Chapter 389: Carrying the Cub to Ask for Leave

Chapter 389: Chapter 389: Carrying the Cub to Ask for Leave

After they ate, Shi Lan had them all go rest. Then, she transferred some spiritual power to the other two big mushrooms before heading to the nursery to see the cub.

Yi Yi had just drunk some growth liquid a short while ago. The little guy, full and content, was now sleeping sweetly with rosy cheeks and his little mouth slightly open.

Shi Lan’s heart melted watching him from the side. She couldn’t help but imagine what the little guy would look like in his beast form. ’He must be so cute and soft.’

’I wonder when a newborn cub can transform into their beast form.’

As she fantasized with a hint of longing, the corners of her lips curled up in an unconscious, happy smile.

Perhaps it was a connection between mother and son, because just as she was thinking this, the cub in the crib began to change. Beast-like features started flashing across his body.

One moment, his soft, pale little ears turned into slightly long fox ears. The next, his two hands curled against his chest became tiny fox paws. His hands and feet kept switching back and forth. Sometimes, his tail would naughtily pop out, its tip getting squashed under his chubby little body.

Shi Lan watched this scene from the side, her eyes widening at the cuteness of it all. She instinctively held her breath, completely unable to look away.

After the little guy kept changing back and forth for two or three minutes, the once-chubby little cub in the crib had transformed into a plump little pink fox. The little pink fox still had only one tail for now. Even in his sleep, the tail would occasionally sway on the crib with each breath, showing how comfortable and content he was.

The little guy was pink because his fur was still very light, revealing much of his tender, pink skin underneath. Although his beast form didn’t look that fluffy right now, and even had a certain roughness to it like a failed haircut, he was her cub, after all. No matter how she looked at him, Shi Lan adored him.

However, she wasn’t sure if it was normal for the little one to transform, so she immediately went online to search. She saw posts saying that for nearly the first month after birth, cubs exist in an unstable state of beast-form differentiation. It was common for certain body parts to suddenly mutate. Confirming that this was normal, she finally relaxed.

Shi Lan leaned her head close to the crib and stared at the little cub for a while, then reached out and gently poked his ear with her index finger.

Perhaps feeling disturbed, the little guy’s ears immediately drooped into a folded position, giving off a cold, "don’t touch me" air.

Shi Lan was amused and restrained her twitching hand.

’I’ll just have to wait. I’ll get my hands on him once the little cub fattens up.’

Yi Yi’s beast-form state lasted for about ten-odd minutes before he changed back into his baby form. He was still sleeping soundly. Shi Lan propped her face in her hands and watched him quietly, not feeling bored in the slightest.

...

After a day of rest, Yan Huoshui went out the next day, holding the baby, to request a leave of absence.

Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng had originally thought that since he was going to the university today, he would leave the child at home, giving them a chance to bond more with the little cub.

’Ahem. We could also get some practice and gain some experience. It’ll be useful when it’s time to raise our own cubs.’

But before their little scheme had even fully formed, Yan Huoshui took the baby and left.

Jiang Xia tried to stop him. "Yan Huoshui, why are you taking the baby with you?"

The little one had just drunk some more growth liquid a short while ago and was still sleeping. Their conversation didn’t wake him; he remained quietly nestled in his father’s arms.

From Shi Lan’s perspective, her Yi Yi was just too well-behaved. She had watched him all yesterday afternoon. When he woke up, he didn’t fuss or cry. He just grabbed her hand, snuggled up to his mommy as usual, and then slowly went back to sleep. He was never noisy. Aside from the moment he was born, he was such a low-maintenance little angel.

"Why don’t you leave him at home? I can watch him for a while. It’ll be less trouble for you, too."

Jiang Xia’s brilliant gold eyes sparkled as he looked at him, offering what he considered a very thoughtful suggestion.

Mu Tangfeng chimed in from the side, "Yeah, I don’t have much to do today. I can help, too."

Yan Huoshui’s gaze swept over the two of them. He knew exactly what they were thinking.

It wasn’t that he was so petty as to not let them touch the cub at all. It was just that for the occasion he was heading to, the cub’s presence was non-negotiable.

So he firmly refused. "Next time."

"Oh, okay..."

Jiang Xia pressed his lips together slightly and exchanged a glance with Mu Tangfeng. A hint of disappointment flashed in both their eyes.

Shi Lan didn’t get involved in this matter. She was a firm believer in what the Border Defense Star Doctor Wang had told her before: every family has its own way of getting along. She just needed to do her part and make sure her Beast Husbands didn’t compete maliciously with one another.

Sometimes, getting too involved and failing to treat everyone fairly could just disrupt the family harmony.

So right now, she was watching TV.

But she wasn’t using the living room’s holographic projector. Instead, she was using a personal holographic device to watch a drama series from a chip.

The main reason was that the content wasn’t suitable for her Beast Husbands to see. It was *Investigating Grass*, the show Doctor Wang had recommended last time. Shi Lan had already followed it for over three hundred episodes, and the female lead was still digging up new male leads. ’So thrilling!’

She was watching with great relish. Ye Ming, as the Monarch, had already returned to the palace to attend to his duties. Before leaving, Yan Huoshui had instructed Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng to take good care of their wife and the big mushroom cubs.

The two of them reluctantly tore their gazes away from the baby in his arms and nodded seriously.

They knew, even without him saying it.

Yan Huoshui, carrying the cub, soon arrived at Imperial Capital University.

He stepped out of a Hovercar at the campus gate. Dressed in a conspicuous long-sleeved red shirt and black trousers, wearing his glasses, and holding the cub, he strode casually through the entrance.

The security guard at the gate glanced at him in surprise. "Teacher Yan? Is that you?"

Yan Huoshui nodded with a smile playing on his lips. "It is."

As the guard spoke, his gaze drifted to the cub in his arms. The little one was still asleep, but his chubby little body looked very healthy.

The guard, peering at the baby with immense curiosity, couldn’t help but lower his voice. "Is this your child?"

His eyes were full of shock as he said this. He clearly remembered that Yan Huoshui had only been married for a little over a year. ’How could he have a child so quickly?’

’Doesn’t that mean she got pregnant almost right after they got married?’

The guard was a bit older and didn’t surf the web much, so he wasn’t as clear on the details of Shi Lan’s family situation as most netizens.

However, the baby had just been born, so people online didn’t yet know which Beast Husband was the father of this first child. A month ago, people were even placing bets online, gambling on who the father of the first 3S Female’s cub would be. The discussion in that thread was still raging, with everyone waiting for the final result.

Hearing the guard’s words, the smile on Yan Huoshui’s lips deepened. "Yes. He was just born the night before last."

"Wow, congratulations! Teacher Yan, you and your wife are really something. You two are so blessed to have a cub so quickly."

"This cub looks so healthy. Is it a male or a female? Your spiritual power is so high, the child’s must be very strong too, right?"

The guard praised him, his face full of envy.