Even with the heavy news hanging over them, life had to continue. Xuan Long sat beside Su Qinglan and gently pushed the bowl of noodles toward her. He picked up the chopsticks and blew on the hot steam.
"Eat first, Lan Lan," Xuan Long said softly.
"You cannot protect the tribe if your body is weak. We need your strength for the days ahead."
Su Qinglan looked at the bowl, her stomach tight with anxiety, but she knew he was right.
In the beast world, food was the most precious thing they had. It took hard work to hunt, gather, and cook. To waste a single strand of these hand-pulled noodles would be a sin against the effort her husbands had put in.
Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Rong Ye also sat down. They picked up their bowls and began to eat, though the usual cheerful chatter was gone.
Each bite was swallowed with a heavy heart. The savory broth, which should have been a celebration of a good day, now tasted like a final meal before a storm.
