Barren Star – Chapter 8
by Little PandaWhat, what are you going to do?
Ning Buyi did not go out hunting beasts with Hua Zhuoyu.
In the middle of the night, a sudden rain poured down with a pitter-patter. The protective shield glowed with a faint white light, maintaining the base’s usual tranquility under its cover. The buildings and plants were unharmed, and there was nothing to worry about. However, wanting to leave the protective shield and venture into the rain-covered wasteland was like thinking one’s life is too long (meaning to do something extremely risky or foolish).
The barren star’s environment was harsh, and the rain was unusual. The highly corrosive acid rain was a lesser concern compared to the hidden dark pollution that truly caused anxiety. Every time it rained acid, the dark pollution in the air would increase. If it happened a few more times, even a golden finger might be powerless.
After Ning Buyi got up, she filled her stomach with a few fresh vegetables and then took ten nutrient solutions to check on the red thorns she had painstakingly planted the day before. On the way, she encountered Hua Zhuoyu.
Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail, swinging leisurely with her steps, giving off a very relaxed vibe.
Ning Buyi’s gaze lingered on the collar of the shirt—this time, her attire was quite improper, with three buttons undone, revealing the snow-like skin on the high mounds at a glance. Her eyes gradually moved upward; she noticed that Hua Zhuoyu had put on lipstick—probably stored in her spatial button (referring to a small device used for storing items in an alternate space). As the female lead, she couldn’t be as sloppy and casual as Ning Buyi herself.
Raising her hand, Ning Buyi patted her own cheek, exhaling a deep breath to forcefully redirect her gaze, trying not to be mesmerized by Hua Zhuoyu’s every little smile and expression.
“It’s raining outside; it’s not suitable to go out,” Hua Zhuoyu spoke, breaking the silence between them.
Ning Buyi was momentarily stunned, then responded with an “Oh”: “I’m going to check the base’s boundary.”
With an air of casualness, Hua Zhuoyu remarked, “Going to see the red thorns?” When Ning Buyi’s eyes shifted back to her face, she smiled with apparent ease, “I saw it when I passed by just now. I didn’t expect such a rich variety of species on the barren star.”
Rich? It’s simply beyond belief.
When Ning Buyi heard her say that, she knew Hua Zhuoyu wouldn’t dig deeper. That’s good; there should be boundaries between people, especially regarding some secrets. It’s better not to inquire about things that shouldn’t be known. Silently, she withdrew her gaze and walked forward.
Hua Zhuoyu turned her steps and followed behind Ning Buyi. She didn’t ask silly questions like “Why plant them on the outskirts?” From the researchers, she knew that plants under dark pollution had two possibilities: death or adapting to and even resisting the dark pollution. The former was the norm in the Greedy Wolf Galaxy, and the latter… could be called a “miracle.”
The red thorns were crimson, like a jade belt formed of flames. When Ning Buyi planted them, they only reached her knees, but now they had grown to her waist. This type of interstellar red thorn is quite special. It stops growing vertically at about one meter in height, and instead, it splits to form new red thorns.
Ning Buyi was very satisfied with the growth of the red thorns. In just one night after planting, the dark pollution reserves in the Mountain Atlas Atlas had increased slightly. Once they formed a forest belt, the dark pollution they could bring in would be considerable. Taking the nutrient solution from her pocket, Ning Buyi unhesitatingly watered the red thorns. The branches swayed gently in the wind, as if expressing joy to Ning Buyi.
Hua Zhuoyu suddenly spoke, “Did you hear a sound?”
Ning Buyi paused in her actions and made a gesture of listening intently. After a moment, she blinked and said, “No.”
Hua Zhuoyu didn’t respond further. She walked around the red thorns and headed toward the outside of the base.
“Hey?” Ning Buyi looked at Hua Zhuoyu in confusion, planning to call her back, but then she saw Hua Zhuoyu bend down and grab something from the outer red thorns. She lifted up a palm-sized, yellow, fluffy creature.
The yellow, delicate creature resembled the fat chick from Ning Buyi’s original world, except it had several long, beautiful multicolored tail feathers.
Hua Zhuoyu grabbed the little creature by its fluffy wings and lifted it up, “It’s from the Beast Race, a young Feng Jiu.” (Feng Jiu = Phoenix Call)
The chick was in poor condition, barely clinging to life. Its tail feathers swayed as it weakly chirped, “Chirp!”
The Beast Race is one of the three major civilizations in the Greedy Wolf Galaxy, home to many strange creatures. The Feng Jiu tribe is famous among them, claiming to be descendants of the mythical beast phoenix. This tribe, regardless of gender, is known for their striking beauty and pride, and they typically don’t associate with humans. However, this setup in the novel was mainly to highlight the charm of the male protagonist, Xia Tu, as the princess of the Feng Jiu tribe, Feng Yi, became one of his consorts. Interestingly, this all ties back to the little Feng Jiu.
In the storyline, the young Feng Jiu was taken out to play by Ling Shu, a dragon friend of Princess Feng Yi, but they were attacked along the way, and the young Feng Jiu went missing. The princess, worried about her sister’s safety, turned to the Da Xia Empire for help in finding her. Through these interactions, the princess and the crown prince, Xia Tu, fell for each other, beginning a passionate love story. As for the little Feng Jiu—it was soon forgotten by the princess—or rather, by the author—and only mentioned during arguments between the princess and the male protagonist.
Ning Buyi had no interest in the love story of a scoundrel. Her concern was that someone might find the barren star, exposing the things in the base. It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle it, but avoiding trouble from the start was preferable. She steadied herself and looked up at Hua Zhuoyu, “You’re going to squeeze it to death.”
Hua Zhuoyu replied indifferently, “It’s not that fragile. Even as a young Beast Race member, its physique is stronger than yours. Don’t forget it survived last night’s acid rain.”
Rationally, Ning Buyi agreed with Hua Zhuoyu’s words, but seeing the little Feng Jiu’s teary eyes, Ning Buyi couldn’t help but feel compassion. Who could resist something so fluffy? She carefully took the little Feng Jiu from Hua Zhuoyu’s hands and gently poked its soft belly, eliciting a satisfied sigh.
Hua Zhuoyu watched coldly, “You’re going to poke it to death.”
Ning Buyi shot Hua Zhuoyu a glare, “I’m just an ordinary human without strength to truss a chicken.” She cradled the little Feng Jiu and walked quickly toward the base.
“Are you planning to keep it?” Hua Zhuoyu followed Ning Buyi, frowning slightly, “Young Beast Race creatures require a lot of energy to grow, I’m afraid—”
Ning Buyi paused and raised her eyebrows with a smile at Hua Zhuoyu, saying sweetly, “Isn’t that why you’re here, dear Judge Hua?” Though she said this, Ning Buyi’s priority was to ensure that the little Feng Jiu wouldn’t pose a threat to the barren star. After all, when the little Feng Jiu went missing, the princess of the Feng Jiu tribe did make efforts to “search” for it.
Ning Buyi had no experience in raising a little Feng Jiu. The base only had three types of food available: nutrient solutions, night wolf meat, and cabbage. The first was used for watering plants, so it was not suitable for the little Feng Jiu, leaving only the latter two options.
In the living room, the little Feng Jiu, dragging its tail feathers, stepped onto the coffee table. After pecking at the night wolf meat, it turned away disdainfully and began pecking at the leafy greens, as green as jade. Its beak tapped on the plate, making a rhythmic knocking sound. Once it was full, it hopped into Ning Buyi’s arms, tilted its head, and fell into a deep sleep.
As Ning Buyi gently stroked the fluffy creature, she searched the star network for information about the Feng Jiu tribe. Sure enough, she saw an image of the Feng Jiu princess. According to news reports, the little Feng Jiu went missing near Greedy Star, a construction planet under the jurisdiction of the Da Xia Empire, and the distance to Barren Star No. 1 was approximately…
While Ning Buyi was pondering, Hua Zhuoyu, understanding her thoughts, suddenly spoke, “Very far, at least a month’s journey.”
“Then how did it get here?” Ning Buyi’s eyelid twitched as she pointed at the little Feng Jiu, inquiring.
Hua Zhuoyu didn’t respond verbally. She leaned closer to Ning Buyi, tapped on the screen, and continued browsing the information about the little Feng Jiu. The group of star pirates who had attacked were found by the furious Feng Jiu tribe, but they also did not know where the little Feng Jiu ended up. They only knew that the little Feng Jiu had managed to escape into an energy escape pod and detached from the spaceship.
“The escape pod can’t be located, so they won’t find the barren star anytime soon. So, do you want to contact them?” Hua Zhuoyu asked.
Ning Buyi tossed the question back, “What do you think?”
Hua Zhuoyu smiled, her eyes carrying a trace of coldness, “I think we shouldn’t, at least not until it can speak. No one knows exactly how this little Feng Jiu was attacked. I believe what happened to me can serve as a lesson.”
Ning Buyi looked at Hua Zhuoyu, “I agree with your view. But regarding the Feng Jiu princess—” Ning Buyi paused briefly, her gaze lingering on the photo of the Feng Jiu princess and the empire’s crown prince, “she doesn’t seem to be too heartbroken?”
Hua Zhuoyu neither confirmed nor denied, as she rolled up her sleeves and said slowly, “You seem to have a special attention towards Xia Tu.”
Ning Buyi raised her voice, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Hua Zhuoyu chuckled, “If it’s not true, why are you getting so loud?”
Ning Buyi looked displeased. Her attention to Xia Tu wasn’t out of interest but because she feared dying mysteriously. The empire’s crown prince was a powerful figure. Back then, just mentioning Hua Zhuoyu brought disaster upon her; if Xia Tu found out Hua Zhuoyu was living here and had been injected with the black lock, the consequences would probably be even more terrifying.
“I don’t like Xia Tu, so don’t joke about him anymore,” Ning Buyi said seriously. If possible, she wished the Da Xia Empire would simply choose a different heir.
“Sorry,” Hua Zhuoyu said after a moment of silence, “You’re very wise; Xia Tu indeed isn’t someone you can rely on.”
Upon hearing this, Ning Buyi blurted out, “Then why do you want to be his crown princess?”
The room fell into silence.
Ning Buyi’s face showed a hint of embarrassment.
That’s how it is in the storyline, but it hasn’t happened yet, so saying it now is indeed premature.
Hua Zhuoyu withdrew her hand from the screen and gently placed it on Ning Buyi’s shoulder.
She gazed at Ning Buyi, her eyes filled with a vast, starry sea, brimming with an overwhelming depth of emotion that could drown someone.
Ning Buyi was startled by Hua Zhuoyu’s gaze.
Her skin was sensitive, and soon a blush spread across her cheeks, like a slowly blooming flower.
“W-what are you doing?” Ning Buyi asked awkwardly, forgetting to brush Hua Zhuoyu’s hand away.
Hua Zhuoyu chuckled softly at this. She leaned back and withdrew her hand.
The gentle, spring-breeze-like and peach-blossom-like charm disappeared as if it had never been there.
Hua Zhuoyu said with a bright smile, “I just wanted to tell you that, like you, I also don’t want to have anything to do with Xia Tu right now.”
Ning Buyi: “…”
Why not just say that directly? What was the point of striking such a pose? If she did this a few more times, Ning Buyi wouldn’t be able to handle it! Hua Zhuoyu must be a total tease! After mentally cursing Hua Zhuoyu dozens of times, Ning Buyi finally felt relieved. She shot Hua Zhuoyu a glare, then composed herself and, with a feigned seriousness, said, “There are two things we need to deal with next. First, the negotiations with theStarlight trading platform, and second, the search for the crashed escape pod.”
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