CHAPTER 26: CHAPTER 26: PERHAPS HE WANTS TO SEE HER ONE LAST TIME

"Enough, Mu Yu, stop scaring her." The black serpent coiled on the bed had already transformed back into human form.

Lu Mufeng was dressed in a complex military uniform, golden medals flashing brightly on his chest.

He adjusted his slightly disheveled collar and got up from the bed, his blue uniform outlining his tall and solemn figure. The man’s icy gaze softened a bit when it met Ruan Li’s, showing a touch of apology, "Little Li, it was my fault this time. I was forced to transform at that moment and lost my sanity."

"Don’t take Mu Yu’s words seriously, we won’t force you, there’s no need to be so afraid." The black scales hadn’t completely faded, hidden beneath the tightly buttoned collar.

Lu Muyu’s smile grew wider.

Silly sister.

He let go and released her, but removed his monocle, momentarily unlocking a shackling restraint.

Ruan Li was deeply entranced by the allure in his eyes when he raised them, not noticing at all when he took one of her hands again and lowered his head to take a bite.

Lu Muyu lifted his head, his blood-stained tongue licking over his teeth, satisfaction showing in his vertical pupils, "Little Li is really sweet."

A stabbing pain shot from Ruan Li’s fingertip, though this pain was nothing compared to the fright she had just endured.

Seeing Lu Muyu ignoring his advice, Lu Mufeng furrowed his brows slightly and said coldly, "Lu Muyu."

Just those three simple words made Lu Muyu click his tongue impatiently.

He raised his hand to put on his monocle, a smile tugging at his lips, "Got it, big brother."

The man rose and took a few steps back.

"Little Li, mother asked me to call you down to accompany her in the garden."

Ruan Li gathered her thoughts and replied in a hoarse voice, "Got it, I’ll wash up and come down."

Lu Mufeng, seeing that she was indeed terrified, felt guilty, "I’ll tell mother for you, there’s no need for you to go down if you’re not feeling well."

"Okay, thank you."

"Lu Muyu, come with me."

Before leaving, Lu Muyu left Ruan Li with an enigmatic expression.

Once Ruan Li’s legs regained strength, she ran to the sink.

The girl in the mirror wore a pale face, with reddened eyes and wet lashes, her watery, pitiful expression tugged at the heartstrings.

She looked at her reflection left and right, increasingly pleased, then immediately activated her smart brain’s camera function to capture this moment of beauty.

After washing her face and thoroughly calming down, Ruan Li recalled what had just happened and surprisingly felt it was no big deal...

But Lu Muyu really crossed the line!

She must return home as soon as possible!

The smart brain on Ruan Li’s wrist suddenly vibrated; it was a video call from Shi Jue.

Without much thought, she connected the call.

In the video projection appeared Shi Yu’s face, anxious, "Ruan Li, come back quickly! Shi Jue is in critical condition!"

Ruan Li even thought she had misheard, "Speak slower, what’s wrong with Shi Jue?"

"That idiot Shi Jue went alone to confront a Six-star Mutated Ferocious Beast, got his chest bitten through just to defeat the beast, and then, seeing someone trying to snatch his Crystal Core, actually swallowed it directly!"

Under normal circumstances, a Crystal Core should be held in the palm to slowly absorb energy. Swallowing the core directly was tantamount to ingesting a bomb, which has now exploded inside him.

"Don’t panic, can you try getting him to a hospital first? It will take me at least an hour to return from S Star." While panic surged through Ruan Li’s heart, her mind raced to devise various responses, but now it seemed there was only one path left.

She must go back to treat Shi Jue, even though she had only a Level 1 Healing Ability... it might be a drop in the bucket, but it’s the only way; saving his life is the absolute priority.

The video ended on Shi Jue’s ghastly pale face with closed eyes, blood continually oozing from the corners of his mouth, even his golden curls drooping lifelessly like their owner.

Ending the call, Ruan Li hurriedly rushed out of the room, only to bump straight into Lu Mufeng’s chest as she opened the door.

She immediately covered her forehead in pain, wondering why this man’s chest was as hard as a wall.

Lu Mufeng looked down at her, "Sorry, I was just about to bring you some dessert." He lifted the platter in his hand, explaining, "A little sweetness might lighten your mood."

Ruan Li didn’t have the time to argue about this, directly stating her intent to go home.

Lu Mufeng’s eyes conveyed slight disapproval, "You’ve come back once, but haven’t even had a family reunion meal, mother would be saddened."

Ruan Li explained Shi Jue’s situation, "The reunion meal can wait for my next visit, but Shi Jue can’t wait any longer."

The man observed Ruan Li’s evident anxiety, fell silent for a moment, then agreed, "I’ll take you home; a military aircraft is faster, we can arrive in half an hour."

"Really? Thank you, big brother." Ruan Li sincerely expressed her gratitude, not noticing the few depths in the man’s gaze as he looked at her.

Lu Mufeng strode ahead with big steps, while Ruan Li ran behind him with small steps. Minutes later, they arrived at an open area with a white military aircraft parked, looking not only advanced on the outside but also sleek and fully equipped inside.

Lu Mufeng operated the controls, and the aircraft sped forward so fast that Ruan Li could hardly make out the surroundings.

"Marshal," a call connected on the console, the man executed a military salute.

"Hmm, take the medical equipment and head to Star A, arrive within half an hour; I’ll send you the address."

The clear words echoed without omission into Ruan Li’s ears.

Marshal? Lu Mufeng?

"Ruan Li" had only thought about escaping from the Lu Family and had never paid attention to the information about the three Lu brothers.

"Don’t worry, I’ve brought the best medical team, he’ll be fine," Lu Mufeng said, mistakenly believing the little female was worried about her injured male Beast Husband, even though he wasn’t good at comforting females, he offered a kind lie.

According to Ruan Li’s description, Shi Jue swallowed a Six-star Fierce Beast’s Crystal Core while only having a three-star superpower himself. This immense impact was like inflating a balloon beyond its fixed capacity; if too much air was blown in at once, it would simply go "boom."

This Beast Husband was almost certainly facing his doom.

On the other side, Shi Jue lay on the bed, exhaling more than inhaling.

"He’s hanging by a thread," Bai He commented after checking his dire state.

"Maybe he just wants to see Ruan Li one last time," Xu Mo stood by and said.

Shi Yu watched his troublesome brother, who first married a malicious Female Head and then was so lovesick he constantly talked about how she had changed for the better. Shi Yu scoffed at this, knowing he would’ve long ago shattered these blissful illusions if not too lazy to expose the truth. He couldn’t fathom why Shi Jue would suddenly decide to single-handedly challenge a Six-star Mutated Fierce Beast, getting his chest pierced was already a stroke of bad luck, and in the end, he went ahead and swallowed the Crystal Core when someone tried stealing it.