Outside the cave.
Li Huan, who had been hiding in the corner ready to watch the show, waited for a long time. Finding nothing happening, he got bored. Pouting, he let out a quiet huff. He stood up from the ground, patted the dust off his clothes, then put his small stool into storage and quickly returned to stand beside Bai Chen.
Bai Chen looked at Li Huan with a hint of helplessness. He really didn't know if Li Huan's personality was good or bad, but he was happy being carefree like this, just as he was when he was a child, always able to be happy.
If Li Huan, standing beside Bai Chen, turned his head to the side, he could see the overflowing gentleness in Bai Chen's eyes.
"Do you want some?" Suddenly, a fair hand appeared before Bai Chen's eyes. The pink candy in the hand only made the hand appear even more delicate and fair.
Bai Chen gently shook his head and said, "You know I don't eat sweets."
Li Huan was stunned for a moment upon hearing Bai Chen's words, then said, "Isn't there no 'later' anymore? In our remaining time, eating something sweet is also good." He then forcefully shoved the candy in his hand into Bai Chen's.
Bai Chen, looking at the candy in his hand, clutched it tightly. Even as his palm turned blood red, he did not let go of the candy. He turned to Li Huan and said, "Mm."
Your presence beside me is sweeter than this candy.
Meanwhile, the situation elsewhere.
Lin Hao led them into the cave and turned to them, saying, "This place is quite large too. Make yourselves comfortable." He then went to the eggshell, broke off a piece, and put it into his mouth, experiencing his spiritual power being nourished by the eggshell.
Elfa and Xier, walking behind, stopped about a meter away from Lin Hao, their eyes fixed on him.
Lin Hao, still eating the eggshell, was suddenly confused by so many people staring at him eat.
Why are they watching me eat? I'm just eating an eggshell. It shouldn't be that strange. Also, why aren't you saying anything? This is awkward. Say something.
"What is it?" Lin Hao put down the eggshell in his hand and looked at them.
"Nothing," Elfa said, his gaze shifting, and he let out a small cough.
"It's fine," Xier said from beside him.
*The King is so cute, his mouth stuffed full, like a little hamster storing food. I really want to pinch him.*
This was what both of them were thinking at that moment.
Rila, standing nearby, saw this and walked up to Lin Hao, saying, "My King, eating like this is bad for your teeth. May I have this? I'll help you change how you eat it."
The King is indeed a young one now. He hasn't even finished his eggshell. He's truly adorable. Although the teeth of our insect race are very strong, our King is so delicate, and he will surely hurt himself. This is something she cannot allow to happen.
Upon hearing his subordinate's words, Xier glanced at the half-eaten eggshell behind Lin Hao and suddenly understood. His eyes met Rila's. "You truly think of everything."
Rila understood her leader's meaning and winked at Xier with a smile. "This is all I should do."
Lin Hao felt a slight toothache from eating it recently. He said to Rila, "Then I'll trouble you."
Rila bowed to Lin Hao and said, "It is my honor." She then took the half eggshell from behind Lin Hao and carried it away.
In the future, Lin Hao would deeply regret the decision he made now, wishing he could strangle his past self. Of course, future matters would be dealt with in the future.
Lin Hao sat on the stone bed and looked at Elfa and the others who were still standing. He patted the spot beside him and said to them, "Come and sit here. What's the point of standing? It's so tiring."
Elfa and Xier did not sit next to Lin Hao but found places to sit on their own. The people who came with Xier also found places to sit not too far and not too close.
However, "not too far and not too close" had a standard: they could see the King by looking up.
Li Huan and the others also sat down by the cave entrance. They weren't sitting properly, leaning against the cave entrance and watching the birds in the sky. He said, "Do you think we'll still be alive?"
Bai Chen ignored Li Huan and thought to himself, "I will surely protect you, even if the opponents are the two great leaders of the insect race."
"Bai Bai, why aren't you talking? We might not have the chance to talk later." Li Huan, who had been watching the birds, turned to Bai Chen when he saw his childhood friend not responding.
How can I reply?
Am I being blamed for not protecting you well?
"We will survive," Bai Chen said, not sharing Li Huan's pessimism, but encouraging him. It was unclear whether he was saying this to Li Huan or to himself.
"Oh, don't be so pessimistic, Little Bai. At worst, we'll meet again in the next life. What's so bad about that? Don't be like this." Li Huan could obviously hear the sadness in Bai Chen's words and quickly comforted him.
"Next life?" Bai Chen said softly.
Will we meet again in the next life?
"Yes, we'll still be good friends in the next life," Li Huan said with a smile to Bai Chen, hearing his mumble.
But I don't want to be just friends with you.
Bai Chen thought to himself.
He knew he shouldn't be so selfish, but he couldn't give up.
"Mm, okay." I'll find you in the next life.
You must wait for me.
At this moment, Rila, who had gone out, returned. She glanced at Li Huan and the others and walked inside.
"My King, I'm back," Rila said to Lin Hao.
Then, she took a bottle from storage and brought it to him, saying, "My King, this won't hurt your teeth."
Lin Hao looked at the bottle that had suddenly appeared before him, with the strange white liquid inside. A horrifying thought entered his mind.
Could it be what he was thinking? No, surely not. It couldn't be that horrifying, could it?
This joke wasn't funny at all.
Lin Hao, who still held a sliver of hope, was completely discouraged upon hearing Rila's words. It really was what he had thought. How old was he? Drinking milk powder? If he had known this, he would have rather starved to death and jumped off from here than drink a drop of milk powder.
"I, I'm not hungry right now," Lin Hao made one last act of defiance.
Rila smiled at Lin Hao without speaking, her hand still holding the milk bottle in the same position.
"I'm really not hungry," Lin Hao said to Rila.
She remained in the same posture with the same smile, as if if Lin Hao didn't take it, she would remain in that posture forever.
Lin Hao's liver ached again. He began to self-hypnotize: *I'm a cub. Drinking milk is not shameful at all. It's an eggshell, yes, it's an eggshell, not milk powder.*
Fine, I'm hungry.
He took the milk bottle from Rila's hand, brought it to his lips, and took a sip. The sweet milky taste instantly filled his mouth. Lin Hao's spiritual power was immediately soothed, and his whole body felt warm.
It seems... not bad.
*The King is so cute!!!!*
All the insects in the cave had one thought: The King drinking milk is so adorable.