Chapter 278 - 277: Questioning

Chapter 278: Chapter 277: Questioning

Hearing what Mu Silin said, she was still worried.

"What exactly were Little Qi’s symptoms at the time?"

Si Muye was the first to speak:

"First, she didn’t want to eat. She also slept for longer than Dabao, Er Bao, and the others."

Worried about his little sister, Dabao chimed in:

"That’s right! Qibao slept way longer than us. A few times when we woke up, I tried to wake her, but I couldn’t wake Qibao up!"

"Mhm, Er Bao tried calling her too. Qibao was sleeping so soundly, she wouldn’t wake up no matter how much we called."

Shen Yue frowned as she listened.

"And after that?"

Mu Silin said, "After sleeping for longer and longer, she started refusing to eat. Then her body became hot to the touch, and her temperature kept rising."

As he spoke, he recalled something else.

"Oh, right. When she was awake, she’d often just stare into space, like she was completely zoned out."

Wubao added, "Yeah, Qibao was super hot! When Wubao held her hand, it felt really, really hot!"

"When Qibao was spacing out, Liu Bao would talk to her, but she couldn’t hear a thing!"

Shen Yue’s heart twisted tighter the more she heard.

The symptoms sounded like the fatigue and general malaise that accompany a fever.

’But why do I feel so uneasy?’

’And why was she so difficult to wake up in the beginning?’

Si Bao stood before Shen Yue, hugging her arm.

"Female mother, Si Bao misses little sister. Qibao will be okay, right? She’ll come back to us soon, won’t she?"

Shen Yue listened and stroked Si Bao’s little crimson head.

"Yes, your little sister will be fine. Female mother misses her too. We’ll just wait a few more days, and she’ll be back with us!"

Seeing how obviously worried she was, Ye Lüqi, who was standing nearby, tried to comfort her.

"Don’t worry too much. If something were really wrong, Lan Cangyue would have come up to tell you at the first opportunity."

Shen Yue agreed. ’Lan Cangyue wouldn’t hide something like that from me.’

’I hope it was just a matter of Qibao having trouble adjusting to the new environment, and that she’s all better now in the Undersea Kingdom.’

’She’s probably playing happily underwater right now, with her little friends to keep her company and her Father to watch over her.’

Shen Yue pushed down her anxiety and looked at the little cubs gathered before her.

She had been gone for so long, so she decided to cook a proper meal for her little ones. It felt like her cubs hadn’t grown any taller during her absence; in fact, they seemed to have gotten thinner.

She felt incredibly guilty.

She slowly crouched down, looking at the little ones who stood by her feet, unwilling to leave her side for even a moment. She spoke gently:

"Tell female mother what you want to eat. Female mother will make you all something delicious!"

The little ones immediately started dancing for joy.

Their eyes lit up one by one.

But Dabao suddenly thought of something. He hugged Shen Yue’s arm and said in his sweet, childish voice:

"But female mother just got back! Dabao doesn’t want female mother to get tired. Dabao wants female mother to rest!"

Hearing this, the other little cubs immediately reined in their excitement.

"That’s right! Female mother just came back. Wubao doesn’t want female mother to get tired either. Wubao won’t eat. Wubao wants female mother to be happy and relaxed!"

Liu Bao snuggled affectionately against Shen Yue. "Yeah, me too. Liu Bao isn’t hungry. Female mother shouldn’t get too tired. Liu Bao won’t eat!"

"Er Bao won’t eat either. Er Bao wants to rest with female mother."

Listening to them, Shen Yue’s heart felt unbelievably warm. She knew they were all craving the food she made.

Yet, between satisfying their cravings and her well-being, they chose to worry about her instead.

She couldn’t resist stroking their little heads.

"Don’t worry, female mother isn’t tired. As long as I can see you all, I’m not tired at all. Quick, tell female mother what you want to eat. You can each name two dishes!"

The little ones exchanged glances, and after confirming that Shen Yue really wasn’t tired, they began to jump for joy.

"In that case, Er Bao wants a whole roasted pig and grilled fish!"

"Dabao wants chicken and mushroom stew and fish soup!"

"Si Bao wants cold eggplant salad and grilled shishamo!"

"Wubao wants..."

The little ones jubilantly listed all the dishes they had been craving lately.

The men watched, their faces brimming with happiness.

With Shen Yue’s return, it felt as if the very air had grown warmer.

Meanwhile, Huang Ziyue looked at Sanbao, who was standing quietly to the side, and crouched down.

"What does Sanbao want to eat? Father will make it for you."

The moment he spoke, every man in the room turned to look at him.

Even Sanbao gave him a strange look, as if to say, ’You know how to cook? If you don’t, then don’t bother asking me.’

A smile played on Shen Yue’s lips.

"Go on and tell him, Sanbao. Your Father just might be able to make it for you!"

Shen Yue’s words made the other men in the room stare with wide eyes.

’What does she mean by that?’

’Does she mean this ice-block dragon knows how to cook now?’

’When Shen Yue said in the courtyard that someone had already learned, was she talking about Huang Ziyue?’

Shen Yue crouched down and continued to look at Sanbao.

"Sanbao, tell female mother what you’d like to eat. Name two dishes. How about female mother makes one and Father makes the other for you?"

Her voice was incredibly gentle, and her gaze upon Sanbao was filled with immense love.

Sanbao’s chilly little face was expressionless, but a light flickered in his round, dark-red eyes.

He pursed his lips, seemingly in deep thought, then uttered a single word:

"Shrimp."

Shen Yue’s eyes lit up. "Shrimp? Our Sanbao wants to eat shrimp? Do you mean the boiled shrimp that female mother made last time?"

She recalled a time she had boiled some shrimp and had even peeled them for Sanbao herself.

’I never realized Sanbao loved shrimp so much.’

Seeing his son willing to speak, Huang Ziyue’s heart quivered.

Shen Yue knew Huang Ziyue was thrilled, so she pressed on.

"What else? What else would you like? Name one more thing, and you can let your Father cook it. Your Father is a great cook, you know. Female mother has already taste-tested for you!"

She said this, still crouched on the floor.

A rare smile touched Huang Ziyue’s lips. Hearing Shen Yue praise him so openly in front of everyone filled him with such pride and satisfaction that his entire being overflowed with happiness.

The hearts of the men standing behind them clenched. ’Shen Yue has eaten his cooking?’

’That man actually learned to cook, and he’s already cooked for Shen Yue?’

’When did this happen? Did it happen on their trip to Li City?’

They all instantly turned to Bai Chaosi, searching his face for answers.

But Bai Chaosi looked as if he were just hearing it for the first time himself. His expression was even more shocked than theirs, and it was tinged with pain and regret.

In that subtle atmosphere, they all instinctively sensed that the relationship between Shen Yue and the Flood Dragon was different now.

It was in the small things, like the way Shen Yue would affectionately draw close to Huang Ziyue when they interacted...

Even now, as they crouched before Sanbao, their backs were unconsciously leaning toward one another. The unspoken message in that small distance made the other men’s hearts seize.

Mu Silin’s eyes reddened. He whipped his head back toward Bai Chaosi.

He narrowed his eyes, giving him a look that said, ’Come outside.’ He had to ask him something. With that, Mu Silin turned and walked out first.

The pain in Bai Chaosi’s eyes was obvious. He glanced at the backs of Shen Yue and Huang Ziyue, then followed Mu Silin outside.

Seeing this, Ye Lüqi and Gu Fangqi quietly slipped out as well.

Si Muye frowned and took a few steps toward the door.

He saw the four men standing in the courtyard, their bodies ramrod straight as they questioned Bai Chaosi. ℴ

He took a few more steps out.

「In the courtyard」

Mu Silin’s fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. His chest ached, but he kept his eyes fixed on Bai Chaosi and demanded:

"What in the world is going on between Shen Yue and that Flood Dragon?"

"What exactly happened between them when you were in Li City?"