"Don't look at me like that; I'm serious."
"Also, while I do want to gain Si Lu's approval, I understand that right now, there are more important things to handle," Nans thought aloud while looking at the group.
Indeed, he wanted to gain Si Lu's approval and become her mate, but given the current situation, this wasn't the right time.
Moreover, through this, he could help them lower their guard toward him—this was a good opportunity.
He had no choice! If he wanted to be with the female he loved, he had to be a bit more cunning.
"Alright, you'd better behave," Cheng Mo warned, glaring at Nans.
This guy...
If he didn't behave, Cheng Mo would seriously consider taking care of him.
Anything concerning Si Lu was no small matter.
"Relax; I know when to do the right thing and when not to," Nans shrugged, looking at Cheng Mo.
He truly cared about Si Lu, and his concern for her was genuine.
"Alright, given these unusual times, we'll handle things accordingly. The most important thing is to avoid upsetting Si Lu or causing her extreme emotions. If her emotions seem off, immediately soothe her," Bai Di summarized to the group again.
For now, this was the best they could do. The next step was to wait for Si Lu to wake up.
"I'm still worried. Zhan, try to speak less. Only answer if Si Lu asks you something, and before you respond, think about how to phrase your answer," Cheng Mo advised, glancing uneasily at Song Zhan.
This guy often spoke without thinking—seriously concerning.
That's why Cheng Mo specifically told him to speak less to avoid the risk of saying something wrong that couldn't be undone.
"Got it," Song Zhan agreed without any complaints. He was aware that his impulsive speech could sometimes cause problems.
For Si Lu's sake, he was willing to do anything. Speaking less was a small ask.
With that, everyone seemed to have reached a consensus. They each returned to their tasks, as there were still unprocessed hunts they brought back.
Cheng Mo and the others went off to deal with the hunt, and Nans joined them, helping out where he could. It certainly sped things up.
Bai Di, while preparing the meat soup, kept glancing toward the tree cave, constantly checking on Si Lu's condition. He wanted to be there the moment she woke up.
He was worried too. He'd originally wanted to stay with Si Lu, letting Hei Yao take over his duties outside since Hei Yao's injuries seemed to have upset her.
But he didn't dare make that change. If Si Lu woke up and couldn't see Hei Yao, she might scare herself again and spiral into overthinking. That would be terrible.
So in the end, things stayed as they were, but Bai Di remained on high alert.
He couldn't afford to make the same mistake of being late when Hei Yao called for him, and Si Lu had already fainted. That must never happen again.
Thus, he divided his attention, cooking while keeping his senses attuned to the tree cave.
Hei Yao, too, wore a serious expression as he stayed by Si Lu's side, waiting for her to wake up.
At this moment, the person lying on the animal skin furrowed her brow slightly, her long eyelashes trembling a few times before Si Lu slowly opened her eyes once more.
The first thing she saw was Hei Yao's concerned face.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Si Lu smiled and spoke as she attempted to sit up, but Hei Yao quickly helped her.
"Nothing, just wanted to look at you," Hei Yao's expression softened.
Just then, Bai Di entered, having sensed the change in the tree cave. He rushed over, relieved to see that Si Lu appeared to be fine.
"Ah Di, what's wrong? Why are you sweating so much?" Si Lu, seeing the sweat on Bai Di's forehead, felt bad and gently wiped it off for him.
Why was he so flustered?
"It's nothing; I just got a bit too close to the fire while cooking the meat soup. How do you feel? Are the little ones behaving? You know what? Let me check," Bai Di reached for Si Lu's wrist.
A faint green thread of wood energy entered Si Lu's body, and Bai Di confirmed that everything was normal. Her mood was stable too.
He and Hei Yao decided not to bring up the earlier incident, figuring it was best to let it be. If they brought it up, who knew how Si Lu might react?
So it was best left unsaid.
Si Lu noticed Bai Di's conflicted expression and couldn't help but laugh.
Was he that nervous?
"I'm fine. I feel great, and the little ones in my belly are doing well too. But I'm a bit hungry, Ah Di," Si Lu said pitifully, her eyes settling on Bai Di's handsome face.
She was genuinely hungry.
"Alright, let's get you some meat soup. It's stopped raining outside," Bai Di said, retracting his hand and giving Hei Yao a reassuring nod—everything was fine.
"Okay, but what about Hei Yao? He's hurt," Si Lu frowned.
"I'm fine. You go eat. I'm not hungry right now. I think I'll sleep for a bit." Hei Yao, finally seeing that Si Lu was alright, felt relieved.
Now that his mind was at ease, the exhaustion hit him hard. He was indeed quite tired.
Not to mention, his injury also made him drowsy. Earlier, his worry for Si Lu kept him awake, but now that she was safe, his body demanded rest.
"Alright, get some sleep. I'll bring you something to eat later. Don't worry about me, Hei Yao—I'm fine. You need to heal quickly," Si Lu said softly, kissing him gently on the forehead.
She understood everything. It's not like she had lost her memory—how could she forget what had just happened?
Seeing how worried they were for her, she chose not to bring it up to avoid causing them more anxiety.
Plus, she genuinely felt fine now—no issues at all.
Hei Yao, hearing her words, knew that Si Lu remembered everything that happened before she fainted. She was just being considerate, choosing not to mention it to spare them from further worry.
"Si Lu, what about me? Don't I get a kiss too?"
"You can't be biased, okay?" Bai Di asked eagerly, looking at Si Lu with expectant eyes.