Chapter 120

When Wei Cheng entered with his newly registered companion beast, Xia You's usual sunbathing living room was already occupied by a black and white striped tiger. On the table, there was also a panda cub sitting alongside an even smaller golden hamster.

Both fluffy creatures held snacks in their paws. The cake in the panda's paw was of regular size, while the one in the hamster's was only as big as a fingernail. Yet, the decorative patterns on the snacks were intricate, unmistakably the handiwork of Uncle Zhou.

Meng Wenxuan, after lounging around for two days and growing restless, had strapped a medical device around his waist. Now he sat on a dimly lit sofa with screens full of dense research data in front of him, occasionally glancing toward the stairway entrance.

Observing the scene, Wei Cheng, with a subtle expression, hinted towards the staircase, "Hasn't... come down yet?"

Relieved to have someone to converse with, Meng Wenxuan switched off the screen and blurted, "More than that. The Marshal just had Uncle Zhou send up some nutritional fluid."

Wei Cheng's expression grew even more nuanced.

As far as he knew, before getting married, the Marshal had never cultivated the domestic habit of having regular meals. Even with Uncle Zhou overseeing, he often resorted to time-efficient nutritional fluids, stocking plenty in his space nexus.

Surely, Lord Xia You's space nexus wasn't devoid of these fluids.

Did they... run out of all the nutritional fluid?

Well...

Meng Wenxuan mumbled, "After holding back for decades, is he now making up for it? This old mansion is truly daunting..."

Ever since Fan Yu and Xin were punished for their remarks, the nickname "old mansion" started to circulate discreetly within the Marshal's residence. It wasn't meant disrespectfully; it was just that ever since the Marshal fell in love, descriptors like "an old house set ablaze, unquenchable even with water" seemed apt.

A feline companion beast, its light brown fur dotted with dark spots, silently stepped out from behind Wei Cheng, sitting politely to one side.

This feline creature looked similar to an ocelot. However, its paws, resembling those of a duck, were adapted for swimming. It was twice the size of a domestic cat, had a short tail, and its fur was exceptionally thick and lush.

Hamster D turned its head and found itself meeting the gaze of the companion beast.

The eagle hadn't mentioned that the Marshal's mansion was so cat-heavy before coming.

Silently, Hamster D nibbled on its snack and swiftly stuffed the remaining bits into its cheeks. With cheeks puffed out, it jumped into the fruit bowl on the table and pulled a tangerine leaf over itself, hoping out of sight meant out of mind.

It wasn't that he feared cats. Even a leopard could be confronted. However, due to hamster instincts, D had zero desire to approach anything feline.

Tang Gao, observing the hamster's antics, paused for a moment before pulling up a screen to type: [It's a fishing cat].

Fishing cats live by the water and, true to their name, fish for their meals. This lifestyle is why their paws have such a webbed appearance.

Hamster D raised its little paw and lazily typed: [But she's still a cat].

Most of the companion creatures in the Marshal's mansion are felines. When not accompanying Uncle Zhou, Hamster D often follows Tang Gao, as Tang Gao always finds the best viewing spots and the most comfortable lounging places in the mansion.

——Its tail is soft, perfect to snuggle under.

Tang Gao was speechless.

By that logic, you're on the golden eagle's menu too, but I don't see you avoiding eagles!

Baihu yawned grandly and typed on a screen: [Which day is it today?]

Wei Cheng glanced at the schedule.

Initially, the plan was to send a companion beast every other day. However, the fishing cat was supposed to have arrived the day before yesterday; it was delayed because Xia You hadn't shown up until today.

So...

"Today is the fifth day."

After saying this, Wei Cheng fell silent.

The fifth day.

Tsk.

Lu Jiuzhu thought about not having seen Lu Yinghuai and Xia You for five days, not even a glimpse of the black panther, and couldn't help but remark: [Impressive! Seems like people just can't be pent up].

They might go a little crazy when confined.

While Lu Jiuzhu could make such remarks, neither Wei Cheng nor Meng Wenxuan dared to concur, considering their subordinate roles.

Tang Gao feigned ignorance, acting as if he hadn't heard.

The fishing cat beside them twitched its whiskers, fixating on the tassels at the edge of the carpet.

Uncle Zhou just so happened to descend from upstairs, his face expressing profound contentment.

Lu Jiuzhu leapt off the sofa, his hefty tiger paws leaving two pronounced plum blossom impressions on its surface.

Hamster D peeked out, and suddenly, following its instincts, sprung from the fruit plate, landing precisely on the sofa. It nestled comfortably into one of the plum blossom-shaped indentations.

A perfect fit. Pure comfort.

Tang Gao's munching ceased, and he gazed incredulously at the fluff shaped like a cat's paw.

Hamster D flicked its feet, tucking in its claws. Every strand of its fur seemed to scream, "Sleeping—Do Not Disturb."

Tang Gao stuffed the last bite of pastry into his mouth, wiping his dark paws with a napkin. He mentally decided to introduce Anjing to this hamster.

After all, both seemed to have quirky personalities; perhaps they'd find common ground.

Wei Cheng had other matters to attend to. He whispered a few instructions to the fishing cat before hastily departing.

The fishing cat found a spot on the carpet to lie down, its tail draped across its body. With eyes shut, it appeared to be asleep.

Yet its feline ears remained incredibly alert. Any slight noise caused them to twitch, clearly attuned to every subtle sound.

***

Upstairs Bedroom:

The room was dimly lit, with thick curtains blocking out any external light.

The two on the bed were nestled together. Xia You sunk into Lu Yinghuai's embrace, not facing him as usual, but curled up like a shrimp with her back to him.

Lu Yinghuai was awake, whereas Xia You's eyes were closed, her eyelids fluttering as if in REM sleep.

Lu Yinghuai didn't expose the feigning Xia You. Instead, he rested his chin on her shoulder, gently caressing her earlobe and occasionally giving it a soft pinch.

The frequency of the pinches and the subtle allure matched precisely with Xiayu's usual method of pinching a leopard's paw.

As Lu Yinghuai moved deliberately and slowly, Xiayu instinctively curled up, struggling to say, "Enough, Your Highness."

"Hungry?"

Lu Yinghuai's warm breath lingered on Xiayu's neck, causing a familiar shiver throughout her body and igniting a warmth.

A black leopard silently entered from the doorway with a nutrient solution in its mouth, climbing onto the bed from Xiayu's side. It placed the solution next to Xiayu's pillow and softly nuzzled her cheek with its muzzle.

Yet, Xiayu, who usually petted and nuzzled big cats without hesitation, suddenly recoiled. Something seemed to cross her mind, causing her ears to flush a deep red.

Lu Yinghuai gently chuckled as he embraced the Xiayu drawn into his arms.

Xiayu's expression crumbled as she looked at the innocent face of the leopard.

Now, whenever she saw the leopard's face, she was reminded of the sensation of its fur against her skin, the trembling when she lay atop it, the long whiskers, and the cool touch of its nose.

And then there was the nutrient solution, once seen as convenient, now evoking indescribable feelings in Xiayu.

Resolutely, Xiayu pushed away the leopard head that Yuan Yuan brought close, simultaneously confiscating the warm nutrient solution and storing it deep within her spatial ring.

Lu Yinghuai queried, "Xiayu no longer likes Yuan Yuan?"

Xiayu replied coldly, "Right, I don't."

"Tired of him already?" Lu Yinghuai sighed deeply.

Xiayu smirked, "Indeed, no longer enamored."

She should've been wary when this man carried her to the bedroom and Yuan Yuan followed – clearly, he was up to no good!

With a smirk at the corner of his eyes, Lu Yinghuai, knowing he was about to be rebuffed, shifted the topic to distract Xiayu, "Has there been any change in your psychic energy?"

Feeling the warmth of the person behind her, Xiayu grew drowsy, her eyelids drooping. She murmured, "I'm so full, my psychic sea feels bloated. I'll need to expend some energy soon."

Although Lu Yinghuai's psychic energy is usually restrained, Xiayu could absorb any excess energy when they touched. Yet, she had never experienced the devouring power of his psychic energy as Meng Wenxuan described.

Lu Yinghuai proposed, "Would you like to explore the core of my psychic sea?"

Xiayu's previously closed eyes shot open. She wriggled in Lu Yinghuai's embrace, turning to face him with intense eyes, "Really?!"

Xiayu's excitement shone brightly in her eyes.

Even though Xiayu's psychic power had reached SS- level, Lu Yinghuai, believing that Xiayu's power was still advancing, had refrained from allowing her to delve her psychic tendrils into the core of his psychic sea for fear of affecting her progression.

Xiayu understood Lu Yinghuai's concerns. She had once ventured into his psychic sea's core despite his warnings. The experience was akin to navigating a quagmire, where every movement drained immense psychic energy. She nearly depleted herself that time.

"Yes, it's true," Lu Yinghuai said, his hand encircling Xiayu's waist. "Xiayu, your psychic power's progression has completed."

"Congratulations, you've reached double S-tier."

Xiayu was taken aback.

What?

After a moment, having completed her self-assessment, Xiayu opened her eyes with an indescribable expression, silently shooting Lu Yinghuai a pointed glance.

Indeed, her psychic power's progression had concluded.

Yet, because of someone's recent over-the-top and unrestrained actions, her mind had been entirely muddled, and she hadn't noticed at all.

After a pause, curiosity getting the best of her, Xiayu asked through gritted teeth, "When did this happen?"

Lu Yinghuai smiled slightly, "Hmm?"

The psychic tendril, which had been bullied often these days, for once didn't nuzzle against Lu Yinghuai. Instead, it rose and landed a hefty slap on the back of Lu Yinghuai's sliding hand, issuing a fierce warning.

A resigned Lu Yinghuai answered, "The second day."

Xiayu: "..."

The second day.

Xiayu strained to recall fragments of the memories, particularly those from the second day.

In the beginning, Lu Yinghuai was incredibly restrained and gentle. He guided Xiayu step by step, allowing her to feel and accept without inducing any fear or trepidation. She only felt overwhelming comfort and pleasure.

Lu Yinghuai's features naturally leaned towards the epitome of perfection. Whether in military uniform or the thinnest of nightgowns, he exuded an untouchable aura.

Hence, it was easy for Xiayu to be entranced by such beauty.

Of course, Xiayu wouldn't think that way now.

He had come to a realization: beneath the veneer of an unattainable beauty and reserved demeanor lay a smoldering intensity.

Xiayu didn't want to recall how that man had deliberately teased and tormented him with slow, provocative actions, forcing Xiayu to take the initiative only to fall deeper into the trap.

Yuan Yuan's tail brushed against Xiayu's ankle. Without a second thought, Xiayu stretched his foot from beneath the blanket and gently pushed the large black panther off the bed.

The black panther let out a pitiful growl, but Xiayu's heart was as cold as iron, showing no sympathy for the plush creature.

——At least for now, he definitely didn't want to touch any panther.

Truth be told, if it weren't for the fact that he couldn't push Lu Yinghuai off, Xiayu would have thrown him off the bed too.

Lu Yinghuai's warm hand eventually settled on Xiayu's lower back, gently caressing him through his pajamas, akin to stroking fur.

Xiayu did appreciate such tender embraces, but after a moment, he looked up with suspicion, "This seems like the way I usually stroke fur...?"

Lu Yinghuai chuckled, retorting, "Is it uncomfortable?"

Xiayu: "... It's alright."

He felt it might be safer to just kick the man off the bed.

As Xiayu's gaze wandered around the bedroom, memories of the recent past began to resurface, steadily undermining his composure, causing an involuntary twitch of his lips.

Maybe... it would be better to lock the master outside.

The changes in Xiayu's facial expressions, reflecting his inner thoughts, were so candid and endearing that Lu Yinghuai couldn't resist leaning down to nuzzle against Xiayu's cheek.

Xiayu almost instinctively tilted his head for a kiss but caught himself in time, grabbing Lu Yinghuai's face with what he believed to be an intimidating expression: "Stay still! Let me inspect your psychic sea."

Facing the "fierce" young master, the Empire's marshal, who outside would never back down from his word, was more compliant in the bedroom than even the panther. He closed his eyes, resting his cheek on the pillow, his soft black hair cascading through Xiayu's fingers, looking utterly docile.

Xiayu's psychic tendril cautiously ventured into the core of Lu Yinghuai's psychic sea, and as expected, upon entry, he felt a sense of engulfment.

Xiayu hesitated for a moment, unsure whether this engulfing sensation originated from Lu Yinghuai's psychic power or the Queen of the Insects.

Lending psychic energy wasn't a significant concern, but Xiayu needed to ascertain if he was feeding his own pet panther.

As Xiayu pondered, his tendril was suddenly tugged gently by something.

Xiayu was taken aback.

The inky blue psychic sea, resembling a marsh, stirred, striving to form a tendril-like projection.

Xiayu's face remained expressionless, his tendril displaying indifference.

The elongated psychic force hesitated, struggled to coil itself into a ball, then split into two. A pair of tiny triangles sprouted on the slightly smaller orb.

Amused, Xiayu chuckled. His psychic tendril curled and moved closer, connecting with the crudely formed psychic cat.

The moment the psychic tendril touched the psychic cat, the sensation of being consumed intensified.

Instantly, Xiayu understood that this feeling was likely due to Lu Yinghuai's unique psychic talent.

Lu Yinghuai's psychic force was unstable. He'd exerted much effort just to form a crude cat, which, after a brief existence, dispersed back into the serene, dark blue expanse.

Without hesitation, Xiayu's psychic tendril dove into the deep blue ocean, disregarding its own consumption. It moved with delight, pressing here, rubbing there, in the embracing psychic sea.

In no time, the tip of the tendril reached the very depths of Lu Yinghuai's psychic sea's core.

Xiayu's psychic force had never ventured this deep before.

The tendril cautiously probed what appeared to be a rigid, sharply faceted, crimson-red stone in front of it.

Xiayu realized this must be the crystallized psychic force of the insect queen that had been hidden within Lu Yinghuai's psychic sea core.

The tendril elongated, encircling the crimson stone, and paused in bewilderment.

It was hard to imagine, after being enveloped and consumed by Lu Yinghuai's psychic force for so long, elevating his psychic level by three tiers, that such a significant piece of the insect queen's crystallized psychic force still existed.

——No wonder the prince suffered so much.

It's as if a clam shell encapsulated a sharp stone with its softest flesh. During the process of absorption and friction, the clam experiences prolonged and myriad instances of pain.

Xiayu's psychic exploration hadn't lasted long, but he already felt drained.

Xiayu knew that with each higher level of psychic ability, the gap widened like a chasm. However, he hadn't anticipated that he'd be unable to linger in the prince's psychic sea due to the mere difference between SS and SSS levels.

Xiayu's temples throbbed subtly. Clearly noticing Xiayu's discomfort, Lu Yinghuai's psychic sea started rejecting him, attempting to push out the intruding tendril.

Yet Xia You simply couldn't let it go.

The tiny tentacle, originally being pushed away from the Bug Queen's crimson psychic crystal, suddenly turned around. With a menacing stretch, it sharply bit into the red psychic crystal.

In a flash, the deep blue sea of consciousness became eerily calm.

Xia You herself was taken aback.

Only the psychic tentacle, with a piece of the crimson crystal no larger than a fingernail gnawed off, curled it into its body, wobbling as if it had drunk tainted alcohol.

……

When Xia You opened her eyes, she was sitting on the bed, while Lu Yinghuai was kneeling by the side, already attaching the psychic monitor's disc to her wrist.

Xia You didn't resist, but still tried to whisper an excuse for her behavior, "It just looked too tempting, I couldn't help myself for a moment..."

Lu Yinghuai: "...What did you promise me earlier?"

Xia You puffed her cheeks, "To show restraint."

Lu Yinghuai's expression was grave, patiently waiting for the psychic monitor's data analysis.

The pajamas Xia You wore were different from the original ones. Now she wore a round-necked one, made of a soft and silky material, albeit with a slightly wide neckline.

Xia You looked down, instantly spotting various marks on her body. After thinking for a moment, she lifted her pajama top, turned sideways, and sure enough, found a faint paw print on her waist.

The young man sniffed and pointed out straightforwardly and affectionately, "But Your Highness showed no restraint at all."

Lu Yinghuai: "..."

The youth's skin was fair. It wasn't noticeable before, but he was genuinely delicate, any mark could last for days.

It's irrefutable evidence.

For the first time in his life, Lu Yinghuai was left speechless.

However, looking at the marks on Xia You, Lu Yinghuai gently caressed the young man's wrist, his gaze softening.

Xia You's eyelids twitched, alarm bells ringing in her mind.

Slowly letting go of her pajama hem, Xia You shuffled to the edge of the bed, stretching her legs down to look for her slippers.

Lu Yinghuai: "...What are you doing?"

Xia You said earnestly, "Going to livestream."

Lu Yinghuai: "What?"

While Xia You did treatments on regular days, she wasn't really fond of livestreaming due to her lack of aptitude in chatting with the barrage of comments.

Now, with bare feet squatting by the bed, she nudged the kneeling Grand Marshal, Lu Yinghuai, who was obstructing her path. Finally, under the bed, she found her slippers she hadn’t seen for days, murmuring, "I need to get to work."

Standing up, Xia You had barely taken a step when she felt an unfamiliar sensation, as if the legs she'd had for over two decades were strangers to her.

The hesitancy in Xia You's expression swiftly turned into unwavering determination.

"I love working."

Lu Yinghuai: "..."