Chapter 13

Upon reaching the garden, You Mi felt as though he had stepped into a giant palette. The sea of flowers rippled like waves in the evening breeze, with him serving as a sudden splash of vibrant color.

The garden had many flat pathways, making it an excellent place for You Mi to practice driving.

Under the radiant glow of the sunset, Anshus sat on a wooden bench by the Goldfish Pond. He held a book in his hands, flipping through its pages while keeping an eye on You Mi’s driving practice from the corner of his vision.

Not wanting to disturb his reading, You Mi deliberately avoided driving near the Goldfish Pond. However, it wasn’t long before the monster left the pond with his book and planted himself right at a fork in the path—a spot the small sports car couldn’t avoid.

At first, You Mi was a bit self-conscious, but soon he became fully absorbed in his driving practice.

Despite the wings, scales, and terrifying horns, Anshus’s lowered gaze and the perfect balance of dignity and composure in his demeanor made You Mi forget several times as he passed by that this was a monster.

During another drive past Anshus, You Mi caught a glimpse of the book’s title—*Every Sina Star Person Should Read: A Human Handbook*.

Surprised for a moment, You Mi quickly refocused on his driving.

The Sina Star People already admired human appearances, and this Imperial Crown Prince had even taken the time to watch human documentaries. It made sense that he would have an interest in such topics and likely read related books in his spare time.

Once the sports car had driven off into the distance, Anshus returned his attention to the book.

[*Humans are remarkably small in stature. The tallest human fossil discovered so far measures just over two meters… This presents a stark contrast to the physique of Sina Star People.*]

[*Humans do not undergo metamorphosis. From birth until death, aside from the changes brought by age, they maintain their perfect humanoid form. However, human lifespans are generally short. According to expert research, their average lifespan is around 70 years, with those surpassing 100 being rare exceptions. This stands in notable contrast to Sina Star People, whose average lifespan exceeds 200 years.*]

Suddenly, as You Mi was making a turn, he heard a sharp tearing sound. He immediately stopped the car and looked over.

Not far away, Anshus was using his terrifying claws to rip the book in half. His face, twisted with suppressed anger, showed a hint of urgency when he glanced at You Mi.

Carl, who had assumed the Crown Prince had entered another violent episode, was about to contact the guards when he saw the monster calmly turn the torn page of the book—and then gradually settle back into composure…

*Every Sina Star Person Should Read: A Human Handbook*, Page 35:

[*According to research by a certain expert, the secret to humans achieving longevity may be closely tied to their dietary habits…*]

Under the plane tree.

After confirming that the Crown Prince hadn’t entered a violent state, Carl wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and quickly approached the sports car with a small bag in hand. “It’s nothing. His Highness Anshus merely used too much strength and accidentally tore the book.”

You Mi blinked and muttered an “Oh.” Then he watched as Carl pulled out a small cat plushie from the bag and placed it on the passenger seat. “Is it alright to put it here?”

Not long ago, during a drive, You Mi had been so exhilarated that when passing by Carl, he impulsively called out, “Want a ride?” Almost immediately, he realized how absurd the offer was and drove off with a chuckle.

But Carl had taken it differently. That sports car—aside from You Mi—was something no one else in the manor could possibly ride in. Wouldn’t driving alone get boring after a while?

Therefore, he brought over that stuffed kitten toy.

A real cat might run around or even harm the tiny You Mi, whereas this plush cat looked almost identical to a real one and could provide companionship—it was the perfect choice.

You Mi was indeed delighted. He leaned over to fasten the seatbelt for the toy cat: “Is this also a monitor? Is it meant to serve as a dashcam?”

“…”

Carl let out a stifled laugh before quickly composing himself: “No, this is a toy cat, but you can treat it as a passenger to practice your driving skills.”

“I see.” You Mi nodded and restarted the convertible, this time driving noticeably slower, as if sitting beside him wasn’t a toy but a living being.

Unable to resist, Carl snapped several photos and casually shared them in the group chat.

【(Imperial Little Darling Work-Related) Official Cat-Watching Group】

Carl: [Photo] Colleague practicing driving, I’m supervising…

After sending the photos and ignoring the ensuing commotion in the group, Carl smiled and walked toward the little car…

Night fell—it was time to head home.

Anshus stood up and led the way, while You Mi followed behind in the car.

After parking in the garage, You Mi got out and quickly walked to the other side of the car. He opened the door, unfastened the seatbelt, and handed the kitten back to a stunned Carl: “I’ve practiced enough today and am quite skilled now. Here, you can have this back.”

Carl froze for a moment before hurriedly waving his hands: “T-This was a free toy from the car dealership! It’s useless to us—you can keep it!”

You Mi examined the kitten toy carefully and agreed it was too small for them. With a smile, he thanked Carl and carried the kitten as he followed Crown Prince Anshus, who was waiting outside, back into the house.

On their way upstairs, he noticed the monster staring intently at the kitten in his arms. Softly, he asked, “Do you want it?”

Anshus blinked slowly, then suddenly reached out toward him.

You Mi immediately raised the kitten, but those terrifying claws landed gently on his head instead.

He felt his head and horns being lightly patted and looked up in confusion.

“Do you want to keep a cat?” Anshus asked.

You Mi paused, then quickly shook his head.

He hadn’t yet established himself on Sina Star, and his future remained uncertain. He didn’t even know if he might be fired again the next day for some reason—owning a pet wasn’t something he should consider right now. He could live frugally, but his pet shouldn’t have to.

After Anshus escorted him back to the castle that occupied half of the master bedroom, he took a few books and left.

It seemed he had matters to attend to.

The Crown Prince naturally had many duties, so You Mi didn’t dwell on it. He entered the castle, opened his suitcase, and began organizing his belongings before preparing to bathe and sleep.

The castle had its own small bathroom. After securing the doors, windows, and curtains, You Mi took a quick shower, then filled the tub with hot water. As he soaked, he messaged Lin En.

【You Mi: I got a work car! Drove it today already [excited.jpg]】

【Lin En: Wow! You can even drive!】

Lin En knew the conditions outside the base were harsh, with roads far worse than those in the capital. Many factories there provided shared cars for efficiency, but he still thought it was impressive that someone as small as You Mi could manage such things.

As they chatted, Lin En eventually decided to remind You Mi of something.

[Lin En: By the way, have any strange people approached you recently?]  

[You Mi: No, why?]  

Lin En finally felt relieved.  

[Lin En: Mi Mi, your human form is so well-made, you must be careful of bad guys outside!]  

[You Mi: I will!] As a human among a crowd of monsters, he naturally had to be extremely cautious.  

After finishing his bath and the pleasant chat, You Mi put on the pajamas he had brought with him and stood in front of the mirror to dry his hair.  

The pajamas he wore were slightly wrinkled and of a casual style—at first glance, they looked like a small sack draped over a doll, clashing somewhat with the luxurious and noble decor behind him.  

Yet, these pajamas were deeply cherished by You Mi.  

The new clothes the monsters had placed in his cart earlier hadn’t been washed yet, and as for the wardrobe in the little castle, he had only glanced at it without touching anything. Since he had brought his own clothes, You Mi felt they were sufficient.  

This set of pajamas was handmade by him.  

The recycled doll clothes he had collected before were primarily for decoration, so comfort wasn’t a consideration. Even if some resembled pajamas, they weren’t very comfortable to wear, so You Mi decided to make his own.  

The materials for the pajamas didn’t cost him anything—when he first entered the furniture factory, he happened to encounter a minor holiday on Sina Star, and the factory gave each worker a bag of flour.  

While using the flour to cook, You Mi noticed that the cloth bags used to package the flour were incredibly soft and smooth, much more comfortable than the free fabric provided by the factory!  

The flour was packaged meticulously, with two layers of cloth bags inside and out.  

He washed the flour bags thoroughly, took them apart, and fashioned himself a loose and simple set of pajamas.  

After drying his hair, You Mi turned his attention to the skincare products on the dressing table in the bedroom. Hesitantly, he picked up a bottle, saw the words “moisturizing” and “sample” on it, and sprayed some on his face.  

…So refreshing! His skin no longer felt tight at all!  

Just as You Mi was about to examine the other bottles and jars, his Optical Brain beeped repeatedly.  

It was an unfamiliar number. Upon answering, a man’s voice with an announcer-like tone came through: “Hello, may I speak to Mr. You Mi?”  

“This is him…”  

“This is the organizing committee of the Cave Diving Competition. We’ve received your registration application. May I confirm—are you really only 1.7 meters tall? If false information about height is discovered, you may be disqualified.”  

You Mi suddenly felt less certain. He stammered, “There might be a one-centimeter discrepancy… but if I wear slippers, I’m definitely over 1.7 meters!”  

The other end fell silent for a moment before responding, “Our standard for false height reporting is a discrepancy of one meter or more. Are you sure you didn’t misstate the unit?”  

You Mi: “No, I really am 1.7 meters.”  

Another pause. Then, following procedure, the voice continued, “If the information you provided is accurate, there’s no issue with participating in the preliminary round, which will take place this Saturday. However, since the competition carries a certain degree of risk, we require consent from a family member. Could you please provide a contact number for your family?”  

You Mi froze.

On the other end of the line, assuming he didn’t want to fill it out, they explained, “We strictly protect your privacy. This is required because in the past, a contestant had an accident, and we were embroiled in years of legal battles with their family. Because of that case, we now must obtain family consent… If you have a strained relationship with your family or have cut off contact and live independently, you can provide proof of that instead.”

“I’m an orphan,” You Mi said. “So I don’t have a family member’s number, but I can provide proof of living alone.”

This time, he wasn’t lying. Before crossing over, You Mi had indeed been an orphan. His parents had died in a natural disaster when he was in elementary school, and he had lived with relatives… On the eve of the apocalypse, You Mi happened to return to his empty home, planning to take on part-time jobs during the holiday to save some money.

In a way, he felt his encounter with Lin En was like attracting the same kind.

The person on the other end paused, murmured an apology, then said, “Understood. In cases like yours, we at least need the contact information of a friend, so we can reach someone in case of emergencies… Of course, it would be even better if your friend could accompany you to the competition.”

You Mi filled in Lin En’s contact details. “Alright, but as for accompanying me… I’ll need to ask if he has time.”

The other party went over some competition rules, and after confirming a few details, they ended the call.

*

In the kitchen, Anshus was studying a human health cookbook.

The cook nervously said, “Your Highness Anshus, should I do the cutting?”

The monster shook his head, gripping the knife handle with his sharp claws as he carefully sliced the white radish and placed it into the clay pot.

The cook couldn’t fathom why he had suddenly come to the kitchen to cook—and of all things, a nourishing soup! From the moment Anshus entered, her heart had been in turmoil, making her wonder if her cooking skills were lacking and she was about to lose her job…

But even if the Crown Prince was dissatisfied with her cooking, shouldn’t he just replace her? What was the point of cooking himself?!

Finally, when the duck soup with white radish was ready, the cook mustered the courage to ask, “Your Highness Anshus, may I ask… has the food recently not been to your liking?”

His focus remained entirely on the pot of soup. Hearing her, he shook his head, then ladled out a bowl, set down a copy of *Research on Human Recipes*, and left.

The cook’s anxiety eased, but she was left utterly bewildered as she picked up the book…

Upstairs in the bedroom.

When Anshus pushed open the door, carrying a small bowl of nourishing soup, his body froze.

At the far end of his gaze, You Mi was stepping out of the pink castle, tiptoeing to place a freshly washed fig on the coffee table in the bedroom area. After setting it down, he noticed Anshus had returned and quickly explained, “I brought some fruit for you to try.”

The monster stood motionless at the doorway, staring at him like a statue.

Reflected in those golden eyes was a petite figure dressed in an off-white, loose sleepshirt. Though the shirt was slightly worn, it looked soft and comfortable—except for the words printed all over it:

**[Delicious Flour, Three Yuan Star Coins per Jin.]**  

**[Ultra-White, Ultra-Fragrant, Ultra-Chewy!]**

Anshus’s breath nearly stopped.

Under the bright lights, You Mi waved at the monster after delivering the fruit. As he turned to walk back toward the castle, the back of his sleepshirt came into full view:

**[Net Weight: 10kg]**

【Every Grain Carefully Selected】

【Even the Sina Star People Love It!】