Raising a Child Who Isn't Human: A Live Report

One day, a pollution outbreak turned Sector S into a wasteland and a prison for contaminated creatures.

The contaminated creatures are cruel and savage, growing ever more rampant. They are hostile to humanity and look down on humans, bowing only to the One at the top of the food chain.

The One is cold and merciless, violent and tyrannical: the unpredictable ruler of Sector S, a nonhuman monster with an unfathomable appearance.

This being had been asleep for many years. The contaminated creatures kept up a semblance of peace, dreading the day the One awoke.

Until one day, a human child broke that calm.

A human child named Tong You barged into the One's territory.

The ruler of Sector S was roused. The earth trembled, while Tong You scampered around, searching everywhere for the One.

The contaminated creatures trembled with fear, dreading the One's wrath even as they secretly rejoiced that the human child was surely doomed.

The next moment, Tong You's wound split open. The child cried and blew on it: "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt."

The One's pent-up thunderous rage instantly fizzled out: "..."

So cute. I want to raise him.

The contaminated creatures: "..."

*

Sector S has been a wasteland for years. The contaminated creatures are ticking time bombs that could blow up the whole world, and humans spend every day searching for a way to save themselves.

Then one day, humanity discovered Tong You.

They say the boy living in Sector S is immune to contamination. If they can find him, humanity's predicament will be solved.

At first, people scoffed: Stop dreaming. Contaminated creatures are terrifying. What could a child this young possibly do? He'd be lucky just to survive.

Later, they saw the contaminated creatures of Sector S line up, begging Tong You to pet them.

Later still, the boy ventured deep into Sector S and used his vlog to let them see their long-lost relatives and homeland again.

Humanity, tears in their eyes: "..."

If he runs into the One, he's done for. Who's going to rescue our savior?!

Then, completely out of the blue, they saw...

The One had taken human form, carefully wiping the tears from Tong You's face while fretting:

What if Tongtong doesn't like my face?

Humanity, astonished: "...It looks like the One wants to put Tong You on a pedestal."

Humanity, understanding: That's only natural.

Little skit:

Q&A

Nonhuman Q&A~

(Today, we've invited the nonhuman ruler at the top of the food chain, Mr. Suo Jing. Let's give him a round of applause~)

Q: What do you think of humanity?

Suo Jing said coldly: Our sworn enemies.

Q: What would you do if a human child wandered into your territory?

Suo Jing curled his lips into a smile: I'd do it in three steps.

Step one: Prepare delicious food, a comfortable soft bed, and loyal playmates for the child.

Step two: Grow up alongside the child, and mold my own face into one the child would like.

Step three: ...Find a way to become human.

A human shou who looks domineering and sour-faced, but is actually soft-hearted and delicate, like a cat

VS

A monster gong who seems violent and cruel, but is actually possessive to the extreme and obsessive

P.S.:

1. The gong is named Suo Jing and has a human form. The shou is human. 1v1, both sexually inexperienced.

2. The gong is nonhuman, and the shou cries easily. Childhood friends. Don't read if that's not your thing.

3. The setting inside Sector S is a wasteland. The vlog storyline starts in Chapter 25.

I'm just trying to find my rhythm, so don't overthink it. There's no logic, orz. If you've read this far, you're not allowed to use your brain while reading, TAT (just kidding).

Below is a coming-soon story. Please take a look, everyone!

"Stop Bickering! You're All My Childhood Friends"

Xin You is eight years old this year. His parents are divorced, and since he's still a minor who needs a guardian, he has to split his time between both sides of the family.

His parents are busy with work and don't have much time for him. Luckily, whichever home he's at, there's a childhood friend next door to keep him company.

Every time Xin You gets home, he spends ages talking about what he and his childhood friend did.

Childhood friend number one.

"His parents are musicians. Everyone says he'll definitely inherit their talent, but he secretly told me he can't hear... The strange thing is, he really likes listening to me talk. Later, I found out that without his hearing aids, my voice is the only one he can hear."

Childhood friends numbers two and three.

"They're twins, but one of them went missing when they were little and was only found again recently. It's so sad. They don't seem to get along very well, either. They only let me play with one of them, and everyone else can't tell them apart... I think they're easy to tell apart."

Childhood friend number four.

"His body often hurts for no reason. His parents are such amazing doctors, so I don't know why they can't cure him. He doesn't smile much, either, and he kind of scares me... But once I accidentally touched his hand, and he stopped hurting. It was amazing!"

*

All the childhood friends adore Xin You, and Xin You adores them too.

But Xin You has one little problem.

His childhood friends are too possessive and competitive. Though they don't know each other, they've all cried and asked him the same question:

"Who's your number-one best friend in the whole world?!"

Xin You doesn't want to hurt their feelings, so he nervously fidgets with his fingers.

"You're my only childhood friend, so of course you're my number-one best friend."

This conversation went on for a long time, until all the childhood friends firmly believed him.

Even people in their respective circles knew that the wealthy young heirs had a precious childhood friend they'd all grown up with.

The precious one was named Xin You. No one was allowed to provoke or touch him. He was the wealthy heirs' unattainable dream and the one they held dearest.

The heirs often sighed:

"What would he do without me?"

"He only has me, and I only have him."

"Hah, who could ever compare to the bond he and I share?"

"He and I have a connection no one else could ever have."

A few mutual friends occasionally noticed how often Xin You's name came up...

The mutual friends who sensed an impending storm: Too scared to say anything.jpg

Then, with Xin You's coming-of-age ceremony approaching, he decided to send invitations to his childhood friends' phones himself, but accidentally...

put all the childhood friends in the same group chat.

*

When they were children, Xin You's childhood friends all knew his parents were divorced.

Every time Xin You left to stay with his other parent, his childhood friends watched him go and thought, without exception:

"Sigh, I'm his only childhood friend. If no one plays with him, will he get lonely?"

Years later, several of the childhood friends met at Xin You's coming-of-age ceremony.

Xin You stood in the middle, introducing them: "...This is my best friend, and this person is my best friend too..."

The childhood friends nearly crushed the sparkling stemmed glasses in their hands.

Looking at the people who were so close to Xin You, they silently cursed them with their eyes:

Damn it all, you homewrecking newcomers.

Xin You: Panicking.jpg

Theme: Love is the best cure for heartbreak