A Guide to Raising Snake Spirits - Chapter 16

It was a bit underhanded, but Shiraishi Hare tacitly accepted Doctor Xudian’s suggestion.

The effect was indeed quite good; the Guide had come to the ward specifically to find him. Shiraishi’s gaze lingered on their joined hands.

At the same time, he felt a pang of guilt, especially seeing the Guide dragging his stiff, uncooperative body toward him. Guanyue Xi winced as the movement pulled at his injury, yet he continued his tortoise-paced trek.

Am I being too selfish? Shiraishi asked himself. Is it right to deceive him just for this?

Guanyue Xi’s terminal chimed; his parents were calling.

Upon answering, his mother’s strikingly beautiful face filled the holographic display. Guanyue Xi thought, somewhat inappropriately, that her genetics were truly top-tier even at this age and magnified at close range, her skin was flawless. He was just glad he had inherited her looks; if he’d taken after his father, he’d be finished.

“How are you? My little Xi-baby! Your father and I were terrified when we got the hospital alert, and we couldn’t get through to your terminal!” The second the call connected, his mother began her rapid-fire interrogation. “And Xiao Hare? Is he with you?”

His father was squeezed into the corner of the screen, only half his face visible, as he desperately tried to comfort his wife. “Easy now. If he can take a call, he must be okay. Look.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Shiraishi is okay too.” Guanyue Xi quickly soothed his mother, stepping aside so the camera tracking could pick up Shiraishi’s face on the bed. “He’s right here. Let him tell you himself.”

“Auntie, Uncle, I’m alright too,” the grey-haired Sentinel added, surreptitiously hiding his bandaged right arm beneath the covers.

Guanyue Xi’s mother scanned the two of them back and forth several times before finally letting out a sigh of relief. “As long as you’re both safe.”

Once his mother had calmed down, his father finally found the space to get into the frame. He pulled his wife into his arms and stroked her cheek, whispering, “See? You got yourself all worked up. I’ll make you some soothing Micro-herbal soup in a bit.”

Guanyue Xi looked away. One reason he didn’t live at home often was his parents’ relationship—they were constantly affectionate, making him feel like a 2,000-watt tactical flashlight. He often suspected he was just an accidental byproduct of their romance.

His father asked, “Xiao Xi, Xiao Hare, how bad are the injuries? Are you still in the hospital?”

“Just minor scrapes. We should be discharged very soon.” Guanyue Xi decided not to divulge the full details of the broken ribs; he didn’t want to upset his mother again.

“Will you return to the Tower after you’re out, or come back here?”

The Guide looked at the Sentinel. Shiraishi didn’t offer an opinion, so Guanyue Xi said, “Back to the Tower. The injuries won’t affect things much.”

“Alright. Be safe on your way back.”

After hanging up, Shiraishi looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

In truth, as a Guide, how could Guanyue Xi not sense the Sentinel’s guilt? But the broken arm was real, the fear was real, and the rest—those harmless little exaggerations Guanyue Xi was willing to indulge. He considered it a bit of romantic playfulness.

The black-haired Guide opened his mouth to speak, but a knock on the door interrupted him.

Shiraishi glanced at his Guide’s expression before saying, “Come in.”

It was Teacher Qiushui. She had rushed over shortly after receiving the news, her attire and bearing as dignified and composed as ever—the quintessential veteran educator.

As the homeroom teacher for the Special Class, Qiushui was Shiraishi’s legal guardian of record; her contact was listed for all his emergency alerts.

“Teacher Guanyue is here too, I see.” Qiushui brushed a stray hair behind her ear and greeted him with a smile.

“Hello, Teacher Qiushui.” Guanyue Xi returned the smile. “I’m sorry to have put you to such trouble so early.”

Guanyue Xi wasn’t surprised she’d come; Shiraishi had mentioned her earlier.

“It is my duty. Since Student Shiraishi joined the Tower, I am responsible for him,” Qiushui said with a wave of her hand. “How are you both feeling? Any better?”

“We’re managing,” Guanyue Xi said. “But I have a fractured rib and need a few days of rest. Is sick leave possible at the Tower? Also, Shiraishi has a broken right arm.”

Guanyue Xi didn’t beat around the bush, asking the question he cared about most.

“I came specifically to discuss that,” Qiushui said calmly. “Since you’re both here, I’ll address it together.”

“I spoke with your physician, Doctor Xudian, before coming. Knowing you are injured, the Tower is already looking for a new Introductory Piloting teacher for the third-year class. The children’s studies won’t be affected, and you can focus on your recovery.”

“Furthermore, once your ribs are healed, we will assign you to a new class.”

Guanyue Xi asked, “Which class?”

“That remains to be decided.”

“My injury isn’t that bad; I can return to classes,” Shiraishi interrupted before Qiushui could address him.

Qiushui gestured for him to be patient.

“I know. As a Sentinel, you’ll heal faster and should be back to school shortly. You can attend your regular classes, though you’ll be excused from Combat and other physical activities. What do you think?”

“Yes, I agree,” Shiraishi nodded.

“And don’t worry—the Tower will cover all medical expenses. There is no need for either of you to pay out of pocket,” Qiushui added with a smile. “It would be inhumane for the Tower to ignore such an accidental injury.”

Guanyue Xi had no further questions. Qiushui was a seasoned teacher; her handling of the situation was flawless and her attitude was impeccably kind.

After a few more pleasantries, Qiushui left, as she had afternoon classes to attend.

Once they were alone in the ward again.

“Guanyue Xi.” Shiraishi began.

The Guide could guess what was coming. Shiraishi had only mentioned his arm to Teacher Qiushui, which didn’t match what Xudian had said earlier. The Sentinel clearly wasn’t going to keep the secret from him any longer.

Amused, Guanyue Xi played dumb. “Hmm?”

A cat that’s done something wrong will sit at the scene of the crime and lick its fur with total confidence. A dog that’s done something wrong will avoid your eyes.

Shiraishi was definitely a dog.

He hesitated for a long moment. “Actually…”

Guanyue Xi: “Actually?”

Usually, the Sentinel’s expression was stoic, even when saying things that made Guanyue Xi blush. He was always direct. Only now did he show a hint of flustered embarrassment.

“My injuries.  weren’t so bad that you had to walk over here,” Shiraishi said softly. “Doctor Xudian exaggerated.”

“You worry about me, and I worry about you,” Guanyue Xi added. “After all, someone was unconscious at the time.”

The Sentinel’s eyes visibly brightened several shades.

Guanyue Xi felt like his last sentence was a bit too revealing, but he couldn’t take it back. He continued, “The severity of the injury doesn’t matter. Even if you’d just chipped a fingernail, I still would have come to see you.”

“I’m very happy,” Shiraishi said, breaking into a smile. His face naturally looked fierce, but this smile was genuinely warm. He stared unblinkingly at the Guide.

Guanyue Xi felt his ears beginning to burn. He thought irritably: Straight-shooting Sentinels are the hardest to handle.

Between the freak accident and the paid sick leave, Guanyue Xi suddenly found himself with a lot of free time. After a week of working nine-to-five, he wasn’t quite sure how to spend it.

He decided to contact Bian Mengmeng; they still hadn’t managed to grab that dinner.

She replied almost instantly.

Bian Mengmeng: Yes, yes! You’re finally free!

Bian Mengmeng: Shall we meet at that restaurant near the Central Star Building?

Guanyue Xi: Sounds perfect.

On the day of their meeting, Bian Mengmeng was dressed differently than she had been during the exam. She wore a cute professional suit that made her look quite vibrant.

“Was your graduation exam successful after I left?” Guanyue Xi asked.

“Pretty good! My luck held out after that and I didn’t run into any more major trouble. I submitted my graduation report successfully,” she said happily. “Thanks again for the info you shared.”

She propped her elbows on the table and leaned forward, looking concerned. “What about you? How did you end up getting injured?”

Guanyue Xi sighed. He felt like he’d been sighing more and more ever since picking up that Sentinel.

“You know I went back to the Special Star with Shiraishi Hare—the grey-haired Sentinel.”

He recounted the events: the hospital, bringing Shiraishi home, and the Tower appointment, though he omitted the part about Mental Fusion.

“Oh, so you two are in an initial bond now?” Bian Mengmeng gasped, covering her mouth. “Actually, I shouldn’t be surprised. Your compatibility is through the roof, after all.”

Guanyue Xi clutched his head. “No. it was a complete accident.”

“Hahaha!” she laughed. “And now you’re a teacher! The Tower’s benefits are amazing so many Sentinels and Guides try to stay on as faculty and fail. You could say it’s a blessing in disguise.”

“It’s alright. It’s certainly a relaxed job,” Guanyue Xi agreed. “But eventually, I want to go somewhere I’m passionate about. I want to join the Special Star Corps. A real Guide should live a hot-blooded life!”

“Since your grades were good, where did you end up after graduation?”

“Me? I’m working at an institution,” she said, bashfully twirling a lock of hair. “You know my ranks aren’t exactly top-tier, but I studied hard. I got an interview invite right after graduation.”

“What institution? Can you say?” Guanyue Xi asked curiously.

“It’s called the Tianyou Research Institute. It’s not famous, but the pay and benefits are great, and it matches my major. So I went for it,” she said frankly.

The name sounded familiar to Guanyue Xi, though it certainly wasn’t a household name like the major labs.

He thought back—he’d seen it while searching for that equipment code. Tianyou Research and “Shaoyun Technical Systems” were both subsidiaries of the same massive Special Star corporation. That was why the name had popped up as a related search.

“Is it under the Fengyun Enterprise umbrella?” he asked.

“How did you know?” she asked, surprised. “It is! I only saw that after they invited me and I looked them up. It seems they mostly do research for Fengyun.”

“Did you have to sign a lot of NDAs?” Guanyue Xi asked casually.

He couldn’t be sure if there was anything wrong with the company, and even if there were secrets, he couldn’t do much about it.

“Yeah, and speaking of that, it’s quite weird. I know our line of work requires some secrecy, but this place has way too many restrictions.” She stuck her tongue out. “It’s almost nauseating.”

Guanyue Xi: “Like what?”

“Things like forbidding you from taking materials out or sending files with confidential info that’s all standard. The weird part is the rules about time,” she said, stabbing a piece of green food with her fork.

“Normally, companies encourage overtime, or at least don’t mind it, right? You can stay at the office 24 hours a day if you want.”

“But our institute mandates that all researchers must leave the premises by 6:00 PM. And the exact location of the facility is kept a secret from the public.”

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