The next morning, Ruan Shiqing woke up early as usual. After tidying up, he headed downstairs to prepare for the day.
He stopped by the kitchen first. As expected, the three tubes of nutritional supplements left on the windowsill the night before were gone. A faint smile curved his lips as he observed the pattern unfolding between himself and the mysterious “visitor.”
This time, however, there were no new items left in exchange. Instead, a clean patch of ground below the windowsill caught his attention—clearly swept, likely in gratitude.
Ruan Shiqing called for 09 and instructed him to bring the cleaning tools into the kitchen. “We should do a proper cleaning today. It’s a good habit to keep the place neat,” he said casually, though he was more curious about whether the silent visitor would notice their efforts.
Once the kitchen was tidy, Ruan Shiqing went out to check on the hovercar parked in the yard. It gleamed faintly under the morning light, an impressive contrast to the dust and grime it had accumulated before the modifications.
At Luther’s house, the young man was already awake, visibly anxious. When he saw Ruan Shiqing arriving on time, his face lit up with a mixture of relief and nervous excitement.
“All set?” Luther asked, rubbing his hands together as he stepped closer to the hovercar.
Ruan Shiqing nodded. “We’ll take it for a test run today. Afterward, I’ll make some final adjustments based on your driving feedback.”
Luther’s fingers traced the newly installed airfoil panels, and he glanced at the sleek interior modifications. “Looks great, but I hope it handles as good as it looks.”
“It will.” Ruan Shiqing’s tone was steady, exuding confidence that seemed to put Luther further at ease.
They headed toward the outskirts of the junkyard, where they could safely conduct the test drive. The area was already buzzing with activity as other racers were fine-tuning their vehicles, preparing for the upcoming competition.
Luther climbed into the driver’s seat while Ruan Shiqing gave a few last-minute instructions from the side. “Remember, this car isn’t just about raw speed anymore. It’s designed to help you handle sharp turns and maintain balance in tough spots. Let the airfoil panels and fuel distribution system work for you.”
Luther gripped the controls, nodded, and took a deep breath.
As soon as the engines roared to life, heads turned toward the hovercar.
Ruan Shiqing stepped back, arms crossed, watching intently.
The car darted forward, a blur against the dusty terrain. Luther seemed to struggle at first, his movements jerky as he adjusted to the modified controls. But after a few laps, his confidence grew, and the car moved with increasing fluidity.
When Luther returned, he was beaming, though his hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. “This is incredible! It’s like the car knows what I want to do before I even move!”
Ruan Shiqing smirked, handing him a bottle of water. “That’s the enhanced responsiveness of the controls. Once you get fully comfortable, it’ll feel even better.”
The feedback session went smoothly, with Ruan Shiqing making minor adjustments to fine-tune the car’s systems based on Luther’s observations.
Back at Luther’s house, as they prepared to part ways, Ruan Shiqing reminded him, “Think about the design you want on the car. By the time we finish painting, it’ll be ready for the race.”
Luther grinned, looking at the hovercar with a newfound sense of pride. “Don’t worry. I’ve got just the thing in mind.”
When Ruan Shiqing returned home, the first thing he did was check on the little ones.
Xiao Yubai (the little mermaid) was happily swimming in his new pool, his playful splashes creating small waves. His two rubber ducks bobbed along, and he occasionally sent them drifting with a flick of his tail.
On the second-floor windowsill, Rong Heng sat as usual, basking in the sunlight. His ears twitched when he heard Ruan Shiqing’s footsteps, but he didn’t move, maintaining his aloof posture.
Ruan Shiqing couldn’t help but laugh as he headed over to the pool. “Have you eaten yet?”
Xiao Yubai proudly displayed the empty nutrient tubes from his mushroom-shaped shelf.
“Good boy,” Ruan Shiqing praised, stroking his damp hair.
He spent a few moments with Xiao Yubai, making sure everything was in order before heading upstairs to coax Rong Heng down.
When the little cub stubbornly refused to move, Ruan Shiqing scooped him up and rubbed his head affectionately. “What’s this? Pouting again?”
Rong Heng glared but didn’t resist, settling into his usual resigned silence.
As the sun set, Ruan Shiqing set up his workspace, ready to finalize his plans for the hovercar’s paint design, a task that felt like the finishing touch on all their hard work.
The house was calm, the little ones were content, and for now, the world outside could wait.
*
Outside the window, two moons cast silver light, scattering it in the air. Inside the living room, the little mermaid, clutching a small duck, slept peacefully at the bottom of the water. His tail unconsciously swayed, rippling the moonlight on the water’s surface. In the bedroom, Ruan Shiqing occupied half the pillow, deep in slumber. On the other half, a small lump of white fur sprawled quietly.
The smart brain, set on the bedside table, flashed incessantly. Rong Heng opened his eyes, glanced at the sleeping person beside him, and quietly took the flashing device with practiced ease.
In the living room, he donned the device. “What is it?” he asked.
A calm female voice answered. Noah concisely reported, “Colonel Dares sent a message. The person you requested has arrived at B3024 Star and is awaiting your next instructions.”
The person had arrived faster than expected.
Rong Heng pondered briefly and replied, “Instruct them to remain on standby. I’ll contact them when needed.”
Noah relayed the message to Colonel Dares. Seeing that Rong Heng had not yet logged off, she added, “Your Highness, you’re about to leave. Should you inform Mr. Ruan?”
After observing him over the past few days, she had grown fond of Mr. Ruan. Rarely did someone treat an assistant robot with such genuine care and consideration. In her spare moments, she often overheard the chatterbox robot 09 showering praises about its owner.
“There’s no need. Knowing my identity won’t benefit him. I’ll leave when the time is right.”
Getting entangled with him now would only bring trouble.
Rong Heng closed his eyes for a moment of thought before saying, “The high-speed hovercar race on B3024 Star will start soon. That will be the liveliest and most chaotic time. We can use the commotion to leave unnoticed. For now, establish contact with the receiving party.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Noah acknowledged, her tone tinged with regret. “Do you still want me to guide Mr. Ruan further? Last time, I helped him join the Mechanic’s Guild, and he seemed quite pleased with it.”
“…The Mechanic’s Guild?” Rong Heng asked, puzzled. “Why did you take him there? And how did he get in?”
From his knowledge, the guild’s sacred tower wasn’t a place one could enter casually.
“Mr. Ruan wanted access to the mechanic forums,” Noah explained. “But he hadn’t been certified by the guild, so I hacked into their system and fabricated a legitimate identity for him.”
Her tone carried a hint of pride. “You know, I was once the AI of Her Majesty the Queen, holding the highest authority in the entire holographic network.”
Rong Heng: …
He took a deep breath to maintain his composure. “Noah, you’re not as reliable as your voice suggests.”
If he remembered correctly, he had merely asked her to provide the basics for “Mr. Ruan”.
Noah was baffled. “Are you dissatisfied with my voice? Her Majesty designed it to sound steady with a mezzo-soprano tone. If you dislike it, I can switch to another voice.” With that, she immediately switched to a crisp, girlish tone and chirped, “Is this better?”
Rong Heng: …
He gave up on further conversation with the AI. What was done was done; there was no undoing it.
“Make sure the guild doesn’t discover him,” he cautioned.
“Of course. I’ve erased all traces, leaving nothing unusual behind,” Noah reassured him, switching back to her steadier mezzo-soprano tone. “Mr. Ruan seems very satisfied with my service. After smoothly joining the Mechanic’s Guild, he hasn’t needed to search for information elsewhere. The guild’s database has everything.”
Rong Heng no longer wished to continue the conversation and logged off. Transforming back into his cub form, he carried the device back to the bedroom.
The person remained asleep, peaceful and serene, his features now radiant compared to their first encounter. His physique had filled out, and his brows were no longer furrowed, emanating an uncontainable sharpness.
In ancient human language, there was a phrase: “A pearl hidden beneath dust1Means that he has a lot of potential that was hidden, but once uncovered, he will definitely shine through.”
The youth now resembled such a pearl, with its dust slowly being brushed away. Given time, he was destined to shine brilliantly.
He didn’t need Rong Heng’s help to grow; he would find his own way.
For the boy, Rong Heng’s departure would reduce complications.
Placing the smart brain aside, Rong Heng lay on the empty half of the pillow, quietly watching the sleeping figure before closing his eyes.
The next morning, Ruan Shiqing went out with Luther to test a vehicle.
The little mermaid basked in the sun in the courtyard’s small pool, while the small robot 09 occupied the other side, preparing quick-dry paint for later use.
From the second-floor window, Rong Heng observed them. Once he confirmed that Ruan Shiqing wouldn’t return soon, he transformed into his human form, tidied his collar, and leisurely jumped out the back window.
Before leaving, he needed to ensure everything was in order.
Unbeknownst to him, the small fox, Nota, hidden among the vines, was watching. As she saw Rong Heng leave, she confirmed the house was empty and began dragging newly scavenged parts up to the kitchen windowsill, which was always left open, seemingly for her.
Spotting the nutritional supplements and the note left there, Nota became even more convinced of her assumption. Placing the parts neatly on the windowsill, she gleefully picked up the supplements, her large tails wagging happily.
These past few days had been her happiest.
Swinging her legs as she sat on the windowsill, Nota guzzled down the supplements. After finishing, she stored the empty container and prepared to leave.
However, just as she leapt down, a rhythmic thumping sound emerged from the kitchen.
???
Nota froze mid-step. She hesitated before returning to the windowsill, cautiously peeking into the kitchen.
The noise continued, seemingly from the cold storage. But she had been there before—it was icy, stocked with nutritional supplements, and lifeless.
Who was banging on the door?
Kneeeew it! I wonder if we’re going to get double cubs at once lol
Tho… it’s too early for Rong Rong to leave come on (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ
Thanks for reading!
For every three ko-fis, I will upload a bonus chapter~
More cubs ~~~~
Thanks for the chapter translator-sama ~~
Dragon cub is here!