Seven Cubs, Seven Fathers, Zero Days Off

Chapter 164: Chapter 162: He Cannot Be Without Shen Yue, Cannot Be Without Liu Bao.

How many times had they fantasized about getting along with their children like this, only to find they simply didn’t know how.

They couldn’t let go of their pride either.

And the children would never be this relaxed, happy, and unguarded around them.

’Is it really because we don’t know how to be fathers, or is it because we’re just that terrible?’

This was the scene Bai Chaosi awoke to.

Hearing his own son call another man ”Father,” he felt as if he’d been plunged into an icy abyss.

’How could Liu Bao call another man Father?’

’I’m right here.’

’I’m his father.’

’Did he make a mistake?’

Bai Chaosi slowly got to his feet, watching how happy and at ease Liu Bao was with Si Muye.

His heart felt like it had been viciously gouged out with a knife.

He looked at Liu Bao and tentatively called out,

”Fuxue, Liu Bao... Father is here.”

WHOOSH.

The little cubs and Si Muye immediately looked over.

They saw a limping fox slowly approaching, its fur stained with patches of blood.

It was obviously severely injured.

Si Muye paused, slightly stunned.

’This fox... it has nine tails. Is it from the Nine-tailed Fox Clan of Snow Ridge?’

He glanced at Liu Bao.

’This fox called himself Liu Bao’s father. Does that mean... he is Liu Bao’s real father?’

Liu Bao watched Bai Chaosi walk over, his little face sinking as he said angrily,

”You are not my father! I don’t want you as my father! From now on, I only have one father, and that’s Ancient Bear Father!”

Bai Chaosi froze in his tracks.

His heart felt as if it had been seized in a tight grip, squeezing the air from his lungs.

He opened his mouth to speak.

”Liu Bao, listen to Father’s explanation. Last night, I...”

”I don’t want to.”

Though Liu Bao was just a little boy, his temper was just like Shen Yue’s—he couldn’t stand being wronged in the slightest.

He cut Bai Chaosi off directly.

”Liu Bao doesn’t want to listen! Female Mother already said that from now on, you have nothing to do with me.”

His voice was fierce in a childish way, and his tone was extremely harsh.

”It’s useless even if you explain! Liu Bao is already sad, and Female Mother is sad too. We don’t need you anymore!”

”Go away!”

Children always speak their minds. They say whatever they’re thinking. And it’s always the truth.

So as Bai Chaosi listened, a deep, stabbing pain pierced his heart, and his eyes reddened.

How could he not know they no longer needed him?

But he needed them. He couldn’t be without them.

He couldn’t be without Shen Yue, and he couldn’t be without Liu Bao.

Listening from the side, Si Muye guessed that something must have happened last night to cause this rift between Liu Bao and the fox.

It also seemed that a lot had happened in the month he’d been away.

’If this fox is Liu Bao’s father, then the other five must be the fathers of the other children.’

’But if they’re all the children’s fathers, why were they nowhere to be found when A Yue was giving birth?’

’They let A Yue endure her pregnancy all alone and give birth by herself in the barren wilderness.’

’Since they were capable of abandoning their mate and children back then, what are they doing showing up now?’

Bai Chaosi looked at Liu Bao with red-rimmed eyes.

”Liu Bao, I know that last night Father hurt you and your female mother. It was Father’s fault, but... can you trust Father just one more time?”

”Can you give Father another chance?”

He looked at Liu Bao with an almost pleading gaze.

”Father promises... Father will always dote on and protect Liu Bao from now on. I won’t let you be wronged ever again... okay?”

But as Liu Bao listened, his little face wrinkled up.

His eyes reddened too, and he looked aggrieved.

”I won’t believe you! Last night, Liu Bao was so sad, and Female Mother was so sad! All you did was protect that auntie. You didn’t care about Liu Bao at all!”

”Female Mother said a man who doesn’t side with his own family in front of outsiders isn’t worthy of trust.”

”Liu Bao and Female Mother will never trust you again.”

Si Muye listened. ’So that’s what happened. Last night, this fox protected another woman, which is why Shen Yue and Liu Bao were hurt and wronged?’

A furious glint sparked in his deep-set eyes as he looked at Bai Chaosi.

As Liu Bao spoke, the memory of last night made him feel miserable and sad all over again. A film of tears welled up in his crystalline, dark cyan eyes.

After all, that auntie had insulted him right in front of his own father.

But his own father didn’t protect him at all. He even sided with that woman.

When his female mother tried to stand up for him, he even stopped her.

The more he thought about it, the more upset he became, and before Bai Chaosi could say another word, he burst out crying with a loud WAIL.

”Liu Bao is not an ill-bred child!”

”Liu Bao is a well-behaved child!”

”That auntie is a bad person! Why did she say that about Liu Bao...?”

The little one’s voice grew louder as he spoke, his words choked by sobs, but he stubbornly wiped at his tears with his small hands.

”Liu Bao isn’t what she said I am...”

”Liu Bao... Liu Bao and Female Mother are good people! It was obviously you and that auntie ganging up on us! You’re both bad people... Liu Bao is so sad... Liu Bao doesn’t like you.”

The child’s cries were so full of grievance, his emotions so turbulent.

It was as if all the sorrow he had bottled up from the night before had finally found a release.

Si Muye was utterly shocked as he listened.

’This man actually dared to gang up with another woman to bully A Yue and Liu Bao.’

Seeing Liu Bao crying so heartbrokenly, his own heart ached for the boy.

He couldn’t help but pull Liu Bao into a protective embrace.

”Don’t cry, Liu Bao. It’s Ancient Bear Father’s fault. It’s my fault for coming back too late, letting you and your female mother be bullied like this.”

Meanwhile, the moment Liu Bao voiced the hurt in his heart, Bai Chaosi froze where he stood.

As Liu Bao poured out his grievances, his heart ached so much it trembled.

Only in this moment did he truly understand how much his actions last night had hurt Liu Bao.

He understood how deeply Jue Ying’s words had wronged the child.

And his own behavior had only poured salt on the wound for the already aggrieved Liu Bao.

At this moment, self-blame and regret spread through him inch by inch, threatening to drown him completely.

Liu Bao was held in Si Muye’s arms.

Hearing his comforting words only made him cry even louder.

He sobbed, hiccuping between words.

”Ancient... Fa... Father, Liu Bao is so sad. Last night... last night, Liu Bao was afraid of making Female Mother sad, so I didn’t dare to cry...”

His tears fell like broken strings of pearls.

”Actually, Liu Bao was so, so sad... and hurt. Liu Bao isn’t an ill-bred bad child. I’m a well-behaved good child...”

Listening to him, Si Muye’s heart ached in sympathy, and his own eyes reddened.

”Yes, of course Liu Bao is a good boy. You’re not just smart and cute, you’re also so thoughtful that you worry about your female mother. Only someone blind would say such a thing about you. She was talking nonsense!”

”When Ancient Bear Father finds her, I’ll be sure to give her a good thrashing and get revenge for our Liu Bao!”

Hearing Liu Bao crying so miserably and feeling so wronged, the other little ones nearby started crying too, as if it were contagious.

”Sixth Brother isn’t a bad boy, and neither is Xi Xi!”

”Don’t cry, Liu Bao! Dabao can prove it, Liu Bao is a good boy!”

”We’re all good kids!”

”When Si Bao grows up, I’ll definitely get revenge for Liu Bao! Si Bao won’t let that bad woman get away with it!”

The little cubs below huddled together, all of them snuggling into Si Muye’s embrace.

It was as if only by leaning on Si Muye did they feel safe enough to cry boldly, to voice the grievances and sorrows in their hearts.

At this moment, even Huang Ziyue, Mu Silin, and the others watching from the shadows stood in silence.