Chapter 182 - 145: Cross-Species Love at First Sight

Yang Qi: "..."

For a moment, he was so stunned he didn’t even know where to begin with his complaints.

Unrequited love was enough to make a "lion" waste away, but this was a freaking case of cross-species unrequited love?!

No wonder even the experienced Lu Gangsheng couldn’t figure it out. The cause of this illness was just too bizarre, too outlandish.

After taking a moment to calm his mind, which had been thrown into chaos by this answer, Yang Qi softened his tone and tried to counsel the lion, who was trapped in this "unconventional romance."

"Bart, uh... I know feelings can be hard to control."

"But have you ever thought about how different kinds of animals usually can’t have offspring together? You know that, right?"

[I know]

Bart replied weakly, resting his heavy head back on his forepaws, his gaze growing even dimmer.

[But I just can’t forget it]

[My mind is filled with its image]

[I don’t have the energy for anything, and I don’t want to eat]

Yang Qi: "..."

’This is so damn messed up!’

’A lion, lovesick to this extent, and not even for one of its own kind.’

’Who would even believe it if I told them!’

Yang Qi complained internally, but at the same time, his curiosity was piqued.

What kind of animal could possibly make a lion from the African Savanna so utterly captivated, so obsessed that he would starve himself?

Immediately, he softened his voice again, asking in a gentle, coaxing tone.

"Bart, can you tell me what kind of animal this ’most beautiful beast’ you like is? What does it look like?"

Bart seemed to be trying hard to remember and think, hesitating for a long while before finally responding.

[I... I’ve never seen it...]

[The last time, in that dark room, was the first time I saw it]

[It was so beautiful]

’An animal he’s never seen before?’

Yang Qi’s mind raced.

Bart was from Africa, so an animal he’d never seen before would undoubtedly be from Eurasia, America, or another continent, but that was still too broad a range.

However, the "dark room" Bart mentioned was very likely the shipping container used for overseas transport.

Bart and the animal he fell for at first sight had been locked in the same container!

’This information is crucial.’

If he could find the transportation records from that time, it might be possible to pinpoint the identity and destination of the mysterious animal.

With this in mind, Yang Qi formed a plan.

"Bart, listen to me, you can’t go on like this. Even if it’s for the chance to see the beast you like again, you have to eat first and get your strength back. You’re so weak and feeble now, what could you even do if you did see it?"

This sentence seemed to strike a chord with Bart’s deepest desires.

He suddenly lifted his head, a glimmer of light bursting forth in his dull eyes. He looked at Yang Qi eagerly, growing excited.

[Two-legged Beast, you can let me see it?]

[You can really let me see it again?]

"I can try and ask around for you."

Yang Qi didn’t make a solid promise, but he gave him hope. "But before that, I need more information. Bart, think carefully. Back when you and it were in that dark room, were there any other animals in there besides the two of you?"

Bart tried hard to remember, and after a moment, he responded with certainty.

[No, just the two of us]

"Okay, I understand."

Yang Qi nodded. "I’ll go out now and ask around for you, to see where that ’most beautiful beast’ that was with you ended up. I’ll do my best to see if I can arrange for you two to meet again."

[Really?]

[Is that really possible?!]

Bart’s spirits were clearly lifted; his massive body even trembled slightly.

[Two-legged Beast, as long as you let me see it, I’ll do anything you say]

"I can only say I’ll do my best. I can’t give you a one-hundred-percent guarantee."

Yang Qi remained cautious. "But, Bart, before any of that, you have to eat first. You need to build your strength back up, get your energy back."

"Otherwise, even if I find it and arrange a meeting for you, are you really going to face it looking so scrawny, pathetic, and listless? That wouldn’t look good at all, right?"

Those words were like the final straw, crushing the self-destructive thoughts in Bart’s mind.

He lowered his head, glanced at his own slightly gaunt belly and dull coat from days of not eating, then thought about the terrible scene Yang Qi had described. A flash of determination appeared in his eyes.

[You’re right]

Bart let out a low growl, his resolve hardening.

[I can’t let it see me like this]

[I must eat. I must become stronger]

With that, he staggered to his feet from the stone platform.

Though his steps were still a bit unsteady, his eyes were completely different, now filled with a sense of purpose.

Shaking his massive head, Bart strode toward the other side of the enclosure, toward the pieces of beef that he had long ignored and were now starting to lose their freshness.

Outside the enclosure, Lu Gangsheng, Zhao Mingfeng, a group of veterinarians, and the security guards, who had been anxiously watching every move inside, couldn’t help but stare with wide eyes.

The group watched, stunned, as the listless lion, Bart, who had been refusing to eat for days, actually got up on his own and walked toward the food after Yang Qi had gone in to "chat" with him for a bit.

"He’s... he’s eating! He’s going to eat!" a young veterinarian couldn’t help but exclaim in a hushed voice.

"He’s really eating! He’s taking big bites!" another person said, their eyes wide.

"He succeeded? Advisor Yang persuaded him just like that? That’s incredible!"

"..."

Everyone murmured among themselves, their faces filled with a mixture of pleasant surprise and awe.

Zhao Mingfeng was overjoyed, and he also breathed a huge sigh of relief.