Chapter 139 - 129: Hero "Mother" Leopard

"This is great news!"

A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Yang Qi’s face, but inwardly, he was perfectly calm.

It was only to be expected that Big Flower and Er Hua would successfully conceive after taking the system’s Creation (Fertility) Pill.

Yang Qi just hadn’t said anything, preferring to let things unfold naturally.

"It is good news."

Cheng Xiaoou nodded, also smiling, but her expression quickly turned cautious. "But right now, it’s just a suspicion based on observation and preliminary tests. We can’t be one hundred percent certain yet."

"Large felines, especially in captivity, sometimes experience pseudopregnancy. Their bodies and behaviors show signs of pregnancy, but they haven’t actually conceived."

"Repeated examinations, especially invasive ones, are very stressful for the animals, so we’ve been extremely careful."

She looked at Yang Qi, her eyes full of expectation. "We brought you here today to ask if you could communicate with Big Flower without using anesthesia. If you can calm her down, we could perform an abdominal ultrasound right here by the enclosure. That would let us confirm the pregnancy and check on the embryos’ development."

Hearing this, Yang Qi understood their concerns and intentions.

Performing an ultrasound on a large predator normally requires anesthesia first.

But anesthesia carries its own risks, especially for a potentially pregnant animal. Multiple doses could have adverse effects on both the mother and the fetus.

If he could calm Big Flower enough to complete the examination while she was conscious, that would be ideal.

"No problem."

Yang Qi agreed readily. "I’ll go talk to Big Flower first and see how she feels and what state she’s in. If she’s willing to cooperate, we should be able to do the exam."

"We’re counting on you, Xiao Yang," Jiang Kai said with a smile.

Cheng Xiaoou and the two Veterinarians also thanked him profusely.

"It’s my pleasure," Yang Qi said with a smile.

The group then spent a little while discussing the specific steps of the examination, equipment preparations, and safety protocols.

It was already past noon, but the matter was urgent, so they didn’t have time to worry about lunch.

The group went directly to the Leopard House.

Once they arrived at the Leopard House, Jiang Kai, Cheng Xiaoou, and the others waited outside in the staff corridor. Only Yang Qi, with the help of a keeper, opened the door and entered the inner section of Big Flower’s enclosure.

Inside the enclosure, Big Flower was lying in a dry, sunny corner, dozing with her eyes half-closed.

At the faint sound of the door opening and footsteps, she immediately raised her head, her sharp, golden-slitted pupils scanning the entrance.

When she saw it was Yang Qi, the wariness in her eyes faded, her gaze softening. A low, somewhat lazy growl rumbled in her throat.

"Two-legged Beast, what are you doing here?"

Yang Qi didn’t approach immediately. He stopped about three meters away from Big Flower and squatted down, trying to make himself look as harmless and relaxed as possible.

Then, he channeled his Magical Power and activated the Basic Spirit Communication Technique.

"I came to see you."

Yang Qi spoke gently, a natural smile on his face. "I heard you’re going to have little cubs. How are they doing?"

Big Flower’s golden eyes seemed to give Yang Qi a speechless look, and a low growl that sounded like a scoff rumbled in her throat.

"Are you stupid, Two-legged Beast?"

"The cubs haven’t even been born yet. How would I know if they’re behaving? Or if they’re okay?"

She paused, then seemed to realize something. A hint of surprise appeared in her eyes as she let out a confused growl.

"Huh?"

"Two-legged Beast, were you just speaking our Leopard language?"

"How come you can suddenly speak our language?"

"Oh, right."

Yang Qi acted as if he’d just realized, ignoring Big Flower’s question about how he could suddenly speak "Leopard". He turned the topic with a slightly "apologetic" tone. "Sorry about that. I guess I’ve been so busy I didn’t notice."

Then, as if remembering his purpose, he "consulted" her. "Even though the cubs aren’t born yet, we Two-legged Beasts have some tools that can let us ’see’ them inside your belly ahead of time. We can check if they’re all healthy and growing strong. Big Flower, would you like to try?"

Hearing this, Big Flower’s pupils visibly widened. She stared at Yang Qi in astonishment, her growl laced with disbelief.

"Are you serious, Two-legged Beast?"

"You can see the cubs in my belly ahead of time?"

"Then... why didn’t you check on me the last time I was pregnant with cubs?"

That’s right, Big Flower wasn’t a first-time mother. She had successfully given birth to a litter of cubs before, but for various reasons, not all of the young had survived.

"Maybe you just happened to be asleep last time you were pregnant."

Yang Qi gave a perfunctory reply, then asked for her opinion again. "So, what do you think, Big Flower? Want to give it a try? My companions and I can help you with the check-up. It’ll be quick, and it won’t hurt."

Big Flower lowered her head, seeming to ponder for a moment. She then looked back up at Yang Qi, as if weighing her options.

Finally, she nodded and let out a low growl.

"Let’s give it a try, then."

"Okay, wait here for a little bit. I’ll go get the tools and be right back," Yang Qi said reassuringly before standing up and exiting the enclosure.

Once outside, he nodded to the somewhat anxiously waiting Jiang Kai and the others. "Big Flower agreed. She’ll cooperate with the examination."

"That’s fantastic!"

Jiang Kai pumped his fist in excitement.

Delighted expressions also appeared on the faces of Cheng Xiaoou and the two Veterinarians, and they immediately directed the staff to get moving.

The portable ultrasound machine, sterilization equipment, coupling gel, clippers, and other items that had already been prepared were quickly and methodically moved to the entrance of the staff corridor for calibration and final setup.

Soon, everything was ready.

To avoid agitating Big Flower with too many strangers, only Yang Qi and the most experienced Veterinarian, an older man with the surname Liu who would operate the machine and interpret the results, entered the corridor.