Chapter 10: The Same Tattoo

Chapter 10: The Same Tattoo

It was Jiang Yi's turn to enter the assessment room. Compared to the Esper Center outside, the academy's assessment was more thorough.

The final part consisted of a physical fitness test and a questionnaire.

The assessment results were provided on the spot.

Ability: Telepathy

Type: Psychic, Grade: C

Ability Level: Tier 3

Physical Fitness: A-level

The registrar handed the assessment report to Jiang Yi. "Congratulations, junior. Your scores look great."

"You're a student too?" Jiang Yi asked.

"Hello, I'm Xin Ziyu, a second-year student. There are more freshmen this year than in previous years, and the Assessment Center is short-staffed. I was roped into being a volunteer. I'm also a psychic-type, by the way. We'll meet again soon," Xin Ziyu said. He had a pure, classical Eastern appearance, wore a pair of thin-framed glasses, was tall and slender, had a very kind smile, yet his demeanor carried a hint of aloofness.

"Hello, senior." Jiang Yi shook hands with Xin Ziyu.

Jiang Yi walked out of the corridor holding his assessment report. On the other side, Castonopa was just entering. Luo Chuan had indeed been holding that spot in line for him.

Jiang Yi's glance was only momentary, but Caston immediately noticed it, shifting his gaze to meet Jiang Yi's.

It was the playful yet disdainful look of a superior observing an inferior.

Jiang Yi frowned. People could sense each other's auras. With just one encounter, he felt this green-eyed man was no good.

"Jiang Yi, you're out. How were the results?" Jia Zheyu approached.

"Not bad." Jiang Yi didn't open the assessment report on the spot. His ability name had changed from "Mind Reading" to "Telepathy," and his grade had risen from D-level to C-level. Jia Zheyu would surely be surprised if he saw it.

Having learned from the previous incident, Jia Zheyu wasn't in a hurry to find out either. "Let's go, to the cafeteria."

In the afternoon, everyone gathered in the classroom for a homeroom meeting, followed by a free activity period.

Jia Zheyu had a reinforcement-type ability. This type of Esper was the most numerous, so the largest building in the academy complex was the Reinforcement Department building. They went their separate ways; Jia Zheyu went to the Reinforcement Department, while Jiang Yi went to the Psychic Department building at the back.

Xin Ziyu introduced him to the other seniors in the department. The entire department had only a handful of members, so he quickly got to know everyone.

"Professor Bonasen is the dean of our Psychic Department. He originally intended to welcome you personally, but something urgent came up in the lab today, so he couldn't make it. No worries, though, your first theory class will be with Professor Bai," Xin Ziyu told Jiang Yi.

"Okay, thank you, senior," Jiang Yi said.

"No problem. Look around for now. If you're interested in research, you can also apply for your own laboratory," Xin Ziyu added.

"Mm." Jiang Yi nodded. Currently, he wasn't very interested in research; he was more interested in his ability itself. But if he wanted to improve his ability, merely sitting in a classroom doing research wouldn't be enough.

As evening approached, Jia Zheyu came to find Jiang Yi. "Your small department is better. Our department has too many people—forming cliques, currying favor with the powerful, and looking down on the weak. That arrogant guy we met this morning is the heir of the Opa Family. Lots of people are trying to suck up to him."

"Don't mind them. We just need to focus on our own studies," Jiang Yi said, completely unfazed.

"Exactly, exactly," Jia Zheyu agreed, nodding.

The two gathered their things and headed towards the school gate.

Not far from the entrance, a werewolf was chained to a post.

Jiang Yi remembered seeing him tied there in the morning. At that time, he was still standing. Because of his refined features and slight build, Jiang Yi was reminded of Ke Lin when they first met, so he took a few extra glances.

Werewolves and treants were common bodyguards and attendants. It wasn’t unusual for scions of noble families to bring them along. The school didn't bar outsiders, but on the first day of the semester, most students made them wait outside.

However, it was rare to see someone like this werewolf tied under the scorching sun for an entire day.

Moreover, given his build, he didn’t seem capable of protecting anyone.

“Jiang Yi, Uncle Dak is here to pick me up. I’m going to my dad’s place for dinner tonight, so I won’t be going back to the complex with you.” Jia Zheyu saw Dak’s car and said goodbye to Jiang Yi.

“Okay, bye.” Jiang Yi waved.

Jiang Yi’s way home happened to pass by the tied-up werewolf.

The werewolf hadn’t had a drop of water all day and had collapsed to his knees, exhausted. With the chain so short, he was forced into an upright kneeling position. To ease the strain, he held the chain with one hand and supported himself on the ground with the other, his head hung low. His gray-brown ears drooped weakly, and sweat dripped steadily to the ground.

“Are you okay? Do you need me to contact your guarantor for you?” Jiang Yi stopped in front of the werewolf.

The werewolf became aware of the shadow falling over him and slowly raised his head. When he heard the first half of Jiang Yi’s sentence, he showed no reaction, but upon hearing the second half, he flinched and shook his head violently. “N-no, no need.”

His voice was a ragged, torn whisper, but the meaning behind his words was intense. He resisted, even feared, his guarantor.

Just as Jiang Yi hesitated whether to intervene further, a mocking voice sounded behind him. “Just punished, and already unrepentant, making friends already?”

Jiang Yi turned sideways. That annoying expression and tone—it was indeed Castonopa. Did he have to run into him everywhere?

“It’s you?” Caston asked first.

“Are you his guarantor?” Jiang Yi said. “If I remember correctly, guarantors and those guaranteed have equal rights and obligations.”

Caston let out a scoff. “Guarantor, equality—what ridiculous words. I allow them to enter the protected zone, so they don’t turn into monsters from cosmic radiation. They should be grateful.”

Jiang Yi remained silent. It seemed Caston was a so-called human supremacist, impossible to reason with.

The two locked eyes for a moment before Caston, bored, shifted his gaze to the trembling werewolf at his feet.

Caston unfastened the buckle on the post and yanked the werewolf’s chain.

The werewolf staggered to his feet, before he could find his balance he was dragged in front of Caston. Caston stared at him with a cold gaze, reached out, and slapped his cheek. “Didn’t I tell you the consequences of disobeying me?”

The werewolf used all his strength to keep his trembling knees from buckling, his eyelashes lowered, not daring to look directly at Caston. “I was wrong… Master…”

Caston snorted coldly, pinched the werewolf’s chin, and turned his face toward Jiang Yi. “Tell him, what is your status?”

The werewolf’s eyes were empty as he mechanically said, “I am my master’s slave.”

In the face of power, there was no such thing as guarantor and guaranteed. The peace treaty signed back then was nothing but a worthless piece of paper in the eyes of someone like Caston.

Caston sneered with a triumphant look in his eyes. Jiang Yi met his gaze coldly, his eyes burning with suppressed anger and disgust.

At that moment, Jiang Yi clearly knew that he and Caston were irreconcilable.

Because when Caston pulled the werewolf up, Jiang Yi saw the tattoo on the werewolf’s back—a circular, retro cloud pattern, the emblem of the Opa Family.

Exactly the same as the one on Ke Lin’s back.

No wonder it had looked familiar when he saw the family emblem on the car by the roadside in the morning. It turned out he had seen it on Ke Lin’s back when he bathed him back then.

Before Ke Lin was sold to the mine, he had a previous owner.

No wonder there were so many oddities about Ke Lin.

No wonder Ke Lin would apologize and beg for forgiveness over trivial matters.

No wonder Ke Lin looked weaker and smaller than a normal werewolf.

...

Jiang Yi returned home.

As soon as he entered, a cooking aroma wafted from the kitchen.

"Ke Lin, are you cooking?"

"Master, just a moment, it'll be ready soon." Ke Lin poked his head out of the kitchen, wearing a light blue apron.

He'd been so bored at home. Whenever it was quiet, he couldn't stop missing his master, so he started learning to cook.

Last time he broke the eggs in the kitchen, he was unprepared. This time, he carefully followed a cooking tutorial on the tablet. Although he was a bit slow, everything had gone smoothly so far.

Jiang Yi's brows, furrowed the whole way home, relaxed briefly. He walked into the kitchen, standing close behind Ke Lin to peer into the pot. "What delicious food is Little Wolf making?"

Warm breath brushed against the sensitive side of Ke Lin's neck, making him shrink back slightly. His wolf ears twitched as he whispered, "It's curry."

"Hmm, I can smell it." After saying this, Jiang Yi showed no intention of leaving. He looked toward Ke Lin's right shoulder, visible through his shirt. The atmosphere grew quiet, broken only by the sound of the range hood.

In the small kitchen, two tall figures squeezed together. Ke Lin didn't understand why Jiang Yi didn't leave. Was he afraid Ke Lin would cause trouble due to his inexperience?

Fortunately, the curry was almost done. Ke Lin turned up the heat, watching the sauce thicken and deep yellow bubbles form and pop. He tried it with a spoon—it tasted alright.

"Master, it's ready. Would you like to try it?" Ke Lin asked.

Jiang Yi glanced at the spoon Ke Lin had just used. "Sure."

Ke Lin paused for a moment, belatedly realizing he should probably feed his master. He scooped half a spoonful with the same spoon and reached out to bring it to Jiang Yi's lips.

Jiang Yi took a bite, looking into Ke Lin's eyes. "It's delicious."

Caught off guard by the eye contact, Ke Lin's heart raced. He quickly averted his gaze. "I'll... I'll dish it out."

After the meal.

Jiang Yi went to the bedroom to change out of his daytime clothes, emerging wearing only a pair of pajama pants.

"Ke Lin, let's take a bath together."

Ke Lin widened his eyes in disbelief. Apart from the first day he returned, when his master helped him bathe, they had always showered separately afterward.

Although they were both men, bathing together shouldn't be a big deal.

But now that the pet had developed feelings for his master, sharing a bath felt different.

Master was a normal adult male. If he had needs, Ke Lin had the obligation to help him...

At this thought, some unpleasant memories flooded Ke Lin's mind. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, forcing those memories down.

Jiang Yi watched Ke Lin's expression change several times, unsure what was going through the little wolf's mind. In the end, Ke Lin seemed to muster his courage and walked toward the bathroom.

Jiang Yi didn't usually use the bathtub, and Ke Lin typically finished his showers in five minutes, so both of them stood in the shower.

There was only one showerhead, so Jiang Yi naturally picked it up and had Ke Lin turn around.

Ke Lin instantly tensed up, his body going stiff, but he obediently turned around, placing his hands against the wall. His long wolf tail swished from side to side before quietly lifting up.

Focused solely on the clan emblem, Jiang Yi didn't think much of it, thinking Ke Lin just didn't want his fur wet.

Jiang Yi aimed the showerhead at Ke Lin's back, and warm water sprayed out. He gently patted Ke Lin and said, "Relax, don't be nervous. This'll be over soon, and I'll help you blow-dry your hair later."

"N-not nervous," stammered the little wolf, telling his master he wasn't nervous.

Jiang Yi watched as the water flowed over the circular cloud pattern on the back of Ke Lin's right shoulder.

He had originally thought it was some kind of mark of the werewolf clan, but it turned out to be the emblem of the Opa Family.

Although the cloud pattern on Ke Lin's body was no longer very clear, and some spots were scarred from old injuries, it was clearly the same as the one on the werewolf from earlier that evening.

"Ke Lin, where did this mark come from?"

Author's Note:

Ke Lin: The pain I expected didn't come...