After stepping off the plane, Li Yun drew in a breath of freezing air.
This place really was cold.
Then again, Siberia lay not much farther ahead.
“Want us to drive you home?” one of Natasha’s former teammates called to them.
For his unit, the trip could simply double as a patrol.
Natasha was about to refuse, but Li Yun accepted immediately.
He pulled her into the vehicle with him, and the three set off toward Natasha’s home.
“Hey, buddy.
I heard a bunch of disgusting man-eating monsters showed up over in America—mutated by some virus or something.
Is that actually true?” the soldier asked Li Yun and Natasha on the way.
Natasha did not feel like talking and maintained her usual cool demeanor.
Li Yun answered cheerfully, “Yeah, monsters like that exist.
They’re not easy to deal with.
You might run into them yourself someday, brother, so be careful if you do.”
The driver slapped the steering wheel.
“Fuck those Americans.
Always making some kind of goddamn mess.
When are they going to settle down?
What’s CT doing?
Why isn’t the coalition government doing something?”
That entire rant came out in Russian rather than English, so Li Yun understood none of it.
Natasha took over.
“Don’t waste your energy thinking about things above your pay grade.
A soldier does the job in front of him.
Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The soldier immediately fell quiet.
Natasha clearly outranked him by a considerable margin.
He drove them to Natasha’s home, and the two got out with their luggage.
The soldier saluted Natasha, then drove away whistling.
Li Yun raised an eyebrow.
The atmosphere here really was relaxed.
Before either of them could say anything, Natasha’s front door flew open.
A blonde girl who looked perhaps seventy percent like Natasha rushed out and threw herself straight into her arms.
“I thought you weren’t going to come home at all this year!
I missed you so much, Sis.” The girl hugged Natasha tightly, spilling out how much she had missed her.
Li Yun did not disturb the rare peaceful moment.
Having grown up without siblings, he found the atmosphere rather pleasant.
“I came back to see you the moment I finished a major operation. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
I missed you too, Yelena.” Natasha ran a hand through the girl’s brilliant golden hair and soothed her with a smile.
The embrace did not last long.
Yelena released Natasha and turned a curious gaze toward Li Yun.
“Introductions.
My little sister, Yelena Petrovna Vasika.
Sixteen years old, still a kid, and still in school.” Natasha happily introduced the girl beside her.
Li Yun smiled and nodded in greeting.
“Your boyfriend?” Yelena tilted her head and examined the foreign man.
Outside America, foreigners always seemed to carry a certain novelty.
Natasha’s hand, still resting on Yelena’s head, suddenly tightened.
Yelena immediately behaved herself and stopped guessing aloud.
“He’s my commanding officer and the captain of my team.
Just call him Li Yun.” Natasha handled the introduction for him.
Li Yun said nothing and simply kept smiling calmly.
“Ohhh~ I understand!” Yelena grinned and pointed into the house.
“Never mind.
Come inside already.
It’s freezing out here, and leaving a guest on the doorstep would be rude.”
Natasha looked at Li Yun.
The two exchanged smiles, picked up their luggage, and entered.
The warmth inside made Li Yun release a comfortable breath.
Much better.
“Go prepare the guest room.
And behave yourself, you little troublemaker.” Natasha sent Yelena upstairs to straighten the room while Li Yun wandered around the ground floor, examining the decorations.
He stopped beside the television cabinet and picked up a photograph.
It showed a family of five.
Natasha looked barely into her teens, while Yelena was so small she had to be held by their parents.
Their older brother had been handsome—a tall, striking young man.
Their parents looked equally impressive, the sort of people who gave the immediate impression of being accomplished professionals.
Natasha and Yelena had inherited excellent genes from both sides, with no unfortunate surprises.
After studying the photograph for a while, Li Yun set it down.
When he turned, Natasha had already brewed black tea and was looking at him.
“Why are you still standing over there?
Come have tea.
I brought out some little cakes and cookies too.
Dinner’s still a while away.
Want to watch TV?” Natasha called him over.
Before joining her, Li Yun switched the television on. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Li Yun sat beside Natasha, and they watched the news together.
After a while, Natasha leaned against him of her own accord, hugging his arm and drawing closer.
“Are you a little unhappy?” Natasha suddenly asked.
“You mean because you still don’t have the nerve to tell your sister what our relationship is?” Li Yun’s expression and voice remained calm.
He genuinely did not care.
He slipped his arm free from Natasha’s embrace and leaned farther back, settling into the broad sofa in the most comfortable position he could find.
Then he drew Natasha into his arms.
She relaxed against him and rested her head on his chest.
“She’s not stupid.
The two of you understand each other better than anyone, don’t you?
If you brought a strange man like me home, she already knows what our relationship is.
And judging by her reaction, she’s accepted it.”
Natasha was directly involved, so it was hardly strange that her mind would be filled with awkward thoughts.
Li Yun had lived two lives; Natasha had not.
If anything, her clumsy attempt to hide the obvious was the most normal reaction she had shown.
What really annoyed Li Yun was that he could not understand a damn word on the television.
Not knowing Russian was a pain in the ass.
Come on, man on TV—he was not asking for Chinese, but couldn’t the guy at least speak some English?
They remained like that for quite some time.
Eventually Li Yun heard Natasha’s breathing become slow and faint.
Had she fallen asleep?
He did not wake her.
Instead, his gaze shifted to Yelena as she came down the stairs.
“My sister said you’re not her boyfriend, but she’s always been terrible at lying.
Our parents never taught her how.”
Yelena walked behind Li Yun and spoke quietly.
Li Yun nodded in agreement.
Natasha was less truly cold than outwardly cool and inwardly warm.
Asking a girl like that to lie about something so deeply connected to herself was asking far too much.
“But you’re clearly not an ordinary man.
I believe you’ll treat her well.
Won’t you?”
Yelena asked it suddenly.
Li Yun looked up and met her eyes.
After a moment, he nodded.