All My Colleagues Are Animals 73

Chapter 73

“Ying.”

A warm, soft and glutinous ball of fluff suddenly fell into her arms, accompanied by a familiar red panda’s whimper.

Ye Zhao seemed to have sensed something, and a fateful numbness shot up her spine.

Her neck was stiff as she slowly lowered her head.

By the dim light, she saw a little red panda’s fluffy little face.

The extremely cute and beautiful markings were exactly the same as Rong Bao’s.

“Mmm?”

The drunken Pei the Red Panda tilted her head slightly and pressed her paw against Ms. Ye’s cheek.

The soft fur on the palm of her paw brushed against her cheek, bringing a slight itch.

But it instantly stirred up a surging tide in Ye Zhao’s heart.

Her eyes grew hot, and she struggled to suppress the boiling joy, her trembling hands lifting the red panda up.

She saw a heart-shaped patch of snow-white fur on its fluffy belly.

—It… it really is Rong Bao.

Her entire heart instantly trembled.

Ye Zhao gasped for breath, and a strong emotion boiled up from her spine, and the tip of her nose suddenly felt sore.

“Rong…”

Her throat was instantly choked, and she couldn’t make a sound. She hugged the red panda tightly in her arms again.

The familiar posture, the familiar touch, the familiar temperature—

She had once treasured and held it for a full eighteen years.

Ten years had passed, but all these details still coursed through her blood, clearly engraved in her bones, becoming a deep and dark pain like an undercurrent.

But at this very moment, it had turned into the sweet aftertaste of long years.

The drunken little red panda, with the scent of wine all over her, lay limply on the woman’s shoulder.

The familiar embrace brought an endless sense of peace, as if a small boat that had been wandering in the wind and rain for a long time had finally returned to port.

For a moment, her memory was hazy. She couldn’t help but lick the tip of her teeth, which had been soured by the plum, and her fluffy head nuzzled the woman’s shoulder, and she complained with a sense of grievance:

“Mom, that fruit wasn’t sweet…”

—Mom.

Ye Zhao’s mind went blank for a moment, and her vision was instantly blurred by a mist.

Back then, Rong Bao had gone missing, and Yu Bao had lost her memory. Of the family of three, only she was left to guard the past alone.

For a full ten years, she had been trapped in an inescapable abyss. It was filled with longing and self-reproach, melancholy and despair, regret and hatred, so dark that she could not see the light of day.

But it seemed that in this moment of ecstasy, she could glimpse the light of day.

“Mom… Mom is here.”

She said with a sob.

The words were distorted in her throat for a moment, and the next second, unable to bear it any longer, she suddenly squatted down.

The night by the lake was deep, and the evening breeze was gentle.

CEO Ye, who had almost single-handedly covered the sky, was now just an ordinary mother, holding her lost and found little red panda cub and trembling as she sobbed. Later, she even wailed like a child.

She cried until she was almost out of breath, her chest tight, and her lungs ached.

Her voice was also almost gone, hoarse.

That cry, carrying a strong emotion, was transmitted into Ye Qingyu’s heart, both sad and painful.

She looked at the scene of her mother hugging the red panda and weeping, and felt a sharp pain in her head, accompanied by a buzzing in her ears.

It was as if some content was heavily impacting the gradually loosening shackles, and was about to break through the final restraint.

She gritted her teeth and endured the pain, and slowly squatted down, and wrapped her arms tightly around the red panda and her mother.

Tears streamed down her face.

She raised her hand and repeatedly and gently stroked her mother’s thin back, as if comforting a deep and long scar she had never touched.

…

In the distance, Xiao Yu stood under a tree, looking on, a crystalline drop of water gathering on her chin.

She sniffled and chuckled lightly.

***

Ye Qingyu slowly drove the SUV.

In the passenger seat, the drunken Pei the Red Panda was sleeping soundly in Ms. Ye Zhao’s arms.

Clearly, she was completely relaxed in this embrace—

She was lying on her back, her fluffy belly generously exposed, a small sliver of her pink tongue sticking out, occasionally licking the tip of her teeth.

Ye Zhao lowered her head, her gaze lovingly on that cute little fluffy face, her expression gentle.

She reached out and, with practiced ease, rubbed the little red panda’s head, and the little red panda, in her comfort, let out a “ying” sound and hugged her hand with her paws.

Ye Zhao’s breath hitched suddenly.

Back when Rong Bao was only the size of her palm, she had loved to hug her finger with both her paws. Later, when she grew up, she liked to hug her whole hand.

Ten years had passed, but this had not changed.

The tip of her nose suddenly felt sore, and she wanted to cry again.

Up ahead, there was a long red light, and Ye Qingyu stopped the car.

Her hand, which was holding the steering wheel, was suddenly and lightly scratched by a large, fluffy tail, and the touch was soft and glutinous.

She couldn’t help but glance at the passenger seat.

She saw Ms. Ye happily rubbing Pei the Red Panda, and Pei the Red Panda was also enjoying it immensely, and in her sleep, she took the initiative to nuzzle Ms. Ye’s palm.

“…”

Ye Qingyu’s eyes were clear and deep.

Her temples throbbed, and a sharp pain once again danced in her mind. A vast memory was surging excitedly behind a thin wall, as if it was just one final push away.

She was not a fool.

Washing a red panda in the bathtub, playing hide-and-seek in the courtyard…

The childhood scenes that had suddenly appeared in her mind before, but had not been able to be placed, and had thus been dismissed by her as déjà vu, now seemed to have found a home.

Ye Qingyu pursed her lips slightly.

“Mom, did you say just now… that you used to have a red panda?”

Ye Zhao’s movements paused slightly.

Back then, when Rong Bao had been taken away, she had happened to not be there. It was the young Yu Bao who had experienced that scene alone.

Losing her memory and taking away the trauma in her heart was actually a kind of relief.

She couldn’t bear to let her daughter relive the pain in a casual way.

And so, Ye Zhao chose not to say more for the time being. “Yes, I had one. I’ll tell you more in detail when I have the chance.”

She paused slightly and said gently, “So Mom has some experience in taking care of a red panda. You can drive safely and not worry about Boss Pei.”

Ye Qingyu obediently answered, “Mhm, thank you, Mom.”

Ye Zhao felt that she should be a little calmer, suppress her itch, and not let Little Yu become suspicious.

Having been immersed in the world of power for many years, she was clearly very good at hiding her emotions.

But this was the daughter she had lost for ten years.

She endured and endured, but in the end, she couldn’t help but poke Pei the Red Panda’s paw, pinch her large, fluffy ear, and scratch her soft and glutinous belly, and sighed silently:

“How can there be such a cute little red panda? Whose is she?”

The sleeping Pei the Red Panda seemed to sense something and, in cooperation, proudly lifted her head and hugged her hand with her paws.

“Ying.”

Ye Zhao’s eyes were instantly moist again, and she curled her lips slightly.

“Good girl.”

Ye Qingyu drove seriously, a certain, gradually clearing answer turning over in her eyes.

…

The SUV stopped in the courtyard of the Ye family’s villa.

Ms. Ye had a strong heart and had always had a calm and composed appearance.

But tonight, she had suddenly cried her heart out, holding the red panda, showing a fragility that Ye Qingyu had never seen before.

And so, she decided to let the red panda stay with her mother tonight.

“You two go and take a shower and rest early.”

Ye Zhao carefully handed the sleeping red panda in her arms to Ye Qingyu and urged her to go and take a shower, but her fingertips were still holding the little red panda’s paw, unwilling to let go.

Ye Qingyu chuckled lightly, her gaze gently on her mother, and she put her arm around her shoulder.

“Mhm, I’ll take her to take a shower first. You should also take a good shower and relax. I’ll see you in a bit.”

After all, she was the daughter she had raised since she was little. Ye Zhao easily sensed a certain meaning in Ye Qingyu’s eyes and actions.

Yu Bao had always been smart and sharp.

Her throat moved slightly, and she raised a hand to gently stroke Ye Qingyu’s head.

“Go on.”

Ye Zhao stood where she was and watched the human and the little red panda leave, watching them enter the bedroom.

She couldn’t help but smile, her eyes curving slightly.

From a young age, Rong Bao and Yu Bao had always shared a room. Even after being separated for ten years, their relationship was still so good.

But the smile belatedly froze on her lips.

They were indeed still sharing a room now.

But the meaning seemed to have changed—

Now, Rong Bao was not only Yu Bao’s older sister, boss, and friend.

She was also the sugar mama who was keeping Yu Bao.

In other words…

The two precious daughters she had raised with her own hands were in a relationship, and in a very trendy way at that.

Ms. Ye Zhao’s gaze trembled, and her whole body stood frozen in place.

.

Although she did not often come back to live, Ms. Ye had always arranged for the bedroom to be cleaned regularly.

Ye Qingyu pushed open the door and smelled the fresh fragrance that filled the air.

She found a bath towel, filled the bathtub with water, and, with practiced ease, washed the fluffy red panda.

Perhaps because she had been drinking and was in a deep sleep, the Pei the Red Panda was very well-behaved today, soft and limp, letting her do as she pleased.

Ye Qingyu’s palm worked up a white foam and carefully applied it to the fluffy little face. “Neng Bao, did we know each other when we were little?”

Then, down, she rubbed her fluffy paws. “The person who made you transform, could it be me or Mom?”

Someone had been so jealous for nothing.

Her palm rubbed her fluffy belly, and she paused for a moment, her voice gradually lowering. “…And how did you leave? Where did you go?”

There was no red panda to answer these questions.

After her bath, Ye Qingyu picked up the wet little red panda with a bath towel and carefully wiped her fur.

Then she temporarily placed her on the sofa and found a hairdryer.

Just as she was about to turn on the hairdryer, she heard a light knock on the door.

A faint voice came from outside the door. “Honey.”

Ye Qingyu stood up and went to open the door.

She saw Ms. Ye had already taken a shower, and by her leg was a square machine box. The box had a transparent little door, and inside, she could see a little apple toy.

This is…

“A small animal drying box,” Ye Zhao said. “It’s clean, and I just wiped it again.”

“Using a hairdryer is a little slow, and a red panda is also prone to catching a cold. Put Rong… Boss Pei in the drying box, close the door, and then press the start button.”

So the house had always been equipped with a clean small animal drying box.

Ye Qingyu was stunned for a moment, and her heart was instantly filled with a moist sheen.

She pushed the drying box into the bedroom and said to Ye Zhao, “Mom can come in too.”

“Hm?” Ye Zhao had been about to leave, but hearing this, she paused. “What’s wrong?”

“I want to take a shower, and I’m not very good at using the dryer. Can Mom help me take care of Boss Pei first?”

Ye Qingyu blinked her clear, gentle, and soft eyes.

Ye Zhao looked at her own daughter and, for a moment, understood her considerate and sincere intentions.

The mother and daughter had a tacit understanding.

She pursed her lips slightly. “Okay.”

…

Ye Zhao placed the fragrant little red panda, which had just been dried, on the bed.

The little red panda’s fur had been fluffed up by the dryer. Ye Zhao took the little red panda’s comb and, from top to bottom, carefully combed the fur.

Having not been combed for a long time, Pei the Red Panda was so comfortable that her paws stretched out like an orchid, and in her sleep, she murmured:

“Mom…”

Before she had become a stray red panda, her mother had always combed her fur with such a gentle force.

Now, even though she had temporarily forgotten, the deep affection carved into her bones was still there.

“Mhm,” Ye Zhao curled her lips slightly.

Back then, Rong Bao couldn’t speak. Did she call her “Mom” countless times in her heart?

So tonight, in her drunkenness and sleep, she had called out so naturally.

Ye Qingyu came out of the bathroom and looked at the bedside, her eyes widening slightly.

She had learned.

How had she not thought of combing the red panda before?

Sure enough, when it came to raising a red panda, she still had a lot to learn from Ms. Ye.

After combing her fur, Ye Zhao reached out and, reluctantly, rubbed the red panda’s head.

She then took the large, fluffy tail and covered the red panda’s belly button with it.

She turned her head to look at Ye Qingyu. “You should also rest early.”

Just as Ye Zhao was about to leave, she was suddenly held by Pei the Red Panda with a whimper, and she would not let go.

The bedroom was silent for a moment.

Ye Qingyu smiled. “Mom can just sleep with the red panda tonight.”

…

After ten years, the family of three was sleeping together again.

Ye Zhao held Pei the Red Panda tightly to prevent her from turning into a kung fu red panda in the middle of the night.

The air fell into a stable and quiet silence, and the air conditioner adjusted the temperature to a cool and comfortable level.

Ye Zhao stared at the ceiling and was suddenly reminded of the past—

During the scorching summer, the residential complex would often have power outages at night.

A red panda’s fur is thick, and she is extremely intolerant of heat. She would always keep a large block of ice in the fridge.

Once the power went out at night, she would move out the large block of ice and let Rong Bao lie on it.

She would then put a cushion and let Yu Bao lie next to it to cool off.

She would prop her head up and fan her two daughters with a large cattail fan until the power came back on in the middle of the night.

At that time, these moments were just ordinary, but they were the happiness that she had missed for the past ten years.

Ye Zhao’s eyes grew moist again.

She closed her eyes and accidentally wiped her scalding tears on the red panda towel in her arms.

Next to her, Ye Qingyu’s breathing gradually became even. She must have fallen asleep.

Ye Zhao gently reached out and carefully held her daughter’s wrist, but was held back by her daughter’s hand in comfort.

For a moment, her heart was filled with a long-lost completeness.

In her peace of mind, sleepiness gradually grew.

She fell asleep, pressed against her two precious daughters.

…

In the middle of the night.

A pair of little red panda ears perked up sneakily.

A moment later, a rustling sound came from the bedroom, and the door was opened.

…

“Rong Bao!”

Ye Zhao was suddenly startled awake, her breathing rapid.

Coming to her senses, she found that her arms were empty.

Her heart trembled, and she shot up.

She turned her head and saw that the moonlight on the bed was clear and white and quiet, and Ye Qingyu was also gone.

“Rong… Rong Bao?”

“Yu Bao?!”

Ye Zhao’s voice trembled, and a choked sob escaped her.

Could it be that last night was just a phantom dream, and when she woke up, everything was empty?

And even, Yu Bao had also left her?

Ye Zhao stumbled out of bed, forgetting to even put on her slippers. She first panicked and searched the bedroom, then ran out of the room with bare feet.

Rustle.

A faint sound came from the living room.

Ye Zhao was stunned for a moment, and a certain premonition arose in her heart.

She slowed down and walked slowly toward the living room—

The moonlight was bright and clear, and its brilliance spilled into the living room.

On the leather sofa, Pei the Red Panda was raising her paws and scratching away, tearing down the house with practiced ease.

Ye Qingyu was squatting next to her, suspected of aiding and abetting the red panda.

Caught off guard, the scene from more than twenty years ago reappeared before her eyes.

The tip of Ye Zhao’s nose suddenly felt sore. She stopped where she was and suddenly raised a hand to cover her lips.

Her trembling body contained a fine and restrained whimper.

After a long while.

She haphazardly wiped her cheeks, took a deep breath, and walked straight over.

Her left hand grabbed the back of Ye Qingyu’s nightgown collar, and for a moment, she couldn’t pull her. Her right hand twisted the fluffy scruff of the red panda’s neck and easily lifted her into the air.

“Ying.”

The half-asleep little red panda was grabbed by the scruff of her fated neck, and her four mischievous paws paddled helplessly in the air.

“Master Rong, Master Yu.”

“Are you two happy with your destruction?”

Ms. Ye’s half-smiling voice entered Ye Qingyu’s ears—

Clang.

In an instant, it was like a shattered ice hitting a wall.

It turned out that it didn’t need to be a shocking impact.

Just such simple, plain, but warm details of life.

It was like fine lines running across the skin, deeply branded in time.

Once within reach, but later, so far away.

At this moment, it crossed several decades and rang in Ye Qingyu’s ear with a magnificent and long-lasting hum.

She was in a daze, and in an instant, a tide of memories surged in her mind.