...

“Vivio, after listening to that story, you should understand now how much difference there is between a child with a father and one without. A child without a father will not only be ridiculed and despised but also bullied by others. But a child with a father won't suffer such unfair treatment; moreover, they can eat good things, go to fun places, wear pretty clothes, and be happy every day.”

Lin Luo lowered his head and spoke to the girl in his arms after finishing his tale.

Vivio, with a complex expression, looked up and asked worriedly, “But what if Vivio doesn’t have a father?”

Lin Luo smiled nonchalantly, “That’s simple, just ask your mother to find one for you... Oh, right, while having more mothers is always better, one father is enough. If you have more than one father, a very tragic story will unfold, which is absolutely forbidden; this must be remembered!”

Vivio nodded, then asked, “Then who should Vivio find to be my father?”

“Hmm, well...” Lin Luo pondered for a moment, then said, “First, a father must be handsome, otherwise, it’ll be impossible to find you more mothers. Second, he must be strong so he can protect you and the mothers. Third, he must be able to eat anything, so if there’s only one bun, the father can give the food to you and the mothers to eat until you’re full. Gentleness and thoughtfulness are also essential, such as telling stories to the child or giving gifts. Of course, the most important thing is that both Vivio and the mothers must like him; if there’s no liking, it’s absolutely unacceptable... As long as you find someone who meets the above requirements, he can be your father.”

“I see.” Vivio instantly understood and immediately began searching her memory for suitable father candidates, but she didn't know many men. After eliminating those individuals one by one, her gaze finally locked onto Lin Luo. “Uncle, I found that only you meet the criteria to be my father.”

“Ah! Is that so?” Lin Luo showed a look of surprise, and upon seeing Vivio nod, he immediately declared, “Since you’ve said so, I shall reluctantly...”

“But Uncle seems unsuitable.” Before Lin Luo could finish, Vivio shook her head in disappointment.

Hearing this, Lin Luo suddenly stiffened, feeling the frustrating awkwardness of being ready but unable to perform, and quickly asked, “How am I unsuitable?”

“Because Uncle is Uncle,” Vivio stated as a matter of course. “Uncle is the mothers’ older brother. Mother Nanoha said that siblings cannot marry.”

“So that’s it,” Lin Luo sighed in relief. He smiled and explained, “You don’t need to worry about that. Your mothers and I are not blood siblings; there is no blood relation, so that theory doesn't apply. Besides, the current era promotes that as long as there is love in your heart, even between biological siblings, it’s fine.”

Strange, didn't I say something like this not long ago?

“Is it really okay?” Vivio’s eyes lit up, staring intently at Lin Luo.

“Of course, I am someone who never lies,” Lin Luo nodded emphatically.

“Then, Uncle, are you willing to be Vivio’s father?”

Lin Luo chuckled, “Well... I certainly have no problem with it, but the mothers might be a little troublesome. After all, grown girls are often tsundere—wanting something in their hearts but saying no with their mouths. It will be very difficult with just me, so for the mothers to accept a father quickly, Vivio must also work hard to help.”

“Vivio will work hard!” Vivio immediately clenched her little fist and said seriously.

“What a good child,” Lin Luo patted her head. “Then, let’s plan properly next. Lean in close... When the mothers get back later, you’ll do this and that...”

“Have you memorized it all?” Lin Luo asked after more than ten minutes.

“Vivio knows what to do,” Vivio nodded heavily, then added, “But the mothers aren’t back yet. Uncle, tell me another story?”

“Still listening to stories? Hmm... what should I tell now?” Lin Luo tilted his head and mumbled, “Snow White? The Little Mermaid? Naruto? No, no, these stories are too advanced for you.”

“Why?” Vivio tilted her head up, puzzled. “Mother Nanoha told me the story of Snow White—a princess as beautiful as snow, persecuted by her evil stepmother, driven out of the palace, saved by seven little dwarfs, and finally lived happily ever after with a handsome prince.”

“That’s just the fairy tale version of Snow White; the real version isn’t like that,” Lin Luo shook his head. “It’s like the Calabash Brothers. Although everyone thinks it’s a story of kinship where seven brothers fight the evil Snake Demon to save Grandpa, eventually defeating the demon and successfully rescuing him. The reality is that the beautiful Snake Demon fell in love with the Grandpa, who, despite being nearly a hundred years old, still possessed lingering charm. From this, we can see the Snake Demon’s soul is more beautiful than her appearance, completely unbound by secular norms. This is a view of love that transcends species and age. Thus, for love, the Snake Demon kidnapped the Grandpa. However, the seven Calabash Brothers didn't know the truth and were blinded by reality. One by one, they went to save the Grandpa. Although they were all defeated by the Snake Demon, the kind Snake Demon didn't kill them; instead, she allowed the seven brothers to truly merge into one, becoming the Diamond Calabash. Finally, the Diamond Calabash realized that his true love was the Snake Demon, and the Snake Demon was also captivated by the Diamond Calabash’s handsomeness and power. In the end, the two lived a happy and fulfilling life... such a love story.”

“It’s so complicated... Then where did Grandpa end up?” Vivio asked after listening.

“Hahahaha!” Lin Luo burst into laughter. “Before meeting his true love, Grandpa always thought he liked girls. It wasn’t until he met his destined one that he finally understood. In the end... Grandpa lived happily ever after with the Scorpion Demon, the Snake Demon's ex-husband.”

Vivio tilted her head, her mind full of question marks. She thought for a long time but couldn't decipher the complexity of the relationships in that story. Finally, a single sentence popped out, “Your circle is so messy.”

“Although I don't know why, it feels incredibly profound,” Vivio looked at Lin Luo with admiration.

“Of course, of course. The truth is always hidden beneath the surface of things; fools can never see it.”

“Then, Uncle, what is the real version of Snow White?”

“Uh!” Looking at Vivio’s expression full of 'I'm so curious,' Lin Luo felt a wave of difficulty. Although his own worldview had long been shattered and his childhood nonexistent, Vivio was still young. Showing her the cruel reality hidden beneath Snow White so soon would be too harsh. He could only say, “Although fairy tales are deceiving, you don't need to know the real version now. You’ll understand when you grow up.”

Vivio thought for a moment, then suddenly seemed to grasp something and said excitedly, “Does that mean if I can know the real version of Snow White, I will already be an adult?”

“Well... that’s not an entirely inaccurate way to put it.”

Crack!

Just then, a door suddenly opened in the infinite cosmic starry sky, revealing a small view of an ordinary living room. Then Nanoha’s head poked in from outside, asking strangely, “What real version of Snow White? Wow, what happened to our room?”

“Ah, Nanoha, you’re back,” Lin Luo instantly felt a pang of guilt.

“Mom!” Vivio called out affectionately, immediately jumping off Lin Luo’s lap and rushing to Nanoha.

Nanoha squatted down and said gently, “Why aren’t you asleep this late? What were you chatting about with Uncle?”

“Uncle was telling me stories.”

“What stories?”

“The story of a father and the story of the Calabash Brothers.”

Upon hearing Vivio’s words, Lin Luo instinctively turned his gaze away, looking blissfully at the surrounding starlight.

Nanoha obviously didn’t know how much Lin Luo’s stories could subvert one's worldview, nor did she dwell on it. After a few words, she took Vivio to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth... As for the refreshed room, she was only slightly surprised at first, but since Lin Luo was there, nothing was too strange.

Meanwhile, the moment Nanoha took Vivio out, Lin Luo quickly seized Nanoha’s inattention to give Vivio a “ready” look. Vivio nodded subtly, with an expression of “I get it.”

Through the ajar door, Lin Luo could hear the sounds of washing and brushing teeth coming from the bathroom. In the adjacent shower, the sound of rushing water indicated Fate was bathing. Lin Luo had no intention of interfering and remained in the room, quietly awaiting the arrival of the “plan.”

Not long after, Nanoha returned with Vivio, who had completed her pre-sleep routine. Fate also emerged from the bathroom wearing a cute nightgown. Her golden hair flowing down her back made her look exceptionally refreshed and capable, and the delicate fragrance of a young girl after a bath was uplifting.

“Brother, I’ve prepared a resting place for you in the guest room...”

After the three entered the room and found Lin Luo still sitting there, Nanoha immediately began to speak, but before she could finish, Vivio tugged at her sleeve, looked up, and said, “Mother Nanoha, Vivio wants a father.”

“Eh?!” Hearing this, Nanoha froze instantly, and Fate also wore a look of utter shock.

As for Lin Luo, he immediately slipped into an aloof state.

“Wh... why do you suddenly want a father?” Nanoha asked, completely perplexed, unable to grasp the origin of Vivio’s sudden idea.

Vivio immediately put on a pitiful expression and said, “The children at school often say that a child without a father is like a stray picked up from outside. Vivio doesn’t want to be a stray, nor does she want to be mocked by everyone. I really wish I had a father... Mother Nanoha, Mother Fate.”

“This...” Nanoha and Fate exchanged glances. As far as they knew, St. King Academy was supposed to be harmonious. How could such rumors exist? It sounded as if Vivio was frequently bullied by her classmates, which seemed impossible? But judging by Vivio’s expression, she didn't seem to be lying...

“Vivio, listen to Mom first...” Nanoha stroked Vivio’s head, seemingly about to offer words of comfort, but at that moment, Vivio appeared to recall something sad, and tears streamed down her face.

“Vivio.” Fate quickly crouched down to wipe the tears from her face.

“Look how sad she is when she cries; just agree to her request first,” Lin Luo said, having snapped out of his aloof state and rejoining the scene.

“How can you agree to something like this so casually!” Nanoha said, displeased, but upon seeing Lin Luo’s face, she suddenly remembered the evening’s events and blushed, lowering her head. “Besides...”

“Yes, finding a father... it shouldn't be so casual,” Fate concurred.

“Let’s discuss it then...” Lin Luo crouched down, pulling Vivio in front of him, and asked with a smile, “Vivio, while I understand your desire for a father, this concerns the mothers’ entire lives; it’s not something to be decided lightly. First, tell us, who do you wish to be your father?”

Vivio rubbed her eyes, then pointed at Lin Luo and said to Nanoha and Fate, “I want Uncle to be my father.”

“Huh! Me?” Lin Luo feigned shock.

“Ah!” Hearing Vivio’s words, Nanoha and Fate were startled, somewhat caught off guard, and instinctively averted their gazes from Lin Luo and Vivio.

“Is that not allowed?” Vivio looked up at them with expectant innocence.

“This...” At this moment, neither of them knew what to say. Although Nanoha had realized her feelings and didn't object, this was far too sudden; she wasn't mentally prepared at all. As for Fate, she was comparatively more reserved and had long noticed that faint feeling hidden deep within her heart, but regardless, she was still in a hazy stage, having never even experienced dating, to jump directly to the level of father and mother... the leap was too vast!

At this time, their feelings were incomparably conflicted and complex.

However, the power of a demanding child is immense; in front of such a child, even the strongest person is destined to fail. Even though Vivio didn't resort to crying, throwing tantrums, or threatening suicide, through her various acts of clinging and pestering, combined with Lin Luo’s subtle encouragement from the side, Nanoha and Fate could only vaguely agree... And in this process, they didn't even carefully consider why Lin Luo and Vivio were so perfectly in sync?

Women in love are foolish... In summary, this saying holds a lot of truth.

“Yay, that’s wonderful! Thank you, Mother Nanoha, Mother Fate.” After receiving nods of agreement from Nanoha and Fate, Vivio immediately stopped crying and cheered loudly.

They really agreed?

Looking at Vivio’s excited appearance, the two felt somewhat bewildered and confused.

“Since the matter is settled, I’ll go back to the guest room to sleep. I have to wake up early tomorrow,” Lin Luo said suddenly, yawning, preparing to walk out.

“Daddy, don’t go.” Before he could take a step, Vivio grabbed him and said seriously, “Mommy and Daddy have to sleep together.”

“Eh?!” At that instant, Nanoha and Fate turned to stone again.

“Vivio, this is a little inappropriate...” Lin Luo said with an embarrassed expression, trying to persuade her.

“No, no, you must sleep together!” Vivio wriggled, continuing to fuss.

Lin Luo turned to face Nanoha and Fate, wearing an expression that conveyed, “I have no choice left.”

“...” Although Lin Luo’s expression was innocent and helpless, for some reason, Nanoha and Fate felt something was amiss. Was it an illusion?

After countless failed attempts at persuasion, the demanding child’s victory was secured once more.

On that massive bed, completely covered by the starry vista but in reality large enough to hold four adults, Fate lay on the right side, Lin Luo lay to Fate’s left, Nanoha lay to Lin Luo’s left, and Vivio was on the far left... If viewed only with the naked eye, the sight resembled four heads suspended in the starlight, creating a rather unsettling feeling.

However, at this moment, Nanoha and Fate had no mind to care about that; their hearts were filled only with endless awkwardness and shyness.

“Vivio, are you asleep?” The extremely tense atmosphere made Nanoha desperate to say something.

Vivio... Clearly, after all that fussing, Vivio was already fast asleep.

“Fate-chan, are you still awake?” Out of options, Nanoha had to ask Fate for help across the silver expanse between them.

“Awake. Nanoha, is there something you want to say?” Fate immediately responded. How could she possibly be asleep in this situation? Although Nanoha was asking for help, wasn't Fate herself yearning for Nanoha’s rescue?

“Since you’re awake, let’s talk about something, perhaps about tomorrow’s plans... Ah!”

Nanoha exclaimed mid-sentence, as she felt a hand suddenly slip beneath her nightgown and begin to grope around her body.

“What’s wrong, Nanoha?” Fate quickly asked.

“N-nothing,” Nanoha suppressed the shiver running through her body and said in a low voice as if nothing was wrong.

“Oh... Uh ah!” Fate nodded, but as soon as she acknowledged it, her expression suddenly changed, and she let out a strange sound.

“Fate?” Nanoha asked with concern.

“N-nothing at all.” Fate tightly pursed her lips, her eyebrows twitching slightly.

Although the situation beneath the covers was hidden from sight, Fate clearly felt a hand slipping under her nightgown, stroking back and forth over her thigh. The intense sensation made her instinctively clamp her legs shut, but that wicked hand didn’t stop; instead, it grew more brazen, slowly inching toward the base of her thigh...

Meanwhile, Nanoha’s chest area had completely fallen.

Both believed they were the only ones being targeted and endured it silently so as not to alert the other, but their bodies were starting to grow restlessly agitated.

“Stop squirming; it’s late. Everyone should sleep peacefully,” Lin Luo stated calmly.

Then take your hand away!!!

Hearing this, both were moved to tears.