Parasitic Child: Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Xiao Zhen starts school.

Xiao Zhen started school.

The students’ joyful holiday came to an end, and the vast majority of middle and primary school students sighed, lamenting how quickly time had passed, and reluctantly greeted the beginning of the new semester.

Xiao Zhen didn’t have much of a reaction to this. For him, it was just a change of place to continue playing the role of his host.

To his surprise, Teacher Feng was his homeroom teacher. Xiao Zhen secretly felt relieved that he didn’t reveal any mistakes the last time they met. Teacher Feng was polite and elegant, humorous, and always chatting and laughing with the students without any airs. She was very well-liked by the class.

Xiao Zhen was in the same class as Liu Xingquan. Liu Xingquan was the class monitor, a model student in the eyes of all the teachers and parents. Polite, well-behaved, excellent in academics, and good-looking—these three factors combined made Liu Xingquan the most prominent student star at the school. However, Xiao Zhen noticed the sense of distance between Liu Xingquan and the other students, a natural reaction of peers keeping their distance from the teacher’s pet.

As soon as the bell rang for recess, the students scattered into little groups, chattering away. Xiao Zhen was curious about which group he might belong to. Liu Xingquan sat still in his seat, reading a book seriously, with no intention of talking to anyone. His friend Cui Mingzhi, who had played with him during the summer holiday, was in Class 1 next door, having fun there, so he wasn’t Xiao Zhen’s first choice for chatting during the break.

Xiao Zhen sat in his seat, recognizing the faces of his classmates and matching them with their names. The noisy students were discussing bizarre topics. After listening for a while to two boys debating whether a particular girl in the class had drawn her eyebrows, Xiao Zhen found it too boring and took out a book he had borrowed from the library.

“Yan Zhen!!” A girl’s voice came from behind him.

Xiao Zhen turned around. Sitting behind him was a girl named Wei Jingjing. She had her hair tied in a ponytail, a sharp chin, large eyes, and was already starting to look like a little beauty. If it weren’t for the haughty expression on her face, she would have been even cuter.

“Your back is against my desk,” Wei Jingjing said, her voice as proud and cold as her expression, as if Xiao Zhen had desecrated her noble desk.

“Oh.” Xiao Zhen shifted his chair slightly, keeping a distance from her desk. Wei Jingjing was the only daughter of a well-known businessman and was referred to by her classmates as Miss Wei. Although she was pretty, she always kept a stern face, and when she spoke to people, it was always stiff.

Xiao Zhen guessed that his host, Yan Zhen, probably wouldn’t have a good relationship with her.

Wei Jingjing’s superficial thoughts flowed into his mind. He didn’t intentionally probe her brain, but her thoughts were like a scent, unconsciously emanating around her. He saw her applying lipstick in front of the mirror before leaving for school, examining herself, then wiping some of it off with a wet tissue, so her lips appeared naturally red.

Middle school students weren’t allowed to wear makeup to school; this was a small trick she played on herself.

She cared a lot about her appearance. Xiao Zhen could sense a certain odor emanating from deep within her soul. It wasn’t a natural scent that could be described in the way one would describe the smells of nature. As a creature capable of keenly sensing the emotions of intelligent lifeforms, the Heart-Devouring Demon could clearly recognize it—it was the scent of seeking others’ approval.

By the end of the day, Xiao Zhen had identified every student in his class, matching their faces with their names and storing them in his information database. A boy named Gao Yuan was particularly friendly to Xiao Zhen. He showed Xiao Zhen ten or so game cards and asked if Xiao Zhen had collected any new ones. Xiao Zhen recalled that his drawer had a box of those cards, so he promised to bring them the next day.

But for the most part, the topics the middle schoolers talked about were like a foreign language to Xiao Zhen. When the bell rang for the next break, he quickly grabbed his backpack and made his escape.

As soon as he went downstairs, a few cats that he had encountered during his campus investigation saw him and gathered around.

“Want some sausage? I’m not buying it this time.”

The cats gathered around and rubbed against Xiao Zhen’s legs, mewing softly.

(Food, food, food, food.)

(Want to eat, want to eat, want to eat.)

The shallow consciousness of the cats poured into his mind.

Mr. Mao was not around, so for now, Xiao Zhen could only read the simplest thoughts of the cats. Seeing them circling him, acting all cute, rubbing against him, and rolling on the ground, Xiao Zhen squatted down, instinctively reaching out to pet them.

*(Give me food, give me food, give me food!)*  

*(Stop just petting me; give me some food!)*

Seeing the cats’ behavior, even their hazy, shallow consciousness made Xiao Zhen feel a bit annoyed.

“The cats really like you,” said a girl holding a bag of cat food.

It was his classmate, Chen Yuxin. She looked very gentle, and her voice was soft and quiet.

The moment the cats saw Chen Yuxin holding the bag of cat food, they immediately abandoned Xiao Zhen and flocked around her, practically worshipping her.

“Do you feed the cats often?”

“Yes, I really like cats.” Chen Yuxin reached out and scratched a kitten under its chin. The cat nuzzled into her hand with a purr, and she smiled, then frowned and said, “There are fewer cats again…”

Xiao Zhen recalled how, during his investigation a few days ago, the cats had complained that their siblings kept disappearing. They were sure it was a cat thief and had even given him a suspect: Old Wang. Xiao Zhen scanned the group and noticed there were indeed fewer cats than last time.

“Have there been fewer cats all the time?”

Chen Yuxin gritted her teeth. “Who’s so heartless, stealing cats like this?” Her face flushed with anger. “If they took them home as pets, fine. But I heard that some cat thieves take them to torture or eat them. Those people are just awful.”

The cats began to whimper. Xiao Zhen sensed their shallow emotions, a sadness for their lost feline siblings, mourning their sudden absence. The emotions of cats were quite similar to those of humans, intelligent beings, yet their consciousness was hazier, more intense, and purer. Chen Yuxin was saddened for their missing companions, and though the cats couldn’t understand human speech, they responded to her in that moment, softly lamenting together.

*I’ll look for the cat thief if I get the chance*, he thought.

As he left the school, Teacher Feng called out to him. This thirty-year-old teacher was a lively young man; his smile felt like a spring breeze, and even when he wasn’t smiling, he had an amiable aura. Almost all the students he taught liked him.

Teacher Feng pushed his bike over to Xiao Zhen. “Yan Zhen, weren’t you looking for a Husky recently?”

“Yes.”

“I just remembered—Teacher Xiao Yuan has a Husky,” Teacher Feng said with a smile.

Xiao Zhen was about to say that he didn’t need to search anymore, but then Teacher Feng continued, “Her dog’s name is Qiuqiu.”

“Qiuqiu?”

“Yes, Qiuqiu is an adorable Husky.”

Qiuqiu? The same name as the Husky in the bounty mission. Xiao Zhen blinked—this was getting interesting.

***********

At the Yan Residence

Captain Ban asked, “Are you saying that a teacher at your school is an alien?”

“Yes.”

Mr. Mao said, “Oh? Did you meet her?”

“I did,” Xiao Zhen replied. “What’s interesting is that I didn’t detect anything unusual about her at first.” For a primitive planet without established interstellar communication, aliens often disguise themselves as local residents to avoid disturbing the native ecosystem. The Heart-Devouring Demons had a natural talent for detecting disguises and resisting mental interference. Whether it was optical camouflage or mental misdirection, nothing could hide from the Heart-Devourers. Not Fox Merchant Boss Han, nor that Gnusian. But now, there was an exception.

Today, Teacher Xiao Yuan taught a lesson to Xiao Zhen’s class. She was a charming young woman with light brown hair and bright eyes, captivating the entire class within minutes. At the time, Xiao Zhen didn’t realize she was an alien visitor.

“You couldn’t tell she was an alien?” Chicken said, “Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Maybe she’s just a regular local. The name Qiuqiu is pretty common for dogs.”

Xiao Zhen shook his head. “She’s definitely an alien.”

Mr. Mao grew interested. “Then how did you identify her afterward? Did you have some method we don’t know about?”

“Because I saw her hand detach from her arm and crawl across the desk.”

“…”

“Why was her hand crawling around on its own???”

“How would I know?” Intrigued by Teacher Feng’s comment, Xiao Zhen made a point to pass by the office on his way back. Since it was after school, the office was nearly empty, with only Teacher Xiao Yuan still there. She was staring intently at her screen, which would’ve been an ordinary scene—until her hand suddenly separated from her arm, crawled leisurely across the desk for two minutes, and then casually picked up a teacup. The scene was so startling that even an alien Heart-Devourer like Xiao Zhen found it overwhelming. He rubbed his eyes twice to confirm he wasn’t being tricked by an optical illusion.

“Self-moving organs?? What species is she, for crying out loud?”

“That’s why I’m sure she’s not a local human.”

The three Heart-Devourers wracked their brains, trying to recall any galactic species known for autonomous moving organs, but nothing matched. There were creatures in the universe with vaguely similar traits, but none that had developed into a civilized society. Based on her heat signature, she wasn’t a bionic organism or a robot either.

After some discussion, they decided to meet this strange alien.

*****

When Mr. Mao, Captain Ban, and Xiao Zhen arrived at Teacher Xiao Yuan’s home, she was about to head out with her Husky. Dressed in sporty shorts and a thin athletic jacket that accentuated her lively curves, she looked full of vitality.

“Yan Zhen? You looking for me?” Teacher Xiao Yuan looked puzzled as she saw Xiao Zhen approaching with a cat and a chicken in tow. She had a favorable impression of this student. Her gaze quickly fell on the chicken. “Why did you bring a chicken?”

Mr. Mao got straight to the point. “Hello!”

Teacher Xiao Yuan took a startled step back.

Mr. Mao gave a polite bow. “By the grace of the Star Spirits, I never expected to encounter a fellow traveler in this place.”

Teacher Xiao Yuan blurted out, “An Aeltian?”

“Yes, I am indeed a traveler from Aelt.” Mr. Mao sat down gracefully. “It’s a pleasure to meet another distant traveler in this remote place.”

“By the Star Spirits, the pleasure is mine,” Teacher Xiao Yuan stared at Mr. Mao. “Why is my student with you? You’ve made him aware of everything? And why is there a chicken?”

“Yan Zhen is my local assistant. I’ve come simply to confirm something: Did you recently post a bounty with the Intergalactic Bounty Guild to find your pet?”

“That was me.” Teacher Xiao Yuan’s expression turned serious. “My pet Qiuqiu has all the proper paperwork, fully legal. I have quarantine and protection licenses; even the Security Council couldn’t find a single issue.”

“Relax, I didn’t come here to question you.” Mr. Mao swayed his tail. “I’m just curious.”

“Curious?”

Xiao Zhen said, “I’m curious too!” He adopted an innocent tone, tilting his head as he said, “Mr. Mao told me that you’re an alien. Before that, he introduced me to many alien species, but he had no idea what species you are, Teacher. So I asked him to bring me here to ask you.”

“For that?”

“Yes.” Xiao Zhen made his voice even more innocent and naïve. “I pestered Mr. Mao to come. Please, Teacher, tell me.”

Teacher Xiao Yuan glared at Mr. Mao with an expression that read, *You dragged a regular human here to bother me with this silly question?* Mr. Mao shrugged. “Anyway, once I leave this planet, this ignorant human will have his memory erased according to intergalactic law. No need to worry.”

“…” Teacher Xiao Yuan thought for a moment, glanced at Xiao Zhen’s eager, knowledge-hungry expression, and then turned around. “Fine, since you’re my student, come in.”

Teacher Xiao Yuan poured two cups of tea for Xiao Zhen and Mr. Mao, completely ignoring Chicken. Before Chicken could react, Xiao Zhen stuffed him into his backpack. If he stayed out, they’d be endlessly looping between “Why is there a chicken here?” and “Why did you bring a chicken?”

“You really are bold. What if I were a wanted galactic fugitive?”

Mr. Mao dipped his head to lap at the tea. “It doesn’t matter to me. Even a fugitive has to keep low under the noses of the Security Council and the Supervisory Eye. Silently erasing a native human who’s come in contact with an alien is costly. Isn’t that right?”

Xiao Zhen said, “Don’t worry, Teacher, I’ll keep it a secret!”

“Ha.” Teacher Xiao Yuan laughed softly. Her Husky, Qiuqiu, trotted over and sat beside her, tilting his head arrogantly at Mr. Mao and Xiao Zhen. Xiao Zhen couldn’t tell if it was due to the inherent smugness of Huskies or if Qiuqiu was purposely giving them attitude for capturing him before.

“I’m a wandering interstellar traveler. I like this planet and its humans very much, so I wanted to settle here,” Teacher Xiao Yuan said as she let her hair down, her long, smooth hair flowing in the air. “Just so you know, dear Eltian, my true form is non-humanoid. If the young human here faints from shock, I’m not responsible.”

Mr. Mao said, “If this kid wets himself, I’ll immediately dissolve our assistant relationship and erase his memory.”

“That’s fine, then.”

Teacher Xiao Yuan turned to Xiao Zhen, her tone gentle. “Yan Zhen, I don’t want to scare you on purpose. I like humans, but I’m aware that human aesthetics might not be able to accept my true form. If it makes you uncomfortable, try not to be too anxious.”

Xiao Zhen nodded to reassure her.

She straightened up and walked to the center of the room. The next second, her body deflated like a balloon. The once-youthful, beautiful woman crumpled into a loose skin. Xiao Zhen’s eyes stayed wide, glued to the astonishing sight.

As if her skeleton had been instantly removed, the humanoid skin slumped loosely to the ground. From the shell of a woman, something began to pour out.

Xiao Zhen and Mr. Mao widened their eyes, and Captain Ban poked his head out of the backpack.

More and more emerged, and more still.

They were small, crab-like creatures, each about the size of a thumb, waving tiny claws as they crawled out of the human shell like an army. Their legs made a soft, whispering sound as they bumped and layered over one another, and they all spoke in unison, “This is me me me me me me…”

Fine-legged crabs…

In unison, Xiao Zhen, Mr. Mao, and Captain Ban mentally pronounced the name.

This was a type of social alien crab species. Xiao Zhen knew that these crabs lived collectively, stacking up to assist each other in coordinated actions, but he had never seen such a group disguise before.

“This is me me me me me me me…” the crabs repeated, though the slight time lag in each of their voices made it sound like a never-ending echo.

Xiao Zhen said, “How fascinating.”

“Aren’t you at all all all all all all afraid afraid afraid afraid afraid…”

“I think it’s amazing, Teacher Xiao Yuan.”

“…” The crabs paused, then spoke together, “That’s because you’re not normal normal normal normal…”

Their shells were mottled gray-blue with white spots, moving and clustering together. The human skin shell rippled and heaved like waves, gradually filling out again. Teacher Xiao Yuan’s hollow form slowly regained its fullness as her limbs twisted strangely among the crab cluster. Only now did Xiao Zhen feel a hint of nausea—a slight discomfort triggered instinctively by his human body.

First, her legs straightened, then her abdomen, followed by her upper body folding down and then twisting 160 degrees until her head turned back to face forward. Teacher Xiao Yuan brushed her long hair behind her ear.

Before them stood the youthful, vibrant young woman once more.

Mr. Mao clapped. “I’d heard of fine-legged crabs before, but this is the first time I’ve seen a crab colony capable of collectively disguising as a sapien.”

“This was my experiment, and I found that I liked it this way,” Teacher Xiao Yuan replied, her “I” meaning “we.”

Xiao Zhen asked, “Are there any inconveniences in daily life?” He made a gesture. “Since, you know, you have so many companions.”

“Most of the time, I operate with a single mind,” Teacher Xiao Yuan explained. “But sometimes unexpected things happen. For instance, if I want to watch TV, yet a small part of me wants water, a minor portion of me might get up and fetch water. See, like this. I call this phenomenon ‘noise.’” Her left arm detached, casually picking up a teapot.

…

“I thought you’d have a central brain to control all actions.”

“I am the central brain, but I am both an individual and a collective,” Teacher Xiao Yuan said as her left arm reattached itself. “The ‘noise’ issue troubles me because I really want to live like a local. That’s why I need Qiuqiu.”

“The ‘Husky’?” Mr. Mao asked. “Did you adopt it to erase the memory of locals who might witness the noise?”

“Of course not. My Qiuqiu doesn’t have enough strength for major memory control. It only makes minor, harmless adjustments to memories, which is why I could pass the pet approval process. I keep him to eliminate noise. He helps me focus, unifying my mind. I am I, also we.”

Teacher Xiao Yuan petted the Husky beside her. “But a few days ago, I accidentally lost him when I took him to school. He probably found a place he liked and stayed there. He’s been missing for days, which caused some instability in my noise levels. To prevent any locals who accidentally see me disassemble from thinking they’ve gone mad, I hired the bounty guild to search for him.”

Hmm, never mind the locals—yesterday, when I saw your hand crawling around, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

Xiao Zhen set down his teacup and asked one final question: “Teacher, may I ask why you chose to work as a teacher at a school?”

Teacher Xiao Yuan looked at him and smiled, without responding immediately.

“Most alien visitors avoid locals and live discreetly. Why did you choose a school, where many locals gather?”

She smiled, a shy glow on her lovely face. “Because I love Teacher Feng.”

“Huh?”

“I love Teacher Feng. According to sapien cultural tradition, I want to become his partner, until the end of life,” she said. “This is my one and only wish now.”

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