All My Colleagues Are Animals 85

Chapter 85

The thunder gradually subsided, leaving only the heavy rain.

Several centimeters of water had accumulated on the ground, and the rain rolled in waves like a tide.

Ye Qingyu sat in the hall of “A Leaf’s Taste,” quietly looking out the French window.

The raindrops were dense, crisply striking the glass, and the winding trails of water flowed down like a waterfall, a clamorous sight.

But her mood was very peaceful.

Because, she would soon see the red panda and her mother.

After a moment, bright car lights finally broke through the rain and mist.

A familiar gray sedan drove up and stopped smoothly at the restaurant’s entrance.

Ye Qingyu took out the fruit platter that had been temporarily stored in the fridge and walked quickly over.

She opened the back seat door and saw her mother and the fluffy red panda in her arms look up at her at the same time.

Ye Qingyu’s lips unconsciously curled up slightly, and she bent down to get in.

She was about to politely greet the driver out of habit, but she saw that it was not the family’s driver auntie—

The woman in the driver’s seat was wearing a casual suit as white as snow, with a noble and otherworldly aura, and her features were as bright and beautiful as a painting.

Her every move showed the charm of a mature woman.

Ye Qingyu’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she subconsciously called out:

“Hello, Little Mom!”

“Mmm?”

Hearing this, Pei the Little Able Cat also poked her head out from her mother’s arms, her fur half-dry and a little messy and fluffy.

Her bow-tie-shaped snow-white ears perked up high.

“Hello, Little Mom.”

She belatedly followed Ye Qingyu’s greeting, extremely well-behaved.

“…”

A strange silence fell over the air for a moment.

The corners of Xiao Yu’s lips couldn’t help but lift high.

She glanced at a certain woman without a trace, and then showed Ye Qingyu and Pei the Little Able Cat a charming smile.

“Hey, hello to you both.”

Ye Zhao was momentarily at a loss for words. In the end, she only bit her lip and said nothing, casting Xiao Yu a light, reproachful glance—her ears faintly burning red.

Ye Qingyu couldn’t help but be amused by the surging heat between the two.

Clearly, her mother was quite thin-skinned when it came to matters of the heart.

She considerately pretended not to see and, with both hands, supported the red panda under its armpits and held the little red panda from her mother’s lap into her own arms.

The light was dim, and she hadn’t noticed the red panda was wet just now. Now that her hand touched the fur, she couldn’t help but pause.

“Did you get caught in the rain?”

Her voice was low and soft, and her fingertips smoothed the red panda’s head.

“A little.”

Pei the Little Able Cat answered casually, and her two furry paws struggled to pull at the human’s sleeve, as if wanting to lift it.

Although she didn’t understand what she was doing, Ye Qingyu still tilted her head slightly and indulged the red panda’s actions.

Pei the Little Able Cat carefully inspected the skin at the junction of Ye Qingyu’s shoulder and back, and saw no scars.

Her right paw carefully stroked it, and she was silent for a moment before she let out a light and slow sigh of relief.

“Fortunately, it’s already healed.”

Ye Qingyu finally reacted—

The place that Pei the Little Able Cat had just inspected was exactly where the “Green Bird” men in black had stabbed her with a knife when they had taken the red panda ten years ago.

Her heart immediately trembled.

A certain guess surged up like a tide and quickly filled her chest, stirring up a boiling itch that leaped everywhere.

Ye Qingyu’s voice was unsteady when she spoke, and she held her breath to confirm:

“Neng Bao, are you…?”

She saw Pei the Little Able Cat lift her fluffy head with a spirited air and say majestically:

“Yu Bao, you should call me Jiejie.”

“…”

Ye Qingyu’s eyes widened.

Pei the Little Able Cat raised a paw to pat the young woman’s head, as if she were patting a little dog she had trained for many years.

Then she opened her mouth and urged with great seriousness:

“Why haven’t you called me yet?”

…

S-City Port.

Li Yuan looked down at the message on his computer, so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged.

Ever since his son’s accident, Li Shen had been watching his own son very closely and had also greatly weakened Li Yuan’s power to act within the organization.

He had said, in a beautiful name, that in the midst of his grief, he needed to rest and recover.

His power had been weakened, and for the time being, he could not touch Li Shen and his son. His heart was filled with a strong resentment that had nowhere to go, and Li Yuan’s emotions were on the verge of collapse.

Yuchun Square in B-City had always had a large flow of people, and there was also a nationally renowned children’s amusement park.

On the seventh day after his son’s death, he had sent people to place a large black bear and its cub, which had been starved for several days, near the children’s amusement park, hoping that this large black bear would wantonly tear apart a group of innocent children.

Eaten and swallowed, all to be buried with his son.

And the large black bear and its cub would be killed by the angry crowd and the police together.

Who knew that after the large black bear was released, it had just held its cub and slowly moved toward a less crowded area, and then had nestled in place without any aggression.

Until the police arrived and took it away.

“Why?”

Li Yuan’s expression was almost crazed.

When that large black bear had eaten his son, it had clearly been eager to tear him apart, and had eaten him ferociously.

How was it that when it went into a crowd, it was so well-behaved, as if it had no claws or teeth!

His subordinate quickly said, “Don’t be anxious. Although it didn’t bite anyone, we have achieved our most important goal.”

“The sudden appearance of the black bear has already attracted the high attention of the B-City police. Li Shen is now in a mess because of this, and his attention is completely diverted. Before the police over there trace it back to S-City, we can do many things.”

Li Yuan clenched his fists and took several deep breaths.

“The problem is that Li Shen has weakened my power, and I can’t stretch my arms and legs.”

…

Just as Li Yuan was worrying about not having a weapon to kill, someone happened to hand him a convenient sword.

Late at night, Shen Rendong paid a visit.

She took off her mask, and a few red rashes had appeared on her gentle and upright face, as if they were on the verge of erupting.

“Second Brother, I have to go back to the Li family’s old house for treatment tomorrow, and a few of my subordinates have also happened to take sick leave. Can I trouble you to cover for me for a few days?”

Ever since Li Yuan’s power had been weakened, Shen Rendong had become more and more sought-after in the organization, and she was on the verge of becoming the second-in-command.

At this, Li Yuan was extremely anxious and resentful.

Seeing that Shen Rendong had to hand over her power due to her facial ailment, his heart was secretly pleased.

He was clearly eager to agree, but he put on an act and, after a moment’s thought, said in a deep voice:

“Sister Shen, you usually have a lot on your plate.”

Shen Rendong lowered her eyes and was silent for a moment.

Then she slowly put on her mask and said in a low voice:

“Indeed, this would be too much trouble for Second Brother. If you really can’t get away, then I’ll just stay on tomorrow…”

Li Yuan waved his hand.

He sighed and said with righteous indignation:

“You’ve been in ‘Green Bird’ for so many years and have always been conscientious and responsible. You don’t even want a salary, just for a little bit of medicine for your treatment.”

“You’re so beautiful, but you’re troubled by a facial ailment. Second Brother’s heart also often can’t bear it.”

“For these next few days, Second Brother will just help you out.”

With Shen Rendong’s power, he could smoothly carry out his plan and completely crush the unguarded Li Shen.

Li Yuan’s heart pounded with a certain excitement, and his words also became more heroic. “In the future, if Second Brother is in power in the Li family, I will definitely give you the antidote to completely cure your illness.”

Shen Rendong chuckled lightly. “Second Brother has always been good to me.”

As she spoke, she slowly caressed the beautiful seashell in her hand.

The crack on it had been made by Li Shen’s mischievous son, who had deliberately snatched it to play with.

***

Police station, animal division.

Lin Song was holding a bucket of meat and pushed open the door of the holding cell.

The large black bear, which was temporarily being held, was sitting in the cage, holding its cub, and turned its head to look at her.

Lin Song handed the meat in, and the large black bear, which had been hungry for several days, immediately began to eat with its cub, wolfing it down.

Officer Lin watched for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly.

“It’s a good thing you held back and didn’t eat anyone tonight. After the bureau has finished its investigation, you and your child will be released into the wild.”

Hearing this, the large black bear looked up at Lin Song with a dark look.

She looked very fierce, but she had actually only eaten two humans—

Many years ago, she had eaten the director of the zoo where she was; and a few days ago, she had eaten a hateful boy.

So disgusting. One was more disgusting than the other.

She, a bear, did not like to eat them at all.

She hoped that in the future, there would be no more humans that she needed to eat.

…

The gray sedan slowly drove into the villa courtyard, and the family of four arrived home safely.

The harsh wind and rain were blocked outside the window.

With a click.

The light turned on, and a clear and gentle light filled the room.

Ye Qingyu first took the slightly damp little red panda to the bathroom to take a shower, so she wouldn’t catch a cold.

After filling the bathtub with hot water, she could put in the little red panda dumpling.

Ye Qingyu put a ball of red panda dumpling in.

Then she squeezed two pumps of shower gel and carefully worked up a white foam with both hands.

She unintentionally looked up and met the clear and deep gaze of her fluffy childhood sweetheart.

“…”

Her heart suddenly trembled.

The bathroom was filled with steam, and the mist was hazy.

The human and the red panda fell into a silent gaze, their thoughts like a tide.

Pei the Little Able Cat took a light breath and slowly asked:

“Yu Bao, in the past ten years, have you and Mom been well?”

Ye Qingyu looked at the red panda, her lips moving, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak.

…The past ten years.

Her gaze gradually became dazed.

Back then, when the red panda had been taken away by the men in black, she had been physically and mentally damaged and had been seriously ill.

She had once been in the ICU and had not been able to wake up.

Perhaps it was a protective mechanism of a severe psychological trauma. When she had finally woken up, all the parts of her memory about the red panda had been completely erased—

She felt that she was an only child and had been dependent on her mother since she was little.

When she was young, she had crawled alone and had never torn down the house.

When she was a little older, she had obediently gone to school and had never thrown a tantrum and skipped kindergarten for anyone, let alone rushed home from school for anyone.

Later, she had gotten into her ideal junior high, high school, and university, and had had a smooth journey, and had never experienced a painful separation.

There was no “Little Sprout,” “Little Seedling,” or “Little Tree.” She had always just been Ye Qingyu.

Every night, she would go to sleep alone in her bedroom.

When she was studying, she would forget to eat and sleep. After graduating from graduate school, she had entered a top internet company with a heavy workload and had become the number one person in the rat race, with a salary that was the envy of others.

Her family was rich. She actually didn’t need to work that hard.

But once she stopped studying and working, and her brain had a moment of emptiness, an unnamed, strong pain would catch up with her.

And so, she had been in a daze for ten years.

—She had just lost a ball of reddish-brown, but her life had completely faded to black and white.

So, when did she have a sudden realization and decide to give up filling her thoughts with busyness and choose to go to a company to slack off until retirement?

Ye Qingyu thought for a moment, but came up with nothing.

As for her mother—

Before she had lost the red panda, her mother had had a job she loved and had been carefree and free in her happy life.

She would stop for half a day to admire a certain cloud in the sky because it looked like a red panda.

“Look! That red panda cloud has turned into the shape of a little tree!”

That evening, she had laughed happily for a long time.

And after the red panda had left, she had closed the small animal clinic.

She had entered the treacherous world of power alone and had had to play along with cunning people. Step by step, she had risen and had gradually stirred up the situation.

With the wealth and power that had once been out of reach in her hands, her heart had grown heavier and heavier day by day.

Several times, Ye Qingyu had woken up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water and had seen her mother standing quietly on the balcony, looking at the night sky.

The clouds were churning, and they were unpredictable.

And the woman’s back was desolate, almost melting into the deep black night.

…

For the red panda’s question, Ye Qingyu could not give a specific answer.

In the end, she just chuckled lightly. “Mom and I are both fine.”

Seeing the answer in Ye Qingyu’s surging eyes, Pei the Little Able Cat licked the tip of her teeth in silence and did not ask any more questions.

She took a slightly deep breath and, changing the subject, asked a light and knowing question:

“Then in the past ten years, have you had any cute little beasts in your life?”

Ye Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief.

She wiped the foam on the red panda’s paws and, with a gentle movement, rubbed them and said with a smile, “Of course.”

“…”

Pei the Little Able Cat’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The next second, Ye Qingyu saw the reddish-brown fluff turn its back.

Its four paws paddled the bathwater, and with its unique little red panda paddle, it swam to a corner of the bathtub and, puffed up with anger, curled into a ball, its ears drooping into a pair of wronged airplane ears.

Ye Qingyu’s heart tightened, and she quickly said:

“I’m not talking about other little beasts!”

“Do you still remember the thick red panda sketchbook in my study? I never stopped drawing you, so you never left my life.”

These past few years, I have been seriously missing you.

Even though I had forgotten you.

The little red panda paused slightly, and her two furry ears slowly perked up. “Really?”

Ye Qingyu quickly nodded.

And realizing that the red panda, with its back to her, couldn’t see, she said sincerely, “Of course! From a young age until now, I have only had you, one red panda, and I only like you.”

Only then was Pei the Little Able Cat willing to turn around.

Her four paws paddled the bathwater, and with her little red panda paddle, she swam back to Ye Qingyu and commanded with pleasure:

“Wash me.”

Ye Qingyu’s eyes curved slightly, and she began to wash the red panda with great seriousness.

She already knew how to wash a red panda without triggering its sensitive reactions, so the washing went very smoothly and without any accidents.

After coming out of the small animal dryer, the red panda was already a fragrant and soft new red panda.

Having been briefly caught in the rain just now, Ye Qingyu also quickly took a shower.

When the human and the red panda, clean and comfortable, came to the dining room, Xiao Yu was just placing a plate of fragrant and colorful lychee-roasted chicken wings on the table.

This time, there were real lychees!

Pei the Little Able Cat was nestled on Ye the Little Tree. Seeing this, her eyes lit up slightly, and she couldn’t help but lick the tip of her teeth.

Xiao Yu greeted with a spirited air, “Come, come and try Little Mom’s cooking.”

Ye Zhao, who had been driven out of the kitchen by Xiao Yu and was now sitting at the dining table with nothing to do, smiled.

This person was really getting into her role as “Little Mom.”

“Okay. Thank you for your hard work, Little Mom.”

Ye Qingyu cooperatively answered and, holding the red panda, sat down at the dining table.

She first picked up her chopsticks and carefully fed a piece of beautiful lychee flesh to the little red panda.

After feeding her, she also gently wiped the fur around her mouth.

Seeing a certain little beast being so spoiled by her younger sister, Ms. Ye propped up her chin with a smile and teased:

“Sister’s baby red panda”

The little red panda, who was happily eating a fruit, paused.

She licked the tip of her teeth innocently and thought for a moment.

Then she gathered her strength and, with a light leap, jumped into Ye Zhao’s arms next to her.

She was happily rubbed on her fluffy head by Ye Zhao and was also fed a piece of clear and sweet, freshly cut apple.

Her arms were suddenly empty, and Ye Qingyu blinked her eyes with regret.

She looked at the red panda, who was crunching on an apple and had forgotten about the tree, and, unhurriedly propping up her chin, said lightly:

“Mama’s baby red panda.”

Pei the Little Able Cat’s furry ears twitched slightly. “…”

It’s not easy being a little red panda…

A little red panda sighs.