Chapter 98

Chapter 98

I'm afraid I'll get lost lying on Da Ju.

"Da Ju!"

Lin Qianyu came out of the tent.

Da Ju seemed to have run all the way back. Judging by the time Pei Feng gave, it hadn't stopped at all along the way.

Now, as it leapt onto the platform and had to abruptly rein in its strength, its momentum still carried it forward. The big tiger consciously tried to control its speed.

Getting pounced on by a tiger of this size could easily send someone flying.

But Lin Qianyu ran straight toward it, threw her arms around Da Ju’s neck, and jumped up, flipping herself to hang onto Da Ju’s back.

【?!! Capturing a tiger alive!】

【Long time no see! Da Ju is still so huge—the screen can barely contain it.】

【I can't even imagine how comfortable it must be to pounce on it. I’d be afraid of getting lost just lying on Da Ju.】

【Lost where? Reunion in the stomach, that’s all.】

Da Ju dashed forward a few more steps, finally managing to steady itself, then eagerly turned its head to nuzzle her.

Lin Qianyu had been clinging to Da Ju’s neck, but once it turned, she let go. Now she could barely stay balanced as it nudged her, even hugging its big head didn’t help.

She could feel the tiger's excitement, and a little joy bubbled up in her heart too. Her voice became more cheerful. “We meet again, Da Ju.”

“Roar!”

Lin Qianyu got a face full of soft fur from the affectionate tiger. Usually lounging in hot springs and sunbathing, Da Ju smelled warm and cozy all over.

Da Ju sat down, and Lin Qianyu slid down its back. Just as her feet touched the ground, she was pounced on again.

Laughing, she pushed at the furry head pressing in close. “You’re so heavy.”

The tiger kept nuzzling her enthusiastically, probably trying to leave its scent on her.

The leopard gave its fur a shake and strolled out slowly.

Smiling, Lin Qianyu raised her hand dramatically and called, “Huahua, help!”

Then...

“Huahua! I meant help me, not join in—hey! You two are so heavy!”

Lin Qianyu grabbed the fur on their necks and shook them hard. “Aren’t you two hot?”

“Rawr?”

The black bear, returning from a hunt, tilted its head. The prey in its mouth dropped to the ground. The next second, it leapt over the prey without hesitation, roaring as it joined in. “Roar!”

Lin Qianyu, buried in fluff: “???”

On the grassland side she was buried by wolves. Here in the rainforest, these three fluffy ones were enough to bury her completely.

The red-tailed crested eagle heard the noise and came back, only to find a packed platform. It tilted its head and nestled itself at Lin Qianyu’s neck.

The fledgling still had prey hooked on its claws. Dian Dian circled above twice, unable to find a place to land, and anxiously chirped “jiu jiu” in the air.【Help! This looks way too enjoyable.】

【Oh my god, being hugged on both sides—sob sob sob… I really wish I were Nezha.】

【If you don’t want this blessing, I’ll take it. Add an air-conditioned room and it’d be perfect.】

...

What the large spotted civet saw upon arriving was exactly this scene.

It tilted its head. Perhaps on previous visits, though it occasionally encountered predators, seeing so many gathered all at once—playing and tussling together on the platform—was still a rare sight.

It walked over to the bowl where its food was usually placed, dropped its prey into it as usual. Noticing some unfamiliar meat in the otherwise empty bowl, it tilted its head again, seemingly a bit suspicious, but didn’t dwell on it. Instead, with a sense of ritual, it nudged the water bowl and began enjoying its dinner.

Low growls and snarls echoed constantly on the platform, keeping all nearby animals too frightened to approach. Even the birds close by flapped away from this danger-filled spot.

While chewing on a bird leg, the large spotted civet turned its head and saw a human struggling to survive in the midst of a predator pile.

It only glanced once before looking away, calm and composed, entirely indifferent to the situation.

However, when it lowered its head again, it suddenly froze, then whipped its head up. Its pupils contracted and dilated rapidly—its beast eyes full of disbelief.

It… it looked familiar.

Lin Qianyu pushed the leopard with her left hand, braced the tiger with her right elbow, and pressed down on the black bear to struggle to her feet in the middle of the pile. She let out a breath and straightened her messy hair.

Noticing the large spotted civet not far away, Lin Qianyu smiled and waved. “Hi!”

“Awuu!” The civet jumped up on the spot—clearly thrilled—stomping its front paws on the ground over and over, its fur shaking with excitement.

This civet had always been timid and shy. The fact that it kept coming here to eat was thanks to Lin Qianyu’s persistent efforts.

Lin Qianyu walked over and patted the civet. “You eat first, I’ll go get you something tasty.”

With that, she turned back into the tent, checked the milk temperature, and dropped in two ice cubes per portion.

Once ready, she placed a bowl of prepared milk next to the civet’s water bowl and nudged the furry head resting on her shoulder. “You all go eat now. If the meat sits any longer, it won’t be fresh.”

The prey the black bear brought back was also dragged up, skinned, and butchered.

With two large prey animals, there was more than enough to eat—not to mention all the milk she had prepared.

Lin Qianyu turned on a small handheld fan. “What should I eat...”

The instant food packs were all unopened. They looked just like they had when she last went out.

Browsing over the rack of spicy vermicelli, luosifen, and instant noodles, Lin Qianyu picked up a hot pot base packet.

“Let’s have hot pot.” Back on the grassland island, she’d craved instant noodles, and they’d go perfectly in a hot pot. She could also add meatballs, beef and lamb slices, tripe, omasum—everything was in the freezer.

She added water to a small white pot. The hot pot base came in one big pack with four smaller cubes—she threw in two, plus a handful of dried chili and Sichuan pepper.

But in this hot summer weather, just preparing the spicy butter hot pot made the room feel even hotter.

Thankfully, the little fan had a misting feature. The light water mist was quite refreshing.

Pei Feng: 【I submitted a request for a floor-standing air conditioner. At the latest, it’ll be installed this afternoon.】

A livestream comment from the rescue station admin scrolled across the screen.Lin Qianyu paused her hand stirring the dipping sauce. “No need to trouble yourself, there’s no place to put it here.”

Pei Feng: 【It’s fine, it’s a small unit, doesn’t take up much space. Low wattage, energy-efficient too.】

Back when Bai Zhao installed an air conditioner in Lin Qianyu’s wooden cabin on Grassland Island, Pei Feng had already started thinking about how to set one up here too.

But here it’s a tent and cave combo—there’s nowhere to mount a wall unit. The only option was a standing model, but those take up a lot of room. So unlike Bai Zhao, who just picked the most expensive one, Pei Feng had to be more careful with the choice.

He ended up having one custom-made to fit the tent’s dimensions. That, of course, meant slower delivery.

He rushed to make sure it would arrive right around the time Lin Qianyu landed, aiming to install it as soon as she got there.

Now it was nearly afternoon, but rounding down, it still counted as the same day—close enough.

Pei Feng: 【I’ll take care of the power supply issue. If you need anything else, just say the word.】

It was clear Pei Feng was still holding a grudge, competing with Bai Zhao.

Lin Qianyu laughed helplessly. “It’s enough, really. This place is tiny—there’s no space for anything more.”

On Grassland Island, the white lion’s territory was huge. If she ever wanted to expand, she could build more cabins around it anytime.

But Rainforest Island was different. The platform was only so big. If she really wanted to expand, she couldn’t just add onto what she had—she’d have to relocate and build something entirely new.

Everything here at home was already complete and well set up.

There was no need to move again.

【Do your islands ever have meetups or joint events? I really want to see you all meet.】

【Throwing punches online, drawing swords in person.】

【These two are killing me. They really wish they could tie Sister Lin down to their own island.】

【Kidding aside, Linlin saves so much trouble. She handles everything that comes up, never causes problems, super reliable, and easy to work with… Forget subordinate, I’d want her as my boss.】

...

While chatting, the hot pot had already come to a boil.

A thick layer of red oil bubbled on the surface. The dried chili peppers had softened and turned glossy. These peppers didn’t add much heat, but they looked good and boosted appetite.

“This base tastes really authentic,” Lin Qianyu said, glancing at the packaging—it had no label.

It probably wasn’t store-bought. Most likely something sent by the rescue station.

Whenever she received supplies from them, she would organize them along with the old supplies in the tent. Over time, it got hard to tell what came from where.

Lin Qianyu dipped a slice of beef tripe into the pot.

The leopard, done eating, strolled over. The spicy scent in the air made it squint, scrunching its face like all its features were being pulled together.

Lin Qianyu held up the small fan and aimed it at the leopard. “Is this better?”

The leopard squinted even harder. Its ears were blown back.

Lin Qianyu adjusted the direction and waved the fan around the leopard.

The rest of the furry crew, having finished eating, started wandering in. They were all curious about the hot pot smell. It was probably just too unfamiliar. Even though she’d sprinkled chili powder on barbecue in front of them before, grilled spice and boiled spice had very different aromas.By the end of the hot pot meal, Lin Qianyu cooked a block of instant noodles. No seasoning added—just boiled it in the hot pot base. It was numbing and spicy, with pleasantly chewy noodles.

“It’s… a bit past two now.” Lin Qianyu ate noodles from her bowl while checking the time and muttering, “I’ll take a shower after this, then wait for Pei Feng to come.”

It felt like there wasn’t much to do today, but the moment she arrived, it seemed like there were endless tasks. Everything automatically lined itself up in priority.

She put down the bowl and chopsticks, threw a block of solidifier into the pot. After a while, the water and beef fat inside would solidify into a lump, which could be tossed into the trash without making a mess everywhere.

Lin Qianyu covered the pot, picked up a towel, and said, “Well… there’s not much content left for the livestream, so… ahem.”

【? Wait!】

【Don’t! You’ve been off the stream for so long, and now you’re ending it this soon?!】

【Please don’t go! Let me just see a bit more of the fluffies—don’t make me get on my knees…】

Lin Qianyu thought about it. “Alright then, I’ll give them a bath first.”

The leopard that had been sticking close to her and occasionally rubbing against her froze mid-step, looking like it was thinking about backing away.

“No running,” Lin Qianyu locked her arm around the leopard’s neck. “You first.”

“Roar!”

The leopard protested—but in vain.

The fluffies at home liked being clean. The little bear often soaked in the river for fun. As for Big Orange, even more so—he regularly bathed in hot springs. The leopard, being a feline, naturally had a bit of a cleanliness obsession too.

By comparison, bird baths were much simpler. The red-tailed steppe eagle liked to roll in the sand on the beach.

But no matter how smart the fluffies were, none of them knew how to use shampoo themselves.

Lin Qianyu picked three bottles of lightly scented shampoo and took the fluffies down to the river behind the tent.

“Hua Hua, come on,” Lin Qianyu rolled up her pant legs and stepped in first.

The leopard sat by the riverbank, flicking its tail—its feelings were clearly written in that tail tip. But after a brief standoff, it walked into the river on its own, exhaling heavily as it stepped in.

Seeing how much it hated still water, Lin Qianyu couldn’t help but smile. “Good kitty, it’ll be over soon.”

The leopard stood in front of Lin Qianyu. When she squatted down, it rested its chin on her shoulder, licked its lips, and gave a half-hearted, weak growl: “Roar…”

—Originally, she’d planned to use the first day on Rainforest Island to greet all the animals she knew.

But the schedule got packed, and she hadn’t found a single free moment.

Bathing and grooming all the fluffies was a massive job. Even with better-quality, more efficient brushes, it still took a lot of energy.

Grooming Big Orange had worn out two brushes.

Thankfully, the big cat was very cooperative. It flipped over and held its paws in front of it like a very obedient creature, looking completely easy to bully.

In the tent, the technicians were busy installing the air conditioner.

Heavy objects clanged around inside, occasionally causing the tent to shake a little.

After a while, Pei Feng came out and said, “Qianyu, the air conditioner’s all set up. Want to come take a look?”

“Okay.” Lin Qianyu pulled the fur off the brush—there was enough this time to make a bunch of felted fluff balls. She patted Big Orange on the back. “All done. Go sunbathe now.”The groomed big cat was all fluffy, looking soft and plush, its fur fine and smooth.

“Roar!” Big Orange shook its fur, then lay back down on the ground, stretching out lazily.

The staff took advantage of the animals’ distraction, and slipped away down the slope like greased lightning. When they saw the ground littered with bones, even though they knew it was from animals, they still got startled.

“This is the remote. It’s easier to use if you connect it directly to your phone,” Pei Feng said, tapping the QR code on the manual. “Scan this to download the app.”

Lin Qianyu scanned it. “Okay.”

With the fluffies outside being groomed, and Lin Qianyu present, Pei Feng and his crew worked quickly and efficiently.

Mainly because they didn’t dare install the air conditioner when Lin Qianyu wasn’t home—or when she was out with the beasts.

Their sense of smell was too sharp.

A foreign scent entering the territory—especially one the animals saw as shared with Lin Qianyu—would definitely raise alarm.

Once they detected it, they’d rush back immediately.

After explaining how to use some of the special features, Pei Feng quietly edged down from the platform.

He thought he was being stealthy, but when he turned around, every single sunbathing animal was staring in his direction, eyes unblinking.

Pei Feng: “……”

The memory of being “taken hostage” last time was still vivid.

Large predators might hold back, afraid they’d accidentally kill him, so they didn’t dare move much. At most, one had swatted him with a paw—and that alone had dislocated a bone.

Compared to the caution of big beasts, the little chevrotain’s charge had been brutal. His back still hurt.

He still didn’t understand how such a tiny thing could pack so much power. As a grown man, he’d nearly been solo-killed by a juvenile chevrotain.

It was beyond embarrassing.

Lin Qianyu skimmed the manual on her phone. “It even has an animal purring simulation mode?”

What kind of bizarre feature was that?

Putting down her phone, Lin Qianyu called out, “Big Orange, Hua Hua! Little Bear, Little Eagle… If you’re tired, come inside and sleep.”

Before grooming, Lin Qianyu had blow-dried the fluffies. After their fur dried, they went out to sunbathe again. Once the grooming was done, they returned to bask some more. By now, their fur was almost completely dry.

Lin Qianyu’s arms were so sore she could barely lift them. She yawned. “Goodnight, everyone.”

As she finished speaking, the livestream screen went black.

Lin Qianyu laid out her sleeping bag, set the air conditioner to sleep mode, and flopped down casually.

Outside, the fluffies peeked their heads in, one after another.

She must’ve been really exhausted—once she lay down, her mind slipped into haze almost immediately. Just as she was about to fall into deep sleep, her hand reached out and grabbed a fluffy body snuggled up beside her.

Fighting off the drowsiness, she forced her eyes open. Squinting, she saw the leopard had somehow ended up lying next to her.

She moved her lips, but didn’t say a word.

Surrounded by soft fur, hugging the one in her arms, she soon drifted into a deep sleep.---The next day.

The pitch-black livestream room lit up to a moving scene. The scenery on both sides flew by quickly, accompanied by the low rumble of an engine, but no one was in sight.

It wasn’t until the vehicle came to a stop that Lin Qianyu freed her hands and turned the livestream equipment around. “Good morning, everyone.”

As she spoke, she got out of the car and said, “Today we’re going to check on Gun Gun and the others.”

Lin Qianyu carried a big, full backpack of fruit and walked into the bamboo forest she hadn’t visited in a long time.

She didn’t see any animals on the outer edge, and going in deeper, none were sunbathing either.

Unknowingly, she walked all the way to the bamboo hut, which was also silent inside.

Still, Lin Qianyu went up and tried knocking on the door. “Any pandas home?”

Whether giant pandas or red pandas.

She pushed open the bamboo hut’s door, peeking inside little by little.

The giant panda lying down sleeping twitched its ears, opened its eyes in a daze, and froze for a moment when it saw Lin Qianyu.

“Aw?” It tilted its head, hurriedly scrambled to stand up, but slipped under its own paw and almost tripped itself. It stumbled forward. “Aw!”

“Yes, I’m back.” Lin Qianyu gave the black-and-white dumpling a big bear hug. “Did you go out in the rain again? Why is your fur still so white?”

It liked to go out in the rain with its head covered, pretending as long as its head didn’t get wet, it wasn’t really getting rained on.

Lin Qianyu used to think the panda’s fur looked white because of the rain, but even with a wooden hut now, it was still that white.

The giant panda was clearly very happy to see her. It grabbed some bamboo it had stored in the hut and tried to give it to her.

The table was piled with fresh bamboo, seemingly just snapped off recently—convenient for snacking on at any time while lying inside.

Not rejecting the panda’s kindness, Lin Qianyu took the bamboo and set it aside. “I’ll take it with me when I leave, to eat back home.”

The size of the bamboo was just right for making bamboo rice.

Upon hearing this, the giant panda thought for a bit, then hugged a huge pile of bamboo from the table again—like it wanted to give her all its bamboo.

Lin Qianyu quickly said, “That’s enough, that’s more than enough. Just this one piece is plenty—I can’t finish it all.”

Bamboo rice was just an occasional treat, and taking back more than needed would be wasteful.

She opened her backpack and said, “I brought you all lots of fruit. Eat while it’s still fresh.”

All of it had just come out of the rescue center’s cold storage—it was still a bit chilled to the touch, including the watermelon in her arms, which she placed on the bamboo as well.

The giant panda picked up an apple and began munching on it—crunch crunch.

【Gun Gun, we meet again!】

【Gun Gun’s fur really is the whitest I’ve seen among pandas—such clear black-and-white contrast.】

【So cute, I want to squeeze it. If I did, Gun Gun would probably cry for ages.】

【Not sure about crying, but your head might fly pretty far. The mighty iron-eating beast isn’t just for show!】

Lin Qianyu rubbed the giant panda’s ear, then stood up and said, “I’m going to check on the red pandas.”The giant panda leaned back against the plush cushion, happily munching on bites of apple and pear.

Using the bamboo hut as a center point, Lin Qianyu walked off to the side and saw a red panda dragging a piece of bamboo. One red panda with a prosthetic leg was holding a big bundle of bamboo leaves in its arms, slowly stuffing them into a tree hollow. They were still more accustomed to storing food in tree hollows or crevices—an ingrained habit by now.

Another red panda, with slightly crooked ears, stood behind Yangyang, dragging some bamboo.

Lin Qianyu went over and helped lift the back end of the bamboo. Feeling the weight lighten in its arms, Nuannuan looked back and locked eyes with a pair of warm, gently smiling eyes.

“Aw ah!” Nuannuan let out a cry.

Yangyang heard it but didn’t react much—didn’t even turn his head—just calmly echoed with another “Aw.”

Lin Qianyu adjusted Nuannuan’s fake ear, readjusted its position, and reached out her hand to greet Yangyang—just as Yangyang took a step forward, his tail brushed past her fingertips. “Yangyang.”

The red panda who had just taken a step immediately froze in place.

He turned his head in disbelief, instantly dropped the bamboo leaves in his arms, and ran toward Lin Qianyu.

Lin Qianyu squatted down and hugged the two fluffballs together. “Have you been doing well lately? I brought lots of fruit—want to come eat some together?”

She had already placed the backpack and all the fruit inside the bamboo hut.

“Ah…” Yangyang lay in her arms, his big tail swaying back and forth behind him.

Lin Qianyu rubbed the red panda’s ears. “I came back to check on you all. I’ll stay for a while before leaving again.”

After her next livestream ends, she’d have a bit more free time. She planned to schedule her return to the island more reasonably, so she could stay longer.

She helped stuff all the bamboo they’d collected into the tree hollow, then picked up both red pandas and turned to head back.

Inside the bamboo hut, the giant panda sprawled lazily on the floor, enjoying fruit in complete comfort.

When it saw Lin Qianyu and the red pandas come in, the giant panda scooted to the side, making room.

The three of them had more or less been living together in the bamboo grove.

After Lin Qianyu left, staff from the rescue center had visited a few times. The small animals who were familiar with her weren’t that wary of humans—but they still maintained a natural caution.

Thankfully, the staff only observed from a distance. Once noticed, they didn’t try to approach again.

Red pandas didn’t have much combat ability—but giant pandas were a different story. At their peak, giant pandas could go toe-to-toe with tigers. The only reason they didn’t fight was because they chose to solve food problems by being cute.

To avoid drawing a giant panda’s attention, the staff would drop off the fruit and leave.

But when they later checked the surveillance footage, they saw that from the time the fruit was placed to when it was nearly rotten and had to be retrieved, neither the red pandas nor the giant panda ever came near it.

The only one they trusted completely, without any guardedness, seemed to be Lin Qianyu.

The fluffballs sat inside eating fruit.

Lin Qianyu sat beside them taking photos with her phone. As she shifted around to adjust the angles, the red pandas in the frame would curiously look her way every time she stopped moving.

“Good babies.” Lin Qianyu patted one of the red pandas on the head.

Before she knew it, her phone gallery was filled with photos—some of the fluffballs she lived with, and some of little animals she’d encountered only once in passing.

Her phone had to be confiscated during variety shows, so all these pictures were taken after the program ended.

Lin Qianyu took a few photos she was very satisfied with, leaned back against the giant panda, and peeled a banana. “I’m planning to print all these photos when I get back and make an album.”Photo albums are meaningful and worth preserving—especially when every picture brings back a memory.

Something to flip through during leisurely moments.

【What?! Everyone who hears this should get one too!】

【Hey, why are you so pushy? Linlin, don’t listen to her. I’m a grade schooler—give it to me first.】

【Even if you’re in grad school, don’t think you’ll get ahead of me. Just drop the link, I’ll buy it instantly.】

Lin Qianyu smiled as she tapped open the director's group chat, and said at the same time, “It won’t be mass-produced. If everyone’s interested, once it’s finished, I can post some photos on Weibo.”

In the group chat, the filming time for the third episode had been confirmed, and the guest list was posted as well.

At the end of the second episode, only one guest slot had been left open.

Now, celebrities were scrambling for a chance to appear—especially for the final slot in the last episode. Every agency was fighting tooth and nail.

Agents and companies—those with connections were using them, those without tried to get in touch with Su Yuxing directly. Everyone was pulling every string they had.

But as the director, no matter who Su Yuxing chose, he’d end up offending the rest.

And whoever was selected might, due to their strong backing, try to meddle with the program. After much thought, Su Yuxing simply tossed out all the celebrity profiles—and went himself.

He chose the most neutral, least offensive option.

His group name, previously listed as “Director,” was now changed to “Guest.” Aside from scheduling, he handed all other matters over to his assistant.

【As for the third filming location, I doubt I need to keep it a secret—you all can probably guess where.】

There were only three islands in total. Two had already been used for livestream variety shows. As for the third, it didn’t take any effort to figure out—it could only be the polar island.

【The temperature on Polar Island is quite low. Minus 50–60 degrees Celsius is common, and it can even drop to the 70s. If a person stays outdoors in such conditions for long, they can easily develop hypothermia—it’s extremely dangerous. There are also ice caves in the ground. If you fall in, survival chances are slim.】

【Any guests who haven’t signed the contract for the third episode yet—there’s still time to withdraw.】

Compared to the smells and beasts of the rainforest, the animals and insects of the grasslands—the most dangerous part of Polar Island is the cold. Even if you’re just exploring the environment in thick clothing, by the time you notice something’s wrong, your fingers might already be frozen solid—stiff enough to shatter at a touch.

You could slip into hypothermia without realizing it. Before death, the body often feels hot. You might strip off all your clothes and lie in the snow, unable to even press the help button—only to quietly fall asleep forever.

But even though the director put things in such serious terms, no one in the group opted out.

Hang Sisi and Yin Youlin, like Lin Qianyu, had signed on for all three episodes from the start.

The other three guests also confirmed they’d continue.

Yu Lingyu: 【No way I’m quitting. Sisi and I already formed an alliance.】

Gong Xinming: 【That just makes it more thrilling.】

Nie Lingyang: 【Are you kidding? I worked so hard for this chance—no way I’m quitting! Send the liability waiver over!】

As if worried a moment’s hesitation would get them kicked out of the show, everyone started tagging the director in the group chat, asking for the waiver to be sent.

After the first episode, every guest afterward had signed on one episode at a time.

Leaning against the giant panda, Lin Qianyu rubbed the furball’s belly and replied in the group chat with a simple: “Got it.”

At some point, the crunching sounds in her ear had stopped.When she turned her head, the giant panda was staring intently at her phone screen.

Lin Qianyu tilted the phone toward it and asked with a smile, “Can you understand this?”

The giant panda blinked slowly, then lazily climbed up, grabbed an apple from the hiking bag, and handed it to Lin Qianyu. When she didn’t take it, it adjusted the position and placed it squarely on her phone.

“Ah!”

Covering it meant no need to look anymore.

Author's Note: I set the scheduled release to the wrong date, ahhhhh I'm sorry!

There’s one more bonus chapter—I'll post it once it's finished, no fixed update time. Muah muah.

The main story will conclude in October, and I’ll write extras about the little animals everyone wants to see~