Chapter 50

There's a new white tiger in the camp, but every other day, Xia You still treats Mr. Brown Bear. Her spiritual tendrils simply can't approach the white tiger.

As for Yuan Yuan and Spicy Stick... well.

Xia You touched her nose bridge and engrossedly looked at her holographic screen.

After that day, Lu Yinghuai visibly let go of certain reservations, interacting with Xia You much more naturally without deliberately keeping a distance.

Of course, Xia You added one more course to her schedule.

A course that greatly frustrated the young master.

Xia You was genuinely exasperated, saying, "Your Highness, I am your spouse, not your... deputy."

Xia You was truly at a loss for words to describe the situation more aptly, but upon reflection, it seemed Wei Cheng usually handled these tasks.

Lu Yinghuai lounged under a tree, his long legs stretched out casually. He tapped on the large holographic screen in front of them and then brought up a smaller one, amused by Xia You's furrowed expression: "You don't like this?"

The screen displayed various bills and financial statements. Normally, the marshal's mansion's incomes and expenses were managed jointly by Uncle Zhou and Wei Cheng - Uncle Zhou overseeing internal matters and Wei Cheng the external, but the consolidated statements would eventually need Lu Yinghuai's signature.

In truth, all Xia You needed to learn was to understand them, as Wei Cheng and Uncle Zhou would categorize and compile everything comprehensively.

Once Lu Yinghuai enters hibernation, as the other decision-maker of the Lu family, these documents would be presented to Xia You for her review and decision on whether to acknowledge them with a signature.

However, as the saying goes, those in power might not always act, but they must always understand.

What Xia You found most vexing were those dense, tiny numbers, especially when every figure in those charts posed a potential pitfall.

He raised a hand to rub his eyes: "It's not that I dislike it; it just feels like my brain can't keep up."

"Is this just the financial data of the Lu family?" Xia You scrolled through the list of industries' revenues and expenditures on the holographic screen, secretly amazed.

The assets shared by His Highness previously had already astonished Xia You. Now, seeing these industries belonging to the Lu family, Xia You finally understood why so many aristocratic families in the imperial capital coveted the position of being His Highness's spouse.

It really was…

"If the Duke of Xia saw this, he'd probably go mad."

Xia You murmured.

Ever since he reincarnated, apart from their initial encounter at the birthday feast, Xia You no longer addressed that man as his father.

The Lu family had produced two marshals, with one concurrently serving as the queen and the other enjoying the hereditary title of prince.

In essence, while the Duke of Xia held the title of duke, he essentially had nothing. The power, status, and wealth he desired – the Lu family had it all.

On some level, Xia You did indeed marry into a nobility that surpassed the Xia family. However, this had nothing to do with the Duke of Xia.

"Speaking of the Xia family," Lu Yinghuai suddenly recalled something, turning his head to look at Xia You. "Are you familiar with Fan Yuxin?"

"That name..." It sounded somewhat similar to the Fan family's young master, Fan Yuqiao, didn't it?

"Fan Yuxin was the previously designated heir of the Fan family. Not long ago, he took a leave of absence and returned to the imperial star from the First Legion."

"Um, and then?" Xia You couldn’t grasp why Lu Yinghuai suddenly mentioned this.

But hadn't the eldest son of the chancellor's family gone missing? However, given it's the First Legion, he might have embarked on a secret mission.

"Fan Yuqiao was set to be engaged to Xia Qing next month. On the eve of their engagement, Fan Yuxin flogged Fan Yuqiao with a whip, landing him in intensive care and postponing the engagement ceremony."

Lu Yinghuai narrated with a tone akin to discussing a piece of societal news.

Xia You: "?"

"This eldest son of the Fan family is quite... spirited."

Xia You was momentarily at a loss for words regarding this behavior.

He couldn’t fathom what the foolish scion did to provoke his elder successor brother.

But undeniably, Xia You felt a rush of schadenfreude.

"Indeed," Lu Yinghuai nodded in agreement, "He’s very astute."

Xia You: "...Is he?"

Xia You raised a hand to scratch his head.

He didn't particularly care about Xia Qing's relations with the Fan family, but he did relish in any misfortune that befell Xia Qing. Moreover, it was easy to imagine the frenzy this would incite in Bai Xiaoxiao and her son Xia Qing.

Well... here's hoping Duke Xia leads a smooth and happy life.

Xia You picked up the juice beside him, took a few sips, then deeply engaged with the data on the holographic screen.

Lu Yinghuai glanced at the messages sent by Fan Yuxin and Cheng Zhiyan in the communication box, and with a light tap, responded with two brief messages.

The wind carried the scent of blood from the nearby campsite. Both Xia You and Lu Yinghuai looked up to see a young tiger returning from a hunt, a small deer in its mouth.

The young tiger, clutching its injured prey by the leg but not having killed it, approached a motionless white tiger on the ground. It placed the deer by the white tiger's mouth, emitting a soft growl.

The white tiger didn’t even bat an eye.

The young tiger persisted, nuzzling the white tiger's head, only to receive an impatient, menacing roar in return.

Avoiding the white tiger's sharp fangs once again, the young tiger stood still for a moment, its tail drooping. It retreated a few steps, lying at a safe distance while guarding the white tiger, all the while quietly licking clean the bloodstains from its own hunt.

Watching this, Xia You hugged his knees, resting his chin on them, and sighed deeply, "This is probably his first time seeing his mother, isn't it?"

On the night the white tiger attacked the camp, Xia You noticed a certain depth in the young tiger’s eyes. Since then, he no longer used playful names like 'spicy stick' to address the young tiger.

If they were merely big cats, Xia You naming them would be an act of affection and convenient communication. However, if these large cats possessed human-like consciousness, then such names would indeed be disrespectful.

Now, Xia You courteously addresses the brown bear as "Mr. Brown Bear," never thinking of giving it a personal name.

Lu Yinghuai also observed the scene from afar, his eyes slightly lowered, murmuring, "Yes, when he was born, the white tiger was already taken to a sanctuary."

Lu Jiuzhu's spiritual form exhibited a fierce and uncontrollable aggression. Yet, if they let her go this time, one could only imagine the relentless attacks their team would face from the white tiger, or they might never trace the white tiger again.

Lu Yinghuai had preemptively prepared a collar imbued with psychic suppressant for the white tiger's neck.

This collar, it's said, can soothe animals to some extent and subtly suggests they remain within proximity of its controller.

Although the white tiger remained agitated and displayed aggression whenever animals or humans neared, it showed no inclination to leave the camp.

The collar was adorned with a ruby – a design very familiar to Xia You, reminiscent of one he had previously seen on a panther's neck. This further confirmed his suspicions.

Yet, Xia You dared not question Lu Yinghuai about it.

After piecing together some facts, especially recalling the occasional color shift in the panther's eyes, the answer became almost self-evident.

Memories of their playful encounters and hot spring escapades with the panther made Xia You toss and turn in his sleep these nights.

Lu Yinghuai kept silent, occasionally startling Xia You with a sudden remark when he noticed the latter's wandering gaze.

Every time he thought of Yuan Yuan, Xia You felt increasingly uneasy around Lu Yinghuai. Swallowing hard, Xia You abruptly shut down his holo-computer, stood up, and rushed towards the young tiger, hastily muttering:

"I’m going to check on the white tiger."

The white tiger had been lying dormant, neither eating nor drinking, for almost five to six days.

Even when Xia You tried to use his earlier communication techniques with the big cats to foster a relationship and indicate the benefits of food, the white tiger remained indifferent.

The white tiger exuded a haughty disregard for all creatures in the camp. However, when anyone or any animal dared come too close, breaching her personal space, she would instantly retaliate with bites and swipes, showing no mercy.

Though tigers typically feast once every few days and can survive up to two weeks without eating, the white tiger's current rejection of Xia You's psychic energy meant he could only attempt healing through food. Her refusal to eat was alarming.

Crouching beside the spicy stick (a playful name for the young tiger), Xia You paused as the tiger, in the midst of grooming its paw, turned its attention to him.

Suppressing an instinctive urge to pet the young tiger, Xia You spoke gently, "May I help prepare the deer meat?"

The young tiger let out a soft growl in response.

Just as Xia You was about to retrieve the deer, the young tiger latched onto his trouser leg, preventing his movement.

The young tiger nudged Xia You backward with its head and then proceeded to fetch the deer laid out in front of the white tiger.

As expected, the moment the young tiger approached, the white tiger's muscular paw swiftly descended in warning.

The young tiger, with its ears pitched like airplane wings, deftly dodged the white tiger's swipe and trotted to Xia You with the fawn in its mouth.

It nudged the fawn closer to Xia You's hand.

Xia You: "Um..."

The fawn was still alive.

The young tiger had never before brought back a living prey. Firstly, a tiger's hunting habit is to snap the prey's throat, and secondly, carrying live prey back to camp is clearly challenging.

In an effort to feed the white tiger, the young tiger had creatively hunted many types of meat from various recipes, but the white tiger never once opened its mouth.

Perhaps wanting to see if the white tiger would eat live prey, this time the young tiger only injured the fawn's two legs.

The adolescent fawn, unable to stand or escape, bleated anxiously, its wet eyes, reminiscent of black grapes, appearing both pitiable and adorable.

Xia You couldn't resist and gently touched the fawn.

In reality, Xia You's spatial pouch still contained a lot of meat that the young tiger had hunted these past days.

With that thought, Xia You retrieved a bowl of preserved meat chunks from her spatial pouch and placed it in front of the young tiger.

This meat had been processed with Xia You's psychic touch just the day before.

Initially, the young tiger was quite resistant to raw meat, but like the snow leopard, once realizing that such food could improve its condition, it quickly accepted this fact.

Watching the young tiger dive headfirst into the bowl and munch heartily, Xia You was reminded of the tiger's previous innocent demeanor.

"So, about this fawn..." Xia You whispered, her expression a tad guilty as she negotiated with the young tiger.

The young tiger, halting its meal, looked up, licked its lips, and nudged the fawn towards Xia You with its paw.

"Rawr."

—For you.

"Thank you, spicy— ahem, thank you," said Xia You, almost inadvertently calling it by its old nickname.

She was just too used to it.

The young tiger, sensing Xia You's discomfort, stared intently at her with its amber eyes for a moment, then resumed its meal.

If those who've served the young prince in the palace were to witness this, they would undoubtedly be moved to tears.

After all, the young prince, who had always been fussy with his meals, was now gobbling down his food without coaxing or feeding, devouring an entire bowl of meat in a blink.

The young tiger had just returned from hunting, understandably exhausted and famished.

After finishing his meal, the tawny-black big cat hesitated for a moment, then chose to follow his instincts.

Xia You dragged the fawn aside, applying medicine and tying two neat butterfly bandages to its injured front legs.

Following the drastic changes at home and her pets becoming a bit difficult to handle, Xia You had been resisting the urge to pet them. But now, she could at least satisfy her longing by stroking the fawn.

While she was engrossed, Xia You suddenly felt the fawn shiver and continuously shuffle backward.

From the deer's jet-black eyes, she caught a glimpse of the tawny-black hue that the creature feared.

Turning around, Xia You saw a tawny-black big cat sitting behind her, with a freshly washed bowl from the river in its mouth.

Noticing Xia You's gaze, the young tiger set the bowl down and nudged it towards her with its paw.

Xia You: "…?"

The young tiger let out a long, drawn-out growl, coiling its tail around while its amber eyes flashed with a hint of embarrassment. It shuffled its large, tawny paws awkwardly on the ground.

Xia You hesitated and asked, "Are you still hungry?"

A long stare-off ensued between the two.

Finally mustering the courage, the young tiger extended its paw, pulling open Xia You's hand, palm up. Then, to Xia You's surprise, it placed its massive head in her palm.

"Rawr."

As her hand felt a weight, Xia You instinctively used her other hand for support, her eyes widening at the warm and furry sensation.

The young tiger, initially feeling a bit uneasy, seemed to relax upon sensing Xia You's rigidity, pushing its head further into her embrace.

"You..." Holding the huge tiger's head, Xia You was at a loss for words.

The young tiger continued to purr and nuzzle, its tawny-black frame giving off the appearance of a domesticated gradient-colored house cat.

"Pet him!"

"Pet him firmly!"

Xia You blinked, rubbing the young tiger's cheeks and gently pinching them.

The young tiger immediately began to purr, leaning into Xia You, its weight causing her to break into giggles.

Despite being able to write and even communicate with Xia You through a computer-like device, the young tiger chose to express its affection in an animalistic manner, like a genuine large cat.

At least in this sanctuary, he could be one.

Xia You's heart was irresistibly softened by the tiger's affection.

She had raised the tiger named "Spicy Stick" from a tiny cub to its current length of over a meter. Although Spicy Stick grew much faster than a typical tiger cub, in Xia You's heart, he was still very much a baby.

After several days without petting a large cat, and influenced by the young tiger's deliberate affectionate behavior, Xia You indulged in cuddling the tiger.

Of course, this time she was careful to avoid sensitive areas.

"Spicy Stick?"

"Roar."

"Spicy Stick!"

"Rawr!"

Xia You leaned down, touching her forehead to the young tiger's, and whispered with a smile, "Then, before you leave, can I keep calling you this way?"

The young tiger affectionately nuzzled Xia You's cheek, its long whiskers tickling her nose and causing her to sneeze.

As the two shared a tender moment, Spicy Stick suddenly withdrew from Xia You's embrace, rolling and scrambling away.

With her arms suddenly empty, Xia You was left speechless: "..."

A sleek black jaguar returned from hunting, its step silent and graceful. Its golden pupils contracted slowly, a sheep clamped in its jaws, with warm blood dripping onto the ground, darkening the soil with a shade of deep crimson.

The jaguar set its prey down, lifting its head to gaze steadily at Xia You for a few moments, then shifting its gaze to the terrified deer behind her and finally settling on the young tiger who had been affectionately cuddling with Xia You.

Its deep, animalistic eyes betrayed no emotion.

Spicy Stick's claws were now resting on his head, the entire tiger lying on the ground, his posture signaling submission.

Xia You gripped the fabric of her pants, twisting it repeatedly, feeling an inexplicable guilt as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

Rustling sounds emanated from the forest as a brown bear, holding several branches laden with wild fruit, approached. Upon seeing the scene before him, the massive bear hesitated, then sidestepped to the other end of the campsite, leisurely making its way to its tent.

The white tiger, which had been lying with its eyes closed, slowly opened them.

The black jaguar didn’t lash out at the young tiger nor made a sound. Instead, with a calm demeanor, it walked up to Xia You with its prey, gently placing it before her and sat upright beside it, silently observing her.

Xia You licked her lips, her psychic tendrils reached out and without hesitation, skinned, deboned, and segmented the prey brought by the black jaguar into chunks, filling three large bowls.

The black jaguar then rose, and under the watchful eyes of Xia You and the young tiger, he nudged one of the bowls over to the white tiger.

Recalling the earlier attack by the white tiger on the young one, Xia You held her breath in anxiety.

Spicy Stick, lying on the ground resembling a long, flat strip, stared intently at the scene.

The black jaguar sat down in front of the white tiger, continuously annoying the resting feline with its paw. Even when the white tiger turned away, showing its back, the jaguar persisted, placing the bowl right next to the tiger's snout.

Eventually, the white tiger, agitated by the constant prodding, stood up and hissed threateningly at the jaguar.

The black jaguar, comparable in size to the white tiger, showed no sign of fear and adopted an aggressive stance, baring its sharp fangs.

"Wait—"

Seeing the imminent confrontation, Xia You rushed forward, hoping to intervene.

"It's fine, let them sort it out." Lu Yinghuai, who had silently approached, took Xia You by the arm, gently pulling her back.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Xia You glanced worriedly at Spicy Stick.

During their first encounter with the white tiger, it was Lu Yinghuai who stepped in, using certain measures to ensure the white tiger wasn't harmed. But if the black jaguar and white tiger were left to their own devices, the two mighty felines would undoubtedly go all out.

Lu Yinghuai sighed, "Without this, she won't accept."

Tigers are inherently territorial and are accustomed to solitary confrontations. Although they had indeed captured the white tiger previously, in her perception, they hadn't truly defeated her. Hence, she didn’t feel the need to submit or align herself with the group.

The black jaguar briefly glanced at Xia You, let out a deep roar towards the white tiger, then turned and walked back into the forest.

The white tiger followed suit, moving with a calm stride yet emanating an overwhelming presence.

The tiger cub hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't put his worries to rest and followed from a distance, disappearing into the forest.

Lu Yinghuai whispered, "Let's go; we'll wait inside the tent."

Xia You glanced towards the direction where the big cats had entered the forest, then at the slightly weary-looking Lu Yinghuai. After a brief pause, she nodded gently in agreement.

The two entered the tent, one after the other.

Some ten minutes later, a brown bear, who had been munching on wild fruits, wiped its mouth and calmly headed towards the forest, where the roars had startled a flock of birds.

*

Once inside the tent, both of them remained silent. Lu Yinghuai didn't speak, simply sitting on the soft sofa next to the tent's window placed by Xia You, his long legs slightly bent, fingers resting against his forehead.

Spiritual entities magnify certain aspects of one's character, and in Lu Yinghuai's view, the personalities of the white tiger and Lu Jiuzhu are quite similar. Therefore, he could somewhat guess the white tiger's intentions.

It's hard to pinpoint when the white tiger became aware of their approach, but it was evident that the tiger intended to provoke the brown bear into a fight, hoping they would harm each other, and then swoop in to finish both off.

However, the brown bear displayed an unprecedented friendliness after their encounter, which led to the white tiger lingering near the camp and ultimately deciding to attack that night.

Getting the white tiger to obey was the same as getting Lu Jiuzhu to obey. The method was straightforward: defeat her in a fair one-on-one battle. If you win and impress her, she will comply.

Otherwise, the stubborn white tiger will persist, and even a spiritual suppressor would be ineffective.

This was also one of the reasons why, despite knowing the poor state of Lu Jiuzhu, the research department still had to send her to the reserve.

Fortunately, now the white tiger merely operates on a primal instinct. Lu Yinghuai momentarily sinks his consciousness into the spiritual entity, hoping to have the upper hand.

But... the spiritual suppression potion within Lu Yinghuai is gradually being metabolized, and the confrontation between the spiritual entity and the white tiger is undoubtedly a tremendous burden on him.

The spiritual core, which had been calm for a long time due to the suppression potion, began to show signs of disruption.

Xia You sat cross-legged on the carpet, with a screen in front of him flashing texts and charts marked in various colors. However, his gaze subtly drifted past the screen to somewhere not far off.

Xia You was sneaking glances at Lu Yinghuai.

Suddenly, Lu Yinghuai's fingers, which were resting on the sofa armrest, tightened. His breathing momentarily became rapid but quickly returned to normal.

But Xia You, who had been discreetly observing Lu Yinghuai, caught that fleeting moment of vulnerability.

In that fleeting moment, Lu Yinghuai seemed as if he was...

Xia You set the pillow he had been holding to the side, rose quietly, and gently approached Lu Yinghuai.

Drawing closer, Xia You observed the slight moisture on Lu Yinghuai's forehead and the faint tremble in his eyelashes.

...as if he was enduring something.

Xia You moved to Lu Yinghuai's side, and only when the sofa tilted slightly to one side did Lu Yinghuai abruptly open his eyes.

"Xia You?"

Lu Yinghuai opened his mouth, seemingly trying to speak with his usual casual tone, but his voice came out hoarse.

Xia You didn't reply. Instead, he stepped one leg onto the sofa, using his left hand to brace against its back, leaning toward Lu Yinghuai, placing the palm of his right hand over Lu Yinghuai's eyes.

Thin tendrils of psychic energy emanated out, gently brushing against Lu Yinghuai's cheek, before wrapping around his wrist.

The calm and soothing psychic energy, facilitated by their skin-to-skin contact, gently and tenderly delved into the depths of Lu Yinghuai's consciousness.

The man, who even in such moments stood straight and tall, paused for a while. The hand he had pressed against his forehead slowly lowered and rested on his lap.

The tent was bathed in a soft light, with a comfortable temperature, and the shaggy carpet on the floor felt warm and fluffy to the touch.

Various light and dark-colored cushions were scattered on the carpet, and on a small side table nearby, a vase held a bouquet of blooming pale-yellow flowers.

They were very close to each other.

Close enough for Xia You to see the paleness of Lu Yinghuai's lips, and the cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Yet their breaths were warm.

Xia You closed his eyes, directing the psychic tendrils to explore the periphery of Lu Yinghuai's consciousness, an area resembling the fringes of a jellyfish. Then, bit by bit, he approached the core of Lu Yinghuai's mental sea.

Lu Yinghuai seemed to sense this intrusion, tensing up momentarily. The hand that had been resting raised to grip the fingers Xia You had placed over his eyes.

Xia You knew this gesture meant Lu Yinghuai was signaling his disapproval.

But if on regular days Lu Yinghuai's mental core was like a tranquil deep sea, then today, it felt as though a lurking behemoth from the depths had finally shown its form.

Xia You's psychic tendrils were almost touching the behemoth that was stirring, causing massive waves in its wake.

This was the closest Xia You had ever come to the core of Lu Yinghuai's mental sea.

Xia You hadn't performed any psychic treatments on animals today; at this moment, he still had two-thirds of his psychic energy remaining.

This might very well be the only chance, at least for a while, for Xia You to glimpse into the core of Lu Yinghuai's mental sea.

Xia You's breathing became slightly labored, and the hand bracing against the sofa's backrest trembled subtly due to maintaining the position for too long.

His psychic tendrils, seeking to probe into Lu Yinghuai's mental core, hovered hesitantly at the edges of the turbulent deep sea.

Xia You opened his eyes and looked down at Lu Yinghuai, a hint of pleading evident in his gaze.

Lu Yinghuai met his gaze, remaining silent for a moment before sighing softly, whispering, "If it becomes dangerous..."

"I will prioritize my safety and immediately withdraw all my psychic energy," Xia You promised hastily.

Xia You paused, lowering his voice, "Your Highness, I just want..."

...to help you.

At least for now, at this very moment, I want to relieve you of your pain.

"I understand," Lu Yinghuai murmured, seemingly granting permission as he slowly closed his eyes.

With this tacit approval, Xia You's delicate psychic tendrils cautiously seeped into the core of Lu Yinghuai's mental sea.

This deep, serene ink-blue region, different from the vividly transparent outskirts, made Xia You's tendrils feel as if they were ensnared in a substance of intense viscosity.

It was like being mired in thick mud – restrictive and difficult to navigate.

Unable to proceed further but unwilling to give up, Xia You opened his eyes and sneaked a glance at Lu Yinghuai.

Lu Yinghuai rested against the sofa, eyes firmly shut.

For Xia You to channel his psychic energy into someone, direct skin contact was essential. Previously, when treating the big cats or Lu Yinghuai, he did so by holding their hand.

However, when he embraced animals like the black panther or the young tiger, Xia You distinctly felt that channeling his energy was easier and more potent.

With this in mind, summoning his courage, Xia You moved the hand that was previously resting on the sofa's backrest to touch the side of Lu Yinghuai's face.

Lu Yinghuai simply kept his eyes closed, undisturbed by Xia You's movements.

*

After what felt like an eternity, Lu Yinghuai opened his eyes, a fleeting hint of confusion in them.

He had never felt such peace and calm in his psychic sea.

Not even when he was injected with the psychic sealant.

But that moment of daze was short-lived, and Lu Yinghuai's gaze quickly sharpened.

Lu Yinghuai looked down to see Xia You, seated on his lap, her cheek resting against his neck, her breaths slow and even. Due to overexertion of her psychic power, she had fallen asleep.

Just moments ago, Xia You had channeled all the psychic power she could muster, pouring it into the core of Lu Yinghuai's psychic sea – a place no one had ever glimpsed.

Now, a warm and bright orb of psychic energy floated gently within Lu Yinghuai's psychic sea, emitting a soft glow.

Lu Yinghuai carefully cradled Xia You, laying her down on the sofa. He retrieved a thick blanket from his spatial ring and covered her, tucking in the edges.

In her sleep, Xia You's hand reached out, searching for something soft to hold. Finding nothing, a hint of distress crossed her face.

Recalling how Xia You had recently been avoiding the black panther and the tiger cub when sleeping, Lu Yinghuai chuckled softly. He searched his spatial ring and produced a panther fur pendant made by Uncle Zhou earlier, placing it in Xia You's hand.

Asleep, Xia You gently squeezed the pendant, murmuring something, then turned to snuggle into the blanket, her face buried deep within.

Lu Yinghuai stepped out of the tent.

Under the starlit sky, furry figures emerged from the forest.

A white tiger and a black panther limped side by side, a brown bear ready to mediate between them. Trailing behind with a worried look was a young tiger cub. Spotting Lu Yinghuai, it dashed over, letting out a series of low growls.

Lu Yinghuai crouched down, patting the tiger cub's head, whispering words of comfort, "It's alright, look."

The tiger cub turned to see what he was pointing at.

The two heavily scarred cats nonchalantly stretched their limbs, exchanged a lingering glance, and then simultaneously turned away from each other. Each approached a food bowl and began to eat heartily.

Mr. Brown Bear cracked a smile, walked over to his own food bowl, and leisurely savored the chunks of meat with his claws.

Under the moonlight, three old comrades who once fought side by side were reunited after many years, though in a different form.

The cub's eyes instantly lit up as it sat next to Lu Yinghuai, silently watching the white tiger and the black panther eat.

As tree shadows swayed, the silhouette of the tent stretched and blended into the forest's shadows.

Once the white tiger finished eating, the cub cautiously inched closer.

Twenty meters...

Ten meters...

Five meters...

The white tiger looked up and opened its mouth. In an instant, the cub lay flat, rolling to reveal its soft white belly.

The white tiger paused for a moment, seemingly uninterested in this non-threatening fellow, laying down to rest with closed eyes.

Yet, the cub continued to approach.

Three meters... Two meters...

The white tiger growled softly, a clear warning.

Wisely, the cub halted, but even this proximity seemed to thrill it.

The tawny cub yawned deeply, scratching its belly with its hind paw, and contentedly closed its eyes, preparing to sleep.

Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction, except for—

In the corner, the young deer, which had been bitten and carried by the cub, then fed to the white tiger, and narrowly escaped death, was now thoroughly faint from the fright of seeing a bear, white tiger, and black panther all at once.