Normally, A Jun would stay calm, analyze the situation, and then act—very rational. But this time, he broke character. Without any plan, he dashed toward the door, face full of panic and confusion.
Maybe it was the weight of responsibility, or maybe the anxiety of attachment—but everyone watching could tell: A Jun's impulsiveness wouldn't help, and might even get him caught.
If this really was the work of bounty assassins, then their true goal was still the same as before!
"Where do you plan to look…"
At that moment, Yuwen Lu, standing at the door, gently pulled Ning'er aside and coldly asked A Jun—his tone calm, without force, but enough to make A Jun stop.
—Right. Where is she now? What should I do?
"Ugh… What's going on? Can't a guy sleep around here…"
Just as A Jun was about to brainstorm, Xiao Xi walked over—turned on the lights, glanced at Yuwen Lu's cold face, smiled at Ning'er, and suddenly felt annoyed…
"Hey! Get your salty hand off her!"
Normally, Yuwen Lu wouldn't respond to Xiao Xi's remarks. But this time, he immediately withdrew his hand from Ning'er.
—Hmm… That's better. Looks like I've got some boyfriend energy after all!
Xiao Xi was still feeling proud, ready to mediate the tension—but… he was overthinking it. In truth, Yuwen Lu hadn't paid him any attention. He simply picked up his book and calmly, arrogantly stated: "Based on your timing, it's been 8 minutes. If it's them, you won't catch up. And your cat… isn't worth it."
"Hey, you—talk properly! What's with the attitude!"
"—So, two possibilities. One, they're waiting for you to take the bait. Two, there's no kidnapping—your cat wandered off."
"Hey!"
Yuwen Lu kept reading, analyzing rationally—very much in line with A Jun's thinking. Of course, Xiao Xi couldn't stand his demeanor. First he grabbed Ning'er, now he's acting all smug?
"Mm, that's right! A Jun…"
Ning'er, who had been quietly watching from the corner, ignored Xiao Xi's opinion and spoke up. But A Jun wasn't listening. He firmly held back his impulsive brother, abandoned his own plan, and looked gratefully at Yuwen Lu—waiting for his teammate's strategy.
"Bro… Can we trust him?"
Then, Yuwen Lu laid out his plan—cool and composed. Xiao Xi questioned it, but A Jun didn't have time to debate. He chose to trust—after all, this new friend had saved him before, and that built a strange sense of confidence.
"Move out!"
With Yuwen Lu's command, the team sprang into action. Xiao Xi, at everyone's request, smiled and joined the girl in searching westward. A Jun, protected by half the camp's soldiers, headed north. Yuwen Lu went back alone. Per his suggestion, everyone carried signal flares—just in case.
"If anything happens, send a signal. Everyone return by the fourth watch!"
"Hmph~"
"Xiao Jiuwuo…"
The night deepened, but A Jun wasn't sleepy at all. Normally, he'd be yawning by now. Under tight military protection, he kept searching the northern region, too focused to notice his own fatigue. Thankfully, he felt fine—just a little hoarse.
The plateau's clear starry sky and the full moon's brilliance lit up the land, giving A Jun a sense of safety amid the chaos.
He pressed on, eyes strained, scanning every inch—until he reached a small hill near a forest. The soldiers had said this was the Moonlight Hot Spring, known for restoring energy and healing injuries. It was protected by a barrier—outsiders couldn't enter. Should be safe…
But for A Jun, even "should be" wasn't enough. No matter how small the chance, he had to check. This was the last unknown. And no signal flares had gone off!
"Mm, I know. But I want to check… You've all worked hard. I'll go alone—just a quick look!"
A Jun was kind-hearted. Seeing the soldiers running around with him all night, panda-eyed and exhausted, he felt guilty. So he chose to go alone. The others trusted him.
Moonlight reflected off the hill and the hot spring, dazzlingly bright. The light danced with the ripples, like a symphonic variation. The steam turned the air into a sauna—misty and mysterious.
A Jun carefully stepped through the fog, searching. He hoped the cat had just wandered off to play. Maybe there'd be tracks here.
"La la~ la la~ la~ la~ la la la la la…"
Suddenly, a soft melody drifted into A Jun's ears. Faint, almost imperceptible—but enough to catch his attention.
—Could it be… a bounty assassin's signal? No way… Wait, what's that?
A Jun grew alert, kept searching. Then, a figure began to appear through the mist. He squinted to see clearly.
The figure grew clearer—it looked like… a girl? Huh?
Long hair, petite frame… What was she doing? Wait—her ears were on top of her head? And—towel, hot spring, splashing water… Oh, she's bathing. In this season? Nice.
"Bathing? Then she… huh? Wait—nosebleed?!"
Just as A Jun was observing, trying to piece things together, he felt his face heat up. Something dripped from his nose—was that snot? He wiped it casually, glanced down—and realized, too late, that it was a nosebleed.
"Who's there!"
A scream rang out. A Jun, startled, turned his head, grabbed the doorframe, spun around, and apologized frantically.
—Look not upon what is forbidden. Ignorance is not guilt!
After a long pause, A Jun finally calmed down. He sensed the area—eerily quiet. She… was gone?
He turned, hand over his eyes, peeked through his fingers—and saw the figure had vanished!
—Who was she? Could she be connected to Xiao Jiuwuo's disappearance?
Now fully alert, A Jun began to analyze. According to the soldiers, no one should be here. Who bathes at midnight?
—This is bad!
Suddenly, a terrifying thought surged through A Jun's mind. His heart trembled, and he immediately decided to pursue it. Time was tight—there was no chance to regroup with the soldiers.
He quickly launched a signal flare and set off alone.
—Using Lingbo Dance should be fast enough. After all, he was now familiar with the terrain, and his wristband offered guidance. North lay the forest, which was off-limits. East of the hot spring was the Abyssal Creek, and the ancient city was under strict surveillance…
Based on his deductions, A Jun decisively headed southwest. Fortunately, that direction was close to the return route, so the safety risk was relatively low.
But despite all his calculations, A Jun hadn't realized that after such a long search, his stamina was nearly depleted. His body was starting to fail him—staying awake during sleep hours was self-destructive, and the consequences were serious.
"I… can do this. Just a bit more. Xiao Jiuwuo… wait for me!"
But at this moment, A Jun couldn't afford to think too much. He kept pushing forward, cheering himself on—something he'd often had to do in the past. Deep inside, it felt like another version of himself was lending him strength. Especially in critical moments—it really worked.
"Just a little more energy… just a bit. I'm close—ah! That's…"
Soon, the sky began to lighten. Dawn was replacing moonlight.
After a night of exertion, A Jun was at his limit—his steps slowed, his balance faltered, his head spun, and his eyes narrowed to slits.
Then, a sudden figure appeared ahead, filling the boy's gaze with hope and alertness. He saw—far off—a familiar silhouette with cat ears. Found her!
A Jun staggered forward, desperate to uncover the truth. The distance closed, but his vision blurred—only the center remained in focus.
He strategized while sprinting, eyes wide, trying to lock onto the figure. But as he reached her, his hopes collapsed…
—That figure… was Ning'er.
Indeed, standing before A Jun was the Saintess, who had rushed back after seeing the signal flare. She was still graceful and composed, though her expression seemed slightly off. Xiao Xi, her partner, arrived just after A Jun, still energetic—but A Jun didn't notice.
"Xiao Jiuwuo?"
The emotional strain had exhausted A Jun. Faced with reality, he could focus on nothing else—his eyes bloodshot, his voice murmuring in despair.
"Meow~"
Suddenly, a familiar sound pierced his ears, shattering the stone in his heart. A Jun's eyes widened. He looked up—and saw Xiao Jiuwuo perched on Ning'er's shoulder.
—My vision's back… Wait, was it a hallucination?
"Meow!"
Another call confirmed it. She was really back—safe. At that moment, Ning'er and the cat exchanged a glance, and then…
"Xiao Jiuwuo… A Jun?"
Just as Ning'er was about to explain, she froze—watching the boy who had risked everything for the cat, now raising a trembling hand toward her, only to collapse from exhaustion. Her heart… felt gently struck.
—Why does this hurt? Could this be… the bond Grandpa spoke of?
Ning'er had always been alone, unfamiliar with friendship or emotion. But now, something felt different. Her usual logic and calm were slipping away. She didn't know what to do—boys and girls were different, after all. She could only worry helplessly.
Luckily, beside her stood a nimble chubby boy. In the next second, Xiao Xi slid forward and caught the falling A Jun like a soft cushion—reassuring the girl instantly.
"What's this… my hand feels wet. Illusion? Oh, it's raining? Whatever, Xiao Jiuwuo's safe. A little rain's fine… I hope this is real. If not, even a dream… is okay… so sleepy…"
"Meow—"
"A Jun!"
"Move aside—mmph, whew… Let's carry him back to his room!"
"You…"
"—How is he?"
"Mm, just exhausted. He fell asleep."
"Mm!"
"Show-off—wait, bro, why are you smiling like that… Huh? Guess he's just tired!"
Zzz—snore… creak!
"This place… why is it so dark? Uncle? Hmm! Morning already? Oh, it's raining—I'm… in my room? Was that… a dream?"
Half-awake, A Jun squinted weakly, paused, then tried to sit up. But his body ached all over, leaving him dazed. He shuffled to the door, paused, then opened it—hmm… the living room light was on. Looks familiar.
Driven by memory, he walked to the bathroom door. The light was on, faint sounds inside—very familiar. This time, A Jun didn't hesitate. He pushed the door open—just like in the dream. Could it be…
"Meow!"
Just as he turned to check the next clue, a familiar voice arrived, dissolving all his anxiety. Right in front of him, a cute American Shorthair cat sat obediently, looking slightly startled, calling out.
"Xiao Jiuwuo! Thank goodness—it really was a dream…"
Seeing her, A Jun couldn't help but get excited. He bent down and scooped her up, forgetting whether she wanted to be held. But this time, Xiao Jiuwuo didn't resist as much. Her startled look softened—maybe she was starting to accept it… right?
"Bro, why are you grinning like that? Looks like you're recovering well!"
But the warm moment was soon interrupted by three unexpected guests. Xiao Xi stood behind A Jun, rubbing sleepy eyes, confused. Yuwen Lu leaned nearby, reading coldly.
"A Jun, you…"
The Saintess arrived last, approaching slowly, keeping a respectful distance. Her expression wasn't great, but she remained elegant, speaking while nervously glancing at the cat in A Jun's arms.
Before she could finish, A Jun eagerly shared his dream. Then he paused, looked down—and realized something was missing…
—Hmm? Xiao Jiuwuo… the cat… was gone again!
Turns out, just as Ning'er began to speak, Xiao Jiuwuo acted strangely. In front of everyone, she leapt from A Jun's arms to his shoulder, then sprang into the Saintess's embrace—hiding.
—Ah… Oh! I forgot—Xiao Jiuwuo only lets girls hold her. Haha…
A Jun, slow to react, scratched his head and smiled at the cat. Xiao Jiuwuo glanced back. Their eyes met—A Jun full of apology, but she didn't accept it.
She curled up again, shutting down. A Jun couldn't help but wonder—was she upset? She looked just like Lan'er when she was mad.
—Mm… My fault! I'll get her favorite chocolate later. That should cheer her up. Otherwise… not good for her health.
"Bro, did you sleep yourself silly? Can't even tell dream from reality?"
Xiao Xi looked at his dazed brother, puzzled. Yuwen Lu snorted and glanced away. Then, at Ning'er's suggestion, everyone sat on the living room sofa to talk.
With Yuwen Lu guiding, Ning'er reviewing, and Xiao Xi as lead debater, they chatted for a long time—helping A Jun piece things together. Finally, his memory returned: last night, the cat had been drawn by a sound, wandered outside, and got lost while playing…