Remembering how he had almost lost his life to a wolf because of his greed for a piece of meat, Long Yao nodded rapidly like a pecking chicken.

Thanks to Hu Jiao Jiao’s words, Long Yao never again ate food of unknown origin or indulged in snacks outside.

Seeing Long Yao so unusually obedient, Hu Jiao Jiao smiled in relief.

On the way home, Long Yao stuck closely to Hu Jiao Jiao, afraid that if he blinked, she would disappear.

In the wooden house.

The three cubs returned, heads hung low. Long Xiu, who had stayed behind, heard the sound and felt his way to the door, his empty eyes staring outside.

“Big brother, is that you? Did you find Xiao Wu (Little Five)?”

“No,” Long Yu answered in a hoarse voice.

The hopeful expression on Long Xiu’s face instantly turned pale.

Xiao Wu never went anywhere they couldn’t find him. Since they hadn’t found him, it probably meant that something terrible had happened to him…

Long Zhong, his head hanging low and fists clenched, suddenly slammed his fist against the yard’s fence.

“It’s all my fault! If I had watched him properly, Xiao Wu wouldn’t have disappeared. It’s all my fault. I deserve to die!”

“Third Brother, it’s not your fault, don’t say that…” Long Ling’er’s eyes were red as she rushed over to pull his arm. “I’m also to blame for Xiao Wu’s disappearance.”

The atmosphere in the yard turned somber.

Long Yu bit his lip hard, guilt written all over his face.

“Maybe… maybe Mother can bring Xiao Wu back…” Long Ling’er whispered.

Long Zhong, gritting his teeth, immediately retorted, “She won’t… she probably wishes Xiao Wu would die sooner. There’s no way she’d bring him back. Maybe she is the one behind his disappearance—she wants to kill him!”

“No, Mother wouldn’t do that! She has changed…” Long Ling’er shook her head instinctively, but her voice trailed off.

What if… what if their mother’s kindness was just a trick to make them trust her, only to get rid of Xiao Wu?

Long Ling’er didn’t dare think about it and didn’t want to.

“If she’s really behind it, I won’t let her get away with it!” Long Ling’er gritted her teeth, determination in her eyes.

She bit her lip and turned to look outside, not willing to accept Long Zhong’s accusation. But as she did, she caught sight of a familiar figure approaching the house.

“Mother! It’s Mother!” Long Ling’er’s eyes lit up, and she jumped in joy. Before the others could react, she dashed out.

The other cubs immediately turned to look as well.

Outside the yard, Hu Jiao Jiao was drenched, with a small black dragon by her side, clinging to her like a shadow, safe and sound. The dragon stuck close to Hu Jiao Jiao like a loyal little tail.

In the sunset glow, the golden-orange light bathed the two of them, creating an oddly warm scene.

The cubs were momentarily stunned, feeling as if something hit them deep inside, a tightness in their chests.

The vicious female had actually brought Xiao Wu back…

Despite her disheveled appearance, so different from before, they couldn’t bring themselves to hate her.

“Mother! Xiao Wu!”

Hearing Long Ling’er’s voice, Hu Jiao Jiao turned and saw the thin little girl rushing toward her. Quickly, she opened her arms to catch Long Ling’er, who couldn’t stop herself in time.

“Mother’s back, and I brought Xiao Wu with me. You must have been worried, but don’t worry, he’s fine,” Hu Jiao Jiao reassured them, aware of how concerned they must have been for Xiao Wu.

She didn’t mention the earlier ordeal at all.

After all, these cubs wouldn’t care about her situation.

“Mother, you’re amazing! I knew you would bring Xiao Wu back!”

Long Ling’er tightly hugged Hu Jiao Jiao’s leg, her small, malnourished face lighting up with excitement.

Hu Jiao Jiao affectionately patted her head, about to say something, when Long Ling’er suddenly exclaimed, “Mother, why are you all wet?”

“I accidentally got wet. Why don’t you and your brothers take Xiao Wu to play while I go change my clothes?”

Hu Jiao Jiao brushed off the concern and passed Long Yao to Long Ling’er.

She glanced at the three other cubs in the yard. They were watching her intently. She walked over and said, “You should go play too, but don’t wander far. Be back before dark for dinner.”

Long Yu looked at her with a complex expression. “You…”

He wanted to ask where the vicious female had found Xiao Wu and how she had gotten so soaked, but the words stuck in his throat.

Long Xiu, who couldn’t see, only listened quietly to the conversation. Upon hearing that Hu Jiao Jiao was wet, he frowned and turned to go inside the house.

“Let’s go, big brother,” Long Zhong said, still harboring resentment toward Hu Jiao Jiao, as he forcefully dragged Long Yu out of the yard.

They really didn’t know how to interact with her.

With the cubs gone, Hu Jiao Jiao breathed a sigh of relief.

These kids were sensitive, and they would grow up to be powerful, brutal villains in the future, notorious for their cruelty. They harbored grudges, and their greatest trigger for turning dark was the bullying and oppression from the other beastmen.

If they knew that someone had intentionally tried to harm Long Yao, it might accelerate their darkening.

Hu Jiao Jiao didn’t want them to find out too early.

She glanced up at the sky. The sun was still up, but only for another hour or two. Once she changed, cleaned the yard, and made dinner, it would probably be dark.

After resting in the yard for a couple of minutes, Hu Jiao Jiao stood up to start her chores.

A small figure suddenly approached her.

“Xiu Xiu?” Hu Jiao Jiao looked at Long Xiu in confusion, thinking he had come to find evidence to expose her. She was already thinking of how to cover things up when suddenly, he handed her something soft and furry.

Looking down, Hu Jiao Jiao saw it was a animal skin skirt.

But she didn’t recognize this skirt—she had searched the entire house before and only found a large animal skin which she cut into four pieces and gave to the cubs.

“Xiu Xiu, where did this come from? Is it for me?” Hu Jiao Jiao asked, uncertain.

“Yes,” Long Xiu replied flatly.

Hu Jiao Jiao was puzzled until he added, “I hid it a long time ago. It was her favorite animal skin skirt, I’m giving it to you.”

Hu Jiao Jiao: “…”

Goodness, this little cub had set a trap for her!

She forced a smile and replied sweetly, “Thank you, Xiu Xiu. I’ve been looking everywhere for this skirt. I thought I lost it, but it turns out you kept it safe for me. Such a good boy.”

As she spoke, she affectionately ruffled Long Xiu’s hair.

Unlike the other cubs who were all dark and skinny, Long Xiu had fair skin and a delicate voice. If she didn’t know that the original body had only one female cub, she would have thought Long Xiu was also a little girl.

Long Xiu had curly hair, fluffy like a little black lamb. Hu Jiao Jiao had been itching to pet it for a while, and now she finally had the chance.