Shu Li sat lost in thought.
He sat cross-legged inside his flower cradle, his plump little hands propping up his round cheeks as he stared blankly ahead with wide, tender green eyes.
The Fairy Nursery was filled with rare flowers, plants, and trees. Sunset streamed through the skylight overhead at an angle, dyeing the leaves and blossoms red. A fresh, sweet fragrance drifted through the air, while glowing green insects emerged from somewhere and danced among the flowers, filling the nursery with dreamlike color.
The newborn Fairy cubs had eaten and drunk their fill. They spread their wings and darted curiously through the air. When they saw the glowing insects, they approached and reached out to touch them.
The insects obediently landed on the cubs’ fingertips, gently fluttering their translucent wings. Their abdomens blinked with light, making the Little Fairies giggle.
They were all so happy, yet Shu Li sat in his flower cradle with a worried frown.
"Sigh—"
After letting out his fifth long sigh, Shu Li changed positions, going from sitting cross-legged to lying down.
"Ow~"
Something dug into his back. He cried out softly, reached behind himself, and pulled out a beautiful red crystal.
It was the gift another Fairy cub had given him.
Although a small conflict had occurred during the gift-giving process, Shu Li did not hold it against him. He made a decision in his heart. If that red-haired Fairy cub came to find him again, Shu Li would forgive him for stealing his nectar earlier.
He tucked the beautiful crystal into the flower’s center, pulled the soft petal blanket over himself, and lay flat on his back, staring into space.
He had transmigrated.
He had transmigrated into another world.
This place had beautiful Elves, adorable Little Fairies, and countless unknown creatures.
Meanwhile, he, a high school senior from Earth, had fallen over, closed his eyes, opened them again, and found that his soul had entered the body of a newborn Fairy cub.
For Shu Li, who was deeply immersed in anime and gaming fandom, transmigration itself was not frightening.
What was frightening was not knowing the language.
Was the God of Transmigration punishing him for being so patriotic that he could never learn a foreign language, deliberately sending him to a world full of foreigners?
Shu Li could feel the God of Transmigration’s profound malice.
As someone hopeless at languages, how was he supposed to survive in this unfamiliar other world?
Had the language here borne even the slightest resemblance to English, he could have gritted his teeth and worked hard to learn it.
But it did not.
Whether it was the Elves or the Fairies, everything they said sounded like an incomprehensible heavenly text, completely unrelated to any language Shu Li knew from Earth.
The golden-haired Little Fairy lay inside his flower cradle and silently shed tears.
If time could turn back, Shu Li would definitely study hard and refuse to play games. Then he would not have felt guilty when his father knocked on the door. If he had not felt guilty, he would not have fallen. If he had not fallen, he would not have transmigrated.
Unfortunately, there were no ifs in this world.
Clutching the petal blanket and listening to the joyful sounds of the other Fairy cubs playing, Shu Li wept rivers inside.
He wanted to go home.
He missed his father and mother, his eldest brother, second brother, and third brother, and the family pets.
He had bought an adorable little hedgehog just last week and had not even had time to become familiar with it yet!
Now that his soul had transmigrated into another world, what had happened to his original body?
Had he fallen into a coma and become a vegetable, or had he been unlucky enough to die?
Shu Li abruptly sat up, puffed out his cheeks, and shook his head vigorously.
"Spit, spit, spit! I didn’t mean it! I must still be alive! Alive and perfectly well!"
"Maybe I’m a hero chosen by the God of Transmigration!"
"I’ve been sent to save the people of this other world from suffering—"
"Once I complete my adventure, I’ll definitely be able to return home safely!"
As a seasoned fan of anime and games, Shu Li’s inner fantasy hero ignited in an instant, allowing him to come up with the most reasonable explanation for his transmigration.
"I might as well make the best of it!"
"As the ancients said, when Heaven is about to place a great responsibility upon a man, it first tests his resolve, exhausts his body, starves his flesh..."
"It’s only a language barrier. It’s no big deal. I can learn!"
Shu Li clenched his fists and encouraged himself.
After mentally preparing himself, he lay down again, pulled the petal blanket into place, and wore an expression of complete peace.
At least there was one piece of good news.
He no longer had to take the National College Entrance Examination!
He was now a newborn Fairy cub. All he had to do every day was eat, drink, play, and grow up happily.
What bliss!
Shu Li licked his lips, savoring the lingering sweetness of the nectar.
He wondered whether the Fairy diet was varied. Aside from nectar, did they have any other delicious food?
Rubbing his round little belly beneath the petal blanket, Shu Li decided he should get up and move around.
Now that he had thought everything through, he might as well properly adapt to this world.
First, he needed to learn how to fly.
Shu Li threw off the petal blanket, rose lazily, spread the gauzy wings on his back, and tried flapping them.
His body floated lightly upward. Before long, he had left the flower cradle.
He nervously looked down. The moment he saw the flowers below, his wings stiffened and his entire body dropped sharply.
"Aah—"
Not wanting to fall and leave himself dizzy and aching again, he desperately beat his wings. His body shot upward, rising above the bushes.
Holding his breath, Shu Li flew crookedly for a while. Gradually, he steadied himself and finally learned how to turn.
It seemed flight truly was a Fairy’s natural instinct.
As long as he mastered the technique, he would be able to fly however he wished.
Shu Li’s expression brightened. Full of enthusiasm, he wove between the flowers, brushing past the other Fairy cubs.
Aisha, who had been sitting on a tree branch and observing him the entire time, fell into thought.
Before Sayah left, she had asked Aisha to pay special attention to Sperien.
From what Aisha had observed in this short period, the Little Fairy who had received the Elven King’s blessing was indeed different from the others.
The other Fairy cubs knew how to fly from the moment they were born and could use their wings with ease. Sperien, however, was unusually clumsy. He had not even known how to turn, had crashed headfirst into a tree trunk, and after falling, had cried as though his heart were breaking.
Still, despite how miserably he had cried, he had not forgotten to drink his nectar.
After finishing it, he had flown unsteadily back to his flower cradle with red eyes and nose, then sat there staring into space.
Worried that he might feel unwell, Aisha had flown to a nearby branch and kept watch over him.
The little cub probably had no idea she was observing him. He sat cross-legged in his flower cradle, propping his chin on both hands and sinking into his thoughts. He remained as motionless as a wooden statue.
Aisha waited for a long time. When he still did not move, she was about to fly down and ask him what was wrong when the cub finally stirred. He shifted from sitting to lying down and covered himself with the petal blanket.
Was he going to sleep?
Aisha looked up at the skylight.
The sunset still lingered, and it was far too early for bedtime.
She lowered her gaze and continued studying the cub. Her excellent eyesight allowed her to see every expression on his face clearly.
He looked deeply troubled. His mouth was drawn into an aggrieved pout, and crystal tears clung to the corners of his eyes.
Was he still upset about crashing into the tree?
She had already healed him with magic. Every painful spot should have recovered by now.
The intelligence of newborn Fairy cubs had not fully developed. Could one truly be this sensitive and melancholy? Sperien really was unusual.
Aisha took out her notebook and quill and began recording the cub’s every movement in detail.
As a Fairy godmother, she needed to understand each cub’s condition to ensure they grew up healthy and strong.
The quill scratched against the paper, producing a soft rustling sound as elegant Elven script appeared across the page.
Just as Aisha finished one page and prepared to turn to the next, the Fairy cub in the flower cradle moved again.
His earlier sorrow vanished. He suddenly became bright and energetic, making adorable chirping noises as he clenched his little fists and waved them forcefully.
Aisha: ?
A moment later, the cub lay down again. The aura around him became peaceful as he pulled the petal blanket over himself, apparently preparing to go to sleep for real.
Aisha blinked, turned the page in her notebook, and quickly wrote down a line.
However, before she could finish recording it, the cub who was supposed to be sleeping rose again, spread his wings, and flew energetically from the flower cradle.
Worried that he would crash into another tree, Aisha hurriedly put away her notebook and quill and prepared to protect him.
To her surprise, the cub overcame his difficulty and learned how to fly.
Watching him play with the other Fairy cubs, Aisha finally felt the weight in her heart lift.
Shu Li had no idea he had become the object of the Fairy godmother’s observations. He was currently exploring the Fairy Nursery with two other Fairy cubs.
They were Redhead and Whitehead.
Well, since neither of them had names, Shu Li could only distinguish them by hair color.
Redhead was the Fairy cub who had stolen his nectar and later given him the red crystal.
Whitehead was a Fairy cub with silver hair and amber eyes.
While practicing flight among the flowers, Shu Li encountered Redhead. Redhead greeted him enthusiastically, with Whitehead following behind, both of them babbling excitedly.
Unable to understand what Redhead was saying, Shu Li perched on a blade of grass and quietly watched him.
Redhead was impatient. Seeing Shu Li remain silent, he flew over, grabbed his hand, beat his wings rapidly, and headed toward the skylight of the Fairy Nursery.
Whitehead followed with enthusiastic cries. From time to time, he flew beside Shu Li and grinned happily at him.
The three Fairy cubs reached the top of the skylight. They lay against the enormous transparent glass and curiously observed the outside world.
For beings less than ten centimeters tall, the Fairy Nursery was enormous. Filled with flowers, grass, and trees, it resembled an endless forest.
The skylight overhead was the only place from which they could see outside.
The skylight was not flat. It rose in a three-dimensional shape, with intersecting overhead beams through the middle. Fairy cubs sat or stood on those beams, curiously looking in every direction.
Redhead found a spot with an excellent view and beckoned Shu Li and Whitehead over.
Shu Li carefully stood on an overhead beam only one finger wide, not daring to look down.
It was too high!
Redhead had brought him seven or eight stories into the air. If he lost his footing and fell, he would be severely injured even if he did not die.
Unlike Shu Li, who stood stiffly in place, Redhead and Whitehead were far more active.
They were not afraid of heights at all. The wings on their backs were not decorations. If they fell from the beam, they could simply fly back up.
Redhead pointed outside the skylight with one hand and patted Shu Li’s shoulder with the other.
The pat nearly sent Shu Li pitching forward. He flailed and grabbed Whitehead’s arm. Whitehead swayed with him and hurriedly beat his wings to regain his balance, then turned and looked at Shu Li in confusion.
"Uh..."
Shu Li awkwardly released Whitehead and instinctively puffed out his cheeks.
He would never admit that he was afraid of heights!
Ignoring Whitehead’s strange look, Shu Li followed the direction Redhead was pointing.
Outside lay an even broader world.
Towering trees stretched into the clouds, one pressed closely against another until they formed a vast, lush forest that blotted out the sky. Green vines wound around the thick branches and hung downward. Some were covered in sharp thorns, some bloomed with tiny flowers, and others were completely bare.
A row of small, exquisite houses had been built on the giant tree nearest the Fairy Nursery. They were brightly colored and came in many different shapes. Adult Fairies flew around like busy bees, spreading their wings and darting everywhere.
Farther away, elegant buildings with pointed roofs appeared faintly between the trees. Their glass windows reflected the evening light in brilliant colors.
The three Fairy cubs stared in fascination, pressing their little faces against the skylight together, their hearts filled with longing.
Redhead slapped both hands against the glass blocking them and grumbled unhappily.
He wanted to go outside and play!
Whitehead raised his tiny fists and pounded hard. The glass did not move in the slightest. Instead, he hurt his own hands. His mouth drooped, and tears gathered in his large eyes, leaving him on the verge of crying.
Shu Li wanted to press a hand to his forehead.
Come on. With bodies this tiny, there was no way they could move the skylight. Besides, a Fairy Nursery this large surely had a door somewhere.
"Stop making things difficult for yourselves," Shu Li said gently, taking one of their hands in each of his. "Let’s go play down below, all right?"
Redhead tilted his little head in confusion, unable to understand Shu Li’s perfectly spoken Chinese.
Shu Li sighed helplessly. He released the two cubs, spread his wings, clung briefly to the overhead beam, and began flying downward, using his actions to show them what he meant.
Redhead and Whitehead pouted and reluctantly followed.
They flew down with ease, while Shu Li continued inching along above them.
Redhead shot upward, grabbed Shu Li’s hand, and dragged him rapidly downward.
"Aaaaaah—"
Shu Li screamed in terror.
They descended so quickly that the scenery blurred into straight lines around him. The terrible sensation of weightlessness made him forget to flap his wings, and tears flew from his eyes in fear.
Redhead nearly had his eardrums shattered by Shu Li’s scream. As they approached the bushes, he beat his wings, slowed down, and landed lightly on a broad green leaf.
Shu Li’s legs went weak. He dropped onto the leaf and stared accusingly at Redhead through tear-filled eyes.
Redhead rubbed his pointed ears, utterly confused.
Whitehead reached the bushes a moment later. When he saw the tears on Shu Li’s face, he showed no sympathy at all and burst into carefree laughter.
A vein throbbed on Shu Li’s forehead.
Do not get angry! Do not get angry! Do not get angry!
They were different from him. They were true Fairy cubs, less than a day old and no different from ignorant babies.
He was eighteen years old. He was an adult. He would not argue with infants.
Shu Li sniffled and wiped away his tears.
"I’m going back to my flower cradle to sleep. You two can play by yourselves!"
However, Redhead and Whitehead could not understand him. Seeing how listless he looked, they each grabbed one of his hands and pulled him toward the grass.
"Hey, hey?"
Shu Li could not break free from their plump little hands, so he had no choice but to land on the ground with them.
Redhead picked up a red crystal and handed it to Shu Li.
Shu Li accepted it suspiciously and discovered that it looked exactly like the one Redhead had given him earlier. He looked around and was astonished to find red crystals scattered everywhere nearby.
Wow!
So many!
Were treasures simply lying around everywhere in this other world?
He was rich! He was rich!
Shu Li excitedly began picking up crystals. When both hands could no longer hold them all, he used the folds of his robe as a pouch. He gathered a large pile, heavy enough to weigh him down.
As he collected them, he wondered how much money he could make by selling so many crystals.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from above, and something struck him on the head.
He hurriedly dodged and looked up.
Whitehead stood on the leaf of a plant, gripping its green stem with both hands and shaking it vigorously.
As he shook it, the plant began raining red.
The falling objects landed on the ground as beautiful red crystals. Before long, they had accumulated into a pile.
Shu Li stared at the sparkling crystals as his dream of sudden wealth burst into nothing.
So these were only plant seeds!