TCPUAAV Chapter 102

 

 

After the exchange conference at the exhibition center concluded, they didn’t immediately return to Planet B3024. Ruan Shiqing had accepted Dace’ invitation to visit Professor Clay’s laboratory, so they extended their hotel stay and continued to remain in Sikkim. In contrast, their neighbor across the hall, Mr. Hawthorne, came to bid them farewell, saying he was leaving.

 

Garland hadn’t originally planned to leave so soon. However, Siyan had already convinced Old Bart, and the surgery was likely to be scheduled in the near future, leaving him no choice but to depart.

 

Ruan Shiqing was a highly cautious person. Despite spending a significant amount of time trying to get close to him, he had yet to earn his trust. Whenever he brought up the young cubs around him, Ruan Shiqing would always subtly change the subject. Garland was concerned that pressing too hard might raise the other’s guard and provoke resistance, leaving him with no opportunity to learn more about the young dragon.

 

Fortunately, after spending time together, he could tell that Ruan Shiqing truly cared for the cubs, and the young dragon was very fond of him as well. Though he still didn’t know where Ruan Shiqing had found the dragon, as he was about to leave, he felt much less worried.

 

Perhaps once he finished handling his affairs, he could reveal his true identity and have an open discussion with him.

 

“I hope we’ll have the chance to meet again in the future.” Garland smiled warmly and handed Ruan Shiqing a small gift he had prepared in advance. As he lowered his gaze, he noticed the young dragon clinging to his father’s leg, tilting its head up to look at him.

 

After a brief hesitation, he retrieved a golden, translucent gemstone from his pocket and crouched down to offer it to the little dragon. “This is for you.”

 

The gemstone was about the size of a pigeon egg, its color pure and vibrant. He had spotted it by chance while passing a jewelry store and immediately thought it resembled the young dragon’s eyes.

 

Dragons were naturally drawn to dazzling, beautiful gemstones, so he had bought it. However, he had refrained from giving it right away, fearing it might be too abrupt. But now, as he looked at the little dragon gazing up at him, he couldn’t resist any longer.

 

“Wow! It’s so big!” The young dragon’s eyes widened in amazement.

 

His round eyes mirrored the gemstone’s brilliance. Although he clearly adored it, he tucked his little claws behind his back and shook his head, saying, “This must be really expensive. I can’t take it.”

 

What a well-behaved little dragon.

 

Garland’s fondness deepened. He gently placed the gemstone in the young dragon’s small claws and, before he could refuse, straightened up and said to Ruan Shiqing, “This gemstone is nothing to me, just a small gift.” His gaze softened with a trace of sorrow as he looked at the young dragon. “If my own cub had grown up safely, perhaps he would be just as adorable.”

 

His expression was genuine.

 

For an ordinary person, this gemstone might be expensive, but for someone who could afford to stay in a top-floor suite at the Eritz Hotel, it was indeed insignificant.

 

Ruan Shiqing considered this for a moment, thinking that Garland might have been reminded of his own cub, which was why he offered such a gift. So he did not insist on refusing it.

 

He bent down and patted the little dragon’s head, speaking gently, “Heli, thank Uncle Hawthorne.”

 

The little dragon clutched the gemstone tightly and looked up to thank him obediently.

 

Garland, however, was momentarily stunned. “His name is Heli?”

 

Despite their numerous encounters, he had never asked for the young dragon’s name.

 

Ruan Shiqing responded with a simple “Mm,” but he noticed that Garland’s expression seemed somewhat unusual. However, before he could inquire further, Garland’s communicator suddenly chimed.

 

Garland frowned, initially reluctant to answer, wanting to continue asking about the origin of the name “Heli.” But the screen flashed incessantly—it was Siyan.

 

Siyan only contacted him this urgently when it was something important.

 

With furrowed brows, Garland suppressed his doubts, politely bid farewell, and returned to his hotel room.

 

Upon answering the call, his tone was slightly displeased. “What’s so urgent that even His Majesty is in such a hurry?”

 

Siyan’s refined and elegant face held a noticeable smile. “Get to the lab immediately and prepare. Old Bart’s experiment has been moved up—it’s happening tomorrow morning.”

 

When Garland arrived at the laboratory, he finally understood why Old Bart was in such a rush to advance the experiment.

 

—His organs had already begun to fail.

 

Old Bart was an Evolver, and as the head of the Naxi Group, he was already of considerable age. Though he had meticulously maintained his health over the years, no amount of wealth could fend off the ravages of aging and disease.

 

His internal organs had deteriorated to the point where they could no longer sustain his life. He had kept this fact tightly under wraps, but last night, when he suddenly fell into a coma and was rushed to the hospital, the truth could no longer be concealed.

 

No wonder the surgery was so urgent.

 

Garland remained unhurried as he prepared for the operation. The unconscious Old Bart had already been secretly transported to the laboratory, where he was undergoing preoperative examinations.

 

Since his father-in-law was in critical condition, it was only natural that the Emperor himself would be present. Siyan spoke softly, comforting the deeply worried Empress Thea with a gentle expression. Garland occasionally glanced up at him and couldn’t help but curl his lips in disdain—what a waste that His Majesty hadn’t pursued a career in acting.

 

Only after successfully soothing Empress Thea and persuading her to return to the palace did Siyan retract his deeply affectionate demeanor.

 

Analyzing Old Bart’s condition, Garland remarked, “He only has a few days left to live. If Your Majesty is determined to claim the Naxi Group, why take such a roundabout approach? Empress Thea is already carrying your child—not only will he be the heir to the royal family, but he will also inherit the Naxi Group.”

 

He truly couldn’t understand why Siyan was so insistent on putting Old Bart through mechanical augmentation.

 

Mechanical augmentation was nothing but a complete scam. While it could indeed extend lifespan temporarily, those who underwent the transformation were no longer truly “human.” They became nothing more than mechanical puppets that mimicked their past behaviors. Although they still “lived,” they lost all independent will. Their actions and decisions were merely the optimal choices calculated by a highly intelligent AI based on their life experiences.

 

In Garland’s view, once Old Bart died, Siyan would be fully capable of taking over the Naxi Group. The four major financial conglomerates kept each other in check—if Siyan controlled the Naxi Group, the royal family would no longer be restrained by the remaining three. Using Old Bart as bait to ensnare the other three leaders seemed utterly unnecessary.

 

He didn’t believe for a second that Siyan could swallow all four conglomerates on his own. Such an attempt would only lead to endless chaos.

 

“You don’t need to know so much.”

 

Siyan shed his false warmth and smile, his entire demeanor turning frigid, like a blade radiating cold intent—ready to strike at any moment.

 

“I heard that you and Brigadier General Hector once had a child?”

 

His sudden remark made Garland’s heart tighten. His mind inexplicably drifted to the little dragon named Heli.

 

A black dragon cub, lost in the world, also named Heli—could it really be just a coincidence?

 

He was a red dragon, while Hector was a black dragon. They had argued countless times about whose traits their hatchling would inherit, even coming to blows over it. But in the end, the dragon egg had disappeared, and he never had the chance to witness it hatch, to see whether the child resembled him or Hector.

 

The painful memories constricted his heart, and he didn’t even dare to consider the cub’s origins, fearing it was nothing more than false hope.

 

Closing his eyes for a moment, Garland forced himself to remain calm, his voice indifferent. “It was too long ago. I don’t remember.”

 

Siyan, however, merely smiled nonchalantly and dangled the bait.

 

“Complete the surgery successfully, and as your reward, I’ll tell you everything you want to know—including the whereabouts of that missing cub.”

 

*

 

After bidding farewell to Hawthorne, Ruan Shiqing received two more invitations in quick succession. Ever since the exchange conference, there had been an influx of invitations and letters addressed to him, delivered directly to the hotel front desk.

 

But he had no intention of accepting any of them.

 

Sikkim was a bustling city, but he had no plans to stay long. The cubs’ identities remained a potential risk. Apart from invitations from close friends, he avoided unnecessary exposure, as it would significantly increase the likelihood of their identities being discovered.

 

Moreover…

 

Ruan Shiqing set the invitations on the coffee table and glanced toward the massive beast lounging by the window seat. His mind drifted back to the words that had been spoken when that very creature had whisked him away from the hotel.

 

If he were to accept the invitation, that person would probably get very angry and come snatch him away again.

 

Thinking of this, Ruan Shiqing couldn’t help but glance once more at the massive beast lazily basking in the sunlight.

 

A fully grown Ymir was truly an awe-inspiring sight. His sleek, smooth fur gleamed like satin under the sunlight. The little cubs treated him like a living blanket—some sprawled across his back, napping soundly, while others leaned against him, absorbed in their books. They all looked completely at ease.

 

—Ever since discovering his true identity that day, the cubs had been obsessed with making him shift back into his Ymir form whenever they were behind closed doors.

 

Rong Heng always complained about it, yet he never once let the cubs down.

 

It was Ruan Shiqing who had never asked, still mindful of the other’s human identity.

 

Absentmindedly rubbing his left earlobe, he picked up a book and walked toward the majestic beast.

 

Rong Heng felt that Ruan Shiqing had been looking at him strangely lately.

 

Ever since they had returned to the hotel that night after the exhibition center incident, he had caught him observing him with an odd expression.

 

Sometimes, while he was playing with the cubs in the living room, he would turn around only to meet Ruan Shiqing’s lingering gaze.

 

It gave him the distinct impression of being studied—like a subject of interest in a laboratory experiment.

 

It made his scalp tingle.

 

He began to wonder if he had slipped up somewhere, done something that had tipped Ruan Shiqing off. After all, the man was far too sharp and intelligent—it wasn’t easy to hide things from him.

 

The Crown Prince’s heart was on edge, especially as more and more invitations piled up at the hotel’s front desk. It made him anxious beyond belief.

 

But he didn’t dare show it. Instead, he forced himself to remain sprawled in the warm sunlight, feigning ignorance.

 

One of the cubs snored softly on his back, nestled against his fur. Rong Heng rested his head on his front paws, observing Ruan Shiqing from the corner of his eye—only to see him close the book in his hands and slowly walk over.

 

The living room was carpeted with thick, plush rugs, soft underfoot.

 

Ruan Shiqing, opting for comfort, had forgone slippers. Barefoot, he walked over and naturally settled down in a sunlit spot beside him, resting his book on his lap.

 

Rong Heng turned his head slightly, just in time to see the sunlight dance upon Ruan Shiqing’s thick, raven-black lashes. His fair skin seemed almost translucent in the light, revealing the finest layer of downy fuzz.

 

And then, there it was—that white ear he had once longed to kiss but never had the chance to.

 

A faint blush dusted its edges, the lightest shade of pink.

 

It was so beautiful that the Crown Prince couldn’t help but swallow once more.

 

 

 

---

 

Rong Rong: “I wonder if I slipped up somewhere and revealed my inner feelings without realizing???”

Also Rong Rong: *Can’t even look at an ear without combusting*

 

(Poor Garland though, I hope he will have a chance to reconciliate with Hector and also be part of Heli’s life)

 

Thanks for reading!

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