Gu Ning held the water glass, not moving.
She had already drunk two large glasses of water and didn’t want any more.
But Vine’s stare was so intense, even more unsettling than the last time in the conference room.
’Can’t you just say something instead of staring at me!’
Alex sensed her discomfort and shifted to block Vine’s line of sight.
Only after Gu Ning had finished drying her hair did Vine finally speak. "What’s your name?"
Hearing his question, Gu Ning’s fingers tapped against the glass.
Alex gently combed through Gu Ning’s hair with his fingers and sat down beside her, addressing Vine, "You already know her name."
Vine had investigated Gu Ning as soon as Cook appeared before her.
Vine shot him a glance, then turned his attention back to Gu Ning. "You tell me yourself."
"You can understand what I’m saying." Seeing the young female remain silent, Vine guessed she might be a little scared of him and softened his tone slightly. "I need to understand your situation to know if you’ve been harmed in any way."
"Tell me your name. How old are you?"
Gu Ning was trying to translate his words in her head and habitually turned to look at Alex.
Alex leaned down and repeated Vine’s questions in her ear, simply, in a way she could understand.
Watching their interaction, Vine’s brow furrowed tightly. "Let her speak for herself. And get away from her."
Then, he addressed Gu Ning again. "I’m here. Don’t be afraid of him. Tell me, did he trick you into staying by his side?"
Gu Ning had just figured out what Vine said before, but now he was speaking again. She had no choice but to look back at Alex for a translation.
In Vine’s eyes, her expression screamed that she had been deceived, or even controlled, by the cunning alpha wolf.
He couldn’t sit still any longer. He stood up to take Gu Ning away.
Alex grabbed his outstretched hand. "She doesn’t understand you," he said coolly. "If you want to talk properly, don’t get physical. Otherwise, get out."
He rarely spoke so harshly, but if Vine wasn’t going to listen, there was no need to be polite.
Seeing Vine look like he was about to start a fight after only a few words, Gu Ning quickly said, "Gu Ning. My name is Gu Ning."
Vine heard the young female’s stammering words as she huddled against Alex. He suppressed the urge to take her to see Andrew, sat back down, and asked, "How old?"
Gu Ning understood the simple words immediately. "Twenty-two."
Afraid she had misspoken, she held up two fingers.
Hearing her age, Vine’s expression softened a little. He continued, "What clan are you from?"
Gu Ning froze, thinking about how to answer.
She looked up at Alex.
"Don’t look at him," Vine said. "Look at me and tell me the truth."
Gu Ning scratched her head. "Wolf Clan."
Vine’s brow furrowed even deeper. This matched what he’d learned from Andrew, but back then, her personal information listed her as a Mixed Breed.
But the person sitting before him now was a female.
Which meant her Mixed Breed status was fake.
The young female wasn’t telling him the truth. At the very least, she wasn’t from the Wolf Clan.
Although her scent was masked by Alex’s, he could still catch a hint of it. It wasn’t the scent of a Wolf Clan female.
He sized up the young female, leaning forward slightly. "I’ll take you to see Andrew, all right?"
Gu Ning looked at him blankly. ’See Andrew? Does he want Andrew to verify my identity?’
’It’s the middle of the night. Andrew is probably either busy or resting. Besides, making that trip would be a huge hassle for who-knows-what, and it’s freezing outside.’
She shook her head.
’He just wants to confirm her status as a female,’ Alex thought. ’Asking her or asking Andrew makes little difference, since Andrew won’t give him any more information than I’m willing to.’
"If you want to learn about her from Andrew, then go find him yourself." Alex pulled Gu Ning closer. "It’s late. She needs to rest."
Vine’s eyes flicked to the hand Alex had placed on the young female. "Don’t act like there’s something between you two in front of me," he said sternly. "The moment I find out you’ve deceived her, you just wait..."
"Be my guest." Alex knew that with Vine’s personality, he wouldn’t believe a word even if Alex spelled it all out for him. He would only trust what Andrew said. Not wanting to argue further, he continued, "Go find Admiral Andrew. Investigate however you like. I’ll be waiting."
Vine looked at Gu Ning. "You live with him?"
Gu Ning took a moment to process his words, then opened her mouth and pointed to the room next door.
Vine followed her hand and saw Alex’s bedroom.
He pressed his lips together, a muscle in his jaw twitching.
Seeing Vine’s expression, Alex’s lips curled into a barely perceptible smirk. He looked down at the young female, twirling a soft strand of her hair around his finger.
"If you please." Alex gestured for Vine to leave. "The door was unlocked. Next time, please knock. Barging in like that will frighten her."
Vine crossed his arms. "We’re leaving the zone in two days."
Alex replied, "As long as she is living here, even for a single day, I will ensure she is protected."
Vine said flatly, "You call what happened in the bathroom tonight ’ensuring she’s protected’? Your protection is pathetic."
Alex paused for a moment, meeting his scrutinizing gaze directly. "If I recall correctly, you were the one who led people to barge in. You were also the one who broke the door to our residence."
"Stop playing dumb with me," Vine’s voice grew heavy. "You’re hiding her."
Gu Ning sensed the increasingly tense atmosphere between them. Her gaze flickered back and forth. ’What are they arguing about?’
Alex gently squeezed Gu Ning’s hand to reassure her, then said to Vine, "This is Zone 19. Are you planning to broadcast her identity to everyone?"
"What identity? Why can’t it be spoken of?" Vine seized on the hole in his statement and the information he was trying to hide.
Gu Ning squeezed Alex’s hand back, wanting him to translate for her.
Alex patted her on the waist, his tone growing even colder. "Andrew will give you the answers you’re looking for."
Hearing this, Vine knew there was no point in asking further. Not that he believed him anyway. He gave Gu Ning one last, deep look, then turned sharply and left.
Gu Ning stared at Vine’s back, expecting him to slam the door. Instead, he pulled it forcefully, then closed it gently.
Aside from the slight breeze from the door opening, he vanished from her sight without another sound.
’So... it’s over?’
The living room was quiet for a moment before Alex asked softly, "Are you hungry?"
Gu Ning patted her stomach and shook her head. She was full from all the water.
"Him..." Gu Ning began, "is everything... alright?"
"Yes," Alex replied. "Don’t worry."
After a moment’s thought, he opened his terminal and sent her a message so she could understand what he meant.
"He can be a bit competitive, but he’s a meticulous and upright Beastman. He runs a tight ship with his pack, so he won’t go around revealing your identity."
Gu Ning felt a bit relieved after reading Alex’s message. She replied, "That’s good. He’s so serious. I really thought he was going to hit you."
Alex smiled. "Did he scare you? He’s an alpha wolf. He wouldn’t be that impulsive."
Gu Ning messaged him back, even though they were face-to-face: A little, but I can tell he’s not a bad person.
When Alex saw her message, he realized her good impression of Vine was probably because of what had happened with Cook’s brother. He spoke as he typed his reply:
"If you’re scared of him, just ignore him from now on."