TCPUAAV Chapter 56

 

By the sixth day, the Xiong brothers had already searched nearly all of Outer City and even asked around in Inner City—Yet no one had ever seen a cub matching this description.

 

With no one coming to claim him, the mysterious cub ended up staying.

 

Although it hadn’t been long, Ruan Shiqing noticed small changes in the cub’s behavior.

 

His reactions were becoming slightly richer, especially around Ruan Shiqing, his expressions, though faint, were there.

 

When he was happy, his eyes brightened slightly.

 

When he was confused, his vertical pupils widened just a little.

 

He understood speech and could imitate sounds—Most notably, he enjoyed copying Ruan Shiqing.

 

For example, whenever Ruan Shiqing fed him, he would stretch out the syllable and say “Ah~”. From then on, every time he ate, he would first open his mouth and drag out a soft ‘Ah~’ before swallowing.

 

But for the most part, he remained quiet and still.

 

One thing Ruan Shiqing quickly realized was that the cub lacked basic life knowledge.

 

His emotions seemed faint, yet at the same time, he was curious about everything.

 

However, instead of typical childlike excitement, his curiosity manifested in prolonged staring.

 

Whenever something caught his interest, he would fixate on it, staring for a long time without moving a single inch.

 

Ruan Shiqing even suspected that the cub’s habit of watching him so intently at first might have simply been curiosity.

 

Because of this, whenever he had free time, he would take the cub out for walks to let him see more of the world.

 

That day, Ruan Shiqing took the cub out again.

 

The cub gripped the hem of his coat, following closely behind.

 

As they walked, Ruan Shiqing occasionally glanced down at him, noticing that his usually dim eyes looked unusually bright.

 

His mouth, which was usually pressed into a straight line, was slightly open—a sign of happiness and relaxation.

 

They stopped by the Underground Market, where Ruan Shiqing bought him some daily necessities and small toys.

 

Now, the tiny cub carried a backpack stuffed with toys, his thin frame looking even smaller under its weight.

 

His head tilted slightly, and his black vertical pupils—normally thin slits—gradually widened into almond shapes.

 

The tendrils on his forehead swayed gently.

 

Ruan Shiqing guessed—He must be happy.

 

After wandering for a while, they returned home, carrying bags full of items.

 

As they entered the courtyard, they were greeted by 09, who was practicing singing.

 

Lately, he had become obsessed with a famous singer and spent all his free time practicing his idol’s songs.

 

Noticing their arrival, he finally stopped, walking over to take the bags.

 

As 09 took the bags, he grumbled: “Sir, have you noticed? The Falling Star Vines in the courtyard are wilting.I’ve taken great care of them, but lately, their leaves have been turning yellow for no reason. This has never happened before—it’s too strange.”

 

09 was incredibly confident in his gardening skills.

 

No one could take care of Falling Star Vines better than he could.

 

Their branches were always flexible and strong. Their leaves were always lush and vibrant. Through his careful trimming, they had the beauty of a living sculpture.

 

Although Falling Star Vines were hardy, the ones in the repair shop courtyard were the only ones thriving in all of B3024 Star.

 

Visitors often admired them, and 09 took great pride in their praise.

 

Yet now—Despite his meticulous care, the vines were slowly withering.

 

And he couldn’t figure out why.

 

His monitoring sensors flashed red in frustration.

 

Having exhausted all other options, he turned to his owner for help.

 

Ruan Shiqing walked over to the vines and took a closer look.

 

Sure enough, hidden among the thick foliage, many yellowing leaves were scattered throughout.

 

Even the leaves that weren’t yellow lacked their usual vibrancy—They looked dull, weak, and lifeless.

 

“Could they be sick?” Ruan Shiqing suggested. “Or maybe infested with pests?”

 

09 shook his head.

 

“I’ve already checked—there are no diseases, no bugs.”

 

He would never allow his precious vines to get sick or be infested!

 

Ruan Shiqing double-checked everything alongside him, but still found no abnormalities.

 

As they puzzled over the issue, the silent cub tilted his head.

 

His forehead tendrils swayed slightly.

 

After a moment, he stepped forward, placing his small palm against the wilting vines, as if gently stroking them.

 

This was the first time he had taken the initiative to reach out and touch something.

 

Ruan Shiqing and 09 stared at him, startled.

 

Before this moment, he had never taken the initiative to touch anything. Even if he showed great interest, he would still refrain.

 

But now, the small cub was stroking the thick branches of the Falling Star Vine, the tendrils on his forehead swaying constantly.

 

Ruan Shiqing keenly sensed that something had changed in the surroundings. It was as if a soft, invisible field had enveloped them—or rather, enveloped the vines.

 

The small robot, which had been closely monitoring the vines, let out a surprised cry. “The vines are perking up!”

 

He looked at the cub in astonishment, waving his hands excitedly. “Thank you! I can feel it—they seem full of energy again, like they just had a satisfying meal.”

 

The tendrils on the cub’s forehead drooped slightly as he withdrew his hand. He stepped back to Ruan Shiqing’s side, grasping the hem of his clothes and leaning against his leg.

 

It was an intimate and dependent gesture.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s eyes were filled with surprise. He glanced at the once-wilting vines, now revitalized, then at the cub, who looked visibly drained. One thought after another surfaced in his mind.

 

But in the end, he suppressed them all, picked up the cub, and carried him back to the bedroom.

 

Lying on the bed, the cub kept his eyes open, gazing at him.

 

Ruan Shiqing pulled the blanket over him and said softly, “If you’re tired, get some sleep.”

 

Hearing his words, the cub obediently closed his eyes, the tendrils on his forehead drooping listlessly.

 

Only after he was fast asleep did Ruan Shiqing head downstairs to his workspace and search online for any Beastkin species with the ability to heal plants.

 

The result? None.

 

In this era, fresh food was an extremely expensive commodity, affordable only to a select few. Most people relied on nutrient supplements to sustain their bodies.

 

The current situation had arisen for two reasons: first, the low cost of nutrient solutions, and second, the poor survival rate of plants, making vegetables and grains rare commodities. The wild plants that did manage to survive—such as the Falling Star Vine—were often highly toxic and unsuitable for consumption.

 

Cultivating non-toxic, edible vegetables and crops required an enormous investment. Without cheap crops as feed, animal farming had become reliant on synthetic feed, drastically reducing livestock production. As a result, the price of fresh ingredients continued to soar.

 

The ability to heal plants was something many longed for but had never been able to achieve—If such an ability truly existed, this world wouldn’t be dominated by metal and machinery. There would be a touch more vitality.

 

Thinking of that quiet and reserved cub, Ruan Shiqing didn’t know whether to feel joy or concern.

 

After some thought, he went to find 09 in the courtyard and instructed him not to speak of the Falling Star Vine’s changes to anyone.

 

That little cub was still young and ignorant. No matter what abilities he possessed, whether they were good or bad, it was too early to draw any conclusions.

 

 

 

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A rather sudden switch from last chapter lol, but we learn more about this mysterious lil cub! Maybe he’s also a result of genetic mutation/modifs since this seems to be the “common theme” between our cubs so far? Who knows!

 

Also, 09 is so cute lol!

 

Thanks for reading!

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