CH 106

There were few ways to show friendship and affection between dragons, but licking each other’s forehead scales was one of the most common, and every dragon was born knowing this. Seventh Cub’s tail wagged even faster as he looked at Second Cub with bright eyes.

Not only was this dragon, who was similar in color, very friendly to him, but he also came to bring him a rattan ball. At once, Second Cub’s status in Seventh Cub’s mind rose as high as Eldest Cub’s. He also wanted to lick Second Cub’s forehead as well, but he was too short and Second Cub’s back was too straight for him to reach.

Seventh Cub stood up on his hind legs and jumped into Second Cub’s neck hair.

Second Cub was shocked, he could have dodged it with his speed, but remembered that Fifth Cub was still watching him, so he didn’t move, and then he pushed Seventh Cub away with one of his front paws. Seventh Cub backed up and crouched down again, sneezed a little, and shook his head.

The rattan ball had been delivered, and Second Cub had done all he could do and intended. He turned and opened his wings, but Seventh Cub sensed he was leaving, “Aowu?”

Won’t play with him?

Second Cub almost stumbled over his paws when he heard the slightly lost voice, and he slowly turned his head with his wings retracted. The rattan ball was pushed to the side, and Seventh Cub’s eyes were expectant while his tail was wagging.

Second Cub looked around, but except for Fifth Cub, no other dragon knew that he and Seventh Cub were here.

I could play with him for a while… just for a while.

The light and flexible rattan ball made of branches was perfect for the little dragon cub to exercise with, and after a few rounds, Second Cub gradually lost control of himself. He threw up the rattan ball with his head and it flew in the other direction, then he dived to the other side to catch it.

Second Cub used to like to play like this because he was the fastest among the dragons, and whenever they played together, he liked to see how the other dragons looked when they couldn’t catch the ball and were anxious.

Only Wuuth may be able to take it from his claws, but Wuuth wouldn’t play with them.

Seventh Cub couldn’t keep up with Second Cub’s speed, and by the time he reached it halfway, the rattan ball had already flown elsewhere.

Eventually, Seventh Cub crouched down on the grass and looked up, watching Second Cub flying around alone. Fifth Cub, who wasn’t far away, saw this scene and buried her head to cover her face. She got up, climbed down from the branch, and flew to the little dragon cub. Second Cub took a look at Fifth Cub and stopped with the rattan ball in his mouth.

Second Cub was playing for a while and was excited when Fifth Cub snatched the rattan ball from his mouth and gently scratched his paw. Second Cub tossed his head, not knowing what to do. He thought Fifth Cub was up to something, but Fifth Cub turned around and played with Seventh Cub.

In contrast, Fifth Cub was more gentle and considerate, and Seventh Cub finally found the fun of playing with the ball as he ran around in the grass. The forgotten Second Cub flew alone to a rock to land and watched them play, yawning in boredom.

When Seventh Cub got tired of playing, Fifth Cub intended to send him back to sleep, and Second Cub followed her. Seventh Cub had been playing almost all afternoon and was so tired that he fell back to sleep.

Second Cub squatted by the dragon’s nest and stared at the sleeping Seventh Cub for a long time. His pair of black dragon horns looked quite awkward to Second Cub. The horns had to be the same color as the scales. Besides, Seventh Cub didn’t seem to have neck hair.

Second Cub buried his head and examined the scales on Seventh Cub’s neck for a long time before leaving the room.

He paced slowly, his thoughts unknown, and suddenly flew in the direction of the back of the mountain, arriving at a place at the foot of the mountain alone.

There was no one around, and Second Cub quietly dug the ground and raked out a small hole. He stuck his head into the hole and took out a cloth bag. Not long after, the bag appeared in front of Fifth Cub’s eyes.

There were only two dragons at the stream, Fifth Cub and Second Cub. Second Cub had just mysteriously called Fifth Cub out, saying that he needed a favor. Fifth Cub curiously opened the cloth bag and revealed a familiar white hair inside.

“Huh?” Fifth Cub’s eyes widened, and when she looked again, the cloth bag was filled with white hairs, that familiar texture and color… It was exactly the same as the one on Second Cub’s neck.

Faced with Fifth Cub’s surprised and inquiring gaze, Second Cub looked down with embarrassment, “Aowu…”

He would collect every hair that he accidentally or naturally dropped, and because he was afraid of being laughed at by other dragons, he had kept it a secret from the other dragons, even Ning Chu and Wuuth didn’t know. He believed Fifth Cub wouldn’t laugh at him before he was willing to tell her the truth.

Fifth Cub closed the cloth bag and rubbed against Second Cub’s neck hair, indicating that she would keep the secret for him. But what was the favor he wanted?

Second Cub’s eyes glowed, and he lowered his voice, while “aowu, aowu”-ing a lot.

Fifth Cub, “…”

Fifth Cub gaze became confused, but she didn’t refuse Second Cub, as she spawned thin, soft vines, and tied all the white hair in the cloth bag together.

—

The next day, Ning Chu pushed out the door with a yawn. He was half-awake, so he sat at the door, and asked Wuuth to prepare breakfast. The little dragon cubs next door were up earlier than he was, had already eaten and drank enough, waiting for the morning.

He thought to himself, Why does Second Cub seem to have turned darker?

A moment later, Ning Chu sluggishly turned his head and realized that what he had just seen wasn’t Second Cub, but in fact, Seventh Cub. Seventh Cub had a ring of white neck hair hanging around his neck, and his scales were dark brown, which at first glance looked a bit similar to Second Cub’s.

Ning Chu stared blankly, his first thought was: did Seventh Cub grow neck hair too?

The next moment he realized that something was wrong and got up to walk over to him.

Seventh Cub was running around excitedly, stopping every now and then to fix his neck hair, and running up to the other dragons, showing them his neck.

Second Cub followed behind him, his eyes very satisfied. Third Cub was dying of laughter, but he was afraid that Second Cub would get mad and fight with him, so he quietly hid behind a rock. Seventh Cub ran around and ran into Ning Chu who was coming over.

Ning Chu reached out to pick him up and realized that the hair on his neck wasn’t natural, but was put on like a wig. The white fur was tied together by a thin vine, forming a “scarf” with a knot at the end to secure it around Seventh Cub’s neck.

Ning Chu touched the white hair and looked down at Second Cub.

Second Cub didn’t feel ashamed at all, and admitted it openly, “Aowu!”

It was true, it was he who contributed this neck fur and asked for Fifth Cub’s help to make a scarf for Seventh Cub to wear. He was worried that Seventh Cub might not like it, after all, not every dragon has neck hair, and not all dragons know how to appreciate it. But now he was relieved, because Seventh Cub liked this gift so much that he couldn’t take it off since he got up in the morning.

Seventh Cub rubbed his horn against Ning Chu’s palm and lifted his chest to show him his neck.

Without translation, Ning Chu knew that it must be saying, Isn’t it pretty?

Ning Chu laughed for a long time and put Seventh Cub on the grass, next to Second Cub.

The two little dragon cubs were side by side, one darker in color and smaller in size. Looking at all the details alone, they didn’t really look much alike, and they didn’t have the same kind of element. But with the obvious processed neck hair on Seventh Cub’s neck, there was an eerie harmony and similarity.

Ning Chu reached out and touched Second Cub’s head, “I’ll leave him to you, take good care of him.”

Second Cub felt a heavy responsibility and looked at Seventh Cub beside him.

Meanwhile, Sixth Cub’s eyes were envious, “Aowu…”

She was in a contradictory mood, envious of Seventh Cub’s new toy, but at the same time she felt that the white ring of neck hair was a bit ugly. If she were to wear it, she might… barely play with it for a day.

Fourth Cub was right next to Sixth Cub, nuzzling her shoulder and telling her to go play somewhere else. Sixth Cub turned her head and saw the purple gem on Fourth Cub’s neck. She turned and saw the even more beautiful tail ornament on his tail.

Seeing Sixth Cub’s eyes getting hotter and hotter, Fourth Cub felt danger and moved back a step. Sixth Cub’s front paws pawed the ground as she lunged forward, and Fourth Cub was unable to avoid her.

Sixth Cub was late in breaking her shell, but actually had a lot of strength, so she pinned Fourth Cub down and bit down on the purple gem he was wearing around his neck, “Awooo…”

She wanted to play with this! It was beautiful!

Fourth Cub was terrified that the gem would be broken by Sixth Cub’s extraordinary teeth, so he relented. Sixth Cub then let go of it and crouched down obediently.

Fourth Cub rolled over and got up, trying to break free, “Aowu?”

He had been wearing this for a long time and it was old… he could find a better looking one for Sixth Cub.

Sixth Cub’s mood dropped, and she slumped down, looking at Fourth Cub with aggravation. She was either going to grab what she wanted, or she was going to pout, where there was a will, there was a way.

Fourth Cub immediately took off the jewel and carefully helped Sixth Cub put it on, and adjusted the length of the string for her.

The author has something to say: 

Here come the treasures!