Miao Li's provocation escalated the conflict, ultimately prompting the deity to take action.
Xin Yunmao stood up, his brow furrowed as he said, "You really never learn, do you?"
He had long seen that this cat was bored out of its mind. Other demons wanted to beat Miao Li up, but the cat always interpreted it as playful teasing. Therefore, Xin Yunmao usually ignored the troublemaking cat, as the more he paid attention, the more the cat would stir up trouble.
Seeing Xin Yunmao rise, Miao Li's eyes lit up with excitement. He eagerly extended his claws, taunting, "Can you still fight? I thought you were just good at calling for help."
"Hmph, you'll know once you've been beaten," Xin Yunmao retorted, not intending to kill the cat but merely to give it a warning by knocking its claws. This might at least keep it quiet for a while.
The two demons faced off in the courtyard, pacing around each other, clearly preparing for a duel.
Not far away, Chu Zhishui and Hu Chenrui emerged from the office building. Seeing the scene, they hurried over to stop them.
"Miao Li, what are you doing!?" Hu Chenrui shouted, seeing Miao Li pull out his iron claw weapon. "Do you really want to cause a big incident before I leave to make me stay?"
The Huaijiang Bureau had been too peaceful lately, leaving Miao Li with excess energy and causing him to focus on the bamboo in the courtyard.
Chu Zhishui reached Xin Yunmao's side. It was the first time she had seen him ready to fight Miao Li, and she worriedly asked, "Are you in a state to play with a cat right now?"
Xin Yunmao: "?"
"Indeed, humans have such customs. The deity should stay away from furry animals recently," Hu Chenrui nodded, pulling Miao Li's collar and gently advising, "Both of us should be more careful and avoid the deity for now."
"Tsk," Miao Li grumbled, frustrated that he was caught by the director just as he was about to practice. He argued, "It's a myth that pregnant women shouldn't touch cats or foxes. It might even prevent children from being allergic to fur!"
Xin Yunmao: "??"
"Shut up," Hu Chenrui dragged the black cat away. "If you keep talking like that, it'll be hard for me to protect you."
Xin Yunmao watched the two demons leave, feeling that even the bureau was not a peaceful place. His face darkened as he gritted his teeth, "I must speed up the process of forming the seed."
"Why?" Chu Zhishui didn't understand his frustration. She tugged at his sleeve, comforting him, "Just take it easy. Why the sudden rush?"
The bamboo seed was a single seed that required a large amount of demonic energy to form. If the process was accelerated, Xin Yunmao's demonic energy would deplete even faster.
Xin Yunmao was quite frustrated: "If I don't use up my demonic energy now, I'll just end up being annoyed."
Chu Zhishui: "?"
He could no longer tolerate being treated like a pregnant man, even by demons like Hu Chenrui, who dared to underestimate him. It was utterly outrageous!
Now, even his right to beat up a cat was taken away, all because the other demons were afraid of disturbing the bamboo seed!
Chu Zhishui couldn't stop Xin Yunmao, even though she thought her colleagues meant well. But the deity felt deeply insulted by such special treatment, with his inexplicable strong sense of pride.
Having made up his mind, Xin Yunmao immediately took action. He often basked in the sun in the courtyard to form the seed. During work hours, he soaked up the sunlight in the office, and during breaks, he wandered through the newly built garden and vegetable plots, feeling the spring's every detail, nurturing the seed waiting to sprout.
Spring flowers bloomed early, and Chu Zhishui, lacking demonic energy, always stayed by his side. Occasionally, she brought new drinks from the cafeteria, prepared by Jin Yu and Niu Shi. Sometimes, in the evening, she lingered by the stream, letting him rest his head on her lap as she told him stories from her childhood.
Now, the weeds in the bureau were completely gone, and the original stream and moss had been slightly altered to create a charming landscape. Beside the mossy stone steps, Chu Zhishui sat, while Xin Yunmao lay down, comfortably resting his head on her lap, gazing at the sky as he listened to her stories.
Chu Zhishui gently twirled his hair with her fingers, softly saying, "But I was quite stubborn as a child. Once, in kindergarten, I argued with the teacher and decided to carry my schoolbag and go home by myself. So my parents always said I had a strong will."
Xin Yunmao was curious: "Why did you argue?"
"I felt she was unfair," Chu Zhishui sighed. "Looking back, it was all very childish. In kindergarten, when distributing small red flowers as rewards, she gave one boy two, but I only got one."
"The small red flowers didn't really matter, but I felt so upset that I even thought about never going to kindergarten again," she chuckled.
Later, when Chu Xiaohe and Xie Yan found out, they talked to the kindergarten teacher. The next day, she was given an extra flower in class, and the matter was settled.
"Who says flowers aren't important? Blooming is very significant," Xin Yunmao glanced at her, meaningfully said, "So you've always had a fixation on flowers since you were young."
"The small red flowers were stickers, not real flowers. You've misunderstood!" Chu Zhishui quickly explained, seeing his teasing. She couldn't help but gently tapped his forehead with her finger, as if trying to make a bamboo tube sound.
Xin Yunmao: "But human experiences like that are quite interesting. I barely remember anything from my childhood."
"What did you look like as a child?"
"To be precise, demons don't really have a childhood. At most, there's a vague awareness, like the young ginseng demon we once saw, which is basically invisible," he explained. "Once you hear your name, you can transform into a human, but it's usually in an adult form."
Therefore, when Xin Yunmao saw the young Chu Zhishui in the pure white space, he was fascinated and didn't want to let go, as he hadn't seen much of such a thing.
Chu Zhishui was in a daze: "What a pity. Although I once considered not going to kindergarten, to be honest, the food there was quite good. You guys completely miss out on that stage."
"Yeah," Xin Yunmao thought of Chu Zhishui's parents and said, "So they can stop looking for a..."
He was about to say they shouldn't think about sending the bamboo seed to school, but suddenly sensed something and abruptly stopped.
Chu Zhishui, hearing him pause mid-sentence, asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Xin Yunmao clenched his palm. He had just noticed that the demonic energy had gathered and was instantly absorbed, leaving him bewildered: "Did it... give birth?"
Chu Zhishui widened her eyes, panicking as she scanned his still lying form, unsure of what to do. "Is it time? Should I call someone... or a demon!?"
"No, it's already done," Xin Yunmao opened his palm, revealing the bamboo seed in his hand, still confused, "This is it."
Chu Zhishui stared at the glowing, grain-like seed: "??"
In the director's office, Chu Zhishui, Xin Yunmao, Hu Chenrui, and Hong Ximing gathered around, looking at the small seed on the fine velvet cloth in the box, all deep in thought as they discussed the current state of the bamboo seed. Since this matter involved parenting, Hong Ximing was invited instead of the troublemaking Miao Li.
Hu Chenrui carefully observed Xin Yunmao, then looked at the small seed in surprise, wondering, "The deity's demonic energy has indeed diminished greatly, but why would it only produce a seed?"
As an experienced director, Hu Chenrui not only felt Xin Yunmao's weakened power but also sensed the immense demonic energy within the bamboo seed. However, he couldn't figure out why the deity would give birth to a seed.
Chu Zhishui: "Plants all start from seeds, right?"
"Miss Chu, demons generally don't have a childhood. Normally, when a plant demon is born, it can immediately sprout and grow, transforming into a human form at the same time," Hong Ximing wondered, "With so much demonic energy, yet not transforming into a human form, it's a bit strange."
Xin Yunmao frowned: "So you don't know the reason either?"
Hu Chenrui sighed deeply: "Deity, demons giving birth to demons is a legendary event. We only know the theory, but we've never witnessed it."
What Xin Yunmao gave birth to was a half-deity, possessing half of his demonic energy, making it impossible to treat as an ordinary demon.
"Did you say anything at the time?" Hong Ximing mused, "Demons are born through perception. It suddenly wanted to come out, so there must be a reason."
"What were we talking about?" Chu Zhishui tried to recall, tentatively saying, "We were talking about how good the food in kindergarten was?"
Hong Ximing concluded: "Then it must be that. It wanted to eat something-->> good!"
Chu Zhishui: "?"
Chu Zhishui stared blankly at the bamboo rice: "But it can't eat anything right now..."
She had never heard of a plant kindergarten?
Xin Yunmao decisively said, "Then plant it in the ground and water it."
"???"
Chu Zhishui quickly objected, "No, no, this parenting method is a bit reckless."
Hu Chenrui: "Let's try it. Since it hasn't sprouted on its own, we can only rely on external forces."
Seeing the three demons' firm attitudes, Chu Zhishui had no choice but to ask Niu Shi for a flowerpot and carefully selected the most beautiful one.
Xin Yunmao didn't know where he found the soil, but he specially infused it with demonic energy, making the soil moist and fertile.
They finally planted the bamboo rice and carefully brought it home.
Due to the unusual birth of the bamboo rice, Chu Zhishui didn't know how to explain it to her parents, as the little one was currently just a seed in the soil.
Unexpectedly, Chu Xiaohe and Xie Yan's hearts were much stronger than they anticipated. Even Xin Yunmao couldn't understand why the bamboo rice hadn't transformed into a human form, but the couple thought it was perfectly normal for bamboo to grow from the ground.
They even excitedly purchased plant nutrients, which Chu Zhishui had to stop them from using. Instead, they daily sprayed the small pot with water infused with demonic energy, patiently waiting for the third generation of their family to emerge.
Chu Xiaohe now circled around the flowerpot, constantly praising it: "Today, Mimi has grown a little more! So amazing!"
"When it grows out, should we call it Sun Sun?" Xie Yan looked at her daughter and son-in-law, "These are just nicknames, have you thought of a real name yet?"
Chu Zhishui knew that monsters are born with names. Facing her concerned parents, she softly replied, "Not yet."
Chu Xiaohe scratched his head: "How about Xin Sun?"
Xin Yunmao: "I don't have the surname Xin. This is just my ID name."
"So you're surnamed Yun?" Chu Zhishui asked.
No, we don't have the concept of surnames. Surnames are symbols of family lineage, but monsters don't emphasize family connections." Xin Yunmao pondered, "If we must have a surname, it can follow yours. After all, looking at it now, it wasn't given a name by heaven and earth."
Names are the symbols monsters use to navigate the human world, but without parents or relatives, they don't have the concept of surnames, essentially being randomly assigned.
"We need to think carefully about it," Chu Xiaohe said seriously. "I'll flip through the dictionary recently. Do you have any preferences?"
Chu Zhishui observed the bamboo rice in the flowerpot. She thought she saw a faint green sprout, unclear whether it was just her imagination. She said, "Dad, we can discuss it after it grows out. There's no need to rush."
Chu Xiaohe: "We should still think of a few options. We can't just decide on the spot."
Xie Yan: "Yunmao, do you have any favorite characters?"
Xin Yunmao pondered for a few seconds, then murmured, "Water?"
Chu Zhishui immediately blushed: "That's the same as my name!"
"Yes, the nickname would overlap," Chu Xiaohe said. "But we can think of other options based on that."
Chu Xiaohe eventually took on the responsibility of naming. He planned to draft a few options for the family to discuss and decide. Initially, the parents wanted to take the flowerpot with them, but Chu Zhishui stopped them, insisting on keeping it at her home.
"Alright, goodbye Mimi. Grandpa will come to see you in a couple of days," Chu Xiaohe waved at the flowerpot before leaving, his voice gentle and loving, as if the flowerpot were a real infant.
Xie Yan smiled: "Remember to bring Mimi over on the weekend."
After Chu Xiaohe and Xie Yan left, Xin Yunmao finally couldn't hold back, incredulously saying, "They don't even talk to us anymore."
The couple was now fully focused on the bamboo rice, completely uninterested in asking Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao anything, fully immersed in the role of grandparents. If the bamboo rice hadn't transformed into a human form, Xin Yunmao suspected Chu Xiaohe would have started teaching it cooking and chess, deeply feeling his own status decline.
He wanted to say that although the bamboo rice seemed weak, its demonic energy was stronger than most monsters, and it didn't need such constant care!
Chu Zhishui quickly hugged the jealous demon, softly comforting him, "Alright, I'll talk to you later, I'll play chess with you."
As time passed, the bamboo rice finally sprouted in the flowerpot, revealing delicate and beautiful green shoots. After absorbing sunlight and the essence of the supernatural, it slowly began to explore the new world.
The day it transformed into a human form was also the day the family finalized its name. Chu Xiaohe combined various ideas and thought "Chu Zhixue" sounded nice. The name represented both Xin Yunmao and Chu Zhishui through the imagery of branches and snow, and "snow" held special meaning for them.
Xin Yunmao recalled memories related to snow and nodded, "It's good."
"Chu Zhixue?" Chu Zhishui said, "But that's a girl's name. We can decide later whether to keep it after it transforms..."
In the next moment, the flowerpot on the sofa emitted an eerie aura. As soon as Chu Zhishui uttered the name, the bamboo rice transformed in response, condensing into a seven or eight-month-old baby girl, appearing delicate and adorable.
She had bright round eyes, very similar to Chu Zhishui's childhood, but her eyebrows and eyes also bore traces of Xin Yunmao's features. She lay half-sitting on the sofa, her big eyes curiously scanning her surroundings. Unlike other monsters, she didn't immediately transform into an adult form but instead remained in an infantile state.
Chu Xiaohe and Xie Yan witnessed this scene, both surprised and delighted. They wanted to approach and hold the child but hesitated, afraid that any sudden movement might be harmful.
Chu Zhishui exclaimed, "Why is she like her dad? She appears as soon as her name is called."
She had originally wondered why the bamboo rice hadn't transformed, but now it seemed it was because it didn't have a name, so it couldn't proceed to the human transformation stage.
"You can hold her; she's actually very strong," Xin Yunmao said, looking at the little bamboo rice. Seeing her reminded him of Chu Zhishui's childhood, and he couldn't help but want to reach out and hold her, stepping forward eagerly.
However, the deity seemed to have forgotten one thing: he wasn't popular with young monsters.
The porcelain-like girl pouted, dodging her father's arms and rolling towards her grandparents, her expression of disdain identical to Chu Zhishui's childhood.
Xin Yunmao was deeply grieved: "!!?"
Chu Zhishui, fearing that the deity would feel disheartened, quickly rushed over, cautiously extending her hand and successfully picking up the little bamboo rice. She then sat next to Xin Yunmao, stabilizing the situation. The young girl behaved well in Chu Zhishui's arms, playing with her fingers quietly as the family observed her.
Chu Xiaohe's face lit up: "Can I hold Mimi?"
Chu Zhishui glanced at Xin Yunmao beside her and politely suggested, "Let her get used to it first."
If Chu Xiaohe really picked up the child, it would likely further damage the bamboo monster's ego.
Xie Yan: "Mimi looks about seven or eight months old."
"Monsters are born with spiritual wisdom, so they've probably been growing before transforming," Chu Zhishui explained.
Calculating from the time they discovered the bamboo rice, its growth rate was similar to that of a human.
If human babies were particularly intelligent, they might start speaking at seven or eight months. The bamboo rice baby clearly inherited Chu Zhishui's intelligence. As soon as she finished adapting, she said in a childish voice, "Kindergarten!"
Not "Dad" or "Mom," but "kindergarten" was her first word.
Chu Xiaohe praised enthusiastically: "Mimi is strong, and the country is strong! Already thinking about going to school!"
Mimi then said another word: "Meal!"
Chu Xiaohe immediately expanded on it, clapping, "Yes, yes, yes! Be a little role model!"
Chu Zhishui: "..."
She felt that Hong Ximing's theory was correct; she and the bamboo spirit's daughter truly seemed to be born for kindergarten meals.
