Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Bai Xiaoyu stood there, looking at everyone. In front of him were Feng Shuang'er and Old Qi, followed by other guards—all members of the Royal Guard.

The Royal Guard consisted of offspring from various imperial factions, most of whom were nobles.

At this moment, their eyes were filled with surprise as they looked at Bai Xiaoyu. Several among them had been assigned to guard Bai Xiaoyu before, so they knew the spoiled version of him very well. They found it hard to adapt to the person standing in front of them now.

In fact, although the old Bai Xiaoyu was quite spoiled, they enjoyed following him. First, there was money to be made; he had many good things that he couldn't use himself, so he often shared them with them and The Henchmen Group. Second, following him increased their chances of seeing "that person," since "that person" spent about a third of their time with Bai Xiaoyu's mother when not in the palace.

Back then, they helped Bai Xiaoyu clean up his messes, gaining frequent exposure to "that person," which led to rapid promotions.

Even for this mission, they were given priority to follow him.

With the entire galaxy watching Bai Xiaoyu's pharmaceuticals, those who had a connection with him were indeed in a favorable position.

Moreover, Bai Xiaoyu's current breeding skills attracted many factions wanting to send eggs over. Their families, being large, had many eggs about to hatch. With Bai Xiaoyu's batch of eggs nearing the final stages, they arrived just in time. Delivering their family's eggs would earn them substantial rewards. Now that Bai Xiaoyu was different, befriending him could even enhance their chances of becoming the family heir.

A few of the Royal Guard members who were closest to Bai Xiaoyu remained fixed, while others fought for the remaining spots.

Bai Xiaoyu glanced at the eager gazes of the guards, recognizing some faces but did not deliberately search through the original host's memories. Instead, he turned to Feng Shuang'er, "Mother."

Feng Shuang'er came back to her senses, feeling a bit lost at the obvious distance between them. "Xiaoyu, we haven't seen each other in a while. Why do you seem distant? You used to call me Mom."

Bai Xiaoyu did not intend to change the address. Since he took over the original host's body, Feng Shuang'er was his mother.

He would take responsibility for what the original host owed her and treat her with respect and courtesy.

However, he could not replicate the affection the original host had for her.

Bai Xiaoyu changed the subject, "Mother, it's late. I've already arranged accommodations for you. These people can go with the robots first. Would you like to see Little One now?"

Feng Shuang'er had anticipated her elder son's resentment for leaving him behind. She thought that if she showed humility and comforted him, it wouldn't be a problem. However, upon seeing Bai Xiaoyu, she realized his behavior was impeccable, making it hard for her to find a way to breach the distance.

Sighing, she said, "Xiaoyu, are you still angry with me? Back then, I had no choice. I was pregnant again when you got into trouble. I did my best. But replacing the Sixteenth Legion's medicine was different from your usual antics. I couldn't help it."

Bai Xiaoyu replied, "I'm not angry. I'm doing fine here."

The original host was indeed desperate and resentful, but did not blame Feng Shuang'er. He just didn't want to believe he was abandoned and wanted to return desperately.

Feng Shuang'er looked into Bai Xiaoyu's eyes, finding them clear and honest, confirming that he held no grudge against her. Relieved yet feeling a loss, she thought something had changed.

She dismissed her thoughts, believing more interaction might help. Then she remembered her purpose, "You call him Little One, which is fitting."

Bai Xiaoyu recalled how Little One arrived barely alive, saying, "If he hadn't been brought here too late and injured, he wouldn't be so small."

Feng Shuang'er added, "Xiaoyu, doctors said Little One wouldn't survive to adulthood even if hatched. Given your current skills and the help of the pharmaceutical master, I had no choice but to bring him here. Let's go see him."

She introduced Old Qi to Bai Xiaoyu, "This is Old Qi. When you were young, he conducted your health checks. You may not remember, but he is one of the top pharmaceutical masters on Imperial Star. Many of the medicines you used were made by him. His youngest grandson, Qi Yun, you know him, right? You used to chase after him."

Old Qi spoke, "Young Master Bai."

Bai Xiaoyu remembered Qi Yun, the original host's crush, and the foolish things he did for him. Even coming here was related to him. Seeing the renowned president of the Pharmaceutical Association and his grandfather, Bai Xiaoyu grimaced, "Old Qi."

Old Qi continued, "If you liked Qi Yun, I could have brought him along. Young people should interact more."

Bai Xiaoyu declined, "Those feelings were fleeting."

Old Qi nodded, "Could you help convey my request to meet the pharmaceutical master?"

Bai Xiaoyu replied, "I'll pass the message, but he's usually busy and might not agree."

Bai Xiaoyu's robot led them away, while he took Feng Shuang'er to see Little One.

They soon reached the room. Along the way, their conversation veered towards his pharmaceuticals and the master, rarely mentioning Little One. When mentioned, Bai Xiaoyu noticed her impatience.

Before opening the door, Bai Xiaoyu said, "Mother, Little One might be sensitive to people. Try to praise him sincerely during your first meeting."

Feng Shuang'er, thinking of the weak, immobile egg, nodded dismissively, "I understand."

Only powerful younglings inside the egg could sense such things, which she doubted Little One could do.

Bai Xiaoyu frowned, hesitated, then opened the door. Having informed Big Black beforehand, the room was quiet, indicating Big Black wasn't there.

Entering, Feng Shuang'er observed the room's monotonous blue-and-white decor and simple furnishings, commenting, "Xiaoyu, your place is too plain compared to your old room."

Bai Xiaoyu replied, "I like it."

Feng Shuang'er couldn't believe her spoiled son could tolerate such conditions. Seeing the ordinary bedding, she disbelieved him.

"Xiaoyu, you've suffered. After a year, if another nursery invites you, you can switch. With your skills, any nursery on Imperial Star would welcome you. Even the Royal Nursery, with your father's help, is possible. Then you can return to Imperial Star."

Bai Xiaoyu refused, "Thank you, but I don't plan to leave."

Feng Shuang'er glanced at Bai Xiaoyu, considering the interns and the pharmaceutical master, agreeing it wasn't the right time.

She nodded, "As long as you're happy."

Changing the topic, she asked, "Didn't you say you'd show me Little One? Why are we in your room instead of the nursery?"

Indeed, he wanted her to see his poor living conditions.

Bai Xiaoyu explained, "Little One doesn't like staying in the nursery. He prefers sleeping with me. He should be on the bed."

He walked over, but the bed was empty.

Hadn't he instructed the robot to tell Little One to stay on the bed?

He squatted down to look under the bed, but there was nothing.

Under the balcony, behind the curtains, inside the closet, ... nowhere to be found.

Feng Shuang'er watched him search and couldn't help asking, "Xiaoyu, what are you looking for?"

Bai Xiaoyu: "Xiaobudian, he must have run off somewhere."

Feng Shuang'er: "But Xiaobudian can't move, right?"

Bai Xiaoyu: "He can."

Xiaobudian might not be as healthy or well-developed as the other eggs, but perhaps because of his extremely strong mental power, he was the first egg in this batch to start moving. He was a few days ahead of the others; when the other eggs just started moving, Xiaobudian was already running around with an outer shell installed.

The first time he moved was on the bed. Back then, after Bai Xiaoyu had helped Xiaobudian expel dark matter and placed him in a nursery box, he went to help Dahai. Dahai kept nudging him, trying to stop him from coming over to Xiaobudian.

Suddenly, Xiaobudian moved slightly, realizing he could move, and directly overturned the nursery box.

If Bai Xiaoyu hadn't been quick enough, that little white egg would have fallen off the table.

Ever since then, his bed became very lively at bedtime, with both eggs trying to nestle into his arms.

Every time he came back, the two eggs would be positioned on the bed waiting for him. Nothing like today, where he had to search the entire house for them.

Feng Shuang'er didn't believe it. She thought she was overthinking things earlier, wondering why Xiaoyu seemed distant. Now wasn't he trying to spend more time with her?

Bai Xiaoyu finally found Xiaobudian hiding in a box full of potions in the living room. The little white egg was buried among the potion bottles. Fortunately, the bottles were of excellent quality, so none had broken.

When Xiaobudian saw Bai Xiaoyu, he tried to hide further among the potions.

Seeing this, Bai Xiaoyu couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Xiaobudian, what are you doing here? This isn't the time for hide-and-seek. Come out now."

Xiaobudian moved slightly, causing the potion bottles to clink together.

Hearing this, Feng Shuang'er walked over, "Xiaoyu, who are you talking to?"

The little white egg in the box froze instantly and stopped moving.

Bai Xiaoyu: "I found Xiaobudian."

Feng Shuang'er walked over and looked, shocked: "This color, top-grade potions?"

Bai Xiaoyu nodded indifferently, "Yes, Xiaobudian is in the potions."

Feng Shuang'er then noticed the little white egg half-buried under the potions, tiny and looking frail amidst the surrounding potions.

Feng Shuang'er wondered if Xiaoyu put the egg in the box to show her because she felt guilty about having a second child. Was he feeling neglected?

Bai Xiaoyu didn't realize Feng Shuang'er's thoughts. He squatted down and poked the little white egg, "Come out."

After several pokes, the little white egg still didn't respond.

Feng Shuang'er: "Xiaoyu, he doesn't seem to be moving."

Bai Xiaoyu: "How could he move from the bed to here if he can't move?"

However, this time, Xiaobudian stubbornly remained still under Bai Xiaoyu's poking.

Bai Xiaoyu laughed and pulled Xiaobudian out from the pile of potions, turning to Feng Shuang'er and holding the egg out to her, "This is Xiaobudian."

Feng Shuang'er was stunned, staring at the egg for a while before finally reaching out and awkwardly taking it.

Holding it in her arms, she looked down at the tiny egg. It was so small, lighter and smaller compared to other eggs of the same age. And it didn't move for a long time.

Despite being prepared, Feng Shuang'er couldn't hide her disappointment seeing the egg motionless in her arms.

She touched the transparent outer shell and asked, "What is this?"

Bai Xiaoyu: "This is a specially designed protective layer. Xiaobudian's shell is too soft, and I'm afraid it might break."

Hearing this, Feng Shuang'er felt disappointed again. The hardness of the eggshell often indicated the condition of the hatchling inside.

How weak must it be to need a protective layer? Even the double F-rated Bai Xiaoyu didn't need one back then.

Even his brother, who was stronger than this, failed to awaken successfully. Could this little white egg succeed?

Thinking about this, Feng Shuang'er felt frustrated. If she failed to awaken it publicly tomorrow, she would become a laughingstock among Bai Qing's mistresses in Imperial Star once again.

Why did this egg have to be so weak?

Seeing Feng Shuang'er's fluctuating expression, Bai Xiaoyu's attitude turned cold.

He reached out, "Let me hold Xiaobudian."

Feng Shuang'er refused, "I'll awaken him right now. No need to wait until tomorrow."

Bai Xiaoyu paused, "You've traveled a long distance today. Rest tonight and adjust your mental state to its best condition tomorrow. That's when it's suitable for awakening."

Bai Xiaoyu spoke the truth. Xiaobudian's mental power was very strong, nearly 3S, the strongest among all the eggs he had cultivated. If not for his poor physical condition, he would have already broken through to 3S. This was similar to Bai Xiaoyu's current situation; his body couldn't handle his mental power either.

Feng Shuang'er's mental power was S-level. If she didn't adjust properly, it would be difficult to awaken the little one.

In the end, it wouldn't be the little one struggling but her.

Moreover, with the little one's mental tendrils hidden, Feng Shuang'er, who was almost two levels lower, wouldn't even be able to touch them.

Feng Shuang'er rejected Bai Xiaoyu's suggestion, "I'm perfectly fine now. This little one is so weak..."

Bai Xiaoyu: "...Then give it a try."

He wasn't afraid that Feng Shuang'er's mental power would harm Xiaobudian; it was just that Xiaobudian hated being called weak. He feared that Xiaobudian might get angry and hurt her in retaliation.

Feng Shuang'er held the egg, pressing her forehead against it, as her mental power tendrils reached out to tap on the shell.

The egg remained completely still.

She frowned and probed deeper into the egg with her mental power tendrils...

Bai Xiaoyu watched from the side and soon noticed that Feng Shuang'er's expression was becoming increasingly grim.

In less than a minute, Feng Shuang'er opened her eyes, her face ashen. This was the weakest egg she had ever seen. Her mental power had been inside for so long, yet there was no sign of any mental power fluctuations!

When Xiaoyu was awakened, his mental power was too weak to communicate, but they could clearly sense the mental power fluctuations within the egg. Now, the egg felt barren; there wasn't even a hint of mental power!

Feng Shuang'er: "Could this be a silent egg?"

Bai Xiaoyu: "No, mental power awakening always requires patience. Interrupting like this isn't good for Xiaobudian."

Feng Shuang'er closed her eyes again. "I'll try once more."

Bai Xiaoyu's mental power also slipped in, immediately sensing Feng Shuang'er's clumsy, round mental power tendril probing around inside the egg.

Inside the egg, there was not only her mental power tendril but also a tiny creature, about the size of a palm, its pink body devoid of fur, with a slight blackness around its closed eyes. Its newly formed skin was extremely thin, allowing clear visibility of the blood vessels beneath.

At this moment, the four little paws were clumsily dodging Feng Shuang'er's mental power tendril.

Sensing Bai Xiaoyu's presence, the hairless pink creature turned around, wrapping all four limbs and its tail around Bai Xiaoyu's mental power filament, trying to hug it.

How could such an energetic little creature be a silent egg?

Bai Xiaoyu's mental power filament tickled the little one's chin and then gently tapped its bald head.

Usually, the little one's mental power tendril on its head was lively, chasing after Bai Xiaoyu's filament throughout the egg. Now, its head was bare, with nothing on top.

This little one had actually retracted its mental power tendril!

No wonder Feng Shuang'er thought Xiaobudian was a silent egg. Like other parents, without trained mental power, she couldn't sense anything inside the egg.

Bai Xiaoyu could still feel Xiaobudian's mental power fluctuations, but since Xiaobudian's mental power level was lower, without its tendril appearing, Feng Shuang'er couldn't detect it.

As Bai Xiaoyu tapped, Xiaobudian shook its bald head in refusal.

Xiaobudian, who was usually obedient, refused this time.

Bai Xiaoyu looked at Feng Shuang'er, whose expression grew increasingly agitated over time, and tapped Xiaobudian's head again, but Xiaobudian still refused.

While Bai Xiaoyu was trying to persuade Xiaobudian, Feng Shuang'er's mental power tendril suddenly withdrew.

Feng Shuang'er: "Unable to communicate."

Another egg with extremely low potential, a complete waste!

Her disappointment was evident, and she gripped the egg tighter, almost as if she wanted to crush it.

Bai Xiaoyu took the egg, his expression calm. "You're tired. Go back and rest. Try again tomorrow when you're refreshed."

Feng Shuang'er turned around. "I'll think about whether I should come to the group awakening tomorrow."

She couldn't understand why, despite her and Bai Qing having decent potential, their children were weaker than expected!

She was truly unwilling. If she couldn't succeed now, what was the point of attending tomorrow's awakening? Watching others succeed while she guarded a useless egg, being ridiculed?

Bai Xiaoyu held Xiaobudian, watching Feng Shuang'er's departing back. He was increasingly uneasy about leaving Xiaobudian with her.

He patted the little white egg in his arms. "Xiaobudian, why were you so naughty just now?"

After pretending for a while, Xiaobudian started rolling in Bai Xiaoyu's arms, squirming around.

Bai Xiaoyu quickly sensed something was wrong. Although Xiaobudian was moving, it seemed less lively than usual, seeking comfort by burrowing into his embrace.

His mental power probed inside the egg, finding the little creature curled up, its mental power tendril drooping limply, looking listless and trembling slightly.

Bai Xiaoyu's mental power filament touched the tendril, and a wave of sadness washed over him.

Bai Xiaoyu was stunned. "Xiaobudian..."

Soon, more emotions came through, and Bai Xiaoyu realized that Xiaobudian, born with strong mental power, remembered everything, including Feng Shuang'er and her past abandonment.

Despite staying in Feng Shuang'er's womb for so long, he naturally felt affection and dependence towards her. No egg would dislike the mother who nurtured them for seven months, feeling the warmth and closeness of her blood.

Xiaobudian was no exception. When Feng Shuang'er arrived, he felt both resistance and hidden joy.

But he sensed her disdain and even her desire for him to disappear just now.

The little creature's mental power tendril suddenly stretched out, trying to wrap around Bai Xiaoyu's filament, conveying fear and an intense, precise emotion.

Bai Xiaoyu's mental power received Xiaobudian's message—Brother, don't abandon me.