Interstellar Power Couple
Translator: Mukyuu
Quality Check: Lala
First Published on Chaleuria
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Chapter 76: I Mustn’t Let Him Go!
“Having fun?”
Zuo Feng’s hand was like a vice grip, firmly locking onto Di Lin’s ‘arm’. He instructed Enoch, the AI assistant, to turn on the lights and then stared unblinkingly at the humanoid tree under the brightness. His eyes were clear and he absolutely did not look like someone who had just woken up.
Di Lin immediately knew the kid had probably been pretending to be asleep. In response, he carefully curled into himself and began to quiver ‘nervously’.
He didn’t say anything, only making it obvious that he was afraid.
Someone who would bring ‘him’ to Lei Jue for healing just because one of his leaves got damaged clearly cared a lot about ‘him’. Therefore, playing the victim would be the best approach right now.
Zuo Feng, as predicted, slowly relaxed his grip. He looked at the humanoid tree with an unreadable gaze.
“Who are you?” There was no plant in the world that would be able to stretch out an arm and caress someone’s cheek. So either he was dreaming, or this little tree was a plant ability user that could turn themselves completely into a plant.
But was that possible? Zuo Feng didn’t dare think let his thoughts go down that rabbit hole.
Di Lin continued his silence. He tilted his head, as if thinking hard about Zuo Feng’s question. Then, after a few seconds, he shook his head.
He summoned a ball of green healing energy and used it to surround his ‘wrist’, still in Zuo Feng’s grasp, and a part of Zuo Feng’s body.
Zuo Feng recognized this kind of energy because he had seen it when Lei Jue healed his father, and also when he had been repeatedly tortured by that little demon king of Xiao Lingyu’s. It was a type of energy that made the recipient feel as if they were floating on air, as if every hurt in their body could be whisked away by the glow.
On Rikalun, Di Lin couldn’t heal himself when Zuo Feng had burnt a large part of him back then because Di Lin couldn’t let anyone discover his abilities. So he had to hold it in. But it was different now; he could demonstrate his healing abilities.
He repaired the part of himself that got hurt and also chased out some of the new toxins that had formed in Zuo Feng’s body while he was at it. He knew as soon as he touched Zuo Feng that there wasn’t much poison in him. That probably had something to do with Pipi healing him when he had visited the Xiao family. As for why Zuo Feng was still so foul-tempered, it probably had to do with habits developed over the years; those would take quite some time before changing.
Zuo Feng looked at where the green energy had disappeared and involuntarily relaxed his grip on the branch, which he had been holding for a while now. “How do you have wood elemental abilities? Is it because Lei Jue gave you life energy?”
Di Lin nodded. Having escaped his shackles, he pulled out his roots from the pot instead of moving to the side, shaking off the dirt before shifting closer humbly. He raised his branch-claws to demonstrate his goodwill, carefully but intimately rubbing it against the back of Zuo Feng’s hand.
It itched, but Zuo Feng didn’t hate the sensation. Actually, not only did he not hate it, he felt warmed by the gesture.
So he reached out his hand and placed it on the bed, palms facing upward.
Di Lin, seeing this, unhesitantly stepped onto the palm. He shrunk himself and planted his butt onto Zuo Feng’s hand.
Right now, Di Lin looked about the size of an adult’s palm. In addition, he was in humanoid shape, so when he shook his leaves it was super adorable. Though Zuo Feng usually only smirked, he couldn’t help but give a gentle smile at the sight.
Di Lin got distracted by the smile, and accidentally let a small yellow flower bloom on top of his head.
Zuo Feng stared speechlessly.
A sentence that he had come across on the net flashed inexplicably in his mind; plant ability users will never carelessly let their flowers bloom, because flowers were the sexual organs of a plant. Casually going into bloom could cause people to misunderstand and think they were perverts.
Di Lin himself also thought he was letting his guard down too much. He was so unguarded that he grew a flower just because a young, handsome, and single guy smiled at him. But that was understandable right? After all, he had been a virgin for so many years it was only natural for him to have his desires, right ?!
Ever since his childhood sweetheart had been killed by Lei Jianying, Di Lin had never looked for love again. He needed to avenge his clansmen, his family, and his lover. All those things had weighed down on him so much that he could hardly breath. Now that he finally had Lei Jianying in his grasp, he could open up his heart completely.
“You are brave to bloom at me.” Zuo Feng curved his lips in a smile. With a single snap of his fingers, a little flame shot up at the tip of his finger. He said evilly, “Wanna bet that I’ll burn the flower?”
That wouldn’t do!
Di Lin hurriedly used his claws to protect his little flower and jumped down from Zuo Feng’s palm. He had seen Zuo Feng’s A-rank fire abilities before, and getting burned by that was no joke. Forget about his little flower; if Zuo Feng gave it his all, he could burn Di Lin’s entire body into a crisp! Whether he would be able to heal himself from that was a good question too.
Zuo Feng poked at the humanoid tree hiding off to the side. After a while, he couldn’t help but ask the question that had lurked in his heart all this time, “Lele, is it you?”
Lele was Zuo Feng’s first love. Di Lin knew that from hearing Zuo Feng call that name while looking at a photo once.
Di Lin shook his head.
He had wanted to say no’, but then he thought better of opening his mouth. If he spoke, Zuo Feng would inevitably have more questions and right now, he didn’t want to answer that many. He didn’t want to lie, but there were a lot of things he couldn’t share.
“Heh, you wouldn’t happen to be a little spy from Lei Jue, would you?” Zuo Feng suddenly remembered that when he had brought the plant to the Xiao family house for Lei Jue to heal, the plant had left his sight for a while. Back then, Xiao Lingyu had been talking to him so he didn’t think too much of it. But why did Lei Jue take the flower pot out of his sight to heal?
Di Lin immediately became unhappy. He was so ungrateful! Who’d be so bored as to monitor an idiot like you?!
The humanoid tree angrily turned around and gave Zuo Feng a view of his back. He also crossed his legs, making it very obvious he was upset.
It was hard to describe what Zuo Feng felt right now. On one hand, he hoped it was true that the tree had gained its own consciousness, but on the other hand, he wasn’t sure what exactly was going on with the tree. It wouldn’t speak but could adjust its size at will; it seemed to like him a lot and would even be affectionate with him…
“Can you turn into a human?” Zuo Feng suddenly asked.
Di Lin ignored him.
If he turned into his human form right now and let Zuo Feng see how much he resembled Lei Jue, he would never be able to explain things, even given a million years.
Zuo Feng thought about it and then said, “I need to verify your species.”
Di Lin hung his ‘head’, and looked even more depressed.
Zuo Feng reached out a hand and wanted to grab the humanoid tree, but stopped a centimeter away. It was so small, about the same size as the sapling he’d received from his first love. It was just a plant; it’s not like it could hurt him.
Di Lin sat with his back turned to Zuo Feng for a long time. When he didn’t hear any sounds coming from that direction, he turned around, only to see the other man lost in thought.
Zuo Feng felt the tree’s strange gaze on him. He didn’t know what went through his mind when he went to grab the little humanoid tree, but he quickly stuffed him underneath the comforter and ordered, “Sleep!”
Di Lin was speechless.
You f*cking psycho!
Zuo Feng hugged the little tree like a mother would hold her child. He would occasionally touch the leaves on the little humanoid tree’s head, and didn’t look sleepy at all.
The touches aroused Di Lin, and there were many times when he almost turned bigger or into a human so he could have his way with the person hugging him.
The second child of the Zuos had no idea at all about the suffering he put the old virgin through!
Forget it, Di Lin thought. Sleep now. He could figure out whether to leave or stay when he got up tomorrow.
Sometimes Di Lin could be really happy-go-lucky; in just a few moments, he really did fall asleep, so gone to the world that he sprawled himself out.
Zuo Feng looked at the little tree-person in his arms and scanned it with his communicator. All he could tell was that it was a tree; he found nothing special about it.
Could it really have gained consciousness only because Lei Jue healed it?
But this wasn’t the only tree that Lei Jue had healed. How come he never heard about weird things happening before?
Zuo Feng suddenly remembered the tree he had burned while on Rikalun mountain. Lei Jue had also healed that tree. Could that one also have developed a consciousness?
He decided to go to Rikalun mountain in the morning to check it out. Since he was the one to burn that tree, he remembered where it was.
With a plan in place, Zuo Feng himself fell asleep soon afterward. Except, before falling asleep, he told Enoch to keep an eye on his vital signs. If anything weird happened, Enoch was to immediately sound an alarm; just in case.
But the night passed without any incidents. Except, Zuo Feng had the same weird wet dream as before; in the dream, he was molested by a huge shilah tree. The tree behaved like a tentacled monster. Not only did it wrap him up in its branches, and place him in various embarrassing positions, i-it also penetrated him with its branches!
That morning, Zuo Feng’s face went through several different shades of color.
He moved his body but didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary. When he recalled the humanoid tree’s healing abilities however, he began to doubt himself.
It couldn’t be, right?!
He looked at the little humanoid tree sleeping defensively in his arms and, for the first time, Zuo Feng thought his intelligence might need some help.
He waited until the little humanoid tree woke up and, without eating breakfast, stuck the little thing into his pocket and told him, “Don’t you dare move.”
Di Lin responded with silence.
Then I’ll just sleep in your pocket some more!
The butler saw Zuo Feng about to head out and said, “Young Master, are you heading out? The marshal said you need to return to the military by noon today.”
Zuo Feng waved him aside. “I need to head to Rikalun mountain for something. I’ll be back soon.”
All of Di Lin’s sleepiness vanished in an instant!
What was this cursed little brat going to Rikalun for?! Did he find something?!
Di Lin hurriedly snuck a message to Xiao Lingyu and Lei Jue. It was lucky that he was in the pocket, otherwise he couldn’t have done so easily!
Lei Jue got the message just as he finished changing Kangkang’s diapers. He listened to Carrera describe the situation, and then looked at Xiao Lingyu. He smiled as he stroked his chin, “Oops, Uncle really did take it too far this time.”
Xiao Lingyue thought about it and said, “I guess he’s not coming back for a while.”
Once Zuo Feng realized the plant he prized beyond anything had developed consciousness, how could he let it go easily?
Unless Uncle managed to get himself out somehow. But Uncle must know that as soon as he left, Zuo Feng would suspect them. It was therefore very likely that Uncle would remain with the Zuo family.
Things would get interesting, now. But then again, if this continued, would Zuo Feng become their ‘aunt’?
Xiao Lingyu considered the possibility and shivered.
“What is it?”Lei Jue asked.
“Babe, do you remember when you said that you felt like we’d be closely tied with the Zuo family?”
“I do, why?”
“You don’t think that Zuo Feng would become the kids’ grand-uncle-in-law, do you?”
“No way, right?” Lei Jue thought about having to call Zuo Feng ‘Aunt’, and felt extremely discomfited by the thought.
But the truth of the matter was that their Uncle really was in a huge bind.
It was only after Zuo Feng arrived at Rikalun mountain to confirm things that he found out the tree he had burned before wasn’t there anymore!
Strangely, there was no sign of the tree having been chopped off or pulled out of the ground! This meant he had to believe that the plants Lei Jue healed could very well move!
Was this some sort of conspiracy?
Zuo Feng decided that before he got to the bottom of this, he would absolutely not let this little humanoid tree go! Not only that, he had to watch that tree personally!