"But look, Little White is so attached to her, and Yun Han’s condition really has improved. Ning Xuan is the one who brought about these changes," Zhu Hongying said delightedly.

"Yes. It seems our hope for Yun Han’s recovery now rests on Ning Xuan. We have to find a way to help Ning Xuan increase her spiritual power as quickly as possible. Once her Spiritual Power Level is a little higher, she might be able to wake him," Zhu Hongxing said in agreement.

"I know all that. To help Ning Xuan increase her spiritual power quickly, I’ve already brought out the Crystal Jade Mattress and the Hundred Fruit Brew. If we add a top-tier Spiritual Enhancement Potion to that, her Spiritual Power Level should reach A-level. But the first two items are one thing; a top-tier Spiritual Enhancement Potion is incredibly expensive. Given Ning Xuan’s personality, she might not be willing to accept it." As she spoke, Zhu Hongying’s expression grew worried.

Although Zhu Hongying and Ning Xuan hadn’t known each other long, she had gained a fair understanding of her character. The consultation fee for this visit was the standard, openly-stated price of twenty thousand Star Crystals. That was Ning Xuan’s fee as a doctor; it was the same for anyone who requested her services.

"By the way, wasn’t the contract between Yun Han and Ning Xuan terminated? The Light Computer will match Ning Xuan with a new Contractor within ten days. Yun Han and Ning Xuan have a 95% genetic compatibility. Logically speaking, even if she’s rematched, it should still be him. For the next few days, you must keep a close watch on the messages received by Yun Han’s Light Computer. The moment a contract notification arrives, accept it immediately. You have to accept, even if it comes with extremely harsh additional conditions," Zhu Hongxing urged.

Normally, a Contractor rejected by the Contractor would be placed on a matching blacklist. However, Yun Han went into a coma after being injured on the battlefield. In this situation, his information won’t be blacklisted and will remain in the database. When the main system matches Ning Xuan with a Contractor again, there’s a high probability it will still be Yun Han. The only thing is, any Contractor who is rematched will have many additional requirements attached to the contractual relationship, as a form of compensation to the Contractor.

The next day, Ning Xuan woke up feeling clear-headed and refreshed. Her body felt much lighter than before. Seeing her get up, Lin Mo brought her clothes. Ning Xuan looked down and realized she was only wearing a loose, white under-robe. "Did you change my clothes last night?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Contractor," Lin Mo replied respectfully, the clothes Ning Xuan was to wear draped over his arm.

As Ning Xuan spread her arms, the loose silk under-robe slipped half an inch down her shoulders. Lin Mo immediately lowered his gaze and unfolded the purple garments she was to wear that day. Morning light slanted through the window, illuminating his profile and bathing him in a soft glow.

"When you were helping me change, did you see that little cat?" Ning Xuan asked, holding out her arms for Lin Mo to dress her. ’I can’t remember when that little white cat left.’

Lin Mo was focused on dressing her. Kneeling on one knee on the stone-paved floor, he smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt. At her question, he remained kneeling and tilted his head up, his Adam’s apple shifting in the morning light. After a moment of thought, he shook his head. "No, Contractor. When you came out of the training room yesterday, Little White was no longer on you."

"It must have run off on its own." Ning Xuan felt as if she had lost something that belonged to someone else, and felt an inexplicable pang of guilt.

This outfit had several pearl toggle buttons at the cuffs. She raised her hand, intending to fasten them herself, but Lin Mo had already taken her wrist. Three pearl buttons gleamed softly in his palm. With a deft motion, his long fingers brushed against her skin and hooked the buttons into place.

Ning Xuan felt a little unsettled. "I’d better go look for it in the training room. If it’s not there, then it must have run off."

Watching Ning Xuan head to the training room, Lin Mo rose to his feet. He curled his fingers and brought them to his nose, inhaling. Her fragrance lingered on his skin. It was a wonderful scent.

Ning Xuan pushed open the door to the training room, and a small white furball pounced at her with a tiny "AWOO!" Its little paws scrambled furiously, and in a flash, it had climbed up to her chest, settling just below her collarbone. Ning Xuan poked it with her finger. "Hey, it’s only been one night. How did you get fatter?"

It wasn’t just fatter; it was much more agile, too. Yesterday, it had looked so fragile, she’d been afraid of crushing it with a single poke. Today, it was so full of life it was like a completely different cat.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. A point of light flashed several times on Ning Xuan’s wrist—a notification from her Light Computer indicating a new message.

Ning Xuan activated her Light Computer and brought up the messages. One was a rejection from the main system for her application to terminate her contract with Yu Mingche. The stated reason: upon investigation, Yu Mingche was the current Seventh Rank Governor of the Space-Time Chaos Domain, and all his rights and interests were under the highest Level of protection.

The other message stated that after the dissolution of her contract with Yun Han, the main system had rematched her. According to the gene bank’s calculations, the new Contractor was still Yun Han. However, given that this Contractor was at fault during the previous matching, he had been demoted to a Contracted Slave. The terms had already been accepted on the Contractor’s side.

If Ning Xuan objected, she could reapply to dissolve the contract in one year.

In addition to the two messages from this morning, there was one from last night. It was from Chen Nan. Ning Xuan opened it. Chen Nan said that Hei Yan had come out of Extreme Cold City. His sister’s condition had worsened, and he wanted to ask Ning Xuan to treat her.

’If I can cure his sister, it’s another opportunity to earn money and build my reputation,’ Ning Xuan thought, recalling what Hei Yan had once told her about his sister’s illness.

At this thought, Ning Xuan gave the now-chubbier Little White a squeeze. She decided to find Zhu Hongying to return the kitten and check on Yun Han’s condition one more time. If she still couldn’t cure him, she had to leave. There wasn’t much time left before the Alchemy competition.

Lin Mo had already tidied up the bed and the rest of the bedroom. Seeing Ning Xuan fiddling with the little white cat, a slight smile touched his lips. "Contractor, Little White is very fond of you."

’Sometimes, a Companion Spirit and its master are telepathically linked,’ Lin Mo thought. ’Since Little White likes Ning Xuan so much, I wonder if Yun Han can sense it in his current state?’

"So its name is Little White? That’s fitting," Ning Xuan said. "Come on, let’s go check on your cousin." She felt a sliver of pity for this Contracted Slave the main system had forced back on her. ’If Yun Han didn’t have a father like Yun Tianye, I wouldn’t be so determined to get away from him.’

’As for now, a so-called Contracted Slave has no right to demand reassurance from their Contractor. I’ll just have to pretend this relationship doesn’t exist from now on.’

Ning Xuan had just arrived at Yun Han’s mountainside residence when Zhu Hongying came out to greet her. "Miss Ning," she asked warmly, "did you sleep well last night?"