Squeak Squeak Squeak
The little hedgehog peeked out from the pocket once again to observe its surroundings.
As expected, this was the way home.
But why go home when looking for someone?
Lu Congxing grew a little curious about the person He Zhouyan was searching for. Obediently, he stayed nestled in the pocket, letting himself be carried along.
From an outsider’s perspective, it looked as if this tall, stern-looking man was secretly hiding a little hedgehog plushie in his pocket—an oddly adorable contrast.
He Zhouyan walked straight home but suddenly stopped at his doorstep, standing there as if deep in thought.
Lu Congxing tilted his head up from the pocket and looked at him in confusion. “Squeak?”
That small sound seemed to snap He Zhouyan out of his thoughts. Lu Congxing watched as the man, with a serious expression, raised his hand and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
But, of course, there was no answer—because he wasn’t home.
He Zhouyan’s face remained serious, his thoughts unreadable.
So… he really was looking for him.
Lu Congxing shrank back slightly, feeling a bit uneasy.
The man’s expression was too serious, as if something urgent had happened.
Could it be about that village? Had he found out who was secretly pulling the strings?
A wave of tension ran through Lu Congxing, making his spikes stand on end.
Seeing no response, He Zhouyan released a small amount of spiritual energy to probe inside, confirming that the house was empty.
An ancient divine beast, panicking over being unable to locate the cub to the point of making such a basic mistake—if other demons knew, they’d be talking about it for the next ten years.
But Lu Congxing, an utterly unqualified demon, was completely unaware of such “common knowledge.”
He wiggled his tiny tail slightly, not feeling the least bit amused—just a little frustrated with his current situation.
If only he had been more proactive in absorbing He Zhouyan’s spiritual energy, he wouldn’t still be stuck as a little hedgehog.
He Zhouyan’s face remained as composed as ever. From appearances alone, no one could have guessed that his concern was simply because he hadn’t seen the little cub leave on time that morning.
Turning away, he headed back to his own home. As he opened his laptop, he casually pulled the little creature from his pocket and set him on the desk.
At that moment, as he was finally placed on the desk, Lu Congxing felt the full weight of reality—he had actually been brought home by He Zhouyan.
It felt surreal.
After all, when he first threw himself in front of He Zhouyan to get picked up, he hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.
The man in front of him seemed completely different from the cold and distant Bai Ze he remembered from the past.
Only Lu Congxing knew why he had initially resisted the idea of He Zhouyan becoming his guardian—or why he had always felt an underlying reluctance toward him.
Most demon probably assumed that after awakening his demon bloodline, the first demon he met was someone from the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs.
But in reality, on the very first day of his awakening, he had met He Zhouyan.
Unfortunately, back then, He Zhouyan had shown no intention of taking him in at all.
He had been completely indifferent.
Yet the bone-chilling rain from that memory had now been entirely replaced by the warmth of a steady hand.
At that moment, Lu Congxing decided not to dwell on the past anymore—this version of He Zhouyan, the one in front of him now, was the real one he knew.
Shaking off the unpleasant memories, Lu Congxing flicked his spikes and wondered if this man simply had no sense of pain.
Otherwise, how could he grab a hedgehog with his bare hands so effortlessly, without even flinching?
The little hedgehog tilted his head in curiosity, wondering what He Zhouyan was up to.
While he had been lost in thought, the man had already opened his laptop.
A workaholic, as expected.
However, when Lu Congxing glanced at the screen, he realized it wasn’t work at all.
It was a chat window.
The familiar profile picture on the screen belonged to none other than the bureau’s director—the very person who had urged him to report to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs this morning.
It seemed He Zhouyan, unable to find him, had gone straight to the Bureau’s director for answers.
The only ones who knew about his current instability—where he could randomly transform into different animal cubs—were the Director, the Deputy Director, and the somewhat unreliable Di Jiang.
Seeing He Zhouyan reach out to the bureau’s director, Lu Congxing immediately tensed up, afraid that his secret might be exposed.
If the bureau’s director decided that, as his prospective guardian, Bai Ze had the right to know about his condition, then with He Zhouyan’s intelligence, he would instantly realize that the little hedgehog acting all cute in front of him was none other than Lu Congxing himself.
And if that happened, all of his previous disguises as different animal cubs would be completely blown.
Luckily, while the Taotie might not seem particularly reliable on a normal day, in crucial moments, he didn’t slip up.
Unlike his usual nagging self when dealing with him, his conversation with He Zhouyan was concise and professional.
Just as Lu Congxing was carefully analyzing the chat, he suddenly felt a soft poke on his tiny, pink backside.
He was so startled that he jumped up immediately.
“Squeak!”
With his little black eyes, he looked at He Zhouyan in disbelief, mixed with a hint of accusation.
The man’s face remained indifferent, as if he hadn’t just poked the little creature’s backside.
He Zhouyan lowered his voice. “You were in my way.”
Only after confirming with the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs that the cub was safe did his expression finally relax. His brows smoothed out, and he leaned back slightly, tugging at his tightly fastened tie with one hand, revealing his distinct collarbones. The action shattered his usual aloofness, adding a touch of mature, lazy charm.
Realizing that he had actually left work and rushed home just because he hadn’t seen the cub in the morning, He Zhouyan himself was surprised.
It seemed… he really cared about the cub.
He let out a soft chuckle.
Lu Congxing was stunned. It was the first time he had seen He Zhouyan smile like that. It was like a ripple disturbing the surface of a still pond—making him seem more human, more… alluring.
When He Zhouyan got up and headed to the kitchen, Lu Congxing finally snapped out of his daze. He shook his little head and rubbed his face with his paws.
Why did it feel a little warm?
The aroma from the kitchen soon wafted through the air, and only then did the little hedgehog realize he hadn’t eaten all day.
He never expected He Zhouyan to actually know how to cook. And not only that—it smelled even better than the food from restaurants.
Lu Congxing’s tiny nose twitched as he inhaled the delicious scent, his face turning adorably dazed.
He watched eagerly as He Zhouyan brought out a steaming bowl of noodles, topped generously with beef and eggs.
“Squeak!” The little hedgehog struggled to climb onto the dining table, scratching at the table leg with his tiny paws.
As for escaping… that could wait until after he was full.
The sound of tiny claws scraping against wood came from under the table. He Zhouyan glanced down and handed the little hedgehog a cherry tomato. “Here, eat this.”
Lu Congxing wanted to protest, but remembering his current form, he deflated and reluctantly took a bite.
Mm. Sweet and juicy.
By the time He Zhouyan finally noticed, an entire bowl of cherry tomatoes had already disappeared—devoured by a certain little hedgehog.
Now, with a round and stuffed belly, the little hedgehog was mercilessly picked up by a large hand.
He Zhouyan frowned and poked at the tiny creature’s belly, as if trying to figure out how something so small could eat so much.
Feeling utterly violated, Lu Congxing struggled furiously.
“Squeak squeak squeak!”
You pervert! Stop touching my belly!
He Zhouyan simply said, “Behave.”
He glanced back at the bowl that had originally been filled with cherry tomatoes, then weighed the little hedgehog in his hand and felt certain that it had eaten too much.
Channeling a bit of spiritual energy into his palm, he gently rubbed the hedgehog’s belly, transferring the energy to aid digestion.
To him, this was a completely natural action. After all, this was just a strange little creature. Until he figured out what it really was, he couldn’t let it fall sick from overeating.
But from Lu Congxing’s perspective, this was a disaster. In all his years, he had never had his belly rubbed before! It felt nice, sure, but it was also extremely embarrassing!
Furious, the little—Xing—hedgehog bit down on He Zhouyan’s hand before scurrying away in a flash.
He hid under the sofa, watching him warily.
Thankfully, the man didn’t seem interested in bullying him any further. He merely glanced over before standing up, seemingly about to head out.
When transformed into a cub, one’s mindset always tends to shift. Just moments ago, the little hedgehog had been huffing in anger, but after playing under the sofa for a while, it completely forgot what had just happened.
Seeing He Zhouyan heading out, it curiously waddled over.
“Squeak?”
Originally planning to leave without a word, He Zhouyan hesitated for some reason when he met those round, black eyes. Instinctively, he spoke, “I’m going out for a bit. Be good and stay home.”
The little hedgehog tilted its head, looking at him obediently.
Watching the man walk out the door, Lu Congxing only began channeling his spiritual energy once he was sure He Zhouyan had left and wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon.
Since morning, his spiritual energy had been restless, but now, covered in Bai Ze’s spiritual energy, it finally settled down. In an instant, the palm-sized hedgehog transformed back into human form.
Lu Congxing’s delicate face was still tinged with a faint blush, a remnant of the embarrassment from having his belly rubbed just moments ago.
He twisted the doorknob, and it opened easily—He Zhouyan’s habit of not locking the door worked in his favor.
Just a few steps away was his own apartment. Lu Congxing curved his eyes into a smile and softly said to his neighbor, “Thanks for your hospitality.”
Though it was a bit embarrassing, Bai Ze’s domineering spiritual energy had practically overwhelmed him while he was being petted.
It was even enough to keep him in human form for the entire day tomorrow.
As for what would happen when He Zhouyan returned home to find that the little hedgehog who had been mooching off him had disappeared—well, that wasn’t Lu Congxing’s problem.
. . . . .
Some things had to be said face-to-face. He Zhouyan drove straight to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs.
He didn’t bother restraining his aura, and the moment he stepped inside, some of the low-ranking demons registering at the bureau were so startled that they instinctively reverted to their original forms.
For a moment, the lobby was in utter chaos—small demons scurrying in every direction while the larger ones quickly stepped aside to avoid this walking disaster.
Humans recorded Bai Ze as an auspicious beast, but only demons who had actually encountered him knew the truth—he was terrifying.
More ruthless than even the fiercest of beasts.
The moment He Zhouyan entered, it was as if someone had pressed pause on the entire room—silence fell instantly.
At the reception desk, the lucky cat demon forced a professional smile. “G-Good day, sir. What business do you need to handle?”
If not for her pinned-back ears and fluffed-up tail, she might have seemed perfectly calm.
“I’m here for the director.”
He Zhouyan tapped the desk lightly, not making things difficult for her, then headed straight for the elevator.
The lucky cat demon let out a sigh of relief.
Beside her, a new receptionist, still trembling, leaned over and whispered, “He… he doesn’t have an appointment. Shouldn’t we at least check with the director first?”
Smoothing down her bristling tail, the fortune cat simply said, with an air of understanding, “He’s better at fighting than our director.”
Her colleague immediately understood.
Demons, where the strong reign supreme.
The so-called Bureau of Supernatural Affairs is also a reflection of power.
Unlike the crowded elevator ride with Xing Cub earlier, when He Zhouyan stepped in, no demon dared to follow him.
It seemed they had anticipated his arrival—Taotie had already brewed tea in advance.
He gently blew on the tea, lifted his eyes, and gestured for He Zhouyan to sit.
“What do you need from me?”
He Zhouyan took an unceremonious sip to moisten his throat. “You already know the answer.”
The tea was excellent, brewed with water from the Northern Abyss. Even its drifting aroma carried spiritual energy.
His thoughts drifted momentarily—this tea would be suitable for the cub.
The Director almost laughed in exasperation. “A matter concerning the cub? Weren’t you always indifferent before?”
When the cub was first found, the entire demon race had celebrated. Many demons traveled thousands of miles just to catch a glimpse of the cub.
Yet the Bai Ze before him had scoffed at the time, dismissing the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs’s security measures as an overreaction.
Now, however, he seemed to care more than anyone—asking questions online wasn’t enough, and he even came in person.
Thinking about how the Star Disk had assigned He Zhouyan as the cub’s guardian demon, the Director felt a wave of frustration.
He Zhouyan stretched his long legs on the sofa. “I came to ask—why hasn’t a guardian demon been assigned to the cub yet?”
The Director glared. “What does that have to do with you?”
Although he often encouraged the cub to seek out Bai Ze, now that Bai Ze was standing in front of him, he suddenly regretted it.
Even without a guardian demon, the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs was more than capable of protecting the cub.
Why did it have to be He Zhouyan?
Thinking of this, the Director’s expression eased. Since the cub had yet to accept Bai Ze as its guardian demon, there was no need to reveal anything for now. Who knew how smug this man would get otherwise?
Though he wasn’t sure why He Zhouyan had suddenly taken an interest in the cub, he wasn’t exactly surprised.
After all, who could resist a soft, spiritually pure cub?
Author’s Note:
In the next chapter, He Zhouyan will officially become Xing Cub’s guardian demon!