Lin Huahua’s little body stayed frozen on the warm flat stone, her big brown eyes wide with fear as she stared up at the massive white lion now standing in front of her.
The lion was enormous, his white mane thick and wild, his powerful shoulders so broad they seed to block out half the morning light, and his blue eyes, looked back at her with a sadness that made her heart squeeze tight even through her panic.
Mu Qingyi noticed right away.
The gentle deer beastman crouched closer, his large antlers casting a soft protective shadow over her, and his calm voice ca out full of worry as he asked softly, "Are you okay, Huahua?"
Lin Huahua opened her mouth, wanting to say that she was scared, truly scared, because his lion form was far too huge and far too powerful. Standing in front of him, she felt so small that it seed like one careless step from him could crush her without him even noticing.
But then she saw how Hu Baiyu’s big lion ears drooped low, how his fluffy white tail hung still and sad behind him, and how his massive body seed to shrink a little as if he was trying to look smaller just for her, and the words would not co out the way she wanted.
She swallowed hard, her fluffy white rat ears twitching nervously, and instead she said in a small shaky voice, "No, no, I am fine."
Before she could stop herself, her small hand reached out and gently ran through the thick white fur on his mane.
The mont her fingers touched him, Lin Huahua’s eyes widened in pure shock.
"Oh my," she whispered, because the lion’s fur was so freaking soft, softer than anything she had ever felt, like the warst cloud mixed with silk, and it made her heart do a silly little flip inside her chest.
She kept stroking, her little fingers scratching gently behind his lion ears, and Hu Baiyu, this huge three-striped lion who could make other males lower their heads with just one look, let out a deep rumbling purr that vibrated through his whole massive body like a happy earthquake.
He was so happy that his female was finally petting him! He wanted to stay like this forever!
The sound was so cute and unexpected that Lin Huahua’s fear lted away completely in one second.
Her fluffy white rat tail started swishing happily behind her, and she laughed softly, still scratching and petting him, because even though this lion could be a little naughty and shaless sotis, right now he looked like the biggest, softest, most adorable giant cat in the world, leaning into her hand with his eyes half-closed in pure bliss.
Mu Qingyi watched the whole thing with a gentle smile on his handso face, his bare muscular chest rising and falling steadily, but inside his chest a quiet jealousy twisted for a mont because he was supposed to be her first mate and he had always been the one to comfort her first.
He tried to push the feeling down, his large antlers tilting slightly as he reminded himself that in this beast world all her males would naturally share her love as ti went by, and he had to learn to live with it starting from right now.
When Lin Huahua finally pulled her hand back, still smiling, she looked up at the giant lion and asked curiously, "But why did you transform?"
Mu Qingyi answered for the mute lion in his calm protective voice, his deer tail brushing softly against her leg in a gentle touch as he explained, "He wants you to ride on his back so your feet will not get hurt anymore on the sharp stones, Huahua."
Lin Huahua blinked once, then twice, her white rat ears perking up in sudden realization.
"Oh," she said, and then her whole face brightened into the happiest little smile, her fluffy tail curling in excitent because the thought of riding on such a big strong lion felt both scary and wonderful at the sa ti. "Okay."
The lion was so tall that even on his knees he looked impossible to climb, but before Lin Huahua could even try to reach up or ask how she was supposed to get on, Mu Qingyi moved instinctively.
The gentle deer beastman stood up, his powerful bare chest and strong arms flexing as he reached down and scooped her up like she weighed nothing at all, his big hands careful and warm around her small waist as he lifted her effortlessly and placed her gently on the lion’s broad back.
Lin Huahua’s cheeks exploded into a deep burning red, her white rat ears folding shyly against her head while her fluffy tail wrapped around Mu Qingyi’s arm for one quick second before she let go, because being handled so gently and protectively by such a handso muscular deer beastman made her weak little heart beat so fast she almost forgot how to breathe.
Just as they were about to start moving toward the nearest river to catch the fish she had asked for, a loud familiar voice suddenly jumped out from behind a nearby tree.
"I am also coming along!"
Feng Yiren strode out with his usual shaless energy, his red fox ears perked high, his bright red hair ssy from whatever he had been doing, and his lean muscular body bare from the chest down to his hide skirt, looking every bit the crazy stubborn fox who refused to be left out of anything.
Lin Huahua turned to look at him, her big brown eyes blinking in surprise, and she asked innocently, "Why do you want to co along? There is no need for you."
The words hit Feng Yiren’s fox pride like a sharp stone.
His red eyes narrowed, his fox tail flicked hard once behind him, and he felt so offended that his chest puffed out a little, because no matter how much he acted an and rude to her sotis, being told there was no need for him made sothing sharp and stubborn twist inside his crazy fox heart.
"Well, what if you need and you fall into the river because of how useless you are?" he shot back imdiately, his voice full of that teasing sharpness he always used, even though his red ears twitched with a tiny hidden sadness when she did not argue back. "Plus you are not my female. Do not tell what to do."
Lin Huahua stared at him, completely confused, because she was his female, this whole simulation was hers, and yet he was saying she was not his female like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
But she did not say anything.
She only shrugged her small shoulders, her fluffy white rat tail giving one lazy flick, and muttered, "Whatever. I do not even care."
The three of them started moving then, Hu Baiyu walking slowly and carefully so the tiny female on his back would not slip, Mu Qingyi staying right beside her with one big hand resting lightly on her leg in that calm protective way, and Feng Yiren following quietly a few steps behind.
Even though the fox beastman kept his face stubborn and his tail swishing like he did not care at all, a small sad feeling still sat in his chest because she had ignored him so easily, but he refused to dwell on it and only shrugged to himself, thinking, too, I do not even care.
And so the group continued on toward the river, the morning sun shining on their bare muscular bodies, the air filled with the quiet sounds of footsteps and the soft happy swish of a little white rat tail.
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