Chapter 78: Sluuuurp!
“I’m not doing it,” Huai Yu set the bamboo down and shook her head in refusal.
“The safe zone was carefully cleared out. If you go in, won’t that mean the defense squad did all that for nothing?”
“Uncle, you’re too dang— I mean, too powerful. If you enter the safe zone, no one will be safe anymore!”
The bamboo shook indignantly. “What do they have to be unsafe about? What use do I have for people? Do I need fertilizer? Do I need watering? I thrive on pure nature, thank you!”
“If someone keels over next to me and starts rotting, it’ll mess with my nutrients… Why would I want to be around humans?”
“I just want to root myself in a tiny two-acre plot. Is that too much to ask?”
Huai Yu knew from their long walk that Kuang Biao didn’t seem to have any malicious intent—at least, not toward her?
After thinking a bit, she told him, “I’ll ask the Rose Corridor then. I’ve got a plot you can use—are you sure you only need two acres?”
The moment the Rose Corridor rustled slightly, the mutation alarm next to it started blaring like crazy. If this eight-year-old bamboo ended up at their doorstep…
Ahem.
Huai Yu did have her doubts.
Kuang Biao declared, “I won’t even need two full acres. I just want to put down roots and grow a little.”
So Huai Yu walked away a bit to go talk to the Rose Corridor.
At this point, she could run away. With the Rose Corridor’s help, she’d totally lose Kuang Biao.
But… if she’d had the chance to run at the beginning, Huai Yu wouldn’t have hesitated.
Now though, after huffing and puffing for hours in the dark, dragging him down the mountain… The sunk cost was real—she couldn’t bring herself to just ditch him.
As she approached, the flower branches suddenly shook violently, then whipped toward her.
Huai Yu froze, listening as the mutation alarm blared:
Mutation value in Zone 8 of Rose Corridor is rapidly increasing—
Mutation value in Zone 8 of Rose Corridor is rapidly increasing—
Mutation value in Zone 8 of Rose Corridor is rapidly increasing—
Huai Yu: …
She sighed, but soon realized the whipping branches weren’t actually hitting hard—it felt more like a parent dusting dirt off their kid with a towel.
Thinking about how she’d dragged Kuang Biao all the way here… Huai Yu fell silent.
When the branches finally eased up and retracted, she asked, “I brought down a bamboo from Mount Sanqing. He wants to grow somewhere near you… can you beat him if he causes trouble? Can he be planted here?”
The Rose Corridor rustled, and the meaning was clear.
Huai Yu relaxed a little. “Alright, then help me sneak out real quick. The alarms are already blaring—if the defense squad shows up, I’ll be in trouble. I gotta bike home fast so no one spots me.”
She hesitated, then added sweetly, “Okay?”
Zone 8 was a bit away from Zone 69, but by car it’d only take a few minutes—she had to move fast.
Thankfully, the Rose Corridor didn’t make it difficult. The densely packed flower branches shifted aside to open a one-person-wide path. Then, like lightning, they shot off into the distance.
Moments later, they dragged back a glowing, green-hued bamboo who was grumbling “Ow ow ow…” the whole way.
Huai Yu didn’t even need to lift him—the thin branches were like steel cables, strong and agile. With just a few swings, they flung the bamboo over the tall wall of blossoms, where he landed with a thud.
This time, he didn’t even complain. Super obedient.
Huai Yu was just reaching for her bike and froze.
She looked at the Rose Corridor, eyes full of longing: If only I had this kind of strength!
Clearly born to get things done.
But she didn’t linger—jumped on her bike and pedaled home while the defense squad was still en route.
Her new house was way bigger than the old treehouse. She wheeled her bike in, shoved the huge basket of bamboo shoots into a corner, changed clothes, brushed her hair, washed her face…
Then lit a fire, boiled water…
When tiny bubbles started rising in the pot, someone was already calling from outside:
“Xiao Yu!”
Huai Yu stepped out to see several cars parked nearby. They kept a clear distance from the Rose Corridor, clearly wary.
Zhou Qian sat inside one of the cars and relaxed a bit when he saw her. “Still not asleep this late?”
Huai Yu cursed internally. She’d been too busy pretending to be hard at work and forgot it was already past midnight.
Thankfully, Zhou Qian didn’t push: “Don’t go near Zone 8 for now. The Rose Corridor dragged in a mutant bamboo from the wilderness—mutation value is over 50.”
“I don’t get what it’s thinking… Probably trying to expand again. But why’d it bring that bamboo over in the first place?”
He clearly didn’t understand either. “Anyway, stay away from Zone 8. We’ve got to head back and file a report. See ya.”
Huai Yu thanked him sincerely and watched them leave. Then she suddenly froze:
If that bamboo’s mutation value is over 50… what about all the shoots I just harvested?!
But those bamboo shoots weren’t super fresh anymore and had to wait—she still hadn’t finished the task she promised Uncle Bamboo!
Huai Yu hopped on her bike and rushed back again, only to hear a voice moaning “ow ow” from the ground.
“…Uncle Bamboo, where do you want to be planted?”
His branches rustled excitedly. “Haha! I knew the moment I saw you on the mountain—you’re special! Even the Rose Corridor listens to you… That said… ahem…”
He fidgeted awkwardly. “New master, please plant me near your house.”
“I’ll guard your home! Bamboo shoots, leaves, even bamboo rice—we can use it all!”
Huai Yu: …
I don’t get it, but I’m shook.
Straightening her back, suddenly feeling revitalized, she called out, “Sluuuurp!”
The bamboo instantly perked up. “Yes! Right here!”
Huai Yu grinned. “Alright, Kuang Biao. You’re younger than me, so I won’t argue with you… I’ll plant you behind my house, okay?”
“But there needs to be some distance. No growing roots toward my place—any other direction is fine.”
“Okay okay okay! No problem!”
Uncle… disciple… anyway, Kuang Biao rustled his leaves excitedly.
“Great choice! Perfect spot for me!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll evolve real quick and make sure not a single mosquito comes near!”
He suddenly turned so flattering that Huai Yu felt a little overwhelmed. After a moment, she awkwardly grunted:
“F-fine, alright!”
“Let’s drop the titles, okay? Just call me Huai Yu—Xiao Yu is fine.”
She glanced at her wrist to check the time, and the bamboo next to her instantly lit up with that signature green glow.
Already 1 a.m.!
Huai Yu sighed, remembering the probably-mutated bamboo shoots she still had to sort. Looks like sleep wasn’t happening tonight.
