Chapter 1264: Rainy Day Visitors
Bohemia didn"t know when it had started raining. Raindrops streaked down the window, making it chilly and covering the gla.s.s with a greyish-blue mist. Inside, the aroma of roasted chicken, the occasional clinking of bowls and pots, and the lingering warmth from the stove filled the kitchen with a bright and warm atmosphere.
Bohemia was already starving. Even if Lin Sanjiu were a horse instead of her mother, she wouldn"t allow her to leave the kitchen until they were full. She devoured five bowls of turkey mixed with eggs and stopped when she couldn"t take another bite. She pushed the bowl away and wiped the sweat off her forehead—suddenly realizing that not a single grain of salt had been added to this meal.
"Salt is not good for a cat"s kidneys."
Although Yuan Xiangxi wasn"t affected by the pocket dimension, he was enthusiastically role-playing. He said seriously, "But I added some raw fish juice to enhance the taste. It should be especially delicious, right?"
Indeed, it was d.a.m.n delicious.
Bohemia felt both happy and annoyed. "Can this d.a.m.n pocket dimension even affect taste?"
"It seems like it can affect memories too. I wonder if it changes depending on the situation and difficulty. Oh, I just remembered. Do you still remember the pocket dimension, huh? The pocket dimension that started with kind words seems quite mild for you. Its impact on you isn"t too severe. Don"t you want to catch fireflies?"
The hostess seemed a little disappointed when she saw her frown. Yuan Xiangxi tidied up the tableware, carried a gla.s.s of water, and walked out the door. "Do you remember when you suddenly remembered that... that person, you know, licking her father"s bowl? It must have been a memory given by the pocket dimension."
To be safe, it would be better not to mention Baby Bao, who might appear in the future.
Bohemia subconsciously followed him, leaving the kitchen together. "That"s right," she thought and took a deep breath before asking, "Hey... which bowl did she lick back then?"
"It wasn"t the bowl I just used, was it?"
"Don"t worry. I gave you a cat bowl that I found on the floor." Yuan Xiangxi entered the living room, then suddenly turned around at the doorway. He smiled, his doe eyes curving, revealing a row of white teeth. "With those bells jingling as you walk, you"re like a cat with a bell around its neck."
Having eaten to her heart"s content, Bohemia didn"t feel as fiery. She snorted, squeezed past Yuan Xiangxi, and sat beside Lin Sanjiu—this dead horse was still the same. No matter how much she pushed, her eyes wouldn"t open.
"What should we do?" she asked, poking Sugar Cube"s face a few times. "She"s been unconscious for so long; her body must be dehydrated. Look, when I poke her, she sinks but doesn"t bounce back."
Yuan Xiangxi also examined Lin Sanjiu, then looked at the water in his hand. "Then, how about—"
"Don"t give her water," Puppeteer"s voice suddenly sounded, startling both of them.
They whirled around to face him but found that he hadn"t actually come down himself—yet it sounded like he was whispering in their ears.
Despite knowing that the other party could hear their every move and word clearly, Bohemia still raised her voice and asked, "But, sir, can we really leave her like this? What will happen to her next?"
Hearing her own tone, her heart tightened, and she came to her senses: this big, orange cat seemed quite favored by its owner. Even when speaking to Puppeteer, it had an air of natural familiarity.
For a moment, there was silence upstairs until Puppeteer spoke.
"She"s a Growth type," he slowly spoke, his voice as cold as a river in winter, each word like floating shards of ice. "She should have some signs of a Growth type now."
Bohemia hadn"t thought about how to ask further, but unexpectedly, Puppeteer continued, "She doesn"t have any substantial injuries, but her life force is diminis.h.i.+ng, and her organs are weakening. Outsiders can"t treat her, and now we can only wait for her stress system to rebound. You can think of it as an increase in white blood cells during inflammation. Growth types usually help enhance physical attributes slowly, but in such dire straits, it should turn into a fierce and aggressive counterattack."
Was this the aftereffect of Meowie Hu"s treatment?
Who knew that Puppeteer could be so patient and calm when explaining things?
But that explains it. No wonder he didn"t let them give her water. If the outside world a.s.sisted Lin Sanjiu and stabilized her condition, it might hinder the activation of her resistance system.
Since there was no risk of getting beaten up for asking questions, she said, "Then she started leveling up because she encountered a desperate situation but suddenly stopped. Why?"
"What else could be the reason?" Puppeteer sneered. "The stupid girl decided to turn the tide but didn"t have enough money."
"So... at least her resistance system is starting to work, right?" This was somewhat rea.s.suring news.
The opportunity to consult someone of Puppeteer"s power level was rare, and Bohemia would take the opportunity to milk a cow dry and turn it into beef jerky. Of course, she had to take advantage of the situation and ask more questions. She tilted her head back, gazing at the white-painted ceiling, and asked, "Why wasn"t it successful last time? Is she still trying for the next one? Do... do I have such a resistance system, too?"
Puppeteer remained silent for a long time.
The rain outside had been pouring heavily for a while now, the sound of raindrops like countless brushes constantly scrubbing the world, leaving everything covered in a dim, gray light. When his voice finally broke through the rain, it was incomprehensible.
"Go open the door."
"What?"
Bohemia was stunned and glanced at Yuan Xiangxi. The latter was quite obedient, standing up first, and walked hesitantly toward the door. The big yellow cat was more curious than anyone, closely following behind him and stretching its neck from the living room door.
Yuan Xiangxi opened a small grille on the door and looked outside. The rain-soaked light outside reflected in his eyes, making them appear white.
"Who is it?" Bohemia whispered.
"I don"t know," he said, perplexed, turning his head. "I didn"t see anyone—"
There were two loud knocks on the door, and both of them were startled. Bohemia extended one of her hind legs, ready to turn around and run. Yuan Xiangxi opened the small grille again—this time, the situation was clearly different. His gaze lingered outside the door for two seconds, and he quickly stepped back and opened the door.
As the raindrops, daylight, and the person outside the door came into Bohemia"s view, she suddenly understood why Yuan Xiangxi had said earlier that he hadn"t seen anyone.
The visitor was only about as tall as an adult"s chest, just below his line of sight. When the door opened, the "person" knocking on the door immediately raised a metal head in the shape of a stapler towards them.
It was her first time seeing such a seemingly infinitely smooth metallic texture. When rainwater hit this finely crafted mechanical body, it slid off like it was falling on oil, leaving no trace of water.
The ghost, the person, and the machine looked at each other.
"h.e.l.lo," the machine said.
It must have been built with highly advanced technology because it extended a part of its mechanical body towards Yuan Xiangxi, opened some components, and rea.s.sembled them into a hand in just half a second. Bohemia could barely hear any noise as its mechanisms operated.
Yuan Xiangxi looked blankly at the mechanical hand reaching towards him, and after a moment, he tentatively reached out his hand as well.
The ghost and the machine shook hands, completing the etiquette of a human"s first meeting.
"Miss, I apologize for the intrusion. My name is J7," the robot said. "It"s pouring outside. May I come in and rest for a while?"
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Editor"s note: The image in the media is a fan art I found on Lofter, a Chinese social media platform. Credit to the artist, 迪迦小饼干 (Tiga biscuits). Chapter 1252 and 1253 also have some fan art from the same author. (Other Editor"s Note: Don"t let Puppeteer see this if you want to keep your life...!!!)