All My Colleagues Are Animals 35

Chapter 35

On Wednesday, the first issue of the “Small Animal Survival Guide” was finally released.

With her astounding wealth, Boss Pei had it grandly displayed in all the major bookstores in B-City. Furthermore, on the first day, a limited three thousand copies were free, first come, first served.

The entire staff of Velvet Bamboo Studio was dispatched to investigate the sales situation at a few nearby partner bookstores.

At 8 AM, in the small building’s courtyard.

“…You’re saying, we should let it guard the house?”

Ye Qingyu looked hesitantly at the buff-colored Californian guinea pig on the ground. It was the same one she had rescued from the swimming pool.

So small and round, she could hold it in one hand.

To have a little rodent guard such a large courtyard and building, wasn’t that asking too much of it…

“Goo-goo-goo—”

The questioned guinea pig stared at Ye Qingyu with its round, black eyes, emitting a Morse-code-like sound like bubbles rising in water.

It continued its incessant “goo-goo-goo” transmission, gesturing with its two small paws, at times pointing to the small building, at times pointing to Ye Qingyu.

Ye Qingyu blinked blankly, feeling as if it were cursing her, and cursing quite colorfully at that.

Luo Bian, as she got into the driver’s seat of the tricycle, said, “Don’t worry, this one’s tough.”

“Last time, two birds came into our yard to cause trouble, and she, a single rodent, scolded them until they fled, tumbling all over themselves.”

“Goo-goo-goo.” The guinea pig raised a paw and scratched its nose.

Ye Qingyu: “…”

Ye Qingyu: “Okay.”

It seems it really was cursing me just now.

The group piled onto the tricycle in a grand procession. A quick headcount would reveal that one little red panda was still missing.

“Didn’t Sister Rong say she was just going to wash her hands? Why isn’t she here yet?”

A certain premonition arose in Ye Qingyu’s heart. “I’ll go check.”

She walked into the small building, first grabbing a wet wipe from the coffee table, then headed straight for the kitchen, where she indeed heard a rustling sound.

A moment later, she saw her beautiful boss strolling out of the kitchen.

Suddenly seeing the human, Pei the Little Able Cat’s heart skipped a beat in fright. Her hands implicitly wanted to rise in surrender, but she managed to suppress the urge halfway.

Her peach blossom eyes, held back, turned red and gradually filled with a misty haze. She said nonchalantly, “I’ve washed my hands. Let’s go.”

“Wait.”

Ye Qingyu walked up to Pei Rong.

With one hand, she gently held the woman’s chin, and with the other, she used the wet wipe to wipe the apple juice from the corners of the woman’s mouth.

Pei the Little Able Cat’s eyelashes trembled. She stood silently and let the human do as she pleased.

Her stunning features held a faint hint of guilt, of being caught sneaking a snack.

Yesterday, when she had pestered Ye Qingyu to peel many mangosteens, she had promised to abstain from fruit today.

However, she had dreamt of Ye the Little Tree full of star fruits in the morning, and had woken up with an unbearable craving.

So, the one who should be reflecting was Ye the Little Tree. How could the innocently seduced little red panda be blamed?

Ye Qingyu finished wiping without a word, quietly threw the wet wipe into the trash, her gentle face looking somewhat detached when expressionless.

Pei the Little Able Cat blinked her peach blossom eyes.

The human seems to be angry. She’s not even smiling at her beloved Pei the Red Panda anymore.

Recalling what she had learned from the internet last time, she extended her hand, bonelessly slipping it into the human’s palm.

“Don’t be angry. I’ll let you hold my hand.”

Pei the Red Panda lifted her chin, coaxing her majestically.

Ye Qingyu’s heart skipped a beat.

A cool softness had suddenly squeezed into her palm, willfully and wantonly twining around her fingers, even seeming to want to slip between them.

The skin of her palm was thus stroked until it was slightly itchy, and the itch silently spread through her body, even affecting her throat.

She couldn’t help but clear her throat, then grabbed the mischievous hand tightly to stop it from acting up further.

Then she couldn’t help but laugh. “I was just teasing you. I’m not angry.”

In fact, she had been the one to cut the apples in the fridge, just to see if she could bait a beautiful, snack-stealing boss.

As expected, she had caught one hook, line, and sinker.

Pei the Little Able Cat observed Ye Qingyu’s expression and saw that she was indeed not angry.

The human tolerates a snack-stealing little red panda. The human is good.

She curled her lips in pleasure, her fingers wiggling in Ye Qingyu’s palm, and said lazily, “Then I’ll reward you by letting you hold my hand.”

Ye Qingyu: “…”

So either way, I have to hold her hand.

***

“I really can’t stand this spring anymore.”

A willow catkin floated onto Gu Yue’s nose, and she couldn’t help but sneeze.

Seeing the human leading Sister Rong back by the hand, and then seeing Luo Bian suddenly say she had to go see her precious ex-girlfriend before leaving…

The spring, with all the small animals being so lovey-dovey and inseparable, was really making the pelican sour.

After all, the big goose next door still hadn’t let her clamp it yet.

After a great deal of arduous trouble, everyone was finally assembled. Luo Bian turned the key and flicked her head coolly.

“Let’s go!”

Then, the tricycle that had once sped like a wild beast began to move slowly.

Gu Yue was anxious. “The snail on the roadside is about to overtake us.”

Luo Bian tutted. “Can’t be helped. My ex-girlfriend told me to be careful.”

She sounded helpless, but her tone was smug and full of showing off.

“So sweet, and your ex-girlfriend still hasn’t agreed to get back together?”

The question from the back seat hit the bullseye, and the little shrimp’s heart instantly shattered on the ground.

…

There were three partner bookstores near the company that were selling the magazine. They split into three groups.

The bookstore Ye Qingyu and Pei Rong were responsible for was in a large shopping mall.

At 8:40 in the morning, not long after the bookstore opened, a large promotional poster was taped to the blackboard at the entrance—

First issue of “Small Animal Survival Guide” for sale, limited free copies, first come, first served!

The cover of this issue was a bright and cute yellow, with a few charmingly naive fluffy creatures that were quite eye-catching.

Seeing the two beautiful women standing at the entrance looking at the poster, a staff member said enthusiastically, “The ‘Small Animal Survival Guide’ is on its first day of sale, and we’re having a limited free giveaway event. Would you two ladies like two copies?”

Just as Ye Qingyu was about to answer, she heard a soft voice from the side. “Small Animal Survival Guide?”

She turned her head and saw a cute young girl who looked to be sixteen or seventeen, with long brown hair, blinking her watery eyes at the staff member.

“Excuse me, could you give me a copy?” she asked, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

Ye Qingyu felt that this young girl looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before.

“Of course,” the staff member said, taking a copy from the store and handing it to her.

“Thank you.” The young girl took the magazine, found a seat in the bookstore, and immediately began to read it with great interest.

Ye Qingyu felt that this young girl’s reading comprehension was much better than her own.

Because the girl was reading the magazine that she herself couldn’t quite understand, nodding repeatedly, at times propping up her chin with a soft sigh, at times having a sudden realization, and even unable to help but applaud silently.

As expected, every magazine has its own target audience.

Pei Rong occasionally glanced at the young girl in the store, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

At 9:30, the mall gradually became more crowded, and the bookstore’s foot traffic also increased.

With the big spender behind the scenes, the staff member was full of energy and was quite earnestly promoting the “Small Animal Survival Guide.”

Some people shook their heads and refused after looking at the cover, saying disdainfully, “Isn’t this for kids?”

Others found it novel. A free magazine was a free magazine. “It can be used to cover instant noodles too.”

The free copies were quickly given out, and the official sale began.

There were even more voices around them.

“One yuan? The printing quality looks very good. How is it so cheap? There must be deceptive ads.”

“What is this even about? I can’t understand it at all.”

“I, a human, can barely survive. Who cares how small animals survive.”

These words reached her ears, pricking her heart with a small, sharp pain.

Ye Qingyu glanced at her beautiful boss, but saw that the woman was calm and composed, with no sign of a mood in her expression.

“Small Animal Survival Guide?”

Another voice suddenly came from the entrance.

Ye Qingyu looked up and saw a young woman walk into the bookstore, asking the staff member with a somewhat shy expression, “Hello, the sign outside says you’re giving away the ‘Small Animal Survival Guide’ for free. Do you still have any left?”

The staff member said with regret, “I’m sorry, they’re all gone. You can buy one or read it in the store.”

The young woman’s expression dimmed. She clutched the hem of her faded T-shirt, a flush of embarrassment on her cheeks, and said in a small voice, “Then, may I ask how much it costs to buy one?”

“One yuan,” the staff member said.

The young woman’s eyes immediately lit up, and she confirmed with some disbelief, “One yuan?”

After getting confirmation from the staff member, she took out a wad of crumpled banknotes from her pants pocket. They were all small bills of five and one yuan, but they were stacked very neatly.

Then she carefully pulled out a one-yuan bill and handed it to the staff member. “One copy, please. Thank you.”

The young woman hugged the magazine and happily left the bookstore.

Her hairstyle was very unique, looking a bit like a little hedgehog.

Pei the Little Able Cat propped up her chin, a certain realization in her peach blossom eyes, and said in a low voice, “I was like that back then too.”

At that time, the internet was not yet widespread, and sources of knowledge were limited. Small animals just entering society had an even harder time.

She had stood in front of a newsstand and asked the owner how much that magazine called “Animal Handbook” cost. The exorbitant price had made the poor little red panda dizzy.

At that time, newsstands didn’t allow you to read in the store, so she had worked hard for a long time and finally saved up enough money.

She had eagerly and joyfully bought the magazine and taken it home, only to find that the handbook was divided into two parts: hunting and cooking.

That day, Pei the Red Panda had curled up alone in a tree, hugging her large tail and crying for a long time, feeling that her little panda life had been dealt a huge blow.

The “Small Animal Survival Guide” had faintly appeared in her mind at that time.

With this thought, a certain moisture shimmered in Pei Rong’s peach blossom eyes, but her lips curled up slightly.

She raised a hand and tugged on Ye Qingyu’s sleeve. “Let’s go.”

She had come here today, perhaps just to see the happy departing figure of that little hedgehog just now.

Seeing it was enough to satisfy her.

Ye Qingyu turned her head and saw her beautiful boss’s reddened eyes, and her heart suddenly stuttered.

It pulled at her heartstrings with threads of pain.

She pursed her lips and, with practiced ease, raised a hand to pet Boss Pei’s soft head, then tucked a slightly messy strand of hair behind the woman’s ear, saying in a soft, quiet voice:

“I just saw they’re selling freshly squeezed mango juice on the first floor. That store is quite famous. Do you want some?”

Pei the Little Able Cat, who had been caught sneaking fruit this morning, her ears perked up, her peach blossom eyes shining.

Ye Qingyu couldn’t help but smile. “You can have some.”

With fruit before her, Pei the Little Able Cat instantly forgot her sad, crying experience and followed the human to the first floor.

As they walked, she also slipped her hand into the human’s palm and said imperiously:

“Ye Qingyu, you have to remember to hold my hand when we walk.”

Ye Qingyu’s throat moved slightly. She didn’t quite understand why the young miss had been kissing and holding her hand so much lately.

With this thought, she also tactfully asked.

Pei the Little Able Cat said with righteous indignation, letting out a soft huff, “Because I’m being good to you.”

For now, I can’t reward the human by letting her rub my furry paws, so I’ll just reward her by letting her hold my hand.

Of course, it’s definitely not that a red panda in her mating season is getting a little clingy to her human.

Ye Qingyu was at a loss for words.

The young miss’s way of being good to people was always so unique.

“Ye Qingyu.”

Seeing that the human hadn’t replied right away, Pei the Little Able Cat’s peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, a melancholic look in them. “Don’t you want to hold my hand?”

Ye Qingyu immediately felt a sense of guilt, of having let down the pure and kind little beast.

Remembering the woman’s reddened eyes from just now, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the soft hand in hers. “I do.”

A few minutes later, Pei the Little Able Cat was holding the freshly squeezed mango juice the human had bought for her. She took a light sip, and the sweet fragrance of mango immediately filled her mouth.

The little red panda was so pleased that all her fur was about to fluff up. Seeing the large jewelry store in front, she was even more interested. “Ye Qingyu, let’s go check this out.”

Ye Qingyu looked up at the sign. It was a famous luxury jewelry store.

“Okay,” she said, leading the woman inside. A sales associate soon came to greet them.

“Welcome, ladies. Are you choosing jewelry for yourselves?”

Just as Ye Qingyu was about to speak, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in her ear:

“Honey?”

Ye Qingyu’s heart jolted, and she immediately turned her head to look. Pei the Little Able Cat’s ears also perked up.

She followed the sound and saw a woman in her early forties by the glass display case. She was wearing a chic, casual suit, her makeup exquisite, her lipstick bright red—the very picture of a successful entrepreneur, and she was trying on jewelry.

“Honey, what are you doing here…”

The woman looked at Ye Qingyu, her face showing pleasant surprise.

Her gaze quickly moved to Pei Rong, and then down to their joined hands.

Pei the Little Able Cat felt Ye Qingyu’s hand holding hers instantly tighten, as if in panic.

Her brow furrowed slightly, and she calmly returned the other woman’s gaze.

What’s with this person? Calling Ye Qingyu so intimately. Ye Qingyu likes Pei the Red Panda so much, and she’s never even called her honey.

Could it be that this woman also wants to raise Ye Qingyu, and Ye Qingyu is afraid of her power, so she’s panicking?

It’s time to stand up and protect my human.

Last time at the fruit market, Pei Rong had successfully driven away someone who had coveted Ye Qingyu. This time, she would be even more at ease.

Pei the Little Able Cat raised a hand and hooked it around her human’s neck. Her peach blossom eyes narrowed dangerously, and she lifted her chin at the woman who had spoken out of turn.

“I’m already raising her.”

Ye Qingyu: “…”

Ye Qingyu: “This is my mother.”