"Of course!" the little red-haired cub said proudly, lifting his head.
Lu Wanqing felt inexplicably touched. Her five children, though not born of her own flesh and blood, still loved her dearly. Each baby was wonderful.
"Then your mother must love you very much too," Lu Wanqing said, unable to help herself.
The little red-haired cub paused at her words, then beamed, "That's for sure! My mommy loves me the most!!!"
Lu Wanqing looked at the child, whose entire being radiated confidence and pride, and reached out to ruffle his hair.
"Harvey." Just then, a man's voice called from not far away.
The little red-haired cub stiffened slightly and turned to look at his father.
Guyzeville had finished packing up all the fishing gear at some point. He said to the cub, "Logging off!"
Leaving already?
Lu Wanqing felt a sudden pang of anxiety. She quickly asked, "Um, can we add each other as friends?"
Lu Wanqing's question was a bit too hasty, even a bit purposeful. Guyzeville, standing nearby, frowned, his sharp, searching gaze fixed on her.
Lu Wanqing froze. Her mind buzzed, and she belatedly realized that she might have seemed too eager. Would they suspect something?
"I… I mean no harm," Lu Wanqing thought, unable to help but explain.
She just wanted the child's contact information. If there was ever a chance, she truly hoped to meet her cub in the real world. Regardless of his identity, he was always her baby, and he was so adorable!
The man with red hair logged off, and little Harvey followed suit. Lu Wanqing watched the projection of the little red-haired boy disappear, a sense of urgency rising within her. She wanted to reach out and stop them, to tell them that she truly meant no harm, but so many words caught in her throat.
Their identity as space pirates was too sensitive. If she revealed herself now, would it bring them trouble?
And what about the red-haired cub's father, that man who exuded such a powerful aura? Would he believe she was harmless?
Thinking of the ruthlessness of space pirates as rumored, she suddenly felt a bit afraid. She wanted to care for these children, but she also wanted to live. She didn't want to die for no reason, did she?
"Mommy?" Little Zhong Liyi looked at his mother with confusion.
What was wrong with Mommy?
Was Mommy sad?
Because that little boy left?
"Does Mommy like that little boy a lot?" Little Zhong Liyi wondered, and couldn't help but ask.
Lu Wanqing paused at his words, then seemed to snap back to reality. She lowered her gaze to the little boy beside her, crouched down, and looked at him, whispering, "Xiaoyi, can Mommy ask you for a favor?"
Little Zhong Liyi looked at her, confused. "What is it?"
"About us meeting that little brother on the star net, can Xiaoyi promise not to tell anyone? This will be a little secret between Xiaoyi and Mommy, okay?" Lu Wanqing said earnestly, looking into his eyes.
Little Zhong Liyi looked into his mother's eyes and confirmed once again that Mommy really liked that little boy.
"Okay." Although Little Zhong Liyi was a little jealous, seeing the earnest look in his mother's eyes, he agreed.
"Does Mommy like children like that?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
He wasn't like that child. Did that mean Mommy didn't like him as much? Little Zhong Liyi felt a flicker of unease.
Lu Wanqing froze, then noticed the apprehension and caution in the child's eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly explained, "Xiaoyi, Mommy likes children, but Mommy also likes Xiaoyi. I like you very, very much!"
Little Zhong Liyi's dejected eyes suddenly lit up again. He looked at his mother joyfully and asked expectantly, "Very, very much?"
Lu Wanqing bent down and kissed his forehead, nodding with a smile, "Yes, very, very much!"
Little Zhong Liyi instantly became overjoyed. He stood on tiptoe and, for the first time, proactively kissed his mother on the forehead. "Xiaoyi likes Mommy very, very much too!!!" he said blissfully.
Lu Wanqing was stunned. When she came to her senses, it felt like ten thousand little cute creatures were stampeding through her heart. She couldn't help but scoop up Xiaoyi and spin him around happily. "Hahahaha, Mommy loves Xiaoyi so much, loves him, loves him!"
This was the first time Little Zhong Liyi had been held by his mother like this. He was startled and instinctively reached out to wrap his arms around her neck. His little heart was pounding, and the feeling of his feet being off the ground gave him a sense of unease, but seeing his mother's radiant, joyful eyes, he felt incredibly happy. He loved being held by Mommy.
Lu Wanqing spun with the child for a few turns before setting him down. She had to admit, a five-year-old was no longer small, and he was quite heavy.
Once on the ground, Lu Wanqing squatted down to be at eye level with him. Then, the two, one big and one small, both smiled, filled with happiness.
"Alright, let's go home," Lu Wanqing said with a smile.
"Mm-hmm," Little Zhong Liyi agreed happily.
The virtual tools purchased on the star net couldn't be taken offline, but they could be stored online. They could be put into a virtual backpack, or, like Lu Wanqing, who had a small home on the star net, they could be brought to her own home and arranged there.
And the fish they had just caught, Lu Wanqing glanced at the small bucket.
"Mommy, I'll carry the fish!" Little Zhong Liyi said happily, immediately going over to pick up the bucket.
"Okay," Lu Wanqing nodded with a smile.
However, regarding the fish in the bucket, Lu Wanqing couldn't help but ponder whether to steam them, braise them, or just roast them.
There was a pond in their backyard garden. She could also put them in the pond to raise. It's just that…
She wondered if the fish put in the pond would be eaten by the ducks later. After all, the ducks swam in the pond every day. If they were eaten, it would be quite normal.
The walk back to their small home wasn't long. They arrived after a short while. However, Lu Wanqing didn't expect to see Zhong Lifa in front of their house.
Lu Wanqing and Little Zhong Liyi were both taken aback, and then, in the next moment, Little Zhong Liyi was ecstatic.
Little Zhong Liyi joyfully ran towards his father, shouting excitedly, "Daddy, Daddy, Mommy and I went fishing together just now! Mommy is so amazing, she caught so many, many fish!"
Actually, it wasn't that many. Lu Wanqing touched her nose with a hint of guilt. If she really wanted to make a fragrant fish soup later, the fish in the bucket might not be enough. Perhaps she'd need to spend money to buy more from the virtual mall!
Zhong Lifa looked at Little Zhong Liyi and clearly sensed the change in his son. Now, when the child saw him, he would run over excitedly, shout "Daddy" loudly, share his happy feelings, and his eyes now held a spark… as if the child had suddenly gained vitality!
Zhong Lifa glanced at Lu Wanqing, smiled, and then looked down at the bucket Little Zhong Liyi was carrying. He saw the fish, several of them, though not very large.