Chapter 613: Emotional Fluctuations

After Zhang He left, Xia Qing immediately and carefully sprayed the entire big chun tree with the newly exchanged potion.

What was used to exchange for it? The big chun tree's buds and branches.

The temperature has already dropped below zero — isn't she afraid the spray will freeze and damage the tree and its tender buds?

Afraid of my ass.

The brutal cold snap of minus twenty-something degrees had just passed, and this tree was already impatiently budding and releasing Yi synthesis elements — it was full of fire, not afraid of the cold at all.

After finishing the spray, Xia Qing stood under the big chun tree with her eyes closed; she could no longer sense this tree's magnetic field.

This big chun tree is the first evolved plant Xia Qing has perceived since she evolved her magneto-sense ability — one that can release Yi synthesis elements.

Although there's only one, Xia Qing can still draw one distinction between this kind of plant and aggressive Qiang-evolved plants:

When a plant absorbs too much Qiang element and evolves into a dangerous Qiang-evolved plant — both during and after the evolution — even if it doesn't launch an attack outward, once Xia Qing gets within a certain distance, she can feel that uncomfortable sensation of being aimed at between the brows with a needle.

When this big chun tree releases Yi synthesis element gas, Xia Qing can feel a gentle breath brush past her brow; when it doesn't release the gas, she can't sense its existence with her magneto-sense at all.

As for why she can sense this plant, unlike the dangerous Qiang-evolved ones, Xia Qing doesn't know whether her magneto-sense has gotten stronger, or whether the big chun tree's magnetic field changes more noticeably when releasing Yi synthesis elements. She also doesn't know whether all plants that release Yi synthesis elements give the same magneto-sense impression.

The truth won't appear just by standing here guessing blindly — it has to be tested and verified.

Xia Qing opened her eyes and gazed intently at the big chun tree covered in buds. "Lao Er, for the next stretch of time I'm going into the Evolution Forest to raise my strength."

The sick wolf raised its head and looked at Xia Qing with clear, rust-colored eyes.

Xia Qing led it down the slope, introducing the plans for the coming period as they walked. "Wait another ten days, then I'll take you to Territory Seven for a checkup. If your recovery is going well, we'll go together; if you still need to rest, you'll stay in the territory and watch the kids, and I'll go hunt better-quality food for us to nurse your body back to health."

She'll be going in and out of the Evolution Forest frequently, so she needs someone to guard the territory. The most suitable candidates are, of course, the Beard Feng Squad, who've been her security team for a year. The question is whether they'd be willing to keep taking this job, and what price Yang Jin will quote.

After killing Tang Zhengsu, Yang Jin and Luo Pei left Hui-3 Safe Zone to chase down the fleeing Tang Zheng and Tang Rui, and haven't returned since.

Compared to hunting down those two surnamed Tang, Xia Qing's little matter is trivial — of course she has to wait for Yang Jin to come back before discussing it.

Xia Qing and the sick wolf got home and found Sheep Boss standing in the yard, pawing the ground with its hooves strike after strike — it had already dug quite a sizable pit. The weasel family in the sheep shed had probably been scared out of their wits.

Without a word, Xia Qing immediately broke off a small piece of rations and stuffed it into its mouth, soothing it in a gentle voice. "Boss really is a good, family-minded sheep — affected by the big chun tree's aura and feeling awful all over, it only paws at the ground in the yard and didn't wreck anything in the house. Being your companion makes me feel so safe, Boss. You're truly a sheep standing at the top of Blue Star's pyramid, the sheep who pioneered the history of evolved sheep, truly the boss of our territory…"

Under the influence of food and Xia Qing's praise, Sheep Boss's mood calmed considerably. It raised its big head and squinted its eyes, showing it was thoroughly enjoying this.

After another bout of frantic praise, Xia Qing led it back into the house. "Boss, if you're uncomfortable don't hold it in — go ride the power-generating bike. Let out all the anger you're bottling up, and you'll feel better. Boss, you look so cool riding the bike!"

Sheep Boss was set on the bike by Xia Qing and pedaled like mad, immediately lighting up the bike's lamp and flooding the living room with bright light.

Sheep Boss's emotions were still under the influence of the Yi synthesis elements. Xia Qing went upstairs, grabbed bedding, and slept in the living room to keep watch over it.

The sick wolf naturally lay down beside Xia Qing. Listening to the whoosh of wind from Sheep Boss pedaling the bike, and looking at the sick wolf's clear, peaceful eyes, Xia Qing felt her own mood was very calm. "Lao Er, let's see what the weasel family is up to?"

On the infrared camera feed, the dazzlingly bright little Bai Mao and the very inconspicuous plucked weasel lay side by side in a cardboard box. The plucked weasel was still on the outside, back against the box, guarding its family in a protective posture.

One of the kits stepped on the incision on little Bai Mao's lower belly, and it couldn't help trembling. The plucked weasel immediately sensed its partner's discomfort and began licking the fur on the back of its neck, stroke after stroke. After the kits had eaten their fill, little Bai Mao rolled over, face to face with its partner, and curled up asleep in its arms.

Although she knew little Bai Mao slept in this position to avoid the scrambling kits touching its incision again, Xia Qing was still warmed by the sight.

To find a partner you can trust and struggle to survive alongside in these years of natural disaster — how wonderful.

Xia Qing checked the cameras at Xiong Dong and various spots around the territory, confirmed everything was normal, yawned, and closed her eyes. The sound of Sheep Boss pedaling the bike was actually rather sleep-inducing…

Xia Qing's lips slowly curled up.

At five in the morning, Sheep Boss pedaled faster and faster, its mood clearly turning irritable again. Xia Qing, lying on the long chair, also furrowed her brow, her breathing growing rapid.

The sick wolf keenly sensed the change in both companions. It stood up, licked Xia Qing first, and only after seeing her brow relax and her breathing steady did it silently head to the kitchen, fetch half a basin of uncontaminated spring water in its mouth, set it beside the bike, and signal Sheep Boss to get off and drink.

Sheep Boss stopped, wobbled on its hind legs to the water basin, plunged its nose and mouth straight in, and after drinking its fill lay down beside the sick wolf, its mood much steadier.

Sheep Boss pacing back and forth — clip-clop, clip-clop — couldn't wake Xia Qing, who was trapped in a "beautiful dream."

"One kiss, three hundred points; two kisses, only five hundred points. Will you pick one or two?"

Although the beauty before her was smiling exceptionally beautifully, Xia Qing wasn't confused — one for three hundred, two for five hundred, of course two is the better deal!

She raised her hands and cupped the beauty's face, squinting her eyes in comfort. It had been so, so long since she'd felt the body temperature of a creature of her own kind — so this is how nice bare skin feels to the touch.

Xia Qing kissed once, then again, then once more. Just as she was reveling in it and wanted to keep going, a large hand with distinct knuckles blocked her.

"Pay up — one kiss three hundred, two kisses five hundred, three kisses one thousand five. You can pay with python meat; three jin will do."

Damn it! Who counts like that! Xia Qing flared up in rage, snapped her eyes open, stared at the softly lit ceiling, and couldn't process what had just happened for a moment.

"Buzz—"

Xia Qing grabbed the phone beside her and sat up at once. It was five in the morning — if her idol was calling, there had to be something urgent.