Chapter 67

The panther leaped off the sofa and approached the bedside, extending a paw to touch Xia You.

Xia You was curled up entirely under the blanket, even his head buried within. For a moment, his body trembled violently, convulsing as if drowning. His hands began to flail, searching desperately for something solid, akin to a lifeline amidst choppy waters.

Yet, Xia You found nothing that could provide him with a sense of security. In the end, he could only clutch himself, curling tighter.

The panther growled softly, not daring to touch Xia You again. It paced several times around the bed, placing its paw on the bedside, and pressed the call bell with another.

Every room in the noble mansion has a call bell, but the one in the master bedroom is specifically checked by the butler.

As Xia You buried himself in the blanket, the panther looked on anxiously. Given Xia You's extreme reaction just before, it hesitated to touch him.

The panther's thick paw padded impatiently next to the pillow before cautiously hooking the corner of Xia You's blanket, lifting it just slightly.

It was to ensure the young man inside could breathe in some fresh air.

The tiger cub and the white tiger were awakened by the sound of the bell. They looked around and also approached the bedside.

The snow leopard wasn't staying in Xia You's room. Instead, it was taken away by Fan Yu and Xin, who now had rooms in the marshal's mansion.

The panther seemed agitated, chasing away the tiger cub and white tiger from Xia You's bedside territory, then growling deeply at the approaching panda cub.

The tiger cub quickly embraced the white tiger, trying to prevent a confrontation, and coaxed it out of Xia You's room.

Uncle Zhou arrived in record time, efficiently taking Xia You's temperature and measuring his psychic energy fluctuations.

As suspected, a fever accompanied by unstable psychic energy.

This wasn't uncommon for Xia You. The first time was during the Blue Star Resonance, and the second was after he absorbed a high-energy stone and returned to the marshal's mansion.

Uncle Zhou frowned, pondering whether to call Meng Wenxuan, when the panther beside the bed gave him a gentle swipe with its paw.

Startled, Uncle Zhou turned to look at the panther, half-draped over the bedside.

The panther turned its head, its eyes a deep, rich purple.

Uncle Zhou's hand trembled, and he barely managed to grip the instrument firmly, clutching its edge as he whispered, "...Sir?"

Lu Yinghuai nodded, then lifted a paw to brush away the damp hair sticking to Xia You's forehead, casting a glance at Uncle Zhou.

Understanding, Uncle Zhou relayed the instrument's readings to Lu Yinghuai, also inquiring if Meng Wenxuan should be summoned.

Lu Yinghuai studied Xia You's psychic energy fluctuation

From the moment Lu Yinghuai awoke, all the events and memories of the black leopard over the past few days surged into his mind.

The situation concerning Meng Wenxuan was still unclear. Lu had just gleaned from the black leopard's memory the scene of Xiaoyu absorbing the pale gold energy stone. It's probable that Xiaoyu is undergoing a transformation in spiritual energy, much like during the previous Blue Star Resonance period.

The leopard's paw gently tapped the edge of the bed several times.

Zhou Shu was evidently well-versed in this nuanced method of tap communication, responding with ease, "Alright, I'll prepare the medical pod for immediate use."

Lu Yinghuai nodded, a gesture that was once graceful and poised. Yet, performed in the leopard's body, it took on an endearing charm of a large creature.

Zhou Shu watched, his eyes brimming with amusement.

Seeing Zhou Shu lingering, Lu Yinghuai turned to him, a quizzical expression in his eyes.

Zhou Shu reached out, embracing the robust black leopard, softly saying, "Welcome back, sir."

Even though consciousness hadn't fully awakened from the hibernation pod, it was already a miracle.

As a leopard, Lu Yinghuai stiffened, hesitated for a few seconds, and then awkwardly nuzzled his cheek against the old butler's face.

"Oh," Zhou Shu exclaimed softly, chuckling, "It seems the sir, in his current state, is much more candid and endearing than before."

The normally majestic black leopard stiffened even more.

Releasing the leopard, Zhou Shu took a step back to readjust, then covered Xiaoyu with the blanket, brushing his finger against the damp surface from Xiaoyu's sweat, his eyebrows knitting with concern.

"I'll prepare some hydrating beverages. Sir, please watch over Xiaoyu. Ensure he isn't suffocated but also prevent him from kicking off the covers."

Being nighttime, even if the temperature was mild, suddenly removing the blanket during a fever could exacerbate one's condition.

The black leopard nodded seriously, then pointed a paw at the peeping red panda nearby.

Zhou Shu glanced at the red panda. The creature was unfamiliar with him, and upon Zhou Shu's gaze, it instantly adopted an attacking stance.

Zhou Shu looked away, smiling gently with a hint of mischief, "Sir, I believe you'll need to adapt to living in close quarters with everyone."

Like the red panda, the spicy snack, the snow leopard, and not forgetting the white tigress, who despite being close, always seems to want to spar upon meeting.

The young master had always been dominant since childhood, never allowing others to touch his possessions. In the past, the young lady would occasionally snatch away his belongings to challenge this trait, leading to brawls between the black leopard and white tiger. Meanwhile, the young master would silently sulk, ignoring everyone.

Although the gentleman eventually deigned to acknowledge others, he would often stew in silent irritation, his quirky temperament causing much concern for the old butler.

No wonder both the old butler and Lu Jiu Zhu once fretted that nobody might tolerate Lu Ying Huai's capricious nature in the future.

The old butler turned and left without a second glance. Lu Ying Huai's panther paw swiped aimlessly in mid-air before being retracted nonchalantly.

He glanced at the little red panda.

Then he continued to lie beside the bed, gazing at Xia You with worry.

Xia You kept sliding her head under the blanket. With the panther's body not being easily maneuverable, Lu Ying Huai could only pull down the blanket slowly, ensuring Xia You's head was exposed.

A person and a leopard went about their tasks - one diving under the blanket and the other rolling it. After a few moments, Xia You curled up at the edge of the bed, while the blanket, burdened by its rolled-up weight, slid to the floor.

Lu Yinghuai remained silent, his expression saying it all.

Without the blanket, Xia You curled up even tighter, murmuring about the cold.

Lu Yinghuai pressed the call bell several times and, with a determined look, leapt onto the bed, enveloping the shivering Xia You with his leopard form.

And even then, he made sure to leave Xia You's head exposed.

The bed, which had seemed so vast and empty with just Xia You, now appeared full and cozy with the addition of a large, furry black figure.

Wrapped in the slightly warmer temperature of the feline creature, Xia You felt comforted by the familiar scent and touch. She rested her head on the leopard's strong forelimb and her arms, no longer withdrawn, held onto the leopard's paw firmly.

When Uncle Zhou entered the room, he paused momentarily, looking at the two masters with an expression that said, "I'm still not quite used to this, but I'll try." He then spread out the fluffy blanket in his hand, wrapping both person and leopard into a snug bundle.

Lu Yinghuai looked puzzled.

"Why wrap us up?"

Uncle Zhou tucked in the blanket's corners for the duo and remarked, "Xia You seems much more at peace now. Sir truly knows how to take care of someone."

Lu Yinghuai just gave a silent response.

Uncle Zhou quickly departed, closing the door behind him, setting off to prepare some food and drinks for Xia You, who always felt thirsty after a fever.

Feeling a bit helpless, Lu Yinghuai turned to look at Xia You, nestled in his embrace, completely unaffected by the warmth. Worried about her overheating, he skillfully created a small opening in the blanket with his tail, leaving the tip exposed.

Xia You, entirely unaware of Lu Yinghuai's awakened state, clutched the sturdy leopard paw and found herself dreaming of memories long forgotten.

He seemed like a wandering spirit drifting in the air.

He looked down, searching for his former self amidst the familiar scenes.

He found it.

He—

Xiaoyu's eyes snapped open, his chest heaving wildly. His throat felt as though it had been abraded by the roughest grit, a metallic taste of blood tinging his mouth.

He remembered.

His first day on the doomed Blue Star.

Xiaoyu clutched his left arm so tightly that his entire body trembled.

Once, a grotesque wound marred this very spot, torn and bloody.

He had been bitten by a zombie.