Sakurako carried Xing'er back into the cave, examining him closely in the fading glow of the sunset. Slender eyes, thick eyebrows, thin lips... half resembling herself, the other half resembling Xiaohao. Yes, this was her child! She lifted Xing'er onto her lap, bouncing her heels up and down, using her legs as a rocking horse for him.

Since leaving Sakurako, although Xing'er had been cared for by Hua Gu, there was still a layer of separation; he had never experienced such tender affection. At this moment, he was giggling uncontrollably, turning into a little emperor, completely oblivious to the slighted Ali.

However, Ali was quite considerate, understanding that a mother and son's reunion was hard-won. She didn't come to disturb them, instead squatting down with Congcong to play a game of tossing pebbles. Her little hands were incredibly nimble, tossing the four stones up and down, playing with effortless skill. Congcong watched, mesmerized, wanting to join but not knowing how. Whenever he tried to intercept a stone mid-air, Ali would snatch it back first, making him squeak in frustration. Seeing Congcong’s fidgeting, Ali felt quite smug and played even more energetically.

As they played, the sky quickly darkened. The sunset drew back its final sliver of light from the cave entrance, plunging everything into inky blackness. Congcong stopped playing the pebble game with Ali and, as usual, crawled to Sakurako’s side, preparing to sleep. But the gentle curve of the arm that used to cradle him now had a new occupant. Sakurako never had a habit of lighting a fire at night; as soon as darkness fell, she prepared for sleep. Now holding Xing'er, she lay down on a large, clean stone, her eyelids fighting a losing battle.

A wave of desolation rose in Congcong's heart. Just as he was about to find a spot to curl up near Sakurako, Ali grabbed his tail and pulled him gently aside.

"Let's sleep together tonight," Ali said, finding a clean stone next to her, mimicking Sakurako. She lay down on her side and nestled Congcong into the space between her leg and her belly. Congcong glanced at the mother and son, who were already fast asleep, then leaned against Ali with infinite longing, curled into a ball, and closed his eyes to sleep as well.

The night passed without incident. As the first blush of dawn touched the horizon, Congcong sprang up from Ali's side and hopped out of the cave to forage with the other young monkeys. Only the mother and son, along with Ali, remained deeply asleep inside the cavern.

However, just as Ali was lost in her dreams, a needle-prick sensation of pain shot through her arm. She snapped her eyes open to see Xing'er clinging to her arm, sucking blood in greedy gulps. Where his sharp little teeth landed, the pain was immediate and fierce. She tried to pull her hand back, but Xing'er’s sharp fangs had already pierced a vein; every slight retraction sent a wave of agonizing pain through her.

"Auntie, Auntie..." Ali cried out loudly, frantically swatting at Xing'er with one hand while trying to recall her trapped arm.

Sakurako had been immersed in a dream reliving old memories—a scene where she and Xiaoshu were climbing a mountain and encountered a fierce tiger. Xiaoshu had suddenly leaped in front of her, covering her escape. As she ran, she worried for Xiaoshu, until she suddenly heard someone shout, "Auntie, Auntie..." This snapped her awake. Rubbing her eyes, she saw Xing'er latched onto Ali's arm, one of Ali's hands pinned by Xing'er, while the other clenched into a small fist, desperately hitting him.

"Xing'er..." Sakurako hissed sharply, jumping up and rushing over. She grabbed Xing'er by the shoulders and dragged him backward with tremendous effort, finally managing to pry his grip loose from Ali's arm. Xing'er stood there, his mouth covered in blood, lifting his head to look at Sakurako and declaring, "Mama, I'm really hungry!"