Reg stared blankly at the empty bottle. The taste was the same as ever, that was for sure, but after finishing it, he felt an inexplicable sense of comfort. It was faint. 'Is it just my imagination?'
He didn't snap out of it until Su Yaoyao spoke.
"Military resources are limited. If you don't drink it, and I don't drink it, are we just supposed to throw it away?"
Su Yaoyao looked a little embarrassed for a moment. It really would be too wasteful to throw it away.
The Little Black Panther suddenly bared its teeth at Reg. "GRRRR~" It was as if it was saying, 'You'd better fix your attitude.'
Reg let out a laugh. 'If this thing wasn't my own Spiritual Body, I'd beat it to a pulp. This traitorous little simp! I'm its master, for crying out loud!'
Su Yaoyao was startled. 'Why did the little guy suddenly get so grumpy?'
"There, there, Leopard, be good~"
Her fair hand stroked the Little Black Panther's fur again and again. It instantly narrowed its eyes in enjoyment, sitting obediently in Su Yaoyao's lap.
Reg clenched his fist. 'Honestly, how much longer do I have to endure this?'
And yet, a part of him greedily savored the pleasant sensation.
Su Yaoyao continued to pet the Little Black Panther to her heart's content, stroking it from its head, down its spine, all the way to the tip of its tail.
The petting caught Reg completely off guard. A tremor shot up from the base of his spine, and his whole body shuddered. His legs went so weak he almost buckled to his knees.
He bit down hard on his lip to keep from making a sound.
Meanwhile, Su Yaoyao had no intention of stopping. Curious, she reached a hand toward the Little Black Panther's underbelly.
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
Reg shot his hand out and grabbed Su Yaoyao's mischievous hand.
"…A boy." His voice was low and hoarse, and his breathing was a little ragged.
Su Yaoyao looked up at the handsome, dark-skinned man before her. 'Why is he panting like that?'
"You don't look so good. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Reg's face turned red. 'Does being about to burst down there count?'
"My body is perfectly fine. Don't just touch it wherever you want. It might bite."
Only then did Su Yaoyao pull her hand back, nodding obediently.
The Little Black Panther was instantly displeased. 'It would never bite Yaoyao! This is slander!'
Agitated, it flailed its little paws in Su Yaoyao's lap, kneading her like a kitten as it gazed up at her pitifully.
Su Yaoyao's heart instantly melted from the cuteness. She scooped up the Little Black Panther and showered it with kisses, nuzzling its cheek. "Our Leopard is so cute, how could you ever hurt me? Such a good boy~ MWAH~"
The Little Black Panther let out a series of kittenish mews in response, clearly enjoying the intimate interaction with Su Yaoyao.
It even rolled onto its back, showing its belly and asking for pets.
Before it could succeed, however, Reg snatched it up. "Don't push your luck."
The man and beast stared at each other. The Little Black Panther yowled at him in displeasure, and Reg simply tossed it far away, his movements impossibly rough.
Su Yaoyao cried out in alarm, "It'll get hurt if you do that!"
Reg was growing impatient. "Don't be fooled by its pitiful act. I know exactly how much it can handle."
An S-Class Spiritual Body wasn't nearly that fragile.
Without another word, he swept Su Yaoyao into his arms. "I'll take you back."
'As long as Su Yaoyao is here, my Spiritual Body probably won't return to the Spirit World.'
'If this keeps up, who knows what kind of trouble it'll cause.'
Reg held Su Yaoyao with one arm and opened the door with his other hand.
Afraid of falling, Su Yaoyao could only lean closer against his body.
Reg's pupils constricted. 'There it is again… that sweet fragrance that bewitches him from the depths of his soul. It's very faint, only noticeable when he's close to Su Yaoyao. Is it the little female's natural scent?'
Before the Little Black Panther had a chance to follow them out, Reg shut the door.
Su Yaoyao looked at the door with a touch of regret. 'I didn't even get to say goodbye to the Little Black Panther. I'll have to play with it again next time.'
Reg strode forward with steady steps.
The little female was exceptionally light, almost weightless. Her body felt incredibly delicate and soft as she leaned obediently against him.
For the first time, Reg found that holding someone was actually quite comfortable.
He stopped at the door to Bai Lian's room. Just as he was about to open it, the door swung open from the inside.
Bai Lian had returned from a meeting to find Su Yaoyao gone. Panicked, he had immediately gone out to look for her, only to run into Reg right at his doorstep, with Yaoyao in his arms.
Bai Lian's brow furrowed slightly. 'How did Yaoyao end up in Reg's arms? When did they become so close?'
"Leon!"
The moment Su Yaoyao saw Bai Lian, her face lit up with a smile. She reached out her arms to him, asking to be held.
Bai Lian obliged, taking her into his arms. The soft little female was back by his side, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
But Reg, staring at his now-empty arms, was displeased. The little female's sweet scent and soft touch were gone.
Just then, Su Yaoyao gave Reg a sweet smile. "Reg, thank you for bringing me back."
The little female's beautiful smile made Reg's heart skip a beat, and his ears turned red.
"You're welcome."
"Yaoyao, how did you end up with Reg?" Bai Lian asked, probing. 'During the meeting, Reg was so hostile toward the little female. I hope he didn't do anything to bully Yaoyao.'
"I was hungry, so Reg invited me to his room to try some fruit-flavored nutrient liquid," Su Yaoyao answered truthfully.
Reg crossed his arms, feeling inwardly scornful as he glared at Bai Lian.
'I haven't even said anything about you hiding your precious prize away, yet you're looking at me like I'm some kind of thief just because she came to my room for a snack. Hmph!'
Hearing this, Bai Lian was startled into realizing he had forgotten to prepare food for the little female. "I haven't been taking good care of you."
Su Yaoyao shook her head. "No, Leon, you've been wonderful. You're the one who bandaged the wound on my foot, right?"
"Yes," Bai Lian nodded.
Su Yaoyao smiled and leaned in close, whispering in Bai Lian's ear, "Thank you, Leon."
Bai Lian's cheeks immediately turned red, his mind a complete mess.
Seeing their intimacy, Reg nearly ground his molars to dust. He kept telling himself, 'She's just a little weakling, that's all. So why do I care so much?'
Bai Lian composed himself. Figuring Yaoyao should be resting, he said to Reg:
"Well then, thank you, Deputy General Reg. It's late; you should get some sleep."
With that, he started to go back inside and shut the door, but Reg's large hand blocked it.
The corner of Reg's mouth quirked up in a somewhat dangerous smirk as his gaze swept over Su Yaoyao and Bai Lian.
"You said you'd give the little female the highest-quality treatment. That doesn't mean forcing her to squeeze into one bed with you, does it?"
His mood soured even further at the mere thought of that possibility.
Su Yaoyao's expression faltered. 'That's right, this is Bai Lian's room. If I'm taking his bed, where is he going to sleep?'
Bai Lian said with a serious expression:
"I will arrange a brand-new room for Yaoyao tomorrow. Today was too rushed, and there wasn't time to procure the necessary items. She will have to make do with my room for now, and I will sleep in another empty room tonight."
The implication was clear: what you're thinking won't be happening.
"Tch. You'd better."
Having received a satisfactory answer, Reg finally released his hand and turned to walk back to his own room.
After closing the door, Bai Lian carried Su Yaoyao over and gently placed her on the bed.
"I'll leave after you fall asleep."
Su Yaoyao, however, felt a bit awkward. She was, after all, taking over his nest. "Why don't I sleep in the empty room instead?"
Bai Lian smiled. "Don't feel awkward. It's my honor that you're willing to use my room."
"Is there anything else you need before you sleep? I can help you with anything."
Looking into Bai Lian's sincere eyes, Su Yaoyao stammered:
"I… I'd like to take a bath."