Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The furious big cat let out a low growl and lunged over

【Wuwuwu… the streamer’s circle of friends in the rainforest is bigger than mine at my company.】

【I remember that eucalyptus grove isn’t very close to here. That little one must’ve climbed a really long way. Can small animals really be this thoughtful!!!】

【Getting gifts when moving, even if it’s a coincidence, it’s still such a heartwarming thing!】

...

Eucalyptus leaf water has the effects of dispelling wind-heat, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Lin Qianyu soaked the eucalyptus leaves, poured a bit of fresh water from a plastic bottle, and only added one leaf into the pot. After cutting it, she simmered it slowly over low heat.

The koala stared blankly as Lin Qianyu processed the leaves, curious but somewhat scared of the fire under the pot. It circled around at a safe distance.

It walked very slowly. Whenever a crackling sound came from the firewood, the koala mama would carry the baby and back up several steps. After making sure there was no danger, she’d slowly inch closer again.

The best way to build a good relationship with animals is to use food to bridge the gap.

But koalas seem to only eat eucalyptus leaves. After eating, they sleep, able to stay in trees all day long, relying on the moisture in eucalyptus leaves to meet their needs without even needing to come down to drink water.

For her own taste, Lin Qianyu preferred the eucalyptus leaf water to be lighter — like tea, she enjoyed a faint fragrance and didn’t usually drink strong tea.

But for koalas who eat eucalyptus leaves, they probably preferred a stronger taste.

Lin Qianyu poured a bowl. The color was pale, and the bitterness wasn’t obvious — like a mild tea with a unique flavor.

At some point, the black bear had silently walked up behind Lin Qianyu. Despite its large size, it could hide its presence so well that it approached without making a sound.

Its fluffy head rested on her shoulder from behind. “Awooo…”

Lin Qianyu reached back, hugging and rubbing its ears. The little bear’s wounds had already healed, and the bandages had long been removed. Only the missing patch of fur still stood out — it wasn’t obvious unless viewed closely, but up close, the dip in fur was clear and bald.

Who knows how long it’ll take to grow back.

The torn eucalyptus leaves gave off a pungent smell. The little bear, with its sensitive nose, sniffed them.

Thinking it wanted a drink too, Lin Qianyu offered the bowl, “Want a sip?”

But as the scent came closer, the bear wrinkled its nose and buried its head into Lin Qianyu’s shoulder, leaving only its ears exposed.

Lin Qianyu chuckled softly. “Then I’ll drink it myself.”

Maybe it saw her boiling water and thought she was making honey water.

There was still plenty of honey. Lin Qianyu lit another fire and this time added two spoonfuls of honey into the boiling water.

She poured the eucalyptus leaf water into two bowls. It was cooling too slowly, so she used a fan to help cool it down.

Fanning while stirring with chopsticks helped speed things up.

Lin Qianyu: “Here, this is for you two.”

Koalas don’t usually drink water because fresh eucalyptus leaves satisfy their needs. But during droughts, they will drink large gulps.

It was the first time the koalas had seen eucalyptus leaf water.

Even the little one on the koala mama’s back curiously stared at the reflection in the bowl.The koala mama saw another of her kind inside and instantly took a step back. Her paw accidentally hooked the edge of the wooden bowl, spilling some water and getting her paw dirty. She licked her paw, tilted her head, then cautiously stepped forward to sniff. After tasting a small sip, she didn’t move again.

She seemed frozen stiff. After a while, she finally took a second sip.

So… she probably liked it?

The little koala clinging to her neck let out a soft “Ah?”

The koala mama shifted to the side and made room.

Lin Qianyu had only drunk a small bowl from the pot of eucalyptus leaf water she boiled — the rest was enough for the two furry guests.

They even ate the eucalyptus leaves in the bowl.

After resting a bit, Lin Qianyu stood up. “I’m going to make a meat-drying rack.”

It’s better to act early than late. The rain had just stopped, so she wanted to finish as much as she could while the weather was clear.

Seeing her stand up, the little bear that had been focused on drinking honey water also lifted its head from the bowl. “Wuu…”

“I’m not leaving. Go on drinking.” Lin Qianyu walked over and said, “I’ll go back to the base in the evening when it’s cooler to get supplies.”

It’d be too troublesome to go up and down the mountain in this heat.

“Awooo!”

Lin Qianyu chopped the wood thinner than usual and tried to use full-length pieces without splicing them together — that made them more durable.

Each rack could hang seven or eight pieces of meat if made compactly, so two racks were enough.

She set up a separate rack at a higher spot on the way to the river. That way, after washing clothes at the river, she could hang them on the return trip — since it was just out back, collecting them later would also be convenient.

“Tweet—!”

Just as she finished setting up the rack, the red-tailed crested eagle flew over and landed on it.

Lin Qianyu smiled. “Why are you here so early today?”

The red-tailed crested eagle gave a chirp, then bent down and presented the flower it was carrying in its beak to her.

Elegant and magnificent, the bird flew over with a flower in its beak, then landed on Lin Qianyu’s shoulder, affectionately nuzzling her cheek.

Last time, Lin Qianyu had used this type of flower to make a floral wreath.

【! Wuwuwu… did you notice? Whether it’s the koala, the little bear, or the eagle — they never come to the streamer empty-handed!】

【Even small animals know to bring gifts when visiting. What about your boyfriend?】

【Thanks for the reminder. He’s been buried.】

Lin Qianyu’s eyes curved with a smile. The flower was very pretty — the petals around it were a soft goose-yellow. These types of wildflowers usually grew in clusters, not very large individually, but together they looked beautiful.

The one the red-tailed crested eagle picked was one of the largest and most intact of its kind.

“Did you find the flower and come early because of it?” Lin Qianyu lightly sniffed the floral fragrance. If these flowers didn’t require full sun, she’d want to plant some in the cave.

“Tweet!”

It would wither."Wither? The flower?" The blooming period was short, and once picked, it indeed couldn't be kept fresh for long.

Last time, the flowers in the wreath started wilting not long after she made it.

Lin Qianyu nodded. Maybe the red-tailed crested eagle had noticed the wilting wildflowers on the wreath last time, so this time, it flew over right after picking a flower.

The green flower stem passed through the gaps in her straw hat, threading through two holes in succession. With a tug downward, the flower was securely fastened to the hat.

Putting the hat back on, Lin Qianyu brushed her fingers along the brim and said with a smile, “All set. Let’s go. I’ll take you to see our new home. You can come find me there from now on.”

The red-tailed crested eagle mainly relied on her scent to find her, not a fixed location.

But now that the new base was set up, Lin Qianyu didn’t plan on moving again before the end of the variety show. She wanted the eagle to learn to recognize the place.

Time to bring the little eagle back.

As soon as they stepped onto the platform, the koala that was still leisurely drinking water lifted its head, and its ears unconsciously flattened back.

Even though it had seen the eagle before, the red-tailed crested eagle’s approach still made it nervous.

Still, despite the nerves, it didn’t forget to lower its head and take another sip.

It didn’t dare to look up again and just drank furiously.

【Hahaha, scared but still loves eating.】

【No danger? Koala: eat with ease. Danger approaching? Koala: terrified but still eating.】

【Is it really that tasty? Watching this makes me want to try boiling eucalyptus leaves too.】

【!!! Girl, don’t. I’m warning you, that smell is deadly. If you can take a sip, I’ll admit defeat.】

…

There were some piled-up large rocks on the platform.

Lin Qianyu had tested them and felt they were fairly stable, so she didn’t bother clearing them out.

Usually, she would lean against them to rest, and the back side offered a bit of shade from the sun.

The loose small stones had already been cleared. The larger standalone rocks could serve as seats — though they got too hot at midday, so she'd need to lay down a couple of layers of leaves before sitting.

Lin Qianyu held a fan in her right hand, shading her forehead. “Today feels hotter than the past few days.”

The sound of cicadas had been nonstop since morning. The local free-range chickens that usually gathered on the front patch of ground were nowhere to be seen.

All hiding — that’s how hot it was.

The red-tailed crested eagle glanced at the feather fan, then looked at Lin Qianyu hiding beneath it. It leaned in and tilted its head, peeking at her from underneath the fan.

“What is it?” Lin Qianyu turned her head too, tilting the fan to share it with the bird. “Are you feeling hot too? Want to go for a walk?”

“Chirp…”

“What?”

Lin Qianyu didn’t quite catch it. Then, the red-tailed crested eagle spread its wings and raised them over her head like a canopy.

“Chirp!”When it lowered its wings, it even mimicked Lin Qianyu’s fanning motion, flapping them up and down slightly.

Lin Qianyu was momentarily stunned. She knew the little eagle was very smart—probably with the intelligence of a seven- or eight-year-old child if compared carefully—but she hadn’t expected it to be so thoughtful, even shading her from the sun.

Before she could fully turn back, the corners of her mouth had already lifted into a smile. She gently brushed the feather fan over its head and said, “How are you so good?”

The red-tailed crested eagle tilted its head. “Chirp?”

Lin Qianyu glanced at the watch on her wrist. “If only I had a camera.”

Even just a smartphone—anything that could take photos.

She wasn’t the type to take pictures often, but she really wanted to capture this moment, print it out, and save it in an album.

Unfortunately… the supplies the director prepared didn’t include any electronics.

She couldn’t even barter for one with food.

That thought only lingered for a moment before she sighed softly. What a pity.

Unless under special circumstances, koalas generally wouldn’t spend the night outside. After eating eucalyptus leaves, they would bring their young back home.

The lamb that the bear had caught was still lying in the shade.

But the problem was… with this temperature, even that bit of shade didn’t help much.

Once she had rested enough, Lin Qianyu picked up the machete again.

But this time, instead of hacking away boldly like she did with pork, she carefully separated the wool and skin from the meat.

Sheep’s wool was a valuable resource. Lin Qianyu could sew sweaters, though thick clothes weren’t really useful in the rainforest—and she didn’t have the energy for that. Instead, she planned to wash the hide clean and lay it directly on the ground.

If she could cover one whole side of the cave, that would be best. If there wasn’t enough hide, she would lay it around the sponge mat.

With that in mind, Lin Qianyu became even more meticulous as she skinned the lamb.

As for the remaining lamb meat, she thought aloud, “How about making honey-glazed lamb chops?”

Sweet meat—definitely something the black bear who loved sweets would enjoy.

The fattier portions she planned to use for lamb skewers.

Lin Qianyu reserved most of the lamb meat for the little bear and only processed a small portion.

Black bears didn’t hunt at set times—they could go several days without eating after a big meal.

Most of the time, they just buried their heads and slept.

Ever since joining up with Lin Qianyu, the black bear had become quite punctual in its hunting habits.

At the moment, it wasn’t particularly hungry.

Looking at the meat in front of it, it tore off a piece and chewed on it lazily, bite by bite.

It was in more of a playful mood.

After rolling over, the black bear realized it was the only one eating.

Lin Qianyu was still brushing honey water onto the roasting lamb chops. This time, the honey water was especially thick, and once applied, it roasted to a richly fragrant, sweet aroma.The red-tailed crested eagle stood motionless on her shoulder.

The little bear munched away, then lowered its head and bit off a big chunk of lamb leg meat, tossing it into Lin Qianyu’s bowl.

It was such a large piece that it completely covered the small wooden bowl.

Lin Qianyu: “?”

She was stunned.

Tearing off one piece wasn’t enough, so she also tore a piece for the red-tailed crested eagle. Seeing that both had their portions, she sat back down and slowly gnawed on the meat with her teeth.

[!!! Such a good, sharing chubby baby!]

[I can’t take it, I’m so jealous—why are all the furry ones around the streamer so well-behaved?!]

[Wuwuwu… watch me grab my slipper and punish these little brats—today’s beating is unavoidable.]

The little bear lay beside her eating, and Lin Qianyu smiled as she gently petted it. “Then I’ll use this chunk to make soup.”

There was enough meat to eat, but if the little bear gave her some, she definitely had to accept it.

Since they already had roasted meat, the big chunk of leg meat would be stewed into soup. Before stewing, she soaked it to remove the blood. Soaking long enough could skip the blanching step.

The honey-glazed roasted lamb ribs were placed whole over the fire, roasting slowly.

The black bear had almost finished half a lamb, gnawing on the bones when Lin Qianyu finally took the lamb ribs off the fire.

She left half-cooked ribs for the black bear and the red-tailed crested eagle to share, continuing to roast the rest while sprinkling barbecue seasoning on top.

After making plenty of roasted meat, her seasoning skills became increasingly skillful.

The roasted lamb ribs had a beautiful crust.

Lin Qianyu tapped it with chopsticks. “Listen to the sound.”

Taking a bite, the ribs were crispy outside and tender inside. She gave the live stream a close-up shot. Pressing the bitten area still released juice—tastier than pork ribs.

Lin Qianyu blew on it and took another bite. “Roasted lamb ribs cook too slowly. By this time, has everyone finished eating?”

Pork ribs and lamb ribs had completely different flavors—even if prepared similarly, the honey water amount was different.

Lamb ribs were more suitable for roasting than pork ribs.

[3 PM—honestly don’t know if you mean lunch or dinner.]

[Aaaah—here I am slacking at work, hungry enough to bite the wall.]

The sweet meat made the black bear very happy.

Seeing this, Lin Qianyu gave it a few more ribs.

The little eagle’s taste was always opposite the little bear’s. Lin Qianyu tore meat off the ribs for it to peck easily; after pecking twice, it went off to clean its feathers by itself.

…

Most of the day was spent eating.

Mainly because it was too hot; after preparing all the basic necessities, the only task left was moving things alone.Not wanting to meet with some guests, she deliberately wasted extra time and only went over at night.

Fortunately, luck was on her side— the guests had all gone out, and apart from the director team and staff, no one else was at the base.

When the director saw her return, he came out from the tent to remind her, “Animals have been very active on the mountain lately. The cameras caught leopards fighting over territory. Be careful going up the mountain; try to stay with the black bears.”

“Leopards?” Lin Qianyu raised an eyebrow. “Right here on this mountain?”

The director, seeing that look in her eyes, knew this would be bad. “Territorial leopards are unreasonable. From video feedback, it’s possible there’s more than two. Leopards in this area have been provoked by many others. This situation is very dangerous.”

Lin Qianyu nodded and agreed immediately, “Alright. Director, don’t worry, I understand. I will definitely protect myself.”

The director hesitated, “Then promise me you won’t go looking for them.”

Lin Qianyu decisively ran off, “It’s too late. I’m heading back first. The mountain trails are hard to walk, and it’s dangerous after dark.”

The director was stunned, “!! Promise me first!”

“No need to see me off!” Lin Qianyu slung on her backpack and ran off without looking back.

Director: “…”

Chat comments: [Hahaha—Honestly, you didn’t even need to say that.]

[Exactly, if you didn’t say it, Lin Qianyu wouldn’t even know. She’s still building the base.]

[Director said: Leopards are dangerous, don’t go look for them. Lin Qianyu heard: Leopards @…&￥,* go look for them!]

Lin Qianyu was curious if the leopards were real, but she definitely wouldn’t rush right into their faces to watch them fight.

Anyway, she planned to walk back and forth on the mountain during this period. Whether she ran into them or not was up to luck.

Back on the mountain, she organized her things.

Without a table, she simply lined things up along the edge of the cave opening. It was convenient to grab things when needed.

The brine spices were left at home; seasonings stayed packed in her backpack.

After a simple tidy-up, Lin Qianyu was already sweating all over.

She carried two buckets of water to the shower area she’d built in the back.

Before hanging the last outer curtain, Lin Qianyu slowly looked up at the floating live-stream equipment above.

[!!! Don’t look at me! What do you want?!]

[Don’t mess around! The live stream can’t be cut off. Don’t make me kneel and beg you, sob…]

Lin Qianyu cleared her throat and waved to summon the live-stream equipment closer. “Ahem, not turning off the stream, just blacking out the screen. I’ll sleep after I shower. There’s not much content left to stream. Everyone’s worked hard all day, so let’s rest early after dark.”

Chat was about to get rowdy, whining and rolling around, trying to bargain with Lin Qianyu. Even if not blacked out, they wanted her to film other small animals in the rainforest.

However, before they could send their messages, Lin Qianyu had already disappeared from the camera, and the live stream went completely dark.

Lin Qianyu hung up the waterproof cloth, broke open the soap pods, moistened and rubbed them—pure natural shampoo and face wash.

The director team only initially provided a small toiletry bag, fully equipped inside but with no later replenishments. Maybe because they knew the rainforest had soap pods, so everyone was expected to be self-sufficient.

In this rainforest weather, water drawn from the river quickly warms to room temperature. When left under the sun, no need to boil water—when used, it’s still a bit warm.Lin Qianyu finished using all the water and, after changing clothes, came out wringing her still-dripping hair. This was the downside—no hairdryer.

She had to wait slowly for the natural wind to dry it.

The black bear was waiting outside and came forward as soon as Lin Qianyu appeared.

The scent of the soap pods was strange to the black bear; it hesitated before approaching, its nose twitching. Noticing the change in smell, it opened its mouth in surprise.

Lin Qianyu wanted to laugh at its dumbfounded expression. She cupped its face with both hands, lifted its chin with her thumbs, and helped close its mouth. “Your chin’s dropped.”

“Aw.” The black bear blinked and flopped against her like it had no bones.

Lin Qianyu handed it a plastic bucket. “Here, hold this for me. I’ll take the live-stream equipment. Let’s head back first.”

She carried the remaining live-stream gear and unused soap pods herself.

Because of last time when Lin Qianyu forgot to bring the live-stream equipment, this time remembering to bring it triggered the chat to flood with comments like “The kid’s growing up,” “Starting to look like a mature streamer,” and so on...

Then, after a long blackout, the viewers vaguely realized Lin Qianyu forgot to cancel the blackout.

[...]

They had praised too early.

Lin Qianyu had completely forgotten about the blackout. Her hair was still wet; she originally intended to sit in the breeze to help dry it faster.

But after sitting just a few seconds, the wind made her cough nonstop.

Reflecting on her current condition, Lin Qianyu coughed as she left the breeze, “Cough cough, better to shower during the day from now on.”

To avoid catching a cold, and just to be safe, Lin Qianyu boiled a pot of hot water.

The moon was bright and the stars sparse. The rainforest at night was quiet but full of endless danger.

Lin Qianyu propped her chin with one hand, sitting at the cave entrance, and saw the black bear shaking its fur. She asked, “Going hunting now?”

“Aw.”

“Be careful.” Lin Qianyu reached out her hand, pretending to do a high-five, “Come on, good luck.”

“Uh…?” The black bear was confused but rubbed her palm.

Lin Qianyu chuckled, curled her fingertips to rub the little bear’s ear, then clapped her hands together, “Like this.”

After demonstrating how to do it, Lin Qianyu held out her hand again, “Come on!”

“Aw!” The black bear understood and happily stretched out its paws. Its two paws slapped Lin Qianyu’s hands from left and right.

This time Lin Qianyu was stunned, then smiled, raising her left hand to tap the bear’s paw, “Good! That’s it, go ahead.”

“Uh!”

The little bear turned and ran off along the trail.

Lin Qianyu pulled her coat tighter and entered the cave.

Her hair was thick and dried slowly even after wringing out the water.

Lin Qianyu casually smoothed it with her hand, picked up her straw hat, and looked at the small flower on it, “How about making a vase tomorrow? The cave is still too plain.”The sheepskin wasn’t dry yet after washing and was still hanging outside to air-dry.

“Where’s the table? Should I make one too?”

When Lin Qianyu took a shower just now, she removed all the electronic devices on her body. Watches, being electronic products that would break if wet, were naturally the first to come off.

She chatted a bit with the live-stream viewers, who responded with a flood of question marks.

【You’d rather talk to yourself than start streaming?!】

【Damn, what kept me watching this black screen the whole time? Duty? A mission? No, it’s my love for the streamer.】

Since Lin Qianyu had nothing else to do, she just started planning the cave’s decoration.

She couldn’t handle work like laying floor tiles or the ceiling, but she could arrange some soft furnishings to set the atmosphere.

She was only staying here temporarily for now, but if she got the job as a forest ranger, she could come here often.

After a pause, Lin Qianyu suddenly said, “Do you hear any sounds?”

It was like breathing, or a heavy low growl.

She just said it casually, not expecting any response from the chat, but she already stood and pushed the cave door open slightly.

There was nothing.

The platform looked just as it did before she came in.

But the sound was very close.

Lin Qianyu couldn’t help but think that wild beasts hunting would deliberately keep their noise low. That ‘huffing and puffing’ sound just now sounded more like heavy panting after a mad sprint.

But… what animal’s sound was that?

Lin Qianyu paused, suddenly realizing something, her heart surprised: “Could it be a leopard?”

Animals fighting over territory don’t observe truces like no fighting during the day or night. Since the cameras from the production team caught it, it showed the leopards had been very active recently.

It had rained a few days ago, and today was just after the rain stopped.

If many leopards wanted to fight for this territory, it was very likely they would cooperate to eliminate the original leopards first, then continue fighting afterward.

Therefore, the battle would be fierce.

【What?! Turn on the camera so I can see the leopards!】

【I knew I’d see leopards by sticking with the streamer’s live room. I was already here when the director mentioned it.】

【So... when can you cancel the blackout?】

Judging by the sound, the leopards should be up there. Lin Qianyu thought for a moment, “Actually, I’m not that curious about the leopards. Mainly, I just took a shower, and my hair hasn’t dried. If I sleep with it this wet, I’m afraid I’ll wake up with a headache tomorrow morning.”

“I’m almost asleep just sitting here.” After a pause, she analyzed clearly: “I’ll go for a walk to keep myself awake.”

【OK, no problem. Reason for encountering leopards: to keep oneself awake.】

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Lin Qianyu got up, put on her shoes, prepared the live-stream equipment to fly and follow behind.

“Let’s go!”If nothing unexpected happens, the leopard’s territory should be up there.

Lin Qianyu took a side path. The night road was difficult to walk and she had to constantly watch her step. However, the higher she went, the less tangled the grass became.

Many leopards had designs on the territory of one leopard, which was an extremely rare phenomenon.

But these aggressive animals often fought when passing through other animals’ territories, so this situation didn’t seem too strange.

The night was deep, and going too far or too deep was dangerous.

Lin Qianyu only stayed near where she heard the sounds. As the low growls grew clearer, she slipped behind a tree.

“Look,” she whispered softly, pointing to the blurred shapes of leopards fighting not far away.

【What the hell am I supposed to see...】

【Don’t worry about me, I’ll imagine it myself. The fight looks pretty intense.】

While talking, she glanced at the live-stream equipment and only then noticed the black screen.

Lin Qianyu almost lost it, quickly cancelling the blackout, and moved the streaming device to the side.

She didn’t want those two leopards to notice it.

The floating live-stream device had a wider field of view than what Lin Qianyu could see.

Plus, with night vision mode, the audience could clearly see a black shadow dangling from a tree.

【There’s a snake! Streamer, quickly turn around and look!】

【What the hell, what kind of snake is that? Is it venomous?】

【Don’t know... everything looks green in night vision, hard to tell the species.】

The live chat flooded with exclamation marks, but Lin Qianyu stared ahead without blinking, seemingly losing all awareness of her surroundings.

She was watching very intently.

Many viewers in the chat were tagging the director to rush up and save her.

If they arrived early, they might even identify the species and prepare the appropriate serum.

As the snake got closer and closer to Lin Qianyu — almost close enough to bite her shoulder — the viewers gasped sharply, their hearts tightening.

The next moment, a pale white hand suddenly pinched the snake’s head, the thumb pressing under its chin, skillfully immobilizing the small snake that was less than an arm’s length long.

Lin Qianyu raised her index finger to her lips, her face serious: “Shh.”

The snake stayed motionless. Lin Qianyu wasn’t hungry yet, so she tossed the coiled snake aside and resumed watching the leopards fight.

The snake seemed stunned after hitting the ground, moving only after a while, then slithered away along the grass.

To be honest, the snake was quite pretty—entirely black, its head only about the size of a thumb, like the small snakes sold in pet markets.

Lin Qianyu fiddled with a leaf in her hand. Meanwhile, the leopard fight was nearing its end.

Both were injured; one had a particularly serious injury on its hind leg, with blood all over the ground.

Neither of the two leopards managed to kill the other. Prolonging the fight would only attract more enemies and other animals drawn by the smell of blood.Lin Qianyu watched the attacking posture over there. “They’re fighting so fiercely.”

“Should I go back and get the first aid kit?” Lin Qianyu had brought the first aid kit to the cave but didn’t carry it all the time because it was too heavy.

She just didn’t know how bad the wounds were. If they were very deep or involved broken bones, she would have to notify the forest rangers.

But...

Would the forest rangers intervene in a territorial dispute between animals, rather than dealing with poachers?

Although this island was private, it seemed that human intervention only happened when poachers appeared. Otherwise, everything was left to nature.

While Lin Qianyu was still considering what to do, the leopards suddenly stopped fighting and then, in unison, turned their heads and ran.

“Hm?” Lin Qianyu thought she had seen wrong. The leopard with the injured leg was stumbling as it ran, looking like some terrifying flood or beast was chasing it.

She stood up, puzzled. “Strange, why are they running?”

The chat was also confused.

At that moment, Lin Qianyu vaguely sensed something. She paused, then suddenly turned back without warning.

—Empty.

There was nothing but the towering trees blocking the sky.

Lin Qianyu frowned. “Did you guys just see something?”

The chat was unanimously negative.

Nothing but trees.

Lin Qianyu thought: Could it be my imagination?

But it felt as if something was watching her from behind.

More than trusting her eyes, Lin Qianyu trusted her own intuition.

She thought for a moment, didn’t ask more, and turned to leave.

Being in an uncertain environment was too risky. Although she liked it, she wasn’t going to risk her life recklessly.

【Why did she leave all of a sudden? Not going to chase after the injured leopard?】

【Uh... having a kind heart is good, but interfering with wildlife behavior casually isn’t good either, right?】

Lin Qianyu glanced at the chat and, to avoid controversy, said, “I’ll send a message to the forest rangers. They professionally manage this rainforest. It’s better to leave this matter to the professionals.”

After the koala incident last time, the director had given each guest the contact info for the forest rangers.

It was for emergencies involving poachers.

They could be contacted via watch.

Lin Qianyu briefly explained what happened, then put down her hand and suddenly looked back again.

This time, it hadn’t hidden well. Its fluffy tail left a mark among the branches and leaves before it was quickly pulled back.

【Ahhh?! Is that a leopard?!】【That tail, that agility climbing the tree—it's definitely a leopard without a doubt!】

Seeing this, Lin Qianyu smirked as expected. “See, I told you there was one.”

Her intuition was always accurate.

But this leopard didn’t seem hostile toward her. If it wanted to ambush her, it would have already pounced on her neck from behind while she was fully focused on watching the leopards fight.

Maybe it was just too full to move, or... it categorized her as no threat.

Whatever the case, Lin Qianyu thought this leopard was pretty chill.

She didn’t know if it was the attacker or the original owner of this territory.

The leopard hid back up in the tree, and Lin Qianyu kept walking forward, chatting with the livestream viewers, “Did you see how big that leopard is?”

No one answered.

The leopard was elusive; the livestream only caught a glimpse of the tail quickly withdrawn.

Watching the chat, Lin Qianyu nodded, then suddenly stopped and turned back, locking eyes with the leopard that had just jumped down from the tree.

Huh?

Lin Qianyu blinked: Why isn’t it hiding?

Thinking she had left, the leopard that just jumped down was also stunned.

The scene was oddly amusing; the chat flooded with jokes: 【Hahaha, leopard: Why is she turning back?】

【Leopard: Why isn’t this over yet?】

【Help—I'm cringing so hard I’m slapping my thigh through the screen.】

【What the hell?! Is this a joke? Run now! Leopards aren’t like bears; they’re smart and won’t stop attacking just because you say a few words!】

Some in the chat attributed Lin Qianyu’s earlier heart-to-heart with the black bear to the bear’s intelligence.

But leopards are recognized as one of the smartest large felines.

There’s no way they would play childish question-and-answer games with you.

Sure enough, the caught leopard was furious and humiliated. The angry big cat let out a low growl and pounced, “Roar—!”

A charging leopard lets one truly feel its oppressive power head-on.

This was a fully grown adult leopard.

Its eyes glowed faintly under the livestream’s night vision mode.

Its muscular body closed the distance to Lin Qianyu in just two strides.

In contrast, Lin Qianyu stood frozen, as if scared stiff.

Naturally, she couldn’t even raise her hand to glance at the livestream chat.

At this moment, the viewers in the livestream were all frantic, many desperately trying all kinds of hopes, wishing the black bear or the red-tailed hawk would realize something was wrong and come to rescue her in time.

But sadly, these were impossible wishes.Lin Qianyu didn’t dodge but obediently raised both hands in surrender, and the next moment was directly pounced on and knocked to the ground by the leopard.

Just kidding, since the leopard didn’t attack her at first, it clearly wasn’t trying to eat her.

Running away with your back to a feline—whether it wants to eat you or not—once you turn your back, you’ve completely attracted the leopard’s attention. How could a person ever outrun a leopard in a chase game?

Rather than panic and flee, it’s better to stay calm and try to save yourself.

“Ah—” But being tackled face-first by a beast weighing over a hundred jin, even though Lin Qianyu was mentally prepared, she still felt suffocated under the weight.

Lying on her back, her thoughts drifting, Lin Qianyu thought her luck was good—there were no snakes or insects in the grass here, or else she would have been bitten.

Taking advantage of the night, Lin Qianyu saw the spots on the leopard’s body, along with some white patches mixed in its yellow fur.

Noticing Lin Qianyu was distracted, the leopard growled even more fiercely, “Roar!!”

Lin Qianyu squinted her eyes, her face pale. Hearing the leopard roar like that, she looked even more bloodless. “Brother Leopard, you’re really heavy.”

The leopard’s front paw pressed on her shoulder; the extended claws had already pierced through her jacket.

But she didn’t feel any pain.

It should have only ruined the jacket.

The leopard ignored her; the irritable big cat bared its teeth but didn’t bite the exposed part of her neck.

It seemed like it was just revenge for her earlier repeatedly turning back to look. Seeing that the leopard made no further move,

Lin Qianyu sighed, “Are you trying to crush me to death for a snack?”

The leopard licked its lips, lowered its head to sniff her body, and growled, “Roar!”

Smelly.

“Smelly?” Lin Qianyu immediately retorted, “I just took a bath today, how could I possibly smell?”

She paused, then remembered the black bear that had rubbed closely against her before going hunting.

She couldn’t smell it herself, but animals should be able to sense it.

A proud big cat like a leopard would look down on all animals except itself.

【Wow, I see Lin Qianyu arguing with the leopard?】

【The leopard only growls, but the streamer has reasoned well. I declare Lin Qianyu the winner of this verbal battle.】

【…Am I the weird one or are you all? Why isn’t anyone panicking even though the streamer was caught by the leopard?】

Passersby entered the livestream to check the situation and found the chat mostly joking and playing memes, keeping the atmosphere lively.

But... in the current situation, was saying this really appropriate?

The passersby were a bit confused.

Fans came out to comfort, familiar with the usual ‘fake,’ ‘scripted,’ ‘director’s doing’ excuses. Even without trolls stirring trouble, the fans had already found reasons to justify it.

The director, who stayed up late wanting to see what was going on, was speechless: “...No way.”You’ve put me at a height I just can’t reach.

Such a lack of kindness!!!

Lin Qianyu looked at the livestream equipment floating above and suddenly remembered something, quickly saying, “Director, no need to come rescue me, I’m fine. The leopard is friendly, we’re having a nice chat.”

The leopard squinted its eyes.

The smart big cat was thinking about what the human meant by those words.

“Let’s talk it over,” Lin Qianyu tried to shift a bit to the side. “It’s better to sit up and talk nicely, I’m not going to run away.”

The leopard still showed no intention of getting up; instead, it yawned right in front of Lin Qianyu.

The livestream equipment adjusted its angle, but machines can’t judge the danger level of animals.

Lin Qianyu was blocking the view, so the equipment naturally lowered to shoot her.

However, flying and moving things have a deadly attraction for felines—the leopard was no exception.

As the equipment flew over, the audience saw something suddenly swoosh, like it hit someone’s face, then a smack— the livestream went black again.

The knocked-flying equipment shot far away.

Lin Qianyu looked up but didn’t see the equipment land.

“...”

Two pieces of equipment broken since the livestream started.

She trembled, covering her wallet.

“Roar—!”

The familiar angry roar of the black bear came from nearby.

“Little bear?”

The leopard on Lin Qianyu’s body also raised its head and glanced meaningfully toward the direction the black bear was coming from.

The big cat was too smart; it didn’t speak but only made some meaningless roars.

Looking into its eyes now, it seemed to be thinking and judging something.

Before the black bear rushed over, the leopard unexpectedly lowered its head and licked Lin Qianyu’s cheek once.

Then it released her, turned, and jumped up a tree.

Lin Qianyu: “?”

It didn’t hurt.

It must have retracted the barbs on its tongue; otherwise, that lick would have left her flesh raw and bloody.

The black bear, running over, smelled the leopard scent on Lin Qianyu and flared up angrily.

“Howl!!!” The bear’s paw fiercely slapped the tree the leopard had just jumped onto, as if ready to knock down the tree and fight the leopard to the death.

After jumping onto that tree, the leopard had already leapt to other trees, its agile and nimble form disappearing among the branches in the blink of an eye.The black bear hugged the tree and shook it, forcibly pulling part of the tree out at an angle.

Lin Qianyu vaguely understood what the little bear was roaring about.

Stinky!

Leopard!

“Good boy, it’s okay, it’s okay, no problem,” Lin Qianyu quickly stroked its fur, patted its back from behind, and comforted it, “Don’t mind it, let’s go eat some candy, alright?”

“Woo…” The black bear also realized the leopard had already run away, losing its target, and turned around, hugging Lin Qianyu with a mixture of grievance and affection, licking and rubbing against her.

The strength of it—

Made Lin Qianyu feel like the little bear was trying to cover up the scent the leopard had left earlier.

Author’s note: Good night, go to bed early, love you all.