Wang Tianwei, freshly showered, sat drowsily at the heated table while little Shirley Zhang helped dry her hair from behind.
So warm... so comfortable...
Sister, your hair color is so cool!
You have good taste, hahaha! But do not copy it. It ruins your hair quality, and now I could not dye it back even if I wanted to!
I will not dye it! A lot of bear demi-humans on Planet Kalen dye their ears all sorts of bright colors! I do not think that looks good at all...
Wang Tianwei set the hairdryer aside, pulled Shirley Zhang over to sit in front of her, and gently stroked the fluffy down on top of the child's head.
That is right, Shirley is adorable just the way she is.
Before long, the two boys also finished their showers.
Zhang Lyra came out of the kitchen carrying a large bowl of pork ribs, placed it on the dining table, and rescued her younger sister from Wang Tianwei's hands.
Stop lounging by the heater. Come out and eat.
Aw... Shirley!
Meeting Zhang Lyra's accusing glare, Wang Tianwei had no choice but to regretfully reminisce about the touch of the little bear's fluffy head.
Ahem, coming, coming right now! Planet Kalen sure is freezing! It is the complete opposite extreme of Planet Shuomo!
Yeah! With snow this heavy, you cannot see a thing from the hovercar. Thank goodness for autopilot and radar evasion...
Jian Jingyu finally understood why Lyra insisted they stay at her house!
Huang Yan also approached the dining table.
In this kind of weather, even the locals of Planet Kalen rarely go out, right?
Snow on the ground was not actually hard to deal with, but there was nothing they could do when it kept falling from the sky... especially since some areas were prone to icing over. They almost slipped right outside Lyra's door!
If a lower-end hovercar had subpar radar or anti-freeze systems, it probably would not last long here...
If they had stayed at a hotel, coming to visit the little bear every day would indeed be quite inconvenient.
Zhang Lyra brought her sister over.
Planet Kalen is pretty much like this around this time every year. The locals stock up on food in advance, and schools and factories go on holiday. But the summers are cool, not nearly as hot as Planet Shuomo.
Zhang Lyra's mother brought out a huge pot of rice and set it on a nearby cabinet.
That is right, you all should come here in the summer to escape the heat. It is much cooler here than on Planet Tianshu or Planet Shuomo! Old Zhang, sit in the middle, do not separate the kids!
Zhang Lyra's father had not seen this many young people in a long time, and they were all the good friends his daughter constantly talked about.
So you are the Qilin's Greatest Threat squad? Hahaha, seeing you in person is better than hearing a hundred stories!
Hearing their squad name spoken by an elder made Huang Yan feel a bit embarrassed... but Wang Tianwei acted completely at ease.
Uncle, your complexion looks much rosier than when we saw you on the video call!
Yes, it is all thanks to my wife, Lyra, and our little Shirley! Isn't that right?
Hearing her own name, Shirley Zhang nodded in satisfaction.
Yes!
With Lyra at school, we really relied on you good friends to look out for her...
As he spoke, Zhang Qishui's eyes could not help but grow a little misty.
He was supposed to be the pillar of the family, but now he needed his wife and daughter to take care of him... Lyra had gone off to fight in bounty mecha arenas at such a young age, even if she claimed it was just to modify her mecha...
Seeing her husband about to spiral into guilt again, Christine could not resist stepping on his foot under the table!
They had already made it through the hardest times! Now the family was doing better and better, and Lyra was even going to represent Qilin in the tournament on Planet Tianshu!
If you pull this depressing act in front of the kids again, do not blame me for being rude!
Receiving his wife's sharp glare, Zhang Qishui instantly snapped out of it, and a smile returned to his face.
Regardless, you are all very welcome here!
You are being too serious, Uncle! Lyra takes great care of us normally too! We are the best of friends in the whole world!
As Wang Tianwei spoke, she raised her hand to pat the head of the person next to her, but Zhang Lyra, anticipating the move, blocked it halfway.
Talk if you want, but keep your hands to yourself.
...Oh.
Hahahaha, Tianwei, isn't Lyra adorable! Let me tell you, she has been a cutie since she was little! When she first started school, all the teachers and other adults just loved patting her head!
Oh? Really!?
Absolutely! But after being patted too much, the kid got a bit annoyed! Who knows who she learned it from, but she started walking around with a straight face all day, trying to intimidate people! Little did she know that a cold-faced bear is even cuter! Hahahaha...
Dad...
Zhang Qishui ate and recounted his eldest daughter's embarrassing childhood stories, completely ignoring his daughter's warning glares!
Laila Christine also chimed in with a smile, adding more details. The three military academy students, along with little Shirley Zhang, listened with keen interest. So it turned out her older sister was not all that different from her when she was a kid!
Auntie! That is enough, I am really full!
Wang Tianwei helplessly raised her bowl to dodge Christine's attempt to add more rice!
The two elders might have a misunderstanding about her appetite! She could eat, but she was not trying to eat herself to death!
Huang Yan was the same, but Jian Jingyu bravely accepted the half-bowl of densely packed rice from Zhang Lyra's mother.
Just half a bowl, is that enough!? Do not be shy! Treat this like your own home!
It is enough, it is enough, Auntie! This is definitely enough!
Christine often heard her daughter talk about the group eating together, so she had a good idea of Lyra's appetite. Someone her daughter described as a big eater!? By her estimation, they had to eat at least as much as two or three adult demi-humans!
The family's financial situation had improved, so making sure a few kids got enough to eat was no problem at all!
Zhang Qishui, who had gotten up to serve soup, turned his head and saw the two empty bowls held high in the air. With lightning speed, he scooped two ladles of pork rib soup into each bowl.
Alright, if they are full, do not force them! Have some soup to wash it down!
Before Wang Tianwei could react, she felt her bowl grow heavy.
Uncle really lives up to his past as a solo soldier...
She pulled her bowl back and exchanged a glance with Huang Yan. The two of them stared at the bowls full of pork ribs in silence.
...Wasn't this supposed to be pork rib soup? Where is the soup?
It is in the pot! Want more? Have some more!
No, no, no! That is fine!
Of course, in the end, Zhang Lyra did not escape the loving overfeeding from her own parents either...
The four of them returned to their respective rooms with round, bulging bellies.
Lyra shared a room with her sister and Wang Tianwei, while Huang Yan and Jian Jingyu took the other room.
As soon as Wang Tianwei entered the room, she pulled out a mattress and collapsed onto it.
Ah... I cannot move, I really cannot move an inch...
Shirley Zhang really liked this sister with the cool hair. Seeing this, she copied her and lay down right next to her.
Ah, I cannot move either!
Zhang Lyra looked on in disbelief.
...Why did you even bring a mattress?
Aren't we going to a competition later? I prepared it in advance! Isn't that thorough!?
Zhang Lyra raised her right hand and sent a message to Huang Yan.
Sir Huang, I recommend strictly inspecting Sister Zebra's spatial button before the competition...
...Understood.
