Care Guide to Raising a Max Level Leaf in Apocalypse - 98

Finale

A three-centimeter tall little grass shook off the early morning dew on its leaves.

Curling up its leaves in confusion, it gently moved its roots in the soft nutrient soil.

Ji?

Its memory lingered on the moment when it fell down due to exhaustion.

The imagined pain didn’t appear; probably its owner caught it.

But how did he transform back to his original form?

It moved again, this time shaking its leaves more vigorously, finally catching the attention of the man who had been sitting beside it, seemingly motionless, for an unknown period.

Si Yin Yuan didn’t know how long he had been sitting here. At this moment, seeing the potted plant in front of him finally move, he even suspected if he was having another hallucination.

Until the fingertip was intimately brushed by the small leaf, the heart that had been suspended since three days ago finally fell.

Ji Jiu hummed as he transformed himself from a little grass to a smooth-skinned person, throwing himself into Si Yin Yuan’s arms. Tilting his head, he kissed Si Yin Yuan’s chin. “I’m back.”

Si Yin Yuan pinched his waist, turning this light kiss into a passionate one. Between their lips and teeth, he murmured two words, “Little trickster.”

Clearly, he promised that nothing would happen.

Ji Jiu, now slightly breathless from the kiss, with red corners of his eyes, said, “I didn’t lie to you. I just got a bit tired and fell asleep…”

Before he could finish his sentence, his mouth was invaded by another kiss.

The man didn’t give him a chance to explain. His actions, once fierce, gradually became gentle. One hand supported Ji Jiu, while the other slowly roamed downward.

The soft skin on his body was marked with faint red marks where the calloused hand passed.

Ji Jiu shrank a bit, finally realizing that his owner was different this time.

He, he seemed to want to perform a pollination ceremony with him.

OvO

The little grass, who had slept in the pot for a full three days, had to continue its seclusion in the room due to the antics of its owner.

…

Ji Jiu whimpered, trying to push away the man above him, “Stop, I can’t bloom…”

On his body, there were “flowers” planted by Si Yin Yuan everywhere.

This was the first time he thought that having too much vitality as an awakened individual might not be a good thing.

Especially for an S-rank awakened individual at the top.

Si Yin Yuan dropped a kiss on his forehead, “Alright, let’s stop. We’ll go eat.”

Upon hearing the mention of eating, Ji Jiu perked up, supporting his waist as he stood up, “I want meat, and I want strawberry-flavored nutrient solution.”

The satiated man was very easygoing, and Si Yin Yuan casually stood up as if nothing had happened. “I’ll go prepare for you. You take a nap.”

Unexpectedly, the little grass had a unique constitution, absorbing anything and everything.

It saved the step of cleaning up.

Ji Jiu wrapped himself tightly in the blanket, fearing that his owner would unleash his “beastly nature” again. His voice muffled inside, “Okay.”

He sounded quite aggrieved.

This time, Si Yin Yuan didn’t tease him further and turned around to quickly take a shower before heading to the kitchen.

He took the opportunity to report his safety via the communicator.

Ji Jiu had fallen into a deep sleep after using his ability that day. Fortunately, Si Yin Yuan swiftly brought him home; otherwise, he might have fallen in front of everyone.

However, his departure was too abrupt, and he hadn’t contacted the outside world for these days. The people outside were getting busy.

In places they couldn’t see, the entire world was undergoing tremendous changes.

The Earth, once filled with deadness due to the Aster Flower, seemed to have come back to life in an instant. Prosperity flourished everywhere after being endowed with vitality.

The mutated creatures, becoming increasingly ferocious, gradually became gentler. They even became more docile than after the first mutation, as if the hope that had been suppressed at the bottom of Pandora’s Box had been released into the world again.

The fragrant pork rib rice attracted Ji Jiu out. These were ribs made from mutant black pigs, and the aroma could penetrate every pore.

It was a rare species that became even more delicious after the mutation, with no flaws except for its rarity.

But in the eyes of the wealthy Si Yin Yuan, this flaw was virtually non-existent.

Ji Jiu happily took his milky-white small bowl and sat at the table. “It smells so good.”

Si Yin Yuan, with a hint of a smile in his eyes, raised his hand and turned off the communicator. “Eat up.”

On the other end of the communicator, Hu Yan was puzzled: ???

Ji Jiu piled the ribs in his bowl so high that they protruded. He ate the meat on top and tossed the bones to the little black mist, which swallowed them whole.

In these three days, Golden Flame had been pursuing the black mist for fusion. Even now, it still lay next to the small black ball, seemingly intoxicated.

Carefully observed, one could see that a golden brilliance and a black hue exchanged breaths between the two.

Seeing him enjoying the meal, Si Yin Yuan’s heart softened, finally asking the most important question, “Do you love me?”

The little grass was too innocent, but he was a human with dirty desires. Obtaining Ji Jiu wasn’t enough; he hoped that Ji Jiu’s feelings for him were not just nurturing affection but another kind of emotion that only humans possessed.

“Of course.” Ji Jiu, busy munching between his hands, answered without a hint of hesitation.

No hesitation at all. Si Yin Yuan paused for a moment, then a warm feeling surged in his chest.

His little grass loved him too.

Finally finishing the last piece of ribs, Ji Jiu, wiping his hands, earnestly replied, “On the day I lost my identity, I seriously thought about a question.”

“What question?”

“If you reject me for not being human, I’ll lock you in a place only visible to little grass.” Ji Jiu intentionally revealed a naughty expression. “Just like when you raised me, but I’m a very tolerant little grass. I won’t keep you in a small pot; I’ll find a big house to secretly raise you.”

Clearly, it was possessive and yandere-like words, yet to Si Yin Yuan, they surpassed all sweet words in the world.

Approaching, he wiped away the crumbs from the little grass’s mouth, his voice slightly deep, “Remember, if one day I misbehave, just lock me forever in a place only you can see.”

…

After dinner, at Ji Jiu’s strong request, they went for a walk together.

Actually, the little grass didn’t want to walk; he just feared that a certain carnivorous man would once again drag him for “pollination.”

It had only been six days since the disaster, and even Ji Jiu had to admit that humans were recovering at an incredibly fast pace.

People were busy everywhere on the streets, and crops were being planted along the roadsides.

Si Yin Yuan stopped in a lush field of Chinese cabbage. “This is all thanks to you. Originally, these cabbages were aggressive after the mutation. Now that their aggressive tendencies have diminished, we can expand production.”

Before long, the base would be able to solve one of the biggest post-apocalyptic problems—food.

The joy of rebirth permeated human bases everywhere.

In the vegetable field, Ji Jiu saw people who had fled from other bases, including the woman who had spoken to him while holding a baby at that time.

It seemed she had successfully found a suitable job in the base.

Ji Jiu also saw her releasing water orbs from her palm.

She used to be an ordinary person.

Yu Feichen and the others arrived at some point, smiling and saying, “Captain, haven’t you told Ji Jiu this good news yet?”

Feng Chuyao hugged Ji Jiu tightly, saying, “Missed you so much!”

Ji Jiu blinked, “What good news?”

Si Yin Yuan smiled without saying a word; he wanted Ji Jiu to witness the “turnaround” he had brought to the world.

Li Chao explained, “Your ability not only gave ordinary people vitality but also endowed them with abilities. According to the current range we can detect, everyone in our base and other surviving bases has become an Awakener.”

Hu Yan added, “A more accurate statement would be that your vitality has triggered the innate talents that have been dormant in them. In fact, everyone has their own abilities; most people just lack a crucial threshold.”

“Although the awakened abilities are mostly relatively weak, they bring new hope to all humans. This is crucial in the apocalypse.”

Considering that the ratio of ordinary people is much higher than that of Awakeners, with a considerably higher death rate, the bodies of ordinary people were simply not suited for the post-apocalyptic world. Now that everyone has abilities, the chances of human survival in the apocalypse have increased by more than one or two percent.

Hu Yan let out a slow breath, “Who would have thought that humanity, forced into a dead-end, could still achieve a breakthrough.”

At least now, the awakened humans could continue to explore new worlds.

Ji Jiu wasn’t surprised by this outcome. His second ability, “Devour,” appeared after he gave himself vitality. His abilities were supposed to be this powerful.

Looking at the somewhat proud little grass, Si Yin Yuan couldn’t help but poke his face.

Then, he received an explosive little grass in return.

…

Si Yin Yuan stayed in the base for three years, helping with construction until the base finally had a solid structure. He then decided to embark on an adventure around the world with Ji Jiu.

On that day, almost everyone in the base came to see them off.

Ji Jiu and Si Yin Yuan’s names were now associated with mythology.

Their base had become the largest and safest on the entire continent.

In this base, nobody believed in religion. They only believed in the two people who truly saved them.

Now, as their faith was about to leave, although reluctant, there was an unspoken agreement not to hold them back.

Guan Yin wiped away tears with four hands, “When will you come back?”

He voiced the question that everyone behind him wanted to ask.

“Maybe a year… maybe longer,” Si Yin Yuan waved casually, boarded the vehicle, and turned away.

The familiar gentle female voice echoed from the base gate, “Have a safe journey. We’ll be waiting for your return here.”

Ji Jiu, sitting in the passenger seat, sipped on strawberry-flavored nutrient liquid, watching the base gate gradually shrink into a small dot in the rearview mirror. Even though he knew they couldn’t see, he obediently waved goodbye.

After driving for a day and a night, they finally stopped at a breathtakingly beautiful place. As the gentle breeze swept through the flower fields, countless roses danced in the air.

Curiously, Ji Jiu tugged at a petal and asked, “Where are we going?”

“Didn’t you complain about the small pot I kept you in for three years?” Si Yin Yuan opened the car door. “Now, we’re going to find a place suitable for growing little grass.”

“What kind of place is that?”

Si Yin Yuan lowered his gaze and thought for a moment. “A place with fertile soil, excellent water quality, and lots of delicious food.”

“No.” Ji Jiu shook his head. “What you said is all wrong.”

“Hmm?” Si Yin Yuan grabbed his hand and gently kissed it, a permissive smile in his eyes. “Then what kind of place is suitable for little grass?”

Ji Jiu giggled twice, circled his arms around his neck, tilted his head, and whispered, “A place where there’s the owner.”