Good Baby C28

Chapter 28

Previously, the little tiger, who had eaten less of his favorite dried meat just to avoid going outside, was now running swiftly across the snow. His naturally keen sense of smell was being used to the fullest.

He lifted his head, letting the snowflakes fall onto his face, as the cold wind carried a familiar scent to his nose. An’an let out two howls, calling for his mother to come over.

Maya saw how eager the little tiger was and didn’t ask any questions. She knew that An’an wouldn’t be acting up unless Gairo was still missing.

The fact that he was behaving this way meant there had to be a reason, and the most likely explanation was that he had found a way to locate Gairo.

The spoiled little tiger, who had barely gone outside all winter, hadn’t run far before his paws were frozen stiff. But he stubbornly continued sprinting in a particular direction.

“Awuu!”

The young tiger’s cries were especially clear in the night. Maya followed at a steady distance—not too far, not too close. Neither of them knew how far they had run when An’an finally stopped.

Fortunately, the snow had been falling for a long time, making the snowpack firm. Only the recent snowfall on top was soft. Otherwise, with this snow’s depth, An’an would have been completely stuck after taking a single step.

Panting, Maya halted, her eyes locked onto a small mound of snow not far away. The little tiger let out two more cries, but his mother didn’t understand what he was trying to say. So he ran forward first and started digging into the snow with his paws.

As he dug, he kept calling out to warn Maya to be careful—the ground here was ice and not very stable.

The little tiger dug for a long time before finally uncovering a tiger’s paw. The familiar fur color made An’an’s digging motions almost blur into afterimages from how fast he was going.

Maya, who had been keeping watch for other predators to ensure they wouldn’t become prey, no longer had time for caution. She quickly stepped forward to help the little tiger.

The mound of snow hadn’t been there for long, and it wasn’t too big, so it didn’t take too much effort before they completely dug Gairo out.

Though he was already frozen to the point of numbness, he still had body heat and a heartbeat—he was still alive for now.

An adult tiger was heavy, and Maya couldn’t move him at all. But she knew that if they left Gairo there, he would freeze to death once the temperature dropped to its lowest point at night.

Summoning all her strength, she dragged Gairo toward the cave. The little tiger, understanding the situation, also grabbed onto Gairo and did his best to pull him along. Every bit of meat he had been fed was working hard now.

Maya and An’an were both exhausted and sweating by the time the landscape around them finally became familiar again.

After bringing Gairo back to the cave, he still didn’t show any signs of waking up.

The little tiger, already so tired that his eyelids kept drooping, was too scared to sleep. Every now and then, he would press his ear against Gairo’s chest to check for a heartbeat. Only after confirming it was still there could he relax enough to sit down.

Gairo remained unconscious, and the little tiger gradually became frustrated. He knew that Gairo usually hated when he messed with his head. So, grabbing his fur, An’an climbed onto Gairo’s head and sprawled over it. Yet the big tiger didn’t react as usual—he didn’t impatiently push him off with his paw.

The little tiger was brimming with heat, and before long, his fur had dried naturally. Once he was sure he was completely dry, he nestled into Gairo’s arms like before.

In the past, he did this because he was cold. But now, he simply hoped to pass his warmth to Gairo.

Gairo was the little tiger’s only friend on this vast grassland. His relationship with his mother was different, but he didn’t want to lose either of them.

The little tiger, snuggling in Gairo’s embrace, didn’t yet understand the cruelty of nature. He only hoped that, by staying close like this, he could keep his friend here.

Maya, apart from blocking every drafty spot in the cave to keep the cold wind out, could do nothing else.

When they had dug Gairo out, his fur was completely frozen. Maya could guess what had happened—Gairo must have fallen into the river while chasing prey. Struggling to climb out, his soaked fur had been frozen stiff by the wind, making him lose consciousness.

He might have also exhausted all his strength while struggling in the water.

Since Gairo didn’t wake up, the little tiger couldn’t sleep either. Worried that something might happen to An’an, Maya offered him some dried meat. The little tiger, not wanting to make his mother worry, took a symbolic bite.

Two days later, at dusk, Gairo finally opened his eyes. Seeing the familiar surroundings, he let out a relieved breath.

The little one, who had been fighting off sleep out of exhaustion, cracked his eyes open a little. When he saw that his friend was awake, he rubbed his eyes hard, making sure he wasn’t imagining things. Then, he let out an excited cry.

His tail wagged wildly, almost like a propeller, as he pounced on Gairo and started licking him all over.

Gairo turned his head to the side, trying to escape the overly enthusiastic little tiger. He had only just woken up and hadn’t even figured out what was going on.

But An’an ignored his rejection, rubbing against him affectionately. The past few days had terrified him—he had thought he would never see this big tiger open his eyes again.

Not long ago, they had promised each other that once the weather warmed up, they would go catch butterflies together.

Realizing that resistance was useless, Gairo gave up on pushing the little tiger away.

At that moment, Maya came back from another cave, carrying some meat in her mouth. She placed it in front of Gairo to help him regain his strength.

“I was chasing a bison when I ended up in that place. The ice couldn’t hold my weight and collapsed. I barely managed to climb out, and after that… I don’t remember anything.”

As he ate the meat Maya brought, Gairo recounted his experience.

The little tiger, who hadn’t eaten properly for days, couldn’t resist joining in, biting into a piece and slowly chewing.

“You collapsed beside the ice. Thick snow covered your body. If it weren’t for An’an, we wouldn’t have found you.”

Maya’s sense of smell wasn’t very sharp. Half-beasts were lucky if they had even half the scent-tracking abilities of full beasts. And in that vast snowfield, she wouldn’t have been able to locate him accurately.

The little tiger, cheeks stuffed full, proudly lifted his head and perked up his ears, waiting for Gairo to praise him.

Gairo, after listening to Maya’s explanation, turned his attention to the little tiger. His furry ears twitched slightly as if he was getting impatient, but he still held himself back and didn’t urge him.

“An’an did great. Thank you.”

The little tiger waved a paw as if to say “it’s nothing” before taking another big bite of Gairo’s meat. He had been starving!

After eating, Gairo wanted to get more rest. The little tiger curled up in his arms as usual, expertly forming himself into a fluffy ball.

Maya didn’t ask any more questions. After walking so far in winter to bring Gairo back, enduring all the hardships, she was exhausted and needed rest just as much as they did.

Gairo knew he needed a long, uninterrupted rest to fully recover. But even though he was tired, he just couldn’t sleep. He lay there with his eyes closed, quietly recuperating, and pulled the little tiger closer with his paw.

For the first time, he felt grateful that Maya had brought the little tiger to his territory. What was once just land he occupied had unknowingly started to feel like a ‘home.’

If he had been alone this winter, he might have died out there in the icy wilderness, and no one would have come looking for him. He could have even ended up as a meal for another starving predator.

Gairo hadn’t noticed it before, but now that his body was gradually recovering, the faint scent of blood at the tip of his nose made it impossible for him to fall back asleep. He began searching for the source of the smell.

Gairo had killed many prey with his sharp teeth before. Any hesitation could result in the prey escaping, and the scent of blood always made his own blood boil.

But today, the faint scent of blood in this cave made him feel a little nauseous.

After searching for a long time, he finally discovered that the scent was coming from his own arms. The small tiger curled up into a furry ball had its white fur near its paw stained a deep red, making it particularly striking.

Gairo knew very well that Maya was only a half-beast. Her natural genetic limitations made her inferior to full beastfolk. In such a fierce snowstorm, it was impossible for her to bring him home on her own.

So… it could only have been this little tiger.

A tiger’s paw pads wouldn’t get so worn out just from walking on ice, no matter how far the journey.

Gairo lowered his head and began licking the blood off An’an’s paw. Even though the little tiger was asleep, the sensation still tickled, making him squirm as he tried to burrow further into Gairo’s arms, attempting to hide his paw.

Even in his sleep, he let out a soft, unconscious whimper to express his dissatisfaction. When Gairo tried to continue cleaning his wound, the little tiger kicked him hard with his hind paw.

After Gairo woke up, the three of them had huddled together in this cave for three whole days. If not for their stomachs growling in hunger, they might not have woken up at all.

The little tiger was startled awake by the deafening rumble of Gairo’s stomach, a sound loud enough to shake the entire cave. Only in the warmth of their shelter did the pain from his injured paw finally register. As soon as he opened his eyes—still groggy—he let out a pitiful “Awoo” with tears welling up in his eyes.

Maya returned from the neighboring cave, carrying meat in her mouth. The three of them, all starving, huddled together to eat. After finishing his meal, the little tiger held out his injured paw to his mother for inspection.

“Awoo, awoo awoo.”

He was already someone who cherished himself dearly, so now that his paw was hurting, it felt as if the sky itself was collapsing.

At first, Maya didn’t understand what he meant. The little tiger instantly became even more aggrieved and began rolling around on the ground in protest.

“His paw is injured.”

“Hm?”

It was only after Gairo pointed it out that Maya finally noticed. Leaning in for a closer look, she saw that the wound was quite obvious.

The little tiger, snuggled in his mother’s arms, was so distressed that his whole body twitched, even his usually lively tail drooping in misery.

Only then did Maya recall how fast the little tiger had been running that night. She had struggled to catch up, even though his legs were much shorter than hers. And on their way back, he had been helping all along.

“For the next few days, you can’t go out. Stay here and let your paw heal.”

“Awoo.”

The little tiger obediently nodded. He wasn’t eager to go outside anyway—out there, even a gust of wind could turn him into an ice tiger.

“Good boy.”

Even a fully grown tiger like Gairo had encountered danger while hunting, let alone Maya, who was a half-beast. After a brief discussion, they decided to temporarily give up on hunting.

They divided their remaining dried meat into two portions—one to keep stored and the other for daily consumption, carefully rationing it to make it last as long as possible.

Unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn’t leave this place.

The system watched the little tiger lying there, staring at the snow, unsure of how to warn its host to be careful.

That great catastrophe had once forced all the animals from the forest to migrate to the plains, throwing the climate into chaos. Tigers needed time to slowly adapt from their forest environment to life on the plains.

Many small habits that had evolved to help them survive in the forest had now become fatal weaknesses.

Perhaps in a few hundred years, they would evolve again to fully adapt to the plains, truly becoming a part of this new environment.

As an injured cub with a wounded paw, the little tiger shamelessly took full advantage of the situation. His good friend, wanting to express gratitude, even fed him pieces of meat directly into his mouth.

Their bond grew deeper day by day, especially after surviving life-and-death experiences together.

Recently, the snow falling from the sky was particularly beautiful—large, fluffy flakes like goose feathers. The little tiger would occasionally go outside for a short stroll, his tiny paws sinking deep into the snow with every step.

Their stored food lasted them a long time. In the final stretch, Gairo and Maya barely ate anything, leaving most of it for the little tiger. But even so, it wasn’t enough.

Having learned from the previous experience, this time they planned to go hunting together. Gairo carried the little tiger in his mouth as they set out.

It was the little tiger’s first time experiencing a snowy day hunt. Since he had never truly gone hungry before, he was excited beyond measure, his paws practically dancing with joy.

Gairo carried the little tiger toward the area where he suspected prey might be. Too much time had passed without a proper meal, and his eyes gleamed with a fierce hunger.

Anyone who saw Gairo in this state would immediately understand—starving beasts in the winter were the most dangerous creatures. In this condition, they often unleashed strength far beyond their usual limits.

Finally, they spotted a herd of prey on an open plain. Gairo silently adjusted his breathing, preparing to strike at the right moment.

An’an, though not yet strong enough, was still thrilled. He had already started imagining himself rushing in to help.

But in the next second, he was unceremoniously tossed into a pit Gairo had somehow dug out beforehand. Before he could even struggle, a pile of snow was dumped on top of him.

Gairo buried the little tiger in the snow and exchanged a glance with Maya. Without a word, they understood each other perfectly and rushed forward, launching their hunt at full speed.

They had no time for hesitation. If they missed this opportunity, who knew when they would find another herd?

Gairo’s primal instincts surged in his state of hunger. He was even fiercer than the first time he had ever hunted, sinking his teeth into the prey’s throat without hesitation, ensuring that it couldn’t struggle.

Blood splattered onto his face, but Gairo wasn’t afraid in the slightest. Instead, his eyes burned with growing excitement.

His mouth was full of the metallic taste of blood as he bit into the largest prey in the herd. Meanwhile, Maya had also taken down another.

Neither of them was entirely satisfied with this result, so they quickly resumed the chase, determined to catch as many as possible.

However, they didn’t dare stray too far from the little tiger, so they had to let some of the fleeing prey escape, watching them disappear with regret.

In total, Gairo caught three, and Maya caught two. The pile of prey they had gathered was reassuringly large.

The pit they had thrown the little tiger into was quite deep. He could only hear the sounds of Gairo and Maya outside but couldn’t see anything, making him frantic.

He turned to the system, hoping for a way to fly out of the hole. The system, 250, wisely pretended to be offline.

It fully supported Gairo’s decision. After all, the cub wasn’t yet strong enough to hunt, but he was incredibly mischievous.

What might be harmless prey to Gairo and Maya could very well trample An’an straight back into the system space with a single kick.

After the intense chase, Gairo and Maya dropped their kills in one spot and paused to catch their breath. Only then did they remember the little tiger still stuck in the pit. They hurried over and dug him out with their paws.

Seeing the outside world again, the little tiger wasn’t happy at all. Instead, he put on a sulky expression, twisting his head to the side in protest as Gairo carried him.

At this moment, Gairo wasn’t in the mood to comfort An’an, so he simply placed him beside the still-warm prey.

In the past, An’an would have been disgusted by the smell of this prey, thinking it wasn’t something a tiger should eat. He would rather starve than take a bite.

However, after such a long time of eating tasteless jerky, even though this was the kind of prey he used to dislike the most, his instincts took over before he could even react, and he instinctively pounced forward and took a big bite.

When Gairo and Maya had rested enough and were ready to return, the little tiger took the initiative to carry a piece of meat as well. Gairo tore off a piece from one of the carcasses and tossed it to him.

The little tiger proudly walked at the front, carrying a piece of meat that was quite large for him, his ears perked up in satisfaction.

Even though he hadn’t been much help, he still felt like he had worked very hard. An’an was also very self-aware—he knew that as long as he didn’t cause trouble, he was already contributing.

Maya carried two pieces behind him, while Gairo walked at the rear. This unusual trio moved across the frozen grassland, quickly attracting the attention of many animals.

The scent of blood lured starving predators. They stood to the side, watching intently, seemingly calculating whether they could snatch the meat—along with the little tiger carrying it—in one bite.

When Gairo noticed their hungry gazes fixed on the little tiger, he let out a low, threatening growl. The animals hesitated for a few moments, reluctant to leave, but eventually, they retreated.

Back in the cave, the little tiger placed his meat in their storage area and signaled Maya and Gairo to do the same.

The system brother had said that food didn’t need any special preservation methods in winter. This grassland was like a natural freezer, providing the best storage conditions.

Although the little tiger didn’t fully understand some of the words, he got the general idea: as long as the food was left here, it would stay fresh for a long time.

Gairo and Maya had initially planned to eat everything without saving any, as they hadn’t had a proper meal in ages. They had long forgotten what it felt like to have a full stomach.

An’an’s little gestures and instructions reminded them of how he had acted the last time they stored food.

“If we leave it here, it won’t spoil, and we can eat it later, right?”

Before Maya could even finish speaking, the little tiger excitedly nodded.

That’s right! That was exactly it! This way, they wouldn’t have to go out for a long time. The last time Gairo went hunting and they had to go searching for him, it had scared An’an quite a bit.

The two trusted the little tiger. This time, they only ate until they were half-full to regain their strength, storing the rest.

Two days later, when they checked on the food, aside from being frozen a bit harder—making it more difficult to eat—it was almost no different from when they had first brought it back.

The five prey they had caught lasted them another half a month.

Even though Gairo couldn’t remember the last winter he had experienced, he was certain this was the longest one he had ever seen.

Whenever they went out to hunt, all three of them went together. The very clever little one had already learned his lesson after falling into a pit twice. He was unwilling to just sit by and kept bouncing around, trying to help, but unfortunately, he was still too small.

Once, due to a misstep in Gairo and Maya’s coordination, a prey ran straight toward An’an. The little tiger was so frightened that his heart nearly stopped, and he instantly turned and bolted toward his mother.

Gairo arrived just in time, grabbing him by the scruff and pulling him away, while Maya lunged forward and snapped the prey’s neck.

Some of the warm blood splattered onto the little tiger’s face, momentarily blinding him. Squinting through the crimson blur, he saw his mother’s fur being tousled by the wind in the cold air—she looked incredibly cool.

This was the first time the little tiger had come so close to danger. He realized that hunting wasn’t as fun as he had imagined. The risks involved could very well cost him his life.

From that point on, the little tiger never acted recklessly again and obediently stayed to the side during hunts.

If a particularly clever prey figured out that An’an was with the other two and turned its attack toward him, the little tiger would run like the wind.

He might still be small and untrained in many ways, but when it came to running away, no one was faster than him. His four little legs practically moved like they had a motor.

If he couldn’t escape, he would use his fur color to his advantage and dive into the snow.

Against the vast, snowy backdrop, animals with poor eyesight couldn’t spot him at all. Even those with keen vision had to look carefully to distinguish him from the surroundings.

During this time, if Maya and Gairo ever failed to take down a prey, it was considered their mistake.

On the way back, the little tiger’s heart was still pounding with excitement. When they were almost home, he noticed his face was still dirty, so he buried his head in the snow and rubbed it clean.

After a thorough rub, he ran up to Gairo and only continued walking once he received a nod of approval.

No matter how cold it was, he had to be the cleanest and handsomest tiger around.

As the number of hunting trips increased, the little tiger was no longer as afraid of the cold as before. Occasionally, he would even ask his mother to take him out to play.

If his mother wasn’t around, he would find the big tiger to play hide-and-seek. As long as he hid in the snow, the big tiger would never be able to find him.

Ever since the little tiger had dug him out from a snowdrift, Gairo had silently accepted his fate. Even when the little tiger boldly climbed onto his head like before, Gairo would quietly adjust his posture to make sure the little one sat comfortably and didn’t get poked by his fur.

Maya and Gairo seemed to have come to an understanding: their original plan of stockpiling food for next winter and staying inside the cave the whole season simply wouldn’t work.

If they stayed in the cave all winter, by the time spring arrived, they would have become weak and useless.

Rather than seeking temporary comfort by avoiding hardship, it was better to use this harsh environment to train themselves and become strong enough to survive anything.

Maya and Gairo shared the same mindset. No amount of stored food could compare to the reassurance of having enough strength to survive.

As for the little tiger, who was lying on the ground hugging a frozen chunk of meat and licking it instead of waiting for it to thaw…

Gairo was the first to give in—after all, it wasn’t like he couldn’t afford to take care of him.

Maya followed suit—she, too, could afford to take care of him.

A tiny cub, not even as tall as her paw, even if he was greedy and lazy, how much could he possibly eat?

Through continuous hunting and training, Maya and Gairo grew stronger and stronger. The local prey, however, seemed to have gotten word of their presence—none dared to come near anymore.

Just when they felt confident that they could survive even colder weather, the snowfall finally stopped. The days began to warm up.

At first, the change was barely noticeable. But when their stored food started to spoil, and the snow at the cave entrance began to melt, it became clear. Every time the little tiger stepped outside, his paws would be covered in mud, which frustrated him so much that he wished he could grow wings on the spot.

“It’s finally getting warmer.”

When the tree at the cave entrance sprouted fresh buds, signaling the true arrival of spring, Maya let out a sigh of relief.

They had managed to live through winter just fine, but they still longed for the comfort of warmer days.

Even so, the melting snow still brought biting cold. Just yesterday, An’an had been excited to run outside, but the moment he stepped out today, the icy wind sent him scurrying right back into the cave.

After the weather warmed up, most animals were more willing to go out. For Maya and Gairo, the most noticeable effect was that hunting became much easier, and the variety of food they could catch became richer.

picky little tiger cub, in a daze, felt as if he had arrived in paradise—every meal was different, and everything was delicious!

If it weren’t for the fact that Gairo and Maya were still treating him as well as before, willing to groom him and stay close, the little tiger might have even started to suspect that they were planning to fatten him up for one last meal before abandoning him.

A long winter had passed. No matter how well the little tiger was cared for, he was still a bit thinner compared to before winter. Both Maya and Gairo were determined to fatten him up again—he had been adorably round before.

In spring, the little tiger was practically treated like a little ancestor*. Besides his favorite meats, Maya always found the most delicious grasses and fruits.

While other small animals on the grassland were still struggling to fill their stomachs, An An was already being fed so much that he was starting to consider which leaves would be the best to cleanse his palate after a meal.

In Maya’s eyes, an animal’s organs and fatty parts were the most delicious, so she often left those parts for her cub.

Gairo also enjoyed eating the fatty parts, as that meat helped him recover his strength quickly.

But gradually, without even realizing it, his way of thinking started to align more and more with Maya’s. Unconsciously, he always left the best parts for the little one.

Watching the cub, who had become slightly thinner over winter, gradually return to his round and chubby state under his care brought Gairo more joy than eating the meat himself.

That tree, just as Gairo had once described, was indeed stunning when it bloomed, attracting many beautiful birds to rest on its branches.

One day, An An woke up from a nap and stared blankly at the tree, only to witness two birds fighting over a nesting spot.

One pecked a feather from the other, while the other yanked at its opponent’s tail feathers. Their tragic cries reached the little tiger’s ears, startling him so much that he instinctively hugged himself tightly.

He had so much fur—those birds better not set their sights on him.

The grasslands were gradually turning green again. An An’s favorite flowers were the tiny purple ones he couldn’t name, scattered across the field. They were small but beautiful. As a result, he started sleeping outside on the grass rather than in the cave.

Lying on those scentless flowers, it felt as if their fragrance was seeping into his dreams.

Gairo doted on An An with no limits, to the point where even Maya had to take a backseat.

Maya spoiled the little tiger she had picked up. She might not have any experience as a mother, but as a half-beast, she had seen far more darkness than a regular beastman. She understood all too well the importance of strength in these grasslands.

But Gairo was different. He had a blind confidence in his own strength. He always thought, “It’s just a little tiger. I can afford to raise him. Even if I keep An An by my side for his entire life, that’s fine too.”

The little tiger was especially skilled at reading people. He knew that his mother would be strict with him in certain situations, but Gairo never would.

Every time Gairo returned from hunting, his favorite thing was to watch the little tiger bouncing around the grass, failing to catch a butterfly and then sulking while hugging his paws.

Or sometimes, he would just bask in the sun, and when he got bored, he would start gnawing on his paws.

Seeing the little tiger live so happily every day, Gairo couldn’t bear to let him face hardships.

Gairo had honed all his hunting skills through life-and-death battles. Every hunt meant facing prey stronger than himself, teetering on the edge of survival.

He didn’t think much of it when recalling his own experiences—he even considered them precious memories. The scars from hunting were his marks of honor.

But the moment he thought about the little tiger going through the same thing, he felt strangely reluctant. He wanted to prolong An An’s carefree days for as long as possible while he was still strong enough.

Maya was like a competent mother. She pampered An An, but at the same time, she taught him essential skills so that one day, even if he left his parents, he could survive on his own.

She hoped An An would have a good life, and if he had to leave in the future, he would be able to live well on his own. She was already considering a future that was still very distant for them.

But even the best mother couldn’t do much when she had a troublemaker like Gairo around all the time.

Maya wanted An An to gain more skills in capturing and fighting prey, but Gairo only cared about the little tiger getting scratched.

With his white fur, even the tiniest wound would be glaringly obvious if it bled. An An would also whimper pitifully, his eyes filled with fake tears, pretending he was fine just to make Gairo feel even more sorry for him.

Gairo was not exactly the smartest. It was as if, when the gods created him, they put all his talent into his combat skills, leaving him unable to think too deeply about anything else.

Simply put, he only saw the surface of things.

Not to mention, An An had always been clever since he was little. He had Gairo wrapped around his little paw.

Even Maya eventually gave in, deciding to wait a little longer. After all, An An’s carefree demeanor was genuinely adorable.

The system could only watch as its cub played both his mission target and his friend like fools.

Two beastmen who had to use all their intelligence just to survive, and a clever little tiger—somehow, their short time together had become harmonious.

On a day when Gairo didn’t have to hunt, he let An An take him to the place where he had nearly died last winter. The little tiger carried the prettiest flower he could find in his mouth and led the way for the big tiger.

Back then, in that harsh and extreme environment, Gairo hadn’t noticed anything wrong. But now, under the warmth of spring, he suddenly realized just how far that place actually was.

The water there was deep and fast. Other than Gairo’s territory, this was probably where the currents were strongest.

Even though a long time had passed, he could still clearly recall the despair he had felt when he had fallen into the water. Gairo stared at the spot for a long, long time.

Meanwhile, the little tiger noticed some fish he had never seen before in the river. Setting his flower aside, he leaped into the water.

He hadn’t learned how to hunt yet, but he was excellent at catching fish—mainly because neither Maya nor Gairo liked fish. They found it unappetizing and difficult to catch, so they never bothered.

But An An loved fish. He felt embarrassed asking his mother to teach him just for this, so when he craved it, he had no choice but to fend for himself.

After catching two fish, he tossed one to Gairo.

Until now, Gairo had never given fish a second thought. There was too little meat—it wasn’t even enough to get stuck in his teeth.

But today, for the first time, the little tiger had independently caught prey and protected himself well.

Even though it was small, for their cub, this was already an achievement!

For the first time, Gairo lowered his head to inspect this unfamiliar prey. But before he could even take a bite, the still-living fish smacked him hard across the face with its tail, leaving him utterly stunned.

The mighty tiger, usually so imposing while hunting, now looked completely dumbfounded.

Gairo had lived on the grasslands for so many years, but this was the first time he had ever been slapped in the face.

Seeing this, An An—who had already eaten half of his fish—ran over, raised his little paw, and delivered a fierce smack to the fish’s head, sending it straight to the afterlife.

Placing his tiny paw on the fish, he nudged it toward Gairo. It seemed like he was telling him to eat it.

The little paws rested on the fish, pushing it toward Gairo, seemingly offering it to him to eat.

There was too little fish meat, and Gairo could barely taste it, but his mood was great. On the way back, he let the little tiger stay on his back and even used his fluffy tail to tease him.

He teased the little tiger until he became so anxious that he had no choice but to grab the tail with all four paws, holding it tightly in his embrace.

Maya saw the two of them returning from that direction and could pretty much guess they had been playing again. She had gone from disapproving at first to now even thinking this way of life wasn’t so bad.

If they could continue living like this, An’an could always remain their protected little cub.

With this hopeful vision for the future, Maya prepared An’an’s favorite chunks of meat that night, watching as he stuffed himself like he used to when he was younger, turning his belly into a round ball.

Maya hoped this spring would last a little longer so that her An’an could be happier for a bit more time. She and Gairo took turns going out to hunt, leaving An’an to watch over the territory.

The little tiger didn’t realize that his mother’s intention was for him to stay put and not wander off. Instead, he saw it as a highly important mission.

Every day, he would patrol the area with his tail swaying, chasing away animals weaker than him and, when encountering those stronger, tucking his tail between his legs to find Gairo. The principle of borrowing power like a fox relying on a tiger’s might worked just as well in reverse.

The leisurely days of spring gradually passed, the leaves became lusher, and the sun grew harsher with each passing day.

An’an was always slow to notice changes in the natural environment—or rather, he simply enjoyed a life of unchanging routines.

When he happily went out to bask in the sun, his fur nearly got scorched. Unbothered, he simply changed positions, convinced that the problem was that he hadn’t flipped over yet.

After a while, the newly exposed side also started to feel like it was getting burnt. An’an flipped back, believing he simply wasn’t turning over frequently enough.

The little tiger kept experimenting over and over, until eventually, he was so overheated that he sprinted toward the water source, gulping down so much water that every step he took made sloshing sounds from his belly. Only then did he reluctantly accept that the problem was actually the sun.

As long as it wasn’t winter, Maya could accept changes with ease, and she had prepared well for the summer.

During the summer, An’an no longer favored the grassy areas but instead preferred to cool off under the shade of large trees by the river.

Occasionally, some annoying bugs would come and irritate him, making him so angry that he’d return home with his fur puffed up in frustration.

During the first half of summer, Maya found it quite amusing. She even spotted some animals that had been dazed by the heat while out hunting. But as time passed, she began to sense something was wrong.

Last summer had also been hot—she had even fainted from the heat once, and the experience had been terrible.

However, she distinctly remembered that Gairo’s territory was supposed to be cooler than where she had stayed the previous year. Yet, whether it was the cave or the riverside, it was just as stiflingly hot.

The little tiger, who had never suffered much hardship, was constantly uncomfortable from the heat, whining as he rolled around on the cool stone slabs.

Unable to accurately express his frustration to Gairo and Maya, he could only go to his system brother to complain. With an especially clear and childish voice, he shouted at the system:

“I want to shave myself bald!!!”

—

—”Treated like a little ancestor” means someone, usually a child, is pampered, spoiled, or excessively cared for, as if they are highly important or demanding. It implies that others cater to their every need, often to the point of indulgence. This phrase is commonly used in Chinese culture to describe children (or sometimes pets) who are overly doted on by family members.