Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

Pei Du didn't check his phone again on the way back, simply following the route. Sheng Shixian followed Pei Du for most of the journey, and just as Pei Du was about to reach the villa, his figure quickly disappeared behind him.

Pei Du kept an eye on his every move. After Sheng Shixian left, he withdrew his gaze and continued walking towards the villa.

The lights inside the villa were off, making it completely dark. Pei Du opened the villa's front door, went inside, and pressed the light switch by the door.

The room instantly brightened. Pei Du walked in and saw Sheng Shixian lying on the sofa, covered with a thin blanket.

Hearing the door open, Sheng Shixian opened his eyes and climbed up from the sofa. The shackles and iron locks on his hands and feet were still there, and the gag was also obediently on his mouth. Perhaps he had just woken up, because there was still sleepiness in the corners of his eyes.

Pei Du walked over to him, removed the gag from Sheng Shixian's mouth, and said, "The car broke down on the way there today, so we got back quite late. Are you hungry?"

Sheng Shixian pinched his aching chin and nodded in front of Pei Du in a pretentious manner.

Pei Du didn't seem to mind. He said, "A new junior colleague joined my lab named Ling Yu. He said he knows you. Do you remember him?"

Sheng Shixian's hand, which was massaging his chin, froze for a moment, then quickly returned to normal within seconds. He frowned and looked at Pei Du, saying, "I don't remember. Who is he?"

“He says he’s your younger brother.” Pei Du said calmly, staring at Sheng Shixian’s features, “but you two don’t look alike.”

“I don’t have a younger brother,” Sheng Shixian answered quickly. As if remembering something unpleasant, he changed his words, “I don’t have any relatives either; they’re all dead.”

Pei Du raised an eyebrow: "You remember all of that?"

Sheng Shixian said, "I can remember some of it."

"Then who am I? Do you remember me?" Pei Du asked him.

Sheng Shixian paused, then said softly, "You are my master."

Pei Du: "..."

He noticed that Sheng Shixian always liked to reach behind his back when he spoke, and his gaze followed him there: "What's wrong on your end?"

"It's a little itchy." Sheng Shixian lowered his head.

"Itchy?" Pei Du looked behind him. "Let me see."

Sheng Shixian hesitated for a few seconds, then turned his back to Pei Du. Pei Du lifted his shirt and saw that the skin around his waistband was scratched red.

Sheng Shixian's nails were sharp, and he used a lot of force, leaving bloody red scratches. If Pei Du hadn't trimmed all of his sharp nails beforehand, Sheng Shixian would probably have torn his back to shreds.

"It's very itchy around my tailbone," Sheng Shixian said in a deep voice.

Pei Du vaguely guessed what was going on after he finished speaking. He pulled down Sheng Shixian's pants, his fingertips stopping at the red mark above his tailbone. "Here?"

"Hmm." Sheng Shixian felt a shiver run through him the moment he was touched. He bit his lip, his voice lowering, "Am I going to grow a tail?"

Pei Du lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. Sheng Shixian had his back to Pei Du and his head was down. His thick, slightly curly black hair covered most of his expression when he turned his head to the side.

"Perhaps," Pei Du said.

He took out the first-aid kit he had left at home and applied a special medicine to Sheng Shixian's wound.

It is true that the alien species will feel itchy when its tail grows long. The newly formed tissue is incompatible with the surrounding skin, and there will always be friction and discomfort at the beginning.

But didn't Sheng Shixian already have a tail?

Before Pei Du could figure it out, he heard Sheng Shixian's voice ring out again, "Only pigs and dogs have tails."

Pei Du paused in his massage, looking at Sheng Shixian, whose back was hunched over, a posture he always adopted when gloomy weather rose.

“Things with tails can also be tigers and leopards,” Pei Du said. “Tails are not just decorations; your tail will also be a weapon in the future.”

Sheng Shixian turned to look at him, "You like tails?"

Pei Du couldn't say he liked it. He was a mutant who hadn't fully mutated, and his body didn't have any beast-like parts. But who wouldn't want a long tail that could pierce through walls?

Pei Du glanced at Sheng Shixian's animal ears and said, "I just want them."

Sheng Shixian turned his head back, rubbed the new soft flesh on his head, and his tone became obviously pleasant: "Then I can consider letting you touch it later."

Pei Du: "..."

After applying the ointment to Sheng Shixian, Pei Du finished his work for the day. Dinner was casual and uneventful. Pei Du spent the remaining days studying the contents of the Black Book.

Sheng Shixian has also calmed down. He used to suffer from frequent bouts of anxiety, but now he stays in his room all day and has even learned how to use a computer.

Pei Du had no idea what he was secretly doing on the computer. When he occasionally passed by Sheng Shixian, Sheng Shixian would frantically click the mouse, seemingly engrossed in a web-based match-3 game.

When Sheng Shixian returned the computer to Pei Du, he had already deleted all the search history on it.

Pei Du didn't delve into it. He kept an eye on Ling Yu's movements and found that Ling Yu had been rarely heard from since the last news report, and now he had disappeared from the public eye as if he had vanished into thin air.

Two weeks later, Director Gong Yuanshen finished his overseas experimental exploration. As soon as his plane landed, he sent a message to Pei Du, his furious tone almost piercing through the microphone and striking Pei Du.

"Did you get into trouble again while I was gone? The military's phones have been ringing off the hook! High-ranking military officials are coming to the lab tomorrow for an exchange, and they specifically asked for your presence. What are you up to...?"

Pei Du listened to Gong Yuanshen's words in silence. He waited until Gong Yuanshen finished roaring before speaking: "Director, I have only been working at home and in the laboratory recently. Now there is a key experimental project that they may want to discuss with me."

"Keep pretending. I know you too well," Gong Yuanshen said, having already guessed what was going on. He didn't press further, only instructing Pei Du, "The one who's here is the military commander in charge of provincial investigations. He's a high-ranking official. Given your special status, be careful what you say, especially about your parents. Avoid mentioning them if possible..."

Pei Du listened with his head down without speaking. He felt a warmth on his fingers and looked down to see Sheng Shixian slowly playing with his fingertips. After amusing himself for two or three seconds, he wanted to put his index finger in his mouth and bite it.

Pei Du pinched his chin, and pressed down on the small section of Sheng Shixian's red tongue that was sticking out with his fingertip. Soon, most of his finger was enveloped by the hot, moist breath.

"Go to the side." Pei Du lowered his voice, ignoring Sheng Shixian's furrowed brows, and slowly pulled his fingertips out a few inches deeper before withdrawing them.

Sheng Shixian narrowed his eyes, rubbing his jaw as he looked towards Pei Du, who had already taken his phone to another location.

"Yes, Director, I will do as requested..."

Upon hearing the calm voice, Sheng Shixian turned his head and scoffed.