Chapter 147 - 146: I Want to Hug, Too

It had short, stubby legs, like a little glutinous rice ball, and let out soft, milky whimpers.

Jian Yu stared for a long time, so overcome by its cuteness that she wanted to snatch it up into her arms and cuddle it.

’How can it be this cute?’

It hugged her calf, struggling to stand on its tiptoes. It was so tiny it could barely keep its balance.

Finally, with a little whimper, it flopped backward.

She watched it squirm weakly at her feet, sniffing at everything.

Jian Yu couldn’t resist squatting down for a closer look.

It was someone else’s Soul Beast, after all, so she felt it wouldn’t be right to touch it.

Shen Gu squatted down beside her, his eyes widening. "Is that a Soul Beast from the Panda Clan?"

He looked up. "I don’t think there are any Bear Clan People among the competing teams."

Shen Gu reached out a hand, only to touch empty air. "Wow, that was fast. It must be a Soul Beast."

Noticing Jian Yu’s subtle glance, he quickly explained, "Soul Beasts don’t like being touched by strangers. I just suspected it might be a purebred bear and wanted to test my theory."

Few Awakeners would allow their Soul Beast to appear in such a young, cub-like form.

For one, it could ruin the owner’s fierce image.

For another, a cub is also relatively weak.

Shen Gu guessed, "Besides a purebred bear, there are generally only two other possibilities: an Initial Awakener who can’t fully control their Soul Beast yet, or an Awakener who is in a weakened state."

He and Jian Yu gathered around the little cub. "It’s like a furry tortoise that’s lost its shell. It’s so flat when it crawls."

But when it stands up, it’s all round and puffy.

"Nngh~" The little bear squirmed toward Jian Yu, whimpering in distress.

Clumsy, docile, and utterly pitiable.

Jian Yu mulled over Shen Gu’s words. ’Could its owner be having an episode of the Threshold Devouring Period?’

She subconsciously released a bit of pink mist and cyan threads from her fingertips to ease its suffering.

Just then, Shen Gu suddenly ventured a reasonable guess. "It could be Chief Ji’s Soul Beast."

Jian Yu turned her head, her eyes going wide with surprise.

’Does it have to be such a coincidence?’

She opened her mouth and whispered, "The forums say Chief Ji isn’t back yet."

Besides, in the plot the system had given her—even if it was from a side character’s perspective—F3’s Soul Beast had never appeared in the form of a little bear cub.

As if he could hear Jian Yu’s inner thoughts, Shen Gu started monologuing.

"That’s true, Chief Ji’s Soul Beast is massive. It can crush several cannibal beasts just by sitting on them. Oh, wait, but they can change size, right? Just like Chairman Sheng’s Soul Beast."

He continued his lecture, "I remember seeing on the forums that while there are many kinds of unusual bears, Awakeners with this type of Soul Beast are very rare. Right now, it seems to be only the F3 family line."

At Weis Lan Noble Academy, the only one who is a Bear Soul Awakener is in F3.

Jian Yu thought of Ling Yanzhi’s face—how he had pretended to be magnanimous while gritting his teeth—and felt a strange pang of guilt.

She started to get up and move away.

But the moment her fingers moved, the bear cub latched onto them.

"Nnngh~" The cub pressed its round little head forward and gave her a lick.

’It’s pink.’

’That just makes it even cuter.’

Watching the little bear lick her finger, Shen Gu found a new comparison. "Hey, it’s acting like a little puppy."

A gentle, warm voice drifted over from in front of them. "Junior Brother, you’re quite cute."

Shen Gu jumped in surprise.

He scrambled to his feet, arms tensed, his expression suddenly turning pure and innocent. "Ch-Chief Ji. Hello."

Ji Shiyin walked over, his face still a little pale.

He smiled, his eyes crinkling. "Hello."

In the sunlight, a long, slender finger pointed to the cub. "I’m here for my Soul Beast."

Jian Yu tried to pull her finger away, embarrassed, but couldn’t get it free.

It was so chubby, like a marshmallow, and she didn’t have the heart to push it away.

"This is my Little Flying Bear. Would you like to hold him?" Ji Shiyin asked, bending down slightly.

His chestnut eyes curved into a faint smile. "I think he’d be so comfortable he’d start rolling around."

It wasn’t that Jian Yu was being conceited.

But F3 had definitely targeted her.

There was the "hatching genius" title she’d cultivated, her brief moment in the spotlight calming the beasts during the Beast Taming Competition, and the Hidden Beast Aura she had just released.

"Sorry," Jian Yu said, standing up.

Ji Shiyin got straight to the point, his voice pitiful. "I’m not feeling well. Could you soothe him? Just like you did at the arena the other day."

’I’m done for,’ Jian Yu thought.

This was the first time someone had ever managed to awaken her protective instincts.

His eyes crinkled when he smiled, just like his Soul Beast’s, making him seem just as adorable.

His gentleness was so captivating you couldn’t look away; anyone who saw him would surely be tempted to stare.

His smile was stunning and infectious. Jian Yu found herself wanting to smile back, even though she was in a terrible mood after saying goodbye to the dean earlier that day.

"Okay..." Jian Yu gave the bear’s head a symbolic pat.

She gave it two rough pets and finally felt satisfied.

’It’s a little addictive.’

Jian Yu was well aware of her soothing abilities.

Sheng Yue and the others had told her that for them, the pain of the Threshold Devouring Period vanished almost the instant they caught the scent.

Of course, it was also possible that Ji Shiyin’s episode had lasted so long that the pain had already spread throughout his body, which was why he was reacting more slowly.

Jian Yu controlled the mist, letting it seep into Ji Shiyin’s body little by little.

Ji Shiyin’s nose twitched slightly.

He closed his eyes, his expression becoming one of deep, intoxicated immersion.

’So, it not only calms Alien Beasts, but can also soothe an Awakener’s Threshold Devouring Period?’

’So fragrant. Truly... alluring.’

Jian Yu stood up, flustered. "There."

Thinking of the irreverent jokes with Shen Gu—even though she hadn’t really participated—Jian Yu still felt she should apologize.

She patted Shen Gu. "You, say it’s fine!"

She had meant to tell him, "Say you’re sorry," but what came out of her mouth was, "Say it’s fine!"

Shen Gu opened his mouth, realized something was off, and promptly snapped it shut.

Ji Shiyin paused, stunned for a moment. Then he gave a slight bow to Jian Yu and said, "I’m sorry."

He picked up the Soul Beast. "Sorry to have troubled you, Yu. I’ll watch him more closely next time so he doesn’t bother you. It must have taken a lot of energy to calm him, didn’t it? I’m so sorry."

Ji Shiyin’s voice was gentle as he held the Soul Beast, his movements deliberate and slow. He spoke to the cub. "You can’t go looking for Yu next time, understand? No matter how much it hurts, you can’t. Yu is a very busy person."

Shen Gu felt his skin crawl. "..."

Jian Yu was a person who had seen her share of major events.

But when had she ever experienced an awkward little scene like this?

She waved her hands and blurted out, "It’s fine, you can come find me next time, too."

Ji Shiyin’s fingers slowly and gently pinched the cub’s chubby cheek. "Then on behalf of Little Flying Bear, thank you, Yu."

The man and his beast vanished, reappearing on the chief’s platform just a few seconds later.

Shen Gu asked weakly, "Yu, don’t you think Chief Ji is a little... ’green tea’?"

You know... acting all frail and gentle, with that saccharine-sweet way of talking.

"Huh? How could you say that?" Jian Yu blinked, her expression serious. "Did you read something on the forums that gave you the wrong impression of Senior Brother Ji?"

Shen Gu’s eyes widened in confusion. "Oh... uh, maybe."

Jian Yu turned away, barely managing to stifle a laugh.

’Whether he’s "green tea" or not depends on who he’s talking to.’

’As long as his words don’t bother me, it’s fine.’

...

Ji Shiyin strolled back to the chief’s platform.

Little Flying Bear was perched on his shoulder, its voice tinged with satisfaction.

[Just like Ting Ying said, she’s so fragrant and soft. I love it. Master, I want to hold her again next time.]

A small dimple appeared at the corner of Ji Shiyin’s lips. "I want to hold her too, you know."