The protagonist who hates losers is so sweet to me.

People on the street were focused on getting their food quickly, ignoring little Yu Qing’s cries for help.
The big guy burst through the window, sending glass shards everywhere, and chased in the direction Yu Qing had fled.
Yu Qing’s knee throbbed with pain, but he kept running without time to use his powers to change back. However, a five-year-old child couldn’t outrun an adult.
In no time, his shadow was completely swallowed by the larger, stronger shadow behind him. The ground showed the large shadow’s outstretched arm, about to grab him.
He suddenly stopped, turned around, and ran in the opposite direction, slipping under the big guy’s legs. The big guy’s hand missed, and he escaped.
As the big guy turned to chase him, the street was filled with people walking forward. He used his small size to run along the edge of the wall, while the big guy angrily pushed people aside.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Are you crazy?”
“Watch where you’re going!”
Ignoring the people he knocked over, the big guy pushed through the crowd towards Yu Qing. The distance between them closed quickly. Yu Qing saw an outdoor staircase’s guardrail and, as the big guy pushed through the last two people, he slipped through the railing.
The big guy reached through the railing, but Yu Qing backed away, stopping his fingers from reaching him.
There was a half-person-high iron railing in front of the stairs. The big guy, unable to reach him, climbed over it. But as he was halfway over, Yu Qing slipped through the third step’s railing gap.
Onlookers watched the chase coldly, with no intention of helping.
Yu Qing stumbled as he ran, quickly getting lost in the crowd. The big guy, frustrated, followed in the direction he disappeared. He couldn’t find him until he turned a corner and ran into a grim-faced Song Xinqi.
Song Xinqi held the five-year-old Yu Qing in one arm. Yu Qing buried his face in his shoulder, crying, “Song Xinqi, my head hurts, my arm hurts, my knee hurts, everything hurts, waaaaah!”
Song Xinqi looked at his still-bleeding scraped knee, checked the long scratch on his arm and the bruised bump on his head, and his eyes darkened.
“Boss, there’s another fight over there!”
“What’s going on these days? Do they think they can just ignore me?” Shi Tao slammed his cup on the table, grabbed his coat, and said, “Let’s go see.”
When Shi Tao arrived, the place was packed with people.
“Move, everyone, move.” he pushed through the crowd to the center, where the air was thick with the smell of blood. In the middle was a large pool of bright red blood.
He saw that the person lying in the pool of blood, barely alive, was the big guy he sent to deal with Yu Qing.
The big guy’s kneecaps were gouged out, the connecting flesh a bloody mess, the bones placed neatly on either side. His arms were covered in scratches and swollen. He clawed at his head, leaving deep red marks, looking terrifying.
Shi Tao was shocked. “What… what happened to him?”
Onlookers, still frightened, said, “We don’t know, he suddenly grabbed his head and started screaming, then began to hurt himself.”
“He hurt himself?” A chill ran down Shi Tao’s spine. He saw Song Xinqi holding a child and looking at him.
He felt a strong urge to turn and run as Song Xinqi approached him.
“Brother Song, what happened?”
Song Xinqi’s eyes were cold. “Shouldn’t I be asking you?”
He broke into a cold sweat. “I really don’t know. I was called over just now.”
Song Xinqi stood close, making it hard for him to breathe. Only then did he notice the child in Song Xinqi’s arms was a shrunken Yu Qing, with most of his face buried in Song Xinqi’s chest, showing only a pretty jawline.
But at this moment, Shi Tao had no other thoughts, only wanting to get through this.
“He has nothing to do with you?”
“Really nothing.”
Song Xinqi sneered. “Say that again?”
Shi Tao’s voice caught in his throat. He glanced at the big guy on the ground, filled with regret and fear, and raised his hand in a vow. “Really, it’s really not related to me.
He’s just a scumbag blinded by lust. But it’s my fault too, for not managing the base well. How about this, I’ll announce to the whole base that anyone who messes with you will be expelled immediately, how about that?”
His face was full of sincerity. A psychic had told him that zombies from City A safety zone were attracted here, numbering over a hundred.
The base was hastily built without adequate defenses. If the zombies came, they might wipe out the base. There was no one stronger than Song Xinqi in the base, so he must stay at all costs.
He neither agreed nor disagreed, whispering in Shi Tao’s ear, “This is the last time. If anyone messes with me again, you’ll suffer.”
“I understand, I understand.” he nodded repeatedly. “This mess, you haven’t eaten yet, right? How about I send some food to your place?”
Yu Qing poked his face out of the chest. “And a bottle of hot water.”
He quickly agreed. “Sure, sure, anything you want.”
Song Xinqi left with Yu Qing, who clung to him because of his aching legs. He carried him.
“Why did you go with someone else?”
Yu Qing sniffled. “He disguised as you, I didn’t notice at first.”
Seeing him so pitiful, Song Xinqi uncharacteristically didn’t mock him. “Make sure to verify next time, even if it looks like me.”
He nodded.
As they walked, Yu Qing noticed something was off. “Where are we going?”
“It’s too dangerous to be apart. You’ll stay with me.”
He was silent. Despite the earlier danger, with Song Xinqi’s actions today and Shi Tao’s promise, it was unlikely anyone would try again. Without those worries, he preferred his own place.
He thought for a moment. “But I want to sleep with Yu Xiaoxue.”
Song Xinqi didn’t respond. He continued, “If I stay with you, will you sleep on the floor?”
“Yu Qing, do you know what you’re saying?” Song Xinqi’s tone turned dangerous.
Yu Qing bit his lip and changed his approach. “I move a lot in my sleep.”
“Then move.”
“I’ll talk to you all night.”
“Then talk.”
“…I like hugging Yu Xiaoxue to sleep.”
Song Xinqi’s face darkened. “Is staying with me that difficult?”
Yu Qing didn’t answer. Sensing his reluctance, Song Xinqi’s face turned as black as coal, his voice harsh. “You don’t get a choice.”
He firmly took Yu Qing back to his room, placed him on the bed, and crouched to examine his smooth legs. “Let me see.”
Yu Qing relaxed his muscles, allowing him to check his wound. Song Xinqi took out a can of unopened erythromycin from his backpack, using a cotton swab to clean the dirt and gravel from his knee.
Song Xinqi’s tone was harsh. “Bear the pain.”
But his actions were gentle, not giving him a chance to cry out.
After applying the ointment, Yu Qing watched him silently tidy up, thinking his medicine application skills had improved.
Putting the ointment back, a beam of light shone on the backpack, making the zipper hot. The sun shone brightly outside, but couldn’t dispel the shadow in Song Xinqi’s heart. He felt he couldn’t protect Yu Qing; even a short absence led to trouble.
Annoyed, he considered leaving. The base’s current conditions made him want to take over. But the terrain was wrong, suitable for a temporary stop, not a permanent stay.
Yu Qing suddenly remembered. “By the way, Yu Xiaoxue is still in that room.”
Song Xinqi glanced at the revived Yu Qing, recalling the other “small waste.” “Wait here.”
Song Xinqi used the key Yu Qing gave him to open the door. Yu Xiaoxue darted out from under the bed, only to come to an abrupt halt when she saw him.
“Meow?” it was puzzled.
He almost didn’t recognize Yu Xiaoxue; in just a few days, it had grown so much. Was Yu Qing feeding it hormones?
Yu Xiaoxue tried to bypass him to go outside and find Yu Qing, but he grabbed her tail. It growled threateningly, turned to bite him, but he swiftly pulled his hand back, and it bit into empty air.
Expressionless, he opened his backpack, pressed Yu Xiaoxue down, and stuffed it into the bag, zipping it up in one go despite its struggles.
Back in the room, a restored Yu Qing sat on the bed waiting for Song Xinqi to return. Soon, the door opened from the outside, and a white figure dashed in, whimpering and leaping towards Yu Qing, only to be intercepted by Song Xinqi mid-air.
Yu Xiaoxue struggled in mid-air but slowly quieted down. Once released, it darted to Yu Qing’s side, its thick paw pads on the bed edge, carefully avoiding his medicated knee, and began to lick his hand.
“That tickles,” he laughed, pulling his hand away from Yu Xiaoxue’s barbed tongue.
Quickly adapting to the new environment, Yu Xiaoxue jumped onto the bed and lay down next to him. Song Xinqi said nothing, gave a few instructions to him, and then left.
As soon as Song Xinqi left, Yu Xiaoxue got off the bed, sniffing around the room. It knocked over a box and fetched something from underneath it, then returned to his side, signaling for him to extend his hand.
“What do you want to give me?” he asked, extending his hand. Yu Xiaoxue lowered its head and spat out five crystal cores.
“!?” Yu Qing quickly pushed the crystal cores back to her, “No, these belong to Song Xinqi. Return them.”
Yu Xiaoxue flicked its tail, growling in defiance.
He sternly said, “You can’t steal others’ things. Return them, be good.”
Especially stealing from Song Xinqi—Yu Xiaoxue’s little life was at stake.
Reluctantly, it stood up, picked up the crystal cores, and put them back.
When Song Xinqi returned, Yu Qing felt guilty and avoided his gaze.
He noticed something was off. “Yu Qing, why are you looking at me like that?”
Yu Qing replied, “I will teach Yu Xiaoxue to behave. If it dies, I will be very sad.”
He frowned, “Why are you saying this?”
“Nothing, I’m just letting you know.”
That night, Yu Qing happily hugged Yu Xiaoxue to sleep. The bed was big enough for two people and a leopard. Yu Xiaoxue was sleeping soundly when it felt the fur on its neck being grabbed and was lifted off the bed, only to be thrown to the floor by Song Xinqi.
It rolled over, stood up, and looked for a way back onto the bed, but Song Xinqi’s fierce glare stopped it. Remembering being stuffed into the bag earlier, it whimpered and curled up on the floor.
Tolerating Yu Qing alone was his limit; there was no way he’d allow Yu Xiaoxue on his bed.
To show his sincerity, food was delivered to Song Xinqi’s door daily, even when he didn’t go out on missions. After a few comfortable days, he thought about the crystal cores and decided to go out again.
Yu Qing was woken up by him before dawn.
“Are you going on a mission?”
He nodded and handed him a new outfit, “You’re coming with me.”
Yu Qing didn’t want to go, “No, I’ll wait for you at the base.”
“Do you plan to be a useless freeloader for the rest of your life?” he taunted.
“That’s exactly what I am,” Yu Qing retorted, getting up. “Besides, you said I’d only hold you back before.”
He was taken aback, “Stop talking nonsense. Come if I say so.”
“I don’t want to…”
“Yu Qing.”
He felt the pressure of being caught by a strict principal. Reluctantly, he got out of bed and changed, with Yu Xiaoxue sticking to his side. He couldn’t help but grumble, how could Song Xinqi be so hard to please?
Seeing Yu Xiaoxue at his feet, his eyes lit up, “I want to take Yu Xiaoxue with us. It can find crystal cores.”
“It can?”
He nodded, “Every time you give me a crystal core, it knows immediately. Maybe mutated animals have a special sense for crystal cores. Bringing it would make finding them easier.”
Song Xinqi glanced at the eager snow leopard and agreed.
Due to its rapid growth, Yu Qing couldn’t shrink it down to a palm-sized form with his ability. He had to ask Song Xinqi for a backpack. Yu Xiaoxue, now the size of a basketball, jumped into the bag and sat quietly.
“Good girl, stay quiet inside. I’ll let you out soon.”
“Meow.”
Song Xinqi coldly watched Yu Xiaoxue’s compliant act. It was a different leopard from the fierce one that had tried to bite him.
Yu Qing zipped up the backpack, leaving a gap for Yu Xiaoxue to breathe.
After registering with the guards, they left the city. Yu Qing opened the backpack, letting Yu Xiaoxue sit on his lap, its body upright and tail flicking, excitedly meowing. Its voice had deepened, sounding majestic.
After driving for a while, Yu Xiaoxue suddenly turned its head and meowed towards the left, pawing at the window. Yu Qing held it steady, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Xiaoxue rubbed its head against him, purring softly. He thought for a moment and said to Song Xinqi, “I think Xiaoxue found the location of a crystal core.”
Song Xinqi turned the steering wheel in the direction Yu Xiaoxue indicated. Soon, three scattered zombies appeared in the wilderness.
Before they got close, Song Xinqi used his ability to kill the zombies from a distance and stopped the car to dig for crystal cores. Yu Qing and Yu Xiaoxue followed. Yu Xiaoxue sniffed around one of the zombies’ feet.
A crystal core was indeed found in that zombie’s head.
Yu Qing cradled Yu Xiaoxue’s cheeks and praised her, “Xiaoxue is amazing!”
“Roar,” Yu Xiaoxue happily twitched its ears.
With Yu Xiaoxue’s guidance, their efficiency in finding crystal cores increased. In just an hour, they found five cores without encountering many dangers, gradually moving further from the base.
Unknowingly, they reached the outskirts of City A, where zombies became more numerous. Yu Qing stayed in the car while Song Xinqi and Yu Xiaoxue went to find crystal cores.
A gust of wind made the hairs on his neck stand up. He looked back but saw only trees and wind. Perplexed, he turned back, but the feeling of unease returned quickly. He looked again and saw nothing.
Haunted?
“Thud thud,” something tapped the back of the car. His face turned pale, but he saw nothing but air.
“Song… Song Xinqi,” he called out in fear.
Then, he heard creaking sounds, and two strange handprints appeared on the leather backseat.
“Song Xinqi!”
Song Xinqi turned sharply, seeing Yu Qing scramble out of the car in panic. But there was nothing behind him. Yu Xiaoxue’s ears perked up, and it growled, running towards him.
Sensing something was wrong, Song Xinqi followed. A few steps out, he saw a humanoid figure crawling out of the half-open car door, shimmering like a water ripple before vanishing again.
“What is that!” Yu Qing was on the verge of a breakdown, feeling pursued by something invisible. The unknown was terrifying. When his clothes were tugged from behind, he stumbled and fell.
Yu Xiaoxue leaped into the air, claws out, and bit into the empty space.
Yet, something invisible seemed caught in its bite. Dust flew as it landed, creating a shallow, humanoid depression. It growled and fought with the unseen entity.
Song Xinqi arrived in time, gauging the outline of the creature from Yu Xiaoxue’s movements, and slashed at the air. His blade was blocked by an unseen force, green liquid spraying out, revealing a head-like shape.
The creature turned out to be a ponytailed girl zombie with invisibility powers, the blade lodged in her forehead, blood flowing.
Only when the zombie was completely dead did Yu Xiaoxue release its bite.
The danger averted, pain flooded Yu Qing’s senses. He clutched his ankle, “Song Xinqi, I think I twisted my ankle.”
Song Xinqi squatted, running his hand down Yu Qing’s leg until he found a spot that made him recoil and cry out in pain.
“Endure it.” he supported Yu Qing’s pale, slender ankle, finding an angle to apply pressure.
“Ah!” Yu Qing screamed, tears welling up, “It hurts!”
Hearing his pained cry with a hint of sobs, Song Xinqi’s breath hitched.
Denying some unnamed emotion in his heart, his expression grew harsh, “All you do is cause trouble.”
Yu Qing heard this and, already terrified by the invisible zombie and having fallen, was pushed to his limit. Tears welled up, “The zombie was invisible! How could I dodge it? I’m just a useless person with no combat ability. I was careful enough. What more do you want?”
Song Xinqi looked at his tear-filled eyes and felt conflicted.
“I told you not to come. You insisted I come out. You didn’t protect me, and now you’re blaming me.” his voice broke with anger, tears streaming down as he glared at Song Xinqi.
Yu Xiaoxue’s fur bristled, baring its teeth at Song Xinqi, ready to pounce. Song Xinqi met its defiant eyes, its ears flat but stubbornly blocking the way between him and Yu Qing, its tail wrapped protectively around him.
“Don’t be mean to Xiaoxue!” Yu Qing’s voice came from behind the snow leopard. Both him and Yu Xiaoxue stood their ground, forming a united front against Song Xinqi.
“If you think I’m a burden, then don’t care about me. Leave me here to fend for myself,” Yu Qing said, resigning himself.
Knowing he was throwing a tantrum, Song Xinqi didn’t plan to argue. But seeing his tear-streaked face and his eyes filled with grievance, he felt a blockage in his chest.
It must be the mental link causing this.
He frowned, struggling internally before he finally said, “It was my fault for not protecting you this time.”