Ch 14: Interplanetary Planting Master

Summon

The anticipated “simple talk” between Su He and Lu Li turned into an unfinished spiritual bonding.

Su He quickly pushed Lu Li away as he came to his senses, clumsily jumping onto the flatbed cart and urging Xiao Bai, the rabbit, to speed off, disappearing into the depths of the pipeline. Compared to the bumps and jolts on the surface, the Xiao Bai flatbed cart was much steadier in the pipeline. Su He didn’t have time to praise Xiao Bai’s improvement, nor did he dare to look back to see if Lu Li was chasing after him. He just gripped the reins tightly, his face scrunched up in frustration, trying to recall exactly what had just happened.

It seemed he had only extended his mental touch to sense Lu Li’s emotions. Then, somehow, he was drawn into Lu Li’s mental world and saw a young Lu Li. What happened next? Su He groaned and banged his head against the flatbed, lying spread-eagle on it. How did he go from disabling the weapon system to ending up in Lu Li’s arms?

Unlike the physical turmoil of the morning, this time Su He didn’t feel a bodily impulse. It was more of a spiritual connection, which troubled Su He even more. He irritably ruffled his hair and resolved that he would run away whenever he saw Lu Li again, never trusting Lu Li’s claims about suppressors and guide serum being enough to keep him calm. If Lu Li were truly calm, he would have pushed Su He away instead of… Su He couldn’t bring himself to think further, unwilling to admit that he had been the one to initiate the embrace.

He must be going crazy!

At the entrance of the underground pipeline, Lu Li watched Su He’s retreating figure in silence, suppressing the urge to chase after him. The black hawk appeared soundlessly, watching him quietly. Connected by their minds, they could both feel each other’s emotions. Lu Li stroked the hawk’s feathers, silently appreciating its presence.

Since awakening as a sentinel at the age of eight, this was the first time Lu Li had fully opened up his mental world without any defenses. He had always thought it would be a difficult thing to do. In school, the counselor for Lu Li’s class was a kind, elderly female guide. Before unbonded sentinels learned to control their powers, she played the role of protector and guided them through perception training. She would cautiously, meticulously enter the mental worlds of the sentinels, helping them sort through the sensory onslaught and stabilize their mental states. However, she never once succeeded in entering Lu Li’s mental world. Lu Li had sealed off his mental world with a rare, immense power, refusing to let anyone see inside—until Su He appeared.

When Su He, thinking he was being subtle, extended his mental touch to Lu Li, Lu Li was shocked. The feeling was wonderful, as if the world wrapped in his heavy past had been pried open. Su He’s mental touch was warm and bright, full of life, clearing away the gloom and oppression in Lu Li’s mental world bit by bit. Lu Li felt the breath of plants, the sound of wind and water, the rustling of leaves. He heard himself ask Su He, “Who are you?”

The question seemed like a prompt, crucial for completing their spiritual bonding. But the next moment, Su He snapped back to reality. Lu Li saw the confusion and panic in Su He’s eyes. He remembered what he had said a few minutes earlier and suddenly felt the urge to take back those words.

The white rabbit quickly disappeared from Lu Li’s perception. He lightly touched the hawk, and it understood his intention, spreading its wings and melting into the darkness. Lu Li felt that Su He probably did not want to see him. Though their spiritual bonding was incomplete, a faint, almost imperceptible link seemed to have formed. Through this link, Lu Li could vaguely sense Su He’s emotions—frustration, irritation, a mix of exasperation. Not wanting to burden Su He further, Lu Li could only send the hawk to ensure Su He’s safety.

Lu Li quickly returned to the surface, where Wei Na was speaking softly with Reno. Reno, a bit slow on the uptake, shook his head in puzzlement. “Strange, why did the little guy run away as soon as we met? He…”

Lu Li paused abruptly, catching the key point in Reno’s words. “Little guy, the boy just now, are you saying Su He is the little Galactic Treeman?”

Wei Na nodded beside him, indicating that this was what Reno had meant.

“Su He? The little guy gave himself a Galactic name, Su He?” Reno’s thought process clearly wasn’t on the same track as Lu Li’s. He muttered, “Su He isn’t as nice as Little Sprout. The little guy is so small, he should be called Little Sprout.”

Lu Li: “…”

He had no interest in discussing what to call Su He with Reno, though he agreed that Little Sprout sounded good. He was more concerned about why Reno was convinced that Su He was a Galactic Treeman. Was it because of Su He’s mental manifestation? He thought about the anomaly in Su He’s mental world and the tender green sprout… What implications did this have for Su He?

Reno didn’t understand Lu Li’s question. “Little Sprout is a little Galactic Treeman. He has the aura of our kind; I wouldn’t mistake it.”

He was troubled by why Little Sprout ran away upon seeing him and kept trying to reconnect with Su He. But Su He refused to respond to his link, and Reno’s leaves drooped in disappointment.

“Maybe Little Sprout doesn’t like me.”

Lu Li, the cause of the issue, lied with a straight face, “Perhaps Little Sprout isn’t ready to leave yet. The Iris will stay on Broken Star for a while, so you can take your time convincing Little Sprout. However,” he changed the topic, “it’s best if you don’t mention to others that Little Sprout is a Galactic Treeman. Many people see Galactic Treemen as synonymous with wealth, and knowing this might lead them to have malicious intentions.”

Reno gratefully rustled his leaves, reaffirming that the captain was indeed a good man.

After calming Reno, Lu Li turned to Wei Na. She understood Lu Li’s intentions immediately and nodded, indicating she wouldn’t speak of this. Lu Li sensed that the hawk had already reached Su He’s side and felt relieved. “Let’s go back.”

As they left, Su He and Han Rui sneaked back to the surface. Each carrying a large backpack, they planned to return to the central ruins. They hadn’t dared to stay long there before because of the sentinels. A guide’s pheromones were like nectar to a bee, nearly impossible for a sentinel to miss. But the appearance of suppressors had perfectly solved this problem. With a spray, a guide would revert to being just an ordinary person. Even if they walked right in front of a sentinel, there was no way the sentinel would detect their scent. At least, that was the common knowledge Su He and Han Rui understood. They still didn’t know that with a 100% compatibility, not even a suppressor could block a guide’s attraction to a sentinel.

Han Rui summoned Xiao Bai. Su He, skilled at handling Xiao Bai, patted its head, harnessed it, and squeezed in with Han Rui, who was smiling. “Still upset?”

Leaning against Han Rui, Su He mumbled, “Not exactly upset, just feeling that relying on oneself is better.”

Reno’s recommendation was too unreliable. After being scared out of his wits, Su He decided to buy a spaceship himself to leave Broken Star. This time, their return to the central settlement was clear-cut—they needed to find out the price of a spaceship on the black market.

Han Rui had already heard what had happened, and he patted Su He, suppressing a laugh. “Don’t worry, we can leave Broken Star on our own.”

Su He perked up and nodded. What he wanted most now was for Lu Li to leave Broken Star. If Lu Li didn’t leave, he would have to find a way to leave quickly.

Xiao Bai ran swiftly but couldn’t compare to an energy stone-powered mech. By nightfall, they had only covered half the distance. Su He found a small dark beast’s den, and Xiao Bai diligently dug a hole nearby to serve as their temporary shelter.

They didn’t dare light a fire. Su He pulled out a seed from his pocket and planted it in the ground. To Han Rui’s delight, the seed sprouted, grew, and bore fruit like a miracle before their eyes. Though Han Rui had seen it before, it still felt like a dream. He thought it was a gift from the heavens to Su He, a power brought by Su He’s mental manifestation. Just like his Xiao Bai could pull a cart, dig holes, and even fight dark beasts.

Su He tacitly accepted Han Rui’s assumption without explaining the existence of his cultivation technique. It was too complicated to explain, and attributing it to his mental manifestation worked just as well.

The nighttime wilderness was chilly. They huddled together, chatting for a while before quickly falling asleep.

The black hawk appeared silently, without stirring the wind. Its sharp eyes scanned the area, avoiding Su He’s traps before finally perching near their concealed hole. Through the long night, the hawk remained motionless, like a silent and loyal soldier, quietly guarding Su He’s safety. As dawn approached, the hawk quietly departed, swiftly disappearing into the distance.

Inside the hole, Su He woke up and sat up quietly. He was troubled, curling up with his chin resting on his knees. Last night, he had a dream where Lu Li stood by his side while he slept. He wasn’t sure if there was danger in the dream, but Lu Li’s presence made him feel secure, as if there was nothing to fear.

Frowning, Su He absentmindedly traced Lu Li’s name in the dirt with his finger. He didn’t understand his state of mind. Was this another aspect of a guide’s instincts? He had reluctantly accepted the physical urge upon seeing Lu Li. Did he also have to get used to dreaming about Lu Li every night?

Su He was deeply troubled. Unbidden, he recalled his first sight of Lu Li. Lu Li stood at the bottom of the ruins, looking up, tall and well-built in a crisp black uniform. His face was strikingly handsome, with defined features and a bright, captivating gaze.

What had he thought at that moment? He just felt he had never seen such a handsome man. Why did he find Lu Li handsome? When a man saw another man, shouldn’t there be no reaction no matter how good-looking the other man was? He used to sneak out to hold the hand of the girl next door when he was younger—was that when he was ten or eleven? Su He felt that his preferences hadn’t changed all these years, so why did he find Lu Li handsome? Even now, thinking about Lu Li’s appearance made his heart race and filled him with a desire to be by Lu Li’s side.

Su He: “…”

He buried his face in his clothes, trying to force Lu Li’s image out of his mind.

Damn instincts!

On the Iris, Lu Li opened his eyes, sensing Su He’s summons and longing for him. He couldn’t suppress his desire to respond to Su He’s call and appear before him.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Thingyan: One word to describe Su He … Closeted 😏