Being a Dad in the Animal World
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Bai Yi took off running like a marathon sprinter, sprinting for several kilometers.
He thought he would shake off the six lionesses chasing him, but by the time the rain had eased, their enemies were long gone, yet the lionesses were still persistently following behind him and Jason.
Jason seemed to understand their intentions. He stopped and let out a call toward Bai Yi.
"Ge (Bro), stop running. I think they want to follow you."
After spending so much time with Jason, Bai Yi had learned to understand the meaning behind his different calls.
This particular one was soft, without the urgency of fear or danger. That was enough for Bai Yi to decide that Jason wanted him to stop.
Bai Yi came to a halt and shook off his drenched fur, sending water droplets flying in all directions.
The six lionesses, seeing him stop, immediately caught up.
They greeted Jason warmly, acting as if they hadn’t just attacked the two of them moments ago.
Damn, what a bunch of two-faced lions!
Jason, however, had a good temper. He responded to their greetings, signaling that he accepted them.
Seriously? That easy?
After greeting Jason, the lionesses turned their attention to Bai Yi.
Maybe it was because Bai Yi looked more imposing, but instead of nuzzling up to him as they had with Jason.
They flopped onto the ground, rolled onto their backs, and stretched their paws toward the sky, acting playful and submissive.
They just didn’t dare to touch him.
Bai Yi sighed internally. Why were they so obsessed with acting cute?
More importantly, they were doing it with lion faces right in front of a male lion like him… and somehow, he found it kind of adorable.
Of course, Bai Yi wasn’t about to respond. He had to maintain his cool and dignified image as a male lion. If he let these lionesses get too comfortable, they might start crossing the line.
So, once again, he ignored their enthusiasm and turned his gaze back in the direction they had come from.
A coalition dissolves when its male lions either scatter or die.
They had run far enough that the vengeful coalition lions probably wouldn’t pursue them any further.
From what Bai Yi could tell, this broken coalition was now reduced to just these six lionesses. Not only had their male lions died, but even the cubs had been completely wiped out.
It seemed all four of their male lions had perished in battle.
If he accepted these six lionesses, Bai Yi could pretty much move freely with them in the lands far from the northern region.
Lionesses are incredibly skilled hunters. A pride’s survival depends almost entirely on them.
With their home lost and their mates gone, this was actually a golden opportunity for Bai Yi and Jason to live the easy life.
One victorious battle, and he had somehow won over an entire group of lionesses. Now, they wanted to follow him.
After thinking it over for a long time, Bai Yi decided to just let them tag along.
Living the easy life was great and all… but it was definitely going to be exhausting.
He could already imagine himself too weak to walk, forced to just lie around and recover his energy while waiting to be fed.
A shiver ran down Bai Yi’s spine.
These lionesses had all lost their cubs, which meant they would probably go into heat soon.
Losing their home, their mates dying, and the grief of losing their cubs—it was probably overwhelming for them.
Now that he thought about it, their situation was actually pretty tragic.
Since they had already suffered so much, Bai Yi figured he wouldn’t drive them away.
He decided to form a pride of lions and fulfill his dream of living off others.
The lionesses noticed that Bai Yi no longer rejected them, and they understood that this powerful male lion had accepted them.
So, when Bai Yi went back to find the cubs, the lionesses hesitated for a moment but ultimately followed him.
The film crew remained in place, with a drone hovering over Bai Yi’s head. They knew they couldn’t touch the cubs, as any foreign scent on them could lead to their abandonment.
They only left after seeing Bai Yi return through the drone’s camera. The cubs were still in place, completely unharmed.
By the time Bai Yi arrived, the crew’s vehicles were already gone. The three little cubs were calling out anxiously in the rain, though the rain had lessened.
Bai Yi and Jason each picked up a cub and prepared to leave. Although the immediate danger was gone, it was still best not to linger in this place for too long.
There was no time for hesitation—they grabbed the cubs and moved. Seeing this, one of the leading lionesses also stepped forward to help carry a cub.
When Bai Yi turned around and saw this, he was nearly scared to death, thinking she was about to kill the cub. He let out a roar, causing the cub in his mouth to drop to the ground.
The lioness paused for a moment at the roar, then gently placed the cub down and licked her lips, looking rather innocent.
Bai Yi realized he had misunderstood.
He watched as the lioness lowered her head, picked up the cub again, and walked over to him, placing the cub at his feet before giving him a sharp look.
Well, not exactly a sharp look—more of an unwilling squint.
It was as if she was saying, I’m helping you take care of the kids, and this is how you react?
Bai Yi: "…" Alright, fair enough.
The little cub immediately crawled between Bai Yi’s front paws. Bai Yi turned around, picked up another cub, and continued walking. The lioness followed, carrying the one she had put down earlier.
An impressive pride of eight lions set off toward the south, leaving this troublesome place behind.
Bai Yi soon realized that having these lionesses around was quite beneficial. Among them were mothers who had lost their cubs, and they still had milk.
Now, when the cubs got hungry, Bai Yi no longer had to struggle to find food for them. The lionesses instinctively lay down and fed the little ones.
Bai Yi felt relieved.
However…
The cubs drinking milk was understandable, but why was a two-and-a-half-year-old male lion trying to join in?
While the lionesses were nursing the cubs, Bai Yi went on patrol nearby to check for any potential threats.
The rain had stopped. After scouting a one-kilometer radius and finding no danger, he returned to the pride.
Halfway back, he heard the roar of a lion. Thinking there was trouble, he rushed over, only to find that it was Jason causing a commotion.
Seeing the three little cubs nursing, Jason had tried to squeeze in, only to be swatted away by the lionesses. They bared their teeth, growled at him, and chased him off without hesitation.
Bai Yi: "…"
Bai Yi slid forward and slapped Jason right across the face.
"Roar!"
I was counting on you to lead the pride and let me live an easy life, but instead, you’re off drinking their milk?
I saw you as a lion, and you see yourself as a cub?!
Have you no shame? You’re already two and a half years old! Where’s your dignity as a lion?
Jason staggered back a few steps, looking utterly confused.
What did I do wrong this time? Why did he hit me again?
Why is he getting more and more short-tempered?
Male lions really are annoying.
Jason was starting to get a little angry.
Bai Yi had no idea what Jason was thinking, but he had made up his mind, he was going to find Jason a mate.
The pride could accommodate two male lions, but each one needed a set partner.
Bai Yi decided that all six lionesses in the pride would become Jason’s mates.
Jason would be thrilled, he wouldn’t even have to go through the trouble of courting them.
From the start, he’d be given six wives.
Bai Yi was sure Jason would be endlessly grateful. After all, all the cubs born in the future would be Jason’s, ensuring his bloodline lived on.
As for Bai Yi, he was content just living an easy life in the pride.
If Jason knew what Bai Yi was thinking, he would be completely shocked.
Jason: "?" Do you even respect me? I’m still just a kid! Spare me!
Bai Yi: "Heh—tui!" Denied.
After feeding the cubs, the group continued on their way. The lionesses, who had likely been on the run for several days, were starving.
Once they had nursed their young and started moving again, they stumbled upon a herd of wildebeest. At that moment, their instincts as rulers of the savanna took over.
They stopped in their tracks and began a coordinated hunt.
This was Bai Yi’s first time witnessing a pride working together to hunt. He and Jason watched in astonishment as the lionesses took their positions.
Six lions surrounded the wildebeest herd, with two intentionally exposing themselves upwind to let their scent drive the herd toward the opposite direction.
Waiting downwind were four more lionesses, crouched in ambush.
As the wildebeest charged forward, the lead lioness sprang into action. She leaped onto a wildebeest’s back, sinking her teeth into its spine and clamping down tight. No matter how the wildebeest thrashed, she refused to let go.
Then, three more lionesses closed in, each targeting a vital spot and delivering fatal bites.
Within moments, a full-grown wildebeest was dead in their jaws.
Bai Yi was dumbfounded.
He realized that when he had fought against eight lions alone, it must have been pure luck. They were probably exhausted at the time, which had given him the upper hand.
Seeing the way these lionesses worked together made Bai Yi, despite having a human mind, deeply admire their unity.
It turned out that to survive, they could be incredibly disciplined and relentless.
The scent of blood soon attracted other predators—hyenas, African wild dogs, and cheetahs.
The six lionesses gathered together, standing their ground and roaring toward Bai Yi and Jason. Bai Yi instantly understood their message.
He and Jason rushed forward with the three cubs. Jason, without hesitation, tore open the wildebeest’s belly and pulled out the entrails for the cubs.
The cubs had just finished nursing and weren’t very interested in eating yet.
The lionesses stayed nearby, waiting for Bai Yi to finish eating.
For the first time in his life as a lion, Bai Yi was actually touched by a group of lionesses.
He ate a little, not too much. Jason was eating the internal organs when Bai Yi suddenly swiped at him, leaving the cub stunned.
"Save the good parts for the ladies!"
Jason thought Bai Yi wanted the internal organs and reluctantly moved aside. But instead of eating, Bai Yi simply got up and walked away.
A group of scavengers had already gathered around, but since they were facing a lion pride, they didn’t dare to snatch the food outright.
They could only wait for the lions to finish eating before settling for the leftovers.
Seeing that Bai Yi had finished, the lionesses finally began their feast.
At that moment, Bai Yi realized something—whether in the animal kingdom or among humans, females always had to give more but received so little in return.
He felt a bit emotional.
But relying on the lionesses for food for the first time? Bai Yi found it quite nice—actually, it was great.
Not having to exhaust himself hunting and still getting a hot meal? Pure bliss.
However, this sense of satisfaction didn’t last long before reality hit him hard.
After leading the pride to a territory where they could settle, Bai Yi found that while the hunting resources weren’t abundant, the location was suitable for sustaining a pride.
The lionesses were good at finding resting spots. This place had lush vegetation, and even though there weren’t many resources now, soon enough, some adorable herbivores would follow the greenery here.
It seemed the lionesses had the same thought as Bai Yi. When he stopped, they also stopped, deciding to stay. They had just eaten, not to their fill, but enough to regain some strength.
The heavy rain had stopped, but the sun hadn’t come out yet. Since there was a chance it might rain again at night, they all found shelter within the thick bushes.
Bai Yi marked the borders of the territory with Jason to ward off unnecessary attacks.
After a long day, he could finally rest. The three cubs were under the care of the lionesses, and Jason didn’t need his attention either.
Bai Yi felt like his life as a lion was finally looking bright.
However, reality often takes an unexpected turn.
It turned out that among the lionesses, some had lost their cubs, while others had just come of age and were ready to mate.
Not just one or two.
Bai Yi was woken up in the middle of the night, only to find two lionesses lying next to him. Stretching lazily, he yawned.
The two lionesses started grooming him, licking his mane.
At first, Bai Yi didn’t think much of it. Having someone groom him was actually quite nice, it saved him the trouble of doing it himself.
But after a few licks, the two lionesses began rolling around playfully and lifting their hindquarters.
This scene was all too familiar to Bai Yi.
Bai Yi: "…"
With a look of despair, he turned to Jason, who was sleeping soundly not far away. Ignoring the two enthusiastic lionesses, he got up and woke Jason.
Jason yawned, groggily staring at Bai Yi.
Bai Yi let out a roar and pointed at the two lionesses who had followed him over.
"Roar~"
"Big brother’s dear boy, it's your time to shine! Whether I get to live the easy life depends on you!"
"Look, I even brought you two big treasures!"
"Get in there!"
Jason: "…"
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Author's Note:
Jason: My dear bro might actually be insane—always trying to set me up.
Bai Yi: …