Chapter 65

Fan Yunxin's return was much faster than Xia You had anticipated.

In less than a month, Fan Yunxin returned from the Imperial Star. However, instead of coming straight to the Marshal Mansion, he went to the Resting Center.

Xia You was quite curious. While she did have an interest in the Fan family, she was more intrigued by Xia Qing and Bai Xiaoxiao. Ever since that banquet, the two had faced the continuous backlash of the star network citizens and had remained low-key for some time.

Bai Xiaoxiao occasionally posted on social media, but Xia Qing seemed to have set her sights on marrying into the Fan family. Rumor had it that she'd already parted ways with her talent agency.

As for Duke Xia...

Despite the time that had passed since the news about Xia You began circulating in the noble circles, Duke Xia hadn't received any information or even sent a message to Xia You. This clearly showed his marginal status among the nobility.

Cheng Zhi Nian knew some details. Noticing Xia You's curiosity, he was about to speak when she playfully pinched his snow leopard's ear.

Unlike the introverted Cheng Zhi Nian, the snow leopard loved cuddles and affection. Currently, the most daring creature to rest in Xia You's embrace, despite the black panther's gaze, was the snow leopard, Snow Muffin.

Snow Muffin, being a big cat, would curl and squeeze itself so that its tail rested on Xia You's arm, comfortably settling in her embrace.

With the fluffy big cat warmly nestled against her, Xia You spoke with a cheerful smile, "Maybe I should wait a bit longer. That way, when Colonel Fan arrives, it might be even more of a surprise for me, don't you think?"

Reflecting on what Fan Yunxin was about to do, Cheng Zhi Nian paused for two seconds and then nodded confidently, "You'll be very, very surprised."

Xia You raised an eyebrow.

Cheng Zhiyan has never been one to hide his feelings, and his frankness in speech is no exception. If he's so certain of Xia You's reaction, then perhaps Fan Yuxin has indeed made a daring move, believing wholeheartedly that Xia You will be pleased.

Xia You, in response, discreetly brushed the long tail of Xuebing with the back of her hand and chuckled, "Then I truly am in eager anticipation."

Cheng Zhiyan tilted his head, using his mental strength to make his companion beast lift its tail and tickle Xia You's cheek.

Xia You: "!!"

The nearby black panther, after watching for a moment, roared: "Growl!"

Xia You: "..."

With a regretful look exchanged with Cheng Zhiyan, Xia You finally petted Xuebing and set the silvery-white big cat down.

Xuebing settled on the spot and started grooming its thick fur.

The black panther wasn't typically jealous of Xia You cuddling other fluffy creatures, but usually voiced its disapproval when she touched their tails or bellies.

Nonetheless, Xia You rarely touched these sensitive spots on the companion animals. With these large cats having a more awakened human consciousness, one should always be considerate.

Xia You's mental tendril reached out, wrapping around the black panther several times, even forcefully pushing the massive feline onto the carpet to playfully bully it before being satisfied.

Xia You nonchalantly turned away, pretending her mental tendril's antics had nothing to do with her.

Meng Wenxuan just happened to be passing by the lounge and witnessed this scene. Initially walking past, he stepped back, fixating on Xia You's mental tendril.

Cheng Zhiyan squinted, disliking Meng Wenxuan's gaze.

Sensing the warning in Cheng Zhiyan's eyes, Meng Wenxuan lowered his gaze, somewhat concealing his expression, but continued observing Xia You's mental tendril.

The black panther, which had been playing around, now stood up, pacing to Xia You's side, its glossy tail wrapping around her wrist.

Hesitating for a moment, Meng Wenxuan entered the lounge. Under Xia You's smiling gaze, he whispered, "This looks very much like your psychic entity."

"His Highness said the same, but who knows? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Xia You shrugged, "It doesn't change much, either way."

Meng Wenxuan opened his mouth.

Of course, it matters!

There has never been a healer with a psychic entity; Xia You is the only exception, and her psychic entity possesses an unusual transparent and splittable form.

Meng Wenxuan wasn't wearing his usual white lab coat today. He seemed to have just returned from outside, with a shirt and trousers covered by a trench coat that bore no emblem of the First Legion – it looked like his casual attire.

Xia You reached out, placing her hand over the panther's massive face, discreetly hiding the big cat behind her, which seemed intent on opening its mouth.

Lately, the panther's attitude towards Meng Wenxuan has become increasingly colder. However, Xia You understands why, given that only Meng Wenxuan has a hesitating look every time he sees her within the Marshal's mansion.

Meng Wenxuan glanced at the snow leopard beside the couch and then at the black panther, several times larger. He pursed his lips, suddenly beginning, "If... I mean, just if..."

Xia You patiently waited for him to continue.

Meng Wenxuan clenched his fist, "Would you be interested in a psychic entity or companion beast that's hairless?"

Xia You: "?"

Initially assuming Meng Wenxuan was going to ask about psychic abilities, Xia You was taken aback, her prepared answer stuck in her throat, her eyes full of confusion.

His wording made it sound like he had a perverse desire for someone else's psychic entity or companion beast...

Xia You, with an indescribable expression, glanced at Meng Wenxuan and responded, "Doctor Meng, I will treat any patient or companion beast seeking my aid, regardless of whether they have fur."

Meeting Meng Wenxuan's gaze, Xia You hesitated briefly, adding, "At least, it doesn't play a major role."

Meng Wenxuan, seemingly resolute, nodded, "Alright, I understand."

Xia You: "...I hope you're not trying to stimulate your own psychic entity or artificially induce one without necessity."

Meng Wenxuan adjusted his glasses, a gleam reflecting off them, "My psychic power has always been at the level of awakening a psychic entity. However, I never felt that having one would benefit my research, so I've continuously suppressed it."

Cheng Zhiyan's face practically displayed a glaring question mark.

Everyone in the First Legion is diligently working to enhance their combat capabilities. Collaborating with a psychic entity for training and attacks can produce results greater than the sum of their individual strengths.

Few might be like Meng Wenxuan, who suppresses his own psychic power from growing.

Oh... wait.

It seems the Marshal is one of them.

"After the development of the psychic suppression wave, I was the last test subject. It was only put into use in the Marshal's bedroom and study after confirming its safety and effectiveness."

Meng Wenxuan spoke of his achievements with a gleam in his eyes, but soon after, his brows furrowed.

"However, the wave has a decent effect on S-level psychic abilities, but after the Marshal's psychic level increased further, it became almost ineffective."

Xia You: "..."

Xia You was at a loss for words, realizing that this wasn't the first or second time he had been used as an experimental subject.

After some thought, Xia You asked him, "But I haven't fully cured any case of psychic disorder. What if I can only delay its progression and not cure it completely?"

It's worth noting that Meng Wenxuan could originally use the suppression wave to prevent awakening of the psychic entity forever. After all, for a medic, going into battle was never the primary duty.

"But I can't continue with my other research anymore," Meng Wenxuan admitted candidly. "Whenever I look at other people's data, I think of your psychic readings; whenever I do other research, I inadvertently find myself studying about psychic-entity companions."

When Xia You first met Meng Wenxuan and Wei Cheng, her initial impression was that Meng Wenxuan seemed much shrewder than Wei Cheng, but that perception changed over time.

Wei Cheng appeared candid and straightforward, but in reality, his actions and words were guarded and precise. Even after all this time, Xia You couldn't gather any specific details about Wei Cheng's family background, let alone anything else.

Wei Cheng felt like a rubber ball—hit him and he'd bounce back harder, bite him and he might be easy to grip but hard to break.

While Meng Wenxuan was indeed intelligent, his personality had a certain obsessiveness that many found hard to comprehend.

Lu Yinghuai once told Xia You that Meng Wenxuan approached him because no other medical practitioners dared to take on such a responsibility, but Meng Wenxuan did.

Meng Wenxuan was never just a simple medical officer; throughout the treatment process for Lu Yinghuai, each stage of treatment was extremely audacious and surpassed the existing medical boundaries.

Several emergency measures used on Lu Yinghuai were unapproved procedures that hadn't been extensively tested by the Imperial Research Institute.

He joined the First Legion and held a military rank, but he always preferred to call himself a physician.

Lu Yinghuai accepted Meng Wenxuan's treatment because he wanted to live and stay lucid for longer, while Meng Wenxuan couldn't find a more resilient "patient" than Lu Yinghuai.

Thus, Lu Yinghuai didn't concern himself with Meng Wenxuan's loyalty, and Meng Wenxuan never inquired about the clearly concealed cause of Lu Yinghuai's illness.

Xia You knew Wei Cheng was observing Meng Wenxuan and understood Meng Wenxuan's keen interest in his psychic abilities, but he was genuinely surprised when Meng Wenxuan sought him out.

After a brief silence, Meng Wenxuan finally spoke, "I've heard you're forming your personal guard. Would a physician like me have the honor of joining?"

Xia You's eyelids twitched.

Having a physician in the guard would undoubtedly be beneficial, but Meng Wenxuan is an exceptional case.

He was the primary medical practitioner for the Marshal. If he joins Xia You's guard now, the circulating rumors suggesting Xia You's intention to control and usurp the Lu family might be solidified.

Moreover, considering Meng Wenxuan's role as a physician, being too close to him could make Xia You feel insecure.

Without any hesitation, Xia You decisively declined Meng Wenxuan's offer.

"As expected," Meng Wenxuan sighed softly and added, "I understand."

After speaking, Meng Wenxuan gave Xia You a respectful bow and retreated.

If one wished to experience the uniqueness of Xia You's psychic abilities, the only option left was to become Xia You's patient.

From the garden, the dirt-covered tiger, Latiao, and the white tiger returned, following the scent and heading directly towards Xia You.

Both tigers, having rolled somewhere, left a trail of big and small paw marks, muddying the previously spotless ground.

By chance, Meng Wenxuan found himself blocked at the doorway by the returning tigers.

Mud imprints resembling plum blossoms were chaotically piled at the entrance, indicating the tigers had lingered there.

The younger tiger observed Meng Wenxuan for a moment, then bypassed him and excitedly ran towards Xia You.

Gazing at the mud stains on both the large and small tigers, Xia You felt a headache coming and exclaimed, "Don't rub against anything! And stay off the carpet!"

The young tiger, being sensible, stopped just outside the carpet, looking adorably dirty as it mewled cutely at Xia You.

The panther, Black Leopard, stepped back with a look of disdain, fearing that if Latiao smeared him with mud, Xia You might force him to take a bath.

Another animal, Snow Biscuit, out of curiosity, took a couple of steps towards Latiao.

Xia You, quick to react, scooped up Snow Biscuit and stuffed him into Cheng Zhi Nian's arms, then pulled a towel from her spatial connector and vigorously wiped Latiao's head.

Latiao twitched his ears and extended his right paw.

So, Xia You proceeded to clean it for him.

Latiao then rested his paw on Xia You's tablet.

Xia You paused briefly before activating her holographic computer, bringing up a display for Latiao to input information.

At the entrance, Meng Wenxuan, who intended to leave, was blocked by the white tiger sprawled across the doorway. No matter what, he couldn't step over the Queen's companion beast.

At that moment, Meng Wenxuan heard Xia You's puzzled voice from behind, "Merge the guards? What does that mean?"

Meng Wenxuan stiffened, suddenly turning around with a gleam in his eyes.

Merge the guards—merge the guards!

That's right, such a method exists!

The act of merging guards is rarely employed by nobles or the royal family. During their noble education, this rule is typically regarded as superfluous.

As the young tiger prepared to continue typing, Cheng Zhi Nian began to speak.

"I know a bit about it." The snow leopard was somewhat hefty. Cheng Zhi Nian, unaccustomed to petting his companion beast, casually set it down, explaining, "Nobles have the right to establish their own guards. However, in legal marital relationships, after granting mutual access on their holographic computers, spouses can register to share guards."

"If both parties had personal guards before marriage, they can merge them."

"The owner of the guards has the duty and authority to supervise and oversee them. Those who join are automatically loyal to the owner and grant them full access rights on their holographic computers."

"After merging the guards, both parties have authority over the members of the combined team."

In noble circles, personal guards are a matter of honor and a life-and-death asset, almost synonymous with wealth. They are the nobles' last resort, and they wouldn't hastily invite people to join, let alone share their personal guards in marriage.

This is even more true for the royal family.

However—

"After the Queen married the Teacher, they registered to share guards."

Cheng Zhi Nian mentioned.

This explains why she, despite not being of noble birth, was aware of guards and the rare practice of merging them.

The young tiger nodded vigorously, then typed: [Uncle hasn't formed a guard team. If you share guards, uncle's monitoring, being a Marshal and a Prince, would extend to every member of the guards.]

The higher the access level on the holographic computer, the more sensitive the mainframe is, ensuring maximum protection of information for senior officers and royal family members.

Similarly, this would impose an implicit constraint on their guard members.

"Agreed. I accept." Meng Wenxuan strode back, his gaze intense.

Cheng Zhi Nian nodded: "I'm in."

Initially, for the sake of a spot in Lu Jiuzhu's guard unit, a freshly enlisted Cheng Zhi Nian had a skirmish with Jiang Nan. The outcome was clear; by then, Jiang Nan, already a Colonel, joined the guard and ultimately became Lu Jiuzhu's deputy.

The young tiger, seemingly seeking approval, handed back the display to Xia You. Its tail swished about, flicking mud spots, which unfortunately landed on the carpet and couch.

Xia You had initially wanted to give more thought to the matter of the guard, especially now that it involved Lu Yinghuai. She remarked, "We'd need the prince's approval. There's no rush; we can wait."

Wei Cheng peeked half of his body in, signaling with his hand, "Young sir, if there's a merger, count me in. But who can explain to Uncle Zhou about the freshly cleaned floor outside?"

Xia You quickly went to inspect and instantly drew a sharp intake of breath.

The mud traces outside seemed endless. Uncle Zhou, dressed neatly in his butler's uniform, was taking photos as evidence, a stern expression on his face.

Feeling guilty, Xia You averted her eyes and frantically signaled to the white tiger.

The white tiger, looking nonchalant, lazily rose and walked past Xia You, casually smearing her pants with mud in the process.

Xia You, particularly fond of her new outfit today, was left speechless.

Anger without voice.

The tiny tendrils of psychic energy that originally lingered on the black panther perked up, splitting into several and began kneading the white tiger.

The white tiger seemed unconcerned, lying down, letting the tendrils serve as a massage.

Meng Wenxuan's gaze was involuntarily drawn to Xia You's tendrils.

After observing for a while, he suddenly asked, "Can your psychic entity split a part of itself independently?"

"Pardon?" Xia You, not catching his words, asked again.

Meng Wenxuan elaborated, "The major distinction between a companion beast and a psychic entity lies in the fact that companion beasts usually possess some independent thought. Just like the relationship between the black panther and the Marshal or the snow leopard and Colonel Cheng."

"The primary difference between companion beasts and psychic entities is that the former can exist separately from their host, whereas the latter requires a psychic connection."

Meng Wenxuan glanced at Xia You's extended psychic tendrils. Though they seemed engaged in different tasks, he could sense they remained under Xia You's control.

Xia You hesitated for a moment, pondering deeply before saying, "I don't think so. It hasn't happened before."

He didn't elaborate further.

Some things are perceived intuitively. From the moment Xia You's psychic tendrils were born, he knew that if they were attacked and severed, it would surely affect his mental seascape.

Hence, Xia You had always been cautious with these tendrils, adeptly evading any potential harm and had never experienced any breakage.

After all, he wasn't really a cephalopod in mental form.

A hint of confusion crossed Meng Wenxuan's face, "Have you never suffered any harm to your psychic form before?"

"But on the day you left the protected area, there was a precipitous drop in your psychic energy. Typically, this suggests harm to the psychic form or an attack on the mental seascape."

Xia You genuinely didn't know.

He had never formally studied the healer's curriculum and was somewhat lacking in that area.

However, on the day of the evacuation from the protected area, he had been through a lot, and his mental seascape did endure a substantial shock. "Perhaps it was when I absorbed the advanced energy stone. But it wasn't a big issue."

When Xia You first returned to the Marshal's residence, he was listless for several days. Uncle Zhou tirelessly fed him nourishing soups and energy stones, rejuvenating the pale and weak Xia You in just a few days.

Meng Wenxuan still felt something was amiss. After bidding Xia You farewell, he hurriedly headed towards the medical room.

Xia You looked at the two dirty tigers and resignedly rolled up his sleeves, "Let's go, bath time?"

Ever since the cub was bathed by Xia You with catnip water, it had developed a fondness for bathing. Even without the catnip, it wasn't as resistant as before.

Xia You glanced at the white tiger, feeling slightly apprehensive.

It seemed he had never... bathed this one before.

The white tiger yawned widely and followed the tiger-striped one towards the bathroom, while Xia You turned his gaze to the black panther.

"Yuan Yuan, look, since we're all bathing anyway, how about..."

The black panther immediately turned away. Even a second of hesitation was a sign of weakness against bathing.

Xia You sighed.

Alright then.

The snow leopard approached Xia You, gently rubbing against his leg and letting out a soft "meow."

Xia You felt a bit conflicted.

Cheng Zhi Nian noticed Xia You's dilemma, and with one arm, scooped up the snow leopard, tucking it under his arm, heading towards the bathroom.

"Hey, teacher?" Xia You quickly followed.

From a distance, Cheng Zhi Nian's voice echoed, "You instruct, I'll wash Snow Pie."

……

The most cooperative and docile Snow Pie took only twenty minutes to emerge, fluffy, fragrant, and soft.

In contrast, on Xia You's side...

By the time the two tigers, one large and one small, emerged from the pool, Xia You was thoroughly drenched.

Consequently, Xia You was compelled to take another shower.

The white tiger stretched luxuriously, settling on a spacious balcony to bask in the sun.

Tiger Stripe lay next to the white tiger, sunning its back before turning over its belly. Its fur looked fluffy and soft in the sunlight, but it felt rather rough to touch.

Cheng Zhi Nian received a communication and went to the hibernation center, leaving the snow leopard with Xia You. Presently, the leopard was sprawled on the balcony railing, looking like a stretched-out gray and white fur scarf.

Xia You playfully petted each of the furry creatures. When he reached Snow Pie, he paused, retrieving a cherished blue ribbon from his space node. He tied it around the tip of Snow Pie's tail, letting a delicate butterfly bow dangle.

Snow Pie suddenly turned its head, its eyes gleaming with joy, wagging its tail and giving Xia You's hand a plush nuzzle.

Xia You chuckled, gently rubbing Snow Pie's furry ears before turning his attention to the black panther, who had just finished its bath and returned to his side.

The black panther lounged beside Xia You, yawning wide.

Xia You checked the date on his holographic computer and then knelt in front of the panther, trying to rouse the drowsy animal, "Almost forgot, Yuan Yuan's due for his psychic therapy today."

"Come on, no acting cute. Sit up."

The black panther, warmed by the sun, lazily pressed down on Xia You.

Of course, it might also be due to Xia You spending so much time with other fluffy creatures today, causing the leopard to feel a bit left out.

Tickled by the leopard's whiskers, Xia You sneezed twice, laughing and complaining, "Yuan Yuan, you're so heavy! Get up now!"

The black leopard affectionately rubbed against Xia You's cheek and neck, then playfully teased him before settling down. With graceful poise, it extended a paw and gently placed it in the palm of Xia You's hand.

***

Xia You's next encounter with the civet was on an afternoon some ten days later.

Yes, once again, it was the civet knocking.

When Xia You opened the door, the civet stood outside with a small bundle on its back, and behind it was a long-tailed creature, resembling a cat but appearing twice its size.

It had reddish-brown fur, with black and white ears and white spots on its face. Its dark brown tail was long, thick, and fluffy.

The civet, with a hint of pride, nudged the reddish-brown creature towards Xia You before strutting into the mansion.

Xia You: "!!!"

What... is this?

The little creature seemed frightened by the civet. Upon seeing Xia You, its eyes welled up with tears. It clung to Xia You's leg with its little black claws, trembling.

Fan Yu Xin stepped out, looking travel-weary. With a disapproving glance at the new fluffy addition in Xia You's arms, he remarked, "It's quite aggressive."

Xia You looked down at the fluffy creature in his arms, even smaller than any previous kitten he'd encountered. The reddish-brown furball looked up at him with an innocent expression.

"Mewl!"

So innocent, so vulnerable, and utterly adorable.

Xia You turned to Fan Yu Xin.

Fan Yu Xin sighed, "...It's an act."

After a brief pause, Fan Yu Xin added in his defense, "It bit me several times when I tried to catch it!"

The civet immediately began fussing over its fur, attempting to find evidence of injury.

Xia You chuckled, petting the indignant civet affectionately, and gestured, "Come on in."

Although Fan Yu Xin was unaware of Xia You's urgent need for a new companion beast to absorb the gray substance, fate serendipitously brought Xia You the surprise he needed most.

And such a delightful one at that.

Xia You couldn't resist giving the little creature in his arms another gentle squeeze.

Shifting his gaze, he noticed the bulging bundle still strapped to the civet's back and inquired, "What's this?"

Fan Yu Xin raised an eyebrow, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes. He bent down to unravel the bundle, revealing a dozen or so items resembling buttons.

He then laid them out one by one on the living room floor.

The other big cats gathered around curiously.

La Tiao extended a paw and pressed one of the yellow buttons.

"Pet the paw," a soft system voice chimed.

"Pet the head." The white tiger pressed another.

"Ouch, the paw." The snow leopard accidentally stepped on yet another.

Xia You: "...?"

After a brief two-second pause, the three big cats began frenziedly pressing and stepping on the buttons, causing a cacophony of overlapping system voices.

The black leopard sat off to the side, observing the chaos with dignified restraint.

From his spatial nexus, Fan Yu Xin produced a purple button, stealthily sliding it in front of the black leopard.

The black leopard cast him a cold glance.

With a mischievous grin, Fan Yu Xin pressed it.

"Do not touch."

This distinctive system voice echoed, eerily reminiscent of Lu Ying Huai.

The flurry of feline activity abruptly halted.

A twitch appeared at the corner of Xia You's lips. She was about to say, "Yuan Yuan would never indulge in such childish things."

In the next moment, the panther's claw touched the deep purple button.

"Don't touch, don't touch, don't touch, don't touch..."

Xia You seemed like she wanted to say something, but instead, she immediately activated the video recording feature on her light computer.

Not far away, Uncle Zhou, who was also recording, smiled kindly at Xia You.

The white tiger approached the panther, reaching out for the commanding-looking button. But the panther swiftly hid the button beneath itself, refusing to give up the toy despite the white tiger's attempts to pry it away.

For a while, the only sound echoing in the small living room was...

"Don't touch."

Upon seeing the two recording the scene, Latiao perked up his ears, quickly retreated from the scene, and hopped onto a nearby couch to watch the drama unfold.

The snow leopard hesitated for a moment before jumping onto the bar counter, moving closer to Xia You, and looking down at the reddish-brown fluffy creature in her arms.

The once calm and innocent-looking fluff suddenly raised its head, swiping its paw towards the snow leopard!

The snow leopard dodged the dark claw, let out a low growl at the reddish-brown furball, and took advantage of Xia You's distraction to pull the creature out of her embrace.

Once out of Xia You's protective hold, the reddish-brown furball stood firm on the counter, straightened up on its hind legs, raised its front paws to its head, its sharp claws gleaming menacingly.