Chapter 279 - 276: [Human or Cat, Human or Ghost]

Chapter 279: Chapter 276: [Human or Cat, Human or Ghost]

Chapter 276: Human or Cat, Human or Ghost

It was hard to accurately describe the tangled and complex emotions Sun Keke was feeling at that moment.

When Chen Nuo walked out and told Ou Xiuhua, "This is my girlfriend"...

Sun Keke had actually wanted to retort with, "We’ve already broken up."

But... facing Chen Nuo’s mother for the first time, and on our first meeting, should I make things this awkward? This also made it difficult for Sun Keke to speak up.

Her current relationship with Chen Nuo was a messy affair. On that day at Suzhou Paradise, they had kissed and hugged, seemingly breaking the ice, but in the end, Chen Nuo still hadn’t given her a promise to choose one over the other.

In the end, their relationship was still a mess.

Admit it? Then, knowing Chen Nuo as I do, this guy would certainly take advantage and push his luck. Deny it? In that case, if I outright denied it in front of Chen Nuo’s mother, things would become stiff. What if we really got back together later on? How would I face Chen Nuo’s mom then? Would Chen Nuo’s mom think that my relationship with Chen Nuo is too childish and fickle? It’s not good to speak, and it’s not good to stay silent either!

For Ou Xiuhua, her thoughts were a bit simpler.

After hearing what Chen Nuo said, she couldn’t help but scrutinize Sun Keke closely.

Upon looking, Ou Xiuhua couldn’t help but nod.

This girl... not bad at all! Although the two I saw a few days ago were also good, for a traditional Huaxia mother like me, Niveer is a foreign girl, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Westerner. Eye-catching to look at, but... it always felt a bit off to match her with my son. Not quite right. And Li Yingwan is from South Korea; culturally similar and of the same skin color, but still a foreigner in the end. This Sun Keke is much better! She looks exactly like a typical Huaxia young girl, the very picture of a Jinling young lady. She’s wearing a school uniform, has a fresh, natural face, and soft, long hair. She looks very clean and pure. She’s also pretty, with a pair of peach-blossom eyes that perfectly fit the Huaxia aesthetic—a true beauty in the making. She looks shy and bashful, not at all like those two outgoing and bold foreign girls. Especially the way Sun Keke stands there, hands fidgeting nervously, her expression constrained, speaking to me so carefully—this is exactly the kind of daughter-in-law every Huaxia mother-in-law dreams of!

Ou Xiuhua only took a few glances and immediately felt very satisfied.

It’s not that the other two are bad. It’s just that this one is more suitable. And in terms of looks and appearance, she’s not the slightest bit inferior.

Ou Xiuhua beamed, came over, took Sun Keke’s hand, and sat her down on the sofa.

"Your name is Sun Keke, right? The ’Ke’ for lovely?"

"Um... yes," Sun Keke said, her head bowed.

Ou Xiuhua’s eyes twinkled with mirth. "I see you’re wearing the school uniform. Do you attend school with Chen Nuo?"

"Um... we used to be in the same class."

"Oh!" Ou Xiuhua’s smile widened, feeling even more satisfied.

Classmates, huh? That has a bit of a childhood-sweetheart feel to it.

While Ou Xiuhua chatted with Sun Keke, Chen Nuo took Xiao Yezi to wash her hands and cut up a fruit platter, then sat on the other side of the sofa with Ye Zi, turning on the TV and finding an animated channel for Xiao Yezi to watch.

Chen Nuo didn’t leave, which made Sun Keke feel somewhat relieved. She answered Ou Xiuhua’s questions, and every few sentences, she couldn’t help but shyly glance at Chen Nuo.

After all, Ou Xiuhua was an adult, and before long, she had learned everything she needed to know.

They were classmates of the same age. Sun Keke did well in her studies, was good-looking, and her words and actions seemed very innocent and pure. Moreover, her family background was also very good. Her mother was a grassroots civil servant, while her father was a dean of discipline at a school and had just been promoted to vice principal this year.

This type of family has substantial means, a certain social status, and is well-respected. However, they aren’t so highly placed as to be intimidating or make people feel overly deferential. It’s evident this girl has had a good upbringing and has a gentle personality. The only slight worry is that our own family’s status seems to be quite a bit lower than hers; it might be a bit of a reach... But then again, Chen Nuo already has several million in assets at eighteen and his own business. Well, that’s not too shabby, relatively speaking.

This was 2001, after all, and society was different from how it would be over a decade later. If this were twenty years in the future, in a developed provincial capital like Jinling, a small business owner with a few million in assets wanting to marry the daughter of a middle school vice principal would likely be met with scorn.

After chatting for a while, Ou Xiuhua didn’t say much more.

It’s their first meeting, after all. Asking too many questions would seem like an interrogation, which wouldn’t be good.

They chatted idly about some household matters, and Ou Xiuhua glanced at the time. It wasn’t too late, around six o’clock.

"Alright, Mom, it’s getting late, and Keke still needs to go home for dinner," Chen Nuo said with a smile, seeing that it was about time.

Ou Xiuhua was taken aback. "At this hour, why don’t you just eat here?"

"Ah, no, Auntie, I’ll eat at home," Sun Keke immediately jumped up, hastily declining. "I didn’t tell my family I wouldn’t be back for dinner; they must have already prepared it."

Ou Xiuhua listened and inwardly gave her more points: What a well-brought-up girl.

"Okay, we won’t keep you for dinner then," Ou Xiuhua also breathed a sigh of relief. "Come visit our home sometime!"

Today was just a coincidence; we haven’t prepared anything special. The plan for tonight was just to boil some noodles and reheat leftovers from the fridge to make do,

Sun Keke breathed a sigh of relief, quickly got up to say goodbye. Ou Xiuhua escorted her to the door and asked Chen Nuo to walk Sun Keke downstairs.

Upon leaving the Chen Family’s doorstep, Sun Keke felt like a weight had been lifted, sweat even beading on the tip of her nose.

"My mom seems to really like you," Chen Nuo said, holding Sun Keke’s hand as they walked downstairs.

Sun Keke tried to pull away, but Chen Nuo gripped her tightly. Seeing Chen Nuo’s pale face, Sun Keke’s heart softened, and she didn’t move anymore, allowing her small hand to be held by Chen Nuo.

When they reached downstairs, Sun Keke looked at Chen Nuo’s complexion. "How are you feeling?"

"I’m okay now, nothing’s wrong," Chen Nuo shook his head. "Don’t worry."

"What exactly happened today?"

"Well... you could say I had a mishap while practicing Inner Strength. But I’m fine now."

Inner Strength? Alright, she didn’t understand the details, but Chen Nuo was never an ordinary person; he had all sorts of strange skills. Perhaps it was like in the movies, where something goes wrong during martial arts training.

"So it won’t happen again in the future, will it?"

"It shouldn’t," Chen Nuo said with a smile, then added in a low voice, "Are you really afraid something will happen to me?"

Sun Keke stared at Chen Nuo, her eyes slightly aggrieved.

Seeing this look in her eyes, Chen Nuo felt a bit guilty, sighed softly, and walked out of the complex with Sun Keke’s hand in his.

Brother Lei was indeed still there, sitting in the car, dozing off with his eyes half-closed. When Chen Nuo came out, he saw quite a few cigarette butts on the ground outside the car window.

He tapped on the window. Brother Lei immediately came to his senses, startled awake, and opened the car door.

"Thanks for your trouble, Brother Lei," Chen Nuo said sincerely.

"You alright now?"

"Yes, I’m fine," Chen Nuo nodded. "Could you please take Sun Keke home?"

"Sure thing," Brother Lei grinned and nodded, glancing at Chen Nuo holding Sun Keke’s hand—just a look, then he discreetly shifted his gaze.

Master Nuo really is something else. Just a few days ago, there was that whole rivalry with five girls fighting for him. Sun Keke was so angry she drew a clear line with Chen Nuo; I knew about that. And now, he’s already won her back? What a smooth operator.

Getting into the car, Sun Keke hesitated for a moment. "Your complexion still doesn’t look good. You should rest when you get back. If you feel unwell, make sure to visit the hospital."

"Mhm."

"I... I’ve unblocked your number from my blacklist. You... if something happens, you must call me; you have to let me know."

"Okay."

"If you feel unwell, don’t just endure it."

"Alright."

With her mind at ease, Sun Keke got into the car. Under her lingering gaze, Brother Lei drove off.

Chen Nuo stood on the roadside, watching the car drive away, then turned and walked back into the complex.

By the time he was downstairs, cold sweat beaded on Chen Nuo’s forehead, and he suddenly felt his spiritual power wane, causing him to sit abruptly on the steps of the stairwell.

As his mental focus relaxed, he began to lose control of his body.

Leaning against the wall, sitting on the ground-floor steps, he took a long while to catch his breath.

Gradually recollecting his spiritual power, Chen Nuo staggered upstairs. Five floors, yet he had to rest twice in between. When he reached his front door, he steadied himself deliberately before entering.

Ou Xiuhua had already prepared dinner. Chen Nuo entered and ate dinner with Ou Xiuhua and Xiao Yezi as if nothing were amiss, showing no signs of abnormality. After dinner, he even chatted with Ou Xiuhua for a while.

The conversation was about his relationship with Sun Keke.

Once Ou Xiuhua knew for sure that her son was indeed dating Sun Keke, her mind was at ease, but she still admonished, "Now that she is your girlfriend, treat her well, especially about those two foreign girls the other day..."

"Mhm, I know what I’m doing," Chen Nuo replied steadily.

Then Ou Xiuhua went to take care of Xiao Yezi’s bath and bedtime, and Chen Nuo went to rest in his room as well.

Back in his own bedroom, he closed the door, and Chen Nuo’s face instantly changed!

After collapsing weakly onto the bed, cold sweat poured out in layers on his forehead and body.

Concentrating his spirit, he entered his Consciousness Space to recover his spiritual power...

That night, Ou Xiuhua knocked and came in to check on him. Seeing Chen Nuo hadn’t even changed his clothes and was already asleep on the bed, she came over, pulled the blanket over him, and then left the room.

「The night passed without incident.」

The next morning, Ou Xiuhua took Xiao Yezi to kindergarten. Before leaving, she noticed Chen Nuo hadn’t awakened yet and urged him to get up. Chen Nuo simply responded from inside the room.

After dropping off Xiao Yezi, Ou Xiuhua went to the market to buy groceries. When she returned home with the bags, she noticed Chen Nuo still hadn’t gotten up and grew worried.

Chen Nuo wasn’t really feeling well but put up a front, saying he had a bit of a cold and a headache so he didn’t want to get up, and had already asked a classmate to request leave for him.

After thinking it over, Ou Xiuhua told Chen Nuo to continue resting and then ran out the door again. A short while later, she returned with a bag of medicine from the pharmacy.

Re-entering Chen Nuo’s room, she sat by the bed, looking at Chen Nuo, who was sleeping with his eyes closed. First, she touched Chen Nuo’s forehead to make sure it wasn’t hot. Then she brought in a cup of warm water and unpacked the cold medicine she bought, taking out two capsules.

She patted Chen Nuo. "Xiao Nuo? Xiao Nuo?"

When Chen Nuo opened his eyes, he saw Ou Xiuhua sitting by the bed, holding a cup of water and clutching capsules in her palm.

"If you have a cold, take two pills before you sleep," she said.

Chen Nuo looked into Ou Xiuhua’s eyes, filled with concern, and smiled faintly. Without refusal, he took the items, swallowing the capsules in one gulp, followed by a sip of water.

"...Thank you."

"Mhm, get some good rest, and call me if you’re not feeling well," Ou Xiuhua stood up, looking at her son’s face with a hint of heartache, and said gently, "Should I cook some porridge for you at noon? I could go buy some pork floss..."

"No, I don’t want pork floss," Chen Nuo thought for a moment, knowing he couldn’t refuse everything without causing Ou Xiuhua to worry even more, so he said, "My mouth tastes a bit bland; I want something salty. We have pickled vegetables at home. Just cut half a piece for me to have with my congee later."

"Okay," Ou Xiuhua nodded.

「Ou Xiuhua closed the door behind her as she left.」

But Chen Nuo had no intention of continuing to sleep. He struggled to sit up and leaned against the headboard.

Actually, I’m certainly not ill. This weakness is entirely due to the overconsumption of spiritual power—and now my control over my body relies completely on manipulating spiritual power. My strength has already declined, and on top of that, I have to use my spiritual power to plug the leaks in my Consciousness Space, which feels like it’s leaking from all sides... Entering the world of memories yesterday consumed a vast amount of spiritual power, and now I’m struggling to hold on. Sleeping all night only allowed me to recover a little. The main reason is still the leak in my Consciousness Space... Even while recovering spiritual power, it’s constantly being drained to plug those leaks. I can’t stop for even a second. As a result, my recovery speed is greatly slowed.

"So, there are two urgent matters right now."

"First, I need to continue investigating the questions surrounding Antarctica."

"Second, I have to find a way to fix the problems with my own body. Otherwise, in this half-dead state, I won’t be able to handle it if something happens."

Chen Nuo sighed.

The door slowly opened.

The Gray Cat slipped in elegantly from outside, then jumped onto the table and watched Chen Nuo quietly.

"Did you hide yesterday?"

"MEOW."

"Speak human," Chen Nuo sighed.

"You brought the girl home. It wasn’t good for me to disturb you, so I left. MEOW!"

Chen Nuo smiled. "Do you need something from me now?"

"Your mother bought cat food that tastes awful," the Gray Cat sighed. "And giving me leftovers, that’s too much, isn’t it?"

"Just put up with it. That’s how people in Huaxia generally raise pets these days," Chen Nuo shook his head.

The Gray Cat stared at Chen Nuo. "You don’t look right, Mr. Controller."

Chen Nuo smiled lightly, ignoring the cat.

The Gray Cat jumped down from the table and lay on the floor beside the bed. After licking its paws, it settled down there quietly.

Neither man nor cat spoke again.

After a long silence in the room, Chen Nuo suddenly spoke up, "I’ve always been a bit curious."

"MEOW?"

"Why do you follow me? Isn’t it better to follow the Empress or Vanel?"

"MEOW..."

"I’ve spent too much spiritual power; I don’t want to read your mind now. Speak human."

The Gray Cat sighed. "If your mother hears me speaking human words at home, it will scare her to death."

Chen Nuo looked down at the Gray Cat, a smile in his eyes.

"...Alright. Being with you, I feel like I will live longer. You give me a sense of safety."

"Hmm?" Chen Nuo raised an eyebrow.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Nuo said slowly, "There’s something I’ve never asked you. I usually don’t like prying into others’ privacy, especially for a fellow Ability User; probing into someone else’s affairs is taboo. But... are you a human or a cat?"

"MEOW?"

"In Brazil, the person who was with you, he was just your puppet, right?"

"MEOW."

"’Kept slave’? That term isn’t very friendly to humans," Chen Nuo narrowed his eyes.

The Gray Cat immediately flipped over, raised its paws, and exposed its belly—a gesture of submissiveness.

"So, you’d rather beg than answer?" Chen Nuo laughed.

"You ask me if I’m a human or a cat... what about you? Are you a human or a ghost?" the Gray Cat finally spoke human words again. "A soul taking over another person’s body—I have never heard of such a thing in reality."

Chen Nuo was taken aback.

"Trust me, Mr. Controller. I am a cat that brings good luck to its owner. All my previous owners have been very lucky because of my presence. So I will not bring you harm, only benefits," the Gray Cat pleaded softly.

Chen Nuo sneered. "Benefits? Good luck? The person in Brazil who had you died very quickly."

"I already said, he was a kept slave, not the master."

"Then what makes someone a master?" Chen Nuo asked.

"...MEOW." The Gray Cat meowed softly but then crawled down and fell silent again.

The conversation ended there.

Chen Nuo didn’t press further, closing his eyes to enter his Consciousness Space and begin restoring his depleted spiritual power.

The room fell quiet. On the bed, Chen Nuo’s spiritual power began to slowly consolidate. Due to the leaks in his Consciousness Space, wisps of spiritual power escaped, occasionally stirring the curtains in the room, causing the wind chimes hanging there to tinkle clearly.

The Gray Cat suddenly opened its eyes, stretched its neck to look around.

Then the cat took a deep breath...

In the room, the wisps of spiritual power dissipating from Chen Nuo vanished in an instant.

The Gray Cat let out a satisfied moan, then hunkered down, gradually closing its eyes as well.

But Chen Nuo suddenly opened his eyes, glancing at the Gray Cat out of the corner of his eye. A complex smile touched his lips.

They really are... none of them are easy to deal with!

「These days, Chen Nuo had been carefully reviewing his experience in Brazil, going over it time and time again in his mind.」

And this Gray Cat, Black, with its complex and eerie identity, seemed average in strength and utterly ordinary. In that great battle, it had simply been lucky to escape with its life. But if I think about it carefully... Its survival was nothing short of a miracle! A seemingly inconspicuous one! It always appeared in the most crucial places! From outside the grease pit to the sacrificial altar, and even when I tricked it a few times, throwing it to save people... But it always appeared exactly where it should have been, every single time! Thinking back, although I tricked the Gray Cat at the sacrificial altar and threw it to save people... But... if it hadn’t "coincidentally" been right next to me...

「After resting at home for a day, Chen Nuo’s complexion had slightly improved when he got up that evening.」

I roughly estimate that I’ll need about two more days to return to the state I was in before this memory exploration.

After having some plain rice congee cooked by Ou Xiuhua in the evening, Chen Nuo returned to his room again.

The Gray Cat, wanting to follow him into the room to sleep beside him, was forcibly removed by Ou Xiuhua, who was worried the pet would disturb her son’s rest. Although the Gray Cat struggled, it didn’t dare to truly resist, nor did it dare to harm Chen Nuo’s mother, so it was helplessly thrown out of the room and watched as Ou Xiuhua closed the door.

"MEOW..."

That damnable female human! This cat just wanted to absorb a little of the dispersed energy! It wouldn’t have harmed him at all! What a waste!

「Chen Nuo had not given up searching his Consciousness Space.」

But after completing the last memory fragment, it felt like finishing a scenario in a game. I gained a few clues about the plot. But I don’t know where to find the next stage. It’s definitely still sealed within my Consciousness Space. But as for how to activate it, find it, or unlock it, I don’t have the slightest clue. My current spiritual power isn’t strong enough to support a very deep exploration of my Consciousness Space. But... I’m gradually sensing the biggest clue.

Antarctica... That Seed! The one with ambition and grand ideals! It turns out... in my previous life, I had already met this Seed in Antarctica! But why was this memory sealed? And... What the Seed said... That I’m also one of the chosen? What does that mean? What does "being chosen" mean? And who chose me? Most importantly, that message from the Seed: When I’m strong enough, go find him in Antarctica?

Oh, right... Also, in the memory, the Seed hunted down a giant octopus! Not just hunted, but directly killed! The Octopus Monster’s icebreaker, the Flying Fish, was using sonar to search for that giant octopus. And just as they found the giant octopus, the Seed suddenly appeared and killed it before the Octopus Monster’s team could act! What signal did this action send? The Seed... didn’t want the giant octopus to fall into anyone else’s hands! Considering my experience in Japan... These peculiar octopuses represent the Keys to finding the Mother. Then the Seed is destroying these Keys! The Seed doesn’t want the Keys to finding the Mother to fall into other people’s hands!

「These questions couldn’t be answered right now.」

Perhaps the only way is to find the next memory segment related to Antarctica in my mind. And... no matter what, recovering my strength is the most important thing! My current strength is too weak. Take the great battle at the pyramid in the Brazilian rainforest, for example. If I were in my current state back then, forget about being one of the three powerhouses confronting the Seed. If I encountered that level of top-tier combat again, I wouldn’t even qualify as cannon fodder!