Chapter 26

The two little ones ate until their bellies were round and full, just like hamsters, and only stopped reluctantly when they really couldn't eat anymore.

"I'm so full." Xu Yirou burped as she rubbed her stomach.

After eating, Xu Yirou rested for two minutes before easily leading Bubble into the mall, where they ran happily into the themed shops.

Last time, she gave Bubble a SpongeBob SquarePants figurine, which Bubble really liked, so this time Bubble also wants to give Xu Yirou a small gift.

There are many boutiques in the mall. Xu Yirou picked out a pair of bunny ear headbands in one of the boutiques. She and Paopao each wore one, along with two pairs of hip-hop sunglasses.

The two cubs, who were originally only similar from certain angles, suddenly became 70% alike after wearing the same headbands and sunglasses.

Xu Niancheng stared in disbelief, then immediately took a picture and sent it to Xu Qingyan.

[Brother, Mom and Bubble look so alike! Why don't you just adopt Bubble as your goddaughter? They'd look perfectly natural standing together in a family photo.]

Xu Qingyan zoomed in for a closer look, his expression indifferent: "It is very similar."

Xu Niancheng's mind raced, and she quickly sent a message: "Brother, could you send the photos to Bubble's mom? After all, we came out to play together."

Xu Qingyan ignored the suggestion of recognizing Paopao as her goddaughter, but casually forwarded the photo to Jiang Yan.

At that moment, Jiang Yan was staring at the text message sent by the bank:

[Card number 7976 spending: 69..9]

[Card number 7976 spending: 19.9]

Is my daughter unaware that there are two million in the account, or am I just trying to save her money by using such a small amount?

Jiang Yan frowned with worry. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her daughter and regretted not taking her out shopping more often to broaden her horizons.

Just then, the photo arrived. Like Xu Niancheng, Jiang Yan was momentarily surprised, but then smiled gently.

No matter what, as long as my daughter is happy.

Jiang Yan rarely speaks more than a few words: "Both babies are very cute, thank you for your hard work."

Xu Qingyan pondered for two seconds before replying: "You're welcome."

However, just as he put down his phone, an inexplicable feeling suddenly flashed through his chest, and Xu Qingyan inexplicably found Xu Yue's WeChat account.

Send me that photo from before; it's useful. Please reply quickly.

What photo is of your ex-girlfriend?

【Um. 】

Xu Yue quickly sent the message, not forgetting to tease him: "[Are you tossing and turning at night, feeling heartbroken? Do you really not need me to step in?]"

Xu Qingyan had no time to pay attention to anything else. He stared intently at the child the woman was holding in the photo, then at Bubble next to Xu Yirou. The more he looked, the more his brows furrowed, but he dared not recognize her.

Is it possible for such a coincidence to happen in the world?

Xu Qingyan was somewhat lost in thought. "Impossible," he shook his head, firmly rejecting his own guess.

After leaving the boutique, the two kids went to the claw machine arcade. Each claw machine had a different doll, and Xu Yirou immediately took a liking to the Snow Queen doll.

"Let's go catch this!" The little girl's voice rose in delight.

Bubble exclaimed, "Meatball, can you catch it?"

"No, I won't." Xu Yirou remained calm, taking her daughter Xu Niancheng's hand. "But my little one will!"

Xu Niancheng is indeed skilled at playing claw machines. She started playing in junior high school and went from having no luck to having a ton of prizes in just one month.

Most of the dolls in her room were caught by her, and half of the dolls in Xu Yirou's current children's room were also caught by her.

“That’s right, let me do it.” Xu Niancheng rolled up her sleeves, walked to the claw machine, and bought fifty yuan worth of game tokens.

Then he skillfully operated the machine.

Xu Yirou and Paopao lay on the side, watching longingly.

"Wow! We caught it! We caught it!"

"Yay! Sister is awesome!"

Xu Niancheng lived up to expectations and successfully caught two dolls on her first try, one for each of the two children.

The other passersby who were struggling to win the claw machine were extremely envious. One of them, a girl in a JK uniform, shyly ran over.

"Sister, can you help us catch one? We've been trying for over an hour and spent more than two hundred yuan, but we still haven't caught one..."

Xu Niancheng glanced at the claw machine next to the little girl. Inside were Peter Pan dolls, all colorful. Her mother would probably like them too.

Xu Niancheng happened to have a lot of coins left, so she agreed without hesitation.

Two little kids followed behind Xu Niancheng, standing on tiptoe to watch her perform. The dolls that others couldn't even hold no matter how hard they tried were incredibly obedient in Xu Niancheng's hands, so easy and simple that it seemed like they could do it too.

Xu Yirou clapped her hands enthusiastically, saying, "Xiao Bao is so awesome~"

Bubble, the straight man: "Sister, you're so cool!"

Xu Yirou hesitated, then turned to look at her strangely: "Bubble, Xiaobao didn't kill you. Murder is illegal; he'll be arrested and locked up in a dark room."

It would be troublesome if the police heard it.

A child addicted to short dramas and deeply influenced by them might suddenly blurt out a few unfamiliar words.

Bubble scratched her head: "It's not the 'kill' in 'murder,' I mean you're super amazing and super cool."

Oh, so killing me had this meaning too.

Xu Yirou gave Bubble a thumbs-up, saying with a look of understanding, "Bubble, you know so much!"

After Xu Niancheng showed off her skills, she became unstoppable. Players around her who spent a lot of money but were bad at the game all begged her to help them catch her once.

Xu Niancheng, who wanted to keep a low profile, was forced to become high-profile.

Xu Yirou and Paopao were holding all sorts of dolls in their arms, their little arms almost overflowing with them, all gifts from the players.

Xu Yirou learned to praise Bubble and kept saying in her baby voice, "Xiao Bao is so good at killing me, Xiao Bao is too good at killing people."

Xu Niancheng: ...Mom was drenched in sweat.

Onlookers: "Hahahaha!"

After finally escaping the claw machine arcade, the two kids went to browse other shops, this time in the children's section.

The saleswomen who recognized Xu Yirou's eyes lit up. Oh, the little goddess of wealth has arrived!

She offered the most sincere and gentle greetings to each of them. Having experienced two big shopping sprees, Xu Yirou remembered these beautiful saleswomen and was not at all intimidated.

She pulled Bubble into a bag shop: "Hello, sister, this is my good friend Bubble. We're here to swipe our cards."

The two kids hadn't forgotten why they came out.

Swipe your card = get free money.

The saleswoman's smile grew even gentler: "Okay, little ones, let me show you around and see if you can find any bags you like."

Xu Niancheng and her nanny accompanied them throughout the process, and the saleswomen assumed that she was the guardian of the two little money gods.

"This bag is a collaboration with Disney, featuring a crystal Strawberry Bear tote bag. The clasp is made with the finest pink diamonds, and the edges are inlaid with gemstones..."

Bubble: "It's so pretty! I'll take this one!"

Xu Yirou nodded with an air of maturity: "Not bad, not bad, then this one will do."

Bubble, with an air of wealth, pulled a green diamond card from his small crossbody bag: "Here you go."

[Card number 7976 spending: 120,000]

Upon receiving the text message, Jiang Yan smiled happily. Her daughter had finally learned to spend money! That was great, and it gave her even more motivation to film.

Bubble realized for the first time how useful the green card was. She swiped it several times, and the things she bought were almost taller than her. The green card still worked!

It wasn't until 8 p.m. that the nanny glanced at the time and said in a low voice, "Miss, it's 8 p.m. We should go back now. You have to go to kindergarten tomorrow."

Bubble pouted unhappily: "I want to play with Meatball a little longer."

The nanny looked at Xu Niancheng with a troubled expression.

Xu Niancheng also felt it was time to go back, so she said gently, "It's very late today. If Bubble doesn't go to sleep early, she'll get dark circles under her eyes and turn into a little panda."

Xu Yirou: "I know, red pandas are national treasures! If Bubble turns into a red panda, he won't have to go to school."

Bubble: !! There's such a good thing?

Xu Niancheng quickly tried to salvage the situation: "No, no, children need to go to bed early to grow. Don't you want to grow up faster?"

No cub can resist the allure of growing up.

Bubble thought for two seconds and obediently gave in.

She pulled Xu Yirou along and said softly, "Rourou, why don't you come to our kindergarten? That way we can see each other every day."

Going to kindergarten...

The mother of the toddler is in a dilemma: going to school means doing homework, but the toddler doesn't want to do homework.

But she's a grandmother, and a grandmother has to take care of her granddaughter.

Xu Yirou took a deep breath, her little face serious: "Okay, I'll go to kindergarten~"

*

The mother and daughter returned home, and Xu Qingyan also happened to be returning from working overtime. The three of them met.

As usual, Xu Qingyan asked, "Mom, did you have fun today?"

“Dabao, I want to go to kindergarten.” Xu Yirou emphasized earnestly, “I want to go to the same kindergarten as Paopao.”

A hint of surprise flashed across Xu Qingyan's eyes. Xu Niancheng explained, "Mom wants to play with other children. There are many children in kindergarten, so it's just right for her to go there."

"Okay, I'll arrange it."

The three siblings can feel more at ease knowing that their mother is in kindergarten, but getting her ID card is a bit of a hassle.

She has turned back into a four-year-old cub, so she definitely can no longer use her previous identity.

However, it's not unsolvable. Xu Qingyan plans to get Xu Yirou a birth certificate, and as for the other related documents, he'll pull some strings and register her household registration later.

The next day was the day we had agreed to go to the zoo together with Qiao Wen.

Qiao Wen hadn't traveled for many years, and this was her first time going on a family trip. She spent a long time choosing clothes in the dressing room after getting up in the morning, and finally put on the cheongsam that she liked.

With the May Day holiday approaching, the number of people in Beijing has surged. Long queues stretched as far as the eye could see at the entrance of the Beijing Wildlife Park, with crowds of people everywhere.

Xu Yirou sat on Xu Qingyan's shoulders, marveling at the sight, surveying her territory like a princess.

Qiao Wen and Xu Niancheng stood not far away waiting.

"Alright, alright, let's go in." Having watched enough of the excitement, Xu Yirou directed her son toward the entrance.

The Xu family donates a large sum of money to the Beijing Wildlife Park every year, making them a true VIP client of the park. Therefore, they don't need to compete for tickets and queue like ordinary tourists; they can directly use the green channel.

The Tokyo Wildlife Park boasts an extremely diverse range of animals, and what's most appealing is that visitors can buy food from the zoo and feed the animals.

The friendly interactions between visitors and small animals are a major highlight of the Tokyo Wildlife Park.

Xu Yirou and her family sat on a sightseeing train specially provided for them in the park, with a professional guide accompanying them throughout the journey.

Xu Yirou sat in the very center, and the scenery along the way was so beautiful it was unreal, as if she had stepped into a comic book and felt completely out of place.

The car wasn't going fast, and along the way you could see many heartwarming little animals.

Xu Yirou was carrying a basket of fresh vegetables, including carrots and leafy greens. When she saw the antelope chasing the car, she quickly took out some leafy greens from the bag to feed it.

The antelope's enormous head nuzzled closer, its horns resembling two large tree branches, yet gleaming with a lustrous sheen.

His dark, intelligent eyes gazed at Xu Yirou.

Xu Yirou, who had never been so close to an antelope before, was so excited that her heart was pounding. Her small, tender hands held a large vegetable leaf, but before she could say anything, the antelope's mouth came close and quickly smacked her lips.

She continued to gaze at the cub with her big, watery eyes.

"No rush, there's more~"

Xu Yirou hurriedly took out another large vegetable leaf, but this time she was even faster, and her hand was empty in a second.

"Wow, you eat so fast!" the cub exclaimed. "No wonder you've grown so big."

Xu Yirou kept taking things out of the basket, and other animals quickly swarmed over, surrounding the little train with deer, zebras, and idiots.

Xu Yirou couldn't feed just one baby, and the little one was extremely anxious.

"Mom, Da Bao, hurry up and feed them! They're starving!"

In fact, thousands of tourists chase after them to feed them every day, so they are all well-fed and healthy. They are not starving to death; they are just greedy.

Xu Niancheng didn't need any instructions from the cub's mother; she had already spontaneously joined the feeding team.

Qiao Wen picked up the small basket at her feet and, imitating the cub, solemnly fed the vegetable leaves in her hand while keeping an eye on the cub beside her.

Xu Qingyan remained expressionless, as if he were completing a work task, and every feeding action appeared so meticulous.

Surrounded by a group of docile, honest herbivores who were obsessed with eating, Xu Yirou felt so happy she could fly.

She touched the deer's head for a while, then touched the donkey's head.

Although their head fur is stiff and a bit prickly, not soft enough, being able to touch them is a happy thing in itself.

The cubs are happily squawking.

Turning around, she saw Qiao Wen and Xu Qingyan with serious, almost threatening expressions. Compared to her and Xiao Bao, the number of animals waiting to be fed around them was pitifully small.

Even animals like sunny, cheerful humans.

Xu Yirou felt sorry for them and thought that it must be because they weren't close enough that the little animals didn't understand their mother and Dabao.

So she suggested getting off the bus.

Not long after we got off the bus, a silly-looking alpaca strolled over, sporting an extremely cool head shape, fluffy fur, and chewing away with its big mouth.

The guide smiled and said, "This alpaca is named Mickey. She is the most beautiful female alpaca in the park, and also the most greedy one. She likes to chase after tourists for food."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yirou hurriedly took a fragrant carrot from the basket.

Mickey's long eyelashes blinked, and he lowered his head, gesturing excitedly.

Mickey's teeth are very long, and Xu Qingyan was worried that Xu Yirou would get bitten, so he took the carrot from her and let go after Mickey had eaten most of it.

Xu Yirou wiggled her little bottom to feed the other animals. Mickey finished eating the tender and juicy carrot and smacked his lips with lingering satisfaction.

Its round eyes were fixed on the vegetables in Xu Qingyan's basket, its meaning quite clear.

Xu Qingyan ignored Mickey; there were other animals to feed later, and she couldn't let him show off all of them.

Xu Qingyan turned away indifferently.

Mickey tilted his head in confusion, slowly following the human, his nose constantly searching for the basket in the human's hand.

It gnaws.

Humans switch hands.

It keeps nibbling.

Humanity has changed hands again.

"Damn it!" Mickey snorted angrily. The humans who teased it needed to be taught a lesson.

Mickey grinned angrily.

Xu Qingyan was caught off guard when a mysterious force grabbed his collar, causing him to stumble back two steps uncontrollably. He turned around and bumped into a large alpaca head.

Xu Qingyan's face darkened: ...This guy.

Seeing this, the guide quickly reassured him, "Mr. Xu, Mickey is just hungry. Just take out a carrot and it will let go of you."

She's such a glutton.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Yirou, Qiao Wen, and Xu Niancheng all looked over.

Xu Yirou: Wow!!!

"Dabao, it likes you! It wants to kiss you. Quickly feed it carrots!"

Big brother kissing an alpaca? Xu Niancheng almost burst out laughing. To be honest, they actually have a pretty good CP vibe.

Xu Qingyan adjusted her breathing, stiffly took out a carrot from the basket, and before she could say anything, Mickey opened its mouth and started munching on it.

Xu Yirou jogged over, smiling broadly: "Oh my god, it's so well-behaved, it even knows how to rob people on the road."

The tour guide watched with a smile, wiping away sweat, relieved that Mickey hadn't spat on Mr. Xu.

Otherwise, this year's funding... cough cough.

After staying in place for half an hour, the little train set off for the red panda enclosure.

Like giant pandas, red pandas love to eat bamboo. However, red pandas are smaller in size, with round heads, red and black colors, and large ringed tails. They have an inherently honest and cute smile, yet their walking posture is extremely elegant.

Red pandas are often referred to as forest spirits.

Bamboo for feeding the red pandas is available for purchase at the entrance of the red panda enclosure. Visitors can buy bamboo and feed the red pandas a suitable amount.

Xu Yirou's family bought a small bunch of bamboo. The moment they entered the pavilion, they were overwhelmed by the cute little creatures with red fur and tiger-like heads.

Even the grandmother and granddaughter duo of Qiao Wen and Xu Qingyan, who were like ice blocks, had a faint smile in their eyes.

Xu Yirou desperately covered her mouth, afraid that her cries would disturb the red pandas.

Her dark, curled eyelashes fluttered, and her clear, round eyes were filled with little pink hearts.

Xu Niancheng handed her a bamboo leaf and said, suppressing her excitement, "Mom, let's go feed it."

"Okay, okay." The cub shook its head like a windmill, and hurried off to find a feeding target while clutching the emerald green bamboo leaves.

The red panda enclosure has a limited capacity, with each person allowed to stay for only twenty minutes. Even so, the red pandas are still fed until they are plump and round.

Tourists who arrived late were begging to be fed bamboo leaves, but no red panda paid them any attention.

Xu Yirou's family, who used the VIP channel, arrived early, so the little pandas were very accommodating and ate a lot.

The slender bamboo shoots were grasped in their tiny hands, and they looked just like little people, nibbling away with their pointed little mouths as if they were eating some kind of delicacy.

It has to be said that these little ones have the potential to be mukbang (eating broadcast) stars.

After eating, it carefully washes its face with its little paws, from its cheeks to its neck, and then to its little paws.

Xu Yirou squatted on the ground, resting her chin on her hand, her almond-shaped eyes crinkling as she watched, her cheeks as rosy as a ripe peach.

Just then, a red panda ran up to the mother and daughter, its soft paws hugging Xu Niancheng's legs, its round furry face tilted up, and its smiling lips seemed to be greeting them.

The mother and daughter both slowed their breathing.

Xu Yirou stared at her with eyes as black as grapes.

The guide said, "Ms. Xu, you can give it an apple; red pandas love to eat apples too."

"Oh, okay, okay." Xu Niancheng hurriedly rummaged through the basket for apples, bent down and handed them to the little glutton.

Xu Yirou clutched her skirt with her small hands, looking very envious. She swallowed and asked, "Can I...can I touch it?"

Guide: "We do not recommend that tourists touch them, because humans carry many germs that may be transmitted to them."

Okay.

It's okay! Everything is for the sake of the red pandas growing up healthy.

Xu Yirou continued to watch the little panda in front of her happily munching on an apple when suddenly, a chubby hand holding a bamboo stick came out from the side.

At the same time, a loud, piercing noise came from overhead.

"Hey, eat my bamboo!"

The red panda is timid by nature, and it was so frightened that it immediately ran away, leaving only half an apple that had been gnawed and dented on the ground.

Xu Yirou realized what was happening and immediately looked at the culprit.

He was a boy even fatter than the prince, with dark skin, holding a bamboo stick in his hand and looking impatient. Despite his young age, he exuded a fierce aura.

He's the one who scared the red panda away!

She puffed out her cheeks angrily: "You scared the little panda away. It wasn't full yet. You're not allowed to talk to the little panda so loudly in the future."

The boy was immediately displeased upon hearing this.

"Who do you think you are? Why should I listen to you?" the boy said arrogantly. "I like to talk loudly, so what's it to you?"

Xu Yirou found it too noisy, so she covered her ears and retorted defiantly, "I don't care about you, you're not my son."

This chubby little boy is even less cute than Duoduo.

Xu Yirou said indignantly, "You are such an impolite child."

The little boy glared angrily: "If you dare to insult me, I'll hit you!"

As he spoke, he raised his fist as if to hit someone.

Xu Niancheng, of course, would not stand idly by. She grabbed the boy and firmly restrained him.

A cold voice spoke before she could: "Whose child are you? Call your parents over here."

It was Qiao Wen's voice.

Xu Yirou was overjoyed and quickly hid next to Qiao Wen to complain: "Mom, he scared away the little panda and even tried to hit me."

"Let me go! You're bullying a child! I'm going to tell my mom and dad!"

"Mom and Dad, come quick! Someone's hitting me!"

The boy started yelling at the top of his lungs. Soon after, a middle-aged couple came running over, furious: "Hey, what are you doing! How dare you bully my son!"

When the parents arrived, Xu Niancheng let go of the boy.

The boy darted behind him, but his eyes remained fixed on them.

Qiao Wen coldly asked, "You're the child's parents?"

"What are you doing?" The middle-aged woman held her son tightly in her arms, the three of them displaying identical expressions of irritation. "How dare you three adults bully a child? Have you no shame?"

“Auntie, my mom didn’t bully him, he was the one who wanted to hit me,” Xu Yirou hurriedly explained. “He just raised his fist, he’s shameless.”

The middle-aged woman glared at her: "What are you doing, you little brat, interrupting me!"

Qiao Wen and the other two had cold and stern expressions, and Xu Qingyan was about to lash out.

"Is that your mother?" The little boy, now emboldened by his newfound support, retorted rudely, "She's so old, I'd say she's more like your grandmother."

These words really hit Xu Yirou's sore spot.

The soft, squishy cub instantly transformed into a little hedgehog, its quills standing on end.

Her little face turned red with anger: "You, you dare say that again!"

When she gets angry, it's like a kitten waving its claws—soft and gentle, which only fuels the other person's arrogance.

"Fine, I'll say it. I'll say your mother is so old, she should be your grandmother!"

"Oh--"

"I'll fight you to the death!"

"Hey!"

"Bang!"

"Whoa—!!"

The boy's parents didn't even see how their son was beaten; they only vaguely saw a small, cannonball-like figure rush over, and then their son was knocked to the ground.

Xu Yirou ran away after punching the person, giving them no time to retaliate.

Xu Yirou blew on her little fist and put her hands on her hips: "If you dare to say bad things about my mother again, I'll hit you!"

The boy covered his mouth: "You %@&*￥#&*!"

"Oh dear, he's bleeding!" The middle-aged couple turned pale with fright at the sight of blood flowing from their son's mouth.

The boy spat forcefully, and a tooth mixed with blood fell out.

"Mom, my bad tooth fell out!" The boy laughed happily. "Great, I don't have to go to the hospital to get it pulled."