With the valuable leads of Zhang Lin and Cao Yu, Shen Zixia quickly traced down Fan Lang. Holding the investigation report with a blank expression, he returned to the hospital and handed the information to Cen Yuebai before sitting silently on the side, lost in thought for a long time.
Could it be that I was scared into doubting my life choices just because I had thoughts about a man before? Ye Zhizhou lay leisurely on the bed, stroking the little cat's ears, and tugging at Tang Tian's fake ears. He softly said, "Mengxi, this little mirror, it's our secret, hmm?"
The little cat tilted its head in confusion, arched over to rub against him, and then let out a soft meow.
Oh my, how could this little sister be so cute! He couldn't help but reach out and touch it again! However, knowing that there was a human soul inside this cat's body, he touched it very cautiously, only petting its head and neck, not daring to touch elsewhere.
[System has blocked visual perception of this world's creatures and virtual scenarios, please rest assured, host.]
He let out a low hum and picked up the small mirror, tucking it into his chest. He said in his heart, "Alright, alright, I know you're amazing, you're the best."
The fake ears moved a bit, looking somewhat proud.
[Su Yu's probability of falling in love with the protagonist has dropped to 30%, please keep trying, host.]
Just as the system's prompt appeared, the door to the ward was forcefully pushed open. Su Yu stood there, panting heavily, and after scanning the room, he rushed over to Shen Zixia, grabbing his collar and urgently asking, "What did you mean by that statement on the phone? What do you mean by 'the person inside Mengxi's body is not Mengxi'? Where is the real Mengxi?"
The little cat, who was nestled on the bed, poked its head out upon hearing this and let out a meow.
"Xiao Yu." Shen Zixia pulled his hand away, looking at him with confusion. "Why are you... calm down, Mengxi is right here with Zihao."
Su Yu only just realized that he seemed too agitated. He awkwardly retracted his hand, feeling a trace of embarrassment that he had almost exposed his inner thoughts. He quickly averted his gaze and walked to the bedside. His eyes swept around Ye Zhizhou, and his brows furrowed tighter and tighter. "Zihao, where's Mengxi? Didn't you say she's right here? Why haven't I seen a trace of her?"
The little cat walked to the edge of the bed, raised its head to look at him, and extended its claws to pat him before letting out another meow.
"Cen Yuebai's cat is still here?" Su Yu's face lost its usual smile, and his temper became much more impatient. He reached out and gently pushed the cat aside, then continued to ask, "Where's Mengxi? Did she go out or something?"
Ye Zhizhou glanced at him and then at the cat, forming a guess in his mind. This Su Yu... Could it be that he likes the real Shen Mengxi? Then why did he go looking for Fan Lang five years later? At that time, he should have hated Fan Lang for taking away the body of the person he loved.
And as for Shen Zixia, it seemed that he was currently more inclined toward familial relationships, and his sexual orientation was as straightforward as it could be. Now that he was doubting his life choices just because he knew he once had feelings for a man, how could he have declared that he was bent? Moreover, he seemed completely unconcerned about where Shen Mengxi's soul had gone.
"Zihao!" Seeing him lost in thought, Su Yu became increasingly impatient. Unable to restrain himself, he stepped forward and was about to touch him, but then remembered his injuries and withdrew his hand. "Zihao, where is Mengxi? How is she right now? Has she been injured?"
The little cat was pushed away by him once again.
Ye Zhizhou was brought back to reality by his shout and felt somewhat embarrassed about his inappropriate wandering thoughts. He quickly replied, "After Mengxi's body was taken over, her soul entered the body of this little cat. She hasn't been injured, but this kitten's body is too small and weak. We need to take care of her carefully." After all, this cat was just a kitten and needed to be fed with milk.
Su Yu paused, then quickly lowered his head to look at the cat. The cat happened to be unsteady due to his push and ended up tumbling onto its back, revealing its pink belly and letting out a few panicked meows.
Mengxi's body was taken over, and her soul entered this little cat's body... These words kept looping in his mind, and the cat in front of his eyes gradually transformed into a human form. So, the exposed belly was...
With a bang, Su Yu's face turned beet red. He quickly averted his gaze and took off his coat to cover the little cat. Stuttering, he said, "G-Girls should wear clothes, this won't do... I-I'll go buy you some clothes!" After saying that, he rushed out of the ward without giving anyone a chance to react.
The little cat struggled for a while to uncover the clothes covering its body. It looked at the ward's door in confusion and meowed.
[The probability of Su Yu falling in love with the protagonist has dropped to 0%, the third soul flag has been removed. Congratulations, host. Please keep up the good work.]
Ye Zhizhou quickly grabbed a pillow and covered his face, suppressing the laughter that was about to burst out. He had blushed just from looking at a cat's belly...
"Xiaoyu, this is..." Shen Zixia glanced at the cat on the bed, then at his younger brother who was chuckling into his pillow. He belatedly wiped his face and stammered, "Xiaoyu... likes Mengxi? Not like before when he pretended to like her to help me, but genuinely likes her? And not the fake one, but the real Mengxi?"
The little cat suddenly turned its head to look at him, its cat eyes wide, and its small body stiffened. It meowed, "Meow, meow, meow?!"
Two hours later, Su Yu and Cen Yuebai returned together. One was carrying various cat toys, cat clothes, and cat snacks, while the other was holding a large thermos. When the two of them stood together, they strangely exuded a sense of a peculiar CP pairing... the cool and handsome male lead and the cheerful and sunny shota protagonist...
Ye Zhizhou put down the vinegar jar in his hand and smiled. Well, having a baby face indeed makes one look younger, which was quite annoying. He picked up the cat and placed it in his arms before waving at Cen Yuebai. "Did you find anything during your outing? Come here, I'm hungry."
"How can you hold Mengxi like this!" Su Yu rushed over anxiously, snatching the little cat from Ye Zhizhou's arms and holding it tightly in his own. He glared fiercely at Cen Yuebai and said, "And you, you've also held Mengxi before. Shameful! A grown man like you should know better!"
Cen Yuebai glanced at him indifferently, then lowered his head to kiss Ye Zhizhou before sitting down by the bedside.
Su Yu was shocked and was about to say something when he suddenly felt a pain in his chest. He looked down and saw the little cat, which was now raising its claws and glaring at him, with the fur on the back of its neck all puffed up. "Meow!"
He didn't understand what the cat was saying, but it seemed very angry.
The small, warm body in his arms and his brain automatically transformed the cat into a young girl. He quickly calculated which part corresponded to which on a human body. So now, the legs he was holding onto with his forearm...
His young and tender baby face blushed uncontrollably again, and it seemed like there was smoke rising from it.
Feeling like he had just eaten two bowls of dog food, Shen Zixia got up from the corner and took the cat from Su Yu's arms. Then he patted Su Yu's head. "Calm down! Mengxi still needs our help right now. If Fan Lang sees you like this, he'll expose Mengxi!"
The little cat was no longer afraid of Shen Zixia. It nestled comfortably in his arms and extended its claws to scratch Su Yu again.
Su Yu covered the scratched area with a happy expression and said seriously, "Cousin, don't worry, I will definitely protect Mengxi well!"
It was hopeless.
Shen Zixia felt a bit exhausted. He walked to the sofa with the cat in his arms and sat down. Awkwardly, he petted the cat's head and said sincerely, "Mengxi, I will help you come back. You can rest assured."
The little cat raised its head and nuzzled his hand, letting out a soft meow.
Su Yu, with his lovesick expression, watched the scene, but he was met with the cat's impatient cold shoulder.
While there was a pink and bubbly atmosphere in the ward, the atmosphere in another ward on the upper floor was far from pleasant.
"Damn it!" Fan Lang looked at his increasingly haggard body and irritably grabbed his hair. "Ever since Shen Zihao got injured, Shen Zixia, Su Yu, and Cen Yuebai have been hanging around him like they've taken the wrong medicine. Their attitudes toward me have become particularly cold. Could it be that they've already realized I'm not the real protagonist?"
Zhang Lin, looking cool, ran his fingers through his hair and leaned in close to him, pinning him against the wall. "Shen Zixia and Su Yu are Shen Zihao's brothers, so naturally, they should be more concerned about their little brother when he's injured. As for Cen Yuebai, that weirdo, why bother with him? It's better if he doesn't bother you. Don't worry, Xiao Lang, I'll protect you."
"Quit using your womanizing tactics on me!" Fan Lang pushed him away forcefully and adjusted his clothes. "Damn it! Being a woman is so annoying. I'm a grown man, and I have to deal with menstrual issues!"
Zhang Lin watched him use this youthful and pretty body to utter vulgar words and felt increasingly itchy in his heart. He wanted to get closer. Cao Yu came in carrying a lunchbox, and when he saw the scene, he couldn't help but snicker and said, "You guys are having fun, and you only call me when you need something. Come on, let's eat, and then you have classes."
"I've endured until my third year of college, almost graduating, and now I have to start over in my second year because of a body swap!" Fan Lang's anger grew as he spoke. He waved his hand impatiently. "I'm skipping afternoon classes today. We're going to drink later!"
Zhang Lin and Cao Yu exchanged glances, sharing a knowing smile, and quickly joined in. They knew this new body of their friend was a treasure, and they had been itching to try it out every day. But their friend didn't want to be suppressed, and he also disliked feeling restricted as a woman. So, they couldn't get their hands on it. Now, the opportunity had arrived!
Standing outside the ward, Yin Feiyu listened carefully to their conversation, his mouth curling in disdain. He turned and walked toward the elevator. He had no interest in dealing with this kind of trash.
Halfway through their meal, Cen Yuebai suddenly stopped eating, and Ye Zhizhou also put down his chopsticks, looking towards the ward's entrance. Shen Zixia paused, puzzled, while Su Yu was entirely focused on feeding the cat and didn't notice the change in their demeanor.
Yin Feiyu pushed the door open, glanced at them, and then raised his finger, indicating upstairs. "I know you've already found out some things. Just a friendly reminder, Zhang Lin and Cao Yu are encouraging your little sister to drink." After speaking, he turned and left, leaving them with a graceful and confident figure in white.
Su Yu's face darkened. "What do they want to do with Mengxi's body?"
Shen Zixia's face also darkened, and he stood up to leave.
"Calm down a bit," Cen Yuebai said, taking a black thread and tying it around the little cat's leg. He then hung a piece of talisman paper on the thread and muttered a few words. After that, he picked up his chopsticks and said, "Sit down and continue eating. Shen Mengxi's body is safe."
The little cat obediently echoed his words, and Shen Zixia hesitated for a moment before sitting back down. Su Yu couldn't completely put his worries aside but also sat down when he saw the little cat gazing at him.
Ye Zhizhou looked at this and that, then surreptitiously contacted Tongtian in his mind. "Tongtian, do I have a task reward for a resurrection pill?"
[Unused task rewards: Transformation Pill, Resurrection Pill, "Purple Void Cultivation Manual."]
The "Purple Void Cultivation Manual"?! He was taken aback and almost dropped his chopsticks.
[Due to host's limited permissions, only the basic sections on alchemy and talisman crafting in the "Purple Void Cultivation Manual" are available. Would you like to claim the reward?]
Alchemy and talisman crafting were enough! He nodded vigorously in his mind and then glanced at Cen Yuebai beside him, grinning. Finally, he could learn how to craft talismans himself. Great!
Cen Yuebai poured him a glass of water and his lips curled up subtly.
At midnight, Cen Yuebai, who had been sitting by the bed, had already fallen asleep. Ye Zhizhou quietly peeked out of the blanket, took out a harmonica from his space, blew on it softly, and confirmed that the other was in deep slumber. He then uncovered the blanket, got out of bed, and sneaked out of the ward.
The hospital was quiet in the middle of the night, with only the lights in the doctors' and nurses' duty rooms still on. He relied on his spiritual power to easily reach Fan Lang's ward from outside. Pushing the door open, he stuffed the Resurrection Pill into Fan Lang's mouth. Outsiders couldn't harm the protagonist, but helping the protagonist was allowed. With this Resurrection Pill, no matter where the protagonist's soul had gone, it would obediently return. This was a big favor!
[Detecting protagonist's soul fluctuations... Fluctuations have ended.]
He felt his heart relax and playfully tapped the screen while using his spiritual power to return to the ward. On the way, he sent a text message to Su Yu.
Sensing the return of the familiar aura, Cen Yuebai, who had been tense, relaxed his body and broke the black thread in his hand.
In a car not far from the hospital, Zhang Lin was still trying to persuade his friend to go for a drink. "Xiao Lang, it was you who said we should go for a drink, and now you're the one who doesn't want to go. This joke isn't funny at all. We wasted the whole afternoon at the hospital, and now we're already driving away. What do you mean by stopping us from moving forward?"
As they got farther away from the hospital, the sensation of the rope on his leg pulling became more pronounced. Fan Lang didn't have the patience to listen to him and shouted angrily, smacking the back of his chair. "I said I'm not going! Go back to the hospital! Even if you keep the car parked all night, I won't go! Turn around and go back to the hospital!"
"Have you guys reached a decision?" Cao Yu frowned, showing impatience. "It's already midnight, and I'm tired. Let's call it a night and go back home to sleep."
Zhang Lin looked at him discontentedly. "The nightlife is just getting started. Why sleep? Look at how lazy you are!"
"If you don't turn back, I'll get out of the car and walk back myself!" Fan Lang suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg and became anxious. He reached out to open the door. He didn't know why, but he had been feeling anxious since the afternoon, and he had an instinctual aversion to leaving the hospital. He kept wanting to go back, as if he felt that leaving the hospital would be dangerous.
Zhang Lin leaned over to grab him and then locked the car door, his face darkening. "Fan Lang, what are you doing?"
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to!" Fan Lang, unable to push open the car door, became even more anxious. He turned to glare at Zhang Lin fiercely. "Daring to scheme against me, I see you must have grown a bear's heart and a leopard's gall! Your family's pitiful little business still relies on my family's support. Don't mess with me, or I'll make you regret it!"
Zhang Lin's expression changed. "Fan Lang, are you preparing to sever our brotherhood?"
"What are you guys doing?" Cao Yu looked at them inexplicably. "Is it necessary to make such a big fuss over a drink? We've had years of friendship. Can you both calm down?"
"Don't pretend to be a good person!" Zhang Lin retorted and sneered, "It was clearly your dirty idea from the beginning, always hiding in the background like a cowardly turtle, waiting for me to take the lead and then taking advantage. Cao Yu, you're just like your old man, only good at clinging to other people's coattails!"
Cao Yu's expression darkened, and he clenched his fists. "Zhang Lin, you're looking for trouble."
Fan Lang muttered curses in annoyance and, taking advantage of their argument, unlocked the car door. He pushed the door open and ran in the direction of the hospital. Zhang Lin and Cao Yu stopped fighting when they saw this and quickly got out of the car to chase after him.
"Xiao Lang, let me explain." Zhang Lin caught up with Fan Lang and reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, but just as he was about to say something, his hand slipped away as Fan Lang suddenly went limp and collapsed to the ground.
"What's going on?" Cao Yu, who had stepped forward, was stunned.
Su Yuzhong, who had been observing the situation from the shadows, quickly rushed forward to hold Shen Mengxi's body on the ground. He took out his phone and dialed 110 directly, saying, "Hello, this is XX Street in front of City Third Hospital. Two people are attempting to abduct a girl..."
Zhang Lin and Cao Yu were bewildered by his inexplicable behavior. After realizing what was happening, they hurriedly tried to snatch his phone. Hospital security guards arrived in time and subdued the two of them, escorting them to the hospital's security room.
The next morning, news of Fan Lang regaining consciousness and the arrest of Zhang Lin and Cao Yu spread together.
"Where is Mengxi's body now?" Ye Zhizhou asked.
Cen Yuebai helped him pour a bowl of congee and handed him a spoon. "In the neighboring ward. Su Yuzhong is looking after her."
"Ah," he nodded and then exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Heaven has eyes. Just when we were all struggling with how to reclaim Mengxi's body, her lost soul returned on its own. What a cause for celebration."
Cen Yuebai glanced at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Yes, Heaven is quite powerful."
The process of preparing materials and making symbols for the soul-returning spell would take several days. During this time, Shen Mengxi's body and soul could only remain separated temporarily. With the situation now simplified, the soul-returning was just around the corner. Everyone's tense nerves relaxed, and they turned their attention to the commotion caused by Fan Lang and Zhang Lin.
When a vegetative patient woke up from a coma, their body was still very weak. To fully recover, an extended period of care and rehabilitation was necessary. Fan Lang's situation was currently not conducive to further entanglement. As for Zhang Lin and Cao Yu, they had abducted a girl on the street and left her in a coma in the hospital. This was a serious crime that would likely result in a lengthy stay at the police station. It seemed they had no time to engage with the protagonist anymore.
Ye Zhizhou felt relieved, while Su Yuzhong and Shen Sizha sneered. Remembering that these two had once harbored thoughts of taking advantage of his sister or crush, Su Yuzhong and Shen Sizha felt quite annoyed. So, they kindly passed on the news of Fan Lang's awakening, completely ignoring Zhang Lin and Cao Yu, and began to make trouble for them on their path to bail.
[Zhang Lin and Cao Yu's probability of falling in love with the protagonist has dropped to 50%. Please continue your efforts, host.]
[Detected a soul flag fluctuation... the third soul flag that was removed has been restored and transferred to Yuan Yao's soul. Host, please take note!]
Ye Zhizhou, who was happily eating fruit, was startled by the message on the screen in front of him. Yuan Yao, wasn't that the name of a big shot's daughter?