TCPUAAV Chapter 95

 

 

 

 

Rong Heng followed Ruan Shiqing into the bedroom, nerves on edge.

 

With a casual motion, Ruan Shiqing closed the door behind them, shutting out the curious gazes of the cubs in the living room.

 

The door made a dull thud as it shut, and Rong Heng’s brow twitched.

 

…Was it just his imagination, or did that sound carry a hint of suppressed anger?

 

But why was Ruan Shiqing so mad?

 

Hadn’t he already said they’d deal with everything after returning to B3024? Was he upset that Rong Heng had dragged the cubs into getting wanted notices? But Snowball was innocent in all this!

 

Besides, it was just a wanted poster. That shouldn’t be such a big deal… right?

 

The crown prince felt increasingly uneasy. Could it be that “Mr. Rong” had done something to make Ruan Shiqing take his anger out on Snowball?

 

Cautiously, he lifted his eyes to gauge Ruan Shiqing’s expression—only to find the man staring directly at him, his gaze unfathomable.

 

…???

 

Rong Heng was even more confused now.

 

Testing the waters, he trotted forward two steps, rose up on his hind legs, and placed his front paws on Ruan Shiqing’s thigh, letting out a soft, ingratiating whimper.

 

His warm brown eyes radiated pure innocence.

 

—What an act.

 

Ruan Shiqing looked at him, not exactly furious, but definitely not pleased.

 

He had always been known for his good temper, but even the most patient person had their limits.

 

If Rong Heng had been even slightly more honest, Ruan Shiqing wouldn’t have been so annoyed.

 

But no, this guy had to keep pretending—trying to act all cute to wriggle his way out of this.

 

As if it were that easy.

 

Ruan Shiqing let out a soft, amused huff, his initial intention of having a straightforward conversation instantly fading.

 

Instead, he ruffled Rong Heng’s fur, then reached out and removed the miniature smart device hanging around his neck, placing it in front of him.

 

His voice was calm, even gentle.

 

“I need to discuss something with your older brother, but I haven’t been able to reach him. Can you call him for me?”

 

Pausing, he seemed to remember how “Mr. Rong” had dodged his calls countless times under the excuse of being busy.

 

So, he added, “It’s extremely urgent. Since you and Mr. Rong are biological brothers, you must have some private way of contacting him that others don’t know about, right?”

 

He deliberately emphasized “biological brothers” and fixed Rong Heng with a heavy gaze.

 

Rong Heng: ……

 

Why did that sound like it was gritted through his teeth?

 

Feeling more lost than ever, Rong Heng had no choice but to brace himself and dial “Mr. Rong”’s number.

 

Naturally, the call did not go through.

 

Fifteen seconds later, it automatically disconnected.

 

Rong Heng hesitantly lifted his eyes, only to meet Ruan Shiqing’s deep, unreadable gaze.

 

…That bad feeling in his gut intensified.

 

Without a word, he dialed again.

 

Then a third time.

 

And a fourth.

 

All with the same result—no answer.

 

Only then did Rong Heng cautiously shift, typing out a message:

 

[No one’s picking up.]

 

Ruan Shiqing seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then, after a brief pause, he glanced at Rong Heng and said,

 

“This really is an extremely urgent matter. Since you can’t reach him either, how about taking me to your house? Maybe your parents will have a way to contact him.”

 

He smiled faintly.

 

“Your family does live in Sikkim, right?”

 

“……”

 

At this point, Rong Heng didn’t just feel his scalp tingling—his entire body was on high alert.

 

A creeping realization dawned upon him, and he lifted his gaze to meet Ruan Shiqing’s, his wide brown eyes round with shock.

 

Ruan Shiqing smiled at him.

 

“If it’s inconvenient for me to visit your home, that’s fine,” he said pleasantly. “I just realized that I’ve been calling him ‘Mr. Rong’ all this time without even knowing his full name. Why don’t you tell me? I can go ask the military if they have a way to contact him.”

 

The fur on Rong Heng’s body bristled instantly, his ears standing rigidly upright and tilting slightly forward.

 

Ruan Shiqing simply kept smiling at him, saying nothing more.

 

He knows.

 

The thought surfaced in Rong Heng’s mind like cold water being poured down his back.

 

It wasn’t just about the wanted notices.

 

Ruan Shiqing knew that “Mr. Rong” and “Snowball” were the same person.

 

The crown prince stared at him, wracking his brain for when exactly he had slipped up.

 

This shouldn’t have happened.

 

Yet Ruan Shiqing’s expression said it all—he was deliberately making things difficult for him.

 

Rong Heng hesitated, then tentatively typed out a message:

 

[Did you figure it out?]

 

Ruan Shiqing propped his chin on one hand, dragging out his words lazily. “Figure what out?”

 

He smirked, his tone playful yet sharp. “I know a lot of things.”

 

With that, he continued watching Rong Heng with that unsettlingly amused gaze.

 

“……”

 

There was no denying it now.

 

Rong Heng stopped struggling. His face felt like it was burning, but he clenched his jaw and shifted back into his human form.

 

Ruan Shiqing watched as the small, round cub was suddenly enveloped in a burst of dazzling light. The glowing sphere expanded, and when the radiance faded, what stood before him was the ever-serious Mr. Rong.

 

His clothes were hastily thrown on—his crisp white military uniform had its top fastenings left undone, and the prominent Adam’s apple at his throat bobbed slightly, as if he were preparing himself for something.

 

His expression was neither surprised nor panicked.

 

Instead, Rong Heng lowered his gaze and spoke in a low voice. “I’m sorry.”

 

No excuses. No justifications. Just a direct, straightforward apology.

 

This apology had been due for a long time.

 

Yet after coming to terms with his own feelings, Rong Heng had found himself hesitating, making excuses, delaying the inevitable—until he had finally backed himself into this corner.

 

Ruan Shiqing tilted his head up to look at him, an eyebrow arching slightly.

 

“And what exactly is Mr. Rong apologizing for?”

 

At this moment, Ruan Shiqing was seated while Rong Heng stood.

 

By logic, it should have been a downward gaze.

 

But inexplicably, Rong Heng felt as though he was the one looking up.

 

He swallowed again, hesitating before finally saying, “I shouldn’t have pretended to be Snowball to deceive you. And I shouldn’t have… taken the cubs to become… interstellar pirates.”

 

His voice grew quieter toward the end, and by the time he finished speaking, his ears were red.

 

This is humiliating.

 

Rong Heng had never conceded weakness to anyone before.

 

If he weren’t worried that Ruan Shiqing would get even angrier, he would have rather run for his life and hidden somewhere to die of shame in peace.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s sharp eyes caught the redness in his ears.

 

The normally imposing man looked a little dispirited, his long, usually neatly tied-back hair now slightly disheveled. A few rebellious strands even stuck out awkwardly.

 

And somehow… at this moment, there really was a bit of Snowball in him.

 

Before, he had thought that Mr. Rong and Snowball were completely different, but now… he could see the resemblance.

 

Some of his irritation dissipated, and perhaps because of that lingering affection for Snowball, when he looked at the tall man in front of him, he even found him a little…

 

Cute.

 

Ruan Shiqing softened his tone. “Back then, when I came to ask for Snowball, why didn’t you just tell me the truth?”

 

After figuring out his true identity, he simply couldn’t understand why Rong Heng had chosen to pretend to be Snowball and stay by his side. If the man had told him outright that he was Snowball, he definitely wouldn’t have pressed any further.

 

Rong Heng pursed his lips, reluctant to answer. After a brief hesitation, he muttered, “Because it was too humiliating.”

 

At the time, it had been nothing more than an impulsive decision. He hadn’t expected to stay on B3024 for long or to have so many interactions with Ruan Shiqing.

 

But as time passed, the longer he stayed, the less willing he became to leave.

 

And before he realized it—he had started falling for him.

 

The crown prince turned his gaze away, uneasy, afraid that Ruan Shiqing would catch the emotions flickering in his eyes.

 

Ruan Shiqing hadn’t expected that to be the reason. He froze for a moment, then let out a helpless chuckle.

 

He didn’t dwell on the topic any further and instead pressed on with his questions. “So, are you actually part of the military? And why did you take the cubs to become interstellar pirates?”

 

When he first saw the wanted notices, his initial reaction was that Mr. Rong’s claim of being in the military was a lie. But then, the soldiers who had rescued B3024 were undeniably real. Mr. Rong, Dares, and Merrell had also displayed unmistakable military discipline in both their words and actions.

 

During his time at the research institute, he had met plenty of soldiers—he wouldn’t mistake one so easily.

 

But that only made things more contradictory.

 

What kind of legitimate soldier would lead a group of cubs into piracy and robbery?

 

That question had been weighing on his mind for a long time.

 

“I was once a soldier,” Rong Heng admitted after a brief pause, no longer hiding his identity. “My real name is Rong Heng. I was originally stationed in the Yanji Grand District.”

 

Rong Heng.

 

Ruan Shiqing silently repeated the name in his mind, his heart skipping a beat.

 

That name felt familiar.

 

Then it clicked.

 

In the novel, the former crown prince who was assassinated had been called Rong Heng.

 

It had only been a brief mention—just enough to establish the background of the story.

 

Rong Heng was the only child of the Mad King and the former queen, but on the eve of his coronation, he was ambushed and killed. With the royal bloodline cut off, the throne was passed to the former queen’s husband instead.

 

By the time the novel began, the former crown prince had already been dead for seventeen years.

 

The Mad King had since married a new wife and had another son—Soma.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s gaze snapped up to Rong Heng, his mind flashing back to their first meeting—when the man had been bleeding out, a gaping wound torn through his abdomen.

 

If he calculated the timeline…

 

That must have been the assassination attempt.

 

For the first time, Ruan Shiqing felt the weight of fate pressing down on him.

 

A prince who should have died seventeen years ago had somehow ended up in his home.

 

 

 

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Hubby is mad so Rong Rong has to apologize lol But it is finally revealed! 95 chapters!!! Phew, that took a long time!

 

(He thought Rong Rong was cute hehehehe)

 

Thanks for reading!

 

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