Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Shen Zueran’s Jealousy

「7:00 AM」

The dutifully set alarm clock began to ring.

Yu Lan was snuggled into the big lion’s soft belly. She rubbed her head against him, her brow furrowing slightly. She didn’t want to get up at all.

The great lion, who should have been the powerful and imposing king of beasts at the top of the food chain, was instead shrouded in an air of languor.

Lying beside Yu Lan, his golden eyes were fixed on her face, which was slightly flushed from the warmth of her sleep.

’So cute.’

Seeing Yu Lan frown,

the big lion immediately understood. His gaze shifted to the phone, which was dutifully vibrating and buzzing, and his eyes instantly turned cold.

’It’s this thing that’s making the beautiful little female uncomfortable.’

Just as the big lion was about to swat the phone into submission, Yu Lan, so sleepy she could barely open her eyes, dazedly reached out from under the covers, fumbled for the phone, and tapped on it a few times.

She kept her eyes closed the entire time, taking a long moment to come to her senses before finally opening her beautiful, amber-colored eyes.

They were crystal clear, more beautiful and precious than the finest gems. The moment she opened them, they shimmered with a radiant light, as if the entire room had brightened.

A moment later, Yu Lan’s soft voice sounded.

"Good morning, baby."

"Come let Mama cuddle you."

No one likes going to work.

Not even Yu Lan.

She needed to get her dose of fluffiness to have the energy to face the day.

"Hrrrm."

The big lion let out an indistinct sound.

He lowered his fluffy head and nuzzled against Yu Lan.

’Smells good, so good.’

"You’re such a good boy, baby."

’Waking up right next to my ball of fluff... How could anything be this blissful?’

Yu Lan eagerly reached out, wrapped her arms around the big lion’s head, and ruffled his mane messily.

Her light, warm fragrance washed over him, making the great lion dizzy with the scent, but he didn’t forget to return Yu Lan’s enthusiasm.

He stuck out his tongue for a quick lick across Yu Lan’s face, then buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply again and again.

’Smells good, smells so good, so good.’

"Hey, stop that, it tickles."

Her neck was Yu Lan’s most ticklish spot. The slightest touch sent shivers through her and made her laugh uncontrollably.

She hurriedly reached out to push the big lion away.

The Golden Lion mistook this for playing. Letting out an "AWOOF!", he became even more energetic.

The two of them—one person, one lion—played for quite a while.

Feeling fully recharged, Yu Lan finally got out of bed.

She pulled open the curtains, and the light from outside spilled into the room.

Yu Lan stretched lazily.

From the big lion’s perspective, he could see her beautiful, slender, and soft waist. It looked as if he could easily pin her to the ground with a single paw, and then...

’And then... what?’

The big lion shook his head, not having had time to figure it out.

But the next moment, he saw Yu Lan turn around and start pushing him out of the room.

"Alright, baby, Mama needs to change clothes. Can you go out for a bit, okay?"

"AWOO!"

Pushed outside, the big lion paced back and forth restlessly by the door, his expression filled with anxiety.

For some reason, he inexplicably recalled the blood-pumping sight he’d seen when he burst into the bathroom yesterday.

The big lion hesitated for a long moment before raising his paw and pressing down on the door handle again.

But, to his surprise,

this time,

Yu Lan had gotten smarter.

She had locked the door from the inside. Even if the big lion could work the handle, it was no use.

Sure enough,

after a short while,

the door opened from within, and a freshly changed Yu Lan walked out.

A faint, sweet fragrance lingered in the air.

The beautiful female wore a long white dress that further accentuated her fair, soft skin. Her thick, seaweed-like black hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and she wore simple pink pearl earrings, looking both cute and playful.

The big lion was completely captivated.

He followed dazedly behind Yu Lan, watching as she quickly made breakfast for herself and packed his lunch and water for the day.

Just as she was grabbing her bag to leave, the big lion finally snapped out of his daze.

He scrambled to his feet and followed closely behind her, determined to go to work with her.

"No, you can’t, baby."

’So this is how clingy pets can be.’ 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Yu Lan met the big lion’s golden eyes, reached out to stroke his big, fluffy head, and explained gently:

"Mama is going to work. I can’t take you with me."

"You be a good boy and play at home, and wait for Mama to come back, okay?"

"Awoo..."

’The beautiful female is going to leave me here all alone.’

’She’s not taking me with her.’

The big lion’s golden eyes grew moist with sorrow.

Seeing this, Yu Lan instantly grew anxious. She hurriedly threw her arms around the big lion’s fluffy head to comfort him.

"Our baby is the best baby, right?"

"Mama has to work to earn money to buy meat for baby to eat."

Yu Lan’s resolve not to take the big lion out was firm.

She wouldn’t give in, even if he acted pitiful and cute.

A flash of disappointment crossed the big lion’s eyes. Without pestering her further, he stood at the door and watched as the beautiful female’s figure disappeared in front of the hovercar.

*

「Science Research Institute Laboratory」

As soon as Yu Lan walked into the lab, she hurried to check on the progress of yesterday’s experiment.

She quickly became engrossed in her work.

She didn’t notice

that her playful roughhousing with the big lion had left a red mark on her fair, soft neck.

A mark in a place like the neck looked extremely suggestive.

But in an interstellar society where females were few and revered while males were numerous and of lower status, this was all too normal.

After all, a beautiful and good-tempered female like Yu Lan could never possibly be single.

The only question was which lucky male had the good fortune to live with Yu Lan and spend such a wonderful night with her.

After seeing Yu Lan yesterday,

an inexplicable emotion had been stirring in Shen Zueran’s heart.

He didn’t know where this feeling came from or what it meant.

Upon hearing that Yu Lan had arrived at the Science Research Institute, he found himself drawn to the laboratory entrance, as if by some strange impulse, filled with an unnatural sense of anticipation.

At that moment, Yu Lan was hunched over, intently studying the components of a reagent. This exposed the graceful, supple curve of her snow-white neck, and against that pale skin, the red mark stood out all the more conspicuously.

As a fellow male with extremely strong possessiveness, Shen Zueran knew exactly what this meant.

’Leaving a mark in such an obvious place... is it a silent warning to other males not to pursue Yu Lan?’

Hah!

’What does he think our Science Research Institute is? And who does he take me for?’

’Just which intensely jealous male was Yu Lan with last night?’

Shen Zueran’s face turned ashen as a list of names flashed through his mind.

The pleasant mood he’d been in moments ago instantly spiraled out of control, and he was even overcome with the urge to pick a fight with that unknown male.

Shen Zueran’s hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists, the veins on their backs bulging. A tempest raged in his heart.

’I don’t even like Yu Lan.’

’So why am I feeling this way?’

Before Shen Zueran could make sense of his thoughts, Yu Lan, who was in the middle of her experiment, seemed to sense something and tilted her head toward the doorway.

"Director?"

"Hm? Did I just imagine that?"

Yu Lan blinked, looking at the empty doorway.

’But I could have sworn someone was just here.’