TCPUAAV Chapter 49

 

 

Who would have thought that inviting a teacher for the little dragonling would turn into an impromptu family reunion?

 

Apart from Hector himself, everyone else—including Ruan Shiqing—was utterly bewildered.

 

They had always assumed that the little dragon cub had been abandoned by his parents because of his genetic defects. Only now did they realize that he had not been an unwanted child at all.

 

Even the little dragon cub had believed this.

 

When he first hatched, he thought Ruan Shiqing was his father. It was only later that he gradually understood—like Snowball, Ruan Yuebai, and Nota, he was one of the children Ruan Shiqing had adopted.

 

But the little dragonling never minded this. His dad treated him well, and so did everyone else.

 

He had long forgotten whatever vague memories he might have had from his time as an egg. His small head was filled with thoughts of his new home and his new family.

 

So when another “dad” suddenly appeared—one he really didn’t like, the big scary black dragon—his first reaction wasn’t joy, but panic and fear.

 

He shrank back, carefully inching behind Ruan Shiqing, tucking his neck low as if seeking shelter. “I already have a dad!”

 

If he could shrink himself, he probably would’ve curled up completely in his dad’s arms.

 

No way—he refused to have the mean, fierce black dragon as his dad.

 

Ruan Shiqing didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. He turned around and gently patted the little dragonling’s paw, then looked at Hector. “Don’t take it to heart. He just doesn’t understand yet.”

 

But Hector simply waved a hand, entirely unbothered.

 

The dragon egg he had thought lost forever was not only found but had been cared for so well. All he felt was relief and joy.

 

As for the little dragon cub’s resistance? That wasn’t a problem at all.

 

After all, there was still plenty of time. He would make sure the little one accepted him.

 

And in the worst case… there was always Garland.

 

Garland was definitely better at winning over younglings than he was.

 

“Don’t worry, I won’t force you.”

 

The more Hector looked at the little black dragon, the more adorable he seemed. He was practically an exact replica of himself. Even the way he glared in resistance, trying to curl his huge body into a tiny ball to hide, was unbearably cute.

 

No wonder he had liked the little one at first sight. This must be what Garland had meant when he spoke about blood ties.

 

Trying his best to appear more approachable, Hector softened his voice. “Let’s just keep things as they were, okay? Think of me as just your teacher.”

 

He spread his bat-like wings. “See? I can teach you how to fly.”

 

The little dragonling eyed him with deep suspicion, hesitating.

 

He cautiously turned to Ruan Shiqing for confirmation. “Really just a teacher? Dad won’t leave me?”

 

Ruan Shiqing glanced at Hector, who gave him a nod.

 

“Of course not. This will always be your home. Your new room will be finished soon, too—it’ll be all yours. Why would I ever leave you?”

 

He reached out to stroke the little dragonling’s nose, comforting him. “Haven’t you always wanted to learn to fly? Hector will be a great teacher.”

 

Reassured, the little dragon cub finally relented. He tilted his head, looked at Hector for a long moment, then reluctantly nodded.

 

“Fine.”

 

As long as the black dragon didn’t try to take him away, then he’d consider learning from him.

 

At that, the tension in Hector’s face eased, and he broke into a rare, genuine smile.

 

*

 

The flight lessons wouldn’t begin until the next morning, but that night, Hector found himself unable to sleep.

 

Memories of the past kept flooding back, and in the end, he simply gave up on resting. Instead, he sat by the window, gazing into the rear garden where the little dragonling lay.

 

Originally, he had wanted to stay outside and sleep near him, but the little dragonling had firmly rejected the idea.

 

Because he was too large to sleep indoors, Ruan Shiqing had laid out a giant cushion in the garden for him. Each night, the other young ones took turns keeping him company.

 

Tonight, though, none of the little ones had gone back inside. All of them had dragged their small pillows and blankets outside, clustering around the little dragonling’s head as they slept.

 

Rong Heng hadn’t intended to stay, but the tiny fox had forcibly dragged him along. And so, much to his chagrin, he was now squeezed onto the outdoor cushion with three little creatures, enduring their ridiculous sleepover discussions.

 

The esteemed crown prince had never been so undignified in his life.

 

And to make things worse, he was being forced to listen to their very serious nighttime meeting.

 

He was not in a good mood.

 

“Will Heli leave us in the future?” the little fox asked, voicing her concern first. She lay sprawled over Heli’s forearm, her big fluffy tails twitching slightly.

 

During her time wandering Tutar Star, she had heard of dragons before. It was said that they were an incredibly domineering and unreasonable race.

 

Even though Hector had promised not to take Heli away, she was still worried.

 

She nuzzled against Heli’s smooth scales, reluctant to part with him.

 

“I’m not going anywhere,” the little dragonling huffed, snorting out a tiny spark of fire. He then poked the little mermaid with his claw. “Hurry up and think of a plan. Once I learn how to fly and change my form, we need to drive that black dragon away.”

 

His plan was simple: he had to learn how to fly. But once he did, he needed to immediately get rid of that annoying black dragon.

 

Otherwise, the black dragon was so powerful—what if one day, he suddenly decided to take him away? Wouldn’t that be too easy for him?

 

The little dragonling was deeply troubled. He saw this as a major security risk.

 

But he couldn’t think of a solution on his own. So, naturally, he turned to the little mermaid for help.

 

After all, Ruan Yuebai was the smartest among them!

 

The little mermaid pondered for a while, then gently shook his head. He gestured with his hands, reassuring Heli, “I don’t think he was lying.”

 

Since he couldn’t speak, the little mermaid was highly sensitive to people’s emotions. Whether good or bad, he could always tell.

 

And today, when he met Hector, he knew—the man deeply cared about Heli, and he hadn’t been lying.

 

More importantly, unlike himself and Nota, Heli had been wanted.

 

His fathers had eagerly awaited his birth. They had loved him. They wouldn’t hurt him.

 

The little mermaid’s ear fins twitched, and he gently patted the little dragon cub’s paw.

 

Heli hesitated, then turned to Snowball, nudging him. “What do you think?”

 

Snowball: “…”

 

The crown prince thought nothing at all.

 

Except that, clearly, dragons inherited their stupidity.

 

He cast the little dragonling an unimpressed glance before reluctantly nodding.

 

Adult dragons had sharp hearing. The wind carried the little ones’ whispers straight to Hector.

 

Imagining the little dragonling furrowing his brow, seriously trying to figure out how to get rid of him, Hector wasn’t even the slightest bit angry.

 

In fact… he almost laughed.

 

Truly, still a little cub.

 

Garland had said it so many times—their dragon cub would be absolutely adorable.

 

He ran his fingers over his smart brain device. On the screen was a familiar contact ID—Garland’s.

 

He had long since memorized this number, never once forgetting it.

 

And now, he was finally going to gather his courage and tell him the good news.

 

Tell him that their dragonling had finally hatched.

 

That, just as he had always believed, he was perfect.

 

Taking a deep breath, Hector pressed the call button.

 

The interface flickered for a long time, but the call never connected.

 

Frowning, he tried again, only to receive the same response: “Communication unavailable.”

 

Hector’s expression darkened.

 

He considered reaching out to old friends for information but hesitated.

 

His current situation made it unwise to draw too much attention.

 

So, in the end, he messaged the crown prince instead.

 

[Find out what’s going on with Garland.]

 

The micro-brain device pinged with a response.

 

Rong Heng: [Remember, you owe me one.]

 

Hector: …

 

Damn it.

 

With such a ruthless businessman mentality, why was he even bothering with being a prince? He should just go fight the Four Great Financial Groups for a monopoly instead.

 

Frustrated, Hector typed back: [Just do it. Quickly.]

 

*

 

Hector tossed and turned all night, waking up at the first light of dawn.

 

The first thing he did was meticulously groom himself, making sure every scale gleamed before he went to find the little dragon cub.

 

The little dragonling had just finished rinsing his mouth and was still a bit groggy as he trudged toward the dining hall.

 

Since he was so big now, he ate a lot. His nutrient solution had to be gulped down by the bucketful.

 

Hector patiently waited for him to finish breakfast, suppressing his excitement as he proposed their lesson for the day—at the junkyard.

 

After last night’s secret meeting, the little dragonling felt much more reassured and didn’t resist too much. He followed behind Hector and went out.

 

Since this was the little dragon cub’s first official flight lesson, the other young ones naturally had to come along and cheer him on. Even 09 brought a little bag of snacks for the occasion.

 

To help the little one focus, Ruan Shiqing stayed behind at Fragrance Manor Manor under the pretense of other responsibilities.

 

And so, with great excitement, the group of cubs charged toward the junkyard.

 

The junkyard, with its towering piles of metal scrap, was the perfect place for the little dragonling to practice flying.

 

But Hector, wanting to improve his standing in the little one’s eyes, didn’t follow the typical rough and tough dragon-style teaching. Instead, he cautiously suggested, “Before we start formal training, how about I take you all up for a flight first?”

 

He didn’t single out the little dragonling but extended the invitation to the other cubs as well.

 

The little dragonling wavered, and the other cubs also looked tempted.

 

After all, none of them had ever experienced what it was like to fly!

 

Perched in 09’s arms, Rong Heng let out a cold hmph.

 

Not completely stupid after all—at least he knows to win over the other cubs first.

 

The little dragon cub hesitated a little longer, then nodded.

 

And so, Hector transformed into his full dragon form, picking up the little fox and little mermaid in his claws and placing them carefully on his back.

 

When it was Rong Heng and 09’s turn, they both refused and opted to watch from the ground.

 

“Alright, we’re about to take off—hold on tight.” Hector turned slightly, his bat-like wings flaring open before he shot into the sky.

 

The little fox screamed, and the little mermaid’s eyes widened, his ear fins flaring in shock. Both cubs clung tightly to the black dragon’s back, gripping onto the bony ridges for support.

 

Seeing this from the ground, the little dragon cub stretched his neck anxiously. “What about me? What about me?!”

 

Hector chuckled, making a sweeping turn in midair before diving down.

 

With a swift motion, his claws hooked onto the bone joints connecting the little dragonling’s wings to his back, lifting him into the air.

 

The sudden weightlessness made the little dragonling panic. He flailed his wings frantically, struggling against the unfamiliar sensation.

 

“Don’t be scared. Just focus on the feeling of flying,” Hector said calmly.

 

The much larger black dragon held onto him steadily, guiding him through the sky in smooth, sweeping arcs.

 

From above, the little fox and little mermaid peeked down, cheering him on.

 

At first, the little dragon cub was terrified, his wings flapping wildly without coordination. But little by little, he began to get a feel for it. His wingbeats started syncing with Hector’s, and for the first time, he understood what it meant to fly.

 

It was hard to put into words, but it felt like the wind itself was carrying him.

 

His golden eyes went wide with excitement. “I can fly!”

 

“Not quite yet,” Hector chuckled. “Want to try on your own?”

 

The little dragon cub nodded enthusiastically.

 

And in the next instant—

 

Hector let go.

 

Without his support, the little dragonling plummeted straight toward the ground.

 

Panicked, he flapped his wings frantically, but his movements were out of rhythm, making it impossible to stabilize himself.

 

The little fox gasped in alarm.

 

Just as he was about to crash, Hector swooped down again, catching him at the last second. “Don’t panic. Keep a steady rhythm.”

 

With patient guidance, Hector explained the techniques of flight.

 

Once the little dragonling had calmed down and was ready, Hector let go again.

 

This time, knowing that Hector would catch him if he fell, the little dragon cub wasn’t as scared.

 

He started focusing on keeping his wingbeats even.

 

After several attempts, he finally got the hang of it—he managed to glide through the air and land safely on the ground.

 

The little dragon cub let out a loud, joyful roar.

 

Hidden in the distance, Ruan Shiqing and Mo Li  watched the lesson unfold.

 

A smile of pride spread across Ruan Shiqing’s face.

 

Mo Li glanced at him and asked, “They’ve already bonded so well in just a day. Do you feel a little… left out?”

 

He had assumed that, as Heli’s adoptive father, Ruan Shiqing might feel a bit displaced now that his biological father had returned.

 

That was why he had secretly followed along, thinking he might need to offer some comfort.

 

But judging from Ruan Shiqing’s expression, it seemed like he had completely overthought it.

 

“Not at all,” Ruan Shiqing said with a laugh. “I’ve done my best to take care of them, but there are things I simply can’t provide. Having Hector help is a good thing for the cubs.”

 

No matter how much he tried to make time for them, work often got in the way.

 

There were always moments when he became too engrossed in his projects and unintentionally neglected them.

 

And as for things like flight training and shape-shifting, those were beyond his abilities. Hector’s presence helped fill that gap.

 

If anything, he welcomed having another person to love and care for the cubs.

 

*

 

On the tenth day of training, the little dragonling finally learned to shift forms.

 

Shape-shifting between beast and human form was an innate ability for dragons.

 

But for some reason, the little dragon cub had been born without this instinct.

 

Hector tried everything to help him grasp the concept, but nothing seemed to work.

 

Then, one night—purely by accident—he finally managed it.

 

He had been sleeping outside in the garden when the cold woke him up.

 

Opening his eyes, he immediately realized something was wrong.

 

His body felt lighter.

 

Looking down, he saw—not his usual sleek, black scales—but bare skin.

 

Long limbs, tanned skin with faint muscle definition—

 

A teenage human form.

 

The little dragon cub was horrified.

 

He had always assumed that even in human form, he would look like Ruan Yuebai or Nota—a cute little kid who could snuggle up to his dad whenever he wanted.

 

But reality slapped him in the face.

 

A fully grown dragon in human form was, naturally, a fully grown adult.

 

Devastated, the little dragonling snuck to Hector, demanding to be changed back.

 

He didn’t want to grow up so fast!

 

Perhaps because of his intense resistance, he finally grasped the key to shifting.

 

With great relief, he turned back into his small dragon form—and then fiercely warned Hector to keep it a secret.

 

Hector was baffled. Every dragon wanted to grow up as quickly as possible.

 

“You’ll have to grow up sooner or later,” he reminded him.

 

But the little dragon cub huffed, stubbornly saying, “Dad says I’m still a cub. There’s no need to rush.”

 

The little dragonling never told Hector about what had happened in the marsh.

 

That dark experience had long since become just a memory, but it left him with the firm belief that growing up wasn’t all that great.

 

Being Daddy’s little baby was much better!

 

He definitely didn’t want to grow up too quickly.

 

Hector could only sigh helplessly and teach him how to control his body size instead. This was a rare skill, one that not every race could master—only the four ancient bloodlines carried this ability.

 

Fortunately, now that the little dragonling had grasped the essence of transformation, learning to control his size became much easier.

 

And as soon as he finally succeeded in shrinking back into his cute cub form, he immediately rushed off to show his dad.

 

In the drawing room, Ruan Shiqing and Mo Li were deep in discussion about modifications for the second batch of plasma blasters.

 

The first batch had already arrived at Yanji, where they had been put into active use. After real-world combat testing, Dares had just sent back a report that morning.

 

Now, Ruan Shiqing needed to make some fine adjustments based on the battle data.

 

As the two of them discussed—

 

A small cannonball suddenly launched into the room and collided straight into Ruan Shiqing’s arms.

 

“Daddy!”

 

The little dragonling’s voice was filled with pure, bubbling joy.

 

“Heli?” Ruan Shiqing caught him in surprise, lifting him up to examine him. “You already learned how to control your size?”

 

The little dragonling puffed up his chest proudly, his tail wagging excitedly as he kept rubbing against Ruan Shiqing’s arm.

 

Ruan Shiqing stroked his head, but then he noticed—

 

The little dragon cub wasn’t quite the same as before.

 

For instance, the small bumps on his forehead had grown into two rounded, deep-brown dragon horns. His bat-like wings, once tiny and underdeveloped, were now broad and full of strength.

 

Yet his body remained just as it used to be.

 

Round and plump.

 

“That’s really impressive.” Ruan Shiqing chuckled as he lifted him high into the air, holding him under his arms.

 

The little dragonling squinted his golden eyes happily, tail swishing.

 

Everything felt the same as before—

 

And yet, somehow, everything had changed just a little bit.

 

 

 

---

 

This was quite bittersweet…

 

Thanks for reading!

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