Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
Ye Jian maintained his poker face, internally bleeding from cuteness. With great mental strength, he continued coldly, “Illegal intrusion into military territory, embezzlement of personal property, and the amount is substantial. Even if you’re a minor, you have to bear the corresponding consequences.”
The furball was suddenly struck hard but still seemed to be struggling. Its two chubby paws were clasped together, and it looked at Ye Jian hopefully. “I am a wealthy person! I have a lot of money! It just takes some time, and I can give you all the game rewards!”
Ye Jian remained expressionless. Internally: (￣▽￣) His little teammate was still as enthusiastic and generous as ever.
Although Shu Xun currently remained in his original form, when he burst into the Northeastern dialect, Ye Jian had already learned Shu Xun’s identity. Moreover, Shu Xun didn’t use a voice-changing function in the game, so his voice didn’t change at all. How could Ye Jian not recognize Shu Xun? The only confusion for Ye Jian was why Shu Xun appeared in his home. Moreover, it seemed he had been trapped for a long time. Where were Shu Xun’s guardians? Why couldn’t he find Shu Xun’s identity on the internet?
One question after another emerged in his mind. After pondering for a while, General Ye Jian, possessing exceptionally high mental strength, concluded: Whoever falls into my den belongs to me! Therefore, all these questions were meaningless.
After realizing this, Ye Jian extended his small finger, just like the first time they met. “Ye Jian.”
Still tangled about having consumed billions of interstellar points, Shu Xun dumbly extended his chubby paw, grasping Ye Jian’s finger. Like their first encounter in the game, he shook it up and down. “Shu Xun.” After saying that, Shu Xun realized that Ye Jian had also recognized him. He scratched his little whiskers with his chubby paw and then transformed into a human form.
Ye Jian was evidently satisfied with this. He naturally knew that the observant and clever Shu Xun should have confirmed his identity. Since logging out of the game, Ye Jian had been dedicated to finding traces of his little teammate. Finally achieving his goal, Ye Jian, who seemed expressionless but was actually internally pleased, pointed to the fish tank in front of him. “From now on, this is yours.”
The fish in the tank, unaware of the impending change in their fate due to the arrival of the owner, swam eagerly toward Ye Jian’s position. Little did they know, they were about to fall out of favor, and their status would plummet from cherished pets to delicious delicacies.
Shu Xun’s eyes lit up as he glanced at the fish tank and then at Ye Jian. Finally convinced that Ye Jian wasn’t joking, his hungry belly, having gone a day without food, seemed to sense the relief from danger and emitted a timely growl. Ye Jian looked at the furball in his hand, finally understanding where the growling sound he heard that day came from.
In an awkward situation, Shu Xun cleared his throat, pointing a chubby finger at the fish tank. “I want to eat the golden one!”
Ye Jian nodded, turning towards the fish tank, seemingly ready to take matters into his own hands.
Shu Xun shook his little head. “I can do it myself; you go change your clothes!”
Though not completely undressed, Ye Jian with his bare upper body: “…”.
During the process of transitioning between the two forms, an Awakened individual could use their mental power to control the clothes they wear, thereby avoiding some awkward situations. Of course, if the situation is particularly urgent, some awkwardness may be unavoidable. As for Shu Xun, he could completely use his fur to create clothes, but doing so would continuously consume his spiritual power. Moreover, the defensive capabilities of a spiritual beast’s fur are not as good as spiritual tools. Therefore, most spiritual beasts, after transforming into human forms, still choose to wear clothes instead of directly using their fur to create them.
Ye Jian’s upper garment turned into fragments during the transformation. After hearing Shu Xun’s words, he went to the bedroom to change into a new outfit. Meanwhile, Shu Xun proficiently took out his little fishing rod, patiently preparing to fish.
So, when Ye Jian, now wearing different clothes, returned to the study to help, he saw a little furball sitting quietly on the edge of his fish tank, staring earnestly at the swimming fish inside. The calm and slightly leisurely posture made it seem as if the furball wasn’t sitting on a fish tank but beside a blue-water pond surrounded by green hills.
The calm water’s surface suddenly trembled, ripples spreading outward. The little creature swiftly pulled the fishing rod, and a golden fish, flipping its tail, emerged from the water. A hint of surprise flashed in Ye Jian’s eyes. It wasn’t surprising that Shu Xun could catch a fish, considering the tank was mostly empty. What surprised him was that the fish he caught happened to be the one he had pointed to earlier, the one he wanted to eat. Was this just luck?
Shu Xun seemed entirely unfazed by the fact that he had successfully caught the fish he wanted to eat. Carrying the small fishing rod and puffing his cheeks, he looked joyful. Ye Jian reached out, took the small golden fish, not yet the size of his palm, and placed Shu Xun on his shoulder as he headed towards the kitchen.
This time, Shu Xun didn’t need to do anything himself. He sat on Ye Jian’s shoulder, eagerly waiting for the fish to be cooked. After a moment, Ye Jian skillfully placed the golden-brown fried fish onto a white porcelain plate. Shu Xun, who had been hungry all day, immediately rubbed his chubby paw, couldn’t wait any longer, and hopped directly from Ye Jian’s shoulder into the plate.
Ye Jian’s movement paused slightly when he lifted the plate, but he remained steady. He watched the furball in the plate, offering no resistance. By the time the plate was on the table, Shu Xun was already hugging the fish and eating. While eating, he raised his thumb toward Ye Jian, praising in a childish and milky voice, “The fish you raised is so delicious!”
One can imagine that in General Ye Jian’s past life, praises of fish probably revolved around how beautiful or rare they were. If someone dared to say, “The fish you raised is so delicious!” they would likely be sent flying the next second.
Ye Jian sat expressionless at the dining table, watching the struggling little creature on the plate. It felt so familiar as if they were still in the gaming world. Ye Jian probably never dreamed that one day he would calmly watch his fish being served on the table. Sometimes, he would contemplate why this furball, whom he had known for a short time in the gaming world, had such a significant impact on him. Even if the furball was a bit cute, a bit clever, and a bit considerate…
After much contemplation, the furball enjoying the fish seemed more pleasing to Ye Jian no matter how he looked at it. In the end, he could only attribute this inexplicable indulgence to the elusive concept of fate. Perhaps certain people naturally had a harmonious aura. At least, Ye Jian, who had maintained a poker face for nearly thirty years, encountered such a situation for the first time.
After the meal, Shu Xun finally contentedly smacked his lips, looking up at Ye Jian, who remained silent and motionless at the dining table. “Do you have anything to ask?”
Ye Jian, wearing a stern expression, remained silent for a few seconds, then picked up the furball and headed towards the bedroom. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Shu Xun cooperatively yawned but still poked Ye Jian’s hand, signaling him to put him down. Then, under Ye Jian’s gaze, he scampered towards the only intact sofa in the living room, rolled up his bedding, and crawled out from under the sofa.
So, that night, Shu Xun’s sleeping spot finally shifted positions. From under the sofa, he successfully settled next to Ye Jian’s pillow. The lights in the room gradually dimmed, and the interior returned to darkness, leaving behind a mess on the floor awaiting cleanup.
Lying on the soft bed, Shu Xun quickly drifted into dreams. This was probably the most relaxed and stress-free sleep since he arrived in this unfamiliar world. Although never outwardly expressed, Shu Xun was well aware that some of his actions were wrong, done out of necessity under the pressure of survival. For example, using the nutrient pod, for example, eating the fish raised by Ye Jian. These things weighed on Shu Xun’s small heart. Just now, he finally understood that Ye Jian truly didn’t mind, and the sense of guilt in his tiny heart gradually dissipated.
Did Ye Jian perceive Shu Xun’s thoughts? The answer is affirmative. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have wanted to personally help Shu Xun catch fish, let alone prepare food for him. After all, those fish were collected and raised by him for a long time. Although Ye Jian maintained a poker face throughout, he used practical actions to dispel the guilt in Shu Xun’s heart.
Several days after parting ways, the two finally met again. Although their identities had slightly changed, the familiarity and companionship remained just as they were at the beginning.
