After the two tigresses, who were significantly different in age, greeted each other gently, the older tigress gave the mother tigress and the other tigress a deep look in her eyes before slowly walking into the forest.
Lin Qian was puzzled as he watched the old tigress walk into the forest.
All this trouble, just to meet up? To say hello? This is...
Just as Lin Qian was puzzled, a roar of an old tiger, still majestic, echoed from the forest.
The tiger's roar echoed far and wide through the forest.
This is the roar of a king, and his final display of majesty.
Upon hearing the tiger's roar, the forest animals all hid in fear. They were all too familiar with that roar; it belonged to their king.
Within that majestic roar, Lin Qian detected a sense of farewell.
The mother tiger and the tigress raised their heads and roared in unison, both letting out a farewell cry.
Lin Qian finally understood: this old tigress wanted to leave the forest...
Why leave?
The moment this thought crossed Lin Qian's mind, a feeling of sadness welled up inside him.
He couldn't possibly think of or understand it using human thinking, but the tiger's instincts gave him the answer.
The old tigress is dying.
It had reached the end of its life and sensed its impending death.
So it called out to say goodbye to the tigresses.
The tiger mother and tigress's roars went unanswered, but they knew it had heard them and was gone.
The two tigresses stood quietly in place, gazing at the forest for a long time.
The tigress turned and looked at her strong sister, then let out a low growl and prepared to leave.
Although the departure of the old tigress made it feel somewhat "sad," its simple mind did not dwell on the grief.
Tiger Mom nuzzled against it, but didn't say anything.
At this moment, its heart was heavy. It knew very well what the departure of the old tigress meant, more clearly than ever before.
It felt a deep sadness in its heart, a sadness it had never experienced before.
It didn't understand, it was confused, yet a clear thought, as if it should be this way, swirled in its mind.
Feeling the sadness in her heart, Lin Qian gently rubbed against her mother's chest and asked in a low voice.
"Aww?" Mom, where is it going?
The tiger mother looked down at her cubs, remaining silent.
It didn't know, but it vaguely knew it was a very far place.
It is very rare for tigers to live to a ripe old age and die peacefully; the tiger mother truly did not know the answer to this question.
However, as a member of the same race, it had a feeling in its blood that if it were to reach such a moment, it would also leave its territory and go to a distant place to find a quiet burial ground.
For wild animals, finding a peaceful death in the forest is an extremely difficult task.
Whether it's a tiger or a hare, no matter how flamboyant and arrogant they are in their youth, the miserable situation they face in old age is the same.
Declining physical function and death at the hands of other predators are the common fates of wild animals in their later years.
Therefore, wild animals never think about what they will look like when they are old.
Tiger Mom is the same way. Not to mention that her simple thinking didn't include thinking about "the future," even if she did, she wouldn't care.
For a wild animal, its greatest wish is simply to have good luck every day, not to go hungry, and to live each day well.
After having offspring, the tiger mother's simplest and most ordinary hope is to take good care of her cubs and watch them grow up strong and healthy, so that they can roar through the mountains when they grow up.
But now, Tiger Mom has been involuntarily drawn into thoughts she shouldn't be having, and she's trying to think about "the future."
The tiger mother, trying to change her mindset, stood there for a long time until the inexplicable thoughts in her mind dissipated, and she returned to the normal behavior of a female tiger.
With a soft call, the mother tiger led her two cubs toward her territory. Although she had finished thinking, a seed of something extraordinary had been planted in her heart.
Having not received an answer from Tiger Mom, Lin Qian did not ask any more questions, but already had a vague answer in her heart.
Although he was once a human and still has human thoughts, he is now a true tiger cub, possessing all the instincts and premonitions that a tiger should have.
Courage seemed to sense something; the little guy, unlike his usual lively self, quietly followed his mother the whole way, no longer as energetic as he had been on the way there.
Sunrise and sunset, the sun and stars seem to never change from day to day.
The old tigress walked slowly through the forest, looking at the increasingly unfamiliar landscape. The dark, towering mountains in the distance were her destination under the cover of night.
But it's not in a hurry; it still has things to say goodbye to.
In the dark forest, a striped tiger swiftly darted through, not bothering to conceal itself as usual.
"roar--"
Sensing something, the old tigress let out a roar towards the distant forest.
Soon, the striped tiger arrived in front of it.
Looking at the tiger's massive body, which far exceeded that of a normal male tiger, the old tigress's eyes flashed with surprise, followed by relief and peace of mind.
Its offspring are still as outstanding as ever, giving it peace of mind as always.
Looking at the elderly tigress before him, the father tiger lowered his body and rubbed against his mother like a cub.
No matter how long it has been away or how much it has grown, it can always feel tenderness when facing its mother.
The old tigress nuzzled him affectionately, just like when a mother and child depend on each other for survival, and gently licked the father tiger's fur with the tip of her tongue.
Tiger Dad lay quietly, closed his eyes, and enjoyed his mother's warmth, as if he had returned to his childhood.
There is no moon tonight, but the stars are shining brightly and the Milky Way is sparkling. The quiet night is not lonely.
After an unknown amount of time, the old tigress stopped licking, gently nuzzling her father's head with affection and tenderness.
Tiger Dad looked up at his mother's loving gaze, his heart filled with sorrow.
The old tigress let out a low growl, carrying a sense of parting yet filled with loving care, and took a deep look at her cubs.
Then he slowly got up and resolutely continued forward.
"Roar!!" Tiger Dad suddenly roared and ran to Mother's side, trying to stop her.
It doesn't know why it does this, but it wants to do it.
A tiger's life is lonely. As a wild animal, it is used to life and death, but at this moment, it only feels depressed and uncomfortable, unable to watch its mother leave.
The old tigress was a little puzzled, but she still gently nuzzled it and continued on her way.
This is its choice, and the path it must take.
It should have quietly disappeared into the forest a few days ago. But that strange earthquake gave it a glimmer of hope.
Unfortunately, it was already old, and this vitality only delayed its death.
Realizing she was about to die, the old tigress suddenly recalled many memories.
Children, spouse, parents, siblings...
Finally, it decided to return to its hometown, to take one last look at the place where it was born.
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