Ziyue tilted her head and called out, "Bingbing?"
Chiying floated over from the corner of the sofa, hovering beside Liu Yi, its crimson eyes fixed on the egg.
Liu Yi looked at the cheerfully flickering golden-red patterns on the eggshell, a slight smile gracing her lips.
"Alright."
She cradled the egg in her hands, walked to the bed, and gently placed it beside her pillow.
She quickly washed up and got into bed, turning on her side to face the egg.
Ziyue immediately jumped onto the bed, found a spot behind Liu Yi, and lay down, its two tails gently resting on her waist. Chiying coiled at the foot of the bed, its crimson eyes half-closed.
The golden-red patterns on the eggshell continued to flicker, but at a slower pace than before. The eager feeling had vanished, replaced by a contented pulsation.
Liu Yi reached out, her fingertips gently stroking the eggshell's surface.
"Goodnight," she whispered.
The golden-red patterns on the eggshell flickered once, then slowly dimmed.
...
The first ray of morning sunlight filtered into the room through a gap in the curtains.
Liu Yi woke from her sleep.
The moment she opened her eyes, she felt something was amiss.
Beside her pillow, the egg was emitting an unprecedentedly strong glow. Golden-red patterns swirled wildly across the eggshell like burning flames, and the entire egg trembled slightly.
A tiny crack appeared on the eggshell's surface.
She wasn't dreaming; it had truly cracked.
Liu Yi abruptly sat up.
Ziyue was startled awake by her movement, peeking its head from behind her, its purple eyes still heavy with sleep.
But when it saw the glowing egg, its sleepiness vanished without a trace.
"Bingbing?!" Ziyue exclaimed, its tail shooting straight up.
Chiying also lifted its head from the foot of the bed, its crimson eyes fixed on the egg.
More and more cracks appeared on the eggshell.
One, two, three...
Fine cracks spread from the top to the sides, and golden-red light burst from the fissures, illuminating the entire room as if it were day.
Liu Yi held her breath, staring intently at the egg.
"Crack—"
A piece of eggshell fell from the top, revealing a small opening.
From within the opening, a pair of golden eyes watched her.
Those eyes were clear and bright, filled with curiosity for the new world and a sense of closeness to the first person it saw.
The next second, the opening widened further.
A tiny head emerged from the eggshell.
Those golden eyes were now fixed on Liu Yi, unblinking.
Then, it let out a cry.
"Yanyan."
The voice was very soft, carrying the innocence of a newborn, yet it clearly reached Liu Yi's ears.
Ziyue peeked its head from behind Liu Yi, its purple eyes curiously fixed on the little lion. It tilted its head, its tail gently swaying behind it.
It let out a soft call.
"Bingbing?"
"Hello?"
Yanyan the Blaze Lion turned its head, its golden eyes looking at Ziyue. It tilted its head, seemingly wondering what this was.
Then it turned back, looking at Liu Yi again.
"Yanyan."
It cried out again, this time a little louder, with a tone of confirmation.
"It's you."
Liu Yi reached out, her fingertips gently stroking Yanyan the Blaze Lion's head.
Its golden fur was incredibly soft, like the finest silk, offering almost no resistance as her fingertips glided over it. Yanyan the Blaze Lion narrowed its eyes from her touch, letting out a comfortable purr from its throat.
"Yanyan."
It then struggled to climb out of the eggshell, its limbs still uncoordinated, kicking several times on the bedsheet before pulling its entire body free.
Yanyan the Blaze Lion was covered in soft golden fur. Its mane was still a thin layer, clinging around its neck like a fluffy scarf, its color gradually shifting from pure gold at the base to fiery red at the tips, like a cluster of burning flames.
Most striking was its tail; the small tail gently swayed behind it, its tip also transitioning from golden-red, each swing seeming to scatter sparks.
It lay on the bed, seemingly not yet accustomed to this world.
But it soon lifted its head, its golden-red eyes fixed resolutely on Liu Yi.
"Yanyan."
It cried out again, then nudged Liu Yi's finger with its damp nose.
Liu Yi's lips curved into a slight smile.
She gently picked up Yanyan the Blaze Lion and placed it on her lap.
Yanyan the Blaze Lion wobbled unsteadily on her lap. But it refused to lie down, stubbornly propping itself up, its golden eyes constantly watching Liu Yi.
Ziyue leaned in from the side, gently nudging Yanyan the Blaze Lion's head with its nose.
Yanyan the Blaze Lion swayed from the touch, then turned its head to look at Ziyue.
It tilted its head, observed for a moment, then extended a small paw and gently tapped Ziyue's nose.
Ziyue was momentarily stunned by the tap, then its tail wagged even higher, its eyes full of joy.
"Bingbing! Bingbing!"
It turned and called out to Liu Yi twice.
"It's so small! So cute!"
Chiying floated over from the foot of the bed, hovering beside Liu Yi, its crimson eyes fixed on Yanyan the Blaze Lion.
Yanyan the Blaze Lion also saw Chiying. It looked up, its golden eyes staring at the dark dragon in the air for several seconds.
Then it lowered its head, continuing to rub Liu Yi's finger with its nose, seemingly uninterested in Chiying.
Chiying's tail swayed gently once, but it said nothing.
Liu Yi looked down at it and softly said, "Please take care of me from now on."
Yanyan the Blaze Lion blinked, its golden eyes reflecting her face.
Then it opened its mouth, let out a tiny yawn, revealing its pink tongue and fangs. It lay on Liu Yi's lap, closed its eyes, and its breathing gradually became steady.
The little one, fresh from its shell, was tired after all that excitement.
Yanyan the Blaze Lion's breathing was soft and long, its golden fur gently rising and falling with each breath, like a small, quiet flame.
Liu Yi looked down at it, a smile still on her lips.
She reached out, her fingertips gently stroking Yanyan the Blaze Lion's back.
Then her hand paused.
"Wait."
It was only now that Liu Yi realized.
Her gaze fell on Yanyan the Blaze Lion's fur, examining it inch by inch.
"Golden."
"Not fiery red."
She remembered clearly that the Blaze Lions she had seen before in the Myriad Realm Secret Realm had fiery red fur and golden manes.
But the one in her arms had golden fur all over its body, its mane transitioning from gold to fiery red, and its tail tip also a golden-red gradient.
"It's not a regular Blaze Lion," Liu Yi said softly.
Ziyue peeked its head from behind her, its purple eyes curiously fixed on Yanyan the Blaze Lion.
"Bingbing?"
"What do you mean, not a regular Blaze Lion?"
Liu Yi: "A Radiance Shift."
Chiying also floated over from the foot of the bed, hovering beside Liu Yi, tilting its head in sync with Ziyue.
"Mo?"
"What is a Radiance Shift?"
Liu Yi looked at them and softly explained, "It's an extremely rare variant within the same species, an individual whose color differs from the common ones."
"The Beast Tamer Association calls pets with such distinct appearances from others of their species 'Radiance Shifts.' They are incredibly rare, with an estimated appearance rate of one in ten thousand or even lower."
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