"Oh! It is the cursed female with papa! I'm Miao Miao!" the oldest triplet chirped, her tail twitching with excitement.
"I'm A-Li," the middle one added, puffing out his chest.
"And I'm Xiao Hei," the smallest one whispered, peeking from behind his sister's leg.
Mo Xiao had led Bai Yue to his home already, and the cubs were introducing themselves. They were so incredibly fluffy and round that Bai Yue couldn't help it. A sound escaped her throat, a light, bubbly giggle that sounded like silver bells in the quiet forest.
Mo Xiao froze. He looked at her like she had just grown wings and started reciting poetry in a dead language. "The cursed female... giggled?"
Bai Yue immediately straightened up, her face flushing. "Sorry! I'm sorry. They are just... really cute."
Mo Xiao groaned, his expression shifting from shock to genuine concern as he dramatically leaped back three steps. "Are you sick? Is it contagious? Is this some kind of new psychological warfare? Are you truly alright cursed female?"
"No! I'm just hungry and they are adorable!" Bai Yue snapped, though the effect was ruined by her stomach's continued whale-noises.
Mo Xiao sighed, still keeping a wary distance. He reached into a woven satchel and tossed a piece of dried, smoked meat and a large, juicy fruit toward her. It landed in the grass a few feet away. "Eat. And stay over there. Ten feet. No, make it fifteen."
Bai Yue sat cross-legged in the grass, exactly fifteen feet away, and began to devour the food like she hadn't eaten in a decade. It was delicious, salty, savory, and perfectly ripe.
As she chewed, the smallest cub, Xiao Hei, began to scurry toward her, his big amber eyes full of curiosity.
"Xiao Hei, get back here!" Mo Xiao warned, but the cub was already within arm's reach of Bai Yue.
The little panther stopped and looked up at her. "My mama says you are an evil demon from the shadow-lands who eats the dreams of children."
Bai Yue spluttered, a piece of fruit nearly going down the wrong pipe. She coughed violently, clutching her chest. "An evil.….demon?"
Mo Xiao groaned and covered his face with one large hand, his ears drooping in embarrassment. "Sigh. Females have.…..very vivid imaginations when it comes to you, Bai Yue."
Bai Yue managed to stop coughing and let out a dry chuckle. "Well, at least I'm high-ranking in the monster hierarchy." She looked at Mo Xiao, her curiosity piqued. "Speaking of.…..what about your woman? The mother of these three?"
Memories flared up in her mind again. In this world, because females were so rare, a high-status female could have up to five husbands if the tribal situation was desperate enough.
"She is currently pregnant again," Mo Xiao said, his voice softening just a fraction. "Probably with tiger cubs this time. Her Tiger-husband is incredibly possessive, he barely lets me near her right now."
"Oh..." Bai Yue blinked. "That is.….certainly a complicated living arrangement."
She went back to eating in peace, but the triplets weren't finished with her. Emboldened by Xiao Hei's survival, the remaining two began to swarm her. They didn't try to bite, instead, they became fascinated by her long hair.
"It's so shiny!" Miao Miao whispered, tugging on a strand.
Bai Yue didn't pull away. She leaned her head back, letting the three tiny panthers weave their clumsy little claws through her hair, tickling her scalp.
Mo Xiao stood perfectly still, his body tensed as if ready to pounce the second she turned "demon," but the scene remained stubbornly wholesome.
"Is she really a demon, Papa?" A-Li asked, patting Bai Yue's cheek with a soft paw. "She's very nice! And she smells like flowers, not sulfur!"
Mo Xiao huffed, crossing his arms. "I.…..hmmm." He was clearly losing his argument with himself.
Suddenly, Mo Xiao's entire body tensed. His nostrils flared, and his tail went stiff. He whipped his head toward the northern path.
"Han Shan," he muttered.
"Eh? Han Shan? Is he here?!" Bai Yue scrambled to her feet, the cubs scattering back to their father.
BOOM.
The bushes seemed to explode under the weight of a heavy stride. Han Shan appeared, looking even more furious than he had in the hut. But this time, he wasn't alone.
Tucked safely against his side, held firmly by the hand, was the most adorable cub Bai Yue had ever seen. Ruì Xuě. He had a mop of messy white hair just like his father, but his eyes... they were her eyes. Large, amethyst-purple, and currently swimming with tears.
The moment Ruì Xuě saw Bai Yue, he let out a tiny, heartbroken whimper and immediately dove behind Han Shan's massive leg, trembling so hard his little ears shook.
Han Shan's hand dropped to his side, his fingers curling into a fist as his eyes landed on the food in Bai Yue's hand and the panther cubs surrounding her.
"Mo Xiao!" Han Shan's voice cracked through the clearing like a whip. "What is wrong with you?! Why are you feeding the cursed female? And why are your cubs touching that monster?!"