Chapter 16
The ward fell into a brief silence.
Ye Yumeng glanced at the voice device beside the bed. It had been introduced during training—
as long as the patient was conscious, they could communicate through it.
That was why he had tried to tease the little rabbit into speaking, but he hadn’t expected…
He had only been joking—he never intended to actually call him “Little Rabbit”!
At this age, shouldn’t a young boy resist such cutesy nicknames?
Unaware of Mo Yin’s utterly stunned expression behind him, Ye Yumeng hesitated, then called out tentatively:
“Little Rabbit?”
No response.
He muttered, “Did I mishear?”
Lu Nanzhou: “……”
He had considered telling Ye Yumeng that he was Lu Qi, but—
In his mind surfaced the image of Ye Yumeng beneath the dim streetlamp, eyes red and brimming with tears, filled with sorrow.
They had only known each other briefly, barely spoken a few words, yet Ye Yumeng had cried for him and said he didn’t want him to die…
He even said they could become good friends.
If Lu Nanzhou claimed he wasn’t moved at all, that would be a lie.
But… he couldn’t guarantee he would survive. Every time he lost consciousness, it might be the last.
There was no need to make him cry again.
Since the young caregiver thought he was just a cub, he might as well let the misunderstanding continue.
As for being called “Little Rabbit,” he didn’t mind. When he was young, his elders had called him that too.
Besides, the Yaojin royal bloodline did take rabbit form in their juvenile stage. That didn’t stop him from growing up to wield the power to slay dragons.
Lu Nanzhou made his decision.
“Little Rabbit?” Ye Yumeng called again.
“Mm.”
This time, Lu Nanzhou responded.
Mo Yin: ???
Ye Yumeng, however, broke into a smile—he really hadn’t misheard!
“Haha, then I’ll call you Little Rabbit from now on!”
Even though he hadn’t learned his name, this seemed fine enough.
Seeing how the little rabbit struggled just to keep his eyes open, he spoke gently:
“Are you sleepy? Then go ahead and rest.”
With injuries this severe, the pain must be unimaginable. Over the past year, he probably hadn’t had many proper nights of sleep.
Ye Yumeng lightly stroked his head with his fingertips.
The little rabbit was no bigger than his palm—so small, so fragile, with life hanging by a thread.
The glow of the Minor Rejuvenation Technique continued as spiritual energy flowed from Ye Yumeng’s fingertips, gradually enveloping the tiny body.
Aside from restoring vitality, the technique could also ease pain.
“Don’t worry. I’ll stay here with you.”
Under Ye Yumeng’s soft, soothing voice, Lu Nanzhou finally couldn’t hold on any longer. His eyes closed, and his consciousness drifted away.
Mo Yin, who had been watching nervously the whole time, was utterly amazed.
From the sleep monitor, it was clear—His Majesty had truly fallen asleep… and directly into deep sleep!
He had been on the Medical Planet for a week, spending long hours by the Emperor’s side, even keeping night watch.
From his observations, although His Majesty often fell unconscious, it was usually shallow sleep—short, fragmented, and frequently interrupted.
If he could enter deep sleep every day, it would undoubtedly help his recovery.
Just like newborn cubs, who spend most of their time sleeping—growth happens fastest during sleep.
The same applied to the injured.
Sensing something, Ye Yumeng turned around and saw Mo Yin staring at him intently, which made his heart skip a beat.
Had his use of the Minor Rejuvenation Technique been discovered?
Core Inpatient Department, Activity Center.
As the sun climbed higher, the activity room gradually became lively again. The twelve members of the Yaojin Legion were brought in one after another by the medical staff.
Having been forced into juvenile forms, they could no longer speak, only making the sounds of young beasts. So they communicated mostly through mental force.
As usual, they chatted idly through their minds.
Guangye curled up in his nest, resting with his eyes closed.
Suddenly sensing something, he lifted his eyelids slightly and saw a small, nimble figure jump onto his bed and creep toward his nest.
“Brother Yu, do you think His Majesty will come play with us again today?”
Guangye belonged to the Feather Tribe and had originally been the next clan leader, as well as the strategist of the squad. Everyone was used to calling him “Brother Yu.”
A small snow ferret sprawled on his bird’s nest, its bright, grape-like eyes lively and adorable.
It was the least injured and best recovered among the squad. While the others couldn’t move, it could still run around freely.
However, those reduced to juvenile form would inevitably be influenced by it, showing some regression in intelligence and behavior.
This little snow ferret was particularly childlike, always thinking about playing.
“His Majesty’s condition is probably still unstable. When he left yesterday, Lei Qi and the others were clearly anxious,” Guangye said calmly.
“Ah? Then what should we do?”
“I don’t know.”
After answering, Guangye closed his eyes again.
“By the way, where’s that Caregiver Ye? Is he late?”
With little new stimulation, topics quickly shifted, and soon Ye Yumeng was mentioned.
“Second day on the job and already late—and this late… will his pay be docked?”
On a bed near the window, a little bear stared eagerly at the door, its expression slowly shifting from anticipation to worry.
“Heh, Bear, you must be disappointed that he hasn’t shown up yet, right?”
A teasing voice drifted over via mental force from the neighboring bed.
They preferred mental communication partly because it allowed private conversations.
The little bear wasn’t truly a cub either—his name was Xiong Hanyue, the team’s powerhouse tank.
Despite his brutal combat style, his personality was cheerful and straightforward, earning him the nickname “Silly Bear.”
He had been the first to forgive Ye Yumeng’s careless remark and even helped calm the others.
“Why would I be disappointed?” Silly Bear asked.
Beside him lay a small fox—Hu Yunsheng, just over 25, fond of joking and stirring things up.
“Don’t you like him?” the fox asked.
Silly Bear thought for a moment and nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
The little bear grinned honestly. Despite its charred, patchy fur, it somehow looked adorably awkward.
“Caregiver Ye is really cute. He speaks so softly—it reminds me of sweet honey cake.”
Most staff in the Royal Sanatorium were physically strong. Someone as slender and delicate as Ye Yumeng was rare—like a porcelain doll, pleasing to the eye.
Thinking of honey cake, the little bear couldn’t help swallowing.
It had been so long since he’d had one… who knew if he ever would again?
The fox said, “But he likes His Majesty, so don’t get your hopes up.”
The little bear rolled its eyes.
“So what? Even if he likes His Majesty, he can still play with me. As long as he talks to me, I’m happy.”
Then he added earnestly, “And Caregiver Ye probably doesn’t know that’s His Majesty. Don’t go around saying things like that.”
The fox pouted. “Alright, alright.”
After a pause, his voice turned subdued. “What does it matter who we like? We’re all just lying here waiting to die anyway…”
This time, even Silly Bear fell silent.
After a long while, he carefully suggested, “Want to go on the StarNet?”
“Boring.”
The fox turned away.
Silly Bear’s mood sank too.
Though the virtual world claimed 99% realism, that remaining 1% made all the difference.
At first, they had been obsessed with it. But over time, they grew tired of it.
Virtual reality was still not reality—especially for warriors like them.
Now, they preferred gathering in the activity room, even if it was quiet and dull. At least here, they could still feel something real.
“Hu Naonao… you’re not crying, are you?” the bear asked, leaning forward.
No answer.
Naonao was the fox’s childhood nickname, used only by those close to him—mostly his family.
At first, his family contacted him every day. But gradually, less and less… this month, not once.
He had only been venting—but now, he really did feel like crying.
Just then—
The metal doors of the activity room suddenly opened.
Had that little caregiver finally come to work?
At that moment, all the mental chatter in the room fell silent, subtly shifting toward the doorway.
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