"Child, how did you end up here?"
Puslin asked, "Did you run away from the Undersea City?"
There are three types of residences on this planet.
The Land City, the Hollow City, and the Undersea City.
The Land City is the smallest in area, with the fewest inhabitants, but each one is of high status.
Most people in the Hollow City are economically well-off, and most females live in the Hollow City.
The Undersea City, on the other hand, is the largest, most dangerous, and relatively impoverished, mostly inhabited by male beastmen who cannot afford houses in the Hollow City.
There are few females in the Undersea City, as the planet treats females well; they have special protection associations and generally don’t live badly. If a female gets sent to the Undersea City, she must have committed a serious crime.
Puslin observed his frail and malnourished appearance and, seeing he’d been fished from the sea, guessed he was from the Undersea City.
"I... I’m Arthur," the boy said softly, his head lowered, "from the Undersea City."
"I was so hungry, and there was nothing to eat, so I ran away..."
He had smelled something delicious in the sea, bit into it, and didn’t realize it was a trap...
Now, his mouth still hurt a little.
Yu Manman tilted her head, looking at the boy.
Could this be Arthur, her future beast husband?
Yu Manman couldn’t help but walk over to Arthur to compare their heights.
Hey, he’s half a head shorter than her!
"Are you very hungry?" Yu Manman took a piece of chocolate from her pocket, "Eat this!"
Arthur stared blankly at the chocolate in her hand, "What is this?"
He had never seen anything like it in the Undersea City.
"Chocolate!" Yu Manman thought for a moment, then unwrapped it for Arthur, "Eat up!"
Arthur smelled the sweet fragrance, swallowed, took the chocolate with his somewhat dirty little hands, and popped it into his mouth!
Sweet, richly flavored, and smooth...
Arthur looked like a little squirrel with cheeks bulging with nuts.
"Thank you!" Arthur’s eyes were red, and his nose felt sour and astringent, "You’re so kind!"
This was the most delicious thing he’d ever eaten in his life!
"No need to thank me~" Yu Manman brought out other snacks to feed Arthur, "I have plenty more! Take your time eating!"
[Ding! For making Arthur, who initially resented you for tainting him, change his view of you and even feel grateful towards you, your good deed must have moved heaven and earth! You are rewarded with a spiritual power boost!]
[Ding! Daily task triggered - Do a good deed! Unlimited times!]
[By helping Arthur, your beast husband, in a time of dire need without holding grudges, you’ve shown immense potential! You are destined to escape the fate of a malicious villainess and embark on an exciting journey in life!]
[Reward: Beast Language Skill Card! Upon use, you can unlock any Beast Language!]
Wow, an unexpected surprise!
Yu Manman watched Arthur eat with a smile, seemingly finding new joy.
"Burp!" Arthur burped, his ears turning red, and looked shyly at Yu Manman.
"Thank you! I’m full now!" Arthur eyed the remaining packages of small biscuits, timidly asking, "Can I keep these?"
"I... I want to save them for my mom..."
"My mom is sick; she’s been ill for a long time..." Arthur thought of his bedridden mother, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Puslin was surprised, "Your mother is ill, and no one is taking care of her?"
Females are treasured, and even if sent to the Undersea City for major offenses, they receive some care.
Arthur shook his head, "No, no one."
"We don’t have the money for a doctor." Arthur sniffled, "Dad and Uncle left two days ago to make money for mom’s treatment and haven’t returned..."
With nothing left to eat at home, he ventured out to find food to bring back.
Puslin and Yu Man exchanged glances, sensing something was amiss.
It doesn’t make sense, not at all.
Everyone knows that medical care for females is free, even in the Undersea City.
From what they knew, the nearest Undersea City was quite a distance from here.
Puslin couldn’t fathom how Arthur managed to swim this far.
"Papa, can we help the little brother?" Yu Manman tugged on Puslin’s hand, "Give him yummy things and find a doctor!"
Puslin looked down, a hint of comfort in his eyes.
"Alright, I’ll take Arthur back later and help find a doctor for his mom."
"For now, let me take you to find your fourth papa."
Puslin couldn’t feel at ease with no one around Yu Manman and her mother.
"Okay!" Yu Manman recalled how handsome her fourth papa, Lai, was!
She really wanted to see her fourth papa...
Will her fourth papa like her as much as her second papa?
"Arthur, would you like to come with us for now?" Puslin stroked Arthur’s slightly yellowed hair, clearly indicative of malnutrition.
But in truth, there are protective laws on the planet for females and young ones, providing monthly nutritional supplements.
Unless a guardian is deliberately neglectful, a child wouldn’t typically suffer severe malnourishment.
Looking at Arthur, he didn’t seem to be neglected, but rather that someone was deliberately making life difficult for his family...
Puslin got a sense of the situation, inquiring about Arthur’s family while heading to the island’s wildlife protection base, growing more certain of his suspicion.
Young Arthur was very curious about the land.
Living underwater all his life, he had no memory of the surface, only learning about it through his mother’s light brain.
The base, lush with greenery and full of vitality, was an eye-opener for Arthur.
He saw many plants and animals he had never encountered before.
The undersea world was also beautiful, but it lacked tall trees like these.
Sometimes, the tranquility underwater frightened him. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel fire.net
But the tranquility here...
Little Arthur looked at Puslin, at Yu Manman being held by him with one hand, and...
He looked at the large hand enveloping his own, feeling an unusual sense of security.
Could this be what family feels like?
Because his mother was weak, his father and uncle always prioritized her care, and he quietly stayed on the side, feeling that not causing trouble was his biggest help to them.
At home, he had always been like a little ghost, unnoticed.
If his mom got better, would his mom and dad cherish him as well?
"Is Lai here?" Puslin asked.
A young soldier outside raised his eyes to look at him, "Are you... Major General Puslin?"
He was a bit excited, as Major General Puslin was his idol!
He was thrilled to see his idol here!
Puslin nodded, "I am."
"You’re looking for Professor Lai? He’s inside!" The young soldier discreetly looked at the others accompanying Puslin.
Seeing Yu Man, he suddenly understood.
He remembered that Professor Lai and Major General Puslin shared a wife.
Oh my, is this their wife?
The soldier, despite his astonishment, didn’t forget his duty and immediately led them inside to find Lai.