As night fell, the five cubs gathered around the fire, roasting meat, completely ignoring Long Mo. When he tried to approach and help, they simply pretended he wasn’t there.

Feeling their rejection, Long Mo’s face darkened, but he didn’t get angry. Instead, he silently turned and left.

Meanwhile, in the cave…

After seeing Lu Mian’er off and finishing her meal, Hu Jiao Jiao was left to face the endless darkness of the cave. Although the fire cast a flickering light, the shadows in the far corners seemed to be filled with countless invisible eyes watching her, sending chills down her spine.

She wasn’t afraid of the dark or solitude, but the oppressive atmosphere of the cave amplified the darkness, making it feel like a bottomless abyss ready to swallow her whole.

As she sat there, Hu Jiao Jiao couldn’t help but wonder if this was what it felt like for Long Mo when he was forced to live outside the tribe.

Even though he had a home, he had to stay in the dangerous forest, constantly facing threats to his life. Even while sleeping, he couldn’t let his guard down, because one moment of carelessness could mean death.

Thinking of this, Hu Jiao Jiao sighed.

It was because of the original body’s actions that Long Mo ended up like this. He hadn’t killed her on the spot—she should be grateful for that. How could she expect him to trust her?

Long Mo was destined to become the great villain of the story. He wasn’t weak—in fact, Hu Jiao Jiao had come to realize that he had immense potential.

He could have risen to become a powerful figure, but because of the original body’s scheming, he met a tragic end at the hands of Ying Yuan.

“Sigh…” Hu Jiao Jiao couldn’t help but sigh again.

It seemed they were both unfortunate in their own ways.

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.

“Why are you sighing, little female? Are you scared being here alone?”

Hu Jiao Jiao jolted upright, her heart racing. She saw a pair of eerie green eyes glowing in the darkness.

“Who’s there? Who are you?” she demanded warily, her gaze fixed on the shadowy figure approaching.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the cave as a tall silhouette emerged from the shadows. When Hu Jiao Jiao saw who it was, her expression tightened.

“Long Wu? What are you doing here?”

She didn’t have a good impression of him—he was oily and arrogant. Worst of all, his presence was hindering her progress in winning over Long Mo.

Long Wu approached the fire, his face full of fake concern. “I was worried about you, little female. I came to check on you.”

Check on her? Hu Jiao Jiao glanced at him skeptically, noting his empty hands.

Was he planning to just talk and somehow fill her stomach with promises? There was no need.

“Well, you’ve seen me now. I’m fine, so you can leave,” she said, her patience wearing thin.

“But how can I leave you here all alone? You must be so frightened,” Long Wu replied, oblivious to her coldness. He even had the audacity to raise his eyebrows and wink at her suggestively.

Hu Jiao Jiao: “…”

Could this guy not take a hint?

“Little female, you should really mate with me. Long Mo can’t protect you. You’ve been defending him, yet when you got in trouble, he just stood by and watched as you were locked up. He didn’t even come to check on you,” Long Wu said, gazing at her with a look he probably thought was charming.

Hu Jiao Jiao felt her frustration grow and couldn’t resist retorting, “Who said Long Mo didn’t come to see me?”

Long Wu chuckled, confident in his assumption. “I was outside all day. I didn’t see him come by at all.”

Hu Jiao Jiao was momentarily speechless.

Of course, Long Mo wouldn’t come. He was probably hoping she’d die in here and never return, leaving him free to pursue his true love!

She lowered her gaze, feeling a twinge of regret. Long Mo and the cubs probably hated her. Right now, they were likely talking about how awful she was. If Long Mo found out just how terribly the original body had treated the cubs, his descent into villainy would only accelerate.

Her path to redemption seemed more difficult than ever. Why hadn’t she realized this sooner?

Long Wu saw her lower her head and assumed she was feeling discouraged. Smiling confidently, he leaned in to “comfort” her.

“I wouldn’t treat my mate the way Long Mo does. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from now on.”

He was sure she was overwhelmed with gratitude at this point. To a female from a small, backwater tribe, he must seem like a godsend.

Hu Jiao Jiao, lost in thought about her challenging road to redemption, didn’t even hear his words.

…

Back at the wooden house.

The five cubs stared out into the dark night, unable to sleep.

“Big brother, do you think dad’s really not coming back? Maybe he got mad and left for good…” Long Ling’er said, feeling guilty about the things she had said earlier.

She was upset that her father wasn’t standing up for their mother, but if something happened to him, she’d be devastated. She couldn’t understand why her parents couldn’t just stay safe and be together.

“I think dad’s definitely not coming back. He has such a bad temper, he’s probably furious right now,” Long Zhong said coldly, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall.

“Ah… it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t said anything to make him angry, he wouldn’t have left,” Long Ling’er muttered, looking dejected.

“It’s not your fault, Ling’er. Dad’s a grown male. He’ll be fine,” Long Yu reassured her, his voice calm and steady, offering a sense of security despite his young age.

Since Long Mo had always taught them to be self-reliant, the male cubs weren’t particularly worried about his safety.

Even the usually quiet Long Xiu chimed in, “Don’t worry. Dad’s got a bad temper, but he’s not stupid. He won’t put himself in danger.”

Long Yao, who didn’t fully understand the situation, nodded his head, imitating his older siblings.

Hearing their reassurances, Long Ling’er felt a little better. She nodded and said seriously, “You’re right. We should be more worried about mom.”

…

Meanwhile, out in the darkness, Long Mo sneezed.

Later that night, a massive black figure landed in front of a wooden house. The door was kicked open with a loud bang, the wood splintering into pieces.

Lu Cui Cui, who had been sleeping, was startled awake. She shot up in bed, only to find herself staring into a pair of dark, menacing eyes.

“You… Ah—!”

Before she could say another word, her throat was seized, and she was lifted off the ground, her legs flailing helplessly.