Chapter 82

Chapter 82

The Invincible Fool of the Universe!

Since he was bringing Li Hua Cat along, Little Key couldn't be left at home alone.

Chu Li took them both to the base. After entering the central area, he let the two cats out. As he walked down the corridor, they followed closely behind, one in front and one behind him.

It was quite an impressive sight.

Even those who were worried about Jing Baiyuan and Yuanting couldn't help but laugh when they saw this scene.

It became the only ray of light that could bring a smile to people's faces in the otherwise gloomy central zone of the base.

Upon arriving at the base, Chu Li threw himself into intense work and experiments. Their most pressing task at the moment was to awaken Jing Baiyuan and Yuanting.

However, there were only a few methods to achieve this, and they all boiled down to strong stimulation.

Resorting to alternative methods when radiation proved ineffective, Jing Baiyuan's condition showed no signs of improvement. Instead, the little Li Hua Cat suffered alongside him.

Everyone urged Chu Li to wait in the lounge, but he insisted on standing by the door, watching as the small cat endured its ordeal. He felt pained himself, unwilling to avoid facing the situation.

Several days passed with everyone growing anxious. They were all busy with their tasks, occasionally engaging in brief conversations but never discussing the potential consequences if Jing Baiyuan failed to awaken. They all knew the likelihood of failure, yet none dared to contemplate the aftermath of Jing Baiyuan not recovering.

One evening, Chu Li brought the little Li Hua Cat home to examine the wound on its head. The injury had initially healed, but the recent attempts at awakening had taken a toll on the cat, leaving it listless. Filled with concern, Chu Li took a week off from the base.

To his dismay, removing the bandage revealed that the once-healed wound was now bleeding again.

Chu Li felt a wave of despair wash over him, his eyes stinging as he hugged the cat tightly, burying his face in its soft fur.

Unaware of Chu Li's distress, the little cat meowed softly, tugging at Chu Li's heartstrings even more. He blamed Jing Baiyuan for being so careless and causing such injury, while also hating himself for not being able to find a painless method of awakening.

That night, without a breeze, the moonlight shone bright and clear through the window, casting an icy chill upon Chu Li's heart.

After dressing the cat's wound, he carried it to the bedroom. After a quick wash, he lay down in bed, still holding the cat.

Half-asleep, he drifted into a dream.

In his dream, Bai Xian came to him, saying that Jing Baiyuan, also known as Yuanting, could never return to his former state. He urged Chu Li to leave Lugang and find a place to live on his own. Refusing to comply, Chu Li was suddenly surrounded by a group of people who snatched away his cat and pushed him in front of an unfamiliar Alpha, telling him that he would now have to live with this stranger.

The Alpha in the dream was tall, his figure bathed in light from above, casting a shadow that concealed his features. Chu Li could only sense the oppressive aura around him and a vague but strangely alien pheromone...

Those pheromones enveloped him like needles piercing into his body... It hurt so much, oh, how it hurt.

Unable to discern whether he was standing or lying down, Chu Li felt the darkness gradually consume him. His arms were empty, his cat gone, and the Alpha who once protected him was also absent.

Despite his self-proclaimed resilience, he found himself at this moment filled with vulnerability. He realized he couldn't survive alone in this world; he yearned for companionship, for someone to protect him...

Just as this thought crossed his mind, the shadow in the dream pressed down abruptly, jolting Chu Li awake. Confused, he sat up in bed.

Beside him, the little Li Hua Cat slept soundly. Chu Li's tense heart instantly relaxed as he picked up the kitten, holding its soft, warm fur close to his chest. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

No one... No one had taken his cat away.

In the stillness of the night, only the shallow breathing of Chu Li and the cat filled the room. The lingering fear caught up with him, and he could no longer maintain his daytime bravado. He gently leaned against the small feline, his voice trembling with emotion, "Why won't you recover... Do you think being a cat is better than being human?"

"Jing Baiyuan..."

"Jing Baiyuan...Ting..."

He lowered his head, calling the Alpha's name softly. The little Li Hua Cat woke up and looked at him.

"Meow?"

The kitten still had its innocent and clueless expression. It seemed to be completely unaffected by the hardships it had endured, with no emotional scars aside from physical exhaustion. Only Chu Li, this two-legged creature, suffered heartache every time on its behalf.

Confused, the kitten was held tightly in his arms. As he hugged it, it suddenly felt that its fur was damp. It shook its head, realizing that the two-legged creature was crying.

"Meow-" The little Li Hua Cat wriggled out of Chu Li's embrace and turned to lick his face. Seeing the two-legged creature cry even more, the kitten grew anxious. Eventually, unable to soothe him anymore, it let out a fierce "Meow!" towards Chu Li.

After meowing, the kitten realized what it had done and guiltily curled up, peeking at Chu Li from the corner of its eye. "Meow..."

Chu Li, who had been immersed in a nightmare and feeling terrible, couldn't help but smile at the kitten's expression.

His heart ached yet warmed at the same time. Filled with both hatred and love, he picked up the cat and gently bit its ear. He had intended to give a harsh bite, but when his teeth touched the fluffy ear, his resolve softened, leaving only a gentle nuzzle.

As he nuzzled, tears streamed down his face. In that moment, he couldn't help but wonder what he would do if Jing Baiyuan really couldn't recover...

Tame Li Hua Cat obediently lay on the bed, watching its two-legged creature sprawl on the adjacent sheet. Though it didn't make a sound, its body trembled visibly.

He wouldn't show his face to it, leaving Li Hua Cat puzzled. At first, it meowed beside him, but when Chu Li ignored it, it started circling around, calling out persistently. However, the two-legged creature still paid no attention, only trembling more intensely.

Anxiously, Li Hua Cat nestled against Chu Li's arm, attempting to burrow in. But Chu Li didn't release his grip, even pushing it back onto the bed. Struggling to free itself from under Chu Li's hand, the cat scratched at the bedding with its claws in frustration. Yet, no matter how much it protested, the two-legged creature refused to lift its gaze.

Why wouldn't he look at it??

Though Li Hua Cat had a vague understanding of recent events, it was still unclear about many things, after all, it was just a cat... But it wasn't an ordinary cat. It disliked cat food and, even when wandering outside, didn't hunt like other cats.

During its search for Chu Li, it had encountered a young female cat in heat. Other male cats chased after her, but Li Hua Cat had shown no interest, its heart solely occupied by the two-legged creature.

But it was a cat, it shouldn't be with a human, right? Li Hua Cat sensed something amiss, yet couldn't quite pinpoint what.

Moreover, it couldn't recall why it had followed Chu Li from one place to another. There seemed to be a chunk of memory missing.

If the two-legged creature was so distressed, surely it was because of Li Hua Cat?

Letting out a soft meow again, Chu Li finally muttered a response, albeit in a different tone than usual.

"Meow..."

Li Hua Cat lay on the bedding with its ears flattened back, resembling a guilty creature, looking at Chu Li with concern.

What should it do... It was so distressed. Was there any way to stop the two-legged creature from crying?

"Meow, meow, meow..."

Unable to find a solution, Li Hua Cat extended its paw to touch Chu Li again.

Its mewing drew the attention of Little Key, who squeezed through the door crack and immediately leaped onto the bedside, facing Li Hua Cat with a "Hah!"

Li Hua Cat froze for a moment. Why was it being "Hah"-ed again?

Wait, why "again"?

Undeterred, Li Hua Cat prepared to retaliate with its claws, but Chu Li, with his face buried in the bedding, muffled a command, "No fighting!"

Li Hua Cat promptly withdrew its outstretched paw.

The little key circled around Chu Li, precisely locating his hand before actively nudging its forehead against it.

Chu Li was heartbroken. The piercing pain in his dream was too vivid, and he couldn't help but weep again.

He felt ashamed, not wanting the cat, especially Jing Baiyuan's transformed feline, to witness his vulnerability. So, he buried his face into the blanket, but the commotion caused by the two cats lessened his desire to cry.

Thus, he remained lying on the bed, embracing the little key.

This action sent shockwaves through Little Li Hua Cat's eyes.

Why, why did he hug it? Why didn't he pay attention when it was scratching beside him earlier?

With a mournful meow, it approached, seeking affection as well. Chu Li lifted his head to look at it—the Omega's face, concealed in the blanket, had turned red from holding back his tears. His usually fair skin now had tear stains and a rosy glow, making him appear fragile and helpless.

"Meow..." Little Li Hua Cat realized its mistake but was unwilling to let the little key have all the attention. It hurriedly went over, pleading for affection too.

Chu Li couldn't hold back any longer. He pulled the cat into his embrace and choked out, "Are you foolish? Why turn into a cat to compete for attention with another cat... I... I was already..."

I was already yours!!!

Fool!

A colossal, unparalleled, universal fool!

The two-legged creature sat on the bed, weeping helplessly and hopelessly. Although no one in the base dared to mention it, they all knew deep down that with so many failed attempts at awakening, Jing Baiyuan was most likely never going to regain consciousness. Everyone's hearts were filled with sorrow, pain, and despair!

But they were even more worried about Chu Li. No one dared to bring it up in front of him.

When Chu Li suggested taking the little Li Hua Cat home to rest, they tacitly accepted that he had given up...

"Jing Baiyuan, can you hear me? They've all given up on you..." Chu Li helplessly hugged the kitten again, trying to console himself into accepting this outcome... But it was difficult. He couldn't calm down, as despair enveloped him. He couldn't help but wonder why Jing Baiyuan couldn't just turn back. Was being a cat better for him than being a human?

Didn't he miss himself? Or did he believe that even in his feline form, Chu Li would still take care of him, stay by his side, and wait for him forever...

"You big idiot!" Filled with sadness, Chu Li didn't know how to vent his emotions other than repeatedly calling Jing Baiyuan an idiot while sitting on the bed.

The little Li Hua Cat didn't know who he was scolding, but hearing those words made it feel incredibly sad.

Starting from its heart, a warmth began to spread slowly, accompanied by growing anxiety. It started leaping and bounding around the room, crying out loudly.

"Miaow!"

"Mia-a-ow!"

Each cry grew more desperate and shrill than the last...

Chu Li was startled. He wiped away his tears and hurriedly reached out to hug the little Li Hua Cat. "No... I didn't mean to leave you behind. It's okay, it's alright if you can't change back, Little Li Hua Cat... Little Li Hua Cat!"

The kitten wriggled free from his grasp and leaped to the ground, stumbling towards the door!

Despite its unusual state, the cat was still incredibly fast. It vanished from Chu Li's sight.

Chu Li froze for a moment before immediately getting up to pursue!