Chapter 135

They didn't go to the "normal temperature" waterfall, but to a small hot spring, far from the campsite and close to the snow-capped mountains.

Looking out from there, you can see the foot of the snow-capped peaks, where a quiet maple forest lies.

Red maple leaves scattered everywhere, covering the hot springs of all sizes. Jiang Wenxing jumped off Ilya's back and excitedly touched the hot spring.

"It's hot!" He turned around.

Ilya seemed a little embarrassed. The sentry was in good physical condition and this short distance didn't make him out of breath. He was just nervous: "After the snow falls, the troops will stay here for most of the winter."

So the hot springs were the sentinels' winter stronghold. No wonder Ilya and his men didn't seem to worry much about keeping warm in winter, and I didn't see them carrying timber or coal.

Jiang Wenxing brushed aside the red leaves floating on the hot spring water and carefully noticed that the area seemed to have been cleaned.

He turned around, and Ilya had laid out the towel and soap. Her fingers moved very lightly and carefully, but her neck, from her ears to her entire neck, was red.

Both of them became somewhat aware of their surroundings, and their voices gradually quieted down. The surrounding heat was thick, and people's vision became hazy.

The moon climbed and climbed in the sky, finally settling down on the crescent-shaped treetop.

Jiang Wenxing and Ilya sat side by side on the hillside, Ilya's arm tightly pressed against his.

The moonlight was like snow, and red leaves fell one by one, chasing the ripples on the water. Ilya suddenly took Jiang Wenxing's hand, said nothing, and slowly closed his eyes.

A faint, transparent ripple spread out, and Jiang Wenxing closed his eyes.

In the guide's mental picture, there is a blue sky and white clouds, green grass covered with flowers, a group of beautiful butterflies fluttering among the flowers, and a little mouse with a pink tail sleeping in the largest rose.

Sensing the change in the sky, the little mouse opened its eyes and looked up in confusion.

The surrounding land was shifting, and the once clear sky suddenly picked up a gust of wind. Several dark clouds appeared in the sky. The little mouse smelled the familiar pheromones, squeaked happily twice, and hopped and skipped towards the storm.

The rainwater falling on the grass was warm.

As the little mouse ran, the scene slowly faded in color, and the blue sky and white clouds turned into a deep, cold gray.

The wind and rain were fierce, and the heavy rain pounded on the black houses. The wind howled all around, yet there was an eerie silence.

The little mouse jumped over a big puddle, unaffected by the wind and rain. Slowly, it passed through the storm and saw the dark blue sky with a bright moon hanging in the sky.

On a high cliff, a giant gray-white wolf sat crouching, and a little mouse squeaked twice in its direction.

The wolf's ears, which were originally only visible in profile, perked up. Even though it was far away, it heard the sound, let out a joyful howl towards the sky, and ran down the cliff.

The little mouse sat still and waited for it.

The giant wolf appeared in the little mouse's sight in no time. It rushed over, splashing water everywhere. When it reached its friend, it was still incredulous and very surprised by its friend's appearance. It stuck out its tongue and licked the wolf.

The little mouse pushed with its paws: Squeak!

Giant Wolf: Woof~

The giant wolf lowered its head, letting the little mouse jump onto its head. The little mouse squeaked twice, and the giant wolf responded and ran in the direction its friend had indicated. It ran through the cold and desolate storm, its fur soaking wet, and appeared at the border.

Unaffected by the wind and rain, the little mouse's fur remained dry. It jumped into the lush green grass and rolled around happily.

The wolf paced back and forth hesitantly, but dared not step forward.

Across the way, the grass was lush and green, and fallen petals were scattered everywhere, a scene as beautiful as a dream. But it was not the mental landscape of the sentinel, and it dared not overstep its bounds. However, the little mouse was right there on the other side.

Squeak—

A butterfly flew by.

The little mouse was immediately drawn to the butterfly and chased after it, running quite a distance in an instant.

The wolf howled anxiously, calling for its friends, and finally, with a heavy heart, rushed inside.

Don't go!

"Don't go!"

Ilya snapped his eyes open, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, his body burning hot, panting heavily. Even the Sentinel's superhuman stamina had become torture; he was almost completely limp, as if he had just experienced a long climax, yet strangely, he didn't collapse.

Jiang Wenxing also opened his eyes. His reaction was much calmer, and he even lingered in the mental imagery.

He saw Ilya's home, Ilya's heart, and his spiritual landscape.

On that high cliff, there was not only a giant wolf, but also a child with wolf ears and a wolf tail.

He stood under the moon, curious about Jiang Wenxing's appearance, but after only a moment of surprise, he walked towards Jiang Wenxing.

Jiang Wenxing was able to observe him up close, and he easily recognized the little guy. The identical eyebrows, serious eyes, and handsome face were striking. After looking at Jiang Wenxing for a while, the little guy suddenly ran behind a tree.

Jiang Wenxing floated over, and the child peeked out, looking as he walked.

Gradually, Jiang Wenxing walked up to a beautiful house, an ordinary and cozy narrow house of the Tanas ethnic group, which was faintly glowing in the dark forest.

This seems to be the depths of consciousness.

The little boy grew into a young man, and he was drawing on the table.

He didn't notice anyone coming, or rather, the person who came made him feel safe. Jiang Wenxing walked behind him. The young man's wolf ears were fluffy and twitched occasionally. He was very serious. The person in the painting looked a lot like Jiang Wenxing, except that he was wearing a flower wreath on his head.

Just as Jiang Wenxing was about to spin around again, he was bounced away.

He opened his eyes and found that Ilya's face was completely red. The scent of lilacs filled the air and surrounded him, as if he were wrapped in a warm quilt, making Jiang Wenxing feel very relaxed.

Ilya's expression seemed to be one of disappointment, or perhaps an inability to bear it.

His handsome cheeks were flushed, and tears wet his long eyelashes, which were strained to open his eyes, turning into strands of wetness.

He was only momentarily lost in thought. Realizing that Jiang Wenxing was still there, he immediately regained his senses, flicked Jiang Wenxing's head, and asked in a deep voice, "Is my mental world fun?"

Jiang Wenxing shouldn't have gone so deep, causing his pheromones to go out of control.

Jiang Wenxing avoided the topic and spoke evasively.

Ilya was puzzled, but seeing his stammering and wandering eyes, he belatedly regained his senses.

Ilya covered his lower body, his face instantly filled with embarrassment, speechlessness, and awkwardness. After a moment, he suddenly felt extremely calm as he remembered that this was his purpose: he would stay in the mountains for the entire winter, and he wouldn't be able to see him for more than four months.

He would think of Jiang Wenxing.

Ilya asked sadly, "Will you miss me?"

Faced with such bluntness, Jiang Wenxing, who was extremely tongue-tied, couldn't utter a single word.

He didn't say it, but yes, I will think about it.

Ilya felt genuinely sad and disappointed. He knew that the Guides were more mentally strong than the Sentinels and had better control over their emotions. It was common sense that they needed to maintain emotional stability.

But it took more than four months.

Beneath the rustling red leaves, he took the initiative to kiss his guide, then held his hand and led him into the hot spring.

Ripples disperse the red leaves.

Ripples spread across the surface.

Jiang Wenxing was soaking in the hot spring water when he grabbed Ilya's hand.

Ilya was his captain, the benchmark of the Sentinels, but when he turned around, his eyes, like the moon in his mental landscape, seemed somewhat melancholy: "Jiang Wenxing, I'm wondering, when I come back next spring, will I still see you?"

The guide's internship ended after more than four months.

They could take the report back to town. Ilya never doubted Jiang Wenxing's good intentions, but he knew this wasn't the best option for Jiang Wenxing, and time could change many things.

Jiang Wenxing was both amused and exasperated: "Why would you think that?"

He wanted to say that he wasn't going anywhere, but even the most foolish person, when it comes to expressing their true feelings, resorts to clumsy and ineffective comforting words: "Don't think so much."

Ilya visibly lowered his gaze, which became sharp and intimidating. He cupped Jiang Wenxing's face, kissed him forcefully, and began to undress him.

Jiang Wenxing tried to soothe him: "Captain, I am Kush's guide."

That should work, right? He won't leave.

But the kiss became more intense; perhaps he failed to soothe her.

What exactly does Ilya want to hear?

Why is the sentinel's heart like a needle at the bottom of the ocean?

I stayed at the hot spring for a long time.

When Jiang Wenxing returned to the dormitory that night, he was drowsy and listless. He lay on Ilya's back, his face flushed from the hot water.

Ilya and he lay in bed, their pheromones mingling, creating a scent reminiscent of lilacs after the rain.

Jiang Wenxing was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open.

In his half-awake state, he heard Ilya whisper in his ear, "You've never said you liked me."

Jiang Wenxing hummed in agreement.

Ilya shook him: "...Wenxing, Jiang Wenxing, can you hear me?"

The honest captain's most forceful interrogation was nothing more than this, but the fragile guide, who had been running around all night, certainly couldn't compare to the sentry's energy. Jiang Wenxing tilted his head and fell asleep, leaving Ilya wide awake at night.

He stared at Jiang Wenxing's sleeping face, pinched his nose, and kept doing this until the guide couldn't hold his breath any longer and opened his mouth. He repeated this several times before finally stopping.

If Ilyaken is asleep, he will find himself deep in his consciousness in front of that dark house.

A sudden ray of sunlight shines on a flower, beneath which lies lush green grass, and a small butterfly sleeps on the flower's stamen, swaying gently.

…………

The next day, when Jiang Wenxing woke up, half of the blanket was already cold.

He smelled the pheromones of lilacs after the rain, his face flushed, and he threw off the covers to get dressed. Outside, the first snow of early winter had fallen. A thin layer of snow covered the ground, and the surroundings were shrouded in mist, with deep tire tracks on the ground.

The captain and his men have already gone into the mountains. Trucks will take them for a while with their tents, and sentries will patrol once a month. But as the captain, Ilya will not be coming back.

Jiang Wenxing sighed softly, patted his face in the mirror, and tidied his appearance. He was going to do a good job of logistical security here.

After washing up, Jiang Wenxing headed towards Dapeng. On the way, he saw a lioness running wildly. He had a bad feeling and turned around, but before he could run two steps, he was pounced on by Alena's lioness.

Jiang Wenxing: If his little mouse wasn't so bad, he really would have let Alena experience this kind of feeling.

Before he could even speak, Alena scooped him up in her arms: "Jiang Wenxing!!! Hahaha, hehehe, it really works! Eating that pig swill really works!!! The mental pollution index of those sentries is decreasing, albeit slowly! But it is decreasing!"

Jiang Wenxing's eyes lit up: "What did you say!"

Alena hugged him and gave him a big kiss: "Come on, the old guide asked me to come find you, let's go to the office to talk!"

Author's Note: