Chapter 141 The Visitor from the Forest Lin Yue and Xiao Fen hugged each other tightly...

Lin Yue and Xiao Fen hugged each other tightly, enjoying the warm moment of their long-awaited reunion.

But the atmosphere remained tense.

Gray gripped his spear, Flying Leaf nocked an arrow, and the five men in blue vests remained on alert, all staring intently at the man with golden eyes.

The person with golden eyes also watched them warily, crouching slightly, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

At this tense moment,

"Shh..."

A rustling sound came from the woods.

Gray's expression changed: "There are others."

"Swish swish——"

Several figures darted out of the woods at incredible speed, and in the blink of an eye, they were standing behind the man with golden eyes.

One, two, three... seven people.

No, to be precise, it should be seven orcs.

They all shared similar features with the first person with golden eyes: golden eyes, bronze skin, simple animal skin clothing, and an aura of wildness.

However, unlike the first person with golden eyes, these people were noticeably much younger.

The oldest looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, and the youngest was only twelve or thirteen. Their faces still had a childlike quality, but their bodies were very agile, with well-defined muscles, clearly showing that they often spent time outdoors.

“Damn it,” Stonefist whispered, “it’s a pack of wolf cubs.”

Seven young orcs stood in a row. Although they looked young, each of them assumed a posture ready to attack at any moment. Their eyes were alert and focused as they stared at Gray and the others, like a pack of wolves stalking their prey on the plains.

"This is troublesome," a man in a blue vest whispered.

“Don’t act rashly,” Gray said in a deep voice. “They may be young, but…”

He didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood that the orcs' physical abilities far surpassed those of humans, and even a teenager should not be underestimated.

The atmosphere became even more tense.

The two sides stood in a stalemate, neither daring to make the first move.

"Waaah..."

Just then, Xiao Fen suddenly broke free from Lin Yue's embrace and stood between the two sides.

It looked at Gray, then at the golden-eyed man, and then at the young orcs, its eyes filled with anxiety.

"Awoo...woowoo..."

Little Fern let out a low whimper, as if trying to persuade the two sides to stop fighting. It paced back and forth between the two sides, using its body to block the middle, sometimes nuzzling Gray with its head, and sometimes running over to the golden-eyed man and nudging him with its nose.

"Xiao Fen, what is this...?" Fei Ye was surprised.

“It’s trying to mediate,” Lin Yue understood Xiao Fen’s intention.

He took a deep breath and walked over to Xiaofen, standing between the two.

"Wait," Lin Yue raised his hands, "Everyone, don't make a move yet."

"Lin Yue!" Gray exclaimed urgently.

“It’s alright,” Lin Yue said, looking at the person with golden eyes. “I don’t think… they meant any harm.”

The man with golden eyes looked at Lin Yue, his golden eyes flashing.

“Grey, put down your weapon,” Lin Yue said.

"But……"

"Listen to me, put down your weapons."

Gray hesitated for a moment, then slowly lowered his spear. Flying Leaf also put away his bow and arrows, and the men in blue vests relaxed their guard.

Seeing this, the man with the golden eyes and the other teenagers relaxed a little. Although they remained vigilant, they were no longer in a posture ready to attack at any moment.

"Hello," Lin Yue said, looking at the person with golden eyes, trying to use a gentle tone, "My name is Lin Yue. Thank you for taking care of Xiao Fen."

The man with golden eyes did not answer, but simply stared at him.

“We’re here to take Xiaofen home,” Lin Yue continued. “She’s my pet, I’ve raised her since she was a kitten. She ran away this time because she was worried about me, so…”

He tried to explain, trying to make the other person understand.

But the man with golden eyes remained silent, as did the young orcs, who simply watched him quietly.

Lin Yue talked a lot, from Xiao Fen's origins to why it came out, to their relationship...

But the other party never responded.

"Never mind," Lin Yue said, somewhat dejected. "Then let's take Xiao Fen back first. Xiao Fen, let's go."

He patted Xiaofen on the shoulder and turned to leave.

"Awoo!"

The young orcs suddenly let out a low growl and assumed an attack stance once again.

The man with golden eyes also stood in front of Lin Yue.

Their meaning was clear: Xiaofen could not be taken away.

"What?" Lin Yue was stunned. "You...you won't let us take Xiao Fen away?"

The man with golden eyes nodded.

"Why?" Lin Yue asked, puzzled. "Xiao Fen is mine..."

“This wolf,” the man with golden eyes finally spoke, his voice hoarse, “has the blood of the wolf god.”

"The bloodline of the Wolf God?"

“Yes,” the golden-eyed man stared at Xiao Fen, “pure wolf god bloodline. It shouldn’t be with humans.”

“But it’s been with me since it was a cub,” Lin Yue argued, “it…”

“No,” the man with golden eyes said decisively.

Lin Yue wanted to say something more, but seeing the other party's determined eyes and the wary posture of the young orcs, he knew that continuing to argue would only lead to conflict.

“Alright,” Lin Yue sighed, “then…we won’t leave for now.”

"Lin Yue?" a man in a blue vest asked in surprise.

“Let’s rest here for the night,” Lin Yue said. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Gray glanced at the sky; it was indeed almost evening. After traveling for several days and nearly getting into a fight earlier, everyone was exhausted.

“That’s fine,” Stone Fist said. “Anyway, this place is on the edge of the forest, and there’s nowhere else to stay.”

Lin Yue looked at the small wooden house: "Can we use this wooden house?"

The man with golden eyes hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Thank you," Lin Yue said.

He led Gray, Stonefist, Leaf, and the blue-vested boys towards the wooden hut. The golden-eyed man and the young orcs simply watched from the sidelines, offering no assistance.

The cabin was very simple, just a few logs forming a shed that could barely keep out the wind and rain. But it was still better than sleeping in the wild.

“Lin Yue,” Gray said in a low voice, “are we really going to spend the night here?”

"Otherwise what?" Lin Yue smiled wryly. "Look at their posture. If we try to take Xiao Fen away by force, a fight is definitely going to break out."

“That’s true,” Stone Fist said. “And these wolf cubs… don’t let their youth fool you, we might not have the upper hand in a real fight.”

“So let’s rest first,” Lin Yue said, “and think of a solution slowly.”

Several people in blue vests began tidying up the wooden cabin, cleaning the ground, and preparing a place to rest.

"Oh, right," Lin Yue suddenly remembered something, "do we still have any food?"

“Yes,” Fei Ye said, “I still have quite a lot of the dry food and canned goods I brought with me.”

"Then let's cook a good meal," Lin Yue said. "Everyone's tired, let's have a proper meal."

"Okay."

Several people in blue vests immediately sprang into action. Some gathered firewood, some set up iron pots, and some rummaged through their bags for ingredients.

Stone-skinned potatoes, sweet potato starch, canned meat, some dried vegetables and seasonings...

Lin Yue took out all the food he had with him.

“Come on, let’s stew a big pot of vegetables today,” he said, “and roast some potatoes.”

"good."

Everyone got busy.

A cast iron pot was placed on the fire, and after the water boiled, sweet potato noodles were added. A can of meat was opened, and a rich aroma immediately wafted out. Potatoes were buried in the ashes beside the fire, slowly roasting.

As the sun gradually set, its afterglow spilled onto the edge of the forest.

Smoke curls up from the chimneys, and an enticing aroma fills the air.

The young orcs in the distance, who had been sitting quietly, began to stir after smelling the aroma.

They kept sniffling, their golden eyes fixed on Lin Yue and the others' pot, and they made low whimpering sounds in their throats.

Some of the younger children even started pacing anxiously in place.

The man with golden eyes noticed this scene. He glanced at the teenagers, then at the direction Lin Yue and his group were heading, and frowned.

He walked over to the boys and said something in a language that Lin Yue and the others couldn't understand. Then he pointed to the oldest boy and said a few more words.

The boy nodded, clearly accepting some kind of mission.

The man with golden eyes turned around, strode into the forest, and quickly disappeared into the woods.

"Dinner's ready!"

Lin Yue greeted everyone.

The sweet potato noodles are cooked, soft and chewy, and the aroma is irresistible when combined with the rich meat broth. The roasted potatoes are also ready, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

The group sat together, sharing sweet potato noodles in wooden bowls and canned meat.

"Ah, that's good," Stone Fist said, his mouth greasy from eating. "After traveling for several days, I can finally have a proper meal."

“Yes,” Fei Ye said, “this smells really good.”

Xiao Fen lay down next to Lin Yue, and Lin Yue served her a large bowl full of meat.

"Eat slowly, don't choke," Lin Yue said, stroking its head.

"Awoo~" Little Fen ate contentedly, wagging her tail rapidly.

Just then, heavy footsteps echoed through the forest.

Everyone immediately became alert.

“It’s that orc who’s back,” Gray said.

A person with golden eyes emerged from the woods, carrying a huge wild beast on their shoulder.

It was an animal similar to a takin, enormous in size, weighing at least three or four hundred pounds. But the man with golden eyes carried it with one hand as easily as if he were carrying a sack of cotton.

"My God..." Fei Ye exclaimed, "That strength..."

The man with golden eyes walked up to the young beastmen and threw the takin on the ground.

"Bang--"

A huge impact was heard, raising a cloud of dust.

He pulled a rough stone knife from his waist, squatted down, and began to dissect the takin.

His movements were highly skilled; with a few swift cuts, he had chopped the takin into many pieces. The bloody beef emitted a foul odor.

The man with golden eyes distributed the pieces of meat to the boys.

The boys immediately pounced on it, grabbed the raw meat, and started gnawing on it.

Blood dripped from the corners of their mouths, but they seemed completely unconcerned, continuing to eat heartily.

Lin Yue and the others were dumbfounded.

"They...eat it raw?" A man in a blue vest swallowed hard.

“Orcs,” Stonefist said, “are used to eating raw food.”

But Lin Yue noticed that while the boys were eating meat, they would occasionally look up and glance at them thoughtfully.

To be precise, they were looking at their pots and pans.

Lin Yue's heart stirred.

He put down his bowl, pulled a few roasted potatoes out of the fire, put them in his clothes, and stood up.

"Mayor, what are you doing?"

“Let’s go take a look,” Lin Yue said.

"Danger……"

"It's nothing," Lin Yue smiled, "I just wanted to... give it a try."

He walked toward the orcs.

The boys immediately became alert when they saw him approach. They stopped eating, stared at Lin Yue, and made low warning noises in their throats.

The man with golden eyes also stood up and stood in front of Lin Yue.

"Don't be nervous," Lin Yue raised his hands to indicate that he meant no harm, "I just... want to give you something."

He put the roasted potatoes on the ground and then took out a small cloth bag from his pocket.

That's a special spice powder from Hope Town, made from snow salt, black pepper, cumin, chili powder... ground into a fine powder and mixed together, giving it a rich aroma.

Lin Yue placed the spice powder on the ground and then took a few steps back.

The beastmen looked at him with suspicion.

Lin Yue picked up a potato and, in front of them, peeled off its charred skin. The potato inside was fully cooked, steaming hot and emitting a faint aroma.

He dipped the potato in some spice powder and took a bite.

"Mmm...it smells so good," Lin Yue said with satisfaction, then gestured for them to eat as well.

The boys understood what he meant.

But they dared not make a move, and only watched the man with golden eyes.

The man with golden eyes stared at Lin Yue, then looked at the potatoes.

Xiao Fen then came over and nudged the potato with her nose, and then nudged the man with golden eyes.

The man with golden eyes looked at Xiao Fen, then at Lin Yue, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded to the boys.

The boys' eyes lit up, and they immediately smiled with delight.

But the smiles, combined with the blood-covered faces and mouths of the people they were wearing, actually startled Lin Yue.

“Uh…” Lin Yue took half a step back.

The boys carefully picked up the potatoes and, imitating Lin Yue, peeled off the skin.

Some people grimaced from the heat of the potatoes, but couldn't bear to put them down.

Some people, not knowing the proper amount, dipped themselves in too much spice powder at once, and their mouths were so salty that they grimaced.

"Cough cough... It's so salty..." a boy said, but his eyes lit up, "But... it smells so good."

Even though it was very salty, he couldn't bear to spit it out and ate it even faster.

Another boy, because the potato was too hot, blew on it while eating, his golden eyes full of surprise.

"Delicious...delicious..."

How could there be something so delicious besides meat, something they'd never eaten before?

The roasted potatoes, soft and tender, paired with fragrant seasonings, are completely different from the raw meat's fishy smell. Instead, they offer a unique and addictive flavor unlike anything you've ever experienced.

The youngest boy, probably only twelve or thirteen years old, finished eating a potato and stared longingly at Lin Yue.

Lin Yue smiled, then pulled a few potatoes out of the fire and placed them in front of them.

"Eat slowly, there's more."

The boys excitedly picked up the potatoes again.

This time they were smarter; they knew to use less seasoning and to let it cool down before eating.

The person with golden eyes watched this scene, a complex mix of emotions flashing in their golden eyes.

He looked at Lin Yue, then at the boys who were eating their fill, as if he was thinking about something.

Lin Yue smiled at him, then turned and walked back to his camp.

"Lin Yue," Gray asked in a low voice, "what is this...?"

“Make friends,” Lin Yue said. “Since we can’t leave for the time being, let’s build good relationships first.”

“Brilliant!” Stone Fist exclaimed. “Using delicious food to win people’s hearts is a brilliant move.”

Lin Yue smiled without saying a word.

He felt a surge of warmth as he watched the young orcs eat potatoes.

Whether human, dwarf, elf, or orc...

A love for food is universal.

As night fell, the campfire flickered in the darkness.

On one side were Lin Yue and his group, sitting around the fire, chatting and eating.

On the other side were the beastmen. After the boys finished eating the potatoes, they went back to gnawing on raw meat, but they would occasionally glance at Lin Yue.

Xiao Fen ran back and forth, sometimes nuzzling Lin Yue, sometimes running over to play with the orcs.

The atmosphere gradually relaxed.

Lin Yue looked at the starry sky, thinking: How can I convince them to let me take Xiao Fen away tomorrow?

As night deepened, the light of the campfire grew dimmer and dimmer.

After dinner, everyone prepared to rest.

Lin Yue looked at the golden-eyed man and the other teenagers sitting around the campfire outside and felt a little guilty. After all, the wooden house originally belonged to them, but now it had been occupied by his group.

“Um…” Lin Yue walked to Gray’s side and whispered, “Shouldn’t we invite them into the cabin? It’s quite dangerous outside…”

Gray glanced at him, said nothing, stood up, and strode toward the man with golden eyes.

"Grey?" Lin Yue asked, somewhat worried.

Gray walked up to the man with the golden eyes, and without saying a word, bent down and picked up the hay they had piled up to the side.

The man with golden eyes immediately stood up and looked at Gray warily.

Lin Yue's heart tightened. Was a fight about to break out?

But Gray just grabbed the hay and turned to walk back to the cabin.

The man with golden eyes paused for a moment, then quickly chased after him.

Lin Yue was prepared to rush in and break up the fight, but after the man with golden eyes caught up with Gray, he simply made a gesture to the teenagers.

The boys immediately understood, picked up their hay, and followed them into the cabin.

Gray placed the hay in one corner of the cabin, which was directly opposite the other corner where Lin Yue and the others had laid out their bedding.

The man with golden eyes looked around, nodded, and gestured for the boys to put the hay over there as well.

And so, the two sides settled down in their respective corners with perfect understanding.

The entire process was conducted without any verbal communication, yet it went remarkably smoothly.

Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief and gave Gray a thumbs up. Gray was so efficient; he was still struggling with how to start the conversation.

“Go to sleep,” Gray said. “We still need to figure something out tomorrow.”

Everyone lay down one after another.

"Awoo~"

Xiao Fen suddenly rushed in and pounced on Lin Yue's side.

"Hey, Xiao Fen, you're so big..." Before Lin Yue could finish speaking, Xiao Fen had already sprawled between him and Gray, her enormous body taking up quite a bit of space.

"Never mind," Lin Yue said helplessly, stroking Xiao Fen's fur. "Let's leave it at that."

Although Xiao Fen was large and it was a bit hot when they were squeezed together, Lin Yue felt a sense of security for some reason.

Perhaps it was because of the long-awaited reunion, perhaps it was because of Xiao Fen's warm body temperature, or perhaps it was simply because I was happy that it was safe and sound.

Xiao Hei crawled out of Lin Yue's arms, jumped onto Xiao Fen's head, and lay down comfortably.

Meow~

“You two…” Lin Yue smiled.

The cabin gradually quieted down. The light from the campfire outside grew weaker and weaker, until only a few embers remained.

Lin Yue was drifting off to sleep when suddenly he sensed a strange presence.

He struggled to open his eyes, using the last rays of the campfire to look towards the corner where the person with golden eyes was—

Then, he witnessed a scene he would never forget.

In another corner of the cabin, the young orcs were already asleep. Beside them, a gigantic wolf appeared.

No, it didn't appear.

The person with golden eyes... turned into a wolf.

The wolf was more than twice the size of Xiaofen, its gray-black fur shimmering silver in the dim light. It lay there silently, its massive body surrounding and protecting the boys.

Those golden eyes shimmered with a gentle light in the darkness.

Lin Yue's eyes widened, thinking he was seeing things.

He rubbed his eyes, and when he looked again, the wolf was still there.

“This…this is…” Lin Yue murmured to himself.

But soon, drowsiness returned.

Perhaps he was too tired, or perhaps the scene was too dreamlike, Lin Yue couldn't tell whether it was reality or a dream.

"Maybe... I'm dreaming..." he thought hazily, then closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the wooden cabin.

Lin Yue opened his eyes and his first reaction was to look at that corner.

The man with golden eyes sat there normally, and the boys were all awake and stretching.

There were no wolves.

"It really was a dream..." Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief, but was also somewhat disappointed.

"Lin Yue, are you awake?" Gray was already up and tidying up his things.

"Hmm," Lin Yue sat up, "Everyone's awake?"

“That’s about it,” Gray said. “Flyleaf and the others went to find water nearby.”

Lin Yue nodded and walked out of the wooden house.

The air outside is fresh, and the sunshine is warm and bright.

The young orcs also came out. When they saw Lin Yue, they actually nodded to him as a greeting.

This is much friendlier than yesterday.

"Good morning," Lin Yue said with a smile.

The boys didn't speak, but their eyes softened considerably.

"Awooo—!"

Xiao Fen rushed out of the wooden house and circled around Lin Yue, wagging her tail rapidly.

"Okay, okay, I know you're happy," Lin Yue said, stroking its head.

Xiao Fen was particularly excited today, jumping around the camp. Sometimes she would run to Lin Yue and rub against him, and sometimes she would run over to the young orcs and nudge them with her nose.

“This guy,” Stone Fist laughed, “is even more of a show-off than he was in Hope Town.”

Indeed, Xiao Fen is now surrounded by Lin Yue and his companions, as well as her fellow beastmen, and with her leader, Xiao Hei, perched on her head. She's absolutely thrilled.

Seeing how happy Xiao Fen was, Lin Yue suddenly felt a little reluctant to take her away.

"Lin Yue, what are you thinking about?" Shi Quan noticed his expression.

“It’s nothing,” Lin Yue shook his head. “I was thinking… how to persuade them to let us take Xiao Fen away.”

As they were talking, Xiao Fen suddenly picked up a twig, ran to Lin Yue, put the twig down, and looked at him expectantly.

"You want to play?" Lin Yue smiled.

"Awoo!" Xiao Fen exclaimed excitedly.

“Okay,” Lin Yue picked up the branch and threw it forcefully, “Go get it!”

Xiao Fen immediately sprinted out, leaped a few times to catch up with the tree branch, grabbed it in her mouth, and then happily ran back.

"Haha, so good," Lin Yue rubbed its head and threw the branch away.

Xiao Fen chased after him again.

The sight left the young orcs speechless.

Their bodies were slightly hunched, their golden eyes fixed on the flying branch. When Lin Yue threw the branch, they even made a motion to get up and chase after it.

But in the end, they all held back, though their eyes were filled with longing.

Stone Fist noticed this scene.

“Lin Yue,” he whispered, “those little wolf cubs… seem to want to play too.”

"Really?" Lin Yue looked at them and saw the eager looks on the boys' faces.

“The branches are too small,” Stone Fist thought for a moment, “I’ll make them something else.”

He began searching for materials around him, found some sturdy withered vines, and started weaving.

In less than half an hour, a huge rattan ball was made.

“Gray,” Stonefist handed him the ball, “you’re strong, throw it further.”

Gray took the ball and weighed it in his hand: "Little Finn, catch!"

He threw it with all his might, and the rattan ball flew far away.

"Awooo—!" Xiao Fen excitedly chased after it, caught the ball in her mouth, and then ran back happily.

"Again!"

Gray threw again, and Little Finn chased after him.

The two, one human and one wolf, were having a great time.

The young orcs watched with even greater envy. Every time Gray threw the ball, they would involuntarily make a chasing motion, but they would force themselves to stay still.

The youngest one even let out a low whimper.

“Tsk,” Stone Fist shook his head, “These little wolf cubs, they clearly want to play but are too embarrassed to say so.”

He then made a few more rattan balls, walked up to the boys, and handed them the balls.

"Here, you guys can play too."

The boys were stunned. They looked at the stone fists and then at the rattan balls, their eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.

“Take it,” Stone Fist laughed. “We’re all kids, what’s there to be embarrassed about playing ball?”

The oldest boy hesitated for a moment and looked at the person with golden eyes.

The man with golden eyes nodded.

The boys cheered immediately and started playing with the rattan balls.

They threw things at each other, some even kicking them, having a great time.

The younger children were so excited that they rolled around on the ground.

“Hahaha,” Stone Fist laughed, “See? He really is a little wolf cub.”

Lunchtime arrived quickly.

Feiye and the others found some wild vegetables nearby. Lin Yue recognized several of them, but was unsure about some of them.

"Xiao Hei," Lin Yue picked up the cat that was sunbathing on Xiao Fen's head, "help me identify these plants."

Little Black lazily opened its eyes: [Do you want me to do some work?]

“We’re only identifying a few,” Lin Yue said.

"Hmm...that's edible, that's edible too, don't touch that one, it's poisonous..." Xiao Hei quickly glanced at them. "Alright, that's all."

"Anything else?" Lin Yue pointed to another pile.

"See for yourself," Xiao Hei said, then jumped out of Lin Yue's grasp and scurried back to perch on Xiao Fen's head. "Don't rely too much on the system."

“Hey…” Lin Yue was speechless.

"Meow~" Little Black flicked its tail, closed its eyes, and looked like it was saying "Don't bother me while I'm sunbathing".

"Never mind," Lin Yue sighed, "I recognize the rest, so it should be fine."

Lunch was still sweet potato noodles, but with the addition of fresh wild vegetables, making the flavor even richer.

This time, Lin Yue and his group made extra portions, served them in wooden bowls, and presented them to the man with golden eyes and the other boys.

“Come on, have a taste,” Lin Yue said with a smile.

The boys' eyes lit up, and this time without any hesitation, they took the bowls and began to eat.

"Mmm...delicious..."

"This...this taste..."

"It's so delicious!"

They were eating so much that their eyes were practically slits. If they were in wolf form, Lin Yue believed their tails would be spinning rapidly.

The man with golden eyes also took the bowl and ate slowly. His movements were much more composed than the boys', but his eyes also revealed satisfaction.

The atmosphere was harmonious.

Lin Yue felt the time was right, so he asked, "Um... when can I take Xiao Fen away?"

The man with golden eyes stopped eating and looked at him.

After a long silence, he said one word: "Wait."

"Wait?" Lin Yue asked, puzzled. "Wait for what?"

The person with golden eyes did not answer, but continued eating sweet potato noodles.

"How long do we have to wait?" Lin Yue asked again.

“He will come,” said the man with golden eyes. “You’ll know when he arrives.”

"Him? Who?"

The person with golden eyes stopped answering and focused on eating the food in their bowl.

Lin Yue and Gray exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.

Who are we waiting for?

Why do we have to wait for that person to arrive before we can take Xiaofen away?

Who exactly is that person?

"It seems we'll have to stay here for a while longer."

“Okay,” Lin Yue nodded, “Let’s wait then. Anyway, Xiao Fen is quite happy here.”

He watched Xiao Fen playing ball with the other boys, and a mix of emotions welled up inside him.

Maybe...maybe Xiaofen is happier with these orcs than with me?

After all, they are of the same race.

“No,” Lin Yue shook his head, banishing the thought from his mind. “Xiao Fen is someone I raised since she was a child; she is my family.”

"What's the boss thinking about?" Shi Quan asked.

"It's nothing," Lin Yue smiled. "I was just thinking... we might have to stay here for a few days."

“It doesn’t matter,” Stone Fist said. “There’s no rush anyway. And…”

He looked at Xiao Fen playing with the boys and said with a smile, "Xiao Fen is so happy, it wouldn't be bad to stay a few more days."

“Yes,” Lin Yue said softly.

"Awooo—!"

Xiao Fen ran over with the ball in her mouth, placed it at Lin Yue's feet, and looked at him expectantly.

"Want to play again?" Lin Yue laughed. "Aren't you tired?"

"Awoo!" Little Fen wagged her tail.

“Okay,” Lin Yue picked up the ball, “this is the last time.”

He threw the ball forcefully, and Xiao Fen immediately chased after it.

The boys followed, and a group of them ran across the open space, their laughter echoing through the forest.

The person with golden eyes sat to the side, watching this scene, a hint of tenderness flashing in their golden eyes.

He looked up into the distance and murmured to himself, "Almost there...we should be there soon..."