Chapter 76
Little Silver Mouse was being discharged…
Ye Yumeng had actually heard Huai Yebai mention it before.
With the calming sachet combined with the sanatorium’s treatment methods, they had already nursed Zhang Zhuyu’s body back to decent condition.
Ever since he started wearing the calming sachet, Little Silver Mouse’s mental power disorder had not flared up again.
For safety’s sake, he still needed to keep wearing it, but considering his age, it would be better for him to live with his parents, so Huai Yebai officially approved his discharge.
From now on, he would probably come back for a checkup once every half month. If there were no relapses after half a year, then he could leave Medical Star and return to normal life—
Of course, before that, they would still need to test whether he would relapse without wearing the calming sachet.
If he truly could not do without the calming sachet, then staying on Medical Star would still be more convenient.
Although Medical Star’s educational system was not as complete as that of other planets, there were still schools here, and even some well-known scholars and professors who had come here to retire served as teachers.
“Even though I know you don’t like hearing it, I still want to say it, Doctor Ye. Thank you for saving me. In the future, I’ll definitely find a way to repay you!”
Zhang Zhuyu had originally planned to say goodbye to Doctor Ye at noon today, but then Bai Lele told him that Doctor Ye would not be going to the activity room anymore in the future.
Some of them would be moved to the spirit plant garden for treatment, and the rest would also be changing their daily activity area to the spirit plant garden.
After thinking it over, Zhang Zhuyu decided to secretly follow along and see whether he might be lucky enough to run into Doctor Ye.
And unexpectedly, he really had!
“This is a mech model I made. I hope Doctor Ye can accept it.”
Zhang Zhuyu handed over a miniature mech model.
Ye Yumeng took the mech model the boy offered him. It was only about the size of a fist, with a silver-gray frame and a sleek, exquisite sense of beauty. At a glance, it was clear a great deal of thought had gone into making it.
Even Ye Yumeng, who had come from the cultivation world, could tell how finely crafted this mech was.
If it were enlarged proportionally, it would absolutely be a deadly weapon on the battlefield. For Zhang Zhuyu to be able to design and build something like this at such a young age—if this were the cultivation world, he would definitely be a natural artifact refiner!
“Did you design this yourself?” Ye Yumeng asked.
“Mm!”
Zhang Zhuyu nodded. “My abilities aren’t strong enough yet, but once I grow up, I’ll definitely be able to recreate it at a one-to-one scale. When that time comes, I’ll give you a full-sized one too!”
Ye Yumeng quickly waved his hands. “This one is more than enough. I really like it. Thank you.”
“Okay. I hope that whenever Doctor Ye looks at this model in the future, you’ll think of me.” The boy said it with a flushed face.
He knew Doctor Ye had many, many patients, and he himself was only a very inconspicuous one among them.
But Zhang Zhuyu still hoped Doctor Ye would not forget him, because to him, Doctor Ye was someone he revered and adored beyond measure.
Ye Yumeng smiled softly and said warmly, “You’re the first patient I treated who truly recovered. Of course I’ll remember you.”
At once, Zhang Zhuyu smiled from the heart.
Looking at him, Ye Yumeng thought for a moment and said, “I actually do have one small request.”
At that, Zhang Zhuyu’s eyes lit up.
“Please, go ahead!”
Ye Yumeng scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed, and said, “Could you turn back into your little mouse form one more time?”
Without asking why, Zhang Zhuyu nodded hard.
The next second, his clothes collapsed and fell to the ground with a soft plop.
Now back in Little Silver Mouse form, he struggled his way out of the pile of clothes, first poking out his little head, then using all four paws to try to crawl free.
Only his tiny claws got tangled in the clothing, and no matter how hard he climbed, he could not get out.
Watching Little Silver Mouse “fight” with his own clothes, Ye Yumeng could not help laughing.
Just looking at him was already unbearably cute.
In the end, Ye Yumeng finally stepped in to rescue him, then picked up the little fluffball and rubbed him all over in his palms.
Soft and furry and warm too—both cozy and comfortable in winter. Ye Yumeng truly could not put him down.
It was a pity he would never get to pet him again after this. He had to make the most of this final chance!
In the spirit plant garden.
In the corridor outside the rest room.
Feeling the mental pressure that had suddenly increased dozens of times over, Hu Yunjin’s legs gave out and he collapsed to the floor with a thud.
“Your… Your Majesty…”
Even Mo Yin felt that terrifying mental pressure.
He slowly dropped to one knee as well.
What was happening to His Majesty? Could there be something wrong with the fox clan that he had not discovered?
Mo Yin narrowed his eyes at Hu Yunjin. Could he be up to something?
Outside the spirit plant garden.
Ye Yumeng could actually sense when someone was observing him with mental power, and now that his spiritual sense had grown stronger, he could barely distinguish different mental signatures.
This mental power… seemed to be coming from little rabbit?
It could really extend this far? That was way too strong!
Ye Yumeng merely marveled inwardly for a moment, then crouched by the roadside and continued petting the little silver mouse in his palms.
Little Silver Mouse did not resist at all. Only when it tickled did he let out soft, giggly little noises.
He was just too well-behaved!
After rubbing him for a while, Ye Yumeng finally stopped to his satisfaction.
Looking at the little silver mouse’s fur, which he had ruffled into a complete mess, he gave a light cough and said in a solemn tone, “Looks like your body really has recovered completely.”
Zhang Zhuyu nodded.
“I’ll walk you back.”
Ye Yumeng picked up the boy’s clothes, folded them neatly, then carried the little silver mouse in his hands all the way toward the core inpatient building.
And on the way, under the excuse of smoothing down his fur, he happily gave him another good petting.
But when they reached the entrance, they unexpectedly ran into Zhang Zhuyu’s parents. They had set out early in order to pick up their son and had already arrived at the Royal Sanatorium.
“Doctor Ye!”
Because they had met before, the Zhang parents recognized Ye Yumeng.
Ye Yumeng smiled awkwardly and quickly returned the little silver mouse to them, then took his leave—
Of course, he did not forget to take the gift the boy had given him.
He really liked the mech model.
He could even treat it as a keepsake from curing his first patient!
After Ye Yumeng finished eating and returned to the spirit plant garden carrying spiritual fruit and lunch boxes, Hu Yunjin had already left.
Lu Nanzhou had not actually punished him—
Although he had fainted from fright, and it had been Mo Yin who ordered a robot orderly to send him back to the family lodging.
The spirit plant garden was already considered a restricted area, and Hu Yunjin’s identity was especially sensitive, so naturally he could not be allowed to stay. If he wanted to visit Hu Yunsheng in the future, he would have to apply for approval first.
But after what happened yesterday, Hu Yunsheng probably did not want to see this brother again anytime soon.
When Ye Yumeng returned to the rest room, he placed the mech model at the head of little rabbit’s bed.
“Isn’t it delicate? Little Yu… I mean Zhang Zhuyu, that little genius mech designer. This was his farewell gift to me.”
“He was discharged today.”
Ye Yumeng sat down by the bedside, his joy completely undisguised.
“That’s good news,” the mechanical voice said calmly.
“Hehe, right?”
Ye Yumeng said, “I also had Hu Naonao and the others moved to the spirit plant garden today. They’re your friends, so from now on, you’ll still be able to see each other.”
I’m not very eager to see them…
But looking at the crescent-shaped smile in Ye Yumeng’s eyes, Lu Nanzhou still activated the voice machine and replied, “Mm.”
“Then…”
Ye Yumeng paused, then looked at him and asked, “Do you still want me to tell you a story today?”
Lu Nanzhou: “……”
He looked back at Ye Yumeng. In those beautiful eyes, he thought he could detect a trace of teasing, but they were too clear, as if it were only his own overinterpretation.
After meeting his gaze for a moment, he gave in and answered, “Mm, I want to hear one.”
Ye Yumeng blinked. Now it was his turn to be surprised.
He had only meant to tease him a little, but… he really did like listening to fairy tales?
He had thought it was only because of his earlier misunderstanding, and that Lu Nanzhou had simply gone along with it.
He looked so cold by nature, yet he actually had this kind of hobby?
“All right then.”
Ye Yumeng nodded. Since he wanted to hear one, he would tell one. He liked telling stories anyway; it counted as rest and relaxation for him too.
He opened the fairy tale collection Mo Yin had given him, picked a story, and began narrating it in detail.
Outside the rest room.
Because all the windows were open, the voices inside carried clearly outside.
Listening to the exchange between the two of them, listening to Doctor Ye once again begin telling stories in that tone he used to coax children—
Mo Yin: “……”
Did His Majesty not realize that Doctor Ye had already begun to suspect things? Should he maybe give His Majesty a reminder?
But another possibility also rose in Mo Yin’s heart—
What if His Majesty genuinely liked it?
After all, before this he had even played some of Doctor Ye’s recordings several times…
Mo Yin thought it over, then ultimately decided to keep his mouth shut and pretend he knew nothing at all.
He looked up at the sky outside the window, thinking about the arrangements ahead.
The news that His Majesty had already recovered would spread through the fox clan’s mouths. He only hoped those restless, scheming families would pull back in time.
That way, when the reckoning came in the future, the range of those implicated could be kept smaller…
After enduring more than ten years of war, he truly did not want to see more lives lost.
Inside the rest room where the Blade Squad warriors had been settled.
The room was relatively large, and because they were all in juvenile form and did not need much space, even with eleven beds arranged inside, it still felt roomy.
Moved to this new environment, the little animals all felt somewhat unaccustomed at first, but breathing in the fresh air and basking in the sunlight streaming down from the skylight, they quickly relaxed.
This place did not look as professionally equipped as the wards in the core inpatient building, but it felt much more comfortable.
If they could keep living here in the future, that actually would not be so bad.
The most delighted one among them was, naturally, the littlequeen of the night, Yu Zhenchuan.
As a plant, he could feel the environmental difference more clearly. Though he did not know the exact cause, after coming here, he felt full of energy all over.
Grow! Grow! Grow!
He wanted to grow out, to break through his restraints and sprout up from the soil!
The mental signal released by the littlequeen of the night was picked up by his troublemaking friend, the little honey badger. Their personalities were rather similar, and they had often played together before being injured.
Gu Xingdong stared at his little partner in amazement as he watched him grow a tiny tender green leaf at a speed visible to the naked eye.
And then…
He wilted.
The whole plant slumped again, as if growing that one small leaf had already exhausted all his strength.
The little honey badger, with ill intent, reached out a paw and poked the newly grown leaf.
Smack—
A vine lightly slapped against his paw.
At the same time, Yu Zhenchuan’s furious voice rang in his ear: Get lost! Don’t paw at me!
I only touched it once, what’s the big deal?
The two of them bickered noisily, while in the corner, the little fox lay there listlessly, looking utterly dispirited.
Yan Wangshu glanced at him, then toward Han Xiong.
The little bear cub shook his head. Though he was closer to the little fox, even he did not know what was wrong today.
Could it be because his mental power had gone berserk again yesterday, and his body felt so miserable that he had lost all motivation?
The little bear cub did not understand, and when he asked, Hu Naonao refused to say.
Yan Wangshu withdrew his gaze and did not ask either. But after a while, Hu Naonao’s voice rang in his ear.
Little Moon, I think I’ve become like you…
Yan Wangshu turned his head to look at him.
Everyone knew about the little fox’s sudden mental power rampage.
As for the reason behind that rampage, Yan Wangshu had actually already guessed.
And now, hearing him say that, he became completely certain.
He said nothing, only controlled the toy hand puppet and gently patted the little fox on the head.
Lying on his bed, feeling that gentle touch, the little fox’s mouth trembled, and he suddenly wanted to cry again.
We’ll always be your brothers, Yan Wangshu said softly.
The little white dog beside them, upon seeing Yan Wangshu move the puppet hand, had thought he was about to pat his own head. His tail had already started wagging.
But then he realized that the puppet hand was not patting him at all—it was patting the little fox.
The little white dog blinked in confusion, then controlled his bed and scooted—swish—right over to the little fox’s bedside. He painstakingly wriggled and shuffled until he finally made it onto the little fox’s bed.
He panted with his tongue out from the effort for a moment, then pressed himself close beside the little fox and rubbed their heads together lightly.
Though he did not know what had happened, whenever Little Moon did something, he just needed to follow along!
The little fox’s mouth wobbled even more.
At that moment, the little ferret, who had just finished one round of Healthy Energy Exercise, noticed what was happening.
What’s going on? What are you guys doing? Count me in!
The little ferret jumped onto the little fox’s other side, and the three little ones ended up lying side by side in a row.
Is it because we’re all going to be living together now? the little ferret cried out. It kind of feels like the old days!
Back when they were at war, of course there were no good conditions. After battles, they were so exhausted that they would just collapse and sleep wherever they fell, usually all crammed together like this.
Of course, there were no conditions for bathing either. They all stank, and sometimes they could not even be bothered to tend to their wounds.
It had been hard, but…
I kind of miss those days… the little white dog said, wagging his tail.
The little fox, who had been about to cry, had his attention diverted by their antics.
Thinking back to those spirited days of their youth, he could not help nodding. Yeah… they really were worth missing.
But being peaceful and stable now is good too, came the voice of the little bear cub.
Even though they were injured and suffering, when he thought about how the war was over, how people would no longer keep dying, and how things all across the country were steadily recovering, he could not help feeling happy!
The little fox nodded too.
That was exactly why, after hearing his brother’s words, he had been so angry.
At that moment, a tiny drop of honey, no bigger than a soybean, floated over before the little fox by means of mental control.
Naonao, open your mouth, Han Xiong’s voice said by his ear.
The little fox obeyed on instinct and opened his mouth.
The little candy bean flew right in, and he reflexively caught it on his tongue.
Sweet…
Hehe, good, right? It’s honey candy—super sweet! In the entire Blade Squad, only the little bear cub really liked sweets.
Honey was easier to digest, so the doctors had made it into a tiny snack for Han Xiong to satisfy his cravings. Of course, the amount was very small, and he could eat at most one piece a day.
If you eat something sweet, your mood gets better!
The little fox smacked his lips, and the bitterness and grievance in his heart slowly dissolved.
After hearing his brother say those things, Hu Yunsheng had actually understood that he had already been abandoned by the family. Even if his brother had not said it outright, he could tell.
And his brother himself was already in trouble, like a clay Buddha trying to cross a river—barely able to save himself.
Otherwise, there was no way the family would have agreed to let him come, fully aware that anti-royalist forces were gathering on Medical Star.
Just like his brother had said, before he inherited the family, he had no power to sway their father or the elders’ decisions.
If he had truly mattered to them, his older brother Hu Yunjin would never even have been allowed out the door.
But now, Hu Yunsheng had worked through it.
Faced with righteousness and personal feeling, he would choose the former without hesitation. A final break with the family was inevitable…
Then he heard Han Xiong say, Didn’t you hear Mo Yin? His Majesty has already regained control over the Mystic Flame. His Majesty won’t die, and every problem can be solved now!
Yes. His Majesty would not die.
Thankfully, his brother had listened to him and surrendered himself to His Majesty in time. When punishment eventually fell upon the fox clan, it should be lighter now.
That counted as the last thing he could do for the fox clan…
Hu Yunsheng closed his eyes.
At that moment, the little peregrine, Molly, flew over too, hopping around at the head of his bed and chirping lightly.
The little fox’s ears twitched. He cracked one eye open, his eye tracking her for a circle, then suddenly lunged as if to pounce.
Molly shot upward and away, and her bright laughter rang through the mental group chat.
Of course, with the little fox injured so badly, there was no way he could actually catch her. It was just a little game between them.
When the Blade Squad had first been formed, they had not all been united and close the way they were now. After all, they had all been proud young prodigies of extraordinary strength. Friction had been inevitable.
As a bird, Molly had clashed especially badly with the little fox, Hu Yunsheng, and the two of them had often fought.
But later, after facing countless brushes with death together in the war, their feelings had gradually deepened, and they had formed their own unique understanding.
Now that His Majesty had successfully survived and they themselves had hope of recovery, once their hearts relaxed a little, they had started playing these childish games again.
The little peregrine circled in the air, teasing the little fox, and before long Jiang Yutuan and Bai Lele joined the fray.
Hu Naonao and Jiang Yutuan were one thing, but facing Bai Lele—whose injuries were the lightest and whose condition was the best—Molly was no match.
Mingming, save me!
The little peregrine flapped her wings and landed on the panda cub Shen Chunming’s head.
The panda cub chuckled and reached out, scooping up the nimble little ferret into his arms and trapping him there.
Stop bullying Molly. She only has a few feathers left. If you keep batting at her, they’ll all fall out.
The little ferret stopped struggling and instead began playing around with the panda cub.
Guangye opened his eyes and quietly watched them.
Because he had gone outside today, he was wearing a little fleece outfit that covered his bare body, making him look much better—
Though to him, it did not really feel any different.
A trace of distraction slowly entered his eyes. To think an atmosphere this light and easy would ever appear again in their Blade Squad?
Thinking back over the past two years, and then over the changes of the past two months, his heart could not help filling with emotion.
Could people like them—those who had sacrificed and fallen while chasing their ideals—really still have a chance to see the light again?
Guangye had to admit it: a seed called hope had taken root in his heart too.
At that moment, his communicator suddenly chimed.
Guangye opened it and glanced down.
[Ah Yin]: The gift you asked me to pass on to Doctor Ye has already been delivered.
After Ye Yumeng finished telling little rabbit his story, he let him continue cultivating, while he himself walked out of the room, planning to go check on the little animals who had been moved into the spirit plant garden.
But just as he stepped into the corridor, Mo Yin called out to stop him.
“Doctor Ye, the weather has been getting colder these past two days. When you go outside, please wear these gloves and scarf.”
The uniforms at the Royal Sanatorium were made of special material and provided a certain level of temperature regulation, so Ye Yumeng had not bought any new clothes recently.
But when he rode his hover disc outside, it really did feel piercingly cold, with the wind cutting to the bone.
So he did not stand on ceremony. He took the gloves and scarf from Mo Yin’s hands. They were soft, with a fluffy surface, and felt really comfortable. Ye Yumeng liked them at once.
“Thank you, Ah Mo!”
Ye Yumeng smiled brightly. “You’re so thoughtful!”
Mo Yin gave a light cough and explained, “These were sent by Ye Guang. They’re from a brand his family operates. If there’s anything at all you’re dissatisfied with, just let us know. We can have them improve it.”
The Guang family ran the feather tribe’s largest chain of clothing enterprises, and Guangye himself had once been their spokesperson. Unfortunately, later…
Ye Yumeng thought of that little bird who was bald all over and had such a cold, aloof personality, and could not help feeling surprised.
“He really sent these to me?”
“Yes.”
Ye Yumeng nodded. So little Ye Guang was one of those cold on the outside, warm on the inside types…
Of course, inside he might actually be an adult too.
But that did not matter. Since none of them had corrected him, then he might as well keep treating them like children.
“Thank you. I’ll make good use of them.” For now, Ye Yumeng put the gloves and scarf away, intending to use them when he next went outside.
After that, Ye Yumeng left.
Mo Yin watched his back disappear down the corridor, then turned and entered the rest room to see if there was anything that needed tidying up.
He had assumed little rabbit was asleep, but unexpectedly he was awake, and his expression…
With all the bandages, it was hard to see clearly, but Mo Yin could roughly sense it—or perhaps imagine it.
“Your Majesty…?”
Could it still be because of the fox clan’s betrayal? Mo Yin could not help guessing, though that did not quite match His Majesty’s temperament.
And in any case, His Majesty had already known about the matter before…
Mo Yin.
Lu Nanzhou’s voice rang by his ear. Have this room furnished. Match the standards of Room 006.
At the same time, he emphasized that it had to be fitted out according to Ye Yumeng’s measurements, with an entire wardrobe full of all kinds of clothing, including shirts, pants, shoes, socks, hats, and… gloves and scarves.
Mo Yin: “……”
