Peeking at Their Two Dads Meeting (continued)

--There's no way we can go out. It would be bad if Dad caught us.

The Third Cub let out a regretful chirp.

Inside the car, Tao Qiu was sitting on Lou Yu's lap, fiddling with the camera he had brought.

This is a camera that uses photographic paper; you can get a photo right away after taking the picture, which perfectly suits the old fox's requirements.

Tao Qiu turned to look at Lou Yu, who was eating rice balls, and asked, "Is this camera expensive?"

Lou Yu honestly replied, "It's expensive. There aren't any factories producing them now. They're all old parts salvaged from before the disaster and modified. You can buy the cameras with money, but it took me a lot of effort to find the same model of photographic paper."

Tao Qiu pouted, "This is so troublesome. We'll have to explain to them later that it's more cost-effective to take more materials."

Lou Yu smiled and said, "I'll do whatever Qiuqiu says."

Tao Qiu patted his head. "Good boy, is the rice ball good? Not good? Want to eat?"

"It's delicious! The rice is cooked to the perfect consistency, and the meat and radish pieces inside are very fragrant."

You could tell from Lou Yu's expression that he wasn't lying, and Tao Qiu was also very confident in her cooking skills.

After Lou Yu finished his rice ball and was having dessert, Tao Qiu told him about Red Fox's request.

"The Red Fox's mutation level is about the same as mine? Logically, its blood and fur should meet the requirements for reagent development, but it still depends on your wishes. If you want it, agree; if not, it's fine too."

Lou Yu fed Tao Qiu a strawberry and said, "I don't care whose materials I take. The research institute will probably have no problem. If Red Fox is willing, I can take some of his materials back first. If it's approved there, I'll let you know."

"Okay? Let's do it your way."

After Lou Yu finished eating the fruit, he chatted with Tao Qiu for a while before the two of them got out of the car and prepared to go up the mountain.

As soon as the car door opened, Second Cub whispered, "Chirp chirp!"

--It's out!

They stayed inside for quite a while; the kids were getting sleepy from waiting.

The Third Cub sulked, puffing out his cheeks. "Chirp chirp? Chirp chirp?"

What were he and his dad doing in the car? Why did it take so long?

The Second Cub said, "Chirp chirp."

--Is he trying to get his dad to like him more?

The Third Cub chirped angrily.

--Well? Humans are cunning.

Tao Qiu disembarked from the car in bird form, then enlarged his body after standing on the ground. He stood beside the car, perfectly obscuring Lou Yu's figure.

Eldest Cub: "Chirp chirp."

--Invisible.

But the Second Cub quickly chirped, "Chirp, chirp."

--Okay, okay, Dad, move aside.

However, before the children could even rejoice for a few seconds, they saw the human whose face they couldn't see jump onto Tao Qiu's back, and Tao Qiu also lay down to cooperate with him.

It was clearly consensual.

But the kids didn't see it that way; they were furious.

Second Cub: "Chirp! Chirp!"

What is he doing?! What is he doing?!

The Third Cub: "Chirp! Chirp!"

--How could he ride on Dad! He's so bad!

The Eldest Cub chirped angrily.

--We are Daddy's little ones, we've only just ridden on Daddy's shoulders, and he actually sat on Daddy's back? How awful!

If it weren't for the fear of being discovered by Dad, the Second Cub would have already stormed out and started hitting someone.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp."

--He must have tricked Dad into doing this. They said in the TV series that people like him are called vixens!

The Third Cub were so aggrieved they almost cried, "Chirp, chirp."

--Dad is so pitiful, he was deceived by him.

While the children were in a fit of rage and despair, Tao Qiu had already taken Lou Yu and flown up the mountain.

Lou Yu felt a chill run down his spine after getting out of the car, but after looking back several times, he couldn't find anything wrong and assumed he was just imagining things.

Seeing that they were almost at the top of the mountain, he quickly pulled himself out of his thoughts.

After Tao Qiu landed this time, many foxes still came to greet him, already regarding him as a friend of the Fox Clan.

They asked about the yield of this crop, told him which crop they thought tasted best, and inquired about how Tao Qiu was doing lately. In short, they asked about all the everyday topics, and Tao Qiu answered them one by one.

Lou Yu was following Tao Qiu when he suddenly felt his leg being touched. Looking down, he saw a little fox drooling over him.

It seems to be the same little fox from last time.

With Tao Qiu around, and his coming to collect materials, the Fox Clan actually benefited a lot. Even if it was just for the crops, they wouldn't actually eat him.

So Lou Yu wasn't afraid at all, and even smiled at the little fox.

The little fox stopped in its tracks, glanced at Lou Yu, then turned and ran towards its parents.

This human is so strange; I want to eat him, and he's smiling at me.

When he reached the edge of the forest, the Red Fox was already waiting there, and the other foxes scattered on their own when they saw him.

The Red Fox doesn't seem to be in a good mood; its face shows obvious fatigue.

Once Tao Qiu and Lou Yu saw the old fox, they immediately knew why the Red Fox was in poor condition.

The old fox seemed much weaker than when they last met, his face visibly weathered. As he walked towards them, his steps were unsteady, as if he were about to collapse at any moment.

He greeted them both first, then turned his gaze to Lou Yu.

"Mmm?"

Although he couldn't understand fox language, Lou Yu understood what the old fox was saying just by looking at his probing eyes.

Lou Yu took out a camera from the box and looked at the old fox and the Red Fox and White Fox beside him.

Tao Qiu also chimed in, asking, "Chirp, chirp, chirp?"

--Can I take a photo of just you, or the three of you together? Which would you prefer?

The old fox, with a kind expression, murmured, "Mmm..."

--Let's take a group photo then, thank you both.

Hearing this, the Red Fox White Fox came over and stood on either side of the old fox.

The old fox was laughing, Red Fox White Fox were laughing too, but if you looked closely, you could see tears in their eyes.

Before Lou Yu came, he had learned how to use this camera. Although he wasn't at a professional level, the photos weren't too bad either.

After pressing the shutter, the photo slid out. Lou Yu picked up the photo, shook it, and looked down at it.

The lighting and animal figures are all normal; the quality is average.

Lou Yu held the photo in his palm and showed it to the three foxes.

Three large heads peered over, and after seeing the photo clearly, they were all pleasantly surprised.

Is this something humans created? It can actually print their appearance and the surrounding scenery onto a single piece of paper.

Tao Qiu asked on Lou Yu, "Chirp chirp?"

Are you satisfied?

The old fox nodded. "Mmm-hmm."

--Satisfied, thank you.

Lou Yu put the photo into a small, transparent, sealed bag. The outdoor environment was harsh, and the photo wasn't laminated, making it even harder to preserve. Putting it in a sealed bag would at least help.

Tao Qiu explained to the foxes how fragile the photos were, and also explained the benefits of putting the photos in a bag, telling them it was best not to damage the bag or take the photos out casually.

Lou Yu placed the photo on the tree stump next to him.

The old fox was also quite sensible; he lay down, waiting for Lou Yu to draw blood and trim his fur.

He said to Tao Qiu, "Mmm."

--Let him go and get a copy; consider it payment for the photos.

Tao Qiu chirped twice to Lou Yu guessed what he meant. "He wants me to take more?"

Tao Qiu chirped twice.

Lou Yu: "Can I take two portions?"

Tao Qiu nodded.

Since the old fox had said so, Lou Yu didn't stand on ceremony and actually took double portions.

After packing the materials, he took out a new set of tools and looked at Red Fox.

To prevent unexpected situations from causing tool malfunctions, Lou Yu always carries a spare set of tools, which came in handy today.

Tao Qiu relayed Lou Yu's intentions to Chi Red Fox, Red Fox had no objections and proactively stepped forward to let Lou Yu fetch the materials.

The old fox and the White Fox looked at the Red Fox who was about to succeed them, their eyes filled with heartache and reluctance.

Because it was only meant to be taken back for the doctors to examine, Lou Yu only took a very small amount.

Lou Yu said to Tao Qiu, "It might take two days to get the results. I'll come out and let you know when they're available."

Tao Qiu relayed Lou Yu's words to Red Fox and the others. Hearing that they knew the news so quickly, Old Fox and White Fox were both expectant and a little sad.

It's rare to find a perfect solution. They wanted to obtain a large amount of crops for the Fox Clan, but they also felt sorry for the Red Fox's sacrifices. Therefore, regardless of whether humans agreed to continue taking materials, neither of them could truly feel happy.

Lou Yu and Tao Qiu were unaware of, and did not want to know, the internal affairs of the Fox Clan. After collecting the materials, they returned the way they came.

Back in the car, after putting away the boxes containing the materials, Lou Yu told Tao Qiu what supplies he had brought him this time.

Three sets of thermal underwear, thick sheets and blankets, a new batch of rice, flour, cooking oil, various seasonings, and several boxes of snacks.

"Perfect timing? I'm going out again in a few days. Think about what you need, and I'll bring it for you. Winter is coming soon, and that might be the last time we see each other this year."

Tao Qiu was thinking about what she lacked when she heard Lou Yu's last sentence, and suddenly her mood sank.

"We won't be able to see each other for the whole winter." He buried his face in Lou Yu's shoulder.

Lou Yu hugged him, deliberately speaking in a lighthearted tone, "Of course! Okay, okay! Let's spend as much time together as we can, otherwise, what if we fall ill with lovesickness in the winter?"

Upon hearing his words, Tao Qiu's mood instantly lifted. He straightened up, hugged Lou Yu's neck, and asked with a smile, "How do you know when we've spent enough time together?"