Live Cat Appraisal: Starting with a Beast That's Got a Long Prison Record

Chapter 96 The Miracle in Waiting
A gentle breeze swept across the hillside.

It also brushed past several figures on the hillside, holding their breath and almost blending into the rocks.

Chen Nian, Xia Qiyue, Gu Ying, Lin Sen, and seven or eight others were quietly crouching on the top of the slope in an almost 'peeping' posture, peeking out one by one, their figures quite furtive.

They each had a telescope and were looking into the distance.

Gu Ying steadily set up the heavy telephoto lens, the cold metal barrel reflecting a focused light in the sunlight, scanning the area Chen Nian had previously pointed out inch by inch.

"Teacher Chen, you really saw a leopard cat?"

After a long while, Lin Sen took the binoculars down and rubbed his sore eyes.

They had been lying there for a full ten minutes, and all they could see in their binoculars were swaying bushes and jumping spots of light.

Chen Nian's gaze remained unwavering, her voice resolute: "I'm sure I saw it."

He would never forget that fleeting glimpse of golden figure.

The moment Chen Nian spotted the leopard cat, she notified her companions. However, once the camouflage pattern of the leopard cat, composed of a perfect golden-brown base and black spots, disappeared into the bushes of the same color, it was as easy to spot as a drop of water in the ocean.

The disguise was too perfect!
So at this moment, the group was conducting a thorough search of that area.

"The worst thing you can do while staking out is to be impatient and restless." Gu Ying's voice was calm and steady, and the heavy camera in her hand moved slowly, like the most patient hunter.

"If you rush, you might miss out on the real excitement."

She slowly recounted her experience of staking out locations to take photos.

My breathing was almost synchronized with the mountain breeze, and my fingertips were poised to strike on the cold shutter button.

Thanks to the precise capture of the telephoto lens, not a single unusual location was missed.

Suddenly, Gu Ying's movements froze for a moment.

About 100 meters away from Chen Nian's initial location, on another gentle slope, the color of a small patch of shrubs seemed to have a subtle difference from the surrounding withered yellow and green.
Under the intense afternoon sun, it takes on a purer, more vibrant golden-brown hue, like a meticulously polished piece of brass, heavily embedded in the bushes.

Teacher Chen's voice carried a barely perceptible tension: "Look at the ten o'clock direction, that patch of bushes with a brighter color."

Swish!
As if receiving a silent command, the fields of view of five or six telescopes instantly and uniformly turned to that area.

The figures lying on the ground looked even more sinister and comical because of their synchronized movements.

It's so sneaky!

In the distance, the infinitesimal figure chuckled as it recorded this comical yet incredibly focused scene with its camera.

"Here's the material!"

The people on the hillside were unaware that they too had become part of the material.

They were excitedly whispering to each other.

“I see! I see!”

"That's the area! The color is definitely different!"

When you focus your gaze, the hidden sprites come to life!

"Oh my god! It really is it! An Asian leopard cat!" Lin Sen was so excited that he jumped up and almost stood up to cheer.

Then Chen Nian grabbed him and held him down.

"Don't move! If you move it, it will run away!"

"Huh?" Hearing this, Lin Sen scratched his head in confusion: "We're so far apart, we shouldn't be so cautious, right?"

It should be noted that the hillside where they were hiding was about seven or eight hundred meters away from the bushes.

Lin Sen felt this was a very safe distance.

Chen Nian's gaze was fixed on the target as she explained in a low voice:
Why do you think it made its home here?

"The view here is unobstructed; it can see clearly any movement within a hundred meters!"

Never underestimate the alertness of a wild cat!

"Its survival depends on this vigilance that is ingrained in its very bones!"

As if to confirm Chen Nian's words, the leopard cat, which had been lazily lying on its side at the base of the bushes and slowly licking the pads of its front paws, raised its head without warning!
His long neck was taut, and his vertical pupils, as sharp as molten gold, pierced through the distance with precision, fixing themselves directly on the observation point at the top of the hill!

Through a high-powered telescope, he made precise eye contact with everyone!

In an instant, the air on the hillside seemed to freeze. Everyone instinctively held their breath, their heartbeats seemed to stop, as if afraid that the slightest tremor would disturb this frozen moment.

The only sound was the faint whisper of the mountain breeze rustling through the grass.

And Chen Nian's voice, flowing gently in the wind: "In order to avoid predators, felines living in the wild remain vigilant even when they are sleeping."

"They will always pay attention to everything around them."

"We become extremely sensitive to any anomalies!"

The two stared at each other for a full minute.

Of everyone, only Gu Ying, carrying the heavy equipment, remained calm.

She was the only one among them with experience in outdoor photography.

For her, this was just a minor incident.
Finally, Lin Sen couldn't hold back any longer. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, "Teacher Chen, could it... already have discovered us?"

"Could it have smelled the fart I just let out?"

"??"

Upon hearing this, everyone kept their heads down, but their eyes kept glancing towards Lin Shen.

The meaning is self-evident.

Lin Sen was on the verge of tears: "I can't help it, I can't hold it in!"

"Emmm," Chen Nian suppressed a laugh, "You know what, it's actually quite possible."

They are now at the top of the slope.

With the help of the downhill wind, the leopard cat may have already faintly smelled their scent.

Otherwise, they wouldn't keep staring at this side.

Of course, the possibility is very small.

After observing for a while, Chen Nian signaled to everyone not to be too nervous and said with a smile:

"You see, it didn't leave immediately, which means it didn't feel too much danger. Especially its tail, which is still swaying gently, and its posture isn't tense, indicating that it's still quite relaxed."

Despite this, no one dared to make any rash moves.

They were afraid of missing the opportunity to document the leopard cat.

However, this silent standoff was underway.

A miracle that no one could have imagined happened!

Suddenly, a slight rustling sound came from the dense bushes on the right side of the leopard cat's body.

Everyone's cameras captured this moment immediately.

Immediately afterwards, two fluffy, round little golden-brown balls of fur, with bits of grass stuck to their heads, awkwardly emerged!
They look to be no more than half a month old.

They walked unsteadily, like two drunken little roly-poly toys.

They let out a bewildered "woof" at their mother, then rammed into her warm belly, found a comfortable spot, curled up, and lay still.

The appearance of the cubs caused the leopard cat mother to withdraw her gaze from the crowd.

I lowered my head and began to lick the little leopard cat's fur.

At this moment, the bodies of everyone on the hillside had completely stiffened into statues!
Everyone's face was filled with a mixture of surprise and shock.

This is a leopard cat mother!
Not only did it bring its cubs!

Still two!

The overwhelming surprise, like a raging tsunami, instantly engulfed everyone!

　Thank you to the cat friend, Lantern Fairy, for illuminating this brilliant light!

　　Thank you to cat lover Mo Qingluan for lighting up this amazing light!

　　Thank you to cat lover Xinghuo Chengyang for lighting up this amazing light!
　　Thank you to the following cat friends for sending monthly tickets: Mengmeng de Feifei, Tideng Shuxian, Xiyi Max, Dongting Shanshui Cui, Book Friend 2104, Waiting for the Wind on the Cliff, and DAYBREAK!
　　Thank you everyone for your votes!

　　I love you all~ forever!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)