nucmednet Chapter 361 Relief
Chapter 361 Relief
Looking at the fruit forest getting closer and closer, He Jiaojiao became uncontrollably excited.
She hoped to see the cubs waiting there obediently and all safe and sound.
But the reality was that there was no one in the orchard, which instantly filled He Jiaojiao's heart with fear.
"Where are the kids?"
He Jiaojiao nervously grasped Mo Ran's hand and looked around to make sure she didn't see any of the kids.
"Don't worry for now. Maybe the kids are just naughty and went to play somewhere else when they saw we weren't here." Mo Ran patiently comforted He Jiaojiao, but he also felt a little strange in his heart.
"I'll stay here with Jiaojiao, you guys go look around!" Xing Ci came over and took He Jiaojiao's hand from Mo Ran, "The cubs should be around here, they can't have run too far."
He Jiaojiao nodded and hurriedly urged, "Go check nearby quickly. Don't let them be too crazy and not know we're here."
Of course, this is what He Jiaojiao wants to think in her heart. After all, she doesn't want any other accidents to happen.
At He Jiaojiao's urging, the companions went to look in other directions, and even Lan Yu went out to look.
"Jiaojiao, don't worry. Kids their age love to play. Now that we're not around to restrain them, they're definitely having a blast. It's normal for them to forget the time."
In fact, Xing Ci had a vague feeling that something might have happened. If the other kids liked to play, he could understand it, but Zening was the most cautious among them and would not allow his younger brothers to not come to the gathering place until now.
Time passed by little by little, and now not only the cubs had not returned, but even the few males who had gone out to look for them had not returned either.
He Jiaojiao paced back and forth anxiously. She was now almost certain that something must have happened.
"Aci, can you take me to find them?"
He Jiaojiao grabbed Xing Ci's hand, her words filled with pleading. She was so scared that her body was shaking. She didn't dare to think about what she would do if something really happened to the kids.
"All right!"
Just as Xing Ci was about to take Jiaojiao to look for him, he saw Mo Ran coming back with a dark face, followed by Zening and Weikan. The little guys all had their heads down, as if they had just been taught a lesson by Mo Ran.
Seeing the two cubs safe and sound, He Jiaojiao's worries were finally relieved. But what about the other cubs?
"Where are your brothers?" He Jiaojiao went over and took Zening's hand, asking in a tone as calm as possible.
"We found Shiso and Red Maple!"
Relying on the power of his bloodline, Chi Yan quickly found the two fox cubs. After asking them what had happened, he brought them back.
At the same time, Zhutian also landed with Hongyi.
Looking at the kids in front of her, He Jiaojiao's heart suddenly tightened.
No! One is missing!
"Where's Xikang?"
Although He Jiaojiao tried hard to calm herself down, her trembling voice still betrayed her.
"Jiaojiao, don't worry!" Chi Yan stepped forward. "I've already asked Zi Su and Hong Feng. Nothing serious happened. Xi Kang just had a few words with everyone and then ran away."
"Xikang is very strong, it won't be that easy..."
He Jiaojiao could no longer hear the rest of the words. All she could think about now was that Xikang had actually run away alone. In this strange place, a kid like him had actually gone out and had not returned until now.
The fear in her heart made He Jiaojiao's legs go weak uncontrollably. Fortunately, Xing Ci was watching from the side and supported him in time.
"Jiaojiao, don't worry. You guys stay here tonight and I'll go out to find him." Mo Ran said, with a murderous look in his eyes that he had never seen before.
Zening and Weikan felt their father's murderous intent and were so frightened that their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.
They haven't forgotten what their father just said to them. Now their father wants to throw them out. If they make mistakes again, even if their mother objects, their father will find a way to throw them out!
"Aran, you must find Xikang!"
He Jiaojiao grabbed Mo Ran's hand. Mo Ran's cold eyes warmed up in an instant. When he looked at He Jiaojiao, he became the same as before. "Jiaojiao, don't worry. I can feel the location of the blood. You wait for Ziyi to make the delicious food. I might come back before you even have a bite."
Perhaps Mo Ran really comforted He Jiaojiao, and her extremely nervous mood seemed to be relieved.
"Okay, then I'll cook your favorite dish myself and wait for you to come back."
Mo Ran nodded, then turned into a dragon and swam away.
Ziyi also hurried to prepare the meal. Lan Yu saw that he couldn't help He Jiaojiao, so he went to help Ziyi prepare the ingredients.
Zhutian also pulled Hongyi aside to educate him, and so did Chiyan. Zhuxiong and Yuan took their respective cubs and stayed away from He Jiaojiao, because they knew that Jiaojiao would definitely want to comfort Zening and Wei'an.
"You two, why don't you go wash in the water over there? You look so dirty!"
Xing Ci saw He Jiaojiao staring at the two kids with a complicated look, wanting to say something but hesitant, so he simply spoke first.
Zening and Weikan glanced at He Jiaojiao, as if seeking their mother's consent. When their mother waved her hand, they hurried to the stream nearby.
While the cubs were cleaning, Xing Ci took He Jiaojiao's hand and comforted her, "Jiaojiao, this is how the animal world is. Our family has been very well protected. Many families' cubs die the first time they go out hunting."
"I know you think this is cruel, but this is not the world you used to live in. Here, the strong prey on the weak. If you are not strong enough, you are destined to be eaten by others."
"I actually think it's good for the kids to have gone through this. At least it will make them more vigilant in the future, so they can avoid suffering greater losses in the future."
He Jiaojiao naturally understood these principles, but understanding and being able to do them are two different things. After all, these were the children she had given birth to with great difficulty, and she just wanted to do her best to ensure their safety.
"I know I can't protect them forever, but at least... at least wait until they have the ability to do so before letting go." Leaning in Xing Ci's arms, He Jiaojiao muttered softly.
"But their current abilities have surpassed most orcs," Xing Ci said with some disapproval. "When we were thrown out, we were only at the two or three star level. Do you know how brutal the competition was to survive until now?"
"They are already very lucky!"
Looking at Xing Ci's serious expression, and then at the several safe and sound children not far away, He Jiaojiao suddenly felt that maybe she really wasn't a good mother.
She had always forced the cubs to stay by her side, perhaps just to make herself feel better, but she had never considered that the cubs belonged to the animal world, and this method was not applicable to the animal world.
Thinking of this, He Jiaojiao suddenly felt relieved. She reached out and touched Mo Ran's beast mark, silently calling his name in her heart, asking him to come back.