Chapter 254
Dormitory 303
Sitting on the couch and crafting a new training outfit for Ika, A-Yan glanced out the window. He couldn’t help but smile and say to Su Ci, “That Dr. Gu isn’t entirely foolish after all.”
Su Ci ignored him, focused on tinkering with the metal disk in his hands.
As for Gu Qingchen’s little schemes… as long as they didn’t bother him, Su Ci didn’t mind.
Those ferocious beasts could serve as Gu Qingchen’s trial.
Before today, Gu Qingchen might have seen the thirteen ferocious beasts as a monumental challenge. But after moving all their cages to the Nursery center, he realized:
This is nothing at all!
Unable to resist, Gu Qingchen let out two triumphant laughs and began humming a tune as he approached the big black bear’s cage to start his day’s work.
The usually docile Thunderhorn Bear gave him a pitiful glance, then turned over to lie on its belly, presenting its large, round rump to him.
Although the beasts had been moved to the Nursery center, without Su Ci physically present, Gu Qingchen wasn’t brave enough to enter the cages like he had the previous day.
But seeing the big black bear’s submissive behavior, he couldn’t help but entertain a dangerous thought.
Cautiously glancing around, he stealthily opened the cage door. When the bear remained still, he finally mustered the courage to step closer.
Of course, he didn’t dare venture as near as he had the previous day. Instead, he stayed at the entrance, ready to flee at a moment’s notice, and began casting purification energy.
Though the results were still somewhat limited, they were noticeably better than working through the cage bars.
For the first time, Gu Qingchen exhaled in genuine relief.
The act of purification itself wasn’t difficult for him—it was his primary skill. The real challenges lay in the dangers posed by the volatile beasts and the disruptions they caused.
To work in such a calm and quiet environment was nothing short of bliss.
Gradually, Gu Qingchen let his guard down.
Focused on continuously releasing purification energy, he lost track of time. He didn’t notice that the big black bear, previously feigning lifelessness, had lifted its head.
Even lying down, the bear’s body was nearly as tall as Gu Qingchen’s shoulders. Its eyes glinted faintly red, a flicker of danger.
When it bared its teeth, ready to act, a flash of red appeared outside the cage.
The crimson figure of a young Crimson Flame Tiger emerged, and the red glow in the bear’s eyes faded, retreating back into its depths.
The big black bear blinked, its gaze locking onto the fiery cub now outside its cage.
Gu Qingchen, deeply engrossed in his purification work, finally noticed the small tiger and jumped in alarm.
“Dr. Gu,” Ran Lie’s voice sounded.
The young Crimson Flame Tiger casually stretched and yawned, its bright, intense gaze fixing on the bear, as if saying: Behave yourself.
Ran Lie’s calm but commanding tone followed: “You need to be more careful.”
Gu Qingchen, still recovering from his shock, could only nod, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.
Gu Qingchen, hearing the boy’s calm and distant voice, realized that Ran Lie hadn’t completely succumbed to beast form due to frenzy. Instead, he could control this state.
“Ran Lie, what brings you here?”
At that moment, Gu Qingchen noticed he had spent far too long inside the cage. He quickly stepped out and turned to ask Ran Lie.
The young Crimson Flame Tiger glanced at him and replied coolly, “Su Su sent me.”
Puffing out his furry chest, he stood tall, exuding pride, though his tone and demeanor were intentionally nonchalant.
Gu Qingchen couldn’t help but feel a surge of amusement.
After dealing with over a dozen volatile and vicious beasts, the sight of this little tiger, capable of normal interaction, felt like a refreshing sight—even if he knew it was technically still a ferocious beast.
“Did Caretaker Su tell you what to do here?” Gu Qingchen asked gently.
Ran Lie shook his head, giving the frail-looking doctor a side glance. After a moment’s thought, he said, “I guess I’m here to protect you.”
With a confident strut, he began patrolling the cages.
The sudden appearance of the young Crimson Flame Tiger drew curious glances from many of the caged beasts, but none dared to make a move. An invisible aura of authority seemed to hold them in check.
Ran Lie frowned slightly.
It was that unsettling feeling again.
He had noticed it the day before: the beasts carried an aura similar to the blood mist monsters. However, instead of spreading outward, this oppressive energy seemed to retreat deeper into their bodies as he approached.
Ran Lie recalled what A-Yan had told him—that this energy was called “resentment,” likely the same as the pollutants Gu Qingchen and the others had mentioned.
He briefly considered dealing with it the same way he would a monster—burning the resentment away with a burst of fire. But that would likely obliterate the beasts themselves.
For now, they would have to rely on Gu Qingchen to purify it.
Ran Lie cast a helpless glance at Gu Qingchen before casually finding a spot to sit down and reverting to his human form.
Only then did Gu Qingchen notice something peculiar. The little tiger had been wearing clothes—a snug red-brown garment embroidered with flame patterns, covering its body from neck to tail, leaving only its limbs, tail, and a tuft of white fur on its chest exposed.
The outfit fit so perfectly it looked like a natural extension of the tiger, adding both a cool and oddly adorable touch.
As the tiger’s form shrank and morphed back into a human boy, the garment adjusted with him, transforming into a traditional red robe that draped over the fiery-haired teenager.
“I’m going to meditate. Don’t disturb me,” Ran Lie declared.
He sat cross-legged, pulling a small wooden fish from his spiritual storage pouch. With quiet chanting, he began rhythmically striking it.
Clack—clack—clack—
The crisp sound of the wooden fish echoed in the area. Surprisingly, rather than being disruptive, the sound brought a sense of peace and clarity.
Even the feral beasts in the cages seemed subtly affected. Their wild, untamed gazes began to show faint traces of lucidity, though the change was so slight that Gu Qingchen didn’t notice.
Encouraged by the calming atmosphere, Gu Qingchen happily resumed his work.
With Ran Lie present, it was clear Caretaker Su was keeping an eye on the situation. Since he hadn’t reprimanded Gu Qingchen for taking the initiative to relocate the beasts, there was nothing to fear.
Before long, Ika and Rong Heng arrived as well.
Just as promised the day before, Ika was eager to learn. Gu Qingchen was more than willing to teach him—especially since Caretaker Su had already approved it.
So, Ika stayed behind to learn, while Rong Heng left after dropping him off.
Later in the morning, after their training session, all the children from the Nursery center ran over to see the ferocious beasts.
The cubs already liked the majestic beasts, but after learning about their honorable pasts and tragic experiences, their feelings grew even deeper.
“Dr. Gu, will you be staying here from now on?” Lang Ze asked.
“Yes,” Gu Qingchen replied. “I’ll be here during the day, but I’ll return to the medical department’s dormitory to rest at night. As for the beasts, they’ll remain here.”
Gu Qingchen wasn’t sure if he was imagining things, but it seemed like the beasts were intently listening to him. When he finished speaking, several of them glared at him with what could only be described as resentful eyes.
The emotions in their gazes were so obvious that for a moment, he wondered if they’d regained some semblance of human reason. But then he dismissed the thought—it didn’t quite seem like that either.
His work on their purification was still a long road ahead.
However, Gu Qingchen soon noticed something curious—the beasts seemed extraordinarily tolerant when interacting with the cubs.
It wasn’t out of fear of Caretaker Su, but more like a resigned patience. Though they appeared deeply annoyed, they always ended up cooperating when the cubs played with them.
Indeed, the cubs were fearless and frequently climbed into the cages to play with the beasts.
“They’re so dirty! Let’s give them a bath!”
When the bunny-eared girl suggested this, the cubs immediately began planning to clean the beasts.
Their first target was the docile Thunderhorn Bear.
Though the bear was good-natured, it was entirely uncooperative about the idea of bathing.
The cage itself was filthy, too. Despite daily cleanings by the robotic sweepers, the bear’s interference prevented thorough cleaning of every corner, leaving the cage with a lingering unpleasant odor.
“Mr. Bear, could you please move over? We need to clean the cage first before giving you a bath,” Xue Wei politely negotiated with the bear.
The Thunderhorn Bear glanced at the tiny girl, her delicate features like a porcelain doll. She wasn’t even as large as one of its paws. With a lazy huff, it averted its gaze, completely ignoring her.
Xue Wei sighed softly. “Mr. Bear, I apologize for the offense.”
Donning a pair of gloves, she extended her hand toward the massive creature.
And then, to the utter shock of Gu Qingchen and the Thunderhorn Bear, she effortlessly lifted the mountain-like beast with one hand.
