Su Duan was stunned.

After reacting, he quickly reached out to carefully touch the black cub's chin while anxiously asking the system in his mind: "What's wrong with Viji?"

The system said: "Please wait a moment, the system is detecting."

Three seconds later, the system said: "This is a Luota cub egg from three hundred years ago. The normal incubation period for the Luota race is between thirty to fifty years. This egg has been missing the incubation conditions, so its birth was delayed by six times the normal period. The overly long egg stage may have caused some impact on the cub's physical functions. In addition, compared to the cub formula from three hundred years ago, the current formula used in the interstellar common cub milk powder has undergone huge changes, causing its digestive system to be unable to accept it."

The cub's slightly opened mouth was still constantly spitting out milk, its body trembling lightly. Its black furball-like body was both tiny and soft, as if it would break with a light pinch. Su Duan only dared to use his fingertips to touch it, carefully using a blanket to wipe away the liquid overflowing from the corners of its mouth, not daring to make any other movements.

With the slight trembling felt by his fingertips, Su Duan felt like his own heart was also aching.

...In the beginning, it had clearly turned its head, unwilling to drink. It was only because he repeatedly forced it that Viji reluctantly drank it.

It was all his fault. If he had been a bit more attentive, it wouldn't have turned out this way.

Su Duan forced himself to calm down and asked: "What should be done now?"

The system said: "Host, don't worry. The Luota race is a very hardy species. The life signs of the treatment target are still within acceptable range and there is no life-threatening danger for now. Once it spits out all the milk it drank, it should be fine."

Only then did Su Duan feel slightly relieved. He let out an "en" and continued to help the cub in front of him wipe the milk it was spitting out from the corners of its mouth.

This bottle of milk that took five minutes to drink ended up taking twenty minutes to completely spit out.

Although the Luota race was a strong species, Viji was still just a newborn cub after all, and one that was born with defects after a few hundred years delay at that. After finishing spitting out the milk, its entire being was in an exhausted state. When Su Duan tried to pick it up, its whole body felt limp in his palm.

Although the cub had never struggled when he picked it up before, at that time Su Duan could feel that the body in his hands was strong and had the ability to resist, it just didn't do so. This was clearly different from its current limp state.

If the system hadn't told him that Viji's life signs were still stable, he definitely wouldn't be able to stay calm.

Su Duan carefully cradled the cub to his chest with one hand, and opened the small door of the incubator with the other, preparing to put Viji inside to rest.

However, just as he was about to take the cub away from his chest, the limp cub in his arms suddenly struggled and moved. It stretched out its little paws, using its thin but sharp claws to hook onto the fabric of his clothing, and let out a weak cry: "...Chirp."

Su Duan's motion to send it into the incubator paused.

Was this...not wanting to leave him?

Seeing the cub that was trying its best to grab onto his clothes despite not having any strength left, his heart was once again filled with guilt and a dense pain.

He closed the incubator door. Lowering his head, he kissed the furry little black head, his other hand also gently covering the cub's back as he said soothingly: "I'll hold you."

Only then did the cub quiet down.

The blanket soaked with milk could no longer be used, and there were no extras. Su Duan brought Viji back to his own room, found some thicker winter clothes to wrap it in, and continued to hold it in his arms.

The cub, nestled in a reassuring place, quickly fell into an even breathing pattern.

However, the most fundamental problem still hadn't been resolved.

After the cub in his arms had completely fallen into deep slumber, Su Duan continued his conversation with the system.

"If the common milk powder can't be consumed, how will Viji's eating problem be solved?"

Although there was still eggshell to eat for now, the eggshell would eventually be finished. Moreover, he still remembered the system mentioning that the eggshell couldn't be the main food. Continuing like this was not a solution. Viji couldn't just be left hungry.

Trying every type of food might be one method, but firstly, Viji still hadn't grown teeth yet and probably couldn't eat anything besides milk. Secondly, if it vomited every time it ate the wrong thing, the cub's body definitely wouldn't be able to handle it.

The system said: "After analysis, the system has concluded that the most effective handling method at present is for the host to bring the treatment target to the Capital Star to seek help from the Luota race there. They have a professional care team specifically for the Luota race that can make food for the treatment target according to the Luota recipes from three hundred years ago. The Luota race also has experience in caring for cubs within the race, so it should be easier for them to operate."

After carefully listening to this, Su Duan was silent for a moment before nodding and asking: "How long will it take to get to the Capital Star from here?"

The system said: "Taking the fastest starship at present, it can be reached within ten days. The nutrients contained in the remaining eggshell can support the treatment target's normal bodily consumption for about half a month, so the host needs to decide quickly."

Su Duan said: "Okay."

He lay on his small bed, holding the cub. Viji was sleeping in his arms, breathing steadily as it hugged one of his fingers. Su Duan, however, didn't close his eyes at all, his gaze falling on the cub that had completely turned into a black furball in his arms.

...The current emperor of the empire was of Luota descent, so the royal family placed great importance on Luota cubs. Although Viji was a defective cub, every single Luota cub was precious nowadays. After arriving at the Capital Star, Viji would undoubtedly receive better care.

—And also be under stricter watch. As a pure human, he would probably receive some money and then be asked to leave. Even if he could stay by Viji's side, he would certainly only be one of the many people responsible for its care.

Although he knew that his own petty little thoughts were very untimely in the face of Viji's food shortage crisis, Su Duan still couldn't help thinking about these things.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind in a mess. Half an hour later, Su Duan, a first-time dad, finally also fell into a daze while holding the cub in his arms.

Five hours later, the cub, exhausted from vomiting milk, finally whimpered and stirred awake in Su Duan's arms.

Hearing this milky cry, Su Duan, who subconsciously didn't dare to sleep too deeply, immediately opened his eyes as well.

"Are you hungry?"

Calculating from birth until now, over six hours, the cub had only eaten that small piece of eggshell at the very beginning.

The toothless cub of course wouldn't answer him, only whimpering and chirping once. Su Duan took out the eggshell he had saved earlier and placed it on the table.

The cub raised its dark little head, sniffing twice in the direction of the eggshell. Its facial structure was similar to a kitten's, with a short nose, a black, slightly moist little nose tip, and a mouth divided into three tender lobes, revealing the tender pink oral cavity when it opened its mouth to cry.

Su Duan laid out a blanket on the table and placed the cub on it. The cub quickly found its eggshell by scent.

It seemed to be really hungry, biting off a large chunk with its toothless mouth, hugging it and starting to munch away.

Watching the black furball cub nibbling on the eggshell, squirming its little mouth like a piglet, Su Duan said to the system in his mind, "System, let's set off for the capital planet tomorrow. Please help me arrange the identity and tickets."

The system said, "Okay, host. Is an 11 a.m. ticket tomorrow okay? The boarding location is at the transport port two hours' drive from the orphanage."

Su Duan said, "That's fine."

After finishing a piece of eggshell for dinner and waiting a while, estimating the time was about right, Su Duan took Viji out to go to the toilet.

The cubs had a dedicated place to go to the toilet, very similar to a cat litter box, but much more advanced, automatically cleaning itself.

Su Duan looked around and found a toilet that seemed to have just been cleaned, with no poop inside yet, and stuffed the cub in his arms into it.

Probably all beastmen had an innate ability to use the toilet as cubs. There was a whooshing sound, silence, then another whooshing sound. The small door of the toilet was gently pushed open, and the cub poked its head and two front paws out.

After picking it up, Su Duan reached out, preparing to push the small door open a little, trying to see what a Luota cub's poop looked like.

The cub immediately chirped in his arms, as if protesting him peeking at its privacy again.

Su Duan guiltily gave a light cough and silently retracted his hand, petting its furry little head.

On the way back carrying the cub, Su Duan ran into a familiar face.

It was Xu Wei, the low-level orphanage manager who had tried to get rid of Viji earlier to free up an incubator.

Seeing the black cub in his arms, Xu Wei's pupils constricted for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

He gave Su Duan a cold look, with a clear warning in his eyes.

Su Duan couldn't be bothered with him. He carried his cub away without a sideways glance. In any case, with the system monitoring, this person couldn't do anything. Besides, they were leaving soon.

When the time was right, releasing the video he had would directly implicate Xu Wei in breaking the eggshell. The royal family definitely wouldn't let him off.

......

Early the next morning, when it was just 6 a.m., Su Duan got up early.

The first thing after getting up was to take Viji, who had been holding it in all night, to the toilet, then to return to the room to feed it breakfast.

There was still ample time. He didn't have much luggage and had already packed it the night before. After feeding Viji, he could have the system block the orphanage's surveillance and set off directly.

Leaving so soon, and not knowing what they might encounter on the road, he wasn't sure if they could smoothly reach the capital planet within a week... His mind was filled with these questions, and Su Duan couldn't help feeling a bit dazed.

Unwrapping the towel around the eggshell, in a moment of distraction, Su Duan felt a sharp pain in his fingertip. Looking down, blood had already slowly seeped out from the tip of his right index finger.

He must have accidentally cut it on the eggshell...

Just as Su Duan was about to wipe the blood off his hand with a tissue, the black furball cub that had been lying beside him waiting to eat suddenly raised its head alertly, constantly twitching its nose tip as if it smelled something extremely enticing, and let out a low purr from its throat.

Hearing this strange cry, Su Duan couldn't help being stunned for a moment. Viji's previous cries had all been soft, tender chirps. This was the first time he heard Viji make such a low sound.

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he always felt that this kind of sound... was like an omen wild beasts make before hunting.

The cub quickly crawled over on its short legs, accurately licking Su Duan's fingertip that still had blood beads based on the scent, its delicate tongue tip carrying an unmistakable urgency, licking the seeped blood clean. Then, as if drinking milk, it began to suck hard on his fingertip, unsatisfied.