Chapter 82
Bai Nuosi was bringing out the third plate of food for the little white tiger when he heard the little lion’s desperate cry for help. Thinking something had happened, he was startled. The little white tiger, with a small bread roll still in its mouth, also turned to look, its attention drawn by the shrill scream.
The little lion, fur all fluffed up, dashed over to Bai Nuosi, clinging tightly to his pant leg with its front paws and crying out, “Teacher, hold me~!”
Huo Ranchuan: “…”
Bai Nuosi, alarmed by the little lion’s frantic cries, quickly put down the plate of food, squatted down, and gently scooped the little lion into his arms, patting its back softly. “There, there, Xingxing, don’t cry. It’s okay, it’s okay.”
The little lion nestled in Bai Nuosi’s embrace, breathing in his comforting scent, and finally sighed in relief.
Bai Nuosi asked softly, “Xingxing, what happened just now? Why were you crying? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
The little lion nodded pitifully, staring earnestly at Bai Nuosi as it tapped his chest with its paw and said, “Here.”
Bai Nuosi paused, then asked, “Oh~ So, Xingxing, your heart feels uncomfortable, is that it?”
The little lion nodded again, looking even more pitiful.
Its heart did feel uncomfortable! All because of that nightmare…
Just then, Huo Ranchuan walked over, explaining innocently, “I just tried to wake him up for breakfast, but it seems like he had a nightmare.”
The little lion, acting all aggrieved? Huo Ranchuan thought to himself, This lion cub is quite the drama queen. Is he trying to act scared so Teacher Bai will misunderstand and refuse to accept me as his assistant?
Huo Ranchuan’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared at the little lion.
The little lion: “…”
The little lion slowly turned its head and saw Huo Ranchuan standing beside Bai Nuosi, staring at it with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
The little lion: “…”
Qin Yuxing was currently confined. With his personality, he could pretend to be obedient, but being confined was like a death sentence for him. So, every day, he connected with the little lion’s senses, his consciousness present within the cub, though he didn’t interfere much with its actions. Now, seeing Huo Ranchuan, how could he not be shocked?
Especially seeing Huo Ranchuan smiling down at him, calling him to get up and eat breakfast—was he trying to scare the little lion to death?
The little lion stared blankly and instinctively shrunk its neck when it saw Huo Ranchuan.
Huo Ranchuan looked at Bai Nuosi. “He seems a bit scared of me.”
The little lion: “…”
The little lion immediately puffed up, giving Huo Ranchuan a defiant hmph before saying stubbornly, “I’m not afraid of you!”
It was going to be a mighty lion one day; how could it possibly fear Huo Ranchuan?
Even if Huo Ranchuan was the head instructor and an S-rank, it was also an S-rank. It would grow up to be incredibly powerful, too!
Huo Ranchuan raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then who was calling for help just now?”
The little lion: “…”
Its eyes darted around nervously before it pointed its paw at the little white tiger, who was currently munching on its meal, and shouted, “It was Hanye!”
The little white tiger: “…”
Bai Nuosi had already guessed that the little lion was likely frightened upon waking up and seeing Huo Ranchuan. After all, Director Huo’s appearance was rather intimidating—dark skin, white hair, deep-set eyes, and sharp, defined features. When those golden eyes narrowed and stared at someone, it gave off a genuine predatory feeling.
The day before Bai Nuosi officially started his job, he had seen Director Huo for the first time while holding a little black panther, and those eyes had scared him then.
So, Bai Nuosi completely understood the little lion’s fear.
He held the little lion and patiently explained, “Director Huo was just worried you might be hungry, so he called you. From now on, Director Huo will be taking care of you along with me. If you spend more time with him, you’ll see that he’s a very kind and attentive person.”
The little lion: “…”
The lion’s eyes widened in horror as it stared at Huo Ranchuan.
Why did the world feel different after just one nap?
What kind of suffering was this?
It had finally found some warmth and comfort in Teacher Bai, healing its fragile heart, and now Huo Ranchuan was going to be its assistant?
Back when Qin Yuxing was unawakened, he used to watch Teacher Bai’s livestream. The little black panther and panda cub were both personally cared for by Teacher Bai—no assistant was needed!
Why was it that all the unfortunate things seemed to happen to him?
Was this punishment for the trouble he caused, leading to Teacher Bai’s kidnapping?
The little lion’s spirit deflated immediately.
Bai Nuosi gently ruffled its fur. “Let’s go brush your teeth, Xingxing. There’s steak for breakfast—it’s really tasty. Hanye is almost full.”
The little lion turned to look at the little white tiger, and sure enough, it saw the empty plate in front of the tiger. Right beside it was its own plate, decorated with a cute yellow lion pattern, filled with vegetables, fruit, eggs, and beef. The little white tiger had already eaten three plates of food but still seemed interested in the lion’s portion.
The little lion: “!!!”
Suddenly, all its grievances vanished. The lion immediately jumped out of Bai Nuosi’s arms, leaped onto the table, and grabbed its plate with both paws, growling fiercely at the little white tiger, “It’s Xingxing’s! Hanye can’t eat it!”
The little white tiger: “…”
The little white tiger sat upright, expressionless, staring at the lion-turned-furball and then at the plate of food behind it.
The little lion: “!!!”
Even more infuriated, it growled softly, “Grrr! Hanye can’t eat it!”
The little white tiger: “…”
Seeing the lion fluff up like a furball, the tiger could only nod.
Only then did the lion relax, its fur settling back into place as it returned to its sleek, handsome form. It pushed its plate further away, ensuring the tiger couldn’t reach it, then hurried off to the bathroom to brush its teeth.
Bai Nuosi turned to Huo Ranchuan. “Could you please watch over the snake and Hanye while they eat? Make sure they eat slowly and drink enough milk to avoid choking. I’ll go help Xingxing brush his teeth.”
Huo Ranchuan nodded, turning to watch the two cubs at the table.
The little white tiger, seemingly oblivious to Huo Ranchuan’s gaze, continued sitting upright, still munching on a small bread roll while staring intently at the steak on the lion’s plate.
Meanwhile, Teng Snake, who was eating his own steak, suddenly met Huo Ranchuan’s eyes. “…”
Huo Ranchuan walked over, looking at Teng Snake with a hint of exasperation. “Is it tasty?”
No wonder he was having so much fun pretending to be a cub. Teacher Bai’s cooking was delicious, his snacks were amazing, and even the honey milk was delightful. Not to mention, Teacher Bai always praised him, hugged him gently, and told bedtime stories.
Even though Teng Snake was his own spiritual beast, Huo Ranchuan couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous. After all, Teng Snake was a fully grown adult.
Seeing how even the golden eagle had a nesting and mating instinct, seeking a partner to lay eggs and treating potted plants as its children…
Teng Snake had initially thought Huo Ranchuan was about to steal his steak. In response, he opened his mouth wide and gobbled up the entire piece of steak, but then he sensed Huo Ranchuan’s emotions.
Huo Ranchuan was jealous of him, his own spiritual beast!
They were one and the same!
Teng Snake protested in the mental space: I’m your other half! Your wife is my wife! Your children are my children! Your bed is my bed!
When Teacher Bai becomes his mate, Teng Snake thought, he would also be close to Teacher Bai, share his nest, and go through mating season together. He would even have Teacher Bai lay eggs for him!
Huo Ranchuan: “…”
Huo Ranchuan glared at Teng Snake dangerously, scoffing. “You wish.”
Even though they were connected spiritually, if Teng Snake wanted a mate, he’d have to find his own. Unfortunately, Teacher Bai didn’t have a spiritual beast, so Teng Snake was destined to be single forever.
Huo Ranchuan said insincerely, “Such a pity.”
Teng Snake: “…”
Angrily, Teng Snake slapped his tail against the table with a loud thump, curling up in frustration and refusing to engage with Huo Ranchuan further.
It was unfair. Other spiritual beasts found their partners when their hosts united, and they became a pair. But since Teacher Bai didn’t have a spiritual beast and his host was being selfish and unwilling to share his mate, Teng Snake was going to remain alone forever.
There’d be no one to lay eggs with him, but someone would give his host children. Just thinking about it made Teng Snake furious.
Frustrated, Teng Snake sulked, thrashing about in their shared mindspace.
Huo Ranchuan ignored him.
He knew Teacher Bai wouldn’t give birth to eggs for a snake. Wasn’t that biologically impossible?
Huo Ranchuan whispered to Teng Snake, “Well, it’s impossible. Teacher Bai likes humans. Didn’t you see what happened with the golden eagle? It’s crying next door, holding onto those five plants.”
Indeed, the golden eagle was crying pitifully. Hugging its five potted plants, it hadn’t wilted even after three days without watering.
Teng Snake: “…”
Teng Snake felt even worse.
Teacher Bai has already given the golden eagle five plants as babies, but he hasn’t even given me one egg. I can’t even confess my feelings while pretending to be a cub.
Huo Ranchuan: “…”
He concluded that Teng Snake’s obsession was beyond saving.
The little white tiger paid no attention to Huo Ranchuan. Even though it knew Huo Ranchuan was the military school’s head instructor, it ignored him, treating everyone as irrelevant as long as they didn’t interfere with its affairs.
Its eyes remained fixed on the steak in the lion’s plate. Though it really wanted to eat it, it knew the lion hadn’t had its breakfast yet. But seeing the lion’s reaction earlier, all its eagerness seemed to have vanished.
When the little lion was sneaking the tiger away from Mons yesterday, it had been eager and attentive. Yet now, just because of a breakfast, its true nature was revealed.
Having rushed to brush its teeth and wash its face, the lion eagerly jumped back out of the bathroom. Bai Nuosi had even cleaned its paws. The moment it saw the white tiger inching toward its plate, the lion’s eyes widened as it leaped forward.
Jumping onto the chair and then the table, it lost its balance, tumbling right into the little white tiger. Using its paws, it pushed the tiger away, shouting, “It’s Xingxing’s! Hanye, no eating!”
The little white tiger: “…”
The lion immediately buried its face in the steak and started gobbling it down.
The little white tiger: “…”
The tiger sighed, shaking its head. Why bother arguing with the pampered young master?
The lion hadn’t yet faced the harshness of life. When it eventually enrolled in the military school, it would get its fair share of tough lessons.
With that thought, the tiger jumped down from the table. It had eaten so much that its stomach was round. Feeling sleepy after waking up at five in the morning and training for four hours, the young spiritual beast needed rest.
Song Hengye had also finished his breakfast. He had gone for a morning run and then completed several rounds of high-intensity training games. He wanted to keep studying, but Sajinna, his doctor, had sternly shut off his terminal, saying, “Your spiritual sea needs rest. You and your spiritual beast should both rest for a while. Continue training in the afternoon.”
With no choice, Song Hengye shut off his terminal, letting the little white tiger do as it pleased.
The little white tiger, receiving its host’s command, leaped onto the sofa by the window, where the sunlight streamed in. Curling up, it began to doze off.
The lion and the tiger both loved sleeping. Forcing them to train early in the morning was quite a feat.
The lion quickly devoured its breakfast, worried the tiger might snatch some of it.
Although the tiger was under its protection, there were two things the lion would never compromise on: Teacher Bai and food.
After the cubs finished eating, Bai Nuosi finally sat down for his meal. He didn’t prepare steak for himself, as he wasn’t fond of meat, preferring something lighter for breakfast.
Carrying a tray of bread and milk with eggs, he asked Huo Ranchuan, “Director Huo, would you like to try the bread I baked?”
Though Huo Ranchuan had already said he had eaten breakfast, Bai Nuosi still felt a bit shy about eating alone. Besides, one or two small pieces of bread wouldn’t hurt.
Bai Nuosi brought out a tray with five or six milk bread rolls, a fried egg, some ham slices, a salad, and two cups of soy milk.
He set one cup in front of Huo Ranchuan and smiled. “Director Huo, try the soy milk as well?”
Huo Ranchuan had never tasted soy milk, but based on his experience, anything Bai Nuosi made was bound to taste good.
Bai Nuosi smiled shyly. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, and I didn’t have a coffee machine here.”
It was, after all, a hospital. Bai Nuosi had already taken out all the food he had stored in his terminal.
The milk bread he baked last time had all been eaten by the little white tiger in one go. When they returned to the dorm, he would need to bake more.
Homemade bread was soft, fragrant, and healthy—a perfect breakfast and snack for the cubs.
Huo Ranchuan sat down and took the soy milk. “Thank you, Teacher Bai.”
Bai Nuosi smiled, slightly embarrassed. “No need to thank me. If you don’t like it, you can leave it.”
Huo Ranchuan sipped the soy milk. Though the flavor was unfamiliar, it was smooth and sweet. Taking another sip, he looked at Bai Nuosi. “Teacher Bai, this soy milk is very good.”
Bai Nuosi’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “I’m glad you like it, Director.”
He handed over a couple of bread rolls for Huo Ranchuan to try.
Huo Ranchuan didn’t refuse. He took a bite, and the bread’s rich milky flavor filled his mouth. It wasn’t too sweet but very delicious, no wonder the little tiger and Teng Snake loved it so much.
After breakfast, Bai Nuosi packed up their things, and with Huo Ranchuan’s help, they headed back to the dormitory.
The house Huo Ranchuan previously stayed in had been half-destroyed by the golden eagle, but it had been repaired overnight.
Once Bai Nuosi was back at the dorm, Huo Ranchuan told him, “You’ve been nominated for the Empire’s Person of the Year. This afternoon, they’ll arrange an interview with you, livestreamed. You can prepare a bit for the interview.”
Huo Ranchuan explained the process—an inspection of his working environment, observing his interactions with the cubs, and interviews with colleagues and Bai Nuosi himself.
Bai Nuosi was stunned. He stared at Huo Ranchuan, wide-eyed. “Person of the Year?”
The Empire’s Person of the Year… him?
Bai Nuosi hesitated. “I don’t think I’m suitable for that. Can I even participate in such a competition?”
Being from an alien system and having made no significant contributions to the Empire, he didn’t understand how he qualified. Each planet’s residents were often quite xenophobic; why would anyone vote for him?
Scratching his head, he said nervously, “Director, has the voting just started? Maybe it’s best if I withdraw?”
Huo Ranchuan reassured him, “You have a lot of support online. Only the top ten candidates receive interviews, so don’t undervalue yourself. Just treat it like you do with your livestreams—answer their questions as you usually do. There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be there with you.”
Huo Ranchuan reached out, patting Bai Nuosi’s shoulder gently. “When they arrive for the interview, they’ll connect it to your livestream. Just remember to turn it on.”
With Bai Nuosi leading in votes by a wide margin, this was the first time the annual event had garnered such massive attention from interstellar viewers. The organizers were eager to capitalize on the hype.
Someone as beloved as Bai Nuosi, with his skillset, appearance, and popularity, was an opportunity they couldn’t miss.
Bai Nuosi still found it hard to believe. Although he wasn’t sure what benefits came with being Person of the Year, it sounded very impressive.
Huo Ranchuan, noticing Bai Nuosi’s dazed expression, found it endearing.
He smiled. “No need to worry. Just treat it like any other workday. I’m your assistant now, so I’ll be by your side the whole time.”
Bai Nuosi felt the tension ease. With Huo Ranchuan accompanying him, he felt much more secure. It was better than facing it alone. Having no experience with such things, and being socially anxious, he worried that if the interviewers set traps, he might stumble right into them.
After lunch, the golden eagle was returned, still confined to its cage. It sat listlessly, clutching its five potted plants.
Hearing the commotion, Bai Nuosi emerged from the kitchen. With the three cubs taking their afternoon nap, the dorm was quiet, making the noise from next door noticeable.
Bai Nuosi noticed his door was open, with Huo Ranchuan standing there. He walked over and asked, “Director, what’s going on?”
Huo Ranchuan stepped aside to let Bai Nuosi see. “Nothing much, just the golden eagle being returned.”
And there it was, the golden eagle in its cage. It perked up at Bai Nuosi’s voice, looking pitifully at him before shooting a glare full of resentment at Huo Ranchuan.
It clearly still harbored a grudge against Huo Ranchuan for taking away its beloved.
Bai Nuosi spotted the potted plants the golden eagle was holding, remembering how it had mistaken him for a mate, and felt a bit awkward. He watched as the eagle was pushed into Huo Ranchuan’s quarters by a tall, slender man with long blonde hair. The man paused, then walked towards them, greeting Huo Ranchuan, “Good afternoon, Director Huo.”
With a polite, gentle smile, he extended his hand to Bai Nuosi. “Good afternoon, Teacher Bai.”
Bai Nuosi, feeling a bit shy, greeted him back. “Hello.”
He turned to Huo Ranchuan. “Director, is this…?”
Could this be the reporter coming for the interview? He was quite handsome, although he looked rather pale and sickly.
Huo Ranchuan shot the man a glare before addressing Bai Nuosi with a warm smile. “No, he’s a family member of the golden eagle. He’s here to take care of it, so you don’t have to handle its meals anymore.”
The man’s smile faltered. “Really, Director Huo? Getting defensive already?”
Huo Ranchuan continued, “Since you’re here to care for the golden eagle, I’ll let you use the house for now. I won’t interfere with your family matters. So, for the time being, I’ll be staying with Teacher Bai.”
Huo Ranchuan then turned to Bai Nuosi, an apologetic look on his face. “I hope that’s alright, Teacher Bai? It’s convenient for me to assist you with the cubs.”
The man’s face froze. “???”
Shameless