Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Teasing a Human

With this thought budding in her mind, Xu Ying couldn’t wait to see the results.

Though she wasn’t sure if Ling Yu would develop a psychological shadow from her being such a big villain.

After recovering from Brother Leopard’s scent attack, Xu Ying put on her helmet, lifted the dark visor, mustered up her courage, and approached the Cheetah Leader with a small flashlight in hand.

Under the flashlight’s beam, Xu Ying saw a noticeable ulcer on the palate of the Cheetah Leader’s mouth, with surrounding tissue already inflamed and swollen.

“The oral ulcer is quite serious. From the looks of it, was the wound caused by a sharp bone while eating?”

The Cheetah Leader nodded, letting out a low whimper, like a big cat acting coy, which was a sign of the wound’s pain.

Cheetahs don’t roar like lions or tigers; their calls are more like kitten sounds, with purrs and chirps, contrasting sharply with their appearance.

Xu Ying couldn’t help but gently pat the Cheetah Leader’s ear in comfort.

The leopard’s fur felt smooth and soft, denser and firmer than a house cat’s, and a poke made it springy.

This is because their fur is very resilient, helping them avoid scratches while running and passing through bushes.

[Rescuer, is there still hope for me?]

The mighty Cheetah Leader lowered his head, looking dejected and self-conscious: [I don’t dare to compete with other males during courtship because of my bad breath, and I can’t even eat my favorite meat, I’ve lost a lot of weight and don’t have the strength to fight other males.]

Female cheetahs emit specific scents and calls during estrus to attract males, often resulting in multiple males competing for the chance to mate with the same female.

To gain favor with the females, male cheetahs intensify their competition, focusing on hunting prowess, running speed, and physical appearance…

“Don’t worry, it’s just that the ulcer is a bit severe and needs time to heal.”

Xu Ying encouragingly patted the cheetah’s back, marveling at its elegant and muscular form!

She retrieved saline from the medical kit to initially disinfect and clean the Cheetah Leader’s wound.

“If you come back to the rescue station with me for a while, it will be easier for me to disinfect and medicate your mouth regularly.”

“And if you’d rather stay in your own territory, I can ride over on a motorcycle every day; it’s not too far.”

[I’ll go back to the rescue station with you! We’ve all heard from the Black Cat Chief that there’s a champion in your place who set a human world record, and we’re very curious!]

The Cheetah Leader wagged his tail, thinking that having the experience of guiding a human world champion might enhance his courtship credentials.

“Alright, let’s go now then!”

The Cheetah Coach’s willingness to personally guide on-site was something Xu Ying wholeheartedly welcomed.

Xu Ying packed up the medical kit and pointed the way for the cheetahs.

The Cheetah Leader, eager to receive better treatment at the rescue station, took the lead, while the other three cheetahs circled Xu Ying, whispering amongst themselves.

This group of cheetahs had four male cheetahs in total.

Male cheetahs tend to be social, whereas female cheetahs are usually solitary, forming temporary groups only when raising cubs.

[Rescuer, we’re really grateful you came, we’ve been enduring the odor for almost half a month.]

[And since the boss can’t find a mate, he talks to us big guys all the time, and we have to endure the stench during those long chats.]

[Yeah, and in front of the boss, we can’t even show it. We have to pretend everything’s fine to keep him company and cheer him up, it’s really tough~]

Xu Ying smiled so much her eyes bent, realizing that even cheetahs had their own workplace dilemmas.

As they returned to the rescue station with the cheetah group, Xu Ying didn’t drive her motorcycle too fast.

Though famous for their speed—able to sprint over 100 km/h—the cheetah’s pace can only be maintained for 20 to 30 seconds, after covering 400 to 500 meters, they need to rest.

Just like cars’ engines, their bodies heat up while running and need cooling down.

Overheating can be life-threatening.

Stopping and going, Xu Ying and the big cheetah brothers reached near the rescue station after more than forty minutes.

The small rescue station couldn’t accommodate four big cats, so Xu Ying glanced around, guessing Ling Yu was probably napping inside the RV at this time.

The Cheetah Leader went with Xu Ying into the rescue station for medication, while the other three cheetahs sensibly decided not to crowd inside: [We might as well look around for spots nearby to settle down.]

To temporarily avoid the boss’s bad breath assault was something the cheetahs were eager for.

Xu Ying took the Cheetah Leader back to the rescue station, administered medication to it.

The Little Ear Foxes curiously eyed the new large visitor.

The outgoing Fox Sansan immediately jumped onto the Cheetah Leader’s back, treading around: [Wow, such smooth and dense fur~]

With Fox Sansan leading, the other little foxes also hopped onto the cheetah leader’s back, one by one sliding down the smooth spine like a slide.

[Wahoo! So fun! The Gobi Bear’s belly is a trampoline, and the leopard’s back is a slide~]

[Big Cheetah, will you be at the rescue station for a while? Can you play with us?]

Surrounded by the Little Ear Fox cubs, the Cheetah Leader shyly nodded, just like a big brother surrounded by little kids.

Cheetahs, like the common pet cats in communities, belong to the subfamily of Felinae, naturally docile. As long as the other side doesn’t show hostility, they usually don’t initiate attacks.

While Xu Ying was rummaging through the medicine cabinet for the right medication, she turned to see the little ear foxes treating Brother Leopard as their new toy, quickly picking them up.

It was really a case of the predator bullied by the foxes.

“Why are you picking on the newcomer?”

The fox cubs looked innocent: [No, it likes us tumbling over it~]

The Cheetah Leader also nodded in agreement.

Xu Ying decided to let them be.

After administering the medication based on the Cheetah Leader’s weight, Xu Ying took a break, while outside the rescue station, the sky gradually darkened. It soon became time for Ling Yu’s training.

Xu Ying opened a crack in the rescue station door, noticing Ling Yu and the Gobi Bear setting up hurdles, she quietly conspired with the Cheetah Leader: “Brother Leopard, use only half your usual hunting speed to chase him later…”

Since his strength had declined post-illness, and he couldn’t match the other leopards, the Cheetah Leader was more than happy to playfully tease a human to reclaim some presence.

Meanwhile, Ling Yu, busy setting up hurdles, inexplicably sneezed several times in a row.

After checking the distances between the hurdles, Xu Ying appeared right on time at the finish line with a stopwatch.

Ling Yu looked up, saw Xu Ying, and instantly froze.

Holding onto the hurdle, Xu Ying grinned at him, her dimples shining brightly: “Bro, what a coincidence, out for training?”

The brighter Xu Ying’s smile, the more flustered Ling Yu felt.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep