All My Colleagues Are Animals 53

Chapter 53

The woman’s reddened peach blossom eyes were like they had been shattered by a sudden, dense spring rain—misty and extremely pitiful.

Ye Qingyu was slightly stunned, and self-reproach instantly flooded her mind.

She began to regret letting her sour feelings fester just now, and actually making this little red panda cry.

She skillfully took a tissue from her pocket and carefully wiped her beautiful boss’s tears, her voice soft and quiet:

“I’m sorry. If you don’t remember, you don’t remember. It’s not important. It’s okay.”

This crying little red panda was so delicate, as if she had been spoiled like this by someone since she was little.

A slightly larger movement would scare her into surrendering, and pressing her a little too much would also make her cry fragilely.

She could only be held in the palm of one’s hand like a treasure, coaxed and soothed, and not be wronged in the slightest.

The tear stains under her eyes were now being gently cared for, and Pei the Red Panda couldn’t help but half-close her peach blossom eyes.

She raised a hand and dependently clutched Ye Qingyu’s sleeve, and in the process, inadvertently touched the back of the other’s hand.

Ye Qingyu felt that the woman’s hand was cold.

Her fingertips twitched, and she still couldn’t help but take that hand in hers and carefully warm it with her own body heat.

“It was my fault,” she apologized softly. “I won’t mention it again in the future.”

Pei the Red Panda bit her lip.

The throbbing in her head gradually subsided, but for some reason, her heart felt so empty that she wanted a hug.

“I want…”

The request for a hug had just left her mouth when Liu Mian happened to be rushing by and greeted them.

Seeing that the little red panda’s eyes were flushed red, as if she had been severely bullied by the human, she couldn’t help but pause.

And so, the word “hug” that was on her lips was forcefully held back. Pei the Red Panda lifted her chin slightly, her tear-streaked, pitiful face showing a calm and composed expression.

“You have to be obedient and listen to me,” she said, quickly changing her words.

Ye Qingyu quickly reacted and couldn’t help but smile.

She cooperatively and meekly said, “I will.”

Doctor Liu paused.

This Little Red Panda is quite the actress.

Just now, she was pitifully having her tears wiped, her hand even slipping into the human’s palm, but now she’s acting all domineering.

It doesn’t matter if the sky falls, The Little Red Panda’s face is there to hold it up.

She showed an ambiguous smile and quickly left to work.

After this, the previous atmosphere was dispersed, and the topic was naturally passed over.

The human and the red panda returned to Jin Can’s ward. The little beasts sitting around the bed, after hearing the news they brought, were all confused and sighed.

“I hope that’s not Can Can’s master, otherwise it would be too much of a blow to her.”

As if the word “master” had triggered a switch, the little dog on the bed licked her feverishly pale lips and suddenly said, “Jiejie.”

Everyone quickly looked down.

But they found that she was not awake; she must have been dreaming.

As the night deepened, Jin Can’s high fever had only slightly subsided.

Everyone couldn’t rest easy and go back, so they simply rested together in the spacious VIP ward, taking turns to check on Jin Can’s condition at night.

After setting the alarms for their shifts, the little beasts all transformed into their original forms, sprawling across several dog beds, each finding their favorite corner to sleep; Luo Bian also leaped into the tank that Liu Mian had brought, barely making do for one night.

Everyone, by unspoken agreement, gave the only accompanying bed to the human who didn’t sleep in a nest.

And it was a matter of course for a little red panda to squeeze into the human’s arms.

The hug she hadn’t gotten before, she now naturally received, and Pei the Red Panda was somewhat content.

Her paws clung to the young woman’s front, and she fell into a deep and unguarded sleep.

With the lights off, the entire ward was filled with the night.

This was the first time she had slept in the same room with everyone like this, and Ye Qingyu felt a certain novelty.

Her small animal colleagues were quiet when they slept, not snoring, just occasionally sleep-talking.

“P-poison in the food…”

The panther rolled over, a low and dangerous growl, characteristic of a large feline, coming from her throat, but it quickly fell silent again.

The little bird chirped twice, her feathers trembling pitifully. “This is a courtship feather… You, how could you use it as a feather duster…”

Ye Qingyu’s ears twitched slightly, and she was more profoundly aware than ever before that her colleagues were small animals.

It was truly wondrous.

In the middle of the night, the dark clouds dispersed, and a clear white moonlight shone down.

She saw Pei the Red Panda stick out her tongue to lick her teeth, let out a soft “ying,” and then say indistinctly, “Take me to school, pet me after class…”

Her heart skipped a beat.

Is she dreaming of “that person”?

And school, could it be a childhood sweetheart…

Ye Qingyu gently stroked the fluffy head in her arms. The sleeping little red panda nuzzled her palm, the soft fur making the tip of her heart itch.

She bit her lip, a strong possessiveness in her eyes that she herself did not notice.

**

When the sky was just beginning to lighten, Jin Can slowly opened her eyes.

In her coma, she had had a long, hazy dream, reliving the past few years of her dog’s life.

“Jiejie…” Her voice was weak and hoarse when she spoke, and her long, golden-haired head affectionately nuzzled the pillow.

The small animals around heard the movement and instantly woke up, all gathering by the bed.

“Can Can, you’re awake?”

Jin Can blinked her eyes, and her vision gradually focused.

She found that she was in a familiar hospital ward, and the woman’s gentle face and caress were just a dream.

Her puppy-dog eyes immediately drooped.

A moment later, Liu Mian rushed to the ward and, after checking on Jin Can’s condition, breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m sorry for causing everyone trouble.”

Jin Can said in a low voice, her whole being listless after her illness, full of apology.

The little beasts all quickly shook their heads. “Your health is the most important thing. Don’t feel burdened.”

After some more tests, although Jin Can’s health data was not particularly good, it was within the normal range, and she just needed some time to recover.

After being given a pile of instructions, she was discharged.

The group of humans and beasts left the hospital in a grand procession. Some took the tricycle, while the sick little dog went with Ye Qingyu and Pei Rong in the car.

In the underground parking garage, just as Ye Qingyu sat down in the driver’s seat, she looked up and saw a dark gray luxury car parked opposite.

A bodyguard in black opened the back door and helped a woman get in.

Her brow twitched slightly.

It was that “Miss Chi Yu.”

Fortunately, Jin Can, lying in the back, couldn’t see. Her puppy-dog eyes were closed, her two soft ears drooping dejectedly.

The two cars drove out one after the other, leaving Mianmian Small Animal Hospital.

…

In the dark gray luxury car.

The bodyguard driving asked the woman in the back seat, “Miss Chi Yu, do we need to go to the flower shop first like last week?”

Chi Yu was resting with her eyes closed. She had been up all night with the Golden Retriever puppy and had not slept well at all.

Hearing this, she opened her cold eyes, a self-deprecating smile in them. “Buy flowers?”

“She won’t appreciate them, just like she doesn’t appreciate me.”

After speaking, she looked at the puppy in the cage next to her. “I’m afraid only a dog can catch her eye.”

The bodyguard gripped the steering wheel and carefully asked for instructions, “Then we’ll go straight to the hospital.”

Her lips, hidden by the mask, were tightly pursed. Chi Yu did not respond.

The luxury car drove into the eastern suburbs of B-City and arrived at a high-end private hospital with beautiful scenery.

She took the elevator straight to the top floor, walked down a long corridor, and arrived at a VIP ward.

Chi Yu was so flamboyant in front of the bodyguards, but standing at the door of the ward, she looked hesitant, her fingertips silently clutching the corner of her clothes.

She paused for a moment, then raised a hand and knocked lightly on the door. Knock, knock.

“Jiejie.”

She immediately called out, a slight tremor in her voice.

No one answered from inside.

Chi Yu took a deep breath and said to the bodyguards, “You two wait at the door with the dog.”

Then she gently pushed down the handle, went in, and carefully closed the door.

The window of the ward was open.

The curtains fluttered, and a spring breeze blew in. The bright morning light leaped on the tips of the green plant by the window, full of vigorous life.

And in contrast to this vigor, on the bed was a weak and thin body, so gaunt it was almost just bones, like a sick tree on the verge of withering.

The woman was very beautiful, with an excellent bone structure.

Her frail illness could not hide her otherworldly beauty in the slightest, and when her thick, crow-like lashes fluttered, there was an unspeakable charm.

Moreover, the corners of her eyes were filled with a damp, sickly red.

Chi Yu looked at that face, which was almost identical to her own, and a dark and surging obsession flashed in her eyes.

Why is it that the same face, on Jiejie’s face, has such a different allure?

“Jiejie, you’re awake,” she said softly.

The small airflow from her speech rippled in the air, lightly touching the woman’s fair ear, and disturbed the silent scroll painting.

She did not look at Chi Yu, her gaze was still vaguely fixed on the green plant by the window.

Her pale, dry lips moved slightly, and her voice was low and hoarse when she spoke.

“Did you find her?”

Chi Yu’s breath hitched.

After a few seconds of silence, she avoided the question. “I have a gift for you.”

After speaking, she went out the door and brought in the cage with the Golden Retriever puppy.

Chi Yu said, a little carefully, “This Golden Retriever is of pure blood and excellent quality. I specially got it for you…”

As it moved, the Golden Retriever puppy woke up from its sleep and whimpered a few times.

Chi Yu’s ears twitched slightly.

Her slightly stiff neck turned, and she looked at the beautiful and lively little puppy in the cage.

A crack of pained shock suddenly appeared in her calm eyes.

Chi Yu was still holding her breath, waiting for her sister’s response, but she saw the woman’s pale lips move and her voice was hoarse.

“…Get out.”

After speaking, she covered her mouth and coughed until her lungs trembled, her hands, which were almost just bones, clutching the bedsheets.

She coughed until her skin flushed pink, and the red at the corners of her eyes also deepened.

Chi Yu’s eyes widened, and she quickly said to the bodyguard outside the door, “Call a doctor!”

Then she anxiously tried to go forward, but saw the gaunt woman shrink back into the covers, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes, her haggard face with a desperate withering.

“Go away,” she said, trembling.

In the end, Chi Yu was driven out with the Golden Retriever puppy.

She didn’t understand.

Why did Jiejie not care at all about her own flesh and blood, but was so obsessed with a dead dog?

After the doctor’s examination confirmed that there was nothing wrong, the caregiver aunt came in with a meal and fruit, and sat by the bed, preparing to feed Chi Yu.

At first, Chi Yu was unwilling to eat, but then she agreed.

As usual, she insisted on eating by herself.

Her body was too weak, and she couldn’t even hold the spoon steady. Her knuckles were flushed a fragile pink, and she managed to eat a few mouthfuls with great difficulty.

This Miss Yu was too stubborn. The aunt was helpless and stood up, preparing to peel some fruit for her.

As she moved by the bedside table, she accidentally knocked over a bag.

It was the one Chi Yu had brought and placed on the bedside table just now. Inside were clean clothes and supplies, and for some reason, a magazine had been haphazardly stuffed in.

The surface of the magazine was smooth. It fell out and landed on the bed.

The beautiful bright yellow was quite eye-catching in her peripheral vision. Chi Yu turned her head slightly and saw that the cover of the magazine had the backs of various cute animals, including a Golden Retriever.

“Small Animal Survival Guide,” First Issue.

Chi Yu stared at it for a moment, then came back to her senses.

She raised a hand and held the magazine, wanting to put it back on the bedside table, but she couldn’t even complete the action of lifting her hand.

Her body was too weak, so fragile that a gust of wind could blow it away.

Over here, the aunt was focused on peeling the fruit and didn’t notice the magazine that had fallen on the bed.

In the afternoon, Chi Yu was lying in bed, coughing muffledly, feeling her body grow hot, as if she were running a slight fever.

“Can…” she subconsciously called out.

There was no sound of a puppy’s paws pattering on the ground, happily running toward her.

When she came to her senses, she was dazed for a moment.

Her teeth unconsciously bit her lips until they bled, and the blood, mixed with tears, trickled down to her neck.

After enduring this bout of trembling for several hours, dusk was already spreading outside the window.

Chi Yu gathered her emotions and, with great effort, pushed herself up into a sitting position. She unintentionally saw the cute magazine cover on the bed, and her lashes drooped slightly.

Chi Yu wouldn’t give her a phone, nor would she let her access the internet. On the surface, she was taking care of her, but in reality, it was a bit like semi-imprisonment.

In the month since she had woken up, from being able to only move her eyeballs to now being able to have simple conversations, she had had no contact with society and had basically not seen any text.

With this thought, her fingertips trembled slightly, and she struggled to move the “Small Animal Survival Guide” over.

She gently turned a page.

[Do not make a small animal doll that looks exactly like yourself, otherwise in the spring, you will be rubbed until your head explodes with fireworks.]

Chi Yu’s brow furrowed slightly, and she tilted her head a little.

The doctor had said that her brain state had recovered very well, but looking at the sentences in the magazine, she felt that she might have contracted dyslexia.

She recognized every single word, but no matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t understand what it meant when they were put together.

A hint of panic arose in Chi Yu’s heart.

After being in a coma for nearly half a year, she had really become a fool.

Just as she had endured the pain and gritted her teeth these past few days, struggling to do physical rehabilitation, she now forced herself to continue reading, doing rehabilitation for her brain.

But as she read page after page, she only became more and more confused.

Especially when she read the passage about the pelican and the big goose, in her desperate effort to understand, fine beads of tormented sweat even broke out on her forehead.

Until she saw the final [Rescue Column].

It was the story of a Golden Retriever.

Her dyslexia seemed to have been suddenly cured.

From the first line, the text became smooth to read.

But as Chi Yu read, her breathing grew heavier, and later, her whole body began to convulse and tremble.

Ten minutes later.

The caregiver aunt pushed the door open and came into the ward, carrying dinner.

She looked up and saw Chi Yu had moved to the edge of the bed and was about to fall off. She quickly exclaimed, “Miss Yu!”

Chi Yu looked up at her, a glistening drop of water hanging from her sharp chin. Her fingertips trembled as she pointed to the rescue number in the magazine.

“Please… please help me dial this number—”

***

It was time to get off work at Velvet Bamboo Studio.

The Golden Retriever was lying dejectedly at her desk, her head buried in her paws, still without any energy.

Ring, ring, ring—

Suddenly, the dedicated rescue phone, which had been silent for a long time, rang.