Beast World: A Fragile Beauty Blessed with Many Children-Chapter 168 - 167: The Host is Really Tough
Xuyou was thoroughly amused by the daily drama. Whenever her little brother wailed, she’d "youyou" with delight. She’d even learned how to clap since yesterday.
Held in their arms, the two cubs looked a bit dazed. Zhi Le and Zhi Qi didn’t usually show up at the same time.
They looked from one to the other. ’Why do they look exactly the same?’
Although the cubs had an inheritance from their parents, it was more like a massive knowledge bank. They had to learn, activate, and apply the information as needed, slowly converting their ancestors’ legacy into their own skills.
"Youyou?" The little ones turned their heads to look at Si Shuo.
Si Shuo, her face still a little flushed, gave a low cough. "Your Father Zhi Le and Father Zhi Qi look exactly alike, don’t they?
They’re Snow Leopards—gorgeous, majestic big cats. When you’re able to go outside, you can each ride one, and we’ll go out for a spin to see all the excitement!"
Zhi Le spoke with a low laugh, "Little Ye, Youyou, I’m your Father Zhi Le."
"I’m Father Zhi Qi," Zhi Qi added with a smile.
Si Shuo suddenly slapped her head. ’That’s right, the System gave me a Pet Egg! It’s supposed to hatch automatically when the cubs are born.’
She took out the gaudy Pet Egg and, feeling conflicted, asked the System, "System, I had two cubs. How am I supposed to split one Pet Egg? Does a pair of pets hatch from it?"
System: Host, the reward is issued per birth, not per cub.
Si Shuo: "Are you kidding me? Who in the Beast World Continent only has one cub per birth? Either don’t give a reward at all, or give one to each cub. Being this stingy is an insult to the high quality and fairness of this game."
The System was silent for a moment. "Are you sure you don’t want it?"
Si Shuo was resolute. "No. Are you trying to make me play favorites right from the start? My female cub and my male cub are both my children, and I’ll treat them both the same."
The System was silent for a long time. ’This Host is tough.’ Then it said, "Please wait a moment, Host. This System will forward your request to the higher-ups."
After just a few minutes, the System replied: "Hello, Host. Regarding the Pet Egg, this was indeed an oversight on our company’s part. You now have three options. First: the Pet Egg hatches one rare pet. Second: the Pet Egg is downgraded to hatch two precious pets. Third: we can grant you one reasonable request."
Si Shuo raised an eyebrow. ’This is actually a tough choice.’
After a moment’s thought, she said, "In that case, let me learn talisman painting. The kind that would let me establish my own school, so my kids can learn too. I’m not asking for much, just some simple talismans, like a Dust Cleaning Talisman, a Speed Talisman, an Invisibility Talisman, a Teleportation Talisman..."
Si Shuo rattled off all the talismans she knew from the novels she had read.
System: ...
Even though it was an AI, it could tell the Host was being excessive. A particular idiom came to mind: a lion opening its great maw!
Nevertheless, it dutifully reported back to the company before relaying its response: "Host, our company has agreed to your request. However, according to the number of cubs, you may learn two types of talismans this time."
A smile flashed in Si Shuo’s eyes. ’You always have to start by asking for the sky, then haggle your way down. What if they’d actually said yes?’
’Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. A skill you’ve mastered is the only real benefit!’
’Aren’t these game company rules just a roundabout way of encouraging people to have kids?’
’More kids, more rewards. But I already have plenty of ways to protect myself, so I’m not that tempted. I’m still going to stick to my own pace...’
Si Shuo said with a light laugh, "Then I’ll choose the Dust Cleaning Talisman and the Defense Talisman this time."
’The Dust Cleaning Talisman is so useful for everyday tasks. It’s needed everywhere. Just bathing alone takes me a good half hour every day. House cleaning, especially the poultry coops, and even laundry could all be handled with a single talisman. The convenience would save a ton of time, which is basically like extending my lifespan!’
’And the Defense Talisman, if worn at all times, could prevent sneak attacks. Even if the cubs have nine lives, aren’t those lives still precious? Who wants to experience what it feels like to die?’
’Besides, the men at home could wear them too, just in case.’
’What’s more, she knew full well that after taking one more Beast Husband and having a litter of cubs with each of them, she basically wouldn’t be able to fleece the System anymore.’
’In the long run, even if her descendants lost one life with each generation until they were no different from ordinary Beastmen, they could still live very well with the ability to paint talismans.’
’This was the only legacy she could truly fight for.’
Soon, Si Shuo felt a cool sensation in her head, and two profound, obscure runes materialized in her mind. A single glance was enough to make her feel dizzy and disoriented?!
The men of the household returned one after another. Even with two rooms combined into a suite, the outer room was barely ten square meters. Squeezing seven tall, sturdy men inside left them with only enough room to stand in a row.
Therefore, they had to coordinate among themselves and eat in shifts.
The two little ones were quite a handful now. The moment they opened their eyes, they needed someone there, or they would start their "youyou" chanting.
And ever since Xiao Cheng held Xuyou, the little girl had latched onto him. Whenever she woke up, she demanded to be held. If she wasn’t, she’d start wailing and shedding big, fat tears, crying until she couldn’t breathe, forcing the adults to be the ones to compromise.
How could the men of the house possibly resist? Feelings grow from spending time together, and the two little ones were already very affectionate and trusting toward their fathers. Who could say no to such soft, adorable cubs?
At that moment, Si Shuo was eating in the outer room. Xuyou pointed a little hand outward, "youyou"-ing at Gong You.
Gong You saw her bossy little expression, a perfect copy of her mother begging for small fish, and chuckled. "Your mother is eating. Why are you trying to get in on the action?"
"Youyou!" Xuyou pointed her little hand again, her deer-like eyes widening in a glare.
Xu Ye, playing with his Spiritual Pearls, lay on the bed looking envious. ’My crying game is weaker than my sister’s. I haven’t even earned the perk of being carried around.’
Xuyou was now pushing her luck, wanting to go into the outer room.
Si Shuo peeked in, munching on a fragrant ear of corn, and chuckled. "Hey now, little one, don’t come out here. There’s so much food, but your tiny teeth haven’t come in yet. It would be cruel to make you just watch and drool without being able to eat. Even I think that’s mean!
I’ll have your father get you some corn puree in a little bit. It’ll taste just like what Mommy’s eating!"
Xuyou’s lip trembled as she reached out to her.
"I’m eating, I don’t have a free hand to hold you," Si Shuo said with a wicked grin, waggling the chicken drumstick in her other hand.
’What’s that?!’ Xuyou’s deer-like eyes widened in wonder. She tugged on Gong You’s clothes and kept pointing and "youyou"-ing, obviously wanting him to get it for her.
Gong You shrugged with a smile. "Youyou, if you wanted the stars and the moon, your Father Gong You could get them for you. But snatching food from your mother? You might as well just let her eat me instead."
Si Shuo’s eyes narrowed. ’I really would like to take a bite!’
Xuyou’s mouth fell open. She glanced at Si Shuo’s sharp, white teeth, then immediately buried her face in Gong You’s chest, leaving only her chubby, milk-fed bottom aimed at Si Shuo. Clearly, she was afraid her mother was after her next.
Lying on the bed, Xu Ye could only crane his neck to watch, coating his string of beads in drool...
