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Weekend chapter: 2/10
The nest was woven of dry grass, ablaze with roaring flames. The grass, of an unknown variety, remained completely undamaged amidst the fierce fire.
Inside the grass nest lay six snow-white, pristine eggs, each small enough to be cradled in one hand. It was hard to imagine that such eggs could nurture divine beings capable of reaching the heavens and touching the earth.
Long Que felt a tremor deep in her soul. She took a step back and murmured, “Phoenix… eggs?”
These were definitely not newly laid eggs! How could newly hatched phoenix eggs possess such potent spiritual energy? Long Que could only guess one possibility. These were phoenixes reborn after nirvana.
Were they the family of the big shot?
Long Que stole a glance at Pei Shiyi and was stunned by the glimmer of tears in his eyes. Could a divine being who guarded a realm also harbor such intense emotions?
Pei Shiyi knelt on one knee and reached his hand through the flames.
His heart was in turmoil, bitterness and sweetness churning into a murky mess. It was too chaotic to sort out. Yet his face remained calm and indifferent, if not for the tears in his eyes.
Long Que’s heart leaped into her throat. She was about to speak up to stop Pei Shiyi from reaching in when she saw Bo Jin shake his head slightly.
Long Que thought to herself: Seriously, boss? Weren’t you just pursuing the cat café owner recently? This is the time to show your boyfriend energy. How can you let Boss Pei face the elders reborn from nirvana directly? It must be heartbreaking.
After nirvana comes rebirth.
Yet there’s always a sense of melancholy of time passing and things changing; of familiar faces no longer being the same.
The Zhulong was born of heaven and earth, without kin or ties. Without Pei Shiyi, he might never have understood what family and kinship meant.
Bo Jin silently watched Pei Shiyi’s profile. At this moment, he would surely prefer to face it head-on rather than hide behind someone else.
Pei Shiyi’s fingertips touched a warmth. As he reached in, the flames seemed to recognize the phoenix’s aura and gradually extinguished.
Six phoenix eggs. Out of the entire clan of over a hundred and twenty phoenixes, only seven had been preserved.
He looked up. A new sun hung in the sky, its light hazy and gentle. In less than a hundred years, this new sun would rise to the zenith, illuminating the Four Directions, melting glaciers and snowy plains, and reviving the vitality the phoenix clan had guarded for tens of thousands of years.
And in the dry grass nest lay the bloodline left behind by the phoenix clan.
The Phoenix Clan had five branches: Phoenix, Yuanchu, Yuezhuo, Qingluan, and Honghu. Among these six phoenix eggs, two were Honghu, while the remaining branches each preserved one.
Pei Shiyi didn’t need to guess. He knew that those preserved were likely the youngest of each branch.
But whose phoenix egg was this? Among Pei Shiyi’s generation, there were only the other four branches. This phoenix egg…
Pei Shiyi reached out and gently picked it up, sensing the spiritual energy within. His eyes widened in astonishment. It was Pei Huang! His little uncle!
He cradled the phoenix egg to his chest, overwhelmed with joy.
Bai Jue and Long Que exchanged glances, wanting to offer comfort but unsure how to begin.
Their gazes shifted simultaneously to Bo Jin: Go comfort your boyfriend!
Bo Jin: “…”
Pei Shiyi leaned down and placed the phoenix egg back into the nest, then gathered the dry grass nest into his arms. The crimson glow that had enveloped everyone above suddenly withdrew, wrapping around the phoenix eggs and maintaining their temperature precisely.
“Let’s go,” Pei Shiyi said softly. “After we return, seal the entrances to the Four Directions. Even our comings and goings as divine beings can cause spiritual energy fluctuations, which might have unintended effects.”
Bai Jue nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes. I’ll notify the Supernatural Management Bureau to set up formations at Chunshou Mountain as soon as we return.”
Before leaving, Pei Shiyi glanced back. A hundred years from now, new life would emerge in the preserved paradise of the other divine beings, flourishing freely under the eternal sun.
All living beings thrive under the lingering radiance of their ancestors.
Just like him.
Suddenly, Bo Jin placed a hand over Pei Shiyi’s: “Xiao Shiyi, do they call you that?”
Pei Shiyi paused for a moment. “Yes, occasionally.”
Bo Jin lowered his gaze. “Can I help you hatch the eggs?”
Pei Shiyi had just composed himself when those five words shattered his melancholy. He looked bewildered. “…Huh?”
The staff of the Supernatural Management Bureau: “Ooh~”
…
Third floor of Xian Chan Cat Café:
The cats of the café: “…”
How did their boss end up with eggs after just one day at work?
Tong Qian trembled as he asked, “Boss… are these your eggs?”
He glanced at Bo Jin. He mustered his courage and slapped Bo Jin’s arm. “I… I misjudged you.”
Bo Jin: “…”
The still-innocent Director Bo looked at the group of cats and saw that the little troublemakers he had been feeding for nearly a year wore solemn expressions, gazing at him reproachfully.
Only Song Gao nestled close to Pei Shiyi, staring intently at the straw nest, and whispered, “I like little brothers and sisters, too.”
Bo Jin: “…”
Pei Shiyi cradled the nest of phoenix eggs. “You’ve got the generations mixed up. These are my elders, newly reborn through nirvana.”
Tong Qian: “…Oh.”
The other cats collectively sighed in relief and crowded around, inadvertently pushing Bo Jin aside.
Fine, Chef Bo, you’ve been outdone by Boss Pei.
Pei Shiyi: “Yuan Jing and Jian Zhou seem to be coming over.”
After Yuan Jing had mostly recovered from his injuries, he often went to the busier boarding shop to make up for the extra help Jian Zhou had received at the cat café. Jian Zhou, the clingy little follower, sometimes tagged along and sometimes stayed at the café to stick close to Pei Shiyi.
But today, since Pei Shiyi wasn’t around, Jian Zhou followed Yuan Jing to the boarding shop.
Before long, Yuan Jing indeed came upstairs carrying Jian Zhou.
“Boss, I…”
As Yuan Jing looked up, the first thing he saw was the nest of phoenix eggs and the familiar aura within.
Yuan Jing hurried over. “Has Lord Pei Huang returned?”
Pei Shiyi tapped one of the eggs. Yuan Jing knelt before Pei Shiyi, his hands trembling so much he couldn’t even hold his brother. Jian Zhou tumbled down his brother’s leg and rolled onto the floor.
Mao Mao quickly blocked Jian Zhou to prevent him from rolling off the carpet.
Jian Zhou had left the Four Directions when he was very young, before even gaining sentience. His memories of his parents were hazy, and he had no recollection of Pei Huang at all.
But Yuan Jing had been raised by Pei Huang.
Yuan Jing’s hands shook. “This is… Lord Pei Huang, right? I can’t be mistaken. Absolutely not.”
He had ventured into the frost-ravaged Four Directions just for this glimmer of hope.
Pei Shiyi was taken aback by Yuan Jing’s intense reaction. “Yes, it’s my little uncle.”
Yuan Jing gently touched the eggshell and smiled. “Boss, can I stay and work at the cat café? I don’t need a salary. I only have one request. Please let me stay by Lord Pei Huang’s side.”
Pei Shiyi: “…”
He had no intention of hatching the eggs at all. This entire nest consisted of phoenixes that had undergone rebirth. They weren’t newly born chicks that could simply break out of their shells with enough spiritual energy, nor did they require incubation. Besides, aside from his little uncle, all the other eggs in the nest were of the same generation as Pei Shiyi. Phoenixes were notoriously lively in their youth, and fighting was practically a given. Asking him to hatch eggs that had once been his sparring partners…
Absolutely not.
After the initial wave of heartache over the situation, Pei Shiyi remained the same mischievous bird he’d always been.
He was willing to hatch his little uncle, but the others? Forget it.
If eggs needed hatching, let the fluffy ones handle it.
Pei Shiyi paused for a moment, then smiled gently. “That works.”
It was actually a good idea. Phoenix eggs needed to absorb spiritual energy. Having the cats take care of them would encourage the felines to cultivate more diligently and circulate their spiritual energy.
…
Chen Yingying clung tightly to her boyfriend’s arm, stomping her feet against the cold as she complained, “Where exactly is this cat café you mentioned? Let me tell you, don’t think just taking me out for a stroll will make me forget how angry I am. Your mom went way too far…”
Her boyfriend tried to soothe her. “I know, I know, I’ll sort this out, I promise. Look, look, the cat café is right ahead. This place is super famous online. I’ve seen so many people posting photos of it on social media…”
Chen Yingying followed his gaze and spotted a villa-style building with a mint-green storefront. Even from several steps away, she could see a display board through the floor-to-ceiling window.
The board had a fresh, clean color scheme that matched the storefront’s mint green and featured half-body portraits of cats. Through the window, she could also make out a curled-up orange cat, its fur looking exceptionally thick and fluffy.
In the depths of winter, such fluffy creatures felt several times more comforting.
Chen Yingying’s expression softened slightly. She huffed before quickening her pace toward the cat café.
Her boyfriend hurried after her. “Slow down, slow down! Watch out for the step at the entrance!”
After ordering two servings of taro balls, Chen Yingying made her way toward the large orange cat curled up by the window. As she approached, she overheard the customers gathered around the cat whispering:
“What’s up with the shop manager today? He’s been curled up here the whole time.”
“Yeah, he usually greets customers.”
“Maybe he’s not feeling well? Do the cats here get regular checkups? Where’s the owner?”
One customer cautiously sat down on a cushion nearby. Dan Huang lifted his head to glance at him, then gently rubbed against his hand. But unlike before, he didn’t wobble over with his round belly leading the way.
The customer remarked, “He really does seem sick, doesn’t he? He looks so listless.”
Dan Huang wasn’t sick. He was brooding an egg. That’s right, he was responsible for incubating a phoenix egg. Ever since he’d taken on this duty, his paternal instincts had awakened. He carried the egg with him everywhere, even while eating and sleeping, and spent an hour each day during the warmest part of the day channeling spiritual energy into the phoenix egg.
During this process, Dan Huang didn’t completely ignore the humans. But his interactions were limited to small gestures, making him appear somewhat lethargic. This led customers to mistakenly believe he was unwell.
Chen Yingying thought to herself: What kind of place is this? It’s supposed to be a famous cat café, but they won’t even take a sick cat to the vet?
Pursing her lips, she walked over. She had volunteered at an organization that rescued stray animals before and had some knowledge of common illnesses in cats and dogs. It was enough to recognize obvious symptoms.
“Let me take a look,” Chen Yingying said.
The customers made way. Chen Yingying walked over, unable to help but twitch the corner of her mouth at the sight of the cat. Truly, “big orange is heavy”; this orange cat was impressively “majestic”.
However, it couldn’t exactly be called obese. The cat’s frame was quite large as well.
Chen Yingying patted the orange cat’s head and casually picked up the tag hanging from its neck to take a look. It read “Manager Dan Huang”, meaning this cat was the shop manager?
A nearby customer asked, “Are you a veterinarian? Can you take a look at Dan Huang? He’s been acting so differently lately. He’s hardly moving at all.”
Chen Yingying softened her voice, gently stroking Dan Huang’s back while trying to slip her hand into the fluffy belly he had curled up. She was worried the cat might have feline ascites, so she wanted to give it a quick feel.
But… with a big orange cat this plump, even a large belly couldn’t serve as conclusive evidence. Besides, she wasn’t a professional veterinarian. She’d have to find the owner and ask him to take the cat for a checkup.
Chen Yingying watched Dan Huang nervously. The belly was a cat’s vulnerable spot. A stranger touching it could easily get scratched or bitten.
Dan Huang was cradling a phoenix egg inside his belly, channeling spiritual energy to nurture it. How could he let her pry it open? He let out a soft meow and avoided Chen Yingying’s hand.
Chen Yingying felt even more heartbroken: He must be sick. Even his meow sounds so listless.
She coaxed him gently, “Don’t be scared, baby. I’ll go find the owner to take you to the vet.”
Just as Dan Huang was about to stretch out a paw, a faint cracking sound suddenly came from within his fluffy belly.
His phoenix egg!
Dan Huang could no longer be bothered to stop Chen Yingying. He quickly uncurled his body to check on the phoenix egg.
And so, in front of the surrounding circle of onlookers, the large orange cat stood up, revealing a snow-white, jade-like… egg. Dan Huang hurriedly turned around, encircling the egg with his body.
The soft, snow-white fur of the orange cat framed the pristine egg, making it look as lovely as jade and snow.
And on the eggshell, a fine crack had already appeared.
Chen Yingying exclaimed in shock, “…Is this cat hatching an egg?!”
Has the world already become this fantastical?
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wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1