Forest Ranger, starting from Picking Up a Lynx Girl
Chapter 389 - 387 Big Baby: Do you want to eat this soft rice?

Leaving the two silly leopards to the female leopard's tutelage, Chen Ying also fitted the Leopard Brothers with collars.

Observing the leopards' movements was one reason, but it was also a way to signify their identities.

Just in case they were too dumb and got expelled by the female leopard, they could still rely on their collars to mooch food at the Protection Station.

After chatting with the female leopard for a while, ignoring the poor, pitiable looks from the two silly leopards, Chen Ying decisively turned with the little clouded leopard to find the giant panda.

In just over an hour, that giant panda had already made its way to the opposite bank of the river and was in a standoff with another leopard, one above the other.

Chen Ying subconsciously glanced upstream. It was at most three or four hundred meters away. Could the two leopards really coexist so peacefully?

The leopard in the standoff turned its head to look at Chen Ying and flicked its ears, pouncing toward him with the swiftness of lightning.

Chen Ying tried to dodge, but alas, he wasn't as quick as a leopard.

Pinned down on the ground, he heard a whining that was familiar to his ears.

"Whimper, Two-legged beast, did Mom call you to save me?"

That tone, that voice, that familiar whining posture…

"Big Baby?"

"Whimper..." Big Baby buried its big head into Chen Ying's chest, looking as aggrieved as a two-hundred-pound baby.

Chen Ying was genuinely stunned.

He knew Big and Small Baby had left Brother Leopard and Leopard Sister to venture into the world by themselves, and he regretted not having had the chance to say farewell. He had no idea if he would ever see them again.

But he never imagined, after crossing mountains and rivers, that there would be a day when they would meet again!

"Big Baby, how did you end up here, and where is your brother?"

Sitting on the ground, Chen Ying hugged Big Baby's head and rubbed it vigorously, treasuring the moment beyond words.

He also checked Big Baby's body condition.

Very healthy, much sturdier than when he was at Jiamu Gully — the robust build of a mature big leopard.

Big Baby whimpered for a while, then ratted out his brother.

"So you woke up with no clue where Little Baby went? What, he even eloped with Beibei?"

Chen Ying felt as if struck by lightning.

Previously, Beibei had been living with Leopard Sister and Sister Tiger in Old Northern Gully. With Mr. Lepus's family nearby, Chen Ying knew Beibei was safe, so he didn't worry when he didn't see her upon his return, thinking she was content in Old Northern Gully without a care for Jiamu Gully.

Turns out she was lured away by Little Baby.

That Little Baby was really cunning, even knowing to trick its brother away before going back to elope with the girl!

If only its uncle and big brother had bequeathed it some brains, it wouldn't still be single today.

He wondered if it was a hereditary issue on their mother's side. Whenever there were two cubs, intelligence seemed to favor one.

For further reference, consider: Leopard Sister vs. the Simpleton, Big Baby vs. Little Baby!

Big Baby didn't snuggle on Chen Ying for more than a few minutes before the previous female leopard came over with the Leopard Brothers.

Seeing Big Baby whining in Chen Ying's arms, the female leopard approached, bit his ear, and dragged him away.

Despite Big Baby's large size, when the female leopard bit his ear, he could only whimper and be dragged off.

Suddenly remembering the female leopard's mentioned desire to have little cubs, Chen Ying's eyes went wide.

"No way, Big Baby is only two and a half years old; he's not old enough to have little cubs yet!"

Even by loose estimates, Big Baby would only be three years old this year. Domestic records indicate that male leopards only breed for the first time at age four.

In other words, a three-year-old male leopard is not able to stand out among adult males to win over a female's favor.

"It's okay, I can wait," said the female leopard, giving Big Baby a lick, her eyes gleaming with pleasure. "He's got a great body, hunts impressively — he'll surely make a good father."

Chen Ying opened his mouth but really didn't know what to say to dissuade the female leopard.

However, on second thought, if Big Baby could earn the female leopard's favor with his physique and even get ensnared into her territory, might that be considered a different kind of impressive conquest?

Just as he had calmed Big Baby down, he looked up to find the giant panda had disappeared into the forest on the other side.

Chen Ying casually asked a few questions, and Big Baby came over, habitually placing his head on Chen Ying's leg for a scratch.

"I've seen that big black and white bear before; it's even fought with me for meat. But it doesn't eat much, so I could not be bothered to fight it for food."

Big Baby blissfully squinted his eyes, rolled onto his back, exposing his soft belly for Chen Ying to rub.

"Just follow the water for a bit, there's a rocky cave. That big bear often sleeps there. But when it gets cold, one big and two small black bears arrive; their cave isn't far from the black and white bear's, just below a large tree root."

Although Big Baby wasn't as sharp as Little Baby, it had seen a lot at Jiamu Gully. Black and white bears, black bears, white bears — it had seen them all and wasn't the least bit scared.

The Leopard Brothers lay to one side, with the female leopard in the middle, currently looking bewilderedly at the interaction between Big Baby and Chen Ying.

Why did they feel as though they had lost?

They couldn't hunt as well as the other, nor could they vie in whining, but the only advantage was they wouldn't have to be pressured to sire little cubs. From that perspective, they seemed to have won again!

Feeling like they had regained some pride, the Leopard Brothers sprang up and ran off, intending to catch a couple of rabbits for fun.

Big Baby flashed his eyelids and glanced at the two young leopards, "Two-legged beast, do you plan to take them back to my mom to raise?"

"No, I plan..." Chen Ying looked at the female leopard basking on the rocks nearby, his tone slightly awkward, "I plan to give them to your girlfriend to raise."

Big Baby trembled all four paws in fright, his ears flattened against his head, and his eyes rounded in surprise, "No, what did you say, say that again?"

Chen Ying flicked his ear with a finger and repeated it with a smile.

Big Baby straightened his legs, stuck out his tongue, and feigned death in a classic pose.

This was one of their favorite games as cubs. Seeing him like this, Chen Ying couldn't help but think of Leo and the little cub, who were somewhere unknown, and poor little Sesame, who had been lost several times at such a young age.

Staring at the vast mountains opposite, Chen Ying fell silent for a long while.

The area was connected to the conservation zone of Jiamu Gully, and it was possible that Leo and the others might settle here one day.

Shu Nan's voice came through the walkie-talkie, asking if he had run into trouble, why he hadn't returned yet.

Chen Ying looked at the time, realized it was almost dinner time, and quickly got up, patted Big Baby on the head indicating he was leaving.

Big Baby seemed reluctant to part, following for a few steps before the female leopard bit his tail and held him back.

Chen Ying squatted down with a laugh and rubbed Big Baby's head.

"You're a big leopard now, and you might have your own babies next year. You'll have to learn from your dad how to take care of a pregnant mate with cubs and be a qualified father."

Big Baby didn't quite understand, but he obediently nodded.

Chen Ying walked about a dozen meters away, turned back, and saw Big Baby still standing there longingly while the female leopard had stood beside him, rubbing her head against his cheek.

Chen Ying waved at him with a smile and didn't look back again.

Back at the campsite, Shu Nan and the others had already prepared dinner, and everyone was gathered, eating and drinking merrily.

"Brother Ying, come quick. I saved a box of meat for you."

Chen Ying and company were also preparing to follow and withdraw.

Xiong Youming and his group of three would return the same way back to their observation station, and the veterinarian accompanying them would go with Chen Ying and Shu Nan to Little Zhang's station to use the equipment for sample analysis.

After the results came out, they would go back to their station to continue their research.

The large clouded leopard would also be leaving with them to continue recuperating at the Protection Station. After its wounds were completely healed, it would be released directly back into the wild.

The next morning, everyone packed up their gear and started the journey back.

Xiong Youming had intended to invite Chen Ying to visit their observation station, but Chen Ying politely declined.

He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to visit the River Source area in Sanjiang.

Setting other things aside, he missed Er Niu.

A day and a half later, they reached the Protection Station where Little Zhang was stationed.

The accommodations at the Protection Station were decent. Though mainly made up of prefabricated houses, it had a sizable area, equipped with a dedicated solar power station, plus a small hydroelectric generator provided by a nearby river, enough to meet the daily needs of the Protection Station.

Besides the four staff with official positions, the rest were volunteers and interns.

The living conditions here weren't as good as in Jiamu Gully, but the atmosphere was nice, and they even had a top-notch handyman. Many of the mechanical devices in the station relied on him for maintenance, including the two walkie-talkies that Little Zhang had left them, which had an exceptional range thanks to this handyman's modifications.

Over food and conversation, they found out that this handyman and Xiong Youming's brother-in-law were classmates, both engineering students who came here as volunteers to contemplate life.

Not quite understanding it, but respecting it.

After two more days at the Protection Station, the sample test results came out. Chen Ying looked them over; the giant panda was in perfect health, with no issues like parasites.

As for the gut analysis, the Protection Station didn't have the equipment for it, so it had already been sent to a specialized laboratory.

After confirming that Brother Xiong Youming didn't need his help for the time being, Chen Ying planned to split up from Shu Nan.

Shu Nan had to go to the County Forestry and Grassland Bureau to discuss cooperation, while he would take a car to the provincial city and then a train to River Source to see his Second Girl Chen.

He would have to stay in the provincial city overnight, as the train to River Source wasn't until 10 a.m. the next day.

Chen Ying, having nothing to do, took a cab to the provincial Wildlife Park for a stroll.

This Wildlife Park was newly built, having been open for only three or four years.

After entering, Chen Ying, like any ordinary visitor, followed the signs and wandered from one exhibit to the next.

The drive-through area didn't have many animals, pretty much the standard fare for any wildlife park.

In the feline exhibit of the walk-through area, Chen Ying checked out each one.

They seemed fine, of course, lacking the vitality of their wild counterparts, but not as emaciated as some cynics had described.

Coming out of the feline exhibit, Chen Ying was about to head to the next one to see the giant pandas and Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys when he heard exclamations. A crowd of people then rushed over, surrounding the exhibit ahead tightly packed.

Chen Ying stood against the wall with his backpack, not joining the crush.

Seeing the crowd grow denser, he turned to run out and find security to maintain order.

If someone were to fall in the commotion, it could easily turn into a stampede accident.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard a terrible scream. Chen Ying turned back just in time to see something lunging towards his face.