Chapter 399: Before the Wedding

Chapter 399: Chapter 399: Before the Wedding

But the little one started crying again right after he was fed. Shi Lan had some trouble calming him down, and he only quieted a little after she put a pacifier in his mouth.

He cried so much, and since he was the fourth child in the family, calling him "Si Si"—which sounds unlucky—was out. So his nickname became Fofu, based on the English word "four." They also hoped he might become more Zen-like and cry less, though that didn’t really work.

Fofu also earned the nickname "Little Crybaby."

As for Wu Wu, he wasn’t much of a crier, but he had a huge appetite. At his age, one bottle of infant growth formula was usually enough, but he needed a bottle and a half to feel full.

Every time Jiang Xia held his son, he would say with a doting expression, "A good appetite is a blessing!"

That was how he himself had gotten strong as a child.

It wasn’t just him; Jiang Xia’s parents also loved saying this to their little grandson. It reminded them of their own son, who had been in poor health as a child and didn’t eat much at first. It was Mr. Jiang who had found all sorts of ways to cook delicious food for the boy, which slowly improved his health.

Now, seeing how much Wu Wu could eat, they were all very gratified.

Mu Tangfeng’s parents were also delighted to come see the baby. Perhaps it was the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren, but Fofu always stopped crying easily for them. It got to the point where Mr. and Mrs. Mu saw only their perfectly behaved grandson. Whenever Mu Tangfeng couldn’t quiet the baby, he would immediately call them over.

He had figured it out—none of the parenting techniques he’d learned were of any use when he actually needed them. Just trying to get the baby to stop crying was enough to drive him half-crazy every time.

Thankfully, after Fofu transformed into his beast form, he finally found a way to handle the baby. He would transform into his own beast form and place Fofu on his back. The little one would immediately quiet down and nuzzle his head insistently into his father’s wings, as if he thought it was great fun.

Fofu’s and Wu Wu’s formal names were Mu Xingzhi and Jiang Xingyi, respectively. The two cubs transformed at around the same age as their older siblings.

But compared to Fofu’s tiny beast form, Wu Wu, who ate so much, was round and pudgy in his beast form, like a little, moving ball of white yarn.

The little Pallas’s cat’s fur was still pristine, mostly pure white with just a touch of brown on his ears and down the center of his back. His fur was so fluffy it looked like it was about to burst.

Shi Lan often couldn’t resist gently combing his fur for him, as his beast form was just so untamed. But she had to admit, it felt incredibly soft to the touch, especially his squishy little belly. When she’d stroke it, the little guy would think his mother was playing and gently kick at her hand with his paws. After pushing her away, he would blink and wait for Shi Lan to pet him again, never tiring of the game.

Once he got hungry from playing, he would start nuzzling around in Shi Lan’s arms, hinting that he wanted to eat.

As for the Little Joyful Bird, he was a crybaby in human form but much more behaved as a beast. Perhaps he’d discovered that his own chirps sounded awful to him. Every time he opened his beak and let out a call, his dark, glistening eyes would immediately well up with a hint of disbelief. He’d quickly cover his beak with a wing and look pitifully at Shi Lan.

Shi Lan held back a laugh, cupping the Little Joyful Bird in her palm and lovingly kissing his little yellow head.

The Little Joyful Bird’s chirps weren’t actually unpleasant, just a bit muffled. The little one probably hadn’t figured out how to vocalize in his beast form yet; when he chirped, it sounded like something was caught in his throat.

His beast form was beautiful, though. But compared to Mu Tangfeng’s dazzling appearance, the little one currently just looked like a peculiar yellow-and-white chick. The crown of his head and his beak were yellow, while the feathers below were almost pure white. His plumes weren’t even two fingers long yet.

But babies always get cuter as they grow, and Shi Lan was eagerly looking forward to seeing how her sons’ beast forms would change.

All in all, little ones were fun, especially a whole houseful of fluffy little ones.

But with so many fluffy creatures in the house, Shi Lan started to worry a little about her daughter’s mental state. She was afraid her daughter might start doubting herself, feeling that she looked different from all her brothers. ’Children tend to overthink things.’

However, her daughter’s personality was completely different. She actually felt she was the most special of all. Every time she made an entrance, she would proudly tilt up her little chin like a little queen. When her brothers transformed into their beast forms and gathered around her, she truly was like the moon surrounded by stars.

At such a young age, she already had the air of a Monarch.

Shi Lan and Ye Ming were very pleased.

...

Within the next two years, Shi Lan gave birth to a little leopard, finally completing the "grand slam" she wanted by collecting a fluffy cub from every beast type in the family.

With all the children born, the Beast Husbands finally received Shi Lan’s permission to start planning the wedding.

Since they had all met on Black Star, and there was no one else living there now, Shi Lan thought they could hold the wedding on Black Star.

Her husbands had no objections.

However, to ensure all the kids could be flower children, the wedding was delayed two years later than planned. By this time, the eldest, Yi Yi, was already a handsome little boy of over six.

Everyone in Shi Lan’s family was good-looking. Though the children were still young, they were no exception—her daughter was beautiful, and her sons were handsome.

On the day of Shi Lan’s wedding, Jiang Yan felt she was the second-happiest person there, after the bride and grooms.

Because on this day, she got to dress up all the "Barbie dolls."

Shi Lan knew her friend’s passion, so she put her in charge of dressing all the children, as well as her own hair, accessories, and makeup. She and Jiang Yan had even gone to pick out the wedding dress together.

For this, the Beast Husbands had even gotten a bit jealous, feeling that Shi Lan hadn’t given them a chance to admire how beautiful she looked in a wedding dress, instead saving the sight only for Jiang Yan.

Having been together for so long, Shi Lan had long since mastered the art of handling her Beast Husbands. She showed them photos she had already taken from her dress fittings, holding back only the one of the actual wedding gown she would wear, saying she wanted it to be a surprise for the big day.

Hearing this, the husbands’ jealousy instantly vanished, replaced by eager anticipation.

On the wedding day, Shi Lan invited Jiang Yan and Lai Yilian to be her bridesmaids. The three had become friends after meeting at Ye Ming’s birthday banquet. Although they didn’t see each other often, they frequently exchanged small gifts. Whenever Lai Yilian visited Capital Star, she would immediately make plans to go shopping with Shi Lan and Jiang Yan.

Lai Yilian and Jiang Yan had similar interests, but Lai Yilian’s specialty was manicures. So, while Jiang Yan was busy with Shi Lan’s makeup and styling, Lai Yilian was off to the side, working on her nails. "Lanlan, with hands as lovely as yours, you deserve to have gorgeous nails," she praised as she worked.

Jiang Yan glanced at Shi Lan’s reflection in the mirror. Her hands remained focused on their task, but she didn’t miss a beat. "Of course. And it’s not just her hands that are beautiful. That classic Eastern face, with its timeless, vintage elegance... so lovely. The first time I saw her, I thought she was like an elf from the forest."

’It’s just that back then, she always kept her head down. Her eyes were missing some of their sparkle.’

Jiang Yan didn’t say that last part out loud. It was all in the distant past. Now, seeing her dear friend so blessed—with a loving family, with both a daughter and sons—she was truly, sincerely happy for her.

"Indeed."

Taking a break from the manicure, Lai Yilian looked up at Shi Lan’s face and nodded in agreement.