Ruan Xingyao laughed openly, finally drawing Haichen’s attention to her.
At last, Haichen’s voice reached her ears.
【What new trick is this? I’m not eating!】
【As long as no one helps me find the cub, I won’t eat!】
Ruan Xingyao caught the key point right away and asked, “Haichen, the cub you’re talking about is…?”
Haichen kept muttering to himself for a while before realizing something.
He suddenly dashed to the door, clutching the bars with his paws, and cried out nonstop toward Ruan Xingyao.
【Two-legs! You can understand me?】
【Really? You really understand what I’m saying?】
【Two-legs! Then can you help me find the cub? Someone stole the cub!】
Ruan Xingyao said gently, “Haichen, don’t panic. Tell me slowly, what exactly happened?”
As she spoke, she released a bit of spiritual power to calm Haichen’s emotions.
Haichen did feel soothed and slowly sat back down.
He said: 【Back at my old home, I overheard people plotting to steal the cub. I have to catch them—I can’t let them take the cub away.】
Ruan Xingyao asked, “That’s why you’ve been refusing to eat?”
Haichen: 【No one knows the cub is going to be stolen. I have to make them understand this.】
Ruan Xingyao finally couldn’t resist reaching out and touching the paw he had wrapped around the bars.
She said, “Alright, I know about it now. You can hand this over to me without worry, okay?”
But Haichen didn’t trust her.
He pulled his paw back and muttered: 【It must be a trick. I don’t believe it. This is definitely just another way to fool me into eating.】
Ruan Xingyao was truly helpless this time.
This whole morning she’d run into two panda spirits, one harder to coax than the other.
Raising her hand, she swore, “I promise, I’ll never lie to you. I will definitely find the people trying to steal the cub, alright?”
Haichen stared straight at her, and finally chose to believe.
After all, Ruan Xingyao was the only one so far who could understand him.
He grabbed the bars again and leaned closer to her.
【Two-legs, you must catch those bad people.】
Ruan Xingyao poked his paw with her finger and said, “Deal. But you need to eat first. Once you’ve eaten, you can tell me clearly what those people looked like, then I can help you find them.”
Haichen: 【I can tell you right now.】
Ruan Xingyao: “But I need you to eat first. Otherwise, they’ll fire me, and then I won’t be able to help you.”
As she spoke, she pointed toward Zhou Heqing and Zhou Yian in the distance, her tone pitiful and plaintive.
Haichen didn’t quite understand what “firing” meant, but just thinking about it, he realized it probably meant he’d never see this two-legs again.
That was unacceptable!
Haichen immediately said: 【Eat! I’ll eat!】
Ruan Xingyao held back the laughter threatening to spill out and spoke with a deliberately serious tone:
“Alright, I’ll have them prepare your food. Eat first, okay?”
Haichen: 【Okay.】
Ruan Xingyao stood up, but the next second nearly collapsed to the ground.
Luckily, Chen Yu reacted quickly and grabbed her arm, stopping her from actually falling.
Ruan Xingyao gave him a small smile and said, “Sorry, I squatted too long—my legs went numb.”
Once she steadied herself, Chen Yu let go and stepped back to a safe distance.
Ruan Xingyao didn’t think much of it.
She walked over to Zhou Heqing and Zhou Yian and said, “Haichen agreed to eat.”
Zhou Heqing stared at her, eyes full of astonishment.
He asked in disbelief, “Really?”
Ruan Xingyao nodded. “Don’t worry, he’ll eat.”
Though Zhou Yian still didn’t fully trust her abilities, he nevertheless turned to fetch food for Haichen.
But after only two steps, he stopped and turned back.
Looking at Ruan Xingyao, he asked worriedly, “But Haichen hasn’t eaten in such a long time. Is it really okay to feed him right away?”
Ruan Xingyao replied, “Don’t worry. Haichen’s body is very healthy—he can eat.”
Zhou Yian still looked uneasy and glanced at Zhou Heqing for confirmation.
“Go ahead. Just give him a little less than usual at first,” Zhou Heqing instructed.
“Yes, Grandpa,” Zhou Yian answered.
Then Zhou Heqing turned to Ruan Xingyao and asked, “Expert Ruan, what exactly did Haichen say to you?”
Ruan Xingyao glanced back at Haichen, then gestured that they should talk farther away.
Only after they had walked to a more distant spot did she tell Zhou Heqing what Haichen had confided.
“That’s impossible!” Zhou Heqing exclaimed.
Though he had already placed his trust in her, in that moment he couldn’t help thinking she was just spouting nonsense.
Zhou Heqing said, “Whether here at Changcheng Zoo or back at the panda base, there’s no way anyone would ever do such a thing. Even visitors wouldn’t have the ability to steal a giant panda.”
In this matter, Zhou Heqing had absolute confidence.
Ruan Xingyao said, “But Haichen wouldn’t lie.”
Though little animals could indeed be rather cunning, they didn’t lie to deceive.
Zhou Heqing’s expression grew very serious, his gaze at Ruan Xingyao filled with complicated emotions.
Ruan Xingyao, however, paid it no mind.
She said, “Anyway, no matter what, once Haichen finishes eating, I’ll talk with him properly again.”
Zhou Heqing replied, “That’s all we can do then.”
Just as they were speaking, Zhou Yian returned carrying Haichen’s meal—some carrots, pumpkin, and small pieces of cornbread.
He crouched by Haichen’s enclosure and coaxed in a sing-song voice, “Haichen, come eat your meal~”
That tone nearly gave Ruan Xingyao goosebumps all over.
But Haichen paid Zhou Yian no attention at all.
He waddled his chubby body closer to the bars, pushing his snout out through them.
His thoughts spilled directly into Ruan Xingyao’s ears:
【Liar! I knew it was just a trick to make me eat!】
【The person’s gone! And they said they’d help me! Big liar!】
【Take it away, take it away! I won’t eat it!】
As he said this, Haichen reached out a paw, ready to knock Zhou Yian’s tray over.
Ruan Xingyao was utterly amused and walked over, crouching in front of Haichen.
She asked Zhou Yian, “Can I feed him?”
Even though she had disinfected and put on protective clothing, extra caution was always needed with a giant panda.
Zhou Yian had seen Haichen’s swipe just now and figured he really might not be able to manage.
He handed the tray to Ruan Xingyao and said, “I’ll leave it to you.”
— The end of the Chapter–
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