Seven Cubs, Seven Fathers, Zero Days Off

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: What Would She Think of Him as a Father?

But Shen Yue knew there was no way Huang Ziyue would come out right now.

He was probably in his room, trying to relieve his pent-up desire.

So, Shen Yue went to the stove and started cooking on her own.

’They’ve been patrolling the ruins on the cliff for half the day,’ she thought. ’They must be hungry. Besides, it’s time to eat.’

Just then, the little ones came over.

”Female Mother, are we making food? Er Bao is hungry!”

”Si Bao is hungry too!”

”Xi Xi too!”

Shen Yue looked at the little ones and nodded.

”Yes, Female Mother will make you all something delicious. Quick, tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll make it!”

Dabao said, ”I want to eat grilled fish!”

”I want braised chicken with potatoes!”

”Wubao wants grilled fish too!”

”I want roast duck!”

”Me too.”

The little ones happily called out their requests, completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere in the courtyard.

Shen Yue, still in a good mood, turned to Mu Silin and the others.

”What about you all? Anything you’d like to eat?”

The men were still sulking and said nothing.

Bai Chaosi, ever the clever one, let his eyes shift.

”I’ll have whatever the children are having.”

Hearing this, Shen Yue raised an eyebrow and looked at the others.

”What about you?”

They remained silent.

Just then, the perceptive Dabao noticed something was amiss and stepped forward.

”That’s rude! My Female Mother is asking you a question!”

Si Bao caught on as well.

”Female Mother said that people who don’t answer questions or ignore others don’t know how to respect people!”

Er Bao glanced at Mu Silin and saw him scowling.

”That’s right, Female Mother! Let’s not ask them anymore, and don’t cook for them! I don’t want to eat with rude people!”

The men found themselves being scolded and scorned by the little cubs.

Some of their reason returned.

But as soon as they saw Shen Yue’s lips, swollen from being kissed, and the red marks on her neck, they all fell silent and sullen again.

They went right back to sulking.

Seeing this, Shen Yue didn’t get angry.

She simply turned away and continued cooking as if nothing was the matter.

For a moment, the courtyard fell silent.

The only sound was Shen Yue cooking, with the children obediently trailing behind her.

When the men saw that Shen Yue had no intention of paying them any mind and that the children were also keeping their distance, they started trying to make their presence known.

One after another, they found chores to do, all while waiting for Huang Ziyue to emerge and trying to get Shen Yue’s attention.

And then, this happened.

Ye Lüqi walked over carrying a bundle of firewood and, without a word, dropped it right next to Shen Yue.

It made her jump.

A log as thick as a calf nearly crushed her foot.

Shen Yue watched as Ye Lüqi stalked away in a huff without a backward glance.

She snatched her foot back. It had missed her by less than an inch.

’I am so done,’ she thought.

Next, Mu Silin started to work on the pile of red clay in the courtyard. His eyes were fixed fiercely on Huang Ziyue’s room as he churned the mixture with all his might.

With a loud CRACK, the iron shovel in his hand snapped in two.

Furious, he threw the broken shovel to the ground!

Er Bao, who had been watching him the whole time, piped up.

”You meanie! You broke the shovel!”

”That’s Female Mother’s shovel! Why’d you break it?”

Mu Silin’s expression tightened, and he shot Shen Yue a reproachful look.

But he saw that she didn’t even look up.

That only made him feel more stifled!

Just then, Lan Cangyue came over carrying a bucket of water. As if to vent his own frustration, he slammed the wooden bucket on the ground with a loud THUD.

The splashing water soaked the fur of the little cubs waiting by the stove.

It also nearly extinguished Shen Yue’s cooking fire.

Lan Cangyue merely paused for a second, showing no intention of apologizing before picking up his bucket and walking away.

The little cubs huffed indignantly, wiping the water from their fur, but they didn’t dare to voice their anger.

Even Xi Xi pouted, staring with a wounded expression at Lan Cangyue’s retreating back.

Shen Yue: ”...”

’Fine!’

’Every last one of them has such a temper.’

’So they’re going to blow this all out of proportion, are they?’

In that moment, Shen Yue’s good humor completely vanished.

’It seems,’ she thought, ’that I need to make them understand that if they want to live with me, they have to follow some rules.’

’I can tolerate their occasional jealous squabbles, but not if they can’t control their tempers in front of the children. Not if their behavior traumatizes them.’

’If that’s the case, then she would show them just how dispensable men were to her.’

She stood up and looked at the little ones.

”Sweeties, why don’t you go inside and play for a while? Female Mother will call you when the food is ready, okay?”

Hearing this, the little ones looked at Shen Yue, then glanced at the men in the courtyard.

After a moment of thought, they immediately nodded and scurried into the house.

As soon as Mu Silin and the others heard Shen Yue’s words, they all stopped what they were doing.

Bai Chaosi, who had been squatting to the side peeling potatoes for Shen Yue, hadn’t participated in the tantrum from the start.

He immediately broke into a warm smile and said to Shen Yue:

”The potatoes are peeled. Do they need another rinse?”

Gu Fangqi, standing nearby, was also a sharp one.

”The duck is prepared. What else needs to be done? I can do it.”

Shen Yue looked at them.

”That’s not necessary. All of you, come here. I have something to say to you.”

Hearing this, Mu Silin and the others all gathered.

They could feel that Shen Yue was angry.

’Did we go too far just now?’

Just then, even Huang Ziyue opened his door. He was neatly dressed and strode out on his long legs.

Mu Silin, Ye Lüqi, and Lan Cangyue watched Huang Ziyue emerge.

The fire in their hearts flared up again.

’Why should they have to patrol the ruins while this man gets to stay behind and seduce Shen Yue?’

The more they thought about it, the more unfair it seemed.

So, the moment they saw Huang Ziyue, Ye Lüqi was the first to erupt.

”You have the nerve to show your face? You should have just stayed hidden in there forever!”

”No wonder you didn’t go on patrol today. So this was your plan all along.”

Mu Silin’s expression was just as dark.

”Impressive tactics. Aren’t you afraid of damaging your reputation as the Great Emperor Master?”

Huang Ziyue walked closer, ignoring them.

He merely shot a cold glance at Bai Chaosi and remained silent.

Bai Chaosi caught his gaze, and his dark cyan eyes darkened for a moment.

Ye Lüqi continued, ”Say something! Was it you who bit her lip until it—”

”Enough!”

Shen Yue’s level voice cut off Ye Lüqi before he could continue his tirade.

The men all froze.

It was the first time they had heard her use such a severe tone.

Only then did Mu Silin finally realize how awful Shen Yue’s expression was.

Shen Yue’s gaze swept over each of them, her face a mask of seriousness and impatience.

”I admit, having a personality and a bit of a temper can be a good thing.”

”But throwing tantrums without reason, at any time, and being unable to control your emotions in front of the children is not. Letting them absorb your negativity and feel the oppressive atmosphere you create is wrong. That’s just pure venting, pure ignorance, pure stupidity. It’s purely and utterly aggravating!”

At her words, they all fell silent.

Lan Cangyue came to his senses. He had been so blinded by anger that he’d actually dared to scowl at Shen Yue like that.

He had even scared the children.

’Damn it all,’ he thought.

He remembered the frightened look on Xi Xi’s face...

’What must she think of me as her father?’

”Do you all think I’m too nice? Or that I’m a pushover? Let me tell you something. I can tolerate your petty squabbles and jealous fits, treat them like little tantrums and let them slide. But if you push your luck, lose sight of what’s important, and start traumatizing the children, then I, Shen Yue, advise you to get as far away from here as you can. As for the role of a father? In my eyes, you’re not qualified!”

’Here I am, a stepmother who just inherited this body, and even I can consider the children’s psychological development and care about their emotional growth.’

’Yet here they are, their biological fathers, doing nothing but scowling, throwing tantrums, and smashing things in front of them. Showing the children the absolute worst side of themselves.’

’Setting such a terrible example!’

’If they were going to undo all her hard work, she absolutely would not tolerate it.’

Hearing her words, Mu Silin and the others froze in place.

They had almost forgotten that Shen Yue was not someone to be trifled with.

’What had given them the courage to act so insolently and push their luck with her just now?’

They hadn’t just disregarded her feelings and taken her good nature for granted; they had also let the children see them at their absolute worst.

The color drained from their faces, and they looked at Shen Yue, thoroughly ashamed.

Lan Cangyue, Mu Silin, and Ye Lüqi in particular couldn’t even bring themselves to meet her eyes.

As for Gu Fangqi, it was the first time he had witnessed such a powerful aura erupt from Shen Yue, and for a moment, he was stunned.

’Is this the real her?’

He was thankful he’d had the sense not to get swept up in the anger like Mu Silin, Ye Lüqi, and Lan Cangyue.

’After all, he was never one to be led astray by others.’

Bai Chaosi’s eyes also flickered at this, but he remained impassive.

But Shen Yue then turned her attention sharply, looking directly at him.

”You were the one who sent the message calling them back, weren’t you?”

”Don’t play these kinds of games with me. I don’t belong to any of you. I’m not some prize to be won by whoever fights the hardest. Who I like and who I choose is entirely up to me. If you pull this kind of stunt behind my back again, don’t say I didn’t warn you. You might just be the first one out.”

Bai Chaosi’s expression froze, then froze again.

He looked as though he were frozen to the spot.

The color drained from his face as he stared nervously at Shen Yue...

The other men, hearing this, stared wide-eyed at Bai Chaosi, and suddenly, it all made sense.

They had all still been patrolling near the cliff when they suddenly received a message from Bai Chaosi via spiritual power.

They had thought he was calling them back for dinner.

But when they returned, they were met with the potent scent wafting from Shen Yue.