Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Soothing

Eventually, Xiayu chose a room next to Lu Yinghuai. After dinner that day, he moved into the small building where, apart from Lu Yinghuai, no one else resided, accompanied by the large black panther.

However, in terms of security, this building seemed less guarded than the courtyard where Xiayu previously stayed. Apart from Wei Cheng and Meng Wenxuan, few people were seen coming by.

But scattered throughout the building, in every corner except Xiayu's room, were devices unfamiliar to Xiayu, which Wei Cheng referred to as detectors.

Xiayu was curious about them, but as he stroked Yuan Yuan's head, thinking of the Marshal's psychic power, he began to understand their purpose a bit.

His Highness, being such a gentle soul, was probably worried about accidental harm, right?

As night fell, Xiayu curled up on the sofa, gazing distantly out of the window. Reflecting on the eventful day, he rested his chin on his knees, blinking thoughtfully.

The black panther, which had initially been lying on the balcony, perked up its ears. It stood, paced over, jumped onto the sofa, stepped over the cushions, and lay down close to the young boy.

The warm body of the panther made Xiayu's eyes curve into a smile.

A few steps away in the study, numerous holographic screens with charts and data hovered above the lengthy desk.

In the dimly lit room, Lu Yinghuai, who had finally been released by the medical department, sat with half-closed eyes, visibly tired. The collar that had always been hidden under his shirt was removed, and his slender hands were free from gloves and ruby-studded rings.

Whether it was the collar, the gloves, or the rings, they were all merely suppressors, meant to restrain Lu Yinghuai's psychic abilities.

Without these restraints, Lu Yinghuai's potent psychic energy could extend throughout the entire Marshal's mansion, naturally encompassing Xiayu's room.

The sleek-furred panther sat gracefully beside Xiayu, silently observing the young boy.

Holding the panther's head, Xiayu stared intently at its eyes for a while and hesitantly commented, "Yuan Yuan, it seems like your eyes can change color?"

This shade feels...

"Mmm... They look a bit like His Highness's eye color."

Saying this, Xiayu leaned in and gently kissed the big cat's nose.

The Marshal, who was mentally connected with the panther, stiffened slightly, and the panther's whiskers quivered twice in response.

"Yuan Yuan, do you think... I should ask His Highness about this title?"

"I also wonder about the state of His Highness's health..."

As Xia You spoke, she noticed the panther was about to move. She quickly lunged and pressed herself onto the panther, embracing its warm and fluffy body with endearing affection.

"Stay with me a bit longer, Yuan Yuan! It's my birthday today!"

The panther, its eyes now a deep shade of purple, stiffened.

In the study, Lu Yinghuai raised his hand to his temple, sighing in slight exasperation.

"Are all teenagers this sensitive and fond of being coddled?"

His young nephew always acted so formal and serious around him, not at all like Xia You...

"Huh?"

Lost in the panther's comfort, Xia You suddenly lifted her head and reached out, grasping at the air. She then clenched and slowly uncurled her fingers, wiggling them slightly.

It felt like there was a surge of psychic energy just now...

Was it just my imagination?

Not sure, let's find out.

Xia You released her own psychic energy, weaving it like threads throughout the room. Upon sensing another strand of energy, her eyes lit up, and she directly collided with it.

Lu Yinghuai: "!"

The healing psychic threads wrapped around Lu Yinghuai's fragile mental energy, so delicate it seemed it could snap with a tug.

All of Xia You's focus was on controlling her psychic energy. For a moment, she neglected the panther beside her and didn't notice its sharp claws digging into the couch.

Upon making contact with that potent and embracing energy, which sent chills down her spine, Xia You immediately knew who it belonged to.

His Highness's psychic energy was in stark contrast to his calm demeanor. The closer Xia You got to it, the louder her intuition, honed in a post-apocalyptic world, screamed danger.

Fortunately, having been reborn, Xia You was adept in her psychic control and application, even if she was currently just a C-level healer.

Resisting her instinctive urge to flee, Xia You pressed her lips together and gently encompassed a part of Lu Yinghuai's psychic energy with her own, as though delicately holding the tail of a panther.

Her gentle healing psychic power slowly emanated, soothing the restless beast within.

Elsewhere, the man's hand tightly gripped the armrest of his wheelchair, veins bulging.

In the dimly lit study, massive shadows loomed behind Lu Yinghuai. Within these shadows, something formidable and terrifying brewed and roared, yet it was reluctantly suppressed.

Alarm systems throughout the mansion chirped suddenly, flashing red.

The doctor responsible for monitoring the Marshal's psychic energy abruptly stood up and connected with the department head, Meng Wenxuan.

"Doctor Meng, the Marshal's psychic activity has exceeded dangerous levels!"

"How is that possible?" Meng Wenxuan hurried over, his face darkening upon seeing all the red-lit screens, "Didn't we just administer a psychic energy release and intervention today?"

This procedure aimed to drain the Marshal's psychic energy in a virtual space to below a third, ensuring it remained in a fatigued state to reduce its activity.

"Retrieve the psychic energy data from the Marshal's study."

Meng Wenxuan spoke decisively, then paused, seemingly recalling something, "And the young master's psychic data as well."

A younger doctor hesitated, "But the young master is in his bedroom. Following the Marshal's instructions, no monitoring devices were installed there."

Meng Wenxuan's eyelids twitched, "…Let's focus on the Marshal first."

It had been a long time since Xia You had provided psychic guidance for someone.

In the post-apocalyptic era, she mainly used her healing abilities to recover from injuries, occasionally assisting teammates with medicine. Every action was taken cautiously to avoid revealing her powers.

Precisely because of this, Xia You didn't merely soothe with psychic energy like other healers. She was adept at dividing her energy into countless strands, reducing their presence to approach targets subtly.

This caught Lu Yinghuai off guard.

Xia You diligently mended and soothed the areas where Lu Yinghuai's psychic energy seemed weakened. However, she forgot that she was familiar with handling psychic energies at an S-level, whereas she was currently at C-level.

Sensing something amiss with Xia You, Lu Yinghuai hesitated to wrest his energy free, fearing he might damage her intricate web of psychic strands.

After a moment's thought, the Marshal immersed his entire consciousness into his psychic form.

The panther, which appeared to be holding back, suddenly recoiled. In an instant, it lunged at the young boy, pinning him to the sofa. Its sharp claws retracted, its plush black paw pads held the boy's wrists, and its glossy tail lifted and gave the young man a gentle, playful whip.

Xia You's psychic energy output was abruptly interrupted by the panther's sudden move. He stared in astonishment at the large black panther pressing firmly upon him, his complexion pale.

Reflected in the panther's eyes were two tiny images of Xia You. The long whip-like tail of the panther flicked him again, carrying a hint of disapproval and admonishment.

Somehow, Xia You felt an inexplicable guilt, similar to how he'd feel when facing the prince after making a mistake.

After being disrupted, Xia You withdrew his psychic energy and only then noticed the red light from the monitor and the sound of alarms reflected in the window.

He tried to push the panther off to sit up and check on the prince, but the unusually uncomprehending and stubborn panther pinned him down, rendering him immobile on the sofa.

"Yuan Yuan..." Xia You looked helplessly at the panther, "Can I please go and see how the prince is doing?"

The black panther, with deep purple pupils, wasn't putting its full weight on Xia You. Still, its deliberately measured force made it impossible for Xia You's untrained frame to break free.

The panther seemed perfectly fine, whereas the young man's face had drained of all color.

Perhaps Meng Wenxuan should have a look.

For the next ten minutes, despite Xia You's constant pleading, Yuan Yuan didn't release him. Only when the panther yawned and its pupils turned golden, hinting at drowsiness, did Xia You quickly squeeze out from beneath it.

Just as he was opening the door, there stood Meng Wenxuan with medical equipment in hand, about to knock.

Xia You: "…?"

Meng Wenxuan, who had just come from the Marshal's study, smiled, "The Marshal asked me to check on your health."

With no other choice, Xia You stepped aside to let him in, stealing glances down the hallway towards the study.

Seeing this, Meng Wenxuan said, "I just came from the Marshal's room. All his vital signs are stable."

So stable that it was almost unusual.

This only made Meng Wenxuan more curious about Xia You.

However, having been explicitly cautioned about boundaries by the Marshal, Meng Wenxuan suppressed his intrigue, focusing solely on examining Xia You.

"Oh..." Xia You touched his nose sheepishly, cooperating with Meng Wenxuan's procedures, murmuring, "I apologize. I was rather rash this time."

"Is... is the prince upset?"

Recalling the earlier scene in the study, where he witnessed the Marshal diligently putting back his inhibitors one by one, a hint of amusement crossed Meng Wenxuan's face.

Typically, the Marshal deeply disliked wearing the inhibitors and would discreetly remove them when alone. With the presence of young Mr. Xia, perhaps Meng Wenxuan would no longer need to play the nagging medic.

Moreover, while it’s unclear the extent of Xia You’s calming effect on the Marshal, their brief psychic connection seemed to have a positive impact.

With these thoughts, Meng Wenxuan said with a smile, “You needn’t worry too much. Though the Marshal's psychic power can occasionally go awry, he generally possesses strong self-control. And, he isn't someone who gets angry easily."

The two chatted, exchanging remarks until Meng Wenxuan finally finished recording both Xia You's physical and psychic data.

"Oh, by the way, this is a gift the Marshal entrusted me to give you."

Meng Wenxuan placed a small box in Xia You's palm and left with his medical equipment.

The large panther had already curled up on the sofa, eyes closed, appearing as an indistinguishable fluffy mass from a distance.

After washing up and getting ready for bed, Xia You gazed at the box from Lu Yinghuai, studying it intently for a while before gingerly opening it.

It was a lavish box lined with fine red velvet, appearing to have once housed some jewelry. However, now it held a luminous high-grade energy stone of vivid blue.

The crystals from the zombie brains were always a dull gray, and the energy stones Xia You had glimpsed in photographs from his past life during the interstellar era were mostly pale yellow. This was his first encounter with such a brilliantly translucent blue stone.

Had it not been for the pulsating energy within, Xia You would've struggled to believe its authenticity.

The young man reached out, touching the blue energy stone. The soft glow from the stone and the youth's eyes danced and shimmered in a mesmerizing display.

The panther on the sofa slightly opened an eye, then shifted its position.

"Ding-Dong—"

Xia You paused, quickly activating his holo-computer.

It was a message from the prince.

[Little Yu, Happy Birthday.]

[Sleep early, good night.]

Xia You: "!!"

All the birthday gifts from the nobles were kept at the Duke’s mansion. After the chaotic birthday banquet, Xia You didn’t bother to pay them any heed.

This is his first birthday gift since being reborn and the only one this year!

After wishing Marshal a good night, Xia You wrapped herself in a blanket, cocooning for quite some time. Half an hour later, a disheveled golden head peeked out from the covers.

Minutes later, swaddled in her blanket, Xia You tiptoed over to the couch and nestled against the warm, fluffy leopard, smiling gently as she drifted to sleep.

In the darkness, the seemingly dozing black panther opened its eyes. Its long tail lifted and curled around the young boy.

At the end of the corridor in the study, the Marshal, engrossed in military affairs, paused momentarily. A soft, slightly exasperated chuckle slipped from his lips, accompanying the moonlight that touched the ground.