novelraw Chapter 203
Chapter 203
Chapter 203: Gotta Hurry Up （4.3K）
Evening, at home.
Lucia was alone in the living room, killing time.
She now had her own ways of entertainment. Occasionally, she would open her phone to reply to messages from colleagues and friends. The rest of the time, she would lie like a salted fish on the sofa, using screen mirroring to browse Bilibili.
Seemingly having finally discovered the joy of slacking off at work, Lucia spent a lot of time online when she had nothing to do. Her dragon-related slang was also increasing.
Xia Li would occasionally glance at what she was watching as he passed by.
He discovered that the dragon was actually watching anime, and it was an isekai anime.
Lucia never used to watch 2D animation, saying that anime characters weren’t realistic.
Now she seemed to have suddenly taken a liking to it, probably influenced by her work environment.
He didn’t know if she was identifying with the villain or the hero, but she seemed to be enjoying it. Stopping in his tracks, Xia Li stood by the sofa with a cup of hot water, drinking slowly. After finishing, he asked Lucia,
“What are your thoughts?”
“Hehe…… Huh?”
The light from the television screen fell on Lucia’s beaming face. The calico kitten in her arms was nestled comfortably. Seeing its male owner approach, it raised its little head and let out a soft “Meow~”.
The smile on Lucia’s face faltered for a moment, and she looked up at Xia Li thoughtfully.
“In this anime, the elf girl only realized her feelings for the hero after he died.”
Like a teacher, Xia Li started to ramble on again. Whatever Lucia was watching, he wanted her to learn something from it.
He was afraid that Lucia would learn too quickly and feel a sense of loss, but he also wanted her to think more, to be more like a “human”. This was a contradiction.
“I don’t know……”
Lucia shook her head, her expression not at all heavy. It seemed she wasn’t thinking that deeply.
She pointed at the blue-haired girl and the red-haired boy on the screen and said, “But they have a good relationship, and it’s fun. I like this couple.”
“Alright……”
“Xia Li thinks too much. Sometimes, thinking too much isn’t a good thing.”
Lucia said pointedly. It was rare for her to be able to retort to Xia Li like this.
After interacting with various colleagues, Lucia understood that humans were also diverse. Some lived carefree like her, while others were like Xia Li, cautious and always thinking a lot.
“That’s not right,” Xia Li glanced at her, “You’re a bit silly. I have to think for you, otherwise, if we’re out there, we might get cheated and not even know it.”
“I’m not silly!”
Lucia puffed up her cheeks, her voice loud in protest.
In fact, she knew that Xia Li protected her well. When she was with him, she didn’t have to think and could be a carefree fool.
This feeling of being carefully protected by the hero was very blissful.
“By the way,” Lucia climbed up from the sofa and raised her phone.
“Anqi said Watermelon Head made it.”
“Yeah, I saw the news yesterday.”
“Are you guys going to celebrate?”
“Yuanzi hasn’t organized anything. He’s busy preparing for interviews,” Xia Li thought for a moment and then said, “Fu Yuan passed the exam this time, I guess he’ll marry Zhou Anqi soon.”
“Huh?” Lucia was stunned for a moment, her face lighting up, “Attend Anqi’s wedding, so soon?!”
“When you’re at that age, it’s quite fast…… What about you, a hundred-year-old grandma dragon?”
“……”
One sentence silenced the chatty dragon.
Xia Li glanced at her and went back to his room.
『Mwahahaha……!!』
As soon as he entered, laughter that pierced his mind echoed from the room.
One person and one dragon wouldn’t be crowded in the small dark room, but one person and one cat would be.
Wuqi was sprawled on Xia Li’s computer desk, one arm propping up his head, the other wearing a phone watch. He was amused by something on the tiny screen, his laughter revealing two rows of feline teeth.
With his small head and small eyes, the 1-inch electronic screen was just right for him.
When Xia Li first bought the watch and asked the store clerk to install software, the young man was stunned for a few seconds.
He probably couldn’t imagine the point of installing video software on a 3cm wide screen.
He wouldn’t have guessed that a cat was actually using it proficiently……
“Be quiet, I need to work.”
Xia Li pushed Wuqi aside, preventing him from blocking his computer monitor.
Wuqi shifted his sexy cat butt and let out a soft meow.
“Meow~”
『Alright, bro. 』
The androgynous voice in Xia Li’s head was completely different from the soft meow. It gave him goosebumps every time.
“Meow~”
『Just a sec, lemme borrow your Wi-Fi. I’ll be done soon, Cuihua’s waiting for me to eat. 』
Wuqi scratched himself with his paw. Xia Li gave him a hard look, seriously doubting if the stray cat had fleas.
Calming down, Xia Li moved the mouse and double-clicked to refresh the desktop.
Now that Fu Yuan had also passed the exam, Xia Li was happy for his friend, but also anxious about his own affairs.
The veterinary qualification exam was only held once a year. If he failed in June, he would have to wait another year……
Youth was fleeting. Xia Li wanted to strike while the iron was hot, he couldn’t wait.
Moreover, Lucia couldn’t be an intern forever. When it came to becoming a full-time employee or signing a contract, things would get more complicated.
Xia Li had to get his veterinary license before that and use it to open a pet hospital.
The scale of the shop didn’t have to be large. Even a small clinic would do. At least, it wouldn’t leave Lucia unemployed, and she could continue doing what she wanted.
This was Xia Li’s current plan.
Honestly, he wasn’t confident about competing with others who had studied the subject for four years in college, using only six months of self-study.
But life had to move forward step by step.
Xia Li didn’t want to disappoint his parents, nor did he want to disappoint Lucia. Compared to his senior year of high school, at least he had an emotional pillar now, so he could only focus on moving forward.
『Things haven’t been peaceful lately, bro. 』
Just as he was about to click on the online course video, a voice in his head interrupted his thoughts.
Looking down, Xia Li glanced at the cat, who was twisted like a rag.
“What’s wrong?”
“Meow……”
『Did you see the video of the restaurant fire two months ago?』 Wuqi’s voice came from his mind.
“No.”
Xia Li’s hand on the mouse didn’t stop. He opened the online course in full-screen mode and then pressed the space bar to play.
『It’s being spread around with a lot of mystery…… It was initially said to be a natural gas explosion, but there’s something strange about it. Here, take a look. 』
Wuqi raised his paw in front of Xia Li. Xia Li glanced at it and continued to look at his computer screen.
“What’s so strange about it?”
『Look closely, not at the kitchen, but at the dining area……』
Wuqi flicked his paw, rewinding the video and playing it again.
『See? The flames are like they have a mind of their own, swirling in one direction…… Logically, an explosion should spread in all directions, but it’s only spreading in one direction, as if it’s being controlled. 』
“Maybe it was blown by the wind?”
Xia Li came to this conclusion after a glance.
Wuqi continued: 『That’s the most popular explanation online…… And it seems to be the only possible explanation. 』
“There’s a lot of weird stuff being spread online. You’re just too free, wanting to investigate every single one.”
Looking at Wuqi’s leisurely swaying tail, Xia Li suddenly thought of something.
“Why don’t you take the veterinary license exam too? You’ll definitely be helping out at the shop later.”
Wuqi: “Meow~?”
Tilting his head, Wuqi blinked his light brown cat eyes, his expression utterly innocent.
◈◈◈
『I’m just a little kitty, I don’t understand anything. 』
Xia Li ignored the sly cat and picked up his notebook to take notes from the computer.
『Seriously, the reason I care about this video is because its IP address is in Chongqing…… Didn’t you tell me last time that you suspected there was a transmigrator in Chongqing?』
The hand taking notes paused for a beat, Xia Li continued writing without looking up.
His indifferent attitude made Wuqi grumble.
Although he was the one who advised Xia Li not to act rashly, after seeing these strange “supernatural” videos, he couldn’t help but worry.
It was still necessary to talk to Xia Li about this.
Just in case.
『A few days ago, also in Chongqing, a hot, glowing object fell from the sky, landing in a busy area, just two meters away from a building…… If it had been a little more accurate, there would have been a major incident. 』
Wuqi felt a wave of fear. He stopped watching the watch and sat directly in front of Xia Li’s computer, his cat head blocking Xia Li’s view.
『According to experts, it was a meteorite fall, and the reason no meteorite fragments were found was because it burned up and disintegrated in the sky…… Do you think that’s the case?』
“You’re blocking my screen.”
Xia Li lifted Wuqi by the scruff of his neck, tossed him aside, and then picked up his pen to continue taking notes.
“Stop watching this messy stuff. I let you use the internet, not for you to research these things,” Xia Li said coldly.
Wuqi shook his fur and his voice grew louder.
“Meow!”
『No, dude, don’t you think it’s strange?』
“So what if it is?” Xia Li said, “If it’s true, someone will handle it, and that someone won’t be me.”
“This is a society ruled by law, not another world.”
Xia Li glanced at Wuqi’s watch. He couldn’t make out anything on the tiny screen.
“If someone does something stupid, they will face the consequences.”
“Meow……”
『Just chatting with you…… Forget it. 』 Seeing Xia Li’s lack of interest, Wuqi backed down.
Curiosity killed the cat, and Wuqi didn’t want to be killed by his own curiosity.
His ability in the other world was to predict the future, so he always played it safe.
Now that Xia Li, the real hero, had chosen to lay low, he, a cat, couldn’t possibly cause trouble.
『I’ve downloaded the video, I’m out of here……』
Jumping off the table, Wuqi turned back before leaving, his cat eyes silently looking at Xia Li, then sighing.
When a person had a weakness, he no longer belonged only to himself.
‘Loving cautiously’, this feeling was not difficult for Wuqi to understand.
『You’ve really changed a lot. 』
Leaving those words behind, Wuqi turned and left.
“Wuqi, are you going out to play?” Lucia’s voice came from the living room.
“Meow!”
『See you later, Dragon Sis!』
“Bye~”
One dragon and one cat, although they couldn’t communicate verbally, they could still manage basic interaction.
Lucia watched the cow cat leave and rubbed Mianhua’s head.
After eavesdropping on the sounds from the small dark room and confirming that Xia Li wasn’t listening to online courses or typing, Lucia took the remote control from under her butt, paused the TV, and tiptoed to the door of the room.
“Old Xia!”
“…… You scared me.”
Xia Li was browsing a website, the content was local news from Chongqing.
When Lucia came in, he felt inexplicably guilty and quickly closed the webpage.
Looking at the floor, he saw a pair of small feet in white lace-trimmed socks stepping on each other, no shoes, the soles were dirty.
Xia Li frowned and scolded,
“Go back and put on your shoes.”
“Oh, just for a little while……”
Lucia pleaded, then with a “Dragon Launch”, she launched herself onto Xia Li’s bed and rolled around.
She couldn’t wear shoes on the bed, so she could be barefoot now.
Xia Li couldn’t stand the dragon’s coquettish voice. Every time Lucia deliberately softened her voice, Xia Li felt it melt his bones. No matter how firm his attitude was, it would soften in a second.
It was his attitude that softened, not his body.
“Don’t run around in socks just because you have a strong physique. The temperature is only in the teens now. You’ll know the consequences when you get period cramps later……”
Xia Li started his nagging, Lucia buried her head in the quilt, pretending not to listen.
“……”
Frustrated, Xia Li walked over and lifted the quilt, revealing the shameless stinky dragon underneath.
The stinky dragon rolled over, grabbed Xia Li’s pillow and clamped it between her legs, looking delicate and cowardly.
“N-Not messing with you!”
Lucia looked like she was about to surrender.
If it was elsewhere, she could mess with Xia Li.
But not on the bed. Messing around on the bed made the dragon nervous.
“…… You asked me about my thoughts on that anime earlier. Now that I’ve watched most of it, I suddenly thought of something!” Lucia quickly changed the subject.
Xia Li stopped what he was doing, ready to listen.
“Go ahead.”
“You told me before that seven days on Earth is three years in Azure Continent…… So, how many days have we been back on Earth?”
Lucia held up her hands in front of Xia Li, gesturing.
She wasn’t good with numbers and couldn’t calculate it.
Xia Li stared at the alluring slender white hands and caught them.
They were ice-cold, the kind that would catch a cold.
Frowning, the fatherly Xia Li was about to scold the dragon again.
“Your hands……”
“Oh, answer my question first~”
“Over a hundred and twenty days,” Xia Li said helplessly, his face still cold.
“How many years is that equivalent to?” the dragon asked again.
“About fifty years.”
“Hmm……”
Lucia pondered for a moment, hugging the pillow that smelled of Xia Li. Her eyes flickered under the light.
“Then you gotta hurry up.”
“Hurry up with what?”
Xia Li could never keep up with the dragon’s thought process.
He took Lucia’s soft little dragon claws and squeezed them, then brought them to his nose and sniffed.
Hmm, a scent of cotton.
Hands that had definitely petted a lot of cats.
“Because, based on the average human lifespan, your mentors, friends in Azure Continent……”
“In another twenty or thirty years, they won’t exist anymore.”