Chapter 52

The black panther glanced at the young man.

Whether it was a guilty conscience on Xia You's part or some other reason, she felt like she caught a fleeting understanding in those beastly eyes for a split second.

However, the next moment, the panther obediently lay down. Its forelegs were crossed, stacked a bit higher, and its head rested on top, looking at Xia You, its ears twitching.

Xia You: "!"

A small kitty doing this is cute, but what do you call it when a big cat does the same?

Seductive!

Suppressing her urge to bury her face in the panther's fur, Xia You took out a wooden comb from her spatial ring that was larger than her palm.

The comb had wide teeth that were smoothly rounded at the tips, revealing that the person who prepared it had extensive experience brushing feline fur.

After all, Uncle Zhou had groomed both white tigers and black panthers since they were young.

All of the panther's wounds were already treated with a gel. Xia You began by gently massaging its head with her fingers until its ears drooped slightly. Only then did she slowly start brushing its fur.

By the time Xia You finished combing the panther's neck and began attending to the fur on its back, the panther's eyes were half-closed, clearly relaxed and on the verge of sleep.

Xia You chuckled softly, discreetly gathering the loose fur from the comb into her hand, continuing the brushing session.

Xia You actually had no experience in brushing big cats. There was a cat in the Duke's mansion, but it belonged to Bai Xiaoxiao and always strutted around Xia You with its nose up in the air.

Whenever Xia You yearned to pet wild animals, she would watch various cute animal live streams or tutorial videos, practicing on her long-haired shawl.

Little did she know that the skills she once learned would eventually be put to use on her beloved big cat.

As Xia You brushed Yuan Yuan, the pile of black fur in her hand grew larger and larger.

He glanced at the comb in his hand. Remembering how animals always took to his spiritual energy, Xia You released his delicate spiritual tendrils.

Xia You's comb gently glided through the thick fur of the large cat, while the tendrils adhered to its body, vigorously providing a full-body massage.

Whenever they encountered a wound, the spiritual tendrils would linger, soothing the injured panther.

Naturally, there was always that one tendril that preferred lazing about, casually draped over the panther's neck, resting its tip between the panther's ears where the fur was the softest.

A rare purring sound emanated from the panther's throat, its tail expressing delight. It wanted to coil around Xia You's wrist but hesitated, fearing it might interrupt her.

After a brief pause in mid-air, the lustrous tail couldn't resist any longer and discreetly wrapped around Xia You's ankle.

Startled by the sensation on her ankle, Xia You looked down.

The reclining panther appeared regal and beautiful. To anyone, it would seem a creature both dangerous and enchanting. Yet, the tail of this formidable beast was playfully encircling a human's ankle, brushing against Xia You in rhythm with her combing.

Gazing at the majestic feline before her, Xia You couldn't help but recall Yuan Yuan's shifting eye colors from before.

A flicker in her eyes, Xia You resolved to confront the reality and earnestly inquire about the relationship between these animals and humans from Lu Yinghuai.

The other big cats and Mr. Brown Bear seemed as if human souls were trapped within animal bodies.

However, Yuan Yuan felt different to Xia You.

Yuan Yuan exuded a wonderfully unstable aura.

Just as his eyes shifted colors, Yuan Yuan's demeanor would sometimes vary.

Could it mean that when Yuan Yuan's eyes turned deep purple, it was the prince's consciousness within the panther?

Only Lu Yinghuai could answer Xia You's questions, and only he had the prerogative to share such information.

At this moment, Lu Yinghuai remained as he was when Xia You had left, sitting motionless on the sofa, his expression thoughtful and grave, occasionally marked by contemplation.

As the effects of the spiritual sealing potion began to wane, the connection between Lu Yinghuai and the spiritual entity grew more sensitive.

The sensation of the spiritual entity being massaged and groomed was conveyed to Lu Yinghuai as if he were immersed in perfectly warm water, with the most comforting scent from his memories filling his nostrils, every pore open, every nerve relaxed.

Lu Yinghuai, usually so upright, finally allowed his back to rest against the sofa.

With eyes closed, he ignored the persistent alerts of unread messages on his light computer, savoring the serenity of the moment.

Finally, amidst the soothing pleasure conveyed by the spiritual entity, Lu Yinghuai made a decision.

After the live-streaming sphere malfunctioned, not only was the research department anxious, but so were all the viewers watching the live stream.

Because the last image from the disconnected sphere showed Lu Jiuzhu, a symbol of the former Imperial Marshal and the present Queen.

With his wife and son in the protected area, the Emperor had sent Lu Yinghuai countless messages in recent times.

Concerning matters about Lu Jiuzhu, the usually calm Emperor would always exhibit extreme emotional reactions.

Previously, it was due to Lu Jiuzhu's playful teasing; now, it was driven by compounded worry and longing.

Lu Yinghuai opened the communication panel, ignoring the incessant pop-ups from the Emperor, and messaged Wei Cheng, while also... accessing his light computer's verification terminal.

*

It was an hour later when Xia You finished grooming the black panther.

The cunning fluff enthusiast ultimately obtained the large tuft of fur he desired.

Estimating, Xia You figured that after a couple more grooming sessions, he'd have enough to make a black panther fur mat for his car!

Walking side by side with the black panther back to the camp, from a distance, Xia You saw the young tiger teasing the white tigress again, its ears back, ready to flee at any moment.

Whether accustomed to it or simply tired, the white tigress, instead of roaring or swatting the young tiger, now merely made a half-hearted swipe of her paws.

The young tiger was inches away from getting close to the white tigress.

Xia You paused, peeked into Mr. Brown Bear's tent (seeing no bear), took another glance at the white tigress, then approached the pots where he had planted some seeds.

Those seeds sprouted quickly; even the pots Xia You hadn't infused with spiritual energy had little buds. But those pots he did infuse...

Xia You reached out, pinching the leaves of the plants that had grown wildly, as if fed with fertilizer.

Coincidentally, Xia You's knowledge of plants was rather limited. As a former aristocratic young master, he had no need for such knowledge. After his rebirth on the post-apocalyptic Blue Star, he could rely on zombie crystal energy for sustenance, avoiding eating peculiar things.

However, the potted plant in front of him, standing tall with green lip-shaped leaves, was one Xia You recognized.

Its botanical name is Nepeta cataria, but it's more famously known as catnip.

It's said that this plant did not accompany the human exodus from Blue Star during the cosmic migration. For a time, even its photographic records vanished. Then, one day, Imperial researchers announced they had cultivated a batch of Nepeta cataria (catnip), but the quantity was extremely limited. Not long after being grown in controlled environments, all the plants died, leaving behind only photographic records.

But now...

Silently, Xia You gazed at the half shelf full of catnip in front of him, wondering how wild it might grow if left unchecked.

The black panther stood by Xia You's side, sniffing the scent of the catnip.

Xia You observed the panther's reaction with trepidation.

At first, the black panther merely sneezed, showing no major response, especially not the ecstatic rolling described in records.

Just as Xia You began to doubt if it was really catnip and was about to message Uncle Zhou to ask about the identity of the seeds, the black panther suddenly pounced, pinning him to the ground!

Xia You: "?!?!"

Completely caught off guard, Xia You didn't have time to dodge. As he braced for impact, he felt a warm, furry sensation beneath him.

Still in shock, Xia You felt the big "cat cushion" beneath him, confirming that he'd been caught in time. He wore a stunned expression, his hand still clutching some catnip he'd inadvertently plucked.

A deep purring sound resonated near Xia You's ear. Startled and about to check on the panther's condition, he heard Lu Yinghuai's voice from the direction of the tent—

"Xiao Yu, what do you have in your hand?"

The tone was deeper and raspier than ever before.

Author's note:

Yu, look around you! One, two, three! Three big cats!! And you dared to play with catnip in front of them?

You're done for 🙂