Chapter 29
“Lin-zai? Put that down! It’s dirty!” Grandma exclaimed, seeing the black creature in his arms.
“Grandma, it’s okay! It’s a… special breed of cat. Probably ran away from home,” Lin Ran said, protecting Sootball, which trembled at her words.
“A cat?” Grandma looked at the “cat” skeptically.
“Yes, a very rare breed. You go make breakfast; I’ll be down soon…” He rushed back to his room, leaving Grandma wondering about the strange pets young people kept these days.
“Cheep…!” I’m not a flying rat! Sootball protested, once they were safe in his room.
“Of course not. You’re the cutest little fluffball,” Lin Ran said, his voice softening.
“Cheep!” Sootball snuggled against him, agreeing.
“You poor thing, did you stay in the kitchen all night? Are you hungry?” He checked its belly and offered it some snacks, mostly beef jerky, as he didn’t usually eat snacks himself.
“Or some peaches? Sweet peaches?” He washed a few peaches.
Sootball, uninterested in the snacks, eagerly ate the peaches, its cute appearance making Lin Ran reach for his phone. The best thing about the real world was being able to capture these adorable moments!
“Cheep?” Sootball, noticing the camera, turned away shyly, its bib stained with peach juice.
Lin Ran chuckled and poked its tail. “Too grown-up for pictures now? Just a few, okay?” he coaxed, and Sootball, easily swayed, turned back, letting him take pictures. It was cute even when older, but its cub form was the most adorable.
He remembered the older Sootball from the Mirror World. The Luna Clan truly were blessed with good looks.
Sootball, after its meal, sat on the table, watching Lin Ran tidy his room, a different A-Ran from the one in “Demon World,” but equally handsome.
“I’m changing clothes, Sootball. Into the blanket you go,” Lin Ran said, slightly embarrassed by Sootball’s intense stare, like being watched by a dog while using the bathroom.
“Cheep…” Sootball was bundled into the blanket until he finished changing.
“So, how did you get here, baby?” he asked, petting Sootball.
“Cheep~” Sootball, however, was staring at him. Even in simple clothes, A-Ran looked good. If “Demon World” introduced a “Lin Ran’s Wardrobe” microtransaction, the cubs would gladly spend all their points.
“Cheep!” I like it! It chirped, nuzzling his hand.
Lin Ran chuckled, deciding to ask the game directly.
[This is a max affection reward. The cub can visit the caretaker for a limited time.]
The reward was perfect. Sootball was so soft and cuddly, better than any plush toy! He imagined holding both Sootball and Snowball.
“Well, since you’re here, let’s play. I don’t know when you’ll have to go back,” he said, patting Sootball’s head.
“Want to watch TV? Or go play in the orchard?” He turned on the TV, a popular fantasy drama playing.
Sootball, watching intently, seemed captivated by the young protagonist, played by the missing child star, An Xun. Lin Ran wondered if he had been found.
A few hours earlier, An Xun’s sudden reappearance had relieved his parents and manager.
“Honey, where were you? Not that game again, right?” his mother, Lu Ya, a former actress, asked, her voice gentle but her eyes filled with fear. An Xun’s first commercial had been a hit, making her dedicate herself to his career.
An Xun looked at her, and she quickly averted her gaze, her hand tightening on his shoulder. His father, An Dao, kept a safe distance.
“Since he’s back, let’s get him back to the set. Handle the reporters as usual,” An Dao said to their manager, Fu Yan.
Fu Yan sighed, looking at the quiet An Xun. If not for these strange disappearances, he would be even more famous. He had a good eye for talent; An Xun had the potential to be a huge star.
“This is the last time. If this happens again, I can’t help you. Any other child actor would have been replaced…”
“Do you hear that, An Xun? You won’t be able to act anymore!” Lu Ya said, as soon as Fu Yan left, wanting some reassurance.
But An Xun just stared at his phone.
“Did you uninstall that thing? It’s not normal!” An Dao said, trying to take his phone.
An Xun clutched it protectively, his furry ears appearing briefly, making his father recoil. No matter how many times he saw it, he couldn’t accept that his son was a monster. He and Lu Ya were normal; how could this happen?
On the plane, An Xun stared out the window, hugging his plush toy, instinctively wanting to bite his tail, then remembering he wasn’t in “Demon World.” He missed A-Ran. He wanted to go back to the snow mountain with Sootball, or watch Yuanbao teach Sootball how to hunt.
His forlorn appearance tugged at the flight attendants’ heartstrings. They wanted to offer him juice but couldn’t invade his privacy. They wished they could take pictures to refute the rumors about him being blacklisted. He was clearly fine.
“And it’s Director Ma’s new movie, filming in a rural area in Lu Province. Aiming for an award!”
“I’m so excited! Watching An Xun is like raising a son. He’s so good!”
The film’s location was Jiangjia Village.
Lin Ran, unaware of this, was preparing the last batch of peaches for shipment. Summer was almost over, and school was starting soon.
Sootball, seeing him working, abandoned the TV and followed him to the orchard, its purple aura proving surprisingly useful for picking peaches. With a “Cheep—” and a flick of its aura, all the peaches on a tree gently fell into the boxes, the tree unharmed.
If Shao Mian were there, he would recognize the magic control technique he had taught Sootball.
Sootball, proud of its accomplishment, flew to Lin Ran, expecting praise.
“You’re so amazing, Sootball! You’re a huge help,” Lin Ran said, genuinely impressed.
“Cheep cheep!” Sootball, energized by the praise, continued working, determined to make A-Ran the Peach King.
“Slow down! I can’t pack them this fast—” Lin Ran said, wondering what Oni and Yorke would think of their son using his precious magic for peach-picking. It seemed like a waste of talent, but Sootball was clearly enjoying itself.
He should meet with Oni and Yorke again, to confirm if the Mirror World’s future was a possibility. But he had a question.
“If Sootball’s parents can turn human, why did they visit as fluffballs?” Something didn’t seem right. And why were they always so absent from Sootball’s life?
“Lin-zai, is that rat-cat still here?” Grandma asked, lowering her voice as she brought him lunch.
Lin Ran chuckled, hoping Sootball didn’t hear her.
“It’s playing in the orchard.”
“Oh… Should we feed it? I made some extra food.” Seeing her grandson’s fondness for the creature, she had accepted its presence.
“It’s a bit… simple-minded. Stayed in the kitchen all night without stealing any food. Must have been starving. Our local cats are much smarter,” she said.
Lin Ran chuckled. “That just means Sootball is polite, Grandma. Or maybe it doesn’t like leftovers.”
“I’ll feed it later,” he said, then, after seeing Grandma back to the house, he retrieved Sootball from the orchard.
“Time for lunch! Grandma made braised pork rice.” He crouched down, offering Sootball a spoonful.
“Cheep?” Sootball sniffed the food, then opened its mouth obediently.
Its eyes lit up after the first bite.
“Cheep!” Delicious!
“Eat more then. Grandma’s cooking is the best. I’ll make sure you get nice and chubby. Come visit often,” Lin Ran said, enjoying the scene.
Just then, Secretary Gu arrived with a few officials.
Sootball, seeing strangers, hid among the peaches, peeking out cautiously. Lin Ran went to greet them.
“Secretary, are you saying Lin-zai will be on TV?” Grandma asked, her eyes crinkling with smiles, offering them tea.
Lin Ran had already poured them tea. “Promoting agricultural livestreaming?” he asked.
“Exactly. It’s a hot topic now, and the village wants to attract investment. Your livestream is a success story worth promoting,” Secretary Gu explained. “Don’t worry; the whole village supports you.”
Lin Ran listened attentively, receiving a document outlining a detailed and feasible plan. Secretary Gu had a good reputation in the village.
But Jiang Changyue, the village committee member, suddenly said, “If he’s worried, it’s understandable. Secretary, what about me? My orchard is much larger; wouldn’t promoting mine be more effective?”
Everyone stared at him. Having missed out on Lin Ran’s peaches this year, he was trying to compensate somehow.
“Changyue, we appreciate your enthusiasm, but your livestream has barely any viewers. How can we promote that?” Secretary Gu said, the unspoken reason being Jiang Changyue’s less appealing appearance compared to Lin Ran.
“I’ll start promoting it tomorrow! I’ll buy traffic! I’m good at spending money!” Jiang Changyue said, confident in his wealth.
“Actually, I think Uncle Changyue’s participation would be beneficial,” Lin Ran said unexpectedly, his smile seeming slightly “off” to Jiang Changyue.
“If Uncle Changyue is willing to contribute, I think we should give him a chance. Just…” He paused, everyone’s attention now on him.
“Just what?” Jiang Changyue asked.
“Just a small investment, Uncle Changyue. We all know you’re capable of that,” Lin Ran said, smiling “sincerely.” Expanding their reach and attracting investment required initial funding. And Jiang Changyue, having volunteered, seemed like a suitable source.
Jiang Changyue, the village miser, felt a chill down his spine, seeing everyone’s expectant smiles. Wait, wasn’t this about publicity? Why was he suddenly expected to donate? But he couldn’t back down now.
The project was approved! Lin Ran wanted to capitalize on Snowball’s “Snow Mountain Mask” buff before it expired and before he returned to school. He was grateful for the buff.
But when he turned to find Sootball, it was gone.
[Cub has departed. Awaiting next skill cooldown.]
A few minutes earlier, Sootball, realizing its time was running out, had tried to hug A-Ran, but it had only managed to grab a peach before being pulled back to “Demon World.” It hadn’t even spent a full day with A-Ran!
Grandma rubbed her eyes. Had she seen a smartwatch in the kitchen?
In the Luna Clan manor, Oni and Yorke were relieved to see Sootball return.
“Cheep—!” It tumbled onto its cushion, dropping a peach and a watch.
Oni caught them.
Sootball, picking up the peach, hugged it.
“Where did you go?” they asked.
Yorke was glad they had started following the human’s advice and spending time with their cub. Otherwise, they would have missed this.
“Cheep cheep.” I went to see A-Ran in “Demon World.”
“But your watch shows you were in Country C,” Oni said, showing Yorke the location data. What was going on with this game? Did that human NPC have some connection to Country C?
Sootball, after finishing the peach, looked at them, holding the pit.
“Cheep.” I want more peaches like A-Ran’s!
Nemo rarely made requests, so they took it seriously. But where would they find identical peaches?
