Chapter 29: This Cat Refuses—Screw It! Part 3

As the sky gradually darkened, Li You grew a bit anxious.

What was that guy doing?

He wouldn’t go investigate Kailenoa behind his back, right?

Li You sprang to the tightly closed door, raised his front paw to scratch at the heavy door panel frantically. When that didn’t work, he turned to the little black cat, headbutted it, and gave it a slanted look: “Meow!”

Tell me! Where did he go!!

The little black cat blinked blankly and lowered its head to lick him.

Li You: “…”

Unable to communicate or get out, Li You could only worry dryly.

After waiting several more hours in the room, feeling every moment like a year, he finally saw that detestable guy return.

As soon as the door opened, he darted over, clawing at Li Ye’s pants and yowling: “Meow!”

Li Ye entered, bent down to pick up the cat, recalled the little monster at the same time, and went to the lounge area.

Just then, the light brain chimed with a work call. Li Ye placed the cat on his lap, leaned back casually against the lounge seat, and answered: “What is it?”

“Your Highness, this is the Anjiel western garrison. Thank you for coming to handle the western pollution source. The follow-up work you assigned this morning has all been completed.”

Li Ye grunted in acknowledgment and said no more. After the call ended, he removed the light brain, flexed his wrist, and looked down to find the cat’s front paws stepping on his abdomen, nose twitching as it sniffed him carefully.

Li Ye watched the cat quietly.

【Brother!】

The cat lifted his head to look at him.

【You’re not hurt, right?】

Li Ye’s gaze shifted. For some reason, he deliberately exposed the palm he had cut some time ago right in front of the cat.

The wound across the palm line had already healed and scabbed, but it still looked fresh and somewhat ferocious.

Li You paled in shock, buried his head, and carefully touched Li Ye’s hand with his nose tip. He looked up at him pitifully.

“Meow…”

【How did you get hurt?】

【You’re Li Ye…】

Li Ye’s heart tightened, instantly regretting it. He hid his hand, pinched the cat’s anxiously pawing paw with his other hand. He wasn’t good at coaxing or expressing himself, so he could only say stiffly: “It’s nothing.”

That night, the cat stuck to him without leaving an inch.

Late at night in bed, after pondering all day, Li Ye picked up the light brain and messaged Peisengke on Prime Star.

-Go to the Teleportation Space Station in half a month.

Peisengke replied quickly.

-You’re planning to return in half a month? That’s great!

Li Ye’s expression remained blank.

-No, you go pick up my cat.

There was a long silence on the other end, followed by a barrage of messages.

-Your cat? Your cat went to Anjiel too??

-God, you can’t keep carrying that little guy around just because you like it??

-How about this: send it back, and I’ll take care of it for a while?

Li Ye didn’t explain and ruthlessly rejected General Peisengke’s obvious intention.

-No need. Send it back to Kairien.

Li Ye turned off the comms and stared upward with open eyes.

He couldn’t take the cat to Kailenoa.

He slept shallowly that night. The first thing Li You did upon waking was burrow into the covers to find his brother’s right hand. He curled up and wriggled in, pressed his face beside Li Ye’s hand once found, and simply stayed there quietly.

When he felt stuffy, he poked his head out, only to meet the gaze of the already awake Li Ye.

“Meow.”

The cat meowed shortly and softly, crawled out, coiled into a ball beside Li Ye’s neck hollow, pressed his face against Li Ye’s, breathing loudly and rhythmically.

Another new day. Li Ye handled Anjiel’s work as usual, with Li You still accompanying him.

Such days passed for over ten days. They had been on Anjiel for half a month now. In Li You’s memory, aside from resting at night and playing with him, his brother spent all other time working.

Handling Imperial Military documents, assigning tasks, adjusting personnel structures, rectifying bad practices, going out to the southeastern, southwestern, northeastern, and northwestern garrisons on Anjiel to clear pollution sources, leading everyone in cleanup.

In half a month, Li Ye thoroughly reformed Anjiel, which had a slow pace and extremely low efficiency, into a well-run operation.

With his own power, he reduced the planet’s danger level by more than half.

However, in this half month, he never mentioned Kailenoa again or went back to that orphanage.

On the fifteenth morning, Li Ye roused the cat from sleep, picked up the sprawled-out sleeping cat, carefully wiped his face and paws, put him into the cat carrier, brought the toys and snacks bought these days, left the room, and headed to the nearest Teleportation Station.

In the cat carrier, Li You dozed with half-closed eyes and slowly woke after a while. He observed outside and realized his brother had brought him to the Teleportation Space Station.

While registering at the front desk, Li You in the carrier was still surprised by the sudden return trip. But when he saw his brother glance at him after signing the teleportation record, he immediately sensed something wrong.

Li Ye handed him over to the Teleportation Station staff.

The staff carried the cat carrier away with him, while Li Ye stood in place without moving.

【What’s this?】

【I don’t want to go back alone!】

The cat yowled loudly, his voice tragic and mournful. The staff startled, nearly dropping the swaying carrier. He looked back at Li Ye in the distance: “Your Highness, this…”

“Send him back.” Li Ye’s hand at his side clenched, then slowly relaxed. He looked at the cat in the carrier. “Once on Prime Star, Peisengke will pick you up. Kairien will take care of you at home. I’ll return in half a month.”

【No!!】

【I’m not leaving!!】

【Li Ye, you big jerk!!!】

The teleport pod door closed, the cat’s figure vanishing. The staff wiped sweat from his forehead.

Li Ye lowered his gaze to the black snake coiled around his palm and saw it had been watching the pod’s direction.

He withdrew the black snake and turned to leave.

Li You’s voice came again, aggrieved and pitiful.

【Brother…】

Li Ye’s steps paused, but he steeled himself and walked out.

Teleporting back to Prime Star only took ten minutes; Li You would arrive safely soon.

Li Ye couldn’t let Li You follow him into danger.

Outside, wind and sand whipped at his windbreaker. Time ticked by. Li Ye looked up at the sky.

In the blurry view, the artificial sunlight’s halo spread continuously. A black dot appeared at the light circle’s center.

The black dot grew larger, heading straight for the Teleportation Space Station where he stood.

Li Ye’s brows furrowed tightly. He immediately released his true body. The swimming black snake’s body expanded, enveloping the entire Teleportation Space Station before the black object could smash down.

The attacking object crashed into the protective barrier, sending massive waves, sand and dust surging everywhere, shaking the earth and alarming all nearby Imperial Military personnel.

Air raid alarms blared, echoing through the skies. Li Ye confirmed the attacking object had gone still, lifted the barrier, and saw the black unidentified stone shattered into multiple pieces outside. He frowned tightly and returned inside the space station.

“Cough cough cough!!!” The staff ran out hugging the cat that had dug out from the pod, collapsing to the ground.

Li You landed steadily on his feet and anxiously circled the man.

Li Ye entered and glanced at the few teleportation pods that had been damaged from the attack pressure, currently sparking with “sizzle sizzle” sounds. He bent down to help the staff members up, then turned to the cat with damp eyes and extended his other hand.

Li You was still angry, but he still jumped up onto his brother’s palm, his front paws hugging Li Ye’s neck: “Meow!”

【I’m not leaving, I’m not leaving, I’m not leaving…】

Li Ye said, “We can’t leave now anyway.”

Li You froze and looked at his brother uncertainly. At that moment, the other’s attention wasn’t on him but outside.

That unidentified black stone that had fallen to the ground had smashed a massive deep pit into the earth. Turbid thick smoke floated up into the air, mixing with the wind and sand. A strange smell permeated the air, similar to gunpowder.

Li Ye escorted the several staff members from the Teleportation Space Station away from the scene. He quickly took the cat back to the room at the Imperial Military base and shut him in, leaving the Little Black Cat behind before swiftly departing again.

Li You wanted to follow but was completely too late.

He paced anxiously in the room, while the obediently squatting Little Black Cat beside him turned its head back and forth to follow him.

Half a minute later, Li You headbutted the Little Black Cat’s face: “Meowr—”

The Little Black Cat’s round eyes filled with huge bewilderment. It licked the ragdoll cat’s face in response: “Meow woo—”

Communication was still impossible.

However…

Li You looked at the little monster with its clear expression and pondered inwardly.

This monster was his brother’s main body, which was equivalent to his brother himself. Since it showed no abnormalities, his brother should be fine.

Li You was still very worried. With nothing to do, he could only move around to distract himself. He parkoured all over the room, leaping onto the highest cabinet and sitting primly at the top, gazing depressedly outside.

He couldn’t see the accident site, only the thick black smoke in the air.

The Teleportation Space Station was still some distance from the Imperial Military fortress, but the wind had already blown the black smoke this way, making the already harsh environment even worse.

Li You watched outside from the top for a long time, unsure what had happened. Suddenly, a fierce gale arose outside, shockwaves surging. Even the Imperial Military fortress shook slightly.

He nervously pressed against the window to observe, shifting angles to look, but still couldn’t see the site. He could only leap down and continue pacing.

Another wave of shaking came, and the items in the room clattered with pings and pangs. Then, with a crisp “clack,” a mirror not far away fell to the ground.

Li You turned his head to look and discovered a thick piece of mirror that had fallen in the corner, its edges very irregular.

This mirror… where had it fallen from?

He looked up at the wall, staring at that bare patch.

Had there been a mirror hanging here before?

He walked over and peered down at the intact mirror without a single crack. In it, he saw his own cat form.