I became incredibly cute after dressing up as an animal!

When eating, as soon as Lan Xiaoxiao gets close, Da Lan will immediately stop eating, lower his body, and let out a threatening growl until Lan Xiaoxiao retreats to a safe distance.

When sleeping, Da Lan is even more domineering, pushing Lan Xiao Xiao out of the cave and taking over the warm and dry cave all to herself.

Lan Xiaoxiao would silently back away each time, without making a fuss or resisting.

She knew that her mother didn't stop loving her; it was just that it was time to let go.

The expedition team recorded all of this using infrared cameras.

The atmosphere in the office was heavy.

Professor Xu stared at the small figure lying at the entrance of the hole on the screen, remained silent for a long time, then took off his glasses and rubbed his temples: "Big Blue has started to drive Little Blue away."

Little Zhang, standing next to her, had red eyes and a strained voice: "Lan Xiao is not even two and a half years old..."

Actually, Lan Xiao is only two months shy of two and a half years old.

It's already too late to start the expulsion now; some wild giant pandas are expelled as early as one and a half years old.

"Bluey is very independent," Professor Xu said. "Look at its reaction. It doesn't panic when it's chased away. Its emotions are very stable. Cubs with this kind of personality will adapt to the wild environment more easily when separated from their mothers."

"Sigh..." Xiao Zhang opened his mouth, but the word "reluctant" stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say it no matter what.

He was truly reluctant to part with it.

It's not just Xiao Zhang who's reluctant to part with them; in fact, all the staff members are reluctant to let them go.

They couldn't bear to see this, but there was nothing they could do; it was the law of nature.

"The expert panel has assessed the situation," Professor Xu said, putting his glasses back on. "Lan Xiao is currently capable of living completely independently."

……

The video of Big Blue chasing away Little Blue was edited and posted online.

This time, there was no funny background music, no plot twists, just a very simple record, and not even an interesting title.

In the scene, Da Lan pushes Lan Xiao Xiao away time and time again, and Lan Xiao Xiao silently retreats each time.

A one-minute video.

The comment section was filled with tears.

Each comment was followed by a crying emoji.

"Oh my god, this day has finally come. I've been worried and afraid of this day since Lan Xiao was a year and a half old, and it's finally here. ꒦ິ^꒦ິ"

"No! Waaaaaah, Big Blue, don't send Little Blue away!!!"

"I know this is the natural order of things, but I'm still so sad... Is this the price of growing up?"

"Lan Xiao is still so small, can it manage on its own? Will it be scared?"

"Big Blue must be feeling bad too. It's just doing what a mother should do. It has to be ruthless. Little Blue is growing up and needs to be independent."

"The animal world is so cruel; they clearly love each other so much, yet they push each other away."

"Where is the first year of junior high? Where is the first year of junior high? What should the first year of junior high do in this situation?"

This last comment voiced everyone's thoughts.

Where is the first year of junior high school?

The first day of the Lunar New Year is nearby.

During the days when Da Lan drove Lan Xiao away, Chu Yi was like a silent guardian, watching from afar.

When Lan Xiao was driven out of the cave, Chu Yi squatted under a big tree not far away.

When Lan Xiao was driven away and couldn't eat, Chu Yi would come over with a big bamboo shoot in his mouth, put it in front of her, and push it to her to eat.

When Lan Xiao was driven away with nowhere to go and was shivering in the cold wind, Chu Yi sat down against a big tree, patted his round belly, and gestured for her to come up, just like when he was a child.

Lan Xiaoxiao looked at the familiar belly, hesitated for a moment, and then climbed up.

She was no longer the little dumpling who could lie flat on Chu Yi's belly. Now, the little bear was helpless and could only curl up, resting her head on Chu Yi's chest, listening to the steady and powerful heartbeat.

Starting from the first year of junior high school, I licked the bear's head.

Once, twice, three times.

The rough tongue, warm to the touch, gently combed the bear's messy fur.

The little bear closed its eyes, and tears finally streamed down its face.

In her past life, she was an orphan with no home. In this life, she has a mother, the companionship of Chu Yi, and a home that, though brief, is very warm.

……

……

After Da Lan chased Lan Xiaoxiao away ten times, Lan Xiaoxiao decided to leave.

It's not out of spite; it's just that it's time to go.

That morning, before the fog had lifted, she stood at the cave entrance and took one last look inside.

Big Blue lay in the cave, its round eyes half-closed, seemingly asleep, but its ears were constantly twitching, trying to catch any sounds outside.

Lan Xiaoxiao made a "meow".

Big Blue's ears twitched, but it didn't look up.

Lan Xiaoxiao bleated again, her voice softer than before, with a slight tremor.

Big Blue looked up, its round eyes staring at Little Bear.

Lan Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, turned around, and left.

Big Blue sat up, but didn't follow them out or make a sound.

Lan Xiaoxiao walked down the stream, past the open space where she usually played, past the big tree where she first climbed to the top, and past the stream where she swam with Chu Yi.

It followed her closely from the first day of the lunar month, its round figure moving through the woods.

Lan Xiaoxiao walked for a while, then stopped and looked back.

The Great Blue Cave is no longer visible, completely hidden by the dense bamboo forest.

But she knew that Big Blue must be standing at the cave entrance, looking in her direction.

Lan Xiaoxiao turned her head and continued walking forward.

As she was walking, she suddenly started running.

The round little body ran through the forest, faster and faster, farther and farther, making the bamboo grove rustle.

It's as if as long as you run fast enough, you can leave the sadness of parting behind.

The first-year student was chasing after him.

The little bear ran across the creek, across the hill, and reached the edge of its territory.

Then she stopped, turned around, and watched as Chu Yi caught up.

Chu Yi stood in front of her, panting, his round eyes filled with worry.

Chu Yi didn't know what the little bear was thinking, so it simply stretched out its paw and gently patted the little bear's head.

Lan Xiaoxiao didn't call out.

This is a game they played when they were little; the bear will make a sound whenever you pat it.

If it didn't bark, it just means the little bear is in a bad mood.

Chu Yi nudged her belly with his nose.

"Eek..." Lan Xiaoxiao cried out.

This time, the call lacked the usual coquettishness, instead carrying an indescribable emotion, like a farewell.

Satisfied, Chu Yi turned around and walked towards the territory.

After taking two steps, it turned back to look at her, tilted its head, as if to say: Follow me, let's go home.

She didn't go back with Chu Yi.

She turned and walked in the opposite direction of the territory, into the unknown, the wilderness that truly belonged to her.

After taking a few steps, Chu Yi realized there was no movement behind him. He turned around and saw that the little bear had run away again!

Lan Xiaoxiao had already walked far away; that small, round figure was resolutely moving in an unfamiliar direction.

Chu Yi stood there, staring at that figure from behind, stunned for several seconds.

Then, it chased after it without hesitation.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, we don't go back to our territory; we follow the little bear.

Two pandas, one large and one small, walked into the unknown bamboo forest, one after the other.

A mountain breeze rustled through the bamboo leaves.

Lan Xiaoxiao's figure receded into the distance, but Chu Yi's figure always followed behind, neither too close nor too far, like a moving black and white cloud, forever protecting her.

……

The one-minute video of Big Blue chasing away Little Blue, edited by video bloggers and marketing accounts, made the entire internet cry for a month!

Even now, people are still commenting and asking: Is Lan Xiao still with Da Lan? How is things going for her in the first year of junior high?

Finally, netizens who had been crying for a month received an update from the scientific expedition team.

This time it has a title.

The title reads: [Lan Xiao has become independent, but one thing has surprised everyone...]

All the footage of Big Blue chasing away Little Blue has been released.

The last few seconds of the video are footage captured by an infrared camera.

Lan Xiaoxiao walked ahead, her small figure moving through the woods, appearing somewhat lonely, yet incredibly determined.

Subtitle caption: "Lan Xiao has left the Great Blue Territory and begun a new journey."

In the video, Chu Yi followed closely behind Lan Xiao, his round body never leaving her side.

The two pandas, one after the other, disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest.

The comment section exploded.

"Chu Yi ran off with Lan Xiao?! !!!"

"Just as I imagined! Chu Yi will follow Lan Xiao! This family hasn't completely fallen apart yet!"

I thought the three bears would go their separate ways, thank goodness they didn't leave on the first day of the lunar new year.

"Wait a minute, if Chu Yi went with Lan Xiao, won't Da Lan be all alone now?"

Big Blue: ??? Where's my kid? Where are my neighbors? Why did they all run away???

"I cried so loudly, but I also felt so warm inside. Chu Yi really treated Lan Xiao like his own daughter."

"With Chu Yi by her side, Lan Xiao shouldn't be too lonely."

"Professor Xu, please say something! Does it even make sense that Chu Yi followed Lan Xiao?"

"Isn't it a bit unscientific for a sub-adult panda to follow another smaller sub-adult panda?"

The next day, Professor Xu shared a link to a new paper on Weibo, titled: "A Long-Term Tracking Study of Transgender and Trans-Individual Cadaver Behavior in Wild Giant Pandas."

The first year of junior high school has repeatedly defied public perception.