Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 97
Ling Xiao dreamt that Xiao Hui was pressing on him. It exhaled at his face, making him feel ticklish. Subconsciously, he reached out to block its long mouth.
“Xiao Hui, stop. It’s ticklish.”
His wrist was seized, and a deep voice said, “Who did you call Xiao Hui?”
It was then that Ling Xiao realized something was wrong. When did Xiao Hui become so heavy? He squinted his eyes open, and the little gray wolf had turned into a big bad wolf, its face very close to his.
Ling Xiao’s mind froze for a few seconds, then, in a semi-conscious state, pieced together the situation. After all, a memory told by others wasn’t as solid as one’s personal experience. Waking up to see Ying Feng’s face, he admitted that his first instinct was to punch him.
Ying Feng persisted. “How did you know it’s called Xiao Hui?”
Ling Xiao was puzzled. “I named it…”
“When did you name it?”
“Yesterday.”
Hoping that Ling Xiao had regained his memory, Ying Feng was slightly disappointed. Given his naming skills, naming a pet the same name twice wasn’t surprising.
“So? Was its original name also Xiao Hui?”
“Yes.” Ying Feng shifted back a bit. “You named it.”
“Wait, don’t move!” Ling Xiao looked at Ying Feng with interest. He hadn’t noticed before that the Ying Feng before him was quite different from the one in his memories. The man he had seen at the base was more in line with his memories. Yet, when he saw the grown-up Ying Feng, he naturally accepted it as if that was how Ying Feng was supposed to look.
Ling Xiao curiously traced his finger down Ying Feng’s nose. His nose had become straighter than when he was younger, the naivety in his eyes had faded, and the once slightly pointed chin had become more angular. The Ying Feng he knew had changed overnight from a naive boy to a mature man.
As Ling Xiao’s finger reached Ying Feng’s thin lips and then to his chin, the Adam’s apple, a symbol of masculinity, was very pronounced. Ying Feng was slightly unsettled by Ling Xiao’s teasing touch. “What are you doing?”
The vibration of his voice reached Ling Xiao’s fingertips. The deep male voice vibrated his eardrums. Ling Xiao felt regretful, having missed watching this man grow up. He probably watched him grow taller day by day, with his muscles becoming more defined. Remembering this, Ling Xiao playfully poked Ying Feng’s muscular chest and arm. If he hadn’t become a Qizi, these would have been his features, but now even he belonged to someone else. It was really infuriating.
Ying Feng, annoyed by the poking, caught Ling Xiao’s finger in his mouth and sucked on it gently. Ling Xiao quickly pulled his hand back and sat up.
“I just remembered; I’m a student of Royal Sky now, right? Don’t I have classes?” It was clear it was already late morning, and it wasn’t a day off, so why was Ying Feng still in the dormitory?
“I’ve already asked for leave for us.” He didn’t say ‘you’ or ‘me’, but ‘us’.
“Leave? What kind of leave?”
“Honeymoon leave.”
Ling Xiao: …
“The honeymoon we missed, we’re making it up.”
Ling Xiao exclaimed internally, ‘Is that even possible? The military school’s management is too lax!’
“Um.” Ling Xiao still struggled to get up. “I feel sticky. I’m going to take a shower.”
This time, Ying Feng didn’t stop him and stepped aside generously. “Alright, someone’s coming later.”
“Who’s coming?”
“The delivery person.” Seeing Ling Xiao not moving, Ying Feng offered, “Do you want me to carry you there?”
“No need!” Ling Xiao quickly jumped out of bed and dashed into the bathroom.
Soon, the sound of water and humming came from the bathroom. As Ying Feng was tidying up the bed, Ling Xiao shouted from inside.
“I have a question!”
He responded through telepathy.
What?
“Why did you mature and I didn’t?”
Ying Feng paused, puzzled.
How did you not mature? We both grew up together.
“Really?!”
A sense of foreboding rose in Ying Feng’s heart, as if he had guessed what Ling Xiao was referring to.
He calmly put down the quilt and walked to the door.
I’ll see if the delivery person has arrived.
The bathroom door was kicked open.
“Ying Feng! Come back and explain yourself!”
A click from the living room indicated the door had shut; Ying Feng was nowhere to be seen.
When Ying Feng returned, Ling Xiao had finished his shower and sat angrily on the sofa, looking ready to jump up and confront him. Fortunately, two strangers followed Ying Feng, so Ling Xiao temporarily swallowed his anger.
The strangers carried a large board covered in cloth, its contents unknown.
“What’s this?” Ling Xiao’s curiosity got the better of him.
“A photo.” Ying Feng directed the two to hang the frame in the bedroom, filling half the wall.
“What kind of photo?” Ling Xiao couldn’t resist and pulled the curtain to reveal the image.
“It’s a group photo we took on Wolf Star. I asked for a digital version, but they insisted on sending a physical one.”
The cloth was removed, revealing a magnified picture of Ying Feng and Ling Xiao, taken in a tribal setting with Ying Feng as the Wolf King and Ling Xiao as the Wolf Queen. Even the frame reflected the wild character of the Wolf Star Tribe.
Of course, the first thing Ling Xiao noticed was the unusual pattern on their faces.
“What’s drawn on my face?”
“It’s a tradition of the Wolf Star people. Married individuals have tattoos on their faces.”
“I see. And what about your face? Who drew that? It looks terrible,” Ling Xiao teased.
“You did.”
Ling Xiao: …
Upon closer examination, it was actually quite good.
So, was this their wedding photo?
Looking at his image, happiness overflowed from Ling Xiao’s expression. It was the most tangible evidence, more telling than words from anyone. Whether it was Ying Feng, Red Head, or anyone else asserting their deep bond, this photo was more direct.
Ying Feng must have gone to great lengths to bring it here, likely for Ling Xiao to see it with his own eyes. Looking up at the photo, Ling Xiao could almost recall the feelings at that moment—joy and emotional.
However, there was still a lingering question.
“Why did I…”
“We have a long vacation. Want to go to the beach?” Ying Feng interrupted.
The beach? Ling Xiao nodded excitedly. “Yes, let’s go!”
Ying Feng gently stroked Ling Xiao’s hair, making him feel as though he’d forgotten something. But then he thought, ‘Oh well, who cares?’
This was the first time their Flying Shark had the chance to show off its capabilities in open waters. Ling Xiao joyfully steered the yacht while Xiao Hui excitedly perched on the prow, getting splashed by waves.
“Xiao Hui doesn’t have our constitution. Make sure it doesn’t catch a cold,” Ying Feng warned, pressing a button to transform the yacht into a submarine.
This was Ling Xiao’s first time seeing the underwater scenery. The myriad of marine life weaving through coral and seaweed was mesmerizing. From luminescent fish to golden sea stars and delicate anemones resembling snowflakes, Ling Xiao was captivated.
“Do you want to go out?” Ying Feng asked.
“Can we?” Ling Xiao replied excitedly.
Ying Feng activated two soul crystals, creating protective bubbles around them. The bubbles kept out the water but allowed light to shine through, reflecting a myriad of colors. Xiao Hui watched them from the submarine, and Ling Xiao playfully guided fish and jellyfish near the glass, causing Xiao Hui to scratch at it in excitement.
Suddenly, a palm-sized mermaid gracefully swam past Ling Xiao. Though small, its features were exquisitely detailed, with its tail encased in silvery-blue scales like a precious work of art.
“Look, a mermaid!” Ling Xiao exclaimed, not sure if Ying Feng could hear.
Ying Feng moved closer to him. The two bubbles they were in pressed against each other, deforming and merging until they snapped together, becoming one larger bubble. This enveloped both Ying Feng and Ling Xiao, creating a sealed private space.
The mermaid, probably finding these unfamiliar marine creatures quite intriguing, swam over to investigate. Ling Xiao and the mermaid observed each other, each viewing the other as a fascinating sight. Ling Xiao extended his finger, and the mermaid mirrored the action, touching the bubble with her fingertip. The slippery sensation made her tilt her head in confusion.
“It’s so fascinating. I wish I could take it home,” Ling Xiao mused.
“These creatures can’t survive outside the ocean. If you like them, we can come back to see them,” Ying Feng replied, coming up from behind and enveloping him in an embrace. The mermaid, startled by the sudden increase in his size, whipped her tail and swam away, leaving behind a trail of small bubbles that spiraled upwards in the water.
“We should head up too,” Ying Feng said. As he spoke, the bubble began to rise. Somehow, countless other bubbles formed around them, competing to reach the surface. Under the force of the rising pressure, their speed fluctuated until they broke the water’s surface, causing a brilliant spray of golden droplets.
The massive bubble ascended into the sky, startling a few passing seabirds, then tumbled down, bouncing on the sea surface several times before finally floating on the water.
The Flying Shark followed them, transforming back into a yacht and transporting them to the shore. Ying Feng chose a moderate depression in the ground, which turned into a natural pond when the tide receded.
“What are you planning to do?” Ling Xiao was eager to see what else Ying Feng had up his sleeve.
Ying Feng selected a few elemental soul crystals and immersed his hands in the seawater. After a moment, steam began to rise from the water.
“A hot spring!” Ling Xiao exclaimed, quickly stripping and diving in. Warmth flowed from his feet to his head, making him involuntarily take a deep breath. “This is so relaxing. Join me.”
“Wait a second,” Ying Feng said, grabbing Xiao Hui by the scruff of its neck and tossing it in before heading back into the Flying Shark. He soon emerged with a box.
Ling Xiao sat at the edge of the spring, watching as Ying Feng poured milk into a cup. Then, handing over two soul crystals to Ling Xiao, who activated one, it turned into a banana.
“Why don’t you make this yourself?”
Ying Feng peeled the banana and dropped it into the cup, explaining, “This soul crystal is called ‘Creation Out of Nothing’. Every time I use it, it produces something different. But for you, it always seems to produce bananas.”
Ling Xiao: …So it’s my fault?
Holding the cup, Ying Feng focused intently. Soon, the solid and liquid mixture inside began to whirl faster and faster until the banana was blended smoothly with the milk, topped with an enticing layer of white foam.
Ling Xiao, unable to contain his curiosity, asked, “Are you using your military school knowledge for this? Would the instructor approve?”
“It’s about applying what I’ve learned, not just for fighting,” Ying Feng said, handing Ling Xiao a now-chilled banana milkshake. The sensation of drinking something cold while soaking in the hot spring felt incredibly luxurious.
Ling Xiao, satisfied, took a big gulp, licking the foam from his upper lip and closing his eyes in delight.
Nearly dozing off, he heard a rustling sound reminiscent of a pencil scratching on paper. “Why aren’t you joining?” he asked, reaching out, only to see Ying Feng with a sketchbook, quickly drawing something.
“What are you sketching?”
Ying Feng turned over the sketchbook and showed it to him. It was a lifelike portrayal of him.
“You can draw too?”
“This is my first time drawing a person.”
Ling Xiao flipped through the pages, filled with various plant sketches, each deftly capturing the plant’s essence.
“Why do you only draw plants and flowers?” In the entire book, there’s only this page that has a person on it.
“I just felt like drawing them,” he replied. It was because of this that he gladly accepted the priest’s invitation to help improve a botanical encyclopedia.
“That’s amazing,” Ling Xiao exclaimed, unable to hide his envy. Even his drawing skills were excellent. Ling Xiao eventually turned to the page where he himself was drawn and admired it narcissistically for quite some time.
“Can you give me this one?”
“What will you do with it?”
“Keep it.”
“As you wish.”
As the sun began to set beyond the horizon, Ying Feng collected some stones, setting them up for a campfire, which, with the help of a flame soul crystal and fuel, blazed fiercely. They lay side by side next to the fire, hands intertwined, basking in the belated honeymoon under the starry sky, the rhythmic sound of the tides accompanying them, and the beach glowing blue.
“Ah, a shooting star,” Ling Xiao pointed at the sky, where several meteors passed. “They say you should make a wish upon a shooting star.”
“What would you wish for?” Ying Feng asked.
After pondering, Ling Xiao replied, “Wishes are usually for things one wants. But after everything I’ve been through, I don’t want for more. If I had to wish for something, rather than gaining, my deepest wish is…”
“Not to lose anything.”
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