If you fall behind, they won't wait for you; they'll just keep moving forward.

As for falling behind, it's perfectly normal. Emperor penguins face many dangers on their journey, which is inherently a trip with no end in sight. Being able to return is already a great stroke of luck.

Finally, a month later, Xu Qiaoqiao sensed her parents' presence. She immediately tugged at Jun Qi's arm, her voice filled with excitement: "Chirp chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp chirp~"

Junjun, I feel like my parents have come back. What about you?

Jun Qi raised his head, feeling the breeze and listening to the calls of the adult emperor penguins. He paused for a moment, and after three seconds, answered Xu Qiaoqiao's question: "They seem to have returned as well."

When Xu Qiaoqiao heard this news, her eyes lit up. She patted Jun Qi's head, and the two penguins went out together, chirping loudly so that the other party could recognize them as soon as possible.

Perhaps because they had lived together before, the two pairs of emperor penguin couples were not far apart. After one chick spotted him, the other chick was definitely next to him.

"Chirp chirp!" Dad, Mom!

When Xu Qiaoqiao saw the two familiar emperor penguins, she cried out in emotion, stretched out her arms, and ran forward, not caring whether she ran gracefully or not, she threw herself into her father's arms.

Seeing this scene, the Emperor Penguin mother bent her neck and gently rubbed her beak against Xu Qiaoqiao's back. The soft down felt very comfortable, and a hint of tenderness filled her eyes.

Baby, we're back.

This is a rare and precious moment for the family of three. As the emperor penguin chicks grow up, their time together will become increasingly limited, so these moments should be cherished.

On the other side, Jun Qi was doing the same thing. He looked at the two emperor penguin parents who were huddled together. They bent their necks and pressed their beaks against their baby, feeling the baby's breath. This made them very content.

Jun Qi was clearly a little uncomfortable in this scene. He didn't have a deep connection with the emperor penguin parents, but they did love him very much. He lowered his eyes, raised his arm slightly, and touched their beaks.

They responded to some extent.

I'm fine, don't worry.

—4000+ words, the two chapters have been combined. I'm a bit pressed for time today, so I won't separate them.