Free Web NovelAt first glance, Wen Yuzhi had almost failed to recognize that this was Awu.
The white wolf walking toward him looked majestic and imposing.
Perhaps because the environment on Blackrock Star was so harsh, the wolves living there had evolved stronger bodies in order to adapt to the extreme climate.
Awu was huge. Standing fully upright, it was over a meter tall.
It was just that back on Blackrock Star, there had been no conditions for regular grooming and cleaning, so although it was large and tall, its grayish, dusty appearance and messy fur had severely obscured the good looks it should have had.
But just now, Mond had taken it away to have its wounds treated properly, then given it a thorough cleaning, washing away all the blood and dirt clinging to it. After that, he had even had the white wolf’s fur groomed and conditioned from head to toe.
By the time they were done, the white wolf looked as though it had been fitted with a completely new outer shell.
Now the white wolf standing before Wen Yuzhi had a strong, tall body, and its fur was pure white from head to toe, without a single stray color mixed in. It looked fluffy, and at the same time gave off a fresh, pristine feeling.
When it walked over with steady steps, its smooth fur looked like the most expensive silk imaginable—sleek and beautiful in motion, with a faint sheen seeming to flow through it.
This white wolf was the perfect embodiment of what it meant to be glossy and well-groomed.
Before bringing it out, Mond had even dressed it up a little.
Pinned beneath its neck was a bow-shaped tie, making the white wolf look more like an elegant gentleman. Set off by those sharp, clear ice-blue beast eyes, the wolf’s appearance at first glance was honestly quite intimidating.
Its tall body, indifferent expression, and aloof, everything-is-beneath-me gaze...
All of it made the white wolf look extremely oppressive.
Unfortunately, it did not stay handsome for even three seconds.
The moment it saw Wen Yuzhi, the white wolf that had just looked cold and cool immediately became excited. It let out an awoo at Wen Yuzhi, and its tail began wagging unconsciously behind it.
Any sense of oppression, any quiet, deep, cold, proud gaze, all shattered completely in that instant.
And that was what convinced Wen Yuzhi that this handsome white wolf in front of him ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) really was the Awu he knew.
He had just started to reach out to pet its head.
Awu had already brought its freshly washed, sweet-smelling head over on its own. It had even gotten itself into position, its eyes slightly narrowed, its entire body practically radiating a come pet me attitude.
But Wen Yuzhi’s outstretched hand suddenly stopped in midair.
He looked at the white wolf, then at Mansendis, and blinking, he asked softly, “Daddy, can I pet Awu?”
“It’s already very clean.”
Mond also spoke up from the side, saying that he had already done everything necessary—cleaning, parasite treatment, all of it—and the little highness could safely touch the white wolf without any problem at all.
At that, Mansendis gave a nod.
“You can.”
Yay!
Wen Yuzhi’s eyes lit up, and he happily threw his arms around Awu.
His soft face buried itself in that fluffy fur, and the scent of bath soap came rushing toward him.
In a small voice by the white wolf’s ear, Wen Yuzhi said, “Awu got fragrant too.”
The white wolf also felt that it was now very, very fragrant.
It proudly puffed out its fluffy chest and affectionately rubbed the tip of its nose against Wen Yuzhi’s hand.
Wen Yuzhi rubbed its ears, then brought the white wolf over to Mansendis and formally introduced them to each other.
“Daddy, this is Awu.”
“Awu, this is my daddy. You have to be good and not make him angry, okay?”
The white wolf was very smart. It could tell that Mansendis was the one here with the highest status, and the big monster gave it the most frightening feeling of all.
So without even needing Wen Yuzhi’s reminder, the white wolf took the initiative to tuck its tail, droop its ears, and display an obedient, submissive posture.
Wolves had a tradition of bowing their heads to the wolf king.
And in the white wolf’s eyes, Mansendis was clearly the “wolf king” among these monsters.
Mansendis had never kept pets.
The only one he had ever raised and truly kept in his heart was his child. freewёbnoνel.com
As for this white wolf, Mansendis did not care that much about it. His gaze did not even fall on it, yet he still noticed that Wen Yuzhi’s collar had just been mussed up during his play with the wolf.
He smoothed down the part that had flipped up.
“Does Zhizhi want to cut the cake?”
“I want to cut it together with Daddy.”
Wen Yuzhi tipped his head up and looked at him as he said it.
“Okay.”
Naturally, Mansendis would not refuse such a small request.
They walked over to the dining table. The huge cake had six layers in total, and Wen Yuzhi was not tall enough to reach the top one.
Wen Yuzhi had just been about to step up onto the stool beside it, but Mansendis picked him up instead. Just like when he had been little, Wen Yuzhi ended up sitting in Daddy’s arm.
From this height, he could just reach the very top of the cake.
And only then did Wen Yuzhi see that on the cake, written in icing, were a few words.
May you be safe year after year.
This was the Saint Clan’s blessing for Wen Yuzhi.
It was not a wish for him to achieve some dazzling accomplishment in the future, nor for him to become especially formidable.
They only wished for Wen Yuzhi to grow up safely.
This was their wish, as his family, for their own child.
Wen Yuzhi pressed his lips together. Suddenly, he almost could not bear to cut the cake.
But he also understood that once a cake had been made, the people who made it surely hoped even more that it would be eaten properly, that all those blessings would be eaten into him.
So after hesitating for a moment, Wen Yuzhi still began cutting the cake.
The biggest slice still went to Mansendis. After that, he divided the rest equally. Aside from Selet, who was not on the warship, Mond, Alvin, and the others all had a share. Wen Yuzhi did not leave out a single one of them.
Even the white wolf got some.
Though considering that Awu probably could not eat too much cream, Wen Yuzhi cut it only a small piece, just enough for it to taste.
And the entire process of cutting the cake was recorded on video by Alvin.
The little highness, now a bit older, was lifted in the silver-haired sovereign’s arms. Bright candlelight shone over the boy’s snow-pale, exquisite face, as though scattering a layer of golden radiance across it.
That moment was captured and frozen.
Mond posted it to the Saint Clan’s internal StarNet.
Every member of the Saint Clan saw the newly posted photo.
In the photo, they saw their king and the little highness. Father and son wore clothes that looked almost like matching parent-child outfits. The little highness’s eyes curved as he smiled, clearly very happy about cutting the cake.
And Mansendis, too, was looking directly at his child. The expression in his eyes held a tenderness none of the Saint Clan had ever seen before.
Even though it was only a photograph, it somehow felt as though people could sense the warm, harmonious atmosphere at the scene itself.
Before this, the Saint Clan had been trapped in fear and unease because of the little highness’s disappearance.
But after seeing this photograph, what remained in their minds was only the little highness’s happy smile, and Mansendis, who in the photo looked unusually relaxed, no longer so cold.
How wonderful.
Although these inarticulate Saint Clan members did not know how to describe what they felt upon seeing the photo, they still hoped that the beautiful, warm atmosphere within it could continue forever.
And over here in the dining hall, the joy of sharing cake filled every Saint Clan member’s heart as well.
Wen Yuzhi handed out the cake slices, while the words May you be safe year after year ended up being eaten by him.
The dense, soft cream melted on his tongue. Carrying everyone’s blessing, Wen Yuzhi ate his entire portion of cake bite by bite.
At the end, he even asked everyone to take a group photo together.
And thanks to its newly acquired status as the little highness’s beloved new pet, Awu managed to sneak itself into the photo too.
Barring surprises, this photo would also be posted by Mond onto StarNet.
But that was not something Wen Yuzhi was concerned with for the time being.
After finishing this special “breakfast,” he and Mansendis found a quiet room.
Father and son sat facing each other.
Of course, the atmosphere was not actually that stern or solemn.
Because they were sitting on a carpet, in a toy room.
It had previously been a room more like a study, but later had been converted into a toy room.
After all, there had not originally been a toy room aboard the Thanatos, but now these relaxing spaces filled with toys could be found everywhere.
As for who they were for, that naturally did not need to be said.
Wen Yuzhi had been here before, and some of the toys he had played with in the past were still scattered across the floor.
By coincidence, these toys happened to be from a theater-play set, including a pair of puppets: a rabbit daddy and a little rabbit.
Wen Yuzhi picked up the little rabbit and had Mansendis take the rabbit daddy.
The silver-haired sovereign did as told.
So beneath the smile Wen Yuzhi could not hide, the little rabbit wriggled happily and called out to the rabbit daddy in front of it, “Daddy!”
Mansendis looked at the lively little rabbit opposite him and seemed to understand how this toy was supposed to be played with.
He lifted a brow and moved his hand as well.
Compared to the cute, energetic little rabbit, though, the rabbit daddy’s movements were much smaller.
That was also because this was Mansendis’s first time handling this kind of thing, and the silver-haired sovereign was still not very practiced at it. Yet that happened to suit the rabbit daddy’s steady, fatherly air perfectly.
“Cub.”
The rabbit daddy called.
Mansendis rarely used that form of address, and it was originally the name the bone spines had given Wen Yuzhi.
They liked calling the cub cub. Even though only Mansendis could hear them, they liked using that more intimate way to express their love for Wen Yuzhi.
In some contexts, a doubled-up form like cub carried an especially affectionate feeling. It was more like a private nickname an elder might give the child at home.
For Mansendis to use this form of address now clearly meant he had slipped into the role of rabbit daddy.
In rabbit daddy’s eyes, the little rabbit was his cub.
When Wen Yuzhi first heard it, he froze for a moment.
On one hand, he felt that he had already grown up, and being called cub now felt a little too childish.
But on the other hand, he liked this closeness between Daddy and himself.
Wen Yuzhi’s inner conflict showed up on the little rabbit too.
The little rabbit covered its face, and the red blush on its cheeks seemed to reveal the shyness in its heart at that moment.
Just then, rabbit daddy came over and gently patted the little rabbit’s head.
As though saying there was no need to worry and no need to struggle over it. Daddy would stay by your side either way.
That tiny bit of conflict in Wen Yuzhi’s heart was instantly balled up and tossed aside.
Who cared whether he had grown up or not? Even if he had, he was still Daddy’s child.
The little rabbit stopped covering its face and threw itself straight into rabbit daddy’s arms.
Rabbit daddy held the little rabbit too, father and son nestled together.
Looking at the tightly embracing rabbit daddy and little rabbit, Wen Yuzhi raised his head to look at Mansendis, and the silver-haired sovereign shifted his gaze to look back at him.
Father and son met each other’s eyes. It seemed there was some kind of unspoken understanding between them.
Wen Yuzhi smiled.
A trace of a smile also surfaced in Mansendis’s eyes.
To be honest, this kind of puppet game was childish.
But the two of them played this childish game very happily.
Mansendis was not the sort of sovereign who cared all that much about maintaining so-called dignity or image.
In front of Wen Yuzhi, he was simply an ordinary father.
He would play with his child. He would do things this childish with his child.
This would not be the first time he played games with Wen Yuzhi, and it certainly would not be the last.
And after the father and son had shared that close embrace, the little rabbit gave a small cough and struck a pose as if preparing to begin a speech. It was going to tell rabbit daddy about all the adventures it had gone through outside these past days.
Rabbit daddy, too, prepared to listen with full attention.
Very soon, the little rabbit began acting out its experiences using the props around them.
First, while resting in the shade beneath a tree, the little rabbit was suddenly carried off by a bad guy in a cloak. That bad guy brought it aboard a ship, and on that ship there were many, many more bad guys.
Among them were two bad guys in white coats. Catching them off guard, the little rabbit knocked them unconscious and ran out.
Inside a prison cell, the little rabbit found another rabbit, one covered in wounds.
Because they were of the same kind, the little rabbit took that rabbit along as they fled together.
But they were discovered by the bad guys on the ship, and those bad guys chased after them.
In order not to be captured again, the little rabbit destroyed the ship, then boarded a small boat and left with the other rabbit.
It was just a pity that halfway there, that little boat ran into turbulence.
The little rabbit lost consciousness.
When Mansendis saw this part, his brows unconsciously drew together.
He understood that the ship was the warship they had found before, and he could also tell that the other rabbit, the one of the same kind, was very likely the Saint Clan member who had taken Wen Yuzhi from the palace.
It was only that because of the cute rabbit puppets and the comparatively humorous way the story was being performed, everything the little rabbit had gone through on the way seemed not all that difficult.
And yet Mansendis could easily imagine that hidden beneath that seemingly easy escape, the little rabbit must have faced a great deal of danger.
You knew your own child best.
Mansendis knew that Wen Yuzhi’s body was not as strong as theirs. On the contrary, it was fragile. The cub got sick at the drop of a hat, and ever since hatching, he had been carefully coddled by them, cherished in the palm of their hands, never having suffered any hardship at all.
And yet aboard that ship, the little rabbit had had to knock out bad guys, hurry another rabbit along while avoiding pursuit from an entire shipful of enemies, and in the end, with no other choice, destroy that ship and flee aboard an escape boat.
It could be said that in the parts they had not seen, the cub who had never suffered before had endured many hardships just to stay alive and escape those dangers.
How could Mansendis not feel heartache over that?
But rabbit daddy did not interrupt the little rabbit’s telling.
The little rabbit continued drawing out what happened next.
After the little rabbit passed out, the small boat crashed onto a lonely island.
There was a group of people there. They found the little rabbit and brought it back with them.
These people had dug out an underground base, and the little rabbit was taken there too.
When the little rabbit woke up, two people were standing in front of it, a younger brother and an older sister. Both were from that base, and they told the little rabbit that the small boat had drifted there, and their people had found it in the wreckage.
The little rabbit asked after the whereabouts of the other rabbit, but those people said they had not seen that rabbit.
So the little rabbit said it wanted to go look at the place where the little boat had run aground.
The brother and sister then brought it to meet the leader of the base, an old man.
The little rabbit struck a deal with the old man, and smoothly stayed on in the base.
That very night, the base ran into danger. A huge pack of wild beasts surrounded the place.
The little rabbit joined everyone else in resisting those beasts, and in the middle of it, the little rabbit even faced five beasts alone.
Fortunately, surrounded by those five beasts, the little rabbit survived. It even killed three of them. Though its fur was stained with blood, it was the first time the little rabbit had ever defeated those beasts.
During that beast attack, many people in the base died. The old man buried them, and the little rabbit stood by and watched the entire time.
After attending the funeral, the little rabbit went out with the people from the base.
And at that moment, the white wolf entered the story.
It ran up on its own to the little rabbit and became the little rabbit’s mount.
Riding the white wolf, the little rabbit and the people from the base found the little boat. The other rabbit was not inside, and soon afterward, they ran into wild beasts again.
This time, the little rabbit nearly died.
Fortunately, the arrival of a sandstorm saved it, and the little rabbit was carried by the storm into a ruin.
There, the little rabbit met a person.
As for that person’s identity, Wen Yuzhi deliberately concealed in the telling that they had known each other before, and were even friends, because trying to explain his situation with Xi Heyan would have been far too troublesome.
Wen Yuzhi was thinking that next time, if there was a chance, he wanted to personally bring Xi Heyan to meet Daddy.
So from rabbit daddy’s perspective, all he could see was that the little rabbit met a person. They escaped beasts together, returned to the base together, and even stayed in the same room together.
That person even cooked for the little rabbit.
That person even wiped the little rabbit’s fur.
Mansendis...
Why did this sound more and more wrong the further he listened?
But before the silver-haired sovereign could think too deeply on it, the base was attacked by wild beasts once again.
This time, the base could not be saved, and the little rabbit had to flee for its life together with everyone else. They went to a large building.
Inside that building were corpses everywhere. Those corpses wore white coats, and inside there were many bottles, jars, and instruments.
Connecting it with what Wen Yuzhi had mentioned before, Mansendis guessed that this was the laboratory.
And inside this laboratory, the little rabbit encountered the gravest danger of all.
They were surrounded by countless wild beasts. These beasts were all very powerful. The white wolf was injured protecting the little rabbit, and the little rabbit was almost bitten to death by a beast.
It was the other rabbit who killed that beast.
The little rabbit was happy to see it, but that rabbit knocked it unconscious.
And when the little rabbit woke up again, the one it saw was rabbit daddy.
That was the little rabbit’s entire adventure outside.
Again and again, it had brushed past death, nearly the whole way running and struggling to survive.
The little rabbit had not lived well out there.
By the time it saw rabbit daddy, its fur had been covered in dried blood.
At once, Mansendis thought of how the cub had looked when he found him in the escape pod.
At that time, the clothes on Wen Yuzhi’s body had not only been ragged, they had also been covered in sand and blood.
The moment he saw the cub in such a miserable state, Mansendis’s joy and delight at having his child back was almost instantly washed away, replaced by a surge of panic.
Fortunately, when it came time to change Wen Yuzhi’s clothes later, it turned out to be a false alarm.
Wen Yuzhi had not been injured. That blood had all belonged to the stray beasts, splashed onto his clothes during the fighting.
But from those bloodstains and the extent of the damage to the clothes alone, it was obvious that the situation then had been extremely dangerous, far from as easy and simple as Wen Yuzhi had made it look with the puppets.
Just hearing Wen Yuzhi retell it was enough to keep Mansendis from remaining calm.
“Daddy...”
Wen Yuzhi had already finished speaking, but Mansendis still had not said anything. Wen Yuzhi found it strange, so he opened his mouth in confusion.
He had only just begun to make a sound.
The next instant, he was pulled straight into the silver-haired sovereign’s arms.
