Thinking it would be cruel to keep her away, Elias quietly told her to come in without waking Qiong Xing.

"Did Mama fall asleep?"

"Yeah. We walked around a lot today, so he got a little tired. Can you let him sleep a little longer?"

Even though she was human, Lian still carried Elias’s beastkin blood, so despite being a child, she naturally had plenty of stamina.

She was not quite as energetic as Rui and Yue, but she was still capable enough.

The reason it was less noticeable, however, was simply because Lian herself did not enjoy being overly active.

That part of her was probably inherited from Elias.

"Can Lian sleep together too?"

"Are you sleepy?"

Lian shook her head to say no.

She probably just wanted to stay close to her mother.

Unable to refuse, Leander lifted Lian onto her lap as well.

It seemed to be unconscious, but while Qiong Xing still clutched tightly onto Leander’s clothes with one hand, his other arm naturally pulled Lian close against him.

Just watching Lian happily snuggle up against her mother was enough to soothe the heart.

"Perfect timing then. You should take a nap too, Lian. Once Mama wakes up, we will all eat together, alright?"

"Okaaay."

Compared to Rui and Yue, Lian was far more clingy, so once Leander said that, she obediently settled down to nap together with her mother.

"I am going to check on Rui and the others. I will prepare the food, so bring Qiong Xing once he wakes up."

"Yeah, got it."

Once Iseul’s child was born, Qiong Xing would surely be overwhelmed with exhausting days again.

Leander intended to do everything he could to help, but at the very least, he wanted Qiong Xing to rest peacefully now without thinking about anything.

With that thought in mind, he pressed a gentle kiss to Qiong Xing’s forehead.

"What about Lian?"

Lian shamelessly asked for one too, and as he laughing softly, Leander gave her a goodnight kiss as well.

...

At some point, Lian had fallen asleep in his arms as well, and for a few seconds Qiong Xing had no idea what was going on when he woke up.

"You awake?"

"Leander..."

As Qiong Xing instinctively rubbed against the comforting warmth beside him, the hand gently stroking his back gradually helped clear the haze from his mind.

"I fell asleep."

"You were tired, right? Elias already prepared food, so do not worry about it."

When Qiong Xing asked why Lian was there, Leander explained that she had come looking for him after noticing he was missing.

Apparently, Qiong Xing hugging Lian had been completely unconscious, but seeing the child sleeping so peacefully there, it hardly seemed like a problem.

"Qiong Xing, if something ever makes you anxious again, do not force yourself to keep it in. You can tell me anything from now on, even if it seems stupid. If it helps ease your worries, I will do anything."

"...Leander... will you stay with me forever? Will you... live together with me?"

Qiong Xing did not know whether it was right to ask for forever.

More than anyone, he understood how fragile human lives were.

Even so, he wanted that promise.

He could not stop himself from asking for it.

"Of course I will. No matter what happens, I will stay with you until the very end. No, even after death, I will stay with you forever. We already promised that before, remember?"

They had.

They had promised to stay together even after death.

That even if one of them died, the other would search for them.

Without even bothering to wipe away the tears overflowing from his eyes, Qiong Xing reached out and wrapped his arms around Leander’s broad back.

"We will always stay together." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Yeah. Even if you get sick of me, I am never letting go of you."

Qiong Xing was glad he had become Leander’s mate.

Glad he had met him.

Leander had given him every word and every kind of love Qiong Xing had longed for.

"I am really happy. Thank you, Leander."

"I am your mate after all. Come on, if you keep crying like this, Rui and the others will start worrying. They might stop playing with you again."

That would definitely be awful.

As he laughing softly at how accurately Leander had struck his weak point, Qiong Xing finally stopped crying and gently woke Lian before heading off to eat together.

...

"This all looks so delicious. Thank you."

The meal Elias and the others prepared was wonderful, and everyone finished eating together while laughing happily.

Afterward, while they rested and let the food settle, Qiong Xing told everyone that there was a possibility he might be carrying Iseul’s child.

Everyone reacted with joy.

"...Nura?"

"Huh?"

Iseul alone showed no reaction at all, so when they called out to him in concern, he suddenly snapped back to reality and looked up.

"We still are not certain yet, but... I was hoping it might be true. Is something wrong?"

Everyone tilted their heads in confusion at Iseul’s unusually poor reaction.

"I... I am... going to be a father?"

"Possibly, yes. Though we still do not know for sure whether there really is a child."

Iseul’s reaction was so far from happy that it began making Qiong Xing anxious too.

Iseul had always said he wanted a family so badly, so what was wrong?

"I... I... but I..."

"Nura?"

Qiong Xing was still confused as Iseul lowered his head and fell silent.

Then suddenly.

Crack!

"If you are seriously gonna say you do not want it now, then stop being his mate already. I will raise the kid in your place."

"N-no! That is not it! I do not think that at all! No, no! Qiong Xing, no! I do not want that! I do not want us to end!"

Leander had punched him hard enough to send him flying, yet Iseul immediately scrambled back up and clung desperately to Qiong Xing’s legs.