"Lulu, if you don't answer me, that means you're admitting it! So it's true—you really do dislike that I'm not tall and mighty!" Bai Di lowered his head, looking a little hurt.
The little cub in Si Lu's arms also drooped his head slightly.
What to do!
He wasn't tall and mighty either.
Not only that, he was just a baby deer. Would Mama not like him anymore?
Wuwuwu, poor Daddy Bai Di!
"Eeyah eeyah ya ya~" The little cub in Si Lu's arms waved his little hands around, trying to express something.
But once he finished his gestures, he realized—his mama couldn't understand him!
Eh?! (⊙o⊙)…
He suddenly froze.
So frustrating!
Mama doesn't understand him!
This is bad!
Now she'd like him even less!
The little cub's lips quivered, and his big eyes instantly filled with tears!
Only then did Si Lu realize something was wrong.
"Ah, Di, I didn't—I never said I liked those tall and mighty types!"
"You're my partners; I chose you myself. That means I like you—just like this." Si Lu looked at Bai Di's aggrieved expression and felt a pang in her heart.
Right, the little cub had also been trying to say something just now.
She quickly looked down at the baby in her arms and locked eyes with a teary little face. Si Lu froze.
What happened?!
Just now, the cub was totally fine.
Looking at how wronged he looked now, Si Lu's heart clenched.
"Little Chengyu, what's wrong? Don't scare Mama. Don't cry, okay? What were you saying? Mama didn't understand—"Are you feeling unwell?" Si Lu asked in a panic.
Next to her, Bai Di gave her a glance.
He had understood what the cub was saying earlier.
That's right!
Si Lu couldn't understand the cub's words.
"The cub's fine. He just feels the same as me—sad because we're not the tall and mighty kind of beastmen. He's afraid you won't like him, that you'll stop wanting him," Bai Di explained, watching Si Lu's flustered expression.
Little Chengyu nodded vigorously.
Exactly!
Daddy Bai Di got it right!
That's exactly what he meant.
"What kind of nonsense is that? How could I not like you? When did I ever say I preferred those tall, strong types? Everyone has their own preferences, and what I like is exactly the kind of person you are—not overly muscular, but strong in your own way, and very handsome too…"
"And you, little one—what kind of thoughts are you even having at such a young age? How could Mama not like you or get tired of you? You're the baby I carried and gave birth to—Mama loves you the most!"
After she finished, Si Lu gave the little cub in her arms a kiss, her eyes filled with motherly affection and indulgence.
She had carried and birthed this little one herself—how could she not love him?
"Remember, I'm your mama, not your mate…" Si Lu added after kissing him.
She couldn't help it—what Chengmo had said before had left her with a bit of a shadow in her heart.
Better to be cautious.
At first, the little guy had been deeply touched—who wouldn't be moved hearing such words from their mother? But the next second, he rolled his eyes.
Of course he knew she was his mama and not his mate!
"Really? You really like us like this? But Lulu, your favorite clearly isn't us—it's the cub," Bai Di said with a pout.
"Lulu, I want a kiss too," he said pitifully.
Why did Mama only kiss the baby and not him?
Bai Di was genuinely a little jealous—even if it was just of the cub.
Si Lu was speechless when she heard this. Seriously? A grown man competing with a baby for affection?
Still, they were all people she loved—so of course she had to show affection to everyone. Besides, it wasn't exactly a demanding request...
"A grown-up being jealous of a baby—shameless!" Si Lu teased but still leaned over and kissed Bai Di.
Bai Di was instantly overjoyed. He grinned so wide his mouth nearly reached his ears, and his starry eyes crinkled into crescent moons.
In her arms, the baby cub then reached out, hugged Si Lu's face, and gave her a kiss too, wagging his head joyfully.
"Eeyah eeyah~" He hummed while wiggling around, clearly delighted.
"What's he saying?" Si Lu asked with a laugh.
"He said he loves Mama the most—Mama smells nice, Daddy smells stinky," Bai Di replied, clearly a little offended.
Si Lu burst into bright laughter. No wonder this was her precious baby—he sure knew how to say sweet things!
The three of them—two big, one small—chattered and played as they walked back to their cave.
As they reached the plaza, they spotted a few others returning as well.
Chengmo and Nansi looked surprised to see them. Where had they gone?
And why was Bai Di carrying such a huge beast hide bag?
"You're back? Perfect, we're heading back too," Si Lu said cheerfully as the others approached, her pale face lit with joy.
"Where did you go?" Chengmo asked first.
"I went to Tata's place. Spent the whole afternoon there," Si Lu said with a smile.
She had been bored and curious about where Tata lived, so she had Bai Di carry her over.
"Did you have fun?" Chengmo asked.
"Of course! Let's hurry back—I want to see how Obsidian and Song Zhan did digging the new cave!" Si Lu said, excited.
She was really curious about what they'd done—maybe they made something like a modern two-bedroom cave.
"Let's go," Chengmo said dotingly.
The group headed toward the cave.
As they approached the entrance, they saw Obsidian and Song Zhan sitting on the open ground, cooking food over a fire.
They spotted the returning group as well.
"A-Yao, A-Zhan, how's the digging going?" Si Lu asked, grinning with anticipation. She had no idea what it looked like yet—maybe it was like a modern two-room layout?
Honestly, she was really excited.
"Don't worry, you'll love it. Come, I'll show you," Obsidian said, scooping Si Lu up in his arms and carrying her inside.
The others followed, curious as well.
With another cave to rest in, they could all sleep more comfortably. Plus, they knew females really valued their privacy.
"Let's gooo~" Si Lu said happily.
"You're that excited?" Obsidian asked with a chuckle.
"Of course!" she beamed.
Once inside, they saw that the other side of the cave now opened into another chamber—and it looked pretty big, too.
"I want to see!" Si Lu urged.
"Alright," Obsidian said fondly, carrying her in.