Chapter 4: First Day on an Alien Planet

Ji Wuxiu carefully recalled various cute moves from panda videos, but after thinking for a long time, he could only remember a panda lying on a tree branch, staring blankly into the distance with a dopey yet melancholic expression, as if burdened with endless thoughts.

Or a panda leaning against a rock, engrossed in chewing bamboo while its little feet wobbled constantly. Every movement was natural and effortless—there was never a need to deliberately act cute.

Ji Wuxiu suddenly had no idea where to start, scratching his head in frustration.

The system seemed unable to watch any longer and prompted: 【Ding! Suggesting Host use your adorable gaze to overwhelm it with cuteness!】

Ji Wuxiu’s eyes lit up. He started rubbing his eyes with his paws until they became watery, then put his paws down and let out a soft “Wah-oo” sound to attract the sika deer.

The sika deer, startled, took a step back: “……”

A brief silence followed before the system’s dry voice sounded: 【Ding! Your attempt to act cute has failed. This creature has low intelligence and lacks the concept of ‘cute’ in its aesthetics.】

Ji Wuxiu froze for a moment, then furiously smacked the ground and roared in frustration, “Then why did you even tell me to act cute?!”

The system went silent and played dead.

Frightened by Ji Wuxiu’s sudden outburst, the timid sika deer immediately leaped away and vanished without a trace.

The wind swirled, carrying fallen leaves in its wake.

Ji Wuxiu’s mood at this moment was just like one of those leaves—filled with desolation and sorrow.

What on earth was wrong with this world?

Why was his panda form, which thrived on its ability to act cute, facing repeated failures here?

As someone who took pride in his profession, Ji Wuxiu saw this as the lowest point of his career.

So tired… I don’t want to act cute anymore.

Out of frustration, he yanked up a clump of grass nearby and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it furiously. The taste of fresh grass spread in his mouth, and gradually, his mood improved.

Forget it! I quit acting cute!

The system had remained silent all this time, afraid of further upsetting Ji Wuxiu.

Ji Wuxiu lay sprawled out with his arms folded, assuming a slouched posture similar to a couch potato. He lazily chewed on the grass, his furry face as lifeless as ever, still carrying that inherently dopey charm.

His mouth moved in a steady rhythm, and soon, he had eaten most of the grass.

The sun quickly set behind the mountains, and the once golden-lit forest gradually darkened, shifting from a warm, romantic glow to a shadowy and eerie atmosphere.

The sight made Ji Wuxiu uneasy. He rubbed his fur, which stood on end, then rolled up and anxiously asked the system, “System, it’s getting dark.”

The system, which had been playing dead, suddenly came online instantly: 【Ding! Suggesting Host find a safe hiding spot immediately to survive the dangerous forest night.】

Ji Wuxiu fell silent, his dopey yet cute face showing a hint of dissatisfaction. “As a system, don’t you offer any perks or benefits?”

Even though he was covered in animal fur, deep down, he was still a human who feared the dangers of the forest at night.

Not to mention, after failing twice at acting cute, he had completely lost confidence in himself. Surviving in such a dangerous forest was no joke—what if he accidentally got himself killed?

The system sounded a little guilty: 【That was all… an accident.】

Ji Wuxiu no longer wanted to argue over something so pointless. Nervously glancing around, he asked, “Then do you know if there are any dangerous creatures nearby?”

After all, this wasn’t Earth. Who knew what kind of strange and terrifying creatures might exist here?

【Ding! This system only specializes in leveling up through cuteness. Other functions are not included.】

Ji Wuxiu fell silent, taking a deep breath to suppress the anger rising within him. Now was not the time to get mad.

“System, don’t you have something like a newbie protection feature?”

The system responded with great enthusiasm and a hint of pride: 【Ding! This system is designed specifically for acting cute… There is no need for newbie protection. The ultimate cheat is reaching the peak of life through cuteness! Forget golden fingers and cultivation—nothing levels you up faster than acting cute!】

Ji Wuxiu was speechless.

As night deepened, Ji Wuxiu had no choice but to start looking for a safe place to stay. Fortunately, his current body wasn’t affected by the darkness; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to wander around.

Soon, a hollowed-out dead tree caught his attention. The hole was just the right size—perfect for hiding.

His eyes lit up, and he trotted over in small steps, his chubby body jiggling with each movement. However, just as he neared the tree hole, a faint but distinct scent drifted through the air—unfamiliar yet carrying a warning.

This smell… feels familiar.

Ji Wuxiu sniffed repeatedly, trying to recall where he had encountered this scent before. His lifeless expression was filled with the confusion of a panda experiencing its first time in this world.

After a while, he failed to recall anything.

Cautiously, he circled the tree hole, observing it carefully. The inside was pitch-black, seemingly bottomless. Just the thought that some unknown creature might be lurking within sent shivers down his spine. His curiosity instantly vanished.

Forget it.

The unknown is the scariest thing of all.

He couldn’t afford to die on his first day here for no good reason. Giving up on the tree hole, Ji Wuxiu quickly backed away and continued searching for another place to hide.

But after searching for ages, he realized that every suitable hiding spot carried the same strange, warning scent. Convincing himself that he shouldn’t steal another creature’s home, he decisively retreated once again.

Of course, he refused to admit that he was actually afraid of facing whatever lived inside those holes. It wasn’t that he feared a fight—he was just afraid he might lose… and get beaten up instead of scaring off his opponent.

Whether as a human or a panda, Ji Wuxiu believed in the art of strategic retreat. His motto was simple: Fight when you can. If you can’t win, surrender immediately.

After a long silence, the system finally spoke up with a reminder: 【Host, pandas have a natural talent for climbing trees.】

Ji Wuxiu also fell into silence.

He had almost forgotten.

Pandas might look like they have zero combat ability—clumsy, slow, and stumbling even after just a few steps—but that didn’t change the fact that they were a battle-ready species. If they really went berserk, even wolves would think twice before provoking them.

More importantly, despite their seemingly awkward movements, pandas were actually skilled climbers, their limbs as flexible as a human’s.

Ji Wuxiu tilted his head up and quickly locked onto a tree.

The tree had a thick trunk and lush branches, looking sturdy enough to support his weight.

After assessing it, Ji Wuxiu rubbed his bear paws together, straightened his back, and forcibly stretched his round, chubby panda body into a long, thin shape. Then, he didn’t forget to do a few warm-up exercises.

Once warmed up, he let out a small breath, his lifeless bear face filled with determination. Carefully placing his paws against the trunk, he extended his claws, gripping tightly as he exerted all his strength to climb up…

A few seconds of effort later, the black-and-white creature was already panting, his dull expression full of disbelief.

This is impossible!

Other pandas could climb trees just fine—why couldn’t he?

Ji Wuxiu tried again, this time using both his legs and feet.

Even though every muscle in his body was working hard, for some reason—perhaps because he was too fat—he still couldn’t get up. After flailing for a bit, his hind paws scrambled desperately, but in the end, he slowly slid back down and landed on the ground with a plop.

Ji Wuxiu was in shock. He questioned the system in his mind: “Are you sure the panda tree-climbing skill is activated for me?”

He had seen so many videos of pandas climbing trees and doing somersaults with ease. Why was he utterly useless at everything?

Even the system sounded uncertain: 【That… shouldn’t be possible…】

Regardless of whether it was possible or not, Ji Wuxiu refused to believe it was his fault.

When he was human, he had never given up easily.

As a panda, it would be the same.

In an instant, his tiny, beady eyes burned with fiery determination. The black-and-white creature let out what seemed like three angry roars, dug his claws firmly into the tree bark, clenched his arms, and pushed off with all his might. His vision instantly lifted—

Ji Wuxiu didn’t have time to celebrate. He focused completely on climbing, pushing through in one go until he finally made it onto a fork in the tree, barely half a meter above the ground. Carefully, he straddled the branch, pressed his chest against the trunk, and let his head rest on the leaves, his face filled with a weary, lifeless expression.

So tired…

He dangled his little arms and legs in the air, perfectly embodying the concept of laziness in the most adorable way.

Night fell. Stars twinkled in the sky, with a full moon hanging right in the center. But unlike Earth’s moon, this one was blood-red.

Ji Wuxiu was fascinated. He quickly knocked on the system: “System, this really isn’t Earth.”

The system was silent for a few seconds, as if something had just occurred to it. Its cold, emotionless voice carried a rare hint of hesitation as it probed: 【Host… you’re not sad anymore?】

Thinking back to how heartbroken the host had been before, the system still felt lingering unease.

Ji Wuxiu was dazed for three seconds before realizing what the system meant. He fell silent, then replied in his mind: “It’s not that I’m not sad, but being sad won’t change anything. I can’t go back.”

【Ding! No need to worry about that! As a ‘Acting Cute System,’ I may not be as fancy as other systems, but I do come with a built-in travel function! As long as you max out your cuteness level, you can return to Earth!】

Max level?

Ji Wuxiu immediately straightened up. “So as long as I work hard to reach max level, I can go back?”

The black-and-white creature’s eyes suddenly lit up with hope, sweeping away all his previous dejection, leaving only pure determination.

【Exactly! So keep going, Host! I believe in you!】

Ji Wuxiu felt a weight lift off his heart. He knew that reaching max level wouldn’t be easy, but at least he had a goal now—something to hold onto. Even if it was difficult, it was still better than struggling with no hope in sight.

That night, he slept soundly.

A light mist rose in the forest, shrouding everything in a hazy veil, making it nearly impossible to see into the distance.

Perched on a tree branch, a fluffy ball of fur blended into the scenery—except for its striking black-and-white colors, which made it stand out against the lush green surroundings.

The giant panda lay sprawled across the tree branch, sleeping deeply.

Even with his eyes closed, the dark circles around them made it look like he hadn’t slept at all. His naturally downturned, innocent gaze gave him a perpetually weary, lifeless expression.

As the sun broke through the forest canopy, the mist slowly dissipated. The cold, silent woods finally came to life, with all creatures beginning their daily struggle for survival.

The little creature on the branch stirred as well, slowly sitting up. He clumsily rubbed his eyes and let out a long, drawn-out mumble, as if complaining about something.

“System, what time is it?”

【Ding! Host, you’ve been asleep for twelve hours. It’s already noon.】

The black-and-white fluffball jolted in shock. “I actually slept that long?!”

The system responded matter-of-factly: 【That’s completely normal. The lazier a panda is, the cuter it looks. If a human were this lazy and gluttonous, they’d just be judged.】

Ji Wuxiu: “T-Thank you… for the lesson.”