Long Mo wanted to see what Hu Jiao Jiao was planning. Was she going to rub salt into his wounds or throw sand in them?

Hu Jiao Jiao undid the animal hide covering Long Mo’s upper body, and the strong scent of blood filled the air. What met her eyes were countless scars, like centipedes crawling across his skin.

At the center of his chest was a dull, fist-sized wound, bleeding profusely.

Hu Jiao Jiao gasped.

“How is it this bad?”

Though it wasn’t deep enough to expose the bone, the wound was large, and the flesh was torn, looking like it had been crushed. The injury was grotesque.

With such a large wound, stitching wasn’t possible—it would have to heal naturally. But for Long Mo, the process would be long and excruciating.

Hu Jiao Jiao didn’t waste time. She hurried inside, pretending to grab something while she secretly retrieved disinfectant and medicine from her space. She carefully cleaned Long Mo’s wound.

She was so focused on the task that she didn’t realize how close she had gotten to Long Mo, her warm breath gently fanning the wound.

Long Mo clenched his jaw, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, though his face remained expressionless. His body was in agony, yet his demeanor stayed cold and indifferent, as if it wasn’t him suffering.

His sharp gaze settled on Hu Jiao Jiao’s face, a hint of confusion flickering in his deep eyes. But the confusion quickly gave way to cold suspicion.

She’s only doing this to show off to Ying Yuan, isn’t she?

Hu Jiao Jiao, unaware of Long Mo’s thoughts, finished applying the medicine and wrapped his wound with a bandage. Seeing the bleeding stop, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“All done. For the next few days, avoid getting the wound wet and refrain from any strenuous activity. You need to rest properly if you want it to heal faster.”

As she packed up her things, she earnestly reminded Long Mo of what he needed to do. Then, as if remembering his current disdain for her, she added with a smirk, “If you don’t heal quickly, you won’t be able to hunt, and then you won’t be the one providing for the cubs anymore.”

Long Mo’s face turned dark, and through gritted teeth, he spat, “Got it.”

Hu Jiao Jiao smiled, satisfied with his response.

As she turned around, she saw Long Mo reaching for his bloodstained animal hide to put it back on. She quickly snatched it away.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Long Mo asked, clearly annoyed.

“This hide is soaked in blood. Of course, it needs to be washed. You can’t wear it like that—it’s filthy,” Hu Jiao Jiao said, wrinkling her nose as she met Long Mo’s fierce gaze. She was a bit intimidated but mustered her courage to stand her ground.

Long Mo frowned, staring down at the strange situation. He felt uncomfortable but recalled what she said and pressed his lips together.

“I’ll wash it,” he insisted, reaching for the hide.

“I just told you not to get your wound wet. Go and rest. I’ll take care of it,” Hu Jiao Jiao said, hiding the hide behind her and walking off to the river.

Outside the yard, five cubs hid under a tree. When they saw Hu Jiao Jiao leave, they carefully peeked out from their hiding spot.

“Is Mother upset? Did she have an argument with Father?” Long Ling’er asked, propping her chin up with her hands and looking puzzled.

“No way. It’s Father who’s upset. She wouldn’t even let him wear his hide,” Long Zhong snorted, taking a big bite of the persimmon in his hand.

“That’s not true. Mother isn’t like that,” Long Ling’er retorted, puffing her cheeks in defiance.

“Last time I was bitten by a poisonous snake, it was Mother who saved me. I even heard that she beat up Lu Li for me, getting revenge on my behalf. She’s really changed for the better.”

Long Ling’er was determined to defend Hu Jiao Jiao.

“Enough,” Long Yu interjected calmly, cutting off their argument. “The real issue isn’t who’s upset. It’s whether she’ll send Father away tonight.”

Long Ling’er’s spirits instantly deflated. “Oh no… If Mother’s upset, she definitely won’t let Father stay. What should we do?”

The cubs exchanged worried looks. Though they hadn’t fully accepted Hu Jiao Jiao, they all hoped Long Mo and her could get along. Maybe then she wouldn’t go back to being her old terrifying self.

Just then, Long Xiu spoke up unexpectedly. “Father’s injured. When Ling’er was hurt, she took care of him. If she looks after Father, then he won’t have to leave.”

“Hah! As if she’d be that kind. You really think she’ll take care of Father? I don’t believe it,” Long Zhong scoffed, laying back with his hands behind his head, sounding utterly unconvinced.

But Long Ling’er’s eyes suddenly lit up with an idea.

Hu Jiao Jiao finished washing the hide and returned to the yard to start making dinner. By now, the sky was almost fully dark, but luckily, Long Mo had already prepped two animals, cutting the meat neatly into portions.

To avoid arousing Long Mo’s suspicion, Hu Jiao Jiao used the meat he had brought back for dinner, simply adding a few herbs and vegetables to mix in. With everything combined, it wouldn’t be easy to tell the difference.

“Mother,” Hu Jiao Jiao heard Long Ling’er’s small voice just as she was chopping the meat.

She turned to see her daughter tugging on her skirt, her wide, tear-filled eyes looking up at her pleadingly.

“What’s wrong, Ling’er? Did someone upset you?”

Hu Jiao Jiao’s heart tightened with concern. She quickly set aside her work, wiped her hands, and crouched down to embrace her.

Long Ling’er shook her head. “Mother, it’s already dark. Please don’t send Father away.”

Hu Jiao Jiao blinked in surprise. When had she ever said she was going to send Long Mo away? Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t dare!

Seeing that Hu Jiao Jiao hadn’t immediately answered, Long Ling’er gently shook her arm, speaking cautiously. “Mother, Father brought back a lot of food today, and he got hurt hunting for us. He must be in pain. Can’t you let him stay for a few days? We all miss him so much…”

Long Ling’er didn’t know the real cause of Long Mo’s injuries and thought he had gotten hurt while hunting.

Hearing her soft, pleading voice, Hu Jiao Jiao’s heart melted.

She cupped Long Ling’er’s cheek and reassured her, “Don’t worry. I’m not sending Father away. We’ll stay together as a family, I promise.”

With Long Mo still recovering from his wounds, the frustration she had felt earlier evaporated. After all, he had been injured saving her. Maybe he didn’t hate her as much as she thought. Perhaps there was still hope for redemption.

She needed to seize this chance. If she treated Long Mo well, she might just be able to repair their relationship and secure a better future for herself.

Long Ling’er’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Really?”

But soon, she pouted, looking skeptical. “But you were angry at Father just now…”

“Cough… I wasn’t mad at him! You must have misunderstood,” Hu Jiao Jiao cleared her throat awkwardly, her gaze drifting away.

Okay, she had been a bit harsh with Long Mo earlier. She was human too, with her own emotions. Hearing hurtful words had triggered her anger, but now that she thought about it, Long Mo’s harsh words were probably because of the original Hu Jiao Jiao’s behavior. It wasn’t really her fault, so she could let it go.

“Are you sure? But Mother, you didn’t let Father help with anything. In the tribe, only unwanted males don’t get to help out…”

—
I sometimes use “mother” and “father,” while other times I use “dad,” “mom,” “mommy,” or “daddy.” Please understand that it’s hard to edit everything, and I’m feeling a bit lazy about it.