# 1906
Chapter 1899: Coming Home
While Hongying was endlessly interacting with netizens, Wen Qimo shook his head and turned to walk back toward the kitchen.
Let me clean up the table. The food will be ready soon.
Jia Shasha and Zhen Xiaoyi obediently began clearing the dishes from the table, while Hongying sat on the sofa as if she hadn't heard anything, still frantically typing away on her tablet.
A hand-blade strike landed on her forehead.
"Ouch!"
Hongying looked up to find Wen Qimo standing before her with a dark expression. The rest of the Squad 136 members had already taken their seats, all turning to look at her in unison, waiting for her to join them.
"You... can't you act like a squad leader?" Wen Qimo sighed helplessly.
"I... how am I not acting like a squad leader?" Hongying put down the tablet with a guilty conscience and muttered quietly, "The squad leader should always make a grand entrance..."
Before Wen Qimo's fists could clench any tighter, Hongying had already dashed to the dining table and sat down. She cleared her throat:
"So, let's eat! Try the crispy chicken that our Vice Captain Wen just learned to make...Wow, smells amazing!"
"...Squad leader, that piece you just ate wasn't the crispy chicken. It's the Thursday Special takeout that Shasha ordered." Zhen Xiaoyi whispered quietly.
Hongying: "..."
"The squad leader's brain is now filled with only Commander Lin. There's not enough remaining brain capacity to think about anything else." A Squad 136 member sighed.
"Who said that?" Hongying shot him a glare and argued defensively, "It's just Lin Qiye... nothing I haven't seen before! Even if he grew six wings, there's nothing to be amazed about. He still has to call me Sister Hongying!"
"...But it's been so long, and we still haven't seen him come back for dinner, right?"
Hearing these words, Hongying was slightly stunned.
"A bunch of little rookies, what do you know... Do you have any idea how much work he has on his plate?" Hongying counted on her fingers, speaking seriously, "He's got to disperse the fog, figure out how to deal with the Cthulhu Faction gods, manage the entire Night Watch, and now there's the public relations aspect to handle... When would he have time to eat? He'll eat once everything is taken care of..."
"Then when will that be?"
"Maybe... another six months?" Hongying's voice grew quieter, as if she herself wasn't sure.
"Ah, what's with all the worrying? Let's just do our jobs well right now. Guarding Cangnan is the greatest support we can give Commander Lin, understood?"
Everyone nodded.
Let's eat!
*Ding Dong—!*
"—Welcome to... our... shop!"
The moment Hongying's words ended, the electronic voice at the office door automatically sounded. The people gathered around the dining table froze.
Is there still a customer at this hour? Jia Shasha scratched his head. Wait, no... I clearly flipped the sign already, so it should say 'Closed'...
Just as he was about to stand up and check, a voice came from the entrance.
"Hm? Why does the voice keep breaking up like that... Sister Hongying, how long has it been since you changed the batteries?"
The moment she heard this voice, Hongying and Wen Qimo's bodies both jolted!
With a soft click, the chopsticks in Hongying's hand fell onto the table. A moment later, she snapped back to reality and rushed toward the door, startling the other new Squad 136 members.
Hongying burst into the main hall of the office, where a man in casual clothes was standing at the entrance, fiddling with that vintage welcome plushie.
"Lin... Commander Lin?!!"
Jia Shasha and Zhen Xiaoyi, who had followed Hongying out, both stared in shock, their mouths hanging open at that familiar face!
"Commander Lin?!"
Upon hearing these three words, the other Squad 136 members' hearts also lurched violently. It felt like a dream.
Hongying's eyes reflected Lin Qiye's figure. She pressed her lips together, walked forward quickly, and slapped his back hard!
"Sister Hongying, what are you doing?" Lin Qiye turned back, confused.
"Weren't you just dispersing the fog? You've got so much work on your plate, and you still found time to come back?" Hongying's voice trembled slightly. She deliberately raised her tone, masking that tremor.
"Let me tell you something... just because you've become what ordinary people see as a god, don't you dare get a big head. If you don't take your duties as Commander seriously, I'll have Old Zhao and the others teach you a proper lesson!"
As she spoke, Hongying pinched the flesh of Lin Qiye's shoulder with one hand and twisted it a full one hundred and eighty degrees, her eyes full of seriousness.
Seeing this scene, the Squad 136 members behind her nearly had their eyes pop out of their heads.
"Good heavens... that's Commander Lin we're talking about! So the things our squad leader was saying before weren't just empty boasts after all?!"
Hongying glared fiercely while pinching Lin Qiye's flesh, but seeing that he not only didn't seem to be in pain but was actually smiling at her, she felt embarrassed and annoyed.
"Why don't you know how to feel pain?!"
"If this much pain is unbearable, how could I possibly fight against the Cthulhu Faction?" Lin Qiye laughed.
Hongying's pinching hand suddenly stilled. After a moment of silence, she gently rubbed the spot she had just pinched. A hint of心疼 (heartache) appeared in her eyes.
She couldn't imagine what Lin Qiye had been through all these years away from Cangnan, nor could she fathom the pressure and pain hidden behind that glorious title of Commander... All she knew was that the young boy who had been brought back to the office in that rainstorm had grown up.
"You rascal... you've really filled out." Wen Qimo stepped forward, also gazing at Lin Qiye with complex emotions. He patted his shoulder.
"Have you eaten?"
"No." Lin Qiye glanced toward the dining table and smiled. "Perhaps... could I have a bowl and chopsticks?"
"Your bowl and chopsticks have always been here."
Wen Qimo turned and walked into the kitchen, opened a cabinet, where six sets of colorful bowls and chopsticks were neatly arranged. He took out the dark blue set and placed it on the table.
Lin Qiye's gaze swept across the other five sets of bowls and chopsticks. His eyes dimmed slightly, but quickly returned to normal as he smiled and said:
"Sister Hongying, aren't you going to introduce these juniors to me?"
"Oh right... I almost forgot."
Hongying immediately walked forward and excitedly began introducing everyone to Lin Qiye one by one:
"Let me tell you, these are all promising talents of our Squad 136! You've already met Jia Shasha and Zhen Xiaoyi—they're the new recruits from this batch. The guy next to them is Gan Yangyu, and he's basically a veteran member now. The girl beside him is called..."
Every one of these young faces was filled with respect and excitement. They shook Lin Qiye's hand one by one. To them, Lin Qiye was a legend that seemed within reach yet impossibly distant.
"Okay, that's enough. Let's head back to the table before the food gets cold." Wen Qimo saw that the introductions were complete and spoke up.
"Wait!" Hongying straightened up seriously. "Qiye, there's still something I want you to help me with..."
"What is it?"
"Can you show me those six wings? Let me touch them?" Hongying's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Lin Qiye: "..."