Seven Cubs, Seven Fathers, Zero Days Off

Chapter 162: Chapter 160: How Can We Compete? We Just Can’t!

Shen Yue found Si Muye’s beet-red face amusing.

”Alright, I’ll deal with the poison first. Lie down.”

”If we don’t treat this soon, the poison will start to corrode your Spiritual Core.”

As Shen Yue began performing acupuncture on Si Muye to neutralize the poison, Huang Ziyue and the others tried to stand guard nearby, their eyes glued to them, unwilling to move an inch.

It was as if they were terrified something would happen between the two of them the moment they left.

But Shen Yue didn’t like people crowding around when she performed acupuncture. It was like surgery—why have so many people standing around? It would interfere with her work.

So, she shooed them away.

After retreating into the shadows, Huang Ziyue and the others continued to stare from a distance.

They watched as Si Muye, overcome by the burning poison, passed out during the acupuncture.

But Shen Yue continued to care for him with meticulous attention, even gently wiping the sweat from his brow.

This made the men even more uncomfortable. ’Just stick him with the needles already. Why does she have to be so gentle?’

Lan Cangyue turned to Mu Silin and Ye Lüqi, asking irritably,

”Who is this bear? Do you two know him?”

Mu Silin’s eyes were fixed on the scene below, his face grim.

”The third young master of the Ancient Bear Family. He was once the K Empire’s First Great Knight, the talk of the entire Royal City.”

Hearing this, Gu Fangqi chimed in.

”You mean the one from ten years ago? The man who made all the noble ladies in the Royal City swoon and was sought after by everyone?”

Mu Silin spat,

”That’s him. The guy just won’t go away.”

Lan Cangyue didn’t know much about some ”First Great Knight” of the land, but he understood the man must be both famous and powerful.

He said, ”From the sound of it, he’s a real handful, huh? What’s his relationship with Shen Yue?”

”I don’t see a Female Master’s mark on him, so why do they seem so close?”

Ye Lüqi listened, steam practically coming from his nostrils.

”What relationship? You could figure it out with that fish tail of yours. They’re in love. He’s our number one rival.”

He added resentfully,

”We just got rid of a fox, and now an even bigger problem shows up!”

Lan Cangyue immediately shot him a displeased look.

”Can you watch your mouth? What’s that supposed to mean, ’figure it out with that fish tail of yours’?”

”And ’number one rival’? I don’t think he’s nearly as handsome as I am. How could he possibly compare to my dashing good looks? Why are you exaggerating so much?”

Nearby, Huang Ziyue and the others shot him an irritated glance.

’His dashing good looks?’

’More like a preening fish.’

Lan Cangyue went on,

”Besides, we’re the children’s biological fathers. Shen Yue bore our children. He’s just an outsider who hasn’t even gotten a foot in the door. How can he compare to us?”

”Even if he’s in love with Shen Yue, can his standing possibly compare to ours?”

”Surely he can’t be more important to the children and Shen Yue than we are?”

Gu Fangqi listened and had to agree, nodding.

’At least we have children with Shen Yue.’

’We’re their biological fathers.’

’This bear... even if he has a close relationship with Shen Yue, he shouldn’t be that much of a problem, right?’

’Calling him our number one rival is giving him way too much credit.’

However, after hearing Lan Cangyue’s words, Mu Silin’s and Ye Lüqi’s expressions soured even further, as if he had struck a nerve.

It would have been fine if he hadn’t mentioned the children.

But the moment he did, even Huang Ziyue’s face began to look strange.

Their faces were constipated, utterly grim.

’Standing?’

’What standing do we have?’

’Our standing depends entirely on our place in Shen Yue’s heart.’

’And this bear was probably miles ahead of them in her heart.’

Gu Fangqi watched their expressions, asking suspiciously,

”What? Was the fish wrong?”

”It’s just one bear. Is he really worth getting so worked up over? You were even trying to stop Shen Yue from saving him a moment ago. How petty can you get!”

Just as Lan Cangyue and Gu Fangqi were wondering why the other three were acting like they were facing a formidable enemy...

...they heard small, milky voices cry out from below:

”It’s Ancient Bear Father!”

”Ancient Bear Father is back!”

”It really is Ancient Bear Father! Er Bao wasn’t seeing things!”

”Si Bao is so happy! Ancient Bear Father is back!”

The two men’s eyes flew wide open.

They couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

Ancient Bear... Father??

’What did their cubs just call that bear?’

’Fa... Father?’

The two of them looked as if they’d been struck by lightning.

They had been here for so long and had tried everything, yet they’d never heard these little cubs call them ”Father” even once.

And now, they were so sweetly calling another man ”Father”?

Stunned speechless, the two slowly turned their heads to look at Huang Ziyue, Mu Silin, and Ye Lüqi.

At that very moment,

they finally understood why Huang Ziyue and the other two had become so tense and acted as if they were facing a formidable enemy upon seeing the bear.

They also finally understood why the mere mention of the children had made the others’ expressions turn uglier and uglier.

Mu Silin heard the little cubs below and saw them jumping for joy, absolutely ecstatic at the sight of Si Muye.

He was so furious his nose was practically crooked. He shot the two of them a look.

”Still think we’re making a big deal out of nothing? That we’re exaggerating?”

”Still think we were being petty?”

Lan Cangyue and Gu Fangqi were speechless.

Mu Silin went on to explain,

”He arrived long before any of us. When Shen Yue was living alone on Wilderness Mountain, she relied on his protection. Back before Er Bao was even born, it was Si Muye who protected Shen Yue and Dabao.”

”Even I arrived much later than he did. As for when the two of them actually met, I have no idea.”

Gu Fangqi and Lan Cangyue listened in stunned silence.

They knew that Mu Silin had been the first among them to arrive.

But this bear had arrived even before Mu Silin.

Mu Silin paused for a moment.

”When I arrived at Wilderness Mountain, Er Bao hadn’t hatched yet, and Dabao was seriously injured and unconscious. You don’t need to ask to know that they must have suffered some great catastrophe.”

”But thanks to Si Muye’s protection, Dabao barely survived.”

”Back then, Shen Yue was still considered hideous, her face covered in pockmarks. But this man never looked down on her for her appearance and took great care of her and the children.”

”The little cubs all hatched safely under his protection. They’re closer to this bear than to any of us, and they were the ones who asked him to be their Father. So, do you really think we can compete with him for a place in Shen Yue’s heart?”

As Mu Silin revealed all this,

...even Huang Ziyue and Ye Lüqi, who had only arrived a few days after him, were shocked all over again.

’Dabao was seriously injured back then?’

’And he only survived because of Si Muye?’

Gu Fangqi and Lan Cangyue’s eyes widened as well.

’No wonder. No wonder those difficult little cubs actually asked this bear to be their Father.’

’How can we compete with that? There’s no way!’

According to the rumors, the Duchess, Shen Yue, was born dark-skinned, pockmarked, and extremely ugly.

But when they arrived, they were greeted by the sight of Shen Yue, who was as beautiful as a goddess.

So, they had never seen how ugly she was supposed to have been, or if those rumors were even true.

In fact, it was they who had clamored to break off their engagements to the Duchess because of those very rumors.

But they never imagined that this bear, far from being repulsed by her appearance, had been willing to protect not only Shen Yue, but another man’s children as well.

On that point alone, they had already lost by a landslide.