How embarrassing!

What is Zhou Jinze up to?!

Do octopus larvae have no privacy?

Startled, Qian Yuan bit Zhou Jinze again. The bite was like a mosquito bite, with no real harm, but it was enough to show Qian Yuan's displeasure.

But since it concerned Qian Yuan's health, even if he didn't like it, Zhou Jinze had to check if he was injured.

So Zhou Jinze simply pressed the octopus seedling down with one finger, and used his other hand to lift the octopus seedling's tentacles to look inside.

Just like the bad guys who lift up other people's skirts.

However, before Zhou Jinze could react, Qianyuan transformed back into her half-human cub form and slapped Zhou Jinze's head repeatedly with her tentacles.

The little one was also furious; a blush rose on her pale, delicate face, and her misty blue eyes were filled with tears. She looked so beautiful and alluring that it made one's heart tremble.

Zhou Jinze didn't seem to have much awareness of outstanding looks, but he also felt that Qian Yuan needed a lot of love, and even now, when Qian Yuan was about to cry, he wanted to cry too.

c-036 had an increasingly profound impact on him.

Zhou Jinze was powerless to resist, and could only resign himself to saying to the little guy, "I'm checking if your tentacles are injured. If so, I'll have the doctor treat you promptly."

Unfortunately, Qianyuan had been sick for too long and had long been averse to words like "treatment" and "seeing a doctor." He was even more vigilant, hiding his tentacles firmly under his body, making him look like a closed little flower bud.

However, Zhou Jinze no longer needed to examine Qian Yuan's tentacles. He simply explained that he had already seen the little guy's condition when Qian Yuan made his movements.

The severed tentacles haven't grown back yet, but there are no scars left. The tentacles are just a bit sparser, but the skin is still smooth and flat.

This shows that Qianyuan voluntarily gave up the tentacles; he possessed that ability.

Even if it's just a tiny monster cub, C-036 is not to be underestimated.

Zhou Jinze wanted to be on guard, but when he looked up and saw Qian Yuan's eyes, all his thoughts vanished instantly.

All I want to do is raise this one and only precious cub.

The cubs are as fragile and easily broken as bubbles.

Zhou Jinze decided to indulge his desires and see what kind of trouble he could cause. In the end, he simply moved all his belongings from his room to Qianyuan's containment room.

The little guy likes these things, so let's use them to build him a nest.

Qianyuan immediately spotted the bathtub that had been brought in and abandoned her current, seemingly well-defended containment tank.

He happily climbed into the bathtub, watching the other researchers bustling around, and felt that he wasn't so bad anymore.

Seeing that the little guy had calmed down and returned to his half-human form, Dr. Lin tried to examine him again.

You wouldn't know unless you checked, and what you found was shocking: the little guy's body was actually more fragile than a three-year-old human infant; even the smallest thing could kill him.

"How could this be?" Dr. Lin couldn't believe it, because no matter how you looked at it, Qian Yuan was not as harmless as she seemed on the surface, but in reality, she really was a fragile person.

Logically speaking, no monster could survive in such a weakened state.

"Perhaps that's why he was abandoned."

Yes, C-036 survived because it was found by humans.

Now, everyone's gaze towards the octopus seedlings completely changed from wariness to sympathy and pity.

Harmless abilities, the appearance of a cub, and a frail body.

What could C-036 have done wrong? He's just a kid!

Even Bo Yuchuan said cryptically, "It seems your three teams are quite lucky to have snagged such a big bargain."

Then he put his face on the edge of the bathtub: "So? You really don't want to try and fool me? I'm much better and more useful than Zhou Jinze."

Qian Yuan really found this human annoying, but fortunately Zhou Jinze also disliked Bo Yuchuan and immediately chased him away.

"Don't block him anymore, let him rest properly."

Zhou Jinze was following Dr. Lin's newly published parenting manual, and first adjusted the water temperature for Qianyuan to the one he felt was most comfortable.

Then they brought him non-spicy, healthy, and palatable food, blew on it to cool it down, and fed it to Qianyuan.

Qianyuan ate something and then cheered up.

But beyond simple care, there is a higher requirement to restore C-036 to health: feeding him the food that the monster truly needs.

Dr. Lin said that the human food Qianyuan is currently eating does not seem to be of much help to him. He cannot obtain energy from this food, and his love for eating it is purely a personal preference, or rather, something he learned from these humans.

But what is the monster's real food?

It is the human soul, a higher-dimensional spiritual force.

Zhou Jinze didn't know how to feed this picky cub, so he could only try again and offer himself to Qianyuan.

He took off his shirt, revealing a muscular and lean body with well-defined muscles that hinted at power, like a nimble and agile cheetah.

He removed all his armor, leaving no clothes or coverings, and opened his arms to Qian Yuan, saying, "You can eat me and use me as nourishment for your recovery."

The cub gazed at his body, its eyes clear and pure. It didn't immediately turn into a mindless monster, but instead curiously reached out and touched his chest.

Zhou Jinze's face immediately darkened: "No, I didn't say I wanted to raise him like that, I didn't..."

Qian Yuan wasn't begging for food; he was simply sensing his own presence within Zhou Jinze's body.

It's in Zhou Jinze's left eye, and it's also in his heart.

The left eye is because of his tentacles, but what about his heart?

Qian Yuan thought hard for a while. Could it be because she licked Zhou Jinze in her dream?

So that's how Zhou Jinze got all marked up?

Qianyuan withdrew her tentacles with a guilty conscience, but in Zhou Jinze's opinion, the octopus seedlings were completely frightened by him, and didn't even dare to eat people, let alone take a bite.

Too weak.

Zhou Jinze frowned.

Regardless of species or group, the youngest that cannot hunt or even eat are the weakest.

Zhou Jinze turned around and said something to Bo Yuchuan.

Bo Yuchuan agreed, and soon after, a plate of meat that looked almost identical to human food was served.

This is food they made using death row inmates, and they even carefully prepared it to look like what the little guy likes.

In such an apocalyptic world, even humans only retain trust and affection for their companions; any other obstacles that threaten everyone's survival will be abandoned.