I'm on the Ark, and I start out as Gretchen.

"Aren't you cold... Oh well, whatever, I'll just leave it at that for now. As for why I'm here, well, it's because I'm curious~"

Seeing the little head pop out of her arms, Lois couldn't resist reaching out and touching it, then continued to explain:

"There have been rumors that Alina brought her biological daughter back from outside, and since my older sister hasn't told us about your situation, of course I have to come and see for myself."

"

Eldest sister...?

"It's the one who brought you food before. Since you're so interested in your older sister, why don't you go take a look again!"

Before Gretsch could even agree, Lois grabbed the little girl wrapped in her clothes and rushed out.

"Eh……"

Gretsch was so stunned by Lois's sudden action that she even forgot to struggle.

To be honest, whether before or after her time travel, this was the first time she had ever met a girl as enthusiastic as Lois.

?;

Passionate, energetic, and vibrant, surrounded by a fiery red hue... making Gretchen feel both warm and intense.

However, while the little girl was still confused, Lois had already arrived at her destination.

"Big sister, and everyone else, look what a treasure I brought!"

;?

P.S.: This one might be a bit of a mess. Something unexpected happened yesterday. I had some dental issues and went to the dentist today to get it fixed... I expect it will hurt for several more days, making it impossible to concentrate on writing.

In addition, I also need to go out for driving practice, so I'm sorry, I'll probably have to keep updating only once a week until I reach the 3-word milestone and sign the contract. Please bear with me.

Chapter 9 Yeti Squad, I will... march!

"Big sister, and everyone else, look what a treasure I brought!"

Lois's shout immediately drew the attention of everyone sitting around the campfire.

"?"

"?"

"Lois, what were you doing just now?"

"Baby! Where's the baby?!"

"Heh heh! Of course the baby's here!"

Seeing the curious looks from the Yeti team, Lois snorted and gently patted her bulging clothes.

Before anyone could ask any further questions, she gently pulled her winter coat open a little.

Then, Gretchen, the world's cutest girl, poked her little head out of Lois's arms once again.

"..."

Then, in an instant, everyone around fell silent...

However, the silence didn't last long. After everyone realized what was happening, they immediately surrounded the group and started talking all at once.

"Lois, you...when did you have a child without telling us!"

"Where did this child come from? Wait... Lois, you didn't steal Alina's child, did you?!"

"Wow, wow! The little guy is so cute, come here and let your big brother hold him!"

"You can move aside, if anyone should be carrying someone, it should be me!"

"Alright, don't scare Greta. And what do you mean by stealing? I'm just taking the kids out to play!"

Looking at her unreliable friends, Lois took a step back while clutching Gretsch in her arms, and said irritably.

"We won't scare her!"

"Your name is Gretchen, right? So put the baby down quickly, you can't hold her all by yourself!"

Just as the Yeti team was playing around, a calm and aloof voice rang out from behind them.

"Lois, put that child down."

"Alright, big sister..."

Upon hearing this voice, Lois's face showed a hint of helplessness, and then she obediently put the little girl in her arms down.

Lois could ignore what anyone else said, but the one who spoke just now was Yelena, the leader of their Yeti squad.

"Well……"

Once again, barefoot on the soft, cool snow, Gretchen gently shook her little feet to adjust to the outside temperature.

Sure enough, compared to the cold temperature outside, she felt much more comfortable in Lois's warm embrace, surrounded by red and warm yellow.

"Hmm? Why is this little guy dressed so scantily?"

"She wasn't even wearing shoes. Lois, did you force her out of bed?"

Seeing Gretchen's adorable appearance, the members of the Yeti team were almost melted. However, after noticing her thin clothing, they looked at Lois with suspicion.

"Go away, little Greta isn't afraid of the cold, and don't all crowd around here. Go back to your original spots." Upon hearing this, Lois put her hands on her hips and said to the people in front of her in an annoyed manner.

"Hmm... I'm not afraid of the cold."

Upon hearing Lois's words, Gretchen nodded in agreement and then explained earnestly.

;?;

"Oh, I see! That's amazing!"

"Yes, yes, they're not afraid of the cold at all. Could it be that they're like their older sister?"

"Idiot, don't you think about how that's possible? If it were someone like the eldest sister, how could Lois possibly hold her in her arms?"

Watching the members of the Yeti team frolicking before her, Gretchen slowly opened her eyes wide... a hint of nostalgia flashed in them.

Because she saw large swaths of warm yellow in these people...it was very comforting.

Even in Gretchen's memory, she had only ever seen such a rich, warm yellow color when the Fire Moth lived with everyone else.

"Um……?"

Just then, Gretchen suddenly noticed a scrutinizing gaze upon her as she peered through the gap between the group of people.

...The first thing that caught the eye was a tall Wendigo, dressed in pure black armor and a cloak, the Patriot Bozokasti.

Facing the patriot's scrutiny, Gretchen showed no fear. She raised her small head... and met those scarlet eyes directly.

The two stared at each other for a short while, and suddenly Gretchen's aura changed, transforming from innocent and naive to seasoned, composed, and sharp.

"Yeti Squad, I'm going to... march!"

Then, Gretchen took out her paintbrush, held it up, and solemnly and domineeringly declared to the Yeti team members surrounding her.

"...Pfft, little Greta, you're so cute! Who are you imitating, Daddy?"

Lois, unaware of Gretchen's special abilities, couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at the adorable little girl in front of her.

Not only her, but the other members of the Yeti team who heard Gretsch's announcement also laughed.

"Pfft, hahaha, the little guy really imitated it very well."

"Yes, yes, but they're just too cute."

"I have to say, the aura is quite similar."

Patriot was not offended by Gretsch's sudden imitation of him; he simply watched quietly, lost in thought.

This time, the coloring came and went quickly. After ending her eye contact with Patriot, Gretchen quickly withdrew into his color.

"Well……"

Gretchen, now back to her blank state, first glanced at the laughing yetis standing beside her. Then, she took small steps, bypassing them, and walked towards Yelena, who was sitting by the campfire not far away.

Although Gretsch had a very good impression of the Yeti squad members, she still wanted to get to know Yelena. If possible, she also wanted to paint a picture using Frostnova's colors.

After walking up to Yelena, Gretchen stopped and looked at her with serious eyes, saying earnestly, "My name is Gretchen... I'm a painter. And you, sister?"

"...My name is Yelena, codename Froststar, and I'm the captain of the Yeti Squad." Seeing Gretsch's seriousness, Yelena paused for a moment, then stood up and replied earnestly in return.

Looking at the earnest little cutie in front of her, Yelena actually wanted to pat his head. However, she could only think about it; she couldn't even shake his hand, let alone pat his head.

Although Yelena had confirmed through her own observations that Gretchen was indeed not afraid of the cold, not being afraid of the cold did not necessarily mean that she would not get frostbite after coming into contact with her.

Therefore, without knowing the specifics, she wouldn't do anything that could potentially harm the adorable girl in front of her just because of a fleeting thought.

But just then, a warm and soft touch suddenly came from Yelena's right hand, which was hanging by her side...

P.S.: Two things happened today, one good for you and the other bad.

The good news is that last night I said I'd only update once a week before signing the contract, and twice a week after, and today I got nominated for the contract...

The bad thing is, I made a stupid mistake today... I forgot to sign one name when signing the contract, and now it's been rejected. I can only re-sign it tomorrow. So, only one update today, two updates tomorrow after the contract is signed.

All my teeth are aching. I spent the whole afternoon writing this chapter, and I still think the quality is a bit lacking. If you have any questions, you can mention them in the comments.

Chapter 10 Talulah, you are the leader!

"!"

Before she could even see it, Yelena felt the warm touch on her hand, and her first reaction was to shake it off. Then she said seriously, "Don't touch me."

"Well……"

After her hand was suddenly flung away, Gretchen didn't react much, nor did she seem disappointed. She simply continued to look at Yelena with her big eyes.

Others who don't know Yelena might not know, but she knows very well that the person in front of her is reacting so strongly simply because they are afraid of getting frostbite.

"Excuse me... Is your hand alright?"

Yelena looked at Gretchen, whose hand she had just brushed aside, but who hadn't cried or made a fuss, and whose expression hadn't even changed, but was still quietly looking at her. A hint of apology flashed in her eyes, and her voice softened involuntarily.

Upon hearing this, Gretchen simply shook her head slightly, then said earnestly, "...Are you cold, Sister Yelena? I'm not afraid of the cold, I'll warm you up."

After she finished speaking, Gretchen used her small hand, which had just been pushed away, to grasp Yelena's hand again, which, despite being gloved, remained chilly.

And just as Gretchen had always said, she was indeed not afraid of the cold... and showed absolutely no signs of frostbite.

After observing for a while and confirming that there was nothing unusual, Yelena finally felt relieved. Even so, she didn't dare to move her hand, simply letting the little girl hold it.