The Su Qinglan smiled gently as she looked at the large, rustling group of spiritual plants crowded into her living room.
"You must all be very tired after such a long journey." She paused, looking at the weary leaves and slightly drooping stems of the smaller plants before continuing, "Why don’t you stay here for the night? We can discuss everything tomorrow when the sun comes up. Everyone has had an incredibly tiring day."
She turned her gaze toward her mates, her voice softening with affection. "My beast husbands have been searching for Little Hua since this morning. They haven’t even had the chance to sit down and eat yet."
As she spoke, she looked back at the old grandfather with a warm invitation. "Would you and your clan like to try our beastmen’s food?"
The old grandfather’s leaves fluttered in a flurry of panic, and he hurriedly waved his vines in refusal.
"No, no, please. We’re already profoundly grateful that you’re willing to let us stay under your roof and shield us from the blizzard. We cannot be so greedy as to take your food as well."
Su Qinglan smiled helplessly, amused by his rigid politeness. "There’s nothing to be greedy about. We have plenty of food at home, and no one goes hungry in this house."
Before the old grandfather could formulate another stubborn refusal, Little Hua stepped in. She tugged excitedly at her mother’s green vines, her tiny form practically vibrating.
"Mom! You have to eat!" Her little eyes sparkled brightly with absolute certainty. "It’s really, really delicious! You’ll definitely like it! Trust me!"
Seeing her daughter’s fiercely enthusiastic expression, the mother plant couldn’t help but let out a soft, rustling laugh, her previous tension melting away.
Just then, the door was pushed open, and Shi Feng walked into the hall carefully carrying a massive, steaming stone pot.
A thick, heavenly cloud of warm vapor immediately billowed out, filling the chilly room with a comforting mist.
Earlier, when everyone had rushed out into the freezing storm to search for Little Hua, Shi Feng had accurately guessed they would all return exhausted, frozen, and starving. So, he had prepared a massive batch of hot, rich soup well in advance.
Thankfully... he had cooked more than enough to feed an army.
Hu Yan followed closely behind Shi Feng’s heels, his large hands stacked with several heavy stone bowls for the adults. Surprisingly, Stove was also running around busily right behind them like a frantic little helper.
The once arrogant, loud-mouthed plant had completely transformed. He carefully carried small containers one by one, his leaves trembling with the sheer pressure of being gentle, terrified of dropping even a single drop.
There were nearly eighteen spiritual plants currently occupying the hall. Naturally, the family didn’t have that many full-sized stone bowls lying around. Fortunately, they still had a large surplus of small stone cups typically used by cubs.
Shi Feng efficiently filled every single cup with the rich, warm, golden soup before placing them gently in front of each spiritual plant.
The savory, mouth-watering aroma of simmered herbs and rich broth instantly spread throughout the entire hall.
The old grandfather, who had been fiercely determined to refuse the beastmen’s hospitality, suddenly froze solid. His long root twitched, and his outer leaves trembled slightly. He unconsciously inhaled deeply. The rich, sweet fragrance entered his nasal cavities, sending a wave of absolute warmth shivering through his entire five-foot frame.
His spiritual eyes widened in utter disbelief. "What... what kind of food is this? I’ve never smelled anything even remotely like this before."
His expression became deeply hesitant, his plant instincts warring with his dignity. Could something made by beastmen really smell this heavenly?
Before he could overthink it any further, Little Hua had already physically dragged her mother over to one of the steaming cups. "Mom! Hurry! Take a sip!"
The mother plant looked down at the swirling, aromatic liquid before carefully lowering one of her delicate, porous tasting vines into the stone cup.
The very next second... her leaves snapped straight up, and her eyes lit up like stars. "This..." She looked completely and utterly shocked, her stems vibrating.

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