Rebirth of a Mercenary: The Ace Mercenary Forced to Be the Beloved of the Group

When Xuanxiao released his grip, his movements were very slow, as if he were dismantling a bomb whose fuse had already rusted.

His arm moved off Bai Ye's back, his fingers pausing for a very brief moment before withdrawing, then quickly slipping back into his pocket, pretending nothing had happened.

Bai Ye took a half step back from his embrace and looked up at him. He blinked, his expression still calm and inscrutable.

What were you doing just now?

Bai Ye's dictionary contains terms like "fighting skills," "tactical terrain," "sniper parameters," and "hypoglycemia," but the term "being inexplicably pulled into someone's arms and hugged for several minutes" has not yet been included.

Xuanxiao's brain started working at a speed of eight hundred revolutions per second.

"It's normal for good friends to hug! Look at Xie Ran and Shen Zhuo, they're always arm in arm. I'm your partner, what's wrong with a hug? Back in military school, it was common for comrades to lean on each other and take a nap when they were tired or sleepy. The look on your face—you don't think I'm taking advantage of you, do you? Am I that kind of person?"

When he said, "Am I that kind of person?", his tone rose slightly by half a syllable, carrying an air of deliberate, almost forced, grievance.

Lu Xiao stood to the side, his hands in his pockets, the corners of his mouth curving up to an almost inhuman degree.

He took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and prepared to say, "Who would believe that?"

Then Bai Ye nodded.

"I see."

Lu Xiao's mouth was open, but the words were stuck in his throat.

He turned to look at Bai Ye—Bai Ye's expression remained unchanged, still calm and serene.

Zhao Xiaohu and Qian Duoduo froze simultaneously. They had just recovered from the trauma of vomiting when they were hit with another mental shock.

Xuanxiao was also stunned.

When he fabricated that story, he was mentally prepared to be exposed—given Bai Ye's keen perception, she would most likely frown and reply, "Who are you trying to fool?" He had even thought of a way to salvage the situation after being caught. But then Bai Ye said, "I see." He believed her. He really believed her.

Xuan Xiao mentally slapped himself hard. Bastard. Fooling a child. Shameless. Then, he mentally gave himself a thumbs-up. He'd fooled them. Great.

Bai Ye looked up and found everyone staring at him with extremely complicated expressions. Lu Xiao's mouth was still open, Zhao Xiaohu and Qian Duoduo's eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets, and even Xie Huai'an, who was standing at the door, stopped writing with his pencil.

He frowned in confusion: "What's wrong with you guys?"

Zhao Xiaohu snapped out of his shock and subconsciously took a step forward.

He thought to himself, "This won't do. Ye-ge is too naive. I have to remind him—a hug between good friends isn't like this. The way Xuan-xiao hugged him just now, the strength, the way he rested his chin on his head with his eyes closed in blissful reverie—it didn't look like a normal hug at all. Ye-ge, you can't be fooled!"

"No, Brother Ye, you—"

He was speaking when he suddenly felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight up to the top of his head.

Xuan Xiao stood behind Bai Ye and slowly turned his head. His face, which had been smiling like a golden retriever wagging its tail when facing Bai Ye, switched expressions the instant he turned to Zhao Xiaohu—the corners of his mouth were still curved, but the temperature dropped by at least forty degrees. His eyes clearly said: If you dare to say another word, I will make you run fifty laps around the training ground when you get back, and you won't be allowed to eat until you finish.

Zhao Xiaohu's mouth remained half-open, as if the words in his throat had been muted.

He had experienced Xuan Xiao's methods firsthand in basic training—this young master seemed carefree and easygoing, but when it came to playing tricks, he had more tricks up his sleeve than anyone else. He swallowed back the rest of his words.

Bai Ye sensed movement behind him and turned around in confusion.

In the fraction of a second before Bai Ye turned his head, Xuan Xiao completed the change of expression—seamlessly transitioning from "I'm going to kill you" to a sunny smile that said "The weather is so nice today." The speed was so fast that Lu Xiao, who was watching from the side, was amazed.

He looked at Bai Ye with a grin, tilted his head, and asked in Bai Ye's signature gentle voice, "What's wrong?"

Bai Ye glanced at him, then at Zhao Xiaohu, whose face was stiff in front of him, and his brow furrowed with even more doubt. He looked at Zhao Xiaohu again, tilted his head slightly, and his face was full of question marks.

Zhao Xiaohu's lips twitched violently twice.

He looked at Bai Ye's earnestly seeking answer, then at Xuan Xiao's smiling face, which clearly said "your life is in my hands," and let out an extremely dry laugh.

He remembered that Qian Duoduo had accidentally let slip in the canteen last time that Xuan Xiao's care for Bai Ye had gone beyond the scope of normal comradeship. That afternoon, he was "accidentally" met by Xuan Xiao on the training field and dragged to run ten kilometers. After running, his legs were so sore he couldn't bend them.

He didn't want to follow in Qian Duoduo's footsteps. So he took a deep breath and, with a tone of resignation, said, word by word, "Brother Xiao is right. Brothers, a hug is normal."

Bai Ye nodded. He turned around and didn't ask any further questions.

Qian Duoduo leaned close to Zhao Xiaohu's ear, her voice barely audible, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Zhao Xiaohu responded with a mosquito-like call: "Go tell him. Go tell him he was just tricked by his partner—see if Brother Xiao will skin you alive."

Qian Duoduo imagined the scene, shuddered, and tightly shut her mouth.

Outside the interrogation room, the cold air in the corridor finally diluted the smell of blood somewhat.

Xuanxiao tugged at Baiye's sleeve and pulled her outside, her usual nagging returning: "Come on, let's get some fresh air. This interrogation room smells awful. You just had lunch; if you stay any longer, your stomach will upset. You need fresh air, preferably cold, to help you stay alert. The snow hasn't completely melted yet; the scenery is beautiful—by the way, are you cold? Did you wear my scarf today? It's pure wool, super warm. If you didn't wear it, I'll go back and get it for you now—"

Bai Ye was pulled forward by his sleeve. He glanced back at Zhao Xiaohu and Qian Duoduo, who were still slumped on the floor in the interrogation room, and then at the sleeve that Xuan Xiao was holding. He frowned slightly, but ultimately did not break free.

Zhao Xiaohu and Qian Duoduo stared at the departing figures of the two, their gazes shifting back and forth between Xuan Xiao's hand resting on Bai Ye's sleeve and Bai Ye's unnoticed footsteps.

"Duoduo," Zhao Xiaohu's voice carried a desolate quality, as if his worldview had been shaken, "don't you think our Brother Ye is a little too naive?"

"A hug? A good friend?" Qian Duoduo stared at the two figures, one tall and one short, at the end of the corridor and said quietly, "Brother Xiao is a beast. He actually seduced a child."