TCPUAAV Chapter 81

 

After ending the communication, Rong Heng stepped out of his bedroom. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw a few little ones sneaking around at the entrance.

 

Seeing him emerge, they panicked and scattered in all directions.

 

“Come back.” Rong Heng frowned, taking two steps forward to grab the slowest one, Ruan Jiao, by the collar before looking at the other cubs. “What are you all sneaking around for?”

 

Ruan Jiao struggled, slapping at the hand holding his collar.

 

The little dragon cub hesitated before inching back cautiously, carefully observing Rong Heng. “Are you feeling better now?”

 

“Why would I be in a bad mood?” Rong Heng raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable.

 

—Of course, because your father doesn’t want you anymore.

 

But they couldn’t say that so bluntly. The little dragon cub stammered, “If you say you’re not unhappy, then you’re not.” Then, in an attempt to awkwardly change the subject, he asked, “Are you sleeping with us tonight?”

 

Since Brother Rong didn’t want to admit he was upset, they would just pretend not to notice.

 

But they could still comfort him by sleeping together!

 

“No,” Rong Heng frowned, looking thoroughly displeased. “You’re all old enough to sleep on your own.”

 

??????

 

Good intentions being taken for granted! The little dragon cub’s eyes widened in indignation, his cheeks puffing up in frustration.

 

In the end, the little fox and the little mermaid each grabbed one of his arms and dragged him away. Seeing the three cubs run off, Ruan Jiao finally managed to wriggle free from Rong Heng’s grasp. He turned back to glare at him before hurriedly chasing after them.

 

Watching the cubs’ joyful retreating figures, Rong Heng let out a low chuckle, feeling the weight in his heart lighten.

 

*

 

Another five days passed in the blink of an eye. According to the news, Sikkim had already entered a state of war readiness. Meanwhile, Sijialan had finally realized that Siyan was deliberately making a fuss over the matter. With the situation on Lunka Star already stirring public outrage and pressure mounting from all sides, they could no longer afford to concern themselves with Balham Star and B3024.

 

Rong Heng arranged for Hector and Mo Li to stay behind and guard Balham Star, while he and Merrell took the cubs back to B3024.

 

They had been away for more than half a month, and now that they were finally returning home, the little ones were beyond excited.

 

Standing by the porthole, Rong Heng gazed at the endless sea of stars.

 

According to his original plan, he should be shifting into his Snowball form right about now, so he could naturally return with the cubs.

 

But for some reason, this time, he suddenly had an overwhelming desire to see Ruan Shiqing.

 

Not as Snowball, but as Rong Heng.

 

Even though he knew that Snowball’s prolonged absence might raise suspicions, he still made this slightly willful decision in the end.

 

The little cubs thudded past him—thud, thud, thud—only to run back again moments later.

 

After searching every possible spot in the upper deck of the ship and still failing to find Snowball, they had no choice but to come looking for Rong Heng.

 

Back when they departed from B3024, Rong Heng had told them that Snowball was injured and recuperating in a medical pod. By the time they returned to B3024, he should be fully healed and ready to go home with them.

 

As soon as they boarded the warship, the little cubs couldn’t wait to go find Snowball.

 

Only the little mermaid, who had long known that Snowball and Brother Rong were the same person, pretended to join in for the sake of blending in. He worked hard to play along, searching for Snowball with the others.

 

Faced with their puzzled gazes, Rong Heng frowned and gave a perfunctory explanation. “His injuries healed ahead of schedule, so he’s already gone to training.”

 

The cubs immediately looked disappointed.

 

The little fox and the little dragon cub wanted to say something, but the little mermaid quickly pulled them away, saying, [Snowball might come back in a few days. Merrell’s combat class is about to start.]

 

At the mention of class, the cubs instantly deflated and sluggishly followed him to the training room.

 

Only Ruan Jiao frowned in confusion.

 

Snowball was right here, so why were they still looking for him?

 

The flagship traveled for two days before finally reaching B3024.

 

Having received the news early, Ruan Shiqing was already waiting at the landing pad.

 

In the half-month they had been away, the Zerg infestation on B3024 had mostly been eradicated, and no new waves of Zergs were flooding in. However, Zerg corpses were still piled up in various places, and under Ruan Shiqing’s orders, the residents had been transporting them to designated sites for centralized disposal.

 

Although they had suffered hardships, now that they had pulled through, everything was starting to improve.

 

The sleek cyan warship landed on the pad.

 

The boarding ramp slowly extended downward, and the little cubs eagerly charged out.

 

The little dragon cub and the little fox scrambled to be the first to pounce into their father’s arms, rolling around affectionately. A step behind, Ruan Jiao threw his arms around his dad’s leg, his tentacles wriggling in delight. Sitting in his stroller, the little mermaid was the last to come out. He stopped in front of Ruan Shiqing, his bright eyes steady and calm.

 

“Welcome home.”

 

Ruan Shiqing rubbed each cub’s head in turn before shifting his gaze to Rong Heng, a hint of confusion in his expression. “Why didn’t Snowball come down? Is he still not fully healed?”

 

Rong Heng’s lips pressed together, and for a moment, a wave of dissatisfaction surged in his heart.

 

But he didn’t voice it, merely responding with a low “Mm.”

 

Ruan Shiqing looked slightly disappointed but didn’t show it. After all, Snowball was Mr. Rong’s younger brother, and after knowing him for so long, he had no reason to doubt Mr. Rong’s character. He also didn’t want to press too hard, fearing it might make things difficult for him.

 

So instead, he changed the topic considerately. “I’ve prepared a meal at home today to welcome everyone back.”

 

With that, the group boarded the land cruiser and headed for the repair shop.

 

Thanks to its defense system, the repair shop had remained largely unscathed, still looking the same as before. The Starfall vines, carefully tended to by the housekeeping bots[mfn]I’m guessing there are smaller/different ones that help our dear 09?[/mfn], were lush and thriving.

 

Dares had arrived at the shop ahead of them. He was squatting beside the Xiong brothers, watching them repair a hover racer, firing off endless questions.

 

Only when he noticed the land cruiser pulling up did he finally shut his mouth and get up to greet them.

 

Hearing the commotion, a certain housekeeping bot hurriedly emerged from the backyard, letting out a small exclamation of surprise before stepping forward to inspect the cubs one by one. After picking them up and weighing them in its arms, it looked distressed. “You’ve all lost weight.”

 

But it quickly perked up, swinging its arms. “But don’t worry! Mr. Ruan and I have prepared plenty of food today. We’ll make sure to fatten you all up again!”

 

Merrell twitched her nose, catching the rich aroma of freshly cooked food. She turned to Ruan Shiqing in surprise, her eyes lighting up. “Master Ruan can cook?”

 

Rong Heng, who was well aware of her tendencies, instinctively frowned and stepped between her and Ruan Shiqing, his voice stiff. “Let’s go inside first.”

 

Merrell didn’t mind being blocked and simply shifted her position, her gaze locking onto Ruan Shiqing with an intense curiosity. “Calling you ‘Master Ruan’ sounds too formal. Can I call you Shiqing instead?”

 

Ruan Shiqing smiled. “As you like.”

 

Merrell’s smile was bright and cheerful as she naturally walked beside him, affectionately calling out, “Shiqing.”

 

Trailing behind them, Rong Heng’s face darkened. His gaze bored into Merrell’s back, as if trying to burn two holes through her.

 

Shiqing.

 

He had known Ruan Shiqing for so long and had never addressed him so intimately.

 

So why did Merrell get to call him that first?

 

His Highness the Crown Prince was thoroughly displeased.

 

And maybe, just a little bit jealous.

 

He silently mouthed the name a few times, trying to mimic Merrell’s casual, affectionate tone. But in the end, he just sat there stiffly, unable to get even half a syllable out.

 

Ruan Shiqing, unaware of his inner turmoil, led everyone into the dining room.

 

The long marble dining table was covered with freshly prepared dishes, steaming and fragrant.

 

The little cubs immediately climbed into their special small chairs, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. However, they remained polite and didn’t start eating right away, waiting for the guests to be seated first.

 

Ruan Shiqing gestured for everyone to sit down.

 

Dares and the Xiong brothers sat together, with Merrell taking the seat beside Dares. Just as Ruan Shiqing was about to guide Rong Heng to sit next to her, Merrell suddenly spoke up. “Shiqing, why don’t you sit next to me? Let Mr. Rong take the head seat instead. That way, we can chat.”

 

Ruan Shiqing had initially planned to sit with the cubs, but since Merrell had spoken up, he didn’t insist and simply took the seat next to her.

 

Rong Heng, now left to sit at the head of the table alone, stared coldly at Merrell.

 

Completely oblivious to his death glare, Merrell enthusiastically struck up a conversation with Ruan Shiqing.

 

Despite being ruthless and decisive on the battlefield, in her daily life, Colonel Merrell was outgoing and talkative. Her confident, radiant personality, coupled with her striking beauty, made her naturally charismatic.

 

Which was precisely why she was notorious in the Yanji sector as a heartbreaker.

 

Her past boyfriends could fill an entire battleship, and even after breaking up, many still spoke highly of her, unable to forget her.

 

And now, it was clear—she had taken an interest in Ruan Shiqing.

 

When Merrell truly set her mind on getting close to someone, they usually found it difficult to resist her approach.

 

Ruan Shiqing was clearly enjoying their conversation, speaking with a smile in his eyes as he turned to reply to her. It was evident that he was having a good time.

 

The more at ease he was, the worse Rong Heng felt.

 

Ruan Shiqing had never interacted with him so effortlessly and happily before. Their conversations were always polite yet distant, even though they could now be considered friends.

 

His Highness the Crown Prince felt like there was a bundle of foxtail grass stuffed into his chest—tickling at his heart, neither quite painful nor truly itchy, yet leaving him restless and on edge, his whole body prickling with irritation.

 

As a result, his gaze toward Merrell grew increasingly frigid.

 

Finally, after enduring the entire dinner, just as Merrell was about to exchange contact information with Ruan Shiqing, Rong Heng could no longer sit still. He abruptly stood up, his expression dark, and called Merrell outside.

 

The pleasant dinner was interrupted.

 

Merrell looked at him, utterly baffled by the furious Crown Prince, who seemed as though he had swallowed a barrel of gunpowder.

 

“I don’t believe I provoked you tonight, did I?”

 

If she recalled correctly, she hadn’t even spoken a single word to him.

 

Rong Heng pressed his lips together, lowering his voice. “You shouldn’t be making a move on Ruan Shiqing.”

 

“Why not?” Merrell raised an eyebrow. “I already asked—Master Ruan is still single.”

 

She made no attempt to hide her intentions. When it came to someone she liked, she had always believed in pursuing them openly.

 

Ruan Shiqing was highly capable, had a great personality, and happened to match her taste in looks. But most importantly—he could cook!

 

That fact alone was enough to make her heart flutter instantly.

 

So much so that she was willing to overlook the nearly twenty-centimeter height difference between them.

 

Her open and straightforward attitude left Rong Heng momentarily speechless.

 

Why? Because I won’t allow it.

 

But why wouldn’t he allow it?

 

He couldn’t say.

 

So after a long, stifling silence, His Highness the Crown Prince finally squeezed out a flimsy excuse—

 

“…He’s not an adult yet.”

 

 

 

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Lmao Rong Rong…!!! Doesn’t that make Ruan Ruan “off limits” to you too then?

 

Thanks for reading!

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