Becoming a Kindergarten Teacher for S-Class Spirit Beasts – CH23

Chapter 23

Although the Rose Garden had a cafeteria for both staff and babies, caretakers could also request ingredients and supplies from the logistics department. Each caretaker and baby had their own allotment.

But seeing that Bai Nuosi, after a long day, could only eat instant noodles made Huo Ranchuan furious. Did Bai Nuosi not receive his portion of the supplies? Or was someone withholding them?

Huo Ranchuan’s anger made his whole demeanor grow more serious.

Noticing Huo Ranchuan’s unhappy expression, Bai Nuosi quickly explained, “It’s really late today, so I just made something simple. Don’t worry, I’ve prepared proper meals for the babies.”

Huo Ranchuan: “…”

Huo Ranchuan was speechless. His anger wasn’t because he was worried about the babies; he was upset for Bai Nuosi’s sake.

Bai Nuosi glanced at Huo Ranchuan nervously. The atmosphere felt tense, and he couldn’t help but feel that the director’s expression was a little scary.

After a moment of hesitation, Bai Nuosi tried to ease the awkwardness by asking, “Director… would you like to have some?”

He had expected Huo Ranchuan to refuse, but after a two-second pause, Huo Ranchuan, surprisingly, nodded without a change in expression. “Sure.”

Bai Nuosi opened the door and invited Huo Ranchuan in.

The caretakers’ dorm rooms were small. Normally, Bai Nuosi didn’t mind, but the moment Huo Ranchuan, with his tall build, stepped inside, the ceiling seemed lower, the living room felt narrower, and the small sofa looked like it belonged in a nursery.

There was a pleasant fragrance in Bai Nuosi’s room—the scent came from Bai Nuosi himself. Perhaps it was his pheromones.

Realizing this, Huo Ranchuan tensed up. He stood in the room for a moment, scanning his surroundings, before his eyes landed on the door leading to the babies’ room.

The door was slightly ajar. Bai Nuosi had left it like that in case the babies woke up during the night, so he could hear them.

Soft white noise from the babies’ sleep machine still played faintly from the room.

Bai Nuosi walked over and, worried that their conversation might wake the cubs, gently closed the door.

He smiled and pulled out a chair for Huo Ranchuan. “Director, why don’t you sit here for a while?”

Standing might be tiring, and Bai Nuosi was nervous that Huo Ranchuan might walk into the babies’ room and scare them in the middle of the night.

Huo Ranchuan sat down at the small island outside the kitchen. From there, he had a clear view of Bai Nuosi moving around the kitchen.

The kitchen’s warm yellow lighting created a cozy atmosphere.

As Bai Nuosi served the noodles, Huo Ranchuan noticed a few scattered toys on the table. He absentmindedly gathered them and placed them in a box.

Bai Nuosi happened to catch this scene while bringing the noodles over.

His impression of the director instantly shot up. Who would’ve thought that despite his fierce appearance, Huo Ranchuan was so kind-hearted and meticulous? He even had a sharp eye for details. Bai Nuosi thought to himself that if the director ever got married, he would surely be a great partner.

Bai Nuosi divided the noodles into two portions, giving the larger one to Huo Ranchuan, along with the boiled egg. 

As for himself, he ate the noodles and soup with just a few leaves of vegetables. Watching Bai Nuosi’s modest meal, Huo Ranchuan felt like he was back in the harsh conditions of his training days on a barren planet. If someone didn’t know better, they might think Bai Nuosi was enduring some sort of hardship, surviving on nothing but a single egg.

Shaking his head, Huo Ranchuan felt that the caretakers at the Rose Garden had it way too tough.

Without a word, Huo Ranchuan placed the egg back into Bai Nuosi’s bowl. Bai Nuosi, a bit surprised, looked up at Huo Ranchuan with wide eyes, his mouth still holding a piece of vegetable, cheeks puffed like a rabbit’s.

Huo Ranchuan, exasperated, said, “Eat.”

At that, Bai Nuosi no longer felt intimidated by him. Instead, under Huo Ranchuan’s stern gaze, he smiled slightly, his dark eyes sparkling with joy. “Thank you, Director. You’re very kind.”

Huo Ranchuan: “…”

It was just an egg—was it really necessary for Teacher Xiao Bai to smile like that?

And besides, the egg originally belonged to him anyway.

Huo Ranchuan’s ears turned slightly red as he stared at the top of Bai Nuosi’s fluffy head, his gaze deep and pensive. Bai Nuosi’s pajamas were loose, revealing his slender neck and a large portion of his collarbone.

On the back of Bai Nuosi’s neck, there was a white, skin-friendly patch. It was likely a pheromone suppressant patch.

Though Huo Ranchuan didn’t know much about Omegas, he was aware that this was the location of an Omega’s gland. They typically wore such patches to prevent their pheromones from leaking out.

Huo Ranchuan lowered his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, not daring to keep looking at that area. He even thought he shouldn’t have entered in the first place, as it might cause misunderstandings.

But after a few seconds, he couldn’t help himself and sneaked another glance at Bai Nuosi.

Bai Nuosi was so thin, and because he was from the Blackbird Galaxy, his skin and build were quite different from those in the Beastman Galaxy. People from the Blackbird Galaxy were generally smaller and fairer, and Bai Nuosi, being an omega, looked even more delicate and youthful.

After a while, Huo Ranchuan suddenly said, “I’ll have Mons send some groceries over for you tomorrow. Caretakers need to eat well too. If you don’t take care of yourself and fall ill, what will happen to the cubs?”

Bai Nuosi nodded immediately. Although his fridge and storage still had plenty of fresh ingredients, he’d been so busy with the cubs lately that he hadn’t had time to get them. Having someone deliver food would be very convenient.

Gratefully, Bai Nuosi said, “Thank you, Director! I’ll work extra hard!”

He looked at Huo Ranchuan sincerely and repeated, “Director, you’re so kind!”

Huo Ranchuan: “…”

In the span of ten minutes, he’d been told twice that he was a ‘good person.’ Huo Ranchuan was at a loss for words.

After a brief silence, he didn’t know what else to say, so he quietly lowered his head and finished his noodles in just a few bites.

When he finished eating, Bai Nuosi handed him a small white handkerchief to wipe his mouth and hands.

Huo Ranchuan accepted it, watching as Bai Nuosi prepared to make tea. Noticing that it was already past 10 p.m., he thought it best for Bai Nuosi to rest, so he stood up and headed for the door. “Thank you for the meal. I’ll be going now—make sure to get some rest.”

Bai Nuosi had just poured the warm water when he saw Huo Ranchuan’s tall figure already outside the door. This fierce-looking man even thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

Bai Nuosi: “…”

Once again, Bai Nuosi marveled at how attentive Director Huo was. He would surely be a great caretaker.

Barely two minutes after Huo Ranchuan left, a staff member from the baby cafeteria arrived with a nutritional meal for Bai Nuosi. “Teacher Xiao Bai, here’s the meal you ordered. Please sign for it.”

Surprised, Bai Nuosi took the meal. “Are you sure? I didn’t order anything.”

The staff member double-checked the information. “No mistake—it’s your name and address, but it’s charged to Director Huo’s account.”

It finally dawned on Bai Nuosi. The director must have ordered the meal for him after seeing him eat instant noodles earlier.

After signing for the meal, Bai Nuosi carried the large food box back inside. Opening it, he found shredded meat porridge, custard buns, fruit and vegetable salad, and more. He wanted to take a picture to thank the director but then realized he didn’t have Huo Ranchuan’s contact information, so he had to give up on the idea.

When Huo Ranchuan returned to his temporary residence within the nursery, he still had the small handkerchief Bai Nuosi had given him.

One corner of the handkerchief had a little bunny design on it—quite cute.

Standing in his room, Huo Ranchuan inexplicably lifted the handkerchief to his nose and sniffed. As expected, it carried a faint fragrance, exactly like the scent on Bai Nuosi.

He glanced downward, then back at the handkerchief.

Crap.

Was there something unusual about Teacher Xiao Bai’s pheromones?

After finishing his nutritious dinner, Bai Nuosi quickly washed up and lay down in the baby room on a separate bed.

Caretakers were usually advised not to sleep on the same bed as the babies, as there was a risk of accidentally rolling over them in deep sleep. But Bai Nuosi was a light sleeper and didn’t move around much in his sleep, so he wasn’t too worried about sharing a bed. Nonetheless, he preferred to encourage the babies’ independence, knowing that he wasn’t their mother. 

One day, the little black snake and little black panther would leave, and while they could rely on Teacher Xiao Bai for their daily care, they couldn’t become emotionally dependent. Otherwise, separation would be too difficult.

Bai Nuosi dimmed the night light in the baby room, tucked the cubs in, and then quietly returned to his own bed.

He placed a small night light next to his bed and opened his smart bracelet, pulling up his memo app to prepare tomorrow’s lesson plan.

Though there were no strict teaching requirements for caretakers, Bai Nuosi couldn’t just idle around with the cubs all day. He made it a habit to write a lesson plan each night, tailoring it to the specific needs of each cub.

The little black panther was resistant to socializing with others, but at the same time, he craved praise and affirmation. Bai Nuosi thought of gradually taking him to places with more children, gently guiding him to make friends and integrate into the group.

After finishing his plan, Bai Nuosi finally lay down to sleep.

Late at night, Teng Snake, who had been pretending to sleep, quietly slithered off the bed and over to Bai Nuosi’s side. It slowly climbed up the bedpost, clearly yearning for Bai Nuosi’s warm, comforting embrace.

Before long, Teng Snake snuggled into Bai Nuosi’s arms, its tail habitually curling around his waist.

Teng Snake finally settled down and fell asleep in Bai Nuosi’s arms after catching a whiff of the floral scent emanating from him.

*

The next morning, Huo Ranchuan received a call from the Crown Prince: “Ranchuan, you still haven’t answered me about what we discussed last night.”

Huo Ranchuan, drenched and fresh from the shower, emerged holding the underwear he had just washed. His face was dark with frustration, his mood already soured by an unsettling dream, and now the Crown Prince’s incessant calls were adding to it.

Huo Ranchuan: “The Han family wants to take back the spiritual entities? Why do you think they’re in such a rush?”

The Crown Prince sighed. “The black panther had an episode during the live stream in front of an audience. It’s hard to explain away. Ranchuan, listen to me—if we don’t suppress the rumors, the Rose Nursery could be in serious trouble.”

He continued, “I’ve seen Han Baiyi’s examination report. Even if you make it public, no one will believe it—it’s too easy to falsify. Plus, Han Baiyi is deeply loyal to the Han family. The moment they ask, he’ll shift the blame onto you.”

The Crown Prince was only saying all this because he trusted Huo Ranchuan.

Huo Ranchuan knew he was right. 

Even if the examination report were made public and the audience believed it to be genuine, as long as Han Baiyi himself denied it and blamed the black panther’s episode on the Rose Nursery, Huo Ranchuan might lose everything. Han Baiyi was nothing more than a pawn of the Han family.

He was a child the Han family had taken from a disadvantaged area and trained meticulously. Grateful for even the smallest kindness, people like him would do anything for their benefactors. The Han family had developed him with such care that he would willingly give his life for them if necessary.

Though they served in the military for the empire, they still ultimately belonged to the Han family. Huo Ranchuan knew he had no chance of recruiting them.

But then, Huo Ranchuan thought of Bai Nuosi, and the story about the little peacock that Bai had told the black panther last night.

Huo Ranchuan spoke seriously, “I want to give Han Baiyi a chance. Give me two more days.”

Since Huo Ranchuan had said this, what else could the Crown Prince say?

The “Protect the Cubs Operation” initiative had faced opposition from the royal family at first, but the Crown Prince had supported it wholeheartedly, which allowed Huo Ranchuan to receive approval and move forward successfully.

The nursery had only been open for a little over a month. If it were toppled so easily now, it would not only underestimate the Crown Prince’s vision but also Huo Ranchuan’s strength.

After ending the call, Huo Ranchuan immediately opened the StarNet livestream.

Bai Nuosi was already greeting the viewers and preparing breakfast.

Huo Ranchuan’s face darkened as he thought about how much of the stream he had missed because of the Crown Prince’s rambling.

Bai Nuosi, dressed in a white uniform and full of energy, was making shrimp and mushroom pancakes, as well as beef and scallion pancakes, for the two cubs.

The small pancakes looked round and delicious, and the two cubs each had two pancakes with a bottle of milk. Bai Nuosi sat across from them, eating breakfast with them.

In the livestream, someone asked:

[Teacher Xiao Bai, how do you make these pancakes? They look so tasty!]

Bai Nuosi glanced at the livestream comments, noticing this one after about thirty minutes of streaming. He eagerly responded, “First, mix an appropriate amount of flour with cold water to make a batter, making sure there are no lumps. Then add a bit more water to make it smoother, and mix in minced beef or shrimp, as well as chopped vegetables or mushrooms and some scallions. Fry them in a pan until both sides are golden.”

He added, “Oh, if your baby is over 18 months and can eat salt, you can add a little salt, but it’s still delicious without it. If you’re worried about it being too dry, you can steam the pancakes for a minute or two after frying.”

As Bai Nuosi earnestly explained the recipe, viewers in the chat were focused more on his appearance:

[Ahhh! My wife looks so fresh this morning! His skin is glowing—it must mean the little spiritual cubs were well-behaved last night!]

[Teacher Xiao Bai, I don’t care about the food recipe, I just want to know your uniform routine. Can you make a video showing how you put it on? Blushing and twiddling fingers.jpg]

Huo Ranchuan saw this comment, and his face darkened even more. These viewers were getting way out of line!

Reported!

The cubs loved Bai Nuosi’s pancakes and finished their breakfast in under five minutes.

Afterward, just as they were about to head to the classroom, Bai Nuosi scooped them up and brought them to the bathroom. He placed the livestream ball outside and didn’t allow it to follow them in.

Bai Nuosi looked at the cubs, his expression a mix of concern and encouragement: “Black Panther baby, Black Snake baby, neither of you has gone potty since waking up, right?”

Little Black Panther: “…”

Little Black Snake: “…”

The two spiritual entities exchanged silent glances, while Han Baiyi jumped out of bed in shock, and Huo Ranchuan slammed into the doorframe as he hurried out.

Crap.

Why was Teacher Xiao Bai even concerned with this?

Even though they were cubs, they were still spiritual entities of adults, meaning they would also feel embarrassed due to their connection with their masters.

Plus, as spiritual entities, they weren’t actually real beasts. They didn’t need to use the bathroom because their food was absorbed as energy.

But how could they possibly explain to Teacher Xiao Bai that they didn’t need to go?

Under Bai Nuosi’s gentle encouragement, Teng Snake silently slid aside to give the black panther some space in the bathroom and even gave him a firm pat on the back with its tail as a sign of encouragement.

Little Black Panther: “…”

Unfortunately, Bai Nuosi’s cooking was just too good, and as a young spiritual entity, the black panther cub’s absorption ability wasn’t as strong as Teng Snake’s. So, after filling up on breakfast, his stomach was full.

The little black panther had originally planned to wait until outdoor activities to fully absorb the food, but who could have guessed Bai Nuosi would whisk it straight to the bathroom?

Perhaps due to nerves, the little panther’s belly let out a loud grumble.

Startled, the panther quickly used its tail to cover its belly.

The sight of the little black panther arching its back and using its tail to shield its bottom made Bai Nuosi stifle a laugh.

On the other side, Han Baiyi covered his face in embarrassment, thinking that he would never, in his entire life, let Bai Nuosi know about his existence!

Too humiliating—this was truly too humiliating!

Fearing that the little black panther would do something even more awkward, Han Baiyi quickly connected with his spiritual entity.

At that moment, Bai Nuosi crouched down in front of the panther, offering encouragement: “Black Panther baby, did your little bottom just make a sound?”

Han Baiyi: “…”

What do you mean, ‘little bottom sound’?! Han Baiyi was screaming internally.

Bai Nuosi continued, “If your bottom makes a sound, it’s time to go to the bathroom. Can you go by yourself, little panther?”

Han Baiyi: “…”

After a few seconds, the little black panther, embarrassed and feeling guilty, lowered its head and pawed at the floor. In a soft voice, it muttered, “Yes, yes, I can go by myself. Teacher, please go out.”

Bai Nuosi, looking pleased, immediately stood up. “Alright, sweetie, I’ll go out now. How about we let Snake Baby stay here with you? Snake Baby also needs to learn how to use the bathroom.”

Saying this, Bai Nuosi opened his smart device and played a song titled “I Can Go to the Bathroom by Myself” for the two cubs before leaving the room.

Snake Baby: “…”

Han Baiyi: “…”

Although the viewers in the livestream couldn’t see what was happening, they could still hear everything. The chat was filled with gleeful comments:

[Hahaha! What on earth is ‘little bottom sound’? Are all kindergarten teachers this adorable?]

[Honestly, watching those two cubs struggle makes me so happy! LOL Dog head emoji]

[Haha, this is just standard kindergarten teacher behavior. Wait until Teacher Bai comes back to help them wipe! Laughing emoji]

[You know, now that I think about it, should I be envious of Teacher Bai or of Han Baiyi? After all, wiping the black panther’s bottom is basically like wiping Han Baiyi’s bottom, right? Dog head emoji]

Meanwhile, Huo Ranchuan, who had been lurking in the livestream: “…”

Huo Ranchuan didn’t know whether to stop Teacher Bai from wiping Han Baiyi’s bottom or to deal with Teng Snake’s current predicament.

After all, Teacher Bai had sent Snake Baby to watch the black panther use the bathroom so it could learn!

Teng Snake: “…”

Waaah, Teacher Bai! I’m going to faint.

Fortunately, just then, the logistics staff arrived to deliver supplies and food to Bai Nuosi.

This was all arranged by Huo Ranchuan. While Teacher Bai was busy greeting the staff, the two spiritual entity cubs seized the opportunity to sneak out.

They sat obediently in front of Bai Nuosi, pretending they had completed their “task” perfectly.

Bai Nuosi didn’t suspect a thing. He gently petted the two cubs and praised them, “Good job, sweeties! You went to the bathroom all by yourselves! I’ll give you some candy as a reward later.”

“But first,” Bai Nuosi added, “let Teacher Bai check if your bottoms are clean.”

With that, he set down the box he was holding and scooped up the little black panther to check its bottom.

Black Panther: “!!!”

Black Snake: “!!!”

Ahhh! Teacher Bai is terrifying!

Before the black panther could react, Teacher Bai had already lifted its tail for a quick look. “Hmm, all clean, very good,” Bai Nuosi said, patting the round little bottom with a smile. “Well done, sweetheart! Go play now.”

As soon as the black panther was released, it scrambled out the door in panic, tripping three times on its way out.

Sensing danger, the little black snake quickly followed.

Bai Nuosi chuckled and shook his head. “These little ones are so shy.”

Han Baiyi and Huo Ranchuan: “…”

Thanks, we’re traumatized. Exhausted face emoji.

The livestream viewers were equally shocked:

[Even though Teacher Bai is super sweet and cute, if he has to check bottoms like that, maybe I’ll pass…]

[OMG, I’m dying of laughter! How is Han Baiyi ever going to show his face again?!]

[Han Baiyi, the cold and aloof guy, has been reduced to this! I could laugh about this for a whole year.]

…

The two spiritual entity cubs darted out of the house and quickly hid in the garden, both breathing a sigh of relief.

That was terrifying! QAQ

They collapsed on the ground, exhausted and covered in cold sweat.

Waaah, Master, we finally escaped! That was so difficult! QAQ

The little black panther, feeling utterly defeated after having its bottom inspected, lay on the ground, digging a small hole with its front paws and burying its face in it.

Waaah, it was too embarrassing! Teacher Bai had actually checked its bottom! Waaah!

Huo Ranchuan rubbed the bump on his forehead from earlier and made up his mind. This time, no matter what, he had to take Teng Snake back!

Even if it meant making Teacher Bai sad, there was no other option!

*

After tidying up the ingredients, Bai Nuosi packed some snacks and fruits into his portable storage unit. After more than an hour of preparation, he hopped onto the tricycle provided by the nursery and got ready to take the cubs to the central playground.

The nursery provided tricycles for caregivers, with a front basket and a rear seat for transport.

The driver’s seat is at the back, and in front is a square cargo area. When the caregiver sits in the driver’s seat, they can not only see the road ahead but also clearly see the babies sitting in the cargo area.

Bai Nuosi’s mobility vehicle was grass green, with the cargo area in a light yellow color. The edges were decorated with various cartoon animal designs, making it incredibly cute and beautiful, something Bai Nuosi loved.

He put on his hat, got everything ready, and went to the garden to find the two little ones.

His smart device showed the locations of the two cubs. With just one glance, he could see two green dots in the corner of the garden, though he wasn’t sure what they were doing there.

Bai Nuosi held two soft lollipops made of hawthorn and apple—delicious and good for digestion, which he had specifically made for the babies.

He called out in the garden, “Babies, come and get some candy! Who will be the first to grab the candy?”

Bai Nuosi waited for a while, but the cubs didn’t react.

The candy didn’t work? How strange.

The two green dots on his device were even moving further away.

Bai Nuosi: “…”

He jogged over, calling out, “Where are you, babies? Teacher Bai can’t find you. Come out and show Teacher the way, okay?”

The two cubs, who had been deliberately hiding: “…”

Perhaps they were genuinely worried that Bai Nuosi wouldn’t find them, because after a while, Teng Snake shyly stuck its tail out of the bushes.

The little black panther glared at it: You deliberately showed your tail, so next time there’s a bathroom performance, you go first!

Teng Snake puffed out its chest: No, you go first next time. You’re the one whose bottom makes noises.

Little black panther: …

Little black panther: What the heck!

Just then, Bai Nuosi, holding the two small candies in his hands and covering his eyes, said, “Oh dear, where are my babies? Quickly tell Teacher Bai.”

The little black panther immediately sprang up on its hind legs: “Roar! Roar! Roar!”

Then, it wrapped its front paws around Bai Nuosi’s leg.

Bai Nuosi immediately scooped it up: “Ah, gotcha!”

With one cub in each hand, Bai Nuosi popped the candy into their mouths, then placed them into the cargo area of the vehicle. He sat in the driver’s seat, switched it on, and started driving slowly toward the playground.

The vehicle moved at a very slow speed, and the ride was quite smooth.

Bai Nuosi looked at the two listless cubs, completely unaware of the scare they’d just endured. “Babies, today we’re not digging in the dirt. We’re going to play on the slide! Maybe you’ll even make some new friends there.”

The cubs weren’t particularly interested in new friends, but when they heard about the slide, their eyes lit up. The limp Teng Snake even sat up straight in a flash, almost losing its grip on the lollipop.

Slide!

Oh my gosh, could it be the slide it was thinking of?

Could it really play on that?