"Mmm, you didn't cry. We must've seen wrong!" Obsidian's lips curled into a faint smile.
"By the way, are you hungry? Want to eat something?" Bai Di asked gently, eyes soft as he looked at Si Lu.
At this stage, females needed to eat small meals more frequently.
"You know what, I actually am kind of hungry. And I only ate not long ago!" Si Lu said.
She'd just eaten, yet out of nowhere, she was starving again.
"That's normal. You're supposed to eat small meals often now. What do you feel like eating? I'll go make it for you." Bai Di spoke gently.
Being able to care for the female he loved was an honor for him.
"I want… seafood congee. And grilled meat." Si Lu said.
"Alright, I'll make it right now. It won't take long." Bai Di stood up and lovingly patted Si Lu's head.
"I'll go with you," Nan Si said, following Bai Di out.
At that moment, Little Bai Xing and Song Yue woke up.
They opened their eyes, blinking their watery little pupils at the beastmen nearby.
Especially when they saw Si Lu — their little mouths twitched, and then they both burst into loud wails.
Everyone in the room was stunned.
"Ah! Babies, don't cry, Mama's here, Mama's right here. Are you hungry? I'll feed you, come on…" Si Lu said as she pulled open her fur wrap, picked up little Song Yue and began to breastfeed him. She couldn't manage both with one hand, so she looked to Cheng Mo for help.
Cheng Mo smiled and picked up Little Bai Xing so he could feed too.
Only then did the two babies finally quiet down. The soft sounds of them swallowing could be heard — they were clearly really hungry.
Si Lu looked down at the two little ones in her arms, eyes full of tenderness.
And the two tiny beings looked back at her too, as if they recognized that this person in front of them was their mama. One had eyes like stars and ocean depths, the other had a pair of crimson pupils. Honestly? They were strikingly beautiful.
"Look at them — both so good, and these eyes, wow. Bai Xing's eyes look exactly like Ah Di's. Just like the starry sea." Si Lu said softly, the image of Bai Di's eyes appearing in her mind. They really were similar. So beautiful.
She remembered the first time she saw Bai Di's eyes — her heart skipped a beat. How could there be eyes so stunning in this world? Like galaxies and oceans combined.
And now, her child had inherited those eyes. She was happy.
"Lu Lu, Song Yue's eyes aren't the same as mine though," Song Zhan said, sounding a bit down.
True, his weren't red like his child's. But still, the cub was clearly a little tiger, and he could feel it — his bloodline, no doubt.
It's just… aside from being a tiger, the kid really didn't look much like him. But it didn't matter. He still loved them. How could he not love his own child?
"You said it yourself — our babies are probably taking after our ancestors. Besides, that's not a bad thing. Your eyes are great, and so are the cubs'. And hey—don't tell me you're jealous of your own baby?" Si Lu laughed at Song Zhan.
This guy. So silly and cute.
"Nooo, I just think this little one doesn't really look like me. Like, aside from being a tiger, there's nothing else. But hey, looking like you is good too. You're so pretty, hehe." Song Zhan chuckled foolishly.
"He does look like you! That face shape of his is totally yours. That's why he's such a majestic tiger cub. Just like his daddy," Si Lu replied.
She'd noticed how down he looked and felt bad for him. So she tried to cheer him up. Though honestly… all tiger cubs looked pretty similar anyway.
"Right! My baby is like me. Of course he is! Who else would he look like?" Song Zhan perked up immediately.
Off to the side, Cheng Mo tugged at the corner of his mouth. This guy… was not the brightest bulb.
A little lacking in the IQ department.
Obsidian glanced at Song Zhan too, eyes full of disdain.
He hoped that Song Yue wouldn't inherit his father's intelligence. That'd be a problem. Sure, every child had different bloodlines, but still — Si Lu gave her everything to bring them into this world. They were all their children.
"Let's hope little Song Yue didn't get your brains. Otherwise… yikes." Obsidian didn't bother sugarcoating it.
Seriously.
He was already planning to teach little Song Yue himself, just in case his dumb-dumb dad rubbed off too much.
"What? What do you mean?" Song Zhan didn't get it right away, looking totally confused.
Si Lu and Cheng Mo burst out laughing.
Obsidian was such a menace.
He barely spoke on most days, but once he opened his mouth — boom, right on the mark. Deadly accurate and just a bit savage.
But what could she do?
That side of Obsidian — quiet, blunt, sarcastic — only made her like him even more. Her big snake was just too adorable and sharp-tongued for his own good.
Seeing Si Lu laugh, Obsidian's deep violet eyes flashed with a hint of warmth, and his lips curled into a faint smile too.
"Oh, you wanna go, Obsidian?! You're saying I'm dumb?! That's it, I can't let this slide — I challenge you to a fight! Let's go!" Song Zhan exploded.
Sure, he was slow on the uptake sometimes, but that didn't mean he was an idiot! Rude!
"If you're gonna fight, do it far away. Just don't bother Lu Lu," Cheng Mo said.
Yeah, yeah, go on and fight.
Leave him to stay here alone with Si Lu. Perfect.
He was absolutely fine with that.
"You're clever, no doubt. But opportunistic. Not a good look." Obsidian said, eyeing Cheng Mo.
This guy… truly scheming.
"What are you guys even talking about? I don't get it. What does 'opportunistic' even mean?!" Song Zhan scratched his head, frustrated.
Why did they have to talk in riddles?! Just say what you mean!
"This is high-level conversation, babe. You're not ready for this lobby. Now be good and go check on Ah Di, help him out a bit," Si Lu laughed.
Look at him — totally flustered. Poor guy.
"Fine! Hmph, don't include me then!" Song Zhan stomped out.
Cheng Mo and Obsidian both exchanged looks, eyes flickering as they turned to Si Lu.
"Lu Lu really is smart. Nothing gets past you." Obsidian smiled.
"Right? You sent Song Zhan away on purpose — is there something you wanna tell us?" Cheng Mo added.
Not just him — Obsidian saw through it too.
Now, it was just the three of them in the cave. The little cubs were fast asleep, so they couldn't hear anything anyway.
"Aiyaa~ See? I was just about to say something, and you both already caught on. Truly, beastmen being too smart is a headache. Can't even pull off a surprise!" Si Lu said helplessly.
Wasn't that the truth.