The first light of dawn was faint, and warm rays of sunshine filtered through the window frames.
Gradually, the streets became bustling with the sounds of people.
Representing the hardworking folk, people began heading out one after another to make a living, and a day where all things were renewed thus began.
Ten years had already passed since the hero and his companions joined forces to defeat the Demon Dragon King.
Truly, time flies like an arrow, and the years pass like a weaver’s shuttle.
In a magnificent mansion on the outskirts of the city, Lv Erlu was busy and flustered, scurrying through the kitchen while wearing an apron.
For whom was he so busy?
Naturally, it was for his three precious daughters, whom he considered the “best and most obedient in the whole world!”
“Whew~ All finished!”
Lv Erlu patted his flour-dusted hands and turned around, looking at the wide array of breakfast items on the dining table with a face full of satisfaction.
The first dish.
It was the White Blood Honey Tart he had painstakingly made for Bai Ning.
Inside the crispy tart crust was a filling made from the refined blood of a high-level magic beast from the deep mountains.
The second dish.
It was the Essence Soufflé prepared for Zi Ya, made by mixing his own essence with fragrant fresh milk and fluffy egg liquid.
As for the third dish…
It was tailor-made for Long Jiu… Er, a whole roasted pig that reflected the light with its glistening oil.
‘That girl Long Jiu’s appetite is worthy of the dragon bloodline,’ Lv Erlu thought to himself.
‘Even at her young age, she eats more than several of me combined.’
After returning in triumph with the hero’s party all those years ago, Lv Erlu had resolutely given up fame and fortune, bringing his resignation to meet the King.
“Your Majesty, I am terribly sorry… I have returned home and thought deeply for a long time. I truly cannot shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the National Chief Scientist.”
Despite the King’s earnest efforts to persuade him to stay, Lv Erlu still bowed firmly to resign.
“I feel that my talent is exhausted, and my enthusiasm for scientific research has long since dissipated. Please, Your Majesty, grant my request.”
Since then, Lv Erlu had completely unloaded the heavy burden from his shoulders, transforming into a diligent stay-at-home father.
He spent his years of savings to buy this spacious mansion with a courtyard on the outskirts of the city.
Choosing such a secluded and quiet place was not out of a desire for comfort, but to allow his three daughters, who had special identities, enough space to grow up carefree while also avoiding the prying eyes of others as much as possible.
Ten years of painstaking care had finally paid off, and the clouds had cleared to reveal the moon.
The three little ones who once babbled while learning to speak had now grown into graceful, charming young ladies.
Lv Erlu was full of joy and surprise at this.
He had never imagined that the growth rate of the Demon Race and the Dragon Race would be so staggering.
The time it took to transform from infants to young ladies was exactly half the time it took for humans.
Whether in physical development or mental intelligence, they far surpassed their peers.
“Alright, if I don’t wake these three little lazybones soon, breakfast will get cold~”
Lv Erlu rolled up his sleeves and walked toward the stairs with light steps, humming a tuneless little ditty with a voice full of unmistakable joy.
“Bai Ning— Zi Ya— Long Jiu— get up for breakfast! If you keep staying in bed, I’ll eat all the breakfast myself!”
As soon as he finished speaking, a series of clattering noises came from the second floor, mixed with a certain girl’s shouting.
Without guessing, this energetic and dorky voice was undoubtedly Long Jiu.
The smile at the corners of Lv Erlu’s mouth deepened.
“Coming, coming! Father! Wow, it’s my favorite roasted whole pig!”
Long Jiu’s voice arrived accompanied by the scent of the wind, and Lv Erlu’s smile became increasingly gentle.
Long Jiu had hatched from a dragon egg entrusted to him by the Dragon Queen back then.
He still remembered the day the egg hatched.
The little thing opened a pair of ignorant, round eyes and looked at him timidly, then looked at the two other little ones who were also staring at her curiously.
The first sentence out of her mouth nearly made Lv Erlu’s jaw drop.
“Papa? … Two mamas?”
“You got ‘Father’ right! But these two next to me, you have to call them older sisters! Quick, call them ‘Sister’!”
Lv Erlu had scrambled to correct her, sweat forming on his brow.
“Sis… Sister.”
“Heh! That’s right! Such a good girl!”
From that moment on, they became a family of four.
Although Long Jiu was born later than Bai Ning and Zi Ya, her growth rate was unique.
Now, she was 175 centimeters tall, actually half a head taller than Lv Erlu!
One must know that in this different world, there weren’t as many nutrient-rich proteins as in modern society.
People’s average height was generally not high.
A tall figure like Long Jiu’s was truly the definition of graceful.
“Hey~ Father, did you forget something important?”
“Hmm? What did I forget?”
Lv Erlu was completely baffled.
If his daughter said he forgot something, then he must have truly forgotten it!
But what exactly was it…
He racked his brain, but didn’t have the slightest clue.
“It’s the morning kiss! Really, how could Father even forget that!”
Long Jiu crossed her arms huffily and leaned her face toward Lv Erlu.
“So that was it… Long Jiu, you’ve grown up now. Things from your childhood don’t need to—”
“Father~ quickly~ just for a second.”
Long Jiu interrupted him, dragging out her words as she acted spoiled.
“Sigh, I really can’t do anything with you, girl. Only this once! Don’t let it happen again!”
*Mwah~*
Lv Erlu planted a light kiss on Long Jiu’s cheek with a hint of embarrassment.
After all, as a grown man being so intimate with an adopted daughter who was only a dozen or so years younger than him, he was still somewhat shy.
“Hey! What are you two doing!”
A soft and somewhat indignant voice suddenly rang out. Lv Erlu and Long Jiu looked toward the sound simultaneously.
The person who came was none other than Bai Ning, the little girl who was sharp-tongued but had a heart softer than anyone’s.
Lv Erlu smiled secretly to himself.
Speaking of the experience of raising Bai Ning, Lv Erlu still remembered it vividly.
As long as Long Jiu had meat to eat, everything was fine, and Zi Ya could rely on his essence for nourishment.
Only Bai Ning had truly exhausted his efforts.
During her infancy, he could temporarily feed her with his own blood, but as his daughter grew up, he couldn’t let her drink his blood every day, could he?
If that really happened, he would be sucked dry sooner or later.
‘Where am I going to find fresh and safe blood for her?’
For a long time, Lv Erlu’s brow was locked in a frown.
He plunged into piles of books to study day and night.
Finally, heaven rewarded the diligent, and he found a foolproof plan.
He would go to the deep mountains to steal the refined blood of high-level magic beasts and then mix it with his own blood to prepare the most nutritious blood meal.
As for the method of stealing?
Lv Erlu would quietly perform teleportation magic in the middle of the night, sneak up to a sleeping high-level magic beast, and stealthily use a specially made blood-drawing syringe to extract the refined blood.
For Bai Ning, he had truly risked everything.
By relying on such sneaky methods, Bai Ning finally grew up healthy.
Perhaps it was due to her bloodline, or perhaps because she lacked a bit of nutrition in her childhood, her height was a full head and a half shorter than Lv Erlu’s, making her an out-and-out soft and cute lolita.
It was also because of this that every time he saw the 175 centimeters tall Long Jiu tilting her head up to call the much shorter Bai Ning “Sister,” the intense contrast in height always made Lv Erlu cover his mouth and snicker for a long time.
“Hey, hey! Dad, don’t just stand there laughing!”
When he came back to his senses, Bai Ning was already standing in front of him huffily, her small hands on her hips.
“Good morning, Bai Ning. Today’s breakfast has your favorite White Blood Honey Tart.”
Lv Erlu reached out to pat her head, but the little girl slapped his hand away.
“No changing the subject! I saw everything!”
“Dad, you actually went behind our backs and secretly kissed Sister Long Jiu!”
“You— are— biased!”
Oh no!
He had been caught red-handed by this little smarty-pants; there was no way to hide it now.
‘Wait…’
“Dad, are you thinking that since I found out, you’ll just try to gloss it over?”
Good grief!
It’s one thing for the hero to have cheats, but how does my own daughter have mind-reading?
Lv Erlu was stunned.
“The expression on your face betrayed you! Alright, alright, hurry up!”
Following Long Jiu, Bai Ning also turned her face away tsundere-style, leaning her smooth little cheek over.
*Mwah~*
A gentle kiss landed on Bai Ning’s face.
The little girl’s ears turned red instantly, but she still spoke stubbornly.
“Hmph, that’s more like it! By the way, Dad, hurry up and go call that… cough, sister Zi Ya!”
Bai Ning stopped halfway through her sentence and hurriedly corrected herself.
‘Sigh, this girl’s prejudice against Zi Ya probably won’t be fixed anytime soon.’
Zi Ya was clearly so gentle and obedient, so how did she end up being branded as a “tea-art girl”?
Forget it, he should hurry up and go wake her.
Lv Erlu shook his head, turned, and climbed the stairs, slowly walking toward Zi Ya’s room.
At that moment, in Zi Ya’s room, a slender figure was sneakily crouching behind the door, staring intently at the movement in the hallway through the crack.
“Oh dear, why is Father so late today…”
The girl grumbled in a low voice.
Just as she was complaining to herself, she finally saw the familiar figure walking toward her room in the distance.
She immediately got up in a panic, rushed to the bed in a few quick steps, pulled the quilt over her body, closed her eyes, and deliberately made rhythmic and cute snoring sounds, pretending to be fast asleep.
*Thump, thump, thump.*
The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer.
Every step fell exactly on the beat of Zi Ya’s heart…
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