Chapter 486 - 483: Family

Chapter 486: Chapter 483: Family

Jinying nodded silently.

"That’s good... that’s good," Jiao Yuan murmured under his breath.

Neither of the two males spoke again, their gazes fixed on the direction Bai Wanwan had gone.

Jinying felt he’d been acting strangely lately, always doing inexplicable things.

Just last night, he had stood near Bai Wanwan’s treehouse for most of the night. When he woke up this morning and thought back on it, he had no idea why he’d even gone.

And a lingering feeling of sorrow and reluctance remained in his heart.

He clearly had no interaction with this female before. Even when he had seen her in the Tiger Clan, he hadn’t felt anything at all.

But now... he was troubled by a strange emotion.

Guarded by her Beast Husbands, Bai Wanwan walked through the tribe’s night-shrouded paths, returning to the relatively secluded stone house courtyard of the Shuang Hua Saintess.

Before she even got close, she saw a familiar figure standing by a tree trunk, eagerly awaiting her arrival.

It was the Shuang Hua Saintess.

She had clearly been waiting for a long time. The bright moonlight shone on her gentle face, illuminating deep concern and a trace of imperceptible excitement.

The moment she saw Bai Wanwan’s figure appear at the end of the path, Shuang Hua immediately rushed to greet her, her steps hurried.

"Wanwan!" Shuang Hua reached out and tightly gripped Bai Wanwan’s cool hands. "I saw everything! The Life Tree has been revived! You really awakened the Life Tree! Aunt Shuang... Aunt Shuang really doesn’t know how to thank you!"

Her eyes were slightly red-rimmed, and her voice was filled with sincere gratitude.

Bai Wanwan felt the warmth and slight tremor from her palms, and a warm feeling surged through her own heart.

She squeezed Shuang Hua’s hands in return, her voice gentle but firm. "Aunt Shuang, I am also a member of the Flood Dragon Tribe. The blood of this place flows in my veins. Awakening the Life Tree is something I should do. I’m happy to be able to contribute to the land that raised my ancestors."

’Awakening the Life Tree is a thank-you gift to the original owner’s tribe, seeing as I’ve taken over her identity.’

Hearing this, Shuang Hua’s expression softened, but it was quickly tinged with deep worry.

She looked cautiously at Bai Wanwan’s calm profile, hesitated for a moment, and then asked softly, "Then... what about your Father Beast and Mother? Did they... did they see you? Did they recognize you? What did they say?"

She asked with trepidation, both hoping that Jiao Yuan and his wife would make it up to Wanwan, and fearing an answer that would disappoint or even anger her.

Bai Wanwan’s eyes were calm, as if she were discussing something that had nothing to do with her. The corner of her mouth even curled into a faint, slightly sarcastic arc. "Them? They said nothing."

"They said nothing?" Shuang Hua’s voice suddenly rose. The gentleness on her face was instantly replaced by anger, her brows furrowed tightly, and her eyes flashed with incredulous fury. "They lost you, a young female, all those years ago, and let you suffer so much out there! Now the truth is out, you’ve returned, and you’ve even saved the entire tribe. And they... they couldn’t even offer a single word of apology, a single promise to make it up to you?"

She was so angry her chest heaved and her voice trembled. She hadn’t even been this furious when Jiao Yuan had misunderstood her.

Seeing her so upset on her behalf, Bai Wanwan’s heart softened even more.

She gently patted the back of Shuang Hua’s hand, comforting her. "Aunt Shuang, don’t be angry. It’s not worth it for people who don’t matter."

Her tone carried a detached indifference. "Even if they wanted to make it up to me now, I wouldn’t care for it. I came back to find out who switched me and threw me away all those years ago. Finding that culprit and making them pay the price they deserve is enough for me."

She paused. "When the dust settles, I’m leaving this place."

"Leaving?" Her recent anger was instantly replaced by reluctance and worry.

She subconsciously tightened her grip on Bai Wanwan’s hand, as if that alone could make her stay. "Wanwan! Why would you leave? The Flood Dragon Tribe is one of the most powerful Super Tribes on this continent. Our resources are abundant, and our status is revered! If you stay here, you’ll have the entire tribe backing you. You’re the Clan Leader’s daughter—the Life Tree and the tribe’s elders all saw it with their own eyes. Life here will be much more stable than anywhere else. Why would you want to leave?"

She eagerly listed the benefits of staying, her words filled with pleading and incomprehension.

Bai Wanwan saw the genuine concern in her eyes and was moved, but her decision was final.

She shook her head slightly, her voice gentle yet resolute. "Aunt Shuang, I understand everything you’re saying. But my roots aren’t here. I grew up on another continent. That’s where my home is, my attachments, the mountains and rivers I know... and most importantly,"

She glanced back at her Beast Husbands, who were standing guard silently nearby, and her gaze softened. "My Beast Husbands grew up there. That is my true home."

The males heard her words, and each one of them looked at her with deep, resolute gazes.

Bai Wanwan’s cheeks grew a little hot under the intense stares of her Beast Husbands, and she quickly looked away.

She saw the disappointment that instantly flooded Shuang Hua’s eyes and, her heart softening, added, "But don’t you worry. I’ll come back to visit you often."

Shuang Hua watched the tenderness and sense of belonging that flowed in Bai Wanwan’s eyes when she mentioned her "Beast Husbands," and she saw her attachment to that other continent.

The urgency of her plea slowly subsided.

She was silent for a moment, as if making a momentous decision.

She looked up, her eyes filled with anticipation, and asked, "Wanwan... then... then can Aunt Shuang go with you to the other continent?"

Bai Wanwan was a little surprised. "Aunt Shuang?"

Shuang Hua gripped her hand, her tone earnest and tinged with an imperceptible loneliness. "Aunt Shuang doesn’t have any children, and in this Flood Dragon Tribe... there’s nothing I truly can’t let go of. After spending these days with you, Aunt Shuang has truly come to see you as my own daughter. You have so many Beast Husbands, you’ll have lots of children..."

Her voice grew softer, filled with a maternal gentleness. "Aunt Shuang can help you look after the young ones and manage your household. I’ll never be a burden to you. Please let Aunt Shuang go with you, alright?"

It was the request of an elder who had been lonely for too long, her humblest yet most sincere yearning for family.

Looking at the anticipation and loneliness practically overflowing from Shuang Hua’s eyes, Bai Wanwan’s heart melted.

"Alright. If you’re willing to come with me, Aunt Shuang, I couldn’t be happier. From now on, you are my family!"

Bai Wanwan’s words instantly lit up Shuang Hua’s eyes and dispelled the gloom from her features.

A smile bloomed across Aunt Shuang’s face, melting away the last traces of worry from her eyes.

"It’s getting late, let’s go home. You must be hungry. Aunt Shuang roasted some meat for you..."

With that, she called out loudly to Bai Wanwan’s Beast Husbands, "Zhu Xiu, Jin Yi, Xin Feng... Hurry, come on in and eat."

Before long, a fire lit up the small treehouse, and the sounds of warm, happy laughter drifted out from the window.