Chapter 75: Who’s Calling ’Baby’?
"You don’t trust Pei Yin, but you trust Sheng Yue?"
Duan Feiye faced the rioting pack of Alien Beasts without the slightest hint of panic.
He methodically helped Xi Yu and the others suppress them, guiding the beasts into their cages one by one.
Ling Yanzhi turned his head.
His voice held a casual, yet controlling tone.
"Pei Yin has gotten too ambitious. Compared to Sheng Yue, I’d rather you be the one to go."
Duan Feiye had already refused; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been Sheng Yue’s turn.
Xi Yu’s tentacles restrained one of the Type-A Alien Beasts.
His eyes were filled with worry. "But... Baby likes Sheng Yue."
Duan Feiye raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
’A love square?’
’Oh, wait, a love pentagon.’
Duan Feiye spoke slowly, his gaze probing and uncertain. "Your relationship is really that much of a mess, huh?"
’A mess? We’re perfectly happy together.’ Xi Yu didn’t respond to Duan Feiye, pretending he hadn’t heard.
He continued to control his tentacles without the slightest pause, but his expression was one of faint anguish.
"Baby can’t seem to let him go. What if sparks fly while they’re alone together?"
Ling Yanzhi’s movements didn’t falter, but his brows drew low.
He lifted his chin slightly, the corner of his eye sweeping over Xi Yu. "Quiet down, Xi Yu. I really don’t like your speculations."
The person that even Lin Yu couldn’t find was likely one of the Level 2S Awakened. If Lin Yu and Shen Gu were on transport duty, there could be trouble.
But he had scanned the area and detected no presence of a Level 2S Awakened.
Ling Yanzhi and Xi Yu enjoyed special privileges from the Alliance, so they couldn’t afford to let this competition get ruined.
The latest batches of Alien Beasts had all been forcibly captured by other academies. The Alliance, fearing something might go wrong, had assigned him and Xi Yu to oversee the entire acceptance process.
They had no choice.
Xi Yu fell quiet, but it was as if he hadn’t.
He mumbled, pausing after each phrase, "Baby loves me... Baby coaxes me... Baby even beckoned to me with her finger last night."
[So annoying!]
Red Snake’s tail whipped over.
[Can’t you just block your own ears?!]
Yang Zhang blocked it with a tentacle.
They tangled and pulled, neither willing to yield.
Duan Feiye’s gaze was calm. "It’d be nice if Si Xu were here. Then only one of you would’ve been needed for this, which would have made things much easier."
His gaze was steady as an endless stream of fireflies flew out from behind him.
"Isn’t Si Xu coming back soon?"
Xi Yu’s eyes were vacant. "I don’t know."
Ling Yanzhi didn’t even lift his eyelids. "Maybe."
"Why aren’t you concerned about your old friend’s movements? Aren’t you worried Si Xu will want to join in when he gets back?"
Duan Feiye’s expression was unruffled. "Don’t look at me like that. Si Xu—oh, and Ji Shiyin, too—you know how much they covet hatching geniuses."
Duan Feiye’s smile didn’t fade. "Jian Yu’s special ability is hatching, isn’t it? I saw the post about her hatching a Cloned Egg. Her hatching affinity seems to be higher than S-rank."
He met Ling Yanzhi’s gaze. "The original test results are probably invalid now. I suggest you take her to get re-tested and registered when you have time."
"You’ve reminded me." Ling Yanzhi narrowed his eyes lazily. "It is about time for a re-evaluation."
Xi Yu, lost in his own anxious thoughts, didn’t react.
Duan Feiye observed their expressions and felt like his guess had been wrong.
’Could it be that Jian Yu’s most special quality isn’t her hatching ability?’
The endless "Baby loves me" ringing in his ears was giving him a headache.
’Xi Yu has gotten so noisy.’
’I came back too early. I should have returned at the last possible second, just like Si Xu and the others.’
Duan Feiye decided to wash his hands of the whole affair. "You guys carry on. I’m going back to catch up on sleep."
The fireflies surged, flooding the sky and weaving a flowing curtain.
Duan Feiye tapped his toes lightly, and his figure vanished amidst the sea of insects.
...
With no classes in the afternoon, Jian Yu had a rare moment alone in the villa.
After seeing Sheng Yue off, she secretly practiced by herself all afternoon.
By the time night fell, she had successfully condensed the pink mist into a tangible form.
The dean had emigrated with the people from the orphanage and was now living on Blue Star.
After obtaining the rights as Planet Master, Jian Yu hadn’t changed any administrative laws, only helped the dean and the others get their residency applications approved.
Ending her communication with the dean, Jian Yu took out the Beast Fruit Xi Yu had given her, planning to feed the ling beast first.
The Beast Fruit was fragrant, and the ling beast ate with great relish.
Her eyes glazed over in a daze. On a whim, she couldn’t help but take out another one and take an uncontrollable bite.
By the time she came to her senses, the Beast Fruit was gone.
"..."
A comfort she had never felt before washed through her body, completely masking the unease deep in her heart.
Her warming wrist caught Jian Yu’s attention.
She raised her hand. Five thin lines of different colors stretched along her veins to her fingertips.
Cyan, purple, pink, red, and black.
The five fine lines of color seemed to cling to her blood vessels, fading in and out of sight.
Jian Yu thought her ability to accept things was too strong; she felt only pleased anticipation, not a trace of fear.
She tried them all.
The pink, purple, and cyan that had already appeared could be controlled at will, but the remaining black and red showed no reaction.
’Perhaps they’re waiting for the right moment.’
Jian Yu’s happy mood soon soured because of the empty villa.
Eating became a chore, and her baths lost their slow, leisurely comfort.
When it came to picking out clothes, the thoughtful deliberation from before was gone, replaced by a sloppy, careless routine.
While lying on her stomach playing a game, she suddenly felt a scorching gaze stuck to her.
A shiver ran down Jian Yu’s spine, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and goosebumps instantly broke out across her skin.
She lifted her gaze, her fingers clutching the bedding, knuckles turning white.
The row of floor-to-ceiling windows was shut tight, the protective shield reinforced, and the curtains drawn.
She was terrified of accidentally meeting a pair of malicious eyes.
Jian Yu hugged her knees, curled up on the bed. She faintly caught a whiff of a strange, medicinal scent.
Her consciousness grew hazy, her eyelids drooped uncontrollably, and her body swayed before she collapsed sideways onto the bed.
Someone had come in.
Jian Yu’s heart raced out of control. She lightened her breathing, her heavy eyelids fluttering slightly.
The corner of the bed dipped. Warm breath washed over her face, the cool, medicinal fragrance mixed with a faint, cold scent.
The bead of her upper lip was gently taken between someone’s own, kissed softly.
Jian Yu didn’t dare open her eyes.
She was worried the person teasing her was some ugly freak; that would make her miserable for a long time.
She complained inwardly: ’Xi Yu, Ling Yanzhi, if you two don’t come back soon, I’m going to find someone new.’
Strength returned to her exhausted limbs, and Jian Yu was surprised by her own recovery speed.
After enduring round after round of Xi Yu’s punishing slime attacks, she felt as if she’d been tempered with a hard shell, her strength returning faster and faster.
Now, it seemed she had even developed a sort of immunity, a numbness, becoming resistant to the sleep-inducing medicinal scent from just now.
Gathering Purple Smoke at her fingertips, Jian Yu held her breath, aiming for a single strike that would knock them out, if not kill them.
"Baby."
That one intimate word was uttered by the most unlikely person.
Jian Yu froze.
A whimper escaped her lips as a hand slipped around her waist, kneading her gently.
She gave up resisting.
’So she had it in her to be a player, too.’