"What's wrong?" Si Lu looked at Bai Di with concern.
This guy was fine just a moment ago, but now he looked so pitiful and upset. It really made her heart ache.
"I'm afraid… I'm afraid you only care about Hei Yao and not me anymore," Bai Di whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes.
Earlier, he had been insanely jealous. It took all his strength to suppress his feelings so he wouldn't burden Si Lu. But still, he couldn't help feeling deeply hurt.
"It's not like that. I care about all of you. If it had been anyone else, I would have done the same," Si Lu explained, pulling Bai Di into a comforting hug.
Seeing him so upset made her anxious. To her, they were all equally important. After all, they had always taken such great care of her, so of course, she wanted to do the same for them when they needed it.
"Really?" Bai Di sniffled, looking at Si Lu with red, tear-filled eyes.
"Of course. I care about every one of you," Si Lu reassured him.
Hei Yao stood quietly nearby, observing the scene. He understood her feelings, and it wasn't a surprise to him.
"Then... can you hold me a little longer?" Bai Di asked, his voice full of hope. He loved being close to her and basking in her comforting presence.
"Of course," Si Lu responded warmly, her beautiful face soft with a gentle smile.
Hei Yao, watching from the side, began to wonder if he should learn from Bai Di's approach. Whenever Bai Di acted a bit clingy, Si Lu always showered him with affection. Even the tiger would occasionally pull the same stunt, and she never hesitated to comfort them.
Maybe he could try that someday, but he didn't want to trouble Si Lu right now, especially with her being pregnant. There would be plenty of opportunities later, though.
Ignoring Bai Di's triumphant expression, Hei Yao felt content just knowing Si Lu cared for him as well. After all, she was the first to feed him so tenderly. He couldn't recall her doing that for anyone else, not with the same level of care and attention.
Feeling content, he decided not to argue with Bai Di.
After some time, Si Lu felt that Bai Di had calmed down and gently released him.
"Alright, big guy, no more tears. Your beautiful eyes are too precious to waste on crying," Si Lu teased, wiping away his remaining tears.
Bai Di smiled, a bit sheepish now. "I'll go help Cheng Mo and the others with the bamboo house. The sooner we get it built, the sooner we can set out."
"Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should rest a bit more," Si Lu asked with concern.
"No, I'm fine. I'll go now," Bai Di reassured her, heading off.
With Hei Yao there to keep Si Lu company, Bai Di felt at ease leaving her behind. Hei Yao's strength, even when injured, was more than enough to protect her.
Now, it was just Si Lu and Hei Yao alone in the tree hollow.
"Does your wound hurt?" Si Lu asked, glancing toward his tail with worry in her eyes.
"I'm fine; it's much better now," Hei Yao replied.
His tail was covered by a piece of animal hide, hiding the wound from sight. Hei Yao had purposely done this to keep Si Lu from worrying too much.
"That's good," Si Lu said, settling down next to him.
"Earlier, you mentioned something about a bamboo house?" Hei Yao asked.
When he was half asleep, he had vaguely overheard something about bamboo rafts and water travel.
"Yes, we've decided to travel by water instead of struggling through the rainy season. We're going to build a bamboo raft with a house on top so we can travel safely and comfortably," Si Lu explained with a smile.
Hei Yao's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea!"
"Exactly! This way, we can keep moving, even during the rain, and rest whenever we need to. Plus, we'll reach the coast faster," Si Lu said happily.
She knew they had been delaying their journey because they were worried about her safety. But with the bamboo house, they wouldn't have to stop. They could travel smoothly, and she could rest whenever she needed.
"I bet this was your idea, wasn't it?" Hei Yao said with a knowing grin.
"How did you know? You're really sharp!" Si Lu said, surprised at how quickly he had guessed.
"Of course I know! You're the smartest and the best," Hei Yao said with pride.
Si Lu couldn't help but smile at his confidence. "Actually, Cheng Mo thought about water travel before, but he couldn't figure out how we would manage without knowing how to swim. I came up with the idea of using bamboo to build the house, and that's how it all came together."
"Cheng Mo is indeed steady and thoughtful, always considering everything thoroughly," Hei Yao nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. He's very reliable," Si Lu said, feeling reassured by Cheng Mo's presence. With him around, she never had to worry about anything.
"By the way, since you're injured, why don't you drink some of the spirit spring water? There's no one else around, so you don't have to worry about anyone seeing." With that, Si Lu pulled a large container of spirit spring water from her space and placed it in front of Hei Yao.