The Substitute Female Supporting Character Sees the Bullet Screen

Gu Jiang was aware of his surroundings even in his drowsy state. In fact, his senses were remarkably sharp. Sensory overload had heightened his five senses to their limits. The smooth touch of silk against his skin felt almost painfully stimulating, the faint electronic hum beneath the sound of running water pounded against his eardrums, and at times, the moisture in the air made him feel as if he were drowning in deep water.

This time, his senses were truly out of control.

From the moment the guide entered the soundproof room, Gu Jiang's overloaded senses had uncontrollably scanned her in detail, more thoroughly than an X-ray.

She carried the lingering scent of disinfectant, but even that couldn't mask the faint sweetness emanating from her. Her long hair carried the fragrance of various hair care products, the scent of skincare and body lotion seeped into her skin, and the intoxicating aroma of her guide pheromones blended together to create a uniquely sweet allure.

She was slightly nervous, her muscles tense, holding her breath, yet her heartbeat was heavy and rapid. The sound of her bare feet touching the floor was as light as a cat's.

She was indeed a cat.

The arrival of this guide brought a flood of fresh, chaotic information into his senses, stirring the storm in his mental landscape even more violently.

Gu Jiang frowned in discomfort. He didn't need to open his eyes; the barrage of disorganized sensory information was enough for him to easily piece together her image.

Before her arrival, Gu Jiang had been relying on the white noise in the soundproof room to self-regulate. His senses had been stable, rarely losing control, and he hardly ever needed a guide.

It was precisely because of this that during a mission where he led a team to destroy an illegal laboratory, he inhaled a dangerous reagent. This ticking time bomb had been lurking in his body, unnoticed.

Over time, it had completely thrown his senses into chaos, bringing his mental landscape to the brink of collapse and triggering a dissociative episode.

His mental landscape was in utter disarray. A guide with low compatibility attempting to regulate him could easily be dragged into his chaotic mental world and lost alongside him. Unfortunately, there were no guides in the Tower with high compatibility for him.

It must be said that this guide arrived at just the right time.

The black-footed cat cautiously approached, successfully calming his frenzied spirit beast. Gu Jiang finally caught a moment of respite, pulling his consciousness back from the edge of dissociation.

The guide sat on the edge of the bed. At such close proximity, Gu Jiang could directly feel her body heat. Through their closely connected spirit beasts, a flood of guide pheromones seeped into his body through his breath, pores, and every inch of his skin.

Gu Jiang let out a soft, contented hum. Deep within his mental landscape, he was utterly defenseless, his heart racing and body burning because of her.

Establishing a temporary mental link, regulating his chaotic mental landscape, and soothing his out-of-control senses was an excruciatingly long process. His guide, though somewhat nervous, was professional, methodically untangling his disordered mental landscape and calming his emotions.

Gu Jiang's heightened senses stretched every second, making each moment feel like an eternity.

And in every second that felt like a century, his senses were being washed over by her presence. Every breath, every slight touch, the sensation of her hair brushing against his skin, and her aroused scent surged toward his fragile, hyper-sensitive senses like a tidal wave.

It sparked countless embers within him, until they ignited into a blazing fire.

As Gu Jiang opened his eyes, he reached out and pressed his hand against the small of her back.

Nie Yinzhi looked closely into his dark eyes. The bonding heat had left an unnatural flush on his pale face, but his gaze seemed calm.

—If one ignored the scalding palm pressing against her lower back, the force so strong it was almost painful, as if he wanted to meld her into his body.

Through their temporary mental link, Nie Yinzhi read his thoughts.

He did want to do that, but not to meld her into his body. Rather, he wanted to...

Nie Yinzhi, too, was suffering from the bonding heat, yet she had to continue delving deeper into his mental landscape through their link to provide him with mental regulation.

Aside from the hand on her lower back preventing her from pulling away, he made no other moves, simply staring at her with restrained, longing eyes.

But in his mind, he had already stripped her bare.

The soundproof room was filled only with the sound of their breathing. Nie Yinzhi, unable to resist, slowly leaned down and kissed the corner of his tightly pressed lips.

In a daze, Nie Yinzhi seemed to see flashes of fireworks exploding in his mental landscape. He murmured softly, "Sorry."

Then, the back of her neck was gripped, and his scorching breath pried open her lips, invading her mouth.

...

The black-footed cat, pinned down by the rabbit, lay at the foot of the bed, meowing incessantly. In her hazy state, Nie Yinzhi heard him ask in her ear, "What's your name?"

For a moment, Nie Yinzhi felt as if she were in a surreal dream. They were engaged in the most intimate act, their temporary mental link had become permanent, their bodies intertwined, yet they didn't even know each other's names.

She bit her lip. "Nie Yinzhi."

"Gu Jiang," he said softly.

"I know. No guide wouldn't recognize you." Nie Yinzhi paused. "Even if they didn't recognize you, they'd recognize your rabbit."

Gu Jiang glanced at his spirit beast, a snow-white rabbit that, like him, was utterly engrossed in petting the cat, paying no attention to anything else. "Nice to meet you."

Nie Yinzhi gasped for breath, almost laughing in exasperation. "Don't you think it's strange to introduce yourself at a time like this?"

"I need to know who to hold responsible in the future," Gu Jiang said matter-of-factly.

Nie Yinzhi: "???" Through their tightly connected mental link, Nie Yinzhi poured her current feelings into him without reservation.

Gu Jiang's movements paused for a moment, clearly unable to handle the bizarrely self-inflicted situation.

Nie Yinzhi, reading his thoughts, couldn't help but laugh. "Do you like it, my dear Sentinel?"

...

Bonding heat erupting due to extreme compatibility and resulting in a permanent bond wasn't entirely unheard of, though it wasn't common. Nie Yinzhi and Gu Jiang weren't the only ones.

After becoming his exclusive guide, helping Gu Jiang with mental regulation became much more efficient. The only downside was dealing with another kind of trouble.

Gu Jiang's nearly chaotic mental state wasn't something that could be soothed overnight. It was a long-term healing process.

After leaving the soundproof room, Nie Yinzhi didn't have the energy to question where Gu Jiang was taking her. She mustered her strength to sign numerous documents, adding her name next to Gu Jiang's on the bonding registration form.

Once all the formalities were done, Gu Jiang led her by the hand into a courtyard. After a light dinner, it was finally time to rest.

Nie Yinzhi could finally relax and sleep through the night, dozing for nearly twelve hours. At one point, her biological clock woke her briefly, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the rabbit curled up on her chest.

Nie Yinzhi, still groggy, lifted the rabbit by its ears. Its limbs were curled up, still asleep.

It took her a moment to remember—this was Gu Jiang's spirit beast.

Though they had bonded unexpectedly, they were still unfamiliar with each other. Naturally, they couldn't just seamlessly share a bed. Nie Yinzhi had slept in the guest room, and the rabbit hadn't been there when she fell asleep.

She tossed the rabbit off the bed and turned over to go back to sleep.

Though Gu Jiang had stepped down from his position as Chief due to injury, many still kept an eye on him. News of him bonding with his exclusive guide spread quickly, and a long line of people came to "offer their regards."

Nie Yinzhi felt like she was being scrutinized eight hundred times a day, as if she had suddenly become a national treasure panda under observation. Everyone wore expressions of disbelief, as if they couldn't believe Gu Jiang had actually found his guide.

One day, she accompanied Gu Jiang to the Tower. As soon as his mental landscape stabilized, the Tower summoned him back.

"Does this mean I can go on missions with you now?" Nie Yinzhi tentatively asked, though she didn't hold out much hope. Graduates from the Guide Academy were often treated like delicate flowers.

The guides of Thorn Academy are the ones who accompany sentinels on missions and battlefields.

Gu Jiang glanced back at her, pondering for a moment, "Sure, but you’ll need to learn how to fight first. I happen to have a lot of accumulated leave, so I can teach you. If you pass the assessment, of course, you can join me on missions."

Nie Yinzhi’s eyes sparkled as she extended her pinky finger, "So it’s settled then?"

Gu Jiang chuckled, hooking her pinky with his and pressing his thumb against hers in a symbolic seal. Then, he naturally took her hand and led her inside.

Nie Yinzhi followed him, meeting many high-ranking officials of the Tower and signing a stack of documents. Even the dog she kept at home was registered in the records.

Gu Jiang had other matters to attend to, needing to undergo a mental and physical re-evaluation. She waited for him outside.

"What’s the big deal? I’ll just visit the four major guide academies tomorrow. Who knows, maybe my guide is still in their ivory tower."

Nie Yinzhi heard a scoff from outside. When several people entered and saw her, their laughter abruptly stopped. Both sides stared at each other for a moment.

One of them stepped forward with a grin, "I told you they’d be here."

Nie Yinzhi’s gaze fell on the leader. The red cinnabar mark between his eyebrows made him unmistakable—Feng Hanying, the current chief sentinel.

Feng Hanying’s spiritual beast was a venomous black mamba. Accompanying him were three other sentinels and one guide, forming a mission squad.

The black-footed cat was surrounded by a venomous snake, a gyrfalcon, and two leopards. To an outsider, it might have looked like they were gearing up for a brawl.

The guide’s spiritual beast was a black swan, not the gentle, soothing type. Her spiritual energy was sharp and intimidating.

One of the leopards lifted a paw, larger than the entire body of the black-footed cat, and tentatively swiped at it, only to be smacked back by the black swan’s wing.

The black-footed cat, encircled by this menacing group of spiritual beasts, puffed up into a ball of fur, arching its back and keeping its eyes fixed on the venomous snake.

Nie Yinzhi reminded him, "Sentinels aren’t allowed to just waltz into guide academies."

Feng Hanying clicked his tongue. The black mamba curiously coiled around Nie Yinzhi, its forked tongue flicking in the air as if it had found some kind of prey.

The heavy alloy door hissed open. Before the person inside could step out, a white blur shot forward, slamming the black mamba’s head down with a rabbit’s foot pressing firmly on its vital spot.

Gu Jiang emerged leisurely from the examination room, his gaze sweeping over the group. His tone was mild, "What’s going on? A meeting?"

"Boss!" they exclaimed in delight.

Gu Jiang walked over, scooping up the black-footed cat and cradling it in his arms. He moved to stand beside Nie Yinzhi. The rabbit, displeased, stamped its hind foot, causing the black mamba to curl up tightly.

Feng Hanying felt his scalp tingle, as if his heart might shatter. He quickly led the group in a hasty retreat.

Nie Yinzhi soon realized that Gu Jiang was using her as an excuse to avoid work. He took her straight to the training base, leaving her to learn from the guide instructors while he spent his days napping nearby, claiming it was "supervision."

Back in the academy, Nie Yinzhi had always dozed off during lessons on how to gently soothe sentinels. But now, learning how to build mental barriers, launch psychic attacks, and use spiritual energy to disrupt a sentinel’s senses, she was so energized she felt like she could fly.

Her stamina was so high that even after a full day of training, her spiritual beast remained lively, bouncing around at night.

Gu Jiang lay on the sofa, his face being smacked by the black-footed cat’s paws. Even when Nie Yinzhi was in the bath, her spiritual beast refused to settle. Gu Jiang sometimes wondered who the real sentinel was.

A snow-white rabbit materialized on him, and the black-footed cat immediately turned its attention to it, pouncing and swishing its tail across Gu Jiang’s face. The two spiritual beasts zipped around the living room at lightning speed. Half an hour later, the rabbit grew tired and curled up in a corner of the sofa.

Gu Jiang, half-asleep, felt the black-footed cat squeeze in beside him.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

What followed was as uncontrollable as that day in the soundproof room. Their longing for each other caused their spiritual beasts to intertwine tightly. Gu Jiang glanced at the closed bathroom door, kicked off his pants, and took matters into his own hands.

Nie Yinzhi soaked in the bathtub, her fair skin flushed, whether from the hot water or something else. Her shoulders and below were hidden beneath a layer of pink bath salts and bubbles.

By the time she finally climbed out, the water had turned cold, and her limbs felt weak. She tidied up, dried her hair, and peeked out of the bathroom. Gu Jiang was no longer in the living room.

She hurried to her room, sighing in relief, ready to collapse into bed.

Then she heard the sound of claws scratching at the door. Nie Yinzhi glanced back at her contented spiritual beast. Though she didn’t want to admit it, the little cat truly reflected her current state of mind.

The black-footed cat lay on its back on the pillow, meowing softly.

Nie Yinzhi opened the door to let the rabbit in. The spiritual beast often climbed into her bed, and she had grown used to it. But she hadn’t expected its owner to be there too.

Gu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‍Jiang stood at the door, looking innocent. "I have a bit of a headache. I think I need some mental soothing."

Nie Yinzhi: "..."

Gu Jiang frowned, appearing weak. "Just now, you were a bit too intense. You’ve thrown my mental landscape into chaos."

Nie Yinzhi’s face burned with embarrassment, and she felt a pang of guilt. After all, he wasn’t lying. She had indeed lost control a little. "Then... should we go to your room? It’s a soundproof room, right?"

Gu Jiang immediately smiled. "Sure." Before he had a compatible guide, he had relied on white noise to survive, and his bedroom had been modified accordingly.

Nie Yinzhi lowered her gaze to his outstretched hand and placed hers in it, shivering slightly at the warmth of his palm.

In the few steps it took to reach his room, Nie Yinzhi could feel the heat spreading from the hand he held. By the time the door opened and closed again, her guide pheromones were already spilling out uncontrollably.

Gu Jiang’s eyes narrowed as he basked in the comforting aura of her pheromones. He instinctively leaned in, burying his face in the crook of her neck to inhale deeply. "So sweet."

The two spiritual beasts had already claimed the bed, tumbling together in a playful heap.