Chapter 54
Sensing Lin Ran’s gaze, the little creature hid its wings behind the curtain, clutching it tightly, like a shy sprite.
Lin Ran walked over and crouched down. “Is that you, baby?” he asked softly.
Hearing his gentle voice, the little creature clung even tighter to the curtain, wanting to fly away, yet reluctant to leave A-Ran.
Lin Ran, seeing no movement, wondered why it was hiding. It had been so clingy as an egg. He wouldn’t force it.
“Can I open the curtains?” he asked, and the curtain shook, a clear “no.”
“Okay, I won’t,” he said, and the cub quieted down.
“It’s almost noon. Are you hungry?” he asked. Newly hatched cubs needed nourishment.
“Want some milk?” He remembered the powdered milk and fruit he had bought.
The egg didn’t refuse, and Lin Ran prepared a meal, noticing the mess in the room, the overturned chair, the scattered books. Had the hatched cub done this? It didn’t seem likely. The broken eggshells looked like there had been a struggle.
He placed the milk and fruit by the curtains, and a tendril of magic pulled them under. So, the cub had already awakened its magic? Was that the benefit of an Advanced Encounter Card? He smiled, hearing the soft crunching of an apple. How cute.
“Lin-zai—! We brought you lunch!” His roommates arrived, carrying food and drinks.
“We didn’t see you at the cafeteria. What are you doing, squatting in the corner?” Luo Xiao asked, seeing him by the curtains.
“Nothing,” Lin Ran said, worried about startling the cub.
A gust of wind blew the curtains open, revealing… nothing.
“There’s nothing there,” Zhu Yao said, confused.
Gone?! Lin Ran looked around, worried. Had his roommates scared it away?
The cub, however, was hiding behind the air conditioner, clutching a large apple, its little robe dirty. It was afraid to meet A-Ran, yet it longed to see him. It took a bite of the apple, its wings drooping.
As Lin Ran checked “Demon World” for notifications, his roommates noticed the mess.
“Lin-zai, your books are on my desk!” “And things are everywhere!”
“What the… my blanket is ripped!” Luo Xiao exclaimed.
“We had a thief,” Lin Ran said.
“A thief!?”
[Beep—The cub is nearby. Don’t worry.] A notification appeared, reassuring him.
So, it hadn’t gone far. It was hiding. But why?
“It was a thief, but security only has footage of him entering the building, not leaving. Check if anything is missing,” Luo Xiao said, returning from calling security.
“Nothing’s missing. But Lin-zai’s things are a mess.”
“Strange. He didn’t take anything valuable, just rummaged through Lin-zai’s things.” They looked at Lin Ran, suspecting a stalker.
“I don’t know… Nothing’s missing,” Lin Ran said, though he remembered the creepy man from the subway. Seeing the security footage, he was sure it was him.
“He tried to talk to you last night?”
“Yes, but I lost him at the subway station.”
“We’ll increase patrols. He vanished without a trace,” the security guard said.
“Strange. Why would he target Lin-zai?””But Xiao’s blanket was ripped too.” “How did he leave? Vanished into thin air?”
They couldn’t figure it out. Luo Xiao, however, noticed Lin Ran’s quiet worry.
“Lin-zai, where’s the egg?” he asked, noticing its absence.
“It… hatched. I must have left the window open, and it flew away,” Lin Ran said.
“It hatched?!””Too bad we missed it! Did the thief break it?!”
Lin Ran’s eyes widened. The eggshells had been on the floor, not on his bed. Had the cub been scared by the thief? But it was still nearby, according to the game’s tracker, its distance fluctuating between 3 and 10 meters. But he couldn’t see it.
The next day, the cub, though still hiding, helped him discreetly. It retrieved his pen from under the desk, even dusting it off. And in the library, the book he was looking for suddenly fell from the shelf.
“Here’s your book, Lin-zai! How strange!” his roommates said, wondering if he had a guardian angel.
Lin Ran knew it was the cub, helping him secretly. It was endearing. It didn’t hate him; it was just shy. But why?
As he was leaving for his first day at Morson Group, his keys, which he had been searching for, suddenly appeared on the table.
He turned towards the room. “Shoo—” The cub, startled, hid behind the lamp.
“Are you really going to keep hiding?” he asked softly.
“…” Silence.
“I’m leaving now. It’s a long trip. What if you get lost? I’ll be worried,” he explained gently. “Either stay here, or hide in my backpack. I’ll carry you. I’ll turn around so you can get in.” He opened his backpack and turned away.
After a moment, he heard the flutter of wings and the zipper closing. He smiled, put on his backpack, and left, the added weight negligible.
“I don’t know why you’re hiding, but tell me what you like to eat. I’ll leave it on the desk for you. And it’s safe to fly around campus, just not near the sports field. Be careful of basketballs,” he said to the backpack.
The cub, hearing his concern, felt a warmth spread through its small body. A-Ran cared about it. He didn’t want it to get hurt. It touched its burnt cheek and curled into a ball, hiding its wings. If only it was prettier, it wouldn’t scare A-Ran.
“Lin Ran? You’re back?” A car stopped beside him as he was leaving campus, attracting attention. Students with local addresses could get parking permits. And this was a luxury car.
Inside was Xiao Ming Fei, the Computer Science Department’s student council president, known for his good looks, influential family, and effortless charisma. Even their advisor often relied on his connections.
“Yes, I came back a few days ago. Is something the matter, Senior?” Lin Ran asked.
“I heard you got the Morson internship. Congratulations! But your class hasn’t submitted a performance for the autumn festival yet,” he said. Lin Ran, due to his looks, had been elected entertainment representative, a mostly insignificant role he had almost forgotten about.
“A performance?” Lin Ran said, thinking.
“Yes, we have singing and dancing, but no magic acts yet. Can your classmate from last year perform again? If not, I’ll find someone else…”
“It should be fine. I’ll ask,” Lin Ran said, not wanting to cause trouble.
Xiao Ming Fei smiled, then asked, “Are you taking the subway? I’m going home too. I can give you a ride.” His casual friendliness was something Lin Ran envied.
“Thank you, but I’ll take the subway,” Lin Ran said, uncomfortable with the attention Xiao Ming Fei attracted.
Xiao Ming Fei, after a few more attempts, gave up, watching him walk away, tapping his steering wheel thoughtfully. Jiang Tao, the man he had hired, had disappeared after visiting the dorm. He had been useful, despite his unpleasant personality. Was it related to Lin Ran? He had always been intrigued by him.
The cub in Lin Ran’s backpack glared at the listening device that had been slipped inside. Was it attracting trouble for A-Ran again? It felt a pang of guilt. Would A-Ran still like it if he knew how much trouble it caused? Angrily, it swallowed the device, sparks flying as its magic incinerated it.
Arriving at Morson Group, Lin Ran was greeted with unusual enthusiasm.
“A-Ran! Welcome! Welcome!” Tao Shu exclaimed, practically bouncing, leading him to his desk, which was already covered in welcome gifts. The other employees, especially Liliya and the other women, were eager to pet him, only Tao Shu’s frantic glares stopping them.
“Ms. Liliya, you’re too kind. It was just a candy,” Lin Ran said, overwhelmed by the gifts. Their kindness, however, felt genuine, not intrusive.
“You’re so cute! We have to take care of you! Come to Auntie Liliya if you have any problems!” she said, smiling. He was adorable! What kind of parents could produce such a cutie?
“I’m… an adult. And you don’t seem much older than me,” Lin Ran said, finding the “Auntie” address strange.
This made them laugh. They were centuries-old demons; he was just a baby.
“Work hard! We hope you’ll stay! Morson pays well! You can buy a car in a few months!” they said. Their enthusiasm, though slightly overwhelming, was welcoming.
Shao Mian, however, hearing the laughter from downstairs, frowned. Why was his office on a separate floor? It felt isolating. He regretted the office layout. He should have been closer to the employees.
“Feeling lonely in your big, empty office? Can’t get A-Ran’s attention, no matter how hard you try?” Abyss teased.
“But you can’t just show up, can you?” It enjoyed seeing the mighty lion frustrated.
“…Hmph.” Shao Mian glared at Abyss, who wondered what devious plan he was concocting.
Lin Ran’s arrival had a strange effect on “Demon World.” Whenever he fixed a bug, the game cooperated, even fixing other bugs on its own, reducing his workload. Was it playing favorites? Tao Shu remembered the sleepless nights he had spent fixing the game’s bugs. It was more difficult to manage than Shao Mian.
But he also had to admit Lin Ran was a quick learner, absorbing knowledge like a sponge. Any manager would want such an intern. He even felt Lin Ran was too honest and hardworking; he would be easily exploited in other companies. He had to keep him.
Lin Ran, however, was simply fascinated by the game’s code, feeling a strange connection to it, sensing its moods and whims, its tiredness, its excitement, its laziness. Did Morson Group know about “Demon World’s” sentience?
“Don’t work too hard! Take a break!” Tao Shu said, bringing him sports equipment. Morson Group’s facilities were excellent, including a gym and a rooftop garden. Lin Ran was surprised by the generous benefits. Were those online complaints about toxic work culture exaggerated? Or was Morson Group an exception?
“Mr. Tao,” he asked, “are pets allowed? Is this a fox dog?” He was petting a fluffy white fox dog in the garden.
Tao Shu: !? He turned around and saw Liliya! Even disguised as a fox dog, it was still a violation!
[Shao Mian allowed this?!] he exclaimed in the demon channel.
[Yes! Check the group chat. We take turns each week,] Liliya replied, rubbing against Lin Ran, her tail wagging. Being in her beast form made it so much easier to get close to him!
“You’re so pretty…” Lin Ran said, cuddling the fluffy creature. It was perfect, its fur soft and smooth. If petting fluffy creatures was a job benefit, he would stay here forever.
Unbeknownst to him, the egg, having followed him, was watching from the bushes, its beak drooping. It also wanted to be petted…
“Meow—” But a cat’s meow startled it, and it flew away, instinctively fearing felines, and recognizing the familiar aura.
“A cat?” Lin Ran looked up and saw a large, majestic Maine Coon, a rare and expensive breed, its size and fluffy fur resembling a feline version of Yuanbao.
“Can I pet it, Mr. Tao?” he asked, assuming such an expensive cat couldn’t be a company pet.
Tao Shu, however, was staring at the cat, speechless. Most demons had only seen Shao Mian’s human form. Was this… his beast form?! He felt a familiar, powerful aura, the one that always made him, a small hamster, tremble.
But as Lin Ran hesitated, the Maine Coon approached him, its golden fur gleaming, its tail swishing, as if asking to be petted.
