Chapter 82
Looking at Zheng Xing’s blushing face and then at Lang Ze, who also wore an eager expression, A-Yan paused.
Faced with children so enthusiastic about helping, it was hard to refuse. So, with a small movement of his fingers, he began operating his communicator.
“Mm, you can.”
Hearing his agreement, both children lit up with joy. Even Lu Jiao looked happy for his friends.
“Hooray! We get to come out and play tomorrow!”
Lang Ze cheered loudly, but as soon as he realized what he had just blurted out, he quickly corrected himself. “Ah, no, I mean we get to water the seedlings tomorrow!”
His eyes darted around nervously, afraid that A-Yan might think he only wanted to play and wasn’t serious about caring for the seedlings. What if A-Yan decided not to let him join?
Luckily, A-Yan didn’t seem to mind.
“Then all of you, come here with Lu Jiao at 7 a.m. tomorrow.”
“Got it, got it!” Lang Ze nodded enthusiastically, then added, “Oh, by the way, Lu Jiao’s nickname is Youyou. It’s easier to call him that!”
A-Yan glanced at the little white deer, who was also looking up at him with bright, expectant eyes. With a small nod, A-Yan adjusted, “Alright, Youyou it is.”
Hearing this, Lu Jiao broke into a bashful smile, revealing his admiration and awe for the knowledgeable and kind “Brother A-Yan.”
If only Brother A-Yan could teach me how to write, he thought wistfully.
Meanwhile, Zheng Xing, having used up all his courage earlier, quickly hid behind Lang Ze once A-Yan agreed. He peeked out cautiously but didn’t say another word.
At this moment, A-Yan spoke again. “Let’s start by numbering the seedlings.”
He retrieved a canned goods box from his space storage. Made from special materials, the box was durable, waterproof, heat-resistant, and—most importantly—could be easily cut with scissors.
As the first step in organizing their tasks, A-Yan pulled out two pairs of scissors and handed them to Lang Ze and Lu Jiao. He instructed them to cut the box into small squares.
For sharp tools, both the nursery and the orphanage where Lu Jiao had previously stayed maintained strict regulations. Thus, it was the first time both children had encountered scissors.
Watching Lang Ze pick up the scissors, A-Yan reminded them sternly, “Tools are meant to make work easier, not to harm others.”
Faced with his repeated warnings and reminders, Lu Jiao nodded obediently, and Lang Ze also bobbed his head vigorously in agreement.
Only then did A-Yan entrust the cutting task to them.
Being given such an important responsibility for the first time, both Lang Ze and Lu Jiao worked very diligently. After quickly figuring out how to use the scissors, they quietly sat on the dirt nearby, cutting the canned box into small pieces.
Although Zheng Xing couldn’t help physically, he stayed close by and observed his friends’ work using his mental abilities.
A-Yan, seeing their focus, finally relaxed a little.
He watched them for a while before shifting his attention back to the seedlings in the soil.
Thinking of the blood-red frost flowers from the night before, a trace of concern crossed his face. After glancing at the three children, he vanished from where he stood, reappearing beside Su Ci.
The young man was sitting cross-legged by the pool.
His eyes were half-closed as though he were napping, but his hands never stopped moving. Water disappeared and refilled the pool repeatedly as chunks of spider meat floated into it, being purified in the clear water.
Seeing Su Ci’s exhausted and sleepy expression, A-Yan felt a pang of concern.
He approached cautiously, reaching out a small hand to touch the young man’s cheek. Lowering the volume of his communicator, he whispered softly, “Su Su, why don’t you rest for a bit?”
Su Ci, groggy from his dozing, opened his eyes drowsily.
He pulled down A-Yan’s hand from his cheek, gathered the boy into his arms, rested his chin on A-Yan’s fluffy hair, and affectionately rubbed his furry ears with his cheek. His actions were both intimate and natural.
Yawning, Su Ci murmured, “Just a little more to go. I’ll finish soon.”
Obediently, A-Yan let himself be used as a pillow, then began talking about how he’d involved the children in helping with the planting.
At such close proximity, there was no way he could hide what he was doing from Su Ci.
As expected, Su Ci responded with a soft hum, lazily saying, “You can decide these things.”
He had always intended for the nursery children to grow into capable helpers. After all, his soul energy was precious, and the knowledge passed down from his old companions was invaluable. Since he was sharing it with the children, it was only natural for them to contribute in return.
Besides, planting crops was hardly a burden. For these energetic young cubs, it could even serve as a fun game.
Hearing the young man’s support, A-Yan couldn’t help but grin, his face breaking into a soft and cheerful smile—completely different from the composed and mature demeanor he showed to the wolf cub and the others earlier.
“Mm, I’ll teach them well,” A-Yan promised earnestly.
Su Ci reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair. Perhaps because of A-Yan’s mature choice of voice tone, as Su Ci closed his eyes and listened, the image of A-Yan in his mind subtly transformed into that of a teenager, around seventeen or eighteen years old.
The boy tilted his dark red eyes, smiling brightly at him with pure sincerity.
It felt unfamiliar, yet unexpectedly pleasing.
Su Ci couldn’t help but open his eyes fully, gazing down at the small bundle in his arms. A hint of thoughtfulness flickered in his eyes.
A-Yan…
Could he really be a newly born spirit?
“Su Su, can you teach me how to set up a spirit barrier?” A-Yan’s voice broke through Su Ci’s contemplation.
“Hm?”
“There are more seedlings now, and the original barrier isn’t big enough,” A-Yan explained his concern. “We’ll also need a formation to maintain a stable temperature.”
The spirit barrier could shield the seedlings from blood rain and blood frost, preventing them from being directly harmed by extreme weather. However, it couldn’t regulate temperature.
It was manageable to use thermal spheres during cold spells, but what about when temperatures soared? And who knew when the next extreme weather event would occur or what type it would be?
These preparations had to be made in advance.
Otherwise, if another extreme weather event happened, these ordinary seedlings might not survive.
As A-Yan shared his thoughts, he kept his voice low—just loud enough for Su Ci to hear without being disruptive.
Su Ci squinted slightly, resting his chin on A-Yan’s head.
Compared to when they first met, A-Yan had grown so much. Day by day, he revealed more of his personality—intelligent, serious, meticulous, and composed.
Su Ci was fully aware.
A-Yan didn’t quite seem like a real child.
He had experienced being newly born himself and knew that fledgling spirits weren’t like A-Yan at all.
But so what?
Su Ci tightened his embrace, rubbing his cheek against A-Yan’s fluffy ears, his eyes narrowing comfortably.
No matter his past, A-Yan was A-Yan, and that wouldn’t change because of anything.
“Besides the spirit barrier and formation, do you have any other ideas?” Su Ci asked lazily after A-Yan finished.
Other ideas…
A-Yan thought for a moment and replied, “Maybe we could build a greenhouse, like the one in the cultivation garden?”
That seemed like an even more comprehensive solution. Greenhouses came equipped with various monitoring systems, with temperature control as a basic feature. They could also shield against wind and rain, handling all kinds of extreme weather.
“Hmm.”
Su Ci responded softly, then said, “Got it. I’ll figure something out.”
“Okay.”
A-Yan fell quiet, letting Su Ci hold him in silence. When the wolf cub and the others finished cutting the tags, he carefully slipped out of Su Ci’s arms and reappeared in front of the children.
“Brother A-Yan, we’ve finished cutting the tags. What’s next?” Lu Jiao asked, neatly stacking the folded tags before looking up at him expectantly.
A-Yan took a pen from his spatial button and began writing numbers on tags, which he then placed next to each seedling.
There were 36 seedlings in total, so A-Yan divided them into three equal parts, assigning each child a set to care for. As for the two spirit buds and the star-chain fruit vine, A-Yan decided to manage them himself.
This distribution filled each child with a sense of responsibility they had never experienced before.
Starting tomorrow, they would be responsible for these seedlings! Even the smallest mistake could lead to the death of these fragile young lives, so they knew they had to be extra careful.
To motivate them further, A-Yan, with no prior guidance, came up with a reward system.
“Whoever takes the best care of their seedlings will receive a special treat,” he said. “I’ll make it myself.”
Although he didn’t have ingredients for now—spider meat was reserved for Su Su, and he didn’t consider it suitable as a reward—he figured he could find a solution in time.
This incentive naturally had the greatest impact on Lang Ze.
Cheering, he exclaimed, “Don’t worry, Brother A-Yan! I’ll make sure my seedlings grow big and strong!”
A-Yan nodded in satisfaction.
There was still some time left, but surprisingly, instead of playing, the wolf cub ran over to Su Ci. Just as he was about to speak, he saw that the young man appeared to be dozing with his eyes closed. Panicking, the wolf cub quickly covered his mouth.
Su Ci wasn’t actually asleep.
He had sensed the little cub running over but didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he spoke slowly, “What is it?”
The wolf cub’s eyes lit up, and he quickly replied, “Su Su, I figured out the homework you gave me!”
“Oh?” Su Ci finally opened his eyes.
“It’s about rules, isn’t it?” the wolf cub said excitedly. “You used the base’s rules to stop fighting and make those people bring Number Four back without a fuss, didn’t you?”
Su Ci’s gaze turned approving. “Yes.”
“So, what was the rule?” the wolf cub asked curiously.
Su Ci answered softly, “Without the caretaker’s permission, no one else is allowed to take a cub out of the nursery.”
The wolf cub stared at him, momentarily stunned.
Noticing his expression, Su Ci paused. “What’s wrong?”
The wolf cub snapped out of it and shook his head instinctively. He wasn’t sure why, but hearing the caretaker say that filled him with an unfamiliar feeling—a sense of being protected, of safety.
It was a strange emotion for the wolf cub, but he realized he liked it very much.
“So, can you continue teaching me how to play the flute now?” The wolf cub pulled his bamboo flute from behind him, his face showing a hint of eagerness and flattery.
For someone like the wolf cub, who normally had little patience for stillness, his persistence and determination in learning to play the flute were remarkable.
Even Lu Jiao couldn’t match him in this regard.
Su Ci didn’t refuse.
Lu Jiao and Zheng Xing also gathered around, listening to Su Ci’s lesson as he corrected the mistakes they made during practice.
It had to be said that Lang Ze had a natural talent for music cultivation. His progress could only be described as astonishing, advancing leaps and bounds in a short time.
With a bit more practice, he might soon be able to play an entire melody flawlessly.
Later that evening, Su Ci finally finished purifying all the spider leg meat. As for the giant spider’s body, he decided to deal with it the next day.
By the time Su Ci completed his work, A-Yan had already prepared another sumptuous dinner, which provided great comfort to Su Ci’s tired mind.
After eating his fill, Su Ci performed a simple wash-up before heading to bed, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
With A-Yan’s body largely recovered, Su Ci no longer needed to use his soul energy to nourish him daily. After such an exhausting day, Su Ci needed a deep sleep to recharge his energy.
A-Yan obediently served as his pillow until Su Ci fell into a deep sleep. Only then did he quietly slip out of the bedroom, return to the living room, and sit at his small table to continue studying formations with pen and paper.
As for the other cubs in the nursery…
Number Two had not yet woken up, and Number Four and Five had been sleeping since their return. Meanwhile, the three energetic cubs, including the wolf cub, refrained from making any noise once night fell.
The nursery was completely silent.
Lying on his small desk, A-Yan recalled what he had observed about the purification and spirit-gathering arrays earlier in the day. Diligently, he transcribed his thoughts onto paper.
The quiet living room felt a little lonely with just A-Yan’s small figure, but he didn’t feel lonely at all. Knowing that Su Su was peacefully sleeping in the bedroom gave him a deep sense of comfort.
Suddenly, A-Yan paused and looked toward the door.
After a moment of hesitation, he flashed to the doorway and pressed the manual switch.
The metal door slowly slid open, revealing a small figure—a little monkey with pale golden fur.
The monkey crouched at the doorway, seemingly startled by the sudden opening of the metal door. It turned as if to flee, but upon seeing A-Yan, its expression steadied.
“What are you doing here?” A-Yan lowered the volume of his communicator and asked softly.
The little monkey seemed surprised that A-Yan spoke. Its round, glistening eyes widened even further, resembling two shiny black grapes embedded in its pinkish-white face, making it look especially lively.
In response to A-Yan’s question, the little monkey raised its hands high, showing what it was holding.
A-Yan then noticed that its hands were filled with a large bunch of seeds. Judging by their shape and color, they appeared to be starfruit seeds.
“Are you here to deliver seeds?” A-Yan asked.
The golden-furred little monkey nodded.
A-Yan glanced at the corridor outside. Since last night, the level of pollutants in the nursery’s air seemed to have significantly decreased.
However, it was still nowhere near as clean and comfortable as the dormitory Su Ci had personally set up.
After a moment of hesitation, A-Yan said to the little monkey, “You can come in, but you must stay quiet and not disturb Su Su.”
The little monkey, about to clap its hands in celebration at being allowed inside, froze mid-motion. It cast a nervous glance toward the bedroom before cautiously tiptoeing inside.
A-Yan fetched an empty can, filled it with spirit water, and instructed the little monkey to drop the seeds it was holding into it.
The handful of seeds totaled at least a hundred. A-Yan couldn’t help but wonder where the monkey had managed to gather so many.
The seeds floated and sank in the spirit water. With the faint spiritual energy stimulating them, A-Yan was confident that by tomorrow, a batch of seeds would begin to sprout.
After setting the spirit water can aside, A-Yan turned his gaze to the little monkey, now obediently squatting on the floor. Its large, round eyes darted around curiously, observing everything.
It was hard to believe that such a quiet and adorable little monkey could be related to Number Six—or perhaps this monkey represented the part of Number Six that was missing, which explained Number Six’s unruliness.
A-Yan recalled what he knew about Number Six.
He reasoned that this monkey might be tied to Number Six’s abilities. Last night, when Number Six was snatched by the giant spider, this little monkey had appeared and instantly swapped places with Number Six, saving it.
“So, is your ability some kind of clone technique?” A-Yan asked softly.
The little monkey blinked at him, looking utterly confused.
Realizing he wouldn’t get an answer, A-Yan dropped the question. Instead, he poured a cup of spirit water and handed it to the monkey before returning to his table to resume practicing formations.
The little monkey held the cup carefully, lowered its head to take a sip, and instantly its eyes sparkled with delight. The clean, spiritually enriched water was clearly beneficial to it.
It sat down, holding the cup in both hands, and drank slowly. Its movements were deliberate and focused, almost elegant, much like when it ate fruit.
After some time, the little monkey finished the water. Smacking its lips, it glanced around before carefully placing the cup on the coffee table. Throughout the process, it didn’t make a single sound.
When the cup touched the table, the monkey glanced toward the bedroom to ensure it hadn’t woken Su Ci. Only after confirming that everything was fine did it gently push the cup further onto the table to prevent it from falling.
Having completed this, the little monkey turned and curiously observed A-Yan, who was writing.
It stared at the fluffy ears on A-Yan’s head, scratched its own head, and then began exploring the room.
The monkey’s large eyes were filled with curiosity, and everything seemed new and fascinating to it. However, it didn’t touch or disturb anything. It merely leaned in close to examine objects with its eyes.
After circling the room, the monkey returned to A-Yan’s side.
Noticing its presence, A-Yan lowered his gaze. The little monkey had hooked its long tail around the table leg and climbed onto the table, eventually perching on its surface.
The young monkey was small and occupied only a tiny corner of the table.
A-Yan didn’t react, observing it silently to see what it intended to do.
The monkey leaned in to inspect A-Yan’s notebook but quickly lost interest. After wandering around the limited space on the table, it finally settled on A-Yan’s left side.
The little monkey curled itself into a tiny ball, hugging its knees, and rested its fluffy head on A-Yan’s small hand. After letting out a delicate yawn, it closed its eyes.
Seeing the monkey fall asleep while leaning against his hand, A-Yan didn’t move it away. Instead, he reached out a finger and gently rubbed the monkey’s small head.
The young monkey, barely born, had fine, soft fur—not thick but incredibly silky to the touch. It made A-Yan instinctively lighten his touch and even breathe more quietly.
Feeling A-Yan’s gentle strokes, the little monkey nuzzled closer against his hand and kept its eyes shut. Soon, its breathing became steady, and it fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Watching the monkey sleep so trustingly, A-Yan couldn’t help but feel a bit amazed.
This little monkey isn’t afraid of strangers at all.
In this world, aside from Su Su, only this little monkey could see him. On such a quiet and tranquil night, A-Yan felt an unexpected sense of comfort.
A faint smile curved his lips before he refocused his attention.
With the little monkey for company, A-Yan no longer felt distracted. He lowered his head and continued studying the formation structures on his paper, carefully sketching out new designs, one stroke at a time.
The night deepened.
Base 24 passed yet another peaceful evening.
*
The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Lang Ze couldn’t wait to apply for permission from 4586 to go out.
“I’m going to the garden to water the seedlings! Su Su already approved it!”
Naturally, 4586 didn’t stop him.
As soon as the door opened, the wolf cub dashed out excitedly. “Youyou! Let’s go water the seedlings!”
On his way past Lu Jiao’s room, he pounded loudly on the door before sprinting nonstop toward the staircase, racing up to the fourth floor.
He had originally planned to call for Zheng Xing as well, but near the door to Number Two’s room, he unexpectedly bumped into Lu Jiao.
“Youyou, you’re up so early!”
The wolf cub helped Lu Jiao to his feet. The little white deer, who had been knocked down, wasn’t angry. He brushed off the dust, stood up, and greeted him cheerfully, “Good morning, Lang Ze.”
“Were you looking for Xing Xing?” Lang Ze asked.
Lu Jiao paused, his gaze falling toward Number Two’s room.
Actually, he was there to see Number Two.
He was worried about Number Two’s condition, but since it was already dark by the time he returned to his room yesterday, he couldn’t go out. So, he waited until today.
Now, standing in front of Number Two’s door, he hesitated. After all, he and Lang Ze had become good friends, and he wasn’t sure how to face Number Two.
*
Inside Number Two’s room.
When 4586 delivered breakfast, the red-haired boy had already woken up.
After sleeping for an entire day and night, the beastly traits on his body had yet to fade. Apart from the ears on his head and the tail behind him, much of the reddish-brown patterned fur on his body also remained.
Fortunately, the new clothes 4586 had prepared for him helped cover most of it. Only the fur on his neck and hands was still prominently visible.
Number Two had no memory of his fully beastly state. All he recalled was being trapped in a sea of fire. Just as he was about to be consumed entirely by the flames, that voice—the one that had once helped him—appeared again…
This time, Number Two was certain about the owner of the voice.
Aside from the new caretaker, there was likely no one else it could be.
However, Number Two was also acutely aware of his current condition. He knew he could enter a fully beastly state at any moment, which meant he remained in a dangerous position.
Now, two paths lay before him.
One path was to stick to his original plan: finding a way to escape Base 24 and survive in the Blood Mist alongside the monsters. The other path…
Seek help from the new caretaker.
Since the caretaker had twice pulled him back from the brink of losing control, it stood to reason that he might have a way to help Number Two maintain his sanity permanently.
Although Number Two’s desire to escape Base 24 hadn’t changed, being able to control his bloodline power and stay rational was undeniably the better choice for him.
The question was, how could he convince the new caretaker to help him?
Such a favor…
Would offering to let him touch his tail be enough?
