The faces of the Little Fairy Doctor and Han Yue flushed a delicate shade of red. Both women shot Xiao Jietian a glare that carried both embarrassment and reproach.
Not far away, Han Xue and Hu Jia exchanged meaningful glances—especially Han Xue. Having stayed in her elder sister's room for some time, she had already witnessed quite a few of those so-called "strategic resources." A thoughtful gleam flashed through her eyes as she lowered her head, lost in silent contemplation.
Xiao Jietian, upon hearing the girls' words, froze for a heartbeat before bursting into laughter.
"You two little rascals were thoroughly tricked by that mischievous Zi Yan," he said, shaking his head in amusement. Zi Yan's capacity for mischief truly knew no bounds; she must have planted those words on purpose.
After all, she had been "educated" by him more than once and was no longer completely innocent. He enjoyed teasing her from time to time—pushing her until she broke into a sweat—only for her to kick him in fury and storm off.
Xiao Ling frowned, her small face full of disbelief. "Mother Zi Yan would never lie to us."
Xiao Jietian thought for a moment, then patiently explained, "Your Mother Zi Yan was merely teasing you. Those 'strange clothes' are special costumes Daddy brought back from his travels. Daddy thought they looked wonderful on your mothers, and they found them novel and interesting. It's simply our little private amusement—nothing like bullying."
Watching Xiao Jietian rack his brains to explain, the Little Fairy Doctor could not hold back her laughter. She stepped forward and gently patted both girls on the head.
"Your Daddy is telling the truth. We were merely playing dress-up games. The tears came only because we were so happy that we cried tears of joy."
Han Yue nodded beside her. "Indeed. Your Daddy treats us very well—how could he ever bully us?"
Han Xue and Hu Jia stood to the side, watching the three adults spout flawless lies without the slightest hesitation. They could not help thinking to themselves: *Truly, people from the same family don't enter the same door. They're all experts at lying through their teeth without even blinking.*
Yet doubt still lingered in the girls' eyes. "But Mother Zi Yan sounded so serious…"
Xiao Jietian countered with a smile, "Do you truly think your Mother Zi Yan is reliable—except in critical moments?"
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng pondered this for a heartbeat, then quickly shook their heads. Normally, Zi Yan behaved exactly like them—like a carefree child.
"Oh… Mother Zi Yan is even more mischievous than we are."
"She's too naughty! Daddy, we're sorry…" Xiao Meng smiled sheepishly, a hint of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
Meanwhile, far away inside the spatial tunnel leading to Dragon Island, Zi Yan suddenly felt an inexplicable itch in her nose. She muttered under her breath, "Is that big bad Xiao Jietian speaking ill of me again? Just wait until I finish learning everything—I'll definitely get my revenge!"
She recalled the various things Xiao Jietian had done to her, each one leaving her flushed with embarrassment… yet afterward, she secretly found herself liking them more and more. Zi Yan quickly shook her head, banishing the thought. *It must be Xiao Jietian's fault. He's the one who corrupted me!*
Beside her, Hei Qing noticed her shifting expression and asked with concern, "Your Highness, is something wrong?"
"Nothing," Zi Yan replied, shaking her head as though nothing had happened. "I was just wondering what Dragon Island is truly like. How much longer until we arrive?"
"Your Highness, roughly four or five more hours," Hei Qing calculated the distance and answered respectfully.
"Still so long…" Zi Yan stared at the lifeless spatial tunnel around her with utter despair, feeling that her current life was unbearably dull.
Her eyes darted about, then landed on Hei Qing. "Big guy, tell me about Dragon Island and the Ancient Dragon Clan."
She secretly gave herself a thumbs-up. *How clever I am! This way I can pass the time and learn about my clan at the same time—two birds with one stone!* That big bad Xiao Jietian had even called her a little dummy. *Just wait until I make him look at me with new eyes and blind those dog-eyes of his—hmph!*
Hei Qing did not refuse. He began to speak slowly, recounting the history of the Ancient Dragon Clan and the wonders of Dragon Island.
…
"Alright, you two should return to your cultivation. Don't even think about slacking off," Xiao Jietian said gently to the girls.
"Daddy, no~ Can't we stop cultivating for today? Please?"
"Please, Daddy~~"
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng wrapped their small arms around his neck, coaxing him with their sweetest voices.
Han Yue leaned close to the Little Fairy Doctor and whispered, "Do you think Junior Xiao Tian will agree?"
"Does that even need guessing? This fellow is the ultimate doting father when it comes to his daughters."
The Little Fairy Doctor thought of how Xiao Jietian pampered them and could not help rolling her eyes. Though he was also kind to Xiao Ze, he was fundamentally a daughter-doting fool.
"It seems so," Han Yue chuckled, covering her mouth with one hand while the other unconsciously rested on her belly, eyes filled with gentle longing. She decided she would have to work even harder.
Xiao Jietian looked at the two pouting little faces, his heart melting instantly.
"You two little lazybones—always looking for ways to avoid cultivation."
Xiao Ling shook his neck gently, eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Daddy, we started early today! We really worked hard—we weren't lazy at all!"
Xiao Meng nodded like a little chick pecking rice. "That's right, Daddy! We worked super hard! Just let us play a tiny bit, and we promise to cultivate even harder tomorrow!"
Xiao Jietian shook his head helplessly. "You two… sigh. Very well, go play. But remember to cultivate properly tomorrow."
The moment the words left his mouth, the Little Fairy Doctor and the other three women exchanged glances that clearly said: *Just as expected.*
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng cheered at once. "Daddy is the best!!!"
*Smack! Smack!*
Each planted a loud kiss on his cheek, then jumped down and scampered away. "We're going to play now! Goodbye, Daddy!"
They raced out of the Eternal Heaven Palace as though afraid their father might suddenly change his mind.
"You really are… nothing but a doting father to your daughters. You'll spoil them rotten like this," the Little Fairy Doctor stepped forward and poked his forehead with a finger, her expression one of helpless fondness.
Xiao Jietian caught her hand and smiled. "What's the harm? As long as they don't become arrogant and overbearing like those spoiled young masters, it's fine. With me here, no one in the world can bully them!"
Backed by the system, his confidence was boundless.
"That won't happen," the Little Fairy Doctor replied. "Sister Yun Yun is quite strict in guiding them on this matter."
Though the girls were not her biological children, Yun Yun supervised them with great care, never allowing them to become spoiled brats.
Among all the sisters, aside from Xun'er, Yun Yun was the very image of a well-bred lady—graceful, knowledgeable, and possessing an intellectual elegance that came only from true wisdom and composure.