LBRDI Chapter 50

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Psychological Impact

Bonus ko-fi chapter

Rhein was a little dragon cub that only did things up to standard when asked. He was raised by Lansin to be gentle and polite and seemed to be a sociable little dragon cub. After spending a day or two with each other, Shen Mian and the dragon cubs discovered that Rhein’s politeness was real and so was his estrangement.

Because of his abilities, Rhein has a certain affection for Shen Mian, but even so, his favourite thing to do after class every day was to find a place to rest in the plants in the backyard. He doesn’t want to spend time with Shen Mian, and especially not with the other dragon cubs.

Gian and Lu Yuan invited Rhein to play Lurker in the mock battlefield arena. Rhein was a little embarrassed, flew farther away and kept bowing, “But I’m growing plants right now, I can’t walk away.”

Yan Tan asked Rhein to be his model. Rhein fell back and whispered, “I can’t compare to Gian, he’s more beautiful. Let him be your model.”

Yan Tan scratched his head.

“But you’re a different kind of beautiful.”
He pointed to his eyes.

“The dean said that every dragon cub should have eyes that see beauty, that appreciate the beauty of uniqueness.”

Rhein looked up.

“I’m sorry…”
He snuck a glance at Yan Tan, feeling that the other party’s personality was surprisingly good.

Yan Tan smiled at him, “It’s okay! I’m going to go find Gian and the others.”

Xing Fei… the little girl didn’t invite any dragon cubs because her body wasn’t suitable for strenuous exercise and she preferred having the dean take her onto the rooftop rather than wrestling with the conqueror. When the dean was busy, Xing Fei found an interesting book to read and occasionally watched her brothers show off.

The three dragon cubs, Gian, Lu Yuan and Yan Tan, failed their invitations for the seventh time and stood dejectedly in front of Shen Mian.

Shen Mian, who had just received the childcare teacher’s questionnaire from parents, put his quantum computer down and turned to the three cubs.
Large-sized dragon cubs were always alive and kicking when they were healthy. This was the first time Shen Mian had ever seen them show this expression at the same time.

Particularly lost, the kind where they looked like they doubted life.
Even the ever enigmatic and confident Lu Yuan kept his head down and ears pursed back.

Were you bullied by the little dragon cubs in the surrounding neighbourhood?

Gian held his two short arms, keeping his head down and not daring to look at Shen Mian.
He was the cub who had been at the centre the longest and had a strong sense of responsibility for the centre at heart. He believed that he should get along with the new cubs and that a lack of conflict will ease the burden on the dean.

He’d been doing well until Rhein arrived.

But this time…

The little dragon cub squeezed his claws.

“Sorry…”

Shen Mian scooped him into his arms, “What’s wrong?”

Gian lowered his head and squeezed into Shen Mian’s arms, feeling extremely lost.

“I’m too disappointing, I can’t even make friends with the new dragon cub.”
The current little gem dragon knew that even when he did something wrong, his dean wouldn’t dislike him. So Gian could openly tell the dean what was bothering him.

Lu Yuan laid on Shen Mian’s knees and explained, “Rhein doesn’t want to play with us.”

Yan Tan nodded and stroked the gem dragon’s large tail soothingly.

“It’s Rhein who doesn’t like to talk much, not your fault. Livia used to be like that too, preferring to stay by himself. Every dragon cub has a different personality, right Dean?”

Gian had never been so lost, Lu Yuan and Yan Tan immediately put aside their own bit of disappointment.

Shen Mian patted this really big baby in his arms.

“Yan Tan is right. But… does Livia like to be alone now?”

Yan Tan subconsciously grabbed the tip of Gian’s tail and happily stroked the smooth, cool scales and crystal spines of the gem dragon.

“Hmm… he still likes to be alone, but he doesn’t hate me.”

Lu Yuan also couldn’t help but stretch out his claw at Gian’s big tail.

“My grandfather also said that we all grow up in different environments, so our personalities will be different. Making friends is not only about personality, but it’s also about appearance. He’s so small and we’re so big, he might be a little scared.”

Gian turned around.

“Really?”

Lu Yuan stood up and hugged Gian.

“You’re super nice! Isn’t that right, Yan Tan?”

The black dragon cub added, “Right!”

Gian, who was very lost a moment ago, suddenly turned his head and his eyes gradually grew brighter. He plunged back into Shen Mian’s arms, his short claws gripping Shen Mian’s clothes.

Shen Mian lowered his gaze, the corners of his lips curled up a little.

After sending off the three rejuvenated dragon cubs, Shen Mian opened his quantum computer and hurriedly finished scanning the message sent by the education department’s childcare teacher association.

The childcare teachers association has completed this year’s questionnaire, posted it on their official website and asked the childcare teachers to notify parents to complete the questionnaire in time so as to quickly score points. The questionnaires were filled out completely anonymously and Shen Mian, as the childcare teacher and dean, could only see the final overall rating and the percentage of each rating.

Shen Mian edited the message and sent it to An Long and Lansin, asked them to fill it out as soon as possible. Just as Shen Mian was planning to go to the backyard, his quantum computer received a new message, prompting  Shen Mian that he had a package.

Shen Mian was still stocking up on his recent purchases, so this package should be something sent by He Xing.

Shen Mian thought about it and decided to pick up the package first.

The package sent was indeed a large package of snacks from He Xing. Shen Mian went into the kitchen to get Rhein’s utensils, then unpacked the various snack boxes and selected a few sweet snacks from them as bait to go fishing for the small golden salted fish in the backyard.

Rhein really stayed in the backyard in the ecological field.

The elven dragon was light, so he sat on top of the farming robot and let it carry him around, his wings depleted of phosphorus powder.

Shen Mian walked over, “Good afternoon.”

The little dragon cubsheard the voice and flew up, patting his clothes apologetically, “Good afternoon.”

Shen Mian plucked a wide leaf and laid it on a stone, “Are you tired? Do you want something to eat?”
He took out the various desserts and snacks from his space, fluffy cupcakes, stretchable gummies and pretty coloured jellies, and piled them on a plate.

Little Rhein couldn’t help but sit on the leaf.
He has a very sweet tooth.

Shen Mian opened a jelly and handed Rhein’s bowl, chopsticks and spoon to him. The little dragon cub took a bite of the jelly and was overwhelmed by the wonderful taste of human food.

Shen Mian had been paying attention to Rhein’s body movements, making sure that the little dragon cub’s guardedness gradually disintegrated by the sugar-coated shells and then began to talk with him.

“Are you always in the backyard because you like these plants?”

Rhein nodded.
He actually liked the dean because he had the same feeling like his father, but he was afraid of the dean because the tall dean felt very oppressive towards him.

Shen Mian though for a while and tried to connect to the little dragon cub’s brain.

“Because it feels like they can talk?”
Dean Shen, as a fairly advanced wood ability user, had once heard other wood ability users say, “I can hear their voices”. This was the romantic idea that was more in tune with the cub in Shen Mian’s mind.

Rhein shook his head.
“It’s because they can’t talk.”

“They can’t move.”

“They can’t stare at me.”

Shen Mian, “…”
Dean Shen’s brain connection failed and even went in the opposite direction.

Rhein looked back at a bright green swaying mana plant.

“If there were a lot of dragons looking at me, I’d be scared. But not here, they have no sound and they don’t stare at me.”

Shen Mian understood: A socially anxious little dragon cub.

Rhein finished eating the jelly.

“My dad is a great pastry chef.”
He poked at the jelly with his spoon.

“He used to make and sell these desserts on Hydro Star too. If I was stronger and didn’t cry, he wouldn’t have to work so hard.”

Shen Mian listened quietly.

Rhein, “It was because of me that he had to get a dangerous job and had to go so far away.”

Shen Mian, “Dangerous job?”
The few jobs that the dragons can claim as life-threatening, aside from the legal riot/force agencies, are express deliveries and construction.

Rhein sniffed, “He’s a pastry chef for a particularly fierce aristocratic dragon who lives in that very large manor.”
As the little dragon cub spoke, his eyes filled with tears, “He is a very big boiling dragon with red scales and can take up the entire hall’s space. When his mouth is open, he can fit a table in it and he opened his mouth towards my dad.”

“Then I freaked out and rushed up to stop him.”

“Dad must have been terrified too and kept apologizing to that nobleman for my sake. It was my fault, I must have been too impulsive.”

“My previous teachers never told me that large dragons would eat other dragons.”

Dean Shen even nodded slightly when he heard the beginning: A boiling dragon’s temper was indeed very bad.

Listening to him, Dean Shen’s expression cracked slightly: Eating other dragons?
In a high-class childcare centre, large and small dragons would have separate classes and only after they’re older, would they be mixed together again. Rhein’s previous centre was high-class, so Rhein shouldn’t have had a very close encounter with large dragons before he came to Qiming, but he didn’t expect the first encounter to leave a psychological impact.

Shen Mian held one hand to his forehead, at the moment wishing immensely that He Xing could be here- he really didn’t know how to organise his words to tell Rhein that large dragons won’t eat other dragons.

The little dragon cub had more to say, but Shen Mian’s quantum computer shook twice and the light screen showed Lansin at the door.

Shen Mian looked at the time: It was actually time for the little dragon cub to leave school and Lansin was here to pick up Rhein home.

Shen Mian bent down.

“Your father is here to take you home.”

Rhein was busy wiping his tears away.

“Uh-huh.”

Shen Mian reached out his hand.

“Do you want to come up?”

Rhein stood on Shen Mian’s hand.

“Thank you, dean.”
He sat down and touched Shen Mian, attracted to the warmth of the human’s body heat and couldn’t help but get a little closer.

Shen Mian carried Rhein to the centre’s door. The door opened just a little and Rhein flew up and plunged into Lansin’s arms.

Lansin hugged Rhein and smiled apologetically.

“Sorry to bother you.”

Shen Mian shook his head, “I’m the one who forgot the time, I should have brought Rhein out earlier.”

Lansin smiled and handed the small basket in his hand to Shen Mian, “I’ve made a lot of desserts and these won’t taste good if I keep them in the insulated box. If you don’t mind, please take them.”

Rhein was a little anxious.

“But Dad, won’t that noble eat you if you take so much stuff out?”

Lansin blinked, his pale blue eyes showing confusion.

“Why would he eat me?”

The little dragon cub was busy describing the horrible scene he saw back home yesterday, “He turned into a dragon and opened his mouth so wide! He had lots of broken snacks on the side, he must have lost his temper! What if he gets angry again and bullies you?”

Lansin chuckled, “He ate too many desserts and his tooth hurt a lot. He only asked me to see if he had a cavity or not.”

Shen Mian, “…”
Mn, feeding large beasts was something he was familiar with.

Rhein was at a loss.

“…Huh? Is that true?”

The author has something to say:

Oh, poor little Rhein.

sauced

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I’ve closed the poll ^-^

It seems everyone prefers light brain so I’ll be keeping it.

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Shallotnoodle

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