Lin Muci didn't know how long she had been in this confined space.
She felt that she could die at any moment. Just as she was losing consciousness, seeing stars, and feeling like she was on the verge of death, she suddenly heard the sound of a door opening again.
Then came the sound of boots stepping on the cold floor, and the same voice, tinged with a hint of mocking amusement.
"You're going to die like this?"
"Truly as delicate as ever."
"It's not time for her to die yet. Take her out and put her in the medical bay."
Lin Muci felt a pair of hands lift her.
Her consciousness was hazy, and she smelled the pungent scent of disinfectant. That smell permeated her nostrils, and then she was carried out and stuffed into some metal chamber.
The door closed.
Outside the door, a man in a leather-booted, black uniform looked at the small, delicate animal inside the medical bay through the glass, a strange curve forming at the corner of his lips.
"They said I could torment her however I pleased, as long as I didn't let her die?"
"This is a very rare silver fox cub. Not yet adult, not yet differentiated. The person who sent her here truly intended to torment her this way?"
Beside him, his subordinate, wearing white gloves, touched a few buttons on the surface of the medical bay. Hearing his question, he hesitated before speaking hesitantly.
"Yes... yes."
"And it should be someone from the high echelons of the Canghai Empire."
The man in the black uniform, wearing a black mask, meticulous in every way, had a hint of playfulness deepen in his eyes.
"High echelons of the Canghai Empire?"
"The Canghai Empire... Heh, they are severely lacking in cubs, yet they send such a precious cub to us. This silver fox has an extremely pure bloodline, perhaps only a few can be found across several universes, several great empires, and the Federation. Such a stunning cub."
"Yet it's confined here, unseen, suffering torment. What a pity."
The subordinate, wearing white gloves, hesitated and said in a low voice.
"Warden, these are the demands of the Canghai Empire. We are in a cooperative relationship with them... so it's not good to question their decisions."
"However, Warden... I think this silver fox is indeed... quite exquisite and beautiful."
"But now it's barely alive..."
"It's probably approaching its differentiation period. As everyone knows, the differentiation period for such small beasts is the most difficult to endure. Without a powerful psychic specialist to soothe and guide them, they might even explode and die."
"The purer the bloodline, the more powerful the psychic specialist required."
"The Canghai Empire sending this little beast here probably wants this little beast to fend for itself."
"If it truly explodes and dies during its differentiation period, it would indeed be a pity..."
The mysterious warden in the black uniform slowly narrowed his eyes. A subtle cold light flickered in their depths, like fragments of small celestial bodies burning at the edge of the atmosphere, possessing an indescribable, magnificent beauty. Then, his slender fingers slowly clenched.
"If it dies, it dies."
"Who would care?"
His subordinate glanced at him nervously, his voice immediately becoming much lower.
"But—"
"If it were a female..."
"Very precious."
The mysterious warden chuckled.
"Are you in dire need of female beasts?"
"If you want it, and if it truly manages to differentiate successfully, I'll award it to you."
The subordinate opposite him rubbed his hands together, eager. He then looked up at the man before him again and said.
"After this little beast is treated, will it be returned to its original solitary confinement? Its body is too weak, and it could enter its differentiation period at any time. My suggestion is to specially arrange a transparent observation case for it to monitor its condition."
"Warden, I remember you have a luxurious observation box... with automatic temperature control..."
"Why not place it with you?"
The man frowned.
He was clearly displeased with this suggestion, letting out a soft snort.
His voice revealed a hint of disdain.
"Place it with me?"
"Troublesome."
"Will this thing make any noise and disturb me?"
His subordinate immediately spoke up for the little beast, so frail it could die at any moment.
"No, Warden, you can rest assured about that. This little beast will not make any strange noises to disturb you..."
"From the current surveillance footage, she is a very quiet and well-behaved little beast."
"Warden, just consider it a decorative piece. Looking at such a cute little beast, won't your mood instantly improve?"
The warden let out a cold laugh.
"My mood instantly improve?"
"Improve? How?"
He sneered and looked up at his subordinate. The subordinate's expression instantly became tense and innocent. He knew that the Warden detested young beasts the most, because in the Warden's eyes, young beasts were useless.
They could only drag others down.
Although in the interstellar era, young beasts had always been treated extremely well, and doting on young beasts was a consistent tradition, their Warden was precisely the one who broke tradition.
"It had better not make any strange noises."
"Otherwise, I don't mind... killing it immediately. Before the differentiation period arrives, this little beast will never see the sun again!"
The Warden's tone was extremely cold, even laced with deep mockery.
The other party nervously swallowed several times.
"Okay... okay, Warden."
...
When Lin Muci woke up again, she found herself thrown into a glass room—there was a soft cushion beneath her. She couldn't help but open her mouth. Perhaps her physical condition had improved significantly, and this time she could make a sound.
But the sound that came out was merely a faint whimper.
Even she herself found it to be quite pitiful.
Then a hand picked her up without hesitation, and a cold laugh came out.
"Idiot."
She immediately began to struggle fiercely.
She wasn't an idiot at all!
Then she raised her head, only to meet a black mask. Black uniform, a whip at her waist, and a fearsome-looking laser gun. She couldn't help but shiver.
So... so scary.
And this hand, lifting her, the next moment, directly threw her back into the box!
"I know cubs can understand human speech."
"Do not, make any more noise."
"Understood?"
"Otherwise, I don't mind ending you right now."
Lin Muci instantly felt so wronged that tears were about to well up!
Bastard, big bastard!
Did he think she wouldn't recognize him just because he was wearing a mask!
She was his wife, they had just gotten married, and now he was acting so coldly towards her?
Ling Qianhe, you stupid dog!
He was a complete bastard!