The majestic, terrifying Lion King was currently being scaled like a tree by two crying, biting, muddy cubs.
His golden hair was being pulled, his nose was being chewed, and his pristine chest was covered in brown footprints.
Shi Feng stumbled back, his hands hovering awkwardly as he tried to stabilize the cubs without hurting them. "Wait...ugh...stop that..."
Hu Yan stood back, crossing his arms over his chest with a look of pure smugness. That’s my children, he thought proudly. Already knowing how to defend their mother from golden-haired pests.
Su Qinglan stood behind Hu Yan, peeking around his arm with a hand over her mouth, trying and failing to hide her laughter at the sight of the dignified King being defeated by two infants.
On the other hand, another person could believe what he was seeing.
Shen Lu stood on the sidelines, his knees nearly knocking together as he watched the two cubs cling to the Lion King.
He was certain that at any moment, Shi Feng’s patience would snap and the poor, tiny things would be sent flying into the mud.
But as the seconds ticked by, the explosion never came.
To Shen Lu’s absolute shock, Shi Feng stood as still as a mountain. He was patient...unnervingly so.
Though his face was being chewed on and his nose was red from Xiao Yi’s tiny teeth, the Lion King didn’t raise a hand.
Shen Lu breathed a long, shaky sigh of relief. It seemed the King’s famous temper was reserved only for the lions of his own tribe; for these cubs, he had found a baffling well of tolerance.
The cubs, sensing no danger, became even more unruly. Xiao Er was now trying to see if Shi Feng’s ear was edible, while Xiao Yi was busy trying to climb onto the king’s head.
"Xiao Yi! Xiao Er! Stop that right now!" Su Qinglan finally cried out, unable to watch the dignified king be treated like a chew toy any longer.
She rushed forward to snatch them, but Shi Feng was toweringly tall. Even on her tiptoes, she could barely reach his chest.
To grab Xiao Yi off his nose, she had to lean in close...almost pressing against the golden-haired man. She plucked the cub off and gave it a light, firm spank. "Is this how you behave? Is it?!"
Xiao Yi’s eyes immediately filled with big, watery tears, and Su Qinglan’s maternal heart melted instantly. "Okay, okay, Mommy won’t smack you again, but you are not allowed to do that!"
She then reached up to grab Xiao Er from his shoulder. Looking at Shi Feng’s disheveled face, which was covered in mud, saliva, and tiny tooth marks.
She felt a wave of intense guilt. She quickly reached into her pocket...yes, the maternity dress rewarded by the system has pockets, and she pulled out a soft, clean hide.
Without thinking about the proximity, she began wiping the saliva and mud off the Lion King’s face. Shi Feng’s eyes widened, his breath hitching as her sweet, milky scent filled his lungs.
"No worries," Shi Feng hummed, his voice uncharacteristically soft and deep.
"The cubs are... active. I don’t mind. I have never seen such spirited cubs. If you want, I can train them when they grow older."
Su Qinglan’s eyes lit up with genuine surprise. "Really? It would be an honor for my babies to learn under the Lion King!"
She continued wiping his cheek, her fingers occasionally brushing his skin. Their faces were only inches apart.
On the side, Hu Yan was turning a dark shade of purple. Is he invisible? He wanted to roar.
Why would his cubs need a lion to train them? They had him! And if not him, they had Han Jue and Rong Ye! Was The Lion King implying their own fathers were useless?
He wanted to fight this lion and beat him, but remembering the last time he was kicked out to sleep in the rain, Hu Yan gritted his teeth and stayed silent.
Suddenly, Su Qinglan let out a startled yelp. Xiao Er, frustrated that his "chew toy" was gone and feeling a sudden pang of hunger, grabbed the loose collar of her maternity dress and yanked it down with all his might.
The dress slipped, completely exposing her breast as the cub immediately lunged forward to nurse.
Su Qinglan froze, her face turning a deep, burning crimson. "You naughty boy! Why are you so hungry all of a sudden?" she stammered, realizing she was completely exposed right in front of the Lion King’s stunned golden eyes.
Shi Feng was paralyzed. For a split second, he was rewarded with a view so beautiful and intimate it made his throat go dry.
Su Qinglan gave him a look of pure, desperate embarrassment. "I... I cannot entertain the King further. My baby is hungry."
Just then, a heavy white fur hide dropped over her shoulders, covering her completely. Han Jue had stepped out of the house, his expression chilly as he shielded his mate from view.
Su Qinglan breathed a sigh of relief, clutching the fur tight. She consoled herself...she was just feeding her baby, and there was nothing shameful about it...but she couldn’t ignore that both her and Shi Feng’s ears were glowing a bright, guilty red.
She looked at the trembling Shen Lu, who was still standing by the gate; at least she was completely hidden by the tall Shi Feng, or she would have been more embarrassed.
"You can go back and take care of your mate. I will visit you soon to check on her; don’t worry about the vomiting...she will be fine."
Shen Lu didn’t wait to be told twice. He was so relieved the Lion King hadn’t killed anyone that he bowed and sprinted away immediately.
Su Qinglan turned and hurried back inside to finish feeding the hungry Xiao Er in private.
Han Jue gave Shi Feng one last freezing glare before following her. Hu Yan stepped up last, snorting loudly and crossing his arms.
"It’s better if the Lion King goes home now. We treat everyone as equals here... so you don’t need to come here to ensure anything."