When Huo An, who was far away on Star D139, received the news that the Rebel Army had sneaked into the Animal Protection Zone in the middle of the night with the intent to harm Liang He, his first reaction was to wonder if Liang He was hurt. His second reaction was that there might be a mole in the Animal Protection Zone.
"TSK TSK, this new Breeder of yours doesn't seem ordinary at all." Mengji Snow Leopard Kuang Ye, who had just finished a battle and come to Xu Yi for his usual treatment, happened to see the video sent from the Animal Protection Zone. It made him increasingly curious about Liang He.
"Just apply your medicine and cut the nonsense," Huo An said, in a rather bad mood. To think that Liang He had encountered such danger on his turf. If she hadn't possessed the ability to protect herself, he dreaded to think what might have happened.
Unfazed by the rebuke, Kuang Ye simply raised an eyebrow. He winked suggestively at Xu Yi, eager to dig up some gossip, but Xu Yi completely ignored him.
"Kuang Ye, how much longer will it take to clear out Star D139?" Huo An asked, wanting to return to the Tianyao Star Protection Zone as soon as possible.
Down to business, Kuang Ye dropped his nonchalant expression and pondered for a moment. "Given the current situation, the Rebel Army is losing ground to us. Barring any surprises, we can end this battle within a week."
"Good. Get some rest for now. Tomorrow, I'll join you on the battlefield." Since he couldn't immediately deal with the thieves sent by the Rebel Army, Huo An figured taking his anger out on the Rebel Army members causing chaos on Star D139 was a decent alternative.
The chaotic and thrilling night had finally passed. The fight had left the animal dormitories in a complete mess. Fortunately, the Chief Stationmaster was kind and meticulous; he sent people over first thing in the morning to clean up the "battlefield" and also arranged an extra-large bed for Liang He.
After all, Cedriel alone took up two-thirds of the previous double bed, which still wasn't enough room. Sleeping like that was indeed a bit cramped.
"Wow, thanks to Cedriel, I actually have the privilege of sleeping in a bed that's nearly twenty square meters!"
Truth be told, this was Liang He's first time seeing such a massive bed. In her memory, only a traditional heated brick bed could be this large. Word had it that Huo An had specially custom-ordered this bed before he left. It had just arrived today and immediately came in handy. One could only say everything had aligned perfectly.
"Mmm, so comfortable. I want to sleep."
Exhausted from the previous day and interrupted during the night, Liang He hadn't gotten a good rest at all. Because both Cedriel and Lanton had sustained minor injuries, Liang He strictly forbade them from going out to hunt.
After finishing the lunch Liang He prepared and having their medicine reapplied, the one human and two beasts, along with the two little wolf pups, were already drowsy. They lay sprawled out, occupying a section of the massive bed.
This warm and adorable scene was fully captured by the central control room. Liang He's colleagues weren't jealous in the slightest; instead, they were delighted to see such a harmonious and cozy picture. It carried a tranquil, picturesque beauty.
"The Rebel Army members caught yesterday have already confessed. They specifically came for Liang He, taking advantage of the zone director's absence."
"It seems Liang He's uniqueness has already been discovered by the Rebel Army. We must strengthen our defenses and absolutely never allow last night's situation to happen again!"
"Exactly! But I remember their leader saying last night that they wanted to take back blood samples from Cedriel and Lanton. Something isn't right about that."
Because the situation last night was so urgent, everyone had been a bit flustered. For a moment, all attention had been focused on the Rebel Army targeting Liang He, causing them to overlook this detail.
The Royal Key Animal Protection Zone was directly under the jurisdiction of the Federation Headquarters and had an independent law enforcement department. As soon as the three Rebel Army members were caught last night, they were taken away by law enforcement and interrogated overnight.
"I have already reported this matter. Do not discuss it privately anymore, especially not in front of Liang He, understood?" The Chief Stationmaster looked at the interrogation results sent by the law enforcement department, his face solemn as he gave this strict instruction to everyone.
Seeing this, everyone nodded and tacitly changed the subject.
Sleeping from high noon until the sun set in the west, Liang He opened her eyes to see the big cat with his belly facing up, all four paws in the air, snoring with his neck tilted. He looked so soft and fluffy; she really wanted to pet him.
As if sensing someone's gaze, Cedriel instantly woke from his slumber. His tiger eyes snapped open with a sharp gaze, but upon seeing it was Liang He, they slowly closed again. Only the slight twitch of his ears and the flick of his tail tip betrayed that he was awake.
"Cedriel, you're awake~" Liang He skillfully squeezed into the Mojin King Tiger's embrace, her restless hands kneading the soft flesh on the big cat's belly.
Even though it was his most vulnerable area, Cedriel remained perfectly still, allowing Liang He to have her way with his belly.
"The big cat's belly is really so soft and comfortable."
The joy of enthusiastically rubbing her face into the big cat swept away Liang He's unpleasant mood from the previous night. Combined with having slept her fill, her spirits were soaring.
"AOOO~"
The Mojin King Tiger gently licked the hair of the little person buried in his arms, just as he would groom one of his own kind. However, this love was too heavy; Liang He was afraid she couldn't bear it.
"Stop, stop, stop! STOP!" For the sake of her hairline, Liang He frantically called for a halt. No longer caring about snuggling the cat, she hastily scrambled out of bed. "Phew, that was close. I almost went bald."
Feeling that her hair was now wet and greasy, Liang He shivered in disgust. Since she had been too tired to shower last night, she decided to just take a nice, long bath and wash up properly.
By the time Liang He finished bathing, blew her hair dry, and came out, the sky had already grown dark.
"Alright, I know, I know. I'll make you something delicious right away."
The moment she appeared, the two little wolf pups bit the hem of her pants. Their little tails wagged incessantly, displaying extreme impatience. It made sense, though; having slept the whole afternoon, never mind the little wolf pups, even she was starving.
Only after prioritizing feeding the Beast Beasts did Liang He have the time to figure out her own dinner. In the supplies sent by the Animal Protection Zone this time, there was a portion of beef. After setting aside Cedriel's share, a little bit was left over.
"The pickled peppers I made earlier are just about ready, so I might as well make pickled pepper beef." Since she had no guests to entertain today, Liang He didn't need to consider anyone else's tastes and could indulge in spicy food to her heart's content.
"It seems netizens are quite interested in Blue Star's civilization. Why don't I record another cooking video?" Thinking of her generous patrons, Liang He was fully motivated. She acted on the thought immediately, firing up her temporary small kitchen.
Although the method for making pickled pepper beef was generally the same everywhere, everyone had their own little tricks for the finer details. The pickled pepper beef Liang He made was sour, spicy, fresh, and tender, pairing perfectly with rice. The secret lay in the marinade.
First, she sliced the beef against the grain into shreds, then added various seasonings. Egg whites and starch were indispensable—this was the secret to tender beef. Finally, she drizzled a circle of cold oil to coat the beef shreds. This was mainly to lock in the beef's moisture, ensuring it tasted fresh and juicy.
"Wow, the pickled peppers smell great." Liang He scooped a full bowl of pickled peppers from a jar kept in the storage room, then cut them into thin strips.
With the preparations complete, Liang He skillfully heated a wok with oil. She first stir-fried the marinated beef over high heat until it changed color, then took it out and set it aside. To save trouble, she didn't bother washing the wok. Right into the remaining oil, she tossed shredded ginger, minced garlic, and pickled peppers. She added a pinch of salt, and finally returned the stir-fried beef to the wok along with a tiny bit of pickled pepper brine, readying the dish to be served.
"Smells so good!"
Just as Liang He was preparing the next dish, the sudden appearance of a mysterious man put Cedriel and Lanton on instant high alert.
"Hello, Liang He. I am Hoder."