Seven Cubs, Seven Fathers, Zero Days Off

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: I’ve Never Seen a Female Risk Her Life for Her Child

Shen Yue looked at Er Bao and saw that he was no longer as afraid of Sanbao as before. Though still timid and keeping his distance, his eyes now held a glimmer of brotherly affection.

Watching them, her heart warmed.

’Her little Angel Babies. They’re so young, yet they already know how to comfort and protect each other.’

She looked dotingly at the little one in her arms.

”Sanbao, did you see? All your brothers love your beast form. Are you happy?”

”A bad guy took you just now, and everyone was so worried. Look, your brothers got their fur all dirty searching for you!”

Hearing this, the little cubs at her feet were frightened.

”A bad guy took Sanbao? Who was it? They’re so mean!”

”We don’t want a bad guy to take Sanbao!”

”Female mother, did you chase the bad guy away and save Sanbao?”

”Female mother, what did the bad guy look like? If Sibao ever runs into him, I’ll definitely give him a beating!”

The corner of Shen Yue’s mouth lifted. To reassure the little cubs, she described him vividly:

”Yes, your female mother already chased that villain away. He was terrifying to look at—green-faced with long fangs, and he specializes in stealing children. But if he ever dares to show up again, I’ll beat him until he can’t find his own teeth, pluck him bald, and castrate him to make wine! How does that sound?”

Huang Ziyue was speechless.

’Green-faced with long fangs? A specialist in stealing children?’

”Yay! Female mother is amazing!”

”Female mother, cut his butt with a knife!”

”Yeah, cut his butt! Make it hurt!”

”Cut it off and soak it in wine! It can even cure a high fever!”

Shen Yue nodded.

”Your female mother was thinking the same thing. Let’s cut that bastard’s off!”

Huang Ziyue’s eyelid twitched.

He subconsciously squeezed his legs together.

The image of Shen Yue holding a sharp knife, cutting up that bamboo rat cub, instantly flashed before his eyes.

His face instantly darkened as he glared down at the woman and her litter of cubs.

’Just as you’d expect from cubs raised by this vicious woman. They’re even more ruthless than me. They actually want to cut off my dragon eggs.’

’Fine!’

’I, Huang Ziyue, will remember this.’

Shen Yue held Sanbao, thought for a moment, and decided to admonish them:

”Babies, you must remember this from now on. This world is full of bad people who kidnap and sell children. They specialize in stealing kids, and after they take them, they dig out their hearts, lungs, and even their eyes.”

”So, from now on, you must not leave my side for even a second. No running off. Today was an accident; it was my fault for not looking after you properly. But in the future, you absolutely, positively cannot leave my sight. And if you’re in danger, you have to shout for help right away. Do not go with strangers, do you understand?”

Shen Yue was using the man from before as a cautionary tale, teaching her cubs how to avoid being kidnapped.

Hearing this, the little cubs were so frightened they hid behind her legs, nodding their heads one faster than the next.

”Uh-huh, Er Bao knows! Er Bao will absolutely not go with strangers!”

”Dabao won’t run off either. Dabao will be good.”

”Wubao doesn’t want to get taken by a bad guy and have my eyes dug out! Wubao will stick close to female mother!”

”Liu Bao is the smartest! I’d never go with a stranger. I’d bite him!”

Looking at the little ones at her feet, Shen Yue’s heart was still pounding with lingering fear.

’Before the little ones are grown, if they really run into a powerful villain like that one just now, it’ll be incredibly hard for them to escape.’

’It looks like I’ll have to teach them some close-combat self-defense skills. The kind that can take someone down in one hit, allowing for a clean getaway.’

As she thought of this, she suddenly remembered something:

”Right! Dabao, where’s Little Qi?”

Dabao snapped to attention and pointed toward the riverbank.

”Female mother, over there! I hid Qibao by the river.”

Shen Yue followed the cubs to the spot where the egg was hidden. When she saw it, she was stunned!

Dabao was shocked too.

”Huh? Where’s Qibao?”

”Female mother, I put Qibao right here behind this big rock. How could he be gone?”

Shen Yue’s vision darkened. It was one thing after another.

Behind the large rock, there was nothing but bare sand. Not a trace of Qibao.

A current flowed past nearby. Shen Yue’s heart skipped a beat.

’Could Qibao have been washed away?’

But the current wasn’t that strong, and it all seemed to flow down into that deep pool.

’Could he have been swept into the pool?’

”Oh no!”

’The water in that pool was a murky green and looked bottomless. Surely Qibao didn’t fall in?’

She sprinted toward the deep pool, the little cubs scrambling anxiously after her.

Dabao was so terrified he was on the verge of tears.

He was filled with fear and worry.

Shen Yue stood at the edge of the pool, staring into the murky, bottomless green water.

”Babies, stay right here and wait for me. I’m going in to find Qibao.”

Without a second thought.

SPLASH.

She leaped into the water.

The river water was bone-chillingly cold, but Shen Yue couldn’t afford to dwell on it.

She knew how to swim, but she wasn’t particularly skilled.

She took a deep breath and dove under, but the water was so murky and green she couldn’t see a thing.

Frantic, and unable to hold her breath for long, she had to keep surfacing for air.

But after several attempts, Shen Yue still hadn’t found anything.

She was consumed by the fear of losing her child.

She didn’t want to give up just like that.

’I have to dive deeper. The egg is light, so it shouldn’t have sunk this far, but I can’t lose Qibao like this. As long as there’s a sliver of hope, I have to find him.’

’I haven’t even seen what he looks like, or what species he is.’

’I haven’t even heard him call me female mother.’

’He’s my most anticipated Little Qi!’

’I’ve waited so long for him to hatch... Am I really going to lose him before I even get to meet him?’

By the riverbank, the cubs stared intently at the water’s surface. They were like children terrified of losing their mother, terrified that Shen Yue would vanish.

When Er Bao saw that Shen Yue had been under for so long this time, the tears welling in his eyes finally couldn’t be held back.

”WAAAH! Female mother! I want my female mother! I want her to come up!”

The other cubs were terrified too, but they had been trying their best to hold it in. The moment they heard him cry, they all started wailing.

”Female mother, I don’t want you to be lost underwater!”

”Wubao wants female mother too!”

”WAAAH! Female mother!”

”I want female mother back! I want female mother!”

The cubs’ earth-shattering cries filled the air.

From the shadows, Huang Ziyue’s brows knitted together. ’Why isn’t she out yet?’

’Does she have a death wish?’

Mu Silin had just returned to see Shen Yue plunge headfirst into the water.

Now, he clenched his fists, his heart pounding with anxiety.

’Why isn’t she coming up!’

’Did she drown?’

’This woman... she’s so small, yet so daring.’

He’d never seen a female so willing to risk her life for her children!

The subordinate beside him was frantic as well.

”General, Miss Shen Yue has been under for so long. Do you think something happened to her?”

Mu Silin stared intently at the water, his heart about to leap from his chest.

At the same time, he was struggling internally.

He quickly made his decision. He would reveal himself. No matter what, he had to save her first.

’Even if she recognizes me... even if I have to face her disdain and dislike, I can’t let anything happen to her!’

Meanwhile, Huang Ziyue’s heart seized.

He stared fixedly at the surface of the water.

’Damn it!’

’Why am I getting so anxious watching this woman fail to surface?’

He watched as his own son, down below, cried out in fear.

He steeled himself. ’To hell with it. I can’t let my son lose his female mother!’

The two men in the shadows were about to make their move at almost the exact same instant.

But then—

A brilliant ripple of light suddenly burst from the water.

Both men froze.

When they saw what it was, they were both utterly stunned.