Life as a Fairy cub was carefree.
Every day, they ate and slept, then got up to move around after waking and explored every corner of the Fairy Nursery.
Aisha took meticulous care of them. She fed them nectar six times a day and dew eight times a day, put them to sleep three times, and patiently taught them basic knowledge about daily life.
For example, they were not allowed to relieve themselves wherever they pleased and had to use a designated place. They had to maintain their personal hygiene and wash every day. She also taught them to identify different kinds of flowers, plants, trees, and insects, explaining which were poisonous and which were harmless.
The Fairy Nursery was enormous and contained more than a thousand species of living things. It was a natural teaching ground, more than sufficient for the cubs to study in for three months.
Although the newborn Fairy cubs could not understand Elven, that did not prevent Aisha from communicating with them in simple ways. Whenever she shook the bell in her hand, its magic-infused chime spread clearly throughout the Fairy Nursery. The moment the cubs heard it, they instinctively responded to the summons and obediently flew to her.
As someone who had transmigrated, Shu Li possessed exceptionally strong self-awareness and excellent learning ability. Most of the time, he remembered something after Aisha taught it only once.
Because he performed so well, Aisha often rewarded him.
The reward was a silver leaf. Once he collected ten, he could exchange them for a delicious little fruit.
The little fruit was tender and juicy and melted in the mouth. Even without teeth, a Fairy cub could eat it easily. It was one of their favorite foods.
After tasting one for the first time, Shu Li still wanted more.
The fruit was tiny, yet it was more delicious than any fruit he had ever eaten before. He wished he could devour an entire plateful.
Unfortunately, the reward was difficult to earn. He could receive only one silver leaf a day. Who knew how long it would take to collect enough for a whole plate of fruit?
When the other Fairy cubs saw Shu Li receive a little fruit, they became terribly envious. One after another, they began imitating him, behaving properly and striving to earn rewards.
Without realizing it, Shu Li became the informal leader of the Fairy cubs.
Aisha was both surprised and gratified.
As expected of a cub blessed by the Elven King, he was extraordinarily gifted and truly exceptional.
Aisha began teaching him with even greater care.
Shu Li adapted well to this relaxed and comfortable life.
Every day after waking, he flew to a patch of bushes more than twenty meters from his flower cradle to relieve himself and add a little "nutrition" to nature. Afterward, he went to the nursery pond to wash his face and rinse his mouth. Whenever he felt dirty, he simply jumped into the water and bathed.
Once he finished, the crisp sound of a bell would ring out. Shu Li and the other Fairy cubs would race toward the vine table, where the silver-haired adult Fairy had prepared delicious nectar and sweet dew for them.
After eating and drinking their fill, they played.
The Fairy cubs’ greatest pleasure was exploring the Fairy Nursery.
They discovered beautiful flowers, searched for pretty seeds, and interacted with all kinds of insects.
Shu Li remained deeply troubled by the risk of exposing his bare bottom and racked his brains for a way to make himself underwear. The day before, he had discovered a row of white cocoons on a tree. When he pulled out a strand, he found it as strong as silk. An idea immediately came to him: he could use the cocoons to weave himself a pair of underwear.
Shu Li was a man of action. Once he had an idea, he immediately set to work.
After exerting every ounce of his strength, he collected a large number of cocoons and carried them back to his flower cradle with heavy, panting breaths. The cradle was packed full, leaving only a small space for him to sleep.
That morning, Shu Li woke among the pile of cocoons.
He lifted the petal blanket, stretched, flew out of the flower cradle, and headed toward the place designated for relieving himself.
At that hour, the first rays of dawn had only just entered the Fairy Nursery. The other Fairy cubs were still asleep, and everything was quiet. Only the early-rising insects crawled among the flowers.
Shu Li first plucked several tender green blades of grass. Then he found an ordinary-looking plant, crouched on its lowest leaf, lifted his robe, and "watered and fertilized" it. When he was finished, he wiped his bottom with the tender grass leaves.
He had many complaints about this arrangement.
He missed the smart toilet at home and the soft white tissues far too much!
This other world possessed magic, yet its living conditions were remarkably primitive. It did not even have a proper toilet.
Fairies might be nature’s favored children, but did they really have to live this primitively?
He wondered whether the little houses on the giant trees outside had better facilities.
Hopefully, once he left the Fairy Nursery, he would have a house of his own. Even if the proper conditions did not exist, he would create them himself.
After wiping himself and lowering the hem of his robe, Shu Li eagerly flew to the nursery pond to wash.
The pond lay on the eastern side of the Fairy Nursery and covered an area of roughly three hundred square meters. Its water was emerald green and clear to the bottom. Aquatic plants swayed beneath the surface while schools of fish swam leisurely through the water.
Shu Li flew to the edge, plucked a large leaf, and tossed it into the pond. The leaf floated like a tiny boat, and he slowly landed on it.
A Fairy cub weighed almost nothing, so the leaf did not move at all.
Shu Li knelt, bent forward, and lowered his head. He first rinsed his mouth, then scooped up a handful of cool water and splashed it over his face. Since he had no washing tools, he could only scrub hard with his plump little hands.
After finishing his personal hygiene, Shu Li leisurely left the pond. By the time he returned to his flower cradle, the other Fairy cubs were only just waking. One after another, they poked their heads out and greeted each other.
Redhead’s eyes lit up when he saw Shu Li. He flew over to the flower cradle, pointed curiously at the cocoons, and babbled excitedly.
"I’m going to weave myself a pair of underwear. If it works, I’ll make you a pair too!" Shu Li picked up a cocoon, pulled out several strands, and twisted them together between his hands to form a thread.
All the cocoons he had gathered were empty. The moths or butterflies had long since emerged, so he felt no discomfort handling them.
Naturally, Redhead could not understand him. Seeing Shu Li pull silk from the cocoon, he thought it looked fun. He climbed into the flower cradle, picked one up, and imitated Shu Li’s movements.
"Go take care of your personal hygiene first." Shu Li pointed toward the designated area.
Redhead pouted, clearly unwilling.
Shu Li lightly flicked his forehead and coaxed him. "Good babies have to listen."
Redhead gave a displeased little grunt, released the cocoon, puffed out his cheeks, and flew away.
Shu Li shrugged and continued drawing out the silk.
He had no idea what the proper method was and relied entirely on instinct. As long as he managed to twist it into silk thread, he considered it a success.
"Heave-ho, heave-ho..."
By the time his palms had gone numb, he had produced only ten centimeters of thread.
Ten centimeters was nowhere near enough. He needed far more if he wanted to weave a tiny pair of square-cut underwear.
Redhead completed his personal hygiene as quickly as possible and flew back to the flower cradle with water still dripping from his hair.
He called out to Shu Li to announce his return.
Shu Li tossed him a cocoon and personally showed him what to do. Free labor should never go to waste.
Redhead studied seriously and learned before long.
The two cubs worked like diligent little bees, twisting silk into thread. When the other Fairy cubs saw them, they assumed it was a fun new game and joined in one after another.
Shu Li welcomed all of them. Soon, all twenty-five Fairy cubs sat in their own flower cradles, each holding a white cocoon and concentrating intently on twisting thread.
Thus, when Aisha entered the Fairy Nursery carrying nectar, she was greeted by a scene of tremendous activity.
"Hm? What are the cubs doing?" The brown-haired adult Fairy flying beside Aisha asked with interest. "Is this some new game?"
Aisha was the Fairy godmother responsible for the cubs’ daily care. Half a month had passed, and now that they had learned to care for themselves, it was time to begin the next stage.
The brown-haired male Fairy was named Siet. He was an excellent language teacher, and beginning today, he would teach the Fairy cubs Elven.
Aisha did not answer. Her gaze shifted toward Sperien’s flower cradle. When she saw the cocoons inside and the pile of twisted silk thread, she more or less understood what had happened.
After observing Sperien for half a month, she had gained a certain understanding of him.
He was an extremely intelligent Fairy cub with a strong mind of his own.
He knew what he was doing and what he wanted, unlike the other cubs, who remained innocent and had not yet fully developed their self-awareness.
Cubs loved to imitate others.
Whenever most of them were doing the same thing, one could generally assume Sperien had started it.
Siet looked toward the golden-haired cub inside the flower cradle, rubbed his smooth chin, and asked with a smile, "Is that Sperien?"
The Fairy cub who had received the Elven King’s blessing the moment he was born.
"Yes." Aisha nodded.
Seeing how hard the golden-haired cub was struggling, Siet raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I can help him."
With that, his butterfly-like wings fluttered, and he instantly flew to Shu Li’s flower cradle.
Shu Li’s hands had turned red, and he was blowing into his palms. Suddenly sensing an intense gaze, he instinctively turned his head and met a handsome face.
"Hello~" Siet smiled kindly and waved at the cub inside the flower cradle. "My name is Siet. It’s a pleasure to meet you, adorable Sperien."
Shu Li’s pointed ears twitched, and he blinked his large, tender green eyes. Although he could not understand what the other Fairy was saying, judging by his expression, he was probably greeting him. Moreover, Shu Li recognized one word in his speech.
The silver-haired Fairy often used that word when addressing him. After hearing it so many times, Shu Li vaguely understood that it might be his name in this other world.
Unfortunately, he was hopeless at languages. Even after trying to imitate the pronunciation for more than ten days, he still could not say it correctly.
"Hello," Shu Li replied politely in his native language. Whether the other Fairy understood was beyond his control.
Siet listened to the soft, childish chirping and smiled even more warmly.
"Aisha was right. You really are interesting."
He could not speak, yet he tried so hard to communicate with adult Fairies.
"Sorry, but since we don’t share a language, we’re basically talking past each other." Shu Li picked up the cocoon and continued working.
Siet hummed thoughtfully, pointed at the cocoon, then at himself, and asked gently, "May I have one?"
Shu Li understood the gesture and nodded hesitantly.
After receiving the cub’s permission, Siet moved one finger. A cocoon abruptly floated into the air and flew toward him.
Under Shu Li’s astonished gaze, Siet spread his hands and recited a strange incantation. A ball of water the size of a fist appeared from thin air around the cocoon.
The water seemed alive. It swallowed the cocoon whole, enveloping it as tiny bubbles rose around its surface.
Shu Li’s mouth fell slightly open.
This was the first time he had watched a Fairy cast magic from such a close distance.
It was even more incredible than the special effects in a movie!
Once the cocoon had soaked long enough, Siet took a slender metal spindle from the belt pouch at his waist and spoke another incantation. The white silk thread automatically separated from the cocoon and wrapped itself around the spindle.
A moment later, all the silk from the cocoon had been wound neatly around the metal spindle.
"Finished." Siet snapped his fingers and withdrew the magic. The water ball dissolved into countless droplets and vanished into the air.
Shu Li gazed at the newly arrived adult Fairy with open admiration.
Using magic was so incredibly cool, seriously!
"Here." Siet handed the metal spindle wound with silk thread to Shu Li. "A cocoon must be soaked in water before its silk can be unwound properly."
Shu Li accepted the spindle and touched the thread. It was far more elastic and resilient.
So the cocoon had to be soaked first. Pulling and twisting dry silk took enormous effort and still produced inferior thread.
"Sir, could you help me process all these cocoons?" Shu Li hugged one and raised his little head, gazing expectantly at Siet with a pair of sparkling eyes. "Please, please! My tiny underwear depends on you!"
Faced with the cub’s beautiful eyes, filled with complete trust, Siet’s heart softened, and his expression grew even gentler.
"Oh, adorable Sperien, I will help you process these cocoons. But before that, you should eat breakfast."
"Hm?" Shu Li tilted his head.
He could not guess what the other Fairy meant.
Was he willing to help or not?
The next moment, the familiar ringing of a bell echoed throughout the Fairy Nursery.
Aisha shook the little bell in her hand.
It was mealtime!
The Fairy cubs immediately dropped their cocoons and raced toward the vine table.
Nothing was more important than food!
Shu Li licked his lips and said to Siet, "Well... I’m going to eat first. We can continue trying to communicate afterward."
Seeing the hungry look on the cub’s face, Siet knew at once that he wanted food and smiled. "Go eat."
He turned gracefully and flew toward the vine table ahead of him.
Shu Li paused, then spread his wings and followed.
A row of little silver bowls had been arranged neatly across the vine table. Aisha controlled the long-spouted pitcher with magic, filling each bowl with fragrant nectar.
The cubs found the bowls they usually used and eagerly picked them up to drink.
As they grew day by day, their appetites increased as well. When one bowl was no longer enough, they drank two. When two were insufficient, they drank three.
However, some cubs were greedy. Even when their little bellies were already round and swollen, they still wanted a fourth bowl. They carried their empty bowls to Aisha and asked for more nectar, only to be mercilessly refused.
After finishing two bowls of nectar, Shu Li gave a satisfied burp, set down the empty bowl, and looked toward the brown-haired adult Fairy.
Breakfast was over. Could they begin making the silk thread now?
Siet was happily watching the cubs eat when he suddenly sensed an intense gaze. Turning his head, he met a pair of bright, tender green eyes.
Shu Li walked over on his short legs, raised his head, and gestured with both hands, doing his utmost to make the other Fairy understand.
"I need to use the silk thread to weave a tiny pair of underwear."
Siet was completely baffled and asked Aisha in confusion, "Is he asking me for a toy?"
Aisha shook her head. "Probably not."
Sperien had repeatedly gestured a "square" to her. At first, she had also thought he was asking for a toy, so she gave him the Phanis Ring she no longer used.
Several days later, the cub approached her and gestured the same "square" again. Aisha could not understand him, so she found several square toys and let him choose among them.
Yet Sperien did not want any of them.
Left with no other choice, Aisha gave the toys to the other cubs.
When Sperien could not obtain what he wanted from her, he stopped coming to ask.
Truthfully, Aisha had felt a little disappointed that she had been unable to help him.
It made her feel unworthy of being called a Fairy godmother.
Now that Siet had arrived, Sperien was gesturing the same "square" to him.
Aisha’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, she was deeply surprised.
What exactly was this "square" that the cub wanted so badly?
"All right!" Siet took a gleaming golden five-stringed harp from the belt pouch at his waist and lightly plucked the strings. Beautiful music immediately rang out.
The cubs’ pointed ears twitched, and they all turned toward Siet.
Like Elves, Fairies were naturally sensitive to music. The moment they heard the harp, they were irresistibly drawn toward it and gathered around Siet.
Unlike the energetic cubs, Shu Li looked dejected.
Not sharing a language was terrible!
Clearly, learning Elven could not be delayed any longer.
But how was he supposed to learn it?
No one was teaching him!
And even if someone did, would he actually be able to learn?
As someone hopeless at languages, Shu Li had no confidence at all.
After drawing all the Fairy cubs over with the music, Siet nodded at Aisha. Understanding his meaning, Aisha snapped her fingers.
The surface of the vine table suddenly rose into numerous small seats.
They were arranged neatly in five rows of five.
Siet stood before them and made an elegant gesture of invitation.
"Cubs, please sit—"
The cubs looked at one another, their faces full of confusion.
Only Shu Li understood. Excited, he ran to the front row and chose the seat in the center.
Were they finally going to be taught how to speak Elven?
The moment he sat down, the other cubs began imitating him.
Redhead and Whitehead moved quickly, claiming the seats on either side of Shu Li.
Once all the cubs were seated in orderly rows, Siet put down the harp and took a stack of wooden name tablets from his belt pouch. A string of complex characters was carved into each one.
"Little ones, it is time for you to choose your own names."