Chapter 40
Chapter 40
The prairie wolf didn’t close its eyes all night, keeping watch at the door.
“!!!”
There was a response!
The staff outside the room were all stunned, their astonished and bewildered expressions giving way to smiles.
It actually worked!
Ever since this batch of prairie wolves had been brought here, they had tried countless methods and put in a lot of effort, but most of the time, the wolves only bared their teeth at them. There was hardly even a growl. Even when being force-fed, the wolves made only faint throat noises. A response as gentle as this one was completely unheard of.
The staff could feel it—these prairie wolves were extremely wary of them, practically shutting them out completely.
It wasn’t as if no one had tried talking to the prairie wolves like Lin Qianyu was doing now, but the wolves never responded.
Lin Qianyu had been in there for quite a while, and still there had been no reaction. Bo Shushu had thought it was hopeless—yet unexpectedly, the prairie wolf actually responded!
Hearing the wolf speak, Lin Qianyu also paused for a moment, but the prairie wolf, who had only let out an “oh,” had already laid back down, completely indifferent to whether she stayed or left.
Lin Qianyu curved her lips and continued smiling as she teased, “So cold, huh?”
The prairie wolf’s ears twitched slightly but didn’t respond.
“Alright then, I’m leaving.” Lin Qianyu pushed the bowl of meat closer to it. “Don’t forget to eat. And remember to drink the milk underneath.”
This time, the prairie wolf acted as if it were asleep, not even its ears reacting.
Lin Qianyu turned around, opened the door to the disinfection room, went through the sterilization process again, and finally exited.
Just as she turned the corner to the glass wall, she saw the staff gathered in a group, staring intently through the glass.
Lin Qianyu’s heart skipped a beat. She thought the prairie wolf had done something extreme again, and hurried over to ask, “What happened? Is something wrong?”
Pei Feng shook his head. “It stood up right after you entered the disinfection room.”
At that moment, the prairie wolf was standing at the door of the disinfection room, facing the door with a blank look in its eyes, lost in thought.
After a long time, it staggered back to the spot where it had previously curled up, continuing to stare dazedly at the bowl of meat Lin Qianyu had brought in.
Then, it slowly lowered its head, bit the piece of meat on the edge, ground it bit by bit with its teeth, and swallowed it with difficulty.
“It—it's eating!” Bo Shushu’s eyes suddenly widened. No force, no liquid food—on its own, the prairie wolf willingly opened its mouth to accept food.
The fact that it was willing to eat proved it still had the will to live.
Otherwise, with the prolonged stereotypic behaviors, repeated self-harm, and refusal to eat, it wouldn’t have lasted much longer just relying on nutrient drips.
Bo Shushu, who had been in charge of the prairie wolf’s meals, couldn’t help but tear up. She covered her mouth, eyes brimming with emotion and surprise as tears streamed down her face.
“As long as it works.” Pei Feng let out a breath of relief. “Thank you.”
Lin Qianyu waved it off. She had offered to help—it wasn’t trouble at all.
The desire to eat was there, but it had been so long since the wolf had eaten that even processed meat was difficult for it to get down.
To be precise, the act of swallowing was extremely hard.
It barely managed to get one piece down before soon vomiting it back up.The prairie wolf no longer paid attention to the meat in the bowl and turned its head to lick the milk a couple of times.
Compared to meat, milk was a liquid after all, and the swallowing process wasn't as difficult.
After drinking half a bowl, the prairie wolf suddenly looked up toward the glass, its pair of dark green eyes quietly gazing at it.
If they hadn’t known that the glass was one-way and couldn’t be seen through from the inside, everyone would have felt the illusion of being watched by the prairie wolf.
“It…” Pei Feng hesitated. “Does it know someone’s outside?”
He wasn’t sure if it was just an illusion, but he strongly felt that the prairie wolf was looking at the people outside.
“Maybe it sensed something,” Lin Qianyu couldn’t say for sure. Animals had always been highly intuitive, and since the staff had been standing outside the glass observing it, it was entirely possible the prairie wolf had picked up on that.
She checked the time and said, “I’ll head back first. What time do you guys start work tomorrow? I’ll come earlier.”
“Any time is fine,” Pei Feng said as he turned to walk her out. “We don’t have a fixed schedule. Just come over when you’re awake.”
Bo Shushu was holding a notebook, recording everything in detail—even exactly how many sips of milk the prairie wolf had taken. Seeing Lin Qianyu was about to leave, she quickly put away her things and waved. “See you tomorrow, Sister Lin!”
“See you tomorrow.”
The car going back up the mountain was waiting just outside the door.
It was still parked in the same spot where they had gotten off earlier.
Lin Qianyu didn’t get in right away but first went to look for Hang Sisi.
There was only one vehicle for shuttling the guests back and forth. If she left first, the driver would have to make an extra trip.
“Sister Qianyu, what are you doing here?” Hang Sisi had just come out of the building and was still taking off her rubber gloves. “I was just about to find you to go see the prairie wolf.”
Lin Qianyu said, “The prairie wolf’s condition isn’t good—it needs more rest. Did you finish your task?”
“All done. I cleaned two rooms and wiped every corner with a rag—absolutely spotless.” But she was really exhausted too.
Lin Qianyu handed her a bottle of water and opened one for herself. She hadn’t had a drop while talking to the prairie wolf earlier, and now her mouth and throat felt parched. A sip of water helped soothe it.
Hang Sisi chugged down half the bottle in one go. “Ugh, by the time this variety show ends, I’m gonna lose at least ten or twenty pounds.”
Female celebrities were already on the thin side for the sake of looking good on camera. Some variety shows even required strict dieting—no eating or drinking allowed. But on this show, forget dieting—they were practically starving enough to chew tree bark.
It was hard not to lose weight.
Lin Qianyu opened the car door. “Get in.”
“Coming!”
The car could only drive up to the bottom of the slope beneath the platform.
Beyond that, the road had to be traveled on foot.
Lin Qianyu walked up to the platform. As expected, the pile of prey was in a mess. There was even a chicken and a rabbit—probably something the little hawk had seen during hunting and grabbed on the way back.
Hang Sisi was the type who froze at the sight of a wild animal. That roar from the black bear earlier had practically scared the little courage she had right out of her.
Before going to find Lin Qianyu, she had to first check the livestream to make sure there weren’t any wild animals around her.
Only when she saw they’d gone out hunting did she dare come over.But at this moment... the beasts that had returned from hunting were all lying or reclining in various places—predators were everywhere.
Hang Sisi: “……”
She didn’t dare take a single step.
Just glancing up was enough to make her feel like having a heart attack.
【The only path up the mountain—on the left lies a tiger, in the tree hangs a leopard, on the right rests a black bear, and in the sky circles a red-tailed land eagle. Just tell me, who dares to go up there?】
【I’m not going up the mountain, okay!】
【Poor Sisi, she’s so scared her face’s gone pale.】
【No pain without contrast. This shows that coexisting with beasts—even gentle ones—requires real courage.】
Hang Sisi silently drew back the foot she was about to step forward with. “I think I’ll just…”
Take a different route.
“Come on up, it’s fine,” Lin Qianyu saw what she was thinking. But if they were going up the mountain, this path was still the safest. The other side wasn’t frequently traveled, the trail probably hadn’t been trodden out yet, and it would be more dangerous.
Lin Qianyu had walked this way back and forth with the little animals enough to tread out a usable trail.
Hang Sisi was like a little chick, directly carried up by Lin Qianyu.
On the platform, all the beasts simultaneously turned their gaze this way.
Even the little chevrotain lowered its head slightly, looking like it was about to charge.
Under the watchful eyes of so many animals, Hang Sisi tiptoed her way across the short distance in terror.
The tiger tilted its head slightly, and the already-on-edge Hang Sisi immediately let out a shriek and bolted. “Sister Qianyu, I’m going ahead!!!”
She shot off like a rabbit, disappearing beyond view in a flash, her voice still echoing in the air.
Lin Qianyu blinked, looking at the tiger’s dazed expression—clearly just woken and confused—and couldn’t help but laugh, “Haha…”
Kind of cute.
“Roar——!”
Lin Qianyu patted the tiger’s head. “This flower crown looks perfect on you.”
The tiger, who’d been growling fiercely at her, paused upon hearing this, and even its bared teeth retracted.
Lin Qianyu cupped the big tiger’s head and shook it in front of the camera. “Doesn’t our Big Orange look great in this?”
The flower crown had originally been placed on a rock—most likely something the big tiger had seen after returning from the hunt.
“You even know how to wear a flower crown? How’d you put it on?” She pinched the big tiger’s paw and poked its pads, figuring those paws wouldn’t be much help in putting on a crown.
Lin Qianyu rubbed its ears, looped the flower crown over them, and laughed at the two pointy ears poking through.
The tiger lifted a paw. “Roar…”
Lin Qianyu gave its paw pad a little slap. “Did Little Eagle help you?”
“Chirp!” The red-tailed land eagle, which had been circling above, only now landed—once it saw Hang Sisi had fled far enough.【Not bad at all. The fluffballs at home are getting more and more united.】
【Hahaha, Little Eagle really loves flower crowns.】
Lin Qianyu stood up and dragged out the meat. “I’ll cut up some meat for you all first. By the way, where’s the kitten?”
She glanced around but didn’t see the large spotted civet.
The red-tailed land eagle nuzzled her cheek. “Chirp.”
Gone back.
Lin Qianyu nodded. The large spotted civet was timid to begin with—probably left after delivering the message.
The bowl in the corner was already empty. Lin Qianyu cut more meat and refilled it. All the fluffballs that came to her had to leave with full bellies.
Once dinner for the fluffballs was arranged—
“Little Bear, come here.” Lin Qianyu picked up a little bib for the bear cub.
“Wooh?” The little bear tilted its head.
Lin Qianyu first removed the bowtie. “Put this on—this way you won’t dirty the fur on your chest anymore.”
As expected, the size of the little bib covered the cub’s neck and chest completely. Unfortunately, there were still quite a few watermelon stains from earlier.
Thankfully, the cub had eaten with its head down, and the bowtie had gotten tucked into its neck. Otherwise, it would’ve been soaked in watermelon juice by now.
She dampened a towel and wiped its belly clean before putting the bib on.
“All done—go eat.”
“Awoo!”
Just as she turned around, the little bear looked back again, staring at the bowtie in her hand.
Lin Qianyu raised her hand. “Come find me after dinner and I’ll put it back on you.”
There was quite a bit of blood on the ground from cutting the meat.
She rinsed it twice with water, and looking at the bloodstains, she chuckled. “If we collected all this blood and made blood tofu, it’d be enough to last for dozens of days.”
The prey were all large in size—just draining the blood could fill several basins.
But pig and duck blood were the most commonly used. As for deer or buffalo—whether they could be made into blood tofu was uncertain.
After cleaning the platform, Lin Qianyu built a small fire and roasted a cleaned chicken over it.
The chicken’s innards were small and few, and she removed them to place with the other prey’s organs.
Before her was a mountain of meat and scattered cuts. The fresh meat still dripped with blood. Compared to it, the organs didn’t seem as appealing—but the big tiger clearly preferred them.
Leaning against a tree, Lin Qianyu sat down, occasionally poking the fire, a piece of jerky in her mouth, while browsing online for information on animal stereotypic behaviors.
If conditions on the island allowed, buying a few textbooks would’ve been much more convenient.
She scrolled through the material twice—when it seemed like something flew past her field of vision.
Lin Qianyu’s fingers paused. She looked closely—it was a fledgling bird.It seemed to be attracted by the light from the virtual screen on her watch and landed right next to it.
The fledgling slowly flapped its wings open and closed. Lin Qianyu parted her lips and instinctively lowered her voice. “A gray-brown bird? That tail…”
It might have just learned to fly. The bird was about the size of two hands, its wings covered in large feathers. The most striking feature was its tail, which fanned upward like a peacock’s, though unlike a peacock’s drooping tail, this one lifted proudly.
The fledgling’s pattern was distinctive. On the wing resting near her watch, its color showed a mottled green under light, but in the absence of light, the wing turned a graceful dark blue.
Lin Qianyu found it familiar. “A Superb Lyrebird?”
【Yes!!! That’s it!】
【Aaaah it’s so beautiful, I’ve only ever seen a specimen of the lyrebird—this close-up shot is perfect.】
【Isn’t this the legendary lyrebird that can mimic human-made sounds? Supposedly extremely rare and mysterious—what incredible luck!】
【But Lin-jie didn’t go looking for it. Maybe it came looking for her instead.】
Lin Qianyu tried touching its wing. The lyrebird wasn’t afraid of people. It only tucked in its neck slightly and glanced toward the red-tailed land eagle not far off.
That subtle reaction didn’t escape Lin Qianyu’s notice. She smiled, her eyes curving. “The environment on this island really is great—even lyrebirds live here.”
From an environmental standpoint, even the air here felt better than in the famous Amazon rainforest.
The lyrebird didn’t stay on her arm long before flying off, fluttering back and forth in front of her.
“What are you doing?” Since lyrebirds can’t talk, Lin Qianyu had to guess and analyze its behavior.
Lyrebirds can fly, but they prefer running on two legs. So the wing flapping didn’t mean much to her.
After finishing its meal, the leopard came over and lay beside Lin Qianyu, licking its fur.
As the predator approached, the lyrebird suddenly leapt down and ran off at an angle. After putting some distance between them, it crouched low and flapped its wings, turning right.
Seeing this, Lin Qianyu guessed, “Are you trying to take me somewhere?”
The lyrebird immediately ran off to the right.
Lin Qianyu got up and doused the fire. “I’ll go see what’s going on.”
As she stood, the big tiger also got up. The bear cub was slower, eyeing her curiously.
Lin Qianyu waved her hand. “You all keep eating. No need to follow—I’ll be right back.”
Seeing no one chasing it, the running lyrebird paused nearby. It didn’t take off again until Lin Qianyu got closer, then it flew farther ahead.
The leopard followed in front of Lin Qianyu, but its pupils didn’t react to the flying lyrebird at all—it had no interest in pouncing. Maybe it was too small to be worth the effort.
Following the lyrebird, they avoided dense underbrush. Faintly, Lin Qianyu began to hear the cries of a small animal—something like a whimpering “ying ying” sound.
Setting aside other thoughts, that kind of baby-like cry in the wild was honestly a bit eerie.
【Holy crap, don’t scare me. I’m a coward. If something jumps out right now I swear I’ll die—I’m telling you, I die easy.】
【Why are you scared when Hua Hua is up front? My brother Hua is totally reliable.】
Further ahead, Lin Qianyu caught a faint scent—
A sour stench, like something rotting and fermenting.But the smell was faint, mixed with the scent of rotting mud, as if something had been buried in the soil.
“Wait!” Lin Qianyu grabbed the leopard’s raised tail, stopping it just before it stepped onto a slope. “Huahua, get behind me.”
The leopard turned to look at her steadily, then rubbed against her waist.
Lin Qianyu reached out, broke off a branch, stripped the leaves, and pressed it straight onto the ground ahead. “It looks like a swamp up there.”
She walked a bit farther and felt the branch subtly sink at the edge.
No doubt about it—it was a swamp.
The swamp was covered by thick fallen leaves, making it indistinguishable from ordinary ground.
Some animals being chased by predators might panic and run blindly, paying no attention to their surroundings, and end up plunging right into it, sinking deeper and deeper.
The lyrebird lingered nearby, and the animal cries were growing clearer.
From a distance, Lin Qianyu saw what looked like a brown animal half-submerged in the swamp, with only part of its body still above ground, struggling feebly.
The lyrebird flew over and landed not far from the brown animal.
The brown animal had stopped crying and was no longer struggling.
“Hey! Little one?” Lin Qianyu nudged the leopard behind her to keep it from accidentally stepping into the swamp, while calling out to the brown animal.
By now, the livestream drone had flown into the air and captured the full view of the brown animal.
Its attention was briefly drawn by the drone before it turned its head toward Lin Qianyu.
The moment she saw its face, Lin Qianyu immediately recognized what it was—a black-faced tree kangaroo, full name Dendrolagus lumholtzi. Its large, innocent eyes looked especially pitiful in this environment.
Lin Qianyu couldn’t get close, so she raised her voice to comfort it. “Don’t be scared, I’ll find a way to get you out.”
The tree kangaroo opened its mouth, but somehow sank a little deeper. The sound it was about to make turned into a startled cry—“!”
“Don’t move just yet.” Lin Qianyu’s eyes quickly scanned the area, searching for anything she could use.
Visually, she was about a meter away from the tree kangaroo.
It was probably too light and didn’t realize the danger under the thick leaves until it walked in deeper and fell through—then the more it struggled, the more it sank.
【That lyrebird looks like it's familiar with the tree kangaroo.】
【Yeah, the kangaroo was calling nonstop until the lyrebird showed up, then it stopped.】
【As expected, word has spread through the rainforest that Sister Lin helps little animals.】
【But seriously—how are we going to save the tree kangaroo?! Those teary eyes are heartbreaking!】
As the barrage of comments scrolled quickly, Lin Qianyu had already switched to a longer branch. “Grab onto this—I’ll pull you up.”
The tree kangaroo trembled as it stretched its neck toward the branch, then bit down on one end.
The force needed was delicate—too much, and the swamp would suck it in deeper; too little, and it wouldn't budge. She had to test the resistance slowly.
Fortunately, one good piece of news was that the tree kangaroo wasn’t very big—about the size of a mother koala. As long as the force was steady and well-controlled, she could pull it out of the swamp little by little.
Lin Qianyu slowed her breathing and focused all her attention on the branch in her hands.She was so focused that she didn’t blink, keeping constant watch on the tree kangaroo’s situation.
It must have been stuck in there for some time—its cries sounded weak.
Now that someone was helping, the tree kangaroo obediently bit the branch, staying completely still.
Bit by bit, it was pulled free from the swamp and toward the leaves at the edge.
When it was finally dragged out, it kicked its legs and scrambled onto the leaves, mud-covered and soaked, gasping for air.
Lin Qianyu remained in the same position, holding out the branch. “Keep biting it, I’ll pull you up.”
The tree kangaroo was very cooperative. Hearing her words, it bit down again without hesitation.
Pulling it across the leaves should’ve been easy—but the moment she moved, the tree kangaroo tilted slightly, and some nearby leaves shifted.
Creatures that live in swamps are not to be trifled with.
Especially those hiding beneath the leaves—unseen and unknown.
The tree kangaroo clearly noticed the presence of another animal. It trembled in fear, but even so, didn’t let go of the branch.
【Was that a crocodile? I think I just saw its eyes!】
【It was a crocodile, ahhh, no wonder the kangaroo was crying like that. If I were in there, I’d scream louder!】
【Save the poor baby!】
There was no time to pull the tree kangaroo back—it could easily get snatched halfway through. Lin Qianyu immediately let go of the branch and shouted, “Drop the branch!”
As she said this, she stepped onto a nearby trunk and climbed a tree. After quickly shifting across two branches, she reached the closest point to the tree kangaroo, then hung upside down from the tree and extended both arms. “Come!”
The tree kangaroo pawed toward her frantically.
Lin Qianyu grabbed it in one swift motion. Just as the tree kangaroo was lifted from the thick leaves, the crocodile lunged from the same spot, its snout barely grazing the kangaroo’s hind legs.
The tree kangaroo was petrified with fear.
“Roar—!”
“Huahua, no biting!”
Swamp crocodiles reek terribly.
Lin Qianyu took off her outer jacket and wrapped the tree kangaroo in it. Using her waist strength, she grabbed the branch with one hand, climbed back up into the tree, and returned the way she came.
The moment she landed safely, the lyrebird flew over again.
Brushing the loose hair from her forehead, she happened to see the livestream drone drop down to her eye level.
In that instant, it was as if she met eyes with the audience in the stream.
“Uh…”
After a brief silence, Lin Qianyu spoke: “Do not try dangerous moves like that. It’s all scripted. Director’s arrangement.”
After a pause, she cleared her throat without much guilt. “Talk to him if you have questions.”Director: “???”
Are you even human?
Bullet comments: 【???】
【Alright, alright, turns out Director Su really is that capable!】
【@Su Yuxing, arrange a storyline like this for Sisi too, more of it! It’s great! Love watching it!】
【I knew Director Su was the real deal! All these animals listen to my God Su!】
Su Yuxing: “……”
So you’re praising me to death now, huh.
Su Yuxing, who was watching from his main account in the livestream room, tried to click "exit" several times. Unfortunately, even as the director, he didn’t have special privileges. Now that Lin Qianyu’s stream was gaining so much popularity, getting in required waiting in line. If he exited now, he might have to queue for hours just to get back in.
Because once people entered Lin Qianyu’s stream, almost no one willingly left. Even at night when the stream went black during sleep, many still stayed logged in.
After hesitating a while, Su Yuxing finally pulled back his hand from the close button. Fine, tag me all you want—I'll just pretend I didn't see it.
The crocodile in the swamp, wary of the leopard standing at the edge, didn’t show itself again.
The smell in the area was getting to Lin Qianyu after staying there too long. She waved at the leopard, “Let’s go, Huahua. We’re leaving.”
“Rrgh…”
—Back at home, Lin Qianyu mixed some warm water to wash the tree kangaroo.
Since it looked small, and she wasn’t sure whether it was a juvenile or an adult, she was cautious about the bath—definitely no cold water.
Most of the mud had already rubbed off onto the clothes. After one rinse, it was nearly clean.
But just to be safe, Lin Qianyu still washed it twice with soap pods, scrubbing until there wasn’t a trace of swamp smell left. Then she dried it off and brought it outside.
Seeing the Albert’s lyrebird waiting by the door, Lin Qianyu smiled and handed over the tree kangaroo. “Alright, here you go.”
“Ying—” The tree kangaroo pounced toward the lyrebird. Its entire face was black—the only part that differed from the rest of its fur. Coupled with those big eyes, it looked pitiful at all times.
The lyrebird slapped it with its feathers in disgust, but even with its eyes squinted from the hits, the tree kangaroo wouldn’t let go.
The red-tailed forest eagle flew over, gliding above their heads before landing on Lin Qianyu’s shoulder.
Her jacket had already been tossed. Lin Qianyu reached out and stroked the little eagle’s belly. The feel of soft feathers and soft fur were two completely different sensations, but equally pleasant.
She turned to grab a fresh set of clothes. “I’m going to take a shower. You all play.”
The big tiger let out a low growl: “Rrgh…”
“Hm?” Lin Qianyu paused when she heard Da Ju's voice. “What is it, Da Ju?”
The big tiger didn’t speak again. Instead, it walked forward, bit the hem of her clothes, and tugged her toward the mountain.
Puzzled, Lin Qianyu followed, asking, “Where are you taking me?”
There was no answer. The tiger just kept walking with its head down.
Its pace wasn’t fast—slow enough that Lin Qianyu, even with her sore ankle, could keep up.As they went further up, Lin Qianyu noticed the change in temperature and more or less guessed where Da Ju wanted to take her.
Facing the camera, Lin Qianyu whispered, “Da Ju seems to be taking me to soak in a hot spring.”
But this hot spring wasn’t the same one where she had encountered the large spotted civet before—it was another, much bigger, with a stronger sulfur smell, and naturally formed.
Steam was rising, and the surrounding area was shrouded in mist.
“I wanted to come soak when I first found this hot spring, but just never had the time.” Lin Qianyu squatted at the edge, dipping her fingers in to test the water.
Wild hot springs vary in temperature and can’t be controlled.
The highest can reach 98°C—falling in at that heat would be no different from getting boiled alive.
This one, however, had a comfortable temperature—not too hot.
“Perfect. A soak will help with recovery.” Lin Qianyu snapped her fingers and cleared her throat. “Alright then, it’s getting late now—”
【???】
【Nice try! I can see it’s still daylight over there!】
【Wuwuwu... Lin-jie, my bestie has terminal lazy syndrome—her dying wish is to see you soak in a hot spring.】
【Yes, I am that bestie.】
Lin Qianyu tapped on the screen a few times. “Sending out a red envelope—I'm logging off.”
Before she even finished the sentence, the stream abruptly cut to black.
But the audio was still on.
Soaking in the hot spring, Lin Qianyu let out a long breath. The water wasn’t deep—her feet could touch the bottom. But because of the shallow depth, she couldn’t sit down fully, so she leaned against the edge.
The red-tailed forest eagle didn’t like water. Even the heavy moisture in the air here seemed to bother it, so it flew up into a tree a bit farther off, occasionally pecking at its feathers.
The big tiger clearly knew this place—it was apparently a regular visitor to the hot spring.
There were no other animals in the area. Lin Qianyu guessed this hot spring was likely within Da Ju’s territory.
The warm environment made drowsiness come easy. After a short soak, Lin Qianyu was already fighting off yawns.
But she didn’t dare sleep in a wild hot spring—if she slipped in by accident, it would be too dangerous.
She pinched her brow to stay awake. Just then, the surface of the spring rippled, like a wave surging up from the ocean.
“Da Ju?” Lin Qianyu wiped water from her face, only to see the big tiger had entered the spring too, floating leisurely on the surface without moving a muscle.
Seeing it squinting in pure comfort, Lin Qianyu couldn’t help but laugh. She splashed water on her hand and messed up its head fur. “You really know how to enjoy life.”
The big tiger half-lifted an eyelid, then continued to float.
The leopard stood on the shore, staring at the spring. It was clear the big cat hated water and couldn’t understand why Lin Qianyu and Da Ju wanted to stay in it.
Lin Qianyu waved enthusiastically. “Huahua, want to join?”
The leopard immediately turned and ran off—this was the first time it refused so bluntly—scrambling up the same tree as the red-tailed eagle and hiding behind the leaves.
Like it was scared Lin Qianyu might chase after it and drag it down.
“Hmph. Where’s the little bear?”The black bear actually liked water, but not warm water. When it saw Lin Qianyu reach out, it turned and ran just like the leopard. It hesitated a bit before climbing a tree and finally settled on a lower branch to lie down.
It was the tree closest to the hot spring, now covered in fluff.
【Help, it’s like I’m just listening to an audio stream.】
【I can’t see anything, absolutely nothing.】
【I don’t care, wuwuwu ahhh, Lin-jie you’ve changed, you’re secretly petting the fluffies behind our backs—don’t deny it, I heard it!】
Since none of them were coming into the water, Lin Qianyu could only play with the tiger. “I’m not petting anything else, they all ran up the trees. Only Da Ju is here.”
Gripping the thick fur, she leaned down and rested on it. “I think this hot spring is Da Ju’s territory—same with the one we went to last time.”
Because the previous hot spring had water buffalo.
She even suspected that Da Ju might’ve brought food there, soaked long enough, then came out for a meal before leaving.
Such a tiger that really knew how to enjoy life.
As nice as the hot spring was, you couldn’t stay in it too long.
Once she felt enough time had passed, Lin Qianyu got out and changed into clean, dry clothes.
The big tiger still had its eyes closed. If it weren’t slowly drifting around, it would’ve looked like it was asleep.
Lin Qianyu rolled up her sleeves and folded the used clothes, planning to toss them with the household discards.
She gave the tiger in the hot spring a nudge. “Da Ju, wake up. Time to go home.”
Da Ju opened its eyes—completely clear—and lightly placed its paw on the edge, climbing out with ease.
In an instant, Lin Qianyu retreated under a tree.
She had just changed into fresh clothes and didn’t want them getting wet.
The big tiger shook out its fur. After soaking in the hot spring for so long, it seemed only the outermost layer had gotten wet.
Half an hour to get wet, thirty seconds to shake dry.
Once the water was gone, it looked as fresh and clean as if it just came off the production line.
Lin Qianyu turned and patted the big tree. “Alright, little ones, time to go home.”
“Roar!”
“Tweet!”
“Aw?” The black bear absentmindedly licked its paw, not even sure what the others were yelling about, but still responded with a sound.
Lin Qianyu burst into laughter. Just then, the black bear had pressed the tree branch down far enough, so she reached up and rubbed its ear. “Let’s go.”
The weather forecast said it would be sunny for the next few days.
But in the morning, the dew was heavy.
Lin Qianyu sat in the cave packing her things, stuffing food and drinks into her backpack. “I won’t be back tonight. Remember to eat whatever you catch. If the platform gets dirty, I’ll clean it when I’m back. If you don’t want to bring the prey back, then just… take care of it on the spot.”
Once the pack was full and the zipper pulled, the packing was done.Yesterday when she went to find the steppe wolf, she didn’t bring anything, and only told the fluffballs at home that she’d be back soon—so of course she couldn’t stay there too long.
Today, fully prepared, she could spend more time with the little patient.
Lin Qianyu checked the fire in the house. Although she always doused it with water after cooking, since she wouldn’t be back tonight, she had to double-check in case there were any leftover sparks.
She pulled the leopard into a hug and kissed its furry head, smiling as she said, “Be careful when you hunt. Don’t get hurt.”
“Little Bear, don’t go looking for honey again. I left you extra sugar—enough for the whole day, don’t eat it all at once.”
She unwrapped the candy and put it in a pot; when Little Bear wanted some, it would come looking for it by scent.
The red-tailed forest eagle was lying in its nest. Lin Qianyu went over especially to cradle its head and give it a gentle pet. “Thanks for your hard work, Little Eagle.”
Outside the cave, Da Ju poked its head in at the sound.
As the light dimmed, everyone inside knew what was going on outside.
Lin Qianyu slung on her hiking pack and scratched Da Ju’s chin. “I’m leaving the house to you all.”
The big tiger squinted and let out a low growl.
The rescue station’s car was waiting below.
Knowing Lin Qianyu would be coming today, Pei Feng had arranged for the driver to arrive early. There was no need to rush her; he just waited below, ready to leave whenever she came down.
The schedule was flexible—what mattered was that a car was there when she was ready to go.
“Jerky, cold boiled water, bowl…” Lin Qianyu sat in the back seat, listing the items in her backpack.
【Why bring so much? Never mind clothes and utensils, but the rescue station doesn’t even provide food?!】
【Exactly! My Lin-jie takes on a tough mission and this is how they treat a hero?!】
【If it weren’t for that poor little wolf, I’d be demanding Lin-jie go on strike.】
…
“What?” Lin Qianyu double-checked her gear and, seeing the comment section ready to fight for her, quickly explained, “It’s not that the rescue station doesn’t provide it—it’s that I can’t use it.”
She said, “I’m still on a survival variety livestream right now.”
The core of a wilderness survival show is the danger and the hunger. If she ate food from the rescue station, it would be considered breaking the rules.
Although the previous task of cleaning the animal rooms did come with a packed dinner from the rescue station, Lin Qianyu was focused on the steppe wolf, which wasn’t part of the show’s set rules, so she stuck to eating her own supplies.
She had plenty of jerky anyway. Back home, she often ate it when she was too lazy to cook.
Fans who now understood the context: 【……】
【My Lin-jie is truly disciplined. Doesn’t give the haters a single chance to nitpick.】
【Are there even any haters left? Go check the block list in the stream—pretty sure most of them are already banned.】
…
As soon as she got out of the car and saw the person approaching, Lin Qianyu smiled. “I feel like I run into you every time I come here.”
Pei Feng shrugged and smiled. “The driver told me you got in the car, and since I was already awake, I just watched the stream for a bit.”Lin Qianyu: “You watch livestreams during work hours? Aren’t you afraid your boss will catch you and dock your pay?”
“Not at all.” Pei Feng lowered his voice. “Let me tell you a secret—our big Boss is watching your stream too.”
As employees of the company, when Feng Jingye started streaming, of course they all had to show support.
Without being part of the industry, just relying on the popularity of this one show, it would’ve been hard to boost the livestream’s viewership.
Part of it was support, but they were also genuinely curious how the big Boss would handle livestreaming. Turns out, after easily finding food and a place to stay, he just propped up his phone on a stand and comfortably watched the stream.
Of the three supplies he picked when the show started, Feng Jingye had chosen a phone stand.
Lin Qianyu looked at the streaming equipment, then glanced at Pei Feng whispering beside her. “I’m still live right now.”
Pei Feng: “……”
Crap. There goes the bonus.
Inside the room—
Outside, Bo Shushu pulled over a chair and sat down, yawning. “Lin-jie, you’re here.”
Lin Qianyu noticed her looking a bit worn out. “You didn’t sleep at all last night?”
“No. We took two-hour shifts keeping watch. I was too excited to sleep much anyway. Now that you’re here—” Bo Shushu’s sentence was interrupted by a few more yawns.
Lin Qianyu thought the next part would be “I can go sleep now,” but instead Bo Shushu said, “I can hand the steppe wolf over to you and go watch the stream in peace.”
Lin Qianyu: “???”
Comment section: 【Hahaha, the staff are really something.】
【Much respect—you can tell they’re all doing their best for the injured little wolf.】
Self-harming behavior can lead to serious consequences in a short time, so even with surveillance in the room, they didn’t rely on it.
They divided the shifts and sat outside in person. If the wolf showed signs of hurting itself, they’d rush in. The moment other people entered, the steppe wolf would focus its attention on resisting them.
But the staff couldn’t stay inside too long either—being constantly on edge would wear the wolf out physically.
So this simple but effective method was the best way to care for the wolf’s emotional state.
“You should go rest. Watching the stream can wait until after you sleep,” Lin Qianyu said as she set down her backpack and took off her jacket, getting ready to enter and disinfect. Casually, she asked, “How’s the wolf’s sleep quality?”
Bo Shushu said, “It’s very sensitive. Most of the time it just rests with its eyes closed, rarely falling into deep sleep. Last night, its eyes never even shut. My colleague on the previous shift said it stood guard at the door the whole night.”
As for why it didn’t sleep and stayed at the door—
The answer was obvious.
Lin Qianyu paused for a second while placing her jacket down, then nodded and said, “Got it.”
A short while passed in the disinfection room.
Then Lin Qianyu opened the door.
At first glance, she didn’t see the steppe wolf. The space near the door was empty, though the grass on the ground was flattened and hadn’t bounced back yet. Just from the state of the grass, it was clear the steppe wolf had stayed there a long time.
“Little Wolf?” Lin Qianyu looked at the furball pretending to sleep in the corner and couldn’t help but smile.【Baby, stop pretending—your tail already betrayed you!】
【Such a tsundere little thing. Waited all night, and now that she’s here, you act cold? Wuwuwu... Let auntie give you kisses.】
Maybe because of their interaction yesterday, the steppe wolf already remembered Lin Qianyu.
This time when Lin Qianyu approached, the steppe wolf didn’t bare its teeth in rejection. Its eyes moved slightly but didn’t fully open.
It was more like it squinted, secretly peeking at her.
“Did you have a midnight snack yesterday? Was the meat tasty?” Lin Qianyu sat down beside it, holding her hand above the steppe wolf. Though its frame was thin, from its size, it was clearly an adult male wolf.
Yesterday, when she left, the few bites it took weren't even enough to be considered a proper meal.
She didn’t know if it had eaten again during the night.
The steppe wolf ignored her, acting like she didn’t exist.
But… its tail was lightly thumping the grass behind it.
Lin Qianyu’s eyes curved as she smiled silently.
They say a cat’s tail is a separate creature from the cat itself—apparently that applied to this steppe wolf too.
When talking to small animals, even if they don’t respond, it’s easy to talk on and on without tiring.
Let alone now, when the steppe wolf’s response was so obvious. Maybe it didn’t even realize how clearly its wagging tail was giving it away.
Lin Qianyu gently asked, “Can I touch your belly?”
Obviously, that question got no answer.
But Lin Qianyu nodded seriously. “Silence means consent.”
The steppe wolf’s wagging tail paused, then flicked its tip a little—as if trying to act casual.
“Alright.” Lin Qianyu couldn’t help letting out a soft laugh. The steppe wolf’s head suddenly shot up, and Lin Qianyu immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. But the eyes peeking out were still full of warmth and amusement.
Her gaze was filled entirely with the image of the steppe wolf.
Perhaps sensing something, the steppe wolf slowly lowered its head again.
Lin Qianyu gently patted its head. “You’re already cool like this. Once we fatten you up a bit, you’ll be even better.”
One of the great joys of raising a little creature is feeding it—personally turning a skinny fluff into a round fluff. It’s such a sense of accomplishment.
Animals, like people, also like hearing sweet talk. Lin Qianyu praised first, then reached to touch its belly.
It was flat—not like it had eaten.
The steppe wolf was receiving special care at the moment. Meat that wasn’t fresh wouldn’t be left out too long. If not eaten in time, it would be swapped for new portions.
Lin Qianyu picked up the bowl filled with freshly added meat. The milk was still warm—clearly recently changed.
“Time for your daily one meal,” Lin Qianyu said, placing the two bowls in a row. “Okay, which one to try first?”
Though she knew the steppe wolf wouldn’t make a choice between them, she still gave it the option.
It was obvious the steppe wolf had little interest in food—but unexpectedly, instead of ignoring her like before, it locked eyes with Lin Qianyu, then slowly lowered its head and bit into a piece of meat.Lin Qianyu paused, for once managing to read the steppe wolf’s thoughts from its gaze.
She lowered her eyes and gently stroked its furry head with her fingertips. “If you really can’t eat, you can drink some milk first. I left yesterday because of something I had to take care of—it had nothing to do with you not eating.”
【?!!!】
【So—he clearly didn’t want to eat, but took a bite just to make Lin Qianyu stay?!】
【Waaaahhh, Auntie is going to cry herself to death.】
【The little wolf is just… I’m crying to death.】
...
Even though Lin Qianyu said that, the steppe wolf still didn’t react much. It just slowly and sluggishly chewed on the piece of meat.
Seeing how hard it was trying to eat, Lin Qianyu gently smoothed its fur beside it. It already looked thin, but actually touching it was the only way to truly understand the meaning of “skin and bones.”
Due to refusing to eat, long-term malnutrition and illness had left its fur dull and lifeless.
Lin Qianyu had seen wolves before—whether black or gray ones. Healthy wolves were supposed to be strong, on par with lions.
This steppe wolf was far too thin.
“You finished the whole piece?” Lost in her thoughts, Lin Qianyu only snapped out of it when she caught a glimpse of a small piece of meat being taken into the steppe wolf’s mouth, still slowly being chewed.
Lin Qianyu praised it generously, “Great job—such a big piece of meat, and you ate it. That’s real progress.”
The steppe wolf licked its nose. For once, the meat it swallowed didn’t seem like it was about to be thrown back up.
Outside the glass.
Despite saying she was going to sleep, Bo Shushu never left—nor did she go back to watch the livestream. Why watch a stream when you could witness it live?
Watching through a layer of glass was way clearer than through a camera.
Once people knew Lin Qianyu was there, more and more staff showed up to join the fun.
Pei Feng was also sitting outside, watching the steppe wolf finish its meat. Seeing that it didn’t resist like yesterday, and didn’t throw it up uncontrollably after swallowing, he finally relaxed.
Pen in hand, he was recording notes on paper. “I think Lin Qianyu might just work miracles.”
Bo Shushu nodded too. “It really is amazing.”
At the same time, she felt a bit indignant. They had done so much work, yet it seemed none of it helped at all. Lin Qianyu came, said a few words, and the wolf started eating on its own.
Seriously—comparing goods makes you throw yours away, comparing people just kills you.
Thud thud. A man in a sharp uniform strode over briskly, tapping his iPad to get their attention.
He frowned and said, “Why are so many of you crowding here?”
Pei Feng stood up. “Professor Zhao.”
Professor Zhao raised his hand to stop him. “Go do what you’re supposed to. You think surrounding the steppe wolf with people will make it better?”
Pei Feng said, “The steppe wolf has started eating on its own. I’m taking notes.”
“Eating on its own? Since when?” Professor Zhao took the notebook from his hand, then looked up—through the glass, he saw Lin Qianyu inside the room.For a moment, he didn’t quite register what was happening. Head down, notebook in hand, he flipped a page before belatedly realizing something was wrong. He suddenly looked up—only to see Lin Qianyu nearly pressed up against the steppe wolf.
“What’s going on?!” Professor Zhao’s face was full of shock. “Which team is she from? Who allowed her in there? Get her out immediately! Prolonged human contact can cause the steppe wolf to go into stress—you all know that! So many of you here, and not a single person told her to come out?!”
“It’s like this, Professor Zhao—Lin Qianyu is…” Pei Feng hesitated, “She’s an external specialist I invited. The steppe wolf was in such poor condition. Even after being transferred to Area One, all they could offer was conservative treatment, so I thought…”
“You thought? You thought? This is completely reckless! Get her out now!”
Worried something might happen to the steppe wolf under his watch, Professor Zhao reached out in a panic to open the decontamination room’s door.
Bo Shushu quickly said, “It’s not reckless—it’s really working. If you don’t believe it, look for yourself. The steppe wolf isn’t baring its teeth, isn’t puffing up—look at its tail, it’s still wagging. That means it’s in a good mood!”
However, just as Bo Shushu finished speaking—
Inside the glass room, the previously docile steppe wolf suddenly flipped over and bit Lin Qianyu’s wrist. Blood ran down her pale arm. The steppe wolf clamped down hard, showing no intention of letting go.
“!!!”
In that instant, the unexpected turn of events stunned everyone.
Professor Zhao immediately grabbed the door handle, but Pei Feng reacted quickly. “Wait, Professor! I don’t think this is what it looks like.”
“What do you mean it’s not? It just bit someone!” No matter if it was the person or the steppe wolf that got hurt, if something went wrong, the rescue center would be the one to take the blame.
Professor Zhao pointed a trembling finger at the one-way glass, about to say more—when he saw that inside, Lin Qianyu, who’d been bitten, didn’t show any panic at all.
Instead, she casually tapped the steppe wolf on the nose.
“Look at you, got my hand all bloody.” Lin Qianyu’s tone held a hint of annoyance. Her fingers slid from its nose to its brow, lightly rubbing, then pushing the fur backward against its natural lay. “I’ll just wipe it all over you later.”
The steppe wolf squinted its eyes and let go of her hand. It licked the blood on her arm, then licked its own lips.
Lin Qianyu wiped the blood off her arm with a tissue. Once the blood was gone, her skin was smooth and fair—no wounds, not even a scratch.
The blood had come from that bowl of meat. After finishing the bowl, Lin Qianyu had gone in for a belly rub, and only then did the steppe wolf turn and bite.
But… even though it was weak, there was no way it could bite from that close range and not cause a single injury.
It was clear the steppe wolf hadn’t intended to attack. If anything, it seemed more like it was… playing with Lin Qianyu.
And ended up getting its fur rubbed the wrong way in return.
【Awooo, what an adorably harmless little guy.】
【If I rubbed my cat’s fur backwards like that, it’d jump off the AC unit to claw my face.】
Lin Qianyu said matter-of-factly, “You bit me, so as compensation, I get to rub your belly.”
The steppe wolf’s ears flattened slightly. It seemed confused by human logic.
“That’s how it works. Reasonable people all do this,” Lin Qianyu said with a smile, placing her hand back on the steppe wolf’s belly, smoothing its fur down from the neck in gentle strokes.
She didn’t even need a brush. Just curling her fingers slightly left visible lines in the thin wolf fur.
She gave a gentle scratch beneath the jaw, and without even realizing it, the steppe wolf lay down.
Obedient as if it were a big dog raised by her since childhood.
Lin Qianyu leaned back against the wall. Her legs had been crossed, but when the steppe wolf lay down, she extended them so it could rest more comfortably on her lap.Outside the glass wall, Professor Zhao’s face was expressionless, but his eyes betrayed the turmoil in his mind—he had no idea what was going on.
Just yesterday, the steppe wolf had been unable to eat, irritable and aggressive, even biting into its own flesh until it bled. How had it suddenly become so docile?
Professor Zhao’s voice trembled: “Did she… did she drug the steppe wolf?”
Pei Feng: “...How could that be possible? We’ve all been standing here the whole time.”
It’s not like they were dead—if she had actually drugged the wolf, would they really be standing outside doing nothing?
Besides, tranquilizers can only calm agitated animals to sleep, not make them tame.
Seeing that Professor Zhao still looked doubtful, Pei Feng said, “It’s almost time for the medication. Professor, why don’t you help deliver it?”
As he spoke, Pei Feng gestured to Bo Shushu beside him.
Bo Shushu picked up the cue, “Yes, Professor, you can try it yourself. Just open the door and put the medicine in the trough on the right—you don’t have to go inside.”
Just earlier, Professor Zhao had wanted to rush in and pull her out. But after watching for so long, he started to realize something. He took the medicine from her and said, “Got it.”
To enter the simulated grassland room, one had to pass through the decontamination room—the only door.
A soft click sounded.
The steppe wolf, which had been lying on Lin Qianyu’s lap, suddenly stood up. It bared its teeth toward the door, and its fur bristled instantly.
Professor Zhao: “……”
It hadn’t even entered yet, and it was already being treated like a threat.
If he took a step forward now, he had no doubt the steppe wolf would lunge at him.
“This is its medication. If you have time, you can feed it…” As soon as the medicine was placed in the slot, the steppe wolf stepped over Lin Qianyu and charged toward him.
Professor Zhao instinctively took a half-step back. Lin Qianyu calmly raised her hand and hugged the alert steppe wolf, “Easy now, he’s just here to drop off your medicine. We’ll ignore him.”
The bristling steppe wolf wasn’t easily calmed, but it also didn’t try to lunge forward again.
Lin Qianyu gave a slight nod toward Professor Zhao, who immediately shut the door and turned to leave.
Only after walking out of the decontamination room did Professor Zhao exhale, still dazed and not quite able to process what had just happened.
“Alright, alright, he’s gone now.” Lin Qianyu didn’t rush to grab the medicine. She gently smoothed down the wolf’s fur, held it close, patted her leg, and said, “Come on, lie down. I’ll keep giving you a massage.”
The steppe wolf stood for a moment, confirming that no one was going to open the door again, then turned around—but instead of returning to her lap, it started curling up back in the corner.
Lin Qianyu decisively reached out and wrapped her arms around it. Halfway through, the steppe wolf’s line of sight flipped, and after a moment of recalibrating, it was once again lying on her lap.
It bared its teeth with a slight delay.
Lin Qianyu covered its mouth and gently placed a smiling kiss on its forehead. “Good boy.”
The steppe wolf turned its face away with no expression.
Its tail behind it whipped up into the air.
【Quick, someone put this little wolf on a weight-gain plan—its tail’s about to lift it into the sky.】
【Hahaha, you’ve stolen all the spotlight! This steppe wolf is really happy.】【Little wolf on the outside: speechless, what’s with all the kissing. Little wolf on the inside: kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss——!】
【Where did all that ferocity from when the door opened just go?! I’m really falling hard for this obvious double standard, seriously!】
Lin Qianyu also thought it was especially adorable. She pressed the steppe wolf down and gave it another rub, settling it back onto her lap, stroking from the little furry head all the way down.
Professor Zhao was still standing at the decontamination room door, lost in thought about what had just happened. He sluggishly turned back toward the glass.
And saw the same steppe wolf that had just been baring its teeth and looked ready to pounce and tear him apart—now lying bonelessly like a lump of fur getting a massage, without a hint of menace.
Professor Zhao: “……”
This can’t be right!
Pei Feng noticed Professor Zhao’s expression and couldn’t help but shoot a look at Bo Shushu.
Although the timing wasn’t ideal, Bo Shushu still had to struggle not to burst out laughing.
…
The motion of stroking the fur was repeated several times.
Until Lin Qianyu noticed the steppe wolf’s breathing gradually becoming steady, as if it had fallen asleep—only then did she lighten her hand.
But the moment she stopped, the steppe wolf opened its eyes.
Lin Qianyu paused, meeting the wolf’s gaze. She lowered her head and rubbed her cheek against the little patient. “Sleep, I’m not going anywhere.”
Her voice was soft but resolute. “I’ll stay with you tonight. I’m not going anywhere.”
The steppe wolf narrowed its eyes and, before Lin Qianyu could rise, lifted its head and nuzzled her back.
Author’s note: This chapter includes bonus content thanks to nutrient solution contributions~ mwah mwah~ Good night, sleep early, love you all.