A few seconds after she sent the message, Cyril replied:
[Valuable]
Gu Ning smiled at the blunt reply. It wasn’t unexpected, given what she knew of Beastman personalities. Her finger hovered over the chat box for a moment, and just as she was about to type a response, Cyril sent another message:
[This was the camera our legion’s previous journalist used. He was very passionate about his work, so this camera must have been valuable to him.]
Gu Ning’s fingers curled.
Andrew had told her the legion’s journalist had died from being too obsessed with photographing Mutant Species. That meant this camera was...
[Isn’t this a little too valuable?]
Cyril: [It isn’t valuable to me. Its worth can only be realized in the hands of someone who is just as passionate about this work.]
Cyril: [Don’t worry, I’ve already wiped all the photos and videos. You won’t see anything unpleasant, and no Military Department secrets will be leaked. You can treat it as a brand-new camera.]
Since he’d put it that way, Gu Ning felt she could use it without any worries.
"How do I look?"
Barto’s voice came from above her.
Gu Ning looked up to see Barto standing before her, dressed in what looked like suit trousers and a dress shirt. The clothes fit his humanoid form perfectly, but the effect was completely different from Cyril’s elite air. Barto looked more... unseasoned.
"Well? How do I look? Can’t you understand a simple question?" Seeing Gu Ning just tilt her head up and stare at him, Barto fiddled with his tie, feeling a bit self-conscious.
’I’ll have to buy some new outfits for myself later.’ The thought of wearing another Beastman’s clothes made him feel uncomfortable, no matter how he wore them.
"You look good," Gu Ning said honestly.
Though Barto’s face still bore the traits of a Mixed Breed, his features were quite refined.
Only after hearing her say that did Barto break into a smile.
Gu Ning held up the camera to him. "Photo? Okay?"
’I need to get his ID photo taken and submit it.’
"Hold on."
As he spoke, Barto pulled out a small, palm-sized round mirror and a razor. He sat down at the small table in front of Gu Ning and, looking into the mirror, began to shave the red fur markings on his face. There was one on the left and two on the right, each about a finger’s width. They weren’t quite symmetrical, and they extended almost to his nose.
Gu Ning set down the camera, propped her chin on her hands, and watched the little fox shave his face.
’Looks like the little fox is very conscious of his appearance,’ she thought. ’He wants to be like a normal Beastman.’
Barto glanced at her and handed her the razor. "You do it."
Gu Ning pointed to herself. "Me?"
Barto shoved the razor into her hand and pushed away Cook’s big head, which was leaning against her.
"Awooo..." Cook was tired from playing outside and didn’t bother arguing with Barto. He just flopped down nearby and watched them.
Seeing the little fox waiting with his face tilted up, Gu Ning had no choice but to get up from her cozy spot and help him shave.
"Don’t move now," Gu Ning said, lifting his chin with her left hand while carefully shaving his face with the razor in her right.
Barto stared at her face, his breathing slowing.
Gu Ning glanced up at the little fox.
"Wh-what is it?" Her glance made Barto nervous.
Gu Ning held his chin firmly. "Don’t move." ’It would be bad if I cut his face.’
Barto’s body went rigid.
As she shaved, Gu Ning gently blew the loose hairs from his face.
Barto couldn’t help but blink. Gu Ning glanced at him again, and worried the hairs might get in his eyes, she brushed them away with her hand instead.
Her warm, soft, and fragrant hand swept across the freshly shaved patch of skin, making it feel strangely tingly.
Barto reached for Gu Ning’s hand.
"I said, don’t move." Gu Ning slapped his hand away. "Almost done."
"...Oh." ’I’m just torturing myself,’ he thought.
’I’m never letting her do this for me again.’
’She obviously hasn’t bathed in days. She smells like Cook and me, plus that wolf-stench from Alex just now. So how does she still smell so nice?’
Gu Ning noticed Barto sniffing the air repeatedly and paused. "What... are you doing?"
Barto couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed her by the waist, buried his face in her chest, tightened his arms around her, and took a deep breath.
Gu Ning looked down. ’?’ ’Why did he suddenly hug me?’
After a moment, Barto released her and said, "You need to take a bath."
Gu Ning was speechless. "..."
’I really wish I didn’t understand those familiar words.’
"You..." Gu Ning was one step away from smacking the razor against his forehead. "Do it... yourself."
’Things were going just fine, and he has to start messing around!’
Barto grinned, revealing a slightly longer canine on one side. He pulled the angry little female back into his arms. "Finish shaving me, then we’ll wash. We’ll wash together."
Gu Ning only understood the part about bathing. She forcefully gripped the little fox’s chin and tilted it up. "No. More. Moving!"
After the shaving was done, Barto went to wash his face.
Gu Ning thought she could finally take the photos, but then Barto picked up her comb, handed it to her, and sat down with his back to her.
Gu Ning lightly banged her head on the table. With a sigh, she began to comb the little fox’s hair, which was as thick as a carpet.
Ten minutes later—
Barto held up a mirror to look. Great. Gu Ning had tied his hair into two thick pigtails and even placed a fake flower on his head.
He held up one of the braids. "...Do you really think this looks good?"
Seeing the look on the little fox’s face, Gu Ning burst out laughing and fell against Cook.
Barto let her laugh for a moment before tossing the mirror aside and starting to tickle her. "You little devil, you did that on purpose, didn’t you? Laugh, go on, laugh! I’ll give you something to laugh about!"
"Ah! Don’t..." Gu Ning shrieked, trying to dodge behind Cook, but Barto grabbed her and pulled her back, pinning her in his arms and tickling her relentlessly.
Seeing Ningning laughing so happily, Cook had no intention of rescuing her. He even joined in, pawing at her a few times.
Gu Ning was laughing so hard she could barely breathe before Barto finally let her go.
"Hah..."
She lay gasping on Barto’s lap, weakly tugging at the tie dangling in her face. ’Great,’ she thought, ’now his shirt is all wrinkled.’
Barto pinched Gu Ning’s nose, then got up to straighten his clothes. He undid the thick braids and re-did his hair into two small, neat plaits on either side of his head, giving himself a clean, sharp look.
"Alright, take the picture now." He picked up the camera and pressed it into Gu Ning’s hands.
Gu Ning rubbed her aching cheeks and had Barto stand straight against the wall.
He was only wearing a white shirt, which would blend in with the wall and wasn’t suitable for an ID photo. She picked up a black suit jacket that was lying nearby and offered it to him.
"No," Barto said. "Just take it like this."
He even rolled up his sleeves as he spoke.
’This looks better.’
Since he insisted, Gu Ning had no choice but to find a blue blanket to use as a backdrop.
With all that sorted out, Gu Ning could finally take his ID photo.
"Smile, Barto," she said, holding up the camera.
Barto lifted his chin slightly, a faint smirk playing on one corner of his lips.
Gu Ning pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at his expression. ’Why does the little fox have to be so smug for a photo?’
After taking the pictures, Gu Ning selected four ID photos and sent them to Andrew.
[Admiral Andrew, would any of these photos work?]
’He’s the only one in a white shirt in all four photos. I hope they don’t get rejected again.’
A moment later, Andrew replied: [Acceptable.]
As evening approached, Andrew finished a meeting. Instead of staying in the conference room to handle official business as he usually did, he got up and returned to his quarters.
Andrew rummaged through his small selection of clothes, found a black shirt, and put it on. He then activated his terminal’s camera function and stood properly against the wall.