Chapter 69: Airborne
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Yun Yingzhi hurried home. Just before entering, he was worried that the two Little Buns might throw a fit. Heart pounding, he cautiously pushed the door open. The butler smiled at Yun Yingzhi, intending to speak, but Yun Yingzhi immediately raised a finger, signaling him to stay silent.
The butler and all the other servants quieted down.
Yun Yingzhi removed his hat and mask, eyes scanning the room. The two Little Buns were not in the main hall. He lowered his voice and asked, “Jiaojiao, Taotao… have they been good today?”
The butler replied in a hushed tone, “The two little masters woke up at nine-thirty this morning. They didn’t eat and were looking for you the whole time. They only ate around noon.”
Yun Yingzhi felt both a pang of worry and a surge of affection—indeed, the two Little Buns were the clingiest of all.
The butler added, “Imperial Consort is taking care of the two little masters now. They look for you from time to time, but haven’t thrown any serious tantrums.”
Yun Yingzhi nodded, his feelings complicated. The Little Buns now seemed capable of being away from their father. Yun Yingzhi felt a sudden, inexplicable ache in his chest. He quietly crept upstairs to the children’s playroom on the second floor. This was an indoor playground built by Elvis for the two Little Buns, with slides, swings, trampolines, toy trains, and all sorts of entertainment.
Yun Yingzhi approached quietly. Through the open door, he saw a seven-month-old baby holding a little aircraft carrier toy, sitting on the floor, eyes flicking toward the window occasionally.
The Imperial Consort whispered, “Jiaojiao, listen to grandpa. Show your dad a thing or two, let him know that you are everything to him. How dare he leave you and Taotao alone to go play? It’s outrageous.”
Yun Yingzhi blinked. “…Huh?”
As if in agreement with the Imperial Consort, the little baby looked up and nodded vigorously. Little egg bounced three times, approving Imperial Consort’s words with action. The little baby’s control over his body was still weak; the nod was so exaggerated that he toppled face-first onto the floor. The Imperial Consort, concerned, scooped him up. “Jiaojiao, did it hurt?”
The baby, tears welling in his eyes, nodded slightly. At that moment, the little egg bounced energetically again. The baby’s attention shifted immediately, eyes following Little egg. The little egg bounced two more times and spun in an especially mischievous circle.
The baby’s brows furrowed, and he climbed down from the Imperial Consort’s arms. With a sharp “Awo!” he charged at the little egg.
The little egg’s shell trembled, then quickly rolled in another direction. It was remarkable — though just an egg, Little egg’s speed far surpassed that of a baby in human form. Even as the baby pushed with his belly, sweat dripping from his forehead, he couldn’t catch up.
Little egg, realizing the human-form baby was particularly weak, slowed his rolling speed, spun half a circle, and resumed provoking the baby. It was clear that Little Kit was furious. Yet Yun Yingzhi and Imperial Consort both noticed something.
No matter how angry, Little Kit always attacked head-on, never shedding tears. Even knowing he wasn’t fully grown, Little Kit crawled toward Little egg like a tiny caterpillar. The little egg bounced, maintaining a safe distance of about a meter, teasing the baby’s slow speed.
The baby puffed up his cheeks and hurled his toy at Little egg. Little egg dodged with precision. Frustrated, the baby transformed into his second form. Instantly, Little Kit lunged at Little egg with incredible agility. In second form, Little Kit was far stronger than in human form, able to wield all his esper powers.
Source energy rippled around him. Before Little egg could act, Little Kit sealed the surrounding space, expertly using his evolved spatial esper—a confined space that others couldn’t break or dodge.
Little Kit’s small rabbit face looked fierce as he unleashed eight layers of spatial locks. Little egg managed to break through two in short order, but on attempting the third, Little Kit—though just palm-sized—rushed into the space, grabbed Little egg, and launched a series of rabbit-and-egg acrobatics. The Imperial Consort intervened, “Jiaojiao, Taotao, stop fighting, be good.”
The two Little Buns seemed to ignore him, not even glancing his way, and continued their brawl. The Imperial Consort tried again, “Jiaojiao, Taotao, if your dad saw you fighting, he’d be very angry. Stop it now.”
The two rolling Little Buns paused for a moment, looking toward the Imperial Consort. He added, “Your dad will be back soon,” glancing toward the door.
Yet both Yun Yingzhi, hiding quietly, and the Imperial Consort noticed—after hearing this, the Little Buns fought even more ferociously. They even used fire and lightning abilities on each other.
Yun Yingzhi realized he had to intervene. He stepped into the playroom, calling out, “Jiaojiao, Taotao! No fighting!”
The two Little Buns turned to him simultaneously. Yun Yingzhi said, “I already told you both…”
Almost at the same instant, both Little Buns snapped upright. Little Kit covered his ears with his tiny paws, as if saying, I’m not listening!
Little egg, without paws, manipulated a small car and a beach ball with his spatial esper, covering both sides of his shell, mirroring Little Kit’s I’m not listening! Yun Yingzhi’s chest tightened—sure enough, the two Little Buns were mad at him. He thought for a moment. Today, he had indeed been inconsiderate, leaving early without saying a word and only returning at night.
He stepped closer toward them. The two Little Buns immediately turned half a circle, backs facing Yun Yingzhi. Though small, they had plenty of spirit. Yun Yingzhi strode forward, intending to scoop up the two Little Buns. However, the two Little Buns, still facing away from him, heard his footsteps and simultaneously moved, putting more distance between themselves and Yun Yingzhi.
The Imperial Consort’s eyes followed them curiously, wondering what they were up to. Soon, he found out. Little Kit and Little egg leapt precisely onto the windowsill. The playroom windows were fully secured to prevent children from falling, with protective seals in place. But… Little Kit swatted at the metal seal with his tiny paw, and the entire seal broke.
Yun Yingzhi thought, Elvis’s genes really are incredible. Even Little Kit, with a casual swipe, can break solid metal.
Little Kit turned to Yun Yingzhi. Though he hadn’t cried even when transforming into his second form in anger at Little egg, at this moment, tears streamed down his little face as he shouted at Yun Yingzhi: “Da-da-da-da-da-da!”
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelid twitched violently. He felt that the two Little Buns must have been watching some dramatic show somewhere—they were now using a “jumping off the window” threat to stop him from leaving.
Little egg bounced along the windowsill, the two Little Buns simultaneously threatening Yun Yingzhi.
Yun Yingzhi hesitated, then said, “Be good, Jiaojiao, Taotao. You both fell from here when you were fighting before. Come on, don’t make trouble.”
At his words, the two small bodies wobbled and collapsed on the windowsill. Jumping-off-the-window threats were clearly not very effective. Yun Yingzhi stepped forward and finally managed to lift both Little Buns into his arms. They hung limply, looking especially pitiful in his embrace.
Yun Yingzhi asked the Imperial Consort, “Have they been good today?”
The Imperial Consort replied, “At first they were angry and tried to wreck the place, but after a little coaxing, they calmed down.”
That evening, everyone had dinner together. By habit, Little Kit sat on a high chair to eat solid food, while Little egg swam in a milk bowl. To show that he was still angry, Little Kit shook his little head and refused to eat, as if going on a hunger strike.
Imperial Consort quietly informed Yun Yingzhi that before he returned, Little Kit had actually eaten plenty—this was a Little Bun with an enormous appetite. As for Little egg, he didn’t need to eat at all.
After dinner, Yun Yingzhi took the two droopy Little Buns to the training hall. He trained them while trying to teach them about life, though with limited success. Once training ended, the two Little Buns, still angry, jumped out the window to express their frustration.
Yun Yingzhi had no choice but to follow. Even more exasperating, after jumping out the window, they climbed the walls and entered the master bedroom on the second floor. Yun Yingzhi, powerless, had no choice but to follow along, scaling walls after them.
Even if the two Little Buns were angry, life went on. Yun Yingzhi knew full well that the two Little Buns were far more perceptive than ordinary children—an advantage of being born in the second form. Children born in second form were far stronger in all respects compared to human-form children—they were essentially precocious.
Yun Yingzhi showed them videos of other children learning: kindergarten, elementary school, middle school… the whole process of how hard study leads to progress. He patted the two Little Buns. “Jiaojiao, Taotao, when you grow up, you can follow the path your dad once walked, studying where he studied, understand?”
Hearing his words, the two Little Buns already began imagining along with the video projections. Little Kit pictured himself as a little rabbit, Little egg as a little white egg, sitting in a classroom with other children. After coaxing the two Little Buns, Yun Yingzhi tried to put them to sleep.
He wanted them to sleep first, but the Little Buns were incredibly resilient. Yun Yingzhi fell asleep while trying to soothe them, yet the two Little Buns stayed awake and began playing in the darkness. Yun Yingzhi slept soundly, while the Little Buns played happily.
The next day, Yun Yingzhi woke up to a message from Elvis. Ignoring the affectionate text, he focused on the key point: the two Little Buns were at least fair in messaging. Though they sent daily messages to Yu Feiwen and his three roommates, they hadn’t done the same for Elvis.
Yun Yingzhi then checked his email—Fansa Academy hadn’t sent any notice yet. That day, he took the two Little Buns to the palace for a full check-up. Little Kit was fine, though he couldn’t fully control himself; he could occasionally switch between human and second form in anger.
Little egg, however, still hadn’t hatched. If he didn’t hatch, when would he even be able to switch from second form to human form? This worried Yun Yingzhi. Theoretically, Little Kit’s human form should have been able to speak by now. Why was he still only making sounds like “da” and “ao”? Why was he still crawling? Shouldn’t he be walking? His teeth, too—other human-form Little Buns had many teeth, but Little Kit’s were sparse and shiny in a patchy way.
Yun Yingzhi frequently checked photos of Elvis, verifying the condition of his teeth and hair. Both Yun Yingzhi and Elvis worried over the two Little Buns endlessly. They exchanged voice messages, looking up information to calm each other’s nerves. Soon, Little egg’s test results came back. Healthy, but still no sign of hatching.
In the following days, Yun Yingzhi spent time preparing the Little Buns psychologically, repeatedly telling them that he would be busy but they could communicate via voice or video. Whenever he brought this up, the two enthusiastic Little Buns would become cold and indifferent, often sulking and ignoring him.
One week later, Yun Yingzhi received notice from Fansa Academy. It was already mid-March. According to the notice, he needed to return to Fansa Academy within three days.
Yun Yingzhi exhaled in relief. On the first day back, to prevent any mishaps, he sent the two Little Buns to the palace. Then, under Little Kit’s tear-filled gaze, he reluctantly left. He made the simplest disguise: wearing a second-year combat student uniform, a hat, and a mask.
Fansa Academy didn’t prohibit hats or masks. Upon entering, he first completed the dormitory procedures, and was greatly shocked. Throughout his academic career, Yun Yingzhi had always lived in shared dormitories. Yet here, somehow, he was placed in a villa reserved for elite second-year students, with private rooms.
Normally, ten or twenty students would share one dorm, which included a private training room. The benefit: one student per room.
Yun Yingzhi had never imagined that this opportunity—one room per student—was something he earned through his own strength. Instead, he thought someone had specially opened a green channel for him. He realized that if he stayed in a shared dorm, he might never manage it—but with a private room, could he perhaps smuggle the two Little Buns in?
It was like a secret pet arrangement. Though Fansa Academy forbade pets, some people still secretly kept them. Yun Yingzhi could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his chest.
After settling into his new dorm, Yun Yingzhi sent a private message to Yun Yingyao. It wasn’t a coincidence—it was inevitable that Yun Yingzhi and Yun Yingyao were assigned to the same dorm. However, as a boy, Yun Yingzhi was on the second floor of the villa, while Yun Yingyao was on the third floor.
Hearing the news, Yun Yingyao had deliberately skipped lunch to return to the dorm and see Yun Yingzhi. Yun Yingzhi couldn’t help but notice that Yun Yingyao’s gaze felt unusually subtle. He asked, “Is something wrong with me?”
Yun Yingyao shook her head. “Nothing. Just letting you know—you’ll be attending classes with me starting tomorrow.”
Yun Yingzhi nodded. Meanwhile, Yun Yingzhi received another notice from Fansa Academy—it was the class assignment. His eyelid twitched uncontrollably as he realized a serious issue.
Up until now, Yun Yingzhi had always been in the lowest-ranking class. So since receiving the notice about resuming school, he had never questioned which class he would join. He naturally assumed, as before, he’d enter the last class of the second year. But… He never expected that the notice had assigned him to the elite class. Yun Yingzhi was shocked.
Yun Yingyao said, “Yingzhi, you’re first.”
Their eyes met. Yun Yingzhi realized she was right—he was probably the first student in Fansa Academy’s history to air-drop directly into the elite class.
The next moment, Yun Yingyao continued, “Ranking Battle slots are usually announced in the first semester. Now it’s already the second semester.”
Yun Yingzhi blinked, confused why she suddenly switched topics to the Ranking Battle.
Yun Yingyao explained, “At the end of this semester, you’ve been temporarily selected as a member of the Ranking Battle.”
Yun Yingzhi’s pupils constricted in shock. The room fell silent. About five seconds later, Yun Yingzhi came to his senses. “I… I’m a member of the Ranking Battle?”
Yun Yingyao nodded. “Yes. This time, you’re using the name Yun Zhi, right?” Yun Yingzhi nodded.
Yun Yingyao said, “This morning, the teacher told us that a new student would be transferring into our class.”
Yun Yingzhi could easily imagine how difficult it usually was for a transfer student to enter the elite class. Normally, one would have to be exceptionally strong, like Elvis or Wei Yuanqing, to pull off such an air-drop.
Of course, Yun Yingzhi knew full well that, while he was strong in many respects, he still fell far short of typical air-drop standards. Just like being admitted to this dorm—he could only get in because of the strength of his backing. Emperor Jarren and the Imperial Consort were the Empire’s strongest support.
Yun Yingyao continued, “As soon as the news came that you would be transferring here, an extra slot appeared in the Ranking Battle—and it’s for you.”
Yun Yingzhi felt, honestly, that while his backing was strong, Emperor Jarren and the Imperial Consort arranging this for him essentially gilded his résumé. Such a move… could infuriate other students.
He thought for a moment and sent a private message to Elvis, explaining about the Ranking Battle. Elvis seemed busy and didn’t reply immediately.
In the afternoon, Yun Yingyao went to class. As soon as she left, the two Little Buns sent Yun Yingzhi a video call.In the call, Little Kit’s tears streamed down his face, looking extremely pitiful. Yun Yingzhi’s heart ached. Yet he also realized that the two Little Buns understood his message—they were reacting completely differently than last time.
Truly, these were clever Little Buns. Keeping the video call connected, Yun Yingzhi put on his hat and mask and went to the campus store to buy daily necessities. Along the way, students in Fansa Academy uniforms occasionally appeared in the background.
The two Little Buns, watching as if it were a cartoon, seemed absorbed in the video projection. Yun Yingzhi bought a pile of necessities and returned to the dorm. Using his fingerprint to open the villa door, he saw five students already in the first-floor hall, scrutinizing him with biased eyes.
Through the video projection, the two Little Buns saw six people in identical uniforms, including Yun Yingzhi. Both Little Buns were instantly alert. Little Kit leapt into the Imperial Consort’s arms, while Little egg rolled into Emperor Jarren’s arms. They gestured toward the six uniformed figures on the projection. Emperor Jarren and the Imperial Consort exchanged glances.
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelid twitched violently. One student sneered, “Some people just can’t be seen in public—always wearing a mask and hat wherever they go.”
“Not the Red Peony school beauty, so why the secrecy, huh?” another student glanced at Yun Yingzhi and then looked away.
“Air-drop privilege, huh.”
“Yeah, skipping the dorm we’ve been working to enter all year, taking a spot in the elite class, and now even snagging a Ranking Battle slot illegally. Hah.”
Yun Yingzhi felt his cheeks flush—he knew he was in the wrong. He was air-dropped. Out of politeness, he greeted the five students briefly—but of course, got no response. He quickened his pace toward the second floor.
On the other end of the video call, Emperor Jarren looked at Little egg. “Taotao, you want Grandpa to customize a Fansa Academy second-year uniform for you?”
Little Kit, pressed against the Imperial Consort’s chest, looked at Emperor Jarren with bright eyes. The Imperial Consort gently stroked Little Kit’s soft fur. “But, Jiaojiao, Taotao, wearing a uniform doesn’t automatically let you pretend to be Fansa Academy students and sneak into your father’s side.”
It was clear—they knew the Little Buns too well. The Little Buns’ demands revealed their intentions immediately. Little Kit blinked his big, dark eyes and clasped his tiny paws together, pleading: “Da-da-da-da-da!”
The Imperial Consort said, “Jiaojiao, you mean… you can’t give up lightly? You won’t know the outcome unless you try?”
Yun Yingzhi: “….”
Little Kit nodded heavily. “Da-da-da!”
Little egg rolled from Emperor Jarren’s hands to the Imperial Consort, cuddling and coaxing. The Imperial Consort held one in each arm, his smile widening. “Alright.”
Instantly, the two Little Buns’ little bodies glowed with happy little bubbles. Yun Yingzhi’s mouth twitched—he thought these elders spoiled the Little Buns too much. He entered his room and closed the door, looking at Emperor Jarren and the Imperial Consort. “Your Majesties, I just found out today…”
Emperor Jarren and the Imperial Consort looked at him. Yun Yingzhi smiled. “I heard I’ve been selected as a member of this year’s Ranking Battle.”
The Imperial Consort smiled. “Zhizhi, congratulations.”
Yun Yingzhi shook his head. “No, I know everyone is concerned about me, but ever since I resumed school, I’ve already made up my mind. I want to compete fairly and justly. I don’t want to win through unconventional means.”
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that their gazes on him were unusually subtle. After a brief silence, the Imperial Consort asked, “So, Zhizhi, do you think there’s something we did that made you become a member of the Ranking Battle?”
Yun Yingzhi nodded. The Imperial Consort’s smile deepened. “Nothing at all, Zhizhi. If you want to know why you were selected, perhaps you should ask your proctoring teachers.”
Yun Yingzhi: “Ah?”
The call ended. What Yun Yingzhi didn’t know was that Emperor Jarren and the Imperial Consort had almost simultaneously opened Yun Yingzhi’s exam results from when he resumed school. Emperor Jarren murmured softly, “As expected of a battle rabbit.”
The Imperial Consort stroked Little Kit’s head, sighing, “Jiaojiao really is so much like Zhizhi… amazing.”
Little Kit, having been praised, lifted his head proudly, puffed up his little chest—he was the strongest little one!
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