Morning light broke gently, warm rays filtering through the window panes as the streets gradually filled with lively voices.
People who symbolized hard work stepped out one after another to make a living, and a brand-new day quietly began.
Ten full years had passed since the Hero and his companions defeated the Demon Dragon King.
Truly, time flies and years slip away like an arrow.
In a magnificent mansion on the outskirts of the city, Lüerlü was bustling about in a flurry, wearing an apron as he moved nonstop through the kitchen.
Who was he so busy for?
Naturally, for the three precious daughters he proudly called “the most well-behaved and obedient daughters in the whole world”!
“Whew~ all done!”
Lüerlü clapped his flour-covered hands, turned around, and gazed at the breakfast spread across the table with deep satisfaction.
The first dish
was a White Blood Honey Tart he had painstakingly prepared for Bai Ning, with a crispy crust filled with a mixture blended from the refined blood of deep-mountain magical beasts.
The second dish
was an Essence Soufflé made especially for Ziya, prepared using his own vital essence, mixed with fragrant fresh milk and fluffy beaten eggs.
As for the third dish…
it was a whole roasted pig, glistening with oil, custom-made for Long Jiu.
Lüerlü couldn’t help complaining inwardly—Long Jiu’s appetite truly lived up to her dragon bloodline.
Despite her young age, she ate as much as several adults.
After returning triumphantly with the Hero’s party back then, Lüerlü resolutely gave up fame and fortune and personally submitted his resignation to the king.
“Your Majesty, my deepest apologies… after much reflection at home, I truly find myself unworthy of the position of Chief Scientist of the nation.”
No matter how earnestly the king tried to persuade him to stay, Lüerlü bowed firmly, unwavering in his decision.
“I believe my talent has been exhausted, and my passion for research has long since faded. I humbly ask Your Majesty to grant my request.”
From that day on, Lüerlü completely laid down his burdens and transformed into a diligent full-time homemaker.
He spent his lifetime savings to purchase this spacious mansion with a courtyard on the city’s outskirts.
Choosing such a quiet and secluded place was not for comfort, but to give his three daughters—each with a special identity—enough space to grow up carefree, while also avoiding prying eyes as much as possible.
Ten years of tireless care had finally borne fruit.
The three little ones who once babbled their first words had now grown into graceful, charming young girls.
Lüerlü was filled with joy.
He had never imagined that the growth rate of demons and dragons could be so astonishing.
The time it took them to transform from infants into young girls was nearly half that of humans, with both physical development and mental acuity far surpassing their peers.
“Alright, if I don’t wake up these three little sleepyheads soon, breakfast will get cold~”
Lüerlü rolled up his sleeves and headed toward the staircase with light steps, humming an off-key tune, his voice brimming with unconcealed happiness.
“Bai Ning—Ziya—Long Jiu—wake up and come eat breakfast! If you keep lazing around, I’m going to eat it all myself!”
As soon as the words fell, a burst of clattering noises came from the second floor, mixed with the shouting of a certain girl.
There was no need to guess—this lively yet slightly airheaded voice could only belong to Long Jiu.
The smile at Lüerlü’s lips deepened a little.
“Coming, coming! Father! Wow, it’s my favorite—roast whole pig!”
Long Jiu’s voice arrived like a gust of wind, and Lüerlü’s expression grew even gentler.
Long Jiu had hatched from the dragon egg entrusted to him by the Dragon Queen of the dragon clan back then.
He still vividly remembered the day the egg cracked open.
The little one stared at him with a pair of innocent, round eyes, then looked at the two other little ones beside her who were also curiously staring at her.
The first words she spoke almost made Lüerlü drop his jaw.
“Daddy? And… two mommies?”
“Daddy is right! But these two beside you, you should call them big sisters! Come on, say ‘sister’!”
Lüerlü corrected her in a fluster, sweat beading at his temples.
“Si… sisters.”
“Hey! 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 Ziya, her growth rate stood out remarkably.
Now she was a full 1.75 meters tall, even half a head taller than Lüerlü himself.
One had to know that in this other world, there was nothing like the abundance of nutritious protein found in modern society, and the average height of people was generally not tall.
Long Jiu’s slender figure was truly graceful and striking.
“Hey~ Father, did you forget something important?”
“Hm? What did I forget?”
Lüerlü was completely puzzled.
If his daughter said he had forgotten something, then he must really have forgotten it—but what could it be?
He racked his brains, yet couldn’t come up with the slightest clue.
“The good morning kiss! Seriously, Father, how could you even forget that!”
Long Jiu puffed out her cheeks, hands on her hips, and leaned her face toward Lüerlü.
“So that’s it… Long Jiu, you’ve already grown up now. Things from when you were little don’t really need to—”
“Father~ hurry up~ just for a moment.”
Long Jiu cut him off, dragging out her words coquettishly.
“Sigh, I really can’t do anything about you. Just this once, alright! No next time!”
Chu~
Lüerlü, a little embarrassed, planted a light kiss on Long Jiu’s cheek.
After all, as a grown man, being this affectionate with an adopted daughter only a little more than ten years younger than himself still made him feel somewhat shy.
“Hey! What are you two doing?!”
A soft, slightly indignant voice suddenly rang out.
Lüerlü and Long Jiu both turned toward the sound at the same time.
The one who came was Bai Ning—the little girl who never held back with her words, yet was softer than anyone on the inside.
Lüerlü secretly chuckled.
Speaking of raising Bai Ning, Lüerlü could still remember it vividly to this day.
As long as Long Jiu had meat to eat, everything was fine, and Ziya could be sustained by his vital essence alone.
Only Bai Ning had truly made him rack his brains and exhaust every effort.
During infancy, he could barely manage by feeding her with his own blood, but as his daughter gradually grew up, he couldn’t possibly let her drink his blood every day, could he?
If he really did that, he would sooner or later be drained into a dried husk.
Blood.
Where could he find fresh and safe blood for her?
Because of this, Lüerlü worried for a long time.
He buried himself in piles of books, studying day and night without rest.
At last, heaven rewarded his efforts, and he found a perfect solution.
He would steal the refined blood of high-level magical beasts from deep in the mountains, then mix it with his own blood to prepare the most nutritious blood food.
As for how to steal it?
Late at night, Lüerlü would quietly cast teleportation magic, sneak up to the sleeping high-level magical beasts, and carefully use a specially made blood-extracting syringe to draw their refined blood.
For Bai Ning’s sake, he truly went all out.
Relying on such sneaky methods, Bai Ning finally grew up healthy.
Perhaps because of her bloodline, or perhaps due to slightly insufficient nutrition in early childhood, her height was a full head and a half shorter than Lüerlü’s, making her a true soft and adorable loli.
And precisely because of this, every time Lüerlü saw the 1.75-meter-tall Long Jiu tilting her head up and calling the much shorter Bai Ning “big sister,” that intense height contrast always made him cover his mouth and secretly laugh for quite a while.
“Hey, hey! Old dad, don’t just stand there laughing!”
When he came back to his senses, Bai Ning was already standing in front of him with puffed cheeks, her little hands on her hips.
“Good morning, Bai Ning. Today’s breakfast has your favorite white blood honey tart.”
Lüerlü reached out to pat her head, but the little one slapped his hand away.
“Don’t try to change the subject! I saw everything!”
“Old dad, you actually kissed Long Jiu behind our backs!”
“You—are—playing favorites!”
Oh no!
Caught red-handed by this clever little imp—there was no way to bluff his way out of this now.
“?”
“Old dad, were you thinking that since I found out, you couldn’t fool your way through anymore?”
Good grief!
It was one thing for heroes to have cheats, but why could his own daughter read minds too?!
Lüerlü was stunned speechless.
“It’s your expression that gave you away! Alright, alright, hurry up!”
Following Long Jiu, Bai Ning also turned her face aside in a tsundere manner, presenting her smooth little cheek.
Chu~
A gentle kiss landed on Bai Ning’s cheek.
The little one’s ears instantly turned red, yet she still spoke stubbornly.
“Hmph, that’s more like it! Oh right, old dad, hurry up and go call that green— ahem, Ziya妹妹!”
Halfway through her words, Bai Ning hurriedly corrected herself.
Sigh, this girl’s prejudice against Ziya probably wouldn’t disappear anytime soon.
Ziya was clearly so gentle and well-behaved—how did she end up being labeled a “tea-art girl”?
Never mind, better go wake her up first.
Lüerlü shook his head, turned around, and slowly climbed the stairs toward Ziya’s room.
At this moment, inside Ziya’s room, a slender figure was sneakily crouched behind the door, peering through the crack and staring unblinkingly at the movement in the corridor.
“Ahh, why is Daddy so late today…”
The girl muttered softly to herself.
Just as she was quietly complaining, she finally caught sight of the familiar figure walking toward her room in the distance.
She immediately jumped up in a panic, rushed to the bed in a few quick steps, pulled the blanket over herself, closed her eyes, and deliberately let out even, cute little snores, pretending to be fast asleep.
Tap, tap, tap.
The footsteps drew closer and closer.
Each step landed precisely on the rhythm of Ziya’s heartbeat…