TCPUAAV Chapter 103

 

 

Ruan Shiqing leaned against him just like that—lightly, effortlessly.

 

The young man sat with his knees bent, cradling his book in both hands. The strands of hair at his forehead swayed gently with the breeze from the window, making him look utterly at ease.

 

The only one nervous was Rong Heng.

 

Heat spread from the places where their bodies touched, and before long, his paw pads began to sweat. He shifted uncomfortably, his claws twitching slightly. Turning his head in Ruan Shiqing’s direction, he resisted the urge to move his body, not wanting to disturb him as he read.

 

His dark golden eyes, unblinking, greedily traced the young man’s features, slowly drifting downward until they lingered on his bare feet.

 

Because there was no need to go out today, Ruan Shiqing wore a simple, comfortable cotton loungewear set. Perhaps he had grown taller again—his gray pants were slightly short, revealing a slender stretch of calf and his delicate ankles.

 

They were truly exquisite feet.

 

His skin was as smooth and lustrous as the finest porcelain, with a delicate sheen under the light. His straight, well-proportioned shins tapered down into gracefully arched feet. The bones of his ankles were subtly prominent, the veins on the top of his foot faintly visible beneath his fair skin. His toes were a soft, natural pink, neatly trimmed and flawless.

 

Rong Heng’s Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably.

 

He stared at those slender legs and delicate feet, mouth dry, desperately wanting to taste them.

 

But he didn’t dare.

 

Suppressing the restless heat rising from deep within his body, he flicked his tail, trying to distract himself. His heart pounded wildly.

 

Seeing that Ruan Shiqing remained engrossed in his book, seemingly unaware of his abnormal state, Rong Heng swallowed hard and, emboldened, tentatively curled the tip of his thick, furry tail around the young man’s ankle.

 

Feigning sleep with half-lidded eyes, he watched Ruan Shiqing closely from his peripheral vision.

 

At first, the tip of his tail brushed lightly against the back of Ruan Shiqing’s foot, an innocent, fleeting touch. When he noticed no resistance, he grew bolder, looping his tail around the delicate ankle.

 

It was so slender.

 

So easy to encircle.

 

Rong Heng’s heartbeat sped up again as he stared at the pale, slim ankle wrapped in his tail. His longing intensified, his instincts clamoring louder. Slowly, his tail inched upward, beginning to coil around Ruan Shiqing’s calf.

 

Just as he was about to succeed—

 

The young man shifted.

 

He seemed to have grown tired of sitting in the same position and adjusted his posture—unknowingly stepping directly onto the restless tip of Rong Heng’s tail.

 

As if finding it comfortable, he even absentmindedly rubbed his foot against it.

 

His eyes were half-closed, his expression entirely relaxed.

 

Rong Heng’s brain exploded.

 

An indescribable sensation shot up from the place where he was pinned down, intensifying the heat burning inside him. To keep himself from losing control, his body even trembled slightly.

 

He felt like an engine pushed beyond its limits, moments away from combusting.

 

Thankfully, Ruan Shiqing soon adjusted his position again.

 

Rong Heng immediately yanked his tail back, slapping it against the carpet a few times to disperse the unbearable feeling. Then, he firmly tucked it beneath his belly, hiding it away.

 

Ruan Shiqing turned a page in his book, the corner of his lips curving up ever so slightly.

 

*

 

The surgery on Old Bart lasted eighty-nine hours.

 

Garland, along with his three assistants, toiled tirelessly through several sleepless nights to finally complete the mechanical transformation.

 

On the life support monitor, the vital signs displayed a steady and strong rhythm.

 

Lying on the hospital bed, Old Bart’s torso was covered only by a sterile cloth over his abdomen. His bare body was now seventy-five percent encased in gleaming silver metal. The remaining twenty-five percent was aged, sagging skin, speckled with age spots.

 

Empress Thea had been waiting anxiously outside the operating room for hours. The moment she saw the assistants wheeling the hospital bed out, she rushed forward, asking urgently, “How is my father?”

 

Garland exchanged a glance with Siyan, who stood behind her, then lowered his eyes. “The surgery was a complete success. He will wake up in about an hour. His new body is full of strength, but he will need roughly a month to adjust and grow accustomed to it.”

 

Hearing this, Thea finally let out a sigh of relief. After expressing her gratitude, she hurried to the hospital room with her attendants.

 

Only Garland and Siyan remained outside the operating room.

 

Garland shoved his hands into the pockets of his white coat, lifting his gaze toward the emperor. His jaw tensed slightly. “Now, Your Majesty, you can tell me—what do you know?”

 

Siyan did not go back on his word. He transmitted a file to Garland. “Everything you want to know is in here.”

 

Then, without waiting for him to finish reading, he leisurely made his way into the recovery room.

 

Garland opened the file, and the first thing he saw was a photograph of Hector. Below it, in small, precise print, was a detailed account of the attack Hector had suffered—along with his current coordinates.

 

Even though Siyan had hinted at it before, and Garland had already begun to suspect, finally confirming that Hector was alive still hit him hard.

 

His vision blurred with unshed tears.

 

Shifting his gaze away, Garland tilted his head back and pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing back the burning heat and steadying his overwhelming emotions.

 

It took him several minutes to regain his composure. Only then did he drag the document forward and continue reading.

 

And then—he saw a photograph of the black dragon hatchling.

 

The details listed beneath it meticulously recorded the hatchling’s birth date and the circumstances in which it was found.

 

Garland’s eyes widened as he stared at the report, a tidal wave of joy surging through him.

 

He bit down hard on his finger, barely managing to contain himself and not lose control.

 

Hector was alive. And that hatchling he had felt an inexplicable connection with… was the dragon that had hatched from his lost egg.

 

The heavy shadow that had loomed over his heart for years finally dissipated.

 

Garland laughed and cried all at once, desperate to rush straight to the hotel and see the little dragon with his own eyes.

 

By the time Siyan and Empress Thea emerged from the hospital room, he had already composed himself.

 

Siyan supported Thea, whose pregnancy was becoming more pronounced, and smiled at Garland. “The surgery went even better than I expected. I hope we’ll have the chance to work together again in the future.”

 

Garland met Siyan’s gaze and held it for a moment before giving a slight nod.

 

Even though Hector was alive, the merfolk had still played their hand first. He and Siyan still had a common enemy.

 

“The post-operative care can be handled by my assistants. I have personal matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave.”

 

After a brief farewell, he left in a hurry.

 

Thea watched his rapidly retreating figure and looked up at Siyan, puzzled. “Your Majesty, what kind of collaboration do you have with Dr. Hawthorne?”

 

Siyan lowered his gaze to her. “Hawthorne isn’t part of the laboratory. I specifically invited him here for father[mfn]Even though it’s his father-in-law and not literally his father, he’s saying it as a form of respect[/mfn]’s treatment.”

 

Hearing this, Thea’s furrowed brows relaxed, and she broke into a lighthearted smile. “Father will be delighted when he finds out.”

 

“Mm.” Siyan’s smile remained unchanged.

 

Whether Old Bart would be pleased or not, he didn’t know.

 

But right now, he was in an excellent mood.

 

Garland’s surgery had gone even better than expected.

 

*

 

Three days after the conference, Ruan Shiqing paid a visit to Professor Clay.

Professor Clay was an elderly Bissian nearing two hundred years old. He was somewhat strict and old-fashioned, but his knowledge was vast. Toward Ruan Shiqing, he displayed the warmth and patience of a senior guiding a promising junior.

 

Their discussion ranged from the current trending topic of antimatter energy to the future potential of exoskeletal mechs. Ruan Shiqing gained a wealth of insights from their conversation.

 

He spent the entire day in Professor Clay’s laboratory and only reluctantly bid farewell at around ten in the evening.

 

Before parting, Professor Clay handed him a stack of photocopied manuscripts. “These are some designs I sketched in my free time. They were ultimately abandoned for various reasons, but they might give you young people some fresh inspiration.”

 

Ruan Shiqing understood exactly what receiving a mechanical master’s blueprints meant, even if they were discarded drafts.

 

Both surprised and delighted, he accepted them with solemn gratitude.

 

Professor Clay patted him on the shoulder, laughing heartily. “One more thing—I have to remind you, your hacking skills are quite impressive. But since you have the ability, why not take the official exam? Right now, I might be the only one who’s noticed, but there’s no guarantee that others won’t catch on in the future.”

 

The old man didn’t spell it out too clearly but gave him a knowing wink.

 

Ruan Shiqing froze for a moment—then his face burned red.

 

Professor Clay was the former president of the Mechanical Engineers Association. Ruan Shiqing had never expected him to see through the highest-privilege account that Noah had created for him.

 

He had never been particularly interested in official certification levels. Back then, he had only created the account to access the Metis Database. And ever since arriving in Sikkim, he had rarely used it.

 

So he hadn’t given it much thought.

 

But now, he had been caught.

 

Flustered, he replied, “I’ll submit my application for reassessment as soon as possible.”

 

Beside him, Dace stared blankly, clearly not following the conversation. “What are you two talking about?”

 

Professor Clay, however, was completely unfazed. Waving a hand with a hearty laugh, he said, “No need to be so nervous. It’s a good thing for young people to be talented. But I’ll be notifying the Information Security Department to patch this loophole.”

 

Ruan Shiqing thanked him again and, ignoring Dace’s protests, strode away at top speed.

 

Even after boarding his land speeder, his face still felt scorching hot.

 

He let out a long breath. You always have to pay back what you owe.

 

Pulling up his schedule, he carefully made a note to submit a name change request and reapply for level reassessment with the Mechanical Engineers Association as soon as possible.

 

Lying sideways in the back seat, Rong Heng watched as Ruan Shiqing boarded the land speeder. First, he rubbed his face. Then, he took a deep breath. His entire face was still flushed red.

 

Narrowing his eyes, Rong Heng’s instincts immediately went on high alert. “Didn’t you meet with Professor Clay today?”

 

If he remembered correctly, Clay was a two-hundred-year-old elderly gentleman.

 

So why the hell was Ruan Shiqing blushing?!!

 

The sudden voice startled Ruan Shiqing. He turned around sharply, only to find Rong Heng sitting in the backseat. “When did you get here?”

 

He had clearly left alone.

 

“I saw you still hadn’t come back, so I got worried and came to check on you,” Rong Heng explained briefly. But he wasn’t about to let the matter drop. “Did you meet anyone else today?”

 

A deep sense of crisis surged within His Highness the Crown Prince.

 

By now, Ruan Shiqing’s blush had faded. He noticed the way Rong Heng’s jaw was tightly clenched and smiled lazily. “Are you that concerned about whether I met anyone else?”

 

That was a very tricky question.

 

Rong Heng pressed his lips together, seriously pondering his response before finally coming up with a completely justified excuse: “Sikkim isn’t safe right now.”

 

Which meant he had a duty to keep a close eye on Ruan Shiqing and minimize his contact with strangers—especially those who were young and handsome.

 

His expression was utterly serious.

 

Ruan Shiqing stared at him for a moment. Under the weight of his gaze, Rong Heng visibly tensed.

 

Then, at an agonizingly slow pace, Ruan Shiqing finally answered, “I didn’t meet anyone else.”

 

Only then did the tightness in Rong Heng’s jaw ease—just a little.

 

But then, a look of confusion flickered across his face. If he didn’t meet anyone else… then why the hell was his face red?

 

This time, no matter how much he probed, Ruan Shiqing refused to answer.

 

 

---

 

Rong Rong you’re slipping very fast very dangerously (that whole section about Ruan Ruan’s appearance was embarrassing to translate lmao he is done for)

 

(Also, if Siyan knows of Hector and Heli…doesn’t that…doesn’t that mean that he knows of Rong Heng too being there????? Was he acting a couple of chapters before when we had his POV when he saw the lil ‘white cub’ with Ruan Ruan and the others in the botanical garden???? I’m so confused when it comes to him orz)

 

Thanks for reading!

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