Chapter 115: Zhao Peng’s Promotion
December 5th, Thursday.
C City Science and Technology University, West District Lotus Pond.
For the past ten days, Heshimi Haruka has been sitting here idly for several hours after her classes, staring blankly at the desolate pond in the winter.
Wearing a winter wool Lolita skirt, Heshimi Haruka sat on a bench by the pond, grasping a piece of embroidery in her hands. Recently, she had taken a liking to this traditional craft of Huaguo, and after watching some online tutorials, she clumsily started her own attempts.
At this time, several male students from the university would always be wandering nearby, often passing by Heshimi Haruka intentionally or unintentionally, full of youthful naivety, words on the tip of their tongues yet held back. This has been one of the beautiful ripples that Heshimi Haruka has brought to the campus as an international student over the past few months.
Inadvertently, the needle pricked her finger again; the pain was trivial, but the instant nervous reaction from her peripheral nerves made Heshimi Haruka’s fingers tremble slightly.
A drop of crystal-clear blood appeared on her fingertip, like a finely polished small chicken blood stone, reflecting a unique luster on her fair skin.
Heshimi Haruka just stared at her finger, frozen like a statue without making any effort to tend to it.
Bai Yu Qianzhen had gone back to Japan to retrieve some pharmaceutical materials, but the agreed time had long passed by a week, and there seemingly hadn’t been any reaction from her family, as if it had all sunk into the sea.
Heshimi Haruka already began to regret her impulsive decision, after all, Bai Yu Qianzhen is still an irreplaceable trusted aide by her side.
As an excellent descendant being cultivated by her family, the year Heshimi Haruka just became a baron, she received her own retainers and fief according to family tradition. It was then that Bai Yu Qianzhen became her close aide, similar to that of ancient courtiers.
It is said that Bai Yu Qianzhen’s ancestors were members of the Tanaka family, which was nearly exterminated by North America during World War II.
That once prestigious duke family in Japan has now been reduced to a minor viscount clan, subservient to the Fujiwara family, with its descendants gradually diluted into the Fujiwara lineage according to the Bai Yu tradition.
Heshimi Haruka had never thought that one day she would rely on such an external retainer to build her own free life, while the Fujiwara family, whom she should have depended on, had become the prison that confined her life.
Perhaps, both she and Bai Yu Qianzhen were pawns cast aside at will by their families, maintaining a false status and glamour on the surface…
Just as Heshimi Haruka was lost in thought, a Ragdoll cat that appeared out of nowhere gracefully leaped onto her lap, rubbing and sniffing against her.
The Ragdoll cat, named Xun-chan, carefully walked on Heshimi Haruka’s thigh, then climbed up her arm, stretching out its head and tongue, licking the slowly solidifying bead of blood into its mouth, producing a comfortable purring sound that awakened the girl’s contemplation.
The sky was already dim, with a gloomy atmosphere offering no comforting sunset glow, empty and dull, yet another fruitless winter day.
Heshimi Haruka felt as if there was no point in appearing before Zhong Jing, feeling a pang of self-reproach in her heart.
Suddenly, a familiar scent rose in the distance, fleeting like a small ripple on a calm surface.
A hint of a smile quickly appeared on Heshimi Haruka’s cool face, because this scent belonged to Bai Yu Qianzhen. This was a code they had agreed upon, requiring no verbal communication or phone calls; the pheromones of their bloodline were sufficient for conveying some metaphorical messages.
…
After ten days, Heshimi Haruka returned to the Zhong family before nightfall. Although the driver was not the familiar short young man, and her mood was somewhat strange, Zhong’s mother still welcomed her warmly.
Zhong Jing had mysteriously disappeared these days, but for Zhong’s parents, their son’s notorious lifestyle was already something they had grown accustomed to. However, now this smile seemed to indicate another matter, yet his mother still did not answer the phone and had sent a message on social media.
After simply offering a few gifts, Heshimi Haruka returned to her bedroom, quietly sitting in front of the bookshelf reading.
On the balcony, the voice of the Ragdoll cat Hei-jiang could be heard, and then a shadow carrying a bundle dropped onto the balcony, exuding a familiar aura.
Bai Yu Qianzhen knelt on one knee, lowering his head in silence, humble and quiet, the only difference from before being that his entire left arm was missing.
“I thought you were dead.”
Heshimi Haruka appeared quietly at the entrance of the balcony, coldly staring at her trusted aide, her gaze sweeping over the empty spot where his left shoulder once was, pupils narrowing slightly.
“Hi, my subordinate has failed in his duties and wasted the young lady’s time.”
Bai Yu Qianzhen removed the bundle tied to his back with one hand, took out a delicate metal box, opened it, and inside, amidst the swirling cold air of dry ice, lay five cylindrical special-packaged items neatly arranged.
“They didn’t want your life; is this a warning to me?”
Heshimi Haruka’s blood surged up, her pale face now adorned with blood-red pupils and lips, exquisitely charming, exuding a murderous aura.
The Ragdoll cat beside her also started to puff up, its eyes turning blood red, baring its teeth and leaping onto the girl’s shoulder, hissing.
The limbs and cat teeth became distorted; the cute and graceful Hei-jiang transformed into a small demon beast from hell without anyone noticing.
Meanwhile, in the entire villa community, nearly every household’s cats and dogs were caught in this demonic wave of pheromones, scurrying to hide under beds, burrowing into holes, climbing trees, displaying all sorts of bizarre behavior.
“Hi, the elders asked me to relay a message to the lady; this is the last time. The lady must focus and complete her task without meddling in other matters.”
Bai Yu Qianzhen’s expression remained unchanged, his voice trembling slightly; he had already felt Heshimi Haruka’s uncontrollable rage and killing intent. Yet somehow, this anger did not evoke fear within him; instead, it filled him with a sense of wanting to laugh.
With a light sigh, the boiling blood gradually calmed down, and Heshimi Haruka returned to her normal expression, slowly walking up to Bai Yu Qianzhen, bending down, and gently placed one hand on his shoulder, feeling the subtle changes within him.
In the past ten days, who knows how much physical punishment Bai Yu Qianzhen faced from his family? He not only lost an arm, but his foundations also suffered severe damage, making it unlikely he would ever become a baron in this lifetime… Heshimi Haruka bit her lip tightly, clenching her fists, her whole body trembling.
“Thank you for your hard work, Bai Yu-kun. You should go rest.”
“Hi! I will take my leave.”
The black figure vanished without a trace, and a few seconds later, Heshimi Haruka suddenly turned around and walked back into her bedroom.
A suppressed sob erupted from her chest, piercing as if her heart were being torn apart. The girl frantically began to tear at the sheets and pillows on her bed.
Goose feathers, fabric scraps, and threads flew around the room.
After an unknown amount of time, perhaps having vented enough, Heshimi Haruka finally tiredly sat on the edge of the bed, blankly staring at the innocent-looking Ragdoll cat Xun-chan, a self-deprecating smile creeping onto her lips.
A knock on the door brought Heshimi Haruka back to her senses. Looking at the mess in the room, she suddenly felt flustered.
“Yo, you’re back?”
Outside the door was the familiar voice of Zhong Jing, casual and nonchalant, with a hint of playful irreverence.
“Jing-kun, the door is not locked.”
Heshimi Haruka did not get up, merely replying quietly.
The door opened, and footsteps approached slowly, then suddenly seemed to get caught on something, halting abruptly a few meters away.
“Such intense emotions; did your period come? No, the timing doesn’t match…”
Zhong Jing looked around in surprise, seeing the luxury bed now resembling a chicken coop, feathers and scraps strewn all over the ground, which seemed to express the girl’s previous emotional outburst.
“Jing-kun, I brought the things you wanted.”
Heshimi Haruka paid no heed to Zhong Jing’s expression at that moment, walking to the desk and opening the metal box.
Zhong Jing took a few steps forward, his gaze scanning the contents of the box, then looking around at the wreckage, finally resting on Heshimi Haruka’s faint smile, his heart skipping a beat.
“Sorry you had to suffer.”
Zhong Jing pondered for a long time, and that was all he could come up with.
“Jing-ge, I’m really scared…”
Suddenly, Heshimi Haruka rushed forward a few steps and tightly hugged Zhong Jing’s body, tears streaming down her face.
“As long as my father and I are still alive, there is no moment you need to be afraid.”
Zhong Jing held her shoulders with both hands, skillfully distancing himself slightly, perhaps for the first time speaking to Heshimi Haruka with genuine tenderness in his tone.
“Alright, let me think about how to tidy up this room; otherwise, my mom might think you have a mental illness, and that impression can be unfairly deducted… You don’t mind if I act a little crazy too, do you?”
Zhong Jing slowly walked to the bed, scooping up the fallen goose feathers with his hand, shrugging with a helpless smile.
…
In the living room on the first floor, Zhong Hai and his wife were watching television. The latter was quite pleased with her son’s decision to return home upon receiving news, especially when he headed straight for Heshimi Haruka’s bedroom as soon as he entered, making her smile with delight.
“Husband, these two kids get along quite well. Look, it’s only been ten days, and they’re already missing each other. Why not arrange their engagement with Japan soon?”
Zhong’s mother tidied up her precious shawl, murmuring to Zhong Hai at the same time.
Zhong Hai looked up toward the second floor, slightly shaking his head. “Everything has its rules; even if they were engaged, it might not lead to the end. Do you really understand your son’s thoughts?”
As he spoke, a trace of self-deprecation appeared in Zhong Hai’s eyes, seemingly recalling a recent incident where Zhong Jing made some astonishing remarks in the study that still lingered in his mind.
This son of his possessed an inner intellectual tension that far exceeded his own, flamboyant and carefree yet cunning, both a source of trouble and a stroke of luck for the Zhong family.
Suddenly, Zhong Jing’s furious voice could faintly be heard from upstairs, accompanied by the sounds of things being thrown, as if he were having a fit of rage in Heshimi Haruka’s room.
“Husband!”
Zhong’s mother was startled, instinctively gripping Zhong Hai’s arm.
“Go check… We can’t let anything regrettable happen.”
Zhong Hai pried open his wife’s hand, furrowing his brow, somewhat surprised.
“Hey, son, it’s better to talk things over nicely; no need to lose your temper!”
At the door, Zhong’s mother could hardly believe her eyes.
Inside Heshimi Haruka’s bedroom, Zhong Jing was cursing, and the bed, the floor, were already strewn with torn remnants of sheets and pillows, covered in goose feathers. Heshimi Haruka herself was silently sitting in front of the bookshelf, head lowered and silent, her hands gripping the edge of her skirt tightly.
“Heh, I say this for the last time; you are not allowed to enter my study in the future and mess with my things.”
Zhong Jing lit a cigarette, holding the metal box in his hand, slightly nodded toward Heshimi Haruka, then walked toward his mother while deliberately raising his voice, “Mom, you didn’t tell her that I clean my own study, did you?”
“You child, she wouldn’t know! Helping you clean is a mistake?”
Zhong’s mother finally understood why her son was going crazy; this kind of thing was nothing new for Zhong Jing. Perhaps Heshimi Haruka had accidentally torn a poster or broken some anime model, which would not come as a surprise to anyone.
“Don’t mind him. He gets completely obsessed with that stuff; he never thinks of anyone else. I’ll call the housekeeping service to rearrange your bed!”
Zhong’s mother became angry and walked over to pull Heshimi Haruka up. Seeing that she still had slightly red eyes from crying, her heart ached, and she quickly hugged her for comfort.
Watching Zhong Jing’s retreating back, although Heshimi Haruka’s face still bore a look of loneliness and sadness, a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes, and her heart felt sweet.
…
The week-long field training for the Hyacinth has come to an end, and all the attendants and knights returned to the Golden River Club this morning.
Interestingly, during this training, a new attendant was added, one who is currently in the process of promoting and hibernating. Perhaps soon, a girl named Xiao Mei will be officially joining the ranks of the Golden River Club as a lower-tier attendant to make up for the previous personnel losses.
With just a few days left until the external announcement of the internal renovation suspension, Wan Yue declared the last two days off, allowing most people to relax freely, but leaving a very small number of people behind, a decision she made after careful consideration.
Still in that special staff lounge, various instruments were ready. Zhao Peng lay on the bed, blood transfusion channels already established.
Injured yet returning, the now seemingly unscathed Xiao Dong along with Xiao Ai sat on either side of the bed, both with expressions of curiosity or excitement as they watched Jiang Yan connect the blood bags to the infusion device.
The rumor that Wan Yue had obtained rare blood from a foreign bloodline viscount through special channels, capable of breaking through growth bottlenecks, had left Xiao Ai and Xiao Dong shocked but also filled with deep doubts.
“Ah Peng…”
Looking at the calm expression on Zhao Peng’s face, Xiao Ai couldn’t help but grab his hand, her beautiful eyes overflowing with visible affection.
She knew that although Zhao Peng seemed calm over the years, he actually experienced immense inner pressure trapped by the boundary bottleneck; the anxiety stemming from the bloodline on a genetic level was no trivial matter.
“It’s alright; I tried a few days ago, and there’s hope.”
Zhao Peng squeezed Xiao Ai’s fingers, doing his best to remain calm, but the rapid beating of his heart betrayed the unrest within him. After all, this was the closest he had ever been to becoming a baron in his life, rather than the ever-elusive so-called half-step baron.
Seeing that Xiao Ai was so nervous she couldn’t even call him by name correctly, Xiao Dong almost burst into laughter. Everyone knew about the relationship between Xiao Ai and Zhao Peng, but not many had truly seen their intimate interactions.
“Blood itself cannot generate energy, but it contains some special components. There are subtle differences between bloodlines of different levels and blood types.”
Wan Yue sat on the couch in the room, generously waving a can of beer, sipping it slowly, and smiling brightly.
“We refuse the black bloodline lifestyle, but we can learn from certain principles. The rare blood of high-level bloodlines is proven effective in breaking growth bottlenecks. The Iberian bloodline and Apennine bloodline prestigious families have similar traditions, but it’s limited to blood relatives.”
“This time, Xiao Jing provided us with ample financial support, allowing for today’s opportunity. This blood is from high-level bloodlines and has already been validated; it’s very effective for blood servants, as for its effectiveness on knights, it may be slightly less, but the quantity can make up for it, which is also a hope.”
Currently, in addition to the blood bags hanging on the infusion device, there were five bottles of fresh blood neatly arranged on the small table in front of the couch, the warm light casting an alluring glow, and whatever Wan Yue said made every heartbeat thrilling.
“Wan-jie, I’ve heard that the prestigious bloodline families in Europe and America have long developed breakthrough potions; is it possible that they are…”
Worried for her beloved, Xiao Ai’s face still bore tension as she stared intently at the blood bags on the infusion device, asking carefully, since greater hopes often lead to greater disappointments.
“Hmph, do you really need to guess how to make those breakthrough potions? They consider themselves above the black bloodlines, but what they do is not much different from the black bloodlines.”
“The breakthroughs caused by those potions lead to states even worse than the black bloodlines; they’re fragile shells, only used to placate marginal family vassals and carry considerable risks; they themselves don’t consume it, do you think it’s something good?”
Wan Yue scoffed lightly; Xiao Ai and Xiao Dong exchanged glances, even letting out a sigh of relief.
“Alright, I won’t waste any more words; let’s begin.”
Wan Yue put down her can of beer, nodding seriously at Jiang Yan, who was waiting by the infusion device.
The blood transfusion started, and in the transfusion line, red streaks appeared in the originally saline solution, ultimately merging into Zhao Peng’s subclavian vein. Xiao Ai and Xiao Dong both held their breath tightly, staring intently at Zhao Peng’s face.
Zhao Peng had completely relaxed by this point, a smile gracing his lips as he quietly gazed at the ceiling, his fingers trembling slightly, lost in thought.
He had tried it once before with extracted blood under a blood refining state; although it hadn’t directly shaken the long-suppressed boundaries, the microscopic world’s eruption-like impact filled him with joyous exuberance.
Feeling a warm surge rising within him, gradually extending to his limbs and bones, every cell in his body seemed to be stirring, and the skin on his face began to warm slightly.
It could be sped up.
He sensed that Zhao Peng’s pheromones were exhibiting unstable fluctuations, a sign of subtle changes at the microscopic level. The activation of blood protein renewal and the typical traits of about to advance to a new stage prompted Wan Yue to make a decisive call.
Noticing the tension in Xiao Ai, who had closed her eyes beside him, Jiang Yan opened the blood transfusion channel to Zhao Peng’s femoral vein again, sending another stream of blood directly into Zhao Peng’s thigh.
In preparation for this breakthrough, Jiang Yan had drawn a full 500 milliliters of blood over the past five days; to prevent any failure, she even prepared an additional 300 milliliters, which was the limit of their supply over these days.
“Wan-jie, I… I think I’m…”
As the volume of blood infusion sharply increased, one hand pressed against his abdomen, a look of wild joy finally broke through on Zhao Peng’s face. The long-lost experience of breaking through congestion replayed again; though it was accompanied by intense discomfort, he knew he had finally shattered the years-long cap on his boundaries.
Wan Yue also sighed with relief, standing up and looking at her first trusted aide with a radiant smile in her heart.
“I feel… so sleepy… Thank you, big…”
Before he could finish saying “home,” Zhao Peng was enveloped by an intense wave of drowsiness, his body temperature rising rapidly, turning his skin red like a steamed shrimp, leaving Xiao Ai at a loss.
Wan Yue was taken aback as she stepped forward, crouching beside Zhao Peng.
Zhao Peng had already fainted, or rather, he had entered a deep sleep. Waves of chaotic, surpassingly potent pheromones fluctuated wildly around him.
“Inject the boiling blood agent.”
After feeling his pulse for a moment, Wan Yue decisively gave a new command.
This time, before Jiang Yan could retrieve anything, Xiao Ai jumped up first, grabbing the previously prepared syringe and personally injecting it into Zhao Peng’s exposed arm.
Without injecting external hormonal inhibitors, or perhaps out of reluctance, Xiao Ai and Xiao Dong wouldn’t cover up Zhao Peng’s enviable aura at this moment.
Amidst the tidal wave of rising energy, a hint of chaotic aura began to emerge. Not just a signal of the blood protein renewal ascending to a higher level, but also the transformation of Zhao Peng’s long-culminated inner and outer hormonal control capabilities.
Heart rate slowly decreased, body temperature began to normalize, and Zhao Peng was stepping over the threshold that would forever seal countless bloodlines in regrets.
In this room, under everyone’s watch, a new Siberian baron was about to be born.
Suddenly, Xiao Ai burst into tears, her body almost collapsing onto Zhao Peng, unaware that anyone might think he had received a critical notification.
Wan Yue trembled slightly as she lit a cigarette, then smiled as she quietly left the room.
In the first-floor hall, Jiang Yan and Liang Tai were nervously guarding in the dark corner, both armed and alert. When the terrifying wave of energy rolled from the direction of the employee area, both of them revealed delighted expressions.
Especially Liang Tai, whose stagnant growth period had even surpassed Zhao Peng’s; he was shaking with excitement now.
Zhao Peng’s successful promotion gave all the Hyacinth knights a renewed confidence to continue forging ahead.
“Brother Zhao Peng, congratulations.”
Muttering blessings softly, Jiang Yan smiled as she intensively injected the hormonal inhibitor into Zhao Peng’s body.
