The calm, carefree days passed by in a flash, and before they knew it, two weeks had quietly slipped away.
During this time, Bai Li and Longjiu lived a warm and harmonious life as mother and daughter, every moment soaked in the gentle tenderness of peaceful times.
Early this morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the dawn light filtered through the window frame, casting dappled, swaying shadows on the floor.
Longjiu looked at the brightening light outside the window, a flicker of realization crossing her eyes. ‘It’s time.’
“Mother! Good morning!”
A crisp, childish voice accompanied by light footsteps drifted in as Bai Li came pattering into the room.
After two weeks of immersion, she had completely adapted to her identity as the Dragon Princess.
Pampered by Longjiu into a lively and charming child, the timid girl she had once been was nowhere to be found.
“Good morning, my little baby.”
Seeing that she had come to give her morning greetings without being called, Longjiu felt a wave of warmth in her heart.
“Mm-hmm! Mother, here comes your good morning kiss!”
Unlike before, when Longjiu always took the initiative, Bai Li had now learned to express her affection.
She tried her best to stand on her tiptoes, tilting up her exquisitely carved little face as she leaned in toward Longjiu for a cuddle.
She looked both charmingly naive and adorable.
Longjiu smiled and leaned down, gently gathering her into her arms.
Their foreheads touched, and she rubbed her nose against the child’s soft cheek, leaving a soft, warm sensation behind.
Bai Li obediently closed her eyes, her small hands tightly clutching Longjiu’s collar.
With ignorant yet earnest devotion, she rubbed her face against Longjiu’s neck, her heart filled with absolute reliance and sweetness.
A moment later, Longjiu released her and gently tapped her cheek.
Her eyes were filled with soft laughter, and her voice was lingering and indulgent.
“My little baby, you are so proactive today.”
Bai Li’s face was flushed, and her eyes sparkled with joy as she looked up at Longjiu.
“Mother’s cuddles are warm. I like them!”
“Do you want more? My good baby.”
Longjiu raised her hand and ruffled her hair.
Her movements were extremely gentle, devoid of any unnecessary posture.
“Yes! I want more of Mother’s cuddles!”
Bai Li’s eyes shone brightly, and she lunged into her arms without hesitation.
She rubbed her small head against her shoulder like a clingy little animal.
The female Dark Guards watching this harmonious scene felt their cheeks redden.
After sharing a look, they quietly retreated outside to keep watch, unwilling to disturb this rare moment of warmth.
“Mother’s cuddles are so comfortable… I love Mother so much…”
Leaning against Longjiu, Bai Li’s cheeks were crimson.
Her soft little hands were wrapped around her mother’s neck, and her eyes were clear as she murmured with total dependence.
“Hmph, hmph.”
Looking at the little one whose eyes were curved into crescents from being pampered, Longjiu couldn’t help but let out a proud snort before changing the subject.
“Baby Bai Li… Mother has a very nice story I want to tell you.”
“Yes, yes!”
Bai Li’s eyes lit up instantly.
Her small hands tightly tugged at Longjiu’s sleeve and gave it a gentle shake, her tone full of anticipation.
“It’s been so long since I’ve heard Mother tell a story. Tell it quickly… Please tell me!”
Bai Li’s eyes were glowing, and all traces of sleepiness vanished instantly as she tugged at Longjiu’s sleeve.
“Good baby, come. Come onto Mother’s bed and listen. It’ll be more comfortable.”
Longjiu patted the soft bed beside her, her tone carrying a gentle, coaxing quality.
“Mm-hmm!”
Bai Li immediately scrambled onto the large bed and curled up next to Longjiu, staring at her with wide, expectant eyes.
“Mother, tell me quickly, tell me quickly!”
“Alright, alright. Listen carefully now,” Longjiu said softly, clearing her throat.
“This story is very simple. Once upon a time, there was a human Magic Tutor named Lü Erlu, who resolutely set out on a journey with the Hero to suppress the Demon King.”
“Pffft, hahaha! Lü Erlu? That name is just too funny! It sounds exactly like a total daughter-doter, a literal ‘daughter-slave’!”
Bai Li covered her small mouth and laughed uncontrollably, her eyes curving into crescents.
“Haha, you actually guessed it.”
Longjiu scraped her finger against the child’s tiny nose, her smile tender.
“On the road to suppress the Demon King, he really did adopt two little babies from the Demon Race.”
“Huh? For real? A human adopting the Demon Race? That’s unheard of!”
Bai Li’s eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief.
“Isn’t it?”
Longjiu followed her lead, pausing slightly before continuing.
“At that time, I — ahem, I mean, when the Demon Dragon King discovered this, she thought this human was both strange and interesting.”
“After all, adopting the natural enemies of one’s own race is simply inconceivable! Think about it, baby. Vampires survive on human blood, and a Succubus lives on human Essence. Although there are animal substitutes, their value is far inferior to humans.”
“The natural food chain is right there. Monsters and humans should be sworn enemies who cannot coexist under the same sky. But Lü Erlu insisted on doing the opposite. He went and adopted members of the Demon Race, and they even had the Royal Bloodline of monsters.”
“What? They even had the Royal Bloodline! This human was too brave. He was simply audacious!”
Bai Li was so shocked that her small body straightened up, and her voice rose an octave.
“Indeed. To figure out what this human was thinking, the Demon Dragon King devised a plan. She deliberately showed a weakness and lost to the Hero. Then, taking advantage of Lü Erlu’s compassion for infants, she pretended that the newborn body meant for the Demon Dragon King’s rebirth had died prematurely. She entrusted it to him to take the opportunity to investigate.”
“Wow! Then this human is both silly and amazing! To make the great Demon Dragon King willing to entrust her newborn body to him… even if it was just a final honor before death, it’s truly unique!”
Bai Li marveled at the story, her small face filled with wonder.
“Before death? Baby, you’re wrong about that.”
Longjiu gently stroked her head, warmth flowing in the depths of her eyes.
“He didn’t pass away at all. Instead, he lived a very happy and fulfilling life.”
“Eh? Don’t tell me that after the Demon Dragon King’s new body grew up, she didn’t immediately take action to kidnap those two Royal Bloodline babies and revive the Demon Race?”
Bai Li looked perplexed, scratching her little head.
“This is where I have to praise that human. He was truly, truly different from others, a rare gem.”
Longjiu’s fingertips lightly brushed over Bai Li’s tender cheek.
Her tone was full of admiration, yet her eyes were filled with an inseparable love.
“Hidden inside that newborn shell, the Demon Dragon King watched Lü Erlu care for the three little ones day and night. Only then did she understand what it meant to be sincere and wholehearted.”
Bai Li blinked her round eyes, listening with rapt attention.
“Three? Didn’t Mother say there were two just now?”
“Silly baby, you have to count the Demon Dragon King’s new body as well.”
Longjiu leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
“The little Vampire princess was afraid of the light, so he racked his brains to create a Light-blocking Brocade Curtain. Every night, he personally warmed the purest beast blood. Fearing she would find the smell too fishy, he even secretly cut his own hand to mix some in.”
“A Succubus has to endure the baptism of nightmares from a young age to control dreams when they grow up. So, he stayed by her bedside all night long, humming human lullabies mixed with gentle auxiliary magic. He didn’t feel a shred of pity for the mana he expended while coaxing the little nightmare-plagued Succubus to sleep.”
“As for that little body of the Demon Dragon King, he looked after it with even more meticulous care. Fearing the Dragon Race’s sensitivity to cold, he wrapped the little thing up like a warm ball in winter. Even when his own hands and feet were freezing, he still wore a beaming smile.”
“Fearing the Dragon Race would be picky with food, he searched through thousands of mountains and rivers for a fresh and tender Demon Pig King to roast into a fragrant, whole roasted pig. He was patient beyond belief.”
Bai Li’s eyes grew moist as she listened.
“Lü Erlu was too good… He’s even gentler than the princes in stories!”
“Indeed. He didn’t look down on them for being monsters; he only wanted the three babies to grow up safe and sound. He was never afraid of others mocking him for raising monster spawn. He took the babies to live in seclusion in a large house, being self-sufficient. Their lives were humble, but they lived in perfect harmony. The sound of laughter never stopped.”
“As the Demon Dragon King watched, the ambition to revive the Demon Race in her heart was gradually smoothed away by the warmth of daily life.”
“She had originally planned to make a triumphant return once her body matured and take the two little princesses away to stir up trouble. But Lü Erlu’s day-to-day tenderness was like the spring sun melting ice. For the first time, she understood the taste of home and what it meant to care for someone.”
Bai Li’s small brow furrowed, her hands tightening on Longjiu’s sleeve.
“Then… did the Demon Dragon King hurt Lü Erlu later?”
Longjiu lowered her head, rubbing her nose against the child’s face.
“Silly baby, how could she?”
She gently bit Bai Li’s small earlobe, her voice turning soft and coaxing.
“The Demon Dragon King had long since become unwilling to let go. She watched Lü Erlu climb mountains to hunt for snacks for the babies, returning covered in scars from his falls.”
“She watched as he traveled across thousands of miles of terrain to find beast blood for the little Vampire princess to drink, his hair turning a bit whiter from the exhaustion.”
“She watched as he held the three throwing-a-tantrum little ones, clumsily coaxing them, yet wearing a smile more satisfied than anyone else’s… Her heart had long ago completely belonged to this human.”
She suddenly cradled Bai Li’s face.
Her gaze was serious and tender as she spoke every word clearly.
“Later on, the Demon Dragon King really did start viewing herself as his daughter, the two little princesses as her elder sisters, and Lü Erlu as the only Father of her life.”
Bai Li blinked, only half-understanding.
She leaned her small head against Longjiu’s chest, listening to the steady, powerful heartbeat.
Her heart felt warm and fuzzy.
“Mother, this story is so sad it makes me want to cry… Lü Erlu is really too great.”
Longjiu held her tightly, her chin resting on the top of the child’s head.
A glimmer of tears flashed in her eyes, and her voice was as light as a sigh, yet overflowing with happiness.
“Yes, he is very great… Great enough to make a cold-blooded Demon Dragon King willingly give up everything just to stay by his side, to be his daughter, and to guard this hard-won home.”