Several young females were already being quietly herded toward the inner paths by older brothers who clearly did not intend to ask twice.

Lin Huahua watched it all and then, because life inside her head truly had no respect for timing, suddenly remembered the fish.

She wanted fish again today.

Not just wanted it.

Wanted it enough that the thought returned immediately the moment the serious part ended.

She opened her mouth to say it, then closed it again.

Because if she told her males right now, would they not instantly say no? After that whole speech? Absolutely no forest paths, absolutely no riverbanks, absolutely no wandering, absolutely no anything.

Aiyo.

While she was still silently mourning the likely loss of her fish plans, another memory tugged at her.

Her mother.

And then, as if the world wanted to reward her for remembering late, Lin Huahua spotted her.

She stood a little farther off from the gathering ground near a shade stone, surrounded by a few of her own males and looking exactly like the kind of woman whose beauty had not been dulled by tribe life, only changed by it.

She was a white rat beastwoman too, but unlike Lin Huahua’s tiny soft sort of cuteness, her mother’s beauty was mature, warm, and elegant in a way that made people instinctively lower their voices around her.

Her skin was pale though more sun-touched than Lin Huahua’s, her hair thick and dark, and her white rat ears were beautifully shaped and ornamented with little woven beads near the base.

Her tail was long and neat and moved with quiet grace, and the fitted animal-skin top and skirt she wore made it clear she was still a very well-cared-for female despite the roughness of primitive life.

The moment Lin Huahua saw her, something softened in her chest.

Then the placeholder’s memories moved again.

Warm hands.

Soft scolding.

Being fed fruit while pretending not to want it.

Being defended in front of others even when she had clearly been wrong.

A mother who loved too much and worried too much and was still, despite all the placeholder’s nonsense, always hoping her daughter would come to her senses.

Lin Huahua did not even think beyond that.

She simply ran.

Her little feet kicked up dust, her white rat ears stood up high, and her tail bounced behind her while her three males, startled, followed immediately.

The moment her mother saw her coming, her whole face brightened.

That was the sort of brightening only a mother could do.

Not polite happiness.

Not social smiling.

The real thing.

"My little one," her mother said warmly, and before Lin Huahua could even stop in front of her, she was already being pulled into an embrace.

The hug was soft and familiar in a way that made Lin Huahua go still for one second. Then her own arms lifted and she hugged back. Her mother smelled of herbs, warm skin, faint flower oil, and smoke from the tribe fires, and the comfort of it struck so suddenly that Lin Huahua almost wanted to stay there a long while.

Her three males arrived a breath later and naturally stopped close enough to guard but far enough not to interrupt the embrace. Her mother’s own males also turned to look, and one by one their expressions changed.

Ah.

So it was true.

The rumors were true.

Her mother pulled back just enough to look at her face properly, then glanced once at the males behind her and smiled in a way that made Lin Huahua immediately understand what she was thinking.

"So it is true," her mother said. "You have finally accepted them."

Lin Huahua blushed at once.

Her ears twitched.

Her tail curled shyly around one ankle.

Then she muttered, "I was stupid in the past."

That answer made one of her mother’s males, the broad-shouldered bear beastman, laugh softly under his breath. Another, the hawk beastman, nodded once as if that was the most truthful thing said all morning.

Her rat father felt pride at her words. He knew that she would finally come to her senses.

And her males all felt joy, pride and devotion swell up in their hearts at her words.

Her mother, however, only cupped Lin Huahua’s face and looked so relieved that it was almost painful. "Very stupid," she agreed gently. "But at least you have eyes now."

Lin Huahua laughed a little despite the embarrassment.

Then her mother pouted.

Actually pouted.

"You rarely visit me," she complained. "Why did you only remember your mother today?"

Lin Huahua blinked.

Then blinked again.

That question went straight through her like an arrow made of guilt.

She had no defense.

Absolutely none.

And because she looked guilty, one of her mother’s other males, a strong river-otter beastman with a playful face and a long slick tail, leaned against the shade stone and said, "I told you. She only remembers this place when she wants to be fed."

"I did not!" Lin Huahua said instantly.

The otter beastman grinned. "Then why are you standing there with that face? That is exactly your fruit face."

That made her mother laugh, and the sound of it eased something in the air around them. Even the tension from the snake beastman for one moment seemed farther away.

The bear beastman crossed his arms and looked at her seriously, then at her males, then back at her. "You gave these ones enough trouble," he said. "Do not make your mother worry the same way."

Lin Huahua’s ears dropped a little. "I know."

The hawk beastman, who seemed the most observant of the group, studied her more carefully then. His sharp eyes moved over her hair, her skin, her face, and then he said nothing, but his expression changed just enough that her mother noticed.

And when mothers notice something, they do not let it go.

Her mother’s hand returned to Lin Huahua’s cheek, turning her face a little toward the light. Then she frowned softly.

"You look very different."

Lin Huahua felt her scalp tighten.

Not this again.

She had heard it from her friends already. Now her mother too.

And the way everyone around them grew quieter at that one sentence made it very clear that this was not something she could laugh away easily.