Chapter 77: Joining the Team
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Little kit, who absolutely did not want to be sent away, displayed astonishing intelligence. Before Yun Yingzhi headed out, little kit worked hard to cling to his face, expressing his longing with nonstop little “da-da-da” sounds. Both Yun Yingzhi and Yun Yingyao were far too curious about what little kit was actually trying to say, so they secretly contacted Yun Yinghui to ask what those sounds meant.
Very soon, Yun Yinghui replied: little kit was saying, Daddy, I love you.
Daddy, I want to live on Daddy’s face.
Daddy, you’re allowed to suck Jiaojiao bald, but the other brothers and sisters aren’t!
Daddy, I don’t want to be separated from you. I’m your sweet little baby.
If they listened closely, little kit was actually singing his little “da” phrases. Although…
Yun Yingzhi looked at Yun Yingyao and came to a conclusion. “Jiaojiao might be a little tone-deaf.”
The little bunny pancake stuck to his cheek shut up immediately. The whole tiny cub looked deeply offended.
Yun Yingyao shot Yun Yingzhi a disapproving look and said, “Zhizhi, he’s still so small. Your expectations are too high.”
Little kit blinked innocently, then happily resumed monopolizing his father’s face, singing his endless little “da” song.
Yun Yingzhi considered it and nodded. “True. He’s still tiny. Being tone-deaf is normal.” He pried the bunny pancake off his cheek and put on a mask.
Even though his disguise had long since crumbled, walking outside without covering his face guaranteed a near-hundred-percent turn-around rate—and many people reflexively ended up following behind him. He was simply too eye-catching.
Yun Yingzhi worried that once they stepped outside, little kit would keep “da”-ing non-stop. Military school students all had extremely sharp hearing. However, his fear proved unfounded. Once he tucked little kit into his pocket—something the cub normally resisted, preferring to crawl around inside his jacket—the little one obediently endured the less-than-ideal position for the first time.
Little kit, determined not to be sent away, behaved like a perfect angel—quiet as a mouse. Yun Yingzhi slipped a hand into his pocket. Little kit immediately wrapped both tiny paws around his father’s finger, nuzzling and licking with devotion.
With no little white egg left to compete for affection, little kit practically radiated bubbles of happiness. He was completely satisfied.
Ah… hopefully the little egg takes his time finding his way here. That was exactly what the little kit was thinking. Little egg was still just an egg; he couldn’t express his thoughts, couldn’t talk, couldn’t cry. His only form of protest was sulking in silence.
Very few people understood what the little egg wanted. Still, one thing was certain: between the two Little Buns, little egg—the younger brother—was actually the more obedient and sensible one.
Precisely because the little egg was so much better behaved than the little kit, no one except the little kit believed the egg would ever find his way over. Little kit, however, instinctively believed that little egg would come looking for their father the moment he had the chance. He just didn’t know when.
Thinking this, little kit licked and nuzzled Yun Yingzhi’s finger again, blissfully content. He had to make the most of the little egg’s absence—more cuddles, more kisses—so he could become the Little Bun at the very center of Daddy’s heart.
Yun Yingyao followed Yun Yingzhi downstairs. The moment they stepped onto the first floor of the villa, the same students who had glared daggers at Yun Yingzhi days earlier now greeted him warmly, asking where he was headed and if he needed their help with anything.
Their attitude was the exact opposite of how they had treated the “parachuted-in” transfer just days before.
Yun Yingzhi thanked them politely and stepped outside. Even on the way to the interview, despite wearing a mask, he still drew every gaze. Some students even trailed behind him secretly. Yun Yingzhi felt like he might as well have been wearing a fake mask.
In his pocket, little kit played endlessly with his finger. Yun Yingzhi teased the back of little kit’s neck with the tip of that same finger. Little kit gripped his finger with one paw and patted the back of his hand with the other in response.
Yun Yingzhi glanced at Yun Yingyao. “Where are you going?”
His ears twitched. He overheard a group of students whispering behind them:
“That’s Yun Yingzhi. What a pity—he put his mask back on.”
“Did you guys hear? The academy forum says he has SSSS-level mental power, SSSS-level esper ability, super-SSS-level physique, and a super-SSS-level second form!”
“I heard that too, but look at that slender body. I still worry someone might bully him.”
“Me too. He just looks so easy to push around.”
“But apparently his talent is real. Right now he’s the strongest in the academy.”
Listening to their hushed conversations, Yun Yingzhi felt a small puff of pride swell inside him. Showing off was human nature. He had been frail his entire life, and now, suddenly learning he possessed extraordinary talent, the instinct to announce it to the world felt natural.
Unfortunately, until now, he had found no chance to brag. He couldn’t very well run up to people and show them his talent metrics. Besides, his data hadn’t yet been officially updated—he needed the official testing center to log the results.
Under those conditions, he couldn’t just grab someone and declare his greatness. Yet now, without lifting a finger, everyone already knew how powerful he was. The feeling was glorious.
He teasingly tapped the little kit’s neck a bit faster. Little kit patted the back of his hand faster in return.
Yun Yingyao looked at him. “You’re heading to your interview. I’m going with you.”
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelid twitched. The truth was, he absolutely did not want to end up on the same team as Yun Yingyao. Yun Yingyao would give him zero room to shine. After a moment of silence, he decided to be straightforward. “I don’t want to be on your team.”
Yun Yingyao caught his wrist in one swift motion.
Yun Yingzhi thought, A’Yao is strong… stronger than most students at Fansa Academy.
They stopped walking. Facing him directly, Yun Yingyao said, “No. I don’t feel safe letting you go alone.”
“Why wouldn’t you feel safe with me?” Yun Yingzhi asked.
Yun Yingyao gave him a long look from head to toe, then glanced pointedly at the slight bulge in Yun Yingzhi’s pocket. “I already had concerns. Now I have even more.”
Yun Yingzhi considered it, then said, “A’Yao, listen to what everyone is saying now.”
Yun Yingyao said, “What?”
Yun Yingzhi didn’t even realize it himself. Because he was so proud, his voice rose just a little. “My innate abilities.”
Yun Yingyao stared at him. “Double SSSS-level? Two super-SSS levels?”
Yun Yingzhi nodded. Yun Yingyao fell silent for a beat, then quietly removed every source weapon strapped to Yun Yingzhi’s wrist. Yun Yingzhi looked at her, confused. Yun Yingyao moved on to his other wrist and unfastened the remaining source weapons.
Little kit, nestled in Yun Yingzhi’s pocket, suddenly lost the fingers he had been playing with. Feeling abandoned, he let out an unhappy string of “Da-da-da.”
In the shadows, a student whispered, “Did you hear that? That sounded like Jiaojiao baby’s voice!”
Yun Yingzhi froze from head to toe. Little kit went still like a guilty chick, clapped both tiny paws over his mouth, and dared not move.
Yun Yingyao met Yun Yingzhi’s gaze and said, “Zhizhi, your innate abilities are truly incredible.”
Yun Yingzhi glanced at the pile of source weapons held in Yun Yingyao’s hands. “Hm?”
Yun Yingyao asked, “So, can you use your esper now?”
Yun Yingzhi blinked. “Huh?”
“Show me your SSSS-level esper ability. I need to confirm whether I can trust you to join another team for practical training on your own.”
Yun Yingzhi, who had no idea what esper ability he had awakened, remained speechless.
Yun Yingyao urged him, “Show me. Now.”
Yun Yingzhi said, “Give me the source weapons first.”
“Source weapons are good. As weapons, they boost your combat power in every way. But you need to understand that source weapons can be lost or dropped. What will you do then?” Yun Yingyao asked.
Yun Yingzhi fell silent. Yun Yingyao said, “You’re coming with me. You must behave, or I’ll tell Big Brother.”
Yun Yingzhi felt that Yun Yingyao had simply evolved into a tattling spirit. Left with no choice, he could only bring Yun Yingyao along to the interview. The team interviewing that day was a twelve-person team. At the moment, they already had nine members, leaving three spots open.
Among the nine, including the captain, there were four fourth-year students, three third-years, and two second-years. According to the requirements, the team could still accept one more third-year and two first-years. Because Yun Yingzhi and Yun Yingyao came to interview together, the four fourth-years expressed regret, saying they could only accept one of them.
They then turned warm, expectant eyes toward Yun Yingzhi. Smiling, they said, “If the two of you could split up, we’d be happy to welcome either one of you to our team.”
Although they phrased it politely, it was obvious that compared to Yun Yingyao, they were much more eager to cling to Yun Yingzhi’s thigh.
The interview went by with ease. The siblings left the interview hall together. On the way back to the dorms, Yun Yingzhi overheard several second-years complaining.
“I’m seriously stressed out. The seniors were way too strict.”
“Right? After the interview, they made us do practical exams—five different ones! Solo combat, group combat, source-weapon combat, physical combat, and esper combat. If you slip up even a little in any of them, you’re either put on hold or forced to retake the exam.”
Yun Yingzhi, who had gone through zero exams, fell completely silent.
He stared at Yun Yingyao in shock. “Interviews are this hard?”
Yun Yingyao’s eyelid twitched. “Before today, when I tried to bring you into other teams, I took a ton of practical exams. The content was…” Her expression turned very complicated.
Yun Yingzhi prompted her, “Hm?”
“I had to fight at least two same-grade matches—one versus two. Then two higher-grade matches—again one versus two. Two group battles, and in both, my side had at least two fewer people than the opposing side. Then there were three rounds of physical tests, source-energy capacity tests, esper tests, sustained-output stability tests…” she listed one after another.
Yun Yingzhi summed it up silently. Every test boiled down to a single question: Could Yun Yingyao carry a deadweight on her own? Any team willing to take both siblings only agreed because Yun Yingyao proved she could fight as two people—maybe even three.
After recounting everything from the past few days, Yun Yingyao let out a long breath. “Thankfully, all those interviews boosted my reputation in Fansa Academy.”
Yun Yingzhi felt a bit guilty. His terrible performance earlier in the week had given Yun Yingyao way too many chances to show off.
Yun Yingyao paused, then added, “They were strict because I had to bring you. Every test was harsh.”
“Maybe it’s because the team-formation score is linked to the final exam this time,” Yun Yingzhi said.
“Probably. But meanwhile, you went to your interview today and didn’t have to take a single test.”
Yun Yingzhi felt this was… extremely awkward.
After a pause, Yun Yingyao added, “Maybe you don’t know this, but that team you just interviewed with—the one that told you you could come by yourself—do you remember?”
On the surface, Yun Yingzhi remained calm, but he felt embarrassed. He had wanted to sneak past Yun Yingyao, yet she somehow knew everything.
“From what I heard,” Yun Yingyao continued, “they actually had no intention of accepting you at first. Their original plan was to wait until you showed up, then put you through a full set of combat exams—the same ones I went through. When you couldn’t pass, they planned to slap you in the face with it, mock your ability and character, and then report you to revoke your Ranking Battle slot.”
Yun Yingzhi fell speechless.
“But Jiaojiao’s appearance ruined their plans. Once they realized who you were, no one minded clinging to your thigh anymore.” Her expression grew complicated. “Even though… your classmates have always been extremely biased toward you.”
A very special double standard. Yun Yingzhi thought about it and realized that, yes, that sounded about right. The two of them returned to the dorm together. Yun Yingzhi opened his personal terminal, thinking about which team to join.
Little kit crawled out of his pocket the moment they entered the room, pressing, rubbing, and kissing all over him. Yun Yingyao tried everything she could to pry little kit off of him, yet nothing worked.
Yun Yingzhi scratched the little kit’s neck and said, “Jiaojiao just found me today. He’s clingy. He’ll calm down in a few days.”
Yun Yingyao hummed noncommittally and kept trying to peel the tiny bunny pancake off Yun Yingzhi’s face. What she couldn’t remove, Yun Yingzhi lifted off with ease, placing the little kit on the desk. A second later, little kit hopped right back onto him and resumed his affectionate assault.
Yun Yingyao grew visibly envious. “I really miss Taotao.”
Little kit’s ears perked up at the mention of little egg. He blinked his big eyes and opened his personal terminal. Children’s terminals had no privacy features. Once opened, the projection displayed everything. Both siblings instinctively looked toward the light screen, wondering what little kit was planning.
With a few pokes of his tiny paws, little kit opened his contact list and initiated a video call to little egg. On the other end, little egg answered immediately. Little egg was still an egg—an egg currently resting in an incubator.
Little kit chirped, “Da-da-da!”
Little egg stared blankly, unmoving, like a soul had vacated the shell.
Little kit crawled up to Yun Yingzhi’s cheek, kissed him, then turned toward the projection. “Da-da-da!”
Little egg remained motionless.
Yun Yingyao commented, “Little kit is mad at the egg.”
Yun Yingzhi picked the little kit up, facing the projection. “Taotao, Daddy loves you.”
The tiny menace hugged Yun Yingzhi’s finger and kissed it before looking at little egg again. “Da-da-da!”
Yun Yingzhi pinched the little kit’s cheeks gently. “Taotao, be good. When Daddy has a break, he’ll come kiss you and hold you. Wait for Daddy to come home, okay?”
At those words, little kit scrambled up his chest, quickly licked Yun Yingzhi’s lips, hugged his cheek, and then looked proudly toward the little egg.
Finally pushed past his limit, little egg stomped furiously inside the incubator. Yun Yingzhi picked up the little kit again.
Dangling from his grip, little kit covered his little mouth with both paws and giggled. “Da-da-da.” Heeheehee, Daddy belonged to Jiaojiao!
Little egg stomped again.
Little kit taunted, “Da-da-da!” Come here then, come here!
Little egg rolled dramatically across the incubator and hopped in place several times.
—
The school gave students two weeks to form their teams. Once everyone learned that Yun Yingzhi had been admitted as a parachuted student, every team opened green paths for him. No combat trials required—he could join any team he wished.
A group of students whispered among themselves. Weren’t they supposed to give the rumored super-talented Yun Yingzhi space to perform? In truth, all the teams wanted to give him that space. They were just worried that if he underwent a real exam, he might fail.
Captains and vice-captains agreed there was no rush; during the actual trial, they could let him shine. Under these circumstances, Yun Yingzhi leisurely picked through the teams.
The awkward thing was that even Huai Boshe’s team sent him an invitation. Everyone knew that Yun Yingzhi and Huai Boshe didn’t get along, though no one knew the details. Fourth-years refused to accept Huai Boshe into any team, but because of his strength, he easily built a team composed of first-, second-, and third-years. Yun Yingzhi rejected him outright.
After some careful selection, Yun Yingzhi found a team he thought was pretty good. The captain was a fourth-year from the elite class, ranked fifth in the grade, with two teammates from the same year and a handful of students from the lower years. What satisfied Yun Yingzhi most was that he could finally separate from Yun Yingyao. He firmly believed that as long as they split up, he would finally have space to perform.
Yun Yingyao was deeply unhappy and immediately tattled to Yun Yinghui. As soon as Yun Yinghui heard the news, he contacted Yun Yingzhi. The moment the call connected, Yun Yinghui said, “Zhizhi, I’m not at ease. You should be on the same team as A’Yao.”
Yun Yingzhi immediately hung up the call. Yun Yingyao tattled to Elvis.
When the call connected, Elvis’s first words were the same: “Zhizhi, if you stay with A’Yao, she can take good care of you.”
Yun Yingzhi thought: that would completely rob him of any space to perform. He decisively hung up.
What left him speechless was that Emperor Jarren and the Imperial Consort also contacted him, telling him to think carefully. The trial would be conducted in dangerous areas, and if anything happened, it would be bad. Yun Yingzhi responded politely, then hung up.
In truth, he couldn’t understand it. Forget the past, but now that his personal talents had been revealed, why did they still think he couldn’t take care of himself? He felt a bit resentful and thought: during the trial, he would absolutely show everyone how strong he was. With that thought, he ran even more diligently toward the training hall.
Because little kit was at his side, Yun Yingzhi always rented a private training room whenever he trained. What felt strange to him was that little kit now trained alongside him. In the past, little kit had only liked to watch, never to train, but now, whatever Yun Yingzhi did, little kit copied.
There was one more thing that made Yun Yingzhi secretly envious. Yun Yingzhi still didn’t know what his own esper was, but the little kit had already awakened a fire-element ability.
One of Yun Yingzhi’s source weapons had a skill called “Chessboard Flame.” Flames ran along lines on a board, freely switching and transferring. Little kit impressively mimicked Yun Yingzhi’s thought process.
Whenever Yun Yingzhi practiced manipulating his source weapon to improve proficiency, little kit copied him. He had no source weapon, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing power. Little kit worked hard, using his fire-element esper to simulate the chessboard path, with remarkable results.
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. He looked at the little kit, striving to become stronger, and a massive question mark formed in his mind. He suddenly remembered what many kindergarten friends had said to him back then:
—“Yingzhi, you’re so fragile. To protect you, I’ll become stronger!”
Yun Yingzhi, “…”
Little kit sensed Yun Yingzhi’s gaze. His tiny body bounced up, leaping onto the chessboard flames, stepping on the roaring fire, spinning a single foot on the scorched ground as all the flames bristled with energy.
Yun Yingzhi felt a subtle, uneasy premonition. He wanted to ask why the little kit had been training so hard recently. And also… If nothing went wrong, he would probably have to take this clingy little rascal along on the dangerous team missions.
But… If the other team members truly gave him space to perform as they claimed, would he really get that space? He stared at the little kit, training with all his tiny strength, and massive question marks slowly filled his mind. Would the little kit really give him room to shine?
Yun Yingzhi, “…”
In the palace, the little egg was an egg, a tiny white egg sick with longing for his father. Little egg was sleepy, always dozing. Occasionally, when he woke, he would send a video call to his father. Sometimes his father answered, sometimes he didn’t. But whenever his father did answer, his face and body were always covered with a tiny, mischievous little bunny.
Little egg was a little angry. He really wanted to go to his father. He also wanted to be the little egg-pancake on his father. But he was too sleepy. All his energy went into video-calling his father and stomping in envy at the little bunny.
Little egg thought: this wouldn’t do. Not acceptable! He had to go find his father. He had to be with his father! He couldn’t let little kit, the sole child, monopolize Daddy!
Little egg exerted himself, using his space esper. Through. He warped. He had to find his father! Hmph!
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