Chapter 124

The morning after the waist chain incident, Uncle Zhou, upon seeing Xia You and Lu Yinghuai eating breakfast together, placed a stack of bean-filled buns meant for hamsters on the table with satisfaction.

Xia You picked one up and broke it open: it was filled with red bean paste.

It also appeared to contain crushed sesame, giving it a hue not like the usual dark red of red bean paste but more akin to the filling color of black sesame rice balls.

Nevertheless, it tasted delicious.

The tardy emperor, still seated across from the couple, began his meal while complaining, "I wonder who took my book. Not reading it is one thing, but leaving it in the hallway is just too much..."

As he spoke, the emperor shot a glance at Lu Yinghuai and Xia You across the table.

After all, the only ones in the household who'd be interested in a 'Love Manual' are this couple, who, despite being married for over a year, still act as if they've just started dating.

Yet, Xia You smoothly carried on the conversation. While the bean bun in her mouth made it inconvenient to speak, her eyes radiated genuine indignation.

As for Lu Yinghuai, he continued eating without the slightest pause.

The emperor, with suspicion, shifted his gaze back to Uncle Zhou.

Uncle Zhou met his gaze with a gentle smile.

The emperor looked away.

"Forget it. Someone with that kind of mindset will probably never understand romance in this lifetime. Why would he even look at a love manual?"

Unable to find the suspect, His Majesty had no choice but to swallow his anger. He tucked his cherished love manual, a book he felt empty without reading a few pages from each night, into his personal space ring, never to leave it on the bookshelf again.

After dinner, Lu Yinghuai went out as usual. Wei Cheng was busy today, so he had entrusted Fan Yunxin to bring over the companion beasts that needed treatment.

Xia You looked at the meticulously groomed civet-like large cat and then glanced at the slightly scruffy-looking Tibetan fox trailing behind it, pausing for a moment.

Cookie elegantly approached, rubbing its fluffy body against Xia You's knee.

Xia You could even smell the sweet yet not overpowering fragrance from Cookie's fur, vividly picturing Fan Yunxin pampering his companion beast: brushing, applying essential oils, and styling.

Not only that, but he also brought along a Tibetan fox as a contrasting companion.

The Tibetan fox that came in with Cookie grinned at Xia You, its square fox face looking endearingly naive.

On one hand, Xia You was amused by the natural comedic expressions of the Tibetan fox. On the other, the civet-like large cat did look irresistibly soft to touch today, prompting her to crouch down and stroke it from head to back.

Unlike Yuan Yuan, who always craved exclusive affection, Cookie wasn't particularly clingy to Xia You compared to other cats in the house, making him the most reserved one.

But Cookie cared deeply about its rank in the affections of the healer, Xia You.

When it's time to assert its presence and nurture the bond with its master, Cookie knows when to take the initiative.

Having not been pampered for several days, Yuan Yuan, who was by the door on the other side of the small reception room, observed the scene with a contemplative look in its eyes.

As soon as Cookie arrived with the Tibetan fox, the live broadcast started. Viewers watched the cunning display of Cookie trying to woo affection and spammed the chat with ellipses.

["Oh..."]

["So scheming! So very scheming!"]

["Told you, didn't I? Cats are mischievous! Dogs are good!"]

["You just don't get it. Look at Lady Xia You's expression. Clearly, if a companion beast isn't naughty, the healer won't love it."]

["Darn it! Is there no place in this world for us hairless companion beasts?!"]

["Why not? Aren't those furry sweaters and scarves selling like hotcakes at the base?"]

["Speaking of which... those things are so expensive and they sell out in seconds every time they restock! Who's buying them all?!"]

["These are hand-knitted using hair shed by companion beasts. The natural hue and exquisite touch are top-notch. When one is sold, there's one less in stock, okay?"]

The chat was buzzing with discussions about the furry scarves, but many had turned off the comments to focus on the live stream.

Having been petted by Xia You and having soaked in some of her healing energy, Cookie graciously sat to one side, resting a paw on Xia You's knee, then tilted its head towards the Tibetan fox waiting nearby.

Xia You couldn't help but stare at the Tibetan fox for a while.

One minute later.

Xia You swore that, despite the fox showing no particular expression, she deciphered from its fluffy square face a mix of indifference, disdain, a tad bit of provocation, and a profound sense of world-weariness.

Snort.

Struggling to suppress her laughter, Xia You sat up straight on the carpet, striving to make eye contact with the companion beast.

When treating companion beasts, she often sat on the ground. This posture offered a sense of equality and respect during interactions, and also allowed Xia You to quickly notice any changes in the beasts' conditions.

Upon noticing Xia You's preference, Uncle Zhou had various types of carpets—both short-haired and long-haired—laid out in the Marshal Mansion's reception rooms, keeping the rarely-used cleaning robots exceptionally busy.

With a friendly gesture, Xia You extended her hand to the Tibetan fox, smiling, “Hello, I'm Xia You.”

The Tibetan fox, when expressionless, seemed world-weary, but with a smile, its eyes squinted, making it appear endearingly naive.

It walked over and sat down in front of Xia You, placing a paw in her palm and making a soft sound.

"Meow~"

Despite not resembling the dainty cuteness of a red or white fox, and even appearing somewhat rugged, its call was soft and delicate.

Even though it's entirely a canine species, its meow was more tender than what most felines might muster.

Xia You extended her hand to stroke the Tibetan fox's spine.

The Tibetan fox wasn't particularly large, similar in build to a pika, with thick, plush fur making it seem chubby.

As with many canines, the Tibetan fox enjoyed being petted, and confidently nuzzled Xia You's wrist with its head and ears.

Hiss...

Xia You became even more enthusiastic in petting the fur.

Honestly, he experienced the distinct joy of petting a dog compared to a cat.

Regardless of a cat's size or temperament, there's always that feline "allure." It's as if they're naturally adept at knowing how to garner more affection.

[Would Sir Xia You also be fond of the red fox?]

[The arctic fox looks beautiful too, with natural eyeliner and extremely soft fur.]

Xia You happened to see these comments and laughed, his eyes crinkling with delight, “Of course, they’re all so adorable.”

[Ah...]

[Darn it, I want to sneak into the Marshal’s mansion and kidnap him.]

[I hope after tomorrow, I can still see the warrior from above in the training field.]

[Chances are we won't see him. He was probably taken by Instructor Zhuo for mech testing. If he can crawl back by himself, it means Instructor Zhuo is in a good mood today.]

[Wait, didn't I see a notice at the base today mentioning another companion beast coming over?]

Xia You, having closed his eyes to treat the Zang Fox, missed this comment, focusing entirely on his psychic tendrils.

Xia You's treatment no longer causes pain to the companion beasts, but the stimulation of their psychic sea often causes them to pass out quickly.

However, not every companion beast experiences a second growth spurt after treatment.

Fifteen minutes into the treatment, the Zang Fox passed out, its front paw stubbornly held up, clutched in Xia You's hand.

Quqi, walking on tiptoe like a cat, fetched a blanket and threw it over, covering the whole fox.

After a brief glance, Quqi adjusted the blanket with his long legs, thoughtfully exposing the fox's nose.

Xia You blinked, only seeing the fox's paw in his hand. He paused for a moment before realizing what had happened.

By then, the comments were buzzing with speculation about which companion beast was supposed to come for treatment with the Zang Fox today.

Looking up at the projected live room, Xia You expressed surprise, "There's another companion beast?"

Quqi nodded, projecting the information on the screen: [Yes, there's another one. But they took an emergency mission right after leaving the base, so they'll be a bit late.]

Xia You glanced at Quqi's screen, on which was displayed an image of an eagle-owl.

Among birds, both falcons and owls can be termed raptors. However, the eagle-owl is the fiercest and largest within the overarching category of owls.

Its grayish feathers provide excellent camouflage. When it closes its eyes to hide deliberately at night, its presence is difficult to detect.

Apart from rodents and snakes, eagle-owls also hunt foxes, deer, and even medium-sized mammals like porcupines. Their hunting habits are quite similar to golden eagles, and it's common in nature to witness confrontations between the two over food.

Xia You adjusted the small blanket on the Zang Fox, petting its soft ears, and asked in a low voice, "This eagle-owl, it's one of the sentient ones, right?"

Quqi nodded.

Xia You sighed in relief.

With both mice and eagles at home, it's crucial they don't end up fighting.

After updating the Dormancy Center on the Zang Fox's treatment status, Xia You stood up, rubbing his legs, and took a seat on the nearby sofa, browsing through the data from various military legions.

As Quqi prepared to hop onto the sofa, his gaze unintentionally swept past the doorway, catching sight of the Marshal's leopard companion beast staring intently at him.

Quqi's leap onto the sofa halted midway.

Yuan Yuan, the leopard, didn’t seem to be issuing a warning but motioned with his eyes for Quqi to come out.

Quqi, puzzled, took a couple of steps towards the door, casting a hesitant look at Yuan Yuan.

Yuan Yuan nodded and turned away from the doorway.

Quqi glanced back at Xia You, who was still on the sofa.

Without looking up, Xia You commented, "Go on. I'm curious about what he wants as well."

The lynx-like cat, tail drooping, ambled out, silently sighing to himself.

He always felt that, among the household cats in the Marshal's mansion, he was the only one who consistently found himself in awkward predicaments.

After all, he prided himself on being the most intelligent and astute among his peers.

Where had he gone wrong...?

Caught between this married couple, Quqi, feeling torn from both sides, could only silently pray that the Marshal wouldn't make life difficult for a cat.

Yuan Yuan wasn't here to cause trouble for the cat this time, but rather to genuinely seek advice.

Quqi raised his paw and vigorously tousled the tuft of black fur on his ear, staring in disbelief at the massive black leopard before him.

Yuan Yuan extended a claw, enlarging the text on the screen to display it prominently.

Quqi, looking at the crystal-clear message on the screen asking him how to win Xia You's favor and regain his affection, felt every hair on his body stand on end.

However, upon reflection, Lord Xia You wouldn't suddenly dislike cats for no reason, so... was it because the Marshal did something?

Genuinely curious, Quqi mustered the courage to type: "Marshal, I might need to know what misunderstanding occurred between you and Xia You, so I can provide an appropriate solution."

Yuan Yuan's gaze towards Quqi began to ooze menace.

Quqi's fur instantly bristled, and he hastily typed: "No need to tell me! I'll teach! I know how to win favors!!!"

Yuan Yuan, satisfied, retracted his intentionally intimidating aura, tilting his chin as a signal for Quqi to proceed.

Quqi caught his breath, circled around the sleek and shiny leopard, pondered in place for a moment, and then had a eureka moment.

*

As night fell, Xia You sat on his bed, clutching a pillow, and checked his holographic computer.

Good, no messages from His Highness.

After a while, suppressing a sigh, Xia You began pacing between his bedroom and the adjacent sitting room.

After several rounds, Xia You dived into his walk-in closet, rifling through his clothing.

Perhaps, he should peek next door?

Xia You stood before his dressing mirror, contemplating.

To go, or not to go, to go, or not to go...

Why the indecision?!

Xia You slapped his face firmly twice, then massaged away the indecisiveness etched into his features.

For the sake of the jewels taken from that waist chain, which could adorn countless stars, His Highness is forgiven!

Xia You selected a light green nightgown, preparing for a relaxing bubble bath.

A sudden knock sounded from outside the door, causing Xia You to pause.

The rhythm didn’t resemble that of Uncle Zhou, and the sound was interspersed with the scratching of claws against the door panel.

A hint of amusement flashed in Xia You's eyes, instantly guessing who it might be.

With wet hair not suitable for slipping into a nightgown, Xia You wrapped himself in a bathrobe and went to open the door for Yuan Yuan.

However, as the door slowly swung open, the silhouette of a seated black leopard gradually came into view.

Xia You's breath hitched.

The motion of towel-drying his hair ceased.

Golden-purple irises, black fur faintly shimmering with gold, paired with powerful and robust muscles, the leopard that slowly entered from the doorway fixed its gaze on Xia You.

Xia You was undoubtedly familiar with Yuan Yuan, more than anyone could imagine. He wouldn't just be stunned merely by seeing Yuan Yuan.

Around the neck of the massive black leopard was a silver-gray tie, and perched on its bridge was a pair of silver-rimmed glasses.

A slender glasses chain dangled, its end disappearing into the black fur, which was as luxurious and understated as silk.

With every step, the shimmering silver-gray tie, the silver-white long chain, and the reflecting glasses left Xia You with an overwhelming sense of astonishment.

Xia You adored furry creatures for their wild nature, their purity, and the inherent overpowering aura they exuded as beasts.

But at this moment, Xia You swore, from this leopard, he saw something...

Namely, sensuality.

As if entranced, Xia You reached out towards Yuan Yuan, his fingertips brushing against the cold yet delicate glasses chain.

The sleek black jaguar silently paced around Xia You. When Xia You tried to touch him, the leopard skillfully evaded. Yet, as Xia You retracted his hand, the jaguar's glossy tail playfully coiled around Xia You's fingers.

Xia You felt utterly and delightfully flustered.

This is not a leopard at all, it's a clearly restrained heartthrob!

Xia You crouched down, gazing intently at the irresistible leopard-like god.

Yuan Yuan took a few steps toward the bedroom, pausing every now and then to glance back.

Unable to resist, Xia You followed him and soon found herself beside an inner door that led to the adjacent bedroom.

With a soft click, the door opened to reveal Lu Yinghuai, dressed in a uniform, wearing a similar silver-gray tie, and sporting matching thin-framed glasses. He was adjusting the cuffs of his dark uniform.

The black leopard sat gracefully beside the man.

Moments later, both man and leopard simultaneously looked in Xia You's direction.

Xia You: "!!!"

Author's note:

You: (with a dramatic leap) Who could resist this?!.gif

Director Cookie: A master in hiding his talents.