CH 134

Chapter 134 – Seaside

Shi Yuan told Lu Tinghan, “It turns out that camel fur is so thick and quite tough.”

Lu Tinghan said, “Thick fur provides insulation and sun protection. Their mouths are also particularly hard, allowing them to eat prickly plants like cacti.”

“Can I eat them?”

“I don’t think so.”

Shi Yuan reached out and touched two camels. Just like when he first saw chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep, he was curious about new animals. No matter how much he had hoped, he had never encountered a camel in the desert before. Lu Tinghan must have remembered his anticipation.

Shi Yuan said again, “I thought camels had already disappeared.”

Lu Tinghan replied, “The Alliance has preserved the fertilized eggs of most animals, which can be bred in the biological laboratory. In everyday life, camels don’t play a significant role, so it took a while to start breeding them. We only have these two now.” He also reached out and touched the camels. “There will be more in the future. I’ve wanted to bring you to see them for a long time. Are they different from what you imagined?”

“They’re quite similar, just like in the movies,” Shi Yuan listened to the camels’ purring and watched their tails wag happily. “They’re so happy!”

He spent a long time with the camels, observing their fur, mouths, and legs, each designed for water conservation and survival in the desert.

Until the two young camels got tired and fell asleep, Shi Yuan reluctantly left with Lu Tinghan.

Walking in the corridor, Lu Tinghan said, “There will be more camels in the future.”

Shi Yuan asked, “Will they return to the desert?”

“Someday they will,” Lu Tinghan smiled and said, “That’s their home.”

This area is specifically for raising animals. Shi Yuan followed Lu Tinghan and saw zebras, foxes, spotted deer, and peacocks one by one. They were just beginning to breed, and the numbers were not many. According to Lu Tinghan, 90% of the animals hadn’t had a chance to breed yet and were being scheduled one by one.

Shi Yuan stood in front of the one-way glass, looking at the creatures he had never seen before.

Unlike monsters, each animal looked… orderly. At a glance, you could tell they belonged to the same species. For example, all zebras had four legs and black-and-white stripes. Similarly, this group of peacocks had feathers of similar colors and similar body sizes. There wouldn’t suddenly be hundreds of extra eyes or a few extra heads.

After going around in circles, stopping and walking, the whole day had passed.

Shi Yuan still felt unsatisfied and asked repeatedly, “Are there really no other animals to see?”

Lu Tinghan said, “There are none. We’ll come back to see new animals next time.”

“Okay,” Shi Yuan felt a bit disappointed. “Too bad I didn’t see fleas.”

Lu Tinghan was puzzled for a moment.

As they walked back, Shi Yuan hummed a song and walked ahead. Suddenly, Lu Tinghan grabbed him from behind.

Through the glass, he turned around and saw the peacock displaying its feathers. It was a young peacock with colorful eye-like patterns and bright green feathers, each one radiating beautiful hues.

Shi Yuan exclaimed, “Wow!”

He and Lu Tinghan stood side by side, looking at the peacock through the glass for a long time, until the peacock folded its feathers.

Lu Tinghan said, “Peacock displays its feathers usually as a courtship behavior. Only the male peacocks do it.” He ruffled Shi Yuan’s hair and whispered in his ear, “Everyone wants to make their potential partner happy, right?”

Shi Yuan asked, “Can you display your feathers for me?”

Lu Tinghan replied, “…That’s not possible.”

The two returned to the aircraft, but Shi Yuan couldn’t forget about the camels and the peacock.

He said, “These animals are so adorable.”

The hot water started boiling, and Lu Tinghan poured two cups of water and placed them on the table, smiling. “Yeah, every creature has its own charm.”

Shi Yuan continued, “It’s a pity they’re all a bit ugly.”

Lu Tinghan asked, “…Ugly?”

“Yeah.”

“Are spotted deer and foxes ugly? Is the peacock displaying its feathers also ugly?”

“Well, they’re just not good-looking. But I still like them.”

Lu Tinghan fell into deep thought.

The little spotted deer had big eyes, the fox was a fluffy ball of fiery red fur, and the peacock’s display was splendid… No matter how you put it, they didn’t fit the definition of “ugly.”

He was about to say something when he suddenly realized a serious problem—

The fish Shi Yuan raised were incredibly ugly.

The “beautiful flowers” he collected were full of malformed tumors.

Shi Yuan found fleas cute.

Shi Yuan also loved deformed monsters.

And countless other incidents… Considering all this, it seemed that Shi Yuan had a major problem with his aesthetic system!

Lu Tinghan had never paid much attention to aesthetics, but now he had a great revelation. A few seconds later, he realized a bigger question, a question he had never thought about but was extremely important.

He asked Shi Yuan, “Shi Yuan, what do you think… about my appearance?”

“Hmm?” Shi Yuan was taken aback, carefully looked at Lu Tinghan, and without hesitation, replied, “You’re the most handsome human I’ve ever seen! Really! No doubt about it!”

Lu Tinghan: “…”

Since the age of 10, Lu Tinghan, who had never lacked admirers and was handsome and dignified, fell into deep contemplation. On one hand, there was the joy of being praised by a loved one, on the other hand, there was doubt about Shi Yuan’s aesthetics… and doubt about his own appearance.

There was no way he could look like the deformed monsters Shi Yuan loved, right?!

What kind of aesthetics did Shi Yuan have for humans?

Very few questions troubled Lu Tinghan for so long. In the evening, as he washed up, he stared at the mirror for a couple of seconds and thought, ‘Well, there are no tumors or deformities on my face…’

No tumors, no compound eyes, no sharp teeth or claws, no deadly venom, not even horns or a tail. How did he, without any special features, receive such affirmation of his appearance from Shi Yuan?

Before Lu Tinghan could understand this question, they arrived at Pingshan City.

Pingshan City was 200 kilometers away from Elton and had a botanical garden for cultivating plants.

Speaking of plants, flowers were an indispensable part. Common flowers like roses, lilies, and xuejian were all there. Shi Yuan strolled around for quite a long time, accumulating more and more flowers in his arms until he was completely submerged, with only his wagging tail visible.

Lu Tinghan helped him carry the flowers, and soon he was also submerged by Shi Yuan’s flowers. The two flower clusters moved side by side in the garden.

Lu Tinghan asked, “Do you think these flowers are beautiful?”

Shi Yuan replied, “They’re beautiful too.”

Lu Tinghan felt a bit relieved. It seemed that Shi Yuan still had a normal sense of aesthetics.

If the little monster liked xuejian flowers, then it wasn’t impossible for him to like a human without scales or lumps on his face.

They stayed in Pingshan City for a full two and a half days. Shi Yuan visited every cultivation room, seeing tall redwoods, dark green ivy, swaying willow trees… He even picked a few apples from a tree and ate them together with Lu Tinghan. The taste was refreshing and juicy, filled with a unique aroma.

Shi Yuan said, “I saw apple pies in movies.”

Lu Tinghan nodded.

“Later, can I make one?”

“Sure.” Lu Tinghan paused, recalling Shi Yuan’s terrible culinary skills, and added, “Shi Yuan, how about we make it together?”

He still had a lingering fear of food poisoning.

Before leaving, Shi Yuan took away the oranges and apples. On the aircraft, a large bunch of fresh flowers was placed in the storage compartment, and their irresistible fragrance wafted out.

As he ate the fruits, Shi Yuan mumbled, “Lu Tinghan, where are we going later?”

“To the seaside,” Lu Tinghan replied.

“Wow!” Shi Yuan was excited. He nibbled on the apple while gazing out the window and said, “I haven’t learned how to swim yet.”

“If you sink, I’ll pull you up,” Lu Tinghan assured Shi Yuan, who was eager to explore.

The seaside was far away, and the aircraft was moving at a slow speed, allowing the two of them to take in the scenery outside. In the past, they were always on missions, rushing around, but now they had time, and naturally, they wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way.

With the autopilot engaged, the two of them leaned by the window.

Lu Tinghan explained earnestly, mentioning the names and histories of various mountains, rivers, and abandoned towns. He shared all kinds of information with Shi Yuan. Meanwhile, Shi Yuan spotted a cloud that resembled a lion, a mountain range that looked like a turtle, a few crooked old trees, and uniquely shaped rocks. However, for some reason, when he pointed at a decaying tree and said it looked good, Lu Tinghan once again fell into contemplation.

By the time they finished eating the oranges and apples, they arrived at the seaside in the early morning.

The aircraft landed at a distance, and as soon as Shi Yuan got off, he ran toward the sea. He climbed over a small slope and stood still.

With a blue sky, thin clouds, and perfect sunlight, the sand was fine, and the azure sea stretched endlessly.

The salty breeze stirred the waves, creating a shimmering reflection. It was as if a painter had effortlessly spread bold colors across the vast expanse of sky and land. The blue was pure, dynamic, and radiant, touching the depths of the soul.

“…” It was the first time Shi Yuan had seen the sea on a clear day, and his eyes widened.

“Let’s go,” Lu Tinghan patted his head and said, “We’ll take a boat out to sea.”

The Alliance had built a small harbor that was not open to the public. Research vessels would usually go out to survey data.

Lu Tinghan had already arranged for a speedboat. They both got on board, and when the motor started, the entire boat trembled.

The motor was very loud, and the wind was strong. Lu Tinghan raised his voice and asked, “Are you ready?”

“Ready!” Shi Yuan gripped the side of the boat tightly and shouted back.

The speedboat swiftly rushed forward, with the sea breeze and water droplets splashing their faces. Shi Yuan couldn’t help but squint his eyes.

Leaving the land behind, they faced the sparkling sea under the shining sunlight. The white speedboat rode the waves, embraced by the endless azure.