Chapter 23023 Transformation
The next day, Lu Yuanyuan woke up groggily, feeling that her legs were numb from being pressed down. She sat up, wrapped in the covers, and looked down to see that the fox, who had only taken up a corner of the bed obediently the night before, had somehow rolled onto her blankets and was now pressing down on one of her legs. It was heavy and warm.
Lu Yuanyuan was silent for a moment, then ruthlessly picked up the quilt and shook it.
For the past few days, Duan Lansheng had been sleeping on the floor. Although he had a small nest made of folded clothes under him, it couldn't compare to sleeping on a bed with blankets. In his sleep, he instinctively moved closer to the warm, living thing closest to him and slept the deepest sleep he'd had in days.
He was still lost in a sweet dream. A jolt of the blanket startled him, and he opened his slightly moist eyes, rolling off without warning. The clean fox fur was snow-white, fluffy, and smooth; with little resistance, he rolled like a ball of fur to the wall, only stopping when his bottom hit it.
This seemed to completely wake Duan Lansheng up, realizing that he had slept on top of her last night, and that she clearly didn't like being close to him.
His eyes flickered slightly, and he let out a low fox cry, for the first time not showing any ferocity towards her.
Lu Yuanyuan lowered her eyes, rubbed her calves, and threw back the covers: "Don't sleep, let's go find a house."
Actually, ever since she realized she couldn't leave Duan Lansheng's sea of consciousness for the time being, she had already intended to find another place to stay. Being behind closed doors would make everything much more convenient. She had planned to stay here for a few more days, but yesterday's unexpected event gave her a push.
In the cultivation world, a single mid-grade spirit stone can buy enough food for a family of three for half a year. She has three mid-grade spirit stones in her pocket, so buying property isn't a problem. Moreover, the money spent in her sea of consciousness isn't actually consumed, since the trading partners are all fictitious. Once she leaves this place, the money in her pocket won't be any less, so there's no need to feel bad about the money she's spent now.
Previously, Lu Yuanyuan was always worried that Duan Lansheng would run away when she couldn't see him. After yesterday's incident, it was a blessing in disguise. On the way to find a house, Duan Lansheng was very well-behaved and stayed quietly in her arms.
The town was small, the river frozen over, with scattered tiled houses dotting the banks. That afternoon, Lu Yuanyuan rented a house and bought basic necessities. The house stood beside a rarely used bridge, with a grove of camphor trees behind it, offering a tranquil and beautiful view. The house was simply furnished, with only one bedroom and one living room. The previous owner had enclosed a small courtyard with a wooden gate, and the house was fully furnished. Before sunset, Lu Yuanyuan quickly bought some essentials, finally bringing some life to the otherwise empty house.
Considering the cold winter and snow, and how shoes would sometimes get the floor wet when coming in from outside, Lu Yuanyuan used the remaining silver stones to buy a wicker basket, lined it with thick clothes, and used it as Duan Lansheng's sleeping place so he wouldn't have to sleep on the floor.
After successfully settling down, Lu Yuanyuan began raising foxes while patiently waiting for Duan Lansheng to recover his strength and transform into human form.
She didn't have mind-reading abilities. Since this town appeared in Duan Lansheng's consciousness, it could be deduced that the answer to breaking through the sea of consciousness must be found here. Staying at home wouldn't yield any progress. Lu Yuanyuan wanted to take him out more often, to expose him to new experiences.
However, Duan Lansheng only believed that she wouldn't harm him; he still harbored a strong aversion to the outside world. In particular, he seemed very reluctant to go out looking like his current self. Lu Yuanyuan was afraid that forcing him would backfire, so she had to put the plan on hold and decided to wait until he could speak and was willing to go out.
It must be said that his ability to transform into human form so early, coupled with his natural good looks, is a talent that combines the best qualities of both his parents. Most demons have to undergo arduous and extraordinary training before they can transform into human form, taking anywhere from ten to a hundred years. Moreover, unlike in the movies where they can change their appearance at will, their beauty or ugliness is predetermined, basically determined from the first transformation.
Perhaps due to his current mental decline and being trapped in a state of mental fog, Duan Lansheng's sense of shame about being exposed was not as strong as it would be in reality. Their time living under the same roof was relatively peaceful.
Time flies by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month has passed.
The day Duan Lan became a cyborg came earlier than Lu Yuanyuan had imagined.
Perhaps because she had washed her hair and been exposed to the wind the day before, Lu Yuanyuan felt a little dizzy, and that day, she unusually slept in. Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the blankets in a warm glow. Lu Yuanyuan, curled up in the blankets, vaguely felt her hair being gently tugged.
Lu Yuanyuan opened her sleepy eyes and saw a chubby little child's hand. She was stunned for a moment, her sleepiness instantly vanished, and she suddenly sat up, staring wide-eyed at the five or six-year-old child standing in front of her bed.
The child was none other than a miniature version of Duan Lansheng, with long, jet-black hair that reached her bottom, large, round eyes, and curled eyelashes. Because she had been eating and sleeping well these past few days, her skin was fair and tender, and her lips had a rosy hue. She was completely naked, without shoes, and her chubby hands gently grasped a tuft of hair.
When she slept, she always curled up completely under the covers, the corners tucked in tightly, as if she felt very insecure. This was the only thing he could reach out and grab.
The two, one big and one small, stared at each other. Duan Lansheng twitched his nose, then suddenly sneezed and shivered in the cold air.
Lu Yuanyuan snapped out of her daze, quickly got out of bed, and found clothes for him to wear.
Anticipating that Duan Lansheng would transform into human form, and knowing that his clothes were too thin when she found him, Lu Yuanyuan, being prepared, had already bought him a winter outfit by comparing it to his original clothes.
However, perhaps due to excessive nutrition, Duan Lan had grown a bit, and the new winter clothes were a little too small for him. His stomach felt tight. Lu Yuanyuan squatted down in front of him and touched her chin: "Just make do for now, you can't go around naked. I'll take you out to buy clothes later and measure you in person."
When Duan Lansheng heard "go out," he frowned slightly, displeased, but surprisingly, he did not refuse.
Before leaving, seeing that his hair was too long and afraid of getting it covered in mud and dust, and since Lu Yuanyuan didn't know how to style a little boy's hair, she simply braided it into a plait for convenience.
The town was bustling with people. Townspeople carrying mountain goods on shoulder poles brushed past them.
Now that Duan Lan has transformed into human form, Lu Yuanyuan naturally won't carry him anymore.
This was his first day out since arriving in the town. Surrounded by the presence of so many strangers, Duan Lansheng's jaw was clenched, and he followed Lu Yuanyuan closely.
Children his age in town were still playing in the mud, running around in a messy, unruly manner. Compared to them, Duan Lansheng was strikingly beautiful, with fair skin and a quiet demeanor, like a little fairy. Many people passing by couldn't help but stare at him, and even after brushing past him, they would curiously turn back to look at him.
Duan Lansheng disliked such unrestrained gazes. His gaze lingered on Lu Yuanyuan's drooping hands for a moment before shifting away, and he quickened his pace in silence.
There was only one clothing store in town. Normally, children grow quickly, so you wouldn't need to buy too many clothes of the same size, otherwise they wouldn't fit after a while. But before leaving the Sea of Consciousness, Duan Lansheng estimated he wouldn't grow any longer, so Lu Yuanyuan, quite generously, bought him five sets of clothes in one go.
The shopkeeper beamed with joy, personally packed their clothes, saw them off, and even gave Duan Lansheng a string of candied hawthorns.
As they descended the steps, Lu Yuanyuan, carrying a bag of clothes, looked down and saw Duan Lansheng curiously sniffing the candied hawthorns, looking quite relaxed. She narrowed her eyes and suddenly switched the things in their hands: "Keep your own things."
Duan Lansheng opened his eyes wide as a bundle of clothes was stuffed into his arms, and stared at her.
Meeting his gaze, Lu Yuanyuan raised an eyebrow, showing no remorse for bullying a child. She took a bite of the candied hawthorn she had snatched and said cheerfully, "Let's go home."
Duan Lansheng didn't say a word and obediently followed behind her with his short legs.
The clothes weren't heavy, just rather thick, so they were quite bulky when folded. Carrying them, Duan Lansheng's vision became somewhat obscured. He followed the hem of Lu Yuanyuan's clothes out of the corner of his eye. Reaching a bridge, he stopped to rest, only to suddenly realize that the person ahead wasn't Lu Yuanyuan at all, but a woman dressed similarly to her.
He lost track of them.
The bridge was built at the busiest intersection in town, where people thronged shoulder to shoulder. Looking around, all he could see were unfamiliar faces, and the smells were all mixed up. He couldn't find Lu Yuanyuan's scent.
Duan Lansheng clutched the package tightly, a slight sense of bewilderment and panic welling up inside him. He took a step back and bumped into a stranger's leg. He quickly stepped back, only to be bumped by another person. Just as he was about to be swept away by the crowd, he suddenly heard a familiar voice: "...Duan Lansheng, I'm here!"
Duan Lansheng's chest trembled slightly, and he suddenly looked up.
...
Lu Yuanyuan only realized Duan Lansheng was missing after crossing the bridge. Looking around, she couldn't find his short, stocky figure, and a wave of regret washed over her. She quickly turned back. Fortunately, she found him near the bottom of the bridge.
Thankfully, I didn't lose him. It seems there's a right and wrong way to bully someone.
Lu Yuanyuan breathed a sigh of relief, quickly pushed through the crowd, and ran to him.
Before Duan Lansheng could speak, his arms felt light as she took his clothes. Then, a string of candied hawthorns was stuffed into his hand. She ate two, leaving five on the string.
Duan Lansheng's eyelashes trembled slightly, and a fair hand appeared before him, palm up: "Come on, let me hold your hand."
Duan Lansheng pursed his lips and slowly extended his hand, which she immediately grasped tightly. Her hand was just as warm, soft yet strong as he had imagined. Being held in her hand eliminated his fear of being abandoned.
Now that he had taken human form, Duan Lansheng could no longer sleep in that fox den. Fortunately, Lu Yuanyuan had already considered this and prepared a small wooden bed for him, which was placed in the living room.
Having suddenly transformed into a human and walked so far, he seemed somewhat exhausted. After returning home, he went to bed early.
Seeing this, Lu Yuanyuan had no choice but to let him go to sleep first, and they could talk about it the next day.
But in the middle of the night, she realized her condition was even worse than Duan Lansheng's. She had been feeling unwell since catching a cold the day before yesterday, and yesterday she was distracted by Duan Lansheng's situation. Now, she couldn't sleep at all, her temples were throbbing, and her life force had dropped to 10/100.
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
With a dark expression, she stared at the ceiling, pondered for a moment, and finally got up and went to the outer room.
Duan Lansheng was sleeping soundly and was still a little groggy when she shook him awake.
Lu Yuanyuan said, "Well, it's thundering outside, I'm a little scared, let's sleep together."
Duan Lansheng: "..."
After saying that, Lu Yuanyuan shamelessly put the child on the bed, lay down fully clothed, and unceremoniously used him as a pillow.
Ultimately, the reason I've ended up in this predicament, trapped in this sea of consciousness, is because of this guy. So what's wrong with using him as a power bank?
She doesn't want to get sick if she can. She doesn't know if increasing her health will prevent illness, but she'll give it a try.
It has to be said, this power bank is really useful. After hugging it for a while, Lu Yuanyuan's health points started to rise, and her headache began to ease.
Duan Lansheng stiffened slightly as she pulled him into her arms. In the darkness, her body was warm, without the smell of a demon, but rather the fragrance of soap.
Duan Lansheng lowered his eyelids.
Yes, this person named Quan Quan is the cleanest person he has ever met. Even in the coldest winter, he takes a bath every day.
He was also the most unfathomable human being he had ever met.
She was like a dutiful and understanding protector to him, sheltering him, feeding him, and not getting angry even when he scratched her. Despite being human, she wasn't afraid of him at all, even though he was a demon.
But that morning, when he first climbed into her bed, his intuition told him—she didn't really like him. The way she looked at him always held a cool, aloof quality.
Feeling a little uncomfortable with the warmth, Duan Lansheng shifted awkwardly. Lu Yuanyuan, who was almost asleep, instinctively raised her hand, pinched the back of his neck, and gently patted his back, muttering, "Go to sleep."
The little kid in my arms immediately quieted down.
Lu Yuanyuan breathed a sigh of relief, her brows slowly relaxing.
I slept well all night.
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