Zhu Xi Ning, who had a slightly better alcohol tolerance and wasn't as disoriented as Nan Yue, asked cautiously, "I heard I killed you in the end... you aren't mad at me, right?"
Wen Xiang Yuan shook her head like a rattle. "Not at all! I should actually thank you; I didn't feel any pain."
Zhu Xi Ning gave a silly giggle. "Hehe, that's good then."
Nan Yue's alcohol tolerance was inversely proportional to her ability; at this moment, she was half-embracing Wen Xiang Yuan and rambling on with her thanks.
Wen Xiang Yuan seemed a bit dazed, her thoughts unknown. She was held close in Nan Yue's embrace. Nan Yue's body was warm and soft, and she smelled faintly of alcohol but mostly of that crisp, clean scent unique to her.
It was just like the scent Wen Xiang Yuan had smelled in the car when the mission began.
"Am I really... that incredible?"
Nan Yue shouted at the top of her lungs, "You're incredible!!!!"
Looking at the drunken Nan Yue, Wen Xiang Yuan's face was covered in tears.
"I'm incredible."
Nan Yue's mind was a mess by now. She didn't know why Wen Xiang Yuan was crying, but she could sense that Wen Xiang Yuan was happy.
So she held Wen Xiang Yuan and shouted over and over again.
"You're incredible!"
"You're incredible!"
"Wen Xiang Yuan, you are super, super incredible!"
The people around them, including the shop owner, cast friendly smiles at the drunkenly raving Nan Yue.
Such scenes were common. Because life and death in missions were unpredictable, no celebration was too much for those who survived.
They envied the survivors and were happy for them.
That day, everyone except Gu Xiang Kai drank too much. Toward the end, Zhu Xi Ning was talking to herself.
Wen Xiang Yuan kept holding Nan Yue and crying. For someone who cared so much about her image, she wiped her tears and snot all over Nan Yue.
Nan Yue, completely wasted, just held Wen Xiang Yuan and repeated over and over, "You're incredible."
In the end, all three of them were carried back by Gu Xiang Kai.
When Nan Yue woke up the next day, her head was spinning and she felt like vomiting. She turned her head to find Wen Xiang Yuan sleeping beside her, her hands still tightly gripping Nan Yue's waist.
Nan Yue: ...What happened yesterday?
"Hiss..."
Nan Yue sat up, the world tilting around her.
Wen Xiang Yuan woke up too. She didn't seem as miserable from the hangover as Nan Yue; in fact, she looked radiant.
"Boss, you're awake! I'll get you some milk!"
Wen Xiang Yuan ran out with a burst of energy. It took Nan Yue a moment to react before she dragged her tired body into the bathroom.
By the time she finished her shower, Nan Yue was clear-headed. She came out drying her hair to find the other three bringing breakfast to the table.
"Come eat," Gu Xiang Kai said as he set out the bowls and chopsticks. "I ordered porridge. All three of you drank quite a bit yesterday; it's good for your stomachs."
Nan Yue gave a response and patted Gu Xiang Kai. "Thanks for your hard work yesterday. But our drinking manners are all quite good, so it must have been easy for you."
Gu Xiang Kai thought about Nan Yue grabbing his collar and saying "You're great too," Wen Xiang Yuan gripping Nan Yue so hard she couldn't be pulled away, and Zhu Xi Ning talking to the mirror...
Gu Xiang Kai: ...It was so hard for me.
Drinking porridge after a hangover was the most comfortable thing. Once she had recovered a bit, Nan Yue asked Wen Xiang Yuan about her situation.
"That mission ejection of yours was really scary. We were all worried when we couldn't contact you."
Wen Xiang Yuan sighed. "You'll get used to it slowly. I'll be fine."
"By the way, after resting for a couple of days, how about I take you to see Jiang Siyan?"
Wen Xiang Yuan nodded. "But you don't need to worry about me; I'm doing great."
Nan Yue didn't quite believe her. Even if there were no obvious problems, Wen Xiang Yuan still needed to go for psychological counseling; it was the responsible thing to do.
The four of them spent the next few days in leisure. Wen Xiang Yuan took them to see movies, read books, and even checked out the training room.
Training rooms were only available in high-level city states. Here, one could simulate actual combat to improve their abilities.
Whether it was awakened ability, combat skills, or psychological value, everything could be improved here.
Nan Yue didn't really need it, and she didn't want to use her abilities in the real world.
The others went, and Wen Xiang Yuan went with Nan Yue.
Wen Xiang Yuan didn't have any attack-type abilities, so she only needed to improve her movement techniques and agility levels. Nan Yue was the most suitable person to train her.
The four of them went in during the morning and only came out in the evening.
Wen Xiang Yuan rarely exercised so much. Her face was flushed, but her eyes were bright.
"We should come here often when we aren't in missions!"
Wen Xiang Yuan felt like a sponge, eagerly absorbing moisture.
Zhu Xi Ning wasn't as excited when she came out. She had a good grasp of the Ant Mask, but she hadn't been able to call out her other self.
"It seems I can't trigger the switch on my own."
Zhu Xi Ning was a bit discouraged. She knew that Jiang Siyan had used certain techniques to draw out her alternate personality before.
"Xi Ning, don't worry. I'll keep an eye out for you too. Generally, this is a psychological suggestion. It's most convenient if you can establish a suggestion for yourself to wake her through a specific word."
Wen Xiang Yuan pondered, "But there's definitely some danger involved. I'll take some time to research it properly."
Zhu Xi Ning trusted Wen Xiang Yuan and nodded in agreement.
Gu Xiang Kai's face was a bit pale when he came out, but he was in good spirits.
"My ability has increased."
He clenched his fist. "If I encounter Geng Xin Hui again, I could at least send him flying."
Although no one said it, they were all working hard to improve themselves because of the previous mission.
Nan Yue and the others eventually found time to take Wen Xiang Yuan to see a psychologist. The one who received her was Jiang Siyan.
Nan Yue took a secret peek and saw that everything in the psychological clinic had been fixed in place.
Wen Xiang Yuan's treatment took less time than they expected. Jiang Siyan walked her out and, with a smile, asked Nan Yue to come over for a chat.
"Her mental stability is very steady."
Jiang Siyan gave Nan Yue a meaningful look. "Aside from some emotional fluctuations when you were mentioned, the impact during the mission was negligible."
Nan Yue frowned. "She wasn't afraid? Or terrified?"
Jiang Siyan thought for a moment. "It's more like a kind of self-loathing. It's strange; this emotion is very intense, but it gets better when you are mentioned."
"So, rather than saying her mental stability fluctuated because she was traumatized in the mission, it's more that she feels she isn't good enough. She has always had this worry."
Nan Yue knew Wen Xiang Yuan was a bit insecure, but she felt it was completely unnecessary.
"So, in some ways, her psychological value is more robust than any of yours."
Gu Xiang Kai's psychological value was stable because he was simple-minded and extremely confident; as long as he didn't die, he rarely felt lingering fear.
But Wen Xiang Yuan was delicate and sensitive. She thought of everything, yet she had almost no mental fluctuations.
"Thank you. I'll transfer the consultation fee to you."
Jiang Siyan suddenly asked, "Your team has a support-type, an attack-type, and one with no special ability, yet you don't have a healing-type?"
Nan Yue was amused. "What? Is a Top 9 big shot like you looking to join my little team?"
Jiang Siyan smiled gently. "No, I was just asking. I've never been in a team and have no intention of doing so."
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