All My Colleagues Are Animals 37

Chapter 37

A fluffy paw stretched out from between the scholar tree branches, unfurling in the air like an orchid.

Pei the Little Able Cat, having just woken up, hugged her large tail and licked her fur for a while. She remembered meeting Ye Qingyu’s mother yesterday; the red panda had now properly and openly taken on the raising of the human.

In a cheerful mood, she climbed down from the tree, took out her phone, and sent a message to the human.

【Ye Qingyu, permission to pet head granted.】

Pei the Little Able Cat’s mating season was in the spring, and usually lasted for two months. Although her body was sensitive and fragile during this period, she was not in heat every day, so she had not taken back the doll.

Generally speaking, she would only be in heat regularly for one or two days a week. These days often left her trembling uncontrollably, only able to hug her large tail and cry.

The last time she had inadvertently gone into heat at Ye Qingyu’s place and had been rubbed by the human until her head exploded with fireworks twice, she hadn’t felt so uncomfortable afterwards. It was an unprecedented experience.

After sending the message, she nestled herself on a small wooden horse nearby and swayed back and forth with it, her springy, fluffy ears trembling slightly, lazily waiting for her head to be petted.

But the sensation never came.

We’ve already met the parents. Ye Qingyu should be working harder to serve the red panda. How come she’s not petting my head?

Vroom—

The sound of a tricycle approached from a distance, and Pei the Little Able Cat’s ears immediately perked up. She nimbly climbed up the scholar tree and looked down from among the intertwined branches.

The tricycle, returning from shopping, soon drove into the backyard and parked not far from the scholar tree.

The weather was a little hot today. Ye Qingyu was wearing a baseball cap and a light gray short-sleeved shirt, the exposed skin on her arms almost translucent in the sunlight.

After the vehicle stopped, the young woman leaped nimbly down from the back.

She tilted her head up slightly, revealing her face under the baseball cap.

Dark brows and bright eyes, as clear as jade, looking gentle and completely non-threatening.

But as she moved the ingredients, the slender arms would reveal smooth lines of muscle, firm and full of youthful vitality.

When she raised her hands, the T-shirt would occasionally and inadvertently lift, revealing the clear and beautiful “red panda lines” on her abdomen, glistening with a thin layer of sweat—

They were probably called V-lines or something, but Pei the Little Able Cat had forgotten, so she called them “red panda lines.”

Pei the Little Able Cat’s two paws rested softly on the branch. She poked half of her fluffy head out and admired her human without blinking.

This is the human she is properly and openly raising. What is there that she can’t look at?

She unconsciously found her breathing quickening, her pink tongue unable to help but lightly lick her itchy canine teeth.

Compared to the green leaves on the branches and the delicate flowers on the grass, she felt that Ye Qingyu herself was closer to the vibrant spring day.

And a spring day would scorch a red panda; it seemed the human did too.

An inexplicable hot, tingling, and itchy feeling began to rise in her heart, traveling through her hot blood to her limbs. Pei the Little Able Cat’s ears twitched, and she felt her body gradually grow limp…

There seemed to be a burning gaze from the side, more dazzling than the sun. Ye Qingyu turned her head to look, but only saw the lush scholar tree, its leaves rustling.

Her movements paused slightly, and she blinked.

There’s no wind right now. Why are the leaves swaying?

Last time, when she was looking for Boss Pei, she had also felt something fluffy brush past her under the tree. This scholar tree was indeed strange, mysterious, and dangerous.

Ye Qingyu pursed her lips, looked away, and continued to work diligently.

On the scholar tree, Pei the Little Able Cat, who had hastily hidden herself, was panting, her brown eyes filled with a dazed mist.

How strange. I was just looking at the human’s red panda lines. Why do I suddenly feel hot all over?

***

“Sister Rong is calling everyone for a meeting.” In the afternoon, Bai Shuang knocked lightly on the studio door.

Ye Qingyu walked into the recreation area. Just as she sat down, she received a gaze from her beautiful boss.

As a level-ten expert in understanding Pei Rong’s expressions, Ye Qingyu was a little unable to decipher the meaning of this look today.

But in general, she felt that Boss Pei was a little listless.

Pei Rong quickly looked away and, after everyone was seated, said:

“The weather has been good recently, and the first issue of the ‘Small Animal Survival Guide’ has been officially released. It’s time for our studio to have a spring team-building event. The current options are a hot spring resort, the seaside, or a forest lake. Let’s vote and decide now.”

The moment she finished, enthusiastic cheers and applause erupted in the recreation area.

Luo Bian immediately raised her hand. “Can I bring a plus-one?”

Pei Rong nodded. “Everyone can bring a plus-one.”

Luo Bian’s eyes sparkled, while the other single beasts muttered in dissatisfaction, “You’re the only one with an ex-girlfriend.”

After a vote, the final team-building activity was quickly decided: camping by a forest lake.

Ye Qingyu’s previous company had organized several mandatory team-building events, usually mountain climbing, which was both tiring and boring. Everyone had complained endlessly about them.

But she was looking forward to this team-building event.

She had a feeling that with this unusual new company and new colleagues, there would be a different kind of fun.

After discussing some details, Pei Rong coolly announced the meeting’s dismissal.

The small animals left the recreation area one after another, leaving only Ye Qingyu sitting in her spot, motionless.

After the little beasts had all left, Pei the Little Able Cat came back to her senses and looked at Ye Qingyu. “Why haven’t you left?”

Ye Qingyu stood up and, unhurriedly, walked over to her beautiful boss. She leaned over slightly to look at her and asked in a soft voice, “Boss Pei, are you unhappy?”

Pei the Little Able Cat blinked her peach blossom eyes. “No.”

It was just that today was clearly not her day to be in heat, yet just now in the tree, a surging, vigorous heat had suddenly arisen, leaving her, a whole beast, a little confused, and she didn’t know how to relieve it.

It seemed to be a physiological sensation unrelated to her mating season.

Should I search the magical internet?

Ye Qingyu looked down at the listless Pei Rong, who was like a little beast that hadn’t had its fill, and couldn’t help but raise a hand to rub her long, reddish-brown curls, soothing her.

Being soothed, Pei the Little Able Cat squinted her eyes and let out a comfortable sound from her throat, then snorted.

“Ye Qingyu.”

Ye Qingyu observed the woman’s reaction to having her head petted—her brows relaxed, her peach blossom eyes half-closed, her thick lashes trembling slightly, her fair, rounded ears also twitching slightly. Every detail of her body gave a comfortable feedback, like a fluffy little red panda that liked to be petted.

The corners of her lips curled up inexplicably, and she answered, “Mhm?”

“I was just looking at your red panda lines,” Pei the Little Able Cat said calmly.

Pei the Little Able Cat was a frank red panda. After melting into a little panda pancake in the tree just now, she had belatedly realized that even if it was a human she was properly and openly raising, it was still not good to peek.

Ye Qingyu paused for a few seconds. “What are red panda lines?”

Pei the Little Able Cat extended a hand and pointed at the human’s abdomen from a distance.

For some reason, Ye Qingyu immediately followed Pei Rong’s train of thought and understood that she was talking about her V-lines.

Her heart skipped a beat, then began to pound.

The hem of her short-sleeved shirt was loose, so it was normal for her abdominal lines to be accidentally exposed. But the thought of Boss Pei having seen them made the tips of Ye Qingyu’s ears feel hot for no reason.

“Ye Qingyu, do you also suddenly feel hot sometimes?”

Pei the Little Able Cat looked at Ye Qingyu’s reddened ear tips and asked thoughtfully.

Ye Qingyu’s throat tightened.

When the woman asked her this question, her peach blossom eyes were as clear as a spring lake, with a pure and innocent curiosity.

It made her feel both itchy and helpless.

In the end, she only honestly and quietly said, “Mhm.”

Getting an answer, Pei the Little Able Cat blinked her eyes and suddenly felt refreshed, no longer conflicted.

She hadn’t even shown Ye Qingyu her red panda lines, and Ye Qingyu was already feeling hot. She, a little panda, still had the upper hand.

***

The company team-building was arranged for this weekend, for two days and one night, at the beautiful Yuqi Lake area on the outskirts of B-City.

Early in the morning, Ye Qingyu dragged her suitcase out of the residential complex and saw that a large bus was already parked at the entrance.

The bus door opened from the inside, and her colleagues all poked their heads out to greet her enthusiastically.

“Good morning,” Ye Qingyu said with a smile, waving.

She put her luggage in the side compartment of the bus and got on. The moment she stepped inside, she saw Pei Rong.

Her beautiful boss was wearing a light crabapple-colored floral dress today, her long, reddish-brown curls draped over her shoulders, the whole person like the most delicate and vibrant flower on a branch.

But she was curled up lazily in her seat, looking a little sleepy. She crooked a finger at her and called out nonchalantly, “Ye Qingyu, sit next to me.”

Perhaps it was the willow catkins of spring, always scratching at one’s heart and making it itch for no reason.

Ye Qingyu stood where she was and took two silent breaths, slightly relieving the itch, before obediently taking the seat next to Pei Rong.

Immediately after, a weight landed on her shoulder, accompanied by the clear, sweet fragrance of bamboo leaves.

“I’m so sleepy. Let me lean on you for a bit,” the woman murmured softly, her voice tinged with a hazy weariness.

The little red panda, who usually slept until the sun was high in the sky, had spent half her life waking up early today.

Ye Qingyu’s body stiffened slightly, and she slowly relaxed after a moment’s pause.

Pei Rong’s soft, long curls brushed against her neck, a soft, continuous itch.

She smoothed the long curls a little and asked in a small voice, “I brought a small pillow. Do you want me to get it for you?”

“A pillow isn’t as good as a tail…” Pei the Little Able Cat said groggily.

For a red panda, her own large tail was the most perfect pillow. It was just that she couldn’t use it now.

Ye Qingyu blinked her eyes.

What tail?

With everyone present, the bus door closed. After stopping at a gas station to fill up, they would officially set off for Yuqi Lake.

The driver for this team-building event was Tu Shanyue, the boss of the partner publishing house. Liu Mian, the director of the small animal hospital, also came along as the team doctor.

It was a rare chance to go out and have fun. Everyone was dressed youthfully and beautifully, their spirits refreshed, and the atmosphere on the bus was very lively.

Only Pei the Little Able Cat was passed out on the human’s shoulder, and with the bumps of the bus, she later fell completely into the human’s arms.

Mmm, have I found a more comfortable pillow than my large, fluffy tail?

Pei the Little Able Cat rested her head on the young woman’s soft chest and nuzzled it groggily.

The nuzzling almost made Ye Qingyu let out a muffled grunt, and her neck instantly flushed crimson.

She had to hold Pei Rong’s waist and move her out, letting the woman lean back on her shoulder again.

As she moved, a slight pain, as if being scratched, came from the back of her hand. Ye Qingyu paused and found that Boss Pei’s nails had grown a little long again.

She held the slender, white fingers and looked at them, thinking about cutting them tonight.

As if sensing something in her sleep, Pei the Little Able Cat’s hand shrank back a little.

While the bus was refueling, Tu Shanyue came over to get the cookies Jin Can was sharing.

Seeing her little red panda friend passed out on the human’s shoulder, sleeping soundly, she couldn’t bear to look.

She said to the human, “Ye Qingyu, don’t let Little Capable One sleep.”

Ye Qingyu looked up, not understanding.

A car suddenly passed by, honking its horn. She subconsciously raised a hand to cover Pei Rong’s ears, worried it would wake her up.

Tu Shanyue’s teeth ached from the sourness.

Where did Pei the Little Capable One find such a considerate human?

She kindly reminded, “Haven’t you heard? ‘Sleep well during the day, cause trouble at night.’ If you don’t wear Little Capable One out now, you’ll be in for it tonight.”

These words were clearly pearls of wisdom, but the human wouldn’t listen to the fox’s advice.

Ye Qingyu felt that the word “cause trouble” was inappropriate. Boss Pei was actually like a little animal; she would be extremely well-behaved if you just petted her head and fed her fruit.

Tu Shanyue shook her head and no longer tried to persuade the stubborn human who didn’t know how much trouble a spirited little red panda could be.

With a full tank of gas, the bus entered the highway, expected to arrive at Yuqi Lake at 2 PM.

There were plenty of entertainment activities on the bus. The onboard KTV was put to use, and Gu Yue was appointed as the host for the event.

With her limited view, she didn’t notice the red panda sleeping, so she said with high spirits:

“It’s a rare chance for us to go out and play together today. Let’s give a round of applause to the funder of this team-building event, the great Sister Rong, to sing a song for us first!”

Enthusiastic applause thundered. Pei the Little Able Cat’s eyes suddenly flew open. In her daze, her pink lips parted slightly, and she licked the tip of her teeth.

She had been dreaming just now, dreaming that she had gone to Ye Qingyu’s place.

It was a dilapidated residential building, its walls mottled with age.

Walking up the dusty stairs to the third floor and pushing open the old wooden door, you would hear a long “creak.”

Then, what appeared before her was a simple but warm room.

The dining room was a little cramped, but the dining table was covered with a clean and beautiful pink tablecloth, surrounded by three chairs, very close together.

Two of them were high chairs for children.

In the living room was a small fabric sofa, with many messy claw marks on the edges, as if a naughty little beast had scratched it with its claws.

Pei the Little Able Cat stared at the claw marks for a moment, her heart stirring, a dazed look in her eyes.

Everything here was so familiar it seemed to have been carved into her bones.

Pitter-patter…

The sound of small running feet came from somewhere.

Pei the Red Panda came back to her senses and followed the sound inside. She hesitated for a few seconds, then tentatively pushed open the door of the left bedroom—

Caught off guard, a young Ye Qingyu appeared before her, a cute and soft little girl in a nightdress, her watery eyes like a moonlit lake.

She was wearing a collar around her neck, reddish-brown, with a small silver bell pendant that jingled as it moved.

She didn’t seem to see her. She turned and walked toward the bed, kicked off her slippers, and climbed on.

Then she lifted the covers and hugged a not-yet-grown, still-gray-furred little red panda cub in her arms. Her eyes curved, and she gave it a precious kiss

***

“Ah, so Sister Rong was sleeping…”

Being suddenly woken from a deep sleep, Pei the Little Able Cat felt dizzy.

The hazy dream and reality intertwined, connecting with deep memories, making it hard for her brain to find clarity.

She opened her eyes and found herself leaning on Ye Qingyu’s shoulder, and Ye Qingyu’s arm was half-draped around her.

Her mind was in a muddle, thinking: This fickle human, holding one red panda when she was little, and holding another when she grew up…

In the midst of her confused thoughts, Pei the Red Panda felt her heart swell with a sour feeling. She was on the verge of bristling, and a cowlick even popped up from the top of her head.

“Right, she’s still sleeping, let’s not…”

Ye Qingyu was still speaking to Gu Yue in a low voice when she felt a sharp pain in her neck—

She couldn’t help but tilt her head back and let out a soft hiss, not understanding why she had been bitten by Boss Pei again.

And Pei the Red Panda, her chest heaving, abruptly sat up from Ye Qingyu’s embrace.

She reached out and snatched the microphone that Gu Yue was about to take back. Her peach blossom eyes filled with an aggrieved mist. Staring at her human, her red lips parted slightly:

“I’d like to request a song called, ‘Just How Many Red Pandas Do You Have?'”