On the starship, Quan Ci thought of the translucent little male cub again.
He wondered if the baby fat on his chubby face felt as good as people described on the star network.
He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, unconsciously rubbing his left thumb and index finger together. It had been so long since he had seen the little cub that he was starting to forget what he looked like.
Sometimes, Quan Ci thought the cub might have been a hallucination brought on by training fatigue. Other times, he wondered if the cub had already forgotten about him—after all, young cubs have short memories.
So many days had passed without a single appearance. Perhaps they would never meet again.
It was a pity—he didn’t even know the cub’s name.
On Kato Star, the weather wasn’t great that day. The sky was overcast, and the air was thick with moisture, suggesting an impending heavy rain.
Little Wei’an sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, hugging a small wooden knife and staring blankly at the clouds.
His male father had gone out on business today. One brother left yesterday and hadn’t returned, while the other was still in the nursery. Today, only Wei’an was home.
Wei’an pursed his lips and hugged the wooden knife tighter.
The robot butler stood behind him, and after consulting the internal network’s cub-rearing guidelines, it decided to approach him. “Young master, what are you looking at?”
“I’m looking at the sky~” Wei’an glanced at the butler and answered in a childlike voice, “Butler, can’t you see what Wei’an is doing~”
The butler nodded. “I can see.”
“Then why don’t you know I’m looking at the sky~?”
The butler glanced at him again, its usually precise logic faltered. Indeed, cubs were the nemesis of robots.
Seeing that the butler didn’t respond, Wei’an turned back to continue staring at the sky.
When Quan Ci returned, this was the scene he saw.
A small cub sat on the carpet in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, staring up at the sky at a 45-degree angle. Behind him stood a tall robot butler, lost in thought.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Wei’an turned around and locked eyes with Quan Ci.
The moment he saw him, the little cub’s face lit up. He pushed himself up and wobbled over with his short legs, shouting, “Brother~!”
Grinning, he hugged Quan Ci’s leg and proudly showed his newly grown small teeth. “Brother~ Wei’an missed~”
Quan Ci stood frozen in place, stunned. This male cub brother looked exactly like the strange translucent cub that had appeared in his dorm late at night!
The eyes, the nose, the voice—even the habit of holding a toy knife were identical!
Quan Ci lowered his gaze and carefully examined the little cub who was now hugging his leg and smiling brightly.
Could they be the same cub?
Wei’an opened his arms, his voice full of affection and reliance. “Brother, Wei’anwants~”
Instinctively, Quan Ci squatted down and picked him up. The soft body in his arms caused his entire being to stiffen.
In the past, because of the cub’s strange appearance, Quan Ci never really felt the reality of holding him, so he’d carry him casually.
Now, with this soft body that felt as if it might break with a little force, a sudden wave of panic swept through him, making him feel helpless.
Wei’an wrapped his arms around Quan Ci’s neck and rubbed his cheek against him. “Brother, Wei’an missed you~”
“Have you seen me before?” Quan Ci’s voice felt almost surreal.
“Yes~”
“When?”
Wei’an wrinkled his little nose in thought. “At night~ Wei’an flew up after falling asleep and saw brother~”
It really was him!
Quan Ci found it hard to describe the complexity of his emotions. But on the bright side, the cub’s trust in him meant he wouldn’t need to spend much time bonding with a stranger.
Softening his voice, Quan Ci cautiously spoke, “Brother needs your help with something. Will you help me, Wei’an?”
Wei’an, nestled in his arms and content after having his hand removed from his mouth, nodded without hesitation. “Okay, I’ll help brother~”
With that answer, Quan Ci quickly carried him out of the Alhandra estate, heading for his destination.
As they traveled, the sky grew darker, and eventually, thunder roared, followed by a torrential downpour.
At the first clap of thunder, Wei’an burrowed into Quan Ci’s arms, burying his head deeper with each rumble.
Noticing that the cub shuddered every time thunder struck, Quan Ci hesitated before covering his ears with his hands.
Such a timid little cub!
His nerves are really frail!
With his ears covered, Wei’an lifted his head and placed his small hands on Quan Ci’s, red-eyed, before nuzzling his hands affectionately.
The touch made Quan Ci’s heart tremble. Their eyes met, and despite the lingering mist in the little cub’s gaze, Wei’an gave him a sweet smile.
Quan Ci quickly looked away, his fingers involuntarily curling as he continued to shield Wei’an’s ears.
When they finally reached the street where Jian Feng’s family lived, the sound of sobs cut through the rain. Quan Ci’s expression darkened, and he hurriedly pressed forward with Wei’an in his arms.
Bright flowers, intertwined with vines, climbed the walls, but the relentless downpour battered the blossoms. No matter how much they clung to the branches, they couldn’t escape being swept away, crushed beneath the feet of a female Zerg, leaving only remnants.
At the end of the street, Jian Feng, who had already lost most of his sanity, had destroyed half the furniture before shoving aside his female father and sister and storming out of the house.
A piercing alarm echoed as a few passing females paused to glance over. Realizing it was a Zerg on the verge of complete transformation, their gazes turned complex before they moved away.
“Brother.” Jian Xi grabbed the female father by her still-bleeding forehead, her eyes filled with sorrow as she watched Jian Feng wreak havoc on the surrounding buildings, crying uncontrollably.
“Bang.” Jian Feng threw the female officer who tried to restrain him against the wall. The immense force caused the wall to crack. The female officer, choked by his grip and pinned against the wall, bent back in pain.
Jian Xi quickly moved forward, deftly strangling Jian Feng’s neck, and let out a roar to yank him away. The female officer, beaten with a bloodied face, seized the opportunity to flee swiftly.
Jian Feng, who had lost his mind, kicked his former favorite female brother Jian Xi aside and, in the next second, huge bone wings unfurled from his back.
Quan Ci stopped in his tracks, holding Wei’an, and immediately covered Wei’an’s eyes.
Jian Feng had already entered the early stage of insect transformation. At this point, he had no rationality left. He would completely enter the zerg transformation in ten minutes at most, and it would be irreversible.
Not to mention whether Wei An could calm Jian Feng who had already starting to enter the insect state, even if he could, he would not dare to let a male cub who was not even one year old get close to the violent female insect.
The female Zerg’s instinct to protect male Zergs was ingrained in their genes. No female Zerg would harm a male Zerg, including those who desperately wanted to save a friend like him.
Quan Ci looked deeply at Jian Feng who was transforming into an insect in the rain, tightened his hold on Wei’an, and turned to leave with heavy steps. The sounds behind him mixed with the heavy rain hitting the light curtain that enveloped both zergs, creating a harsh sound.
Wei’an, sitting obediently in his brother’s arms, looked up at him. As he gazed, his mouth began to pucker slightly. “Brother~”
Quan Ci was lost in thought and didn’t hear. Wei’an tugged at his chest clothes, “Brother~”
“Mm, what’s wrong?” Quan Ci looked down and realized the little male cub was about to cry.
“Brother, are you very sad~” Wei’an’s voice was choked with emotion.
With his keen sensitivity to his family, he vaguely sensed that his brother was very sad—sadder than when he woke up and couldn’t see his male father.
“No.” Quan Ci replied.
“You’re lying, brother is about to cry~”
Quan Ci remained silent, not responding. The suppressed distress surged even more with the little one’s crying-toned voice.
He forced his teary eyes to hold back and continued to force himself to take steps away, not looking back a single glance along the way.
The strong-willed Jian Feng wouldn’t want him to see him in such a pitiful state.
“Brother, is it because of him~”
Wei’an pointed distantly at Jian Feng, “That dark, dark Zerg.”
In Wei’an’s eyes, Jian Feng, who was in a state of zerg riot, was just a black female zerg submerged in black fog.
“Brother, let me go~” Confirming that his brother was saddened by that dark Zerg, he patted his brother’s arm to get down.
Quan Ci ignored his words and began to struggle in his arms.
Fearful of hurting him, Quan Ci quickly set him down, looking at him coldly, “What are you doing?”
Wei’an patted his small chest while holding the wooden knife, then started walking back with his short legs, “Helping brother~”
Jian Feng’s insect transformation was intensifying. The black insect patterns swam wildly all over his body, his two forearms had turned into sharp bone blades, and massive tail bones behind him smashed the surrounding walls. The ground was already in ruins from his destruction. His body was rapidly rising, and his amber eyes had turned into crimson vertical pupils.
He was just one step away from complete insect transformation!
Jian Feng’s female father stood dumbfounded to the side, his eyes never leaving Jian Feng’s. Several times he wanted to step forward and embrace his most proud female child, but Jian Xi firmly blocked him.
Jian Xi’s voice was very mournful, “Female father, brother is already like this, what should I do if something happens to you too!”
Suddenly, Jian Feng, who had been rampaging in the heavy rain, froze. His body, which had been raised like a small mountain due to insect transformation, stood rigid, staring straight ahead without moving.
Following his gaze, a little male cub, not yet as tall as the female Zerg’s lower leg, stood unknowingly in front of him.
The female Zergs present saw this scene, their hearts pounding wildly, eyes full of horror. Which family wasn’t responsible for letting a male cub appear in this place?!
They instinctively held their breath, skillfully diminishing their presence, fearing to provoke Jian Feng and cause him to harm the little male cub not far away.
In their excessive tension, they overlooked Quan Ci standing behind the little male cub, protecting him.
Quan Ci watched Jian Feng intently, his entire body tensed to the extreme. If Jian Feng made any sudden moves, he could ensure Wei’an was protected immediately.
The heavy rain poured down, and without the energy shield, Jian Feng was soaked. Clearly, he had lost his rationality, but at the moment he saw Wei’an, he stopped all attacks.
Wei’an, standing on the ground, strained to look up at him. He was so tall! He exclaimed in his heart, raising his hand and struggling to wave, his voice childishly sweet, “You squat down a little~”
The female Zergs present thought to themselves how terrible this was. How could a Zerg who had already lost their mind and turned into an insect understand his words?
This sudden sound would only stimulate Jian Feng, causing him to rage further.
Just as the female Zergs prepared to take action, they suddenly saw the already irrational Jian Feng tilt his massive head, seemingly struggling to understand the words.
Before they could figure out what was happening, they saw an even more incredible scene.
They saw Jian Feng slowly, clumsily, and cautiously crouch down.
Even though he crouched, the height was still absurdly high for Wei’an. He shook his small hands unhappily, “Please squat down more, Wei’an can’t reach~”
The enormous, half-insect beast, upon hearing his words, slowly laid down on the ground. The sharp bone wings and bone blades on his hands cautiously retracted.
Wei’an, still smaller than his head, opened his small mouth in surprise, then stood on tiptoe and stretched out his hands to support Jian Feng’s half-insect face, barely pressing their foreheads together.
Too close!
In that instant, Quan Ci swiftly moved to act. His hand was already touching Wei’an’s collar, ready to pull him away, but upon seeing that the half-insect Jian Feng was still obediently lying on the ground, his crimson vertical pupils gazing intently at the little male cub without any movement, he stopped.
His hands hanging on either side trembled, his subconscious telling him that Wei’an was now in a very dangerous situation, and he must take him away immediately.
But reason made him desperately resist his instinct, telling him that this was the only chance to save Jian Feng.
Sweat beads continuously dripped from Quan Ci’s forehead, his heart was tormented like never before.
