Chapter 20: The Second Esper

Lu Yao and the snow-white Persian cat gazed expectantly at Jiang Qiyu, their eyes conveying a silent plea: Could they go back with her?

Jiang Qiyu looked Lu Yao up and down, brought him into the villa, and casually scooped up the Persian cat that had been rubbing against her ankles. The heavy villa door swung shut with a dull "click," as if sealing off the outside world.

"Are your limbs... healed?" Jiang Qiyu couldn't help but ask. The mangled, bloody stumps from the afternoon were now completely intact.

Lu Yao tilted his head, his pale gold eyes scanning the surroundings with the curiosity of a cat. "I don't know," he said with an air of innocence. "I just woke up and they were fine."

Jiang Qiyu stared at his restored limbs, her suspicions deepening. This regenerative ability was simply preposterous. She studied him for a long moment and activated her [Inspect] skill, but his character profile remained blank; she could not access his attribute panel.

"It was fine after a nap?" Jiang Qiyu repeated, her tone probing. "Is that how it works every time you get hurt?"

Lu Yao nodded, seemingly finding the question strange. "Yes, I suppose so?"

Jiang Qiyu looked into his eyes, searching for any sign of deception, but found only the purity of a newborn, devoid of any impurities. Could he truly be an ordinary person with a unique constitution?

"Where did you live before?" Jiang Qiyu changed her approach, hoping to uncover his past.

Lu Yao’s gaze flickered as if he were struggling to recall or hesitating. "I... I can't remember," he finally said, his voice dropping. "I woke up in that shipping container, and I don't remember anything."

Amnesia? Jiang Qiyu felt a spark of recognition; it was a plausible explanation. Yet, her intuition told her that things were not that simple.

"What about the cat?" Jiang Qiyu pointed to the Persian curled up at his feet. "When did it start following you?"

Lu Yao looked down at the cat and reached out to stroke its soft fur. "It... has always been there," he said after a moment of hesitation. "At least, it was by my side when I woke up."

Both man and cat were of unknown origin. Jiang Qiyu kept her composure, deciding to test Lu Yao's abilities first.

"Are you hungry?" Jiang Qiyu asked. "I'll get you something to eat."

Lu Yao nodded, a flash of longing in his eyes.

Jiang Qiyu went to the kitchen and returned shortly with a plate of roasted meat and a glass of milk. At the sight of food, Lu Yao’s eyes lit up, and he immediately began to devour it ravenously.

While observing him, Jiang Qiyu asked as if it were a casual remark, "Are you... very strong?"

Lu Yao paused, seemingly confused by the question. "I guess I'm okay," he mumbled, his hands still tearing into the meat.

Jiang Qiyu calmly picked up an iron candlestick from the table and bent it with a gentle push; the sturdy metal warped like a noodle in her hands.

Seeing this, Lu Yao stopped mid-bite, a glimmer of surprise crossing his face.

Jiang Qiyu placed the deformed candlestick on the table and looked at him with a faint smile. "Can you do that?"

Lu Yao stared at the object, hesitated, and reached out to grip it.

The candlestick didn't budge. He exerted more force, his face turning bright red, but the iron remained unchanged. Finally, he withdrew his hand in embarrassment and shook his head. "I... I can't."

Jiang Qiyu watched his expression closely. Satisfied that he wasn't faking it, her confusion only grew. Regenerative abilities and keen senses, yet lacking the corresponding physical strength—it didn't make sense.

Looking at the question marks on his profile, she felt even more perplexed. A unique constitution? A special ability? Who exactly was this guy?

"Grumble..."

An abrupt sound broke the silence of the living room. Lu Yao clutched his stomach, his small face contorting.

Jiang Qiyu was surprised. "Still not enough?" she asked. "There's food cooked downstairs. Want to go down and have some?"

Lu Yao shook his head violently, a flash of ferocity in his pale gold eyes. "No! I hate humans!"

Jiang Qiyu blinked, then laughed. "I'm a human, too."

Lu Yao looked her up and down, then said seriously, "You're different."

"How am I different?" Jiang Qiyu asked, piqued with interest.

Lu Yao couldn't answer; he simply repeated stubbornly, "You're just different."

Fine, perhaps the kid had a screw loose. Jiang Qiyu didn't press the matter. She went to the kitchen and took three different flavors of self-heating rice from her storage. "Braised beef, yellow-braised chicken, and chicken curry. Which one do you want?"

Lu Yao looked at the steaming boxes with a blank expression. "What is this? And what is that?" He pointed at the three boxes, asking a barrage of questions.

Jiang Qiyu pointed to the pictures and text on the packaging, explaining each flavor’s characteristics and how to operate the heating pack in detail. "Look, this is the braised beef flavor; it has beef chunks and potatoes. This is yellow-braised chicken, with chicken and mushrooms. This is chicken curry, with diced chicken and potatoes—it's a bit spicy." She picked up a heating pack and demonstrated how to use it. "Put this pack in the box, pour in cold water, close the lid, and wait ten minutes."

Yet, Lu Yao's gaze remained vacant, as if every word she spoke were in a foreign tongue.

Jiang Qiyu sighed, thinking the boy might be a bit slow. Never mind. Looking at his slender frame, he probably couldn't eat much anyway. She decided to prepare all three portions for him.

As the heating packs hissed, a rich aroma began to drift from the boxes—the savory scent of beef, the mellow fragrance of chicken, and the spicy notes of curry filled the kitchen.

The fragrant rice attracted not only Lu Yao but also the Persian cat. It walked over silently, like a drifting cloud, its soft paws making no sound. It circled Jiang Qiyu’s feet, letting out a faint "meow" as if begging for food. Its pale gold eyes were fixed on the steaming rice with intense longing. Amused, Jiang Qiyu bent down and gently stroked its soft, smooth fur. The warmth from her fingertips brought her a sense of comfort and relaxation.

Lu Yao, who had been standing by quietly watching, suddenly darted forward like a bolt of black lightning. He reached out and shoved the cat aside. The cat, caught off guard, let out a startled "meow," flew through the air in an arc, and landed heavily on the floor. It scrambled up, tucked its tail, and scurried under the sofa, trembling and refusing to come out.

Jiang Qiyu was startled by his sudden outburst. She stood up abruptly, brows furrowed, her voice tinged with irritation: "What are you doing?"

Lu Yao acted as if nothing had happened, entirely indifferent to the cat’s plight. He walked up to Jiang Qiyu, tilted his head back, his pale gold eyes shining with anticipation, and asked in a coaxing, spoiled tone: "Pet me."