All the Furry Creatures Come To Work In My Zoo

Zhou Zhao froze, feeling the massive tiger head under his palm. He looked at Zhu Yu, his voice trembling as he spoke, “Yan Yan… she really remembers me?”

Looking at Zhou Zhao’s slightly reddened, expectant eyes, Zhu Yu gently smiled and replied, “Yes, see? Yan Yan is letting you touch her.”

“Ever since Yan Yan came to Lingxi, she’s been angry if anyone tries to get closer. But after you came in just now, she didn’t react at all. She kept staring at you. I think, at that moment, Yan Yan was recognizing you. She only calmed down when she smelled your scent.”

This was also the reason why Zhu Yu let Zhou Zhao touch the tiger. She sensed Yan Yan’s curiosity and the gentle, non-aggressive aura she was giving off, just like an old friend.

Although Yan Yan didn’t speak, the information she conveyed was clear.

Zhu Yu said, “Director Zhou, you must have had a close relationship with Yan Yan.”

Her ability to approach Yan Yan was due to her affinity with animals and frequent feeding. As the saying goes, If you feed them, they won’t bite, and after Yan Yan had eaten so many of the treats she gave, it was hard for the tiger to show aggression toward her.

But Zhou Zhao wasn’t the same. He had just arrived at Lingxi Wildlife Zoo, had only met Yan Yan twice, and hadn’t even done much with her yet.

At this moment, Yan Yan’s initiative and gentleness could only prove that they shared a deep bond from before.

Zhou Zhao’s voice was hoarse as he whispered, “Mm.”

He looked at the tiger under his hand, not daring to blink, his gaze tracing every inch of it.

So this was how Yan Yan had grown. Her once soft fur had turned coarse and tough, but she was still as beautiful and majestic as ever, just like the little Yan Yan from when she was young.

“I’ve known Yan Yan since she was a cub, only four months old. When she first came to the rescue center, she was starving. It was me who cut up meat into small pieces and fed her…”

Zhou Zhao’s voice was low and hoarse as he spoke bit by bit about his past with Yan Yan.

His words lacked structure, and though almost twenty years had passed, there were many things he had forgotten, yet there were also many things he remembered. He had never shared these details with anyone, but at this moment, they all came out so easily.

Yan Yan didn’t seem to understand the words, but she rested her head on her paws, calmly closing her eyes, allowing Zhou Zhao’s hand to remain on her head.

By the time Zhou Zhao finished speaking, Yan Yan seemed to have fallen asleep. Her massive body let out the occasional gentle purr, looking like she was sleeping peacefully.

Zhou Zhao withdrew his hand and gestured for Zhu Yu to leave with him.

After they left the medical room, Zhou Zhao gently closed the door and said to Zhu Yu, “Yan Yan is asleep now. Let’s let her rest.”

Zhu Yu replied, “Thanks to you, she probably wouldn’t have fallen asleep otherwise.”

Before Zhou Zhao arrived, she had been trying to get Yan Yan to sleep, but the tiger wasn’t interested. It kept nudging her body with its head, as if wanting to play.

Zhou Zhao took off his glasses and wiped his eyes, his voice slightly hoarse as he said, “Thank you, Director Zhu.”

His gratitude was sincere—not only for letting him touch Yan Yan but also for bringing her back to the zoo.