Rong Ye turned around as well, the dark line between his brows easing the moment he saw her standing in the sunlight.
An Mo silently observed her for a few seconds; he didn’t say anything, but his razor-sharp eyes carefully scanned her face for any signs of distress.
Su Qinglan noticed his scrutiny and offered him a tranquil smile. "I’m fine."
An Mo’s eyes narrowed slightly...he clearly didn’t completely buy it, but before he could probe further, Mao Mao tugged eagerly on Su Qinglan’s sleeve.
"Mommy, sit here!" He pointed proudly to the empty space beside him.
Su Qinglan smiled gently. "Okay."
The moment she sat down, the eight little ones crowded in as close as physically possible. Lulu leaned her head against Su Qinglan’s arm, Xiao Yi rested his fuzzy cheek against her waist, and tiny Yueyue quietly held onto her dress.
Reaching out, she gently patted Xiao Yi’s golden head and picked up her bowl. "Alright, let’s eat."
"Yay!" The cubs cheered loudly, and the courtyard erupted into happy chatter once more.
Everyone finally ate their fill. The lively courtyard was soon filled with the satisfied sounds of little cubs finishing off the last bites.
"More!"
"Mommy, I want this one!"
"Father, give me some!"
The eight cubs were completely satisfied. Su Qinglan also ate normally. She laughed when the cubs said something funny, picked out prime pieces of meat for them, and gently reminded them to chew slowly.
There was not a single strange expression on her face; she looked completely normal.
Her husbands noticed it immediately, but none of them called her out. As long as she was smiling and eating, they didn’t want to force her to speak before she was ready.
After everyone finished, the cubs leaned back in their seats with round, happy bellies.
"Ah..." Xiao Yi rubbed his stomach with a tiny paw. "I’m so full!"
The other cubs nodded in agreement. "Me too!"
Su Qinglan smiled down at them gently. "Then don’t eat any more, or your bellies will pop."
The cubs immediately giggled and agreed.
Seeing her calm demeanor, her husbands finally breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At least she wasn’t crying alone in the dark anymore. At least she seemed to have returned to her usual self.
Hu Yan was the first to stand up from the bench. "I’ll clean this up."
Han Jue immediately began gathering the empty wooden platters, while Rong Ye picked up the remaining bowls and carried them toward the kitchen area.
"Leave them; I’ll wash them later," Su Qinglan offered.
Han Jue shook his head, offering a warm look. "We can do it now. You just rest."
The three beastmen quickly began clearing the long table, while Shi Feng and An Mo gathered the messy cups and utensils.
The cubs had somehow managed to make a disaster out of half the table despite eating obediently.
A smear of rich sauce was stuck around Xiao Er’s snout, Lulu had somehow gotten broth on her white paws, and Ciao Ciao had spilled his water cup.
Shi Feng sighed helplessly, using a damp cloth to wipe the little paws one by one. "How did all of you manage to make such a big mess in ten minutes?"
The cubs only giggled in response.

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