Care Guide to Raising a Max Level Leaf in Apocalypse - 34
Blowing Bubbles
The newly appointed young director spoke without any mercy, leaving no room for himself to retreat.
In the end, Si Yin Yuan fixedly glanced at him before turning and leading Ji Jiu away.
Back home, the clean-loving Ji Jiu’s first move was to rush into the bathroom for a fragrant bath. In the post-apocalyptic world, clean water sources were scarce, but because several awakened individuals in the base had abilities related to water, as long as one was willing to spend points, there would be no shortage of water.
He preferred the master bedroom, which came with a bathtub that had massage functions and bubble bath capabilities, so he always bathed there.
Si Yin Yuan followed behind him like a diligent and strict father, picking up the clothes that Ji Jiu had scattered everywhere. When he picked up his intimate clothing, he paused for a moment but still picked it up.
He raised his head and looked in the direction of the bathroom. The frosted glass had been fogged up by steam, making it impossible to see inside clearly.
Only a faint fragrance wafted through, creating a slightly ambiguous atmosphere.
Even though they used the same bottle of shower gel, why did it feel like the scent on him was especially enticing?
Si Yin Yuan felt a bit uncomfortable and withdrew his gaze.
Ji Jiu didn’t know about the slight restlessness in his owner’s heart at this moment. After taking a shower for his human form, he transformed back into his original form and jumped into the bubble bath.
In no time, the green little plant was no longer visible in the bathtub filled with bubbles.
He stretched out his fine white roots and, unintentionally, took a big gulp of bubble water.
Hm, it tasted strange. Let’s have another sip.
After playing around for a while, there was only a shallow layer of bubble water left in the bathtub.
Ji Jiu, who hadn’t had his fill of fun, climbed out of the bathtub in his human form, put on his pajamas, and went to find his owner.
Hearing the sound behind him, Si Yin Yuan, who had already finished taking a shower in the guest bedroom and was cooking dinner for Ji Jiu in the kitchen, didn’t turn around. “Go sit at the dining table. Dinner will be ready soon.”
“Okay, hic!”
Si Yin Yuan: ?
His hand, which was cutting mutant wolfberries, paused slightly. He turned around suspiciously to take a look.
Ji Jiu obediently sat at the dining table, waiting for dinner, raising his feet happily as if the hiccup had just been an illusion.
Si Yin Yuan thoughtfully turned his head and continued cooking the soup.
He used mutant wolfberries and some mutant beast meat raised within the base to make three dishes and a soup. Considering Ji Jiu’s appetite, he deliberately prepared an amount equivalent to eight servings.
Ji Jiu eagerly picked up a chopstick full of stir-fried mutant meat and chewed it in his mouth. The inherent spiciness of the mutant beast meat erupted in his mouth, and Ji Jiu ate with tears in his eyes, but he couldn’t stop himself from continuing to use his chopsticks.
Si Yin Yuan served him some soup. “Drink the soup; don’t let the spiciness get to you.”
He took care of Ji Jiu effortlessly.
Ji Jiu accepted it, saying, “Thank you, hic!”
As soon as he opened his mouth, he couldn’t help but hiccup.
Along with it came a large bubble with the scent of shower gel.
Ji Jiu felt a bit guilty and closed his mouth.
Sure enough, he hadn’t imagined it when he was cutting vegetables earlier.
Si Yin Yuan saw and heard it very clearly this time, his eyes filled with astonishment. “Did you drink the bubble bathwater?”
“Hic,” Ji Jiu extended his hand and made a gesture with his thumb and forefinger, indicating a tiny amount. “Just a little.”
Another bubble emerged with each hiccup. His hiccups were soft, sounding like a rubber duck being squeezed.
Si Yin Yuan couldn’t believe it. “You mean there’s only a little bit left?”
Ji Jiu secretly reached out and popped a bubble. “You could say that, hic!”
Still, he resembled a little duck that would quack if squeezed.
Si Yin Yuan tried to remain calm but couldn’t! He stood up and pinched Ji Jiu’s face, inspecting it closely.
There was nothing unusual anywhere.
It didn’t look like someone who had drunk a tub of bubble bathwater.
But how could a normal person talk, hiccup, and blow bubbles all at the same time?
Ji Jiu softly explained, “But my ability is ‘Devour.’ It won’t harm me, hic!”
A bubble floated in front of Si Yin Yuan and then burst with a ‘pop.’
Si Yin Yuan: …
He pinched Ji Jiu’s incredibly touchable face once more and fell deep into contemplation.
At the dining table, Si Yin Yuan asked for the fifth time, “Are you sure your body isn’t uncomfortable?”
Ji Jiu swallowed the meat in his mouth and nodded irritably, “Not uncomfortable, hic!”
Another colorful bubble slowly floated down to the edge of the table and was popped.
After dinner, the hiccups and bubble-blowing hadn’t eased up, but seeing that Ji Jiu was completely unaffected and had even eaten two extra bowls of rice, Si Yin Yuan finally let go of his worries.
Afraid that Ji Jiu might be uncomfortable with the hiccups, he even patted his back gently for an hour while he slept.
…
The next day, Ji Jiu, the one who could hiccup and blow bubbles, had completely returned to normal.
He even felt a bit disappointed.
But after Si Yin Yuan earnestly reminded him not to drink bubble bathwater again, Ji Jiu remembered this lesson particularly well and behaved.
For breakfast, they had buns and soy milk. The soy milk, ground from mutated soybeans, was nutritious but came with a slight bitterness.
Si Yin Yuan was accustomed to drinking coffee before the apocalypse, so he accepted the slight bitterness well.
As for Ji Jiu, he didn’t mind at all and enjoyed it.
They had an important task for the day, so before setting off, they went to see Yu Feichen and Feng Chuyao.
Both of them had attended the Sparrowtail Flower Revelry before. In fact, Feng Chuyao had even found a boyfriend at the revelry but later realized that he was vastly different from her preferred type and promptly broke up with him.
Yu Feichen couldn’t believe it and exclaimed, “Boss, did you just say what I think you did?”
He jumped up from his seat in excitement, drawing curious glances from hunters at nearby tables.
Feng Chuyao pulled him back down, lowered her voice, and asked, “Why is Captain suddenly interested in the revelry? You know, the last time we went, the day after, Captain caught us and gave us such intense training.”
She couldn’t help feeling a bit angry when she thought about it. According to the revelry’s confidentiality procedures, no one should have known they went in, but thanks to Yu Feichen’s big mouth, not only did he expose himself, but he exposed her as well.
The captain was always meticulous, and although he didn’t reprimand them directly, he silently increased the training difficulty, leaving them bedridden for several days due to muscle soreness.
Ji Jiu, who didn’t understand why they were being so secretive, replied with curiosity in a hushed voice, “Because we need to go in to find something.”
Feng Chuyao’s face suddenly lit up with realization.
Indeed, there was no way the captain would voluntarily request to go to such a place, let alone bring a clueless Ji Jiu with them.
Si Yin Yuan said, “This matter concerns the security of the base.”
He didn’t mention any more details. He had no intention of revealing what they were looking for. The escape of mutated creatures from the research institute was too serious, and mishandling it could have disastrous consequences for the entire institute. Therefore, the fewer people who knew about this, the better.
The reason he had informed Yu Feichen and Feng Chuyao was merely to ensure better cover when the time came. He didn’t want to draw attention due to his imposing presence.
He didn’t say it, and they were perceptive enough not to ask.
Yu Feichen calmed down and said, “The revelry starts tonight. In addition to tonight, there are also carnivals the night after and the night after that. It’s a three-night event, each running from 8:00 PM until the following morning at 6:00 AM.”
Awakened individuals had good stamina, and there were some who could party non-stop from start to finish. At the carnival, everyone released their inner wildness.
Si Yin Yuan had already learned about these details in advance and nodded in acknowledgment.
Ji Jiu tilted his head and looked at Yu Feichen. “Do you have an invitation card?”
In the morning, while the owner was reviewing the information, he had also read a bit. One of the key points about the Sparrowtail Flower Revelry was its mystery, so the available information was quite limited.
One of the items mentioned was the invitation card.
Each invitation card holder could only bring two people into a single event, but they could bring different people for the second and third nights. Entry to the Sparrowtail Flower Revelry was very strict. Without an invitation card, it was absolutely impossible to enter.
The sale of invitation cards was also restricted and not unlimited. It operated more like a pre-apocalypse membership-based restaurant.
For those who wanted to go but had no access to points, it was said that if you wandered around the area a week before the carnival, mysterious staff members would approach you for a transaction.
As long as you answered three questions correctly or won a small game, you would qualify to purchase an invitation card.
However, it was only the qualification; the actual price of an invitation card was enough to cover an ordinary person’s food and drink expenses for half a year, making it expensive and somewhat exclusive.
Yu Feichen, now reminded of this, massaged his temples in frustration. “I don’t have one.”
Ji Jiu counted on his fingers. “But there are four of us.”
One card could only accommodate three people.
Feng Chuyao suddenly had a mischievous glint in her eyes, swayed her newly dyed red wavy hair, and said, “Hmph, isn’t there still me? You can go with the captain and the others, and I’ll find a way to join you inside.”
She elegantly toyed with her red manicured nails, exuding the charm of a dependable adult woman.
Yu Feichen was momentarily stunned and his face turned a bit red. He muttered, “What are you showing off for?”
Ji Jiu graciously gave face, saying, “Wow, you’re amazing.”
Feng Chuyao smiled again and pulled Ji Jiu closer. “In that case, let’s borrow him for a bit. You should know that the second important thing to enter the Sparrowtail Flower Revelry is a mask. I’ll leave the leader to you, and I’ll choose Ji Jiu’s mask!”
As she finished speaking, her eyes practically sparkled, like a little girl who had just seen the cutest and best-dressed doll.
How could such an adorable Ji Jiu be entrusted to those two guys with straightforward tastes? Of course, it was up to big sister to personally pick it out!
Ji Jiu turned back to look at the master. “Sir Si, can’t you come with us?”
He was unwilling to be separated from the owner, a true little clingy one.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Si Yin Yuan’s mouth.
Feng Chuyao played her trump card. “I remember they’re also selling candied hawthorns where they sell the masks.”
Ji Jiu immediately became obedient. “Goodbye, Sir Si.”
Without looking back, he bounced away.
Si Yin Yuan’s lips returned to their neutral position.