On the ever-dangerous savanna, rainy days bring a rare sense of safety—something most animals, even predators like lions, understand well.
For herbivores, rain means a temporary reprieve from predators, allowing them a chance for a peaceful sleep. But it's not as though the carnivores remain unaffected; even young male lions like Qiao Qixi and the cubs he had found must stay on guard.
The sound of rain pouring outside their den gave the little lions a sense of security. Exhausted from their days of wandering, they fell into a deep and restful sleep, their bodies and spirits worn down by hardship but slowly finding some comfort in this newfound sanctuary.
Of course, they had no way of knowing what might happen when morning came—whether they'd wake up to the bared fangs of the strange adult lion who now shared their den.
For now, though, the five weak and vulnerable brothers had no choice.
As dawn broke and the rain finally let up, Qiao Qixi breathed a sigh of relief. If the downpour had continued, the drainage trench in front of their den would have overflowed.
Heavy, prolonged rain is rarely a good thing in the wild.
That night, Qiao Qixi had only managed about five or six hours of sleep while keeping an eye on his new charges. It wasn't terrible, but he usually slept a solid ten hours.
The young lions never stirred throughout the night, which was a good thing, as deep sleep would help them recover from their weakened state.
Animals have remarkable self-healing abilities, more extraordinary than most humans realize, creating miracles of survival time and again.
The white lion in Qiao Qixi's arms breathed evenly, his fur now dry, and his frail body radiated a gentle warmth.
It was likely that even in his mother's arms, this little white lion had never slept so soundly.
After another half hour, the sun rose fully, and the cubs curled up in the corner began to wake up, stretching and licking each other's sleepy faces.
Soon, they seemed to remember a lurking danger—namely, the adult lion nearby.
Qiao Qixi met the gaze of four pairs of amber eyes. The four young lions looked at him with fear, but also with a hint of unmasked curiosity.
Such is the nature of young lions only a few months old—they haven't yet developed a strong sense of caution.
It is possible for them to be adopted by a lioness other than their birth mother.
But they would never have imagined that a male lion would play the role of caretaker, taking them in like an eager dog chasing a mouse.
After observing for a moment and seeing that the threat had not materialized, the cubs grew braver. They approached the remains of the antelope from the night before and tentatively nibbled on the meat.
Seeing that Qiao Qixi didn't react with aggression, they seemed to take it as a sign that it was safe, and they began eating with more confidence.
Clearly, they had already digested the food from the night before.
Growing cubs can eat a lot, and their appetite can indeed be a challenge for their caretaker.
Though the antelope was a large one, feeding so many mouths would soon deplete it. Before they finished, Qiao Qixi discreetly moved his paw to wake the white lion.
Otherwise, the little one would have missed out.
When their eyes met, Qiao Qixi finally got a good look at the white lion's eyes—they were a rare, deep blue, incredibly beautiful.
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