Chapter 58
The little white deer didn’t notice the problem with the little wolf cub’s pronunciation—after all, the sounds were the same—so when he heard his question, he earnestly corrected him.
“It’s ‘White as snow on the mountain, bright as the moon among the clouds.’”
Little Lang Ze repeated the line two or three times, stumbling over it at first, but eventually, he managed to get it right.
He looked at the little white deer with unconcealed admiration. “Youyou, you’re amazing! Su Su only recited it once, and you already memorized it!”
Hearing this, the little white deer blushed slightly.
This was the second time Lang Ze had praised him. The first time was earlier when he had suggested he could choose a new name—Lang Ze had called him smart.
Even though Lang Ze might have said it casually, he still remembered it.
More importantly, when Lang Ze praised him, those bright green eyes would fix on him, his brows would curve into a smile, and his face would light up with an expression of pure sincerity.
So, Lang Ze was genuinely praising him!
The little white deer felt a warmth bloom in his heart, and he couldn’t help but wonder: if he felt this happy when Lang Ze praised him, perhaps it was the same for Lang Ze when he complimented him? Maybe that’s why he didn’t find Lang Ze so annoying anymore.
Thinking this, he said softly, “I only taught you two or three times, and you got it right. You’re amazing too.”
Lang Ze’s face lit up, his smile growing wider as he turned to Su Ci and eagerly said, “Su Su, what does this word mean? Tell us! I really want to know!”
While the two of them were talking, Su Ci had already written the poem neatly on a blank sheet of paper.
For two children who had never received any formal education, learning poetry right off the bat was a bit challenging. But as an introduction, it was still quite suitable.
Su Ci circled the character “Ji?o” in the poem.
“‘Ji?o’ means pure and bright,” Su Ci explained. Then he pointed to the earlier character “Ái” and continued, “Ái also means pure white, and it’s often used to describe frost or snow.”
“The author of these lines was a very talented woman. She was skilled in music, especially playing the qin…”
Before Su Ci could finish, Lang Ze couldn’t help but interrupt, “What’s playing the qin? Is it the same as playing the flute?”
The child’s mind had immediately leapt to flutes the moment he heard the word qin.
Su Ci looked at Lang Ze’s curious expression and couldn’t help but think that perhaps this little wolf cub, whom he initially underestimated, might truly have a talent for music.
Instead of answering directly, Su Ci set a new rule. “From now on, when you want to ask a question, you need to raise your hand. Only ask after I give permission.”
Lang Ze blinked in confusion. “Why?”
Having spent some time at the orphanage, the little white deer was already familiar with this rule. He explained, “Because it’s more polite.”
Lang Ze turned to look at him, and the little white deer continued, “If we suddenly talk while the caretaker is teaching, it interrupts him.”
“How would you feel if you were talking and someone kept interrupting you?”
Lang Ze pondered this. If someone kept interrupting him while he was talking…
Well, he’d definitely be mad!
With his temper, he’d probably start a fight with them right away!
The little white deer’s voice was soft and innocent, but there was no denying that his reasoning was sound. In just a few words, he managed to convince the loud and rowdy wolf cub.
Moreover, Lang Ze thought of something else—right now, the caretaker was teaching them and giving them names for free!
If the caretaker got annoyed and decided to stop teaching, wouldn’t he lose out? And the little white deer’s name wasn’t even finished yet!
Having already learned from his earlier experience of apologizing to the little white deer, Lang Ze now knew that when you messed up, the first thing to do was apologize. Everything else could wait.
So, he looked up at the caretaker and said, “I’m sorry! I’ll pay attention next time, Su Su, don’t be mad, okay?”
Then the boy smiled at him ingratiatingly, his big tail wagging behind him as if to emphasize his sincerity.
Su Ci wasn’t one to hold grudges over such small things. He reached out and ruffled the wolf cub’s furry ears with some force before nodding. “Alright, just remember next time.”
To his surprise, Lang Ze froze a little when his ears were ruffled. But seeing the caretaker continue the lesson without further scolding, he only pouted slightly to show his small dissatisfaction before settling down to listen intently.
“A qin is indeed like the bamboo flute—they’re both musical instruments,” Su Ci explained. “But unlike the bamboo flute, a guqin produces sound by plucking its strings. When played together, they enrich the melody.”
Little Lang Ze opened his mouth, just about to say something, but then he remembered the caretaker’s earlier words. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand and then raised the other hand.
Su Ci looked at him and nodded.
Only then did Lang Ze ask, “What does a qin look like? What are strings? Why does plucking the strings make sound? What does the qin sound like? Is it prettier than the flute?”
The cubs had access to so few educational resources, yet they were at the age when curiosity was at its peak.
So, whenever Lang Ze encountered something that interested him, his questions would flow like a torrent—never-ending, as if he had “a hundred thousand whys.”
“I’ll show you what a qin looks like when the opportunity arises. When you see it for yourself, you’ll understand how its strings make sound and whether it’s more beautiful than the flute,” Su Ci said patiently.
“When will that be?” Lang Ze pressed further.
Seeing how eager the wolf cub was for knowledge, Su Ci couldn’t bear to disappoint him. After some thought, he said, “When you can play a full tune on the flute, I’ll show you.”
“Wow!”
Lang Ze instantly lit up with excitement and determination. “It’s a deal! I’ll learn it really soon, and you have to keep your word!”
Su Ci nodded. “Of course.”
Listening to their conversation, the little white deer suddenly realized—Lang Ze’s flute… was probably something he had learned from the caretaker too, right?
At that moment, Su Ci cleared his throat softly, pulling the overly derailed topic back on track.
He flipped to a new sheet of paper and wrote the character “Ji?o” again.
“Youyou, this is your name,” Su Ci said.
The little white deer, suddenly addressed, blinked in surprise. He looked at the character on the paper and instinctively asked, “It’s just one character?”
Lang Ze chimed in as well, turning to Su Ci, “Yeah, why is there only one character?”
Su Ci: “…”
The true name symbol that the little white deer had drawn only contained one character. However… faced with two pairs of bright, expectant eyes, Su Ci hesitated for a moment before picking up the pen again. In front of “Ji?o”, he added another character.
(Lù Ji?o.)
“Lù Ji?o,” Su Ci read aloud.
The little white deer stared at the two characters written on the paper, his heart trembling slightly. He whispered, “The first character… is it the lù from the silver-white sika deer?”
“Yes,” Su Ci nodded.
Hearing the confirmation, the little white deer’s eyes widened slightly, and his gaze fixed on the two characters. Tiny specks of light sparkled in his fawn-like eyes.
“Lù Ji?o…” He softly repeated the name, as if trying to etch it deeply into his memory. Then, lifting his little head, he smiled sweetly at Su Ci.
“I like this name. Thank you.”
The boy’s polite and grateful demeanor made him resemble an elegant, poised little deer. Even in moments of joy, he maintained a gentle grace—so different from Lang Ze, who would bounce around the room in excitement.
Su Ci reached out and gently patted the little white deer’s soft silver curls.
Beside him, Lang Ze also repeated the name, “Lù Ji?o… Hehe, it sounds like your little antlers!”
“Little antlers?”
The little white deer blinked, only to see Lang Ze reaching over to touch the tips of the small antlers on his forehead.
“Wow! It’s so soft and fuzzy—how cute!” Lang Ze said with a grin.
Having his little antlers touched so suddenly, Lù Ji?o felt a bit annoyed at first. But when he heard Lang Ze call him cute, he couldn’t help but blush.
“It’s Ji?o, as in ‘bright as the moon among the clouds,’” he tried earnestly to correct Lang Ze.
Lang Ze just laughed mischievously. “But I think ‘little antlers’ sounds cuter!”
Seeing him reach out to touch his antlers again, Lù Ji?o helplessly sidestepped, deciding to ignore him altogether.
Meanwhile, Su Ci had already torn off the sheet with the name “Lù Ji?o” written on it. Along with the little white deer’s original symbol and the line of poetry, he handed it all over to him.
Lù Ji?o carefully accepted the paper with both hands, aligning the corners with great care. After hesitating for a moment, he shyly said, “Su Su, I also want the line ‘Youyou deer cry, they eat the wild apples’… Can I have it?”
Su Ci, who had just been about to pack up, glanced at him and sighed. Taking out the pen again, he patiently wrote down the first stanza of “Minor Court Hymns: Deer Cry” from the Classic of Poetry.
The little white deer watched as Su Ci’s brush strokes formed the characters on the paper. His eyes shone with admiration and longing.
One day, he would write beautifully just like the caretaker. And these lovely poems… They seemed so fascinating and fun!
Although Lang Ze also thought the caretaker’s recited poetry was interesting, his memory wasn’t as good as Lù Ji?o’s. He couldn’t memorize it after just one hearing. Besides, compared to poetry, he was far more interested in flutes.
When the caretaker handed the finished page to Lù Ji?o, Lang Ze couldn’t help but rush them. “Are we done? Are we done? Can we go find Number Three now? He’s still waiting for us! He must be so worried by now!”
Whether Number Three was actually worried or not was debatable, but Lang Ze was clearly eager to share his new name!
“Almost done,” Lù Ji?o replied softly. He carefully tucked the paper into his drawer, then reverently returned the jade peace buckle the caretaker had given him.
Su Ci glanced at the jade buckle and said, “If you like it, it’s yours.”
It was just a regular button he had transformed, after all. As long as it wasn’t food, Su Ci was quite generous.
Then, packing away the paper and pen, he led the two children out of Room 502.
As they stepped into the hallway, Lù Ji?o hesitated slightly. “It’s not activity time right now… Are we really allowed to be outside?”
Before Su Ci could answer, Lang Ze enthusiastically cut in, “Of course we can! Su Su agreed, and here in the nursery, whatever Su Su says goes!”
Su Ci nodded in agreement. After all, his authority easily surpassed that of the caretaker robots.
However, Lù Ji?o still felt uneasy.
He knew that new caretakers at the nursery had a probation period. If they didn’t pass it, they weren’t officially hired, and the base could dismiss them at any time.
Lù Ji?o didn’t want the caretaker to be dismissed. Even though they had only spent two short days together, he already liked this new caretaker a lot. Deep down, he even felt a faint sense of dependence on him. If the caretaker were dismissed, he would be heartbroken!
“Don’t worry about it!” Lang Ze chimed in. “It’s true that this isn’t activity time, but we’re not going to the activity room to play!”
Lang Ze might not have a good memory like Lù Ji?o, but when it came to finding loopholes, he had a real talent. “We’re just going to Number Three’s room to hang out. As long as we’re not in the activity room, we’re not breaking any rules!”
Lù Ji?o blinked, slightly stunned, and then thought it over carefully. It actually made sense!
Once again, he realized that while Lang Ze might seem silly most of the time, sometimes he was surprisingly clever. He could think of things Lù Ji?o never could.
“Mm!” Lù Ji?o nodded. “You’re right!”
Lang Ze grinned, grabbed Lù Ji?o, and pulled him toward the elevator. Then, growing impatient with the caretaker’s slow pace, he rushed behind Su Ci and pushed him into the elevator.
“Hurry up! Number Three is waiting for us!”
Lù Ji?o watched as Lang Ze shoved the caretaker in and then jumped up to press the elevator button. For some reason, his heart started to race.
This was his first time visiting another cub’s room!
Number Three… Would he welcome him?
Thinking about Number Three’s usual personality, Lù Ji?o felt uncertain. He didn’t seem like the kind of cub who enjoyed noise or crowds…
“Oh, right!” Lang Ze turned to Lù Ji?o. “The caretaker said we need to get Number Three’s permission before staying in his room to play. You’ll have to ask him. If he doesn’t agree, we can’t play together.”
Lù Ji?o nodded in understanding, though his curiosity was piqued.
So, did Number Three agree to let Lang Ze stay in his room and play? Given Number Three’s personality… Did Lang Ze use some trick to get his approval?
Lù Ji?o pondered this as the elevator quickly arrived on the fourth floor.
Lang Ze dragged Su Ci forward while Lù Ji?o followed closely behind. The three of them stepped out, heading toward Number Three’s room.
However…
As they passed Rooms Four and Five, Lang Ze’s footsteps faltered.
It had been two days since he last saw Number Five come out to play. Su Ci had told him that Number Four was still in the Medical Purification Facility due to serious injuries and hadn’t returned yet.
This struck Lang Ze as odd. The fight between Number Two and Number Four hadn’t been that intense. Number Two was already back, so how could Number Four still be injured?
If Number Two were capable of injuring Number Four so badly, he would have taken over as the “boss” of the nursery long ago.
Lang Ze couldn’t figure it out, but there was nothing he could do about it. After all, he wasn’t allowed to leave the nursery to check on Number Four in the medical ward…
“Su Su, can I go in and see Number Five?” he asked, tugging on Su Ci’s sleeve.
Su Ci lowered his gaze to look at him. “Why?”
“She hasn’t come out to play for a while, and I want to check on her,” Lang Ze answered instinctively.
Standing behind Su Ci, Lù Ji?o couldn’t help but look envious.
How nice, he thought. Not only did Number Five have an older brother who cared for her, but even Lang Ze was concerned about her. It wasn’t like him, Number Two, or Number Six… They were “allies,” but their relationships weren’t really that close.
His relationship with Lang Ze had only recently improved—Lang Ze had given him potato chips and even promised to teach him to play the flute. If Lang Ze stopped bullying him, then he wouldn’t fight or argue with him anymore.
But this also meant that his relationship with Number Two and Number Six might deteriorate.
Lù Ji?o lowered his head slightly, his gaze carrying a trace of unease and anxiety about the future. Then… he felt a hand land gently on his head.
Instinctively, he tilted his head up.
The caretaker was looking at him, his expression calm and gentle, carrying an unshakable sense of reliability and safety.
Lù Ji?o smiled faintly, the small dimple on his cheek appearing again.
No matter what happened, the caretaker would still be there with him. He wasn’t alone anymore.
Seeing the boy’s breathing return to normal, Su Ci withdrew his hand. As for the little wolf cub, the moment Su Ci opened the metal door, Lang Ze had already dashed into Rooms Four and Five.
“Number Five! Number Five! I’ve come to see you!”
The boy’s voice was as energetic as ever. “Come and see what I brought you!”
He bounced excitedly into the room, his gaze sweeping around until it landed on Number Five’s small bed. In the center of the bed, a lump was curled up under the blanket, with just the tip of a flaxen ponytail peeking out from the edge.
Lang Ze ran over and grabbed the blanket just like last time.
But when he was about to pull it off, he suddenly paused. He remembered the last time—after he yanked the blanket away, Number Five had cried so hard it scared him.
Recalling that experience, he carefully released the blanket, observing it for a moment before gently poking the lump where he thought her head might be.
“Number Five, are you crying again?”
The blanket wriggled slightly as if avoiding his touch.
Seeing how Number Five didn’t seem to want to come out, Lang Ze suddenly lost his excitement about sharing his new name.
Now the little wolf had learned to put himself in others’ shoes.
Number Five was closest to Number Four, and since Number Four hadn’t come back yet—and who knew how badly he was injured—she must be really sad.
It was like how he hated being interrupted when he was talking. That’s why the caretaker had said he should raise his hand to ask questions instead of interrupting. Likewise, when someone was sad, they probably didn’t want others to bounce around happily in front of them.
So, since Number Five wouldn’t come out from under the blanket, he decided not to force her.
Thinking this, Lang Ze opened the pocket of his cub uniform and pulled out a potato chip. Earlier, the caretaker had given him three chips—one he gave to Lù Ji?o, one he ate himself, and this was the last one.
“This is a super delicious potato chip! Smell it—it’s really fragrant! Try eating it, and you won’t feel sad anymore.”
Lang Ze placed the potato chip carefully at the edge of the bed. Seeing that Number Five still didn’t emerge from under the blanket, he stretched out his hand, imitating the caretaker, and gently patted her head through the fabric.
“I’ll leave for now, okay? I’ll come see you again tomorrow!”
After saying that, Lang Ze turned around and cheerfully bounced toward the door. “Let’s go, Su Su. Number Five is sleeping.”
Su Ci glanced at the lump under the blanket, nodded, and led the two cubs out of the room.
When the metal door closed behind them, silence fell over Number Five’s room once again.
The blanket on the bed trembled slightly before a small head finally peeked out from beneath it.
Her tear-swollen eyes were red, her once-tidy flaxen hair now messy and unkempt. With her soft, furry ears on top of her head, she looked more like a sad, little lion cub.
She sniffled pitifully and glanced at the empty bed opposite hers, her eyes welling up with tears once more.
But soon, her gaze dropped to the object Lang Ze had placed at the edge of her bed.
She recalled what Lang Ze had said.
Potato chips… Smells really nice…
The little girl reached out her small hand and picked up the thin potato chip, holding it close to her nose.
The unfamiliar yet enticing fragrance instantly stimulated her taste buds, and her mouth began to water. She couldn’t help but swallow.
It’s from Number Eight… It should be okay to eat, right?
The little girl, her eyes and nose red from crying, hesitated as she brought the potato chip to her mouth. She took a tiny bite.
Then her eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but take another bite.
It was… so delicious!
Her tear-streaked face now showed a hint of delight. Just as the little wolf cub had said, eating this thing called “potato chips” really did make her feel much better.
The little girl glanced toward the metal door, her small lion-like ears twitching slightly, a confused expression appearing on her face.
“Su Su, when will Number Four come back?” Little Lang Ze couldn’t help but ask as they entered the hallway.
He had already asked this question earlier that morning in the activity room, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking again.
“I’ll check again with Dr. Gu,” Su Ci replied.
“You have to remember, okay!”
As they spoke, they opened the door to the neighboring room. The moment they entered, Lang Ze seemed to forget everything else.
Waving his bamboo flute excitedly, he shouted, “Number Three! I’ve come to play the flute with you again!”
He ran straight to the corner of the room, where a small figure was curled up in the shadows. Grinning widely, Lang Ze dragged the boy out just like last time. “Have you been waiting for me for a long time?”
Standing behind them, Lù Ji?o watched the scene unfold with nervous apprehension.
Was it really okay for Lang Ze to just drag Number Three out like that? Wouldn’t he get mad? Though Number Three seemed quiet and withdrawn, Lù Ji?o could sense that his strength wasn’t as weak as his appearance suggested.
However, his concerns turned out to be unnecessary.
The boy’s face remained calm—almost a little numb. Once Lang Ze stuffed the bamboo flute into his hands, he silently set aside the metal ball he had been holding and began fiddling with the flute with quiet focus.
Meanwhile, Lang Ze started bubbling over with excitement. “Number Three, guess what? The caretaker gave me a new name!”
“My name is Lang Ze! Isn’t it super nice?” Once he started talking, he couldn’t stop.
Pulling out the two sheets of paper that Su Ci had given him, he pointed at his name and explained, “The caretaker said Láng means a beautiful stone like jade. And Zé… Zé… Ah, I forgot what that means! But that’s not important!”
“Number Three, come say it with me—Láng… Zé…”
Like someone patiently teaching a younger child, Lang Ze pronounced each character carefully, over and over again. After repeating it several times, the little boy finally let out a soft sigh of resignation.
At last, he complied, his voice barely audible but soft and sweet as he repeated, “Láng… Zé…”
