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"Chirp!"

—Okay!

Before this, the cubs had only heard Dad mention that humans existed, and they had always thought of humans as mutated monsters like the giant snake. This was their first encounter with anything specific related to humans.

Human things were so novel, and there was even delicious food?!

The cubs felt more enthusiastic about humans than ever before. Once they learned that the book contained human stories, they were all interested and wanted to know what the human world was like.

There was no hurry to tell stories, so Tao Qiu set the book aside for now.

The last visible item in the bag was a set of clothes.

The clothes were thick and were largely responsible for how bulging the backpack was.

The brown jacket and pants were simple in style and lined with artificial fleece to ward off the cold of early winter. Layered over thick underclothes, they would be enough to get through an entire winter.

Tao Qiu picked up the jacket and held it to his nose.

It smelled of soap, so it seemed to have just been washed, but an even stronger scent was one Tao Qiu knew well.

These were the man's clothes.

Now Tao Qiu was certain that the man had decided on the spur of the moment to give him these things.

What gift prepared in advance would be such a haphazard assortment? The man had probably grabbed things from all over the vehicle and stuffed in whatever looked useful.

It had just been an excuse to make him stay a little longer.

What should I do? I suddenly think the man is kind of cute.

Tao Qiu couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips.

Besides, he didn't know whether the man had done it intentionally or not, but since they had gone out together, he couldn't have been the only one who had brought clothes. The other team members must have had some too.

Giving him clothes was one thing, but he had specifically chosen ones he had worn himself.

What's with this inexplicably intimate feeling?

There was a way to explain it away, of course. The man knew Tao Qiu could take human form, and winter was approaching, so perhaps he had simply given him clothes to keep warm as thanks for saving his life and for the prey he had given him.

But Tao Qiu didn't believe the man's thoughts were really that innocent.

It suddenly occurred to Tao Qiu that perhaps he hadn't forced the melon off the vine back then. The melon might have wanted him to twist it off.

He had worried for nothing before. Not only had the man not been unwilling, he even seemed to have enjoyed it.

Tao Qiu couldn't resist sniffing the clothes again.

He couldn't help wondering what the man had been thinking when he put the clothes in the backpack.

Was he wondering whether I'd sniff the scent he left on the clothes, like I am now? Wondering what I'd look like wearing clothes filled with his scent...

Oh my~

Tao Qiu blushed a little.

He had been planning to draw a clear line and let the man go. He had nearly shut the door, only for the man to kick it open.

The three bird cubs watched Dad hug the newly unpacked item and grin foolishly with a red face, wearing an expression they had never seen before. They wondered whether the new item was even better than the ones before, and whether that was why Dad liked it so much.

Remembering that Dad had just sniffed the item several times, the bird cubs moved closer and carefully distinguished the scents on it.

There were mainly two scents. They didn't know what one of them was, but it smelled nice. The other was the human scent they had smelled on the backpack earlier.

But the backpack seemed to carry the scents of several people, while this new item had only one person's scent on it.

"Chirp chirp?" Second Cub asked.

—What is this?

Tao Qiu coughed lightly and put away his dreamy expression. Smiling, he explained, "These are called clothes. They're worn to keep warm, much like our feathers."

Tao Qiu held out his arm for the cubs to see. "Humans are like Dad. They don't have feathers or fur, so they need to wear clothes to keep warm when it's cold."

Third Cub said, "Chirp chirp."

—Clothes are human fur.

"That's right. Yuanyuan is so clever. You could put it that way." Tao Qiu stroked Third Cub's head and praised her gently, then continued, "Clothes can be thin or thick depending on the season, and come in different colors and styles. You can change them to suit your preferences."

Third Cub couldn't help exclaiming, "Chirp chirp."

—Humans are amazing.

After hearing this, Second Cub was full of longing. "Chirp, chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp."

—Yeah, that's so nice. I want to change my feathers to different colors too.

Tao Qiu said, "If you want to change your feathers into fur, Dad can't do that. But if you just want to change their color, that's easy. White is the easiest color to dye."

"Chirp!" Second Cub nearly jumped up in excitement, but her belly was still too full, and she fell back down.

Not caring whether she felt uncomfortable, she eagerly asked Tao Qiu, "Chirp chirp?"

—Can I really change the color of my feathers?

"Yes. We can dye them with plant juice."

"Chirp! Chirp!"

—Great! I want to dye them!

Tao Qiu agreed. "Dad will dye them for you later."

"Chirp chirp."

—Dad is the best.

Delighted, Second Cub rubbed against Tao Qiu's hand.

Third Cub was more interested in the clothes in front of her than in dyeing feathers. She asked Tao Qiu, "Chirp chirp?"

—Are these for Dad to wear?

Tao Qiu nodded, that smile appearing on his face again. "Even though Dad can grow feathers to keep warm if he's cold in human form, putting on clothes will make him even warmer."

Eldest Cub said, "Chirp chirp chirp."

—I want to see Dad wear these clothes.

"Sure. Dad will put them on for you."

Tao Qiu placed the cubs on the table, stood up, and quickly pulled on the jacket and pants.

Tao Qiu was about as tall as the man and had a similar build in human form, so the clothes fit him well.

His skin still wasn't quite used to touching fabric again after so long, but Tao Qiu was happy.

It felt as though he had returned to his previous life, when he was still an ordinary human.

He zipped up the jacket, gathered his long hair over his chest, put on the hood, and straightened his sleeves.

Tao Qiu slipped his hands into his pockets, raised an eyebrow, and whistled at the cubs. "Well? Doesn't Dad look handsome?"

The bird cubs stared, transfixed.

They didn't know the saying "clothes make the man and the saddle makes the horse," but they could see for themselves how different Dad looked with the clothes on.

The color of the clothes made Dad's skin look even fairer, and his broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, and proportions were clearer than before.

But the clothes and the wearer also brought out the best in each other. Earlier, the cubs had thought the clothes were an utterly ordinary object that they could neither eat nor drink.

But once Dad put them on, they thought the clothes were nice too.

Sure enough, clothes made by humans had to be worn by humans. He looked so handsome!

The cubs hadn't had much of an opinion about Dad's human form before, but now they all wanted to turn human and find some clothes to try on.

All three cubs nodded together. "Chirp! Chirp chirp!"

—Handsome! Even more handsome than before!

Tao Qiu nearly threw back his head and burst out laughing, but he held it in to maintain his handsome bearing. His words, however, were anything but modest.

"Not bad, not bad. Only the third most handsome in the world."

Tao Qiu's fondness for the clothes couldn't have been more obvious, and Eldest Cub felt he now understood why Dad had worn that expression while hugging them earlier.

He said, "Chirp chirp, chirp chirp?"

—Dad, did you blush just now because you liked these clothes so much?

"Huh?" The question interrupted Tao Qiu's self-admiration. A little embarrassed, he couldn't very well tell the cubs that his heart had been aflutter because he was thinking about the man.

Tao Qiu gave a dry laugh. To save face in front of the cubs, he told an inconsequential little lie without hesitation.

"Yes, yes. Dad blushed because he likes these clothes. He was so excited to see them."

Hearing this, Third Cub said, "Chirp chirp chirp, chirp chirp, chirp chirp."

—Didn't Dad say humans have lots of clothes? If Dad likes them, he can trade with them for more later.

Third Cub's words made Tao Qiu pause.

That was right. His relationship with Yong'an Base was relatively peaceful, and the man knew his secret. If he wanted things made by humans, he could trade with the man.

Food was often scarce at the base, and Tao Qiu believed the fruits and vegetables he grew would be considered high-quality even among humans. The man wouldn't be losing out by trading for them.

Even considering that the special effects of the fruits and vegetables made them inconvenient to trade, he was a skilled hunter. Even if he traded only meat with the man, it would still be a good deal.

At that, Tao Qiu couldn't help wondering whether the man had given him these things because he also wanted to trade what they each had for what they needed.

But that was only his guess. Perhaps the man hadn't meant that.

Why don't I find a chance to ask him what he thinks the next time I see him?

Tao Qiu said happily, "Thank you for the suggestion, Yuanyuan. I wouldn't have thought of it just now if you hadn't said anything. Not just clothes, but things like salt and sugar too. If there's anything else we need and the humans are willing, we can trade with them for it."

Eldest Cub asked, "Chirp chirp, chirp chirp?"

—Like with the giant snake, using fruit to trade?

Tao Qiu said, "Humans probably need both fruit and meat, but we'll have to see what to use for the trade when the time comes."

Eldest Cub was a little worried. "Chirp chirp, chirp, chirp chirp."

—Will the humans be like the giant snake, trying to rob us first and only trading when they can't beat us?

Tao Qiu had said their relationship with the humans was much like their relationship with the giant snake.

Did that mean the humans would do the same things to them that the giant snake had?

Eldest Cub's concern wasn't without reason.

Tao Qiu had considered that too. He said, "At first, I'll only trade with one human, the one who gave me these gifts. Dad is certain he's a good person and won't come rob us."

As for whether they would be exposed later, that was a matter for the future. There was no use in Tao Qiu worrying about it now.