The next morning, Liuli skipped and hopped through the woods, her steps light as she hummed a song, seemingly in a good mood.

She quickly arrived at the foot of the hill, and before even entering the cave, she called out, "Bailing, Bailing! I'm here, come out quickly!"

Normally, as soon as she hears her voice, Bailing will wobble and come out, but today there is no sound at all.

Liuli pursed her lips, displeased, and said, "Bailing, you lazybones, are you still not awake?"

As she spoke, she had already entered the cave. Usually at this time, the tigers would still be resting. Bai Ling, who woke up early, would sit up and play by himself for a while. When Liu Li arrived, he would happily open his arms for her to hug him and take him out to play. But today, Liu Li did not see him in the cave.

Liuli stopped at the cave entrance, a sense of panic rising within her. She hurriedly ran over and examined each of the tigers, but Bailing was nowhere to be found.

"Bailing? Bailing?" Liuli was shocked. Her face turned pale, and she turned around and kicked the male tiger, asking sharply, "Where's Bailing?! Did you eat my Bailing?!"

The male tiger was furious and opened its mouth to bite Liuli's leg. In her anxiety and confusion, Liuli's eyes widened in anger. When she raised her foot, her toes were already wrapped in white spiritual energy. She was about to kick the male tiger's head fiercely. If this kick landed, the male tiger would be seriously injured even if it didn't die.

However, the tiger, enraged, neither dodged nor avoided, and was determined to bite Liuli even if it meant being kicked by her.

At this critical moment, the tigress suddenly leaped diagonally between the male tiger and Liuli. Both the male tiger and Liuli, fearing they might hurt the tigress, stopped.

Liuli's face turned pale. She withdrew her angry gaze from the male tiger and turned to look at the female tiger. The female tiger's gaze was deep, and she gently shook her head.

Liuli felt as if a piece of her heart was missing, and she just wanted to find Bailing as soon as possible. Only by seeing him could her heart find peace.

She walked up to the tigress, her eyes red-rimmed, and asked in a trembling voice, "Tell me, where is Bailing? Where did my Bailing go?"

The tigress understood, but unable to speak, she could only shake her head repeatedly, her eyes filled with sorrow.

Liuli's heart sank. She suddenly stood up and rushed out of the cave in a panic.

She looked around at the cave entrance, feeling desolate and anxious. She had never realized that this forest was so vast, seemingly boundless. Where was she supposed to find her lark?

She randomly picked a direction and dashed out, shouting all the way, "Bailing, Bailing?...Where are you? Bailing, stop being naughty, okay? Come out here!"

In the end, the voice contained the tinge of a sob.

Liuli flitted through the forest, calling out the name of Bailing loudly, startling countless birds and beasts along the way.

And so, from sunrise to sunset, Liuli traversed almost every inch of the forest, but she could not find Bailing. Finally, her voice grew hoarse from calling out, and she collapsed before a tree, weeping bitterly, her sobs choked with sobs, "Bailing, my Bailing is gone…he's gone…"

The sound was mournful and carried far through the silent forest, sounding incredibly heartbreaking.