Chapter 66

Chapter 66

[Say One Sentence to Make the Wolf King Remember You.]

The little wolf at the front turned its head at the sound—just a brief glance before refocusing on alerting ahead.

But the next moment, whoosh, it turned around again, instantly forgetting the sound in front and charging back, “Growl—!”

With Little Wolf’s arrival, the grassland wolves piled over Lin Qianyu scattered and jumped away. The one that jumped highest hadn’t even landed before it got bitten by someone, turned its head, and chomped randomly at whoever was closest.

“Awoo awoo awoo!”

The pouncing cheetah saw Lin Qianyu stand up from the center of the pack and came to a halt. Its drooping tail flicked lazily behind it, then it yawned and turned around, leaping back onto a rock to sunbathe.

Lin Qianyu took the wolf pup off her head and let out a light sigh of relief.

The wolf pack had good intentions—just like when they moved as a group, always keeping the cubs in the center.

Faced with danger, they used the same method to shield Lin Qianyu in the middle.

It’s just... there were a lot of wolves.

Little Wolf wagged its tail and stood up, placing a paw on her and looking up to inspect her.

“I’m fine, cough cough...” Lin Qianyu rubbed Little Wolf’s ears. She had been drinking fruit tea and had a mouthful of fruit when she was suddenly buried in fluff, which made her choke badly.

She simply took a couple more sips of tea to smooth things out.

“Go see what’s happening up front.” As she spoke, Lin Qianyu thought of something and picked up the wolf pups from the ground. “Dou Dou! We’re heading out—can you help keep an eye on the wolf cubs?”

The two cheetah cubs were running around in the shallow pit.

Hearing her voice, the cheetah lazily lifted its eyelids.

Lin Qianyu placed the wolf cubs into the pit too. To be safe, she used the rain-shielding wooden board to divide the middle, keeping the cheetah and wolf cubs separated.

Normally, cubs wouldn’t have any major fights, but since this was their first time meeting, a little separation was necessary—once they got used to each other’s scent, they could play together.

She said it was for the cheetah to help watch them, but at this age, cubs mostly played on their own, like the cheetah cubs who loved to run around.

They didn’t need much care—just someone to make sure they didn’t run off.

“Let’s go take a look.” Lin Qianyu turned and ran in the direction the earlier sound came from.

Whatever Lin Qianyu said, Little Wolf always responded first, chasing after her without hesitation.

The wolf pack had been crowding nearby, looking into the pit at the cubs. When they saw the Wolf King leaving, they froze for a second, then turned and rushed after in a frenzy.

Chase-Wind had just finally found a quiet spot to eat some grass. When it heard the wolves howl, it looked up from the grass with its mouth full, chewing blankly.

And then—it saw the vast wave of wolves charging toward it.

Chase-Wind: “?!!”

The memory of being chased last time was still vivid. Without a second’s hesitation, it took off running.

Even as it ran, it chewed the grass in its mouth faster.

Chase-Wind was about to curse the wolves.

Lin Qianyu shouted loudly, “Chase-Wind! Stop running!”Hearing the familiar voice, Chase-Wind still didn’t dare let its guard down. It turned back to confirm, and only after spotting the figure behind the wolf pack did it finally relax.

It had just charged forward too fast and couldn’t stop immediately, so it ran a few more steps ahead before gradually slowing down.

Lin Qianyu had started out in the lead, but the full-speed sprint of the grassland wolves was no joke. Soon, she was overtaken by them, and it turned into the wolf pack leading the charge.

“Help…”

“Help! Ah! Someone contact the director! Contact the rescue team!”

“Awoo awoo!”

The sounds of humans and animals overlapped almost perfectly, full of panic and confusion.

The closer Lin Qianyu got, the louder the noise became, but just as she reached the slope, she saw a tent fly right past her.

Even the base of the tent lifted off the ground for a moment—it really wasn’t an exaggeration to say it flew.

Lin Qianyu: “...?”

Wh—what?

The scene was so absurd that even Lin Qianyu froze for a moment. The wolves around her were even more startled—having never seen such a massive “thing that could run,” they were clearly surprised.

【Was that just now… a tent?】

【Hahahaha, is this how we’re playing now? The director never imagined the tent he so carefully prepared would be used by a guest like a sled.】

【Oh my god, the creativity here.】

The tent was only supported by its internal frame and wasn’t staked down. It was designed for easy setup and takedown, but now that collapsible frame was badly warped.

The only way to tell what it was supposed to be was by the logo still visible on the tent and one stubbornly upright support pole. Otherwise, it looked more like a flying cape.

The tent was being dragged up the slope, like something was pulling it along from the front.

It truly gave off the feeling of a dog pulling a sled.

Unfortunately, whatever was doing the pulling wasn’t very skilled—every tree it passed, it managed to bump into.

“Ah!”

“Cough!”

“Waa—ah! He—lp!”

Cries of pain kept coming from inside the tent.

Lin Qianyu looked around but found nothing to help her catch up, so she just chased after the tent on foot.

As the cries drifted near and far, it seemed the animal dragging the tent slipped while turning. The tent was flung forward—and by sheer (un)luck, a support rod that had pierced through the tent roof got caught on a tree branch above.

Finally, it came to a stop.

Gong Xinming sat inside the tent, still in shock, his eyes unable to focus.

Beside him, the jackal was trembling uncontrollably. Every time it shook, the tent would shake, and when the tent shook, the jackal got even more scared and trembled even harder.It was a direct cycle of cause and effect.

Gong Xinming's watch had flown off at some point, so he could only talk to the audience through the livestream equipment: "Did someone contact the director for me?"

He couldn’t see the live comments, so he just said whatever came to mind, "Even if asking for help this time means quitting the show, please help me find the director. I—I—I’m a bit afraid of heights..."

The tent wasn’t see-through. On the contrary, to block out sunlight, it was made of pitch-black material.

But… the bottom of the tent had already torn open from the friction. If Gong Xinming hadn’t reacted in time—immediately grabbing the jackal and shifting to the other side—he probably would’ve been thrown out already.

The fact that the tent hadn’t caught fire was already a blessing.

Gong Xinming didn’t dare think of anything else now. "Tell the rescue team to hurry, I don’t think this branch will hold much longer."

The torn tent let in some airflow at the top, which conveniently allowed him to see the dense branches above.

If it were flat ground, Gong Xinming would’ve crawled out himself. Unfortunately, this tent was hanging off the edge of a branch, like someone was dangling it by hand over a ledge. He didn’t dare move an inch.

Lin Qianyu climbed up the slope and saw a tent hanging from a tree. The branches extended rightward over a sloped drop, about two to three stories high.

The tent was caught on the branches, stretched out of shape. The wind made it sway—looking ready to fall at any moment.

The voices were coming from inside.

"Gong Xinming?" Lin Qianyu cautiously approached.

The murmuring inside stopped for a moment, then Gong Xinming's voice suddenly shot up: "Lin-jie!!!"

"What happened to you?" Lin Qianyu stared at the tent. "How did it end up like this?"

The bottom was completely bent out of shape.

【Gone for one moment and you’re swinging from the trees—really know how to have fun, huh.】

【This tent’s hilarious. It looks like one of those mosquito nets at my house that can be picked up in one piece.】

【Gotta admit, the show’s gear is quality stuff. Gong Xinming’s been dangling inside all this time and nothing’s ripped yet. Any other tent would’ve been shredded by now.】

...

There was no visible opening on Lin Qianyu's side of the tent.

The zipper door was probably on the other side.

No wonder Gong Xinming had yelled for help. His only way out was on the side hanging in mid-air—he couldn’t decide whether to stay in the tent and wait for rescue, or risk jumping out for a slim chance of survival.

"I didn’t even do anything," Gong Xinming said, utterly wronged. "I was trying to find a new place to set up camp. I was packing up my tent when the jackal suddenly ran inside. I didn’t even have time to figure out what was going on before a big brown horse came barging in through the entrance."

Even though a horse isn’t as intimidating as a lion or tiger, if you’re just minding your own business and suddenly look up to see a horse head staring down at you—

—How could you not be scared?

Gong Xinming admitted he liked animals, but being ambushed by a brown horse without warning? God knows how hard he had to try not to scream.

If he hadn’t been afraid of passing out and making things worse, he might’ve rolled his eyes back and fainted on the spot.

"Thankfully, the brown horse seemed just as startled as I was when it saw me. We were both confused for a second before it turned tail and ran." Gong Xinming patted his chest. Even now, recalling the scene still gave him chills.

That horse’s head had been right there—less than half a meter away.He almost felt like that hoof was about to swing up and clip his neck—if it had stomped down just once, his little life would’ve ended right there.

Lin Qianyu asked, “So what happened to your tent?”

“I was packing up, right? The tent was already half disassembled. I was planning to fold it all up with one button before leaving, but somehow that brown horse got tangled up in the rope I used to secure the tent. That thing’s strong, Lin-jie, you don’t even know…”

The seller boasted that the rope was made with some special process—supposedly unbreakable under tension and able to withstand fire for a long time.

Gong Xinming had scoffed at that, but after getting dragged a good distance today by a brown horse, he had to admit—this rope’s quality was outrageously good.

So good it was absurd.

At this point, Gong Xinming gritted his teeth, getting more annoyed the more he thought about it.

Sensing the tent shaking, Lin Qianyu quickly said, “Sit still, don’t move. Sit tight.”

“Okay.” Gong Xinming immediately behaved himself. But probably because of his nerves, his emotions were running high and he couldn’t stop talking. “So like I was saying, the rope got caught on the horse, the horse panicked and started running, and then somehow I ended up here.”

Trapped inside the tent, Gong Xinming couldn’t see what was going on outside. If it weren’t for the glimpse of that brown horse’s tail earlier, he wouldn’t have even known he was being dragged halfway across the prairie.

Now his whole body hurt.

Lin Qianyu looked up to examine the tree. She wasn’t sure exactly how the branches had caught the tent, but it seemed pretty stable for now.

Still, they couldn’t just let it hang there forever.

Lin Qianyu rubbed the item in her arms and asked, “Do you still want this tent?”

“Nope. It’s already wrecked, no point keeping it.” Gong Xinming thought, it couldn’t even hold trash anymore—it’d leak water for sure. Totally useless.

Zzzrip—right as his words ended, Lin Qianyu tore open the ripped seam of the tent, tearing it all the way to the bottom.

Just making an opening wasn’t enough. To prevent Gong Xinming from falling while trying to get out, Lin Qianyu held onto one side of the tent and said, “I’m holding it. Get out as quickly as you can.”

Gong Xinming closed his eyes, then instinctively looked down the slope behind him. It wasn’t even a crazy height, but his vision still went black for a moment.

He took a deep breath to steady himself and slowly inched toward Lin Qianyu.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to walk—his legs had simply gone weak from fear of heights. He couldn’t move properly.

But inching forward like this actually turned out to be quite safe, and he wasn’t even that slow.

At the final stretch, Gong Xinming gave one last push and lunged forward.

Lin Qianyu had already reached out to grab his hand, and just as she did, Gong Xinming dropped to both knees, hands on the ground, and smacked his forehead squarely against the earth.

“…?”

【Damn, so formal?】

【HAHA I’m dying—repaying a life-saving favor with a full-on bow.】

【Bro, one bow is enough, who gave you extra time? Why aren’t you getting up already?】

Lin Qianyu grabbed his arm and gave a tug, helping him up. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’m okay.” Gong Xinming’s upper and lower teeth were chattering as he trembled all over. “I just need a minute…”

As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted back to the dangling tent. Somehow, from this angle, it looked even higher!Even though he was already back on the ground, that solid feeling under his feet didn’t bring Gong Xinming much sense of security—his heart was still thudding like crazy.

With one person removed from the tent, the weight pulling it down lessened, but the branches were still bent from the pressure.

Inside, the jackal cautiously raised its head. “Wuu…”

“Huh? You’re raising this jackal?” Lin Qianyu looked at it, feeling like it looked familiar—not that she could forget it anyway. This jackal was way too distinctive. For a wild jackal to get itself into this shape, it clearly had some real skills.

“How could I be? You’ve no idea how much it looks down on me,” Gong Xinming said with a pout. “It even chewed up my clothes.”

He couldn’t understand animal speech, but based on everything that had happened today, he could pretty much guess what had gone down. “It probably got chased to a dead end by that brown horse and ran into my tent for cover.”

He let out a sigh. “A carnivore getting chased by a herbivore… that’s a first for me.”

The jackal was still trembling inside. When Lin Qianyu reached out to pick it up, it bared its teeth and hissed at Gong Xinming, refusing to back down.

Gong Xinming sucked in a sharp breath. “Don’t tell me… that horse was something it deliberately lured over to take me out?”

“I doubt it’s that deep,” Lin Qianyu said, lifting the jackal out. Its weight matched its size well, though her arms did wobble a bit from the effort.

The jackal curled up pitifully in her arms, letting out soft whimpering noises.

Even while acting clingy, it didn’t forget to shoot a glare at Gong Xinming.

Gong Xinming: “…”

Alright then. Is that how we’re playing? I just saved you!

He huffed, “Ungrateful little gas tank.”

【Gas tank?? Bro, where’s your manners? How can you call that jackal a gas tank?】

【I’m dying, girl you really didn’t spare it either.】

【Suddenly I feel like Gong Xinming might be part husky. First the clothes, now the tent—everything he touches breaks.】

【So unlucky, I hereby declare him the most cursed guest in all of Into the Wild history.】

…

The jackal didn’t care about any of that. It just nuzzled closer in Lin Qianyu’s arms, acting all cuddly.

A grassland wolf lifted its paw and batted lightly at the jackal’s tail.

The jackal swished its tail, trying to dodge, clearly annoyed.

Seeing that, Little Wolf stood up, coolly casting a glance at the jackal.

The moment it got a clear look at the grassland wolf, the jackal froze. It didn’t even dare move its tail anymore.

Jackals mostly feed on small to medium mammals.

Sometimes birds and insects too. Normally, grassland wolves and jackals stay out of each other’s way, but if they were to fight, the jackal would have zero chance.

It couldn’t win. And it couldn’t outrun one either.

“Rrrowr—!” Sensing it zoning out, the grassland wolf let out a low growl.

The jackal instantly fluffed up. Because it was already kind of round and puffy, the change wasn’t that obvious—but from Lin Qianyu’s angle, she could see a rim of fluff catching the light, looking thin and wispy, revealing that the jackal had indeed puffed up in fear.Like… an unpeeled kiwi.

The jackal struggled to get down, and Lin Qianyu naturally crouched down to let it jump off on its own.

The height was already very low, yet the jackal still stumbled a little when jumping down—its head nearly didn’t brake in time.

Even so, it didn’t delay at all. It turned and ran off immediately.

The ground was slippery here, and the jackal’s four legs looked like they hadn’t agreed on direction—each running its own way.

But surprisingly, its speed wasn’t bad. It could even dodge obstacles like rocks ahead. It was quite a nimble little jackal.

The grassland wolf turned around, back to Lin Qianyu, watching the jackal run farther and farther with a blank expression.

The next moment, Lin Qianyu’s arms wrapped around its chest from behind.

“Wuu…”

Lin Qianyu tightened her grip and lifted the grassland wolf up, one hand holding its tail down, the other bracing against the small of its back. “What are you thinking about? So focused?”

The grassland wolf lowered its head, nuzzling her ear. After catching the jackal’s scent, it rubbed even more insistently.

Lin Qianyu slid the hand on its back upward, rubbing behind its neck. She curved her eyes and said, “Like this?”

The grassland wolf paused, then turned its head, pressing its snout gently against her cheek without saying a word.

Lin Qianyu poked its ear and gave it a kiss.

【Aaaah stingy little wolf!】

【You’re not allowed to hug the gas tank, only me! Such a possessive boy.】

【Little Wolf is so emotionally steady. I want to raise one.】

…

While Lin Qianyu was playing with Little Wolf, Gong Xinming was sighing in front of the tent.

Although he’d said earlier that he didn’t want the tent anymore, it was a bit of a casual throwaway line.

But that was still his only shelter at night. Now that it was gone, he had no idea where he’d sleep tonight.

Lin Qianyu, rubbing Little Wolf’s fur, noticed the dejected look on Gong Xinming’s face and said, “You can use palm leaves to build a simple shelter and make do for a few days.”

Then, over the next few days, he could gather resources to build a better one—basically upgrade himself to a new house.

That’s exactly how Lin Qianyu had done it.

Gong Xinming nodded. “Got it, sis. I know what to do now.”

As he spoke, he dragged the tent toward himself. Even if he was going to build a new shelter, he still had to take the tent back with him.

First of all, leaving it there would count as littering the island. Second, even though it was torn up, the tent was waterproof.

If he took it apart and laid it over the new shelter, it would make a good tarp.

As for the other supplies—some had gotten flung off along the way, but after the folding rods collapsed, they actually reduced the size of the tent’s opening, so most of the stuff had just slid into the corners.

He could still bring them back and use them.Gong Xinming fumbled around and took out a flashlight. “Sister Lin, you saw it too. I’ve lost or tossed most of my stuff—nothing really good left. This flashlight is solar-powered, can be used indefinitely, and it still has a full charge. Take it as my thank-you gift for saving me today.”

“No need for a thank-you gift. When someone’s in danger, of course I’d help,” Lin Qianyu didn’t accept it. Holding Little Wolf, she turned around and called to the nearby grassland wolves, ready to head back. “Besides, even if I hadn’t come, the production team’s rescue crew would’ve saved you.”

“How’s that the same?” Gong Xinming caught up and forced the flashlight into her arms. “If the rescue team had come, I’d have been immediately disqualified.”

That’s just how the show rules worked. It wasn’t exactly a life-threatening situation—there were many ways to survive and many self-rescue options.

If it had been on flat ground, Gong Xinming could’ve handled it himself. But the issue was the height.

To Gong Xinming, it was hard to resolve, but ultimately not fatal. If the rescue team stepped in under those conditions, it would count as a voluntary withdrawal from the show.

He’d already mentally prepared to quit. If it hadn’t been for Lin Qianyu’s help, he’d be signing exit papers with the director by now.

“This flashlight’s really useful. I usually watch your livestreams at night when I’m free. You take it—now you’ll have light at night. Isn’t that great?” Gong Xinming was adamant, speaking clearly and logically. After he finished, he turned and carried his pile of broken gear off to find a new shelter.

He paused, then suddenly changed direction—why find a shelter alone? Better to team up with Nie Lingyang.

“I don’t even livestream at night…” Lin Qianyu, holding Little Wolf and unable to free her hands, bent down to set the grassland wolf down. Just as she did, Gong Xinming, sensing her movement, bolted away.

Lin Qianyu: “……”

【Sister Lin, just accept your fate. Gonna have to work overtime tonight for that flashlight, huh?】

【Is she really livestreaming tonight?! I wanna see Sister Lin play “Duck Duck Goose” with the grassland wolves—it’s gotta be hilarious with so many of them.】

【Girl, you’re being ridiculous—count me in too! I don’t mind being the handkerchief.】

Lin Qianyu watched him head uphill and couldn’t help but call out, “There’s no water source up there! If you’re building a shelter, find a spot closer to water!”

From far away, Gong Xinming shouted back, “Got it, Sister Lin!”

“Let’s go back too,” Lin Qianyu patted Little Wolf’s head. Seeing there weren’t really any worthwhile materials left to collect, she decided to take the wolves back for now.

The grassland wolves were used to finding their own spots to hang around. They only gathered when something happened—otherwise, they moved independently within a range.

Now, hearing Lin Qianyu’s voice, the wolves took the initiative to come over. In no time, a big fluffy group followed behind her.

Compared to the earlier frantic chase, the way back was much slower and more relaxed.

Noticing a zebra up ahead, Lin Qianyu glanced at the brown wild horse across from it. Looking down, she spotted the rope wrapped around its leg. “Chasing Wind?”

“Neigh!” The zebra, who had been stomping and sighing in front of the brown horse, turned its head urgently and wanted to come pull Lin Qianyu over.

But faced with the wolf pack behind her, the zebra hesitated and didn’t dare gather the courage to bite her clothes.

So Lin Qianyu walked over herself.

The brown wild horse lowered its head, watching her warily.

“No wonder it could drag a whole tent.” Lin Qianyu looked at the brown horse’s leg, which was wrapped several times by the rope. The tension from being dragged had pulled it tighter loop by loop, binding it tightly.

It might be fine for a short time, but if left like this, it could restrict blood flow—just like wrapping a bandage too tight around a finger. When the blood can’t flow, the fingertip turns purple and eventually necrotic. The only treatment at that point is amputation.

It was the same for the brown wild horse.

And the tent didn’t come loose because the rope broke—but because the rope tied to the tent had been completely yanked off.

Each tent had five ropes outside—for both decoration and stabilization.The tent later collapsed, which probably had something to do with the missing rope.

So, in addition to the layers of rope wrapped around the brown wild horse’s leg, there was still over half a meter of rope dragging behind it. From the marks on the rope, it seemed the brown wild horse had tried kicking it off and even biting it.

But the rope wasn’t made of straw or anything—it was a synthetic material, and against that, the horse’s teeth were completely useless.

Seeing Lin Qianyu had stopped walking, the wolf pack didn’t understand why at first. The wolf king quietly came forward and squatted beside her, and the other grassland wolves followed suit, though not crowding in as closely as Little Wolf did.

Lin Qianyu said to the wild horse, “How about I take that rope off for you? It’s been wrapped around your leg like that—it’s bad for your body. If it gets serious, you might need amputation.”

Worried the wild horse wouldn’t understand what “amputation” meant, she deliberately pointed to her own wrist and gestured, “That means cutting off from here, from your hoof upward—at least up to the joint.”

The brown wild horse shifted slightly, stamping in place—each step kicking up tufts of grass and dirt.

It was clear it had been convinced, but still had some doubts, hence why it didn’t step forward right away.

Since the wild horse didn’t respond, Lin Qianyu added, “If you agree, lie down now. I’ll come over, take the rope off, and then leave. How about that?”

【What kind of horse is this? Looks so handsome.】

【Akhal-Teke? That’s the only one I know, but someone once said purebreds are basically extinct now—is that true?】

【Purebreds still exist, just rare. But this one doesn’t have the right coloring—it’s probably some type of wild horse.】

…

Seeing an unfamiliar animal, everyone in the stream started guessing its breed.

Before the thylacine showed up, fans were still cautious with their guesses, keeping it pretty reasonable.

But after a thylacine showed up? Nothing was off-limits anymore. Some were even joking about finding a plesiosaur in the sea next.

The livestream wasn’t huge—but it had a knack for birthing legends.

As the chat scrolled by, the brown wild horse lay down.

Lin Qianyu patted Little Wolf’s head. “Wait here for me, okay?”

The wild horse might bully a jackal, but it wouldn’t dare mess with a grassland wolf, especially not with a whole pack around.

One-on-one, it might have a chance—either to win or to escape—but against a trained wolf pack, even the fittest wild horse would be taken down.

Lin Qianyu hadn’t brought her backpack, so her kitchen knife and such were all in there—she couldn’t tear the rope off barehanded. Luckily, the rope had only been layered on and tightened by pulling, not tied with any knots.

“Don’t move, okay?” Lin Qianyu took hold of one end of the rope and began looking for a weak point by tracing where it had been pulled through.

Now that she was closer, she noticed that the rope wrapped around the leg had also been bitten. When that didn’t work, it looked like the horse had tried rubbing it against something rough.

The rope had frayed in spots, with patches of fluff and tiny pebbles stuck inside.

Lin Qianyu chuckled. “Pretty smart—knew to use rocks to grind it.”

She picked out the pebbles first, to avoid tightening the rope any further by accident.

Once it was cleaned up, Lin Qianyu could more or less see how to untangle it, and she got to work.

While pulling the overlapped ropes apart, she kept a tight grip on the tail end in her hand. When moving forward, she’d pull on the next crossed strand, always keeping the tension just right.

After repeating the process several times, the tightly wound rope finally began to loosen.Lin Qianyu unraveled the rope like peeling silk from a cocoon, and when she finished, it was still a complete length.

The rope the production team paired with the tent was much sturdier than the palm-leaf ones she wove at home.

But Lin Qianyu didn’t lack rope at home, so she casually coiled it up and said, “Next time I see Gong Xinming, remind me to return this to him.”

A grassland wolf came over and raised its head. “Awoo!”

Alright!

Outside the wooden shelter.

The cheetah was still lying on the rock in the same pose it had been in before Lin Qianyu went to help, eyes closed, sunbathing.

If not for the occasional swish of its tail dangling over the edge, anyone glancing at it would’ve thought it was asleep.

Lin Qianyu was no exception. “Dou Dou, I’m back!”

As soon as she returned, she walked over to the cheetah, grabbed its swinging tail, and leaned her back against the rock it was lying on, smiling as she used its tail to brush against its nose.

The disturbed cheetah lazily opened its eyes, placed a paw over the back of her hand, shifted its head slightly, then rested its head on her hand again, pretending to fall back asleep.

Felines alternate between deep and light sleep. Even though it seems like they’re asleep all day, most of the time it’s just light napping.

The cheetah was no exception.

Lin Qianyu curled her fingers and scratched under its chin, as if cupping a big cat’s head in her palm—soft and fluffy—letting it rest on her hand as it pleased.

“Awoo!”

“Mrowr!”

...

The wolf pup and the cheetah cub were playing on their own in a shallow pit, with a wooden board standing vertically between them, just high enough to block their view of each other.

But since the two sides weren’t completely enclosed, their calls were perfectly audible.

So, when they heard unfamiliar sounds, both the wolf pup and the cheetah cub got excited and began circling the middle board, trying to get through.

The wolf pup, being a bit larger, jumped and pawed at the board but couldn’t quite get over it or hang on.

The cheetah cub had better jumping power and could get its claws onto the board, but it was still a bit too high for it.

Lin Qianyu walked over. “Look what you’ve done—scraped up all the fur.”

The animal hides spread on the ground—even with the board pressing down in the middle—were being pulled loose at the edges by the enthusiastic little ones.

Lin Qianyu removed the board and laid the hides back in place.

Then she picked up the two nosy cheetah cubs and placed them on her lap. “Let’s get to know each other like this, alright?”

【Ugh, why won’t she pick up the wolf pups? Lin-jie’s playing favorites!】

【Hahaha, there are too many wolf pups! If she’s keeping them separated, of course she’ll hold the fewer ones.】

【You little rascal, did you already forget how Lin-jie was nearly buried by the grassland wolves not long ago?】

Lin Qianyu held one cub in each hand. The little ones had been putting on weight quickly—no longer the underfed, skinny things she’d brought back. Now they were perfectly described as round, chubby, and adorably soft.The little wolf pup had always been well cared for.

In the shallow pit, it squeezed in by Lin Qianyu’s feet, its short tail wagging non-stop.

A grassland wolf came over, carrying the strap of a water bottle in its mouth, and leaned in to hand the ostrich egg-shaped bottle to her. “Awoo…”

“Thank you, Little Wolf. How did you know I was thirsty?” Lin Qianyu licked her lips—they felt a bit dry. Well, she had been running around and hadn’t had time to drink.

The water inside had been boiled and cooled earlier, and now it came in handy.

Lin Qianyu drank it in one go, then used a small wooden stick to pick out a piece of fruit. “This wild fruit-infused water—Little Bear would definitely love it.”

When wild fruits are steeped in water, the flavor is usually faint, with only a subtle fruity aftertaste and maybe a hint of sweetness after swallowing.

But the cup she had now had a very distinct fresh, sweet fruitiness. It was easy to tell it apart from artificially sweetened drinks. The aftertaste had a slight tang that was quickly overtaken by a light sweetness. Little Bear could probably finish a whole bottle on his own.

As Lin Qianyu chewed the fruit that wasn’t as sweet after soaking, she suddenly heard someone calling her from not far away.

“Qianyu.”

Among all the people on the island she knew, there was probably only one person who would call her that.

Lin Qianyu turned her head and saw who it was, unsurprised. “Director Su, what brings you here?”

Su Yuxing walked forward and stopped under a tree that had no grassland wolves nearby. “It’s all because of Gong Xinming. He called for help, and I brought a team halfway there when he said we didn’t need to come anymore. Since we were already out here, I figured I’d drop by to see how you were doing. I sent the others back.”

Lin Qianyu narrowed her eyes playfully. “To see me, or to see the thylacines?”

Su Yuxing chuckled. “Both, both.”

He really did like the thylacines. He hadn’t seen them the last few times, so now that he was already here, he figured he might as well take a detour for a quick look.

Lin Qianyu placed the cheetah cubs back beside the adult cheetah and picked up the little wolf. “They’re afraid of people, so you’ll have to look from afar.”

“Don’t worry, I know. I haven’t missed a single stream of yours. I spend more time in your livestream room than you do.” Su Yuxing patted his chest, confident in himself.

Lin Qianyu opened the door. The two thylacines were still sleeping. Ever since one of them had gotten sick, the yellow-furred one had clearly been exhausted from taking care of the other.

Now they were finally getting some solid rest, so Lin Qianyu didn’t disturb them and stepped aside.

Su Yuxing had said he’d just take a quick look from a distance and really didn’t move from the spot where he stood earlier. Though it was far, he could at least make out their forms.

Noticing the two were lying on top of each other, Su Yuxing couldn’t help but say, “They really seem close.”

Lin Qianyu nodded and closed the door. “They are.”

Holding the grassland wolf with one arm was a bit unsteady, and she nearly slipped while closing the door. Thankfully, she caught herself just in time with the other hand and pulled the little wolf back into her arms.

Su Yuxing noticed her movement and glanced at the surrounding wolves.

Whether lying sideways or sprawled out, the grassland wolves looked lazy. But whatever just happened, there’s no way they didn’t see it.

Yet, the pack hadn’t reacted at all.

Su Yuxing couldn’t help but feel puzzled. “Qianyu, I heard from an expert that the alpha wolf in a pack really values its pride. You keep picking up the alpha like this and kissing it all the time… Won’t that make it lose face in front of the others?”

As Su Yuxing said that, Lin Qianyu had just lowered her head, about to kiss the little wolf who’d almost fallen and gotten startled.

She paused mid-motion and blinked. “Would that… really happen?”Before she could get an answer, the grassland wolf gently raised a paw and brushed her cheek, then tilted its head back, “Awoo!”

As if urging her, the little wolf pressed its paw pads firmly, seeming to want Lin Qianyu to lower her head.

When Lin Qianyu suspiciously followed along, the grassland wolf leaned in closer and affectionately rubbed its muzzle against the side of her face again and again.

Then it lowered its gaze and glanced at Su Yuxing standing under a tree not far away. Its lips curled slightly, baring its teeth at him in a subtle, warning gesture.

【Little Wolf: Watch your words.】

【Don’t make me slap you at my happiest moment.】

【One sentence to make the wolf king remember you. Director Su, what are you waiting for—run!】

Author’s note: 【When there’s an extra update, I usually post it right after writing. If there’s nothing before 5 PM, then there won’t be any.】 (Today’s chapter is a bit short, there’s a daytime bonus chapter if there’s enough nutrient points.) Good night, sleep early, love every one of you.

Recommending a star-themed novel by my dear friend~ Title: I Can See the Attributes of Everything [Beast Taming Livestream]. If you're interested, feel free to bookmark it!

Summary: Freshman Yan Ya, skilled in both cooking and medicine, crosses over to an interstellar beast-taming world—and comes with a golden finger: she can see the attributes of all things.

Including but not limited to:

—【Desert Hatchling Dragon: Has the ability to manipulate sand and wind; enjoys salty and spicy food like luosifen (snail rice noodles)】

Yan Ya: Say no more.

Congratulations! The desert hatchling dragon ate your luosifen and never wants to leave! You’ve successfully tamed it!

—【Antlered Butterfly: King of the forests on a wasteland star, but secretly longs for a cure for its insomnia】

Yan Ya: This is my handmade spiritual remedy (x) melatonin (✓)

Congratulations! The antlered butterfly can’t leave you now for the sake of normal sleep! It has also joined your team!

—After crossing over, Yan Ya, a beast tamer from a trash planet, wasn’t expected to do well. At first, no one paid attention to her livestream.

【Beast taming costs a fortune. No matter how gifted someone from a trash planet is, it’s useless!】

【Came across this streamer by chance—following for fate’s sake. Let’s hope she lasts three days before elimination.】

A month later, her channel soared to the top of the rankings.

【Holy crap, Night Owl Crow is way too strong! That nightmare ultimate move was insane!!】

【Ahhhh save me, did you see that flame crit—she almost burned the whole arena down…】

Others fought with pots and pans; Yan Ya fought with landslides and quakes.

Basically, no one who watched her matches walked away the same.

—Song Yu'an, four-time reigning champion of the Interstellar Beast Tamer Tournament, applied to withdraw from this year’s competition. He felt he was too powerful and had no further goals in combat, so he became a researcher, traveling across 3,000 stars to study rare beasts.

Before, he stayed in the wild, collecting data on rare creatures.

Now, he lives in Yan Ya’s livestream.

“She caught another new pet?” Song Yu'an rested his chin in his hand, pretending to ponder. “Why haven’t I seen this one before?”

In order to see more rare beast data, he went full pay-to-win. Onlookers couldn’t stop praising him for being such a generous patron.

Song Yu'an smiled faintly.

After all, he’s spending it on his future girlfriend. Of course he’s willing.