Chapter 83
Huo Ranchuan’s tone was sincere, and his expression was genuine. Bai Nuosi felt it would be impolite to refuse, especially since Director Huo had already offered to assist him as his assistant, sharing the workload. Staying together would indeed be convenient.
After all, in Rose Nursery, the assistants assigned to nursery teachers typically lived either next door or even directly in the nursery room. However, the dormitories here didn’t have a nursery room; instead, they were compact one-bedroom apartments, just the right size for Huo Ranchuan to stay in one of the rooms.
Bai Nuosi thought about how he felt somewhat awkward when facing the golden eagle. Now that its family member had come to take care of it, it was the best outcome. What he hadn’t realized was that he didn’t even need to stay here anymore. Director Huo had originally asked him to move in mainly to take care of the shedding snake and the golden eagle that loved his baked buns.
Bai Nuosi, with his simple mindset, couldn’t think that far. When he met Huo Ranchuan’s apologetic gaze, his heart softened, and he immediately nodded. “Of course, you can stay. Let me help you prepare the room.”
The apartment had two bedrooms. The master bedroom was spacious with its own balcony, garden, bathroom, and a sitting area where Bai Nuosi stayed with the cubs. The second bedroom was much smaller, but it also had a small balcony and a bathroom. Considering he needed space for the cubs to sleep, Bai Nuosi figured the larger room was best for them. So, he went directly to the smaller room to prepare it for Director Huo.
His intention was simple: Director Huo had a higher position and was there to help him; it was only right to prepare the room properly. Besides, Director Huo didn’t seem like someone who was used to doing household chores.
But in Chen Min’s eyes, this looked overly considerate. His tone carried a hint of jealousy as he commented, “Teacher Bai is so thoughtful. Does he even know how sly you are?”
Huo Ranchuan, with his tall and strong build, blocked the doorway completely, preventing Chen Min from peeking inside. “What are you looking at? Respect other people’s privacy.”
Trying to sneak a peek at Teacher Bai!
Chen Min, exasperated, said, “I’m not even allowed to look while you’re moving in to stay with him? You know it’s more reasonable for me to stay. Ares still rejects me.”
Huo Ranchuan remained unmoved. “The more it rejects you, the more you should stay close. It’s your spiritual beast, after all. Maybe by spending more time together, you’ll find a chance to reclaim it.”
Chen Min watched as the golden eagle was pushed into the room next door by the robot, sighing. “Unless it’s willing, otherwise…”
After all, with his current strength, he couldn’t force the golden eagle to comply. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been lost for three years.
“By the way, there is one possibility,” Chen Min said, suddenly leaning closer to Huo Ranchuan. “What if Teacher Bai pretends to be its partner and talks it into coming back? It clearly listens to him.”
The golden eagle was hopelessly romantic, and Chen Min knew it too well.
Huo Ranchuan’s expression remained blank as he scoffed. “Wishful thinking.”
With that, he turned and walked back inside, slamming the door shut.
Chen Min: “…”
He tilted his head back, thinking Huo Ranchuan was the example of prioritizing romance over friendship—abandoning friends when he had a chance with a potential partner.
But, remembering Teacher Bai’s gentle and cute demeanor, Chen Min thought that if he had the chance, he too would hold onto Teacher Bai tightly and never give anyone else the opportunity.
Back inside, the three cubs were still napping in the bedroom. However, the little snake wasn’t actually asleep; it wasn’t tired and didn’t have the habit of napping.
The white tiger cub, exhausted after intense training in the morning, was fast asleep. The little lion, predictably, ate and slept in cycles. As long as it wasn’t taken outside or given food, it would stay asleep most of the time.
Huo Ranchuan entered the smaller bedroom, where Bai Nuosi had thoughtfully made the bed, opened the windows, and even the balcony doors. Standing in the sunlit room, Bai Nuosi turned to him with a smile, saying, “Director, there’s a lake outside. Look, there are cubs fishing over there.”
Watching Teacher Bai smiling in the sunlight, Huo Ranchuan felt his heart stir.
Maintaining a calm facade, he walked to Bai Nuosi’s side, looking out through the open balcony doors. From their vantage point, they could see a large portion of the Rose Nursery’s east district: orchards, gardens, a vast artificial lake, and the playground the cubs loved so much.
The view was indeed beautiful.
Bai Nuosi rarely had the time to sit quietly and admire the scenery. Caring for cubs might seem simple, but it was actually a demanding job.
Every day, he prepared nutritious meals, ensured the cubs had enough outdoor activity time, made snacks, put them down for naps, and gave them baths. Even during his free time, Bai Nuosi couldn’t sit still. He was always baking cookies or bread to give the cubs something to snack on while they played outside.
That morning, the white tiger had devoured all the bread he had baked. He had just finished baking dozens more and placed them in the oven. Now, he could already smell the sweet aroma.
Standing beside him, Huo Ranchuan found himself completely uninterested in the view outside. To him, no scenery could compare to the sight of Teacher Bai right in front of him.
Since he had the time, Huo Ranchuan remembered their unfinished movie date. Why not ask him tonight?
The cubs usually slept around eight or nine, and now that he was living here, it was the perfect opportunity for a late-night movie.
He stole several glances at Bai Nuosi and finally cleared his throat, ready to speak.
Just then, Bai Nuosi smiled brightly. “Wow, it smells amazing! The bread is ready! I added honey and some crushed nuts this time; it should taste even better. Director, would you like to try some?”
Bai Nuosi eagerly left for the kitchen, the air filled with the scent of honey bread.
Huo Ranchuan: “…”
Feeling a bit awkward, he rubbed his nose and followed him.
Bai Nuosi had baked sixty buns in one batch. He took out tray after tray of freshly baked bread and put the remaining forty in the oven.
With the increase in cubs and the white tiger’s enormous appetite, he was now baking double the amount.
Wearing gloves, Bai Nuosi handed a bun to Huo Ranchuan. “Try it, Director. It should taste even better than the ones from this morning.”
Huo Ranchuan took it. “Teacher Bai, your injuries haven’t fully healed. You should rest more these days. We can have the food delivered from the canteen.”
He still remembered how bruised Bai Nuosi was. Even though they were superficial injuries, the bruises were painful to see.
Bai Nuosi smiled. “It doesn’t hurt much anymore. Besides, I can’t stay idle. Cooking isn’t work for me; it’s a way to de-stress.”
Sometimes, when he encountered difficult cubs, even someone as gentle as Bai Nuosi could feel the strain. In those moments, he would find something to do, like cooking, baking, or tending to his plants. These activities helped him relax and quickly adjust his mood.
Huo Ranchuan, observing Teacher Bai, thought his character was simply too good. He not only had a great temperament but also consistently remained calm. Since he had started taking care of the cubs—first the black panther, then the panda, and now the lion and the tiger—each one had different experiences and temperaments, yet Teacher Bai had never once lost his temper.
Even with the mischievous lion, he had never raised his voice. It was almost miraculous.
If it had been Huo Ranchuan, he would have disciplined the lion long ago.
Just then, the aroma of the bread woke the white tiger cub from its nap.
It opened its eyes, glanced around, and then checked its surroundings and the bed it was lying on.
This room was filled with Teacher Bai’s and the snake’s scent—definitely where Teacher Bai usually lived.
It looked at the lion still sleeping beside it and the awake Teng Snake. Without another thought, it jumped off the bed, ran out of the room, and darted straight to the kitchen.
Huo Ranchuan, munching on a bun, was just about to ask Bai Nuosi out when the little white tiger appeared.
The tiger stopped in front of Bai Nuosi, looking up with its eyes fixed on the bread in Bai Nuosi’s hands.
Huo Ranchuan: “…”
Bai Nuosi smiled. “Hanye, you’re awake? Come, have a snack.”
Before he even finished speaking, the white tiger had already jumped onto the kitchen counter. Bai Nuosi set six buns and a bottle of milk in front of it.
Without expression, the white tiger began eating.
Huo Ranchuan: “…”
Bai Nuosi, a little worried, said, “Hanye has such a big appetite; it eats so much in one sitting. Should we take it for a check-up?”
He looked at Huo Ranchuan, trying to gauge his reaction. If the tiger were truly a beast cub, it would need a check-up. But if it wasn’t…
Huo Ranchuan, with a stern face, watched the tiger devour the food. Although he knew that as a spiritual beast, it didn’t need an examination and that its large appetite was normal due to its high-intensity training, he couldn’t help but grumble, “Yes, let’s have it checked.”
Eat, eat, eat—was that all it did? Teacher Bai had worked hard baking a hundred buns in an afternoon, and the little tiger could eat half of them in one sitting. Was that reasonable?
Huo Ranchuan thought to himself that he would have to have a word with Song Hengye. Now that he was an S-rank, the empire provided him with a generous allowance. If he wanted food, he could eat in the military cafeteria; he couldn’t keep letting the tiger eat so much and make Teacher Bai work so hard without rest!
Bai Nuosi looked confused. “Uh…”
Did they really need to check it?
Did spiritual beasts need check-ups?
Before he could think further, the snake and the lion had woken up and came over for snacks. Bai Nuosi became busy again, and after feeding them, he led them out for their outdoor activities.
As they were about to leave, the lion was particularly clever. It clung to Bai Nuosi’s pant leg, pleading, “Carry me!”
The white tiger stood expressionless to the side, but the snake, sensing danger, quickly climbed into Bai Nuosi’s arms.
With three cubs, Bai Nuosi could only carry two at a time. The lion was quite chubby, and even carrying one was a challenge.
Bai Nuosi looked from the white tiger to the lion, feeling torn.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to carry the lion, but if he carried it and not the white tiger, he worried the tiger would feel left out.
But if he didn’t carry the lion, he worried it would be upset.
Squatting down, Bai Nuosi was about to discuss with the lion when Huo Ranchuan bent down, swiftly scooping up the white tiger and the lion with one arm each. Smiling, he said to Bai Nuosi, “Teacher Bai, I’m your assistant now, so just let me handle things.”
Looking at the two fluffy cubs in his arms, the lion immediately puffed up, glaring suspiciously at Huo Ranchuan. But seeing the faint smile in Huo Ranchuan’s eyes, it clamped its mouth shut, not daring to make a sound.
The white tiger frowned. It didn’t like being carried, but with Huo Ranchuan’s firm grip, it couldn’t break free.
Huo Ranchuan continued, “Teacher Bai, when we go out in the future, I’ll carry them. The snake is lighter, so you can hold it.”
The lion: “…”
The white tiger: “…”
Bai Nuosi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Alright, thank you, Director.”
Huo Ranchuan smiled. “It’s no trouble.”
He carried the two fluffy cubs outside. The lion whispered in his ear, “Shameless!”
All this to get close to Teacher Bai. What was that about letting Teacher Bai focus on the snake cub? The snake wasn’t even a real cub!
Annoying! Huo Ranchuan was so good at creating opportunities for himself!
As they reached the park, the reporters arrived, guided by Mons.
There were three reporters, and they glanced nervously at the twenty guards following them. The lead male reporter spoke, “Mons, we’re just here for an interview with Teacher Bai. We won’t harm the cubs or take unauthorized pictures…”
So, could the large escort team leave? They were all just B-rank or below—no threat at all!
Mons smiled politely. “Of course, we know you wouldn’t take unauthorized pictures. After all, this broadcasting equipment is expensive. It would be a shame if anything happened to it, wouldn’t it?”
The reporter: “…”
Mons added, “Also, there are three S-rank cubs in this area. If there weren’t guards, what would you do if you were attacked?”
The reporter: “…”
Shocked, the reporter asked, “What? The little lion might attack us?”
They had been following Teacher Bai’s live streams for months. The lion cub was mischievous but polite. It had never shown aggressive tendencies.
The three reporters, who had initially thought of sneaking a peek and filming some behind-the-scenes footage, abandoned the idea after seeing the guards.
Mons sent a message to Bai Nuosi, who was currently playing with the cubs by the lake. The snake swam in the water, the lion pounced on butterflies in the flowers, and the white tiger lazily napped on a rock.
Bai Nuosi took out his live-streaming ball and said to Huo Ranchuan, “Director, the interview team is arriving soon, so I need to start the live stream now.”
Huo Ranchuan, unconcerned about being on camera, nodded. “I’m your assistant now, so I’ll follow your lead.”
Bai Nuosi started the live stream.
As soon as it began, he received a link invitation from the Imperial Central Committee’s Annual Figure Evaluation Group to join his live stream. Bai Nuosi clicked to accept, and soon, a small screen appeared on his live stream, showing another broadcast.
Before he could focus on it, the flood of comments from his viewers surprised him.
His regular viewers, knowing about his account’s comment restrictions, carefully avoided triggering words. Many comments filled the screen:
[Ahhhh, wife! You’re finally here! Congrats on being nominated for Annual Figure! I even used my family’s accounts to vote for you, hehe.]
[This award has to go to Teacher Bai! Such an excellent person should stay. Where else will I find such a great spiritual beast caretaker when I awaken?!]
[Lol, as if you’re going to awaken as an S-rank.]
[By the way, unless you’re an Imperial First Academy spiritual beast, how else would you get Teacher Bai’s care? crying emoji]
[Why does Teacher Bai only have a billion votes? I’m so disappointed. Where are the rest? Are they secretly voting for Director Huo? He’s already a prominent figure; he doesn’t need this title! Transfer his votes to Teacher Bai, thanks!]
…
The screen was full of comments about the Annual Figure nomination. Bai Nuosi, reading some, shyly said, “I just started the stream to talk about the nomination. I’m really surprised to be part of it.”
He hesitated. “After all, I’m new to the Rose Nursery, and based on experience, I’m still a rookie…”
His fans immediately flooded the screen with praise:
[Teacher Bai, don’t underestimate yourself. You’re the best caretaker I’ve ever seen!]
[Yeah, wife, you take such good care of the cubs. Everyone loves you! If you weren’t amazing, your live stream wouldn’t be this popular.]
[Whoa, everyone, look who’s standing behind Teacher Bai?]
[Ohhh… Who’s that tall, muscular hunk? Why isn’t he showing his face?]
…
Bai Nuosi, not realizing the viewers were teasing, thought they genuinely didn’t know who Huo Ranchuan was. He earnestly moved aside and introduced, “The person behind me is Director Huo of Rose Nursery. Since I’m currently taking care of three cubs, the director was worried I might not manage on my own, so he’s temporarily assisting me.”
Huo Ranchuan watched as Bai Nuosi seriously introduced him, staying silent for a moment before stepping into the camera’s view. “Hello, everyone. I’m Teacher Bai’s assistant. It’s my duty to support his work. Thank you all for your understanding and support. We’ll keep doing our best.”
The comments:
[…]
[…]
[Oh wow, Director Huo, why stoop to being an assistant? Move over! Let me! I’d gladly take on this responsibility for Director Huo!]
[Taking care of the cubs is so exhausting, really. Please, Director Huo, take a rest. I’m more than willing to take over!]
[What the…?! How is Teacher Bai hiring an assistant, and I didn’t hear about it?! Rose Nursery, where’s the job posting?! I’m furious!]
[Ugh, so this is Director Huo using his position to pull strings, huh? How can someone of his rank be an assistant? Teacher Bai, fire him! Let me do it! I have a degree in early childhood education—I don’t even need training!]
…
Bai Nuosi frowned slightly, confused by some of the comments. “Pulling strings… what does that mean?”
Huo Ranchuan, blocking the comments with his hand, said calmly, “The reporters will be here soon. Is there anything you need to prepare?”
Bai Nuosi adjusted his clothes and sat beside the white tiger, gently petting its head. “I don’t think so.”
Huo Ranchuan nodded. “Alright, I’ll let Mons bring them in.”
Every area of Rose Nursery had a strict security system. Mons and the team were currently outside the S-zone, and only after getting permission from Huo Ranchuan could they enter.
Soon, the three reporters, led by Mons, arrived at the garden. From a distance, they saw Teacher Bai sitting beside the white tiger, petting its head, while the little lion ran around and Teng Snake rested by the lake.
But the most surprising sight was Huo Ranchuan, standing protectively beside Teacher Bai.
The reporters: “…”
Bai Nuosi’s hair was long, so he had tied it in a small ponytail. As he was a bit nearsighted, he wore glasses today. Seeing the reporters approach, he stood up and greeted them warmly. “Good afternoon, I’m Bai Nuosi, a caretaker at Rose Nursery.”
The lead male reporter eagerly stepped forward, excited to finally meet Teacher Bai in person after following his live stream for two months. “Hello, Teacher Bai. It’s an honor to meet you!”
Bai Nuosi, a little embarrassed, smiled. “Thank you…”
Just then, Huo Ranchuan’s sharp gaze fixed on the reporter’s hand as he approached. Huo Ranchuan stepped forward, extending his own hand and speaking coolly, “Hello, I’m the director of Rose Nursery. On behalf of the nursery, I welcome you.”
The reporter: “…”
He looked at Huo Ranchuan’s outstretched hand and then at his expression, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Oh no, this hand… he didn’t dare shake it.
Don’t ask why; it’s just fear.
NOT EVEN LETTING WIFE SHAKE HANDS WITH THE REPORTERS ?