Chapter 492 - 489: Full of Love

Chapter 492: Chapter 489: Full of Love

"No problem! Father Beast will definitely pick out the most elite Warriors in the tribe for you." Jiao Yuan agreed without hesitation, his eyes glinting with an eagerness to do something for his daughter.

"Okay."

Bai Wanwan gave a slight nod. With the matter settled, she had no intention of staying and turned to leave.

"Wanwan!"

Jiao Yuan took a step forward, almost instinctively. His voice was urgent and clumsily pleading, "Wait! You... Are you free? Father Beast has... has a lot of pretty stones that females like, and very sweet Honey Fruits, and..."

He frantically searched for something that could make his daughter stay for even a moment.

Before he could finish, Bai Wanwan cut him off. "No need. I have things to do."

She didn’t even look back, her steps never faltering as she walked straight out of the courtyard.

Jiao Yuan’s outstretched hand froze mid-air. As he watched his daughter’s determined back disappear, the last faint glimmer of light in his eyes extinguished completely, leaving only bitter disappointment.

A mountain of treasures couldn’t buy him a single glance back from his daughter.

When Bai Wanwan returned to Shuang Hua’s vibrant treehouse, the last rays of the setting sun were filtering through the gaps in the giant leaves, casting warm patches of light.

Inside, a lively scene was unfolding. A few fluffy little tiger cubs were swarming around Shuang Hua like rolling balls of fur, mewling in their high-pitched voices. They vied to hug her legs and climb up, their small claws gripping her Beast Skin Skirt tightly, preventing her from moving an inch.

"Granny Shuang, hold me!"

"Granny Shuang, tell a story!"

"Granny Shuang, don’t go!"

Shuang Hua’s face was overflowing with a genuinely doting smile, showing no signs of annoyance.

She bent down and gently picked up the tiger cub clinging to her the tightest. She affectionately nuzzled its fluffy little head with the tip of her nose, earning a contented purr in return.

Then she stroked the chin of another tiger cub clutching her knee. "Be good. Granny isn’t going anywhere. Granny will stay right here with you."

Watching this heartwarming scene, a smile involuntarily spread across Bai Wanwan’s face.

Just as she was about to speak up and join in, her sharp gaze caught sight of the back of Shuang Hua’s hand as she raised it to pet a cub. There was an alarming patch of red swelling, and even a few blisters!

"Aunt Shuang!" Bai Wanwan hurried forward. "You’re hurt? Is that a burn?"

Shuang Hua instinctively tried to pull her hand back, a trace of embarrassment on her face. "Oh, it’s nothing, it’s nothing. It’s not serious. I was just being clumsy while cooking and wasn’t careful..."

"It’s not because Granny Shuang was clumsy!"

A little tiger cub with a sleek, glossy coat, who was crouching nearby, looked up and piped up in its high-pitched voice, its little paw pointing at another cub who was shrinking back and trying to make itself invisible. "It was because my brother was being naughty! He wanted to climb the stove to see the meat in the stone pot and almost fell in! Granny Shuang was trying to save him, so she blocked it with her hand and got splashed by the boiling soup!"

The little tiger cub’s tone was full of protectiveness for Shuang Hua and was clearly "tattling" on its naughty brother.

Bai Wanwan’s gaze immediately locked onto the "culprit" cub.

The tiger cub felt its Mother’s stare and lowered its head even further, its ears drooping. A faint whimper, a mixture of grievance and fear, escaped its throat.

"So it was you, you little troublemaker!" Bai Wanwan was both amused and exasperated. She reached out and gently tapped the little cub’s nose. "Will you dare to be so naughty next time? It was so dangerous, and you got Granny Shuang hurt."

Seeing this, Shuang Hua quickly pulled the curled-up little cub into her arms protectively, stroking its back with pity. "Wanwan, don’t blame him, he’s still so young. He didn’t actually touch the stone pot. I was just in too much of a hurry and my movements were too big, so I splashed myself. It’s really not the cub’s fault."

Feeling protected, the little tiger cub burrowed deeper into Shuang Hua’s embrace, leaving only a pair of big, moist eyes peeking out timidly at its Mother.

Looking at Aunt Shuang’s indulgent expression, as if she wanted to take all the blame on herself, Bai Wanwan sighed helplessly. "Aunt Shuang, you can’t spoil them too much. When they do something wrong, they need to be taught a lesson. Otherwise, they’ll be completely out of control later."

But Shuang Hua just smiled gently, holding the cub in her arms. Her loving gaze swept over all the little furballs surrounding her. "The cubs are still so little and innocent. What serious mistakes could they make? When they’re a bit older, with territories and mates of their own, it’ll be hard to even have them by your side. While I can still hold them, of course I have to spoil them a little."

Bai Wanwan looked at the pure, unadulterated adoration in Shuang Hua’s eyes and her heart softened.

’Oh well. Her cubs were already quite well-behaved, thanks to the strict but loving guidance of their fathers.’

’Aunt Shuang’s occasional spoiling probably isn’t a big deal.’

Shuang Hua, still holding the little tiger cub, tried to stand up to go back to the kitchen to prepare dinner, but Bai Wanwan gently pressed her back down. "Aunt Shuang, your hand is still injured. You should rest. Leave the cooking to me. You just stay and play with these little ones."

"You all are tired from being out and busy, I’ll go..."

Bai Wanwan held her firmly in place. "Why are you still trying to work when you’re injured?"

For Shuang Hua, this was how she had lived for years. Working while injured was a common occurrence.

She hadn’t thought much of it, but Wanwan’s sudden concern made the loneliness in Shuang Hua’s heart fade considerably.

Without another word, Bai Wanwan turned and headed for the kitchen.

However, just as she reached the kitchen doorway, two broad, large hands "pushed" her back out.

She saw Xin Feng deftly handling fresh beast meat, a sharp Bone Knife flashing in his hands as he sliced the meat into even, thin pieces.

Meanwhile, Jin Yi was steadily managing the fire. A fragrant meat broth was BUBBLING away in a huge stone pot.

The two of them worked in perfect sync, having clearly taken over the kitchen.

"Wanwan, the smoke is thick in here. Xin Feng and I are enough," Jin Yi said without looking up.

"Yeah, Wanwan, go keep Aunt Shuang and the cubs company," Xin Feng added gently.

"Then I’ll help you guys out."

She went over to help wash vegetables. Seeing that the males were hot and their foreheads were sweating, she moved closer to wipe their brows.

The males felt their mate’s affection, and their eyes, full of love, rested on her.

Being watched by them like that, Bai Wanwan couldn’t help but stand on her tiptoes, lean in, and give each of them a kiss on the cheek.

"Wanwan..." Jin Yi couldn’t resist her teasing at all. "Do you still want to have dinner?"

"Be good. Don’t provoke us," Xin Feng sighed helplessly.

Bai Wanwan chuckled and finally went out the door.

Zhu Xiu and Yin Ze were standing guard outside, scanning for any danger.

Hua Han and Yan Lie had just returned from fetching water and gathering firewood.

Upon seeing Bai Wanwan, they flanked her like two loyal guards, one on her left and one on her right.

Yan Lie brought over a low stool covered with a soft animal pelt and solicitously placed it behind her. "Wanwan, sit."

Hua Han, meanwhile, silently moved behind her. His long, strong fingers landed on her shoulders and began to knead them with just the right amount of pressure...