Chapter 20

Tao Shushu almost referred to herself as "mom", but thankfully, she reacted quickly and corrected herself in time.
Cub probably didn't hear it, right?
Tao Shushu glanced at the cub, who was frowning slightly, seemingly deep in thought.
Tao Shushu thoughtfully tore the dried meat into smaller pieces and placed them beside the cub's hand, not wanting to disturb his train of thought.
Then, Tao Shushu went to check the back of the truck, planning to give some food to the people the cub was taking with him.
Nan Yuan sat for a while, and she had even prepared the food and placed it right by his hand. Nan Yuan grew even more frustrated. After he clarified that he was already an adult, she had firmly told him that adults need to eat too.
And she specifically tore the food into pieces and set it beside his hand, meticulously, as if caring for a cub who had just learned to eat.
Nan Yuan's face instantly darkened even more.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard rustling sounds coming from the back of the truck.
She had gone to the back of the truck.
Nan Yuan turned his head and through the glass, he saw the speed-type ability user Cheng Feimao, supporting his injured leg as he reached for something. Just as he was about to fall, it seemed as if something propped him up, and then Cheng Feimao exclaimed, "Hey, I almost fell just now, suddenly felt like something held me up."
Nan Yuan bit his lip and turned away.
A few minutes later, the cheerful voice of a young girl sounded in Nan Yuan’s ear again: "Cub, there’s some medicine in the bag that’s very effective for treating external injuries. Take some and distribute it among them."
Tao Shushu had just inspected the cub’s small convoy. Although there were only about a hundred people, most of them were ordinary folks with little combat ability, it was still the cub’s first team after all, so it definitely needed to be nurtured properly.
But during her brief inspection, Tao Shushu overheard several people saying that the cub seemed too stern. Though they were grateful to him, they were too afraid to approach him, and one person even trembled at the mention of the cub.
She couldn’t let them keep fearing the cub like this. A leader needed to balance authority with kindness appropriately.
So Tao Shushu thought, having the cub give them some medicine would be a good way to build rapport.
Nan Yuan paused. "Do you like Cheng Feimao that much?"
"Who?" Tao Shushu asked.
"That speed-type ability user." A sharp glint flashed in Nan Yuan’s eyes.
Tao Shushu burst out laughing. So the speed-type ability user was called Cheng Feimao. Feimao sounded like "flying legs", fitting for a speed-type ability. In the chibi-style image, his legs were long, and the name matched his ability quite well.
"Legs are the most important part for a speed-type ability user. He was injured by you yesterday and then got hit by an arrow later. He needs proper treatment. Just give them a little medicine," Tao Shushu said.
"I already gave him medicine yesterday. The distribution of medicine was decided by their own plan," Nan Yuan replied.
Tao Shushu saw a crying emoji appear above Nan Yuan’s head.
Ah! the cub was unhappy.
Tao Shushu went back to check the event log and realized that because many people were injured while fending off the beasts last night, Nan Yuan had distributed all the medicine. Since the supply was insufficient, everyone was using it sparingly, minor wounds were just wrapped up casually, while serious injuries received the better medicine.
Seeing the cub’s dark expression, Tao Shushu belatedly realized that although her intention was for the cub to interact more with others, from his perspective, wasn’t it like she was suspecting he had hoarded the medicine and was unwilling to share?
If she were the one being doubted, she’d probably flip the table on the spot.
But the cub just darkened his expression.
"Cub, " Tao Shushu poked Nan Yuan’s arm.
"My name is Nan Yuan," he said.
Alright then. It seemed the cub was really angry, he was even emphasizing his name now.
"Cub Nan Yuan, I was thinking that since Cheng Feimao runs fast, once he’s healed, he can help you with errands and scouting. Of course, you come first in my heart."
The darkness in Nan Yuan’s eyes deepened. She still called him cub, yet she remembered Cheng Feimao’s name in one go. If he wasn’t mistaken, when she said "Cheng Feimao," there was a faint hint of laughter in her voice.
After Tao Shushu finished coaxing him, she noticed another crying emoji pop up in the dialogue box above the cub’s head.
The cub’s little mood swings were quite big. Tao Shushu thought for a moment and decided to continue reasoning with him. "Nan Yuan."
Tao Shushu had long been used to calling him cub. Afraid she might accidentally slip and say "cub" again, she emphasized the name "Nan Yuan" very heavily.
After correctly calling out the cub’s name, Tao Shushu continued, “Look, they’re all lively and bustling. Why don’t you distribute some things to them? That way, you’ll get to interact with them. I don’t want you to be so lonely, I want you to have company even when I’m not around.”
The girl’s voice by his ear was no longer as lighthearted. Nan Yuan couldn’t see her expression and couldn’t quite grasp her emotions.
Hearing her say she didn’t want him to be lonely, Nan Yuan wanted to say that he wasn’t lonely.
He had her company.
Others might not know, but he could hear and feel her presence.
But then Nan Yuan suddenly remembered that she had only appeared a few days ago.
A long time ago, he had indeed been struggling alone on a desolate planet.
She was concerned about him. Although her concern felt like a parent worrying about a child’s social life, and her tone even sounded like a parent reasoning with a child.
But he was afraid of losing her.
She said she couldn’t be with him often.
If he wasn’t obedient enough, if he wasn’t as adorable as the human child she imagined, would she no longer want him?
Nan Yuan said, “You can also call me ‘cub,’ as you like.”
Not sure why the cub suddenly jumped to the topic of names, Tao Shushu immediately replied, “Okay, cub!”
When she called him “cub,” her voice became lighthearted again. She really did treat him like a child.
Nan Yuan obediently started eating, but in his heart, he thought he could slowly prove that he was no longer a child.
“Cub, I’ll bring you more delicious food next time,” Tao Shushu said, wanting to improve the cub’s meals. Unfortunately, she had very few gold coins left and needed to save them for emergencies, so she didn’t dare spend them recklessly.
“This is already very good,” Nan Yuan said. He meant it sincerely. In the post-apocalyptic world, food was scarce. Instead of being devoured by starving wolves, he could eat wolf meat, it was already a blessing. If not for her, he would have died when surrounded by Bloodsucking Grass.
Tao Shushu ruffled the cub’s head. He was so sensible.
Thinking that the cub might not enjoy socializing with others, Tao Shushu didn’t ask him to check the back of the vehicle again.
Unexpectedly, after finishing his meal, the cub voluntarily stopped the vehicle and went to the back to take a look.
Standing next to the cub, the speed-type ability user Cheng Feimao looked a bit comical.
They were the same height.
But Cheng Feimao’s legs were disproportionately long, while his head and torso were short, giving him a strange proportion.
In contrast, the cub’s proportions were just right.
Tao Shushu happily took a screenshot and tapped Cheng Feimao’s incredibly long legs.
“Oh!” Cheng Feimao embarrassedly grabbed the side of the vehicle. “My leg suddenly felt itchy.” As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a heavy weight on his back, and the air around him grew suffocating.
After sitting down, that feeling subsided. "I'd better not rush to work; I'll rest more," he said, completely unaware.
"Mm," Nan Yuan nodded, casually tugging at his clothes to reveal the legs hidden beneath his loose hoodie.
He had maintained his enhanced hearing to easily detect her movements, so he knew the moment she touched Cheng Feimao's leg.
Tao Shushu hadn't noticed the small detail on the three-headed figure's clothing at all.
Seeing the cub kindly helping the injured Cheng Feimao, Tao Shushu felt deeply relieved. The cub was sensible and kind-hearted; even though Cheng Feimao had attacked the cub before, the cub held no grudges.
Beautiful on the outside and kind on the inside, that described the cub perfectly.
After the cub finished checking on the people in the three carriages and returned alone to the truck's cockpit, Tao Shushu gently rubbed the cub's head.
Watching the cub set the direction for the autonomous driving, Tao Shushu asked, "Cub, where are we going to find the base?"
The spaceship port on the barren planet was established about 100 years ago, but Nan Yuan didn't mention these textbook facts.
He simply explained, "The spaceship port is the most technologically advanced location on a planet. The barren planet is designated as a rare mineral planet, and beneath the port of every rare mineral planet, underground vaults are built to store the extracted minerals. Lin Wei once sent people to search for it but never found a way in."
"Then, cub, let's head toward the spaceship port," Tao Shushu strongly supported the cub's decision, not forgetting the mission to find a safe base.
The mission reward included a spaceship, which had to take off from the port. Tao Shushu was certain this was the right direction.
At that moment, a notification popped up on the screen: [Side Mission 5: Help the cub successfully reach the spaceship port. Mission Reward: Gold Coins ×20, Primary Clarity Card ×1.]
"We're about twenty-something kilometers away from the port," Nan Yuan said.
Tao Shushu thought that since a side mission had appeared, there must be obstacles along the way. Sure enough, the further they went, the more difficult the road became.
Buildings on the barren planet were concentrated near the port, but now most of the structures in this area had collapsed, blocking the main roads.
Nan Yuan stopped the vehicle, opened the door, and got out to survey the road.
The other vehicles also came to a halt.
Everyone grew anxious upon seeing the road conditions. The midday solar radiation was extremely intense; even staying inside the vehicles could cause burns, let alone getting out to clear the road.
But if they waited until sunset, mutated beasts would start to become active.
A dilemma.
The ordinary people who had come from the Slaughterer Base were accustomed to being treated as expendable. Some of them habitually prepared to get out and clear the road.
Some ability users, long disgusted by the Slaughterer Base's practices and believing that ability users bore greater responsibility, stepped forward and opened their doors first.
Just then, Nan Yuan's hooded figure blocked their path and closed the door. "No need to come down."
Dressed in a white hood, Nan Yuan seemed even more unapproachable. His voice was icy, carrying an undeniable authority.
He prevented them from facing the radiation but stood alone under the blazing sun.
In that moment, it inexplicably reminded people of a deity.
Cheng Feimao mumbled, "Then I'll scout the road; I run fast."
"No need," Nan Yuan coldly refused again.
Nan Yuan walked alone to the very front.
After a moment, he heard the girl's voice: "Cub, this route has the least blockage. I'll move the obstacles aside, you follow behind in the car."
"Okay." Nan Yuan nodded.
He blinked, watching as the shattered structures ahead were gradually cleared away.
He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, then directed the vehicles behind to follow. The truck's autonomous driving system was engaged, and it slowly advanced.
Nan Yuan remained standing by the roadside, his gaze tracing the path being cleared at the front.
Tao Shushu cleared one section and turned back, only to see Nan Yuan still standing by the roadside, not having gotten into the vehicle as agreed.
"Cub, why aren't you in the car?" Tao Shushu asked.
Nan Yuan smiled. "I want to watch you."


Author's Note:
Nan Yuan: I'm eighteen years old.
Tao Shushu: Cub is so cute.
Nan Yuan: I'm an adult.
Tao Shushu: Cub is so cute.
Nan Yuan: I'm not a little cub, hmph.
Tao Shushu: Cub is so cute.