Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Wu Yin and Xie Linyuan decided to wait for Frida's return.

During this time, Xie Linyuan, with his friendly smile, gentle words, and a silly dog that wagged its tail and stuck out its tongue, managed to ease Sister Zebra's wariness. The children and the dog hit it off, while Dapples, seated, shared Frida's recent troubles with Xie Linyuan and Uncle Monkey in distress.

Besides these teenagers, Frida had a younger brother, Ian, eighteen, in the prime of his adolescence, who fell for a handsome newcomer to the Beast Kingdom, a cute bunny with honey-colored skin, only rabbit ears and tail, and red eyes as his animal traits, embodying the perfect, amusement-providing modified image in human eyes.

Even those tormented by failed beast gene mutations are human, and the rabbit modifier perfectly matched their aesthetic.

Ian fell in love at first sight with the bunny boy, pursuing and pleasing him, but the brown rabbit showed no interest in this "little boy" still under his sister's wing, seeking instead the protection of the strong, quickly gravitating towards the lion brothers Vic and Edmund in the Beast Kingdom, becoming Edmund's lover.

But Ian didn't give up; instead, he tried to convince the bunny that the lion brothers were insincere, juggling many ambiguous relationships, whereas his love was wholehearted, promising strength and protection.

Frustrated, the bunny boy challenged Ian yesterday with a "test of love," promising to believe in his capabilities and leave the lion brothers if he succeeded.

Blinded by love, Ian set out with his utterly useless baseball bat, and now, a whole day and night have passed without his return.

"What kind of test of love?" Xie Linyuan asked.

Dapples shook her head sadly, "I don't know. Mom is too worried about us to leave home alone to find Uncle Ian. That bad bunny belongs to Edmund, one of the lion brothers, so she went to confront Edmund for an explanation."

"Foolish girl," Uncle Monkey shook his head, "She doesn't know the younger lion brother's true colors. She's bound for disappointment."

In fact, Xie Linyuan was quite eager to hear Wu Yin's take on the messy love triangle between Frida's brother, the bunny boy, and the younger lion brother, Edmund, but Wu Yin yawned disinterestedly halfway through the zebra's story, leading Xie Linyuan to suspect he had fallen asleep by its end.

He guessed correctly; Wu Yin would rather play with the children and dogs than listen to stories of love and affection here.

And so he did, the man with long hair who had been sitting upright and serious suddenly turned his head, making a coaxing sound, "Good dog."

His Highness, receiving the cue, perked up his ears and immediately left the tormenting children to obediently sit beside Wu Yin, wagging his tail.

"Lie down."

The border collie looked skeptical, while the golden retriever complied without hesitation.

"Spin."

The golden retriever spun excitedly, while the border collie rolled its eyes as if in agony.

"Lie down."

The border collie barked angrily, questioning what this was if not akin to children being pushed to perform at festivals by their parents; meanwhile, the golden retriever instantly lay down, belly up, and looked blissful when Wu Yin reached down to pet him.

Afterward, Wu Yin looked proudly at the children watching the performance, receiving as expected a collection of admiring gazes. He felt so pleased that he willingly relinquished control of his body back to Xie Linyuan.

Xie Linyuan: "..."

Dapples, Monkey: "..."

Fortunately, at this moment, an angry woman's voice broke the awkwardness, "I'm going to slaughter that damned rabbit! And that despicable cat that thinks with its lower half!"

As everyone looked up amid the chorus of "Mom!" calls, Wu Yin and Xie Linyuan saw a head of thick golden curls. From the surrounding people's comments, they expected Lady Frida to be a gentle, kind, and dignified beauty, as if stepping out of a medieval noble lady's portrait, with a face of loving tenderness and soft melancholy.

But in reality, they were met by a robust woman, nearly a head-to-toe goat, with a severe degree of animal transformation, her rectangular pupils filled with fury, her sleeves rolled up aggressively, and delicate goat hooves clacking on the ground, resembling a real goat standing upright from a distance.

Xie Linyuan immediately stood up politely, bowing slightly to greet her, "Lady Frida."

Frida eyed the silver-haired man before her, noting his crimson pupils and the hairless cat ears among his locks, "Oh... I'm sorry, I wasn't cursing you, neither the rabbit nor the cat... And, who might you be?"

Uncle Monkey, unable to keep still, eagerly explained Xie Linyuan's purpose to Frida, hinting with winks and nudges that this was a generous patron with deep pockets. However, to their surprise, Frida flatly refused, "Sorry, I have no surplus milk to sell; this month's sheep milk has already been booked."

"None at all?" Uncle Monkey glanced hesitantly at Xie Linyuan, "But hasn't Little Seven weaned off recently?"

At this, Frida became visibly upset, clenching her fists in frustration yet feeling powerless, "I begged Vick for a long time, and only then did he reluctantly agree to search for Ian tonight, on the condition that I supply him with a month's sheep milk. And if I want Ian back, I need to give another month's milk... He'll surely share it with his brother, damn it, and his brother will definitely give it to that wretch..."

As she spoke, Frida covered her face with her hands in anguish, "But I have no choice, Ian is my dearest brother... I can't lose him..."

Her children, catching on to their mother's distress, gathered around to hug and comfort her, some joining her in tears.

Xie Linyuan suddenly felt something odd with his pants and looked down to see the border collie and golden retriever each holding onto a leg, gazing up at him with round, unblinking eyes.

The border collie coyly whined, "Master~ I want milk."

The golden retriever mimicked pitifully, "Mast~~~er~~~."

Xie Linyuan never imagined the dignified Black Knight and the reserved Princess could produce such a treasure of a two-headed dog, but perhaps it was this very personality that craved unrestricted freedom. He couldn't help but smile, whispering to himself, "Hey, talking to you, give me some reaction."

Throughout, Wu Yin was distracted by Frida's goat-like appearance, intently studying her yellow-brown rectangular pupils. Caught off guard by Xie Linyuan's voice, it took him a moment to realize he was being addressed, "You're calling me what?"

Xie Linyuan: "..."

Xie Linyuan teasingly scraped his left index finger across the palm of his right hand, "Want to hear me call you that? I'll call you later when we're back."

Wu Yin: "???"

Clueless, he took over Xie Linyuan's body, stepping forward to interrupt Frida's lament, "Where exactly is your brother? If I bring him back, can I buy this month's sheep milk from you?"

Frida wiped her tears, shaking her head, "Don't joke, young man, he... well, never mind, it's not something you can handle. If you need milk, there's a new mother on Line 9; maybe you can ask her if she has any surplus to sell."

"I'm buying it for my dog; the milk from a regular new mother wouldn't be enough," Wu Yin stated flatly, "You might as well tell me the specifics; there's nothing I can't handle."

It was the first time Xie Linyuan heard his own voice blend with Wu Yin's tone in such a fascinating way. Unable to resist, he again scraped his left finger across his right palm, this time receiving the impatient response he had hoped for, his hand being firmly grasped in return.

"Don't joke, young man," Frida chuckled in spite of her troubles, "Even Vick can only promise to do his best..."

Wu Yin hated these dragging, indecisive conversations the most, his irritation growing as he pursed his lips, attempting to cross his arms only to find he could only move one. Fortunately, his other hand quickly caught on, aligning with his movements within half a second.

"Don't compare that guy to 'me'," Wu Yin stated coldly, "He's not worth it."

This bold statement surprised both Uncle Monkey and Frida, with the former whispering something to Frida, who then looked at Xie Linyuan with a changed expression, yet still hesitated, "...but Brother Xing is just a bully who's only intimidating by his size."

"What exactly is the issue—"

Wu Yin was cut off mid-sentence by a sharp roar from behind them, causing everyone to look up and see Brother Xing, mentioned just moments ago, standing not far off with seven or eight burly men of similar build, all ape-like, wielding machetes and spears, menacingly approaching them.

"That's the one!" Brother Xing halted, pointing at Xie Linyuan, "Beat him up!"

Before his command was fully out, the aggressive apes and baboons behind him sprang into action. Uncle Monkey, in panic, squealed, "This has nothing to do with us! It's all this kid's fault!" then grabbed Frida and scurried away.

Frida shook off his hand, hastily gathering the children to run.

His Highness also wanted to flee but was yanked back by Wu Yin, who then hurled him like a grenade at the leading gibbon swinging a club at them.

The border collie and golden retriever bared their fangs menacingly, biting the iron club aimed at their heads into three pieces with their still baby teeth, showcasing their remarkable biting force.

Xie Linyuan felt he hadn't left a lasting lesson on Brother Xing, allowing this dull ape to think he could provoke him with just a few men. Out of sight, his left hand swiftly brushed over the back of his right, leaving behind gloves to protect his knuckles, as his fingers reformed into brass knuckles grown from bone.

The moment the iron club was bitten apart, Xie Linyuan's punch followed, sending the gibbon flying with loosened teeth, breaking several.

Without giving the others time to react, the spiked maces, capable of crushing skulls, seemed like mere toys in Xie Linyuan's hands, and the muscular apes appeared as unevolved, muscle-bound fools.

Xie Linyuan's legs, long and straight, which Wu Yin had seen, touched, and knew how they tensed and relaxed during comfortable moments, became weapons of sheer power when they struck faces, leaving no room for appreciation of their beauty, only the sensation of a heavy hammer crashing into them, blackening their vision with pain.

"Not bad," Wu Yin commented approvingly at the chaos, his mood uplifted, "That should spare us the need for further explanation."

He was right; as soon as Xie Linyuan returned to the carriage, Frida looked at him with a mix of astonishment and gratitude, while the children's admiration for him reached new heights, their eyes sparkling with stars.

Uncle Monkey was beside himself with fear, feeling that Mr. Hairless Cat's arrival in the Beast Kingdom and his involvement in so many fights within an hour of arrival, acting provocatively and unrestrained, would surely draw the ire of Vick and Edmund, as well as other powers in the subway station, making their close association with him potentially problematic.

But Frida, desperate to save her brother, paid no heed to Uncle Monkey's caution, quickly approaching with a promise to nullify her deal with Vick if Xie Linyuan was willing to help.

Wu Yin gave Uncle Monkey, who was hiding in the distance and unwilling to come closer, a cold glance, then looked down at Frida, "Speak up, what is it exactly."

It turned out the so-called test of love was about ten kilometers west of the subway station, in a field of mutant dandelions known for their volatile temperament, attacking any living thing that merely approached. The bunny boy stated that if Frida's brother Ian could bring back a mutant dandelion for him, he would be willing to leave Edmund and date him.

Initially listening intently, Wu Yin's attention drifted to the skies at the mention of mutant dandelions.

Frida hurriedly said, "If you can bring Ian back, I'm willing to provide three months of milk for free. Even if he has died, please bring back his body, and I'll still offer two months' worth of sheep milk."

Wu Yin sighed in disappointment, "Ah... I thought it was something interesting. So, that's it."

As a professional life assistant, Xie Linyuan translated his employer's sentiments with a smile, "Understood, Lady Frida. Trust in my ability. Please draw me a map to the location of the mutant dandelions. Of course, before that, I would prefer to sign a written contract with you."

Frida blinked, a bit embarrassed, "Sure, of course. Vick just said he would consider it and didn't agree outright, so I decisively canceled our arrangement. I didn't mean to leave a bad impression on you..."

Xie Linyuan merely smiled, a perfect blend of humility, gentleness, assertiveness, and shrewdness.

Uncle Monkey hesitantly watched as Xie Linyuan and Frida signed the contract in duplicate, hesitating to speak several times until Xie Linyuan collected the map and contract, "Then I'll be leaving now."

"You're not waiting until nightfall to go?" Frida asked.

Xie Linyuan shook his head, "He doesn't like the night."

After saying this, he bent down to pat the back of His Highness's neck in front of everyone, eliciting knowing looks from all present.

Wu Yin: "..."