otherwise. She had been confused and unconscious before, and had been staying in the nursing home since she came out of the training camp - because they were vulnerable, they were not allowed to go out. Even though Shi Yu had some yearning for the outside world, she still lived the same life as everyone else obediently.

The nursing home provides them with a warm and superior living environment, and they have no reason or need to go out.

Omegas are like this, whether it's Ed, Natasha, or Susu, so what is there for her to be sad about?

But... Shi Yu thought, it turns out that this is not the case.

It was just a trip to an exhibition or a night market. She didn't need to apply or go through any procedures before. She could go with her friends or grandma. If they didn't have time, even if she went out alone, she wouldn't feel as anxious and panicked as she does now.

Just because it's called "Omega" now, does that mean it should be like this?

Shi Yu thought of the novel and exquisite robots at the exhibition, as well as the prosperous and lively night market, and felt an increasingly heavy sense of suffocation in her heart - she was obviously quite lucky. If it weren't for Mr. Rain, she wouldn't even have the opportunity to go out, and Natasha, Susu and the others might not even have the chance to see these scenes in reality.

Even if you manage to get out, you'll still run into that kind of thing because your identity will be discovered.

...Is this what an Omega is supposed to be like?

"Mr. Rain," Shi Yu sobbed sadly, his voice small and dazed, "I don't want to stay here anymore."

She seemed to have forgotten Wayne, Ed, and everyone else, including those she knew. She only whispered to herself softly, as if expressing some secret decision: "...I want to go home."

"I want to return..."

The girl's sad sobs gradually faded away.

The light-blond young man listened to her voice quietly and remained silent for a moment.

"Shigure, calm down for a moment."

Shi Yu's emotions got out of control too suddenly. Lei Yin raised his eyes thoughtfully, glanced around, stood up calmly and calmly, and pushed open the door of the study.

"Is it convenient to turn on the video now?" Lei Yin asked as he walked down the stairs.

Shi Yu wiped her tears and choked back, "I'm sorry, sir. I'm a little..." She hiccupped a little before finishing the rest of the sentence, "...not looking good."

"Then just open it one way," Rein said, expressing his understanding. "I want you to see something."

This time, Shi Yu was no longer able to refuse. Rein brought the terminal to the hall. As the officer raised his wrist, Shi Yu saw that the usually empty and silent hall was now decorated with many celebratory items... Huh?

Shi Yu blinked, seeing the otherworldly couplets and the Chinese character "Fu." The doors and walls of the villa were covered in festive red. While the girl was stunned, Lei Yin came to the dining table in the hall and explained, "Based on the various foods you described, I found that only our home galaxy, Xia, has such specialties. After that, I also learned about some of Xia's festival customs."

As the officer sat down, Shi Yu saw that the dining table was neatly arranged with walnuts, rice cakes and other things... as well as crispy candies and, uh, live shrimp?

"I've searched for the recipes for the two types of porridge you mentioned and have already recorded them in the robot's database."

"But I haven't found the kind of crispy candy you mentioned," Rain added apologetically. "If you like crispy candy with shrimp, you'll have to try making it yourself. I've prepared the ingredients for you."

"Sir..." Shi Yu moved her lips dryly, and couldn't help but want to explain that "prawn candy" actually does not contain shrimp meat, but she sniffed and couldn't say anything.

"If you want to go home, then get well and come back," Lei Yin said calmly, "Since your hometown is in Xia Country, next time, I will accompany you..."

The officer's voice suddenly paused.

He frowned, realizing that it was not the right time to tell Shi Yu about "going out", but Shi Yu quickly followed up: "Is it okay, sir?"

"I will take good care of myself!" Shi Yu quickly wiped away all the tears and said firmly, "I will eat well, rest well, and won't sleep so much anymore. In the future, can you take me to Xia Country?"

She had already had two experiences that could be considered as shadowy, but she still chose to believe in Rain.

Lei Yin heard the high spirits in the girl's words, so he nodded and agreed without hesitation: "Okay."

Shigure let out a long breath.

She then smiled softly, as if she had suddenly let go of many things in her heart: "Then please wait for me, sir, I will be back soon."

"Shigure, there's one more thing."

Hearing the girl's words, the frown on Lei Yin's brow relaxed a little. These past few days, he had been immersed in thinking about Shi Yu. Now, while the other party's mood had eased, he planned to mention it to her.

"You say, sir."

"From now on," Rain said, "you don't have to be so cautious in front of me. You can be more willful, Shigure."

Shigure's eyes widened.

"If you have any questions or want to know something, please ask. I will answer them all. I will naturally remind you of inappropriate questions and will not be emotionally aroused."

Rein noticed this after Shigure hesitantly asked his students those questions last time.

She habitually remained reserved and cautious in front of him, trying to maintain what she thought was a balance and not cause him trouble. It was hard to say whether Shi Yu's depression and stress these days were partly caused by him.

Rain thought it necessary to change her wrong consciousness.

After a long time, the girl's soft and small voice came.

"I see. Thank you, Mr. Rain."

…

Shi Yu's condition improved, and Lei Yin temporarily relaxed his tense nerves of the past few days and began to prepare for tomorrow's work.

——At that time, Lei Yin agreed to let Shi Yu return to the nursing home to rest for a week. The deadline he promised would end tomorrow, but Lei Yin was concerned that she might still need time to adjust, so he decided to let Shi Yu stay for two more days to ensure that her condition completely returned to normal.

After finishing his business, the officer closed his blue eyes tiredly. In the corridor returning to his room, his footsteps unconsciously paused for a moment in front of the girl's room, and then he continued forward without any emotion.

At six o'clock in the morning, Lei Yin ended his short rest of only three hours on time, got up, washed, sorted his clothes, and made preparations before going out.

Before boarding the hovercraft, the light-blond young man looked up as if he had sensed something, frowned and looked at the white snow scene in the distance.

A faint rustling sound could be heard on the empty white snow.

Then, a small, red figure suddenly emerged from under the cover of the snow.

It was not yet seven in the morning, and winter blurred the boundaries between day and night. Under the dim sky, Shi Yu, wearing that furry shawl and coat, ran towards him step by step.

While waving, he happily called out: "Mr. Rain~!"

The next sentence she said softly and expertly was: "Agree."

With the smell of wind and snow all over her body, she walked through the white snow and happily threw herself into Rain's arms.

The author has something to say:

...I don't know what to say, so I'll just wish everyone a happy new year in advance ()