Chapter 5: The New Zookeeper's Wild Moves

Upon his return, Cedric found his "home" had been raided. Fuming, he let out a roar at Juan, his tiger eyes fierce and majestic. His unsheathed claws were poised and ready, waiting for the perfect moment to slash through his enemy's throat.

"Wow! Cedric, did you go hunting? That's amazing!"

The sudden praise instantly dissolved the tension between the man and the tiger. Cedric looked at Liang He in bewildered confusion; seeing her eyes sparkle as she stared at the prey he had brought back, he immediately pushed the catch toward her.

"Awoo!"

*Take it and eat!*

Juan had known since yesterday that Cedric treated Liang He differently, but seeing it with his own eyes and feeling it firsthand, he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

*Cedric, you double-standard dog... tiger!*

"For me?" Liang He looked at the wild rabbit and the farm chicken on the ground in pleasant surprise.

Since predators do not eat food provided by humans, but there was a fear they might not always catch suitable prey, the reserve released live animals at regular intervals to serve as hunting targets.

"Cedric, you're so wonderful! Thank you!"

When facing something fluffy, Liang He was never stingy with her praise. Not only that, she even left a fragrant kiss right on the "King" part of the Ink-Gold King Tiger.

Having received such praise, the Ink-Gold King Tiger actually decided not to pursue Juan's "home-raiding" behavior. He walked submissively to Liang He's side as she prepared to process the chicken, gave a lazy stretch, and flopped down.

"So, the Marshal went hunting specifically for Liang He?"

"I'm really afraid that if Cedric gets annoyed, he'll just swallow the District Chief whole."

"He was clearly furious just a moment ago, but a single word of praise from Liang He made him surrender!"

In the central control room, the staff—who were not only enduring the temptation of a mukbang but also being backstabbed by Cedric's double standards—were simultaneously moved to tears in their eyes and their mouths.

Fortunately, the Marshal in his human form certainly wouldn't be so irrational as to surrender to Liang He so easily, otherwise...

The consequences would be unthinkable. Better stop thinking about that!

Completely unaware that she had triggered a sense of crisis and sparked wild imaginations among her colleagues, Liang He had just finished cleaning the chicken. She planned to make roast chicken and then prepare an extra meal for Cedric.

"Can I touch your tummy?"

Liang He gently stroked the Ink-Gold King Tiger's belly. After confirming he had already eaten lunch, she decided to give him some vegetarian additions.

As a big cat, Cedric needed to eat some grass to help with hairball prevention and digestion. In addition, Liang He prepared a large watermelon for him.

Watching Cedric obediently enjoy the fruit and grass Liang He prepared, Juan confirmed once again that Liang He was indeed the one receiving special treatment.

"I'm so jealous! Liang He actually gets to touch the Marshal's belly!"

"Double standards... I'm tired of saying it. When will it be my turn?"

"By the way, Liang He is a bit naughty—she actually snuck medicine into the watermelon!"

To ensure Cedric would take his medicine obediently, Liang He had specially prepared the watermelon as a fruit platter, sprinkling the medicine prepared by Xu Yi over it, using the sweetness of the watermelon to mask the medicinal taste.

Cedric, who had absolute faith in Liang He, was tricked into eating the medicine, leaving everyone watching in stunned silence.

The new keeper's "pro moves" were simply too much!

"By the way, Brother Juan, can I ask you something?"

After tearing off a chicken leg from the roast, Liang He handed the rest to Juan.

In the time it took to eat a meal, she had already learned about Juan's strength—or rather, his appetite.

"What is it?"

Roast chicken and roast mutton had completely different textures, but once they hit the mouth, they were equally delicious, leaving a lingering fragrance.

"The people back in my hometown are very curious about the fluffy creatures of the interstellar era. Can I post some photos and videos of the animals in the reserve on the Star Net? I want them to enjoy the joy of 'cloud-petting' interstellar fluffies."

People from Blue Star were unwilling to leave their homes, yet they were curious about the planets beyond. Liang He also wanted to use this to record her life, but she didn't quite understand the reserve's regulations and didn't dare to act rashly.

"You can, but you can't force them to watch."

As the District Chief, Juan knew that many people posted photos taken in the reserve on the Star Net to earn a bit of a filming fee, so Liang He's request was not unreasonable.

As for why he wasn't worried about leaking the existence of SSS-class beastmen like Cedric, it was naturally because, in the eyes of enemies, this was already a known fact.

"Also, it's best if you don't show your face."

Compared to the beastmen who transformed into predators, Cedric was currently more worried about Liang He's safety. She looked far too weak, making it inevitable that people might worry someone would target her.

"No problem!"

Regarding showing her face, Liang He actually didn't like being in the spotlight. Her idea came purely from the desire to share the joy of petting fluffies and to record her life.

The meal was enjoyed by everyone, leaving them satisfied and greasy. Once Cedric swallowed the last piece of watermelon, Liang He prepared to take him to the treatment room to change his bandages.

"Cedric, come quickly, it's time to change your bandages."

Hearing Liang He's call, Cedric rose slowly, sharpened his claws, and looked warily at Juan. After letting out an annoyed huff, he immediately turned and ran toward the treatment room.

Blatantly rejected, Juan's lips twitched silently as he began to clean up the mess, moving the remaining supplies from the aircraft to the entrance of the treatment room bit by bit.

Looking at the double bed in the treatment room, Liang He estimated they had prepared a large bed specifically because they thought Cedric might want to sleep close to her; it was large enough to accommodate both a person and a tiger.

"Good boy, let me cut the gauze from yesterday first. Don't move around, okay?"

With Juan gone, Cedric was exceptionally relaxed. He lay lazily beside Liang He, his tail swishing back and forth, obediently cooperating as she changed his bandages.

As an SSS-class beastman, his natural healing ability was quite good, but combined with the special medicine from Xu Yi, the wound would clearly heal faster and better.

"Awoo..."

Because the wound still had some inflammation, the application of the medicine caused a slight stinging sensation, making Cedric feel a bit uncomfortable.

However, since Liang He told him not to move, he truly stayed still, only letting out a few aggrieved whimpers to signal that Liang He should coax him more.

"There, there, I know it hurts a little. Let me blow on it, and the pain will fly away."

Liang He coaxed the Ink-Gold King Tiger like one would a child. He happened to be quite susceptible to this method; having received comfort, Cedric squinted his tiger eyes contentedly, waiting obediently for the treatment to end.

The people in the control room: *I can't watch, I really can't watch!*

They wondered if, once the Marshal exited his beast state and regained consciousness, he would be so ashamed of his current self that he would want to bash his head against a wall?

"The medicine is applied. Cedric, don't go playing in the water secretly lately, okay?"

"Awoo!"

*Understood!*

Having successfully completed the treatment task, Liang He once again demonstrated her value to Juan and his colleagues. After bidding her farewell, Juan immediately returned to the office in the main service area to begin reporting to his superiors.

Meanwhile, Liang He prepared to take Cedric around to take some photos. It would be even better if they could encounter other fluffy creatures.

"Lii!"

Is a new fluffy creature coming? Is it? Though it might not count as a "fluffy"~ haha.

(End of Chapter)