Chapter 14 The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind

"Ruka?"

"Ruka, wake up."

Her hand trembled as she gently stroked the back of the male lion, whose fur was somewhat rough, but shone with a sleek luster. Her voice carried a clear anxiety as she kept calling Ruka's name.

At this moment, everyone gathered around, and Evon immediately called Leberli, while the Federation's people urgently summoned the medical team from the Flying Ship. They rushed over to Qiao Suisui, with tension and concern written all over their faces.

Qiao Suisui's eyes were filled with urgency as she clutched the corner of the doctor's coat, her voice choked with emotion as she emphasized she was alright, only hoping they could quickly rescue the unresponsive Ruka. Her fingers were tightly clenched, her nails nearly sinking into her palm, as if this was the only way she could release the unease in her heart.

The doctors swiftly got to work; their movements were swift and professional, but Qiao Suisui's gaze never left Ruka. Her heartbeat was like thunder, seemingly allowing her to hear every pulsation, and each second of waiting felt unbearably long to her.

On the Flying Ship, a man stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, quietly observing the chaotic scene below. From the moment the Flying Ship landed, his gaze stayed fixed on Qiao Suisui, the depths of his eyes filled with a crazed obsession.

The man was tall, with powerfully defined muscles, and his doctors' uniform was somewhat suggestive; beneath his silver-rimmed glasses were a pair of phoenix eyes, his features androgynous. Combined with his casually tied-back silver hair, only four words could describe him: he bewitched all beings. However, his movements were not at all effeminate, but rather sharp and decisive.

"Bring me the special sleeping agent I've prepared this time."

"Dr. Zong Fang, it's here."

The assistant pressed a button on the silver suitcase, and the lid opened slowly, revealing ten transparent test tubes neatly arranged inside. In each test tube, there was a peculiarly shaped ladybug, their shells shimmering with a mysterious glow.

Zong Fang expertly put on a pair of white gloves, which immediately conformed snugly to his skin, merging as if one with his hand. He gently picked up a test tube and opened the lid; a faint energy wave emanated from within.

He focused his Spirit, releasing powerful spiritual power to establish a connection with the ladybug. The wings of the ladybug suddenly unfolded, glittering with a strange light, as brilliant as the stars in the universe. It flew towards Qiao Suisui with astonishing Speed, like a meteor streaking across the night sky.

Below the Flying Ship.

"Vital signs are unstable; we must rescue him quickly!"

Evon said urgently, "There is a medical pod inside, please follow me!"

The medical team worked together to lift the massive lion onto a stretcher. Suisui, worried, clenched her skirt, her palms sweating. She could have never imagined Ruka would go to such lengths to save her. She stepped aside to avoid being in the way and followed the stretcher inside, when suddenly, a sharp pain pierced the back of her neck.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before the words could escape, her body softened, and she fell into someone's embrace.

...

Zong Fang carefully placed Qiao Suisui in the observation pod and scrutinized her from head to toe. Every strand of her hair, every inch of her skin, the color of her nails, the shape of her features... all ignited his fervor.

"A real human... a genuine human..."

"How beautiful..."

The fingertips of his gloved hand traced from her forehead, down to the brow bone, across the bridge of her nose, lingering long on her tender lips, then down to her collarbone, her chest.

His fingertips trembled slightly, his eyes filled with excitement.

"From now on, monitor her 24 hours a day."

The assistant received the order, starting to operate on the control panel with a flurry of keystrokes.

The sleeping Qiao Suisui was unaware that her nightmare had begun.

...

...

In the room, the lion in the medical pod was connected to various machines, and Leberli's face was solemn as he stood silently by the side.

Isabella kept vigil by the medical pod, with Evon standing behind her, speaking in a soft voice to console her.

"Princess, you have watched over your master for a whole day and night, please be sure to take care of your own health."

Isabella looked into the pod, motionless.

"Evon, do you think Ruka might..."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and Evon immediately handed her a handkerchief, softly saying, "No, he won't. The master has returned from conditions like those on the battlefield, he will surely be fine this time too. Please do not worry too much."

She dried her tears and turned to command, "Cousin, transfer some of your healing power to Ruka again."

Upon hearing her request, Leberli sneered.

He had rushed over as soon as he received the message and had already expended a lot of spiritual power to heal Sikoses. His internal injuries were healing, only time was needed. There was no necessity to input more spiritual power, although it could indeed speed up his recovery, it would also cause wear and tear to Leberli himself, bringing him to a period of spiritual weakness.

He gave a negligent smile and raised an eyebrow, "Why should I?"

Isabella's eyes widened with anger, "What do you mean why? The three of us grew up together. Are we just going to watch him lie there unconscious?"

"If we three grew up together, why don't you give him your spiritual power?"

"I am not from the Healing Element!"

Moreover, she was an Artificial Female with very weak spiritual power, nowhere near enough to do anything. Knowing all this, Leberli still spoke this way, clearly mocking her. It was really annoying.

Isabella realized she couldn't reason with him. It had always been like this since they were children; Leberli never gave an inch to her. That's why when she heard that one of her intended spouses bore the name Leberli, she caused an uproar in the Imperial Court.

"Since you don't have such Talent, keep quiet. I make the decisions about my Talent."

Leberli turned to leave, not wanting to stay a moment longer with her.

He once had feelings for this cousin of his, and the Royal Family, intending to ensure the purity of the bloodline, wanted them to cultivate affections. Although he was clear about his lack of romantic feelings for Isabella, he had considered a future with her due to their childhood bond. But her spoiled and lawless behavior, frequently acting with complete disregard for others and committing a series of foolish acts, wore away the little affection Leberli had for her.

So when he learned that his place had been taken by Ruka, for the first time, he did not secretly compete with Ruka but instead felt a great relief.

After Leberli had left, Evon stepped forward and consoled the Princess again, his absolute obedience pleasing Isabella and somewhat improving her mood.

"I heard Ruka got into this trouble trying to save that female?" she asked.

Evon nodded, "But rest assured, I have taken care of sending her away on behalf of the Princess."

"Well done. Just the thought of an unknown female staying in Ruka's secondary palace keeps me awake at night. So what if she's naturally born? Does she even deserve to compete with me?"

With a pleasing smile, Evon said, "How could she compare with you? Princess, you promised that after this is settled, you would help me get my sister out of that place..."

Isabella was indifferent.

"What's the rush? Although she's been taken away now, she might cause trouble again. Evon, you have to help me. Is there a way to eliminate any possibility between her and Ruka?"

A flash of impatience crossed Evon's eyes, then quickly faded. He thought for a moment, then leaned in to whisper something into Isabella's ear.

Once he had finished speaking, Isabella opened her feather fan with a 'swish' and half-covered her smiling face.