Chapter 151: Chapter 151: Look at him. You have wounded the lion.

Lin Huahua pointed at him. "Do not use the merman against me."

Feng Yiren put one hand on his chest. "I am only worried."

"You are smiling."

"I worry happily."

Lin Huahua almost stood up to hit him with the nearest piece of roasted meat, but Bai Ruyue suddenly leaned closer with a soft smile, and that smile made Lin Huahua’s back straighten because this was not an innocent mother smile. This was the same kind of smile she had seen on Tu Xiaotao’s face before Su Yanrong got slapped around by three angry females.

Bai Ruyue touched Lin Huahua’s hand gently. "Unless, of course, my daughter was lying when she said she truly accepted her males."

Lin Huahua froze.

The whole cooking space became even more interested.

Lin Xiaojiu’s gray rat ears perked up at once. Xiong Baobao’s round bear ears lifted, and Ying Chengyu leaned forward slightly, his young hawk wings shifting behind him because he could tell something good was about to happen. Even Lin Weishan, who had been trying to remain dignified, looked toward Lin Huahua with that calm father face that still carried a tiny bit of amusement around the eyes.

Lin Huahua stared at her mother.

Then at Feng Yiren.

Then back at her mother.

Ah.

So this was how it was going to be.

They were using her own words against her.

Lin Huahua immediately sat straighter, her face still red but her chin lifted in stubborn pride. "I was not lying."

Bai Ruyue’s smile deepened. "Then sharing a room should not be a problem."

Lin Huahua’s mouth opened.

No words came out.

Feng Yiren looked delighted.

Mu Qingyi lowered his head slightly, and although he looked gentle, Lin Huahua could clearly see the smile hiding at the corner of his mouth. Hu Baiyu looked at her with honest hope, and that made it even worse because she could glare at Feng Yiren all she wanted, but she could not look at Hu Baiyu’s soft excited lion face and say no without feeling like she had kicked a cub.

Lin Huahua looked at Mu Qingyi. "You know I was not lying."

Mu Qingyi nodded calmly. "I know."

She looked at Hu Baiyu. "You also know."

Hu Baiyu nodded quickly.

Lin Huahua pointed at Bai Ruyue. "Then tell them."

Mu Qingyi’s eyes warmed. "If you do not want to share, I can tell them we will go back."

Hu Baiyu also nodded, though his lion ears drooped a little before he could hide it.

Lin Huahua saw that tiny droop and instantly felt guilty.

Feng Yiren saw the same thing and clicked his tongue. "Look at him. You have wounded the lion."

"I did not wound him," Lin Huahua snapped.

"He looks wounded."

Hu Baiyu immediately tried to lift his ears again, but it was too late.

Lin Huahua’s cheeks puffed up. "Fine. We will stay."

Feng Yiren’s red tail gave one victorious sweep.

Lin Huahua pointed at him immediately. "But you are not allowed to look so happy."

"I am not happy."

"Your tail is happy."

Feng Yiren looked at his own tail like it had betrayed him. "My tail is innocent."

"It is not."

Bai Ruyue finally laughed, the sound warm and pleased. "Good. Then it is settled."

Lin Huahua covered her face with one hand, because she already knew that this whole thing had gone beyond her control.

Bai Ruyue turned to her younger sons. "Xiaojiu, Baobao, Chengyu, go clean your sister’s old room. Take out the dust hides and put fresh furs inside. Do not throw things everywhere."

Lin Xiaojiu jumped up first, his gray rat tail whipping behind him from excitement. "Yes, Mother."

Xiong Baobao also stood at once, puffing out his young chest with bear pride. "I will carry the heavy furs."

Ying Chengyu rose more calmly, but his dark wings gave one sharp little flutter. "If Xiaojiu throws dust at me, I will throw him outside."

Lin Xiaojiu gasped. "I did nothing yet."

"That is why I said if."

"You are always threatening me."

"You are always doing things that need threats."

Lin Huahua watched the three younger brothers rush toward the side path that led to her old room, and even though they were noisy, she felt warm inside. In the sci-fi world, she only had five brothers, and those five were already enough to make any person feel like they had a small army following them around.

But here, because of the beast world’s way of families, she had even more brothers scattered across tribes, clans, and villages, all starting their own lives or pursuing females. These three were the younger ones still close to home, and they were noisy, stubborn, and too energetic, but the way they treated her made her feel like she had always belonged to this place.

While the younger brothers went to clean her room, the adults started clearing the night food properly. Xiong Han carried the heavy fire stone away from the center and used a flat bone tool to scrape the roasted bits off.

Shui Lang washed the leaf plates in a clay bowl of water, though he kept splashing Bao Xun’s tail on purpose until the panther beastman finally turned one cold look on him.

Ying Zhe carried some leftover meat higher onto a hanging rack so small animals would not steal it in the night. Bai Ruyue sat near Lin Huahua and combed through a bit of her daughter’s hair with her fingers, while Lin Weishan spoke quietly with Mu Qingyi about the next morning’s patrols.

Lin Huahua sat quietly for a while, watching everything.

Then her eyes moved to Mu Qingyi.

He stood beside Lin Weishan, listening respectfully, his tall body calm and steady under the firelight. His broad chest was bare, his hide beast skirt tied neatly around his waist, and his large antlers gave him a gentle but powerful presence.

But when Lin Huahua looked at him properly, she suddenly remembered something.

He had not eaten much.