TCPUAAV Chapter 63

 

Ever since that encounter at the doorstep, the little mermaid had been unusually quiet.

 

The dark memories he had long buried, sealed away ever since being taken in by his father, had been dragged back into the light with the sudden appearance of that man.

 

As the teacher lectured at the front of the classroom, the little mermaid’s mind drifted into the murky depths of the past.

 

To be fair, 074 had never been cruel to him.

 

Back then, all the test subjects were locked together, forced to compete for food. Their relationships were anything but friendly, most were hostile.

 

He had been soft-hearted and weak, never good at fighting, often going hungry because he couldn’t win.

 

074 was the only one who paid attention to him.

 

Sometimes he teased him mercilessly, but he also shared his precious food with him.

 

Even so, for some reason, despite 074’s constant warmth toward him, he had always been a little afraid of him.

 

Whenever he looked at 074, he had the same chilling sensation as when he saw the researchers in white coats, the ones who held the syringes and strapped him down for experiments.

 

Even though all test subjects were numbered according to their birth order, which meant 074 was actually younger than him, he was far stronger, both physically and mentally.

 

He wasn’t just good at fighting, he was brilliant at manipulation.

 

For the sake of a single nutrient vial, 074 could pit other test subjects against each other in violent brawls.

 

If he wanted to entertain himself, he could frame someone and report them to the researchers.

 

As the number of test subjects dwindled, he had felt pure terror.

 

But 074 always seemed amused.

 

Sometimes, he’d even say in a light, cheerful voice,

 

“Looks like there’s one less today.”

 

Every sleepless night, 074 would whisper to him about his ambitions and plans.

 

He even managed to figure out the true purpose of the experiments.

 

One night, he had leaned in, eyes gleaming with excitement, and whispered, “I’m going to be the final one chosen. I’ll become the Holy Son. I’ll survive.”

 

His eyes had been so deep, so dark—like a bottomless abyss.

 

They had always been different.

 

074 had been ambitious, and in the end, he had achieved his goal.

 

But he had chosen to deceive himself, to stop growing, to escape.

 

When he had discovered the truth, that every test subject who had left the lab as an adult had actually been discarded as a corpse, he had secretly hidden away his growth serum.

 

He refused to grow up.

 

But the test subjects continued to disappear, one by one, until eventually—Only 074 remained.

 

And him,the one who had stopped growing.

 

The day 074 left the lab with the researchers, he had smiled more brightly than ever before.

 

And then, for the first time, the massive laboratory had been completely empty.

 

He had been terrified.

 

He feared 074 would never return, that he had ended up like the others, nothing more than a discarded corpse in the waste pile.

 

But at the same time, he feared that 074 would come back, because then, his turn would come next.

 

But in the end, some things can’t be avoided, no matter how long you try to delay them.

 

074 never returned.

 

Instead, he was sent to the operating table.

 

The researchers pinned down his hands and tail, injecting him with syringe after syringe, meticulously recording his reactions.

 

He wanted to live.

 

So he endured the excruciating effects of the drugs, over and over again.

 

Then, one day, they discovered that his scales were tougher than the others’.

 

So they began peeling them off, one by one.

 

Test subjects weren’t allowed anesthesia.

 

He had to endure the agonizing pain with full consciousness.

 

At first, it had been unbearable.

 

But eventually…

 

He went numb.

 

It was during those experiments that his voice had been damaged beyond repair, destroyed by too much screaming.

 

Later, when he was on the brink of unconsciousness, he overheard the researchers murmuring, “074 passed.”

 

“The remaining test subjects are to be disposed of, including him.”

 

He tried to escape.

 

He fought back.

 

They slashed his face.

They slit his throat.

 

And then, they threw him into the corpse pit.

 

Inside the massive transport ship, it was nothing but death.

 

All around him were pale, lifeless bodies, countless corpses, each one with the same hair, the same eyes, the same face.

 

None of them had names.

 

Only the numbers tattooed behind their ears distinguished them from one another.

 

The bodies were piled on top of each other, their eyes wide open, staring lifelessly at him, the only one left breathing.

 

He didn’t know how long he stayed there.

 

But when the transport ship finally stopped, a faint light had filtered through the cracks.

 

The instinct to survive had driven him to crawl toward the light, dragging himself forward with the last of his strength.

 

Until he tumbled down with the heap of discarded metal, landing in the junkyard.

 

Even now…Even to this day…

 

He still felt grateful for that one moment of courage.

 

If he hadn’t fallen into the junkyard, then…

 

He never would have been found.

 

He never would have been saved.

 

He never would have met Daddy.

 

And he never would have gotten a name.

 

He was no longer Test Subject 047. He was Ruan Yuebai.

 

By the time the little mermaid snapped out of his thoughts, class had already ended.

 

The classroom was now loud and bustling with cubs chattering and packing up their things.

 

It was only when Nota and the others started calling his name that he realized he had been completely lost in his memories.

 

His dazed blue eyes blinked in confusion.

 

Nota waved a paw in front of his face, puzzled. “School’s over, why aren’t you packing up?”

 

The little dragon cub, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to tease him. “You were daydreaming during class!”

 

From behind them, Ruan Jiao squeezed his head into the group, tilting it slightly. His forehead antennae twitched and gently tapped against the little mermaid’s cheek.

 

The feeling of being cared for was so warm.

 

The cold unease that had been swirling inside him gradually faded, replaced by a comforting warmth.

 

The little mermaid smiled, pressing his lips together slightly as he quickly packed his things, then followed them out of the school.

 

But the moment they reached the school gates, his smile froze.

 

Across the street, inside a land speeder, a window slowly rolled down.

 

Sitting there, staring directly at him with a faint smile…

 

Was 074.

 

The little mermaid immediately lowered his gaze, pretending to adjust his belongings as he avoided eye contact.

 

Then, without hesitation, he followed the other cubs into their own land speeder.

 

The ride home was as lively as ever.

 

Nota and the little dragon cub chattered nonstop about their day at school, and the little mermaid leaned in to listen, trying to push away the shadows creeping into his mind.

 

Whatever 074 was here for, he wouldn’t let him hurt daddy or Heli and the others.

 

When they arrived home, Ruan Shiqing immediately noticed an unfamiliar land speeder parked in the yard.

 

Stepping out, he saw a familiar figure standing nearby.

 

The blue-haired youth he had met before rose to his feet and greeted him. “Mr. Ruan, we meet again. My land speeder broke down on the way.”

 

“Nothing serious, I hope?” Ruan Shiqing glanced at the vehicle.

 

Nearby, Xiong Yuanyuan and Xiong Fangfang were already running diagnostics.

 

“It’s just a minor issue,” Xiong Yuanyuan waved a paw dismissively. “The fuel hose is busted. We can fix it.”

 

Lansing nodded in agreement, adding with a slight smile, “Your repair team is quite impressive. They pinpointed the issue immediately upon inspection.”

 

Ruan Shiqing exchanged a few polite words before gesturing for 09 to bring some tea.

 

“My cubs just got home from school,” he said, apologetic but firm. “I’ll have to excuse myself for a moment. The repair should take about half an hour.”

 

“That’s perfectly fine,” Lansing said pleasantly, his usual easygoing demeanor unchanged.

 

As Ruan Shiqing turned to lead the cubs inside, Lansing’s gaze drifted toward the group of little ones heading to the backyard.

 

“You treat your cubs very well,” he mused. “Personally picking them up from school… not every parent would take the time to do that.”

 

Before following the other cubs into the backyard, the little mermaid hesitated, then reached out and grabbed Ruan Shiqing’s sleeve.

 

His blue eyes flickered with hesitation, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

 

Ruan Shiqing looked down at him, his voice gentle. “Yuebai, is there something you want to tell Daddy?”

 

The little mermaid held his gaze for a moment.

 

Then, slowly, he let go, shaking his head.

 

Not yet.

 

He’d wait until 074 was gone before saying anything.

 

But Ruan Shiqing could see the worry in his eyes.

 

Gently ruffling his hair, he reassured him, “There’s a guest at home right now, but if you don’t want to talk now, we can wait until later. Daddy will listen to whatever you have to say, okay?”

 

The little mermaid nodded, then gave him a small, obedient wave before following the others into the backyard.

 

Back in the front yard, Ruan Shiqing returned to his earlier conversation.

 

“As their father, it’s only natural for me to pick them up from school.”

 

Lansing smiled, seemingly in agreement, but his tone carried a slight wistfulness.

 

“Not every father is as responsible as you,” he said.

 

Then, suddenly, his voice shifted, a touch lower, almost melancholic.

 

“My father, for example, was never particularly responsible. I had an older brother, but after we were born, our father never cared about us. It was just the two of us, relying on each other.”

 

He let out a soft sigh, his expression darkening with deep sorrow.

 

“Your cubs are lucky,” he continued. “If my father had been even a little more like you, my brother wouldn’t have…”

 

His words abruptly stopped, as if choked by emotion.

 

The blue-haired youth’s features settled into an expression of quiet grief.

 

Ruan Shiqing could only offer a few words of comfort.

 

“Childhood wounds take time to heal. But one can’t remain trapped in the past forever.”

 

Lansing let out a soft chuckle, his earlier sorrowful demeanor vanishing like a passing breeze.

 

“You’re right. People should move forward.”

 

“But my brother… he never understood that.”

 

“He was too afraid to face the future, so he chose to stand still, refusing to move forward.”

 

Lansing’s lips curved in a mysterious smile.

 

“I just hope that he listens to your words and finally finds the courage to stop lying to himself.”

 

There was something off about his phrasing.

 

Ruan Shiqing frowned slightly but didn’t press the matter, simply offering him a polite nod.

 

Half an hour later, Lansing’s land speeder was fully repaired, and he bid Ruan Shiqing farewell.

 

But before leaving, he turned his head toward the passageway connecting the front and back courtyards.

 

There was no sign of that familiar blue-haired figure.

 

Lansing’s expression twisted with boredom, his lips curling slightly.

 

“Coward.”

 

Even after all these years, 047 was still just as timid.

 

But the more he shrank back, the more fun it was to push him.

 

Lansing wanted to see, just how far he could push him before he fought back.

 

After all, they were the only two left.

 

They were the same kind of people.

 

Fingers tapping lightly against the control panel, Lansing smirked as the speeder lifted off.

 

Then, without looking back, he raised a hand in a mocking farewell gesture.

 

Next time we meet, I won’t be so gentle.

 

 

 

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Yuebai baby ;____;

 

(Lansing looks quite unhinged and not in a good way lol…pls don’t make things more difficult)

 

Thanks for reading!

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