Familiar footsteps approached from the fields, and Li Hao's shoulders tensed. "Speaking of Father..." he whispered, shooting a meaningful look at his siblings. Li Hua instinctively moved closer to Bai Ying, whose crystalline whiskers twitched with curiosity at the approaching presence. Even the wind fox, usually so bold, slunk behind one of Mother's prized spirit-flowers, leaving only its luminescent tail visible among the petals.
"Bàba." The siblings greeted their father in unison. Their father was already looking at them, his smile deepening as the corners of his eyes crinkled.
Their father was never a stern man—he was hilarious, kind and gentle—but that didn't mean the siblings hadn't experienced their fair share of his lectures.
They hated disappointing their father, and his lectures were infamous for their length. Whether kneeling or standing in the courtyard, punishment time seemed to stretch forever, the position depending on the severity of their mischief.
