In the dead of night, Hu Jiao Jiao jolted awake from a nightmare, drenched in sweat, her animal skin dress sticking to her body.

Opening her eyes, the first thing she did was check weather her arms and legs were still intact. Then, she quickly glanced over at her cubs, who were still sound asleep. Her breathing gradually steadied.

Luckily, it was just a dream…

Recalling the events in the dream, her brow furrowed tightly.

In the nightmare, Lu Mian’er was captured and assaulted by a group of wandering beastmen while harvesting potatos. Upon finding out, Ying Yuan flew into a rage and stormed the wandering beastmen’s lair, slaughtering them all.

But after returning, Lu Mian’er fell into deep despair and eventually committed suicide!

This scene hadn’t appeared in the original novel at all. After her death, the beastman world began to crumble—mountains collapsed, volcanoes erupted, and tsunamis engulfed forests. Hu Jiao Jiao, her cubs, and all the beastmen perished in this collapsing world.

The more Hu Jiao Jiao thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Why would Lu Mian’er die?

Could her presence in this world have altered the storyline, causing a butterfly effect?

If Lu Mian’er was the protagonist of this world, then if she died, perhaps the world would lose its purpose and fall apart.

The last time she had such a dream, it came true. Would this one also…?

At that thought, a cold chill ran down her spine.

Not only did she need to prevent Lu Mian’er’s death, but she also had to keep the villain in check!

She had worked so hard to adjust to life here and was determined to survive. She couldn’t let Lu Mian’er’s death take away her chance.

Even cannon fodder deserved to live!

Tossing and turning, Hu Jiao Jiao didn’t sleep a wink for the rest of the night.

Still deep in thought, she got up early the next morning and prepared a lavish breakfast for her cubs.

Fear gnawed at her—fear that if she failed to prevent Lu Mian’er’s fate, this might be their last meal together.

The cubs woke to the mouth-watering aroma. Even though their lives had improved a lot, they remained extremely sensitive to the scent of food.

Rubbing her eyes groggily, Long Ling’er stumbled out of the house. “Mom, why are you up so early? Let me help…”

Every morning, Long Ling’er would assist with breakfast, while the male cubs would gather firewood.

However, as soon as Long Ling’er walked into the yard, she froze at the sight of the table laden with food.

“So much food? Mom, why did you make so much? Can we even finish it all?” Long Ling’er’s mouth hung open in shock.

“No need to help. Go wake the others and wash up. It’s time for breakfast,” Hu Jiao Jiao smiled warmly as she set the table.

A few days ago, Hou Xiaotiao had made a table and chairs for them. Though the shapes were irregular—a long, uneven rectangle for the table and half-meter-high stools for the chairs—it was perfect for their family.

Long Ling’er, still in a daze, went back inside and called the other cubs. Soon, the six of them were seated at the table.

“Aren’t you going to eat? Is it not to your liking?” Hu Jiao Jiao asked when she noticed the cubs sitting still, as if frozen in place.

“Did you use up all the food? What are we going to eat tomorrow?” Long Yu glanced around the yard, noticing the lack of extra provisions.

“Are you trying to trick us into eating everything so you can abandon us?” Long Zhong glared suspiciously at Hu Jiao Jiao.

In the past, she had been cautious about not making too much food, fearing it might upset their stomachs. Now, seeing such a feast, the cubs were wary, suspecting an ulterior motive.

Long Yao, blinking in confusion, placed his tiny dragon claws on his stomach, his expression torn. Finally, with a determined look, he gulped and let out a small howl.

“Howl!” Mom, please don’t abandon us! Yao’er will eat a little less, I promise.

A wave of affection surged in Hu Jiao Jiao’s heart. She couldn’t help but laugh as she glanced at the cubs. While serving them soup, she reassured, “What nonsense are you talking about? I made so much today because your father is coming back soon. He’ll bring plenty of food, so you won’t have to worry about going hungry.”

She knew the cubs missed Long Mo, and using him as an excuse would ease their suspicions.

Even if Long Mo didn’t return, she would never let her cubs starve.

“Daddy’s coming back? That’s great!” Long Ling’er’s eyes sparkled with joy at the news, her face lighting up with excitement.

The other cubs, however, remained skeptical, scrutinizing Hu Jiao Jiao as if searching for any sign of deceit.

“Come on, eat up before it gets cold. I need to join the foraging (picking) team later,” Hu Jiao Jiao patted each cub’s head, trying to change the subject.

Finally, the cubs set aside their doubts and began eating.

Though she smiled, there was a hint of worry in her expression. By her calculations, Long Mo would return in the next couple of days. She had yet to meet the villain of the story. What if he turned out to be hideous or terrifying—what would she do then?

Lost in thought, Hu Jiao Jiao barely touched her food before someone arrived to summon her to the foraging team.

After hurriedly eating a few bites, she left.

The cubs looked up from their bowls, confused as they watched her leave.

Long Zhong frowned. “Don’t you think she was acting a little strange today?”

Long Ling’er, troubled, added, “Mom must be upset because she doesn’t want Dad to come back.”

Long Yu nodded in agreement, “Yeah, she has never liked Dad.”

“Smack, smack…” Long Yao gleefully finished off his meal. If you’re not going to eat, I’ll help myself.

The three cubs snapped out of their thoughts to find their bowls licked clean by Yao, with not a drop of oil left.

“Xiao Wu!”

Three voices roared in unison.

Long Xiu, sitting quietly by the table, pursed his lips, deep in thought.

…

Hu Jiao Jiao and the other females arrived at the foraging site.

This time, they weren’t gathering potatoes but other types of fruit.

The path through the forest was treacherous, and it took them nearly two hours to reach their destination.

Unlike last time, the area was rich in plant life, with pomelos and persimmons being their main focus.

Pomelos could be stored through the winter without spoiling, while persimmons could be dried to make persimmon cakes. Though the beastmen didn’t know how to make cakes, they had discovered that dried persimmons were still edible.

Any fruit that could last through the winter became part of their stockpile.

Hu Jiao Jiao surveyed the area and spotted several familiar fruits, but she wasn’t in the mood to gather them. Her mind was solely focused on Lu Mian’er.

Foraging was a rotating task among the females, and Hu Min wasn’t present today. As usual, Hu Jiao Jiao found herself isolated.

But she didn’t mind. She clutched her animal skin bag and followed closely behind Lu Mian’er, determined to stay by her side.

Finally, Hu Jing, who had been walking beside Lu Mian’er, grew annoyed. Tossing her bag aside, she turned and glared at Hu Jiao Jiao.

“Hu Jiao Jiao, get lost and go somewhere else! Stop following us!”