After Descending the Mountain, Seven Big Brothers Spoil Me-Chapter 1066: Close to Being Beat Up

"Home..."

When Qiu Guoliang heard this word, his eyelids involuntarily twitched. Could he really go back?

Seeing the thought flicker in his eyes, Ye Lingfeng stepped forward, grasping his hand, and knelt down in front of him. He spoke calmly but with great resolve, "Master, everyone is waiting for you to come home."

Meeting Ye Lingfeng’s gaze, Qiu Guoliang couldn’t hold back any longer and nodded, signaling his agreement.

"Alright."

Home. Even if they didn’t forgive him, even if he had to die, he wanted to die at home. To die on that land—that was the driving force that had kept him alive all these years.

With that thought, a resolute expression crossed his face.

Ye Lingfeng understood what was going through his mind and tightened his grip slightly. After a brief pause, he let go of his hand, exhaling deeply.

"It’ll be alright. Once we’re home, once you see it with your own eyes, you won’t feel that way anymore."

No matter how much he said, it was nothing compared to what Master would feel when he saw it for himself.

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Zhouzhou, still half-asleep, opened her eyes just in time to see Ye Lingfeng’s expression. Yawning, she squeezed Qiu Guoliang’s hand with her little chubby fingers and mumbled, "Master, don’t worry, we’re taking you back to enjoy your life. I’ll take care of you when you’re old."

With that, she fell back asleep with a gentle snore, too exhausted from drawing talismans all night to keep her eyes open.

Yet, her words warmed Qiu Guoliang’s heart, and his gaze softened.

The others were just as moved.

Without wasting any time, Ye Lingfeng confirmed with the attending physician that they could discharge Qiu Guoliang. The moment everything was cleared, they headed straight for the airport.

Their plane was parked on a private tarmac, a place where few people would be. But as soon as Qiu Guoliang entered, he immediately sensed several familiar presences. His expression tensed, and he frowned as he looked ahead.

And then, he froze.

The others shared the same stunned look.

Before them stood a large group of people, led by Zhao Xinghua, with several members from the Fourth Bureau behind him. Some of them Qiu Guoliang recognized, and some were newer faces, having joined after his downfall.

But, without exception, their eyes were full of warmth and concern, with no trace of resentment. Some even looked at him with continued admiration.

Zhao Xinghua stepped forward and bent down to grasp Qiu Guoliang’s hand, his voice firm and sincere, "I’m here to take you home."

His words were followed by a chorus of cheers from the Fourth Bureau team, who had been anxiously waiting to greet them.

"Captain Qiu, we’ve come to take you home!" one of them said.

"Brother Wang, we’ve made your favorite red-braised pork. We’ve got a whole pot of it waiting for you! You can eat as much as you want!"

"Brother Liao, the meal is ready, and there’s plenty of it! Come home now!"

The others gathered around, all brimming with excitement and joy. The team was close-knit, and the heartfelt greetings filled the air with warmth.

Seeing their faces, Qiu Guoliang’s heart began to loosen, and the heavy burden of guilt that had plagued him for so long began to ease.

Zhao Xinghua waved for the others to help them onto the plane. Despite their surgeries, their bodies were still too weak, and Zhouzhou had mentioned that full recovery would take at least another year.

As the team carefully lifted them onto the plane, they surrounded Qiu Guoliang and the others, watching over them with loving eyes, their expressions brimming with sympathy and care.

These were the best and most elite members of the Fourth Bureau, people who had been trained even before Ye Lingfeng’s Dragon Group. However, now they were broken, worn down by years of hardship.

The moment they joined, they had been prepared to sacrifice for the mission. But seeing their comrades in such a state brought a wave of grief they couldn’t suppress.

Looking at them, Qiu Guoliang and the others couldn’t help but offer words of comfort.

Those difficult days were over. Things would get better from now on.

Zhao Xinghua, feeling a knot in his throat, diverted his gaze and took a few deep breaths to steady himself.

He spoke again, "Alright, let’s get seated. We’re going home."

At these words, Qiu Guoliang’s eyelids flickered, and a hint of excitement appeared in his eyes.

The plane slowly ascended, and the television screens in front of them flickered on. The live feed was showing the view from below.

Since they couldn’t sit by the window, they’d made sure to capture the scenery for them.

The feed was extremely clear, so even with the clouds passing by, it was easy to see everything below.

As the plane passed over a particular area, Qiu Guoliang’s breath caught. His eyes flashed with deep guilt.

Seeing his reaction, Zhao Xinghua looked over and immediately understood.

He spoke gently, "Actually, we had planned to relocate before. The island we were on was too small for proper training. However, the higher-ups said funding was limited and didn’t approve. Then, after that place was discovered, we saw an opportunity and made a report. This time, we quickly got approval for a new location."

"The new island is much bigger than the last one. You’ll see it once we get there."

Though he intended to comfort him, Qiu Guoliang only managed a weak smile, unable to fully enjoy the news.

No matter whether it was intentional or not, it was still because of them that the island had been discovered.

Though no one had been hurt, they couldn’t afford to have any false hopes.

What if... What if a comrade had sacrificed their life because of them? They could never forgive themselves for that.

Seeing Qiu Guoliang’s somber expression, Zhao Xinghua sighed deeply, realizing that this was a deep wound in their hearts. It couldn’t be healed with just a few words—it would take time.

He could only hope that one day, they would be able to move past this.

Meanwhile, Zhouzhou, still groggy from the lack of sleep, slowly opened her eyes as she felt the plane’s ascent and the sensation of weightlessness. She looked at Ye Lingfeng, then turned her attention to the bed beside her. Immediately, her eyes lit up, and she jumped off Ye Lingfeng’s lap and scrambled onto Qiu Guoliang’s bed.

Her little arms and legs stretched out in glee. It was big enough for her to lie on without feeling cramped.

Ye Lingfeng’s body was too hard, and it wasn’t comfortable at all!

Seeing the disdain in her eyes, Ye Lingfeng gritted his teeth in frustration. This little brat!

He had endured her chubby self squashing his arm, yet she still dared to complain about him being too stiff?

His muscles were all rock-hard! Couldn’t she appreciate that?

He grumbled silently, his gaze full of resentment.

Qiu Guoliang couldn’t help but chuckle, his earlier mood lifting as he watched this exchange.

He enjoyed seeing Ye Lingfeng in such a miserable state.

Only Zhouzhou could do this to him.

It was amusing how Ye Lingfeng was so angry, yet couldn’t do anything about it.

His brooding expression was far more entertaining than his usual attempts at looking cool.

Qiu Guoliang smirked inwardly, feeling a little guilty but amused all the same.

Sensing Ye Lingfeng’s glare, Zhouzhou tilted her head up, looking innocent as she blinked. She snuggled into Qiu Guoliang’s arm and said, "Master, protect me!"

She had a feeling she wasn’t far from getting a good beating!