Chapter 100
Since the net was intended for the Star-Chain Fruit Vines to climb rather than for actual fishing, Su Ci didn’t hold the young ones to high standards. As long as it resembled a net, it was good enough.
The final product, approximately six or seven meters tall, was hung in place and covered the rear wall of the nursery building, spanning the first and second floors.
The rear wall of the building had no windows, and with the addition of the rope net, the previously plain facade now had a decorative touch, giving it a distinct and refreshed look.
The irregularly shaped and unevenly spaced netting might not have been aesthetically pleasing, but it was a result of the young ones’ joint efforts.
Standing beneath the net, the children gazed up at its enormous size. To fully take in its entirety, they had to crane their necks and step far back. The sense of accomplishment welling up in their hearts was indescribable.
At that moment, Su Ci’s light clapping once again drew their attention.
The young ones turned to look at him in unison.
In his hands, Su Ci held a bundle of rope—leftover material from weaving the net. It had been stripped into thinner strands and cut into lengths of just over a meter.
“Next, we need to guide the Star-Chain Fruit Vines onto the net,” Su Ci explained.
The net hung about a meter off the ground, and while the recently transplanted vines could grow rapidly and climb on their own, the regular Star-Chain Fruit Vines wouldn’t reach that high. They needed to be guided with ropes to start their climb.
Under Su Ci and A-Yan’s instructions, Lang Ze and the others tied the thin ropes to the lower section of the net, fastening the other ends to stones placed next to the Star-Chain Fruit seedlings.
They then carefully wrapped the tender tendrils of the vines around the ropes. This way, the vines would naturally climb along the thin ropes and eventually reach the main net.
As for the sturdier vines, those were easier to manage. The children simply tied the sprawling vines directly to the net.
Once everything was in place, the once dull gray net gained a splash of vibrant green. The star-shaped leaves of the vines adorned the net, swaying gently in the sunlight and breeze, reflecting glimmers of light.
The children stood below the net, looking up with eyes full of anticipation.
When the Star-Chain Fruit Vines eventually covered the wall, wouldn’t it be a magnificent sight? And if their rooms had windows, they’d be able to see the lush green vines from inside their own spaces.
When the vines began to bear fruit, could they even pluck the fruit directly from their windows to eat?
They imagined that moment vividly.
Though it seemed like a distant future, as they stood before the giant net and recalled the process of weaving it together…
They felt a deep conviction that one day, with their own hands, they could turn this vision into reality.
That confidence had never been stronger.
However…
“Will the vines really climb up the wall like this?” Lang Ze asked skeptically.
The net was so tall, and the Star-Chain Fruit Vines were so short. Wouldn’t they fall off as they climbed? Lang Ze, who didn’t know much about plants, couldn’t help but doubt.
Su Ci didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, “Why don’t you come and see for yourself tomorrow?”
Lang Ze thought about it and found the idea reasonable.
Sure, they could come check tomorrow! After all, from now on, they could play here every day!
“Grumble… grumble-grumble—”
With the task completed and their minds relaxed, the young ones, already exhausted, finally felt their hunger. One by one, their stomachs began to growl.
It was lunchtime, so Su Ci sent them off to eat while he returned to his dormitory.
As for A-Yan, he had gone back earlier to prepare lunch.
“Yay! Time to eat! Time to eat!”
Lang Ze shouted excitedly, then bent down and hoisted Zheng Xing onto his back before sprinting toward the nursery building entrance. His cheerful voice echoed from afar:
“Roasted meat, here we come!”
They had helped slice the meat earlier in the morning, and according to A-Yan, they’d each get two pieces of meat for lunch!
The thought of delicious roasted meat made Lang Ze forget all his fatigue as he carried Zheng Xing and dashed away.
“Lang Ze, Zheng Xing! Wait for me!”
Seeing Lang Ze run off with Zheng Xing, Lu Jiao panicked and quickly started chasing after them.
The lion siblings, realizing what was happening, soon snapped out of it as well.
Oh right—roasted meat for lunch!
Little Rong Heng grabbed his sister and effortlessly tossed her onto his back. Little Li Hua adjusted her position naturally, wrapping her arms around her brother’s shoulders and cheering, “Hurry, brother, catch up!”
She had also helped prepare the ingredients that morning, so both she and her brother would get two pieces of meat! Little Li Hua couldn’t help but smile.
Little Rong Heng remained silent. Even with his sister on his back, he sprinted at full speed. Though initially a bit behind, he quickly caught up and passed Lu Jiao like a gust of wind.
Lu Jiao, who was normally quite fast and often raced Lang Ze, knew that if he got serious, Lang Ze wouldn’t necessarily outrun him—especially since Lang Ze was carrying Zheng Xing.
But Lu Jiao’s stamina wasn’t great.
After a busy morning of farming, weaving the net, and tying ropes, he was already starving and weak. Hunger combined with fatigue made his legs wobbly, and he simply couldn’t run fast.
All he could do was watch as his friends’ figures disappeared into the distance.
That feeling was deeply unpleasant.
Lu Jiao grew anxious, and his eyes involuntarily reddened. He knew it wasn’t good to feel this way, but he couldn’t help it. Just as the sadness threatened to overwhelm him, he saw something unexpected—
Little Rong Heng, who had already sprinted ahead with his sister on his back, turned around and came back for him.
“Xiang Yang…”
Without a word, Little Rong Heng scooped Lu Jiao up, holding him horizontally under one arm, and started running full speed again.
Truly worthy of being recognized as the leader by Lang Ze—even carrying two others didn’t slow him down.
Dangling in the air and watching the scenery rush past, Lu Jiao was stunned.
He never imagined Little Rong Heng would come back for him. Though the ride was bumpy and made him dizzy, the sadness in his heart vanished instantly, especially because—
When they arrived at the front of the nursery building, they saw that the boy with wolf ears wasn’t, as Lu Jiao had assumed, already inside the dining hall eating.
The boy stood at the entrance, carrying Zheng Xing on his back, jogging in place. His large tail wagged back and forth, and his eyes darted toward their direction, clearly anxious but still patiently waiting.
When he saw Little Rong Heng carrying Little Li Hua on his back, with Lu Jiao tucked under one arm, sprinting toward him, Lang Ze froze for a moment.
Wow, no wonder Rong Heng used to be his leader—this was incredible!
“Brother, charge! Let’s eat roasted meat!”
With Little Li Hua’s encouragement, Rong Heng didn’t even pause. He dashed past Lang Ze without stopping.
Finally snapping out of his shock, Lang Ze let out a startled cry.
“Ah! Wait for me!”
Then he broke into a full sprint to catch up.
The two boys raced each other, skipping the elevator entirely and dashing up the stairs to the second-floor dining hall.
When they burst into the room, 4586 had already set their lunch neatly on the table. The cheerful AI greeted them energetically.
“Hello, little darlings! Good afternoon!”
“Good afternoon~”
Only Little Li Hua responded. As for the others… it was clear that the lunch 4586 had prepared wasn’t what they had been hoping for.
“Is Brother A-Yan not here yet?”
Lang Ze placed Zheng Xing in his seat and sat down next to him. He opened his meal tray, and upon seeing the usual meat jelly, his expression immediately fell.
4586, unaware that A-Yan was Number One, still tried to comfort him. “Be a good little one and eat your lunch. Brother A-Yan will be here very soon!”
“Alright…”
Lang Ze pouted but didn’t complain further. After all, he had promised Su Ci earlier to be well-behaved, and he wouldn’t make things difficult for the caregiver robot.
“Lang Ze, you need to wash your hands before eating.”
Lu Jiao, now released from Rong Heng’s grip, thanked the lion siblings before running to his usual seat.
The aroma of the meat jelly made his stomach growl, but when he looked at his dirt-covered hands from the morning’s work, he held back.
In fact, except for Little Li Hua, who was slightly cleaner, all five young ones—including Zheng Xing—were filthy from head to toe, as if they had rolled around in the dirt all morning.
“It doesn’t really matter, does it?” Lang Ze glanced at his dirty hands.
After all, he’d been filthier before, so dirty his skin color couldn’t even be seen—and yet, he’d still eaten just fine.
“No, you have to wash your hands,” Lu Jiao insisted. “Otherwise, if Su Su finds out, he won’t be happy.”
Lang Ze thought about how Su Su always wiped down his flute before playing and reluctantly climbed down from his chair to join his friends in washing up.
Little Rong Heng exchanged a look with his sister, then glanced at his own mud-covered hands. Hesitating, he asked, “Should we go too?”
“Of course!” Little Li Hua, who already loved being clean, naturally agreed without hesitation.
And so, the group of children, who had come bursting into the dining hall moments earlier, all rushed off together to the washing station—a corner that was usually left unused.
4586 watched as the young ones obediently went to wash their hands. Its electronic eyes first displayed two question marks, looking puzzled and surprised, but then shifted to a pair of smiling icons.
Such good little ones. So adorable!
After rinsing their hands clean—and washing their faces for good measure—the children quietly returned to the table to start eating.
Although they were disappointed that A-Yan hadn’t shown up, their hunger was too overwhelming to dwell on it for long.
Anyway, the meat slices won’t be filling, so let’s eat the meat jelly first!
As soon as Lang Ze put the first spoonful of jelly in his mouth, he couldn’t help but squint his eyes in delight and exclaim, “Wow, the jelly tastes so good today!”
The jelly was, of course, the same as always, but the young ones were no longer the same as before.
When you’re hungry, everything tastes amazing!
Even Zheng Xing, who was usually a picky eater, quietly ate spoonful after spoonful. As Lang Ze made his comment, Zheng Xing gave a barely perceptible nod.
“It really is delicious!” Lu Jiao chimed in.
“4586, you’re the best!” Little Li Hua gave the nanny robot a big thumbs-up.
Even Little Rong Heng nodded in agreement.
It was the first time all the young ones had collectively praised it. 4586 froze for a moment, its electronic eyes displaying a stunned expression, before shifting to a teary-eyed emoji.
How wonderful! The little ones like today’s lunch!
The nanny robot quickly captured this precious moment on camera, its core processor running so hot it almost overheated.
“By the way…”
After polishing off half a plate of jelly in one go and finally feeling less ravenous, Lu Jiao suddenly spoke, drawing the others’ attention.
He cleared his throat and, with the air of a little grown-up, said, “To make sure Su Su stays with us, we need to behave really well from now on.”
“If we behave well and make Su Su like us, he’ll want to stay with us. At the same time, the other adults in the base will see how good we’ve become and recognize Su Su, helping him pass the breeder’s assessment.”
The other children nodded in agreement with Lu Jiao’s reasoning.
“So, how should we behave specifically?” Lu Jiao posed the question, though he had his own ideas. Still, he wanted to give his friends a chance to share their thoughts.
“By listening to Su Su, of course!” Lang Ze answered confidently, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“What about when Su Su isn’t saying anything?”
This question from Lu Jiao stumped Lang Ze. When Su Su wasn’t talking…
He scratched his head, looking a bit lost.
“When Su Su isn’t around or isn’t giving instructions, we need to follow basic rules,” Lu Jiao said seriously after swallowing a bite of vegetable jelly.
“Like what?” Little Rong Heng asked, intrigued.
“For example, the most important rule: during nighttime and early mornings, we must stay quiet and avoid making noise!”
This statement earned unanimous nods from the other three young ones. Little Rong Heng paused, then also nodded—though he was genuinely curious about what Su Su’s supposed morning grumpiness might look like.
“That’s obvious; everyone already knows that,” Lang Ze said.
Lu Jiao shook his head. “It’s not just about us. There’s also Number Two and Number Six—they need to follow the rules too.”
As someone who used to consider them comrades, Lu Jiao still wanted to help them out. If everyone could get along peacefully, without fighting or conflict, Su Su might like them even more, right?
Hearing this, Lang Ze pouted. “Number Two is okay, but as for that stinky monkey Number Six, there’s no way I’ll ever be friends with him!”
Before Little Rong Heng could say anything, Little Li Hua chimed in angrily, “Number Two isn’t okay either!”
If it weren’t for Number Two going berserk and attacking her, 4583 wouldn’t have almost died trying to protect her, and her brother wouldn’t have gotten into a fight with Number Two, leading to everything else that happened afterward.
So making peace with them was a tall order.
Lu Jiao sighed, recognizing the difficulty of the situation. He opted for a compromise. “If you can’t be friends, then at least stop fighting.”
He added, “A lot of the previous breeders left because we fought so much. You don’t want Su Su to leave too, right?”
This argument made sense.
Lang Ze puffed out his cheeks in frustration and reluctantly asked, “Does this mean we can’t fight at all anymore?”
How was he supposed to get stronger without fighting? And without fights, wouldn’t life become a lot more boring?
But Lu Jiao replied, “Have you felt bored these past two days without fighting?”
Lang Ze blinked. Only then did he realize… wait, he hadn’t fought anyone in days! The last time was with Youyou…
“So fighting isn’t a necessity, is it?” Lu Jiao pressed.
The young ones all nodded in agreement.
“Of course,” Lu Jiao continued, “if you really want to fight to get stronger, we can spar with each other. But after the fight, we’re still friends.”
“Yes! I like that idea!” Lang Ze exclaimed.
He still believed fighting was essential—he had been raised by space pirates, and he knew that without strength, he’d only get bullied. That lesson was deeply ingrained in him.
So giving up fighting entirely wasn’t an option. But fighting for practice and staying friends afterward? That, he could accept.
So Lu Jiao said, “Let’s agree on a second rule: try not to fight, and if you do, it should only be friendly sparring.”
“Deal!”
Lang Ze nodded. As long as Number Six didn’t provoke him first, he wasn’t interested in picking a fight.
Little Rong Heng and the others also agreed to this rule.
“Alright, the third rule is about being polite,” Lu Jiao continued.
In his opinion, Lang Ze interrupting Su Su during his call earlier was very impolite. However, he also felt that if Lang Ze hadn’t taken the lead, they might not have come together to persuade Su Su to stay.
Without that, they might never have received Su Su’s promise.
Moreover, it was precisely because of Lang Ze’s bold personality that they were now friends with Zheng Xing. Wasn’t that a good thing?
So, Lu Jiao didn’t want Lang Ze to change too much.
“No name-calling, and when you meet elders, you should address them as ‘grandpa’ or ‘grandma,’” he began explaining.
Although he found it a bit tedious, Lang Ze reluctantly said, “Fine.”
After all, Su Su had already lectured him about manners plenty of times. Lang Ze knew that Su Su liked polite children.
Seeing everyone agree, Lu Jiao moved on. “The fourth rule is no destroying things.”
“More rules?” Lang Ze groaned dramatically.
Still, he didn’t object to this one because Su Su had once punished him by making him repair the chairs and tables he had broken.
Ever since then, he thought twice before smashing furniture.
Little Li Hua was also very supportive of this rule. “Yes! Don’t break the nanny robot!”
Nearby, 4586’s electronic eyes displayed a deeply moved expression.
“Got it, got it,” Lang Ze muttered, pouting. He felt like all the rules so far were aimed at him. Resigned, he asked, “Is that all?”
“That’s all I can think of for now,” Lu Jiao replied.
Lang Ze finally breathed a sigh of relief, while Rong Heng gave Lu Jiao a few extra glances, feeling as though he was seeing him for the first time.
How is this Lu Jiao so smart? He’s only a bit older than Little Li Hua, yet he speaks so clearly and logically, with everything well-organized.
He glanced at his carefree little sister, who was happily eating her food without a worry in the world, and felt a twinge of concern.
Have I protected her too much?
Should he start changing his approach? Or wait until she was a bit older?
One thing was certain—he would make sure his sister spent more time with the clever little deer. At the very least, she could learn a lot from him.
*
While Rong Heng was pondering his sister’s education and the other young ones were busy eating, A-Yan finally arrived, albeit a bit late.
Although he had left earlier, today’s lunch was still slightly delayed. Thankfully, Su Ci didn’t blame him. With Su Ci ensuring he ate his fill every meal, even eating a bit later wasn’t too hard to bear.
As soon as A-Yan stepped into the dining hall, the young ones with animal ears all turned in unison to look at him. Even Zheng Xing, who couldn’t see, tilted his head in A-Yan’s direction.
No matter how many times he witnessed this, it was impossible not to find it utterly adorable.
A-Yan paused for a moment, then used his communicator to say, “I’m here to divide up the meat for you.”
“Yay!”
After a brief silence, the young ones erupted into cheers.
A-Yan set his tray on the table and retrieved five small bowls from his spatial storage. Then he lifted the lid off the tray, releasing the rich, enticing aroma of roasted meat into the air. Almost immediately, the sound of little mouths gulping down saliva filled the room.
In the past, the children would have rushed to grab the meat. But the nursery wasn’t the same as before. Now, they all sat obediently in their chairs, eyes sparkling as they stared in one direction, waiting patiently for their portion. Even Lu Jiao and Little Li Hua, influenced by Lang Ze, couldn’t help but wag their tails in anticipation.
Rong Heng noticed this.
“…”
Why do I feel like wagging my tail too?
Finding the idea too embarrassing, Rong Heng did his best to restrain himself, though his expression ended up looking a bit stiff as a result.
Finally, A-Yan placed a small bowl in front of him. After some internal debate, Rong Heng hesitated briefly before mimicking the others and softly said, “Thank you… Brother A-Yan.”
Even Zheng Xing had said it, and Rong Heng had just promised to be polite.
Still, it was his first time calling someone “Brother,” and the words felt awkward on his tongue. His face heated up uncontrollably, tinged with red.
Fortunately, everyone was too focused on the roasted meat to notice—except for A-Yan.
He glanced at the overly serious little lion and his slightly flushed cheeks, and for the first time, thought Number Four might actually be pretty cute.
Just then, Lang Ze, who had already started eating, suddenly noticed something unusual.
He had already eaten two pieces of meat, but there was still one left in his bowl.
Looking around and realizing that his friends also had the same amount, he asked in surprise, “Brother A-Yan, is there an extra piece of roasted meat today?”
A-Yan nodded and explained, “Yes, since you helped weave the net today, you each get an extra piece of meat.”
This had been Su Ci’s decision.
However, at this rate, the giant spider meat wouldn’t last long. A-Yan was already starting to think about alternative plans.
Once the spider meat was gone, there was still the black-armored beetle, but it was much smaller. He wasn’t sure how much edible meat could be purified from it in the end…
The young ones, however, were oblivious to A-Yan’s concerns.
Upon hearing that helping with net-weaving could earn them an extra piece of meat, their eyes lit up, and they were eager to have even more tasks to do.
Work was fun, and it came with delicious meat! Who wouldn’t like that?
The three slices of roasted meat were quickly devoured. A-Yan collected their bowls and left the dining hall.
Thin slices of meat, even three pieces, weren’t enough to fill their stomachs, so once the meat was gone, the young ones had to continue eating their usual meat paste.
While shoveling the paste into his mouth, Lang Ze couldn’t help but mutter, “If only we could eat roasted meat until we were full… that would be amazing!”
He imagined the bland meat paste in front of him transforming into a whole plate of steaming, fragrant roasted meat, and his eyes gleamed green with longing.
But the moment he took another bite of the paste, reality hit, and he was deeply disappointed.
Although the paste smelled appetizing and triggered his hunger, the taste was very mediocre—especially compared to real meat, which made it almost unbearable.
Still, Lang Ze didn’t waste a single bite. He knew the value of food all too well, having experienced real hunger before.
Even if the paste wasn’t delicious, he would finish every last bite—that’s why he was growing tall and strong. After all, you needed to eat well to have strength!
Sitting across from him, Rong Heng, who had also been won over by the taste of roasted meat, nodded in agreement with Lang Ze’s dream. However, his thoughts took a slightly different direction.
He glanced at his little sister sitting beside him and silently resolved: I need to work even harder so my sister can have her fill of meat in the future!
Only Lu Jiao, after daydreaming with the others for a moment, came back to reality and calmly analyzed the situation. “This is giant spider meat. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
The paste could fill them up because the logistics robots would deliver more. But spider meat was different. No matter how large a giant spider was, there would eventually be no more meat left once it was all eaten. Without a supply, they would have no meat to eat.
“So, we should cherish this time while we still have meat to eat.”
His words were grim, but they made sense.
Lang Ze instantly felt like his dreams had been shattered. Before he could wail in despair, Little Li Hua’s voice rang out.
“But there are so many, many giant spiders!” the little girl said confidently.
“There’s no way we could finish them all!”
Of course, that was assuming Su Su was willing to go and hunt the spiders. But Su Su probably liked eating meat too, right? Otherwise, why would he have A-Yan cutting meat every day?
As long as Su Su was around, they could keep eating meat!
Little Li Hua’s statement lifted Lang Ze’s spirits. “Really?”
“Yep!”
Little Li Hua nodded vigorously and was about to elaborate when her brother’s voice interrupted her from the side, low and suspicious.
“Li Hua, how do you know…” Rong Heng’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly. “That there are so many, many giant spiders?”
Faced with her brother’s scrutiny, Little Li Hua instantly shrank her neck like a cat caught stealing food. The proud expression on her face vanished without a trace.
What happened that night had been a secret she kept from her brother, fearing he’d be angry if he found out.
Her eyes darted around nervously, and under her brother’s intense gaze, she decided to make a hasty retreat.
“I… I’m full… My clothes are dirty, I’ll go change first…” she stammered before quickly slipping off her chair and bolting out of the dining hall.
Her rushed escape only made her look guiltier.
Rong Heng watched his sister’s retreating figure, and his suspicion solidified. She was definitely hiding something from him. His expression darkened, and a hint of hurt flickered in his eyes.
The little girl he had raised single-handedly, who used to tell him everything without reservation, now had secrets of her own. Even when he had clearly noticed, she still chose to keep it from him.
“Xiang Yang, don’t blame Li Hua…”
At that moment, he heard Lu Jiao’s voice from across the table. Rong Heng turned to look, his mood souring further, and his gaze inadvertently became sharp and intimidating.
The imposing young lion unconsciously exuded the aura of a king of the grasslands.
However, Lu Jiao wasn’t fazed. He spoke calmly, “Li Hua was controlled by the monster. It’s not her fault.”
The incident that night, when he was nearly taken and eaten by the monster because of Little Li Hua, had already been forgiven. And with the bond they’d developed over the past two days, he hesitated before stepping up to defend her.
He envied the bond between the lion siblings—a connection rooted in blood that he would never have.
Because of this, he didn’t want to see any cracks in their precious relationship.
But what Lu Jiao didn’t know was that Rong Heng only had a fragmented understanding of what had happened that night.
Hearing his words, Rong Heng’s heart skipped a beat.
Learning that during his absence from the nursery, his sister had been controlled by a monster left him shocked, followed by a wave of guilt and heartache.
If he hadn’t gone berserk and been taken away, none of this would’ve happened…
Then Lu Jiao continued, “The monster seemed to have told her that you were captured, so she always wanted to save you.”
Although Li Hua hadn’t explicitly said this, Lu Jiao reasoned that the only way she could’ve known something had happened to her brother—aside from the caretaker telling her—was through the monster.
The monster must have used that information to coerce her into using her abilities to control them, promising that once successful, she could go save her brother. When he thought about it this way, everything clicked into place.
And at the last moment, Li Hua must have realized what was happening.
After all, when he regained consciousness from the monster’s control, he wasn’t outside the room but in the hall.
Despite the danger, there was still a sliver of hope.
Moreover, at that moment, he had heard Li Hua crying—before Su Su had been awakened. It wasn’t Su Su’s intervention that had stopped her; Li Hua had willingly let go of her control over them.
It was precisely because of this that Lu Jiao forgave her so quickly.
Although it didn’t fully align with the truth, Lu Jiao’s guess was already very close to reality.
Hearing Lu Jiao’s explanation on behalf of his sister, Rong Heng was stunned for a moment before nodding slightly and saying, “Youyou, thank you for telling me this. And… I’m sorry.”
On behalf of his sister, he apologized to Lu Jiao once again.
Even though Lu Jiao had already forgiven his sister, Rong Heng felt that since the matter originated because of him, he bore part of the responsibility. He also resolved in his heart to make up for it in the future.
Then, he stood up and walked out of the restaurant.
Rong Heng felt it was necessary to have a good talk with his sister.
His sister was growing up and had her own little secrets, which saddened him but was something he could reluctantly understand. However, he couldn’t allow her to take the wrong path behind his back!
With a somber expression, the young man left the restaurant, leaving behind Lang Ze and Lu Jiao, who exchanged worried glances.
Only Zheng Xing remained quietly eating, completely undisturbed by the outside world.
*
In the afternoon, after Su Ci woke up from his nap and arrived at the green space behind the Nursery Center at the agreed time, he only found the three cubs.
The one who initially suggested going to find Luo Shengfei, Little Li Hua, and her brother were absent.
Su Ci frowned slightly and asked, “Where are Little Li Hua and Xiang Yang?”
At the same time, he released his spiritual sense. Only when he saw the lion siblings safe in their room did he feel relieved.
“Su Su, Xiang Yang just came by and said that he and Little Li Hua aren’t going anymore,” Lang Ze said hesitantly.
“Why?” Su Ci was puzzled.
“It seems like Little Li Hua made Xiang Yang angry…” Lang Ze scratched his head, equally clueless about the specifics.
Everything had been fine at noon. Although he was also shocked to learn that Little Li Hua could control others and had been lured by a monster that terrible night, everything seemed to have settled now. Even Youyou had forgiven Little Li Hua.
So why was Xiang Yang still so angry? He wouldn’t even let her join them to play…
That punishment seemed too harsh! Lang Ze couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Little Li Hua.
Hearing Lang Ze’s response, Su Ci once again used his spiritual sense to check on the lion siblings’ room.
At this moment, their emotions were relatively stable. The young lion was standing by the table with his arms crossed, while Little Li Hua was leaning over the table, holding a brush and writing on a piece of paper.
“Fu Qiu.”
What she was writing was her full name.
Little Li Hua had a great memory. Su Ci had only written it on the ground once, and she remembered it. Now she could even write it again, with the correct stroke order.
Because she enjoyed drawing, even though she hadn’t practiced calligraphy, her handwriting was surprisingly decent—not messy or sloppy.
Su Ci watched for a while, then tilted his head in confusion.
So, this was…?
At this moment, Little Li Hua finally filled an entire sheet of paper with her full name.
Just as she finished the final stroke and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the young boy standing beside her flipped the paper over and, with a stern expression, said, “Keep writing.”
Little Li Hua looked at him pitifully, her soft voice trembling as she said, “Big brother…”
But Rong Heng didn’t soften.
Frowning, he looked into his sister’s eyes and said, “I’m glad you tried to save me when you knew I was in trouble, but how could you make a deal with a monster?”
The boy wore an expression that seemed to say, How could I have such a foolish sister?
This crisis had made him realize that in the future, it wouldn’t always be possible for the two of them to stay together. Accidents and separations were inevitable.
He didn’t expect his sister to do anything for him when they were apart. He just hoped she would take care of herself and wait for him to find her, rather than putting herself in danger.
But what he hadn’t expected was that he wouldn’t need to wait until the future—his precious little sister had almost gotten herself into irreversible trouble this time!
“Write. Keep writing,” he ordered.
Patting the stack of blank sheets on the table, he said, “Until you finish writing all of this, don’t even think about leaving this room.”
From childhood, Rong Heng had always doted on his one and only sister. This was the first time he had treated her so sternly.
To be honest, after piecing together the entire truth of what had happened, he was completely terrified. He never could have imagined that the reality was even more frightening than what Lu Jiao had described.
The sister he’d always seen as clever and quick-witted had believed the lies of the blood mist monster and actively sought its help!
What scared him even more was discovering that his sister could communicate with the monster in the blood mist through her drawings—and had been hiding it from him all along!
When Rong Heng learned all of this, he was utterly furious.
For the first time in her life, Little Li Hua saw her brother this angry. She didn’t dare say a word. Even though her freedom to leave the room was taken away, and even though she was punished to repeatedly write her own name…
She was worried about 4583, but with the caretaker’s assurance, she knew that 4583 would be fine with the Little Camel.
In Little Li Hua’s heart, her brother would always come first. She didn’t want to lose him, nor did she want to see him show disappointment toward her.
Seeing her brother angry again, Little Li Hua could only pick up her beloved pen and lower her head to continue writing.
Meanwhile, Rong Heng continued speaking sternly beside her. “The reason Su Su gave you this name is because you love flowers. It means that even in adversity, you should overcome challenges and bloom with fragrance.”
“Write it properly and remember the meaning of your name!” the boy said righteously. “Engrave its meaning deeply in your mind so you’ll never dare make deals with monsters or harm others again!”
But… but…
As Little Li Hua kept writing, she started crying with grievance.
“There’s so much to write…” she whimpered.
Why did the caretaker give her a name with so many strokes? Sob sob… My hand hurts so much from writing…
Sob sob sob…
She already knew she was wrong—could she write just one sheet less? QAQ
*
Su Ci watched for a while and quickly understood what was going on. Although he felt a lot of sympathy for Little Li Hua, he had no intention of interfering.
After all, this was a matter between the siblings. Besides… practicing handwriting wasn’t a bad thing—it could cultivate discipline and character.
Perhaps when he had more time, he should arrange reading and writing lessons for the young ones. If they wanted to go far on the path of cultivation, they couldn’t remain illiterate forever.
From that perspective, Rong Heng’s punishment—making his sister copy her own name—was surprisingly effective. Su Ci couldn’t help but be a little impressed.
Looking at the young boy standing beside his sister, his expression serious and stern, Su Ci thought to himself that Xiang Yang’s temperament indeed aligned well with the path of a sword cultivator.
Retracting his spiritual sense, Su Ci decided to continue observing in the future.
“Well then, let’s go,” he said.
