Chapter 115

Enticed by the young marshal, Xiayou started to focus earnestly on his work.

—Of course, this was also because the agreement between Xiayou and the Empire was finally signed.

Latiao proved to be a competent little tiger. Although Xiayou didn't fully grasp the praises sung by Latiao in the communication box, he accepted the kind gesture from his little nephew and had Fan and Xin, who were about to return to the capital star, bring a few items to Qin Anhong.

It wasn’t anything particularly precious—just fruits from their home trees, snacks made by Uncle Zhou, and a batch of psychic power storage devices developed by Xiayou and the Dormancy Center.

After being separated from Xiayou, the psychic energy, though less voracious, remained a gentle healing force, beneficial for stabilizing mental energy.

Setting aside Qin Anhong's restrained demeanor at his desk upon receiving the gifts, his companion beast, resembling a grown tiger, pounced on the psychic storage devices, rolling around. Its front paws clutched the devices, rubbing them lovingly against itself.

Xiayou glanced at the date on his holographic computer and absentmindedly scratched his chin.

Uncle Zhou had been gone for over ten days.

Although he's the steward of the Marshal's mansion, Uncle Zhou is, at heart, a free spirit. One morning, he left breakfast prepared, dropped a note, and then vanished without a trace.

Lanxing is one of the most heavily guarded planets. After the Emperor decided to stay, security levels increased manifold. Yet even Lu Yinghuai couldn't determine how Uncle Zhou had left the planet.

When the Emperor learned of this from his visibly upset guards, he just laughed it off.

Seeing Xiayou's curiosity, he eagerly shared a cherished recording from the past where Uncle Zhou had hoodwinked him and gave him a thrashing during his proposal to Lu Jiuzhu.

In a palace surrounded by numerous guards, Uncle Zhou easily entered, assaulted the Emperor, and left just as effortlessly.

Xiayou was truly astounded, increasingly feeling that this imperial in-law was the most enigmatic individual he had ever met.

After Xiayou pampered a quarter of the fluffy beings at the Lanxing base, Lu Jiuzhu's treatment was finally scheduled.

Cleaning the grey matter wouldn't have taken Xiayou so long. However, after his psychic abilities leveled up, he re-examined the White Tiger's brain and found the grey matter rooted deeper than in other companion beasts.

Xiayou and the healers at the Dormancy Center held a meeting to discuss. If they proceeded with the previous method, although curable, Lu Jiuzhu's psychic level, which had reached SS during hibernation, would plummet to S or even lower.

So Xiayou began using an old method, concentrating his psychic energy sphere over the White Tiger's brain, gradually permeating its tissue, paralyzing the parasitic grey matter, and slowly stimulating Lu Jiuzhu's psychic growth.

This treatment method was more reliable but took a bit longer.

The Emperor, who had conveniently granted himself an extended break, didn't mind. He relished the private moments with his queen, dubbing it a belated honeymoon.

The Emperor, clearly enjoying himself, was led around by the White Tiger daily. They toured the planet on a spaceship. In Xiayou's long stay on Lanxing, he hadn't seen as many places as the couple had in less than a month.

Knock, knock, knock.

A knocking sound came from the entrance. Xiayou, seated nearby, looked up in surprise to see Anjing, whom he hadn't seen in a while, dressed in a sharp combat suit, holding an adorable little panda.

Xiayou was taken aback.

Anjing walked in, handed a sweet cake to Xiayou, and succinctly said, "He's busy. He asked if you could look after the companion beast."

Xiayou: "?"

Really, how does Zhuo Xi see his spirit beast? As a pet or a child?

And yet, he pawns it off to others.

But since Zhuo Xi awoke from his hibernation chamber and, with a startlingly rapid recovery, he's been tirelessly immersed in the Lanxing Base's mecha research division. It's clear that his spirit beast, the little panda, is wilting due to his erratic hours.

Holding Tang Gao close, Xia You affectionately rubbed its ears, pinched its paws, and caressed its belly, while breaking off a piece of apple to feed it.

After sending off Tang Gao, An Jing left promptly. A spirit beast in poor condition had been located at the hibernation center, and she had plans to visit the reserve with Cheng Zhi Nian. If all went well, they'd be back later in the day.

Xia You stroked Tang Gao's fur while instinctively channeling some of her psychic energy into its body.

……

Far away in the Lanxing Base, an assistant was urging a visibly exhausted Zhuo Xi to rest. Ignoring the advice, he simply said, "Just a moment."

At first, the assistant was puzzled. But then, as Zhuo Xi glanced at the holographic computer and timed something, his demeanor visibly shifted, rejuvenating as if he'd just visited a medical pod.

Assistant: "??"

Zhuo Xi was quite pleased.

Indeed, sending his spirit beast to Xia You for a bit of pampering was the right decision.

……

Yuan Yuan slowly approached, its deep gaze fixed on the little panda cradled in Xia You's arms.

The old house would display its jealousy in a roundabout and adorably indirect manner, but Yuan Yuan, when jealous, would snatch up the little panda and dump it in some obscure nook or cranny.

Alarmed, Xia You immediately crouched down, leaned in, and kissed the leopard's cheek. After noticing Yuan Yuan's momentary shyness, she playfully collapsed onto the big cat.

Yuan Yuan quickly adjusted to catch Xia You, becoming her fluffy and warm cushion.

The afternoons always seemed to move slowly, but Xia You still found it hard to adjust to the inexplicably quieter and emptier house.

After lunch, leaning against Yuan Yuan and holding Tang Gao, Xia You settled in the projection room to watch a film.

The movie was an old one, chronicling the story of Lu Yinghuai leading the First Legion to repel the Bug Army. Although it contained quite a bit of artistic interpretation and the lead actor wasn't as handsome as His Highness, the stirring music and dazzling visual effects made Xia You's breath catch in excitement.

Yuan Yuan's beastly eyes briefly flashed a deep purple hue.

Lu Yinghuai, attempting to sneak a glance at the young master, opened his eyes to find Xia You and the little panda intently watching the holographic portrayal of the Imperial Marshal, their cheeks flushed with excitement from the vibrant lights.

The black leopard remained silent for a moment, lifting its hefty paw to gently rest it on Xia You's shoulder.

With an air of indifference, Xia You turned to plant a quick kiss on the leopard's paw, her gaze never straying from the actor playing "Lu Yinghuai."

The next second, Xia You's view was obscured by a fuzzy leopard tail, swishing in apparent displeasure across her face.

Xia You reached up to grasp the tail, and when she turned to look at Yuan Yuan, the leopard's eyes had reverted to gold.

Assuming that the leopard felt neglected, Xia You buried her face into its embrace, taking deep comforting breaths.

"Huh—"

Xia You, her face still buried in the leopard's belly, paused.

What was that noise?

"Honk—Honk—"

Xia You halted her movements, sat upright, and deactivated the window's light-blocking command to peer outside.

The window, which had been completely opaque, gradually reverted to its transparent state.

"Honk."

Separated by the window, Xia You locked eyes with a snow-white creature in the garden, distinguished by a delicate bowtie around its neck.

Xia You's expression became intriguingly complex.

A few minutes later.

Wei Cheng led in a swaying creature from behind, a massive white goose. Though its gait was slow and deliberate, it emanated an intimidating aura.

This goose was truly massive. Xia You sized it up and realized its stature was almost comparable to Yuan Yuan when he stood upright.

But... no matter how large, it was still just a goose.

Xia You observed it for a moment, then silently poured a glass of water and offered it to the goose.

The bowtie-clad goose gracefully extended a wing toward Xia You in a polite gesture, leaning forward to bow. It then lowered its head to sip the water from the glass, taking small, measured drinks.

Throughout, it didn't make a single sound.

Utterly elegant.

Yuan Yuan didn't seem particularly interested in this large goose. He leaped onto a terrace railing, looking down from his elevated position over the living room.

Standing beside Wei Cheng, Xia You lowered her voice and asked, "I thought all the companion beasts of our First Legion were predators."

Recently, Lu Yinghuai has been busy presenting proposals on spiritual entities and companion beasts to the public. It's impressive that he manages to come home on time to spend moments with Xia You. Hence, Wei Cheng has been handling the treatment arrangements.

Wei Cheng noticed that Xia You wasn't keen on interacting with strangers, especially during treatments. With others around, she'd often be reserved. Eventually, she'd only come with her companion beast.

The Husky Xia You encountered before resembled a wolf, and the tabby cat looked more like a baby tiger. At first glance, none of them would be mistaken for pets.

However, the creature before them, from every angle, looked just like an oversized domestic goose—a kind that, if placed in a sanctuary, seems like it'd be eaten in an instant.

Wei Cheng's expression was subtle. After a long silence, he responded in an almost whisper-like tone, "It... is fierce."

Xia You remarked nonchalantly, "As fierce as a predator?"

A faint smile appeared on Wei Cheng's face.

He might not know if it's as fierce as a predator, but he did recall that during a recent military team exchange match, this seemingly harmless goose lost control of its spiritual power and bit a large notch in an armored mech.

Fortunately, it was just a training mech. Otherwise, the logistics department would have been devastated.

Precisely because of the bite's power, many willingly postponed their treatment sessions, hoping the goose wouldn't go berserk and bite their precious mechs next time.

Private mechs are hard-earned. Repairing one is both costly and exhausting, and it's not even guaranteed you'd get the mech technician you desire.

After the giant white goose leaned in affectionately and nuzzled Xia You's hand, she joyfully began to pet it, paying little attention to Wei Cheng's description of the goose.

As Xia You's spiritual tentacle was about to delve into the goose to assess its spiritual disorder, noises echoed from the courtyard outside.

A moment later, Cheng Zhinian walked in, with a winged snow leopard following behind, dragging an unconscious cheetah by the nape of its neck.

The large cat, covered in rough pale-yellow fur, sprang to its feet as soon as the snow leopard let go. With a swift retaliatory bite, it hurriedly ran in Xia You's direction.

The moment the cheetah entered, Xia You detected something off about its mental state. Upon closer observation, she noticed the pupils brimming with a ferocious and sadistic rage. It was evident the creature had lost its reason and was highly aggressive.

Wei Cheng stepped forward to shield Xia You.

Xue Bing, under the calming guidance of Xia You's mental tentacles, did not charge forward. Instead, he paced nearby, ready to intervene and take control if necessary.

Sitting calmly, Xia You's psychic tendrils shot out, ensnaring the crimson-eyed cheetah and pinning it in place, even its swishing tail was pressed against the carpet by the tentacles.

The previously menacing big cat was instantly restrained, letting out plaintive cries as it lay immobilized on the carpet. Its paws thrashed desperately, soon ripping several gashes in the carpet.

The giant white goose, initially up for treatment, seemed neither impatient nor unhappy with the interruption. It respectfully withdrew the tip of its wing from Xia You's hand and waited politely to the side.

Xia You turned to Cheng Zhinian and asked, "What happened?"

Cheng Zhinian responded, "Last night, its mental state began deteriorating. When An Jing and I found him, he was trying to provoke a pride of lions."

For a single cheetah to even think about challenging an entire lion pride, it must be out of its mind; this isn't a common occurrence.

Xia You's psychic tentacles gently soothed the cheetah. In no time, the once-distorted face of the creature began to calm down, and its feline features returned to normal.

Though Yuan Yuan is a cheetah, being of a black variant, its spots are only prominently visible under specific lighting, presenting a striking appearance with black background and golden spots.

However, the cheetahs Xia You often saw in various wildlife videos and images were of this more commonly colored kind.

Significantly calmer under Xia You's psychic reassurance, the sleek and well-groomed big cat, with its round, shiny eyes, stared intently at Xia You. After a few moments, it let out a soft, kitten-like "meow."

Xia You: "!!"

Who would have thought a cheetah's call could be so... endearingly adorable?!

Unable to resist, Xia You reached out and caressed the spotted big cat's leopard ears.

Lu Yinghuai, who had come home early from military duties after catching a glimpse of Xia You watching a young celebrity during the day, happened to witness her tender gesture towards the leopard's ear.

Yuan Yuan, perched on a high spot, had his pupils slowly contract. With a swift push of his paws, he leaped off the railing, silently approaching the leopard with the distinct spots.

Meanwhile, Lu Yinghuai stood not far away in the corridor, his expression nonchalant.

How fitting – watching a young star's movie by day, and caressing that very star's companion beast by night.

Sensing Lu Yinghuai's psychic presence, Xia You looked up with a smile, her eyes gleaming, "Your Highness, you're back?"

Lu Yinghuai gave a nonchalant "Hmm" and approached Xia You with a stride that betrayed no hint of discomfort.

As the cheetah settled down, Xia You gently soothed it with a touch of psychic energy. Releasing the cheetah, she decided to let it acclimate to its surroundings before starting any treatments to avoid stress reactions.

Yuan Yuan, who had silently approached, stepped past the large white goose. Spotting the cheetah that sensed a predator's presence, Yuan Yuan silently bared its sharp fangs.

The cheetah, being a naturally skittish big cat, didn’t choose to flee when its psychic state was unstable. Instead, it swiped in the direction of Yuan Yuan.

—It tore off the delicate bow tie around the neck of the goose in front of Yuan Yuan.

Wei Cheng exclaimed, "Don't—"

In the next second, the previously polite and docile goose suddenly spread its wings and honked aggressively at the cheetah, charging with an open beak.

The cheetah growled softly, raising its claws and baring its teeth defiantly.

For a moment, chaos reigned in the parlor as the cheetah ran and the goose chased, feathers flying everywhere.

The turn of events was so swift that before Xia You could react, she was whisked away to a safe distance from the commotion.

Xia You gripped the hem of Lu Yinghuai's clothing, her eyes wide in shock. It took her a moment to articulate her incredulous observation: "Your Highness, when that goose opened its mouth—"

Xia You was certain that geese didn't have teeth, but she had just seen two neat rows of serrated teeth inside this goose's beak, reminiscent of a crocodile's.

Paired with the seemingly harmless and wobbly appearance of the goose, the shock was off the charts.

Watching the cheetah being chased around the room by the goose, narrowly avoiding its snapping beak several times, Xia You murmured in disbelief, "... I never knew geese could be so fierce..."

Wei Cheng and Cheng Zhinian, who had witnessed the entire scene, remained silent.

The dignified and composed Marshal of the Empire nodded slightly and explained to Xia You, "That goose is from the First Legion, a remarkable warrior. The cheetah, although a wild beast companion, has been neglectful of training since graduating from the military academy, so it's normal it can't win."

"If it were another big cat, be it Cookie, Snowflake, or even... Yuan Yuan, they wouldn't be chased and bitten so pitifully."

Xia You uttered an understanding "Oh," her gaze towards the cheetah now tinged with a hint of pity.

Yuan Yuan sauntered over, its tail-tip brushing against Xia You's hand.

Embracing the beautiful and formidable black panther, the admiration in Xia You's eyes deepened.

Lu Yinghuai diverted his gaze, adjusting his cufflinks with downcast eyes.

Cheng Zhinian: "..."

Wei Cheng: "..."

Tang Gao, who watched the entire scene while holding an apple: "..."

*

Blue Star Base

Zhuo Xi, while installing parts of an experimental machine, paused briefly and clicked his tongue lightly.

The assistant beside him immediately tensed up, "Is there an issue with the parameters somewhere?"

Zhuo Xi resumed his work, replying nonchalantly, "No, I just glimpsed something I shouldn't have. My eyes feel a bit uncomfortable now."

"…Pardon?"

The assistant, looking at a pile of mech parts and the calibration screen in front of him, appeared perplexed.

Something he shouldn’t have seen…?