Hu Jiao Jiao dreamt of Long Yao being devoured by a pack of wolves in a grassy field, his dragon body half reduced to bones. His once pure, bright red eyes were now filled with sorrow, gazing at her with deep resentment.

But in the blink of an eye, the sorrow in Long Yao’s eyes turned into hatred. A cold, vicious energy, like a sharp blade, pierced through Hu Jiao Jiao’s heart.

The shock instantly woke her up.

In the dream, the sun was hanging low in the sky—it was afternoon.

For some reason, Hu Jiao Jiao felt deeply unsettled.

Even though she knew it was just a dream.

Hu Jiao Jiao got up, intending to call the cubs back. Only by having them near would she feel at ease.

She searched around the house but couldn’t find any sign of the cubs. Her worry grew stronger, and she hurried to search elsewhere in the tribe.

Hu Jiao Jiao lived on the westernmost side of the village, surrounded by forest. It took a short walk before the houses of the other beastmen came into view.

As thoughts of her dream resurfaced, she became more anxious, pushing aside branches as she rushed through the woods.

Suddenly, Hu Jiao Jiao heard voices ahead.

She paused and walked closer, finally spotting the cubs in the distance.

It was them!

A smile spread across her face as she started to approach.

But before she could get close, she noticed a slender female standing opposite the cubs, speaking to them in a gentle and soothing voice.

“Yu’er, here’s some freshly cooked meat I made. Why don’t you take it and share it with your younger siblings? You must be starving by now, right? It’s my fault for being busy lately and not bringing you food. I’ll try to bring more from now on.”

The voice was soft and warm, full of care.

It sounded familiar to Hu Jiao Jiao, who frowned and looked closer. She realized it was Lu Mian’er, the woman she had seen shortly after arriving in this world.

What was she doing here?

Then she remembered: as the protagonist, Lu Mian’er despised the original Hu Jiao Jiao for her actions. However, she had always been kind to the cubs, secretly giving them food whenever she could. She was one of the few in the tribe who showed care towards them.

From behind the thick foliage, Hu Jiao Jiao could see Lu Mian’er’s soft, gentle face, adorned with a smile.

The cubs stood in front of her, looking well-behaved and calm.

The scene was oddly harmonious.

Hu Jiao Jiao suddenly felt hesitant about interrupting.

These cubs probably still disliked her. What they truly longed for was a mother like Lu Mian’er. If she intruded now, they might only resent her more.

“Thank you, but no, we’re not hungry,” Long Yu said coldly, his face expressionless as he declined her offer.

Long Xiu and Long Zhong stood side by side. Long Zhong glanced at the roasted meat in Lu Mian’er’s hands but remained silent.

They always followed their older brother’s lead.

Even Long Ling’er, usually the most talkative, remained quiet. She stood behind Long Yu, her dark eyes silently observing Lu Mian’er with a hint of scrutiny.

Earlier that day, they had overheard other beastmen gossiping, saying that the Vicious female’s injury had been caused by Lu Mian’er.

Though the Vicious female had been unkind to them, she was still their mother. They wouldn’t tolerate anyone else hurting her.

Lu Mian’er’s smile faltered slightly, showing confusion, but she quickly regained her composure.

She crouched down, her voice soft as she asked, “Did Hu Jiao Jiao hit you again? Or did she find out I’ve been bringing you food and now she won’t let you eat it?”

“No worries. If you eat it now, she won’t notice when you go back, and I won’t tell anyone either. Come on, eat…”

In the past, although the cubs didn’t talk much and treated her coldly, they never rejected food.

But today felt different.

Lu Mian’er instinctively blamed Hu Jiao Jiao.

Hearing her words, the cubs frowned, all except Long Zhong.

“She didn’t hit us, and we’re not hungry. You can take the food back,” Long Yu sternly corrected her.

“Brother is right. Mother didn’t hit us. Don’t say things like that,” Long Ling’er added quickly, nodding her head.

They had eaten her food before because they had no other choice and would have starved. But now that they could fend for themselves, they didn’t need it anymore and wouldn’t take it.

Even the usually quiet Long Xiu spoke up, “Aunt Lu, thank you for your kindness, but you should go back.”

Aunt Lu?

Lu Mian’er’s smile froze at this.

Although she was around Hu Jiao Jiao’s age, the cubs in the village always called her Sister Mian’er. No cub had ever called her “Aunt.”

“Pfft…”

From a distance, Hu Jiao Jiao couldn’t hold back her laughter, covering her mouth to stifle the sound.

The second cub, Long Xiu, was truly the sharpest of them all. Long Zhong was openly blunt, but Long Xiu’s remarks were laced with subtle barbs.

Lu Mian’er, still under twenty and young, had been called “Aunt.”

“Who’s there!”

A hint of alertness flashed across Long Yu’s young face as he whipped around, his sharp gaze locking onto where Hu Jiao Jiao was hiding.

Hu Jiao Jiao quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late.

Long Zhong had already stepped forward, crunching leaves underfoot as he approached, his face twisting into a scowl, “It’s you…”

Was the Vicious female eavesdropping on them?

The other cubs flinched slightly, their small bodies instinctively drawing back. It was a habit instilled by the original Hu Jiao Jiao—a reflexive reaction.

Memories of the Vicious female’s ferocity resurfaced in their minds.

Their thoughts raced: if she saw them talking to Lu Mian’er and taking her food, they’d surely be in for a beating later.

As the cubs stood frozen, Long Ling’er suddenly grinned and ran over, calling out in a sweet, clear voice.

“Mother!”

At the sound of “mother,” the cubs seemed to snap out of their nightmare, suddenly remembering: the Vicious female now called herself “mother” and had promised not to hit them anymore.

Seeing she had been spotted, Hu Jiao Jiao had no choice but to come out, smiling awkwardly.

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. I came to find you and just happened to hear…”

“Do you want to keep talking? I won’t disturb you…”

Seeing the cubs unharmed, Hu Jiao Jiao felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

The cubs looked at her in surprise.

What was she up to now?

The Vicious female used to hate Lu Mian’er the most, forbidding them from even speaking to her. If they got too close, she would scream and scold them. And now, she was fine with it?

As Hu Jiao Jiao turned to leave, Long Ling’er rushed forward, tugging at her clothes.

Hu Jiao Jiao turned to see Long Ling’er, as thin as a little monkey, looking up at her with wide, pleading eyes, “Mother, don’t go…”

“We didn’t mean to meet her. She came to us, and we didn’t eat her food. Please don’t be mad at us or hate us, okay?”