Chapter 31: Who Is Your Father?
Wu Yao didn’t care one bit about whether the overpriced dessert shops in school could survive. He only knew that the cafeteria food was absolute garbage. To him, Yu An and the others coming to this school was akin to serving a prison sentence. Naturally, as a loyal brother, he was the type to take a bullet for his friends—or at the very least, bring them a decent meal.
The “Little Wu Delivery Service” was officially open for business.
“It’s a hassle since you guys don’t have phones. Tell me what you want to eat now, and I’ll bring it tomorrow,” Wu Yao said, pulling out a pen and paper with professional flair. “Forget about soup, though. If this fake priest doesn’t come with me next time, I’ll have to climb over the wall. Carrying soup while hopping a fence is just asking for trouble.”
Yu An’s mouth hung open slightly. “Won’t that be too much trouble for you?”
“Nah, I’ve got nothing better to do lately anyway.” Wu Yao waved a hand dismissively. “Treasure these moments while I’m still feeding you, friends. Next month, the priest and I have to start school, and there won’t be anyone to play delivery boy then.”
“Are you coming to this school too?” Yu An asked.
“No way. We’re going to Xinqi Academy. Aren’t you going there once you finish your mission here?”
Yu An shook his head, looking a bit lost. “I… I don’t know.”
Wu Yao stared at his bewildered expression in shock. “Don’t tell me you’ve never even heard of Xinqi?”
Yu An really hadn’t. At his response, everyone else turned to look at him as if he were some rare specimen.
Yu An was never one who could hide his feelings. Although Fu Yunshu was confused as to why Wen Xun and the others hadn’t mentioned Xinqi to the boy, he still took it upon himself to explain. “Xinqi is an academy established by the Base specifically for Espers. Every student admitted is a Mutant. The minimum age is thirteen, and there is no upper limit.”
“Anyone who becomes a Mutant due to accidental circumstances can enter Xinqi to study, provided they pledge loyalty to the Base and promise not to harm human society.”
Yu An asked curiously, “What happens to the ones who refuse to follow the rules?”
“The Base keeps them locked up indefinitely.”
The power of an Esper was too volatile. A malicious individual with those abilities could cause catastrophic casualties. To protect the public, the Base had no choice but to restrict their freedom.
Yu An gained a general understanding of what kind of school Xinqi was. However, when Wu Yao asked if he wanted to join them, Yu An hesitated.
Naturally, he wanted to be with his friends. However, his identity was special. It was fine in the Base with Wen Xun covering for him, but if he entered a school full of people, what would happen if someone discovered his true nature?
Yu An knit his brows, filled with worry.
[Don’t go.]
Claude’s voice suddenly rang out. Still hiding in Yu An’s pocket, he spoke to him mentally.
[Based on your current rate of growth, you will enter a development phase when you are thirteen or fourteen. During that time, you might lose control and revert to your original form.]
[Wait a little longer. Once Earth’s spatial rifts are repaired and you’ve fully adapted to life here, our clansmen can come for you at any time.]
Yu An had always known he wasn’t human. “Soland” and the previously appeared Chausier were both his kin, but they had never formally discussed the topic of his future.
Yu An bit his lip, feeling a sudden, nameless dread regarding the future.
[My original form… is it like yours? Do I turn into a little octopus?]
Claude fell silent for a moment. He desperately wanted to tell Yu An that they weren’t octopuses, but Ushatos. However, seeing the boy’s low spirits, he didn’t have the heart to force a correction.
[It’s alright. We are all here.]
Even if he had left by then, Soland would have returned. At the very least, Chausier was still in this world. He was a bit of a dunderhead, but he had experience looking after cubs in the past.
Yu An suddenly went quiet, his little mouth pouting slightly. Anyone with eyes could see his mood had plummeted.
Since Wu Yao was the one who had brought up Xinqi, he naturally assumed Yu An was sad because he couldn’t go. But with his loud, boisterous personality, trying to coax a child with gentle patience was simply too much to ask of him.
Wu Yao began frantically winking at the more reliable Fu Yunshu, signaling him to hurry up and comfort the kid.
Fu Yunshu gently patted Yu An’s small head. “Do you want to go to Xinqi?”
Yu An shook his head, his voice muffled. “…No.”
“If you want to go, you can talk to Uncle Wen about it.” Fu Yunshu assumed he was just being shy. “Uncle Wen and Uncle Lin are very open-minded. If you tell them, I’m sure they’ll agree.”
Yu An knew they would, but he didn’t want to cause trouble for his fathers.
If his identity was accidentally exposed, it would bring immense trouble to his family.
Better not risk it.
Having convinced himself, the gloom in Yu An’s heart vanished. He happily began eating his cake again. The Snow Snake poked its small head out and stared at his dessert, so Yu An generously shared a piece with it.
The Snow Snake’s eyes lit up—it was the most delicious thing it had ever tasted. It immediately coiled itself around Yu An’s wrist, wagging its tail happily against his arm as it waited for the next bite.
Fu Yunshu caught sight of this embarrassing behavior, grabbed the snake, and tossed it to the other side. The Snow Snake was fuming but didn’t dare speak up; it simply turned its head away, deciding to give Fu Yunshu the cold shoulder for a few days.
Yu An chuckled and picked the snake back up. Holding a small spoon, he took a bite for himself and then gave a bite to the snake.
Seeing his mood improve, Wu Yao and the others breathed a sigh of relief and continued chatting until they prepared to leave at ten o’clock that night.
Yu An had been struggling to adjust to the new bed and hadn’t slept well the past few nights. Drowsiness had long since overtaken him; he leaned against Fu Yunshu’s shoulder, nodding off.
“We’re heading back to the dorms then,” Fu Yunshu said to Wu Yao and the others, supporting Yu An. “The dorms close at ten-thirty.”
Wu Yao nodded. He looked at the half-asleep Yu An and suppressed a smile. Then, looking down at the equally exhausted Ji Yunyan who was slumped over the table, he delivered a sharp smack to the back of the boy’s head without a shred of mercy. “Wake up, time to go.”
Ji Yunyan jolted awake, his eyes filled with resentment as he wiped a bit of drool from the corner of his mouth. “The Lord says… you are a truly crude individual.”
Wu Yao snorted and grabbed him by the arm. “The Lord says if you keep yapping, you’re getting another smack.”
Ji Yunyan: “…”
He quickly began chanting sutras in his head to suppress the urge to punch the guy.
After Wu Yao and Ji Yunyan left, Fu Yunshu looked down at the soundly sleeping Yu An. Half of the boy’s face was pressed into his shoulder, and his pink little mouth was slightly puckered—he looked as delicate as a high-end collector’s doll.
Gu Yixing couldn’t resist the urge to poke Yu An’s soft cheek, but he was immediately stopped by a sharp look from Fu Yunshu.
“Let’s go.”
Fu Yunshu picked Yu An up in a practiced, cradling hold. Yu An, used to being carried over the years, instinctively hooked his arms around Fu Yunshu’s neck and buried his face in the crook of the boy’s shoulder to continue his nap.
Shortly after they left, Xu Mingyao, who was sitting in the corner, lowered the newspaper he was using to hide his face. His gaze was dark and unreadable as he stared at their departing backs.
Translator’s Note: Welcome back, everyone! In this chapter, we see the first mention of Xinqi Academy (新启学院). The name “Xinqi” literally means “New Beginning” or “New Dawn,” fitting for a school where Espers learn to start their lives anew under the Base’s guidance.
Also, the idiom Wu Yao represents is 兩肋插刀 (liǎng lèi chā dāo), which literally means “sticking knives in both sides of one’s ribs.” It refers to being a loyal friend who is willing to undergo extreme sacrifice.
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