Chapter 235
Lu Li read the note over and over again, then carefully folded it in half and placed it reverently in a drawer.
Falling ill was not a new experience for Lu Li, but in his memory, it had always been accompanied by pain and torment. Never before had it felt like this—uncomfortable yet enveloped by warmth, leaving him with an indescribable sense of attachment.
He thought, if things had been like this before, perhaps he wouldn’t have chosen to be a little monkey during the soul-splitting process…
With a faint smile, Lu Li tucked the note away and grabbed a Star-chain Fruit to nibble on.
The fruit’s aroma had stirred his appetite, and his weakened body craved energy. Meanwhile, his similarly frail spirit form would require gradual recovery over time.
Just as he finished half of the fruit, the metallic door to the room slid open. Wen Yan entered with a tray in hand, catching Lu Li’s gaze.
“Lu Li, you’re awake,” Wen Yan greeted him warmly.
Setting the tray on the table, she approached to check his temperature.
Her soft hand touched his forehead, making Lu Li’s face flush slightly. However, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he gazed up at her with wide eyes, an unspoken sense of yearning in his expression.
“Great, your fever seems to have gone down,” Wen Yan said with relief. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine now,” Lu Li murmured, lowering his head shyly.
“You should rest a bit more,” she suggested. “Skip today’s training and pick it up again tomorrow, okay?”
Wen Yan had noticed how diligent all the children in the nursery were. At times, she worried they pushed themselves too hard. Even her own daughter, Qian Qian, insisted on completing her daily tasks before resting.
These children were so mature—it made her heart ache.
She gently patted Lu Li’s head with a tender smile.
Though Lu Li initially wanted to refuse, her soft gesture rendered him speechless. After a moment, he thought to himself, Skipping training for just one day should be fine, right?
With that thought, he nodded quietly.
Wen Yan then took away the half-eaten fruit and brought over a bowl of porridge from the tray.
“After being sick, it’s better to eat something warm.”
The porridge was mixed with minced meat and greens, emitting an enticing aroma.
Lu Li’s stomach growled again. He reached out to take the bowl, but Wen Yan stopped him.
“It’s too hot. Let me feed you,” she said softly.
Feeling a little embarrassed, Lu Li fidgeted with his hands. “I… I can eat it myself.”
“I know, but when you’re sick, it’s okay to let yourself be cared for,” Wen Yan replied, her tone gentle. “Let me take care of you, okay?”
Lu Li stared at her, momentarily stunned, as a profound sense of being cherished washed over him.
His eyes grew warm, and he quickly lowered his gaze. “Okay…” he whispered.
Seeing him relent, Wen Yan smiled brightly.
She carefully fed him spoonfuls of porridge, chatting about how the other children had visited him while he was asleep.
*
303 Caretaker Suite
A-Yan withdrew his spiritual sense and turned to Su Ci.
When Lu Li woke up, both A-Yan and Su Ci had immediately sensed it. They’d considered visiting, but Wen Yan had already received a notification from the central system.
“Should we still go?” A-Yan asked.
Watching the scene of Lu Li obediently eating porridge, Su Ci shook his head slightly. “Tomorrow will be better.”
This time, it wasn’t laziness but rather a deliberate choice. After all, the children would eventually return to their own clans and needed more interaction with other humans.
A-Yan nodded and then asked, “What about the little monkey?”
Su Ci stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Should we catch it and have some fun?”
The little monkey, freshly split from Lu Li’s soul, was still in its spirit form. While it wasn’t likely to cause trouble, Su Ci found its abilities intriguing and worth exploring.
A-Yan nodded with a smile. “Alright, I’ll go catch it.”
With that, his figure disappeared from the spot.
Su Ci stood up and opened the refrigerator, revealing an array of fresh ingredients neatly arranged inside. Just this sight alone lent credibility to the little wolf cub’s earlier suspicions.
Thinking about it, Su Ci couldn’t help but smile again.
Besides cooking, A-Yan also enjoyed doing household chores, something he had shown interest in even back when he had lost his memory and reverted to a child…
“Gah-gah! Gah-gah-gah!”
A shrill cry interrupted Su Ci’s thoughts. He turned around to see A-Yan holding a struggling little monkey by the scruff.
When Su Ci glanced its way, the monkey, which had been furiously wriggling and screeching moments ago, immediately froze as if its voice had been cut off. Not only did it stop struggling, but it also covered its mouth with its tiny hands.
Its big, glossy black eyes darted nervously toward Su Ci, filled with panic and the urge to flee. Its limbs curled up tightly, and it didn’t dare move.
Su Ci chuckled softly. “Long time no see.”
The monkey’s fur immediately puffed up, but it didn’t dare run. It simply curled up in A-Yan’s hand like a little fluffball.
Su Ci raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed that this time, the soul fragment split off from Lu Li was the same one as before, with no new personality emerging from the soul’s fusion and re-splitting.
Golden monkeys… what a fascinating species, Su Ci thought.
He stretched out his palm, and the little monkey, initially clinging to A-Yan’s hand, was transferred to his.
The monkey appeared stunned with fear. It stared blankly at Su Ci, its spirit form flickering faintly as if its stability was affected.
“Doesn’t look very bright, does it?” Su Ci remarked, amused.
Retrieving a cup of ice cream from the fridge, Su Ci sat back down on the sofa. The little monkey, initially wary, became distracted by the dessert. Noticing that Su Ci wasn’t going to harm it, its terror gradually subsided.
“You’re a spirit form for now, so you can’t eat this.”
With that, Su Ci dug into the ice cream, savoring it leisurely. A-Yan glanced at him, shook his head lightly, and returned to working on the training outfits.
With the addition of the new arrival, Mu Bao, the nursery now housed ten cubs. Once the little sparrow fully transformed, there would be eleven, making the task of crafting training outfits an extensive project.
The little monkey, watching Su Ci eat the ice cream, seized the opportunity to try slipping away. However, every time it leapt from the coffee table, it found itself inexplicably back beside Su Ci as if caught in a looping spell.
After several attempts, the monkey gave up, slumped back next to Su Ci, and sat with its chin resting on its hands, staring at him with a sulky expression.
Only after finishing his ice cream did Su Ci pick up the little monkey again and give its fur a good ruffle.
The golden monkey’s fur was soft and dense, and even in its juvenile form, it felt incredibly silky to the touch. Its small size made it particularly endearing.
Of course, Su Ci didn’t just play with its fur—he carefully examined the little monkey as well.
Lu Li’s bloodline came from his father, and the tragedy that had befallen the man lingered in Su Ci’s mind. It was evident that Lu Li’s father, injured and overwhelmed, had his main consciousness trapped within the monkey’s form, leaving his fragmented soul in control of his original body.
And his soul fragment fell into a berserk state for unknown reasons. Unable to control it, Lu Li’s father ultimately became a killer.
Su Ci did not want to see such a tragedy befall Lu Li. Thus, preventive measures needed to be taken.
Holding the little monkey in his hands, Su Ci frowned in thought.
The once-relaxed Liu Liu now felt immense pressure under Su Ci’s unblinking gaze. It curled up into itself, its expression drooping with pitiful, teary eyes, looking utterly wretched.
Unfortunately for it, the “big villain” who brought it here completely ignored its plight, leaving it to be “bullied” by the “great demon king.”
It wasn’t until the next day that Su Ci and A-Yan took the little monkey to Lu Li’s room.
The moment it saw Lu Li, the monkey acted as though it had found its long-lost family. It launched itself at him, burrowing into his body and hiding deep within, too afraid to reappear.
Only then did Lu Li realize that the monkey had spent an entire day and night in Su Su’s room.
From the information he gleaned, Su Su and A-Yan hadn’t done anything to it. Yet, the moment it returned to his mindscape, it began chattering nonstop, expressing grievances about Su Su and A-Yan’s treatment.
Lu Li was puzzled but didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he greeted Su Ci and A-Yan politely.
“How are you feeling today?”
Su Ci reached out to ruffle the boy’s golden hair, taking the opportunity to assess his condition.
“I’m all better now,” Lu Li explained. “Actually, I wasn’t really sick—it was because of the soul fragment…”
“Mm,” Su Ci nodded, then asked him some questions.
“You can’t control this little monkey yet, can you?”
Lu Li nodded.
“And you can’t sense its condition?” If he could, Lu Li wouldn’t have been so surprised to see them arrive with the monkey.
“Mm… that’s right,” Lu Li said hesitantly.
Seeing the guilt written plainly on Lu Li’s face, Su Ci gently patted his head. “Then this will be your next focus for training and learning.”
Lu Li blinked in surprise, listening intently as Su Ci continued.
“A soul fragment is your innate talent. It’s undeniably a very powerful ability,” Su Ci said. “But Lu Li, remember this: the more powerful an ability, the more important it is for you to take control of it and become its true master. Otherwise, if it spirals out of control, the consequences may be more than you can bear. Do you understand?”
Lu Li thought for a moment before saying, “I can care for Liu Liu and see it as my closest sibling, but I can’t indulge it or let it lose control. Is that correct?”
“Exactly,” Su Ci affirmed. “By doing so, you’re protecting it and yourself.”
After a brief pause to consider this perspective, Lu Li nodded in agreement.
If he couldn’t control Liu Liu and let it run wild, it would undoubtedly face danger someday. Right now, it was still in its spiritual form, and few things could harm it. But as he grew older, Liu Liu would eventually gain a physical form as well.
His split soul had fallen into a berserk state for unknown reasons, and Lu Li’s father, unable to control the split, ultimately turned into a murderous fiend.
Su Ci didn’t want to see such a tragedy happen to Lu Li. Therefore, precautions needed to be taken.
Lu Li contemplated the idea and quickly agreed.
If he couldn’t control Liu Liu and let it roam unchecked, it would undoubtedly encounter danger in the future. For now, it was in its spirit form, and there weren’t many things that could harm it. But as Lu Li grew older, Liu Liu would eventually develop a physical form.
At that time, controlling Liu Liu would become much more difficult.
Therefore, while he could grant Liu Liu a degree of freedom, it had to remain within the bounds of his control.
“Su Su, please teach me!” Lu Li said earnestly.
“Alright,” Su Ci replied. “Continue practicing the Body Refinement Technique. In addition, I’ll teach you the Soul Refinement Art. Once you’ve mastered that, I’ll teach you the technique for controlling your soul.”
“You need to strengthen your physical body and soul, enhance your connection with your split soul, and learn to master your innate talent as soon as possible.”
Lu Li listened intently, nodding vigorously by the end, his eyes alight with determination.
Thus, his list of mandatory lessons grew by one.
Since the little monkey was still in its spirit form, this split-soul incident didn’t cause any major issues apart from Lu Li having a fever and resting for a day.
Time passed day by day. About a month later, Li Sinian’s friends, the Creek couple, finally arrived on Prison Star with their son, Ika.
