"Well, you go play first. Your mother just came back, and I guess she's a little tired. She needs to rest," Bai Di said to the three little ones.
"Okay, Mother, get a good rest. We won't bother you," Xiao Chengyu replied obediently.
The two little ones beside him nodded hard.
"Alright, go play," Si Lu said.
The three cubs ran off into the distance.
"Lulu, actually… while you were gone these past few days, Kano came here every day. He always helped take care of the cubs," Bai Di said.
They could all see Kano's feelings for the little female.But ultimately, the decision was hers.
"Kano?" Si Lu blinked, surprised.
She didn't expect the introverted teenager to be so diligent.
Now she finally understood what Tata mentioned earlier.
Later, she went to the sea with Lan Po to find a partner and completely forgot about him.
That teenager… really is stupid.
Si Lu sighed.
"It must've been hard for him," she murmured.
"Lulu, sit here and rest. You too," Bai Di said, quickly laying out a clean animal skin for her.
"Bai Di, you've really had a hard time these days," Si Lu said.
He really had.She'd been gone for over ten days.They handled the cubs and everything else.
Si Lu felt guilty about it.
"Lulu, what are you talking about? This is what we should do. Besides, they're our cubs," Bai Di said with a smile as he touched her head gently, eyes full of affection.
"I'll think about Kano's situation," Si Lu said.
Honestly, she was clueless.Was Kano planning to become her partner?
Everyone else had opinions, but the person involved never said anything!
Still… she did like the quiet young man.
"Lulu, Kano is actually very good. Strong, capable, and very attentive to you," Bai Di said.
Look at him — he was so open-minded now.
There was nothing wrong with having a few more powerful orcs help take care of her. He wasn't upset about it anymore.
"A Di, you've changed a lot," Si Lu said in surprise.
The old Bai Di would never say something like that.
"I have changed a bit. I just want you to take in whoever you like. We'll take care of you and the cubs together," Bai Di said, a little embarrassed.
He had figured out a lot.
Naturally, he wouldn't have said these things before.
But now, he had matured.
As long as he could stay by Lulu's side and take care of her and their cubs, he was satisfied.
After all, Lulu had her own special place in his heart.
Si Lu reached out and pinched Bai Di's cheek.
"Alright then, let's eat some fruit and melon seeds." She grabbed a few handfuls of seeds from her space and poured them onto a clean piece of animal skin. Then she washed the fruit she had found and placed everything into a basket.
"What are these?" Jin Yang asked.
He had never seen these fruits.Red ones, green ones, big and small — what were they?
He hadn't eaten them, but he could already smell their sweet aroma.
"Lulu, what are these fruits? They look good. We've never seen them before," Lan Po said.
"This is an apple, this is a pear, and this is a strawberry. Try them — they're delicious. And these are melon seeds," Si Lu said with a smile.
She picked up a bright red strawberry and popped it into her mouth.
So good.She also grabbed a handful of melon seeds and happily cracked them open.
"Let me try the red one," Lan Po said, taking a strawberry. His eyes lit up instantly.
What was this? It was amazing — sweet, tart, and perfect.
"I'll try an apple," Jin Yang said, taking a large bite.
Crunchy. Sweet. Refreshing.
"So good!" Jin Yang said in shock.
"Heehee, eat whatever you like. I have plenty. Di, Anan, you eat too — don't just stare at me," Si Lu teased.
Why were those two staring at her like that?
"Mhm," Nance said, picking up an apple and eating it.
He liked watching Si Lu like this.
Seeing her back safely made him feel excited and relieved.He had missed her terribly.
Everyone was eating fruit and chatting happily when footsteps approached.
Si Lu looked up and saw a few people standing nearby.
Were they dumb?
They froze when they saw her — totally stunned.
"Amo, A Zhan, what are you doing just standing there? Don't you recognize me?" Si Lu laughed.
Why were those two just standing around looking lost?
"Lulu! You're really back! I'm not dreaming, right?" Song Zhan shouted, dropping everything in his hands. He ran straight toward her, picked her up, and spun her around excitedly.
If Cheng Mo hadn't held him back earlier, he really would've rushed into the sea to find her.
"Yep, I'm back. Did you miss me?" Si Lu asked, arms around his neck.
He looked way too excited.
"Of course I missed you! I waited every day. If Cheng Mo hadn't stopped me, I would've run into the sea for you."
"Why were you gone so long? I thought you didn't want us anymore," Song Zhan said pitifully as he set her down.
"How could I not want you? I was just delayed," Si Lu said, patting his head.
"There were some problems — otherwise, I would've come back sooner."
"It's good you're back. And… you look thinner," Cheng Mo said softly as he walked over, eyes full of warmth and relief.
"You've worked hard these days," Si Lu said.
"It wasn't hard. It's what we're supposed to do," Cheng Mo replied, gently patting her head, eyes full of affection.
He had missed her so much.
"Oh — let me introduce you. This is Jin Yang and this is Lan Po. Jin Yang is Lan Po's older brother and the patriarch of the mackerel race. They're my partners now. Jin Yang, Lan Po — this is Cheng Mo and Song Zhan. They're also my partners," Si Lu said.
Everyone nodded politely.
Cheng Mo understood instantly.
No wonder she came back so late — two partners.He didn't expect Si Lu to accept a pair of merman brothers.
But they were handsome and strong, just her type.
His little female had good taste.Actually, her taste was getting better and better. He felt weirdly proud.
"Kano…" Si Lu finally noticed another figure.
Kano stood there with dressed prey in his arms, straight-backed and handsome, staring at her with eyes full of emotion she couldn't decipher.
"You're finally back," Kano said, walking toward her. His eyes were bright.
The little female was looking at him.
His heart was both nervous and overjoyed.