Chapter 430 - 429: Extra 25: Xiao Du and Xiao Hei

Chapter 430: Chapter 429: Extra 25: Xiao Du and Xiao Hei

After Shi Lan gradually took over Zhenxin Hospital, she upheld the director’s tradition of making medical rounds. She would often take different doctors from the hospital to various planets to provide aid.

In recent years, the Insect Clan’s activity had decreased, but the Insect Mother seemed to still be searching for Energy Bodies. As a result, many poor, underdeveloped planets were often attacked by the Insect Clan and would send out distress signals.

The Insect Clan’s primary domain remained Garbage Star, and their main target was, naturally, the Border Defense Star closest to it. However, the Insect Mother’s movements expanded the offensive range of the guardian insects, causing many civilians to be injured or harmed.

Sometimes, when these planets were within a five or six-hour journey from Capital Star, Shi Lan would bring a team to help with treatment. Coupled with her numerous trips leading teams to the Border Defense Star, the amount of Spiritual Poison she absorbed increased, and she could clearly feel her own spiritual power growing stronger.

She secretly used an instrument developed by the former director to measure herself and found that her spiritual power was approaching what the director had defined as Level 4S, confirming her suspicions.

Perhaps because her spiritual power was growing, Xiao Hei finally awakened his own consciousness. He no longer needed Xiao Du to relay messages and could communicate directly with Shi Lan.

Previously, as a plant-type spirit body, Xiao Hei had existed as a vine attached to Xiao Du, but he later became able to detach at will.

And so, inside Shi Lan’s spirit sea, there was a small sprout and a green mushroom—Xiao Hei and Xiao Du.

Perhaps because Xiao Hei had never been able to speak with Shi Lan before, he chattered incessantly every day now that he finally could.

Xiao Hei was a chatterbox.

His favorite line, which he repeated daily, was, "Master, you’re so pretty today! Xiao Hei loves you the most! And Master loves Xiao Hei the most, right?"

At moments like this, Shi Lan could never reply with a simple "yes." If she did, the two spirit bodies would start fighting for her affection.

When Xiao Hei had first started communicating with her, Shi Lan, in her dazed delight, had replied, "Yes, I love Xiao Hei the most."

And then, that day, the little mushroom in her dreams started crying again, just like the first time she had truly met Xiao Du.

Her dream was filled with little green mushrooms. It wasn’t just mushrooms, though—there was also a pool of water. It seemed as if the mushrooms were growing in it, but this water was actually the little mushroom’s tears.

Shi Lan immediately woke from her nap and comforted him in a gentle voice, "Xiao Du, Xiao Du, don’t cry. Please come out. Let me give you a little pat, okay?"

In her spirit sea, Xiao Du shook his little head, awkwardly refusing through choked sobs. "I’m sorry, Master. I can’t control my tears. It’s too embarrassing. I don’t want to come out."

As he spoke, he glanced at the little green sprout to the side. Seemingly mortified, he fell silent, though he still couldn’t control his quiet sobbing.

Shi Lan was getting a headache. She hadn’t figured out the source of the problem yet, but she tried her best to patiently soothe Xiao Du. In her experience, Xiao Du was a very well-behaved spirit body and would never throw a tantrum like this for no reason.

’The last time he cried was because I scared him by saying I wanted to eat mushrooms.’

’But I haven’t eaten any mushrooms recently, or even mentioned eating them. Why is Xiao Du crying again?’

Shi Lan was completely baffled.

However, after about ten minutes of coaxing, Xiao Du appeared on her shoulder and then slowly hopped into her palm.

From crying for so long, Xiao Du’s little body felt warm and damp to the touch.

Shi Lan gently retrieved a towel from her Space Chain and wiped him dry, then continued to coax him. "Xiao Du, why were you crying? Can you tell Master? You didn’t fight with Xiao Hei, did you?"

As she spoke, she glanced at Xiao Du’s body. Xiao Hei’s vine wasn’t wrapped around him.

Upon hearing his name, Xiao Hei happily zipped out of the spirit sea. The little green sprout transformed into a vine and wrapped itself around Shi Lan’s fair wrist like a dodder plant, its green leaves fanning excitedly. "Master, Master, I’m here! I’m a good boy, I didn’t fight with Number One."

The two spirit bodies had established their pecking order based on seniority. Xiao Du was deservedly Number One, and Xiao Hei had no objections.

’I forgot Xiao Hei was still in my spirit sea.’ When he suddenly appeared, Shi Lan felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.

’Both spirit bodies are so well-behaved. They’re usually on good terms, and aside from some bickering, they’ve never fought. How could I have suspected that Xiao Hei hit Xiao Du?’

Just as she was thinking this, Xiao Du saw how tightly Xiao Hei was clinging to Shi Lan and immediately rammed his cap into the vine, knocking Xiao Hei off. Then, he plopped down right on top of him.

While pinning him down, he cried, "Master is mine! Master loves *me* the most! WAAAH! Who said you could stick so close to her? She’s *my* master! How dare a latecomer like you try to take my place?"

The two spirit bodies had similar temperaments. Xiao Hei hadn’t intended to fight, but now that Xiao Du had started it, he wasn’t about to back down. His vine wrapped tightly around the little mushroom. "Nonsense! Master is my master too! She said she loves *me* the most, so I’m going to stick just as close as I want!"

Shi Lan: "..."

’I was just thinking they’d never fight.’ And now they were brawling right in front of her. One moment, the mushroom was on top, viciously headbutting the vine; the next, the vine was squeezing the mushroom’s body tightly.

The problem was, neither spirit body could feel pain, so they held nothing back. Before Shi Lan could react, they were tangled into a ball, rolling around on her blankets like a remote-controlled green toy.

Only Shi Lan, however, knew how much of a racket they were making in her head.

Eventually, both spirit bodies were fighting and crying at the same time, desperate to prove which of them the master loved most.

Shi Lan finally understood. She was the culprit.

It was her fault for speaking carelessly, for failing to treat them equally.

So, she picked up the ball of tangled spirit bodies.

Feeling the warmth of her hand, the two spirit bodies called a temporary truce and stopped fighting.

Shi Lan patiently and gently untangled the vine from the mushroom. Then, placing one on her left and one on her right—the vine and the mushroom—she apologized with sincere remorse. "Xiao Du, Xiao Hei, I’m sorry. This is my fault. I’m the one who made you feel upset."

Xiao Du wiggled his head and tilted his cap back to look up at her, immediately shaking his head. "No, no, Master! I’m not upset at all! It’s not your fault."

Xiao Hei stretched out his leafy vine, his body swaying side to side like seaweed in the ocean. "Master, Master, it’s not your fault! It’s ours! We shouldn’t have fought."

Although still upset, Xiao Du silently agreed with Xiao Hei. "Master, I’m sorry we troubled you. As your spirit bodies, we should get along harmoniously."

Shi Lan kissed both spirit bodies. Mindful of the order in which she did so, she quickly emphasized, "In no particular order."

After kissing them, Shi Lan continued, "It really was my fault this time. I’m sorry for hurting your feelings, Xiao Du. My reply to Xiao Hei this morning wasn’t precise enough."

"First of all, I’m overjoyed that Xiao Hei can communicate with me now. In my heart, both of you are equally important. You’re both an inseparable part of me. You’ve been with me through thick and thin for so many years, accompanying me through so many dangerous times. We’re comrades-in-arms, we’re friends, and more than that, we’re family. I can’t choose a favorite, because I love you both. So I hope you won’t argue because of this..."

"You two were once one entity. Back when Xiao Hei couldn’t leave the spirit sea, Xiao Du would always bring him out. I know you love each other very much, too."