Second Update: This Servant Will Attend to You

Although the success rate is low, and you have to wait at least several hours to switch back after each switch, it's still good news.

The three children transformed into human form in different ways, and Tao Qiu couldn't figure out the reason. However, the fear from that day lingered in his mind and was difficult to dispel.

He pretended to be fine in front of the children because he was an adult, the pillar of support for them, and he couldn't let them know his worries and anxieties.

All his patience crumbled the moment he saw Lou Yu.

He knew that even if he told Lou Yu the truth, it wouldn't change his worries, but he hadn't come here with the intention of solving his worries in the first place.

It was just that he accidentally stumbled on his way forward and needed Lou Yu to help him up, and Lou Yu happened to be willing to help him.

This was the quietest time Lou Yu had ever been in the car since he came to see Tao Qiu.

But the growth of feelings is also silent. Before, Lou Yu was the one showing his vulnerability to Tao Qiu, and Tao Qiu protected him with her strong and reliable demeanor. This time, it was Tao Qiu who was willing to seek a sense of security from Lou Yu when she felt insecure. This mutual dependence just proved that the relationship was developing in depth.

However, Lou Yu and Tao Qiu didn't realize this at the moment; they simply embraced each other, their hearts filled with only each other.

After a while, Tao Qiu finally composed herself and a smile returned to her face.

He leaned in and planted a kiss on Lou Yu's cheek. "Thank you, Little Yu."

"Feeling better now?" Lou Yu stroked Tao Qiu's cheek, noticing his slightly haggard face and undisguised weariness in his eyes.

Tao Qiu nodded.

Lou Yu said, "I brought some new snacks, would you like to try some?"

Understanding that Lou Yu was trying to please him, Tao Qiu replied, "Okay, what's the treat? Snack?"

Lou Yu took a food box from the passenger seat, opened it, and found it full of cream puffs.

"This? Was this also made by your teammate?" Tao Qiu was pleasantly surprised; the pastries were becoming increasingly exquisite.

Lou Yu didn't answer directly, "The new season's grain yield is high, and the prices of meat and dairy products have both decreased, so there are more desserts we can make."

"That's great news! I'm in for a treat!"

Tao Qiu picked one up and took a bite. The puff pastry was crisp and crumbly, and the cream was sweet, fragrant, and rich.

No wonder everyone says that sweets can heal the soul; after just one bite, Tao Qiu felt like she had come back to life.

Lou Yu looked somewhat uneasy. "How does it taste?"

Tao Qiu gave a thumbs up. "Delicious!"

Lou Yu smiled broadly, "I'm glad you like it."

Upon hearing this, Tao Qiu sensed that something was amiss.

He had praised that teammate's cooking skills before, so why did Lou Yu ask again? Besides, Lou Yu even got jealous after he praised him last time.

But why is he smiling so happily this time? As if he were the one being praised.

Etc!

Tao Qiu looked at the cream puff in her hand, then at Lou Yu, and said in an almost certain tone, "This... you made it, didn't you?"

Lou Yu smiled shyly, "Yes, I asked my teammate to teach me."

Tao Qiu said happily, "You said before that your cooking skills were bad and you couldn't even learn how to cook, but now you're making it really delicious!"

Lou Yu touched his nose. "Maybe it's because my learning ability has improved."

He would never admit that Chen Lin had taught him step by step for half a month, almost driving him to the brink of collapse. They had ruined the food dozens of times, and his teammates had eaten so many failed attempts that they were sick of it, before they could barely pick out one food box from the few that turned out relatively well.

"Our Little Yu is really amazing." Tao Qiu praised without reservation.

He ate four in a row before stopping, and seeing that Lou Yu wasn't eating, he even asked him, "Don't you like this?"

Lou Yu said, "I ate enough while we were grilling."

Tao Qiu chuckled, "Did you fail several times?"

Lou Yu scratched his face and smiled sheepishly.

It happened more than just a few times.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you." Tao Qiu pulled out a tissue to wipe her hands. "Let's go get the materials. When we get back, I'll treat you to lunch. Besides various crops, I'll also make some egg pancakes that I made myself—eggs from mutated pheasants. They taste really good."

Lou Yu never expected to encounter such a good thing today. He immediately became even more anxious than Tao Qiu, wishing he could teleport to the mountain.

But in the end, she obediently sat on her partner's back.

This time, when Lou Yu and Tao Qiu came over, the foxes knew that Tao Qiu meant no harm and that the delicious crops they had been eating recently were all grown by him. Several of the bolder ones came over to chat with him.

"Mmm?"

--Snow Bird, Snow Bird, could you perhaps give us more of those strawberry fruits later?

"Waaaaah."

--Tomatoes taste better, let's switch to tomatoes.

"Mmm?"

Am I the only fox who likes berries?

To their requests, Tao Qiu responded uniformly with "Chirp chirp chirp".

What to switch to depends on what crop is most abundant at the time.

And how thick-skinned your Red Fox Clan is.

A bold little fox secretly glanced at Lou Yu, who was obediently following Tao Qiu, and whispered, "Hmm?"

--Snow Bird, this human smells so good, are you raising him to eat?

Lou Yu noticed the fox's gaze and knew they were talking about him, so he looked at Tao Qiu with a puzzled expression.

Tao Qiu reassured Lou Yu with her eyes, then spoke softly to the little fox.

--He's not food, he's a friend. Our relationship is even better than that between your Red Fox Clan and me.

As if on cue, the Red Fox emerged from the forest, howled at them, and beckoned them to come over.

Tao Qiu bid farewell to the foxes and led Lou Yu towards the Red Fox.

The little fox, puzzled, asked the big fox beside it, "Aww, aww, aww?"

Aren't humans food? Why should we befriend food?

The big fox taught it. "Mmm-woof-woof..."

--The positions of prey and predator are not static. If we don't befriend the Snow Bird and exchange fruit, and remain in a predatory relationship, then they can eat us, and we can eat them. We are both food, and we are both prey.

The little fox seemed to understand, but that's alright. Reality will always be the most patient teacher. As it grows up, it will gradually understand the freedom and cruelty of the laws of nature.

This time, Red Fox didn't try to Lou Yu like last time. He obediently led them over without saying anything unnecessary.

Upon seeing the old fox again, Lou Yu could clearly see his illness and exhaustion; his condition had declined significantly compared to the last time.

The old fox spoke to Tao Qiu in a gentle tone, "Mmm..."

--The new fruit tastes very good. I heard from Red Fox that there wasn't much to begin with, and you specially allocated some. Thank you very much.

Tao Qiu responded politely with a chirp.

--No need to thank me, you traded eggs for it. If you like it, you can have Red Fox trade with me again next time.

The Red Fox and White Fox standing nearby felt a pang of sadness.

Actually, the Red Fox brought back dozens of strawberries. The old fox only ate one to taste it, and the Red Fox distributed the rest to the other foxes.

His attacks have become more frequent in the past few months, and he says he probably doesn't have much time left to live, so why waste the fruits of his hard work?

He was very stubborn, and neither the Red Fox White Fox could persuade him; they had no choice but to do as he said.

After hearing Tao Qiu's words, the old fox looked at him with even more tenderness.

"Mmm."

--You are a good child.

After exchanging pleasantries with Tao Qiu, the old fox naturally lay down, and Lou Yu also stepped forward to skillfully take photos, draw blood, and collect animal fur.

After Lou Yu put all the materials into the toolbox, the old fox also stood up.

He said to the Snow Bird, "Hmm?"

--Do humans possess something called a camera that can instantly transfer an image onto paper?

Tao Qiu said, "Chirp chirp."

--It seems so.

The old fox said, "Mmm..."

"Could this human please bring a camera next time he comes? I'd like to take a picture of myself for my people, as a memento. In return, he can take more from me next time."

"Chirp, chirp, chirp."

--Okay, I'll talk to him about it, he should agree.

This time, retrieving the materials went much more smoothly and peacefully than last time, and it also took less time. When Tao Qiu and his companion returned to the car, it was not yet eleven o'clock.

Tao Qiu carried the new supplies Lou Yu had brought him back to the cave. The three cubs had now transformed into human form and had hands, so they could open the packages themselves.

Tao Qiu knew everything inside; nothing was fragile or easily broken, so she simply let them play with it while she hummed a tune as she cut fruit and made egg pancakes.

The Eldest Cub saw this and ran over, asking curiously, "Daddy, who's the egg pancake for?"

Tao Qiu smiled and said, "That human didn't eat lunch, I'll make him some pancakes."

The Eldest Cub had clear, bright green eyes, and only spoke the truth.

"Dad, I like his porridge, lots of it."

Chapter 54 (Second Update) Your Servant Will Serve You

The Eldest Cub thought, "When Daddy makes exchanges with the Green Python and the Fox Clan, it's all normal bartering. How come it's like with this human? They wash, cut, and pack the fruit for him. This time, just because he didn't eat lunch, they even made pancakes for him themselves."

If it were just because he wanted to please that human, fearing that he wouldn't trade with them anymore, then Dad wouldn't be so excited and smiling so brightly.

Therefore, in conclusion, Dad's relationship with that human is definitely better than his relationship with the Green Python.

"Is it obvious?" Tao Qiu asked.

The third kid said something similar before, it seems that whether or not someone is in a relationship really makes a big difference in how they behave.

The Eldest Cub nodded. "Daddy's smile is so sweet?"

Tao Qiu chuckled and said, "Oh, you're so good at describing things! Okay, I just really like that human because he's so handsome. Dad likes handsome humans."