Beauty and the Beasts

The shadow suddenly froze, and only then did Bai Qingqing confirm that her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. She called out testingly, “Muir?”

He was indeed busted.

Muir’s body turned even stiffer. If it weren’t for the feathers covering his face, he would definitely have perspired.

Would Qingqing feel that he was irresponsible? Would she think that he had moved elsewhere to incubate eggs so that he would skive?

The duo didn’t lock gazes for very long before Bai Qingqing was pinned down in the nest by Parker.

“Sleep properly. The warmth has escaped.” Parker had one leg over Bai Qingqing’s waist, and with half his body weight upon her, Bai Qingqing couldn’t sit up.

Feeling uneasy, Muir was prepared to stealthily go back, when he heard Bai Qingqing’s soft voice. “Do you find that place cramped? I thought so too. Why don’t you incubate the eggs here?”

Muir’s eyes lit up, and he instantly agreed by letting out a cuckoo sound. Each of his two wings covering his body front and back, he strode towards the tent with his legs clamped.

Since they were already here, he couldn’t keep himself hidden anymore. That cramped and narrow nest no longer served its purpose.

As he got nearer, even in her lying down position Bai Qingqing could see his awkward gait. She sputtered with laughter.

Not understanding why she was laughing, Muir felt happy as well. He crouched down next to the grass nest.

Parker scoffed and placed both hands on Bai Qingqing’s waist and gently started tickling it.

She let out a sharp gasp and giggled, wildly kicking about in the blanket. “Stop playing around! Ah! Hahahaha… Why are you tickling me?”

“Hmph!” Parker flipped around and tickled Bai Qingqing, pinning her beneath him, and only when she pleaded with tears in her eyes did he benevolently stop.

“I told you to sleep properly.” Parker lectured her with a serious countenance.

Bai Qingqing widened her watery large eyes and complained. “I wasn’t moving!”

Parker choked. Seemed like Qingqing really hadn’t moved just now. But who told her to keep staring at Muir? And she even giggled to herself?

A moment later Bai Qingqing realized that Parker was deliberately making things difficult for her. Pursing her pink lips, she waited till he laid back down properly before she suddenly climbed on top of his body and grabbed his tail in one swoop.

Howl!

This time, the scream came from Parker. As he dodged, he transformed into his beast form and squirmed into the blanket, assuming a posture of biting the naughty hand.

Bai Qingqing laughed out loud and also squirmed into the blanket.

Hidden under the blanket, the duo seemed to be having great fun.

Muir was envious of this sight. Seeing the blanket flip open, he immediately used his wings to close it.

The two of them played around for a long time, only stopping towards the end when Bai Qingqing’s energy was depleted.

With a face flushed from laughing, the tired Bai Qingqing soon drifted off to sleep with her arms wrapped around the soft and furry leopard.

Parker had let down his guard while they were playing around earlier. Only now did he suddenly notice something amiss when things quietened down.

His thin ears suddenly perked up and shook while his enlarged golden pupils surveyed the surroundings in the night.

Muir’s ears weren’t as sharp, but he acutely sensed Parker’s emotions, so he shot him a questioning look.

Parker responded with a gaze and stealthily climbed out from the nest. With his toes kept inwards, his soft soles landed on the ground without making a sound.

As for Muir, he quietly opened his wings to shield the sleeping Bai Qingqing, all the while keeping his eyes on Parker. The moment danger appeared, he was planning on forsaking the bird eggs to protect Qingqing.

Parker walked to the entrance and turned his head, his cautiousness dispersing immediately. He let out a roar before jumping into the air with his fur exploding.

Muir nearly leaped as well. If he hadn’t caught a glimpse of that fleeting shadow, he would already have done so.