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The seasonings Lou Yu sent earlier are all gone. How can this meal be good? It will basically depend on the original flavor of the ingredients.

"I like everything Qiuqiu makes." Lou Yu took the food box and eagerly picked up some food with his chopsticks to eat.

The sweet potatoes were quite large, and Tao Qiu cut them into pieces and put them in the food box. Eating just the sweet potatoes was enough to fill him up halfway. With the addition of the fragrant roasted meat and the refreshing shredded radish, Lou Yu had a very satisfying meal.

Tao Qiu ate some of what he was cooking, but he didn't finish his portion, so he fed it all to Lou Yu.

While feeding him, he asked, "Don't you find it disgusting to eat my leftovers?"

Lou Yu spoke frankly, "How could I complain? These are such good ingredients, and it was made by you, Qiuqiu. Others would love to eat this, and we've kissed so many times already, why would I care about this?"

Tao Qiu snorted and stuffed the meat into Lou Yu's mouth, "If you dare to complain, I'll smash your head in half."

Swallowing the food in his mouth, Lou Yu continued to coax her, "It's just that her head was knocked to the side, not that she killed me. It seems Qiuqiu still loves me very much."

If the kids were here and heard that, they would definitely scream.

--See? See? I told you he was a vixen!

Tao Qiu was also very receptive to this. Although her expression remained arrogant, her eyes were already brimming with laughter.

After the meal, Tao Qiu drank water and told Lou Yu that the old fox had passed away in the winter.

The White Fox that once struck fear into the hearts of humans had died so quietly. This was indeed good news for humanity, and Lou Yu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing it.

However, he couldn't help but sigh that no matter how powerful and terrifying one's strength is, everything seems so fragile and vulnerable in the face of time and disease.

If even high-level mutated monsters are like this, then humans must live even more cautiously, not only having to guard against mutated monsters, but also worrying about whether they will have their next meal.

Lou Yu didn't want Tao Qiu to be upset as well, so he didn't show his worries. Instead, he smoothly changed the subject, "So, this time we're going there to retrieve the materials from the Red Fox."

Tao Qiu nodded. "Hmm, does Little Yu want to rest a little longer, or should we set off now?"

"Let's go now, the sooner it's over, the better."

"Okay, let's go."

They got out of the car, and Tao Qiu transformed into a bird, carrying Lou Yu as they flew up the mountain.

The foxes hadn't seen the two of them for over half a year, and their enthusiasm was even greater upon seeing them again.

A fox told Tao Qiu that after eating the crops he gave them, its cubs were growing stronger and stronger, and they rarely got sick anymore.

Some foxes even asked him why this human was so late this time. They were all thinking that he wasn't going to continue cooperating with them.

"And the fox?" Tao Qiu pointed to the place where the old fox was buried. It was on a high slope, with green grass and flowers growing in front of the grave. Standing there, you could overlook the entire meadow.

The Red Fox was still waiting for them in the same old spot, but this time the White Fox was with him.

From this point on, they no longer needed to go to the mountains to find the old fox. However, the Red Fox still led them a distance into the woods, not wanting the other foxes to see him being bled and shaved by humans.

The other foxes only knew that the Red Fox and the old chieftain were trading with the Snow Bird and humans for large quantities of crops, but they didn't know what they were trading for.

Red Fox has a rather aloof personality. Unlike Old Fox, he wouldn't exchange pleasantries with Tao Qiu and Lou Yu. Once they arrived at their destination, he would bend down and let Lou Yu retrieve the materials before dismissing them.

Since their relationship wasn't particularly deep, Tao Qiu and Lou Yu appreciated this straightforward and efficient way of doing things.

The sun was quite strong today. When Tao Qiu got back to the car, her face was red from the sun, so Lou Yu quickly turned on the air conditioner.

Tao Qiu put her hair up, revealing her long, fair neck. As her body temperature dropped, the blush on her face faded, leaving her with rosy cheeks and a beauty that seemed unreal.

Although Lou Yu had long ago etched Tao Qiu's face into his mind, he couldn't help but be mesmerized at this moment.

Tao Qiu turned her head and saw Lou Yu's dazed expression. A smile appeared on her lips, and she snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"I'm snapping out of it."

Lou Yu blinked, his gaze gradually clearing, and said happily, "My Qiuqiu is so good! Look."

Tao Qiu said smugly, "Naturally beautiful, I'll seduce you, kid."

After he finished speaking, he laughed first, and Lou Yu laughed along with him.

Like two fools.

After laughing enough, Tao Qiu said, "Have you prepared everything I asked for? If you're missing even one item, I'll give you a slap."

Lou Yu looked at the back seat, which was packed full, and joked, "Although I really want to get a spanking from Qiuqiu, unfortunately, I've checked many times, absolutely nothing's missing."

After speaking, Lou Yu compared the list with Tao Qiu's, checking each item one by one, and telling her what was in each box and bag.

Seeing that nothing had been missed, Tao Qiu said, "The mission was completed very well. You can collect the surprise I prepared for you now."

Lou Yu had actually been thinking about the surprise Tao Qiu had mentioned ever since he returned to the base. When he arrived today and Tao Qiu didn't bring it up, he could only pretend he hadn't thought of it.

At this moment, Tao Qiu finally spoke, and he no longer needed to restrain his excitement.

"What surprise? Where is it?"

Tao Qiu handed him the bag she had brought. Lou Yu opened it and saw that it contained several power banks and mobile phones.

Lou Yu, puzzled, "What's the surprise?"

Tao Qiu leaned back in her chair, looking at him leisurely. "Open your phone and look through the photos and videos."

Following his instructions, Lou Yu swiped open his phone and entered the photo album.

The first photo and video featured Tao Qiu's face. Lou Yu hadn't noticed anything amiss until he clicked on "All Photos" and saw the contents. His eyes widened immediately.

It's full of photos of Tao Qiu and her three children!

Lou Yu's ears were ringing, and he could see tiny, twinkling stars before his eyes. His heart was also beating faster.

A child? Where did this child come from?

Fearing he might be seeing things, Lou Yu zoomed in and flipped through the images one by one.

After quickly flipping through dozens of pages, Lou Yu finally confirmed that he hadn't misread anything; there really were three children in Tao Qiu's valley!

Lou Yu had an absurd thought. Instead of asking Tao Qiu for confirmation, he clicked on the video section again.

The first video played showed three little ones who had just finished bathing, huddled around Tao Qiu, playing and sunbathing.

The Eldest Cub was pulling weeds and weaving something, his little mouth tightly pursed, his chubby cheeks puffed out, looking very focused and serious.

The Second Cub looked up at the camera with a beaming smile, and said sweetly in a soft, sweet voice, "Daddy, shall we have roasted sweet potatoes tonight? Is that okay?"

Tao Qiu, speaking off-camera, asked, "Okay? Xuexue, how many do you think you can eat?"

The Second Cub counted on his chubby pink and white paws. "One... two... three?... I can eat three!"

The third child said seriously from the side, "Daddy said that if you eat too much, your tummy will be full and you won't feel comfortable."

Second Cub had also thought of this, and his lips pouted in frustration, "Alright then, three yuan each time."

At this moment, the Eldest Cub next to him also made a move. He handed Tao Qiu the grass wreath he had woven himself. In the footage, his eyes shone exceptionally brightly. "Pretty bracelet, for Daddy."

Tao Qiu reached out her hand. "You... put it on... Dad."

Some rough straw bracelets, worn on Tao Qiu's jade-white wrists, possess a natural beauty.

The video ends when Tao Qiu places her wrist in front of the camera and shakes it a few times, as if recording its entirety.

After watching the video, Lou Yu was certain of his guess. He looked up at Tao Qiu, his eyes already brimming with tears.

Tao Qiu was both nervous and expectant, eager to know what Lou Yu would say next.

Yes, Qiuqiu, you actually gave birth to three children for me! You've had such a hard time!

Or—why didn't you tell me sooner that we had three children?

Maybe it's because I'm just too touched, Qiuqiu, I love you?

It could also be...

"It's okay, Qiuqiu, I don't care. Even if you have children with other birds, I'll be the one outside, as long as you continue to like me and don't abandon me."

Tao Qiu's elbow, which was supporting him on the back of the chair, slid down, almost straining his back.

He stared at Lou Yu in disbelief, uttering the question that struck him as a profound truth, "Huh?"

Lou Yu's tears welled up and slid down his cheeks like round pearls. Combined with his aggrieved yet stubborn expression, he looked like a pitiful little white flower.

Lou Yu choked back tears as he said, "I know this is immoral, but I love you so much. I'm not greedy. I don't need a title; I'm content with the status quo. If your female bird doesn't want it, I'll beg her. I'll give her anything she wants."

Tao Qiu: "..."

He rubbed his forehead. "Lou Yu, what are you talking about? When did I get a female bird?"

Lou Yu said, "Without a female bird, where would the chicks come from? All three chicks in the video are calling you 'Dad,' they must be your children."

As for why the child is in human form, Tao Qiu can transform into a human, so it's not surprising that his child inherited his abilities.

Tao Qiu was shocked by Lou Yu's bizarre thought process, and a fake smile appeared on her lips, "Then, Comrade Lou Yu, do you think it's possible that these three kids are my and your children?"

Lou Yu, who was crying bitterly and self-reproaching her own comments about being a mistress, heard his words and showed the same expression as Tao Qiu just now. "Ah?"

Tao Qiu said, "Take a closer look at the three children's facial features, hair color, and eye color."

Lou Yu wiped away his tears, then clicked into the photo album again, zooming in on the group photo of the three kids for careful observation.

One had black hair and green eyes, one had white hair and green eyes, and the other had white hair and purple eyes. All three were very cute, their features resembling Tao Qiu's, and also...