Xia Chujian thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded, signaling Liu Shun to use his Mechanical Arm to take the Teacup Dog and Little Chubby Bird off her shoulders.
Then she said to the Teacup Dog and Little Chubby Bird, "You have to be good! Follow our Housekeeping Robot Liu Shun to get settled first."
"Liu Shun, make them a nest in my bedroom and let them settle down together."
A curved smile flashed in Liu Shun's eyes: "Okay, Master, Liu Shun will order a pet paradise for both dogs and birds from the Star Network."
Xia Chujian: "..."
She couldn't help but say, "Liu Shun, you really know a lot!"
Liu Shun's eye display showed curved, crescent-like lines, as if smiling, then his two Mechanical Arms, carrying the Teacup Dog and Little Chubby Bird, deftly slid into the gate.
Xia Yuanfang then looked Xia Chujian up and down, and said, "It's been almost two months, I thought you'd grown up, but you're still so naughty."
"Where did you pick up the Teacup Dog and Little Chubby Bird? These things are obviously domesticated, they must be someone else's pets, it's not good to just pick them up like that, is it?"
Xia Chujian smiled and put Wu Fu back on the Big Black Dog's back, rushed towards Xia Yuanfang, hugged her, and said casually, "Aunt is still Aunt, I knew it was Aunt as soon as you opened your mouth!"
"Those two little ones were just found by me in the Exotic Beast Forest when I came back. They were even wearing Bits. I don't know who they belong to, but I'll keep them for now, and wait for someone to claim them!"
Then she changed the subject: "Aunt, how have you been lately? How's the studio? Any big business coming in? How's A Zheng? He must be two full months old now, right?"
Then she went to hug Aunt Chen and Zhu Yingying, smiling broadly, and said, "I almost missed you all to death! I really don't want to leave home for so long in the future!"
Next was San Zong, who was rubbing his hands together, both happy and nervous.
Xia Chujian looked at him, and also hugged him, saying, "Our San Zong is getting more and more handsome!"
His little pig face seemed to look more pleasing to the eye, closer to human features, looking honest and reliable, very trustworthy and pure.
Looking at San Zong's pure, clear eyes, Xia Chujian felt very happy.
If she had the time, she would rather plant with San Zong than mingle with those Nobles.
San Zong's little pig face flushed red, and he stammered, "Young Lord is too kind! San Zong is very happy that Young Lord has returned!"
Xia Chujian curved her eyes.
She then looked down at the Big Black Dog, who was avoiding her gaze as soon as he saw her, and said with a smile, "Da Hei, I heard you've been taking good care of Wu Fu, keep it up!"
Wu Fu smiled at Xia Chujian, his chubby little face bulging like two small steamed buns with red marks.
Xia Yuanfang said with a smile, "The clinic happened to be free today, so I didn't go."
"If it were a normal day, you wouldn't be able to see me and Aunt Chen when you came back at this time."
Xia Chujian said shamelessly, "I knew I was lucky! Aunt doesn't need to praise me!"
"Ah, I'm so hungry! Aunt, can you make me something to eat?!"
"I've been eating nutrient solution for a full seven and a half weeks, I almost don't know what normal food tastes like anymore!"
Then she added, "I heard the National Higher Education Entrance Examination scores are coming out soon, what day will they be announced?"
Xia Yuanfang then said, "Of course it's today, or why do you think I didn't go to work at the studio today?"
Xia Chujian: "..."
Oh ho!
She really picked a good day!
Xia Chujian quickly said, "Then have they been announced yet?"
Xia Yuanfang and Aunt Chen looked at each other and said with a wry smile, "It was originally said to be announced at ten o'clock this morning."
"But I don't know what went wrong with the National Higher Education Entrance Examination website, and it was changed to two o'clock in the afternoon."
Xia Chujian looked at the time and quickly said, "It's not even twelve o'clock yet, when are we having lunch?"
She also wanted to go back to her room to take a shower, change her clothes, and then happily eat with her family.
Xia Yuanfang said, "It's being made, it's not ready yet. I'll add two more dishes for you, you go back to your room and freshen up."
This is the Aunt who understands her.
Xia Chujian said with a smile, "Just what I wanted!"
"I've also prepared a big gift for you all, but it hasn't arrived yet."
"Maybe it'll be closer to the end of the year, so let's just consider it a New Year's gift!"
Aunt Chen and Zhu Yingying both said, "Xia Chujian, you're too kind. The Fragrant Fruit Chestnuts you brought back last time were already delicious!"
Xia Chujian, remembering the Fragrant Fruit Chestnuts she brought back from Changliu County, Cangge Star, quickly asked Xia Yuanfang, "Aunt, is the Fragrant Fruit Chestnut Chicken Stew good?"
Xia Yuanfang said with a smile, "Only you would think of eating that! But we really didn't think of that dish."
"Alright, go take a shower, and I'll make Fragrant Fruit Chestnut Chicken Stew. Coincidentally, Aunt Chen went to the Exotic Beast Forest a few days ago and brought back a few wild chickens with pretty tail feathers. San Zong is helping to raise them."
San Zong quickly said, "Those are Phoenix-Tailed Luan Birds! San Zong will go catch one to make soup!"
Xia Chujian nodded in agreement, waved goodbye to everyone, and walked briskly towards the main door.
Entering the entrance hall, she found herself in a tastefully decorated and understated living room with various smart home devices.
On the north side were two winding, flared staircases leading down from the second floor.
Xia Chujian took the left staircase to the second floor and quickly disappeared from sight.
It wasn't until Xia Chujian was out of sight that Xia Yuanfang let out a soft sigh.
The smile on Aunt Chen's face also faded a little, and she said with concern, "I don't know what kind of suffering Chujian went through during this special training... Xia Researcher, you must guide her well..."
Aunt Chen and Zhu Yingying didn't say it outright, but with their Divine Beast Fei Fei's keen senses, they could feel that Xia Chujian had an aura about her that only came after experiencing large-scale Slaughter.
They would normally be very afraid of such people, but because this person was Xia Chujian, they were not only unafraid but also felt sorry for her, and also had an unspeakable sense of security.
Xia Yuanfang couldn't feel the "aura" that Aunt Chen and Zhu Yingying felt, but she could see from Xia Chujian's eyes that this child was different.
Before going to this special training, although she was also lively, and even as a Bounty Hunter, she wasn't afraid to kill people with her own hands, her emotions were still relaxed.
But after returning from this special training, what she saw in her eyes was involuntary defensiveness and vigilance, and even the way she walked clearly showed a resilience that was ready to be unleashed.
This was too obvious compared to before she left.
Perhaps Xia Chujian herself didn't realize all this.
But in the eyes of those who knew her well, this change was very obvious.
Of course, this obviousness was also based on everyone's familiarity with Xia Chujian.
After all, Xia Chujian was raised by her, and she was too familiar with every move of this child.
But now, she felt that she needed to get to know Xia Chujian again.
This special training had matured Xia Chujian in an almost forced way.
Xia Yuanfang felt very sorry for her and was also thinking about whether to let Xia Chujian withdraw from the Special Security Bureau.
Although the Special Security Bureau was also a civil service organization, it was even more of a military organization.
Xia Chujian was definitely not in an administrative position, so in all likelihood, she would have to fight.
Looking at her now, she must have fought...
She already had the demeanor of those people she had once seen.
It wasn't that it was bad, it was too good. She really couldn't bear to let the child she raised follow in the footsteps of those people.
Wu Fu, riding on the Big Black Dog, tilted his head and looked at Xia Chujian's departing figure, patted the Big Black Dog's head, and wanted to follow.
The Big Black Dog looked up at Xia Yuanfang.
Xia Yuanfang and Aunt Chen's attention was focused on the direction where Xia Chujian had disappeared, and they didn't notice the Big Black Dog's questioning gaze.
San Zong had already withdrawn his gaze and noticed the Big Black Dog's gaze. He thought for a while and said, "Da Hei, Wu Fu, go with San Zong to pick some Red Bananas and Yuanbao Flowers."
"Red Bananas can be eaten as fruit, and Yuanbao Flowers are very fragrant when dipped in egg batter and fried!"
Xia Yuanfang heard this, looked at San Zong, and said with a smile, "San Zong is so thoughtful! We can add two more dishes later!"
"Red Bananas can also be made into Caramelized Red Bananas, which are sweet but not greasy."
"In addition to fried egg pancakes, Yuanbao Flowers can also be fried into meat patties with minced meat, wrapped in crispy sesame cakes to eat."
Speaking of these delicacies, everyone's interest naturally rose.
Aunt Chen said, "I'm going to make the dough! We just harvested the Red Bloom Jia Rong Wheat, and after cleaning it up, we milled the first batch of flour!"
...
Xia Chujian returned to her room and found Liu Shun was still there.
It had erected a support on the wall next to the floor-to-ceiling window on the south wall.
Actually, it was a cat climbing frame.
But now, squatting on it were not cats, but a Teacup Dog and a Little Chubby Bird.
The Little Chubby Bird stood at the highest point of the cat climbing frame.
The Teacup Dog was on the level below.
It sat there properly, occasionally raising its eyes to look at the highest point, which was half a head taller than its own perch.
Actually, it was looking at the Little Chubby Bird.
But the Little Chubby Bird had its eyes closed, seemingly dozing.
Liu Shun slid around her room, pushing the chaise lounge she had placed in front of the floor-to-ceiling window about thirty centimeters to the side.
Although it was still in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, it was no longer directly facing the outdoor terrace.
Xia Chujian rubbed her eyes and said, "Liu Shun, are you not done yet?"
"Take A Wù and A Yuan out for a walk first. I want to take a shower and then go down for lunch."
Liu Shun's cheerful electronic synthesized voice sounded, "Okay, Master!"
Its Mechanical Arm suddenly extended, taking the Little Chubby Bird and the Teacup Dog, one on each side, and then quickly slid out of Xia Chujian's bedroom.
Only then did Xia Chujian touch her face, and after smiling for a while, she felt her face was stiff.
Xia Chujian walked into the bathroom and saw her face in the crystal-clear mirror, and couldn't help but be slightly surprised.
Not to mention Aunt Chen, Zhu Yingying, and Xia Yuanfang, even Xia Chujian herself noticed that she was different.
So obviously different.
The expression in her eyes was slightly indifferent, and even when she was smiling, that sense of vigilance was deeply hidden in her eyes.
Her face still had a bit of baby fat before, and her once-round oval face still had some youthful spirit that didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.
Now, her features were distinct, more refreshed and neat, but the corners of her lips were involuntarily pursed tightly, and her right arm, which looked calm but was always ready to reach for a gun at her waist, gave people a sense of tension that a small boat could not bear the heavy load.
This kind of aura would affect herself and her relatives.
Xia Chujian took a deep breath and smiled at the mirror.
She wasn't in a hurry, she would leave everything to time, and she would return to her old self.
Xia Chujian turned on the shower in the bathroom and started to wash.
She washed very carefully this time, for a full hour.
When she went downstairs in her home clothes, Aunt Chen and Zhu Yingying both thought they had seen the wrong person just now.
Because the oppressive and bloody feeling they had felt earlier was gone, Xia Chujian walked over with a smile, and everything seemed to have returned to the time before she left home to participate in special training.
Second Update at 1 PM. Remember to cast your Recommendation Tickets, everyone!
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