The jungle was a tangled web of vines and dense branches.

Qing cleared the branches ahead, and Xu Shuangci, following behind him, walked with steady ease. But today was different from usual; the man and the tiger conversed as they walked.

Xu Shuangci would point to something, and Qing would explain it. He seized every opportunity to learn the language of the beasts. Back at the cave, Qing set the sweet root aside in the adjacent chamber.

Xu Shuangci watched as he rummaged through the grass outside the food storage cave and pulled out a blade of grass. The scent alone told him it was the porridge the big cat had brought him last night.

Qing brushed past Xu Shuangci and walked into the cave. Xu Shuangci approached the patch of weeds and examined them closely.

There was still plenty of the grass that the big cat had just bitten off.

The soil here was loose, and the weeds grew differently than elsewhere, not as thickly. Most of these herbs were likely dug up and planted by Qing.

For a wild beast to achieve this, aside from not having a human form, it was virtually indistinguishable from a human.

He wondered how the animals here evolved to become so twisted.

“Shuangci.”

“Coming!”

Startled to hear the big cat call his name, Xu Shuangci curled his lips into a smile and stepped into the cave. Sitting down on the grass mat, he spread his arms wide.

Qing crouched beside him, back arched, front legs stretched out straight, tail coiled at his side. Sitting like that, he looked like a wall. He looked down at the sub-beastman as he tremblingly tore the animal hide off.

It was just a small cut, yet the pain made his fingers tremble. His lips, not usually very red, had turned pale from clenching them. After peeling off the skin that had stuck to the wound, Xu Shuangci retrieved his nightgown.

He cut off half a sleeve, soaked it in boiling water, then dipped it in cooled boiled water to clean each wound one by one. He washed the herbs, pounded them on a stone slab, and spread the paste evenly over the wounds.

On the Golden Continent, there weren’t many beastmen who knew medicine. The herbs Qing had gathered were the most common ones used for wounds. But he had only ever seen a Priest treat wounds with the kind of care the sub-beastman displayed—and even the Priest hadn’t been as meticulous.

Qing looked at Xu Shuangci.

This sub-beastman might not have been cast out of his tribe. No tribe would abandon a beastman who could heal.

He took a few steps back to his spot and lay down, his tail sweeping back and forth across the ground, causing the dry grass to rustle. Xu Shuangci looked up and said gently, “Thank you.”

Qing already understood the meaning of those two words. He glanced at Xu Shuangci and accepted his thanks. But his tail began to wag even faster.

With his hand injured, Xu Shuangci was confined to the cave.

Strangely, Qing hadn’t gone out hunting either.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the two began teaching each other. One learned the language of the beasts, while the other took up Chinese characters and Mandarin. Before they knew it, five days had passed, and their daily communication—relying on simple words and gestures—was no longer a problem. Five days later, Xu Shuangci’s hand had healed.

The weather turned suddenly cold, and the temperature dropped again.

Watching Xu Shuangci pack his wicker basket, Qing knew he was planning to go out again.

“I want to find more food,” Xu Shuangci said, carrying a roasted sweet root and a flask of hot water, as he walked up to Qing with a wicker basket on his back. He hadn’t wasted these five days—he’d been learning the language of the beasts and weaving baskets, and now there were three wicker baskets in the cave.

Seeing this, Qing slung the other two baskets over his own back and led him into the forest. Realizing he had run out of red fruit, he decided to take him berry-picking first.

Red fruit is fairly common on the Golden Continent, found from south to north. It grows on trees and ripens in the fall; because of its sweetness, it is the favorite fruit of sub-beastmen.

However, he had already picked all the ones nearby, so they would have to head south to find more.

“Why haven’t I seen any other wild beasts in the forest?” 

“They’ve left.”

“Are there any other talking tigers like you?” 

“Yes.”

The two communicated: Xu Shuangci spoke the language of the Golden Continent, while Qing spoke Mandarin. They spoke haltingly, using gestures and miming to get their points across.

Though awkward, the intensive practice over the past five days had allowed them to get used to it, at least somewhat. It was all half-understanding, half-guessing.

They managed to get five out of every ten sentences right.

The man and the tiger walked and talked.

When Qing saw Xu Shuangci trip for the second time, he stopped. Xu Shuangci was lying on the ground.

He let go of the tail he’d grabbed before falling, looking completely at a loss.

As Qing stared at his hand, he quickly tucked it into his fur-lined sleeve.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to!”

Qing remained motionless, his ice-like eyes still fixed on him. Xu Shuangci asked nervously, “A-are we there yet?”

Qing slowly knelt down.

Xu Shuangci hesitated. “…What’s wrong?” Qing motioned for him to sit on it.

Xu Shuangci climbed to his feet, brushed the fallen leaves from his clothes, and hesitated. Suddenly, a long tail hooked around his waist.

The pull was strong, dragging him down onto the big cat’s back.

As his face buried itself in the thick fur, Xu Shuangci’s hands acted before his brain could process it, and he immediately wrapped his arms around the creature. The body beneath his palms was warm, and the fur was stiffer than he’d imagined.

The muscles were firm and solid.

Feeling Qing’s stiffness, the corner of his mouth curled up. The big cat had invited him to sit; it would be a waste not to. Xu Shuangci climbed up nimbly.

Qing stood up, and Xu Shuangci’s body swayed slightly before he instantly dropped down to wrap his arms around the cat’s neck. Qing shifted uncomfortably but didn’t shoo him off.

He began to walk, and when the grip around his neck loosened slightly, he switched to a slow jog.

Once he sensed Xu Shuangci had adjusted, he broke into a full-blown sprint through the forest.

Xu Shuangci had no time to feel the joy of clinging to a big cat; he wished he could hide his entire head behind Qing’s neck. He was being jostled all over the place, so he clung to Qing tighter and tighter, afraid that if he let go, he’d be flung right off Qing’s back.

He didn’t know how long it had been, but they emerged from the dense forest to find a vast, open meadow before them. Xu Shuangci looked up, shielding his eyes from the wind.

It was a lake, its banks lined with tall, lush grass swaying in the breeze. The water reflected the blue sky and white clouds, ripples spreading across the surface as schools of fish swam beneath. In the blink of an eye, they were back in the woods.

But not long after, Qing finally came to a stop. The big cat was tall and broad-shouldered.

Xu Shuangci lay on its back; the cat’s muscles felt like a soft, springy cushion. With the fur providing extra padding, it was actually quite comfortable to sit on. It was just the speed that took some getting used to.

But the autumn wind was too cold, lashing his face like a knife, making the ride far from pleasant. As soon as Qing lay down, Xu Shuangci rolled right off his back.

He lay on his back and sniffed through his nose, which had gone numb from the cold.

“No wonder you didn’t let me come along earlier.”

His tail brushed against the sub-beastman’s face.

Qing’s mustache twitched as he bent his leg to step on his unruly tail.

Seeing that Xu Shuangci was unharmed, he paid him no mind, got up, and looked around to make sure the area was safe. By the time he returned, Xu Shuangci had already stood up and was staring blankly at the remaining red fruits on the tree. “They’re so high up—how am I supposed to pick them?”

The red fruit trees varied in height; with the leaves now withered, the fruits—red in stark contrast to their surroundings—stood out strikingly.

The lower branches showed signs of having been snapped off, and the only ones within reach were those pecked by birds.

The remaining pickable ones were at least ten meters high.

He could climb, but without safety gear, he valued his life too much.

The moment he finished speaking, Qing casually picked a tree, took aim, and charged straight into it. Xu Shuangci’s eyes widened.

Then he let out a muffled groan as Qing’s tail swept around him, pinning him beneath it.

Crackle, crackle—a shower of fruit rained down from the sky.

Xu Shuangci looked up at the big cat: “Could you give me a heads-up before you crash into me? What if I get a concussion?” 

Qing: “Don’t know.”

“I mean, the fruit… falling down, boom—” 

“Hitting me in the head. I’d die.”

Xu Shuangci tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and stuck out his tongue.

Qing looked down at him as if he were an idiot: “It won’t happen. I can dodge it.” 

Xu Shuangci furrowed his brow.

Was he just brushing it off because he thought he was tough?

They couldn’t communicate very well yet, so reasoning with him was difficult. Xu Shuangci decided to have a proper talk with him once their communication became smoother. The sound of fruit hitting the ground stopped.

Qing moved aside and scratched at the ground with his paw.

“Rotten.”

Xu Shuangci chuckled quietly: “No kidding.”

Qing’s ears twitched, and with his tail hanging low, he turned to leave. Without a second thought, Xu Shuangci grabbed his tail and yanked. Qing’s fur bristled.

Xu Shuangci stepped back, dodging the big cat’s reflexive swat, and smiled ingratiatingly with his hands clasped behind his back. He’d forgotten—you’re not supposed to touch a big cat’s tail.

He said, “It’d be a waste to throw it away. If we take it back and make jam out of it, it’ll still keep for a long time.” 

Qing took two steps back: “Let’s go.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Let’s go!” The furry tail hooked around his waist, and in the blink of an eye, Xu Shuangci found himself flung onto the big cat’s back. He stared at that tail.

“That much strength?!” That’s not scientific.

They moved to another spot, a more secluded one in a mountain ravine.

Once inside, they found vast patches of red fruit that no one had picked; a layer of rotten fruit covered the ground. Xu Shuangci looked at Qing, motionless.

Qing: “Want some?”

Xu Shuangci chuckled and stammered a reply in the beast’s language: “You should be asking, ‘Don’t you want some?’” 

After laughing at the big cat, he slung a wicker basket over his shoulder and began picking the fruit.

Now he knew these fruits were called “red fruit”—such a simple, blunt name, just like the big cat. The red fruit was ugly, and whether big or small, it tasted pretty much the same.

Xu Shuangci picked everyone he could reach, regardless of size.

The overripe red fruit was sickeningly sweet—perfect for making jam or eating as candy.

The area was covered with red fruit, and even the ground was dotted with young red fruit saplings. In just half an hour, the three wicker baskets he’d brought were full, and he’d even dug up a few saplings along the way.

There were still plenty of red fruit left, but Xu Shuangci had no intention of coming back.

Qing didn’t care much for them.

Three baskets were more than enough for him to eat alone.

The return trip wasn’t as quick as the journey there, so Xu Shuangci had time to take in the scenery along the way. According to Qing, this area was still in the northern part of his domain.

It would take him at least two days to reach the southern border on his own, even at top speed.

This area was clearly a bit flatter than the cave where they lived; at the very least, there was a lake. Further south, there were quite a few small hills, and a large river flowing in from the west.

The small stream formed by the convergence of the brooks in front of their cave was a tributary of this large river.

Since Xu Shuangci had said he wanted to catch a few fish to eat, they decided to follow the river on their way back. The river in the forest was lined with trees on both banks.

The path was rough, so Xu Shuangci climbed onto Qing’s back.

The big cat, carrying three baskets of red fruit plus himself, walked for a long time with steady breathing, showing no signs of fatigue. Xu Shuangci plopped down on Qing’s back.

“If you hadn’t picked me up,” he said, “I’d probably have died out there.” Hypothermia was one reason; lack of food was another.

As they traversed the vast forest, the wild beasts he encountered were all too agile; without tools, he couldn’t catch them. The plants were all unfamiliar to him, so he dared not eat them. Only when he was lucky enough to reach the riverbank could he catch a few fish to eat.

Qing: “You didn’t die.”

“That was just crazy luck,” Xu Shuangci said with a smile as he reached out to stroke the tiger’s head. “Thanks, big cat.”

Qing shook his head and repeated, “Big Cat?”