Chapter 133: Affection Almost Max

’Stop saying ’like’!’’ Shani thought in a slight panic, nervously glancing past the opening elevator doors for fear Jeryon might suddenly appear, even though she was the only one who could actually understand Nyx.

Meanwhile, Jeryon was already waiting outside his door. Before the figure he was expecting came into view, he could already hear Nyx’s signature protest meows.

A faint smile touched his lips, widening when Shani turned the corner with Nyx nestled in her arms. He looked every bit like a husband waiting for his little family.

He reached out toward Shani, prompting Nyx to leap straight into his arms.

"Are you going to spend the whole weekend there?" Jeryon asked, trying to sound as casual as possible while opening his door wide to invite Shani inside.

"No. I’m coming back on Sunday for mandatory Shooting Club meeting," Shani replied, taking in the black-and-grey decor of the room.

It was her first time stepping inside, and she was surprised by how vastly different it was from her own room.

Calling it a room was an understatement, it was practically a mini-apartment.

The living area was completely separate from the bedroom. There was even a dedicated room for the baby beast, though Jeryon mentioned that Nyx still slept in his room anyway.

Outfitted with sleek dark-grey furniture and high-end appliances, the space exuded an undeniable sense of luxury.

Jeryon served some juice before they dove straight into their resonance session, as they both had afternoon classes to attend.

[Baby Beast Nyx’s Affection toward Host (Mother): 97%. Baby Beast Nyx’s Affection toward Target Jeryon of Argenor (Father): 95%. Beast Essence Received: 58.5 (Bonus Active)]

The system notification chimed right as Nyx drifted off to sleep.

Jeryon had already gotten up, but Shani remained rooted to her seat, staring blankly ahead.

Looking at her in confusion, Jeryon called out softly, "Shani, aren’t you heading to class?"

Only then did Shani snap out of her shock. Anyone would be stunned to see a single intake of beast essence reach 58.5 points. It was astoundingly high!

’I only need three more resonance sessions with Nyx to reach D-Rank beast essence! Thank goodness I left Nyx in Jeryon’s care. It really boosted Nyx’s affection toward him!’

...

Shani woke up feeling terrible, her breathing strained and an aching heaviness seeping deep into her bones.

She ended up skipping her morning training. The air felt far too cold, leaving her entire body shivering uncontrollably.

’Should I skip today’s resonance too?’ Shani wondered, deciding to check her egg’s progress first.

[Baby Beast Progress: 89.6% (Egg Phase). Growth Speed: 1.5%/hour. Baby Beast Genes: Starlight Arctodus. Gene Regulation: Stable.]

Shani let out a sigh of relief, seeing that her baby beast’s gene was officially confirmed as the Starlight Arctodus, which she was certain belonged to the Divine Grade.

But then her brows furrowed. With so little progress remaining, the egg would likely hatch before midnight, allowing her to head straight back to the academy.

While she was thrilled, the thought of not being able to skip her resonance session left her reluctant.

Shani shook her head. "Just power through it!"

Her essence control training had also improved her energy regulation, so even when she wasn’t feeling well, she could still keep her energy flow perfectly stable.

As usual, Aster prepared breakfast. After eating, they began their resonance session at seven. Though only after Shani insisted, as Aster could clearly see how weak and sluggish she looked.

They wrapped up at ten o’clock, right when Aster’s online class was about to start.

Just then, a chime rang from Shani’s smartwatch. A faint smile flickered across her pale face.

Ding-dong!

Shani walked dazedly toward the door. Thankfully, Aster was already in his room attending his lecture, so he wasn’t there to worry over her unsteady steps.

"Delivery for Shani Rowan," said a man wearing a light blue vest.

Shani nodded, taking the neatly wrapped gift bag from the courier. Stepping inside, she immediately opened it to pull out a jacket still sealed in crisp plastic packaging.

She was hanging the jacket on a coat rack when Aster stepped out of his room, likely drawn by the doorbell and the rustling of plastic outside.

They locked eyes for a brief moment before Shani beamed. "A gift for you!"

Aster stared in surprise, raising a hand to politely decline, but Shani cut him off before he could utter a word.

"It’s a stylish, casual car coat, perfect for when you’re inspecting factories. Looking sharp makes people trust you more."

Aster glanced at the brand logo embroidered on the chest. "That’s a famous outdoor brand, Shan. It must have been expensive."

"You get what you pay for, Aster. You need to get used to investing in true quality."

Aster was ready to argue and firmly turn it down, until his eyes caught the bulky gift bag still sitting on the sofa.

Following his gaze, Shani chimed in, "That one’s mine."

Spotting the matching brand logo on the bag, Aster’s hesitation melted away. "Alright then. Thank you, Shan. I really don’t know how to repay—"

"That’s enough! You know the best way to repay me is by working hard," Shani interrupted.

Aster smiled and nodded.

"Get back to your class," Shani said, picking up her gift bag and retreating into her bedroom.

[System Cashback Activated! Gift: Car Coat (3,000 Credits). Cashback: 15,000 Credits. Total Gift Value: 403,000 Credits.]

As the notification chimed in her ear, Shani collapsed onto her bed with a wide smile, drifting into a deep sleep almost instantly.

She only woke up when Aster knocked on her door to call her for lunch. Heavy-lidded, Shani forced her eyes open, braving the deep ache lingering throughout her body.

Aster had another afternoon lecture right after lunch, but Shani refused to stay cooped up in her bedroom, fearing that if she fell back asleep, she wouldn’t be able to get back up again.

Instead, she spent the next two hours watching an Arctodus superhero movie, a rare moment of pure relaxation for her.

...