TL: Moonlit
The black long-eared rabbit, held in Lin Su’s hand, originally kicked its legs in mid-air but suddenly froze, feeling a chilling aura spreading around it.
“Squeak!”
Its raised front paws pitifully clasped together and rubbed, its pair of red eyes filled with anxiety and anticipation as it looked at Lin Su.
Lin Su was genuinely surprised that this long-eared rabbit had come to find him. His shiny black cat eyes fell upon the rabbit’s tender and twitching little nose, showing a hint of delight. He gently tapped it with his hand, holding onto the slightly plump hindquarters of the rabbit. Although its black, glossy fur couldn’t compare to the smoothness of a large fox’s fur, it still had a pleasant texture.
Carrying the long-eared rabbit, Lin Su walked towards William: “Did it come in through the window?”
The window, which had been closed properly, was now half-open, allowing a fresh breeze to enter along with a cool sensation.
The semi-draped curtain swayed gently in the wind, exuding an elegant and soft aura.
William suppressed the captivating emotions in his eyes, and nodded seemingly naturally, while the tip of his tail hanging over the edge of the bed rhythmically tapped the surface with an expression of concern.
“This rabbit is the B-rank contract beast I saw in the Star Mist Forest last time, the one used for treating male father.” As Lin Su spoke, his hand kept stroking the rabbit, which enjoyed being petted and nestled next to him. Its large red eyes narrowed in contentment. “I didn’t expect it to find its way here. It seems quite clever.”
William’s gaze followed Lin Su’s hand movements, his expression calm, his thin lips lightly pursed, while his fox ears perched on top of his head stood alert.
“You must find it boring being alone. How about keeping it as a companion? This little rabbit seems quite docile.” Lin Su grabbed the chubby long-eared rabbit’s front paws, making it stand up. In doing so, the rabbit’s two tender pink pads were exposed to Lin Su’s sight. “These little paws are so plump and feel nice to touch.”
William turned his head slightly, curling up his fox tail that hung at the edge of the bed. His own paw pads were also pink and had thick pads that were even better to touch!
“William, give it a hug. Its soft and squishy texture feels great.”
Before William could react, Lin Su stuffed the long-eared rabbit into his arms.
The human and the beast stiffened as they came close together.
William restrained the impulse to throw this dumb rabbit out and instead, the black long-eared rabbit nervously curled up in William’s embrace, its innocent red eyes showing a hint of cunningness.
“How about it? Doesn’t it feel like a hand warmer? Since this little thing managed to find its way here, let’s keep it.” Lin Su reached out and stroked the fur of the long-eared rabbit, remembering what he had to do when he returned to his room. “By the way, the Minister of Enforcement came by and said he wants to buy purification seeds from me on a long-term basis. I think we can sign a long-term agreement with him, which would ensure our family’s income. What do you think?”
William met Lin Su’s expectant black eyes with his own gaze. It felt good to be cared for by someone.
He nodded, unable to restrain a slight twitch of his canine ears.
Lin Su’s eyes curved, and he reached out to grab William’s fox tail that lay scattered nearby, holding it against his face and rubbing it affectionately. Revealing a dimple on his cheek, he smiled cutely and exclaimed, “Indeed, this tail is the best to touch!”
William disdainfully glanced at the stupid rabbit lying obediently on his lap. Psh!
Seeing that William also agreed to cooperate with Mu’en, Lin Su stood up cheerfully. “You two play together now. I still have some unfinished tasks to attend to. Make sure you get along and don’t fight!”
Watching Lin Su leave, the once harmonious fox and rabbit suddenly separated.
The black long-eared rabbit cautiously hopped into a corner, looking back at William with its red eyes, now alert and baring its teeth, showing no signs of the previous docility in front of Lin Su.
William disdainfully shifted his gaze away from the rabbit. He wasn’t petty enough to argue with a pet.
Moreover—William raised the tip of his own tail and wagged it in the direction of the long-eared rabbit!
In the logistics maintenance department of the North Third Military District on North Star, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive. Butte threw his wrench aside and sat on the ground: “Have any of you been in contact with Gen?”
As soon as this question was asked, the once lively logistics maintenance room fell silent.
Butte was accustomed to such silence. These veterans, on the verge of retiring and transitioning to civilian life, were waiting to see who would succumb to mental disorders and be forced to retire and wait for death.
Not long ago, the youngest among them, Gen, was the first to be diagnosed with a mental disorder. It had worsened over time, reaching the level of a Class C disorder from its initial Class D state.
Gen was not the only one in such a condition. Over the years, countless people around them had left due to mental disorders.
No one here could guarantee that they wouldn’t fall ill.
As males, mental disorders were like a sword hanging over their heads.
No one knew when the chains on the sword would break.
“I heard a rumor a couple of days ago, I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it’s been circulating in the testing institute. It seems that the purification vegetables found by the Enforcement Department still contain 60% natural elements. The nutritional supplements they consume now have a calming effect.”
“I’ve heard about this news too. Some say it’s 69% natural elements. I don’t think this news is true!”
“I also think it’s unlikely. We’ve all eaten purified vegetables. Do they have any effect? They just taste better than nutritional supplements, but they’re ridiculously expensive. Who can afford to eat them every day? Personally, I don’t believe it.”
“If it’s true, the capital star would have already taken action and sent people over. Instead of dealing with all this nonsense, we should focus on finding a way to cure mental disorders for our own benefit.”
As they discussed this topic, the once lively maintenance room regained some liveliness. Butte leaned against the side, not participating in the conversation but not interrupting either. The discovery of individuals with purification abilities by the Enforcement Department was not a secret within the military district.
However, it was the mention of more than 60% natural elements that caught his attention.
“Hey, is everyone busy?” Gen, dressed in deep blue military attire, walked in with a tall and well-built posture, wearing a bright smile on his face.
His sudden appearance silenced the previously noisy room. Everyone froze as if someone had pressed the pause button, staring at the person who shouldn’t be there.
It wasn’t until Butte found his voice first that he exclaimed in surprise, “Gen, are you… alright?”
Gen walked over and hugged Butte, smiling. “Captain, you worried about me. I’m doing okay now. I just had a reevaluation, and the medical personnel at the infirmary said my condition is stable, so I can temporarily come back to work.”
“Really? Gen, you can really come back to work?”
“Yeah, you look like you’re completely fine now!”
“How did you do it, Gen? You don’t know, the captain mentioned you just now. We wanted to contact you, but we were afraid of disturbing your rest. It’s so great that you’re back now!”
The others quickly surrounded Gen, expressing their joy and excitement.
Gen’s eyes couldn’t hide his genuine happiness. Being back here also excited him, giving him a sense of joy as if he had survived a disaster. “I’m not completely cured yet, but I have temporarily halted the progression of the disorder. It’s hard to explain how it happened, it’s quite miraculous.”
Looking back now, Gen felt like he was still dreaming. He had reached the point of despair and was about to give up.
“Your current state is already quite miraculous, brother. Honestly, we thought you wouldn’t be able to come back and would have to transition to civilian life!”
As these words were spoken, several people surrounding Gen couldn’t help but become teary-eyed.
“Now it seems I can survive a little longer. Although I say that, my eyes are getting warm. For us males, mental disorders are an irreversible terminal illness. Even though everyone seems to be in good condition now, tomorrow or the day after, it might be my turn.”
“Speaking of which, I still can’t believe that I’ve improved. It’s all thanks to Zhao An from my family. He bought some fruits from a purified vegetable shop called Ai Su. Originally, it was meant to improve my quality of life, but after eating those fruits, the swelling and pain in my mental domain, which was causing insomnia, were alleviated significantly. If not for those fruits, I wouldn’t be able to stand here now.”
This was the explanation Gen had discussed with Zhao An before coming here. After all, North Star hadn’t made any official announcements yet, and they couldn’t betray the kindness of Luo Manman. It just happened that Lin Su had opened a fruit and vegetable shop.
They only mentioned that it was an accidental discovery, which was plausible.
“Brother, are you just saying this to make us feel better? We’ve also eaten purified vegetables before, but they didn’t have such abilities!”
If they did, it wouldn’t still be a secret.
“Yeah, it sounds like what you ate wasn’t just fruit, but rather a calming agent!”
“Bro, is this the Ai Su Fruit and Vegetable Shop you’re talking about?”
Although these words sounded somewhat unbelievable, some people were curious and searched for the fruit and vegetable shop online. A group of people quickly gathered around when they found it, and what they saw was a refreshing and clean green storefront with various pictures of fruits and vegetables. There were large, round apples, bright yellow oranges, and vibrant red strawberries. Just from the pictures, they were incredibly appealing.
“Could these pictures be edited? They look too beautiful!”
“I feel like buying some!”
“But the prices are so expensive. I remember an apple costs 300 credits, but here they want 400?”
“Why does it seem like their prices are higher than regular purified fruits and vegetables?”
“Gen, are you really only cured because of their fruits and vegetables?” Butte shifted his gaze away from the open storefront and looked at Gen with curiosity in his eyes.
“How could I joke about something like this? I wrote about it in my return-to-duty report. The fruits and vegetables from this shop are more expensive than others, but believe me, it’s worth it. Those who buy it will know. I suggest you place an order and try it for yourself to see if what I’m saying is true!”
In his eyes, fruits and vegetables with calming abilities were priceless.
Moreover, they had the luxury of discussing whether it was expensive or not because only a few people knew about it. In the future, when it’s no longer a secret, even money might not be able to buy them.
The crowd couldn’t help but be tempted. Although it was a bit expensive, Gen was standing right there. They knew firsthand how severe Gen’s mental disorder had been.
A person who was essentially sentenced to death in their minds suddenly appeared in good condition here. Wasn’t that enough proof that it was true?
“I’ll place an order and try it!”
“I’ll buy too. I’ll get an orange. This one looks good!”
“I want strawberries. I’ve been craving them for so long, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money!”
“Well, you’re really going all out for this!”
…
In the courtyard, William, supported by Lin Su, held a chubby lop-eared rabbit in his arms. With Lin Su around, the fox and the rabbit got along harmoniously.
Both Kane and Su Jin accepted the sudden addition of a B-rank contract black lop-eared rabbit to their home without any issues. Their current living conditions were good, so keeping a B-rank contract beast as a pet seemed perfectly fine.
Especially since the rabbit looked quite well-behaved.
“0052 has placed an order in your shop…”
“7758 has placed an order in your shop…”
“0642 has placed an order in your shop…”
…
The sudden sound of notifications rang out one after another, causing the three of them in the courtyard to look at William in astonishment.
Lin Su put down what he was holding and smiled as he ran over to William. “Is this the grand opening?”
