Good Baby C24

Chapter 24

Maya moved slowly with a stiff body, gently nudging the little tiger with her nose. The moment she touched his warm body, she knew he was playing dead. Frustrated, she huffed out a breath of hot air and smacked his tail with her paw.

An An was startled by the puff of air, his fur standing completely on end. He suddenly scrambled up, his tail curling into a ball.

“Awwoo!!!”

Being a feline, he didn’t like the feeling of his fur being ruffled. Annoyed, he shook his body vigorously.

Even though he had just deliberately played dead to scare her, seeing him now looking both angry and a little wronged made Maya inexplicably feel a bit guilty.

After smoothing out his fur, An An returned to his previous spot and pushed the remaining large portion of meat toward Maya.

He had noticed that Maya hadn’t eaten anything since the beginning. Originally, he had planned to play dead so she would eat, but not only did that fail, he even got smacked. His ears drooped in grievance.

Maya could understand what he was trying to express. Thinking back to how he had just faked death to scare her, she couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“I don’t need it.”

She was long accustomed to staying in a semi-full state like this. Unless winter was approaching, she wouldn’t eat excessively. This way, she could endure hunger for longer periods.

“Awwoo?”

The little tiger tilted his head in confusion. An An didn’t understand why she wouldn’t eat. Didn’t she feel uncomfortable when she was hungry?

“I ate something else on the way back. I don’t like eating this kind of food.”

“Aw~”

The little tiger nodded half-understandingly. Hearing this, he decisively buried his head into the unfinished rabbit and greedily gnawed at the meat. Blood stained his fur, but the usually cleanliness-loving cub paid it no mind.

Maya watched him eat from the side, patiently waiting, planning to clean up the area once he was done.

The scent of blood could attract a particularly disgusting type of bird. These creatures had no hunting ability but were extremely sensitive to smells. They would scavenge the leftovers of other beastmen or even steal their young.

A newborn cub like this little tiger was exactly their favorite kind of food.

The rabbit, which was about the same size as An An, was completely devoured, leaving not a single scrap behind. After finishing, he even licked the blood off the rabbit’s fur and let out a satisfied burp.

Noticing that Maya had been watching him the whole time, he rolled onto his back, exposing his round little belly, and wagged his tail happily.

“Awwoo~ Awwoo~”

“Mhmm, very good.”

Although An An was still small, he had a sense of survival. From Maya’s occasional stern attitude toward him, he understood that he needed to eat more and grow quickly.

Maya buried the rabbit’s fur in a pit, covering the bloodstains with soil to mask the scent. She then motioned for An An to follow her away from the area.

An An, now full and satisfied, lay there wagging his tail, forcing himself to stand up and follow behind Maya.

Unfortunately, he had eaten too much and could barely move. His four chubby little paws struggled to support the weight of his body.

Maya watched as the little tiger stubbornly followed her, his body trembling slightly with each step. She couldn’t hold back her laughter. For a moment, the harsh survival conditions of the grasslands were temporarily forgotten.

Inside the system space, 250 had already rolled on the floor laughing.

The cub was really trying his best. Every strand of his fur seemed to be exerting effort to move forward.

But no matter how hard he tried, his overeating made his struggle futile. Eventually, even An An realized his efforts were in vain and, feeling discouraged, decided to just lie down for a while.

Maya stayed beside him, accompanying him in silence. This time, she didn’t urge him to move.

On this grassland, abandoned cubs were not an uncommon sight. Some tribes would only keep the strongest one, casting out the rest to fend for themselves.

Left on such a dry riverbed, it was easy for them to become food for birds. Fortunately, she had found him in time.

Using her paw, she gently smoothed the little tiger’s fur. An An snuggled against her, rubbing against her softly. He really liked his mama—he liked her very, very much.

She was completely different from the parents in his memories. Even when she scolded him, he could tell she was actually worried about his future.

In the past, An An could only drift around as a soul in that dark, empty space. But now, things were different. Now, he could feel his mama’s warm paws.

Sensing the little tiger acting affectionately, Maya’s movements became even gentler.

She was just a half-beast, so her usual diet of grass was digestible for her. However, this little tiger was different. From what she had seen, most tigers would not eat grass unless they were sick.

Raising him to adulthood and ensuring he had the ability to survive before the harsh winter arrived would not be easy.

She stared at the little tiger rubbing against her for a long time. In the end, she could not bear to part with him. Leaning in, she nuzzled his back with her nose, silently promising herself that she would teach him the skills he needed to survive as soon as possible.

After eating and drinking his fill, the little tiger lay down and soon became motionless. Just as Maya wondered if he was pretending to be dead again to tease her, she heard the soft sound of his snoring.

His round, fluffy body moved slightly with each breath.

Maya was used to a nomadic lifestyle. She had never settled in one place. It was already difficult for half-beasts to survive, and it was even harder for a female like her.

Just to stay alive, she had put in hundreds of times more effort than others.

Now, with a clearly still-weaning little tiger in tow, it would be difficult to continue moving every so often like before.

After thinking it over for a while, she examined the cave they were currently in. It was well-hidden, and as long as she covered the entrance whenever she went out, no other animals were likely to enter.

Once the little tiger grew a bit bigger, she could take him out with her. Besides, there was a small stream not far from here, so water would not be an issue.

As long as the stream did not dry up, they could stay here. It would also give her time to teach the little tiger how to hunt.

With this decision made, Maya no longer regarded the place as temporary. She began to consider whether the cave needed to be rearranged.

She did not mind sleeping on the grass when relocating, but the little tiger was still too small. Tomorrow, when she went hunting, she would bring back some dry grass to make a sleeping spot for him in the corner.

Also, she had noticed a few fruit-bearing shrubs some time ago. The fruits should ripen in a few days, and she could pick some for him.

With her future plans settled, Maya let out a small sigh of relief. She stood up, shook off the dust from her fur, and walked outside, thinking about how to make the cave entrance even more concealed.

Meanwhile, the little tiger slept soundly, his face full of peace, completely unaware of any worries.

The system watched as Maya busied herself arranging everything for the cub, and it could not help but think of the original storyline.

Back then, she had also painstakingly raised a little tiger. She had thought that once he reached adulthood, her life would become easier. However, when he matured, his mind was filled with nothing but resentment.

He blamed Maya for the blood she had given him to drink when he was on the brink of starvation. He sought out the family that had once abandoned him and learned that his lineage had never produced a half-beast before.

Since it was not a matter of bloodline, he pushed all the blame onto Maya. Instead of feeling grateful, he wished for her death.

Looking at the small, fluffy cub, the system felt an urge to reach out and ruffle his fur. It firmly believed that the cub Maya was raising this time would not be such an ungrateful bastard!

An’an slept for a long time. When he opened his eyes, the sky had already darkened.

That afternoon, Maya had gone hunting and brought back a small rabbit, which she placed in the corner of the cave. Rabbits were the easiest prey to catch around here, and their meat tasted decent—perfect for the cub.

Still groggy from sleep, the little tiger blinked, then closed his eyes again, shifting his position as if intending to doze off for a little longer.

Noticing the change in his breathing, Maya nudged him with her paw and reminded him,
“Eat.”

“Aw~”

The little tiger lazily stood up and shook his fur. Maya picked up the lifeless rabbit and placed it in front of him, tearing the meat into smaller pieces to make it easier for him to eat, just like at noon.

He was still too small, needing care in everything.

“Eat faster.”

“Aw.”

The little tiger nodded lightly and buried his face into the rabbit’s belly, chewing earnestly. His teeth were not sharp enough yet, so he had to chew a lot.

After stuffing himself full, he let out a satisfied burp and instinctively rolled onto his back, exposing his belly for his mother to check.

“Carry it.”

The little tiger could not eat the rabbit’s fur. Thinking that his mother wanted him not to waste it, he hesitated for a moment before picking it up.

With a mouthful of fur, the taste was awful. His expression turned a little pitiful.

The cave entrance was too high for the little tiger to climb out. Maya grabbed him by the scruff and carried him outside. Though she moved slowly, for a little cub like An’an, it was an entirely new experience. He could only hear the wind rushing past his ears.

Excited, he let out a little howl, his paws flailing in the air.

A second later, Maya stopped and placed him down. Realizing his mistake, the little tiger quickly picked up the rabbit fur again and stood beneath Maya’s head. He shook his fur as if to show that he was ready.

Maya had brought him to a flat piece of land. She planned to give him his first lesson by demonstrating. Using her paws, she dug a small pit and scratched at the dirt.

The little tiger was smart. He quickly understood her intent. Letting out an excited howl, he tossed the rabbit fur into the pit and eagerly scraped some dirt over it.

Once the fur was completely covered, he even jumped on top to stomp it down.

After finishing, he ran over to Maya and rubbed his head against her leg, looking proud, as if waiting for her praise.

Maya had intended to teach him how to bury things properly, but seeing how clever he was, tossing it into her hole instead, she could not bring herself to scold him. Instead, she gently patted his head with her paw.

The moonlight over the grasslands was beautiful. Even at night, the little tiger could see everything clearly. After burying the rabbit, he started running around joyfully. Everything here was new and exciting to him.

Maya followed behind him like a protector. Watching the little tiger bounce around energetically made her feel at ease.

The scorching sun during the day could almost dry them out, but the nights were cooler. Many nocturnal animals deliberately avoided this area since it was nearly impossible to find prey here.

During this brief period of safety, Maya did not teach him to be on guard.

The little tiger spotted a type of insect in the grass. He tucked his tail, cautiously creeping closer, adopting a hunting stance, ready to pounce. But before he could get near, the insect fluttered its wings and flew away.

Unwilling to give up, the little tiger leaped into the air, but his paws caught nothing but air. He landed on the soft grass and flopped down, refusing to get up.

Maya walked over and saw how spoiled he was acting. She originally wanted to teach him not to behave like this, but when she saw his puffed-up, sulky expression, she swallowed her words.

Such a tiny tiger found everything fascinating. His eyes were clear and pure, without a trace of impurity, and under the moonlight, they appeared even more pristine.

After acting pitiful for a while and realizing that his mother wasn’t coming to comfort him, the little tiger silently got up. He patted the dust off his body with his paw and continued playing ahead.

An’an was very interested in the strange grasses, staring at them for a long time as they swayed.

After enduring the sweltering heat of the day, the cool night air was even more comfortable, especially for a little tiger like An’an. The breeze ruffled his fur, bringing a sense of exhilaration.

Maya played with him for a long time. If she hadn’t urged him, the little tiger would have been content to lie on the grass, enjoying the wind as he drifted to sleep.

An’an was still young, and his legs were short. Even when Maya deliberately slowed down, he still had to run with all his might, his four chubby paws nearly leaving afterimages.

With each step on the soft grass, the wind brushing through his fur, and the distant chirping of insects in the grass, this little tiger was experiencing a freedom he had never known before. Compared to the dark and hopeless place he had once been confined in, he was now unimaginably happy.

The entrance of the cave was high. Maya grabbed the back of his neck and carried him inside. While he had been playing earlier, she had gathered some dry grass. After putting the little tiger down, she turned to bring in the grass.

She spread it out, arranging it carefully, then nudged the little tiger with her paw to make him lie down on it.

Maya did not understand what illness was, but she knew this would make the little tiger sleep more comfortably.

She had never thought about having a child before. After all, survival itself was already a challenge for her. But since she had found this little tiger, she couldn’t bear to watch him die, so she simply took him in.

The little tiger curled up on the dry grass, his tail snug against his body, his head tucked in. One ear flopped slightly outside.

Occasionally, when there was a sound from outside that startled him, that small ear would twitch.

Maya found a spot to lie down and rest. Since the little tiger was too young to even tear meat apart, he needed constant care. Her hunting time was limited, and she needed enough rest to ensure nothing went wrong when she hunted.

The weather was getting hotter, and she wasn’t sure how much longer the water source would last. Thinking of this, Maya instinctively glanced at the fluffy white ball curled up nearby.

That little furball was sleeping soundly. Before long, he shifted positions and continued sleeping.

For such a tiny little tiger, one rabbit was enough to fill him up. Still not fully accustomed to his tiger body, he unconsciously rolled onto his back in his sleep, revealing a round belly that looked like an inflated balloon.

He was so small that his belly was a soft pinkish-white. When Maya caught sight of it from the corner of her eye, she inexplicably felt the urge to touch it.

Not just her—the system also had the same thought. It really wanted to bury its head in the little tiger’s belly and take a deep sniff.

…

The next day, before dawn, Maya went out. Before leaving, she carefully blocked the cave entrance, making sure no other animals would find it before heading off to a farther area to hunt.

She herself could survive on leaves, but her cub was different. The little tiger needed to be raised on meat, and Maya was also deliberately training her own hunting skills.

When the cub grew a little bigger, she would have to teach him how to hunt so he could survive longer on the grasslands.

The little tiger woke up from hunger. Upon waking, he first used his paws to cover his belly. The loud grumbling noises annoyed him, so he flipped over and lay flat on the ground, pressing down to muffle the sound.

Still half-asleep, he suddenly caught a strange scent in the air. Instinctively, he lifted his head and sniffed carefully, his large eyes lighting up in excitement.

Following the scent, he crawled toward the entrance. Unfortunately, the cave’s entrance was too high, and he couldn’t climb out. Straining his little body, he managed to poke his head out and cautiously peeked outside.

At that moment, a large tiger named Gairo, whom he had seen before, was passing by with prey in his jaws. Gairo had only recently reached adulthood and was incredibly strong in combat.

Unlike other animals that ate whatever they could catch, he always chose prey that smelled the best.

This time, he had caught a buffalo. He had already eaten most of it but saved the best parts to take back for later.

As he passed by, his ears twitched, picking up a particularly soft and childish “awoo” from inside the cave.

Turning his head, he met a pair of clear, innocent eyes. Gairo put down the meat and ran to the cave entrance, picking up the little tiger by the scruff of his neck.

The little tiger was not scared at all. In fact, as he was lifted, he excitedly wagged his tail, making short, eager sounds in his throat.

Gairo carried him to the meat he had set down earlier. Hearing the little tiger’s stomach grumble, he placed him down and gently nudged his back with his nose.

The cub looked pitifully small, barely as big as Gairo’s paw. This little bit of food wasn’t much for him anyway—he might as well let the cub eat it.

While the little tiger ate, Gairo circled around nearby. When he noticed a predator that specialized in stealing cubs approaching, he let out a low, threatening growl.

A fully grown and powerful tiger was not something those creatures dared to provoke. Within half a minute, they had all fled without a trace.

After finishing his meal, the little tiger instinctively groomed his fur to make himself look even more presentable.

He then rubbed his head against Gairo, snuggled up beside his front legs, and occasionally leaned in for more affection. This clingy behavior made Gairo shake his head in exasperation.

He tried to stand up and move away, but every step he took, the little tiger followed. Because of his short legs, he had to run even faster, his excitement evident in every step.

Gairo, unexpectedly, found himself unwilling to push the little one away.

As the sun rose higher, Gairo decided not to stay any longer. He placed his paw on the little tiger’s head, stopping him from following.

“Aw?”

The little tiger obediently stopped, tilting his head in confusion, not understanding why Gairo had done that.

Gairo picked him up and carried him back to the cave, cleaned up the meat’s remains, then quickly returned to his own territory.

He didn’t dare look back, afraid he’d see the little tiger lying there, watching him leave with those longing eyes.

And sure enough, the little tiger did just that, staring after him until he disappeared before finally returning to his sleeping spot.

Not long after, Maya came back. She had good luck today—she had already eaten before hunting and even caught a rabbit that, though barely alive, was still moving. She planned to let the little tiger practice hunting.

Hearing the familiar roar, the little tiger once again struggled to climb to the entrance and hang there. When he saw Maya, his tail wagged excitedly, like a puppy greeting its owner returning home.

Maya placed the rabbit in front of him. The rabbit still had some strength left and immediately tried to run as soon as it was set down.

The little tiger panicked at the sight and quickly chased after it, trying to pin it down with his paws. However, he was too weak, and not only did he fail to hold it down, but he also got kicked twice in the face by the rabbit’s hind legs.

Maya watched from the side without any intention of helping. The little tiger couldn’t bear to see the rabbit escape, so he clumsily kept pressing it with his paws.

“Bite it with your mouth.”

Seeing the little tiger slow down due to exhaustion, Maya finally gave him some guidance.

At first, the little tiger just didn’t want to let the rabbit run away, but after getting kicked a few times, he started getting frustrated.

Hunting seemed to be an instinct etched into his bloodline. Without knowing how, he instinctively understood where to bite. His tiny, still-growing teeth firmly clamped onto the rabbit’s most vulnerable neck.

An An had a surprisingly strong bite. Even though his teeth weren’t sharp yet, his sheer strength allowed him to tear through the rabbit’s flesh under extreme circumstances. As fresh blood oozed out, An An wasn’t afraid. Instead, he even instinctively swallowed.

Only when the rabbit gradually stopped breathing did An An finally let go. He stood there, panting heavily.

He was exhausted, completely drained. His small tiger body looked utterly fatigued, yet his heart pounded rapidly in his chest, and his eyes shone with excitement.

His paws, the least capable of hiding emotions, kept scratching at the ground.

Maya was very satisfied with his first successful hunt. She called out to the little tiger, gesturing for him to come over. Then, she gently patted his head with her paw and praised,

“Well done.”

The little tiger’s ears twitched, and he happily circled around his mother’s feet.

“Go on, eat. This is your prey.”

“Roar!”

With his mother’s approval, the thrill of the hunt still lingered in An An’s mind. He didn’t ask his mother for help and instead clumsily started tearing into his prey by himself.

Maya let him play with it for a long time before finally stepping in to help. She tore the meat apart and fed it to him.

For a tiger cub spoiled by his mother, life was somewhat dull. Every day, he either waited for his mother to return from hunting or lay around watching. Occasionally, at night, his mother would take him out to look at the stars.

The starry sky over the grasslands was beautiful. An An had tried several times to lie on the grass and sleep under the stars, but unfortunately, Maya never allowed it.

At first, An An was obedient. Even if he was reluctant, he would still follow behind Maya.

But after some time, he realized that Maya doted on him. She would thoughtfully tear his meat into small pieces, groom his fur after he played around, and even pick out dried leaves stuck in his fur.

After that, going home every night became a challenge. The little tiger would sprawl out on the grass like a pancake, and the moment his mother touched him, he would let out a pitiful wail as if he were suffering a great injustice.

This little cub was good at reading people’s expressions. After acting up, he would immediately start acting cute and spoiled, making it hard for Maya to scold him.

But after dealing with this enough times, Maya learned his tricks. Instead of coaxing him like before, she simply picked him up by the scruff of his neck and carried him back to the cave when it was time to sleep.

Every time this happened, An An would wildly wave his little paws in protest.

One day, while sneaking out without Maya’s knowledge, he encountered a creature with pitch-black fur, a long snout, and sharp teeth protruding from its mouth.

In the dark night, the animal’s pale green eyes were particularly striking.

The little tiger, trotting along on all fours, froze instantly when he sensed its approach. His body tensed as he watched it warily.

Before the creature could react, he swiftly turned and ran. His newly gained body fat jiggled as he sprinted.

An An let out a series of urgent cries as he ran.

Maya, who had been burying the rabbit’s fur and skin, immediately perked up at the sound and bolted toward him at full speed.

In her beast form, she was a leopard—not particularly large, but still far superior to those nocturnal scavengers.

The creature saw the little tiger hide behind the leopard and was momentarily confused about why a tiger and a leopard were together. After considering for a moment, it decided it wasn’t a match for Maya and reluctantly flicked its tail before leaving.

Maya only relaxed after confirming the creature had left. Her heart was still pounding from the scare.

She carefully examined the little tiger to ensure he wasn’t hurt before picking him up and carrying him back to the cave.

That night, An An was forced to listen to a long lecture. Maya kept telling him how cunning those creatures were, how they specifically hunted young cubs and hollowed out their insides.

The already drowsy little tiger, whose head had been nodding off, suddenly jolted awake in fright.

An An had a vivid imagination. In his mind, he pictured himself with his belly hollowed out.

His eyes immediately welled up with tears, and he rushed over to press against Maya’s leg. Only by feeling his mother’s warmth could he feel a little safer.

Maya had intended to scare him into behaving and not running off again. But now, sensing his tiny body trembling slightly, her heart softened. She lay down and let him curl up in her embrace, gently reassuring him.

“When you grow up, you will become a beastman even stronger than me. Then, you won’t have to be afraid.”

“I believe that one day, my An An will be the strongest beastman on this grassland.”

Hearing the word “strong,” the first thing that popped into the little tiger’s mind was that mighty adult tiger. That tiger looked incredibly majestic and handsome.

Feeling inspired, An An let out a soft, childish roar, as if agreeing with Maya’s words.

An An didn’t get to see that big tiger, Gairo, every day. He treated Gairo as his secret friend, someone he met without telling his mother. Every few days, Gairo would come to play with him.

His friend was very loyal. Whenever he came to visit, he never came empty-handed, always bringing prey that tasted better than what Maya caught.

If he weren’t afraid that his mother would scold him for making secret friends, An An would have even saved some of that food for her.

Thinking about his good friend and nestled in his mother’s warm embrace, An An unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

But since he had been scared, his sleep was restless. From time to time, he would tremble slightly.

Maya was a light sleeper. Every time An An shivered, she would gently lick his fur with an unusually soft touch, soothing him into a deeper slumber.

Ever since picking up this little tiger, Maya had been extremely careful. Under normal circumstances, there was no way that kind of creature could have found them.

After confirming that An An was fast asleep, she went out to inspect their surroundings again.

Finally, she found the answer.

It was because An An had been lazy.

Maya had previously taught him to always dig a hole before relieving himself and to cover it thoroughly with dirt afterward. The grasslands had many animals that relied on scent to track others, especially the one they encountered that night, which had one of the keenest senses of smell.

The next day, Maya told the little tiger the reason and initially planned to scold him.

But before she could, the little cub, realizing his mistake, eagerly started practicing digging holes on his own.

Indeed, An An had been lazy—right under the system’s watchful eye.

At that time, when the system saw the little cub digging a hole, its paws hurt so much that they twitched, and it softened, choosing to turn a blind eye and pretend not to see.

Maya stood there, watching the little one’s particularly diligent back, shook her head, and decided to be more careful herself in the future.

After all, he was still young. It was normal for him to be playful, spoiled, and lazy.

…

Gairo would only come here once every four or five days. This place was far from his territory and didn’t have particularly tasty prey, so under normal circumstances, he wasn’t keen on coming.

But as he came to see the little tiger more often, feeling the little one’s growing reliance on him, and noticing how his eyes welled up with tears whenever he was about to leave, Gairo unconsciously started shortening the time between visits.

This little troublemaker of a tiger was incredibly clingy.

Watching the little tiger—who was originally no bigger than his own paw—slowly grow into a round little ball under his feeding, Gairo’s visits became increasingly frequent.

With only Maya, the little tiger might not have been able to eat his fill, but with Gairo bringing meat every few days, An An became a chubby little thing.

An An lived in the cave with Maya for a month. At this age, little tigers grew quickly, and he was no longer as frail as before.

When Maya lived alone, she loved cleanliness. No matter how tough things got, she always kept herself well-groomed. Being able to tolerate a little dust-covered furball bouncing around in front of her for so long was already an act of overwhelming motherly love.

One day, on a particularly sunny day, she picked up the little tiger and carried him to the water’s edge.

An An was excited when he realized his mother was taking him somewhere new instead of their usual spot. His eyes sparkled with anticipation, thinking they were going on an adventure.

That was until, completely unguarded, he was suddenly tossed into the water.

He flailed desperately, his little paws paddling with all his might until he finally managed to reach the shore. Struggling to climb up, he shook the water from his fur.

Surprisingly, he wasn’t angry at Maya. He just assumed that he had eaten too much of the food Gairo brought recently and had gotten too fat for his mother to carry him.

Maya shifted into her half-beast form, grabbed An An by the scruff of his neck, and tossed him back into the water.

Only then did the little tiger realize something was wrong. His four paws flailed furiously, but against his mother, all he managed to do was splash a little water onto Maya’s face.

Maya wiped the water off with the back of her hand and gave the little tiger’s bottom a light smack.

“Awwoo!”

The little tiger whimpered pitifully. He didn’t dare struggle anymore, but he was still very upset. His eyes quickly welled up with tears, and he sulked in silence.

An An thought Maya would soon notice his mood, but in reality, Maya just found it much easier to bathe him like this.

She used a special plant extract to scrub his fur, turning the surrounding water murky.

A little deer that had come to drink took a sip, found the taste off, stomped its hoof in frustration, then realized it was facing a leopard and quickly turned to flee into the forest.

An An belatedly realized that the deer was disgusted by him. Furious, he clenched his paws. The stiffness in his body, meant to express his rebellious spirit, soon melted away.

The sun was shining bright, and the water wasn’t cold at all. Once he was clean, Maya placed him on a large rock, and he instinctively shook the excess water from his fur.

Nearby, Maya found some grass that she thought tasted decent and decided to eat before heading back.

An An, who had been lying on the rock basking in the sun, noticed his mother eating something. He immediately scampered over.

Seeing that he wanted to try, Maya handed him a blade of grass. The little tiger happily chewed it, but as the bitterness spread through his mouth, his face scrunched up.

Panicking, he lowered his head and started drinking water, gulping down several mouthfuls to wash away the bitterness.

He refused to believe his mother ate such awful-tasting food every day. Thinking he must have picked the wrong grass, he went and bit into another one—only to find it was even more bitter.

As a drama king who would act dead whenever he felt even slightly unwell, the little tiger flopped onto the grass, twitching dramatically. He only stopped when Maya, having finished eating, plucked a flower and held it in front of him.

The yellow flower was beautiful and had a strong fragrance. An An happily grabbed it and trotted back toward the cave.

Maya, seeing that his fur had mostly dried, didn’t stop him. She followed at a comfortable distance, watching the lively white ball ahead with a hint of worry in her eyes.

Now that An An’s fur was clean, it was pure white, without a single speck of dirt. Under the sunlight, it was almost blinding.

If he were to live in the wild, this would be a serious disadvantage. Prey would spot him long before he could get close.

The next day, Maya decided to take An An out hunting. Before, she had always brought back half-dead prey for him to practice with, which had been useful when he was small, but now he had grown.

When she mentioned this before bedtime, An An was thrilled. The next morning, he excitedly nudged his mother with his head, urging her to wake up.

Maya took An An to a nearby thicket, a place where small animals often hid—perfect for a young cub just starting to learn how to hunt.

She hid behind a tree not far away. When An An turned around and realized his mother was gone, he guessed she was deliberately not helping, so he ventured deeper into the bushes alone.

His instincts told him there was prey here. He weaved through the dense vegetation, finally reaching his destination—only to be so terrified by the scene before him that his legs went weak.