Lu Hao nodded, rubbing his fingers across Fang Jing’s tail a few times, and didn’t suspect a thing upon hearing this.
Fang Jing’s voice was too youthful, so he had assumed the little fellow was around sixteen years old. He hadn’t expected him to be eighteen already, and wondered how long the lifespan of an unknown species like Fang Jing’s might be. “So our Yuanyuan is eighteen already. Have you seen many white fluff-balls like yourself, Yuanyuan? How old is the oldest white fluff-ball you’ve ever seen?”
In a rare moment, Fang Jing caught the deeper meaning behind Lu Hao’s words. “Hao-hao, are you worried that my beastly lifespan is too short to accompany you for a very, very long time?”
“Yeah.” Lu Hao cupped some water and poured it over Fang Jing’s back, leaning backward into the bath with his knees bent and resting against the edge of the tub, speaking of heavy topics in a relaxed posture. “I’m worried that you’ll be like other pet beasts, with a lifespan of only a few short years or a decade.”
Pet beasts didn’t live long and couldn’t grow old alongside their masters. For that reason, even though the Lu family had agreed to let Lu Hao keep a pet beast, he hadn’t allowed himself to act on a momentary impulse.
Some people were inherently long-lasting in their affections; time wouldn’t wash away their longing and grief, but rather let those emotions sink deep into the recesses of memory. When those memories were dredged back up, they were bound to churn up towering waves.
The one who left first was actually the happiest, because they would never have to know what those left behind had to endure.
Lu Hao didn’t want that. “Maybe in the future I’ll end up like my father. But no matter how long it takes, I couldn’t bear the thought of Yuanyuan leaving me first. So I hope you can live just a little bit longer than me, though not too much longer; ten minutes or an hour will be plenty.”
In just one month, Lu Hao had already grown accustomed to having a white fluff-ball by his side. He loved petting its fluffy fur and also loved the relaxing feeling of pressing his face against its belly.
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Building a habit only took twenty-four days, but changing or breaking a habit often took longer than building it in the first place, sometimes even an entire lifetime.
Fang Jing couldn’t fully comprehend the heavy sentiment in Lu Hao’s heart. “Alright, I’ll live just a little bit longer than Hao-hao! Hao-hao, I want to swim. Once I’m done swimming, let’s go to the supermarket. You promised me.”
“Alright, you don’t need to remind me, I remember everything.” Lu Hao placed Fang Jing back into the water, letting him paddle around freely. Even when a clump of foam landed on him after Fang Jing shook his head, he didn’t get angry at all.
Lu Hao’s optical computer was receiving a flood of messages. Upon learning that he had returned to school, Lu Hao’s mother had messaged him to ask why he hadn’t returned to the Lu family estate to rest properly.
There were also questions about how he planned to arrange his contracted beast, among other things.
Lu Hao patiently replied to each one. Toward the elders in his family, he was always patient, just as he was toward Fang Jing, never showing a trace of annoyance.
[Mom, my contracted beast is staying right by my side. I will raise it myself and take care of it, so there’s no need to send it back.]
[Lu Mother: Very well, just make your own decisions. Son, you’ve contracted a level-ten pet beast, and this matter has already spread far and wide. Your Second Uncle couldn’t keep a lid on it, so you need to mentally prepare yourself.]
Lu Hao’s second uncle, Du Yang, was a businessman, and the Du Corporation was considered a leading enterprise in its industry on Capital Star. Even he couldn’t suppress the news, which meant quite a few people were keeping an eye on him.
Perhaps some people would feel a sense of pity, thinking that the Marshal’s youngest son, hailed as a study god who excelled in every aspect, had actually gone and contracted a level-ten pet beast. Truly, no person was completely without flaws.
Perhaps others would gloat, thinking, “Look at that, calling himself a study god when he’s only drawing attention because of his status as the Marshal’s youngest son. What study god, what genius with Grade-A ice-affinity abilities, those titles were probably all exaggerated out of hot air, since no one has ever actually seen this so-called genius student make a real move.”
For all they knew, those titles might just be empty hype.
Such speculations were flying around wildly on the stellar net. Some netizens were practically transforming themselves into detectives, conducting exhaustive comparative analyses of Lu Hao’s titles like study god just to trample him down into the mud.
When a person was liked by others, they naturally had to mentally prepare themselves to be disliked as well.
Lu Hao wasn’t a stack of cash; he couldn’t expect to be loved by everyone, nor would everyone like him.
[Mom, I know. You don’t need to worry about my affairs.]
Just as Lu Hao finished replying, Fang Jing, unwilling to be left out in the cold, swam over and said in a soft, sweet voice, “Hao-hao, I don’t want to swim anymore. I’m so tired, and I’m thirsty too.”
Tired in less than ten minutes?
And thirsty?
You’re just craving food, that’s what you are.
Lu Hao saw right through it but didn’t call him out. He turned off his optical computer, scooped Fang Jing out of the water, rinsed him off a few times with the showerhead to wash the soap suds away, and said, “I’ll blow-dry your fur. Wait for me a few minutes while I tidy up the bathroom, and then I’ll take you out.”
“Okay, I’m the goodest boy!” Fang Jing shamelessly acted cute, clinging onto Lu Hao and demanding a kiss before obediently sprawling across the vanity counter to wait for people to come out.