Bai Di also noticed; his star-like eyes brightened.
"What's wrong?" Si Lu looked at the two and asked.
"We found that Cheng Yu is really very smart, much more intelligent than other young cubs, and reacts quickly," Bai Di said.
He had seen many newborn cubs, and indeed, none were as clever as Cheng Yu.
"Really? That's great; no wonder he's my child!" Si Lu said, hugging her cub and giving him a kiss.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she gazed at Cheng Yu.
The little cub immediately felt shy and nestled into Si Lu's arms.
However, Cheng Mo and Bai Di's faces instantly darkened!
"Lu Lu, you can't kiss the cub!" Cheng Mo said sternly.
"Indeed, such actions are inappropriate!" Bai Di also said, somewhat conflicted.
This could cause problems.
Si Lu looked utterly confused.
Why?
She was the cub's mother. What was wrong with giving him a kiss?
Was there really a need for such a big reaction?
She suddenly felt uneasy.
She had never seen Cheng Mo so alert and tense before.
"Why? I'm his mother, his parent. Why can't I kiss him?" Si Lu frowned, staring at Cheng Mo.
She had painstakingly given birth to this child. What was wrong with giving him a kiss?
"It's not that. It's because the cub is still very young and can't distinguish emotions properly. If you keep doing this, he might misunderstand and think you like him romantically. When he grows up, he may see you as a mate. Do you understand?"
"There have been cases before where cubs were too close to their mothers, and when they grew up, they developed distorted emotions. Some even killed their mother's mate and tried to bond with their mother!" Cheng Mo said gravely, looking at the cub in Si Lu's arms with stern authority.
"Yes, this has happened before, so usually, cubs are raised and taught by the female's mate, or at least kept at a distance from their mother. Lu Lu, you really can't…" Bai Di added, glancing at the cub.
There was no other choice—they couldn't let Si Lu be harmed.
Nor could they allow the cub to develop any harmful misunderstandings. Si Lu had clearly become very attached to this cub.
But there was no easy solution.
Si Lu, hearing their words, looked as if she had been struck by lightning!
Were they serious?
What? Did such bizarre things actually happen?
No, she believed in her cub!
"Cub, you must remember, I am your mother, not your mate. And they are your fathers—each of my mates is your father. Of course, your biological father is Cheng Mo. Understand? When you grow up, you are not allowed to hurt them!" Si Lu held up the little cub, making him look into her eyes as she spoke firmly.
Bai Di and Cheng Mo exchanged glances, remaining silent as they watched the scene unfold.
"Yiya, yiya, yaya~" The little one chirped, waving his tiny hooves as if trying to explain something.
Si Lu was baffled.
She really couldn't understand him.
Communication between her and her child was difficult.
But she had to try.
She couldn't let her child develop misguided thoughts because of her.
In modern times, kisses and cuddles were completely normal!
Mothers could hold their children to sleep, bathe them, and play with them. There were no such rules like in this beast world!
She never expected beast cubs to have such a bizarre misunderstanding!
"What did he say?" Si Lu turned to Bai Di and Cheng Mo for help.
She had no choice but to rely on these two interpreters.
"He said you're silly. Of course, he knows you are his mother, the one who painstakingly gave birth to him. He also knows that we are his fathers. And he understands that his mother and father are mates, while he is their child—their offspring!" Bai Di explained.
Si Lu let out a sigh of relief.
Her cub really was smart.
He understood perfectly!
"See? I didn't teach him wrong. Our cub is really intelligent. He knows who his parents are, and he won't break the rules." Si Lu smiled.
"Yes, he is very smart and quick-witted. But still, you should avoid kissing him too much," Cheng Mo cautioned.
He hadn't expected their newborn cub to be this clever.
He felt immensely proud.
As if he were declaring to the world, "Look, this is my child with Si Lu! So intelligent!
Bai Di, of course, saw through Cheng Mo's thoughts but said nothing.
After all, Lu Lu had said that fox cubs were cute, too.
That meant she was willing to have his cubs in the future as well.
One day, he would have little fox cubs of his own. How wonderful!
Fox cubs were adorable and soft.
"Yes, he's very smart," Cheng Mo said, his eyes full of love.
…
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
During these seven days, Si Lu had been resting in the cave, never once stepping outside. She was absolutely fed up with being cooped up inside.
Today, she finally managed to persuade them to let her go to the beach, especially since the sun was so warm.
Bai Di accompanied Si Lu to the shore while Cheng Mo stayed behind to take care of the cub. The others had gone hunting with the Giant Crocodile Tribe's hunting party.
"Ah Di, look over here! There's a squid! Hurry and help me catch it! We can have grilled squid for dinner!" Si Lu exclaimed excitedly, spotting long squid tentacles sticking out from between some rocks in the shallow water.
The beach was amazing!
Full of surprises!
"Alright, I'll get it for you!" Bai Di obediently went to catch the squid. Of course, he recognized it.
He just didn't know what "grilled squid" was.
But whatever Si Lu said was right—he just had to follow her lead!
"Wait, there's another one! You handle these first, and while the sun is still warm, I'll keep looking around." Si Lu said enthusiastically.
It felt like a treasure hunt. Her heart was racing with excitement!
"Okay," Bai Di nodded.
He immediately began preparing the squid while keeping an eye on Si Lu.
Meanwhile, Si Lu noticed something glowing blue beside a large rock. Curious, she walked toward it.
It wasn't far from Bai Di, so he didn't stop her—he simply quickened his pace.
As Si Lu got closer, the icy blue glow became clearer, almost dazzling under the sunlight.
She slowly approached.
Then, she saw it—a massive tail, shimmering ice blue, reflecting dazzling light!
[Our mermaid prince, Lan Po, has appeared! Is he beautiful or what?!]