"Coo coo".

No, he has to get involved at such an important time.

So, Nian Nian, with his pigeon-toed gait, rushed over very quickly. He saw Jun Qi and Xu Qiaoqiao touching nose to nose, blinked, and then leaned his head in as well.

Just as Xu Qiaoqiao and Jun Qi were enjoying this tender moment, a fluffy head insisted on squeezing in and then touched its beak to Xu Qiaoqiao's nose.

"Coo coo".

Year after year, he blinked his innocent big eyes and stared straight ahead. Because he had stretched his head forward, he placed his two wings on Xu Qiaoqiao and Jun Qi respectively to stabilize himself.

Xu Qiaoqiao: ...

Jun Qi: ...

Tsk, what a brat.

The atmosphere was instantly and completely ruined.

Xu Qiaoqiao reluctantly released her grip, feeling a little embarrassed for being so affectionate in front of a child.

Jun Qi didn't feel anything, since in his worldview, there was no such thing as being shy.

Even though Xu Qiaoqiao subconsciously took a few steps to the side, he still followed closely and came up to her, calling out to Niannian at the same time.

For some reason, Xu Qiaoqiao seemed to understand the meaning behind Jun Qi's words at this moment: Go stay somewhere cool!

Xu Qiaoqiao: I'm ashamed...

Unfortunately, Niannian didn't understand Jun Qi's words. He smiled and echoed a couple of times, then rushed up quickly and hugged Xu Qiaoqiao tightly.

"Coo coo!"

Xu Qiaoqiao only realized it now. She looked up and examined the sub-adult owl, somewhat surprised by its growth rate. More than half a year had passed since she found it, and it already looked like an adult.

Time is truly incredible.

You've grown so much every year!

Spring is indeed a very special season for animals, a particularly peaceful season.

Perhaps the time Xu Qiaoqiao had been sleeping for was too long for Niannian, because the little guy was sticking to Xu Qiaoqiao's side almost every day, and was even determined to take Xu Qiaoqiao flying with him.

Flying is a very common thing for birds.

But in the cub's mind, he had never seen his mother fly and knew that his mother could not fly, so he especially wanted Xu Qiaoqiao to experience this atmosphere.

Unfortunately, its small body was still not nimble enough, and after flying only a few steps, it stumbled and fell headfirst.

Fortunately, Jun Qi had a gut feeling, because this guy's flying skills were not very good to begin with, and he was even carrying a little hedgehog? He must be dreaming!

"Chirp chirp".

With a flushed face, Xu Qiaoqiao slowly climbed down from Niannian's back. She didn't know that Niannian's flying skills were poor, so she thought it was because she was too heavy.

But after sleeping all winter, is she still so fat?

Xu Qiaoqiao felt a little embarrassed. She couldn't possibly lose weight. She had tried to lose weight before, but the effect was minimal, so she gave up on the idea. Wouldn't it be better to just eat happily?

What kind of weight should I lose?

Hedgehogs typically live for five to seven years, and Xu Qiaoqiao has already lived for more than half her life, which is considered quite old. Her body's various functions are beginning to age, which is an inevitable process.

So this spring, during her estrus cycle, Xu Qiaoqiao surprisingly didn't feel any impulsiveness. Instead, she was very calm, or rather, the hormonal surge was no longer enough to control her mind.

"Coo coo".

After luring the little guy away, Jun Qi affectionately nudged Xu Qiaoqiao with his beak. He squatted down, bent over, and a hint of worry appeared in his eyes. He felt that since waking up, the little hedgehog had become increasingly reluctant to move.

"Chirp chirp." Xu Qiaoqiao chirped softly, roughly meaning: I'm fine, you don't need to worry, I'm just getting old.

Jun Qi didn't seem to understand what Xu Qiaoqiao meant. He remained in the same position, lying down next to Xu Qiaoqiao, his large wings covering her body, making it look like he was embracing her.

The sky outside was still pitch black, but it was the twinkling stars that made up this beautiful starry sky.

Fortunately, they still had time to spend together.

As spring passes and the hot summer arrives, the earth becomes especially vibrant again.

After all the calculations, he's been by their side for a year now, and it's time for him to leave.

Looking at this attentive little fellow these past few days, Jun Qi decided that in a few more days, this sub-adult owl would leave its parents and live alone.

But this is a very difficult thing, because this guy is sticking to Xu Qiaoqiao too tightly.

Jun Qi had tried to test him before, but he always managed to find Xu Qiaoqiao by following her scent, and then he thought his parents were playing a game with him, so he played it with great enthusiasm.

This won't do.

Adult owls do not live with their parents; they are very independent animals.

Finally, on a fine day, Jun Qi took Xu Qiaoqiao and dragged Niannian to a cliff, and then kicked the little guy off the cliff in front of Xu Qiaoqiao.

What's wrong?

Xu Qiaoqiao lay on Jun Qi, raised her head to look at Niannian's position, and was surprised when she saw Jun Qi's swift kick, but after thinking about it, she understood.

By this time of year, they've already developed the ability to live independently, and it's time for them to leave their parents.

I'm so reluctant to leave.

However, this is unavoidable. Owl parents hope that their offspring will be better able to survive in this world when they grow up, so that they can adapt to the outside environment. This is also one of the ways to improve the survival rate.

If no action is taken soon, Xu Qiaoqiao believes that given Niannian's clingy nature, she will probably stick to her or Jun Qi for the rest of her life, which is not good.

Because, ultimately, both she and Jun Qi will leave this world.

How will this guy survive in such a dangerous environment?

After all, only the fittest survive.

"Coo coo".

Jun Qi's previous training played a significant role, and Niannian quickly reacted. He straightened up, flipped in the air, and then, following the method taught by Jun Qi, stabilized his body in mid-air before taking flight.

Every year, she flew to Jun Qi's side with a smug look on her face, as if to say: You can't take me down anymore, I won't be kicked away by you anymore!

Then she cooed at Xu Qiaoqiao, as if to say: Look, Mom, isn't my flying posture pretty?

Xu Qiaoqiao was a little depressed. She didn't dare to look at Niannian because she was afraid that she would not be able to resist asking Jun Qi to keep him. There was no rush to be independent.

"Coo coo?"

Nian Nian called out in confusion, but when Xu Qiaoqiao ignored him, he thought she hadn't heard him, so he tried to run over and get closer to her.

Unfortunately, it was snatched away before it even got close.