Bai Di's eyes, shining like the stars and the sea, were filled with anticipation as he looked at Si Lu.
His meaning was obvious.
Since she had kissed Hei Yao, she should kiss him too.
That way, things would be fair.
If he hadn't seen it, that would have been one thing. But now that he had, he definitely wanted his share.
Looking at Bai Di acting so adorably, Si Lu's lips curled into a smile.
Seeing Bai Di fighting for affection like this made her heart feel warm.
"Alright, I won't play favorites." Si Lu said with a laugh and kissed Bai Di on the cheek as well.
Now Bai Di was satisfied.
He happily took Si Lu's hand and led her outside, while Hei Yao watched her leave with tender eyes and a smile on his face.
It was great to see her return to normal.
After they left the tree hole, Hei Yao transformed into a large, pitch-black snake, coiling up in the corner to sleep.
Outside, as soon as Si Lu and Bai Di stepped out, Si Lu stretched and took in a breath of fresh air.
It felt wonderful!
She took a deep breath, and her whole body felt much more relaxed.
"Lulu, the meat soup is ready. Come have some." Bai Di said as he began ladling the soup.
He poured it into a stone bowl, carefully blowing on it.
"Mm, I'm really hungry. If I wait any longer, my stomach's going to start growling," Si Lu said.
"You haven't eaten anything all day. Of course, you're hungry." Bai Di looked at Si Lu with concern in his eyes.
"Sigh, these past few days have really been tough on you. Traveling like this during the rainy season isn't easy," Bai Di said with some heartache as he blew on the soup.
There was no helping it.
Typically, females carrying offspring are treated with extra care, being carefully nurtured and looked after.
But here they were, enduring the hardships of travel. It was impossible not to feel worried.
But they had to reach the seaside.
Bai Di was anxious about it too.
It wasn't just him; every one of the males was worried.
They were all concerned about whether Si Lu's body could handle it.
"It's fine. I'm not that delicate," Si Lu said.
She had the system, so the cub in her belly would be fine.
Of course, if the cub was fine, then she would be too.
So she wasn't worried.
Besides, she just hadn't fully adapted yet.
Soon enough, she would get used to everything here.
None of this would be a problem.
"Mm, but we still need to think of a plan. The rain these past two days hasn't been too heavy, but later, the rain will become more frequent. By then, traveling will be even more difficult." Bai Di said thoughtfully.
He knew they had to come up with a good solution.
And since Si Lu's condition was still unstable, they needed to be extra cautious.
"Lulu, the soup's cooled down. You can drink it now." Bai Di picked up the spoon and began feeding Si Lu.
"Mmm, it's just as delicious as always." Si Lu took a sip, feeling warmth spread through her body.
Her hunger also lessened considerably.
She felt so much better inside.
"As long as you like it," Bai Di said with a smile.
Making Si Lu happy brought him great joy.
"Of course, I love it!" Si Lu said with a cheerful grin.
Bai Di patiently fed her spoonful after spoonful.
Si Lu quickly finished one bowl and had another.
After drinking two bowls and eating a piece of roasted meat, she waved off any more.
"I'm full. I can't eat any more," Si Lu said, shaking her head as Bai Di tried to feed her more.
She was genuinely too full. Just then, Cheng Mo and the others returned.
Seeing Si Lu sitting by the fire, they all let out a sigh of relief.
They could tell Si Lu was alright for the time being.
"Ah Mo, Ah Zhan, Nance, you're back!" Si Lu stood up happily, greeting them with excitement.
"Yes, we're back. How are you feeling?" Cheng Mo asked with concern as he approached, gently stroking her soft, pale face.
"I'm great! I just ate and feel full," Si Lu said with a smile.
"That's good," Cheng Mo said.
As long as she was alright, that's all that mattered to him.
"Come eat some roasted meat and soup. Ah, Di made a lot," Si Lu said with a grin.
"Mm," Cheng Mo sat down next to Si Lu, his normally stern face softening.
Song Zhan sat next to Cheng Mo, and Nance sat across from them. Seeing Si Lu's smiling face, Nance also felt relieved.
"Make sure you all drink some soup. It's hot and will warm you up. The weather's getting colder," Si Lu said.
She was right.
Since it started raining, the temperature has dropped significantly.
It felt like it was only a little over ten degrees now.
It was indeed a bit chilly.
"Mm, you should drink more too," Cheng Mo said.
"I already did. I had two bowls and a piece of roasted meat. I can't eat anymore," Si Lu replied.
She had eaten a lot.
But compared to the orcs here, her appetite was still quite small.
Even the cubs ate more than she did, not to mention the females carrying offspring.
"Try to eat more. It's good for you," Cheng Mo said.
He worried that if Si Lu ate too little, the cubs wouldn't get enough nutrition and would start absorbing nutrients from her body.
Then her body would grow weaker and weaker.
He was truly concerned.
"Mm, I'll remember," Si Lu nodded.
The group drank their soup and sat around the warm fire, falling into a comfortable silence.
After Si Lu stopped speaking, it seemed no one else wanted to break the quiet.
Finally, Bai Di spoke up.
"Should we consider another way to travel? What I mean is, Lulu is pregnant, and the rainy season is about to arrive. Traveling like this will be really dangerous," Bai Di said, looking at the group.
It was a thought that had crossed everyone's mind.
But Bai Di was the one to say it out loud.
"What else can we do? We don't have any flying beasts," Song Zhan said helplessly.
If they had flying beasts, that would be ideal.
It would make the journey much safer for Si Lu, and flying would also cut the travel time in half.
"Then we need to think of another way," Bai Di said.
The group fell silent again, lost in thought.
Si Lu pondered too.
Wait a minute!
They were currently traveling by land, but what if, since it was the rainy season, they traveled by water instead?
If they took the water route, wouldn't it be easier? Plus, traveling by water meant they could move day and night.
This...
"How about we travel by water?" Si Lu said excitedly, looking at the group.
"Water route? Of course! Why didn't I think of that? My brain really isn't as sharp as Lulu's!" Song Zhan exclaimed, slapping his forehead in excitement.
"Stop slapping yourself, or you'll only get dumber!" Bai Di teased.