Chapter 94
Chapter 94: The white lion’s paw hooked Lin Qianyu’s sleeve, “Roar!”
The Pallas’s cat, sporting a flower crown, saw its reflection in Lin Qianyu’s eyes. It blinked, slapped the ground with a paw, and yowled, “Aow!”
Then it turned and scampered off.
“Why the sudden hunt? Didn’t you just eat?” Lin Qianyu was puzzled. The cat was moving fast, breaking into a run after a few steps. She murmured, “That urgent?”
The next moment, a rabbit popped out from the grass.
Maybe the Pallas’s cat spotted it and gave chase.
Thinking this, she saw the cat pin the rabbit down, yowling at it without eating.
It seemed to be talking.
Predator facing prey.
From a distance, Lin Qianyu could only vaguely see the cat’s fluffed-up silhouette.
The rabbit tilted its head, its three-lobed mouth nearing the flower on the cat’s head.
Before it could bite, the cat noticed and kicked it away.
But despite the rabbit being on its menu, the cat had no intention of biting, turning to run off again.
[Hiss—is it showing off? It’s totally flaunting that flower crown!]
[Rabbit: Got any manners?]
[Haha, Lord Pallas: Look at my headgear! Am I stunning? Jealous? It’s mine! Dare to eat it? Get lost!]
[You looked and tried to bite? Who else would I kick?]
…
Lin Qianyu clearly guessed what the cat was up to. Smirking, she called after its barely visible shadow, “Don’t go too far. Come back early.”
“Aow—!”
She clapped her hands. Pinching flower stems left marks. Heading back via the river, she washed them off.
While washing, she glanced at a crocodile sunbathing nearby.
Not the one from last time that couldn’t climb ashore…
Pausing, her gaze shifted to ripples on the river.
The crocodile, tail flicking, reached the bank. Normally, it would lead with its snout, then climb with hind legs. But spotting Lin Qianyu, it froze.
Their eyes met—hard to imagine a crocodile with such lively expression.
Under her stare, it gave up climbing, no attempt made.
A clean, decisive retreat.
“Pfft… haha.”
The crocodile, about to swim off, whipped its head back.
No mouth opened, no words—just a look.
“I didn’t even climb, and you’re laughing?!” Its glare was so obvious, Lin Qianyu laughed harder.
Crocodile: “…”
This life’s unbearable!
She was just passing by to wash her hands, flicking off the stem juice. “I’m leaving. Come up and sunbathe.”
The crocodile sank into the water, ignoring her.
Only when her footsteps faded did it cautiously surface, playing dead in the river.
---
The final day of the show’s livestream arrived.
Su Yuxing sent over a dozen group messages.
Details included departure times, filming wrap-up shots, and taking group photos.
The crew’s van picked up the guests early, gathering them.
Lin Qianyu, bleary-eyed, splashed cold water on her face before leaving, but the brief clarity faded. The bumpy ride to the villa made her sleepy again.
She hadn’t slept too late, but the early morning shoot—before dawn—was brutal.
Feng Jingye, beside her, offered a candy. “Mint, low sugar.”
“Thanks.” She ate it, rolling the wrapper. The mint’s coolness cleared her breath.
Rubbing her temples, she closed her eyes, mint candy in mouth.
Feng Jingye asked, “Where are your little animals?”
“Too many.” Lin Qianyu said, “I’ll take photos with my camera after the group shot.”
For a group photo, the cubs couldn’t be left out.
But bringing so many—wolves and other fluffies—would be chaos. They’d steal the frame, leaving no room for other guests.
Better to photograph them herself later for better shots.
Feng Jingye nodded.
Su Yuxing, by the cameraman, gave instructions, then joined the guests for the shoot.
Unlike Rainforest Island’s curated outfits for dramatic effect, this time, perhaps to contrast with Season 1, no one changed.
The guests’ clothes were tattered, no time to fix appearances, just grouped for photos.
The contrast with Season 1’s end was stark.
Eight guests total. Su Yuxing took the eighth spot, grinning and flashing a peace sign.
After several shots, he stood. “Alright, time for awards. Rest for ten minutes.”
Hang Sisi yawned. “Ugh, I’m exhausted. Who decided 5 a.m. for wrap-up?”
Yin Youlin, with dark circles, said, “I bet the director wanted us looking rough.”
Nie Lingyang silently raised a hand in agreement.
Lin Qianyu noticed Feng Jingye’s torn shirt under his jacket. “Why not wear the sweater?”
It wasn’t stylish, but better than rags.
At the mention, Feng Jingye paused. “Washed it. Not dry yet.”
Lin Qianyu blinked. “It’s washable? Did it shrink?”
He hesitated. “…Didn’t shrink?”
She raised an eyebrow, staring. Why the uncertain tone?
You asking me or am I asking you?
“Ahem.” Feng Jingye cleared his throat, sensing his odd reply. “Probably didn’t shrink. Didn’t check closely.”
She nodded, guessing he hung it after washing without noticing shrinkage. Hard to tell without wearing it.
Su Yuxing clapped a megaphone, launching into formalities. “Good morning, everyone! Congrats on surviving the harsh wilderness. Your efforts will be rewarded.”
“Based on survival duration and online votes, here’s the ranking.”
“Sixth place, Nie Lingyang.”
With one dropout and Feng Jingye as a free agent, not ranked, they started at sixth.
“Fifth, Gong Xinming. Fourth and third, Yu Lingyu and Yin Youlin.” Su Yuxing grinned, swapping cards. “Votes were close. Who’s first?”
Hang Sisi laughed. “If it’s not Qianyu-jie, I’m calling foul.”
Su Yuxing chuckled. “No suspense then. Sisi’s second, Qianyu’s first. Think it’s over? No way—” He flicked his card. “Besides ranking prizes, we’ve got trophies.”
Staff unveiled a row of gleaming trophies.
“Insect Killer,” “Tree-Climbing Expert,” “Seafood Harvesting Master,” etched on the bases, visible from the guest seats.
[Every trophy screams Lin-jie.]
[Custom-made for her, right?]
[So many trophies—how’s Lin-lin carrying them? Last episode, and they didn’t call me to help!]
Fans fretted; they looked heavy.
Su Yuxing announced each guest’s trophy. “Everyone gets one, highlighting strengths: Seafood Harvesting Master, Yin Youlin; Tree-Climbing Expert, Hang Sisi…”
Yin Youlin, living by the sea, ate seafood daily—fitting. Hang Sisi mastered coconut tree climbing.
More trophies followed.
“You’re wondering why Qianyu, who fits them all, has none,” Su Yuxing said, mimicking a questioner before returning to his voice. “No trophy? Impossible!”
With a wave, an assistant unveiled a trophy three times larger than the others.
Lin Qianyu: “…”
Su Yuxing, not satisfied, pointed at the text, shouting, “All-Rounder Master! Applause!”
Guests and staff clapped in unison.
Lin Qianyu gave a couple of token claps.
Hang Sisi raised her hand. “Director, what’s that last trophy?”
Su Yuxing turned it. “Least Liked by Animals Award.”
Hang Sisi: [???]
Barrage: [Feng Jingye.]
[Say Feng Jingye, and it’s a done deal.]
[Feng: If I say “pull funding,” how do you counter?]
The award name sparked a flood of Feng Jingye mentions.
Su Yuxing cleared his throat, not dragging it out. “Winner: Gong Xinming!”
“Everyone knows Gong Xinming’s feud with the jackal,” he smirked. “This morning, the driver said he was still being chased.”
Gong Xinming’s face was blank, but his toes were curling a mansion. “…No need to air that.”
The most humiliating black mark in his career—none worse!
Gossip accounts mocked others with curses; his got laughs and garbled text.
[Tch.]
[That’s nothing. If our island owner competed, you’d get this? He let you have it!]
[Exactly. If he joined, Gong and Ling would be sidelined!]
[Haha, they’re fighting over it.]
[Island Owner: Take it, it’s bad luck!]
…
Seeing the barrage scroll, Lin Qianyu couldn’t help but laugh, but it was about her boss, the big boss. She casually covered her grin.
Feng Jingye’s steady voice came. “That funny?”
Turning to deny it, she met his gaze, caught the amusement in his eyes, and her words became, “No… haha!”
Feng Jingye looked helpless but mostly amused.
They’d come at dawn.
By the end of filming, it was nearly noon.
Su Yuxing reviewed the camera, pleased. “As usual, free time now. Go wherever, but stay safe.”
“Oh, the crew prepared food at the first-floor buffet. Clothes too. If you don’t want to roam the grassland, eat first. Rooms are ready—here’s the keycards. Second-floor rooms, swipe to enter. Call room service for meals.”
He handed out keycards like playing cards; all rooms were identical except for numbers.
Yu Lingyu sniffed. “No wonder it smells so good. Thought I was hallucinating from hunger.”
Hang Sisi: “Qianyu-jie! Eat together?”
“I’m not hungry. You go,” Lin Qianyu said.
“Ugh, fine.” Hang Sisi linked arms with Yu Lingyu, heading to the restaurant. “I smell steak. I want three—no, five!”
Lin Qianyu took a keycard and went upstairs. More than eating, she wanted a bath and fresh clothes.
Wilderness bathing was inconvenient.
After moving, the small shed by the cabin, no longer for food storage, became a bathroom.
But hot water was a hassle.
Out of the bathroom, the waiter had left lunch and clothes by the door.
She dried her hair, changed into a T-shirt and shorts, and picked a bun from the lavish cart.
It was lukewarm.
Biting into it, she propped a pillow behind her, leaning on the headboard, scrolling her phone.
Phones were returned post-show.
Her fingers swiped, sending evidence of her original company’s tax evasion, shady contracts, and unfair clauses to Su Yuxing.
Lin Qianyu: [My old agency was closely tied to Shi Jingyuan.]
Shi Jingyuan was a shareholder.
The evidence was enough to take down the leadership, landing them in jail for years at least.
Su Yuxing: [! Where’d you get this?]
He’d investigated Shi Jingyuan but only found what was already public.
She didn’t answer, just asked: [Can’t use it?]
Su Yuxing: [Can, can, of course! These people are done for.]
Because of Shi Jingyuan, he loathed those backing him.
With Season 2 wrapping and the show trending, paired with her evidence, it was a double win.
Setting down her phone, Lin Qianyu stretched.
The company was the hand that dragged the original owner into the abyss. Targeting management was quick and effective.
Finishing the bun, she opened a can of milk—slightly sweet.
*Ding dong.* “Who is it?”
“Lin-jie, it’s me.” Shi Danni’s voice came. “Remember? Shi Danni from the sea patrol.”
The one whose boat was flipped by an orca. Lin Qianyu remembered, opening the door. “What’s up?”
Shi Danni smiled nervously. “We’ve got a wild dog at the station. It’s sick, and I’ve been helping since I’m off patrol.”
“We plan to release it after treatment, but it’s not cooperative. I was wondering if you could get a grassland wolf or white lion to scare it into taking its medicine.”
Last time, animals flanked Lin Qianyu protectively when Shi Danni spoke to her.
But now, after talking at the open door, no animals appeared.
Shi Danni, focused on Lin Qianyu’s stream, didn’t know she hadn’t livestreamed that morning and assumed she’d brought her animals.
“Didn’t bring them?” Shi Danni asked.
“They’re home.” Lin Qianyu finished her milk, tossing the can into the corner bin. “Let’s go check it out.”
Shi Danni added, “It’s fierce. Bit two staff members.”
Lin Qianyu, hearing this for the first time, said, “That bad?”
“Yeah,” Shi Danni said. “Doctor prescribed pills. We tried everything.”
If not for the injuries—one severe, damaging a tendon—they wouldn’t have pulled patrol staff to help.
She counted their efforts. “Ground it into food, it starved four days, wouldn’t eat. On IV nutrients, we switched food.”
“Mixed with jerky, it picked out the medicine, ate only meat. Sprinkled powder on it—same, wouldn’t touch it.”
In the elevator, she leaned on the wall. “We used a feeder, forced its mouth open. It vomited—not nausea, not the drug’s effect, just deliberate gagging till the pill came up.”
Feeding the dog was a battle of wits.
Forcing its mouth risked bites, even with multiple people.
This dog held grudges. Feed it one week, and the next, it’d snap before you started.
Shi Danni sighed deeply. “I’m out of ideas. I hesitated to ask you, but ran into Director Su downstairs and decided. Sorry for the trouble.”
“We’re colleagues, no trouble.” Rainforest or Grassland Island stations were under the same company.
In the elevator, Lin Qianyu fiddled with her livestream gear.
Even living refined in the wilderness, tattered clothes looked pitiful.
Other guests’ streams, reopened post-filming, showed them cleaned up, trying to salvage their image in the final half-day.
The dog’s illness wasn’t severe, just needed medicine.
It was kept in a station room, not a hospital ward.
When Lin Qianyu arrived, it was facing off with a staff member in protective gear.
[While others eat and play, Lin-lin’s already taming new fluffies?]
[This isn’t the wild. That’s a wild dog, right? Half-round, tiger-like ears.]
[Don’t they, like hyenas, run in packs?]
[Probably at the station, injured?]
…
Lin Qianyu clarified, “Not injured. Sick, being medicated.”
Hearing her, the dog’s focus shifted, growling low. “Roar—!”
The staff’s arm gear was torn, cotton and sponge spilling out, swaying as they moved.
Shi Danni stepped up. “I brought Lin-jie to check.”
She’d hoped Lin Qianyu’s beasts could intimidate it, like with the Rottweiler on Rainforest Island, to make it eat without vomiting.
But Lin Qianyu came alone, so scaring was off for now.
The staff nodded, greeting, “Hi, Lin-jie.”
“Hey.” She smiled wryly. “No need for formality. I’m just an intern.”
The staff blinked. “Got it, Lin-jie.”
She sighed. “I’ll talk to it.”
“It’s fierce. Wear these first,” the staff said, pulling out protective gear—head to toe.
“No need, I can handle it. Give me the medicine.” She declined the bulky gear.
Since she insisted, Shi Danni handed over the bottle. “Really no protection? Its teeth are sharp and latch on.”
“It’s fine.” Lin Qianyu shook the bottle. “One pill, right?”
Shi Danni: “Yeah.”
Lin Qianyu squatted before the dog. “Wanna talk?”
“Roar—!” It bared its teeth, lunging.
“No talk?” She poured a pill into her hand.
It growled louder.
As it opened its mouth, she flicked the pill in, vanishing between its lips.
The dog froze.
[???]
[Teeth: What went in? Tongue: Didn’t catch it. Stomach: Think it’s the pill.]
[You can feed it like that?! Lin-lin, teach me!]
The dog reacted, gagging hard to spit it out.
The pill, mixed with undigested meat, hit the floor.
Shi Danni tsked, telling Lin Qianyu, “See? Force-feed it, and it’ll die to spit it out. We can’t hold its mouth till it digests.”
Anesthesia was an option.
But three doses a day for a pill? The original illness might heal, but anesthesia could cause new issues.
After vomiting, the dog snarled at Lin Qianyu, as if taunting.
Shi Danni frowned. The challenge wasn’t feeding—it was getting it to willingly swallow, or it’d keep forcing itself to puke.
Lin Qianyu thought, then asked, “Got any plush toys or dog-like figurines?”
“We do, but… what for?” Shi Danni couldn’t guess. The station had plenty of animal merch, plush toys included.
“Grab a plush toy,” Lin Qianyu said.
“Okay.”
The staff cleaned the floor.
When Shi Danni returned, she held a plush toy resembling the wild dog.
Before handing it over, Lin Qianyu said, “Squat and hold it.”
Confused but complying, Shi Danni squatted, clutching the toy.
Lin Qianyu placed a pill on the ground, pointed at the toy. “Eat.”
Catching her look, Shi Danni wiggled the toy, mimicking refusal.
Lin Qianyu said, “Hold steady.”
“Huh?”
Then, Lin Qianyu punched the toy’s face, denting it.
The force knocked Shi Danni onto the floor, stunned.
Wild dog: “?!!”
Seeing the toy’s state, the still-defiant dog froze.
The plush, good quality, slowly regained shape.
Lin Qianyu pointed at the pill again.
Shi Danni got it, making the toy bob as if eating, tucking the pill into its mouth.
Done, Lin Qianyu turned to the dog.
It bristled.
She placed another pill, pointing.
Without hesitation, the dog licked it up, swallowing cleanly, tail wagging, looking much friendlier.
[…Damn.]
[Haha, so submissive!]
[Wild dog: I was gonna take the second pill anyway. Didn’t like the first one.]
It ate willingly, no vomiting.
Lin Qianyu reached for Shi Danni. “Should be fine now. If I’m not here and it won’t eat…”
Before she finished, the dog yowled urgently, “Aow aow, aow woo aow!”
Shi Danni: “…”
Where’s the attitude from when you bit our staff?!
Coward.
“I’m heading back.” Lin Qianyu checked the time—she’d been here a while.
At the door, she remembered something. “Oh…”
Poking her head back, the dog, about to lie down, snapped to attention, tail wagging cautiously.
Lin Qianyu asked, “How’s the intern assessment calculated? The handbook doesn’t say.”
Shi Danni shook her head. “It’s multifaceted. For us in patrol, it’s attendance and on-duty time. Don’t worry, Lin-jie. It’s strict—many get reassigned or fired—but you? They’d clear the station before letting you go.”
Lin Qianyu paused, smiling and waving. “See ya.”
---
Back home, it was past 2 p.m.
Living with her, the fluffies’ hunting schedules shifted.
Nocturnal ones hunted by day, sleeping in the cabin at night.
With a strong wolf pack, prey was never an issue.
Now, they’d likely be back, grooming and resting.
Planning to resume knitting the plush mat, she got off the crew’s van and spotted the rescue station’s vehicle.
The white lion and wolves were inside; station staff didn’t dare enter.
She knocked on the window. “Bo Zhao?”
The front passenger, dozing, snapped awake, groggy.
Seeing her, Bo Zhao wiped his face. “Oh… Lin-jie, you’re back.”
“What’s up?” she asked.
Excited, he pointed at a truck. “Delivering stuff. Fridge, freezer, AC—ready to install today.”
[Damn, show ends morning, stuff installed afternoon.]
[Lin-lin went to handle a wild wolf. If she’d returned earlier, it’d be done sooner.]
[Haha, Bo Zhao’s working hard to keep Lin-jie.]
Fans, following the stream, saw the station rivalry clearly.
If Pei Feng dropped into Grassland Island to fight Bo Zhao, no one would blink.
Ridiculous and hilarious.
“If your animals weren’t here, I’d have installed it early as a surprise,” Bo Zhao said wistfully.
Poachers wouldn’t last—before staff noticed, the white lion would attack intruders.
They might find shredded clothes, though.
Not tasty.
“Come on.” Lin Qianyu called the fluffies out. “Little Wolf, Tuanzi, Bean, Little Gray, Little Yellow…”
The grassland cat and Pallas’s cat weren’t back.
One was hunting; the other, flaunting its flower crown, who knows where.
She sat by the yard. Without calling, the cubs scampered over.
“They’re installing stuff.” She patted the spot beside her. “Tuanzi, come.”
The white lion disliked strangers near its turf, especially entering its house.
She hugged its head, whispering, “They’ll leave soon. Quick.”
Tuanzi nuzzled her neck. “Woo…”
Out of sight, out of mind.
She patted its head. “Good boy.”
The wolves, territorial too, were used to her from cave days with other fluffies.
When the alpha didn’t react to “intruders,” the pack didn’t either.
Hearing her, they relaxed, going about their business.
The white lion, tired of lying, stood, shook its fur, and leaped out. “Roar!”
Her hands empty, she looked at it beyond the fence. “Going to play? Find Fireworks and Little Raccoon, tell them to come back.”
Tuanzi agreed, darting into the woods.
She lifted Little Wolf onto her lap, holding its ears. “I’m going to see Big Orange soon, then work. Might be over a month before I’m back.”
Pointing at the wolf cubs, she said, “When they’re big enough to learn hunting, I’ll return.”
Wolves didn’t track months but knew cub growth.
“Aow.” The alpha lifted its head, snout brushing her wrist.
She hugged it, kissing its forehead. “Next time, we’ll play in the rainforest.”
The wolf licked her cheek. “Woo!”
It knew why she was leaving. If Bean, Tuanzi, or Little Yellow were confused, it could explain.
The wolf was reliable.
She rubbed it, laughing. “So good.”
Bo Zhao, helping install, emerged with the crew. “Lin-jie, done.”
He brushed off sawdust from cutting wood.
She released Little Wolf, standing. “Thanks, good work.”
“Wiring’s done. Your animals won’t chew it, right?” He pointed at the cable by the cabin’s edge.
“Nope. I’ll tell them,” she said.
Bo Zhao: “Cool. Freezer in the lion’s room?”
“Yeah.” Her cabin was mostly plush mats for animals, no space for a freezer.
The crew, on either side of the freezer, unpacked it, gripping the handles to lift. It didn’t budge.
A worker frowned. “Huh? Why’s this so heavy?”
Bo Zhao glanced over, telling Lin Qianyu, “I’ll check.”
Noticing white fur dangling from the freezer’s seam, she paused. “Wait!”
His hand on the lid froze. “What?”
“I’ll open it.”
“Something inside?” He peered in—nothing. But at her insistence, he stepped aside.
The lid was heavy. As she eased it open, a furry white paw shot out.
Bo Zhao: “!!!”
So close, he stumbled back.
An empty freezer, now with something inside—anyone would jump.
She fully opened it.
The white lion, blue eyes unblinking, lay belly-up, filling the entire space.
Caught, it rolled, paw hooking her sleeve. “Roar!”
---
*Author’s note: [Wild dogs aren’t hyenas; they’re cuter, muah muah muah muah.]*
*Here it is~ One more chapter, probably before midnight, muah muah~*
The Pallas’s cat, sporting a flower crown, saw its reflection in Lin Qianyu’s eyes. It blinked, slapped the ground with a paw, and yowled, “Aow!”
Then it turned and scampered off.
“Why the sudden hunt? Didn’t you just eat?” Lin Qianyu was puzzled. The cat was moving fast, breaking into a run after a few steps. She murmured, “That urgent?”
The next moment, a rabbit popped out from the grass.
Maybe the Pallas’s cat spotted it and gave chase.
Thinking this, she saw the cat pin the rabbit down, yowling at it without eating.
It seemed to be talking.
Predator facing prey.
From a distance, Lin Qianyu could only vaguely see the cat’s fluffed-up silhouette.
The rabbit tilted its head, its three-lobed mouth nearing the flower on the cat’s head.
Before it could bite, the cat noticed and kicked it away.
But despite the rabbit being on its menu, the cat had no intention of biting, turning to run off again.
[Hiss—is it showing off? It’s totally flaunting that flower crown!]
[Rabbit: Got any manners?]
[Haha, Lord Pallas: Look at my headgear! Am I stunning? Jealous? It’s mine! Dare to eat it? Get lost!]
[You looked and tried to bite? Who else would I kick?]
…
Lin Qianyu clearly guessed what the cat was up to. Smirking, she called after its barely visible shadow, “Don’t go too far. Come back early.”
“Aow—!”
She clapped her hands. Pinching flower stems left marks. Heading back via the river, she washed them off.
While washing, she glanced at a crocodile sunbathing nearby.
Not the one from last time that couldn’t climb ashore…
Pausing, her gaze shifted to ripples on the river.
The crocodile, tail flicking, reached the bank. Normally, it would lead with its snout, then climb with hind legs. But spotting Lin Qianyu, it froze.
Their eyes met—hard to imagine a crocodile with such lively expression.
Under her stare, it gave up climbing, no attempt made.
A clean, decisive retreat.
“Pfft… haha.”
The crocodile, about to swim off, whipped its head back.
No mouth opened, no words—just a look.
“I didn’t even climb, and you’re laughing?!” Its glare was so obvious, Lin Qianyu laughed harder.
Crocodile: “…”
This life’s unbearable!
She was just passing by to wash her hands, flicking off the stem juice. “I’m leaving. Come up and sunbathe.”
The crocodile sank into the water, ignoring her.
Only when her footsteps faded did it cautiously surface, playing dead in the river.
---
The final day of the show’s livestream arrived.
Su Yuxing sent over a dozen group messages.
Details included departure times, filming wrap-up shots, and taking group photos.
The crew’s van picked up the guests early, gathering them.
Lin Qianyu, bleary-eyed, splashed cold water on her face before leaving, but the brief clarity faded. The bumpy ride to the villa made her sleepy again.
She hadn’t slept too late, but the early morning shoot—before dawn—was brutal.
Feng Jingye, beside her, offered a candy. “Mint, low sugar.”
“Thanks.” She ate it, rolling the wrapper. The mint’s coolness cleared her breath.
Rubbing her temples, she closed her eyes, mint candy in mouth.
Feng Jingye asked, “Where are your little animals?”
“Too many.” Lin Qianyu said, “I’ll take photos with my camera after the group shot.”
For a group photo, the cubs couldn’t be left out.
But bringing so many—wolves and other fluffies—would be chaos. They’d steal the frame, leaving no room for other guests.
Better to photograph them herself later for better shots.
Feng Jingye nodded.
Su Yuxing, by the cameraman, gave instructions, then joined the guests for the shoot.
Unlike Rainforest Island’s curated outfits for dramatic effect, this time, perhaps to contrast with Season 1, no one changed.
The guests’ clothes were tattered, no time to fix appearances, just grouped for photos.
The contrast with Season 1’s end was stark.
Eight guests total. Su Yuxing took the eighth spot, grinning and flashing a peace sign.
After several shots, he stood. “Alright, time for awards. Rest for ten minutes.”
Hang Sisi yawned. “Ugh, I’m exhausted. Who decided 5 a.m. for wrap-up?”
Yin Youlin, with dark circles, said, “I bet the director wanted us looking rough.”
Nie Lingyang silently raised a hand in agreement.
Lin Qianyu noticed Feng Jingye’s torn shirt under his jacket. “Why not wear the sweater?”
It wasn’t stylish, but better than rags.
At the mention, Feng Jingye paused. “Washed it. Not dry yet.”
Lin Qianyu blinked. “It’s washable? Did it shrink?”
He hesitated. “…Didn’t shrink?”
She raised an eyebrow, staring. Why the uncertain tone?
You asking me or am I asking you?
“Ahem.” Feng Jingye cleared his throat, sensing his odd reply. “Probably didn’t shrink. Didn’t check closely.”
She nodded, guessing he hung it after washing without noticing shrinkage. Hard to tell without wearing it.
Su Yuxing clapped a megaphone, launching into formalities. “Good morning, everyone! Congrats on surviving the harsh wilderness. Your efforts will be rewarded.”
“Based on survival duration and online votes, here’s the ranking.”
“Sixth place, Nie Lingyang.”
With one dropout and Feng Jingye as a free agent, not ranked, they started at sixth.
“Fifth, Gong Xinming. Fourth and third, Yu Lingyu and Yin Youlin.” Su Yuxing grinned, swapping cards. “Votes were close. Who’s first?”
Hang Sisi laughed. “If it’s not Qianyu-jie, I’m calling foul.”
Su Yuxing chuckled. “No suspense then. Sisi’s second, Qianyu’s first. Think it’s over? No way—” He flicked his card. “Besides ranking prizes, we’ve got trophies.”
Staff unveiled a row of gleaming trophies.
“Insect Killer,” “Tree-Climbing Expert,” “Seafood Harvesting Master,” etched on the bases, visible from the guest seats.
[Every trophy screams Lin-jie.]
[Custom-made for her, right?]
[So many trophies—how’s Lin-lin carrying them? Last episode, and they didn’t call me to help!]
Fans fretted; they looked heavy.
Su Yuxing announced each guest’s trophy. “Everyone gets one, highlighting strengths: Seafood Harvesting Master, Yin Youlin; Tree-Climbing Expert, Hang Sisi…”
Yin Youlin, living by the sea, ate seafood daily—fitting. Hang Sisi mastered coconut tree climbing.
More trophies followed.
“You’re wondering why Qianyu, who fits them all, has none,” Su Yuxing said, mimicking a questioner before returning to his voice. “No trophy? Impossible!”
With a wave, an assistant unveiled a trophy three times larger than the others.
Lin Qianyu: “…”
Su Yuxing, not satisfied, pointed at the text, shouting, “All-Rounder Master! Applause!”
Guests and staff clapped in unison.
Lin Qianyu gave a couple of token claps.
Hang Sisi raised her hand. “Director, what’s that last trophy?”
Su Yuxing turned it. “Least Liked by Animals Award.”
Hang Sisi: [???]
Barrage: [Feng Jingye.]
[Say Feng Jingye, and it’s a done deal.]
[Feng: If I say “pull funding,” how do you counter?]
The award name sparked a flood of Feng Jingye mentions.
Su Yuxing cleared his throat, not dragging it out. “Winner: Gong Xinming!”
“Everyone knows Gong Xinming’s feud with the jackal,” he smirked. “This morning, the driver said he was still being chased.”
Gong Xinming’s face was blank, but his toes were curling a mansion. “…No need to air that.”
The most humiliating black mark in his career—none worse!
Gossip accounts mocked others with curses; his got laughs and garbled text.
[Tch.]
[That’s nothing. If our island owner competed, you’d get this? He let you have it!]
[Exactly. If he joined, Gong and Ling would be sidelined!]
[Haha, they’re fighting over it.]
[Island Owner: Take it, it’s bad luck!]
…
Seeing the barrage scroll, Lin Qianyu couldn’t help but laugh, but it was about her boss, the big boss. She casually covered her grin.
Feng Jingye’s steady voice came. “That funny?”
Turning to deny it, she met his gaze, caught the amusement in his eyes, and her words became, “No… haha!”
Feng Jingye looked helpless but mostly amused.
They’d come at dawn.
By the end of filming, it was nearly noon.
Su Yuxing reviewed the camera, pleased. “As usual, free time now. Go wherever, but stay safe.”
“Oh, the crew prepared food at the first-floor buffet. Clothes too. If you don’t want to roam the grassland, eat first. Rooms are ready—here’s the keycards. Second-floor rooms, swipe to enter. Call room service for meals.”
He handed out keycards like playing cards; all rooms were identical except for numbers.
Yu Lingyu sniffed. “No wonder it smells so good. Thought I was hallucinating from hunger.”
Hang Sisi: “Qianyu-jie! Eat together?”
“I’m not hungry. You go,” Lin Qianyu said.
“Ugh, fine.” Hang Sisi linked arms with Yu Lingyu, heading to the restaurant. “I smell steak. I want three—no, five!”
Lin Qianyu took a keycard and went upstairs. More than eating, she wanted a bath and fresh clothes.
Wilderness bathing was inconvenient.
After moving, the small shed by the cabin, no longer for food storage, became a bathroom.
But hot water was a hassle.
Out of the bathroom, the waiter had left lunch and clothes by the door.
She dried her hair, changed into a T-shirt and shorts, and picked a bun from the lavish cart.
It was lukewarm.
Biting into it, she propped a pillow behind her, leaning on the headboard, scrolling her phone.
Phones were returned post-show.
Her fingers swiped, sending evidence of her original company’s tax evasion, shady contracts, and unfair clauses to Su Yuxing.
Lin Qianyu: [My old agency was closely tied to Shi Jingyuan.]
Shi Jingyuan was a shareholder.
The evidence was enough to take down the leadership, landing them in jail for years at least.
Su Yuxing: [! Where’d you get this?]
He’d investigated Shi Jingyuan but only found what was already public.
She didn’t answer, just asked: [Can’t use it?]
Su Yuxing: [Can, can, of course! These people are done for.]
Because of Shi Jingyuan, he loathed those backing him.
With Season 2 wrapping and the show trending, paired with her evidence, it was a double win.
Setting down her phone, Lin Qianyu stretched.
The company was the hand that dragged the original owner into the abyss. Targeting management was quick and effective.
Finishing the bun, she opened a can of milk—slightly sweet.
*Ding dong.* “Who is it?”
“Lin-jie, it’s me.” Shi Danni’s voice came. “Remember? Shi Danni from the sea patrol.”
The one whose boat was flipped by an orca. Lin Qianyu remembered, opening the door. “What’s up?”
Shi Danni smiled nervously. “We’ve got a wild dog at the station. It’s sick, and I’ve been helping since I’m off patrol.”
“We plan to release it after treatment, but it’s not cooperative. I was wondering if you could get a grassland wolf or white lion to scare it into taking its medicine.”
Last time, animals flanked Lin Qianyu protectively when Shi Danni spoke to her.
But now, after talking at the open door, no animals appeared.
Shi Danni, focused on Lin Qianyu’s stream, didn’t know she hadn’t livestreamed that morning and assumed she’d brought her animals.
“Didn’t bring them?” Shi Danni asked.
“They’re home.” Lin Qianyu finished her milk, tossing the can into the corner bin. “Let’s go check it out.”
Shi Danni added, “It’s fierce. Bit two staff members.”
Lin Qianyu, hearing this for the first time, said, “That bad?”
“Yeah,” Shi Danni said. “Doctor prescribed pills. We tried everything.”
If not for the injuries—one severe, damaging a tendon—they wouldn’t have pulled patrol staff to help.
She counted their efforts. “Ground it into food, it starved four days, wouldn’t eat. On IV nutrients, we switched food.”
“Mixed with jerky, it picked out the medicine, ate only meat. Sprinkled powder on it—same, wouldn’t touch it.”
In the elevator, she leaned on the wall. “We used a feeder, forced its mouth open. It vomited—not nausea, not the drug’s effect, just deliberate gagging till the pill came up.”
Feeding the dog was a battle of wits.
Forcing its mouth risked bites, even with multiple people.
This dog held grudges. Feed it one week, and the next, it’d snap before you started.
Shi Danni sighed deeply. “I’m out of ideas. I hesitated to ask you, but ran into Director Su downstairs and decided. Sorry for the trouble.”
“We’re colleagues, no trouble.” Rainforest or Grassland Island stations were under the same company.
In the elevator, Lin Qianyu fiddled with her livestream gear.
Even living refined in the wilderness, tattered clothes looked pitiful.
Other guests’ streams, reopened post-filming, showed them cleaned up, trying to salvage their image in the final half-day.
The dog’s illness wasn’t severe, just needed medicine.
It was kept in a station room, not a hospital ward.
When Lin Qianyu arrived, it was facing off with a staff member in protective gear.
[While others eat and play, Lin-lin’s already taming new fluffies?]
[This isn’t the wild. That’s a wild dog, right? Half-round, tiger-like ears.]
[Don’t they, like hyenas, run in packs?]
[Probably at the station, injured?]
…
Lin Qianyu clarified, “Not injured. Sick, being medicated.”
Hearing her, the dog’s focus shifted, growling low. “Roar—!”
The staff’s arm gear was torn, cotton and sponge spilling out, swaying as they moved.
Shi Danni stepped up. “I brought Lin-jie to check.”
She’d hoped Lin Qianyu’s beasts could intimidate it, like with the Rottweiler on Rainforest Island, to make it eat without vomiting.
But Lin Qianyu came alone, so scaring was off for now.
The staff nodded, greeting, “Hi, Lin-jie.”
“Hey.” She smiled wryly. “No need for formality. I’m just an intern.”
The staff blinked. “Got it, Lin-jie.”
She sighed. “I’ll talk to it.”
“It’s fierce. Wear these first,” the staff said, pulling out protective gear—head to toe.
“No need, I can handle it. Give me the medicine.” She declined the bulky gear.
Since she insisted, Shi Danni handed over the bottle. “Really no protection? Its teeth are sharp and latch on.”
“It’s fine.” Lin Qianyu shook the bottle. “One pill, right?”
Shi Danni: “Yeah.”
Lin Qianyu squatted before the dog. “Wanna talk?”
“Roar—!” It bared its teeth, lunging.
“No talk?” She poured a pill into her hand.
It growled louder.
As it opened its mouth, she flicked the pill in, vanishing between its lips.
The dog froze.
[???]
[Teeth: What went in? Tongue: Didn’t catch it. Stomach: Think it’s the pill.]
[You can feed it like that?! Lin-lin, teach me!]
The dog reacted, gagging hard to spit it out.
The pill, mixed with undigested meat, hit the floor.
Shi Danni tsked, telling Lin Qianyu, “See? Force-feed it, and it’ll die to spit it out. We can’t hold its mouth till it digests.”
Anesthesia was an option.
But three doses a day for a pill? The original illness might heal, but anesthesia could cause new issues.
After vomiting, the dog snarled at Lin Qianyu, as if taunting.
Shi Danni frowned. The challenge wasn’t feeding—it was getting it to willingly swallow, or it’d keep forcing itself to puke.
Lin Qianyu thought, then asked, “Got any plush toys or dog-like figurines?”
“We do, but… what for?” Shi Danni couldn’t guess. The station had plenty of animal merch, plush toys included.
“Grab a plush toy,” Lin Qianyu said.
“Okay.”
The staff cleaned the floor.
When Shi Danni returned, she held a plush toy resembling the wild dog.
Before handing it over, Lin Qianyu said, “Squat and hold it.”
Confused but complying, Shi Danni squatted, clutching the toy.
Lin Qianyu placed a pill on the ground, pointed at the toy. “Eat.”
Catching her look, Shi Danni wiggled the toy, mimicking refusal.
Lin Qianyu said, “Hold steady.”
“Huh?”
Then, Lin Qianyu punched the toy’s face, denting it.
The force knocked Shi Danni onto the floor, stunned.
Wild dog: “?!!”
Seeing the toy’s state, the still-defiant dog froze.
The plush, good quality, slowly regained shape.
Lin Qianyu pointed at the pill again.
Shi Danni got it, making the toy bob as if eating, tucking the pill into its mouth.
Done, Lin Qianyu turned to the dog.
It bristled.
She placed another pill, pointing.
Without hesitation, the dog licked it up, swallowing cleanly, tail wagging, looking much friendlier.
[…Damn.]
[Haha, so submissive!]
[Wild dog: I was gonna take the second pill anyway. Didn’t like the first one.]
It ate willingly, no vomiting.
Lin Qianyu reached for Shi Danni. “Should be fine now. If I’m not here and it won’t eat…”
Before she finished, the dog yowled urgently, “Aow aow, aow woo aow!”
Shi Danni: “…”
Where’s the attitude from when you bit our staff?!
Coward.
“I’m heading back.” Lin Qianyu checked the time—she’d been here a while.
At the door, she remembered something. “Oh…”
Poking her head back, the dog, about to lie down, snapped to attention, tail wagging cautiously.
Lin Qianyu asked, “How’s the intern assessment calculated? The handbook doesn’t say.”
Shi Danni shook her head. “It’s multifaceted. For us in patrol, it’s attendance and on-duty time. Don’t worry, Lin-jie. It’s strict—many get reassigned or fired—but you? They’d clear the station before letting you go.”
Lin Qianyu paused, smiling and waving. “See ya.”
---
Back home, it was past 2 p.m.
Living with her, the fluffies’ hunting schedules shifted.
Nocturnal ones hunted by day, sleeping in the cabin at night.
With a strong wolf pack, prey was never an issue.
Now, they’d likely be back, grooming and resting.
Planning to resume knitting the plush mat, she got off the crew’s van and spotted the rescue station’s vehicle.
The white lion and wolves were inside; station staff didn’t dare enter.
She knocked on the window. “Bo Zhao?”
The front passenger, dozing, snapped awake, groggy.
Seeing her, Bo Zhao wiped his face. “Oh… Lin-jie, you’re back.”
“What’s up?” she asked.
Excited, he pointed at a truck. “Delivering stuff. Fridge, freezer, AC—ready to install today.”
[Damn, show ends morning, stuff installed afternoon.]
[Lin-lin went to handle a wild wolf. If she’d returned earlier, it’d be done sooner.]
[Haha, Bo Zhao’s working hard to keep Lin-jie.]
Fans, following the stream, saw the station rivalry clearly.
If Pei Feng dropped into Grassland Island to fight Bo Zhao, no one would blink.
Ridiculous and hilarious.
“If your animals weren’t here, I’d have installed it early as a surprise,” Bo Zhao said wistfully.
Poachers wouldn’t last—before staff noticed, the white lion would attack intruders.
They might find shredded clothes, though.
Not tasty.
“Come on.” Lin Qianyu called the fluffies out. “Little Wolf, Tuanzi, Bean, Little Gray, Little Yellow…”
The grassland cat and Pallas’s cat weren’t back.
One was hunting; the other, flaunting its flower crown, who knows where.
She sat by the yard. Without calling, the cubs scampered over.
“They’re installing stuff.” She patted the spot beside her. “Tuanzi, come.”
The white lion disliked strangers near its turf, especially entering its house.
She hugged its head, whispering, “They’ll leave soon. Quick.”
Tuanzi nuzzled her neck. “Woo…”
Out of sight, out of mind.
She patted its head. “Good boy.”
The wolves, territorial too, were used to her from cave days with other fluffies.
When the alpha didn’t react to “intruders,” the pack didn’t either.
Hearing her, they relaxed, going about their business.
The white lion, tired of lying, stood, shook its fur, and leaped out. “Roar!”
Her hands empty, she looked at it beyond the fence. “Going to play? Find Fireworks and Little Raccoon, tell them to come back.”
Tuanzi agreed, darting into the woods.
She lifted Little Wolf onto her lap, holding its ears. “I’m going to see Big Orange soon, then work. Might be over a month before I’m back.”
Pointing at the wolf cubs, she said, “When they’re big enough to learn hunting, I’ll return.”
Wolves didn’t track months but knew cub growth.
“Aow.” The alpha lifted its head, snout brushing her wrist.
She hugged it, kissing its forehead. “Next time, we’ll play in the rainforest.”
The wolf licked her cheek. “Woo!”
It knew why she was leaving. If Bean, Tuanzi, or Little Yellow were confused, it could explain.
The wolf was reliable.
She rubbed it, laughing. “So good.”
Bo Zhao, helping install, emerged with the crew. “Lin-jie, done.”
He brushed off sawdust from cutting wood.
She released Little Wolf, standing. “Thanks, good work.”
“Wiring’s done. Your animals won’t chew it, right?” He pointed at the cable by the cabin’s edge.
“Nope. I’ll tell them,” she said.
Bo Zhao: “Cool. Freezer in the lion’s room?”
“Yeah.” Her cabin was mostly plush mats for animals, no space for a freezer.
The crew, on either side of the freezer, unpacked it, gripping the handles to lift. It didn’t budge.
A worker frowned. “Huh? Why’s this so heavy?”
Bo Zhao glanced over, telling Lin Qianyu, “I’ll check.”
Noticing white fur dangling from the freezer’s seam, she paused. “Wait!”
His hand on the lid froze. “What?”
“I’ll open it.”
“Something inside?” He peered in—nothing. But at her insistence, he stepped aside.
The lid was heavy. As she eased it open, a furry white paw shot out.
Bo Zhao: “!!!”
So close, he stumbled back.
An empty freezer, now with something inside—anyone would jump.
She fully opened it.
The white lion, blue eyes unblinking, lay belly-up, filling the entire space.
Caught, it rolled, paw hooking her sleeve. “Roar!”
---
*Author’s note: [Wild dogs aren’t hyenas; they’re cuter, muah muah muah muah.]*
*Here it is~ One more chapter, probably before midnight, muah muah~*
Comments