Wen Yuzhi was wearing pajamas. He did not even have time to put on his shoes before hurrying to the dining room.

The moment he saw the silver-haired sovereign sitting inside, joy flared in his chest, and only then did he finally let out a slow breath of relief.

His steps slowed with it.

“Dad...!”

The cub’s bright, delighted voice rang out.

A group of Saint Clan members stood around Mansendis. Alvin and Selet were both there.

They seemed to be discussing something in low voices, their expressions somewhat grave.

But before they could finish, Mansendis raised a hand, signaling them to stop.

The silver-haired sovereign lifted his head, his gaze falling on the cub who had rushed over in such a hurry.

Seeing Wen Yuzhi’s messy hair, his bare feet, and the way he was panting from running all the way here, Mansendis frowned.

He got to his feet and walked straight over.

When he reached Wen Yuzhi, Mansendis picked him up.

“Why were you in such a rush? And why did you come out without your shoes on?”

Wen Yuzhi was already used to being picked up and carried around. In Dad’s arms, he instinctively found a comfortable position and tilted his head against Mansendis’s shoulder.

Hearing the silver-haired sovereign’s question, he obediently answered, “I woke up kind of late today. Mond said you were going to Esoris, so I ran over ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) right away.”

They had promised yesterday that they would eat together, but he had been too tired and fallen asleep.

Then when he woke up this morning, Mond mentioned that Mansendis was expected to go to Esoris for a few days and might be leaving very soon.

The moment Wen Yuzhi heard that, he immediately ran straight for the dining room without even changing his clothes, and he forgot to put on his shoes too.

On the way over, Wen Yuzhi had even thought he might already be too late, that Dad might have already left.

He had not expected Mansendis to still be here waiting for him.

Wen Yuzhi immediately wrapped his arms around Mansendis happily, hugging Dad around the neck.

Mansendis let the cub cling to him like a little octopus and carried Wen Yuzhi to the table.

Now that Wen Yuzhi had grown, the little table and little chair from before were no longer usable, so Mond had arranged a child’s seat according to the cub’s height and weight.

It was basically just a normal chair fitted with a child safety support.

After all, the chairs on the Saint Clan side were all far too large, and at Wen Yuzhi’s current height, climbing onto one was difficult. With the added safety support, there was no need to worry about him falling off.

Mansendis set Wen Yuzhi down in the child’s seat and touched the cub’s feet.

They were a little cold.

Pressing his lips together, he said, “Next time, no matter how rushed you are, remember to put your shoes on first. Understood?”

Just as he was speaking, Mond caught up from behind.

He was still holding Wen Yuzhi’s shoes in his hand.

Even the old chief affairs officer had not expected His Highness to be so anxious. Before he had even finished speaking, the cub had already run off.

Only after Mond chased after him did he realize Wen Yuzhi had not put on any shoes. Left with no choice, he had hurried back again to grab the pair the cub had forgotten.

By the time he arrived, Wen Yuzhi had just obediently promised that he definitely would not do it again next time.

The words had barely left his mouth when Mond immediately exposed him without hesitation. “Your Highness, forgive me for speaking plainly, but this is not the first time.”

The cub had a bad habit.

When no one was watching him, he would get greedy for a bit of comfort and walk around barefoot on the floor, or sit directly on the ground in thin pajamas.

At first, Mond and the others had not paid much attention to it.

That was until one time, Wen Yuzhi had dozed off while sitting on the floor.

When he woke up, his head felt heavy and foggy. Mu Luo came over carrying a medical kit, took one look, and said, “He caught a chill.”

So from that day on, Wen Yuzhi’s room had been covered in thick carpets, and the silver-haired sovereign had forbidden him from ever sleeping on the floor again.

That only stopped him from sleeping on the floor. Sometimes Wen Yuzhi still forgot Mond’s reminders and wandered around the palace barefoot.

Now, hearing Mond report on him, the cub immediately lowered his head guiltily.

“It feels a little uncomfortable when I wear them...”

Wen Yuzhi defended himself in a small voice.

Mansendis thought of how the cub had grown thinner lately from being tormented by his molting period. Then he thought of how Wen Yuzhi had lain in his arms yesterday, whining softly and acting spoiled as he said he felt awful.

He asked, “Is it that uncomfortable?”

Wen Yuzhi nodded without hesitation.

After nodding, he carefully lifted his head and stole a glance at Mansendis’s expression.

He looked exactly like a timid little rabbit.

All the words of scolding Mansendis had wanted to say got stuck in his throat at once, and he could not say a single one.

He could only rub the cub’s hair and say softly, “Later, I’ll have Mond carpet the entire palace.”

Joy immediately appeared on Wen Yuzhi’s face.

But before he could say that thank-you to Dad, Mansendis added, “But if Zhizhi gets sick again next time, Zhizhi will be punished with a whole month of nutritional supplements.”

Flavorless ones.

Wen Yuzhi could already imagine it.

“I definitely won’t get sick again. I’ll be good...”

Seeing how pitiful the little prince looked, even Alvin and Selet at the side felt a little sorry for him.

But Mansendis hardened his heart for once.

The cub was growing up now. Every now and then, he would have a rebellious streak.

He could indulge anything else, but when it came to the cub’s health, that was Mansendis’s bottom line.

Everything else could be tolerated. This alone could not.

The cub’s constitution was nothing like theirs. Wen Yuzhi’s body was far too fragile, and he seemed to fall sick every few days.

It left Mansendis and Mond worrying themselves sick along with him.

Mu Luo was now checking Wen Yuzhi every single day, not only to record the cub’s growth data, but also to keep an eye on his physical health.

Because of that, Mansendis had tripled Mu Luo’s salary.

Looking at that generous paycheck, Mu Luo immediately felt that finding a rich and generous boss had been an incredibly correct life choice.

It was not that Mu Luo particularly wanted to come.

It was just that Mansendis was offering too much.

And the silver-haired sovereign was not only generous to his subordinates. Faced with a droopy, dispirited cub, he was equally generous.

He promised that as long as Wen Yuzhi did not get sick at all this month, the cub would be allowed to eat one extra little cake every day.

The cub, who had still been quietly miserable just a moment ago, was instantly soothed.

It was not even that Wen Yuzhi especially loved little cakes.

It was just... sometimes things were like that. The more he was told he could not eat something, the more delicious that thing seemed.

In order to prevent cavities and upset stomachs, Mansendis and Mond had always restricted how many sweets the cub could eat.

Even when he was allowed some, it was only ever a tiny bit, so a reward of one extra little cake every day was genuinely very tempting to Wen Yuzhi.

Mond brought breakfast over.

Wen Yuzhi could now eat most foods, and he still drank milk every day, but he no longer used a little baby bottle.

That had made Mond and the others feel regretful for quite a while.

After all, His Highness the little prince holding a tiny bottle and gulping down milk had been unbearably cute.

They had not gotten their fill of watching it at all.

But Wen Yuzhi felt that he had already grown up, and no matter what anyone said, he refused to use the little bottle again.

So that little prince holding his baby bottle could now exist only in everyone’s memories.

There was no rule in the palace about not talking while eating or sleeping, so while eating, Wen Yuzhi asked Mansendis how many days he would be gone this time.

Mansendis pushed all the things the cub liked to eat in front of him.

“Probably around a week.”

He had to go to Esoris first, then make an inspection tour around the outer perimeter of the Ninth Star Sector to see what places were easiest to overlook or neglect.

This was also to ensure that those irritating rats would not be able to sneak in unnoticed.

If it were an ordinary intrusion, the Saint Clan’s current dense defenses would definitely be able to detect it.

What Mansendis was worried about was something like the warship from the Padar incident last time, the one that had managed to evade their detection.

He had to go in person and take a look before he could feel at ease.

But Mansendis did not tell Wen Yuzhi any of that.

It was not because he deliberately wanted to hide it from him. It was because Wen Yuzhi had already been so busy lately soothing the Saint Clan, and Mansendis did not want the cub worrying about these things too.

As long as he was still alive, there was absolutely no way he would let those people reach into the Ninth Star Sector again.

But Wen Yuzhi felt a little down.

Mansendis rarely left for such a long time. This was the first time he would be apart from Dad for so many days.

He did not want to be separated from him.

But there was no way he could go with Mansendis.

The treatment for the Saint Clan members at the supervision center was only halfway done. He could not just abandon them and leave.

So... he could only be apart from Dad for now.

At that thought, even the little cake that had tasted so good a moment ago now felt bland.

The cub’s emotions were practically written all over his face.

The moment Wen Yuzhi’s mood dropped, nearly every Saint Clan member present noticed.

Mansendis stood up from his seat and walked over to the cub. He bent down and crouched in front of Wen Yuzhi.

Meanwhile, Mond and the others turned away, pretending not to see this posture that absolutely did not fit the identity of the Saint Clan sovereign.

Mansendis did not care about their gaze. Right now, all he wanted was to coax the sad cub in front of him.

“Dad will come back very soon.”

Wen Yuzhi pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Just when Mansendis was beginning to wonder whether the cub might cry, Wen Yuzhi suddenly said in a small voice, “A week is too long... could it be five days instead?”

He was trying to bargain with Mansendis.

But Mansendis shook his head. “A week is already the shortest possible time.”

The Ninth Star Sector was far too vast. With the performance of the Thanatos, even at full acceleration combined with spatial jumps, making a full inspection loop around the outer perimeter of the Ninth Star Sector in seven days was already extremely tight.

There was simply no way to make the time any shorter.

Wen Yuzhi knew that too. He understood very clearly that if something could keep Mansendis away for that long, then it had to be something very important.

He could not be that willful.

But he just could not control his emotions.

Wen Che and Madam Jilanya had been like this too.

They had also said they would come back soon, but once they left, they never came back at all.

He was afraid Dad would be the same.

Wen Yuzhi had no way to suppress the fear rising from the bottom of his heart.

Mansendis could only hold him and gently pat the cub’s back, telling him that nothing would happen to him, that he was only going to take a look at the outer perimeter.

But Wen Yuzhi’s mood still did not improve.

Looking at the cub in his arms, forcing himself not to cry, for one brief moment Mansendis wanted to say he would not go.

He would stay here and keep his child company.

And because it would also have to go so long without seeing the cub, the bone spines were sad too. They were the ones most unwilling to leave, and they kept trying to persuade Mansendis to stay behind.

But as if Wen Yuzhi had sensed what Mansendis was thinking, he wiped his face himself and took the initiative to loosen his hold, pulling away from Mansendis’s embrace.

“Dad, I’ll wait for you to come back.”

As the cub said it, he looked exceptionally obedient and sensible.

“Zhizhi...”

Mansendis still wanted to say something, but Wen Yuzhi interrupted him. “Dad has Dad’s work, and I have things I need to do too.”

“I can’t be willful and make Dad delay work because of me. Besides... Dad has always supported me and let me do the things I want to do.”

At that, Wen Yuzhi pressed his lips together. He tucked away the sadness on his face and forced out a smile.

“And also... Dad promised me, so you have to come back soon, okay?”

Mansendis was silent for a long while.

Then he let out a sigh and covered the cub’s hair with his palm. “Our Zhizhi has grown up.”

Wen Yuzhi turned his head away, not letting Mansendis see the tears falling from his eyes.

“I’ve grown up... I won’t cling to Dad like a little kid anymore... and I won’t cry anymore either...”

The cub’s voice was very quiet, but Mansendis still heard it.

He softened his voice and followed the cub’s words. “It’s Dad who wants to cling to Zhizhi.”

“Then Dad can’t be willful... Dad has to work hard.”

“Dad will work hard and provide for Zhizhi.”

“I’m easy to provide for... I don’t eat much...”

“But Dad wants to give Zhizhi more. Not just the Ninth Star Sector. Dad wants the entire universe to belong to Zhizhi.”

..........

Mansendis still left.

Selet went with him, while Alvin stayed behind to handle matters on Dark Tower Star.

When they departed, Wen Yuzhi stood at the entrance of the palace.

He watched Mansendis dressed in a black military uniform.

Among all the Saint Clan members in military dress, Mansendis was the most striking one.

A silent black. Solemn, and cold.

He merely stood there, yet he looked like a drawn sword.

All the Saint Clan followed behind him, like a pack of fierce wolves following their wolf king.

Wen Yuzhi stood there and watched them gradually walk farther away.

Far enough that he could no longer see them at all.

He still did not move from where he stood.

Not until Mond came over and told him that Mu Luo was already waiting for him.

Only then did Wen Yuzhi blink slowly. He moved his somewhat stiff body, then refused Mond’s attempt to pick him up.

“I can walk by myself.”

With that, Wen Yuzhi turned and walked back into the palace.

Clearly, only Mansendis had left. The palace still had plenty of attendants and guards.

Mond was still there. Alvin was still there. Kasha and the others, and Merita too, were still there. But for some reason, Wen Yuzhi felt as though the palace had suddenly become empty.

There was an indescribable loneliness to it.

But he did not sink into that feeling for long. Mu Luo was still waiting for him, so Wen Yuzhi hurried back to his room to change clothes.

Right after that, he went with Mu Luo to the supervision center.

The Saint Clan here had long since learned that His Highness the little prince came to see them every day. To them, being able to see His Highness once a day was the thing they looked forward to most.

They did not dare hope that His Highness would always come see them, and because of that, they cherished every meeting all the more.

Following the usual process, Wen Yuzhi first checked on the Saint Clan members he had already soothed.

The very first Saint Clan member’s condition had already stabilized. Just like Woke, this one also became very nervous when facing the cub.

Almost every time, Wen Yuzhi had to ask one question before getting one answer. The whole time, the Saint Clan member sat there stiff and proper, with only those eyes staring at the cub without blinking.

After interacting with more Saint Clan, Wen Yuzhi had come to understand that most of them were like this.

It was not that they meant to be cold. They were just not very good with words.

Compared to the glib members of the Wen family, Wen Yuzhi actually found the Saint Clan much cuter.

From them, he could feel the purest and most straightforward goodwill.

They liked him.

And because of that, Wen Yuzhi never felt that he was tired.

They liked him, and he wanted to help them too.

After soothing two more Saint Clan members, Wen Yuzhi came out looking a little pale.

The moment he stepped out, Mu Luo said, “I’ve thought of a way.”

Wen Yuzhi was still a little dazed.

Hearing Mu Luo say that so suddenly, the first thought that popped into his head was...

A way to do what?

But Mu Luo had already begun excitedly, “A way to soothe these Saint Clan members. The way you’re doing it now, one by one, is too slow. I know you’re definitely going to say you can hold up.”

As if having predicted in advance what the cub would say, Mu Luo said it first.

That really was what Wen Yuzhi had been about to say. Now that Mu Luo had pointed it out, he did not get annoyed.

Instead, he calmly asked, “Then what’s this method you’re talking about?”

“Very simple.” Mu Luo blinked.

Wen Yuzhi had never expected that Mu Luo’s method would be...

“Recording my daily life?”

Hearing what Mu Luo said, Wen Yuzhi froze for a second.

What kind of method was that supposed to be?

But Mu Luo already looked confident.

He had observed the Saint Clan here, and one change was extremely obvious: the Saint Clan who had seen Wen Yuzhi and the Saint Clan who had not were in completely different mental states.

Before Wen Yuzhi had come to the supervision center, the eyes of the Saint Clan here had all been filled with dead silence.

They had been waiting for death in loneliness.

But after Wen Yuzhi arrived, the Saint Clan here had something to look forward to every day. There was light in their eyes now, and hope for life as well.

Every bit of that change had been brought by Wen Yuzhi.

And combined with what the attendants and guards in the palace often said—that as long as they saw His Highness the little prince, their mood improved—

the conclusion was obvious: even if Wen Yuzhi did nothing at all, as long as the Saint Clan could see him, their emotions were no longer empty.

To the Saint Clan, the cub’s existence was like a kind of hope.

They had already accepted their fate, but deep in those repressed and silent hearts, they still longed for hope.

The method Mu Luo was talking about was letting Wen Yuzhi appear in these Saint Clan members’ sight more often.

For Saint Clan members with severe mental sea turmoil, this method would not do much. But for those whose condition was not as serious, giving them something to hope for would clearly ease their pain on an emotional level.

“But... if we film the things I normally do, won’t that be kind of boring?” Wen Yuzhi asked hesitantly.

Mu Luo shook his head. “You underestimate yourself far too much.”

How could it possibly be boring?

The cub was so vivid and lovable.

Probably not even Wen Yuzhi himself knew that every move he made was deeply infectious.