Chapter 29: The True and False of This Cat; True and False Youyou, True and False Brother Part 2

It smelled great.

After a long while, the pitch-black environment suddenly lit up as the power system came back online.

Qi Yu came in and took a look. “Yo, the place looks decent.”

He lifted the rabbit in his hand. “It’s late today. I’ll go make dinner.”

Li Ye said nothing. After finishing up the room, he stuffed the cat into Qi Yu’s arms and headed outside the laboratory. “You two eat.”

“Your Highness, where are you going?” Qi Yu turned back.

The cat in his arms perked up its head, sensing something bad.

Li Ye paused his steps and turned back. His calm eyes flickered with dark light, pupils turning into beast-like slits. “It’s night now. The gravity will stir the Abyss pollutants. Me staying here is a danger to you two.”

He glanced at the ragdoll cat. “Watch my cat. Don’t leave the laboratory before dawn.”

With that, he turned and continued outward.

The cat struggled to jump down from Qi Yu’s arms.

【Bro!】

Li Ye didn’t turn back.

【Brother!!】

【Li Ye!!】

General Qi grabbed Li You and held him back. He anxiously watched Li Ye gradually disappear, a wave of helplessness washing over him.

Li Ye had left, but Li You was certain he wouldn’t go too far.

Late at night, the cat couldn’t eat and couldn’t sleep. He lay in the cleaned-out little nest, staring blankly at the passage leading outside. Qi Yu hadn’t slept either; he was investigating the laboratory’s data outside, with no discoveries so far.

Li You lay there, then flipped onto his back, tossing and turning.

He heard faint wolf-like howls from outside the laboratory, intermittent and eerie, making it even harder to sleep.

After closing his eyes for a bit, Li You resolutely stood up from the nest, stepped out, turned to grab the little blanket in his mouth, and carried it toward the door. He tiptoed past the lab area where General Qi was, sneaking through before heading down the dark passage outward.

He groped in the dark for a long time and finally reached the thick iron door to the outside. Li You found a corner, placed the blanket he’d carried all the way on the ground, adjusted it neatly, lay down on it, and stared unblinkingly at the sealed door.

He stayed up all night. Just before dawn, he finally couldn’t resist the drowsiness and fell asleep.

Outside the laboratory, the sky gradually shifted from black to blood-red. Li Ye, who had patrolled nearby all night, returned and tossed a massive mutant species at the door. He leaned against the laboratory’s iron wall, eyes closed to soothe his restlessness.

About ten minutes later, he opened his eyes, recalled the little black that had been on the now-dead mutant species, brushed off the dust on himself, and opened the laboratory’s main door, carrying the night’s chill.

The moment he entered, his first glance fell on the ragdoll cat nestled in the corner behind the door. His steps halted as he stared dazedly at the fluffy ball on the makeshift nest, rising and falling gently with its breaths.

What was this feeling?

The feeling of a cat waiting for you to come home.

Very peculiar.

And this cat was Li You.

His.

Li Ye pinched the little monster wriggling restlessly at his cuff back in place, stepped forward, squatted down, and hovered his hand over the cat.

Realizing he carried a chill, he slowly withdrew his hand—only for the cat’s tail to wrap around it.

The cat hadn’t woken, smacking his lips lightly. The tail seemed to have a mind of its own, draping over his hand and brushing gently.

Li Ye didn’t move or stand. With still eyes, he watched the lightly sleeping cat, waiting and waiting until the cat finally opened its eyes.

In the early morning, upon waking with a yawn, he subconsciously prepared to groom himself. Turning his head, he saw his brother’s face right there.

Li You startled, his round eyes blinking once before he immediately jumped up. His front paws stepped on his brother’s knee as he stretched to sniff Li Ye carefully.

No blood smell, no strange odors—his brother still carried that refined faint fragrance. Though much fainter than yesterday, it still smelled great!

The cat’s soft nose rubbed against his face. Li Ye placed his hand on the cat’s back to prevent it from falling and still did not get up, allowing Li You to inspect him on top.

Li Ye received the first nuzzle of the day.

He remained unmoved, but his mood clearly brightened a lot.

He picked up the cat, steadied it with one arm, grabbed the little blanket the cat had brought, and walked inside.

In the lab area, Qi Yu, who had also stayed up all night without finding anything, supported himself with one hand on the workbench while rubbing his temple with the other.

Hearing the noise, he turned to look and saw Li Ye returning from outside with a cat in his arms. He blinked in confusion.

The cat raised its head: “Meow!”

A super crisp sound.

Qi Yu’s mood improved noticeably from the influence: “It went to the door to wait for you?”

Li Ye grunted an “Mm,” entered, and glanced at the workbench and the large bright screen: “Any gains?”

“Unfortunately, nothing.” Qi Yu was helpless. “It’s already a surprise that these workbenches can open and run normally. It’s expected that everything inside was wiped clean. I’m trying to contact the Imperial Military through this lab.”

Li Ye: “If the signal source is weak, there’s a signal tower to the west from here.”

“To the west…” Qi Yu paused, then gave a wry smile. “Your Highness, that place is truly dangerous. I think we need to plan carefully.”

Li Ye did not refute Qi Yu’s suggestion but said: “First, try if the lab can send a signal.”

Qi Yu breathed a sigh of relief: “Okay.”

The two no longer exchanged words. Qi Yu focused on the workbench, while Li Ye took the cat to the room. He put the cat’s little blanket back in its nest, then brought the cat outside again.

Li Ye’s appearance made the other mutant species that had sneaked over to share the food from this mutant species outside scatter and flee.

Li You, nestled in Li Ye’s arms, was startled by the scene and stared unblinkingly at his brother with a pair of bright, crystalline eyes.

【Bro, you’re so awesome!】

Li Ye glanced at the cat and surprisingly saw adoration in those cat eyes.

He showed no reaction, but his good mood was real.

The little monster nimbly emerged from Li Ye’s sleeve, transformed into a massive black wolf, and used its sharp claws to cut the mutant species into pieces before slowly transporting them back to the lab.

Kailenoa during the day was not particularly cold, but Li Ye still used his coat to shield the ragdoll cat.

While the little monster transported food to the lab, Li Ye did not immediately take the cat back. Instead, he walked to the white sand dune and gazed at the crystal stone area a short distance away.

The crystal stones near the lab were not as abundant as the area from yesterday, but they were not entirely absent.

Li You followed his brother’s gaze, and his eyes also fell on that cluster of pale purple crystals.

【There are really so many A-187X here.】

Li You thought.

【All A-grade crystals. Kailenoa truly is a treasure trove.】

As he thought, he felt helpless.

【Unfortunately, there weren’t these conditions more than ten years ago.】

Li Ye stood still, and the hand supporting the cat curled slightly.

His breathing tightened for a moment. Before hearing these inner thoughts, he had doubted himself countless times, wondering if he had truly gone mad, and countless times wanted to confirm Li You’s existence.

But now that he had truly confirmed it, it felt unreal again.

In the palm of his hand was the Li You he had lost for ten years.

He had really returned to his side.

The cat licked its paws while glancing at the crystals over there. Sensing the hand supporting him move, it looked up at its brother in confusion.

“Meow.”

The cat called out to Li Ye. Li Ye’s lips pressed into a straight line, his face expressionless. He covered him with the coat, turned around, and walked back against the wind.

Li You, whose view was blocked: “？？”

He blindly nudged Li Ye’s clothes with his head but was held down by the other’s hand. Li You heard his brother’s somewhat hoarse voice: “Don’t move.”

“Mewr…”

【Bro, what’s wrong?】

【Caught a cold?】

【You were really okay last night?】

Li Ye said nothing. When he reached the lab’s main entrance, he stopped again, lowered his head to look at the bulge under his clothes, his expression dazed. Moments later, he calmed down: “Let’s go back.”

Li You was baffled. After returning to the lab and seeing his brother acting normally, he tilted his head in confusion.

Li Ye took off his military jacket, placed it along with the cat on the wooden chair in the room, rolled up his sleeves, and went to process the food.

He extracted the essence from the mutant species’ water sac, bottled it for storage, portioned the meat into small packages, and finally put the freshest piece into a pot to boil in water.

Li You followed into the kitchen and stood by the stove watching the lump of meat boiling in the pot. He looked up at his brother.

“Meow.”

“I don’t know how to make cat food.” Li Ye was helpless about this too. He reached up and pinched the cat’s face. “This mutant species’ meat won’t be bad; it shouldn’t be unpalatable.”

【It’s okay, Brother.】

【Youyou isn’t picky.】

The cat rubbed back against Li Ye’s hand.

Li Ye withdrew his gaze: “Once we return to the Empire, I’ll try to learn.”

Li You blinked.

【No need, Brother.】

Li Ye’s gaze shifted slightly.

【The kitchen can’t withstand your messing around.】

Li Ye: “…”