TCPUAAV Chapter 98

 

After their visit to the museum, it was time for lunch.

 

Ruan Shiqing took the cubs to eat, and afterward, they headed toward the Andes Botanical Garden.

 

On the way to the botanical garden, they passed by Palka Palace. Luther stopped the land cruiser in the plaza before the palace, rolled down the window, and gestured toward the grand structure. “That’s Palka Palace. It used to be much less heavily guarded, and ordinary people could get close to take photos. But ever since a suicide attack occurred, security has been significantly tightened, and civilians are no longer allowed near. The best they can do now is view it from a distance in the plaza.”

 

Ruan Shiqing glanced up and saw armed soldiers stationed densely around the magnificent palace.

 

“Do you want to get out and take a look? This palace is as old as the Galactic Empire itself. It’s said to have been built with the combined efforts of the four ancient clans—there’s no palace more luxurious than Palka Palace,” Luther asked.

 

“No.” Ruan Shiqing held back the eager little cubs, then cast a glance at Rong Heng, who was still curled up in 09’s arms. He couldn’t shake the feeling that even just lingering here for too long was dangerous, so he urged, “There’s nothing much to see. Let’s head straight to the botanical garden.”

 

Even though Rong Heng had assured him that no one would recognize them, Ruan Shiqing still felt uneasy.

 

An officially deceased imperial former crown prince, plus four little fugitives—it really wasn’t the best idea for them to be loitering outside the royal palace.

 

Rong Heng had been quietly watching him the entire time. Seeing the tense look on his face, he more or less guessed what was going through his mind.

 

After a brief hesitation, Rong Heng tentatively scooted closer and rubbed against his arm before typing: [It’s okay. Don’t worry.]

 

The soft, fluffy sensation on his arm made Ruan Shiqing turn his head, only to meet a pair of dewy brown eyes.

 

A tiny white cub gazed up at him, eyes wide and full of reassurance.

 

It was… utterly unconvincing. If anything, it only made him worry more.

 

A fluffy, snow-white cub was just too effective at triggering protective instincts.

 

Even though he knew full well how powerful Rong Heng was, human nature made it impossible not to instinctively feel protective over something that looked so small and vulnerable.

 

Ruan Shiqing smiled at him, then, unable to resist, ruffled his soft head. “Mhm, I know.”

 

Rong Heng squinted his eyes slightly under the touch. Seeing that Ruan Shiqing’s expression had relaxed somewhat, his mind started turning again.

 

It seemed that Ruan Shiqing didn’t actually dislike his closeness.

 

Maybe it was because they had spent so much time together in his cub form, but some habits had naturally formed. Even though Ruan Shiqing knew the truth now, he still unconsciously treated him like Snowball.

 

This was a good sign—it meant Ruan Shiqing didn’t hold his deception against him.

 

The crown prince, who had been quickly scheming in his heart, cautiously took a step forward with his little paws.

 

He nudged the little fox, who was monopolizing Ruan Shiqing’s lap, pushing her slightly to the side. Successfully making room for himself, he climbed onto Ruan Shiqing’s lap.

 

Throughout the entire process, he kept a close eye on Ruan Shiqing’s expression. Seeing no signs of displeasure, he finally settled himself comfortably and stretched his neck out, pretending to look at the scenery outside the window.

 

But truthfully, the outside scenery didn’t interest him in the slightest.

 

Less than three minutes into his act, he yawned, found a comfortable position, and sprawled out—ready to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

 

The cubs had kept him up half the night, and with their early morning departure, he hadn’t gotten enough rest at all.

 

It didn’t take long before he dozed off.

 

Half his face was buried in his belly, with only a pair of fluffy white ears poking out.

 

Ruan Shiqing lowered his gaze and studied him for a moment. Then, he lightly flicked one of his ears.

 

The sleeping cub let out a soft hum, his ear twitching in response. Then, he burrowed his head even deeper into his belly.

 

No matter how he looked at it, he was adorable.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s mind drifted to Rong Heng’s human form—always solemn and composed.

 

The contrast made him chuckle.

 

His fingers pinched the tip of Rong Heng’s ear again as he mused inwardly: I never noticed before, but he’s actually quite good at putting on an act.

 

Judging by how he played with the cubs yesterday, he wasn’t all that much more mature than them, was he?

 

*

 

The botanical garden was quite far from the museum, and the journey took about an hour and a half.

 

By the time they arrived, Rong Heng had just woken up from his nap.

 

The cubs had already bolted out of the vehicle, their excitement barely contained. But Rong Heng, thick-skinned as ever, continued pretending to be asleep and stayed put.

 

As expected, Ruan Shiqing carried him down.

 

It was only after getting out of the vehicle that Rong Heng made a show of slowly blinking his eyes open, feigning just having woken up. Ruan Shiqing didn’t say anything about putting him down, so he simply played along and remained nestled comfortably in his arms.

 

By now, the cubs had already dashed into the botanical garden, waving at them from a distance and urging them to hurry up.

 

Ruan Shiqing shook his head, then strode forward to catch up.

 

But the impatient little cubs didn’t wait—they quickly scattered, running ahead again.

 

Unlike the steel-and-concrete cityscape of Sikkim, the botanical garden retained its pristine, untouched state. Verdant trees, vibrant blossoms, and dense foliage stretched as far as the eye could see. It was said that the entire plant population of Sikkim wasn’t nearly as diverse as the flora housed within this single garden.

 

Reportedly, this garden preserved the mother plants of both extinct and extant species across the entire Galactic Empire. Though it appeared as if plants grew here naturally, every single specimen was meticulously cataloged and required massive resources and manpower to maintain.

 

Even the air inside the botanical garden was different.

 

From the moment they stepped inside, everything felt lighter and fresher—no wonder the cubs had immediately started frolicking the moment they entered.

 

Ruan Shiqing followed leisurely behind them, reminding them not to run too far.

 

The little dragon cub, who was leading the charge, gave a half-hearted response and kept running. His eyes darted around in amazement as he took in his surroundings, excitement written all over his face.

 

He had never seen so many plants before—far more beautiful than the carefully cultivated Falling Star Vine back home.

 

Even the air was filled with a unique, rich fragrance of flora.

 

Tilting his head back, the little dragon cub took a deep breath, flapped his bat-like wings in delight, and sprinted forward.

 

But just two steps in, he crashed into something solid.

 

The impact sent him bouncing back, landing on the ground with a thud. He clutched his head, sucking in a sharp breath as tears welled up in his eyes.

 

—This person’s legs are way too hard, wuwu…!

 

“Are you okay?” A pair of long, slender hands helped him up. The person crouched down slightly, seemingly wanting to check his forehead for injuries.

 

The little dragon cub instinctively didn’t like being touched by strangers. He clutched his forehead and took a step back, mumbling, “Sorry.”

 

Then, he finally got a clear look at the person in front of him—and froze.

 

“It’s you!”

 

The stranger’s striking red hair left a deep impression on him—it was the same person who was staying on their hotel floor.

 

“It’s fine,” Garland smiled at him. Taking advantage of the cub’s moment of distraction, he quickly checked his forehead. “Good thing you’re not hurt.”

 

The politeness caught the little dragon cub off guard, making him feel a little embarrassed. After all, he was the one who had run into him.

 

Trying to maintain his pride, he tucked his claws behind his back and lifted his chin. “I’m not that easy to hurt, you don’t have to worry.”

 

Seeing the little dragon cub’s confident stance, Garland’s smile turned more genuine.

 

Though the cub’s origins were unknown, that ancient human who had taken him in seemed to have raised him well.

 

Noticing Ruan Shiqing approaching with long strides, Garland stood up and greeted him first. “Hello, we meet again. You still remember me, right?”

 

Of course, Ruan Shiqing remembered him.

 

He was the guest staying on their hotel floor and someone Ruan Shiqing had also run into at the maintenance shop on Julian Street. His vibrant red hair was quite distinctive.

 

But knowing now that he was harboring five little fugitives, Ruan Shiqing’s vigilance had increased significantly. Subconsciously, he regarded this man—whom he had “coincidentally” run into multiple times—with a more guarded mindset.

 

“Hello,” he greeted neutrally, probing, “Are you here alone to visit the botanical garden?”

 

“Yeah,” the man replied naturally, seemingly oblivious to the wariness in Ruan Shiqing’s tone. “I have some expertise in botany, and since I’m here for the Mechanic Association’s academic exchange conference, I figured I’d take the chance to visit the botanical garden.”

 

“You’re here for the Mechanic Association’s academic exchange too?” Ruan Shiqing was briefly taken aback, his guard easing slightly.

 

If that was the case, their encounter did seem more plausible.

 

The hotel he was staying at was very close to the Wuz Conference Center, where the exchange was being held. In just the past two days, many scholars attending the conference had already checked in. He had overheard snippets of conversation in the hotel lobby—some guests had arranged meetups with friends, while others had planned to explore Sikkim before the event. Many had arrived early.

 

The man also looked surprised. “Wait, are you attending too?”

 

He offered a business card, his demeanor turning warmer. “I’m from Agana Star. You’ve heard of Agana, right? It’s a planet very far from Sikkim. I made the trip all the way here because I heard that the author of the Feasibility of Matter Conversion paper would be attending this time.”

 

Ruan Shiqing accepted the card. It was simple—only a name and contact number were printed on it.

 

“Hawthorne[mfn]In the raws it’s Huo Sang, and it was basically referring to a mulberry tree, so to let the meaning shine through, I decided to go with Hawthorne instead![/mfn], I see. Nice to meet you,” Ruan Shiqing replied, pocketing the card before extending his hand. “I’m Ruan Qing.”

 

They exchanged a brief handshake. Garland, seemingly delighted to meet someone with shared interests, said, “I’m not too familiar with Sikkim, and I don’t have any acquaintances here. Would you mind if we went to the conference together on the day of the event?”

 

Ruan Shiqing didn’t see a reason to refuse, so he nodded in agreement.

 

Seeing that he had agreed, Garland’s smile grew even brighter.

 

Perhaps sensing that he was interrupting their outing, he voluntarily said, “I’d like to explore the garden a bit more, so I won’t keep you. I’ll find you on the day of the conference.”

 

With that, he waved at them and walked away.

 

This little episode was quickly forgotten as Ruan Shiqing and the cubs continued their exploration of the botanical garden.

 

Meanwhile, after parting ways, Garland found a secluded spot and sent out a short message:

 

[Get me an invitation to the Mechanic Association’s academic exchange.]

 

 

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Ya he was definitely planning to check if Heli’s horns are malformed. I guess he has his suspicions!!

 

 

Thanks for reading!

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