Ashley shook her slender fingers, plucking the crow feathers one by one from Yinsu Helin’s small body.
“Mmm…”
It still hurt a little to tear off the adhesive. A pleasant whimper escaped from her mouth and nose, tickling the heart. Her big, damp eyes resembled those of a newborn fawn, and the misty steam tinted her skin with an alluring rose color.
“We haven’t met many times. Why did you save me? Doesn’t that seem strange?”
Yinsu Helin hung her head and muttered softly:
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t say things like that, but I feel bad about it. I owe you so much, but I don’t know how to repay you. I feel like I can’t do anything. I’m so useless… Oh, right, are you sick? Ahhh, sorry, sorry! I’m not cursing you. I only know how to treat people. Let me be your family doctor. If you don’t mind this young lady’s shallow medical skills…”
Seeing her little face flush red as she desperately tried to explain, Ashley couldn’t help but smile.
“This is something a girl named Xixi taught me. Responding to a plea in despair creates an extraordinary bond—closer than friends, more tacit than lovers. Do you feel it?”
“Mmm…”
Yinsu Helin let out a whimper. A warm current surged in her heart, growing hotter the closer she got to the other girl. It burned so much that she opened her small mouth and panted messily, asking in a trembling voice:
“Is this real? I never even had friends before, and now I suddenly have… What should I call it? Companions? It feels even closer than that… How about ‘grafted branches’? Like branches grafted together, bearing Little Flowers.”
Grafted branches. Ashley chewed on the word repeatedly. She loved it. If she could see Little Cousin again, she’d tell her they were grafted branches.
Little Cousin would surely reward her with a pat on the head, just like Ashley now gently rubbed the Little Doctor’s head. A comfortable whimper came from her embrace.
Like plucking feathers from a chicken, she meticulously cleaned off the remaining crow feathers. After the bath, she helped the Little Doctor into a fresh set of underwear.
Feeling refreshed from the bath, the Little Doctor stepped out of the bathroom and saw a bowl of scallion noodles that Flora had cooked for her on the heater.
The tender green scallions soaked in golden fragrant oil, with a soft-boiled egg that looked adorable and tender.
It was just a simple bowl of noodles, yet it struck the softest spot in the little loli’s heart.
She never expected to see the image of home here—something that only appeared in her dreams.
First came a sobbing inhale, then a trembling exhale, repeated several times until she finally burst into loud cries.
Her little fingers clutched Ashley’s sleeve, and she buried her small face in her chest, crying so hard that she left the shape of her face on the shirt.
The tears came quickly and left just as fast.
She was starving, having gone a whole day without food or water. She grabbed the bowl and devoured it ravenously, nearly choking herself.
Though the dorm was packed with three lolis, it didn’t feel crowded at all—like a hamster cage that could hold two or three hamsters.
Once her emotions stabilized, Yinsu Helin pursed her lips tightly and pondered gravely.
“The situation is dire. The Sheep and Crow families must be desperate for revenge. The remaining ten families, bound by the mutual defense pact, won’t take advantage of their weakened state. They have no worries on that front.”
Ashley blinked and smiled faintly. “Don’t panic. As long as your Little Flower is safe, the Sheep and Crow families aren’t backed into a corner. They’re the ones afraid we’ll go down together… Have you heard the story of the fragrant deer?”
After Blue-Haired Loli finished telling it, the Little Doctor’s face paled. “No way out, so they eat the Little Flower?”
“Not yet. When I left the winery, I told them to come find me—it was a delaying tactic. I’m holding your Little Flower for now, so they’ll only come after me.” Ashley said.
“But is it really worth it? To go all-out against two Blood Noble families over this thing… We’re grafted branches now. Isn’t that enough? Why not hand it over for our safety?” The Little Doctor’s mind cleared, and she considered seriously.
“I won’t accept that kind of regret.” Ashley shook her head.
She gradually realized something—the “Revolver” ability was too passive in one-on-one fights. Though unbeatable as a counter, it carried huge risks.
Its true power scaled with the quality of her core team. To improve team quality, she needed more ‘grafted branches,’ ultimately forming a towering tree.
And during the search for grafted branches, situations like the Little Doctor’s would arise again. So, the grafted branches defense war was unavoidable—skipping it would shake the team’s foundation.
“Alright, no matter what decision Ashley makes, I’ll support it fully—even if it means dying!” The Little Doctor gazed at Blue-Haired Loli with shining eyes. A fearless courage rose in her heart, sweeping away all doubt and fear.
Now, she was no longer rooted in loose soil but tightly connected to Ashley.
With her resolve firm, the Little Doctor no longer wavered. Still, she worried about her Little Flower and climbed onto Ashley’s lap to check.
“Can you really reach in? Won’t there be bacterial infection?”
“Don’t worry. The Angel’s Kiss Mark forms a thin membrane—indirect contact.”
“Ahhh, so slippery, so soft. Tiny and bouncy, like a baby octopus… This… this is my Little Flower? I’ve only seen others’ during surgeries, never touched my own. What a weird feeling…”
“This is mine. Yours is next to it.”
“Huh?! I touched the wrong one!”
The Little Doctor jumped like a startled rabbit, her eyes wide and ears perked up.
The worst part was that she’d thought it was hers and rubbed it for a good while. No wonder Ashley arched her back, bit her lip, and wore a strange expression.
Flora, watching from the side, had a face full of black lines. What were they doing?
“Ancient Relics are truly wondrous—even organs can be stored.” The Little Doctor marveled.
After finishing the noodles, Ashley took Yinsu Helin to meet the rest of the team.
“I’m Little Black Feet!” Veronica said, hands on her hips.
“Wow, so black!”
“I’m Little Monster!” Delwei shyly displayed her tentacles.
“Wow, so weird!”
“I’m Little Reporter!” Chloe said with hands behind her back and a grin.
“Wow, so sneaky!” The Little Doctor still remembered how Chloe had stolen and sold Ashley’s Great Raven to butter her up.
“I’m Little Nina!” The black-haired girl with waist-length hair smiled shyly.
“Wow, sister’s hair is so pretty!”
“I’m Little… Little Amber.” Amber bit her lip and looked away, finding the title embarrassing.
“Wow, so awkward!”
“I’m Little City Lord!”
Unnoticed, someone had joined their midst.
Twilight Girl smiled seductively, her weary eyes fixed intensely on Ashley with a sickly, bashful expression.
“Wow, so scary!”
Ashley shuddered and was immediately grabbed by the ear and hoisted up.
“This is your doing!” The girl’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
“You already know?”
“Are you underestimating my intelligence network? If I didn’t even know the Blood Nobles were partying at the door, what kind of city lord would I be?”
“Is it a big deal?”
Ashley felt uneasy inside. She knew this could spark conflicts between factions.
“It doesn’t affect me much, but those guys have figured out your ability is Copy. They’ll send powerless transcendents to assassinate you. You’re an important piece of mine—don’t just die on me.”
The girl pinched Blue-Haired Loli’s little ear, satisfied to see her wince in pain with a pitiful expression. She continued:
“I’ve made a deal with those two families—no fighting in the city. Outside, you’re on your own. Got it?”
Ashley breathed a sigh of relief, grateful. This was protection. As long as the Little Doctor stayed in the city, she’d be safe.
