371: Chapter 371 Standoff

The courtyard fell abruptly silent.

The gazes of all the Males in the yard swiveled in unison toward the entrance, landing on Qiu Rong, who was walking in slowly.

He was tall and imposing, his handsome face gleaming with a cold luster under the sunlight. His calm pupils swept over each Beast Husband present, silently assessing their strength.

The previously wary and bristling Tiger Cubs, upon seeing their Father Beast, immediately pricked up their ears, raised their tails high, and without hesitation rushed over. They circled excitedly at Qiu Rong's feet, making soft, cooing sounds of affection in their throats.

Then, they turned their heads to bare their teeth at the other Beast Husbands, putting on a fiercely protective front that seemed to say, 'My dad is here, don't even think about bullying my Mother.'

Qiu Rong lowered his gaze, his broad palm gently resting on a Tiger Cub's head. His deep voice carried unquestionable authority: 'Stop that. All of you, settle down.'

The Tiger Cubs immediately fell silent obediently, but still didn't forget to glare at the other Males with their round, wide eyes.

Qiu Rong looked up, his gaze returning to Bai Wanwan's Beast Husbands.

His expression remained unchanged, but a flicker of complex emotion passed deep in his eyes.

In just over a year, she had already gathered so many powerful Males around her... each one... seemed capable of matching him.

His gaze swept over these Males. Their looks toward him were tinged with hostility.

How interesting. Clearly, he was Bai Wanwan's first Male, yet they stared at him with such wariness.

Soon, his gaze landed on Zhu Xiu.

The eyes of the two powerful Males met, as if blades and flashes of steel were clashing between them.

In that brief instant, it felt as though several rounds of combat had already been exchanged.

'Qiu Rong.' Xin Feng broke the silence first, his sharp wolf eyes fixed on him. 'You should know that Wan Wan has lost her memory.'

Bai Wanwan had originally been looking down, drawing circles on the ground with her toes, trying desperately to make herself inconspicuous.

In this kind of battlefield of emotions, anything she said would be inappropriate. Better to play the ostrich.

But Xin Feng's words directly pushed her into the eye of the storm.

She had no choice but to lift her head, meet the gazes of all the Beast Husbands, and force out a very insincere smile.

Qiu Rong didn't avoid it. He nodded directly. 'I know.'

Xin Feng's brow tightened slightly. 'Since you know, then what did you tell Wan Wan? I remember when you left with The Cubs, you said clearly that you would have no further entanglement with Wan Wan.'

Huh? There was such a thing?

Bai Wanwan instantly pricked up her ears, as if listening to gossip about someone else.

Qiu Rong's expression remained unchanged, his tone calm. 'At the time, that was indeed my intention. What happened between her and me was an accident to begin with.'

Yan Lie's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. He even found Yin Ze beside him somewhat more agreeable.

At least that guy came later, while Qiu Rong... had possessed Wan Wan earlier than any of them, even making her bear his first litter of Cubs.

However, Qiu Rong's next words instantly solidified the atmosphere once more.

'But, I've changed my mind.'

Zhu Xiu's pitch-black vertical pupils constricted sharply. His voice was icy. 'Reason?'

Qiu Rong glanced at him dismissively. 'That requires no explanation to you.'

His gaze turned to Bai Wanwan. 'I only need to make things clear to her.'

Several Beast Husbands instantly tensed. The air grew thick with the smell of gunpowder.

Qiu Rong, however, seemed oblivious to their hostility. He turned his eyes to Bai Wanwan. 'I have something to say to you. Come with me for a moment.'

Bai Wanwan immediately looked toward her other Beast Husbands.

She smiled and pointed at Qiu Rong's already retreating back. 'I'll go hear what he has to say. I'll be right out.'

After Bai Wanwan left, the eyes of the several Beast Husbands churned with suppressed emotion.

Jin Yi spoke first, his tone unable to conceal his dejection. 'Wan Wan doesn't remember us...'

But Xin Feng said, 'We can't blame her for that. It was our failure to protect her that caused her to lose her memory. In truth... the fact that she's standing alive before us is already the best possible outcome.'

After Xin Feng finished speaking, the turbulent emotions in the eyes of the several Beast Husbands slowly calmed.

Yan Lie said with remorse, 'You're right. I shouldn't be angry. Wan Wan isn't at fault. The blame lies with those damned Eagle Beasts. In the future... I will definitely wipe them all out.'

While the Beast Husbands were processing their emotions, Bai Wanwan had already followed Qiu Rong into the Stone House.

'You heard earlier... I am not actually your Beast Husband.'

But before Bai Wanwan could react, Qiu Rong had already stepped closer to her. 'But your arrival is timely. The Cubs are my weakness. Now that you and your Beast Husbands are here, I'm entrusting them to you. Can you guarantee their safety?'

'Wait... what are you planning to do?'

'I have something I must do. If I fail, there will be mortal danger, which could also endanger The Cubs.'

Bai Wanwan frowned. 'I heard from Yin Ze that you are an Orange-Tier Beastman with very powerful Innate Ability. Are you not confident?'

Qiu Rong smiled faintly. 'There are many Orange-Tier Beastmen. You're right, I am not confident. So... if anything happens to me, I'll leave The Cubs in your care from now on.'

'No!'

Bai Wanwan blurted out instinctively. 'You must come back safely. The Cubs are still young. They can't be without their Father Beast.'

After hearing her words, Qiu Rong looked at her deeply. 'I will. I'm just telling you the worst-case scenario, so you can be prepared.'

Having said that, Qiu Rong seemed to have nothing more to add. 'I'll take my leave now.'

'Wait...'

Bai Wanwan caught up to him in a few quick steps. She retrieved the Laser Gun from her system space and pressed it into his hand. 'The Cubs need their Father Beast. Take this gun. It might save your life at a critical moment.'

She pointed at the muzzle. 'Aim this at your enemy. One shot can take down a Yellow-Tier Male. Three shots can kill an Orange-Tier Male. But it only has ten shots in total. Use it carefully.'

Qiu Rong looked utterly astonished, but he didn't refuse. He took it and tucked it into his sleeve.

'Alright. Thank you.'

'No need for thanks. Coming back alive will be thanks enough.'

Qiu Rong gave her another deep look, then turned and strode away.

After Qiu Rong left, the courtyard was quiet. Bai Wanwan walked to the doorway and peered out, directly meeting the intense gazes of her Beast Husbands.

She steeled herself and walked toward them.

Her steps were somewhat hesitant and dragging. Who knew that this hesitation would cause her to kick a depression in the ground? Her foot twisted, and she tumbled down the steps.

All five Males present immediately sprinted toward her.

But due to the distance, they ultimately couldn't reach her before Bai Wanwan made intimate contact with the ground.

Her head knocked solidly against the earth.

A flash of white light filled her vision. Five handsome faces, all etched with anxiety and concern.

They seemed to be saying something, but she couldn't hear.

Bai Wanwan opened her mouth, wanting to say something to them, but she had only managed, 'I...'

Before her eyelids involuntarily closed, and her consciousness sank into boundless darkness.

'Wan Wan...'

Who was calling her?

The voice sounded so familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before.

Her body felt tightly bound by something. She struggled hard.

Finally... she broke free from the restraint and abruptly opened her eyes.

But before her was only a searing white...

Apologies for the wait. The upcoming plot is a tangled mess. I need a few days to properly sort out the storyline.