Long Ling’er tilted her head, furrowing her small brows, as if deep in thought over something complicated.

“Uh…” Hu Jiao Jiao was at a loss for words.

Is that what they thought?

No wonder when she didn’t let Long Mo wash the beast hide, his face turned so dark. Did he think she was looking down on him and didn’t want him doing any work?

“Your father is tired from hunting, and I just wanted him to rest. Before he came back, I was the one doing all of this, right?” Hu Jiao Jiao explained.

Long Ling’er blinked her big eyes and nodded hesitantly, as if she were trying to understand. “That makes sense!”

So Mother isn’t rejecting Father after all?

“Be a good girl, Ling’er. Don’t worry about it. Go play, and I’ll call you when dinner is ready,” Hu Jiao Jiao said, gently patting her head with a smile before returning to her cooking.

With that reassurance, Long Ling’er happily skipped away.

Meanwhile…

Inside the wooden house.

Long Yu pulled Long Mo to the doorway, where they overheard every word Hu Jiao Jiao said.

A flicker of surprise crossed Long Mo’s cold, deep eyes, but it quickly darkened again.

Back then, if she hadn’t been so fixated on Ying Yuan and driven him away, she could’ve lived comfortably like the other females in the tribe, with multiple mates to wait on her and no need to lift a finger.

Now, just because she’s doing a bit of work, does she think she’s done something extraordinary?

Heh! She brought this upon herself!

Little Long Yu, standing next to him, barely came up to Long Mo’s leg, looking like a small dot in comparison. Glancing up at his father’s stern expression, Long Yu pressed his lips together before speaking in a calm voice.

“Ying Yuan has already become mates with Lu Mian’er. She hasn’t sought him out in a long time.”

Yes, it had been a while. For Long Yu, these past two weeks had felt like a lifetime of peace.

During that time, Long Yu had considered how things might have been different if Father hadn’t left the tribe, and if the Vicious female hadn’t been blinded by Ying Yuan.

Maybe he and his siblings would have had a more typical life, like the other cubs in the tribe, with several fathers.

There would be more younger brothers and sisters, and they’d have to compete for attention, working hard just to be noticed. In fact, Long Xiu, Long Yu’s second brother, and even Long Yao, the youngest, might have been abandoned outside the tribe.

Life like that wouldn’t have been much better than the hardship they had endured.

Hearing Long Yu’s words, Long Mo’s expression shifted slightly.

So, all that she’s been doing wasn’t just to please Ying Yuan?

“Father, she finally got better, and she’s completely given up on Ying Yuan. If you’re not home, she might fall for some other male, and then we’ll have more cubs taking our food.”

“So, for our sake, it’s better if you stay,” Long Yu continued, his young face serious and resolute, like he was negotiating terms with his father.

The two of them stared each other down—one big, one small.

Long Mo frowned, his handsome face full of displeasure. “What have I taught you? You should earn your food through your own efforts. No one will always be there to protect you.”

Long Yu crossed his arms over his chest like a miniature adult, standing as solid as a rock. Of the five cubs, he looked the most like Long Mo, a smaller version of his father.

He shrugged and responded earnestly, “Using my skills to keep Father here is part of my strength too.”

Long Mo’s face darkened further. How was this any different from females who relied on their mates for everything?

Did Hu Jiao Jiao spoil his cubs like this?

An hour later, Hu Jiao Jiao finished preparing a feast: braised pork knuckles, red-braised pork, braised ribs, a cold pigskin salad, and pork offal soup. Every dish was a generous portion, and she even roasted four fragrant pork legs. The crispy, golden-brown skin cracked with a bite, releasing tender, juicy meat that was mouthwatering and savory.

“Cubs, it’s time to eat!”

At her call, the five cubs seemed to appear out of nowhere, scrambling to their seats in an instant. They sat upright on their little stools, eyes gleaming as they stared at the table full of food.

Seven stools were set up, but two seats remained empty, side by side.

Long Mo’s face darkened as he noticed how Long Yu had ditched him for the food.

That little rascal—he’d sell out his father for a meal.

With a scowl, Long Mo stepped out of the house, feeling quite annoyed. Hu Jiao Jiao never did any work, so how could she make anything worth eating?

But the moment he stepped outside, his eyes widened at the sight of the table overflowing with delicious, aromatic dishes. His expression stiffened.

She made all of this?

How could that be possible?

“Father, come eat quickly! Mother’s food is so good! If you don’t hurry, it’ll be gone,” Long Ling’er called out sweetly, beckoning to him with a smile.

Her voice snapped Long Mo out of his thoughts. He stiffly made his way to the table, only to find that the two empty stools were right next to each other.

He glanced at Hu Jiao Jiao, who was still struggling to cut the pork legs, and his face grew colder.

“Yao’er, come sit over here,” Long Mo said, walking to the furthest stool from the empty seats and lifting Long Yao over. He moved the cub to a different spot, but he himself didn’t sit down.

Instead, he marched over to where Hu Jiao Jiao was, grabbed her by the collar, and gently pulled her behind him. Effortlessly, he took the pork leg from her hands.

“I’ll do it.”

Hu Jiao Jiao blinked in surprise, staring at the tall, broad-shouldered figure standing in front of her.

Was…was he helping her?

She wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, that she could handle it herself. But then she remembered what Long Ling’er had said earlier. She quickly swallowed her words.

If she didn’t let him help, he’d probably get upset.

After a moment of thought, she reached out and tapped his arm, handing him the knife. “Use this.”

Long Mo shot her a cold glance, clearly unimpressed. “I don’t need it.”

Before Hu Jiao Jiao could react, his right hand transformed into a dragon claw. In a blink, he had neatly sliced the three pork legs in half, the cuts clean and precise.

“Wow, impressive!” Hu Jiao Jiao’s eyes lit up with admiration.

No wonder he was such a formidable villain—he could even make cutting pork legs look cool. Suddenly, living with Long Mo didn’t seem so unbearable. After all, who didn’t enjoy watching a handsome man at work?

A handsome man who helped with chores, no less! Where could she find a man like this in modern times?

Long Mo’s hand paused for a moment, his deep eyes flashing with something unreadable.

“Have you stared enough?” he asked coldly, placing the plate of neatly cut pork legs on the table.

Hu Jiao Jiao snapped back to reality, feeling a bit embarrassed. She quickly averted her gaze and followed him to the table with the bowls and chopsticks.

Did I really just ogle the villain?

Then again, they were supposed to be mates. What was wrong with looking?

Hu Jiao Jiao carefully set the table, laying out the bowls and spoons. She took her seat and looked around at her cubs.

“You all must be starving. Go ahead and eat.”

Each of the five cubs had half portion of pork leg, while Long Mo had an entire one. Beastmen liked to eat large chunks of meat, so Fox Jiaojiao had left the pork legs mostly intact. As soon as she gave the word, the cubs eagerly started eating, their faces full of satisfaction as they gnawed on their food.