135: Frozen Companion

Zhuang Yanxin's eyes were slightly red, tears swirling in her eye sockets, as if she were desperately holding them back from falling.

Gu Xiaoyue was stunned, "You heard it all?"

"Yes!"

Zhuang Yanxin nodded, and tears immediately slid down. Gu Xiaoyue inexplicably felt a trace of guilt.

She grabbed Zhuang Yanxin's hand, "Let's talk elsewhere."

Zhuang Yanxin was pulled along by Gu Xiaoyue, tears falling uncontrollably, pitter-patter.

Once they reached a deserted corner, Gu Xiaoyue comforted her: "I know you feel wronged, but Charlie participating in the battle is an agreement signed between the Dragon Country and the Country of the Setting Sun; none of us have the power to change that."

Zhuang Yanxin nodded. She understood, but she just felt very wronged in her heart.

Yet, her strength was inferior to Chu Li and Fang Xiaoyu, and her interpersonal relationships were not as strong as Ye Wanrou's—who was Gu Xiaoyue's best friend—or Chen Yixuan's, who was Gu Xiaoyue's childhood sweetheart.

If someone else were team captain, they would also choose to give her up.

Gu Xiaoyue coaxed her for a while and even said she would take all her own rewards and give them to her.

The problem was that this wasn't just about the rewards; last year's team members becoming substitutes this year made Zhuang Yanxin feel it was more of a matter of face.

"It's fine, Xiao Yue. I was just feeling a bit stifled."

"I understand your difficulties. If it were me, I wouldn't necessarily handle it as well as you did."

"Let's leave it at that. When training requires my attendance, just notify me."

Zhuang Yanxin wiped away her tears and left. Gu Xiaoyue sighed.

There are too many difficult trade-offs in this world!

Ye Wanrou and Chen Yixuan had been spending all their time in the library recently; they wanted to book an assessment for a high-level Beastmaster.

However, Ye Wanrou's theory was too lacking and needed a period of intensive study.

Gu Xiaoyue, on the other hand, was worried about whether Charlie's Master-level assessment would encounter assassins again and again.

She didn't know if it was because she had become Charlie's private bodyguard, but Chu Li and Shui Lingyu were sticking to her even more!

Gu Yu called Gu Xiaoyue to tell her that Xiao Yang could call for Mom, Dad, and Big Sister!

Gu Xiaoyue was overjoyed. He could talk at only half a year old; her little brother was practically a half-genius!

"Also, the crisis for the Gus has passed."

She had originally thought Gu Yu was just chatting with her about family matters, but she hadn't expected him to say that.

"Oh, that's good. When will the shares be given?"

Gu Xiaoyue didn't care about the state of the Gus; she just wanted to know Gu Yongze's attitude.

It seemed she wasn't disappointed. Gu Yu was silent for a good while before answering.

"Your grandfather said to wait until Xiao Yang is a bit older. He's still too young—"

If Gu Yongze and Gu Qi had willingly transferred the shares, that would have surprised Gu Xiaoyue. Gu Yu's answer didn't surprise her at all.

After hanging up the phone, Gu Xiaoyue felt a tightness in her chest.

Just then, the notification sound of star coins arriving in her brain came through, which made her feel a bit better.

The items listed at the Beastmaster Association had finally sold!

Because Qin Shao had said they could be sold abroad, she had specifically added fifty million star coins to each order.

If it had been at the previous price, they probably would have sold long ago.

Over five billion star coins arrived in her account; she already had over ten billion in her possession.

With nothing she needed to buy, Gu Xiaoyue felt a bit of a humble-brag at this moment.

Having star coins but nowhere to spend them wasn't very interesting!

Since Xiao Yang could call her Big Sister, Gu Xiaoyue felt she should go home to visit.

She asked for leave from Charlie.

She picked out ten pieces of jewelry with average attributes and styles that didn't match her aesthetic, along with five of each type of spirit fruit.

She went to the Beastmaster Association first to list these supplies, and then returned home.

At this moment, Gu Yu was sitting by the window, dazed while holding a pet beast egg.

The sunset glow shone on him, and the scene at this moment evoked memories in Gu Xiaoyue.

Or rather, it should be the memories of the original owner.

When the original owner was a child, Gu Yu would also often stare blankly while holding a pet beast egg.

It was just that later, as the pressure of life grew, he rarely did that anymore.

Nowadays, he hadn't worked for nearly a year, and the abundance of supplies instead made him feel more spiritually empty.

Gu Yu didn't notice Gu Xiaoyue watching him; Mu Qingning spoke first, "Xiao Yue is back. Let your father cook a couple more dishes."

Only then did Gu Yu discover that Gu Xiaoyue had been standing behind him the whole time.

He awkwardly put away the pet beast egg, "Xiao Yue, you didn't even say you were coming back. I'll go buy some more groceries!"

Gu Yu went out to buy groceries, and only then did Gu Xiaoyue ask Mu Qingning.

"Mom, why didn't Dad persist on the path of being a Beastmaster?"

Mu Qingning sighed, her thoughts returning to twenty years ago.

Over twenty years ago, Gu Yu and Mu Qingning fell in love. The Gu Family wanted Gu Yu to marry into the Lin family, but Gu Yu didn't agree, so he eloped with Mu Qingning.

In fact, when it came down to it, Gu Yu's Beastmaster talent level wasn't high; it was only at the Profound Rank.

That was why the Gu Family Head pressured him so tightly, insisting on that marriage.

But after leaving the Gu Family, Gu Yu was even less able to afford the high expenses of a Beastmaster, so he simply froze his companion beast, which was equivalent to freezing his Yu Beast Space.

"Frozen?"

Gu Xiaoyue was a bit surprised; this was the first time she had heard of this concept since she transmigrated.

"Yes, if you don't freeze it, you still have to provide it with food. A Beastmaster with a low rank can't take on good missions, and the burden of supporting the family was still on him. Your father was a ruthless man in his youth, but over the years, the pressure of life has worn down his edges."

"Then how do you unfreeze it?"

Mu Qingning shook her head, "I don't know."

To freeze it without knowing how to unfreeze it—he really was a ruthless man!

She called Qin Shao to ask; the Beastmaster Association had many resources, and she wondered if she had ever heard of how to undo it.

Qin Shao on the other end of the line was silent for a while, "Legend has it that the Ten Thousand Year Heavenly Flame burning the water of the Ten Thousand Year Cold Pool, heated to body temperature, and poured onto the pet beast egg can undo it. But I think it's just a legend; where would you find a Ten Thousand Year Cold Pool or a Ten Thousand Year Heavenly Flame?"

Gu Xiaoyue thanked Qin Shao.

The legend Qin Shao spoke of was exactly what she had in her Yu Beast Space.

The problem now was whether Gu Yu still wanted to unfreeze the Beastmaster talent he had already frozen.

After dinner, Gu Yu began to clean up the dishes as usual, and Gu Xiaoyue stepped in to help him.

While washing the dishes, she asked Gu Yu, "Dad, when I came back, I saw you holding a pet beast egg. I also asked Mom; do you still have thoughts of being a Beastmaster?"

Gu Yu didn't even look up, "Life, you know, always has to have some regrets. The decision back then was made after careful consideration; if I had to do it all over again, I think I would still make the same choice."

Gu Xiaoyue stopped what she was doing, "Dad, I'm asking you now: do you still want to be a Beastmaster?"

Gu Yu looked at her, and there seemed to be a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"If it were possible, I would still like to."

Immediately, he seemed to remember something, and his gaze dimmed again, "But my Beastmaster talent has already been frozen."

Gu Xiaoyue continued washing the dishes, "As long as you want to, I'll handle the arrangements!"

After cleaning up the kitchen, the family of four sat down in the living room.

Gu Xiaoyue had already taken a bowl of water from the Ten Thousand Year Cold Pool and a wisp of Ten Thousand Year Heavenly Flame, and was heating it up in her Yu Beast Space.

Mu Qingning was holding Xiao Yang in her arms, coaxing him to call for Mom, Dad, and Big Sister.

When the water from the Cold Pool was heated just about right, Gu Xiaoyue asked Gu Yu to take out his companion beast and pour the water on it.

A bowl of water splashed over, and before long, they saw the pet beast egg crack, and a marine iguana crawled out from the egg.

Uh, a Godzilla prototype?

But this thing was a vegetarian!

She looked at the excited Gu Yu; it really was true that a pet resembles its owner!