Tears still glistened in Ruan Shu’s eyes as she gazed, bewildered and at a loss, at the dodder plant.
Why… why did this seem so different from what she’d imagined?
She sniffled, her curled lashes quivering slightly, revealing her lingering fear.
But, at least, she had stopped crying.
“You… you didn’t go berserk, right?”
Her soft, tentative voice carried a hint of probing caution.
The dodder plant’s sprawling, silver threads lifted Ruan Shu gently into the air, making her instinctively curl up and hold herself tightly. After a long while, she dared to cautiously open her eyes, peering out with damp, clear eyes.
The dodder plant hadn’t harmed her. In fact, it had woven a delicate, dreamy nest around her, as if she were a precious treasure being protected within it.
A moment later, the dodder plant gently placed a few things beside her in the nest: some mutated fruits and a lovely, still pink mushroom.
Ruan Shu’s gaze lingered on the pink mushroom. It looked… somewhat familiar?
Just then, the mushroom gave a little hop, startling Ruan Shu, who widened her eyes in surprise.
It was Pink Maiden!
Had she already been parasitized by Pink Maiden’s spores?
Pink Maiden hopped onto Ruan Shu’s shoulder, rubbing its mushroom cap affectionately against her face.
“Chirrup, chirrup~”
Ruan Shu gasped.
It could make sounds, too!
“Just now… was that you calling out?”
Curiosity momentarily overtook her fear as Ruan Shu turned timidly toward Pink Maiden and asked.
“Chirrup~”
Pink Maiden responded, nuzzling her soft, pudgy face again.
Ah~ it had wanted to cuddle with this little cutie for ages, and now it had finally achieved its dream by disguising itself as an ordinary pretty mushroom to sneak in under the dodder’s protection.
But in the next instant, it realized it had celebrated too soon; the dodder plant noticed it and, in a flash of anger, sent its silver threads spiraling into the nest, wrapping Pink Maiden up and tossing it out.
Shameless!
Ruan Shu stared blankly as Pink Maiden was thrown out. Once she came to her senses, she looked out worriedly, momentarily forgetting the danger of Pink Maiden.
The dodder, mimicking Pink Maiden’s behavior, gently nuzzled Ruan Shu’s small face, and more silver threads blossomed around them.
“Th-Thank you.”
Ruan Shu softly thanked the dodder plant, a delicate, red ring perched atop her head, making her look like a tiny sprite born from the dodder’s nest.
The dodder plant, delighted by her gratitude, nuzzled her cheek again.
Thinking of the plants she had cultivated—how they and even the small vines seemed to adore her innate abilities—Ruan Shu hesitated, then placed her small hand on the dodder’s tendrils, closed her eyes, and let her energy flow.
Gentle and imbued with potent vitality, her energy seeped from her palm and was easily absorbed by the dodder.
Out of her sight, the entire expanse of dodder went wild—not with rage but with excitement, its tendrils dancing in joyous frenzy. The area around Ruan Shu became more securely guarded, sealed tightly by layers of dodder threads.
More tiny red flowers bloomed on the dodder, a vibrant expression of its happiness.
Meanwhile, Pink Maiden, whom the dodder had tossed out, hopped back, indignant at the dodder’s possessive nature. It, too, felt that energy it loved so much. Seizing its small size and masking its presence, Pink Maiden stealthily darted back toward the nest, determined. This little cutie was found by everyone; why should the dodder get to keep her all to itself?
A while later, Ruan Shu opened her eyes, biting her lip, and was startled by the sight before her. The nest was now blooming with countless little red flowers, and the dodder nuzzled her again in delight.
A small smile curved on her lips. So, even these mutant plants liked her ability! If that was the case, maybe she didn’t need to fear for her life, and she could still reunite with her father and brother.
She just didn’t know when her brother would find her.
Even though she felt sure the dodder wouldn’t harm her, Ruan Shu didn’t dare to make any requests. Angering it could still be dangerous, so she waited anxiously.
Meanwhile, back at the mutant botanical garden, everyone was feeling the chill emanating from Ruan Linzhan. A high-level Star Beast who had awakened his gifted powers, he could suppress others entirely with just his Jingshen.
And his little sister, whom he had brought along, was now missing.
The air around this formidable figure seemed to freeze solid, and everyone wiped away nervous sweat, hastily checking the surveillance.
Thanks to him, the mutant plants, incited by the induction agent, were mostly subdued, but if anything happened to his sister, they’d all be doomed.
“Found her!” someone exclaimed excitedly. But upon seeing what had taken her, their faces turned ashen with a sense of despair.
“It’s… it’s…”
Ruan Linzhan had already seen it, and his expression grew even darker, eyes cold with killing intent as he turned and strode toward the mutant botanical garden.
“This is bad, really bad…”
The garden curator, sweating profusely, barked, “Quickly, bring reinforcements and help!”
The curator had recognized Ruan Linzhan’s identity, and precisely because of that, his despair deepened.
If his guess was right, that missing girl had to be none other than Marshal Ruan’s daughter! If something happened to the marshal’s daughter in his botanical garden, the consequences would be unimaginable. He’d even begun to imagine the worst, given that no one could predict what rampaging mutant plants might do.
The group quickly reached the area with the mutant willow tree.
But then, they were all stunned. How was there suddenly a mutant blackberry vine here, engaged in a fierce fight with the mutant willow tree?
“Little Vine!”
While the garden staff stood dumbfounded, Ruan Linzhan recognized the mutant blackberry vine.
The little vine, amidst its battle, paused for a moment, sensing Ruan Linzhan’s presence. Who? Who’s calling me?
Ruan Linzhan’s voice was urgent. “Where’s Shushu?”
The botanical garden staff: “???”
Wait, was this powerful figure… asking the mutant blackberry vine?
They knew each other?!
The tips of several of Little Vine’s tendrils searched around, and it suddenly realized—it had lost track of Shushu! Oh no, it had gotten too engrossed in its fight with the willow and completely forgotten her.
Which shameless little spirit had dared to steal its Shushu?!
The large willow, noticing its opponent’s frantic searching, suddenly remembered its own precious catch. Where was that prized treasure it had grabbed? Such a big treasure… missing?!
And so, both the willow’s branches and the vine’s tendrils started flailing wildly in a desperate search for her, creating utter chaos in the garden. It was no exaggeration to call their movements a dance of the possessed.