Recaps

Second Cub celebrated her first birthday, and Eldest Cub learned to speak human words and comforted Tao Qiu. After wondering when they would transform, Second Cub unexpectedly began turning human in a dream where Tao Qiu called for her help.

• Tao Qiu prepared Second Cub's birthday feast with help from the cubs, and Second Cub recorded how happy she was.
• Eldest Cub called Tao Qiu “Papa” for the first time, then comforted him as he cried.
• Eldest Cub sang in human language at Third Cub's birthday, and Third Cub recorded her hopes for future birthdays with her family.
• Second Cub and Third Cub asked Eldest Cub how he had transformed, and he reassured them that they would transform too.
• Second Cub dreamed that Tao Qiu was trapped behind a door and called for her to save him, then she unexpectedly began taking human form.

Second Cub woke from a nightmare in human form, then adjusted to life as a little girl while Tao Qiu cared for her and helped her learn to walk and eat. Days later, Tao Qiu planted strawberries as the cubs played, and Third Cub brought him water.

• Second Cub dreamed Tao Qiu was in danger, woke crying in his arms, and calmed down after he comforted her and promised to avenge her.
• Tao Qiu cleaned Second Cub and settled all three cubs back to sleep, then prepared breakfast the next morning.
• Second Cub celebrated her human form, tried eating by burying her face in her bowl, and began practicing walking after Tao Qiu promised to make her a fork.
• Tao Qiu carved utensils for the cubs, and Second Cub began learning to speak from Eldest Cub while Third Cub still showed no sign of turning human.
• Tao Qiu planted strawberry seedlings while the cubs played, and Third Cub brought him water in a bamboo tube.

Tao Qiu reassured Third Cub about her fear of being the only one unable to take human form, then traded strawberries to Red Fox for the old clan leader. The chapter ended with Tao Qiu bathing Eldest Cub and Second Cub after dinner.

• Tao Qiu comforted Third Cub, telling her that changing into human form later could help him care for the cubs, and she felt reassured.
• In August’s lingering heat, Tao Qiu spotted Black Rabbit watching him from outside his territory, but Black Rabbit fled when Tao Qiu approached.
• Red Fox asked Tao Qiu for strawberries, explaining that the old clan leader had little time left and wanted to taste new fruit; Tao Qiu agreed to trade some.
• After dinner, Eldest Cub and Second Cub helped Tao Qiu clean up, then he bathed them when they got grease on themselves.
• Second Cub blew bubbles onto Tao Qiu’s face and teased him, then hugged his arm when he pretended he might set house rules.

Tao Qiu cared for the cubs and dressed Second Cub in a homemade dress, but Third Cub suddenly suffered terrible pain and transformed into a human baby with wings. Three days later, Tao Qiu clung to Lou Yu for comfort after Third Cub recovered, shaken by how helpless he had felt.

• Tao Qiu washed Eldest Cub and Second Cub, dressed them in clothes made from an old bedsheet, and braided Second Cub’s hair the next morning.
• Tao Qiu noticed Third Cub looking listless, then held her as she trembled and cried that her whole body hurt.
• Tao Qiu tried to prepare his blood for Third Cub, but she went still before transforming from a bird into a winged human baby and falling asleep.
• Tao Qiu held the unconscious Third Cub and cried as Eldest Cub and Second Cub gathered around them.
• Three days later, Tao Qiu embraced Lou Yu and asked to hold him, explaining through his silence how deeply Third Cub’s painful transformation had frightened him.
• Third Cub woke after sleeping for a day without discomfort and learned to switch between bird and human form on Tao Qiu’s first attempt to teach her.

Tao Qiu sought comfort from Lou Yu over his lingering fear about the cubs’ transformations, then the two collected samples from the Fox Clan’s ailing elder. As Tao Qiu prepared an egg pancake for Lou Yu, Eldest Cub pointed out how much Tao Qiu liked him.

• Tao Qiu leaned on Lou Yu for comfort, and Lou Yu cheered him up with cream puffs he had baked himself.
• Tao Qiu and Lou Yu visited the Fox Clan, where Tao Qiu discussed trading crops with the foxes and reassured them that Lou Yu was his friend.
• The old fox thanked Tao Qiu for the strawberries and asked him to bring a camera next time so the clan could keep a photograph of him.
• Lou Yu collected photographs, blood, and fur from the old fox, and Tao Qiu agreed to bring a camera on their next visit.
• Tao Qiu returned to the cave and made an egg pancake for Lou Yu, while Eldest Cub remarked that Tao Qiu liked him a lot.

Tao Qiu reassured his cubs before bringing food to Lou Yu and sharing an affectionate visit in his car. After resting in Lou Yu's arms, Tao Qiu admitted he wanted more time together but decided to catch smaller prey for Lou Yu to take back alone.

• Tao Qiu told the cubs they were prettier than Lou Yu and that he liked them more.
• Tao Qiu flew out with chilled produce and egg pancakes for Lou Yu while the cubs complained about Lou Yu taking up his time.
• Tao Qiu and Lou Yu flirted about Lou Yu serving him and shared a strawberry through a kiss.
• Tao Qiu fell asleep in Lou Yu's arms, and Lou Yu quietly ate the food before resting with him.
• Tao Qiu offered to catch larger prey and deliver it to the base, then admitted he wanted an excuse to spend more time with Lou Yu.
• Tao Qiu changed his plan to catching smaller prey for Lou Yu to take back, and Lou Yu accepted.

Lou Yu and Tao Qiu parted on affectionate terms, and Tao Qiu returned to the valley to care for their three cubs. The cubs tried to earn more of Tao Qiu’s affection, then showed off their human forms to Green Python and Little Snake, who were amazed by their ability to transform.

• Tao Qiu teased Lou Yu before flying back to the valley, while Lou Yu sold the deer to Lou Quan’s collector and joked about his upcoming payment.
• Tao Qiu returned to the cave, cooked for the cubs, and listened as they praised his food and bedtime story.
• The cubs admitted they wanted Tao Qiu to praise and love them most, though they secretly viewed Lou Yu as a rival for his affection.
• Green Python visited with Little Snake and was astonished to find all three cubs in human form.
• Third Cub changed back into a snow bird to speak for the others, impressing Green Python and Little Snake before Second Cub pulled Little Snake off herself.

Tao Qiu shared strawberries with Green Python and the cubs, then confronted Black Rabbit about secretly watching him. He revealed that he could grow delicious crops from foul-smelling plants, but Black Rabbit learned the crops had no special effect on him and left in a fury.

• Eldest Cub offered Little Snake a strawberry, and Little Snake became another fan of the fruit.
• Green Python warned Tao Qiu that Black Rabbit had been hanging around near his territory, so Tao Qiu began searching for him.
• After seven days, Tao Qiu caught Black Rabbit and heard him complain about being excluded while Green Python, the Fox Clan, and humans visited Tao Qiu.
• Tao Qiu showed Black Rabbit a large radish and explained how he transformed foul-smelling plants into fragrant, delicious crops.
• Black Rabbit devoured the radish, learned that the crops had special effects on some mutated monsters but not him, and stomped away resentfully.

Black Rabbit deduced that Tao Qiu had cubs and insisted on trading for Stinky Ground Fruit by looking after them, forcing Tao Qiu to agree to a trial. Tao Qiu brought him to the valley, where Third Cub immediately began acting hostile to drive him away.

• Black Rabbit confronted Tao Qiu about the missing Stinky Ground Fruit and proposed caring for his cubs in exchange for some.
• Black Rabbit pieced together clues about Tao Qiu’s cubs and defended himself when Tao Qiu suspected him of spying.
• Tao Qiu asked for time to decide, but Black Rabbit gave him three days to accept the arrangement.
• Tao Qiu told the cubs about Black Rabbit’s demand, and Third Cub volunteered to make trouble until he left.
• Tao Qiu brought Black Rabbit to the valley, where Third Cub threw a pebble at him and shouted for him to leave.

Tao Qiu and Third Cub struggled to make Black Rabbit leave after his stench upset her, but he returned the next day freshly washed and bearing flowers to apologize. Third Cub softened toward him and faced his request to play with her.

• Third Cub attacked Black Rabbit until she grew tired and gagged from his foul smell, so Tao Qiu carried her away to bathe.
• Black Rabbit left in embarrassment, while Eldest Cub and Second Cub learned why Third Cub was crying and joined the family in comforting her.
• Black Rabbit returned the next day, and Third Cub insisted on going with Tao Qiu to meet him.
• Black Rabbit showed that he had thoroughly washed and scented his fur, then asked to play with Third Cub.
• Black Rabbit offered Third Cub a bunch of white flowers as an apology, and she no longer felt able to keep rejecting him harshly.

Black Rabbit continued bringing flowers to Tao Qiu and Third Cub despite being ignored, waiting through scorching heat and heavy rain. After his persistence softened the family’s view of him, Third Cub asked whether he truly wanted to look after her, and Black Rabbit immediately said he did.

• Black Rabbit returned to the valley entrance with flowers every day for a week, while Tao Qiu and the cubs tried to ignore him.
• Black Rabbit kept waiting through the heat and then a heavy downpour, protecting a fresh bouquet beneath his fur.
• Tao Qiu let Black Rabbit shelter in the valley and accepted his flowers, prompting the cubs to reconsider him.
• After the rain, Tao Qiu asked Third Cub whether she was willing to give Black Rabbit a chance, and she agreed to speak with him.
• Third Cub brought Black Rabbit food and asked if he really wanted to look after her, and Black Rabbit answered at once that he did.

Black Rabbit told Third Cub about his difficult childhood and Tao Qiu’s rise from an exiled cub to a powerful mutant monster, making Third Cub proud of her father. Tao Qiu invited Black Rabbit to return the next day, while the cubs asked Tao Qiu about his past.

• Black Rabbit explained that he had wanted to care for Third Cub because he liked her, and told her his parents and siblings had died.
• Black Rabbit described how Tao Qiu had been driven from his parents’ territory as a young cub and gradually claimed the valley and surrounding land.
• Third Cub thanked Black Rabbit and returned to Tao Qiu, who gave him a carrot and told him to come back the next day without confirming whether he had hired him.
• Third Cub told Eldest Cub and Second Cub about Tao Qiu’s past, and they eagerly hoped to hear more from Black Rabbit.
• Tao Qiu confirmed to the cubs that Snow Bird parents drove their cubs away at around two years old, once they could hunt on their own.

Tao Qiu reassured his cubs that they could stay with him instead of following the Snow Bird tradition of leaving the nest at two, and they comforted him over his unhappy childhood. He then revealed his family’s human forms to Black Rabbit, who learned that the glowing fruit had given Tao Qiu and his three cubs the ability to transform.

• Tao Qiu explained that the old Snow Bird custom of leaving the nest at two no longer suited mutant animals, and his cubs comforted him about his painful childhood.
• Tao Qiu and the cubs exchanged affection before bed, and Eldest Cub told him the next morning that they had fought bad guys together in a dream.
• Tao Qiu and the cubs joked about traveling to the ends of the earth to eat coconuts, then planned how to tell Black Rabbit about their human forms.
• Black Rabbit arrived with flowers and live prey, and Tao Qiu showed him Third Cub transforming into a human child before revealing his own human form and the other two cubs.
• Black Rabbit recovered from his shock and asked whether Tao Qiu had initially refused his help because he feared Black Rabbit would discover the family's secret.

Black Rabbit learned Tao Qiu’s secret and spent a joyful day bonding with Tao Qiu and the three cubs, then began visiting them every day. The chapter ended with Black Rabbit asking whether the cubs’ mother was still with Tao Qiu and willing to have more cubs with him.

• Black Rabbit asked whether Green Python knew Tao Qiu could take human form, and Tao Qiu admitted she had seen him during their fight.
• Tao Qiu explained how he defeated Green Python, and the cubs welcomed Black Rabbit as their Uncle Black Rabbit.
• Black Rabbit promised not to eat Tao Qiu or the cubs, and Third Cub hugged him after he reassured her he was a good rabbit.
• Black Rabbit played with the cubs, shared their meals, and let Tao Qiu and the cubs bathe his thick fur.
• Black Rabbit began visiting every day to play with the cubs while Tao Qiu tended his crops.
• Black Rabbit quietly asked Tao Qiu where the cubs’ mother was and whether she would have more cubs with him.

Black Rabbit failed to persuade Tao Qiu to let him take one of the cubs, but continued visiting to play with them. When Eldest Cub and Second Cub learned to turn into birds, Tao Qiu and Black Rabbit began training the chicks to hunt and fight together, and the cubs insisted on continuing despite getting bruised.

• Black Rabbit asked Tao Qiu whether he would have more cubs and offered to help raise them, revealing his wish to take one, but Tao Qiu refused.
• Black Rabbit began visiting every three days to spend time with the cubs, while Green Python brought Little Snake to play on other days.
• The bird chicks asked Black Rabbit about Green Python's past, then told Little Snake the stories; Little Snake thanked them with prey she had caught herself.
• By late August, Eldest Cub and Second Cub learned to turn back into birds, and Tao Qiu and Black Rabbit started training the cubs to fight Black Rabbit as hunting practice.
• Despite getting bruises, the cubs refused to stop practicing and told Tao Qiu they wanted to grow strong enough to protect him.
• Tao Qiu comforted the cubs and then began developing their ability to fight as a team.

Tao Qiu considered Red Fox’s request to trade his own blood and fur for crops after the old Fox Clan leader died. Meanwhile, Black Rabbit brought a young wild boar so the cubs could begin hunting practice, and their first group hunt was underway when the chapter ended.

• The cubs used teamwork and improvised tactics against Black Rabbit, who praised their intelligence while Tao Qiu valued their safety.
• As autumn arrived, Tao Qiu had the cubs sleep in bird form to keep warm.
• Red Fox traded for strawberries and radishes, then asked Tao Qiu whether he could provide materials in place of the old clan leader; Tao Qiu said he would ask the human and answer later.
• Black Rabbit brought a young wild boar for the cubs to hunt, and Tao Qiu and Black Rabbit set up the practice while watching over them.
• Eldest Cub led the chase as Second Cub and Third Cub struck the boar; when it charged Third Cub, he dodged by gaining altitude.

The cubs celebrated their first successful hunt, then spent the following weeks practicing and recovering from injuries. When Tao Qiu left to meet a human, the cubs secretly went to spy on them, but they could not see clearly from their hiding place.

• The three cubs killed their first prey, a little wild boar, and Tao Qiu and Black Rabbit congratulated them before washing them and sharing the meat.
• Over the next month, the cubs practiced hunting, suffered injuries, and healed without accepting Tao Qiu’s blood; Tao Qiu paused their hunting practice while they recovered.
• After the cubs had recovered, they continued sparring with Black Rabbit until Tao Qiu left to meet a human.
• The cubs secretly flew to the valley entrance and spotted the human’s car, but Eldest Cub worried that it was too far away to see the human clearly.

Tao Qiu brought Lou Yu to meet the Fox Clan, where Lou Yu photographed the old fox and collected samples from him and Red Fox for testing. After returning to the car, Lou Yu gave Tao Qiu supplies and warned that winter might keep them apart until next year, leaving Tao Qiu asking how much time together would be enough.

• Tao Qiu and Lou Yu agreed that Lou Yu would take a small sample from Red Fox and bring it to the research institute for testing.
• Tao Qiu carried Lou Yu to the mountain while the cubs watched angrily and mistook Lou Yu’s ride on Tao Qiu’s back for a trick.
• Lou Yu took a group photo of the old fox, Red Fox, and White Fox, then collected a double portion of material from the old fox as payment.
• Lou Yu collected a tiny sample from Red Fox and said he would return with the test results in two days.
• Lou Yu gave Tao Qiu winter clothes, bedding, food, seasonings, and snacks, and said their next visit might be their last before winter.
• Tao Qiu grew sad at the thought of not seeing Lou Yu all winter, then asked how much time together would be enough.

Tao Qiu and Lou Yu grew intimate after Lou Yu admitted he had been waiting for Tao Qiu rather than relieving himself alone. After Tao Qiu helped Lou Yu, they exchanged declarations of love, and Tao Qiu sent him home with a promise to spend more time together soon.

• Lou Yu told Tao Qiu that he had not taken care of his arousal because he wanted Tao Qiu, and Tao Qiu asked him to sweet-talk him.
• Lou Yu told Tao Qiu, “I love you,” and Tao Qiu kissed him as they became intimate.
• Tao Qiu teased Lou Yu about his physique and his belt before deciding to help him by touching his little fish.
• Lou Yu climaxed, and Tao Qiu comforted him and returned his declaration of love.
• Tao Qiu declined Lou Yu’s offer to help him, told him to head home, and promised they could spend more time together in a couple of days.

Tao Qiu returned from seeing Lou Yu and found the cubs hiding that they had spied on the couple, while their jealousy of Lou Yu made them wary of the human trade. Two days later, Tao Qiu left to meet Lou Yu again, and the cubs questioned Black Rabbit about humans without getting the reassurance they wanted.

• Lou Yu asked Tao Qiu to keep them together at all times, and Tao Qiu kissed him before heading home with the supplies.
• Tao Qiu found the three cubs pretending to be sad, and they claimed they had only been acting when he asked what was wrong.
• The cubs grew resentful when Tao Qiu said he would keep trading with humans, but they ate Lou Yu’s snacks after deciding they should not go to waste.
• Tao Qiu admired the photos he had taken with Lou Yu and tucked them into his favorite book; the next day, he and the cubs washed the new clothes and bedding.
• When Tao Qiu left to meet Lou Yu again, the cubs asked Black Rabbit what he thought of humans, and he described them as food rather than potential friends.

Tao Qiu and Lou Yu reunited and prepared supplies for winter before Lou Quan tried to test Snow Bird’s attachment to Lou Yu. Snow Bird flew away after Lou Yu warned Lou Quan off, and Lou Yu later arranged for his squad to sell the game without trouble.

• Tao Qiu reunited with Lou Yu, teased him with a downy feather, and reviewed the winter supplies Lou Yu had brought.
• Tao Qiu and Lou Yu reached the base with two animals and found Lou Quan waiting to meet Snow Bird.
• Lou Quan tried to approach Snow Bird to gauge how much he would do for Lou Yu, but Lou Yu refused to let him get close.
• Snow Bird flew away after hearing Lou Yu and Lou Quan argue, and Lou Yu blamed Lou Quan for driving him off.
• Lou Yu called his squad to collect the game and refused to sell it to Lou Quan.
• Lou Yu's squad sold the larger animal through their own contacts, while keeping the smaller one.

Lou Yu and Snow Bird used their argument to warn Lou Quan against probing, while Tao Qiu and the cubs each secretly worried over the conflict. When three mutated monsters broke into the valley to steal ripe berries, the cubs ambushed them with chili water.

• Lou Yu avoided Lou Quan after their argument, and Snow Bird stayed angry that their time together had been interrupted.
• The cubs noticed Tao Qiu secretly studying something in a book and worried that he was sad about Lou Quan.
• Mutated monsters learned of the valley’s fragrant crops and, driven by hunger before winter, sent a goat, a hedgehog, and a wild dog to steal berries.
• The cubs spotted the intruders, prepared chili water, and had Third Cub splash it into their faces while Eldest Cub and Second Cub waited to attack.
• The wild dog howled with its eyes shut, and the other two monsters realized snow birds were in the valley.

The three chicks killed the goat, hedgehog, and wild dog who tried to steal their crops, and Tao Qiu comforted and praised them after returning. As winter arrived, Tao Qiu remained unsure whether to keep growing crops, and the chapter ended with the chicks greeting the first snowfall.

• Eldest Cub, Second Cub, and Third Cub pursued the three intruders and killed the wild dog, hedgehog, and goat with claws and rocks.
• Tao Qiu returned to find the chicks unharmed, bathed them, and praised their courage and quick thinking.
• Tao Qiu displayed the intruders’ bodies and used his pressure to frighten nearby mutated monsters, then hunted members of the three species.
• Green Python asked Tao Qiu whether he would stop growing fruit, and Tao Qiu said he had not decided.
• Tao Qiu and the chicks harvested their crops and stocked up on firewood and meat before winter.
• When the first snow fell, Second Cub noticed a snow pellet on her beak and told Tao Qiu that it had no flowers.

Tao Qiu and the cubs welcomed winter by building a snowman, skiing, and spending cozy days in the cave. At the base, Lou Yu learned that researchers had developed an awakening reagent, leaving Lou Quan to decide how to proceed with the dangerous experiments.

• Tao Qiu told the cubs the story of The Snow Child, and they asked him to build a snowman with them.
• After snowfall covered the valley, Tao Qiu and the cubs built a snowman, took a picture together, and went skiing.
• Tao Qiu and the cubs spent winter clearing snow, staying warm inside, and enjoying spicy food and television.
• Old Doctor Li called Lou Yu to report that the research team had successfully developed the awakening reagent.
• Lou Yu and Lou Quan met at the institute without speaking to each other, while Old Doctor Li explained that the available doses could support twenty people through awakening if all survived.
• Lou Quan said he needed to consult his subordinates before deciding how to conduct the dangerous awakening experiments.

Lou Quan and Lou Yu organized a secret awakening experiment at Yong'an Base, while Lou Yu endured the deaths of the participants and drew comfort from Tao Qiu’s photograph. Nearly two months later, the experiment ended with fifty-two of fifty-three participants dead and one uncertain survivor.

• Lou Yu told his teammates that the reagent had been successfully developed, though they refused to risk undergoing awakening themselves.
• Lou Quan gathered trusted senior members, and Lou Yu described the severe pain, isolation, and dangers of the awakening experiment before the leaders selected sixty candidates.
• Lou Yu supervised the renovation and security of an underground laboratory, where the first batch of awakeners began the experiment in secret.
• During the first five days, sixteen participants died, including five killed by the security team, and Lou Yu grieved privately while looking at Tao Qiu’s photograph.
• Tao Qiu woke with a racing heart in the cave, checked on the three sleeping little ones, and went back to sleep.
• After nearly two months, fifty-two of the fifty-three awakeners had died, while the sole survivor remained in uncertain condition.