I became incredibly cute after dressing up as an animal!

These past few days, Lan Xiaoxiao has been living in fear even while drinking milk.

Is that giant panda still lingering near the woodland?

Please, please, it can't be a male adult panda in its estrus cycle!

In the wild panda world, male pandas will even kill their own cubs to compete for mating rights. This is an instinct written in their genes, cruel but real.

Lan Xiaoxiao shuddered and instinctively shrank further into the hole.

Big Blue went out to pick bamboo and hasn't come back yet. The cave is empty except for her, the little bear.

These past few days, not only Lan Xiaoxiao has been nervous, but Professor Xu and his group have also been very nervous.

They held binoculars and notebooks, keeping a close eye on the movements of the strange panda on the edge of their territory.

I really hope this panda can leave!

But clearly, the habitat that Big Blue chose is an excellent territory, with plenty of bamboo shoots in spring and no risk of landslides.

The panda lingered for several days, clearly not planning to leave.

"Professor Xu, that panda is getting closer again!" a young researcher whispered.

Professor Xu took the binoculars, his brow furrowed: "It's less than 500 meters from the boundary of the Great Blue Territory. It's quite large, but its behavior... doesn't seem like that of an adult male."

"Can you tell the gender?"

"I can't tell. The distance is too far, and it's already difficult to determine the sex of sub-adult pandas at this time of year."

Big Blue seemed to have noticed that a strange fellow creature was approaching the edge of its territory. Every day before going out to forage, it would circle the boundary of its territory, leaving scent marks to warn the other creature not to cross the line.

The unfamiliar panda did not force its way in. Each time it approached the border and smelled the strong marking scent, it would stop, circle around a few times, and then slowly retreat.

But it will come again the next day!

"Here we go again?" Professor Xu stared at the monitor screen, his tone somewhat helpless.

"Here we go again." Assistant Xiao Zhang nodded. "This is the fifth day. It circles the border every day, but it doesn't cross the line. As soon as Big Blue comes out, it retreats."

"This panda is quite interesting," Professor Xu said, stroking his chin. "Logically, if it's a male in estrus, it should be more excited by the scent of a female, but this guy... seems more like he's testing the waters?"

"Could it be a female trying to force Big Blue to move?" Xiao Zhang asked.

Professor Xu shook his head: "It's hard to say, let's observe further."

These past few days, Lan Xiaoxiao has been diligently drinking milk, climbing, and learning to climb trees!

If there is any danger, it will immediately climb to the top of the tree!

A week has passed, and there has been no sound of pandas fighting.

Her tense nerves gradually relaxed.

Has that panda left? It probably has.

She rolled over, revealing her round, white belly, kicked her four little legs in the air, and yawned.

Anyway, with Big Blue here, everything should be fine.

Lan Xiaoxiao was unaware that a tug-of-war was taking place every day on the edge of the territory!

The strange panda appears at the edge of the territory every day, but it retreats whenever the big blue panda gets close.

Occasionally, Big Blue would chase after it for a few steps, but the other animal would run even further away. When Big Blue turned around, it would quietly catch up again.

This tug-of-war lasted for nearly two weeks.

The research team went from being nervous at first to being curious, and eventually even wanted to laugh.

"This panda is a real coward," Xiao Zhang said with a laugh. "As soon as Da Lan bares its teeth, it turns and runs away, then looks back after running about ten meters. Doesn't it look like a guilty thief?"

Another teammate chimed in, "I'm just curious what this guy's up to? Is he missing his mom and just sticking to Big Blue because he smells milk on him?"

The group burst into laughter.

It's definitely a sub-adult bear cub, but it's been raised too well and is so big and strong that people mistake it for an adult bear.

It must be a cub that has just been driven out by its mother and doesn't have its own territory yet.

This little bear engages in a daily tug-of-war with Big Blue, and also takes the opportunity to steal bamboo shoots and stalks from the territory to eat. It walks with three big bamboo shoots in its mouth and several stalks of bamboo in its arms.

Professor Xu couldn't help but smile slightly upon seeing this scene, but he quickly became serious again: "Don't be careless. Although there has been no conflict yet, we still need to continue to monitor the situation closely."

Relieved, Lan Xiaoxiao started climbing around the cave again, even trying to climb a low tree. She fell halfway down, rolled twice on the ground, and lay sprawled out, making "baa" sounds.

When Da Lan returned, this was the scene he saw: his own cub lying on the ground, its four little paws waving wildly in the air, next to a short tree with a layer of bark peeled off.

"Meow—"

Big Blue walked over, lowered its head and nuzzled Little Blue's belly, then lay down on its back, scooped the cub into its arms, and began to lick its fur.

Lan Xiaoxiao had gotten used to this treatment. She obediently lay on Da Lan's belly, drinking milk and sleeping. Her life was much more comfortable than in her previous life.

However, what was bound to happen still happened.

That morning, Big Blue went out to forage for food. Before leaving, he carefully checked the area around the cave, left scent marks, and then left with peace of mind.

Lan Xiaoxiao lay on the cave entrance basking in the sun, her two little ears standing straight up, listening to the sounds around her.

Birds chirped in the distance, the wind rustled through the bamboo forest, and occasionally a squirrel would leap from the tree.

Everything is normal.

She yawned, preparing to go back to her cave for a nap, when she suddenly heard a different sound.

Click.

That's the sound of bamboo being broken by foot.

Lan Xiaoxiao's fur stood on end.

This is neither the sound of the blue giant nor the sound of the scientific expedition team!

The sound... came from the direction of the edge of the territory.

Lan Xiaoxiao slowly turned her head and saw a panda.

Very big.

With its round head and round face, it has the most typical panda appearance. Even as a human, Lan Xiaoxiao thinks this bear is really good-looking!

Its body hair is distinctly black and white, its black eye circles are exceptionally deep, and its limbs are thick and powerful.

It stood at the edge of the bamboo forest, half its face hidden behind the bamboo, only revealing one round eye, staring straight at her.

Lan Xiaoxiao's mind went blank for a moment.

Then it exploded.

"Woof! Woof woof woof!!"

She mustered all her strength and let out the loudest cry of her life. Panda cubs are supposed to whimper or bleat, but Lan Xiaoxiao made a sound as loud as a dog barking, echoing throughout the entire valley.

"Woof! Woof! Waaah! Woof woof!!"

Come back, Big Blue! Your cubs are about to be eaten!

Meanwhile, the research team behind the bushes in the distance was also in an uproar.

"Oh no! That panda has crossed the line!" Xiao Zhang's face turned ashen.

"Where's Da Lan? Where is Da Lan?!" Professor Xu grabbed the walkie-talkie, his voice trembling.

"Big Blue's location is at least two kilometers east of here! It will take at least fifteen minutes to get back!"

"Fifteen minutes..." Professor Xu's hands were trembling. "Fifteen minutes is enough time for a panda to kill its cub."