“Tao Tao.”
Although Feng Yuan had sensed that Tao Zhi wasn’t human, he still wasn’t afraid.
He looked at Tao Zhi and asked, “Why did you take me away?”
Hearing the name “Tao Tao”, Tao Zhi frowned slightly.
But he answered Feng Yuan’s question: “If you go in, you’ll be in danger.”
Feng Yuan: “?”
Feng Yuan caught on immediately.
His chubby little arms wrapped around Tao Zhi’s neck. He chirped happily in his childish voice, “Tao Tao, you’re trying to protect me! Did Little Deer send you to protect me? Little Deer is so wonderful!”
Tao Zhi: “…”
Tao Zhi: “Little Deer didn’t send me.”
Little Deer had no idea about Tao Zhi’s whereabouts today.
Before leaving, Little Deer had prepared plenty of food for Tao Zhi in the hotel and told him that if he got hungry, he could ring the bell for room service.
After Little Deer left, Tao Zhi devoured all the food meant to last him the entire day in just a few minutes.
He reverted to his true form, his gluttonous maw swallowing the food whole.
This was how Taotie fed—brutal and terrifying.
But Tao Zhi had never shown his true form in front of Little Deer.
Many years ago, while he was eating, a mortal had caught sight of him.
The mortal, witnessing his feeding posture, had been scared to death on the spot.
Taotie would eat anything—except humans.
When he was still a young Taotie, he had received kindness from humans. So, while he devoured beasts, fish, and all living and dead things, he had never eaten a human.
Even in front of Little Deer, he restrained his desires while eating.
Little Deer had remarked that his eating style appeared refined but was actually quite fierce. It was a perfect balance.
Little Deer quite liked him that way.
“Mmm, we only met because of Little Deer. Little Deer is the best!”
Feng Yuan adored Little Deer to no end.
He racked his brains to attribute Tao Zhi’s act of saving him to Little Deer.
Tao Zhi had no intention of competing for credit.
Standing in the deserted wilderness, the pair—one large, one small—remained silent for a moment. Feng Yuan scratched his little face: “Tao Tao, mosquitoes are biting Yuan Yuan.”
Feng Yuan had a physique that attracted mosquitoes.
If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up covered in bites.
The spot they were in was surrounded by grass, an environment teeming with mosquitoes and insects.
As soon as Feng Yuan finished scratching, Tao Zhi noticed a small bump forming on his right cheek.
A mosquito bite.
That little bump darkened Tao Zhi’s eyes.
He didn’t mind reverting to his true form in front of Feng Yuan.
So, the next moment, he transformed into a massive Taotie, opened his enormous mouth, and swallowed everything around him.
Feng Yuan, who had been set down on the ground: “???”
The little one was utterly dumbfounded.
The once lush green grass had been cleared away almost instantly.
A breeze swept by, stirring the few remaining blades of grass.
Taotie opened his mouth again and sucked in the wind along with the grass blades.
Feng Yuan: “!”
Feng Yuan was so stunned by Taotie’s whirlwind-like ferocity that he plopped down on his bottom.
“Roar.”
Gone.
Feng Yuan could understand Taotie’s roar.
Not only did he understand the sound, but he also grasped its meaning.
Earlier, a mosquito had bitten him. The mosquito was hiding in the grass, so Taotie had eaten all the grass.
Having figured out the logic, Feng Yuan raised his little hand, wanting to pat Taotie.
Taotie belonged to the category of fierce beasts.
His head was not something just anyone could touch.
But under Feng Yuan’s beckoning little hand, Taotie lowered his massive head.
Feng Yuan smoothly touched the Taotie.
“Hehe, hehe.”
Just as Feng Yuan was petting it, his little body was nudged over by the Taotie’s head.
The little one lay on the ground, using his two chubby hands to hug Taotie.
But Taotie licked him instead.
Feng Yuan was licked so much that he wobbled and rolled several times on the ground.
The sturdy little one wasn’t afraid of being licked or getting dirty.
He giggled uncontrollably from the licking.
“Tao Tao, your mouth is so big!”
Feng Yuan’s chubby hands wandered around, even touching Taotie’s teeth.
The large and small pair played on the barren ground, seemingly having a great time.
Meanwhile, the Li family, who had rushed over, had already identified Tao Zhi’s figure from the surveillance footage.
Li Sheng recognized him instantly.
“It’s the person who came with Little Deer. Both Yuan Yuan and I have seen him before.”
Feng Qi also recognized Tao Zhi in the footage.
The moment he saw Tao Zhi clearly, his entire demeanor shifted for the worse.
“Li Sheng, it’s Taotie!”
After uttering these words, Feng Qi rushed out to find his child.
The Taotie that thing eats everything!
Feng Qi was well aware of how delicious his son was.
His son was so delectable that the gluttonous Taotie would never be able to resist.
The thought that Taotie had already taken his son away for some time made Feng Qi tremble uncontrollably.
As Feng Qi rushed out to find his son, Li Sheng naturally followed without a second thought.
Just as both dads were on the verge of losing their minds, Feng Yuan, who had been playing with Taotie’s teeth, finally remembered his family.
“Oh no!”
The little one slapped his forehead, recalling this important matter: “I haven’t reassured Grandpa and my brothers and sisters yet!”
Grandpa and his cousins had seen him get taken away. They must be worried sick.
As he spoke, Feng Yuan opened his smartwatch and called his grandpa.
“Hello? It’s Yuan Yuan!”
“I’m fine. Tao Tao carried me away!”
“Huh? Dad is coming to find Yuan Yuan?”
Feng Yuan sat inside Taotie’s mouth while making the call.
Before he could finish the call, a phoenix swooped down from the sky.
It was Feng Qi, who had rushed over frantically.
When Feng Qi saw his son inside Taotie’s mouth, he was enraged. His sharp claws slashed directly at Taotie.
“Taotie! Spit my son out!”
The phoenix’s furious roar clearly startled Taotie.
The little one inside Taotie’s mouth was spat out.
After spitting out the child, Taotie, seeing the furious phoenix, growled lowly, trying to explain.
But the phoenix didn’t listen to its explanation.
“How dare you touch my child? I’ll make you pay with your life!”
The battle between the phoenix and the Taotie was fierce and intense.
Meanwhile, Li Sheng, who had come with the phoenix, didn’t forget to remind him: “Feng Qi! Take its Taotie blood!”
Three drops of blood from the Taotie’s heart could be used by Feng Qi!
While picking up his son, who had been tossed to the ground, Li Sheng shouted up at the phoenix.
After shouting, he lowered his head and quickly checked Feng Yuan’s little body.
When he saw the tooth marks on Feng Yuan’s chubby cheeks, Li Sheng was furious.
Both dads wanted the Taotie dead.
Feng Yuan watched the fight, stunned.
“Dad!”
Seeing Taotie being pinned down and beaten, Feng Yuan grew anxious: “Stop fighting!”
Tao Tao hadn’t eaten him!
He and Tao Tao were just playing!
Feng Yuan was frantic on the ground. The battling phoenix also noticed that Taotie was holding back.
But he didn’t stop immediately.
Until he heard the child, held by Li Sheng on the ground, burst into tears.
“Don’t hit Tao Tao.”
Feng Yuan cried out between sobs, “Don’t beat Tao Tao to death.”
If Tao Tao were beaten to death, Little Deer would surely be heartbroken.
Then he and Little Deer could never be good friends again.
The more Feng Yuan thought about it, the sadder he became. His crying grew increasingly intense.
Amid his wails, Feng Qi finally calmed down.
He landed and approached his son.
Behind him, Taotie also transformed back into human form.
In his human form, Taotie bore a few bruises on his face.
Seeing Taotie injured, Feng Yuan stretched out his little hands, asking to be held.
Feng Qi watched his son seeking comfort and then glanced at Taotie, who still had visible injuries, before stepping forward to pick up Feng Yuan.
He frowned and asked, “Yuan Yuan, what happened?”
Feng Yuan wiped his tears with his small hands.
In a trembling, childish voice, he explained the situation to his dad.
“Tao Tao was trying to protect Yuan Yuan, not eat him.”
Although Feng Yuan had clarified the misunderstanding, Feng Qi still felt uneasy about him being with Taotie.
“It was my misunderstanding.”
Feng Qi was not the type to cling stubbornly to pride.
Once he realized it was a misunderstanding, he apologized to Taotie without hesitation.
He also offered compensation.
Li Sheng promised him three conditions: “Whether it’s money or anything else, as long as I can do it, I won’t go back on my word.”
The three promises made Taotie nod in agreement.
“Alright.”
He accepted the compensation of three promises.
After accepting the compensation, he raised his hand, his fingers transforming into the sharp claws of a fierce beast.
In the next moment.
His claws pierced his chest. He drew blood from his heart, handing it to Feng Qi.
“I heard you say you needed this earlier.”
Taotie tossed a small vial containing three drops of blood to Li Sheng. “Little Deer said he doesn’t want to always take advantage of you.”
Their current accommodation was paid for by Li Sheng.
Now, Li Sheng had also given him three promises.
Taotie offered these three drops of blood as a gesture of reciprocity.
Taotie’s straightforwardness finally changed Feng Qi’s opinion of him.
“You’ve changed.”
Feng Qi had dealt with Taotie before.
But the current Taotie was vastly different from the one he remembered.
It seemed as though he had transformed from a mere beast into one with more human-like emotions.
The two sides reconciled on the spot.
Feng Yuan pouted and blew gently on Taotie’s wounds.
His warm breath brushed against Taotie’s face.
Perhaps because he had just drunk milk, Taotie caught the scent of milk and the child’s natural fragrance.
In front of the little one’s two fathers, Taotie swallowed hard once again.
Seeing him swallow, Feng Qi’s eyelids twitched.
“Yuan Yuan, come to Dad. I’ll get some medicine to apply to his wounds.”
Feng Qi wanted to take his son away.
But Feng Yuan was completely uncooperative.
Feng Yuan wrapped his small arms tightly around Taotie’s neck.
“Yuan Yuan will go home later. Yuan Yuan needs to find Little Deer now.”
He had caused Tao Tao to get hurt. Now, he had to seek out Little Deer to apologize.
Tao Tao was raised by Little Deer.
If Tao Tao was injured, Little Deer would surely be distressed.
Feng Yuan didn’t want to lose Little Deer as a friend.
When Feng Yuan insisted on something, the adults usually couldn’t dissuade him.
Feng Qi looked at the two of them and finally had no choice but to let them go.
“Remember to come home tonight. Are you having dinner with Little Deer?”
“Mm! Yuan Yuan is treating!”
Feng Yuan had the card given to him by Charles. He had tested it the last time he went to buy a pot.
With this card, he could buy whatever he wanted in the mall!
The mall’s fifth floor was the dining area. Feng Yuan planned to treat everyone there.
Seeing how meticulously Feng Yuan had arranged his schedule, Feng Qi had no choice but to relent.
“Bye, Dad!”
The little one, his eyes still a bit red, sat in Taotie’s arms and waved his small hand at his Dad.
Watching him leave, Feng Qi felt a mix of complicated emotions.
“Li Sheng, do you know what Yuan Yuan is in Taotie’s eyes?”
Li Sheng: “What?”
Feng Qi sighed wearily: “He’s like a plump, tender little snack.”
In all his years, Feng Qi had never seen Taotie carrying around a little snack without eating it—just holding it and looking at it.
Was this guy a masochist?
Feng Qi couldn’t control Feng Yuan’s choice of friends. Besides, he was exhausted from the fight earlier.
“Li Sheng, I’m tired.”
“Mm, I’ll carry you back.”
Li Sheng was already used to carrying Feng Qi. He scooped him up and was about to head home, but Feng Qi stopped him.
“Let’s go to that tattoo shop.”
Feng Qi hadn’t forgotten about it: “Taotie only took Yuan Yuan out of the tattoo shop to protect him.”
“Let’s go check out that place.”
Li Sheng hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
While the adults were busy again, Feng Yuan sat on Taotie’s arm, diligently blowing on his wound.
“Tao Tao, does it still hurt?”
“No, no need to blow on it.”
Feng Yuan’s blowing was pure torture for Taotie.
He was afraid that if he let him blow a few more times, he wouldn’t be able to hold back.
After blowing for a while, Feng Yuan’s mouth grew sore from the effort.
He stopped blowing and instead used his smartwatch to contact Little Deer.
He asked, “Little Deer, where are you?”
Little Deer said he was having a meal with friends.
Feng Yuan pressed further: “Where are you eating?”
Under his persistent questioning, Little Deer had no choice but to give him the name of the place.
“Yuan Yuan, I’m a bit busy right now. I’ll call you back later.”
With that, Little Deer hung up.
From the sounds on his end, it seemed a bit chaotic.
“Tao Tao, let’s go find Little Deer.”
Feng Yuan continued tapping on his smartwatch, preparing to call more family members.
As for the place Little Deer mentioned, it just so happened that Feng Yuan knew where it was.
He had eaten there before with his grandpa.
The chestnut-flavored mini cakes at that restaurant were especially delicious!
Once they reached a street with people, Feng Yuan turned on his smartwatch’s navigation.
He easily guided them to their destination.
As soon as they entered, the restaurant manager recognized him.
“Good evening, Young Master Yuan Yuan.”
“Good evening!”
Feng Yuan greeted the manager and then said, “I’m here to find my friend. His name is Little Deer. He has white hair and is really good-looking!”
Little Deer’s hair color changed from time to time.
Sometimes, when he lost PK battles during his livestreams, he’d be challenged to dye his hair.
Before Feng Yuan helped him gain more fans and viewers, Little Deer often lost his PKs.
White hair and good looks.
Combining these two traits, the manager immediately knew who he meant.
“There is a white-haired boy who came in. He arrived with several others. They’re in a private room on the second floor.”
After sharing this information, the manager, realizing that this white-haired boy was Feng Yuan’s friend, decided to spill a bit more.
“Young Master Yuan Yuan, it seems your friend might be in a bit of trouble.”
Feng Yuan: “?”
Feng Yuan was just about to have Taotie carry him upstairs when he froze upon hearing these words.
His chubby face turned serious as he pressed for details, “Was someone bullying Little Deer?”
Manager: “According to the waiter who delivered the food, it seems that might be the case.”
Having worked in the restaurant industry for years, the manager should have adhered to professional ethics.
But as luck would have it, this restaurant was part of a chain under the Li Corporation’s food-and-beverage brand.
The restaurant manager knew Feng Yuan’s identity.
This was the most treasured young master of the Li family. Both the family patriarch and the young miss had brought him here for meals before.
The manager had observed their interactions.
He was absolutely certain that within the Li family, this young master’s level of favor was anything but ordinary.
If he could win this young master’s favor, promotions and salary increases would be within reach.
Faced with such significant personal gain, the manager had no qualms about selling out the guests in the private room.
The private room was equipped with surveillance cameras.
The manager’s work phone was connected to the surveillance system. He immediately pulled up the footage.
He hadn’t watched this surveillance video before either.
He lowered his head and watched it together with Feng Yuan.
The video started playing from the moment the guests entered the private room.
In the footage, Little Deer wasn’t sitting.
He was standing, pouring drinks for one of them.
“Boss, Baozi has always had excellent skills, as you know. If you transfer him to the second team, the current lineup will need adjustments. It will take time for them to build chemistry for future matches. This might not be appropriate.”
Baozi was Little Deer’s former apprentice.
After Little Deer left the team, he proactively cut off their master-apprentice relationship.
But Baozi was a kid he had trained. He still had some attachment to him.
Though their relationship was officially severed, it wasn’t completely broken.
Little Deer hadn’t planned to tell Baozi about coming to watch the match.
But during today’s game, the team lost. While it appeared to be Baozi’s mistake, Little Deer saw clearly that it was actually the captain who failed to coordinate properly with Baozi.
The team owner was highly dissatisfied with the loss and blamed Baozi for the defeat, deciding to demote him to the second team after the match.
At the same time, a player from the second team would be promoted to replace him.
Baozi was a highly talented kid. Little Deer couldn’t bear to see him benched on the second team.
He showed up voluntarily and hosted this dinner.
Even though he was the one treating, he held the lowest status at the table.
There was no other way. The team contracts were all in the owner’s hands.
Baozi’s contract still had three years left.
That was too long. Baozi couldn’t afford to waste that time.
Little Deer knew that because of him, the team had always held a grudge against Baozi.
His departure from the team had caused quite a scene back then.
The owner’s younger sister, who was also the captain’s girlfriend, had initially been on good terms with him.
But that sweet-looking girl was, in reality, a terrifying bully.
No, she wasn’t just a bully. She was a psychological deviant.
She had led a group to bully another girl, driving her to a mental breakdown and a suicide attempt. Though the attempt failed, the victim remained unconscious in the hospital.
Little Deer had discovered evidence of her bullying. The evidence was horrifying.
That girl wasn’t even her first victim.
She had bullied someone else to death.
Little Deer handed all the evidence he found over to the police.
The boss’s sister was originally preparing to debut as a celebrity. She had even participated in a talent show.
But due to severe bullying allegations, she was taken away by the police.
Although her family used their connections to protect her, her dream of stardom was shattered, and she was left with a criminal record.
Little Deer was all alone. Even though he knew the verdict was unjust, there was nothing more he could do.
He tried posting the evidence online, but another high-profile incident quickly buried the story.
He tried many methods, but none of them worked.
Back then, the boss and the team captain wished they could finish him off.
Little Deer had an innocent, harmless face, but he was far from foolish.
He managed to ensure his own safety and, after some effort, terminated his contract.
When he left, it felt like he had been skinned alive, but at least he finally escaped that living hell.
However, he couldn’t get Baozi out of his contract.
At the time, Baozi was also short on money. Since the team offered a high salary, he told Little Deer not to bother trying to help him.
Because Baozi was still with the team, Little Deer had always tolerated the team’s behavior.
He ignored the false accusations the boss threw at him and the hired trolls who attacked him online.
But now the boss wants to demote Baozi to a second-tier team. That was unacceptable.
If Baozi were moved to the second-tier team, his salary would be cut.
Baozi had a sick mother who required expensive medical treatment to stay alive.
For Baozi’s mother, and for Baozi himself…
Even though Little Deer was disgusted by the boss and the captain, he had to suppress his feelings for now.
Baozi saw him as a mentor, so Little Deer had to look after this kid.
Right now, whether it meant apologizing or anything else, Little Deer could do it without batting an eye.
Having grown up in an orphanage, he had no backing or connections since childhood.
When it came to pride and dignity, he knew when to let them go—and he did so without hesitation.
Little Deer diligently offered drinks.
But the captain, who was accepting the drink, suddenly trembled and failed to hold the glass steady.
A full glass of red wine spilled all over Little Deer’s clothes.
His white T-shirt was instantly stained.
“Have your hands gone useless after being away from the pro scene for so long? You can’t even hold a glass properly.”
Even though it was his own hand that had trembled, the captain shamelessly shifted the blame to Little Deer.
The other teammates chimed in, all taking the captain’s side.
Outside the surveillance room, Feng Yuan listened to their mockery of Little Deer. His chubby little fists clenched tightly.
“Bullies!”
“How dare they bully my Little Deer!”
In Feng Yuan’s eyes, Little Deer was so good. How could these people treat him like this?
Feng Yuan clenched his fists, unable to watch any more.
Fuming, he climbed down and ran to the second floor.
Soon after, the door to the private room on the second floor swung open.
A cute, curly-haired little boy walked into the room.
When he entered, Little Deer was being forced to drink.
The captain pointed at several bottles of strong liquor on the table and ordered Little Deer to chug them.
Drinking that much hard liquor could easily kill a person.
Baozi was crying hysterically, tugging at Little Deer and begging him not to drink.
He sobbed, saying he was willing to stay in the second-tier team.
But Little Deer refused.
As soon as Feng Yuan entered and saw Little Deer being forced to drink, he climbed onto a chair next to the dining table, grabbed a bottle of liquor, and poured it straight over the captain’s head.
The captain was completely stunned.
But Feng Yuan wasn’t satisfied yet.
He picked up another bottle and poured it over the boss’s head.
Before he could finish pouring the second bottle, everyone in the room snapped out of their shock.
“You little bastard, you dare splash me!”
“Fuck, I’ll kill you!”
Drenched in alcohol, the captain and the boss were seething with rage, raising their hands to grab Feng Yuan.
Feng Yuan smashed the wine bottle directly onto the boss.
After hitting him, he tried to jump down from the chair first.
But as he jumped, he didn’t pay attention and accidentally twisted his chubby little foot.
“Ah!”
The little one, now sitting on the ground with a twisted foot, had tears welling up in his eyes.
Seeing him on the floor, the boss and the captain raised their feet to kick him.
But before they could land a blow, they were grabbed like chickens and thrown to the ground.
“Tao Zhi.”
Little Deer, watching Feng Yuan and Tao Zhi enter, felt his mind turning to mush.
He hadn’t expected this pair—one big, one small—to show up.
The private room was in chaos.
When the manager arrived at the door and saw the young master sitting on the floor, he was nearly scared out of his wits.
Meanwhile, the people in the room were still hurling threats and curses at the young master.
They called him a “bastard brat” and spewed the filthiest insults.
Not only did they curse Feng Yuan, but they also went so far as to insult his entire family lineage.
The manager listened, trembling with fear, and promptly notified Old Master Li.
The boss, who had insulted Feng Yuan’s ancestors, claimed to be surnamed Hu. The Hu ranked 42nd on the domestic rich list.
Even as Tao Zhi beat him black and blue, the boss kept threatening to make them pay.
Feng Yuan, nursing his twisted foot in Little Deer’s arms, continued to cry while staring at his injury.
Amid the chaos, Little Deer noticed the manager making a call outside the door.
He also saw the manager’s gaze fixed on Feng Yuan as he spoke on the phone.
At that moment, he knew—
His former boss was finished.
“Brother Hu, stop acting tough. You’ve pushed your luck too far,” Little Deer said calmly. “Picking a fight with Yuan Yuan? You’ve just kicked an iron plate.”
Boss Hu didn’t believe him.
He dodged Tao Zhi’s grasp and retreated until his back was almost against the wall.
He, too, was on the phone.
He had connections with local gangsters in the area.
Right in front of Little Deer and Feng Yuan, he placed an order with the gangster he’d contacted.
“Help me take care of a kid. Just make him disappear, and I’ll give you 500,000 USD.”
While placing the order, Boss Hu even asked for Feng Yuan’s name.
Tearfully rubbing his chubby foot, Feng Yuan answered, “Feng Yuan.”
“Feng Yuan.”
Boss Hu repeated the name.
Less than three seconds after he said it, he was met with a furious outburst.
“Fuck! You dare mess with Robert’s grandson?!”
Robert had just publicly announced another grandson besides the twins, Li Si and Li Wang.
Feng Yuan’s name had already spread throughout the underworld.
No one dared to provoke Robert.
So, no one would dare lay a finger on this little one named Feng Yuan.
Hearing the dial tone on his phone, Boss Hu looked at the chubby toddler with tears in his eyes.
A sense of foreboding finally rose in his heart.
And when the manager, accompanied by bodyguards, respectfully surrounded Feng Yuan, that foreboding reached its peak.
“Who… who are you?!”
Boss Hu stared at Feng Yuan as if he were a terrifying monster.
Tearfully, Feng Yuan replied, “I’m Yuan Yuan.”
After Feng Yuan’s answer, Little Deer, holding him, added, “He’s the Li family’s Yuan Yuan.”
The Li family.
Hearing those two words, Boss Hu instantly thought of a certain Li family he had heard of.
“No… it can’t be.”
Boss Hu was in disbelief.
However, in the next moment, the manager said to Feng Yuan, “Young Master Yuan Yuan, your Big Dad and grandpa are here.”
Hearing that his Big Dad and grandpa had arrived, the little one instantly looked utterly aggrieved.
He stretched out his small hands toward the people entering through the door and called out, “Big Dad! Grandpa!”
Li Sheng looked at the tearful child, took two large strides forward, and reached out to take the little one into his arms.
As soon as the child nestled into Li Sheng’s embrace, he immediately pointed to his chubby little foot and started complaining.
“Big Dad, my foot hurts!”
The little one’s fair, plump foot had been twisted. His ankle was noticeably red.
Li Sheng’s gaze turned icy cold at the sight.
Meanwhile, Li Heng, standing behind him, fixed his dark, intense eyes firmly on Boss Hu’s face.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152