Being a Dad in the Animal World
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Ever since Dilai joined this pride, as long as he was not overly attentive to Bai Yi, Jason essentially showed no hostility toward him.
Whenever Dilai was particularly attentive to Bai Yi, Jason would inevitably act strangely.
This phenomenon clearly indicated that Jason's behavior toward Bai Yi was different from his behavior toward other male lions, further confirming the viewers' opinions.
Jason likes Bai Yi, but Bai Yi's heart already belongs to someone.
For a while, the viewers in the live stream were divided into two groups:
One group began shipping the Dilai-Bai CP.
Another group rallied behind the Jason-Bai camp.
Then the two groups of viewers argued fiercely in the live stream.
Of course, Bai Yi had no idea about the human situation; he only knew that he was now in a dilemma.
Various signs indicated that the young male lion Jason indeed had feelings for him, but Dilai's behavior confused him even more.
When Jason issued a warning to him, Bai Yi returned a similar warning to Jason and, after a round of intimidation, drove Jason away from his side.
Then, as the sole male lion beside Bai Yi, he lay down and continued licking Bai Yi's fur.
Jason watched from not far away with a look of bewilderment and discontent. He tentatively moved closer to Bai Yi, but Dilai immediately sprang up and let out a snarl, frightening the little one so much that he turned and ran.
Bai Yi watched the scene and sighed inwardly.
How ironic—it was one thing for him, as a human, to not be pursued by girls, yet men still looked down on him.
In contrast, as a lion the lionesses enthusiastically treated him as their leader, all eager to have his cubs, while the male lions fought tooth and nail for the chance to serve him.
Sure enough, there were both gains and losses.
He had lost the joy of being human, but gained the pleasures of being a lion.
It wasn't too bad.
Jason turned and walked away. Bai Yi watched his retreating figure and still felt somewhat grateful to Dilai.
He remained deeply convinced of the brotherly bond he shared with Dilai.
Dilai did not understand Jason's emotions or actions; he probably thought that Jason intended to compete with him for the right to serve the leader.
Therefore, he showed hostility toward Jason.
Bai Yi was firmly convinced of the brotherly affection between them.
By noon the lionesses returned empty-handed, indicating that they had failed to catch any prey today.
Bai Yi felt a bit hungry; the fact that the lionesses had not caught any prey meant that they would go without food today.
He and the three little ones were all ravenous, and Dilai was too, but Dilai would not go hunting.
Dilai's task was to patrol the territory rather than hunt.
The three little ones had already started calling out, particularly Isa, who mewed pitifully beside Bai Yi.
The lionesses, exhausted from overexertion, lay in the shade to rest. At this time, they could no longer be relied upon.
So Bai Yi got up and left.
Jason had not returned since he left in the morning, and Bai Yi was still somewhat worried.
He decided to go look for him.
Even though his mentality was not healthy, he was still a life; if something happened to him, Bai Yi would feel deeply saddened.
However, as soon as he stepped out of his territory, he saw Jason running toward him with a prey clutched in his mouth at an incredible speed, with a pack of hyenas and mixed wolves following behind him.
The hyenas stopped about two hundred meters from his territory and began to growl at Jason in unease.
At first glance, Bai Yi found the scene somewhat familiar.
It was not until Jason threw the prey in front of him that he realized what Jason had been up to during his time away.
The food was stolen; it was a wild deer.
All the internal organs had already been eaten.
This showed that Jason had charged in to snatch the food while the hyenas or mixed wolves were feeding.
This act had angered the enemies, so they kept chasing him, trying to reclaim the food.
Bai Yi: "......"
Hmph, you learn fast; you sure picked up the ways of a thief very quickly.
Jason dropped the food at Bai Yi's feet and then turned to look at the enemies who no longer dared to come closer.
He then looked back at Bai Yi and let out a low growl, as if urging Bai Yi to eat quickly. If he did not, the smell would attract Dilai and the others, and Bai Yi would certainly not get to eat much.
Jason had bite wounds on his body, with patches of his fur torn off, and he was bleeding.
Bai Yi felt a sudden pang in his heart.
Before long, Dilai and the lionesses caught the scent and rushed over.
Bai Yi was truly puzzled, wondering what exactly was going through Jason's mind.
Had he eaten?
He glanced at Jason's belly and found it to be empty.
Bai Yi immediately realized that Jason had not eaten.
Could it be that he had brought the prey all the way back just for him?
In an instant, Bai Yi felt as though his conscience was condemning him.
He was trying every possible way to avoid Jason, fearful of being drawn into a homosexual affair, yet Jason only treated him well.
Soon, that thought was confirmed.
Because Dilai had arrived with the lionesses, all of whom were ravenous, a scramble for the food was inevitable.
Jason positioned himself in front of the food and began to guard it, baring his sharp fangs to intimidate the approaching lion group.
It was as if he were saying: "Don't come over. This is for my brother!"
However, Dilai and his group did not care who it was for; if there was food, they would eat it.
Their relentless approach completely infuriated Jason; he had always been fearful of Dilai, and even the lionesses in the pride were beyond his strength.
Nevertheless, for the sake of the food, he launched an attack on Dilai.
Though he still had wounds, provoking an adult male lion was undoubtedly courting death.
Nonetheless, Dilai, well aware of his relationship with Bai Yi, did not commit his full strength in the confrontation, merely doing just enough.
Jason, however, was unyielding and would not relent until Dilai and the lionesses withdrew.
Bai Yi sighed deeply and quickly went over to take a couple of bites, using his sharp teeth to tear off the parts of the prey that were easier to swallow, and carried them in his mouth back to feed the three little ones.
Jason, like a fearless warrior, protected Bai Yi while he ate.
Once Bai Yi left, he finally retracted his sharp claws and fangs. He did not eat with the pride; instead, he chose to follow Bai Yi back. Only then did Dilai lead the pride to feed.
After feeding the three little ones, Bai Yi lay down to rest.
Jason returned, looking a bit disheveled.
He walked over to Bai Yi, sniffed him, and then presented his head to Bai Yi.
It seemed as if he was waiting for compliments.
Bai Yi felt somewhat heartbroken. He sighed deeply inwardly and licked Jason’s head.
Jason looked up at him and then lowered his head, waiting for Bai Yi’s praise.
Bai Yi: "......"
You're still pushing your luck.
He licked Jason’s head once more. Jason raised his head to lick him, but Bai Yi blocked him with a paw.
"Roar~"
That's enough already; just a little smile and you're beaming.
Bai Yi turned his head aside, and Jason lay beside him, slowly closing his eyes.
He seemed utterly exhausted and soon fell asleep.
Bai Yi looked at his bleeding wound and still ended up licking it.
Jason was awakened by the licking, glanced at Bai Yi, and then closed his eyes again.
Many animals' saliva can sterilize, reduce inflammation, and promote wound healing. This is why, when injured, they will usually lick their wounds, allowing them to heal quickly.
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The viewers in the live stream began to feel sympathy for Jason.
Not only were the 'SonBai' fans utterly moved by Jason, many 'DiBai' cp fans were touched by the scene in which Jason risked his life to snatch food for Bai Yi. They all stated: "I'll be 'SonBai' for one second, just one second."
Supporting a cp often leads to quarrels.
"DiBai" fans stated:
"Although the little one is quite capable, whether he can live to adulthood remains a question. Bai Yi and Dilai are the most suitable; Dilai will protect him."
The 'SonBai' fans, upon seeing such remarks, were ready to explode.
They began to retaliate:
"How old is Dilai anyway? He's eight. If he's lucky, he might live a few more years; if not, in two years he will be dead. Bai Yi is only five, and Jason is almost three. Once he reaches sub-adulthood, he will be able to protect Bai Yi, understand?"
"Moreover, Bai Yi is so strong that who protects whom is uncertain! I don't know where you got the nerve to say that Dilai will protect him!"
"I always support 'SonBai'; I believe in Jason! He is a promising prospect who will one day become a lion king!"
Of course, this also includes the exclusive fans of Bai Yi and Jason, and they all stated:
"Isn't it more beautiful to be on your own? Watching them conquer the savannah on their own is much more appealing than your love-hate entanglements. I really don't understand whether you people have lost your minds. It is one thing to irrationally ship human cp, but now you are also poisoning the animal world. Get out of my sight!"
In any case, none of these could fully express the inner conflict that Bai Yi was feeling.
He had believed that Dilai was just a good brother. Little did he expect that his entire value system would completely collapse.
All the lionesses in the pride were already pregnant; the cubs were all Dilai’s. One must admit that Dilai was truly formidable.
More than a dozen sleepless days had resulted in the spectacular procession of his offspring.
Bai Yi could almost imagine the future strength of the pride.
He never imagined that, with no lionesses left for Dilai to 'dedicate' himself to, Dilai would set his sights on Bai Yi.
He scurried about, trying to dodge the fate of being made gay by Jason, yet he did not realize that the greatest danger did not come from Jason, but from Dilai.
Another downpour swept the savannah, and not a single day of the week was clear.
They took shelter in the bushes of their territory for seven days before good weather finally arrived.
The lionesses had failed to catch any prey for a week and were absolutely famished; as soon as the rain stopped, they went out.
Three adult male lions and the three cubs waited for the lionesses to finish their hunt and summon them.
The three cubs lay beside Bai Yi and noticed that Dilai kept watching him.
Bai Yi was known for his good temper, a fact that all the lions in the pride accepted.
The lionesses had been won over by him, so despite his kind nature, none dared challenge him.
Jason knew that Bai Yi was not to be messed with, so even when he drew near, he did so cautiously.
Dilai, however, was different; every time he met Bai Yi, Bai Yi showed his gentle and compliant side. Even as the leader of the pride, he had never once acted aggressively toward Dilai.
Thus, Dilai's hostility grew.
Perhaps it was that he had developed a special affection for this lion king, which led him to do something wrong.
Watching Bai Yi lie there with his eyes half-closed in sleep, Dilai slowly got up and carefully walked toward Bai Yi.
He sniffed near Bai Yi’s tail and then suddenly jumped onto Bai Yi’s back.
Bai Yi: "!"
Damn, what is this thing?
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