Beauty and the Beasts

Bai Qingqing asked Parker to lift the pot lid and took a look. Seeing that the soup had turned green, she scooped out some of the liquid and continued to let the green beans cook.

The fragrance of green beans emanated from the green liquid. She blew upon it and took two sips. It tasted identical to the green beans she tasted on Earth. She couldn’t help asking, “Tastes awesome. Why doesn’t everyone eat them?”

“This is medicine,” said Parker simply.

“It’s a pity to regard this solely as medicine,” Bai Qingqing said. She thought to herself that she ought to keep some green bean seeds so that she could plant them herself for consumption in the future.

Intuitively understanding her intention, Parker glanced at her and said, “You wish to eat it yourself?”

“Mm.”

Parker lowered his head and murmured, “Then, I’ve got to go pick some more.”

After scooping out a bowl of clear water, the remaining green beans were left simmering in the pot to turn into a viscous green bean porridge. In order for the effects to be more potent, Bai Qingqing didn’t eat it with other foods and merely drank it like that. By the time she was done drinking, her belly seemed to have puffed up a little.

Having eaten her fill, Bai Qingqing leaned against the tree trunk and started talking to her belly again.

“Baby, listen to Mommy and move a little…”

No idea if it was the medicine working, but when Bai Qingqing caressed her tummy, she suddenly felt something moving slightly in her stomach.

“Ah!” Bai Qingqing widened her mouth and waved at Parker, her eyes staring intently at her belly. “The baby’s moving!”

“Really?” Parker leaped to her side and dusted his hands, then pressed his palm against her stomach.

The heat from his palm seemed to startle the female baby, for she moved again; it felt like she was flipping her body.

Bai Qingqing was so happy that she nearly cried tears of joy. “Finally, there’s movement.”

Lying belly-down on the side, the white tiger’s expression also eased, before resting his head on his front paws once more and falling back to sleep.

Bai Qingqing cast another glance at him and lowered her volume this time. “Can you feel it? Is it moving?”

Parker touched it again but couldn’t feel anything. Hence, he pressed his face against her belly to listen. “I hear nothing. Am I supposed to feel anything from the outside?”

“You couldn’t feel it?” Bai Qingqing said, feeling it was a pity. “It’s not moving now. In the past the leopard cubs moved really vigorously in the belly, kicking me so much my belly hurt. Muir frequently said he could feel them kicking his face.”

Parker was listening with relish, but at the mention of the name “Muir,” his countenance instantly grew dark.

“That darned bird!” Parker scolded. “If he hadn’t stopped me, I could’ve heard our leopard cubs’ fetal movements for myself.”

Bai Qingqing sighed and said, “Don’t be angry. Look, everyone’s fine. Eh, I only hope that the female baby can be healthy, that I will be able to watch her grow up.”

Parker straightened his body and pulled her into his arms. “Mm, the female baby will be healthy.”

Bai Qingqing rubbed her face against his chest and said, “I thought of a name for the female baby. Let’s just call her An’an. Bai An’an. Are you guys fine with her taking after my surname? It seems like none of your names have a surname in it.”

“What surname?” Parker said dubiously. “But Bai An’an sounds similar to your name. I like that.”

“Bai is my surname. Over in my world, the children take after their parents’ surname,” Bai Qingqing explained. She then turned her head and looked at the white tiger and giant snake. “Curtis, Winston, what do you think of this name?”

Roar~

Ssss~

It was clear that the two beasts were okay with whatever.

Hence, Bai Qingqing said, “Great. Then, in the future, you’ll be called Bai An’an.”

As she spoke, she gently flicked a finger against her belly. Startled to hear a “boing” sound, she hurriedly caressed her belly. “An’an, I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Little An’an didn’t seem to be disturbed, for she remained so quiet it was as though she didn’t exist.