Chapter 123
Lang Ze stared at the candy in his hand, visibly torn.
His sharp sense of smell could detect the sweet aroma of the candy even through the wrapper. The memory of its delicious taste made him gulp involuntarily.
“Xing Xing, do you think the stinky monkey put something bad in this candy?” he asked, eyeing the candy with a mix of desire and hesitation.
Little Zheng Xing, hearing his question, extended his mental energy to scan the candy.
“No,” he said softly.
Lang Ze frowned even more deeply, but finally, he made up his mind. “No point in wasting it!”
And anyway, a single piece of candy isn’t enough to win me over. If he wants to be friends with me, it’s going to take a lot more than that!
With that thought, Lang Ze eagerly unwrapped the candy.
“Xing Xing, do you want some?” he asked.
Little Zheng Xing shook his head, but Lang Ze still bit the candy in half and stretched his hand toward him.
“Xing Xing, open your mouth.”
After a brief hesitation, Little Zheng Xing obediently opened his mouth, and the other half of the candy was gently placed inside.
It was sweet, with a cool, breezy aftertaste.
Curled up under the leaves, Little Zheng Xing savored the sweetness in his mouth. Hearing Lang Ze’s cheerful laughter and the lively, joyful sound of his flute that soon followed, he couldn’t help but smile.
For the first time in a long while, it felt like a ray of light had pierced through the shadows.
*
When Su Ci arrived at the green space with A-Yan, he was greeted by the sound of Lang Ze’s flute. Pausing mid-step, Su Ci looked toward the wolf-eared boy playing the bamboo flute, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes.
The wolf cub, who was once deemed the most troublesome, had not only mastered a complete flute piece but had also begun to grasp the fundamentals of musical cultivation.
It was time to teach him the heart method for musical cultivation.
Satisfied, Su Ci nodded, feeling a touch of joy as he listened to the cheerful melody from the bamboo flute.
Meanwhile, Zhuang Shisong was the first to notice Su Ci’s arrival. Nudging Wei Ming with his elbow, both men quickly stood at attention.
“Caretaker Su!” they called out in unison.
Su Ci glanced at them, his expression calm, and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Hearing the commotion, Cen Liang hurried over. “These are Zhuang Shisong and Wei Ming—you’ve met them before. I’ve asked them to assist me. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“Hmm, that’s fine,” Su Ci replied.
He had a favorable impression of Zhuang Shisong, especially given his professional expertise. As for the other one… Su Ci turned his gaze to Wei Ming.
Wei Ming was staring at him, his face flushed red as if struggling to force out a sentence.
Su Ci vaguely remembered him—a diligent and responsible cultivator, though a bit short-tempered.
Just as Su Ci was about to look away, Wei Ming suddenly took a step forward, bowed deeply, and exclaimed, “I’m sorry, Teacher!”
Su Ci: …?
A metaphorical question mark slowly floated above Su Ci’s head. Wei Ming quickly realized his slip of the tongue, and the awkwardness made him feel like crawling into a hole. But since he had already said it, he decided to just go all in.
“Caretaker Su,” he continued loudly, “I shouldn’t have doubted your planting skills earlier. It was my ignorance. Please accept me as your student!”
Zhuang Shisong, stunned by Wei Ming’s sudden outburst, froze momentarily. But soon, his eyes lit up, and he looked at Su Ci with a newfound fervor.
“Please accept me too, Teacher Su!” Zhuang Shisong echoed, bowing with genuine sincerity.
Cen Liang, witnessing the scene, was equally shocked by their boldness. However… he glanced at the lush greenery around him and at the two mutated plants.
Perhaps bowing to this teacher wasn’t a bad idea after all.
Cen Liang felt a tinge of regret. If not for his age and pride, he might have followed the lead of these two younger men and sought to learn from Su Ci as well.
But…
He turned to Su Ci. Would this perpetually laid-back young man even consider taking on two students who were clearly older than him?
Su Ci indeed hesitated.
He had considered forming a cooperative relationship with the cultivation park, leveraging human efforts to help restore life to the land. But he had never thought about taking humans as students.
After all, when it came to planting, he didn’t think he had much to teach.
Su Ci’s gaze shifted to the two small spirit seedlings, then to the flowering star-chain fruit vines, a contemplative look in his eyes.
A spirit plant cultivator would certainly be useful.
Although he didn’t have a complete inheritance of spirit planting techniques, with his abilities as the Spirit of the Earth and his innate connection to plants, creating a new lineage of this knowledge wouldn’t be difficult.
The question was… were these two humans trustworthy?
Unlike the young cubs, adult humans rarely had pure motives. Even those who did often lived within complex social structures.
At this point, Su Ci wasn’t keen on getting entangled in overly complicated matters.
Thus, he replied calmly, “Let’s see how you perform.”
Hearing that he hadn’t outright rejected them, Zhuang Shisong and Wei Ming exchanged glances, joy evident in their eyes.
They nodded eagerly. “Of course!”
In their upbringing, expertise was a teacher’s best qualification. Their willingness to endure the harsh conditions of a planet like this also demonstrated their dedication and persistence in the field of cultivation.
From the results alone, Su Ci’s skills were undeniable. Wei Ming, having been thoroughly convinced, now genuinely respected him, and his attitude had shifted accordingly.
“We’ll get back to work now!”
The two returned to their tasks under Cen Liang’s instructions. Just then, Wu Yunqin arrived with personnel from the logistics department.
Because the greenhouse relocation was a significant project, it was impossible for Luo Shengfei to complete it alone. Furthermore, Wu Yunqin had issued an urgent order to finish construction within the day. This time, two repair teams were sent.
Naturally, everyone who saw the lush green space behind the nursery building was stunned.
After all, having spent years on the cold, desolate, and hazardous Prison Star, suddenly encountering such vibrant greenery was an emotional experience for them.
“Alright, everyone, stop gawking and get to work,” Wu Yunqin clapped her hands, snapping the repair teams out of their daze.
“This is no time to stand idle. As you can see, the state of this green space requires urgent action. We need to get the greenhouse built before the next bout of extreme weather!”
The repair crew, recognizing the urgency of the situation, pushed aside their lingering questions and swiftly got to work.
*
The nursery was busier than it had been in a long time.
The young cubs didn’t return to their rooms. Instead, they lingered around the green space, curiously watching the repair teams assemble the greenhouse.
The materials for the greenhouse were made of transparent panels that allowed sunlight to pass through. In fact, the refracted light made the entire area appear even more beautiful.
They watched as the greenhouse gradually took shape, covering the entire nursery building like a protective dome.
For the young boys, witnessing such a large-scale structure being built was mesmerizing.
They realized for the first time that even towering buildings like the nursery could be constructed bit by bit. This was a concept they hadn’t fully grasped before.
It also dawned on them that their past destructive behavior—damaging the nursery during fights—might not have been the right thing to do.
While some of their actions were caused by their bouts of frenzy, they were aware that even in their clear-headed moments, they had fought recklessly, often without restraint.
Thinking about the chaos they had left behind after their fights—sometimes even punching holes in the walls—several cubs felt a pang of guilt.
That wouldn’t happen anymore, they thought.
With Su Su around, their issues with bloodline frenzies had improved significantly, and they didn’t dare fight like they used to.
Little Li Hua, who was neither interested in fighting nor guilty of any environmental destruction, had already taken out her paintbrush and sketchpad, diligently capturing the scene before her.
Aside from the greenhouse under construction, the beautiful flowers of the star-chain fruit vines were, of course, a must-include in her artwork!
She planned to give this painting as a gift to Sister Weiwei.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the previously quiet and seated Xue Wei suddenly spoke up, “Why don’t we prepare some tea?”
“What’s tea?” Lang Ze perked up his ears, curiosity evident.
“It’s water brewed with tea leaves,” Xue Wei paused before adding, “I have tea leaves in my room.”
“Is tea tasty?” Lang Ze continued to ask.
“I like it, but everyone’s tastes are different. People trying it for the first time might not enjoy it as much,” Xue Wei explained thoughtfully. “But if it’s made into milk tea, I think almost everyone would like it.”
“What’s milk tea?” Lang Ze’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“It’s a drink made from milk, tea leaves, and sugar,” Xue Wei replied, calling on the small AI to show her companions images and videos of milk tea preparation.
The cubs stared at the demonstration with rapt attention, and Lang Ze was already gulping eagerly.
“Wow, it looks so delicious!” he exclaimed.
“Yes, but unfortunately, we don’t have any milk,” Xue Wei said regretfully.
As she closed the projection, Little Lu Jiao brought the conversation back on track. “But why are we preparing tea?”
The video demonstration had already shown them what tea was.
“It’s for the repair uncles and aunties to drink,” Xue Wei explained. “They’re working hard to build the greenhouse, and who knows how long it will take? Don’t you think they look exhausted?”
Following her gaze, the cubs turned to observe the repair crew climbing up and down, tirelessly assembling the greenhouse.
It did look exhausting.
They weren’t entirely sure, as they’d never done such work, but if Weiwei said it was hard, then it probably was.
“Tea not only quenches thirst but also refreshes the mind. I think they’d like it,” Xue Wei added.
She remembered how, back at Madam’s house, the butler always prepared tea and snacks for repair workers to enjoy after their work was done.
Unfortunately, there were no snacks here. Xue Wei had also come to realize that resources at the nursery were scarce, and food wasn’t something to be casually used.
But tea… tea should be okay, right?
The girl spoke softly and warmly, her face adorned with a gentle smile. It was enough to make even the rowdiest of the boys—who typically only responded to kindness—feel compelled to follow her lead.
Of course, Xiao Luli’s thoughts might differ slightly.
Since Weiwei had already suggested it, why not go along? Besides, they were curious about what tea would taste like.
And once it was brewed, surely they’d get to try some too, right?
Lang Ze was the first to jump up. “Alright, let’s go!”
Remembering the water he had drunk at Luo Shengfei’s place during a previous outing, he thought to himself: I’ll show Uncle Camel what truly delicious water tastes like!
Lu Li was the second to stand.
Lang Ze glanced at him, letting out a snort. Although his attitude wasn’t great, at least he didn’t immediately scowl at Lu Li like before.
And so, except for Little Li Hua and Zheng Xing, the rest of the cubs cheerfully ran off together.
Su Ci lounged lazily in a corner chair, having overheard the cubs’ conversation. The corners of his mouth curved slightly upward.
These little ones were becoming increasingly thoughtful and considerate.
Closing his eyes again for a light nap, he felt a vine above him growing rapidly. Its broad leaves formed a patch of shade, shielding him from the intense afternoon sunlight.
Wei Ming and Zhuang Shisong, who had noticed the unusual growth speed of the plant, quickly recorded the phenomenon.
Without needing 4586 to guide them, the cubs confidently made their way to the kitchen. Xue Wei pretended to retrieve something from her room and returned with a canister of tea leaves.
The kitchen had hot water available. All they had to do was fill an insulated flask and carry it to the back of the nursery building.
Under the curious eyes of her companions, Xue Wei placed the tea leaves into the hot water.
Thanks to the purification array, the nursery’s water was exceptionally clean, containing only trace pollutants and even a faint touch of spiritual energy. As soon as the tea leaves touched the water, they unfurled quickly, turning the liquid a pale amber.
Seeing her companions’ curiosity, Xue Wei poured a small cup for each of them to try.
Lang Ze held his cup without waiting for it to cool. After the first sip, he wrinkled his nose. Just as he was about to complain that it was bitter, he paused.
He smacked his lips a few times, discovering that after the bitterness, there was a subtle sweetness that lingered in his mouth. It wasn’t the same as the sweetness of candy—this was different.
Unable to resist, he took another sip, and soon the entire cup was empty.
He couldn’t say he loved it, but he didn’t hate it either. After all, the lingering taste was sweet!
The other cubs shared similar reactions.
Just then, from the direction of the kitchen door, came a voice unfamiliar to Xue Wei.
“What are you all doing here?” It was a boy’s voice, still carrying a hint of youthfulness but noticeably more mature than the other cubs—though different from Aran’s gentle tone.
Xue Wei turned toward the doorway and saw an unfamiliar red-haired boy standing there, dressed in a brand-new set of nursery clothes. He frowned slightly as he looked at them.
“Ran Lie! You’ve turned back!” Lu Jiao exclaimed happily upon seeing Riel back in human form.
Ran Lie…
Xue Wei blinked. So, he’s that little crimson flame tiger!
“Yeah,” Ran Lie replied.
He had just woken up not long ago, his crimson flame power completely drained. His body felt lighter than it ever had before.
Of course, his beast ears and tail were gone, which made him feel a bit out of sorts upon waking up.
He stayed in his room for a while, but being accustomed to moving freely, he couldn’t stay still and ended up heading outside, planning to check out the green space.
After descending the stairs, he heard some commotion coming from the kitchen. Curious, he walked over and discovered that almost all the cubs were gathered there.
The lively atmosphere in the kitchen was unfamiliar to Ran Lie. Combined with the slightly hostile glance from Rong Heng, his demeanor grew even colder.
“Where’s Su Su?” he asked coolly.
“He’s at the green space. They’re building a greenhouse there,” Lu Jiao replied, pouring him a cup of tea. “This is tea that Xue Wei made. Do you want to try it?”
Ran Lie glanced at the light brown tea. Though he initially planned to leave, he took the cup and sipped it.
The tea was slightly bitter at first, but it left a sweet aftertaste.
Ran Lie’s previously indifferent expression grew serious as he savored the tea. Paired with the Buddhist meditation techniques Su Ci had taught him, he suddenly experienced a moment of insight.
Seeing him lost in thought, Lu Jiao was about to ask how the tea tasted, but Rong Heng stopped him.
Rong Heng recognized the telltale signs of enlightenment; it was a state he was familiar with from his own meditative practices.
His expression turned complicated. Despite his hostile relationship with Ran Lie, he refused to interrupt him or take advantage of the situation.
Su Su had emphasized how rare moments of insight were and advised against disturbing someone in that state.
Taking a deep breath, Rong Heng felt a sense of urgency. He couldn’t let himself slack off anymore—he had to train harder. There was no way he’d let Ran Lie surpass him.
After quietly explaining the situation, the others understood the importance of Ran Lie’s state. They all grabbed their tea and tiptoed out of the kitchen.
*
By this time, it was already around 5 p.m.
Thanks to the combined efforts of the two maintenance teams and the construction robots, the nursery’s greenhouse was finally completed.
Luo Shengfei descended from the heights and was just about to take a breather when a cheerful voice called out, “Uncle Camel! Over here!”
He turned toward the voice and saw the wolf-eared boy hopping excitedly in place, waving enthusiastically. “Uncle Camel, come quick!”
Luo Shengfei, puzzled, waved to his colleagues and guided his hoverboard toward the group.
As he got closer, he noticed the kids holding insulated flasks. Surprised, he was about to ask when the boy grinned and said, “Uncle Camel, try this tea!”
“This is…” Luo Shengfei’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“It’s black tea we prepared for you,” Xue Wei said with a smile. “Thank you for your hard work today. You must be thirsty, right? Have some tea to refresh yourself.”
Looking at the soft and adorable little rabbit speaking so gently, Luo Shengfei felt a warm sensation in his heart.
Meanwhile, the already-familiar Lang Ze took the thermos cup strapped to Luo Shengfei’s waist, opened the lid, and, seeing it was empty, quickly poured tea into it.
“Here, drink up!”
Luo Shengfei was indeed thirsty. His water had long been gone, and they hadn’t had lunch—just a quick snack of compressed biscuits to save time.
“Alright, alright, thank you!”
Taking the thermos, he sipped the warm tea. As the liquid flowed into his stomach, he immediately felt a refreshing energy, as if all his fatigue had been swept away.
Was it the tea leaves? Why did this water taste so good?
Since it was already warm, he wasn’t afraid of burning himself. One sip followed another, and he quickly finished the entire cup, letting out a contented sigh.
“Wow, that’s amazing!” he exclaimed.
“Hehe, delicious, right?” Lang Ze beamed with pride.
Luo Shengfei nodded and grabbed two thermos flasks, carrying them over to the other maintenance team members.
When they heard that the tea had been prepared by the cubs, the repair crew—having long been wary of the so-called “little monsters”—looked on with disbelief.
“Seriously? The cubs made this? Don’t mess with us!”
“Why would I lie to you? Haven’t you seen the caretaker sleeping over there? The cubs prepared this. I’ve told you, they’ve changed a lot!”
Luo Shengfei enthusiastically advocated for the cubs’ transformation, and the skeptical repair crew hesitantly tried the tea. They were instantly won over by the faint spiritual energy infused into the drink.
“This tea is incredible!”
“What kind of tea leaves are these? It’s so refreshing! I feel so energized after just one cup!”
The others nodded in agreement. As they drank their tea and watched the cubs playing quietly around the green space, many had dazed expressions on their faces.
Of all the teams in the base, aside from the action squads and medical purification staff, the repair crews had the most interaction with the cubs. They knew all too well how unruly the cubs used to be, but today…
It wasn’t until the greenhouse was completed that they realized—today, the cubs had been so quiet! They even seemed… obedient?
Drinking the tea thoughtfully prepared by the cubs, the repair crew couldn’t help but feel touched. Especially compared to their previous behavior, the cubs now seemed like little angels!
Suddenly, the crew collectively turned their gazes toward the young man lounging comfortably in a chair, asleep.
The caretaker must have played a significant role in this transformation.
To think this overly pretty trainee caretaker was this capable! Truly, appearances could be deceiving.
Finally, after finishing every last drop of tea, the repair crew reluctantly left to rest and eat at Luo Shengfei’s urging.
While they were curious about the purpose of establishing a green space at the nursery, the base’s AI issued them a warning due to their insufficient clearance, and they sensibly chose to leave.
Luo Shengfei, however, stayed behind to explain the greenhouse’s maintenance requirements to Su Ci.
“The greenhouse materials are heat- and cold-resistant and very sturdy, able to withstand extreme weather. However, they won’t hold up against a monster attack.”
Su Ci wasn’t worried about this and nodded calmly.
Luo Shengfei continued, “As for temperature and humidity control, it can all be managed by the base AI. The entire system is automated…”
After finishing the explanation, though his stomach growled loudly from hunger, Luo Shengfei was reluctant to leave.
He stared at the star-chain fruit flowers climbing across the entire net. Despite less than a day passing, many flowers had already begun to fall, revealing small, budding fruits.
It didn’t take a genius to realize there was something extraordinary about these plants!
Su Ci, however, paid him no mind. Following A-Yan’s suggestion, he stood up and walked toward the two golden taro plants closest to the small spirit saplings, instructing the cubs to start digging them up.
Hearing that the golden taro was ready to harvest, the cubs didn’t need any further encouragement. They eagerly grabbed shovels and began digging with all their might.
“Tonight, we’re having taro for dinner!” they cheered.
