Chapter 22

It was Wilson. He had been chasing him rather haphazardly, and when he saw Noah, a flash of jealousy crossed his eyes. Back in school, Noah had been like a guardian, picking Claire up and dropping her off every day, making it impossible for him to get close to her. He never expected that five years later, this man would still be there.

Wilson suppressed his emotions, maintaining his aristocratic composure as he nodded to Noah, then extended an invitation to Claire: "Let me drive you home; my car is right there." He gestured to the vintage car, a symbol of wealth and status in that era, his tone carrying a hint of reserved pride. He was no longer the penniless student he once was; now, he was the vice-dean and the future earl.

Noah snorted coldly. Claire politely declined, "No need, I have Noah."

"Does Noah have a carriage?" Wilson asked with a hint of provocation. In his memory, Noah always walked or rented a horse-drawn carriage, and his attire exuded the rugged poverty of the Alps.

Noah rolled his eyes and pointed to a strangely shaped white car in front of him: "It's over there."

It was a vehicle that completely deviated from contemporary aesthetics; its body was as smooth as liquid metal, without any sharp edges, exuding a futuristic and chilling aura.

Wilson was stunned: "This is... the latest gasoline engine technology?"

"Gasoline?" Noah thought he'd heard a joke. "That's an antique from a thousand years ago. My car runs on nuclear power."

Claire was startled and quickly tugged at Noah's arm, signaling him to shut up.

“Nuclear energy?” Wilson looked at him with amusement. “You mean the atomic energy that Einstein and Marie Curie researched? Forgive me for being blunt, but that’s just science fiction. It’s impossible to achieve in reality.”

Noah raised his hand noncommittally, then casually put his arm around Claire's slender waist, pulling her into his embrace as if asserting his ownership: "Believe it or not. In short, my wife is mine to pick up and drop off." With that, he scooped Claire up in his arms and strode towards the "white meteor."

Once inside the car, Claire chided, "You were too impulsive just now. The word 'nuclear energy' will make them think you're crazy, and you almost broke the Crystal Clan's secret rules!"

Noah instantly became obedient, even letting out a slightly aggrieved "Oh".

He certainly didn't care about rules; he only cared whether Claire was angry.

He leaned closer, burying his head in Claire's shoulder like a large dog, and whispered, "I'm sorry... so, where do you want to go for the next month? Love tells you, we have plenty of time."

Claire smiled and said, "I want to go to the East."

"East?"

“I heard that’s where you grew up. I want to see those exquisite Chinese gardens and see the paths you walked.”

Noah's eyes lit up, and he immediately sat up straight, his fingers flying across the virtual control panel: "Understood! Accompany the lady back to her hometown. Estimated flight time: four hours and thirty minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts. The meteor is about to depart!"

Two soft airbags instantly enveloped the two people. The nuclear engine started silently, and six-meter-long silver wings extended from both sides of the vehicle, transforming it into a miniature aircraft!

Then it took off vertically, quickly climbed to an altitude of 10,000 meters, and flew at a speed of up to 3,000 kilometers per hour, just like a white shooting star!

As night deepened, Oxford University's buildings were brightly lit by candlelight, and no one noticed the white "stars" that flew out from the campus lawn.

The aircraft glided smoothly like a light boat in the tranquil atmosphere at an altitude of ten thousand meters. The cabin was bathed in soft light. Claire turned her head to look at Noah and softly suggested that she wanted to get a big dog to keep her family's "big treasure" company.

Da Bao is the last surviving brown bear in the Alps. As a cub, it accidentally fell into a hunter's steel-toothed trap; the horrific accident nearly tore its lower body apart. Although it survived, it forever lost the chance to reproduce. The Crystal Clan's advanced technology can extend its lifespan, but it cannot fill the void of its interspecies loneliness. Because Noah and Claire simultaneously shoulder the responsibilities of managing three districts, Da Bao is always alone in the gaps between their busy schedules.

At first, Noah scoffed at the suggestion: "Why not just find another bear? They'll have more to talk about with each other."

“Bears are too territorial, and they repel those of the same sex.” Claire pondered deeply, her voice filled with gentle pity. “Although Da Bao has been domesticated, it is still… disabled. Wild bears have more acute senses than humans, and they will ostracize the weak. I’m afraid Da Bao will feel inferior. Dogs are different. They have wolf blood flowing through their veins and a pack mentality. As long as they have enough to eat, they are the most tolerant of other species.”

Noah remained silent. Actually, as long as the new member didn't steal Claire's attention from him, he wouldn't mind having another four-legged creature in the house.

He still remembers that when Da Bao was just a cub, Claire would spend all her time with it, even bringing it into the bedroom to sleep at night, completely depriving him of any intimate time with it. During those "dark" days, he stared at that furry thing several times, his fingertips trembling slightly, and it took a lot of effort to restrain the urge to strangle the silly creature.

Fortunately, Da Bao lived up to expectations. When he grew up, his thick bear fur couldn't stand the warmth of the room, so he rolled up his bedding and slept on the lawn outside the stone house. That's how he managed to escape death.

Unaware of the situation, Claire's eyes were full of anticipation as she shook his arm with a slightly coquettish tone: "Noah? Darling, is it okay?"

Noah sighed helplessly, his tone indulgent: "Fine, whatever you want. You can raise whatever you want."

Claire beamed and pecked Noah on the cheek: "Noah, you're the best!"

“The side view isn’t enough,” Noah turned his head, his eyes burning, “We need the front view too.”

Claire's cheeks flushed slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she couldn't resist the gaze of those deep, affectionate eyes and leaned in to plant a kiss. Noah, like a child who had accomplished a great feat, licked his lips contentedly and even whistled lightly.

But no one expected that this would be the last time Claire mentioned "the future".

Less than half an hour into the flight, the miniature terminal next to Noah's ear suddenly emitted a blinding red light. A virtual screen the size of a washbasin popped up in front of him, and Snow's avatar appeared abruptly, accompanied by an anxious undertone.

"Knoa, Pat Claire!" Snow's voice was almost a roar, "No matter where you are now, turn around and head to Sector B5 immediately! Level 8 emergency alert, take immediate action!"

B5 Management Zone spans the Mediterranean Sea and is one of the two individuals' jurisdictions. It lies on a "powder keg" of tectonic plates, prone to deep-focus earthquakes. Although the Crystal Clan's early assessments deemed the area unsuitable for settlement, over the past two thousand years, the tenacious human race has poured in like weeds after rain, and the population density has long exceeded capacity.

As the guardians behind the scenes, the Crystal Clan cannot forcibly demolish or drive away the structures; they can only select their strongest sentinels to guard them.

Despite having a super-powerful system that can accurately warn of earthquakes ten days in advance and "downgrade" them, something went wrong this time. When the alarm reached the management committee, there were only 7 hours left before the magnitude 8 earthquake was about to strike.

Chief Snow had clearly forgotten that he had confidently granted the two of them a month-long leave that morning. In the face of disaster, promises are as insignificant as a feather.

Communication was cut off. Noah's expression turned grave. He jerked the control stick, and the aircraft traced a sharp arc, hurtling towards the Mediterranean Sea. In the Crystal Clan's hierarchy, the Council's orders were tantamount to ironclad laws.

“I’m sorry, Claire…” Noah glanced guiltily to his side.

His long-awaited honeymoon was instantly ruined. What pained him even more was that during missions of V7 level or higher, he was overworking himself and exhausting his powers, while Claire had to work through the night guiding and purifying the black mist that clung to him like a malignant tumor. She suffered alongside him in this ordeal.

"That eternal bachelor Lin Sinuo is a workaholic!" Noah had nowhere to vent his anger, so he could only vent it on the air.

Claire gently shook her head: "Don't blame him, it's his duty."

"You always protect him."

“Because I’ve always been grateful to him.” Claire slowly moved her body, resting her head on Noah’s broad shoulder, her voice as soft as a whisper, “If it weren’t for him, I might never have met you in my life.”

Noah had a natural physiological aversion to guides, and his compatibility with other people never exceeded 40%, almost making him an "unsuitable match." It was Snow who traversed the stars and found this miracle of a 99% compatibility among the vast sea of ​​people.

Claire gazed at Noah, her eyes misty yet shimmering with light: "To be your personal guide, to be by your side as your lover, is the greatest luxury and happiness of my life."

Noah's strongest resolve crumbled instantly. He turned and pulled his beloved girl tightly into his arms. The screen displayed: Destination B5, arrival in 20 minutes.