TCPUAAV Chapter 52

 

Buried beneath the soft blanket, the little fox clutched her backpack and rolled around frantically.

 

Her fluffy tails flopped every which way, turning into a mess of tangled fur.

 

But she didn’t care. All she could think about was—Daddy’s gentle expression.

 

And yet, she had lied to him.

 

The little fox felt an overwhelming wave of guilt crash over her.

 

Back when she was struggling to survive on Tutar Star, she had lied, fought, and done whatever it took to get food.

 

But back then, she had never felt guilty.

 

Because all she cared about was staying alive.

 

But now— Now, things were different.

 

Now, she had a home.

 

She didn’t have to wander anymore.

 

And she wanted to be a good child. A child that Daddy would be proud of.

 

A good child shouldn’t come in last place. And a good child shouldn’t lie.

 

Curling herself into a tight ball under the blanket, she nervously tugged at the fur on her tails.

 

She was stuck.

 

If she confessed now, then she had only done one bad thing.

 

But if she kept hiding it, then she was doing two bad things.

 

Biting her claw, she turned the problem over in her mind again and again.

 

Finally, she made up her mind—

 

She was going to confess.

 

At that moment, Ruan Shiqing had just received a response from the school.

 

The teacher confirmed that Nota was indeed a very intelligent cub.

 

However, because she had spent her early years as a stray, she had matured much faster than other cubs and developed her own way of thinking.

 

As a result, while she listened to lessons like the other cubs, she didn’t actually internalize them.

 

In simpler terms, she would nod along when the teacher spoke, but the next time she faced the same situation, she would still do exactly as she pleased.

 

She was trying very hard to play the role of an obedient cub.

 

But deep down—She had no love for studying, and the dry, boring classroom environment simply couldn’t keep her attention.

 

So, naturally, her grades were awful.

 

But Nota’s situation wasn’t particularly unusual.

 

On B3024, there were many cubs like her.

 

Most parents didn’t pay much attention to their cubs’ education. As long as they could grow up safe and sound, that was already considered a success.

 

Ironically, it was Ruan Shiqing’s concern that stood out as something special.

 

Which was why the teacher made sure to provide him with a detailed explanation.

 

After reading the report, Ruan Shiqing fell into deep thought.

 

Raising a cub wasn’t just about feeding and sheltering them, education was just as important.

 

But before he could figure out how to approach the topic with Nota, she came to find him first.

 

It was right after dinner.

 

Officially, Ruan Shiqing was in his workshop working. In reality, he was stressing over how to talk to a certain fox cub.

 

And then— Knock, knock.

 

“Daddy, can I come in?”

 

A soft, hesitant voice drifted in from the doorway.

 

Half of the little fox’s face peeked inside, not bounding in like usual, but hesitating.

 

Her ears drooped slightly. It seemed like this exam had really shaken her.

 

“Come in.” Ruan Shiqing gestured for her.

 

Her tails twitched slightly as she quietly shut the door behind her.

 

Then, with slow, deliberate steps, she shuffled toward him.

 

Her head was lowered, hands clasped behind her back, gripping something tightly.

 

Ruan Shiqing already knew what she was here for.

 

Raising a hand, he gently pressed it against her head.

 

“Nota, is there something you want to tell Daddy?” he asked softly.

 

Her ears flicked.

 

She peeked up at him, bit her lip, and, with one swift motion, she shoved the report card into his hands. Her voice, sharp with nervousness, burst out.

 

“Daddy, I came in last place!” As soon as the words left her mouth, she froze. Then—Her face flushed bright red in embarrassment.

 

With her voice so loud, it almost sounded like coming in last place was something to be proud of.

 

And realizing that only made her feel even worse.

 

The once vibrant little rose now hung her head low, petals curling inward.

 

Ruan Shiqing had already seen the report card earlier.

 

But still, he unfolded it, carefully read through it again, and then neatly folded it back.

 

Handing it back to the little fox, he said gently, “It’s just one bad exam. You don’t need to dwell on it.”

 

The little fox’s eyes widened in shock.

 

Silver pupils filled with disbelief, her tail twitched slightly as she hesitated.

 

“Daddy doesn’t think I’m dumb?” she asked, blushing as she huffed. “Snowball and Ruan Yuebai got first place. Heli got second. They didn’t tell you about the exam because of me.”

 

Admitting she had lied took a lot of courage.

 

Now that the truth was out, the little fox felt completely drained, hanging her head low.

 

Ruan Shiqing smoothed down her slightly messy fur.

 

“Test scores don’t define how smart someone is. Maybe studying isn’t your strength, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have one. Maybe you just haven’t discovered it yet.”

 

No one had ever said something like that to her before.

 

The dim light in her silver eyes suddenly brightened.

 

Her ears slowly perked back up.

 

Ruan Shiqing chuckled, flicking the tip of her ear lightly.

 

“But you’re still too young. You still need to learn the basics. Being illiterate isn’t an option. I won’t force you to get perfect grades, but I want you to think about this—if you don’t like school, what do you want to do in the future?”

 

Not everyone had to follow the same path.

 

If Nota wanted to take a different road, Ruan Shiqing would support her.

 

But if she was just avoiding studying out of laziness— That wasn’t okay.

 

The little fox had never thought about something so far ahead.

 

She bit her lip, seriously considering the question for a long moment.

 

Then, hesitantly, she signed: “I want to join the military!”

 

Her hands moved quickly as she continued, “I want to fight on the frontlines and kill Zerg!”

 

This was a dream she had once had when she was very young.

 

Back when she was wandering through the ruins of Tutar Star, she had met someone— Another hybrid, just like her.

 

At the time, she was still small and inexperienced.

 

She had gone days without food, growing weaker and weaker.

 

Just when she thought she might starve to death, that hybrid had given her a nutrient vial.

 

She survived because of that vial.

 

Later, as she continued roaming, she occasionally ran into him again.

 

Unlike her, though, his situation was far better.

 

Every now and then, whenever their paths crossed, he would casually toss her another vial or two.

 

For about one or two months, this became one of the few stable periods in her life.

 

Even if she couldn’t steal food—She wouldn’t starve.

 

But then, one day, he told her he was leaving Tutar Star.

 

She saw him one last time before he left.

 

That time, he handed her three whole nutrient vials and told her, “I’m going to the frontlines. I’m joining the army.”

 

Even now, his face had become a blur in her memory—But his words had never faded.

 

She had asked him, “Why join the military?”

 

And he had smiled and replied, “On the battlefield, it doesn’t matter what race you are—only how strong you are. If hybrids like us want to survive, we have to become stronger. Weak hybrids don’t live to see adulthood. Make sure you survive.”

 

She never saw him again after that.

 

She didn’t know if he had lived.

 

Did he become stronger?

 

Or did he die somewhere, just another name lost to war?

 

She would never know.

 

But those words, they had buried themselves deep in her heart, like a tiny seed waiting to sprout.

 

Back when she was a stray, she had always wanted to be stronger. Because just like he had said, she had to survive.

 

But now— Now, she was lucky.

 

She had met Daddy.

 

She no longer needed to fight just to stay alive.

 

But she still wanted to become stronger.

 

Not just for herself, but because she wanted to protect her family.

 

Her home.

 

“The military?” Ruan Shiqing raised an eyebrow, surprised.

 

But not entirely. With her personality, it actually made sense.

 

He pulled up a holographic screen, bringing up the top three military academies in the Galactic Empire.

 

“You’re still too young. You’ll have to enter a preparatory military school first. Only after passing the entrance exams can you officially enroll in a real academy. Once you graduate from the academy, you can go straight into the military.”

 

Then, with a playful smile, he ruffled her fur.

 

“But even though military school focuses more on physical skills, illiteracy still won’t get you through the entrance exam. If you really want to be a soldier, you better start working toward it now.”

 

The little fox’s ears shot up.

 

“I’ll study hard from now on!” she declared.

 

“Good.” Ruan Shiqing chuckled. “I’ll also look into the preparatory military schools for you.” Then, setting her down, he gave her a light pat on the head. “It’s getting late. Go rest.”

 

“Mhm!”

 

With a firm nod, the little fox bolted out of the workshop, tails swishing happily behind her.

 

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Oh wow, I wouldn’t have expected a story like that from Nota’s past!!

 

Thanks for reading!

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