TCPUAAV Chapter 39

 

The following afternoon, His Highness the Crown Prince packed himself up and was once again delivered to Ruan Shiqing’s home by Dares.

 

To keep up appearances, Dares brought not only gifts but also an assortment of supplies for the “cub,” including a forged identity card. The items, all brand-new and unused, immediately caught Ruan Shiqing’s attention.

 

As he examined the pristine, never-before-touched essentials, he couldn’t help but question Mr. Rong’s ability to care for his “younger brother.” However, when he recalled the reserved and taciturn soldier, he thought it was already impressive that Rong Heng had managed to think of buying these things. After all, he didn’t seem like someone with a meticulous or attentive personality.

 

Ruan Shiqing chose not to expose him, accepting everything without objection and stashing it all in the storage room.

 

After some thought, he sent Mr. Rong a tactful text message:

 

[Mr. Dares has safely delivered Snowball. I will take good care of him, so please don’t worry. Also, there’s no need to purchase more supplies next time—we already have everything we need at home ^_^]

 

At that moment, Rong Heng was lying on the windowsill, the miniature communicator hanging around his neck alongside the Blue Star necklace vibrating gently.

 

The communicator had been cleared by Dares as “necessary for Mr. Rong to occasionally check in on his younger brother.”

 

Noah’s gleefully mocking voice rang out. “Mr. Ruan sent you a message. Would you like me to read it aloud?”

 

Judging by her tone, it was clear the message wouldn’t be particularly pleasant to hear.

 

Even so, Rong Heng surreptitiously opened the virtual screen to take a look.

 

After reading it, Rong Heng: “…”

 

With a stony expression, he replied curtly:

 

[Understood. Thank you.]

 

When Ruan Shiqing received the reply after leaving the storage room, it was precisely what he expected: as concise and to the point as the man himself, exuding a no-nonsense military style.

 

He didn’t find this off-putting.

 

In his past world, he had spent years at a weapons research institute and had worked with countless soldiers. He had long grown accustomed to this sort of terse, direct communication style, and even felt a faint sense of familiarity with it.

 

Though outwardly cold and rigid like a block of ice, Mr. Rong was surprisingly easy to get along with.

 

Ruan Shiqing smiled, put away his communicator, and didn’t reply further.

 

Instead, he picked up the cub’s identity card, scooped up the sunbathing “Snowball” from the windowsill, and called 09 over. “Let’s go register for school.”

 

???

 

Register for what now?!

 

A wave of unease swept over Rong Heng.

 

By the time Ruan Shiqing carried him to the school gates, the heavy weight in his chest crashed down like a boulder, shattering any delusions he’d been clinging to.

 

Ruan Shiqing patted the little cub’s head, smiling brightly as he pointed toward the classroom. “Yuebai, Heli, and Nota are all in there. Once your enrollment is complete, you can join them in class.”

 

Join them? Absolutely not.

 

Rong Heng tried to resist, but in his current form—small, helpless, and thoroughly outmatched—there was no escaping the grim fate of going to school.

 

Ruan Shiqing, holding him firmly, brought him to the administrative office. In under ten minutes, the paperwork was done.

 

Staring at the enrollment notice in Ruan Shiqing’s hands, Rong Heng blinked once before going limp in the boy’s arms, utterly defeated.

 

This was a monumental miscalculation.

 

He had been so focused on returning that he’d completely overlooked one critical fact: cubs had to attend school.

 

It was already humiliating enough. If anyone found out that the dignified Crown Prince of the Empire was pretending to be a cub just to attend school, where would his dignity go?

 

The prince’s heart was heavy with despair.

 

Ruan Shiqing, oblivious to the cub’s inner turmoil, simply assumed he was tired. He gently patted the little one’s head before picking up the other three cubs from school.

 

The first to rush out was the little fox. Seeing Snowball in Ruan Shiqing’s arms, the fox was astonished at first, then inexplicably smug. Her tail swished proudly. “I told you he’d come back on his own!”

 

“Who came back?!” The little dragon cub followed close behind. Upon spotting Rong Heng, he let out a delighted cheer and headbutted Ruan Shiqing’s chest, piling on top of Rong Heng like a stack of pancakes. “Snowball!”

 

“…”

 

Rong Heng couldn’t even be bothered to respond to the foolish dragon.

 

Don’t ask. His mood was absolutely dreadful.

 

The little ones, however, enthusiastically welcomed Snowball’s return.

 

That night, when it was time for bed, the little dragon generously patted his cushion and small pillow, eagerly inviting Rong Heng to share.

 

Rong Heng glanced at him dismissively, sneered, and walked straight into the bedroom without looking back.

 

Unhappy, the dragon called after him, “Daddy said we’re big cubs now! We need to learn how to sleep on our own!”

 

Sprawled belly-up on his cushion, the little fox lazily flicked one of her tails, swatting at the dragon. “That’s just something Daddy tells you because your sleeping posture is so bad.”

 

“Well, yours isn’t any better!” The little dragon bristled with indignation.

 

Nota rolled over, yawning as she rested his head on her fluffy tails. “That’s why I have to share with you.”

 

!!!

 

Nota was the worst!

 

Furious, the little dragon snorted out a tiny flame in frustration.

 

On the side, the little mermaid, who had been quietly watching, couldn’t hold back his laughter. He quickly covered his mouth and dove into the water, releasing a string of joyful bubbles before the dragon could catch him.

 

*

 

The next morning, Ruan Shiqing and 09 escorted the little ones to school.

 

The cubs were full of energy, except for His Highness the Crown Prince, who was completely dispirited.

 

He even tried to shirk going to school, but the two cubs circled around him, chattering away with a barrage of moral lectures. Even the normally quiet artificial mermaid gave him a disapproving look as if silently asking, How can you be so irresponsible as the big brother? Defeated, Rong Heng gave up his struggle and reluctantly accepted his fate, his face gloomy.

 

On the way to school, Rong Heng consoled himself: Going to school means more freedom for me, and it’ll be easier to sneak out if I need to take care of business. Staying at home is much more restrictive.

 

School wouldn’t be so bad.

 

Right?

 

Wrong.

 

The Crown Prince wore a dour expression as he was ushered into the school, reluctantly herded into the classroom by the enthusiastic cubs, and forced to endure the experience of a cub’s school life.

 

The newly hired teacher was an ancient human responsible for teaching the cubs intergalactic common language.

 

The little ones paid close attention and took their lessons seriously, but Rong Heng, bored and irritated, slouched on the desk, completely zoning out.

 

Since he was a late addition to the class, Rong Heng was seated toward the back. With the room bustling with cubs and the teacher absorbed in the lesson, he seized the opportunity to quietly slip out through the back door while the teacher wasn’t looking.

 

The moment he stepped outside, he felt refreshed. As he deliberated where to go, he suddenly noticed a little tail following him.

 

Swishing back and forth, Nota beamed with the excitement of finding a kindred spirit. “You think class is boring too, huh?”

 

Her little fox face scrunched up in frustration. She muttered, “I thought school would be fun, but it’s so dull.”

 

Her only motivation to attend school had become the joy of being dropped off and picked up by Dad every day.

 

What’s this? Skipping class at such a young age?

 

Back when Rong Heng was her age, he had excelled in every subject.

 

He stared at her for a moment with furrowed brows before biting the scruff of her neck and dragging her back to the classroom.

 

If you don’t study now, you’ll be useless later.

 

Despite being larger than him, Nota was still a cub and had no chance of resisting Rong Heng, who had already recovered his full strength. She was immediately dragged back inside.

 

The teacher, in the middle of the lesson, turned around just in time to witness this scene. Startled, the teacher paused and approached them. “What’s going on here?”

 

Rong Heng pointed to the wide-eyed little fox and slowly typed on his communicator:

 

[She was skipping class, so I brought her back.]

 

Nota: !!!!!

 

Liar! Absolute betrayal!

 

The little fox’s eyes widened in shock. “I wasn’t skipping class! Snowball was the one who ran out first!”

 

Rong Heng gave the teacher an innocent look.

 

The teacher, recalling the earlier scene, rapped her knuckles on Nota’s desk with a stern expression. “The phonetics we learned today—come to my office tomorrow and recite them.”

 

Nota’s silvery eyes filled with disbelief. Her ears drooped miserably.

 

Why am I the only one getting punished?!

 

She hated reciting phonetics more than anything.

 

Rong Heng shot her a glance, leisurely returning to his seat.

 

See? Not studying makes you dumb. And being dumb means you’ll only get bullied.

 

The Crown Prince thought coldly.

 

After language class came extracurricular activities.

 

The little ones burst out of the classroom with excitement, except for Nota, who remained listless.

 

The little dragon and the artificial mermaid hovered around her.

 

The mermaid poked her little paw, then pointed at himself, softly saying, “Ah.”

 

He was offering to help her study.

 

The little dragon, on the other hand, didn’t think much of her predicament. He shook her vigorously. “Hurry up! All the fun stuff will get taken!”

 

Nota glared at him but still stood up sulkily.

 

As she passed by Rong Heng, she huffed angrily, “I’m not talking to you for a whole day!”

 

With that, she stormed off.

 

Rong Heng watched her retreating figure, unhurriedly following behind.

 

Ungrateful little brat.

 

If it were any other cub, he wouldn’t have bothered.

 

During the outdoor activity period, the cubs went wild with excitement.

 

Annoyed by the noise, Rong Heng wandered over to a tall tree far from the playground to sunbathe.

 

The harsh sunlight filtered through the dense branches, becoming soft and pleasant. As it warmed him, he began to doze off, only to be disturbed by faint whispers nearby.

 

He opened his eyes to see two feline-like Beastkin cubs holding a small mirror, their grins full of malice.

 

At first, he didn’t pay them any mind. Cubs often played silly pranks, and it wasn’t worth his attention.

 

But then he heard a familiar name from their conversation.

 

“Ruan Yuebai is so ugly. He probably doesn’t even dare look in the mirror. Let’s give him one!”

 

“Exactly! He needs to see just how ugly he is!”

 

Their words, though spoken with a child’s innocence, dripped with cruelty. Rong Heng’s brows furrowed deeply.

 

He recalled the scars on the artificial mermaid’s face and neck, which were said to have been caused by exposure to a special chemical. The scars would never heal.

 

For merfolk, a species that prized beauty above all else, such disfigurement was a devastating blow.

 

He had once dismissed the merfolk as a fragile and superficial race, overly obsessed with appearances. He had even heard of merfolk who refused to leave their homes out of shame for being “not beautiful enough.”

 

But the artificial mermaid was different. Despite his scars, he lived a happy and optimistic life, showing resilience that was rare for his kind.

 

Such strength shouldn’t be shattered by malice.

 

Grinding his claws against the bark, Rong Heng leapt from the tree and landed squarely in front of the two cubs.

 

Startled, they hid the mirror behind their backs instinctively.

 

Rong Heng narrowed his eyes at the two troublemakers, contemplating briefly before dragging them by the scruffs to the top of the tree.

 

The tall tree stood over twenty meters high, and the terrified cubs clung desperately to the branches, too scared to climb down on their own.

 

Eyes filled with tears, they whimpered, “I want to go down,” and “Please let me down…”

 

The mirror had already fallen to the ground and shattered. Neither cub had the nerve to retrieve it.

 

Cubs like these only learn through tough lessons.

 

Satisfied, Rong Heng gave them one last glance before gracefully leaping down and tossing the broken mirror into the trash.

 

When he returned to the playground, he saw three little ones being chased by a chubby lion cub.

 

The lion cub puffed up indignantly. “I already apologized! Why won’t you play with me?”

 

Hands on her hips, Nota scoffed, “We don’t play with toothless lions!” She even stuck her tongue out at him.

 

The lion cub looked even more aggrieved. “You knocked my teeth out! Dad said they’ll grow back soon!”

 

“Then come find us when you have teeth again!” The little dragon mimicked his speech deliberately.

 

“……” The lion cub’s face turned red with frustration. After rummaging in his pocket, he pulled out a bright pink hair tie and thrust it toward the mermaid. “This is for you!”

 

Previously, the little lion cub had accidentally broken the little mermaid’s spherical hair clip. His dad had told him that breaking something meant he should compensate for it, so he had carefully chosen a red hair tie with little flowers as a replacement.

 

The little mermaid stared at the bright magenta hair tie adorned with gaudy flowers and couldn’t help frowning.

 

It was so ugly.

 

He tucked his hands behind his back and shook his head.

 

No need to compensate. Papa already bought me a new one.

 

But the lion cub ignored him, tossing the hair tie into the little pushcart. “Then it’s a gift for you!”

 

Blushing furiously, he bolted before anyone could respond.

 

The little fox leaned over the pushcart, prodding at the gaudy hair tie in curiosity. “It’s so ugly.”

 

The little dragon immediately chimed in, “Dad says only girls wear red hair ties!”

 

He grabbed the hair tie and attempted to put it on Nota’s head, but she dodged him in disgust.

 

The little mermaid hesitated, then decided to keep the hair tie. Though it was ugly, throwing it away seemed rude. He resolved to return it to Mila later.

 

As the three cubs prepared to return to class, the little dragon spotted Rong Heng in the distance. Flapping his wings, he waved a paw enthusiastically to invite him to join them.

 

The little fox, however, let out a heavy “hmph” and deliberately turned her head away.

 

Rong Heng clicked his tongue but followed at his own pace.

 

As soon as they returned to the classroom, a heart-wrenching cry erupted from outside.

 

The cubs, curious as ever, rushed out to see the commotion.

 

The principal, Dudd, was walking toward the classrooms, holding two cubs by the scruffs. Both had soaked pants dripping liquid, causing the sensitive-nosed cubs nearby to cover their noses in disgust.

 

Ew. They wet themselves.

 

How embarrassing.

 

The two cubs, seeing their classmates’ disdainful reactions, wailed even louder.

 

Between their sobs, they shakily pointed fingers at the little mermaid, accusing him: “It’s—it’s all that ugly freak Ruan Yuebai’s fault!”

 

Principal Dudd gave each of them a sharp slap on the back of their heads, his tone displeased. “You climbed a tree and couldn’t get down; how is that another student’s fault?” He handed them over to a teacher with a scowl. “Contact their parents to come and take them home. They climbed such a tall tree at their age, needed rescuing, and now have the audacity to falsely accuse Rong Xing of putting them up there? Lying like this at such a young age—they need some proper discipline from their parents.”

 

The teacher instinctively glanced back at Rong Heng, who was curiously peeking over, looking as innocent as could be.

 

“The new cub is very well-behaved, and he’s so small. How could he possibly put those two on a tree? Besides, this isn’t the first time these two have bullied their classmates.” The teacher shook her head and went off to contact the parents.

 

Seeing that neither the principal nor the teacher believed them, the two cubs became even more frustrated and frightened. They pointed at Rong Heng, shouting, “It was him! It was him! We’re not lying!”

 

When the cubs heard them call the little mermaid an “ugly freak,” the little dragon and the little fox immediately bristled with anger. Now, hearing them slander Rong Heng, the trio were outright indignant. They rushed forward and placed themselves protectively in front of him.

 

“If you keep lying about Snowball, I’ll knock your teeth out!” The little fox stood tall, her ears perked straight up, her tiny fangs bared menacingly.

 

“Yeah!” The little dragon snorted out a small burst of flame. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll roast you into a crispy pig!”

 

Outnumbered and overwhelmed, the two troublemakers started rolling on the ground, wailing louder than ever. “We’re not lying! It’s that ugly freak’s fault! They’re all in on it together!”

 

“And Ruan Yuebai is ugly! We’re just telling the truth!”

 

Despite the teacher’s repeated attempts to intervene, the damage was done. The other cubs in the class began stealing glances at the little mermaid.

 

Cubs were straightforward and honest by nature. Previously, no one had paid any special attention to the scars on Ruan Yuebai’s face. But now that they had been pointed out, curiosity sparked, and their gazes, though not intentionally malicious, were still enough to make someone uncomfortable.

 

Feeling the weight of the stares, the little mermaid instinctively wanted to shrink away and hide. But when he felt the reassuring presence of Snowball behind him, he straightened his back, pursing his lips as he stubbornly met their gazes.

 

The little dragon and little fox were fuming, ready to pounce on the two troublemakers, but the teacher managed to hold them back.

 

Rong Heng glanced at the artificial mermaid, his small fists clenched tightly. His expression turned slightly annoyed.

 

If I’d known those two cubs were this troublesome, I would’ve thrown them out of the school entirely.

 

Eventually, under the teacher’s supervision, the chaos subsided, and the two troublemakers were taken home by their parents.

 

But the incident left ripples in the classroom.

 

The little mermaid sensed the stares from all directions and clenched his fists tighter, barely keeping himself from showing any sign of distress.

 

The little dragon and little fox, oblivious to the subtle emotions hidden beneath his calm facade, remained cheerful as ever.

 

Only Rong Heng noticed.

 

He hesitated for a moment before approaching the forlorn little mermaid and gently nuzzling the back of his hand.

 

The little mermaid forced a pale smile in response.

 

That afternoon, when Ruan Shiqing came to pick them up, he immediately heard about the incident from the indignant little dragon and little fox.

 

He ruffled the little mermaid’s hair and gently reassured him. “Don’t let the words of irrelevant people bother you. To us, you’re the most beautiful.”

 

The little mermaid nodded, giving him a small, shallow smile.

 

Though Ruan Shiqing could tell the mermaid’s spirits were low, he wasn’t sure how to shield him from such hurtful comments.

 

As long as the scars remained, the little mermaid would inevitably encounter malice.

 

Rationally, Ruan Shiqing knew the little mermaid would have to learn to face such things someday. But emotionally, it pained him to see him so upset.

 

With a soft sigh, Ruan Shiqing resolved to explore ways to heal the scars, if possible.

 

That night, the little ones went to bed early, their usual playfulness dampened by the day’s events.

 

Rong Heng, however, found it difficult to fall asleep. The image of the artificial mermaid’s defiant figure lingered in his mind, gnawing at him.

 

If I’d handled things better, maybe it wouldn’t have turned out like this.

 

While he had stopped the two cubs from using the mirror to mock him, he had underestimated the damage words could cause.

 

Unable to sleep, Rong Heng quietly slipped out of his bedroom, intending to get some fresh air.

 

But in the living room, he noticed the little mermaid still awake, floating silently at the water’s surface, staring down at his reflection.

 

The artificial moonlight outside cast a soft glow over the scene, and he noticed the faint ripples spreading across the water’s surface, each accompanied by a transparent teardrop.

 

Frowning, Rong Heng turned back to his room.

 

There are too many cubs at this school. Beating up every single one of them to stop the insults isn’t realistic. There must be another way.

 

The next morning, Rong Heng woke early, skipping breakfast to head straight to Ruan Shiqing’s workshop. After some searching, he found a red ink pen.

 

Grabbing the pen, he headed outside.

 

His first target: Nota.

 

The little fox was lounging in a deck chair, enjoying her breakfast. Ever since being adopted by Ruan Shiqing, she had been eating well, and her human form had grown adorably round-cheeked.

 

Perfect for a test run.

 

Creeping up silently, Rong Heng struck quickly, leaving a long red mark across her face.

 

“Ahhhh!!!”

 

Caught off guard, Nota erupted in fury and immediately pounced on him, ready to wrestle.

 

Rong Heng pushed her away gently, motioning for her to check her reflection in the pond.

 

Suspicious, Nota leaned over to look at the water. Upon seeing the bright red mark on her face, her anger flared even hotter.

 

“You want to fight me?!” she growled, baring her teeth.

 

Rong Heng gave her an unimpressed look before tossing the pen at her paws. He gestured for her to draw a mark on him as well.

 

Nota: ???

 

Still wary, she picked up the pen, watching him closely for any tricks.

 

But Rong Heng remained perfectly still, letting her draw two long red marks on his white fur.

 

Nota stared at the marks she had made on his face, her expression shifting as if she had suddenly understood something. She glanced over at the little mermaid, who was descending the stairs.

 

Hiding the pen behind her back, her eyes darted mischievously before she hopped over to the little mermaid, cheerfully showing off the red mark on her face. “I just drew this! Isn’t it pretty?”

 

The vibrant red mark didn’t detract from her cuteness—instead, it added a comical charm.

 

Ruan Shiqing, watching the scene unfold, quickly realized what was happening when his gaze shifted to the scars on the little mermaid’s face.

 

His eyes flicked back to Rong Heng, who was now sporting two red streaks on his fluffy white fur. The effect was both ridiculous and endearing.

 

“It looks great,” Ruan Shiqing said, ruffling the little fox’s head with a chuckle.

 

 

 

---

 

Yuebai my poor baby (╥﹏╥)

 

Thanks for reading!

For every three ko-fis, I will upload a bonus chapter~