Chapter 35

After the rain, the temperature dropped significantly.

The two big cats returned from hunting, generously sharing a portion with the lynx. The three settled outside the tent, each staking their spot to eat.

The young tiger attempted multiple times to bring its prey into the tent but was consistently stopped by the paw of either the black panther or the lynx. It had to resign itself to eating outside, its round eyes fixated longingly on the tent's entrance.

Inside the tent, Lu Yinghuai sat cross-legged, holding an open book. Yet, his focus clearly wasn't on the words.

His right hand was held by the youth. Psychic tendrils encircled his wrist, working diligently. Xia You looked extremely focused and serious.

After injecting the psychic-sealing serum, Lu Yinghuai felt a pang of regret for the first time.

He suddenly wished he could sense what Xia You's psychic energy saw, encountered, and experienced when it entered him.

Lu Yinghuai casually flipped a couple of pages from the book Xia You had handed to him earlier, but his gaze remained on the youth beside him.

It was fortunate that he had taken the psychic-sealing serum, temporarily severing most of the empathic link between him and the black panther's psychic form.

Otherwise, given Xia You's daily physical affection towards the empathic psychic form since they entered the forest, Lu Yinghuai seriously doubted if he could have kept his composure.

It would have been... quite... inappropriate.

Lu Yinghuai's thoughts were unknown to Xia You, whose attention was completely on the psychic threads.

In fact, Xia You had previously wondered if the so-called Psychic Turbulence Syndrome might be related to the zombie-like energy found within the big cats.

However, when Xia You's psychic threads entered Lu Yinghuai, he instantly dismissed that speculation.

Unlike the lynx, Lu Yinghuai's body was exceptionally "clean."

There wasn't a trace of gray energy present. Although many old wounds were evident, it was clear they resulted from previous psychic training or battles.

Summer Yuzu's spiritual energy gently caressed the internal injuries in Lu Yinghuai's body. Although she couldn't heal him instantly, her gentle and harmless touch greatly alleviated the pain from his body that had been scarred from bearing sharp spiritual energies before.

When the spiritual energy reached Lu Yinghuai's legs, tears instantly welled up in Summer Yuzu's eyes.

Lu Yinghuai's legs bore the traces of spiritual energy's ravages throughout his tendons and flesh. Every inch, every spot was filled with wounds as if sliced open by sharp blades and then healed. They layered upon each other, differing in depth.

Even the bones in his legs had not been spared from the constant torment of these spiritual forces over the years.

Summer Yuzu made no sound, forcefully holding back her tears as she channeled all her spiritual energy into Lu Yinghuai's legs.

Lu Yinghuai seemed to feel something, followed by a tingling sensation in his legs that caused his pupils to constrict sharply.

After consuming the Insect Queen, Lu Yinghuai knew his spiritual energy was overly aggressive and had refrained from accepting the comfort of any healer.

For whenever any other spiritual energy approached him, he would instinctively tend to attack. If they merely came close, he might be able to restrain himself, but if it was for comfort and healing, he knew he couldn't accept their spiritual energy.

But... Summer Yuzu's spiritual energy was truly too gentle.

Lu Yinghuai could feel a warm current, reminiscent of the gentle warmth of a spring day, akin to the benign afternoon sunlight in a flower room, slowly sweeping over his body, swirling and snuggling close.

Summer Yuzu took a deep breath, held it, and grasped Lu Yinghuai's fingers as if to communicate the state of her body, assuring him not to worry.

Dizziness caught up with Summer Yuzu as she increased her spiritual energy output, but her calm and assertive energy continued swirling around Lu Yinghuai's legs, aggressively cleansing every wound.

Although Lu Yinghuai couldn't muster his spiritual energy, he kept a close watch on Summer Yuzu.

As the color faded from Summer Yuzu's lips and tiny beads of sweat formed on her forehead, Lu Yinghuai firmly took her hand and said in a deep voice, "Little Yuzu."

Summer Yuzu didn't act stubbornly. Obediently, she began to withdraw her spiritual energy. On its way back, it intentionally grazed over the ghastly scars as if caressing medals of honor.

The moment she opened her eyes, a wave of dizziness hit Summer Yuzu, causing her to sway and nearly fall, but Lu Yinghuai swiftly caught her in his arms.

In their first healing session, just as she had promised, Summer Yuzu prioritized herself, never attempting to approach the spiritual sea in Lu Yinghuai's brain, aiming only to soothe the pain in his body.

Wrapped in her blanket, Summer Yuzu lay on the soft plush carpet, using Lu Yinghuai's legs as a pillow.

Lu Yinghuai reached out to touch Summer Yuzu's forehead, ensuring the young man didn't have a fever. Silently, he placed two energy stones in her hand and took two for himself.

Their hands, which had been intertwined for easier spiritual exploration, remained clasped together.

Summer Yuzu's little spiritual tendrils seemed a bit wilted, but they were still quite enthusiastic when it came to "feeding".

From Xia You's palm to Lu Yinghuai's, the tiny psychic tendril finally settled by Xia You's head, seemingly too sated or tired to move further.

"How do you feel?" After a while, concerned, Lu Yinghuai softly inquired, "Is there any discomfort?"

Lu Yinghuai gently touched Xia You's forehead, and then the resting psychic tendril on his leg, his eyes filled with worry.

Xia You's voice was groggy, "…So sleepy."

Lu Yinghuai: "Hmm?"

Xia You didn't want to move.

He felt as if his entire body was boneless, as though he had overstayed in a warm bath, leaving him limp and powerless.

The psychic tendril resting on Lu Yinghuai's thigh struggled to move, placing what could be considered its 'head' on Lu Yinghuai's knee.

A gesture to show it was alright.

Turning his head, cheek pressed against Lu Yinghuai's leg, Xia You murmured with a hint of drowsiness, "Your Highness… I want more energy stones."

Consequently, Lu Yinghuai retrieved an energy stone from his spatial nexus, placing it beside the tendril.

Visibly a bit overwhelmed, the tendril still reluctantly coiled around the stone, nibbling at it with effort.

Xia You curled up, his breathing becoming progressively shallow.

Lu Yinghuai was quick to react, pulling a temperature gun from his spatial nexus and aiming it at Xia You's forehead.

As suspected, Xia You's temperature was rising.

Dazzled by the tent's overhead light, Xia You leaned into Lu Yinghuai's embrace.

"Stay still." Lu Yinghuai first shaded Xia You's eyes with his hand and then whispered, "Let me check."

Lu Yinghuai dimmed the tent light and connected a new psychic monitor to Xia You's wrist, observing the data displayed on the light computer.

Xia You's temperature plateaued after a certain point, without reaching a high fever, but the fluctuations in his psychic energy were peculiar.

They showed a conflicting mix of both activity and inactivity.

Lu Yinghuai's gaze settled on the small psychic tendril resting on his knee.

Hmm... it feels quite similar to a child's psychic tendril.

Despite its earnest attempt to eat, there's an undeniable air of resigned listlessness about it.

Xia You felt overwhelmingly tired, yet was inexplicably energized.

He felt an urge to burst out of the tent and run a couple of laps, yet in reality, his limbs and head lay limp, unable to move an inch.

It's like the unsettling sensation of being mentally alert while half your body lies paralyzed in bed, akin to the misalignment felt in a vegetative state.

It's profoundly uncomfortable.

Xia You has always been straightforward: when he's happy, he shows it, and when he's distressed, it's evident.

Especially in front of Lu Yinghuai.

He naturally expressed his discomfort, with a hint of grievance, purposely blinking so that his eyelashes brushed against Lu Yinghuai's palm.

Lu Yinghuai didn't want Xia You to sleep either. Keeping him awake was the safest option at this time.

He started conversing with Xia You.

"Little Yu?"

"Hmm..."

Lu Yinghuai isn't adept at initiating conversations, let alone casual chatter.

After a brief pause, he asked, "How did you find out about my insomnia?"

Only Meng Wenxuan, his primary therapist, knew about his sleepless nights due to psychic energy disorders, and it was Lu Yinghuai who had informed him. Even Uncle Zhou had never suspected.

Xia You seemed to chuckle, his tone playful and a tad smug, "I asked Major General Wei. While you're indeed busy with military matters, you don't work around the clock. Besides... who loves their job that much? I didn't buy it."

It was his concern that made Xia You suspicious, and his internal doubts that led him to secretly observe Lu Yinghuai after entering the forest.

Lu Yinghuai was at a loss for words, feeling as if his heart was gently nudged by an endearing, straightforward little deer, leaving him tender and sentimental.

Looking at Xia You, eyes nearly shut in drowsiness yet brows furrowed in discomfort, Lu Yinghuai felt a subtle stir in his emotions.

Outside the tent, not long after their meal, the panther, having just fed, was nudging a food-smeared tiger cub to the stream to wash its face. Suddenly, with a low growl, the panther called the playful cub from the stream, gripping it in its jaws to lead it back.

Passing a lynx striking poses on a rock, the panther carried the tiger cub directly into the tent.

The lynx, sneaking a glance, pondered for a couple of seconds, then decided to follow them in.

Upon seeing Xia You, the cub was elated. Regardless of Xia You's engagement with another bipedal creature, the cub wriggled free from the panther's mouth, swiftly climbing onto Xia You, nestling against his neck and affectionately nuzzling his cheek.

Cats always sense human discomfort and have their unique ways to offer comfort and assurance.

The panther sat regally beside Xia You's legs, its sleek long tail resting on them, occasionally flicking.

Only the lynx hesitated by the tent's entrance, seeming uncertain about whether to come in or stay out.

"Come in, it's cold outside," Lu Yinghuai, noticing the lynx's discomfort, remarked.

The lynx took a couple of steps forward, yet still refrained from getting too close to the warm scene before it.

A guest cat should maintain the distance fitting for a guest, it understood.

The affectionate gestures of the tiger cub made the corners of Xia You's lips lift involuntarily, engaging with the cub using his chin even in his weakened state.

After feeling dizzy for a while, Xia You felt slightly better, regaining some strength, but the earlier drowsiness had vanished entirely.

Xia You thought about sitting up, but as he looked up, he saw Lu Yinghuai earnestly observing psychic energy data on a holographic computer.

Hmm…

The young boy relaxed, tilting his head towards Lu Yinghuai and taking a deep, comforting breath.

He wondered about the fragrance Lu Yinghuai wore; it exuded a dependable and gentle sense of security.

Lu Yinghuai noticed Xia You's subtle actions, his gaze shifting, a flicker of complexity in his eyes.

Perhaps today's display by Xia You evoked in Lu Yinghuai an indescribable sense of anticipation.

It felt as if... maybe, he could hold even greater expectations for the young man before him.

And perhaps, lean on him.

As the word surfaced in Lu Yinghuai's mind, he paused for a fleeting moment before suppressing that somewhat absurd thought.

What was he thinking?

Xiaoyu...

The boy rested his head on Lu Yinghuai's lap. Through the fabric, Lu Yinghuai could feel the warm breath brushing against his skin.

Slowly seeping through.

Lu Yinghuai's posture was a bit stiff, his spine rigidly straight.

However, Xiayu adjusted bit by bit until she found a comfortable position, snuggling in with her little tiger.

The tent was supposed to maintain a comfortable temperature, but the heat made Lu Yinghuai's back bead with sweat.

Slightly numb, slightly itchy.

Lu Yinghuai closed his eyes for a moment, his breathing momentarily irregular.

He had always restrained himself, defining his relationship with Xiayu as that of a mentor and student.

The faint stirrings of the past were forcefully suppressed with the notification of an upgraded mental power from his neural implant.

No one understood better than Lu Yinghuai that he regarded Xiayu as a child, a young sir.

...She was never just a child.

Because, from the moment they met, their relationship was defined as peers, not by the difference in age or upbringing.

After cuddling with the little tiger for a while, Xiayu looked around the tent and suddenly asked, "Your Highness, are we going to stay here for several days?"

It took Lu Yinghuai a few seconds to reply, his voice slightly hoarse, "Yes."

Xiayu, holding the little tiger, sat upright and turned to face Lu Yinghuai, "In that case, shall we arrange the tent?"

Without hesitation, Xiayu got up from the carpet. With a mental power monitor still on her wrist, she began pacing the tent, planning earnestly.

The weight on Lu Yinghuai's lap lightened, and his dangling fingers softly brushed against each other.

"Ah, there's a small window on this side of the tent, I hadn't noticed... I remember there's a pretty table in the spatial node..."

Moments later, Xiayu retrieved a round table from her spatial node, which landed with a thud.

Lu Yinghuai rose and positioned the table where Xiayu intended it to be.

The little tiger dangled from Xiayu's shoulder, its weight pulling it downwards until Lu Yinghuai lifted it off.

The tiger cub, though tempestuous, was easily placated. Initially huffing at Lu Yinghuai, its interest shifted upon seeing Xiayu unfold a tablecloth, promptly plopping down right where she was about to lay it.

A black panther approached, nipping the mischievous cub and delivering it to the lynx. The panther then gave the cub's head a gentle swipe with its paw, ensuring the cub remained stationary with soft whines emanating from its throat.

The lynx glanced at the disgruntled cub beside it and emitted a soft growl.

Xiayu turned to see the neglected lynx and the exiled cub. She produced several carpets from her spatial node.

"Could the lynx and spicy strips help me cover the remaining areas without carpets?"

The lynx rose gracefully, its impaired hind leg causing no clumsiness.

With restraint and gentleness, it brushed its furry cheek against Xiayu's extended palm, then took a carpet in its mouth and headed toward the cub.

The cub's round eyes widened in anticipation.

The lynx shook out the carpet roll and with a push from its forepaws, the carpet rolled out neatly.

The cub's eyes lit up, and it eagerly joined in the play.

While the lynx entertained the cub, the black panther efficiently helped Xiayu by holding a corner of the tablecloth, spreading it over the round table.

Lu Yinghuai felt a bit overwhelmed and decided to monitor Xiayu's psychic energy readings while producing some furniture and other items from his own spatial node.

Midway through organizing, Xiayu felt hunger pangs. She sneakily tried to get an energy stone from her spatial node while Lu Yinghuai had his back turned. But he caught her in the act, swiftly grabbing the mischievous psychic tendril reaching for the stone.

Xiayu hadn't finished her meal earlier. She needed the energy stone due to her psychic energy expenditure, but eating it now would surely ruin her appetite for dinner.

The foiled Xiayu sighed and produced an instant meal from her node, activating the heating function.

The instant meal was far from delicious, its only merit being its nutritional value compared to the energy stone, leaving Xiayu feeling somewhat listless.

The tiger cub, noticing Xiayu eating, scampered over, hoping for a taste. After Xiayu obliged, the cub grimaced at the flavor, then quickly darted away in distaste.

Annoyed, Xia You chased the tiger cub around the tent, attempting to feed it.

While Lu Yinghuai and Fan Yuxin were accustomed to such meals, Xia You's fast-food dish was specially prepared by Uncle Zhou, tasting much better than the compressed meals served during military missions.

However, the little tiger cub, being the crown prince of the empire and having been delicately raised due to a congenital weak constitution and frequent illnesses, was extremely finicky. He would only eat fresh ingredients.

Watching the children and the cub running around the tent, Lu Yinghuai activated his holographic computer and sent a message to Uncle Zhou.

*

They stayed there for about a week.

Except for the first day when Xia You overexerted his psychic power in a contest of strength against Lu Yinghuai's leg, the following days saw Xia You vibrant and energetic, with no psychic issues at all.

He was, without a doubt, the healthiest one in the group.

The marten underwent four treatments in total. During the last one, Xia You's psychic energy finally reached the marten's head.

However, the condition inside the head was far worse than Xia You had anticipated.

The grey energy inside the marten's brain was far denser than in other parts, appearing as though a finely furnished room had been stripped down to its raw framework.

Whenever Xia You's psychic energy probed, it induced intense pain in the marten, causing spasms, leading to a treatment impasse.

It was Lu Yinghuai who came up with a solution, continuing the initial method of letting Xia You permeate prey with his psychic energy and then feeding it to the marten, which lasted several days.

In fact, not just the marten, but even Yuan Yuan and Latiao seemed to favor prey processed by Xia You's psychic tendrils.

Today was a rare sunny day. Early in the morning, as Xia You lifted the tent flap intending to stretch, he was greeted by a mountain of parcels outside.

Xia You: "?"

Looking up, he spotted the black panther and the marten approaching, each carrying a parcel in their mouths. Even the little tiger had a small package tied to him.

Lu Yinghuai emerged from the tent and affectionately ruffled Xia You's hair, "Uncle Zhou had them air-dropped. To avoid disturbing the local wildlife, the drop was made at a more remote location."

So, since the break of dawn, the big cats had been hard at work.

Xia You hurriedly approached and embraced the little tiger, showering it with affectionate kisses, and swiftly removed the rabbit fur pouch attached to it.

Inside the pouch was a box of round objects that resembled seeds at first glance.

Xiayu paid it no mind, casually storing it in her spatial node, then turned to shower the black panther with affectionate kisses.

Starting from the panther's forehead and trailing down to its chubby cheeks, Xiayu hugged its neck tightly, rubbing it affectionately before letting go of the majestic black feline.

Having received such an affectionate onslaught, the panther walked away, appearing nonchalant, but its steps were slightly wobbly.

Turning to the lynx, Xiayu crouched down, extending a hand towards the graceful creature.

The wound on the lynx's hind leg had fully healed, making it a robust and imposing feline once again.

The lynx set down what it was carrying in its mouth, then approached Xiayu. Instead of extending its paw as Xiayu had anticipated, it simply lowered its fluffy head, gently nuzzling Xiayu's palm with its soft ears.

Taken aback by this gesture, Xiayu couldn't help but utter a sound of delight.

This was the first time the lynx had shown her such affection.

Tentatively, Xiayu reached out to stroke the lynx's fur, and the lynx responded with a gentle "meow," not resisting her touch like it usually would.

However, Xiayu still couldn't get close to the lynx's short tail. Today's lynx remained a principled big kitty.

After her feline-petting session, Xiayu turned around to see that Lu Yinghuai had already moved the parcels into the tent.

The three felines followed Xiayu back into the tent.

The two large cats settled beside Xiayu, who sat cross-legged on the carpet with a tawny tiger cub cradled in her arms.

Three pairs of feline eyes, along with Xiayu's, tracked Lu Yinghuai's bustling movements, their heads turning in synchronized unison.

Lu Yinghuai couldn't help but chuckle, "Come help me."

"Sure!" Eagerly awaiting this cue, Xiayu immediately stood and dashed over, "Should I open all of these?"

With Xiayu's involvement, two helper cats and one mischievous kitten also joined the scene.

Most of the contents were fresh vegetables stored in preservation boxes, along with some items Uncle Zhou believed would be useful for them in the forest.

There was no meat.

But then again, what need was there for meat in a forest?

Xia You gently patted the robust muscles of the panther, "Yuan Yuan, the backbone of our home, it's up to you now!"

The panther growled softly, nuzzled Xia You, and then turned to leave the tent.

The lynx, having regained its hunting prowess, followed suit, choosing a direction opposite to that taken by the panther.

The young tiger hesitated, wanting to venture out too, but was scooped up into Xia You's embrace.

"Spicy Stick, how about staying with me today?" Xia You cooed.

Xia You playfully shook the little tiger's paw, taking it as the tiger's agreement.

The young tiger let out a cute noise, happily nestling beside Xia You's ankle.

Xia You activated her holographic computer to search for a recipe. Just as she was about to speak, she looked up to see Lu Yinghuai already picking the ingredients and dexterously chopping them onto a plate.

His movements were swift and precise, revealing his expertise.

Xia You: "?"

With a quizzical expression, she watched Lu Yinghuai's adept actions for a moment before she couldn't resist asking, "Your Highness... You can cook?"

"No need for formalities." Lu Yinghuai responded with a smile, then answered her question, "I learned a bit in the past."

"Does a Marshal need to know how to cook?" Xia You's gaze remained fixated on Lu Yinghuai's hands.

"A Marshal doesn't." Lu Yinghuai began somberly, "But a Marshal's younger brother does."

After all, a certain White Tiger Marshal couldn't cook to save his life. Yet, the emperor, with his culinary talents, was his saving grace...

Lu Yinghuai's cooking skills were acquired in his youth, tutored by the then yet-to-be-crowned emperor.

— "Yuan Yuan, it's not that I despise you, but I'm genuinely concerned about your aloof, cat-like temperament. What if your beloved can't stand such a character?"

— "You should learn more. Having a range of skills never hurts. Chasing after a spouse requires more than just good looks! You must learn cooking, the art of conversation, and yes, poetry and painting..."

The young Lu Yinghuai was initially reluctant. But being unable to outmatch Lu Jiuzhu in his prime, he ended up mastering everything from painting, poetry, to cooking desserts.

Little did he expect that years later, these once-thought redundant skills would come in handy.