Chapter 255
Xue Wei was no longer embarrassed by her immense strength. After lifting the Thunderhorn Bear with ease, she promptly directed 4583 to clean the now-exposed areas of the cage.
The robot swiftly cleaned the ground and even scrubbed the walls of the cage.
Despite her petite frame, she had effortlessly hoisted the mountain-like Thunderhorn Bear.
When she released the bear and set it back down, the massive creature still had a dazed look in its eyes. It blinked its small, round black eyes and glanced around, seemingly questioning whether it had been dreaming.
“Mr. Bear, we’re about to give you a bath,” the little girl announced sweetly, her voice polite and innocent.
The Thunderhorn Bear struggled to roll onto its belly and fixed its gaze on the girl. After a moment of contemplation, it couldn’t resist extending one of its enormous paws toward her.
However…
Xue Wei casually raised a hand and blocked it.
The bear pushed harder, trying to move her hand with all its might. Yet, no matter how much force it used, the little hand in front of it remained immovable.
???
The bear’s small eyes were filled with confusion, while Xue Wei’s face betrayed a hint of exasperation.
The reason?
The bear reeked.
When Lai Ze had first returned, he’d fallen into a river, so the water had washed him clean. In contrast, the beasts sent from Base Two hadn’t been cleaned at all.
Cleaning the cages alone had already resulted in the destruction of several cleaning robots. The thought of washing the beasts themselves had been deemed impossible.
For someone like Xue Wei, who loved cleanliness, this was utterly unbearable.
“Mr. Bear, please cooperate. We’re about to give you a bath!” she declared sternly.
Washing the bear inside the cage wasn’t ideal, but when the cubs suggested unchaining the Thunderhorn Bear and bringing it outside for a bath, Dr. Gu vehemently refused.
Left with no other option, the cubs decided to work within the confines of the cage.
After Xue Wei’s “friendly” exchange with the bear, it was Lu Jiao’s turn to step in.
Standing at the cage door, Lu Jiao looked up at the bear’s imposing figure, nervously swallowing.
In his arms, he held a round, translucent, water-blue orb. Together, they formed a harmless and endearing duo.
The Thunderhorn Bear glanced at the pair warily, unsure if it needed to be on guard.
While the bear pondered, Xue Wei quickly darted behind Lu Jiao and softly said, “It’s ready.”
Before the bear could react—
“Whoosh!”
A torrent of water shot out from the little water orb, blasting the Thunderhorn Bear directly. The force was so intense that the bear had to drop to the ground, gripping the floor with all four limbs to avoid being swept away.
But…
The water stream hitting its body hurt—a lot.
The Thunderhorn Bear nearly whimpered aloud, while the little water orb seemed to be having the time of its life.
Once a mighty water demon ruling over an entire mountain range in the blood mist, the orb now found itself reduced to a water spirit. Not only did it water plants daily, but it also had to serve as a nanny for these children!
Reflecting on its “tragic” fate, the orb unleashed even more powerful water streams.
The relentless water blasts continued until Xue Wei finally shouted, “Stop!”
The little water orb reluctantly ceased, though it was clearly eager to keep going.
The Thunderhorn Bear, which had been bracing itself against the ground to resist the torrent, was now pinned against the cage wall by the water. Its massive, mountain-like body looked unexpectedly small and helpless.
The bear was utterly stunned, as was Gu Qingchen, who stood outside the cage watching.
He had always known that the cub squad at the nursery was impressive, but he hadn’t realized they were this formidable. Sending in just two members was enough to leave the once-mighty Thunderhorn Bear utterly defeated!
Xue Wei examined the bear, now completely soaked and dripping with water. She nodded in satisfaction and pulled out a bottle of shampoo.
“Let’s help Mr. Bear smell nice and clean!”
“Yay!”
At her call, the cubs, who had been obediently waiting outside the cage, cheered and rushed inside.
They squeezed out generous amounts of shampoo and scrambled up onto the Thunderhorn Bear’s back. Soon, the tangled, matted fur was covered with mountains of bubbles, nearly burying the bear in foam.
The Thunderhorn Bear couldn’t help but sneeze, sending bubbles flying everywhere. For a moment, if one ignored the cage and chains, the scene almost looked whimsical and magical.
Meanwhile, the other beasts in their cages watched the bear’s “ordeal” from afar. They instinctively shrank into their corners, their eyes wide with alarm.
So terrifying, so absolutely terrifying… What are they doing? Are we next?
The Thunderhorn Bear, on the other hand, was silently suffering. Though good-natured, it wasn’t entirely without temper. Yet every time it felt the urge to resist, it would recall a certain pair of half-smiling eyes staring at it.
That memory alone was enough to suppress any rebellious thoughts.
Its bloodline seemed to be warning it: Do not act rashly.
And so, the Thunderhorn Bear could do nothing but surrender to its fate.
Interestingly, as the cubs continued scrubbing, its expression of despair gradually morphed into one of enjoyment. It even started lifting its legs or paws occasionally, signaling the cubs to scratch certain itchy spots.
The snowy white foam quickly turned grimy as dirt washed off. The water, released by Lu Jiao, flushed the filth out of the cage, leaving trails of muddy liquid behind.
The once-filthy Thunderhorn Bear was now noticeably cleaner, though it wasn’t quite there yet.
Under Xue Wei’s meticulous supervision, the cubs squeezed out more shampoo, climbed back onto the bear, and used brushes to create even richer and denser foam.
Despite being drenched from head to toe, the children were laughing and joking, thoroughly enjoying the process of bathing the giant bear. Far from being tired, they seemed to be having the time of their lives.
Hearing the laughter echoing from the cage, Gu Qingchen looked down at Ika, who was sitting outside, unable to join in because of his limited mobility.
Seeing the longing in Ika’s eyes, Gu Qingchen offered a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for you in the future.”
After all, there were still thirteen beasts waiting their turn!
That day, the cubs only managed to finish bathing the Thunderhorn Bear. By the time they rinsed off the last of the foam and the caretaker robots had blow-dried its fur with a large dryer, the bear looked completely refreshed.
Even though its black-and-gray coat naturally hid dirt well, the sense of cleanliness after thoroughly washing off the dust was incomparable.
Even the Thunderhorn Bear, who hadn’t had a proper bath in years, felt significantly more comfortable after being cleaned. The wild, restless urge to lash out had noticeably subsided.
“This feels amazing!” Lang Ze couldn’t help but exclaim.
Although washing such a massive bear was exhausting, the sense of accomplishment after completing the task—looking at the clean, fresh-smelling cage and the now fragrant and fluffy bear—was incredibly fulfilling.
While the caretaker robots blow-dried the Thunderhorn Bear’s fur, the cubs also took the opportunity to bathe and change into fresh clothes. Now squeaky clean themselves, they gathered around to admire their work.
Lang Ze stared at the bear for a moment, then couldn’t resist jumping back into the cage. With a leap, he landed belly-first onto the bear’s soft, fluffy, and now delightfully fragrant belly.
This was so comfortable!
The Thunderhorn Bear lazily lowered its gaze to the little wolf cub sprawled on its stomach, rolling around and playing. Its beastly eyes softened momentarily, showing a rare hint of warmth.
Then, as if breaking a spell:
“YouYou! Lu Lu! Come on in!” Lang Ze called out to the others.
Encouraged by Lang Ze, the other cubs quickly joined in.
Since the bear had been docile throughout the bathing session, the cubs weren’t afraid of it. Having just bathed it themselves, they felt a newfound bond with the creature.
The cage was soon filled with the sound of giggles and laughter.
As the bear found itself covered with playful cubs, the warmth in its eyes faded. It returned to its resigned, woe-is-me expression, lying still as if submitting to fate.
Next up in line was the Snow Fox.
Unlike the massive Thunderhorn Bear, the Snow Fox was much smaller, though still larger than an average fox. Its injured eye was gradually healing thanks to Ika’s persistent efforts.
Perhaps because of this, the fox allowed Ika to approach it, showing an unusual gentleness in his presence.
Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, Ika happily joined the cubs’ washing mission. Together, they cleaned the dusty, dirty fox, giving it a complete makeover.
When the layers of grime and filth were finally washed away, revealing the fox’s true fur color, the cubs understood why it was called the Snow Fox.
Its fur was as white as freshly fallen snow!
And it was beautiful.
The cubs had never seen such a stunning creature before. Its almond-shaped eyes curved gracefully, framed by long, curled lashes. Its glossy black pupils shimmered like gemstones, full of intelligence and expression.
Dr. Gu explained that with proper care and nourishment, once the fox regained its strength and overcame its frail condition, its fur would become even more radiant—like the finest silk.
The cubs couldn’t wait to see that day.
After hearing those words, the cubs couldn’t help but get excited. They decided to pay extra attention to the Snow Fox’s diet to ensure it thrived.
Of course, the washing tasks for the other beasts weren’t neglected either.
By the time they had finished cleaning every single beast, winter’s chill had fully descended upon Base 24.
That morning, when the cubs woke up, they saw frost patterns etched across the glass windows, and outside, the world was blanketed in a shimmering layer of white.
“It’s snowing!”
Lang Ze opened the window, and a gust of cold wind immediately rushed in. The drop in temperature had triggered the heating system in the nursery, which was why they hadn’t woken up freezing in the middle of the night.
He quickly shut the window again.
For Lang Ze, snowy days had never held happy memories. Back at the space pirate base, snow meant harsher conditions and more suffering. Even after coming to the nursery, heavy snowfalls were considered extreme weather.
He vividly remembered a time when the nursery’s temperature regulation system malfunctioned. The bone-chilling cold that seeped into every corner of the building was something Lang Ze would never forget.
Staring at the silver-white world outside, Lang Ze frowned.
“Lang Ze—”
A little black cat leapt onto the windowsill, its warm, furry body brushing against Lang Ze’s cheek and melting away the chill left by the frost.
Lang Ze’s furrowed brows suddenly relaxed.
He scooped up the little black cat and, as he always did, cheerfully darted out of the room.
Everything was different now. He was no longer the little pup who went hungry, wore tattered clothes, and was constantly bullied. Now, even the coldest winter could bring him joy!
After all, he was a Midnight Wolf. Snowstorms didn’t scare him at all!
