Chapter 48
Chapter 48
[Bonus Chapter from Nutrient Solution Votes]
[Ahhh! So big cats like playing with laser pointers too!]
Lin Qianyu clearly realized that the timid leopard cat was hiding from the big tiger. “Da Ju, put me down. I’ll chase it.”
“Roar——!”
Da Ju didn’t stop, but the leopard cat that had been dashing forward suddenly screeched to a halt.
A leopard leapt down from a tree, landing steadily on the path ahead.
With a leopard in front and a tiger behind, the rusty-spotted cat quickly changed direction to flee right—only for a black bear hidden in the shadows to slowly emerge.
Fur standing on end, the leopard cat trembled as it turned the other way, where a prairie wolf was casually approaching.
Above, a red-tailed hawk circled, having locked onto its location.
—Even climbing a tree wouldn’t help.
Realizing it was trapped with nowhere to run, the rusty-spotted cat tucked its tail between its legs and hissed all around.
[Greenland: Dad, no need to save me dinner tonight.]
[If you don't see it from the cat’s perspective, this actually looks kinda badass.]
Lin Qianyu jumped down from the tiger.
Since all the fluffballs had gathered here looking for the rusty-spotted cat on her command, now that she was here, there was no need for them to bring it back.
With the cat unable to run anymore, they simply surrounded it without moving closer.
“Come on, little guy.” Lin Qianyu squatted and reached out her hand. “Kevin asked me to find you. He was really worried when you ran off. Can I take you home?”
The rusty-spotted cat stared at her, bewildered yet cautious.
Lin Qianyu raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me I’ve got the wrong one?”
Why did it seem like this cat didn’t recognize Kevin at all?
That shouldn’t be the case.
Finding two identical rusty-spotted cats in a rainforest was already nearly impossible.
The odds of finding three lookalikes? Practically zero.
She didn’t know if this one was Greenland, but it was definitely not the grumpy one.
If it were that one, it’d be running while cussing.
Scared but foul-mouthed—fleeing, yes, but never losing face.
Lin Qianyu paused, then realized something and clarified, “I mean the blond, blue-eyed man who feeds you. He sent me to find you.”
At that description, the rusty-spotted cat nervously looked up—clearly those words triggered a memory.
Seeing this, Lin Qianyu confirmed, “Greenland doesn’t know the person who takes care of it is called Kevin.”
She rubbed her forehead, exasperated. No wonder when she first said ‘Kevin asked me to find you,’ the cat didn’t even pause and just kept running.So it turned out, there was no miscommunication—it's just that the leopard cat didn’t know who Kevin was.
Lin Qianyu was covered in the scent of the tiger, and as soon as she got close, the rusty-spotted cat began to tremble.
Left with no choice, she patted the grass on the ground and started a livestream so Kevin could see and hurry over.
Luckily, Kevin wasn’t far. He ran while watching the stream. In fact, the moment Lin Qianyu messaged him, he had already started heading this way.
Now he came jogging up, still out of breath, and shouted hoarsely, “Greenland! I’m here!”
The rusty-spotted cat, which had curled up on the ground, immediately perked up with a whoosh, eyes wide with excitement as it looked at Kevin. “Aow aow!”
The leopard glanced over, then got up, shook its fur, and walked toward Lin Qianyu.
With an opening to escape, the rusty-spotted cat didn’t hesitate and bolted straight toward Kevin.
Bowled over by the cat’s enthusiasm, Kevin lost his balance, staggered, and finally fell flat to the ground.
“Ah!”
He landed in a full spread-eagle position.
“Aow!” The rusty-spotted cat showed no sense of guilt, rubbing affectionately against Kevin.
“OMG, Greenland. What’s gotten into you? Why are you suddenly so affectionate?” Kevin enjoyed the cat’s closeness, but he was also puzzled. Most of the time, Greenland acted like a haughty queen—why so cuddly today?
Last time Greenland ran off, when he found her, she didn’t even want to come back.
If it hadn’t been for that foul-mouthed leopard cat helping out, she might’ve run off again.
So what’s going on now?
Could it be she finally realized how dangerous the rainforest is, and that’s why she was so happy to see him?
The more Kevin thought about it, the more it made sense. He comforted his shaken precious cat, “Alright, alright, I know you missed me.”
Greenland, soothed and relaxed, sank her teeth into his wrist.
“Ah!!!”
Kevin’s scream brought a touching reunion scene to an abrupt end.
He held down the cat’s head—she’d let go when she’d had enough. Not bothered in the slightest, he hugged her and thanked Lin Qianyu: “Lin! Thank you for bringing my daughter back. You have to accept this. I owe you two favors now. Coming out so late at night to help me search—way too much trouble.”
Having been rejected last time, Kevin came prepared. Without giving Lin Qianyu a chance to refuse, he shoved the card into her hands and bolted right after, terrified she’d give it back again.
Hugging the rusty-spotted cat, Kevin dashed away and didn’t stop until he was far off.
Even though he was out of sight, Lin Qianyu could still hear him talking to the cat: “You’ve got no self-defense ability. I wanted to teach you, but you didn’t want to learn. Yet you keep running off. If you insist on escaping, at least learn how to survive in the wild first.”
“Sigh, thank goodness for Lin. Otherwise you would’ve been eaten by some rainforest predator.”
“Hey! Are you even listening to me?”
“……”
His voice faded into the distance—nagging nonstop, like a worried old father.
—By the time Lin Qianyu got back to the cave, night had fully fallen.Click.
Lin Qianyu turned on the flashlight assigned by the rescue station, and it was as if daylight suddenly broke—the entire platform was brightly illuminated.
Brighter than daytime under the canopy of leaves below.
It nearly blinded her.
Having gotten used to dim light, the sudden burst made Lin Qianyu squint.
“Whoa… it's really this bright?” This was her first time seeing a flashlight with this kind of power.
It felt even brighter than an incandescent lamp, and it covered a wider area.
【Damn, people watching this livestream probably think it’s morning.】
【Rooster: Huh? Time for work again? I swear I just closed my eyes.】
【Hahahaha, this flashlight is insane. @Su Yuxing, can you include this in the next supply drop?】
Although nighttime livestreams had night vision, staring at that color scheme too long was uncomfortable. Regular lighting made for much better viewing.
“It looks like you can even adjust the color,” Lin Qianyu said, twisting the front of the flashlight as per the instructions. With a click, the white light turned to warm yellow, then another twist made it red.
She flipped the manual page and read aloud, “Light range… find the side button and slide up or down…”
The beam narrowed as she slid the button, eventually focusing into a spot about the size of a fist.
“What’s this tiny range even for?” Lin Qianyu waved the flashlight, feeling it was kind of useless.
The next moment, the tiger and the leopard sprang out at the same time, their target: the red dot on the ground.
“Roar——!”
Their roars overlapped. One of their paws landed on the red dot, which promptly appeared on the paw instead.
Immediately, the other paw pounced on top of it.
Lin Qianyu: “???”
W-wait a second!
A moving red dot had a fatal allure for feline species.
Luckily, the black bear and the prairie wolf weren’t interested, and the red-tailed hawk sat calmly on her shoulder.
Otherwise, if all the fluffballs mobbed together chasing an intangible red dot, it would’ve been total chaos.
The little chevrotain toddled out of the cave, took one look at the tiger and leopard fighting over the red dot, and, without a word, turned around and staggered back inside.
Maybe they’d bumped into each other while chasing the dot, and now the leopard and tiger were roaring at one another.
Lin Qianyu rushed forward, stepping between the two big cats, pushing them apart with one hand on each, “Wait, wait… hey—ow!”
Turns out, trying to break up two roughhousing big cats isn’t so easy.
Someone must’ve bumped into her. Lin Qianyu slipped, grabbed at something without seeing clearly which cat she caught, and fell onto something soft—didn’t hurt at all.With only a bit of moonlight for illumination late at night, it wasn’t nearly enough for Lin Qianyu to clearly see what had just happened.
In the chaos, Lin Qianyu felt her ankle get brushed by a tail, and a big cat’s paw landed right beside her cheek.
Even though they were roughhousing, it felt like they were deliberately avoiding her.
The little black snake, who slept all day, sensed something was wrong and groggily opened its eyes—just in time to see Lin Qianyu reaching out to push the tiger’s head, unexpectedly locking eyes with the massive tiger.
Its eyes rolled back in shock, and it nearly fell off her wrist. Lin Qianyu caught it just in time and stuffed it into her pocket.
“Roar——!”
“Yowl——!”
“Stop——!”
Lin Qianyu’s voice was especially faint compared to the roars of the two beasts.
So she simply stretched out both arms, pressing one hand against each of them, barely catching her breath. “Enough!”
Tufts of fur floated gently through the air, reflecting just how intense the earlier scuffle had been.
With their furry heads pinned down, the two big cats seemed as if sealed by a spell—completely motionless.
The leopard lifted its head to nuzzle her hand.
The big tiger licked its lips, then leaned back and sat down.
Lin Qianyu let out a long sigh. It was over.
She tidied her messed-up hair and even pulled off two clumps of fur.
Too dark to tell what color they were—no idea which of the two big cats they belonged to—but she kept them. Maybe she’d use them to felt some wool later.
【Ahhh! So big cats like playing with infrared too!】
【Infrared Pro Max.】
【Awooo so cute, so cute—those two big cats stacking their paws, just imagine burying your face in them, how amazing that’d be.】
【Coward. I can imagine it.】
…
Lin Qianyu casually tied her hair up. “There were some large cat toys in the previous supply drops. I thought they didn’t like them. Didn’t expect they actually enjoy this stuff. Next time I’ll take them to a more open place to play.”
The space was too cramped, and the animals were too large—hard to move freely and easy to crash into each other.
She adjusted the flashlight to normal lighting mode and placed it to the side.
From that angle, it didn’t shine into the cave itself, but it lit up the platform, the area outside the cave, and inside the tent.
Saved her the trouble of setting up another light.
However, little flying insects were easily attracted to light sources at night.
Normally, with no lights on at night and only the faint glow from her watch, it wasn’t enough to lure bugs into the cave.
But now that she was outside, the little flying insects all swarmed toward the light.Lin Qianyu sprayed insect repellent twice before going inside.
“It’s too late now, let’s leave the bamboo rice for tomorrow. Just as well—I can soak the bamboo first.” Lin Qianyu dragged out a large basin, placed the bamboo tubes inside, filled it with water, and added some weights on top.
They weren’t very heavy, but enough to keep the bamboo from floating.
Dinner was pretty casual.
All the fluffballs were already full, and Lin Qianyu didn’t feel like cooking, so she just ate half a piece of bread with a sausage—called it dinner.
She put the remaining bread back into its packaging, casually rolled up the open edge, and said to the livestream camera, “That’s it for today’s stream. See you next time.”
【What?! How dare you! If you suddenly end the stream like this, what would the UN say?】
【Didn’t you say ‘see you tomorrow’? Damn it, I don’t like ‘next time.’ Say ‘see you tomorrow,’ don’t make me get on my knees and beg.】
【Good night, Sister Lin, sweet dreams. Remember to pet a few more fluffballs for me. Also... are you sure you don’t want to let the big cats play a bit more infrared Jenga?】
The last comment came from a VIP user in colorful text.
Still saying goodnight to fans in the chat, Lin Qianyu naturally noticed it. She paused, then realized that “Jenga” probably meant the fluffballs piling on her!
Laughing and crying at the same time, Lin Qianyu grabbed the big tiger’s paw and rubbed it. “Do you know how heavy they are?”
Just one paw could crush her.
Faced with all the disappointed comments, Lin Qianyu raised her hand and ended the stream.
“Alright, little ones, it’s time for us to rest too.” After washing up, Lin Qianyu entered the tent and laid out her sleeping bag.
The tent was quite spacious, and if it still wasn’t enough for all the fluffballs to squeeze in, she could open up the expansion. Once set up, it created an extra resting area.
To make the sleeping space more roomy, Lin Qianyu opened the extension and zipped it up.
The tent even had temperature control. Compared to sleeping in a cave while filming, this setup was far better.
The only concern was how long the battery would last. If it ran out, she’d have to bring it back to the rescue station to charge—kind of a hassle.
Lin Qianyu thought she’d ask tomorrow if the rescue station had any solar power options.
A big tiger lay beside her, a black bear at her back, the red-tailed crested eagle within arm’s reach, and the leopard and prairie wolf snuggled up next to her.
Lin Qianyu was completely surrounded by fluff.
After thinking for a moment, she lowered the temperature on the air conditioner a bit more, just in case she got too hot and woke up in the middle of the night.
Once that was done, she draped a leg over the big tiger. “Sleep.”
—The next day.
Strictly speaking, this was the first day of vacation.
While Lin Qianyu hadn’t forced herself to wake up early during variety show filming, she never slept too late either. She had developed a mild biological clock.
Opening her eyes and glancing at the time, she started getting ready to stream—only to realize, as her cheek lifted from the pillow, that the show was over and this was her break.
So Lin Qianyu lay back down again.
With her eyes closed, she scooted the surrounding fluffballs closer and wrapped her arms around them to continue sleeping.The second round of sleep was restful.
Lin Qianyu didn’t know what time it was when she woke up again, but the prairie wolf in her arms was already quietly staring at her with open eyes.
Not a trace of drowsiness on its face.
“How long have you been awake?” Lin Qianyu lowered her head and gave it a kiss. The temperature in the tent was a bit low—without all the fluffballs crowding around, sleeping at this temperature might even cause a cold.
Lin Qianyu reached out and turned off the thermostat. The cold air wouldn’t dissipate quickly, so she simply pulled out a summer blanket and covered herself with it.
Then she reached over and brought the prairie wolf in under the blanket as well.
“Did the others go hunting?” Lin Qianyu didn’t see the leopard or the rest, so they’d probably gone out.
“Woo.”
And they hadn’t forgotten to zip the tent shut on their way out.
Noticing the neatly zipped-up edge of the tent, Lin Qianyu smiled with her eyes. Her fluffy bunch really was both obedient and clever.
She stretched while lying down, then hugged the prairie wolf and rolled over to the other side.
“Oh right, aren’t we supposed to go back for a check-up today?” She suddenly sat up, remembering that she had only been allowed to bring the prairie wolf out because it was beneficial to its recovery—and they had to return for regular checkups.
The prairie wolf had been behaving completely like a healthy animal these past few days.
So much so that Lin Qianyu had almost forgotten it was still technically a patient.
Fortunately, the check-up was scheduled for the afternoon.
There was still plenty of time.
Lin Qianyu got up and tidied the tent a bit.
The sleeping bag would still be used at night, so there was no need to fold it—just leave it there.
The main thing was the bamboo she had soaked the night before.
Store-bought bamboo usually needed to be soaked for at least 24 hours to remove odors before it could be used for bamboo rice.
But the bamboo Lin Qianyu used had all been freshly chopped by her. It was fresh, had little odor, and came out of the water looking smooth and moist.
Both ends of the bamboo were open. Lin Qianyu pressed one end to her eye and bent down to look at the prairie wolf. “Let me see who this is.”
“Woo!” The prairie wolf lifted its head.
“Oh... it’s the little wolf.” Lin Qianyu smiled with her eyes and moved the bamboo closer.
The prairie wolf leaned in, its snout getting stuck in the bamboo tube.
It froze, licked its lips, and tried to open its mouth—but couldn’t.
Lin Qianyu rarely saw the usually composed and serious prairie wolf show such a dazed expression, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly as she pulled the bamboo tube away.
The prairie wolf gave a shake.
Lin Qianyu rubbed its ear gently with her fingertip and said, “How about I make you all some with meat?”
She rinsed the soaked bamboo a few times with clean water. A gentle shake to remove the droplets, and they were ready to use.Bamboo rice can be made with meat or vegetables, and with a different kind of rice, it can even be turned into bamboo-wrapped zongzi.
There happened to be a bag of fragrant rice here.
Animals can eat rice, but compared to other foods, they probably prefer meat.
“Less rice, more meat—that should still taste good.” Thinking this, Lin Qianyu washed the rice first. “Let’s also make two with glutinous rice.”
The glutinous rice ones wouldn’t be for the animals.
There are many ways to make bamboo rice, and there’s no strict rule about what ingredients to put inside.
Lin Qianyu picked the vegetables and meat she liked, chopped them into small pieces, mixed them with the rice, added seasonings, and poured a bit of soy sauce for color. After stir-frying everything, she packed it all into the bamboo tubes.
She picked three different colors of string to distinguish the types. The ones with glutinous rice and fragrant rice were separated, while the all-meat bamboo rice meant for the fluffballs—seasoned only with salt—was tied with red string and sealed with bamboo leaves, then placed on top.
Once she finished this, the water in the pot had come to a boil. She placed the pure glutinous rice zongzi at the bottom to boil, and the other two kinds on the steamer rack above.
No need to eat them right after steaming—they’d taste better after sitting a while.
Lin Qianyu turned off the stove, took the prairie wolf with her, and said, “Let’s go. We’ll get your check-up done first, then come back and eat.”
“Woo!”
The rescue station’s vehicle was already waiting at the bottom of the platform.
Pei Feng was personally driving. Seeing Lin Qianyu approach, he glanced at the time. “You’re here this early?”
“Just finished things up, so I came down ahead of schedule.” Lin Qianyu opened the car door and let the prairie wolf climb in first. “How long will the check-up take?”
“Not long, just a comprehensive assessment and physical exam. Honestly, this prairie wolf doesn’t look sick at all.” Pei Feng had watched the wolf’s recovery from the start.
Just by looking into its eyes, it seemed far more spirited than it ever did in the simulated prairie environment.
The scabbed wounds hadn’t been reopened, and its fur even seemed thicker.
Of course, it was impossible for wolf fur to grow that quickly in such a short time, but visually the change was that obvious. Such a drastic transformation in so little time was truly astonishing.
Pei Feng said, “You’ve taken really good care of it.”
“The little wolf deserves the credit.” Lin Qianyu pulled the prairie wolf onto her lap, smoothing its fur and rubbing its ears. “It’s been actively cooperating with treatment.”
Pei Feng let out a quiet laugh at that. That wasn’t cooperating with treatment—it was cooperating with you.
“By the way, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” Pei Feng kept his eyes on the road, seeming a little hesitant. “So... prairie wolves all have ‘prairie’ in their name, right?”
“So the prairie is their natural habitat. This rainforest is just a temporary stop. There won’t be any problems in the short term, but... sometimes, the longer they stay, the more issues start to surface.”
The more he spoke, the more awkward he sounded. Even though this was a perfectly normal protocol, knowing how close Lin Qianyu was to the prairie wolf made him feel like he was playing the villain.
Tsk.
Should’ve let Bo Shushu come instead.
But Lin Qianyu took it all calmly. “Got it.”
“That’s... it?” Pei Feng was a little surprised.
“What you said is true.” Lin Qianyu ruffled the fluffy head, her fingers occasionally scratching behind its neck. “And besides, once I become a full-time employee, I can transfer between zones, right? I can go see the little wolf whenever I want.”Also, the second episode of Wilderness is set on the prairie, right? Even without applying for a transfer, she’ll be going there next month anyway.
It’s just being apart for a while—they’ll see each other again.
Seeing her like this, Pei Feng genuinely breathed a sigh of relief.
Heaven knows, he had already started thinking about what he’d do if Lin Qianyu insisted on keeping the prairie wolf in the rainforest. How would he persuade her? How would he negotiate with the company?
Because he felt that, when it came to negotiating with Lin Qianyu, he’d most likely end up surrendering first and helping her find a way to let the prairie wolf stay.
And if he couldn’t manage that—if the prairie wolf really did end up staying here—then if something went wrong in the future, wouldn’t he be the one to take responsibility?
To be honest, taking the blame wasn’t the main issue. The real problem was: Lin Qianyu cared so much about this prairie wolf—if it got sick because the environment didn’t suit it, and she started distancing herself from him, what then?
Pei Feng was thinking too much and too chaotically. If he didn’t still have to drive, he’d probably be staring blankly out the window in deep thought.
But Lin Qianyu didn’t insist on anything. On the contrary, she went along with everything, letting it unfold naturally.
Pei Feng let out a subtle breath of relief and smiled. “It’s great that you see it this way.”
“Boss said it’s inconvenient for you to get around in the rainforest, so they airlifted in a few new rainforest vehicles. They’re smaller than this one, more convenient—can even go into tighter spaces. Later, you should go take a look and pick one.”
Lin Qianyu didn’t care much about the rainforest vehicles. “No need to go through all that trouble. Walking’s good exercise too.” Running and walking are both ways to improve one’s health, and spending more time walking and getting sunlight is good for the body.
She did know how to drive, but the original host didn’t—and didn’t have a license either.
She just wasn’t sure whether driving in the rainforest required a license. There probably weren’t traffic police out there.
“Go take a look anyway. What if one of them catches your eye?” Pei Feng spared no effort in praising their boss. “These are all made in our company’s own factory—customized just for you.”
Lin Qianyu thought for a moment and didn’t refuse again. “Alright.”
They arrived at the rescue station.
Pei Feng didn’t park but drove straight through the courtyard.
The place for animal check-ups wasn’t in the same building as the regular animal housing. There were two separate buildings.
Some small animals with serious injuries weren’t returned to their rooms but kept under observation in the infirmary.
So, many rooms in the hospital were converted into wards.
Lin Qianyu brought the prairie wolf upstairs. Maybe it was because it had stayed here before—right after arriving, the prairie wolf showed obvious resistance. But with Lin Qianyu at its side, it still reluctantly followed her in.
Lin Qianyu asked, “Can I be present during the check-up?”
The doctor paused for a second and instinctively looked at Pei Feng.
Pei Feng immediately replied, “Of course you can—it’s just a basic check-up.”
Even surgeries had dedicated observation rooms—let alone a simple exam.
“It’s actually better if you’re there. Saves us from having to use anesthesia.” Pei Feng shrugged. “That stuff—better not to use it if we don’t have to.”
Normally, anesthesia is required.
Doctors aren’t miracle workers. When examining predators, they always have to be on guard in case the animal suddenly lashes out. Some animals give a warning first—at which point you back off and try to calm them.
But some animals don’t play by the rules.You never know when it’ll suddenly bite you—one second it might be grooming itself, the next its gaping jaws could be clamping down on your hand.
A doctor’s hands are especially important.
So, to avoid accidents, anesthesia is usually used for every check-up.
Hearing Pei Feng’s words, the doctor looked surprised. He glanced at the prairie wolf, then at Lin Qianyu, and asked in confusion, “Is this yours? Isn’t it illegal to privately keep a wolf?”
“No, this is the one I brought from the rescue station,” Lin Qianyu patted the examination bed that had just been covered with a fresh sheet. “Come on, little wolf.”
The prairie wolf paid no attention to anything else, its eyes only on Lin Qianyu. Whatever she told it to do, it did without hesitation—leaping up onto the bed immediately.
“You forgot already? Last time it came here for treatment, Director Wang was the one who prescribed the medication,” Pei Feng added when he saw the doctor still looking puzzled. “It was supposed to be transferred to the prairie, but the illness was too serious for transport, so it was temporarily kept with us.”
Hearing this, the doctor understood. “Ah, I remember now—wow, that’s quite a transformation.”
That prairie wolf had a unique case. All the doctors in the facility had held a meeting to discuss treatment options, but at the time, the wolf hadn’t looked anything like this.
The doctor clicked his tongue in amazement, but work waited for no one. He didn’t dwell on it, instead pulling out a new pack of medical gloves and putting them on. Still, he asked, “You’re sure you can control it, right?”
“Yes. Don’t worry—if it bites, it’ll bite me first.” Lin Qianyu pulled a chair over and sat down, placing her hand gently over the prairie wolf’s face.
She trusted that the little wolf wouldn’t bite anyone lightly—this gesture was meant to reassure the doctor.
The doctor nodded. “Alright. I’ll begin then.”
They started with a basic physical exam.
During the blood draw, Lin Qianyu held the prairie wolf’s foreleg, one arm wrapped around it, letting it half-lie in her embrace.
It was a dangerous position—if the pain of the needle agitated the prairie wolf, it could turn its head and bite her neck in an instant.
The doctor was visibly nervous, tempted several times to speak up, but seeing that neither Pei Feng nor Lin Qianyu said anything, he decided to just draw the blood and deal with everything else later.
They ran both a complete blood count and biochemical tests. There were quite a few items to check, requiring several vials. The prairie wolf remained calm the entire time—not even lifting its head when the needle went in.
“It’ll be over soon.” Lin Qianyu leaned in and kissed the side of its face lightly, soothing it with a soft voice. “Good boy.”
“Woo…”
Once the blood draw was complete, the doctor handed the vials to a nurse.
Lin Qianyu pressed a small piece of cotton over the needle site to stop the bleeding, and mimed blowing on it. She didn’t reach the wound, but the gesture was what mattered.
She had done the same when applying medicine before. The prairie wolf showed no change in expression, but its tail wagged vigorously—clearly it was happy.
Lin Qianyu picked the little wolf up. “Let’s go—on to the next exam.”
“Woo!”
...
By the time they finished all the exams, it was still early.
Though the number of procedures was high, they didn’t have to queue for appointments or payments, which saved a lot of time.
Only the results would be slow—it wouldn’t be ready the same day.
Pei Feng said, “Once the results are in, I’ll send you the digital copy. Let’s go check out the rainforest vehicles.”"Okay."
After walking out of the animal hospital, Lin Qianyu put the prairie wolf down. The prairie wolf looked around—no one was in the training field at this hour. It retracted its gaze and rubbed against Lin Qianyu’s calf as it slowly walked forward.
Since the rainforest vehicles had just been delivered, they were still in the warehouse and hadn’t been driven out.
Pei Feng took the keys himself and opened the warehouse door.
Lin Qianyu suddenly laughed and said, “Why does it feel like your responsibilities are really broad?”
Even logistics like distributing rainforest vehicles were under his care—and he had the warehouse key too.
“Rather than broad, it’s more accurate to say that I’m currently responsible for everything related to you,” Pei Feng shook the keys in his hand. “Naturally, this is included too.”
In truth, his actual job scope wasn’t large. No matter how capable he was, he was still considered a newcomer in the team.
Lin Qianyu raised an eyebrow. “Hm? What do you mean?”
“I was the one who submitted your résumé. Boss thought I was the person you were most familiar with at the rescue station and was worried you’d have a hard time adapting to unfamiliar people here, so he assigned me to help handle all these things for you. This counts as one of my main duties.”
As he spoke, Pei Feng pushed the door open. Inside, the warehouse was neat and orderly, with various boxes marked with different codes lined up.
In the center stood three vehicles with different appearances, all in varying shades of dark green.
“Their performance is pretty similar—balanced features, stable and durable.” He paused, then suddenly smiled and said, “You could pile a tiger, a leopard, a black bear, and a prairie wolf on top, and even put a red-tailed land eagle at the very top—this thing would still hold.”
“Pfft…” Lin Qianyu couldn’t help laughing at how seriously he had said it. She had thought he was about to describe some technical advantage, but this made her genuinely amused.
If it could handle that much weight, the build quality really was impressive.
“Let’s go with the one in the middle.” Since they were all similar, Lin Qianyu picked the one she thought looked the best. Its size was like a car cut in half, with only a driver’s seat left—it really was quite compact.
Yet even this small thing had a trunk.
Pei Feng opened the back and gestured with his hands. “The trunk’s pretty spacious—plenty big enough to hold a prairie wolf.”
The prairie wolf, which had just stood up to look inside, turned its head and shot him a sideways glance upon hearing that.
“???”
Pei Feng immediately clamped a hand over his mouth and muttered like he was covering up a crime, “I didn’t say that. You heard wrong.”
“Really? Let me try.” Lin Qianyu picked up the prairie wolf and gently placed it into the trunk. “It really fits.”
Inside the trunk, the prairie wolf shook its ears. It wobbled a little at the edge, then shifted itself backward on its own.
Hearing what Lin Qianyu said, the prairie wolf buried its head in her arms and nuzzled. “Woo!”
Pei Feng: “……”
Come on, I just mentioned it and you glared at me.
She actually puts you in there and you snuggle up to her?
Fine. I get it. I’m not worthy.
Pei Feng twirled the keys in his hand, then remembered something. He fumbled in his pocket and handed a card to Lin Qianyu. “This is for your room at our rescue station—it’s the largest suite we have here. Whenever you want to come back and stay, just swipe this card and you can go in.”
Assigning Lin Qianyu a staff dorm wasn’t just about giving her a place to stay.You have to consider that with so many predators appearing at the same time, the room needs to be able to accommodate them all—and it has to be far away from Feng Jingye’s room.
Otherwise, if he walks out and runs into a tiger, it could delay whatever he’s doing next.
“Thanks, I’ll stay over at the cave for a few days first.” Lin Qianyu accepted the key card but didn’t rush to go over.
Pei Feng naturally wouldn’t interfere in these things. He nodded and said, “Alright, just manage your time as you see fit.”
Knock knock—Bo Shushu poked her head in from outside the warehouse. “Brother Pei, are you done talking? Can I borrow Sister Lin for a bit?”
Pei Feng raised his chin. “Here for those two red pandas again?”
Bo Shushu rolled her eyes at him. “Ugh, I’ll talk to Sister Lin. You go do your thing. Thanks for today—I'll take your night shift.”
As she spoke, she nudged Pei Feng out the door.
Pei Feng knew what she was up to. His tasks were finished anyway, so he left her to it. “Call me if anything comes up.”
That, of course, was directed at Lin Qianyu.
“Alright.”
Once he was gone, Bo Shushu switched to a warm, smiling expression. Her eyes curved as she looked at Lin Qianyu. “Sister Lin, come have a cup of milk tea.”
Milk tea was common outside, but this was on an island.
No chain milk tea shop would open here, and if someone wanted some, they had to go out during leave to get it. No one would bother just for one drink.
Bo Shushu had gone out of her way to buy it to please Lin Qianyu.
Lin Qianyu didn’t accept rewards for nothing, not even a cup of milk tea, and asked first, “What did Pei Feng mean about the red pandas just now?”
Bo Shushu said, “Yesterday during your livestream, didn’t you come across two red pandas?”
“You know, our rescue station has several departments. There’s a rescue team that’s responsible for finding and bringing back animals caught by poachers, and a care team that gives one-on-one attention once the animals are brought in. I used to be part of the care team.”
Thinking back to when she first encountered the red pandas, Bo Shushu couldn’t help feeling a pang of sorrow. “The footage from the rescue showed the trunk full of cages. Many red pandas were crammed into one cage. Even though I wasn’t there, I could feel the stifling heat and chaos just from the video.”
“They’re animals that don’t tolerate heat well. In sweltering weather, during long transport, the car’s interior becomes like a metal steamer.”
Bo Shushu let out a sigh. “By that time, a lot of the red pandas had already died. The poachers didn’t discard them—probably planning to skin them later. Surrounded by the corpses of their companions, the environment was horrific.”
“When they were rescued, they were already on the verge of collapse—like they’d been pulled from water. Many were literally cooked alive from the heat. In the end, only those two survived the trip.”
“They both had injuries from the poachers. Since red pandas fetch a price whether dead or alive, the poachers didn’t care about their survival. They just wanted to move them quickly. They used all kinds of methods to catch them—some were clubbed unconscious, caught with traps or ropes, even electrocuted…”
The more she spoke, the darker Bo Shushu’s expression became. “One of them had its hind leg crushed by a trap and wasn’t treated, so it went necrotic. We had to amputate the leg to save it. The other had its ear torn by a poacher’s dog.”
“After they recovered and were released, I switched departments. I wanted to keep caring for them. But they’re very cautious. Every time I showed up, I scared them—even if I tried everything to alert them to my presence ahead of time, whether through footsteps or sound. Still, just me being there frightened them.”
Bo Shushu unconsciously rubbed her fingertips. She took a fountain pen from her shirt pocket and gripped it tightly, as if that was the only way to calm herself. “Boss told you already—the person who used to care for the red pandas was me.”
“I watched the stream yesterday and could clearly tell they accepted your kindness. So… could you take care of them a bit more? They’re not native animals here, and they’ve been hurt…”
“Don’t worry. Even if you didn’t say anything, I’d still go check on them often.” Lin Qianyu patted her shoulder and pulled out a tissue to hand to her. “Wipe your tears.”
Bo Shushu, lost in her thoughts, hadn’t even realized she was crying.
She took the tissue and hurriedly dabbed her face. “I’ll leave the red pandas to you, then. You’re the only one they let near them now.”You're also someone the red pandas are willing to actively show kindness toward.
Actually, after noticing how Lin Qianyu got along with the grassland wolf, Bo Shushu had already wanted to ask her to help take care of the red pandas.
But the situations were still a bit different. The grassland wolf exhibited stereotypic behavior and was xenophobic, while the red pandas went into a stress response the moment they saw a human—so much so that they couldn’t even be hand-fed.
When delivering food to the grassland wolf, though it would bare its teeth at them, once the food was set down and they left, it wouldn’t react further.
The red pandas were different—even if you left the food and walked away, they’d still get stressed.
As long as you appeared in their line of sight, the red pandas would immediately go into a stress response.
But during yesterday’s livestream, the two red pandas who had been fighting didn’t notice Lin Qianyu approaching. By the time they did, they also heard her speaking.
And before they could react in panic, it seemed they had already identified Lin Qianyu as one of their own—just one who looked different.
So they didn’t respond at all.
Bo Shushu hesitated before handing her a sealed bag. “Inside is a prosthetic specially made for the red panda with the broken leg. It's crafted with new materials and a special cutting technique. It won’t cause any pain and allows for smooth movement.”
Lin Qianyu took the bag. Inside the delicate wooden box was a soft inner lining, and nestled in its groove was a prosthetic with a silver sheen. “You want me to put this on the red panda?”
“Yes.” Bo Shushu gave a helpless, bitter smile. “When I first received it, I was excited and went straight to the red panda. I was worried it’d panic, so I even sedated it and put it on while it was sleeping. At first, everything seemed fine, but once we returned it to the infirmary, it started clawing at it for some reason. It didn’t calm down until it got the prosthetic off.”
After that, Bo Shushu hadn’t dared try again.
She guessed—maybe the red panda refused to wear it because it didn’t like humans. But if it were someone it trusted, maybe it would accept it.
“Alright, I’ll give it a try.” Lin Qianyu took the bag, then asked, “What about the one without an ear? Did you make an ear for it?”
Bo Shushu was stunned. “Make an ear? But missing an ear doesn’t affect its daily life.”
A prosthetic could offer support and mobility, but a fake ear would be purely decorative.
Lin Qianyu reasoned, “If what you said is true—that it was fine at first, but had a reaction after returning to the infirmary—then it probably ran into the other red panda there.”
Maybe, because its companion had a visible defect, it was willing to give up the prosthetic in order to stay the same. To huddle together in mutual comfort.
Bo Shushu opened her mouth.
Uh, what?
Lin Qianyu’s explanation was clearly outside the scope of any reasoning they had considered.
Seeing her dazed expression, Lin Qianyu didn’t need a verbal answer—it was clear enough.
She said, “Does the rescue station have any red panda fur? Give me some tools. I’ll try to make one.”
The prosthetic required complicated craftsmanship—she couldn’t make that by hand.
But a decorative ear outline? That was easy.
Bo Shushu’s eyes immediately lit up. “Yes! Come with me!”
“Little Wolf.”
“Woo!” The grassland wolf leapt down from the trunk.
—There wasn’t a craft room at the rescue station, nor did they specifically collect shed animal fur.Bo Shushu brought Lin Qianyu straight back to her own room.
She loved red pandas. When caring for them, she even cleaned the infirmary herself. Shedding fur was inevitable.
At the time, she held on to the fur, planning to make something small to carry with her.
With the red pandas’ own scent, there was a chance they’d accept her.
Even though the method wasn’t all that effective in practice, she still kept the shed fur.
“Do you think this is enough?” Bo Shushu even brought some wire and other sturdy, durable materials.
“It’s enough.” Lin Qianyu reached out to steady her. “Stop fussing. Sit down and take a break.”
She could feel that Bo Shushu was overly keyed up, in a state of rapid heartbeat and frantic energy.
“I’m not tired.” Bo Shushu dashed around several more times and still didn’t forget to push the milk tea closer to her. “Lin-jie, remember to drink the milk tea. I specially had someone bring it for you. It has a short optimal tasting period—don’t leave it sitting.”
With that, she hurried off again.
There were quite a few things laid out on the table.
Lin Qianyu picked through them, testing the hardness of each material. She selected a silver wire of just the right thickness, and very lightweight.
Something worn on the head—if too heavy—would be uncomfortable over time.
What she chose felt almost weightless and was easy to shape. Just a base was needed, and not much of the material at that.
With a pinch of the fingers and a bit of force, it could easily be bent into the desired shape.
This kind of thing was best done in one go. Adjusting the angle too much, bending it back and forth, would make it prone to breaking.
Lin Qianyu completed it in one shot.
Though she hadn’t taken exact measurements of the red panda’s head circumference, she’d at least seen it before—so guessing the size wasn’t a problem.
With the frame done, she wrapped it tightly with cotton thread, covering the entire outline thoroughly and precisely.
To be safe, she added two more layers.
Then she used a thick needle to insert the red panda fur.
It resembled a simple handmade headband.
Bo Shushu was still running back and forth, gathering things she thought Lin Qianyu might need. When she returned with several large bags in her arms, she found that Lin Qianyu had already finished the ears and was wearing the headband on her own head.
“They look so real.” Bo Shushu couldn’t help praising her. “Lin-jie, you’re way too good with your hands. I wanted to say that while watching your livestream. You poke at things randomly and end up with lively little animals. I’m hopeless—I tried copying you once and couldn’t even make a proper shape. I nearly stabbed my own hand through.”
Lin Qianyu wore the headband to test whether it would hurt after wearing it a while. But it felt fine—secure without being too tight, like wearing a slightly flimsy wool hat.
She replied, “Want me to teach you? Just make a few more and you’ll get the hang of it.”
Bo Shushu shook her head. “I’ll stick to my strengths and not mess with things I’m bad at.”
“Alright, I’ll head back now that I’ve finished.” Lin Qianyu didn’t feel any issues while wearing it. She’d let the red panda try it on and then adjust it based on its response.
Bo Shushu set her things down and hurried to put on a coat. “I’ll walk you back, Lin-jie.”
Lin Qianyu had already mentioned the issue with being called “Lin-jie” a few times, but everyone was used to it. Despite being around the same age, she’d somehow been elevated in seniority. After a few failed attempts to correct them, she gave up. Hearing it again, she just shook her head and said, “No need. I just picked a rainforest vehicle—I’ll drive myself back.”“Then take some fruit with you. You're going to see the red pandas, right? There are also giant pandas over there, so you definitely need to bring more fruit, right?” Bo Shushu called out, “Come on, come on, I’ll take you to our storage room—there’s tons of chilled fresh fruit there.”
That actually hit the mark.
Not only did she need to bring fruit for the giant pandas and red pandas, but also had to prepare some for the furry ones at home.
The only issue was that the rainforest vehicle's trunk was limited in space—too much wouldn’t fit.
Bo Shushu offered a suggestion, “How about you take these to the red pandas first? I’ll have logistics send a truckload of fruit to your cave later.”
“Okay, then I’ll head over first.” Lin Qianyu closed the trunk, arranged the items in the storage basket, got in the driver’s seat, and fastened her seatbelt.
The steppe wolf sat upright in the passenger seat. Noticing her action, it tilted its head, then looked around itself. It spotted the same object Lin Qianyu had pulled down, raised its head and bit it, managed to yank it loose, but then didn’t know what to do next.
Hearing the clinking of metal against the edge of the car window, Lin Qianyu's eyes crinkled as she smiled. She leaned over, gave the little wolf a kiss on the head, and reached to help it fasten the seatbelt.
“Sit tight, dear passenger. Destination: bamboo grove. Departing now!”
“Awoo-wooo!”
The rainforest vehicle shot forward with a whoosh.
To keep things fresh, the trunk was packed not only with fruit but also with ice packs to keep the temperature down.
Once they entered the interior road, Lin Qianyu’s driving speed clearly slowed.
The road was uneven—anything the tires ran over gave a jolt. If she drove too fast, the fruits and ice packs could collide.
Though ice packs that came into contact with the food weren’t a problem, delicate apple skins could still get bruised—or even smashed.
Fruits for the little animals should still look nice.
Thinking this, Lin Qianyu drove more and more steadily.
Passing by a grassy field, the steppe wolf’s eyes locked intently onto a rabbit outside.
As the rainforest vehicle passed, the rabbit nervously shrank back into its burrow. Not sensing a predator’s aura, it cautiously peeked back out.
Unnoticed, the steppe wolf had already placed its paw on the car window’s edge.
Lin Qianyu saw its posture and asked, “Want to go hunting?”
“Whine…” The steppe wolf shook out its fur, paws pressing into the seat—it looked a little anxious.
“Alright then, just remember to come find me in the bamboo grove, okay? Don’t wander off too far.” Though she knew that with the steppe wolf’s sense of smell, it could follow even faint scents in the air to track her down, the concern was still necessary.
“Woof!” The steppe wolf puffed up its chest.
Unfastening the seatbelt, the door opened. The steppe wolf lay still for a moment, then, locking its gaze on the rabbit, suddenly pushed off with its hind legs and, in a blink, landed near the burrow entrance.
Once the steppe wolf got close, the rabbit finally realized what was happening—but it was already too late to escape. It was gone in an instant.
After seeing it successfully catch its first rabbit, Lin Qianyu shut the door and continued driving toward the bamboo grove.
The place wasn’t far from the bamboo grove, and driving, she zigzagged through the trees.The car stopped at the edge of the bamboo grove.
There wasn’t a road leading inside the grove for vehicles. Not even bicycles could get through easily—only scooters could barely glide a few steps.
She turned the car around so the trunk faced the grove and opened it.
Lin Qianyu got out of the car, looked at the fruit, tapped the livestream equipment with her fingertip, thought for a moment, then pressed the power switch.
“Good afternoon, everyone.” Lin Qianyu smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Have you all had lunch yet?”
【We did! Why so much fruit though, Lin-jie, did you raid a rescue center or something?】
【The show’s over, bringing fruit is totally reasonable. Don’t keep saying she raided something—it sounds so weird, right, boss?】
【Is this the bamboo grove? Are you visiting the red pandas?】
“Yep, didn’t I say yesterday that I’d bring them some food? I’m here to deliver it now.” Lin Qianyu first picked up the prosthetic limb and the headband. “They should be inside—very timid little ones, probably won’t wander too far out.”
She stuffed the headband into the prosthetic’s pouch, packed a full backpack of fruit, and carried an extra watermelon in her arms before heading in.
This time the supplies were ample, definitely enough for the little fuzzballs to feast.
“Red pandas?” Lin Qianyu hadn’t given them names yet, so she could only call out like this.
They probably didn’t even know they were called red pandas, and certainly wouldn’t understand those three words as referring to them.
But hearing a familiar voice, the red pandas would still come out out of curiosity.
The name didn’t matter—what mattered was making a sound, so they knew she had come.
“Little ones? Hey… where are you?” Lin Qianyu called as she walked in, “I brought you some tasty food, want to come out and have a bite?”
Just as she spoke, Lin Qianyu spotted a red panda peeking from behind some bamboo, like it was trying to confirm something. The moment it saw her turn its way, it quickly pulled its head back and pretended it didn’t exist.
First off, hiding behind a tree in the face of danger was a smart response.
Second, you had to find a tree thick enough.
Even though red pandas were small, trying to hide completely behind a single bamboo stalk was still asking too much of it.
Around the bamboo grew a ring of light-colored fur.
The red panda seemed to recognize her, but because of the unfamiliar scents on her, it didn’t dare come closer.
Lin Qianyu set down her backpack and squatted in place. “It’s me, little one. We just saw each other yesterday—don’t you remember me?”
A red panda with one ear hugged a stick and snuck one eye out to peek at her.
Lin Qianyu didn’t rush, letting it look as long as it wanted.
Having found the red panda, it was also time to cut open the watermelon she’d carried all the way.
Considering the size of their mouths, Lin Qianyu cut the watermelon into standard triangles and then halved them again in the middle.
The cautious red panda took a long time to assess the situation before convincing itself to ignore the scent differences and walk toward the familiar person.
“Ah…”
“Mhm, ah—” Lin Qianyu handed it a small piece of watermelon. “Here, have a bite. Where did your friend go? Call them over to eat too?”The red panda opened its mouth. “Woo, aow!”
“Looking for food?” Lin Qianyu nodded and didn’t press further. “Have some watermelon first.”
Its furry little paws clutched the watermelon, almost like hugging it. It took a small bite off the tip, delicately and politely. “Ah!”
Lin Qianyu’s eyes curved with a smile. “Sweet? I think so too.”
She pushed the smaller cut pieces toward the red panda and took a bite of the still-intact section herself.
There was more watermelon in the trunk, but she couldn’t carry another with one arm.
If this one wasn’t enough, she could go back and get more.
After just a few bites, the red panda missing one ear suddenly stood up and ran off a short distance.
Red pandas didn’t react like that when sensing danger, so Lin Qianyu wasn’t worried. She looked in that direction and saw a red panda with only one leg dragging a big pile of bamboo leaves as it returned.
Red pandas had a habit of storing food.
They would chew bamboo into small pieces when there was an abundance, then hide it in crevices or caves for later.
They were very clever little animals.
With the help of the other red panda, a lot of time was saved—just carrying the bamboo leaves directly.
“Here, have some watermelon.” To avoid making the red pandas feel shy or awkward, Lin Qianyu simply handed the watermelon directly into their paws.
Thanks to the foundation laid yesterday, they quickly became familiar with her.
While they ate watermelon, Lin Qianyu gradually took out more fruit.
These weren’t cut; the red pandas could bite into them themselves. Holding a big apple and nibbling away slowly had its own charm.
As Lin Qianyu brought out more and more fruit, the red pandas’ eyes widened. They stared eagerly at her backpack, clearly curious about what else she might pull out next.
Lin Qianyu smiled and didn’t tease them by keeping them guessing. Instead, she tilted the backpack forward. “That’s all there is.”
From another bag,
Lin Qianyu took out a wooden box, stroked it, opened the lid, and let the red pandas see. “Little one, do you remember this?”
The red panda missing a leg blinked slowly, showing little reaction—likely it remembered.
Lin Qianyu took out the prosthetic. “How about trying it on? With this, you’ll be able to walk freely in the bamboo grove.”
The red panda chewed its watermelon slowly and let out a soft “ah”—meaning no.
The one-eared red panda beside it reached out a paw to nudge it, but it just rubbed its ear and continued to ignore the suggestion.
Seeing this, Lin Qianyu thought, Just as expected.
Danmaku (comments on screen):
【???】
【Is that a prosthetic for animals? That’s amazing.】
【A dog downstairs from me had a leg amputated from illness and also got a prosthetic. When they take it out for walks, it looks like a robotic dog—so cool.】
【But it seems like the red panda doesn’t really like it.】……
The red panda looked listless, not even glancing at the prosthetic again.
Lin Qianyu quickly took out the headband and waved it in front of it. “Your friend has one too. One for each of you.”
The red panda's mouth opened slightly, even forgetting to eat the watermelon in its mouth. For a little animal, something that looked like its own ear felt strange.
“Here, I’ll put it on your friend first. You can see if it looks good.” As she spoke, Lin Qianyu reached out.
The one-eared red panda had already fully confirmed that Lin Qianyu was the person who gave it delicious fruit yesterday. It didn’t show any resistance to her approaching.
Once the headband was on, it was so light it barely felt like anything was there.
The red panda continued eating its apple with focus, holding the large fruit in its arms—it would take a while to finish.
But the red panda with only one leg saw this and immediately dropped its watermelon, curiously peeking over to check.
“Ah!” The red panda looked confused. Thinking the other wanted its apple, it even offered it willingly.
The one with the added ear couldn’t see what was on its own head.
But the other red panda saw its companion’s ear had returned and happily opened its arms and spun in circles.
“Woo aow!”
The red panda with the headband looked puzzled.
Why was it so happy?
Lin Qianyu avoided the headband and gently patted the red panda’s ear. “Good one. Now if you put this on too, you’ll both be the same again.”
The one-legged red panda looked at its friend, then at Lin Qianyu, and staggered toward her.
With only three legs, hopping forward was slow, and the ground was littered with fruit—if it got tripped, it might even fall.
Lin Qianyu watched it come closer and once again extended her hand, palm up.
The red panda paused, then slowly reached out its paw—very lightly, but with a deep sense of trust.
Lin Qianyu smiled gently, leaned over, and lifted the red panda into her arms.
Because it wasn’t used to human contact, Lin Qianyu could clearly feel the stiffness in its body when she held it—an instinctive resistance from deep in its soul.
Yet it tried very hard to suppress that urge to struggle and resist.
Lin Qianyu knew it was nervous, so she just held it quietly without making any sudden movements, giving the red panda time to adjust.
Lying against her, there was a faint fruity fragrance and the scent of many other animals.
Compared to humans, the red pandas weren’t as reactive to predators’ scents.
No one knew how much time had passed.
The red panda eating the apple had even stopped mid-bite, staring dazedly at its companion.
It wanted to rush over and pull its friend away, but it also felt that the human didn’t seem like a bad person—leaving it deeply conflicted.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the red panda in Lin Qianyu’s arms relaxed on its own, nestling around to find a comfortable position to lie in.Lin Qianyu softened her voice, gently smoothing the fur along its back. “Good little one.”
The red panda didn’t say anything.
“Then I’ll help you put it on, okay?” Before coming, Lin Qianyu had already studied the full instructions on how to fit the prosthetic.
The red panda stayed quietly in her arms without resisting, so putting it on went smoothly.
While attaching it, Lin Qianyu explained the context to the livestream viewers. After a pause, she added, “They probably already see each other as their only one.”
After all, out of that whole truckload of red pandas, only these two were left.
Just earlier, the red panda missing an ear had clearly urged the other one on.
It must have known from before that its companion once wore a prosthetic.
Even if they didn’t know what it was exactly, they understood that with it on, the red panda could stand.
Uncomprehending, but still fond of it.
Now one had a new ear, and the other could wear its new leg.
【Wuwuwu... the love between animals is the purest of all.】
【Damn it—cursing poachers once a day isn’t enough to ease the rage in my heart.】
【After watching this livestream so long, all I feel is that those who are capable should do more. I may be small, but I can still do what I can. I applied to a grassroots nonprofit animal protection group a few days ago—and I got accepted!】
【Congrats, sis! I’m heading downstairs to check on the stray cat shelter now.】
……
For a while, the livestream chat was abuzz, all centered around the topic of animal protection.
Lin Qianyu’s arms tightened slightly around the red panda as she fastened the last step. Then she gently set it down. “Try walking. Let’s see if anything feels uncomfortable.”
Worried the red panda might like the prosthetic so much it would silently endure discomfort, she specially reminded it, “If anything doesn’t feel right, you have to tell me, okay? I can adjust it for you—if it’s adjusted properly, there’ll be no pain at all.”
The red panda stepped cautiously with the prosthetic.
Its paw still held onto a bamboo stalk, but the size was just right. It walked slowly, but steadily.
“Ah!” Seeing its companion walking normally, the other red panda happily spun circles around it.
“Right, little one.” Lin Qianyu reached out to the dizzy, disoriented red panda that had spun in too many circles and let it steady itself on her hand. She pointed to the fake ear and said, “This ear is fake too, don’t kick it—it’ll fall off.”
The red panda blinked and stretched its paw up, pressing the spot Lin Qianyu had touched. “Ah!”
Lin Qianyu smiled broadly, touched by how excited the little one looked. “Yes, there’s something there. It’s your new ear.”
The red panda joyfully ran over to its companion, paw pointing repeatedly at the fake ear on its own head.
The red panda walking while leaning on the bamboo looked at it and gave a soft “woo” in return.
“To make it easier to tell you apart, I’ll give you names.”
【?!! I—no, I'm done for.】
【I'm teary-eyed with emotion, and now you're hitting me with this?!】【Haven’t seen Lin-jie show her power in a while—let’s hear what names she comes up with this time.】
“These little ones smile so brightly, so warmly... how about calling them... Xiaoxiao (Smiley)?”
Bullet comments: 【……】
Maybe listen to yourself for a second.
Seeing the screen full of ellipses, Lin Qianyu burst into laughter. “Just kidding—let’s go with Yangyang (Sunny) and Nuannuan (Warmy).”
These names fit them well.
Lin Qianyu tapped the red panda with one leg gently with her fingertip. “This one is Yangyang.”
“And this is Nuannuan.” Lin Qianyu adjusted the angle of the headband ears. “All done.”
Getting used to walking with a prosthetic doesn’t happen right away—especially for Yangyang, who’s been living with one leg for so long.
It must’ve already figured out how to walk without that leg.
Now with a prosthetic, there’s bound to be a period of adjustment.
“Actually, prosthetics are pretty useful,” Lin Qianyu said while helping the red panda turn to the right. “If they get bullied by other animals, they can just kick them back with the prosthetic.”
It doesn’t hurt them—but it sure hurts the other guy.
【Hahahaha damn, sounds super practical, but the way you put it is hilarious.】
【Other animals: I protest! The red panda’s cheating in fights!】
【I can feel it—the times really are changing. Even animal fights are getting mechanical upgrades now.】
Bo Shushu: 【Lin-jie I saw it! Ahhh! You really did it—it worked, the prosthetic is finally being used. Wuwuwu… It can stand, I’m so happy. My hands are shaking while I type, I’m too emotional to make sense. I wanted to call you but I’m crying too hard to stop.】
She had witnessed firsthand how the red panda survived by the skin of its teeth.
Bo Shushu had seen it at its weakest—and the other red panda, too.
Those bastard poachers had already caught it, but still let their hunting dogs bite and drag it by the ear.
The ear wasn’t torn off in one bite—it was dragged, yanked around like a toy. By the time it was rescued, its body was covered in abrasions, and the ear had to be surgically removed due to necrosis.
After going through so much, for these two little ones to still be able to smile so brightly—how could Bo Shushu hold back her tears?
By the time she shakily finished typing the long message, her phone screen was soaked with tears. She was happy for what they’d become now, and heartbroken that such tiny creatures had to suffer so much.
Lin Qianyu replied with a “pat on the head” emoji.
Now that they had something new to play with, the red pandas had lost interest in the fruit.
Lin Qianyu gathered the fruit neatly, shaking the camping mat to pile them together. “When you’re done playing, come back and eat. Fruit tastes best when it’s fresh.”
Red pandas don’t eat much, and they eat slowly. Even earlier, bite after bite, they hadn’t even finished a quarter of an apple.
They definitely wouldn’t be full yet.
“Ah!” Nuannuan came running over, excitedly stepping on Lin Qianyu’s leg and leaping into her arms.
A fluffy little creature asking to be held—Lin Qianyu folded her arms and caught it in a hug. “What is it, Nuannuan?”The red panda rolled around in her arms. Gotta say, the quality of the headband was pretty good—its edges were well-fitted, and even with all that movement, it hadn’t fallen off.
【The red panda is too cute, ahhh!】
【Just now Yangyang got hugged, now Nuannuan wants a hug too.】
Lin Qianyu rubbed the red panda’s belly.
Maybe it was the first time being rubbed—its rolling paused for a moment, then it looked down at the hand on its belly, stretched out its paw, placed it on Lin Qianyu’s hand, and happily looked up. “Ah!”
Lin Qianyu smiled and responded, “Mm, let me rub and see if you’re full.”
The red panda spread its paws. The paw pads weren’t very noticeable under the fluff, but it gently stepped twice on the back of Lin Qianyu’s hand.
The red panda that had been walking around on its prosthetic returned. It had been working hard to adapt to walking like this.
Normally, red pandas often run on two legs, but ever since it lost that leg, it could only stand by leaning on bamboo and hopping slowly.
Now it could walk like before again—you could tell it was really happy.
“Take a break, no rush,” Lin Qianyu waved. “Just take a few steps each day—you’ll get used to it.”
The red panda opened its mouth. “Wuao!”
Both red pandas were full of excitement.
That kind of joyful emotion was contagious.
Lin Qianyu could feel it—the livestream viewers felt the same way.
……
She sat and played with them for half the day.
Tired from running around, the red pandas went on their own to eat some fruit and rehydrate.
Lin Qianyu poured them some water. Whether they wanted to drink or eat fruit, she left it up to them.
She had a strawberry, paused, and said, “Is this a cream strawberry? This is the sweetest greenhouse strawberry I’ve ever had.”
After sitting for so long, her legs had gone a little numb.
She got up to stretch and looked off into the distance—no sign of the steppe wolf.
Thinking about that little wolf who’d been gleefully chasing rabbits on the grass, Lin Qianyu raised an eyebrow. Could it be that it caught a bunch and still didn’t think it was enough—so it kept going?
Lin Qianyu thought to herself—if it still hadn’t returned by the time she was ready to leave, she’d go back and check on it.
【Don’t go forward, Lin-jie! Look to the right, ahhh!】
【Giant panda! Giant panda!】
The bullet comments went wild—some fans even started spamming right-arrow emojis, full-on navigation mode.
Lin Qianyu also noticed the black-and-white over there. In this bamboo grove, that coloring really stood out.
“There’s only one giant panda here.” So that meant this giant panda was the one she’d seen last time.
They’d already shared food—so, rounding up, that made them kind of familiar, right?Lin Qianyu walked over with a smile. After thinking for a moment, she lightened her steps—on a ground covered in bamboo leaves, it was easy to muffle the sound of footsteps—and she also slowed her breathing.
The giant panda quietly ate, leaning against a bamboo stalk, gazing off into the distance. It held a fresh bamboo shoot in its paw, crunching away as if eating sweet, juicy sugarcane—the kind you could swallow.
Lin Qianyu couldn’t hear her own footsteps, but that kind of sound was probably still quite clear to animals.
Even so, she still wanted to tease the giant panda a little, so after approaching, she stepped into its line of sight and turned sideways. “Hi!”
The giant panda, seeing the person who had suddenly appeared, remained extremely calm. It leisurely took another bite of bamboo and let out a “Wuu!”
It was greeting her.
Lin Qianyu sighed softly and feigned disappointment. “I thought I could scare you.”
The giant panda looked at her, then suddenly widened its eyes. The bamboo it had been chewing fell onto its belly, and it let out a surprised cry: “Aoo!”
Lin Qianyu froze.
【?! Ah? Is—is this what I think it is?】
【The panda pretending to be scared is so cute! Wuwuwu it's being such a sweetheart, Auntie wants to squish it.】
【Gun Gun is so clever, even knows how to play along. What a good baby. I speak animal—panda said it wants to come to my house.】
The panda’s expression was full of life. The viewers in the livestream could guess what was going on, and Lin Qianyu, who could understand what it was saying, of course realized the panda was playing a prank on her.
“Pfft... haha.” She sat down with a laugh, watching the giant panda pick up its bamboo again and resume eating. She teased, “That was such a bad acting job. If you’re really scared, you should be rolling around.”
The giant panda licked its lips and got up to pick up a bamboo leaf.
Seeing its movement, Lin Qianyu asked suspiciously, “Hm? What are you picking that up for?”
Bamboo leaves could be eaten, but they didn’t taste as good as bamboo shoots. With fresh bamboo available, why suddenly pick up a leaf?
Then she saw the panda pat the leaf flat beside it, then place the half-eaten bamboo shoot on top of it.
Lin Qianyu raised an eyebrow, still puzzled. But she remembered that this panda had lived among humans after being rescued, so mimicking human actions wasn’t impossible.
But what was it doing now?
While she was still confused, the giant panda suddenly rolled to the right. The chubby black-and-white ball moved surprisingly nimbly.
Lin Qianyu: “???”
The panda stopped after two rolls, slapped its paw on the ground, and mimicked a startled tumble. “Aoo!”
Ah!
Lin Qianyu: “...!”
A roll from being scared?!
Author’s Note: Babies, about the bonus chapter from nutrient points—do you prefer one full 20,000-character chapter, or two chapters of 10,000 characters each? Which one do you like?
(Tomorrow’s nutrient bonus update will be 20,000 characters. Please keep feeding nutrient points~)
Good night, sleep early, love every one of you.