The elevator stopped on the 16th floor, and the doors opened. The corridor was quiet. Liu Yi quickly walked to room 1608, swiped her card, and pushed the door open.
The lights in the room automatically turned on, casting a soft glow on the light-colored carpet. The balcony's floor-to-ceiling window was half-open, and the night wind blew in, carrying the crisp, unique scent of high altitudes.
Liu Yi put down her backpack and closed the door.
She didn't turn on the lights or go to the balcony; she simply stood in the center of the room and closed her eyes.
Her consciousness sank into her Beast Taming Space.
The white space unfolded before her eyes.
The stone platform pool shimmered with colorful light, and the phantom images of cards slowly rotated on its surface.
Liu Yi's gaze passed over the stone platform pool and landed in the corner.
The portable incubator lay there quietly.
But today, it looked different.
Its silver-white casing glowed softly under the white light of the Beast Taming Space; it wasn't reflected light, but a warm radiance emanating from within.
A golden-red halo seeped from the incubator's seams, pulsing like a breath, each flicker brighter than the last.
Liu Yi walked over and squatted down.
On the incubator's control panel, data was flickering.
【Fire-type pet egg detected】
【Energy fluctuation: Active】
【Hatching progress: 100%】
【Estimated hatching time: 0-1 day】
【Status: Removable】
Liu Yi stared at the text for two seconds.
Removable.
She reached out, her fingertips touching the incubator's casing. The silver-white metal felt cool, but through that coolness, she could feel the warmth emanating from inside.
Not just warm, but scorching hot.
As if something was burning within.
Liu Yi withdrew her consciousness from the Beast Taming Space and opened her eyes.
The room was still quiet, and the curtains swayed gently in the night wind. She walked to the open space by the sofa and retrieved the portable incubator from her Beast Taming Space.
The silver-white device appeared in her hand out of thin air.
It felt heavy, a bit heavier than usual.
Or rather, it wasn't heavier; the object inside simply had a stronger presence.
Liu Yi placed the incubator on the sofa.
Then she summoned Ziyue and Chiying from her Beast Taming Space.
A silver-blue figure and a dark figure appeared simultaneously.
The moment Ziyue landed, it sensed something was amiss. Its ears shot up, its purple eyes quickly scanned the room, then fixed on the golden-red glow on the sofa.
Its tails stopped swaying, its entire body tensed, staring motionless at the glowing egg inside the incubator.
Chiying's reaction was more restrained.
It hovered beside Liu Yi, its crimson eyes also fixed on the egg, golden patterns faintly flickering with its breath, and its tail gently swayed once behind it.
“Bingbing...?”
Ziyue finally snapped out of it, turning to look at Liu Yi, its purple eyes filled with surprise.
Is it going to hatch...?
“Mhm,” Liu Yi nodded. “Soon.”
She pressed the unlock button on the side.
With a soft “click,” the incubator's lid slowly sprang open.
A warm current of air surged from the incubator, enveloping her with a cozy warmth.
Liu Yi carefully reached into the incubator. The moment her fingertips touched the eggshell, a warm energy emanated from its surface, spreading from her fingertips up her arm. The sensation was peculiar, like touching a tiny, sleeping life.
She gently cupped the egg in both hands.
The egg's surface was smooth and warm, and golden-red flame patterns swirled beneath her palms, as if responding to her touch.
Ziyue leaned in closer, its purple eyes reflecting the golden-red glow on the eggshell. Its tails wagged rapidly behind it, so excited it almost seemed to fly.
Chiying wasn't as excited as Ziyue, but its tail gently swayed behind it.
Liu Yi placed the egg on the sofa, then picked up the portable incubator and, with a thought, recalled it to her Beast Taming Space.
Ziyue immediately jumped onto the sofa and cautiously approached the egg. It gently nudged the eggshell with its nose, then quickly drew back, afraid of chilling the little one inside.
“Bingbing.”
It called softly, its voice much quieter than usual.
The golden-red patterns on the eggshell flickered.
Ziyue's eyes lit up, and it looked back at Liu Yi.
“Bingbing!”
It moved!
Liu Yi smiled, sat on the sofa, and gently picked up the egg.
The eggshell's surface temperature was a bit higher than before, but still within a comfortable range.
She could feel a pulsation from inside the eggshell, clearer than when it was in the incubator, beating steadily like a tiny heart.
Chiying floated over from her side, landed on the back of the sofa, and lowered its head, its crimson eyes fixed on the egg. It didn't nudge it with its head or wrap its tail around it; it simply watched quietly.
Liu Yi placed the egg on her lap, then leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes.
The room fell silent, with only the faint glow of the flickering flame patterns on the eggshell and the halo of the floating island lights from outside filtering through the curtains.
Ziyue lay beside Liu Yi, its purple eyes fixed unblinkingly on the egg. Chiying slid down from the sofa backrest, coiled in the corner of the sofa, its crimson eyes also watching the egg.
Time passed, minute by minute.
The golden-red patterns on the eggshell flickered faster and faster, transforming from intermittent pulses to a continuous throb.
But the eggshell still didn't crack.
Liu Yi opened her eyes and checked the time.
Nine o'clock at night.
The egg showed no signs of hatching yet.
She thought for a moment, stood up, gently placed the egg on the sofa, and then arranged pillows around it to prevent it from rolling off.
Ziyue squatted by the sofa, looking up at her.
“Bingbing?”
Aren't we waiting anymore?
“It probably won't hatch tonight,” Liu Yi said. “Let it sleep here.”
She turned and walked towards the bathroom, preparing to wash up.
Just as she took a step, a faint rolling sound came from behind her.
She looked back and saw the egg rolling out from the circle of pillows, slowly moving towards her.
Liu Yi paused, stunned.
She walked back, placed the egg back in the middle of the pillows, and this time, arranged the pillows more tightly around it.
She turned and took two steps.
It rolled out again.
Ziyue tilted its head, watching the egg, its purple eyes filled with confusion.
Chiying also lifted its head from its coiled position, its crimson eyes fixed on the egg, its tail gently swaying once.
This time, Liu Yi didn't immediately pick it up; she stood still, watching the egg.
The egg lay quietly on the edge of the sofa, its golden-red patterns flickering.
After a few seconds, it rolled again, moving towards her.
Liu Yi finally understood.
She walked back and gently picked up the egg.
The eggshell's surface temperature was a bit higher than before, and its pulsation was more intense. The feeling wasn't like it was about to hatch, but rather... expressing some emotion.
“Do you want to sleep with me?” Liu Yi asked softly.
The golden-red patterns on the eggshell suddenly flared.
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