Alex’s words shattered the last shred of hope in Gu Ning’s heart.
She froze, silent for a long while.
Standing in this room, she understood that Alex was not soone she could fool.
He had already seen her personal file at the police station. All that mattered was whether he chose to ask; her own willingness to speak was irrelevant.
Because he already knew she wasn’t Cook.
For a mont, Gu Ning didn’t know how to answer Alex. She looked down and picked at her fingers.
Alex waited patiently for her answer. Just as he thought Gu Ning wouldn’t tell him and was about to ask a different question, a slip of paper was handed to him.
He took it and read: Gu Ning
"Gu Ning..." Alex read her na aloud, then looked up at her. "I’ve t Cook."
Gu Ning gripped the pen tightly. Just as she was about to write on the paper, she heard Alex ask, "Is he your brother?"
’So that’s why their scents are so similar.’
Gu Ning was stunned.
Alex pulled up Cook’s work record. "About half a month ago, Cook got into a fight with a group of Beastn and was seriously injured. You started working in his place the very next day, right?"
Gu Ning hesitated before nodding.
Alex opened Cook’s personal file. "Do you two have any other relatives?"
Cook was of the Dog Clan, while Gu Ning was of the Wolf Clan.
Although the Dog Clan and Wolf Clan were classified as two separate groups and often clashed, the two were actually heavily intermingled. It was common to find a few wolf pups in a small Dog Clan pack, or a few dog pups in a Wolf Clan pack. Siblings belonging to different clans wasn’t considered strange, either.
Gu Ning studied Alex with a peculiar expression. It seed things were developing in a strange, yet favorable, direction.
Noticing Alex’s gaze on her, Gu Ning quickly snapped back to her senses and wrote: We have an older brother.
Alex asked, "Where is he now?"
Gu Ning thought about what Barto had told her about Cook’s brother and wrote: In the military district.
After reading it, Alex had a general idea of their family structure.
He asked, "May I know your brother’s na?"
Gu Ning’s pen froze on the paper. ’Is Alex testing to see if I’m telling the truth? Or...’
The mont she had handed him her na, she had, in fact, already chosen to trust Alex.
It wasn’t just that he had helped her many tis, but also his usual attitude toward other Beastn and Mixed Breeds that convinced her he was a Beastman of good character.
She wasn’t sure if he would fire her or punish her and Cook because of this, but at least he would give her a chance to explain.
And he was giving her that chance right now.
But if he were to really dig into the details, she still wouldn’t dare reveal everything.
She hadn’t even told Barto her true identity.
Gu Ning thought for a mont, then wrote on the paper: I don’t know how to write my brother’s na.
’Barto never told Cook’s brother’s na. I’ll have to ask him properly when he gets out.’
Alex read it and didn’t press the matter, instead changing the subject. "That fox, is he your friend?"
Gu Ning considered this cautiously and wrote: We t in the black market.
Alex nodded. "I saw on your personal information that your mutation value is only 25%. Did you just regress recently?"
Normally, a Beastman was only officially classified as a Mixed Breed when their mutation value reached about 15%. Gu Ning’s mutation value and ntal characteristics did indeed resemble those of a recently regressed Beastman.
Alex recalled that Gu Ning’s personal file listed her as a Dwarf hybrid and fell into deep thought.
’Sothing isn’t right.’
Alex’s gaze swept over Gu Ning’s heavily concealed face. He looked like he wanted to say sothing, but the words died on his lips.
Gu Ning didn’t answer Alex’s question. She couldn’t confess everything. Besides, Alex himself had said she could choose whether or not to answer.
’And one lie always needs more lies to cover it up.’
Seeing she had no intention of answering, Alex said, "Alright, that’s all the questions for now. Work hard for the next few days. Once you complete the hours on the contract, I’ll stamp Cook’s contract as approved. And you’ll get your full wages."
Gu Ning’s head snapped up to look at him. Then, she excitedly wrote on the paper: Thank you, Alex.
’The wages weren’t the most important thing anymore. What mattered most was getting the contract stamped and approved!’
A slight smile touched the corners of Alex’s mouth. He said, "Don’t do this again."
Gu Ning wrote: I won’t.
’It was because I didn’t understand the contract’s regulations. Otherwise, I would never have taken such a huge risk to work in his place.’
Alex said, "Don’t tell anyone else about this. Not even Kloer."
Gu Ning nodded vigorously.
’Of course I won’t tell anyone.’
’But Kloer probably knows I’m not Cook too, right?’
Alex checked the ti, interrupting her train of thought. "Go take a shower. I still have so work to do. I’ll be back in about two hours. After your shower, go ahead and get so rest. I’ll tell you about the regulations for Mixed Breeds tomorrow."
With that, he got up and left briskly, closing the door behind him.
Gu Ning stared at the door. After more than a minute, she finally relaxed and slid to the floor.
She gazed at the ceiling, thinking, ’Did I actually pass this test?’
Gu Ning turned her head to look at the clothes Alex had left on the coffee table, then sat bolt upright and glanced toward the bathroom.
’A shower?’
’A private bathroom...’
’He won’t be back for two hours...’
Gu Ning ripped off her helt, glasses, and mask, and rushed into the bathroom—
—and washed her face.
’Forget it. I don’t have the guts.’
’I just managed to resolve one of my most difficult problems. With only seven days left until I can complete the contract and leave the construction site, it’s better to just endure it.’
Gu Ning stood by the showerhead, catching the hot, spraying water in her hand and sighing wistfully at the stream.
After washing her face, she rolled up her pant legs, gave her feet a good wash as well, and tiptoed into Alex’s bedroom.
The bedroom was just as simple and clean as she rembered from the other day, tidy to the point of being immaculate.
Thinking about how particular Alex was about cleanliness, she felt too embarrassed to lie on his bed without having showered or changed her clothes.
’Sleep on the floor?’
’Brrr, it’s pretty cold. If I sleep on the floor, I’ll definitely catch a cold by tomorrow.’
Gu Ning considered it for two seconds before abandoning the foolish idea.
’I absolutely cannot get sick. My health cos first.’
Gu Ning thought for another two seconds, then gathered the neatly folded quilt from the bed and went out to the living room.
She saw that the sofa was quite wide. She would sleep on the sofa.
Gu Ning folded the quilt in half and draped it over herself. It was a little thin, but it was wide enough that, when folded and with her clothes on, she could make do for one night.
’Beastn must be really resistant to the cold.’ Lying on the sofa, it wasn’t long before Gu Ning, filled with a mix of admiration and envy for the robust constitution of Beastn, as well as worry for Cook and the others, drifted off to sleep.
That was just how she was. No matter how big the problem, her first move was always to sleep on it. Only by restoring her body and mind would she have the energy to face a new day.
「Two hours later」
Alex returned to his quarters.
He stood at the door for a mont, listening for any sounds from inside, before opening it with extre care.
The power at the construction site had been shut off for the night, and the room was pitch-black.
Alex imdiately spotted the little Mixed Breed curled up asleep on the sofa.
’Just as I thought, she slept on the sofa.’
He walked silently to the sofa, gently placed the roasted chicken he had bought on the coffee table, picked up the water cup from the floor, and crouched down beside Gu Ning’s head. His gaze moved from her masked face to her disheveled long hair.
The little Mixed Breed had finally taken off her helt and glasses to sleep. Her mask was still on, but it had slipped down, exposing her nostrils for breathing.
Alex stared at Gu Ning’s half-hidden face for a mont, then plucked a single strand of her hair, stood up, and left the room.
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