Chapter 4: First Date Ah Bao

Liang Yue’s palace covered a wide area, including a mountain range with six peaks, a deep, wide and beautiful lake, and widespread of plain. There were many beastmen volunteering to serve the Azure Dragon in the palace, such as elephant race, dog race, bird race and so on. They were responsible for Liang Yue’s everyday life and were self-sufficient in their daily life.

The palace where Liang Yue lived mainly was on top of the highest mountain, towering into the clouds.

Today, the first blind date was not arranged in such high place, but at the rear garden of the palace, in the widespread plain, under a big tree.

Early in the morning, Liang Yue arrived ahead of time. The site of the blind date was obviously arranged carefully. The weeds were removed, the bare exposed ground was cleaned up neatly, and even a table and two bamboo stools were placed.

Liang Yue picked up a bamboo stool, sat down and waited patiently.

The cool breeze came gently, the sky was crystal clear blue, and the broad view was distinct light green, making Liang Yue in a good mood. His fingers slipped across the bamboo table, which was carefully polished. It was smooth and green, with a fresh fragrance.

What kind of person was the first date?

According to regulations, matchmaking venues were chosen and arranged by female candidates. That was to say, the bamboo table and stools used here were also made by the blind date.

Liang Yue speculated that this blind date might be a refined and meticulous young nobleman who lived in the bamboo grove and liked a quiet environment. With this in mind, Liang Yue added several expectations onto his first date.

The date did not let Liang Yue wait long, but also came earlier than the agreed time.

After a while, Liang Yue heard a soft and waxy voice gasping and said, “He-hello Your Highness, I-I’m here.”

There was no one as he looked at eye level. But when Liang Yue looked down, he saw a small boy half his height in his field of vision.

The small boy was chubby and had short black hair. Among the short hair was a pair of round, plushy black ears, which looked very lovely. A part of skin on the boy’s face was also fair and tender, but only, there were two big oval dark circles of fine furs on his steamed bun face.

The small boy wore only a knee length skirt. His chubby upper body was bare, with a black chest and white belly.

It was quite different from Liang Yue’s speculation. As it turned out, the date was a chubby young/small nobleman.

At this time, the straw skirted boy was holding a large bundle of green and tender bamboo, panting to Liang Yue’s side, strenuously lifting the bundle of bamboo with both hands, putting it on the bamboo table that was higher than him, and pushing it down in front of Liang Yue.

After all this, the small nobleman said to Liang Yue, “Your-Your Highness, I give you the best bamboo.”

“Thank you.” Liang Yue sat looking down at the chubby steamed bun’s face and short body, and saw his chest full of black short fur and white belly, as well as the primitive straw skirt. He was surprised and even doubted. Is this small nobleman really among the strongest beastmen as they said?

Consequently Liang Yue pointed to the bamboo stool opposite the bamboo table and said, “Sit down, my name is Liang Yue. And you?”

The small nobleman was very obedient. He climbed up the bamboo stool with his two chubby hands and sat down. His hands were on the table. His fingers were crossed. He stammered a little and said, “Your-Your Highness, I-I am the strongest beastman in the Panda Clan. My name is Ah Bao.”

“Ah Bao,” Liang Yue called out the name and looked at the small boy opposite, in the very same manner as if chatting with children in kindergarten. He totally did not feel that he was in a blind date at all. He asked rather curiously, “How did the strongest beastman of the Panda Clan be chosen?”

When Ah Bao heard Liang Yue’s question, his face was filled with pride as he answered, “There are five competitions in all! For two years, all of our unmarried adult females have tried to climb the highest bamboo in the shortest time, compete to eat the most bamboo, compete to carry the heaviest bamboo, and compete to make the best bamboo house!”

With that done, Ah Bao rubbed his paws and with a little embarrassment, bowed his head and asked, “Your Highness, is the table and stool made by me still strong and nice? It was made under the guidance of the elephantman in the palace, according to the height of Your Highness. Time is not very abundant, I hope it’s not too ugly.”

“It’s not ugly. It’s nice, smooth, and smells good. You did a good job.” Then Liang Yue asked curiously. “You just mentioned climbing bamboo, eating bamboos, moving bamboos and making bamboo houses. There are only four competitions. What was the other competition?”

When Ah Bao heard this, he looked up at Liang Yue, then looked down at his fingers, flushed red all over his face as he whispered, “It’s shameful to say that. But since Your Highness asked, I’ll say it.”

Liang Yue suddenly had a bad feeling. As he was about to stop Ah Bao from continuing, Ah Bao answered obediently: “The last competition is to test the flexibility and pliability of the waist. Don’t look at my big belly, m-my waist is very good and flexible. When serving Your Highness, I can persevere for a few hours without any problem!” Ah Bao quickly stole a glance at Liang Yue, and felt even more embarrassed, he bowed his head before he said, “I’ve been training for a long time. I can twirl my hips for your highness to see it now.”

Liang Yue was suddenly filled with a sense of guilt. Although he knew that all the beastmen that came for the date had grown to adulthood, still, his outer appearance was too small. Liang Yue immediately stopped him and said, “No, what are you… This is our first time meeting. Why are you, doing so much?”

Liang Yue thought it was just a meet and chat. He didn’t even prepare gifts. However, the other party took part in the contest for two years. He also cleaned the venue, made table and stools, and gifted fresh bamboo.

Ah Bao raised his head and looked up. The round panda’s black eyeballs inside the black furry eye sockets deeply stared at Liang Yue. “But actually, it was not the first time we met,” He said with a little embarrassment. “When I was a child, I saw Your Highness.”

Liang Yue searched in his memory, but he did not have any impression of the beastmen of the Panda Clan.

When Ah Bao saw Liang Yue’s doubtful eyes, he answered, “When we first met, the North River flooded, and the bamboo forests where our pandas lived were submerged. Wh-when I was a child, I was too fat and fell down repeatedly. I couldn’t keep up with the fleeing group until the flood washed me away and I looked on helplessly as it washed me away from my parents, all the while the flood pounded against me and I incessantly choked with water… At this moment, it was the first time I saw the beast form of Your Highness! You flew down from the sea of clouds, grabbed me up and put me on a tree, and then the flood ceased.”

After listening to Ah Bao’s description, Liang Yue still had not too much of impression. Every dream of Liang Yue did such a thing. He saved too much, and it became a very common thing. Just like eating, no one would remember what each grain looks like.

Yet Ah Bao’s eyes were full of emotion that Liang Yue was unable to make sense of.

Then he heard Ah Bao continue to say: “That day after Your Highness rescued me, the figure of Your Highness has been in my heart… I asked my parents about Your Highness. Every day, I looked up at the sky, and occasionally saw the beast form of Your Highness flew by in a flash. It was very satisfying. Not only me, but the beastmen of our whole clan look up every day, for Your Highness had saved many drowned fates… Knowing that Your Highness is going to marry, many males hate that they are not females… Ah Bao feels very lucky. Ah Bao has been preparing for many years and has been ready to give birth for Your Highness at any time.”

After that, Ah Bao raised his plushy black chest and looked forward to Liang Yue with great expectation.

Liang Yue looked at the fluffy small chest and suddenly remembered what the fire user beastman Ah Xiong had said. If he agreed to be wooed, touch it…

Liang Yue slightly turned his face. Little Ah Bao looked too small. Especially on such occasions, let alone touch, he would feel guilty even if he touched his eyes. So Liang Yue nodded and said, “Thank you, I know.”

When Ah Bao saw Liang Yue doing this, his whole body fell down and with bowed head, he said, “I know, too. Thank you, Your Highness, for your willingness to see me.”

After a while, Ah Bao summoned up courage and asked, “Your Highness, what do you think of me?”

“You’re cute.” Liang Yue answered.

Ah Bao smiled and said, “I feel the same way.”

Ah Bao tried to smile, but his black fur was wet with tears. All his hopes had vanished into thin air. There were two lines of tear on his face. Ah Bao wiped his eyes, he smiled and invited: “if Your Highness passed by our clan one day, welcome to live in the bamboo house we made for Your Highness. The best house is reserved for Your Highness, which is cleaned every day.”

“Okay, thank you.” Liang Yue looked at Ah Bao, who had tears in his eyes. Somehow, he couldn’t bear it. He stretched out his hand and rubbed Ah Bao’s hair on his head to comfort him. Being rubbed by Liang Yue, Ah Bao’s tears like a dam burst, flooded and he cried harder.