CRA Chapter 49

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Spiritual realm

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On the peaceful night of the Nesela Day, the sky was full of serene bright lights, as if the moon had fallen from the heavens and had been sprinkled over the city of Sailou.

However, the small glowing balls which had danced in the wind like fireflies on the streets, gradually faded and disappeared one after another. This represented the end of this year’s Nesela Festival.

In the hotel room, the two adults and the cub lying on the same bed were now soundly asleep. Apart from the occasional movement of the little tail fin belonging to the mermaid cub nestled in the arms of the youth, there was no other movement.

Later into the night, the mild luster of the moonstone became more prominent. The oval gem tucked into Xie Luan’s pocket was showing a faint light at this time, which seemed to echo the warm yet cold moonlight outside the window.

Legend in the mermaid race has it that when gifted to a lover as a token of love, the moonstone would have an unimaginable effect.

Xie Luan had heard this rumor, but like others, he only regarded it as folklore meant to give the gemstone a beautiful meaning. But now he seemed to actually be experiencing the unimaginable effects talked about.

When Xie Luan opened his eyes again after he fell asleep, he did not see the familiar environment of his original world, but a very broken and overgrown scene.

All around him were broken walls and ruins. The buildings were damaged to such a degree that you couldn’t even see a trace of their original appearance.

The sky was so grey that you couldn’t see a trace of blue. The wind blowing through the city raised sand and dust. The desolate scenery was endless… The planet was dead.

Faced with this dilapidated scene, Xie Luan stayed still where he stood. He did not know what was going on until he saw a small white egg laying alone in the ruins.

Xie Luan recognized the egg.

Although the egg was white, different from the color in his memory, he could still recognize it.

And it was exactly because he had recognized it that Xie Luan now had some clues regarding his current situation.

Xie Luan walked closer to the egg, however, he was not able to touch it. He could only stand there as a bystander.

But the moment he approached it, Xie Luan’s heart was suddenly filled with a strange feeling, not belonging to him, but to this small egg.

Just like sharing his perception of the world, Xie Luan could now indirectly feel everything the cub inside the egg was feeling, including the icy heart-piercing loneliness of being the only one left in these desolate ruins… It was a very difficult feeling to describe.

The cub inside the egg had been able to perceive the outside world. Although he had not yet hatched, the cub was already conscious and his perception of the outside world was very clear.

The dozens of layers of defensive devices protecting the egg had completely failed after the severe impact. Next to the egg laid a silver-colored necklace of unknown material. Xie Luan lowered his head and happened to see that there was a ring strung on the necklace. On the ring, the words “Ya Yi” were engraved.

The outside world was still in a state of ignorance. The cub could only stay among these damaged ruins and quietly wait.

Wait for the shell to crack open, or for someone to come to this place and pick him up.

Xie Luan had not known that the cub had had such a clear sense of the outside world at this time, while still inside the egg. He wanted nothing more than to pick up the lonely egg and pat it, but he could not do it.

This place should be the nox’s spiritual realm, Xie Luan had come to this conclusion based on various conditions.

As for why he came here, Xie Luan thought about it, but at present could only think of the legend about the moonstone in the mermaid race.

The egg spent a day in these deserted ruins, then two… Quietly waiting for a long time, for someone to find him. The planet which had turned into a relic finally received visitors, it was a Star Alliance unit sent to search through the ruins. The one who had later found the egg.

It should have been a good thing, but from the moment the egg was found, Xie Luan started to feel more and more negative emotions through the shared perception.

Heavy, like a shadow clinging to his heart, weighing it down.

The other’s negative feelings gradually transformed into an extremely cold thing. With the accumulation of such negative feelings, Xie Luan saw the shell of the egg slowly change from white to black.

The time flow accelerated unwittingly. Xie Luan watched the cub’s life unfold before his eyes almost like a slideshow, but he could not see the end.

Because while looking at it, the world before Xie Luan’s eyes had been darkening and then finally completely sunk into darkness.

This dark was the darkness in Ya Yi´s heart.

“——“ At the moment his vision was completely plunged into darkness, just as if having had a long dream, Xie Luan at last returned to his original world when he opened his eyes again.

Lightly releasing a breath, Xie Luan sat up from the bed.

Since the passive establishment of the spiritual link between the two worlds, Xie Luan had become more and more of a shut-in in his original world.

However, thanks to Xie Luan’s present fame, even if he only posted one drawing a month he would still be able to get by, he also had a lot of spare money in his account. Aside from that, there was always the option of freelancing, it could be said that he could stay in his house as much as he wanted.

His usual trips every two or three months had also been canceled. As he did not live with his family, Xie Luan’s recently shut-in lifestyle only aroused a little concern from his childhood friend.

Actually, LuYuan had at first not paid much attention to it. But he could not forget how on the winter solstice day, roughly two months ago, when he was sent by his parents to give the youth some dumplings, he had been asked by Xie Luan to buy a copy of the Nursery Book at the nearby bookstore on the way ———If he wanted to give a gift to a friend who had recently given birth, Lu Yuan did not feel that a child raising book was an appropriate gift. Neither should a child raising book be sent to relatives or anyone for that matter, it was something you bought yourself. Lu Yuan was left in a very complicated mood at that time.

If not for the fact that the other’s face had been so calm and natural when he received the book, Lu Yuan would have more likely directly asked if he was hiding something from him.

After getting up and tidying the place, Xie Luan sat down in front of the computer and opened Weibo while starting the drawing board.

In addition to drawing upon request, Xie Luan usually did some drawings based on his personal preference and inspiration, which he then posted on Weibo.

”Wifu has recently only painted such adorable things, I have no resistance to all this fluff. >< The little mermaid and crayfish are of course also very cute. Calling wifu everyday!!”

“I feel like big L’s painting skills have improved, I don’t know how to describe it, but it feels like the recent paintings are particularly alive…”

“Camping-camping, I still want even more cuteness. (⁎⁍̴̆Ɛ⁍̴̆⁎)”

When Xie Luan saw the word “crayfish”, the pen in his hand shook a little. He knew the comment was in fact about the muka cub.

The cub definitely looked different from a crayfish, but after reading the comment, Xie Luan had to admit that there were some similarities.

From some time ago, when Xie Luan returned to his original world, he would often hold the drawing board and draw the cubs from the club.

Originally Xie Luan merely uploaded them to Weibo out of habit, he did not think they would earn him much. But his Weibo fans had unexpectedly paid for them.

In addition to drawing the cubs’ appearances, Xie Luan also painted moments he felt were memorable. Such as a picture of the three fluffballs wearing medals, standing on the podium with their fluff chests held high, or a picture of the kuhti cub being carried by his father as they flew in the sky.

This time, Xie Luan had originally wanted to draw the little mermaid with his ice blue tail and short blond hair, singing on the reef. But because of what he has just experienced, when Xie Luan finally moved the pen, he drew a round fluffy cub on the screen, with two small horns on his head.

The pupils were round and shiny. The cub looked very soft and touchable. The body’s position made the cub seem obedient and the two small horns on his head were also very cute.

This was not Xie Luan’s first drawing of the nox cub. After finishing it, he uploaded it to Weibo and Xie Luan soon received a flood of new comments.

“Good boy, the last time I saw big L draw this cutie, I became very fond of it.”

The following comments were all very similar. Xie Luan looked at the comment area and his eyebrows truly relaxed at this time.

Although they were separated by worlds and the goodwill could not reach the cub, it did exist.

When Xie Luan woke up in the hotel room in the city of Sailou, the cub in his arms had already woken up and was looking up at him with blue eyes. Xie Luan picked him up and put him back into the small pool to rehydrate.

He then went to stand in front of the silver-haired nox. Even though the goodwill of those people could not directly reach the cub, he still wanted to convey it on their behalf.

Without saying anything, Xie Luan determinedly stopped half a step from the other and then gently hugged the person in front of him.

Ya Yi’s pupils tightened slightly and his silver tail wrapped around the youth’s waist before he could fully react, it was the most instinctive response of the nox race.

On the cold and handsome face, emotions appeared. Ya Yi’s eyes and eyebrows dropped and he carefully embraced the youth in front of him.

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Translator’s note:

I think these might be, or are similar to, the pics mentioned in this chapter: 

Many many many thanks to Jessie, anon and Michelle in Colorado for the coffees!! Also, many thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday last week. (o^^o)

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