HLLY Chapter 52

Inside such a big bag, of course, there isn’t only a piece of bamboo. Soon, Shen Shanwu lowered his head again and took out a palm-sized round pearl from it.

“Mutated Night Pearl? Can it emit a colorful rainbow light?” Lu Jingzhi leaned over curiously, expressing his desire to go dancing in a nightclub.

Shen Shanwu shook his head, “It doesn’t emit light. This is a pearl taken from the body of a mutated river mussel. It has the ability to purify water, whether it’s radiation or other pollutants. Additionally, when using water purified by it, it can also replenish the body with essential trace elements.”

Compared to that laboriously-produced retaliatory milky white functional water, it’s much stronger!

“!!!” Lu Jingzhi widened his eyes again, feeling that Brother Shen was practically born to be in a pyramid scheme. He was itching to dig out his entire year’s salary for a bidding war.

“Purified water,” Jiang Duotang frowned and fell silent for a moment, still shaking his head. “It’s not necessary. I’m old and don’t leave the base much. Instead of giving it to me, you might as well give it to Jiang Huan. He goes on missions frequently and could use it.”

“I have it,” Jiang Huan spoke softly and leisurely. He looked at Shen Shanwu and gently added, “And it’s the best.”

Shen Shanwu knew what Jiang Huan was referring to: the pure white Eternal Flower. He smiled at the words, and also glanced back at Jiang Huan, as if sharing an unspoken secret.

No matter how much this small understanding made Jiang Huan’s heart swell, his protective words indeed made Jiang Duotang almost vomit. Despite knowing that his grandson was completely infatuated with this man, the impact of witnessing it with his own eyes was far more powerful than he had imagined.

He really couldn’t say anything about this person anymore, could he?

After the Purifying Pearl, Shen Shanwu took out a radiation-proof glass flask. However, inside the flask, it wasn’t an Eternal Flower, but a transparent conjoined lotus. From its petals to its stems and leaves, everything was transparent, and one could clearly see the veins and patterns.

It was like a finely crafted crystal carving, but it had more vitality than cold, hard crystal.

If the white Eternal Flower could be likened to a cute and innocent girl next door, then this conjoined lotus was as crystalline as a holy maiden descending from the clouds.

Lu Jingzhi: “…”

Brother Shen, are you still looking for a partner? I don’t mind being the third in a polyamorous relationship. I’m willing to be the junior one, even if my skills in bed are lacking, I can work overtime to improve… Wait, but you two aren’t officially together yet, just in the ambiguous phase, right? In that case, I can totally take his place! In this world, there are no forever friends, only forever benefits – and a forever conjoined lotus.

Of course, nobody else would know that Lu Jingzhi, with his short-sighted perspective, is willing to become enemies with Jiang Huan just for a mutated conjoined lotus. Shen Shanwu held the transparent conjoined lotus and explained, “The scent emitted by this conjoined lotus is toxic, so I’ve placed it in the radiation-proof flask. However, the petals themselves can be used for medicinal purposes and have remarkable effects in treating radiation sickness. The specific usage… well, it’s in a foreign language, so we might need to find a translator.”

The so-called foreign language is actually Tibetan, provided by Tibetan. Since learning about Shen Shanwu’s relationship with Jiang Huan, he has shown great enthusiasm and attention for this visit, repeatedly urging Shen Shanwu to protect Jiang Huan well, ensuring that he doesn’t follow the same path. He excitedly asked Wolf Dog to escort him back to his home in the Peace Zone, rummaging through his belongings to find this cherished mutated conjoined lotus.

In addition, the Tibetan also generously presented a generous gift. When Shen Shanwu took it out, he was somewhat uneasy, afraid of startling Marshal Jiang– a palm-sized Tibetan antelope.

In addition to the large mutated animals like the goose Jiang Huan encountered earlier, there are also smaller ones like the Tibetan antelope that Shen Shanwu just presented.

A slightly larger Tibetan antelope was full of vitality inside an iron cage, and its two horns were more majestic than a pheasant’s feathers.

“Don’t be fooled by its small size, but it’s really fierce. Normally, a Tibetan antelope gives birth to only one offspring at a time, but after its mother mutated, she gave birth to seven or eight, and it became too much to take care of them all, so… well, I just took it away.” Shen Shanwu took out a tuft of fur from the mother Tibetan antelope, “… um, well, just carry this with you, and it won’t attack you. Before you arrived… uh, well, anyway, after spending a few days here and feeding it more, it will recognize you as its master.”

Please forgive Shen Shanwu’s repeated vagueness and hesitation in his speech. The Tibetan’s ability allows for simple communication with animals and plants. The mother Tibetan antelope personally approached him and requested his help in taking care of her offspring. This was something he found difficult to explain.

Before bringing the young antelope, the Tibetan solemnly told it that the person who would feed it in the future was a good person and that it must obey his commands, and so on. Shen Shanwu felt that this might seem too fantastical for Jiang Duotang…

In fact, the presence of the little Tibetan antelope in the palm of his hand was already quite magical.

“…” Finally, Jiang Duotang, the resolute commander who had withstood years of resistance, couldn’t resist the charm of a nationally protected animal. He felt quite ashamed of his wavering will. Pretending to be disdainful, he asked, “It’s so small, how fierce can it really be?”

Eager to show off the Tibetan antelope’s power, Shen Shanwu opened the cage with a snap, preparing to let the Marshal have a close look at the strong and powerful long horns that were mightier than steel. However, the moment the iron gate opened, the little Tibetan antelope let out a cry and charged towards the military dog crouched on one side.

The poor military dog also let out a cry and sprinted away. Having faced countless challenges, this brave German Shepherd was terrified by the terrifying aura of the mutant creature, and then it was chased away by the equally fearsome aura of the small antelope, making its doggy life quite challenging.

Jiang Duotang: “…”

Seeing his well-trained and mature military dog scared out of its wits, he had no place to hide his face. He could only watch helplessly as the two unleashed “wild dogs” quickly disappeared into the distance. He then stiffly admitted, with an awkward tone, “Indeed, uh, quite fierce…”

“…” Jiang Huan couldn’t help but lower his head with a chuckle. As he watched the antelope chasing after the dog until they vanished, he playfully nudged Shen Shanwu’s arm and said, “Hurry up and catch the Tibetan antelope back. Except for you, who here can catch up with them?”

“Um.” Before the words had even fully left his mouth, Shen Shanwu had already vanished on the spot. Under the pressure of the mutant’s aura, the defiant little Tibetan antelope keenly sensed the danger, abruptly halting its steps with a swish and then timidly crouching down. Shen Shanwu easily pinched the back of its neck and lifted the small creature back into the cage.

In the bright sunlight, the man stood handsome and powerful. The sharp, dark nails were his most dangerous weapon, yet he used those hands with such tenderness to handle a small and adorable creature. His long eyelashes cast a gentle shadow as they lowered, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth when the antelope affectionately licked his fingertip.

Every aspect exuded an irresistible allure. Without exaggeration, he was Jiang Huan’s faith, the perpetual focal point of his gaze.

There’s no saving him, thought Jiang Duotang. Observing that focused gaze, that youthful flush on his face, his precious grandson was irreversibly lost.

How about adopting a few more while they’re still able to move? Make sure to choose the ones who are only interested in learning and striving, with no intention of falling in love…

The shouts of the military dogs being chased caught the attention of those inside the house. Jiang’s elderly wife had been seated in the hall, waiting patiently, but as time went on, there was no sign of anyone entering. Unable to contain her curiosity, she stood up and cautiously peered out from the window.

On the neatly trimmed lawn, the creature she had mentioned appeared at an astonishing speed on the edge of the area. Bending over, it picked up something from the grass.

The elderly woman was about to take a closer look at what Shen Shanwu was holding in his palm, but at that moment, her ever-present grandson suddenly appeared in her field of vision.

Jiang Huan ran over to Shen Shanwu, and after coming to a stop, he wanted to touch the horns of the Tibetan antelope. However, Shen Shanwu reached out to stop him. “You can’t touch it. I already said it’s fierce. Do you want to get a bloodied hand?”

Jiang Huan and the Tibetan antelope exchanged a curious gaze, and he asked, “Well… so is it that it’s fierce, or that you’re fierce?”

“…” Shen Shanwu probably knew what Jiang Huan was going to say next. He closed his eyes and hesitated between falling into Jiang Huan’s trap or setting his own. “…I’m fierce.”

“Then can you touch it?”

Shen Shanwu lifted one corner of his lips and raised an eyebrow, “I’m fiercer than it. Would you dare to touch me?”

Jiang Huan smiled delightedly, and in his jet-black eyes reflected the most dazzling light in his heart. “Of course I dare.” With that, he raised his hand to touch Shen Shanwu’s hair, and then used his fingertip to press against Shen Shanwu’s lips, feeling his sharp teeth. He had been itching to see Shen Shanwu’s mutated form, and now he couldn’t resist.

The old lady stared in astonishment at Jiang Huan’s smile, her fingers gripping the window frame trembling slightly before she forcefully suppressed the tremor. She had almost forgotten that Jiang Huan was actually a child who smiled quite often.

At first, the old lady felt gratitude towards the mutant who had saved Jiang Huan. However, when she learned that their interaction had deepened, she began to feel a sense of aversion. Mutants were not of the same race as humans, and their fierce reputation only exacerbated her concerns. Moreover, she could clearly sense that Jiang Huan’s feelings for this person were far from simple.

Getting too involved with a mutant was definitely not a good thing for Jiang Huan. So, when Gong Wei eagerly brought a box home and claimed it was a birthday gift from Shen Shanwu to Jiang Huan, the old lady took it with a faint smile and assured that she would pass it along.

Gong Wei had no suspicions and went on with her business. However, the old lady decided to hide the box and a few days later, fearing radiation, she simply disposed of it with the trash at the waste disposal station.

To the old lady, this matter was indeed a trivial affair, much like parents preventing their child from playing with a classmate who was not doing well academically. It wasn’t a big deal, and after a few days, she had completely forgotten about it. It wasn’t until several months later when another letter arrived that she employed the same tactic, hiding it away before Jiang Huan could find out.

Due to the sensitive nature of Shen Shanwu’s identity, Gong Wei always avoided mentioning him. Meanwhile, Jiang Huan was busy with his training, coming and going at all hours and exhausted. Surprisingly, this matter remained undiscovered. The old lady occasionally pondered that perhaps this mutant wasn’t as important as she had thought, and Jiang Huan never even inquired about his whereabouts.

All of this came to a head on a very ordinary afternoon. The old lady was still thinking about Jiang Huan’s date with a girl, planning to advise him to see her more when he returned from his mission.

However, she didn’t expect that the first thing Jiang Huan said upon his return was, “Has Shen Shanwu ever sent me anything over these years?”

The old lady couldn’t even recall who Shen Shanwu was at first.

Jiang Huan continued, “Where are those things?”

“I threw them away. Those things were all sent from heavily irradiated areas, very dangerous. You shouldn’t touch them,” the old lady said without much concern. “By the way, how did you feel about the girl you had dinner with last time? You’re at an age where you can start dating. People’s average life expectancy is longer now… Hey? Where are you going?”

Jiang Huan didn’t say a word at that moment. There was no loud questioning, no anger, no shouting. He just stood there in a daze for a while, and then he returned to his own room.

The next morning, Jiang Huan picked up his few belongings and left the house. From that day on, he never returned home again.

When the old lady noticed Jiang Huan’s smile, there was a trace of her daughter Jiang Yi in his face. Jiang Huan’s features were a perfect blend, combining all the best traits of his parents. His peach blossom eyes and inviting lips showcased a naturally affectionate appearance, exuding unparalleled handsomeness.

Being aloof and profound should have nothing to do with him; his true nature was like this, playfully teasing the person he cared for, just like he was doing now.

In that fleeting moment, the old lady’s heart ached beyond words. She repeated her beloved daughter’s name again and again, wanting to ask that willful and impulsive Jiang Yi, who was always decisive, the one who loved Xiao Huan so deeply yet irresponsibly left him alone in this world…

Daughter, have I made another mistake?

 

 

 

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