LABMY CH98.2

A voice identical to Jian Yuanbai’s came from the little cat’s mouth.

The golden little cat crouched on the sink, its eyes blazing like the scorching sun, so stunning that it didn’t look like an ordinary feline. It was hard to associate it with Jian Yuanbai—just like how the word “beautiful” would never be used to describe his usual appearance.

But this little cat truly was beautiful. Its fur was a radiant gold, yet not like the golden gradient found in some cats. Instead, its soft golden coat seemed to glow, as if it were a sculpture carved from pure gold.

Jian Yuanbai tried his best to appear harmless, but unsure how to do so, he simply crouched there motionless, not daring to speak too loudly for fear of startling the wide-eyed boy in front of him. He asked again, “And now? Are you afraid?”

Shen Nian shook his head. He wasn’t afraid—just finding it a bit hard to believe. “How did you end up like this?”

“It’s not turning into something,” Jian Yuanbai explained. “This is my true form. I never told you—I am a pollutant.”

“The pollution in your body isn’t severe. If you want to recover, you can do so quickly. But I…”

He paused, then moved closer to Shen Nian’s hand resting on the sink. The soft pad of his paw landed gently on the back of Shen Nian’s hand, as if to comfort him.

Then, in a quiet voice, Jian Yuanbai said, “I want to pollute you.”

Although it was entirely inappropriate—no, especially inappropriate—Shen Nian had grown up in the modern world, where information spread at lightning speed. And in certain corners of the internet, the wrong kind of information spread just as quickly.

Even if he had never eaten pork, he had certainly seen pigs running.

I want to pollute you.

The moment those words left Jian Yuanbai’s mouth, Shen Nian’s brain immediately galloped off in a certain direction. A full-blown interstellar train was already racing through his mind, while his face—looking pure and innocent—flushed red. In a hesitant, flustered voice, he asked, “What… do you mean?”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “I want to absorb the infection in your body and personally transform you into a pollutant.”

He could have simply intensified the infection within Shen Nian’s body, but Jian Yuanbai didn’t want to do that.

He wanted to infect Shen Nian in a way that left only his presence—thoroughly and completely. He didn’t want Shen Nian’s transformation to be tainted by some low-level pollutant, nor have traces of another being’s influence.

Jian Yuanbai was explaining his reasoning, but as he spoke, he found himself faltering.

He had expected Shen Nian to be afraid, but the boy’s reaction confused him. Why did such a serious—and even dangerous—topic seem to be making Shen Nian’s face grow even redder the more he talked?

Especially those blue eyes, turned luminous by infection—moist and shimmering, paired with his flushed cheeks and slightly pursed lips. For some reason, Jian Yuanbai’s throat felt dry. He stopped and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Nian had already started thinking differently about Jian Yuanbai ever since that dream. Now, hearing him speak this way, he couldn’t help but hold onto a certain suspicion. A little shyly, he asked:

“Why don’t you just infect me directly? Why absorb the infection first and then infect me again?”

The whole process seemed entirely unnecessary.

Jian Yuanbai suddenly felt like his intentions were a little… unspeakable.

On the sink, the small golden fluffball tried its best to sit upright, adopting a stern and serious expression.

“Because the ones that infected you before were all low-level pollutants. That would affect the final result.”

His response was firm and emotionless, completely devoid of any personal feelings.

The serious, logical explanation made the blush on Shen Nian’s face slowly fade. He silently scolded himself—What on earth was I thinking just now?

Regaining his composure, he asked about something that genuinely concerned him. “Will I turn ugly? Like those pollutants?”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “No. You just won’t be human anymore.”

Lowering his head to look at himself, he added, “Do you think I look ugly right now?”

Shen Nian quickly shook his head. “Of course not.”

In fact, he looks kind of cute.

But the word cute seemed completely unfitting for someone as overwhelmingly striking as Jian Yuanbai. Shen Nian pressed his lips together and dared not say it out loud.

The lower a pollutant’s level, the more grotesque their transformations became. Only high-level pollutants grew closer to perfection.

Looking at the golden cat sitting on the sink with such an academic air—like a professor lecturing from a podium—Shen Nian suddenly found it funny.

It was as if a small cat were giving a lecture. Strangely adorable.

A sudden urge rose within him—he wanted to reach out and ruffle that smooth golden fur until it fluffed up, turning the sleek little cat into a round, puffy furball.

Shen Nian cleared his throat, suppressing the impulse. Instead, he asked, “So… are you a perfect pollutant?”

The little golden fluffball solemnly nodded. “I am probably the most perfect pollutant in this world.”

For some reason, despite the cute, furry face, Shen Nian could see a hint of arrogance and pride.

The urge to laugh bubbled up again. He held it back and asked seriously, “So a perfect pollutant still retains human reasoning?”

That question made Jian Yuanbai furrow his brows. He hesitated before answering, “I think so.”

“To be honest, I’ve never seen another one like me. The pollutants we’ve encountered so far have all been low-level. I don’t know if there’s a second being in this world with self-awareness.”

“If I infect you, then you’ll be the second.”

The little cat frowned. Shen Nian pinched his own leg, trying not to laugh, keeping his expression serious. “If that’s the case, then I don’t think ‘pollutant’ is the right term. It sounds more like… a new form of life.”

“Maybe.” Jian Yuanbai didn’t really care. Most people called it a pollutant, so a pollutant it was.

Shen Nian asked, “What will I look like?”

Jian Yuanbai hesitated before saying, “I’m not sure. It’s different for everyone.”

Shen Nian took a deep breath. “As long as you can promise I won’t be ugly, then… you can pollute me.”

His mouth moved faster than his brain. The moment the words left his lips, he realized what he had said. His ears immediately turned red.

“Alright. I promise.”

The golden fluffball stared at Shen Nian’s flushed face, countless thoughts running through its mind. Why is he blushing now?

“You’re not feeling unwell, are you?”

Two voices spoke at the same time—Shen Nian’s and Jian Yuanbai’s.

Shen Nian paused and answered first, “No, I feel fine.”

Hearing that, Jian Yuanbai didn’t press further. Instead, he thought about what Shen Nian had just mentioned. He had completely forgotten about Qu Wenxuan and the others. Now that it was brought up, he regretted allowing them to come along.

But after thinking for a moment, Jian Yuanbai said, “It shouldn’t be a problem. Yang Jinhang was also nearly infected. They’ll just assume we’re removing the infection.”

“And even if they do notice something…”

The little cat didn’t continue speaking, but a cold killing intent flashed through its golden eyes, shining like the blazing sun.

Shen Nian blinked and said, “Okay.”

Jian Yuanbai reassured him, “Don’t be afraid. It won’t hurt too much.”

In the mirror, the delicate and beautiful young man suddenly smiled, his blue eyes shimmering like rippling water. He was saying—With you here, I’m not afraid.

Jian Yuanbai’s heart suddenly stirred, going soft, as if sinking into a deep blue ocean.

Now that everything was said, it was time to leave the bathroom. Shen Nian couldn’t resist his urge any longer. He followed his instincts and reached out, suddenly rubbing the dazzling golden fur of the small cat sitting on the sink.

He rubbed hard, making the sleek and shiny fur fluff up, the little cat turning into a round, fuzzy ball.

Golden eyes, bright like the sun, stared at him in a daze. Shen Nian flashed a mischievous smile, then turned and walked out of the bathroom, casually joining Qu Wenxuan and the others to clean the room—acting as if the little prank he just pulled had nothing to do with him.

Thinking back on the sensation, the fur had been soft, smooth, and incredibly comfortable to the touch. It was just a bit hard to associate such an adorable cat with Jian Yuanbai.

The contrast was oddly endearing.

When he saw Jian Yuanbai step out of the room with his hair in a complete mess, Shen Nian couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

Even his human hair got messed up?

His laughter was bright and unrestrained, his eyebrows curving in delight, so beautiful and full of life that Jian Yuanbai couldn’t bring himself to scold him. He could only look at him helplessly.

Qu Wenxuan and Yang Jinhang, who were still cleaning, exchanged confused glances.

Why were these two suddenly so happy after coming out of the room?

They always thought Jian Yuanbai was difficult to talk to, so they huddled near Shen Nian and asked, “What did you guys talk about that made you this happy?”

Shen Nian shook his head, but his lips couldn’t help but curl up. His beautiful eyes arched slightly as he said, “Nothing much. I just petted a cat.”

Qu Wenxuan and Yang Jinhang exchanged another glance. Petting a cat made him this happy?

Wait—what cat?

…

They had brought a lot of food with them, but fresh fruits and vegetables couldn’t last long. They had finished all the fresh produce within the first few days, leaving only rice and flour for the remaining days.

They stayed in the area for several more days before Jian Yuanbai suddenly said, “We can set off now.”

Yang Jinhang looked at Shen Nian’s blue eyes with concern. “Hasn’t it been so many days already? Why hasn’t the pollution disappeared yet? Why are your eyes still blue?”

Qu Wenxuan, who was driving, nudged him, signaling him to shut up. Compared to the naturally straightforward Yang Jinhang, Qu Wenxuan was more thoughtful.

They had stayed in that place for days. Jian Yuanbai and Shen Nian barely went out, and every time they did, Shen Nian didn’t join them for meals. Now, after all this time, his eyes still hadn’t returned to normal. It was hard not to overthink it.

But after spending so much time together, Qu Wenxuan understood their character.

Even if they had killed people, there must have been a reason for it. He actually admired their clear-cut sense of justice. Besides, Jian Yuanbai had saved Yang Jinhang and rescued so many people from his roommate’s place.

Since Jian Yuanbai hadn’t explained, he wouldn’t pry, and he definitely wouldn’t let Yang Jinhang dig for answers.

They continued driving north, encountering many pollutants along the way. The cities they passed through were desolate, and sometimes, people who noticed their strength wanted to follow them. But since Jian Yuanbai and Shen Nian hardly stopped, always heading north without pause, those people eventually gave up.

The farther north they traveled, the harsher the cold became. Even ability users found it difficult to endure, especially without water- or fire-type ability users in their group.

Under Jian Yuanbai’s guidance, they finally arrived at a coastal city.

Shen Nian was changing—his body was craving water.

As they passed a sea, they stopped in a house near the coast. In this extreme weather, the sea had already frozen over with a thick layer of ice.

Looking out, there wasn’t a single trace of flowing water. The pipes in the house had also frozen solid, leaving no water at all. Without Jian Yuanbai’s abilities, surviving here would have been much more difficult.

Standing by the window, they gazed at the endless ice field in silence.

Fog rose above the sea, yet the vast ice sheet resembled a pure white land, stretching beyond sight. The boundary between ice and sky was indistinct—was it an ice-covered sea, or was it a sky of white? It felt as if they had stepped into an entirely white world.

As night fell, the room was empty, but the bathroom was filled with sound. Inside, a tall man was crouched beside a bathtub, while another person was submerged in the full tub of water.

Shen Nian had reached a critical moment.

Scales were constantly emerging on his body. He gripped Jian Yuanbai’s hand tightly, too afraid to look at himself. His voice trembled, carrying a hint of tears:

“Is it really ugly? Am I really that ugly?”

Becoming something inhuman—who wouldn’t be scared?

He had just been holding on.

He had always been obsessed with appearances, and now that he felt scales beginning to form on his body, he couldn’t help but recall the disgusting pollutant he had encountered in the supermarket.

Shen Nian didn’t dare to look at himself, but Jian Yuanbai saw everything clearly. The faintly emerging scales on his body were a pale blue, shimmering with a beautiful luster. One by one, the delicate blue scales bloomed inch by inch from his ankles, resembling irises in full bloom.

“I want to go into the sea.”

Shen Nian suddenly spoke.

Jian Yuanbai didn’t hesitate for even a second. “Alright, I’ll take you to the sea.”

He carried Shen Nian and leaped out of the window without a sound, moving at an astonishing speed. Within just a few breaths, they reached the frozen sea.

The thick ice covering the ocean had no trace of liquid water beneath it. Jian Yuanbai crouched down with Shen Nian in his arms, placing his hand on the ice. With his palm as the center, the ice cracked apart, spreading outward inch by inch.

He didn’t shatter the entire surface—just enough to create an opening the size of a hot spring, enough for Shen Nian to enter the water.

As soon as he saw the flowing seawater, Shen Nian could no longer suppress his yearning. With a splash, he dove in.

In an instant, the ice Jian Yuanbai had broken refroze at an incredible speed. When Jian Yuanbai placed his hand on the ice again, he felt a repelling force.

He understood this force—it was Shen Nian’s power.

Since he had guided Shen Nian through the pollution process step by step, he knew better than anyone what was happening.

He didn’t force his way in to see what was happening inside. Instead, he stood on the shore and waited.

A long time passed without any sign of movement. Just as Jian Yuanbai started feeling anxious, hesitating between continuing to wait or breaking the ice again, a thick white mist suddenly rose over the frozen surface.

The surrounding ice began to collapse, as if it had been exposed to boiling water thousands of degrees hot, melting and sinking into the sea.

The moment Jian Yuanbai was about to jump in, Shen Nian appeared before him.

His damp hair clung to his forehead, and he was dressed in nothing but a thin, soaked shirt. His blue eyes framed his delicate, stunning face. Below that, the wet fabric barely concealed the faintest trace of skin before giving way to shimmering, pale blue scales—and a glistening fishtail.

Water dripped down his body, clinging to his skin, glimmering under the moonlight as if glowing.

Jian Yuanbai couldn’t look away.

At this moment, Shen Nian looked like a mermaid straight out of legend, an otherworldly creature meant to mesmerize and enchant.

Shen Nian ran a hand through his wet hair, revealing his beautiful brows and eyes. He looked down at himself in disbelief and murmured, “I’ve turned into a fish.”

Jian Yuanbai, finally relaxing, couldn’t help but chuckle. “Nian Nian is a mermaid.”

“Do you want to come up?” He extended a hand toward Shen Nian.

Shen Nian nodded and reached out to take his hand. Just as Jian Yuanbai was about to pull him up, he suddenly felt a strong force dragging him down.

Shen Nian had pulled him into the sea.

The water engulfed them instantly.

In the deep blue ocean, a stunning mermaid with a shimmering silver-blue tail swam freely, holding onto the human beside him, pulling him deeper and deeper into the depths.

At that moment, he looked just like the sirens in old stories—the sea creatures that lured sailors into the depths.

Yet Jian Yuanbai simply followed, eyes clear and calm, offering no resistance. That alone showed just how deeply entranced he was.

For the first time, Shen Nian experienced what it felt like to be a mermaid. He swam after the small fish in the water, flicking his tail and effortlessly gliding several meters ahead.

He turned back to look at Jian Yuanbai, his silver-blue fishtail playfully herding the small fish toward him, his eyes bright with laughter.

Just then, a dull sound rumbled from the distance.

A grotesque monster, covered in festering boils, bared its sharp fangs and lunged at Shen Nian with terrifying speed.

Before Jian Yuanbai could react, Shen Nian suddenly turned to face the creature.

His blue eyes were cold as frost, shimmering with an eerie light.

With just a single look, an invisible explosion erupted in the depths.

The water churned violently, blood dispersing into the sea, staining the surrounding waters.

Shen Nian had no intention of swimming in a pool of blood. He frowned in disgust and immediately pulled Jian Yuanbai out of the sea.

From beginning to end, Jian Yuanbai never took his eyes off him.

This was his creation—no, this was his corruption.

A beautiful, flawless masterpiece.

From head to toe, inside and out, Shen Nian bore his presence, his influence.

Everything about him was perfect—the slightly pointed ears, the dazzling blue eyes, the exquisite fishtail.

Jian Yuanbai couldn’t resist reaching out, touching the silver-blue tail. It was cold yet smooth beneath his fingers. The sharp scales, which could easily wound, seemed to soften under his touch.

The tip of the tail curled slightly, shyly tapping against the ground before hesitatingly restraining itself from pulling away.

At this moment, a strange sense of possessiveness surged to its peak.

Jian Yuanbai couldn’t quite define this feeling—until Shen Nian, noticing his silence, hesitated and softly called out:

“Xiao Ba.”

In the past, when Shen Nian called him Xiao Ba, it had always been just a title, a meaningless formality. Jian Yuanbai was never truly his stepfather.

But now, standing before him was Shen Nian—someone he had personally tainted, molded, shaped into his own creation.

For the first time, the title felt right.

He wasn’t just Xiao Ba anymore.

He was something more.

Blushing under his gaze, Shen Nian nervously pressed his lips together.

Around them, the vast sea stretched out, empty and silent. Before him stood the person he loved—staring at him with unwavering focus.

Shen Nian wanted to get closer but hesitated.

If I kiss him… will he push me away?

His gaze burned hot with emotion.

Does he feel the same way I do?