The Heartthrob Guide: Dodder of S-Class Sentinels

Chapter 245 Who's Real and Who's Fake
"If... I mean if, one day, the person you know well suddenly becomes a complete stranger. The things they do, the way they act, are completely different from how you remember them. They might even... even endanger the world. What would you do?"

The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly.

Caesar stared at Lin Nan, his gaze gradually becoming serious.

"Sweetie, what are you saying?"

Seeing Caesar's expression, Lin Nan buried her head in the blanket again and replied, "It's nothing, I'm just talking nonsense."

Caesar stepped forward, reached out and lifted the blanket, easily pulling her out of bed like a kitten. Before Lin Nan could struggle, he pulled her into his arms, burying her completely in his large chest muscles.

Warm, elastic muscles, like the softest pillow, enveloped Lin Nan's entire face.

She looked at it so close at hand... and couldn't resist reaching out and scratching at it—

"Hiss..." Caesar winced in pain, but he couldn't bear to let her go, so he held her even tighter.

"Did that bug say something to you yesterday?" He lowered his head, his nose brushing against the top of her head, his tone clearly annoyed. "Honey, bugs aren't good people. Don't be fooled by their nonsense."

"Do you know why the central government was in such a hurry to send me to this place right after graduation? It's because we suspect that the unrest in District Nine was orchestrated by those insects themselves—among them, there are people who are colluding with the aliens."

"..." Lin Nan's expression froze instantly.

what?
Why do you make this assumption? Do you have any evidence?

“I didn’t want to tell you this sooner.” Caesar gently picked up a stray strand of Lin Nan’s hair, brought it to his nose and smelled it. “It was really unexpected that you would come here, but since those guys are planning to drag you into this, then I won’t be polite.”

He lowered his head and placed a light kiss on her forehead, his tone filled with confident certainty: "Baby, I'll show you a good show tomorrow. We'll find out exactly who the mole is then."

Lin Nan was stunned: "You... already knew?"

"I don't know everything about it, but I know that spider all too well."

From childhood, they had fought hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Although neither of them ever let the other off the hook, they would always instinctively turn their backs to each other whenever they went on a mission.

They knew better than anyone that the other party was capable enough to save their lives.

So when exactly did he and Arachne drift apart?

A hint of confusion flickered in Caesar's golden eyes, perhaps because of the accident five years ago.

Innocence and friendship don't last forever. The reason they've become so bad is perhaps simply because—they've all grown up.

As they grow older, they bear more and more responsibilities and burdens, because the departure and death of former President Ariel has completely broken the relationship between the Zerg and the Central Government.

The Tahir family has always served only those at the very top of power. After Ariel's fall from grace, they didn't hesitate to extend an olive branch to the newly appointed President Chris.

After all, in their dictionary, there is no such thing as eternal loyalty, only eternal interests.

In this relationship where it's difficult to determine who is right and who is wrong, neither of them actually blamed the other.

Caesar understood that Arachne bore the weight of the entire Zerg's survival on his shoulders; Arachne also knew that his "choosing sides" was to prevent the Tahir family from being crushed in the power reshuffle.

They all carried heavy family shackles on their backs, and every step they took was against their will.

……

This is where things get tricky.

A cold sweat broke out on Lin Nan's back; she had discovered something terrible. The Central Government and the Zerg were suspecting each other of betrayal.

So—whose words are true and whose words are false?

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Lin Nan couldn't help but ask again.

“Do nothing,” Caesar replied. “Do everything according to their plan. I’d like to see just how far they can go.”

"What if your guess is wrong?"

Hearing Lin Nan's words, Caesar paused, then laughed again. The man affectionately rubbed her head and said, "Sweetie, are you implying that Laun really made a mistake, and that I became an accomplice of the bad guy?"

Lin Nan felt a little uncomfortable from his rubbing against her, so she pushed him away and said, "I didn't say that."

"If this is really the case..."

Caesar stopped moving and slowly opened his golden eyes.

The last trace of warmth has faded from her once smiling eyes, leaving only a resolute determination, like a blade suddenly gleaming from the depths of a frigid pool.

"If that's the case, then I will—commit suicide."

"The swords of the Tahir family are only for those who are different." He lowered his head, his tone calm to the point of cruelty. "If those who wield the sword become monsters, then this 'sword' has no reason to exist..."
-
On the anniversary of Colonel Ariel's death, before the morning mist had even dissipated, the bells in the tower struck seven times. The deep rumble, carried by the damp, cold wind, swept past the flags hanging low on both sides of the street, and even the air itself seemed to carry a solemn chill.

All the staff in the tower consciously wore black formal attire, and the Ariel family flag was raised on the railings of each guard post.

The black flag with gold trim fluttered in the wind, with the insect pattern in the center standing out prominently.

Lin Nan put on her uniform and stayed in her counseling room. There were no special appointments today, so she was free to move around.

Kaiser greeted Colonel Lauen in the morning and went to his place. The man was dressed particularly well today, wearing a crisp Marine Corps uniform that hugged his broad shoulders and narrow waist, with gleaming gold epaulets.

He usually likes to dress very flamboyantly, probably to attract attention. He always wears shirts that are a size too small, and the top few buttons are not fastened properly, leaving them wide open.

It's rare to see him be serious today.

Lin Nan patted his head and praised, "You're very handsome."

The man's legs went weak, and he knelt down again.

"Once this is all over, sweetheart, let's finish what we didn't do yesterday. I'll apply to my superiors to become your lover. I don't care about mistresses or concubines, as long as I'm at the table..."

Lin Nan quietly tested his mental pollution level, which was stable at a very safe threshold. Even if he were to face off against the alien species head-on, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Thinking this, Lin Nan couldn't help but gently pat his face and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm not an adult yet."

Her relationship with the director only went this far; that kind of thing...

Lin Nan was a little afraid to think about it. These sentries all seemed very nervous. If they really did *that*, would she be torn apart?

Oops

　Safei came to terms with it; as long as she could be on the table, that was enough. She didn't care if he was a mistress or a concubine. Only by risking everything could she get the meat.

　　This article is absolutely devoid of any moral compass!
　　If you're into that kind of thing, you might want to avoid this.

　　(End of this chapter)