Xi Qu stuck out its tongue and licked its lips.
It made no move.
It wasn't in a hurry.
Like a confident hunter, it waited for its prey to come to it.
The footsteps drew closer.
They sounded a little hurried.
The footsteps weren't very loud, not nearly as piercing as the sound of snapping twigs and crushed leaves.
Xi Qu's grin widened.
It wasn't an adult.
It was a human cub.
It liked human cubs.
It stared at the bushes beside it.
Rustling sounds came from within.
Then a human cub stepped out.
Seeing the cub's eyes widen, it gave a delighted smile.
Wonderful. This was a human cub who could see it.
At last, it could have a proper feast.
But then it was a little puzzled by the emotion in the human cub's eyes.
Not fear. Not terror.
Hatred.
Why?
The human cub pressed her lips together and charged at it. Xi Qu found it utterly amusing.
It really did laugh.
For entertaining it, the little human deserved a reward. Xi Qu decided it would snap her neck first.
After all, it often preferred its food fresh.
That also made the meal more lively.
The human's screams would ring in its ears.
And the pained, terrified look on a human's face always whetted its appetite.
Xi Qu still made no move.
It let the human cub charge right up to it, then lazily flicked its tail.
It knew that even a little force might hurt its feast.
That wouldn't do.
The human cub spun around several times like a top.
Xi Qu found it amusing, so it made her do it again a few times.
Only when the human cub was panting and sprawled on the ground did Xi Qu finally stop