Suspecting that he was just seeing things due to a poor night’s sleep, Teacher Rong washed his face. Once the rabbit buns had fully risen, he placed them into the steamer to cook. As the buns were nearly done, he quickly stir-fried some shredded potatoes and Chinese cabbage. Just as he finished plating the dishes, the lunch bell rang.

“Perfect timing.” Rong Sui uncovered the steamer, looked at the white, plump rabbit buns inside, turned off the heat, and covered them with a layer of gauze to let them cool down a bit.

Bai Tu came in with the little ones, smelling the fragrance of chicken soup and buns from afar. He poked his head into the kitchen doorway to peer inside. “What are we having today? Why does it smell so incredibly good?”

Aunt Wang chimed in with a beaming smile, “Teacher Rong is cooking today! He made chicken soup, shredded chicken porridge, and white flour buns.”

Bai Tu swallowed his saliva, thinking to himself that it was no wonder Teacher Rong had been so tense when he saw that rooster earlier. If Aunt Wang had cooked it, it probably would have been completely wasted. It wasn’t that Aunt Wang had never cooked chicken before, but her method usually involved adding a bit of salt, boiling it in water, and serving it straight up. Perhaps it was due to her nature as a monster, but Aunt Wang never liked cooking meat until it was fully done; sometimes it was even served with traces of blood.

Suppressing the craving in his stomach, Bai Tu first organized the little ones to wash their hands. When they returned, five steaming bowls of shredded chicken porridge were already set on the table. Before even taking a bite, the fragrance of the shredded chicken and rice grains made the little ones take a deep breath in unison.

“Be careful, it’s hot.” Bai Tu had them sit down while he went into the kitchen to help carry the dishes. Aside from the shredded chicken porridge, there was also chicken soup. Worried that the kids might burn themselves, Rong Sui had specially poured it into small bowls and cooled them down in cold water before letting Bai Tu carry them out.

He himself placed the slightly cooled rabbit buns onto small plates and brought them out.

After a morning of interaction, he had discovered that Wen Tun was the best breakthrough point. The little chubby boy had a soft personality and was easily coaxed. Once he was happy, Long Ya, who sat next to him, would be easier to talk to as well.

With this in mind, Rong Sui walked over to Wen Tun with the plate of rabbit buns. Wen Tun still had a bit of a reflex-driven fear toward him, but after snapping out of it, he became natural again. He even greeted him, softly calling out, “Teacher Rong,” clearly remembering that Teacher Rong had given him a lollipop that morning.

Rong Sui was absolutely melted by his cuteness. Using his chopsticks, he picked up a rabbit bun and placed it on Wen Tun’s small saucer. “I made rabbit buns today. See if you like them, Wen Tun. Do you know what rabbits look like? Long ears, white fur, they look incredibly cute…” After a pause, he added, “…and they taste great when cooked, too.”

Wen Tun’s nose twitched, and his lifeless eyes blinked. Although he couldn’t see like ordinary people, he wasn’t blind in the normal sense either. He had his own way of perceiving things, but because he was too young, he hadn’t mastered his abilities well, making his movements always look a bit slow.

In剧 Rong Sui’s eyes, this series of movements looked exactly like a blind child trying his absolute best to imagine what a rabbit bun looked like. Heartbroken for him, Rong Sui brought the rabbit bun to Wen Tun’s lips and coaxed, “Ah—take a bite.”

Wen Tun obediently opened his mouth wide and swallowed the rabbit’s head in one big bite. Chewing with puffed-up cheeks, his eyes instantly curved with satisfaction, two little dimples appearing on his cheeks as he mumbled, “Sweet, deliciouth.”

Rong Sui gently rubbed his head with pity, then placed another one into his bowl. “Eat slowly, call me when you’re done.”

Wen Tun nodded obediently while chewing on the rabbit bun, even murmuring to Long Ya on his right, “Long Ya, you eat too.”

Once all the little ones were eating, Rong Sui finally felt relieved enough to head to the adjacent table to eat with Bai Tu.

However, Bai Tu, who was usually very lively, had suddenly gone quiet. He hung his head low, lost in thought. When Rong Sui sat down next to him, Bai Tu even shifted his buttocks uncomfortably. Rong Sui looked at him curiously, “What’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?”

Bai Tu’s face was a bit pale. He sneaked a glance at Rong Sui before looking down again. If one looked closely, they would notice that his hands holding the chopsticks were trembling slightly.

Thinking Bai Tu wasn’t used to his cooking, Rong Sui specially picked up a rabbit bun for him and said warmly, “Have a bun, the dough was kneaded with a really good chew today.”

Bai Tu looked pitifully at the rabbit bun on his plate, feeling that it wouldn’t be long before he turned into a rabbit on a plate himself. Stirring his spoon aimlessly in his bowl, Bai Tu gathered his courage and asked in a tiny, anxious whisper, “Te-Teacher Rong, do you really like eating rabbits?”

Rong Sui bit off half of a rabbit bun in one go. Hearing this, he thought about it and said, “Rabbits are so cute, how can anyone eat rabbits…”

Bai Tu’s hanging heart instantly dropped back into place. Just as he was about to take a sip of soup to calm his nerves, he heard Rong Sui continue: “…unless they are cooked spicy, then they’re delicious.”

“Cough, cough!” Bai Tu was so terrified that a mouthful of soup choked straight into his nose. He frantically grabbed tissues to wipe himself, his eyes red as he apologized to Rong Sui, “So-Sorry, please don’t eat me QAQ.”

“Why were you so careless?” Rong Sui was startled by him too, busy patting his back, and completely missed the last words spoken in a voice as quiet as a mosquito.

Bai Tu was truly frightened out of his wits. His cultivation level was low, so he couldn’t see through Rong Sui’s true form at all; he only knew that this was a powerful big monster much stronger than himself. But nowadays, everyone advocated building a civilized and harmonious society, and monsters were supposed to respond to the call too. Aside from the savage monsters deep in the mountains, very few urban monsters would attack or eat their own kind. Therefore, even though he was just a low-level rabbit spirit, Bai Tu hadn’t felt any real fear toward Rong Sui before. Coupled with Rong Sui’s excellent attitude earlier, he had always assumed his colleague was a gentle monster just like himself.

Who knew he would suddenly turn out to be so brutal, wanting to eat spicy rabbits!

Terrified, Bai Tu no longer found this warm and approachable new colleague comforting. Shivering, he cradled his bowl and moved to a different seat, trying his best to stay far away from Rong Sui. “I-I’m fine now. You… you eat, don’t mind me.”

Rong Sui was completely baffled, having no idea what was wrong with Bai Tu. He could only sit back down to continue eating, though because he was worried about Bai Tu, he kept looking up at him every two bites.

Sitting diagonally across from him, Bai Tu was so paralyzed by his gaze that he didn’t dare move. He thought miserably to himself: Is he watching me to work up an appetite because he can’t eat me right now? QAQ

……

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed lunch, except for Teacher Bai, who lived in constant terror of being eaten. The others cleaned their plates entirely.

The rabbit buns that Rong Sui had worried might be too many were completely wiped out, and even the head of the chicken in the soup was chewed clean. Having stuffed themselves, the little ones sprawled out on their chairs, unwilling to budge. Rong Sui went around rubbing their bellies one by one. Aside from Wen Tun and Bai Ze, who were usually well-behaved, the other three little ones didn’t dodge either; after a brief hesitation, they simply closed their eyes and let him do as he pleased.

Rong Sui secretly laughed. Once Aunt Wang finished clearing the dishes, he led them out to the playground for a walk to help digest their food, as sleeping immediately after stuffing oneself is bad for the stomach.

The little ones ran ahead playfully. Rong Sui watched them with a smile on his face, while Bai Tu looked deeply worried, claiming he had to return to the dormitory to prepare application materials for subsidies, and hurriedly ran off. Although Rong Sui found him a bit strange, he didn’t think too much of it and took the kids for a walk by himself.

Five little kids plus one teacher walked slowly across the weed-grown playground.

As usual, Wen Tun tugged at the hem of Long Ya’s shirt, following behind like a little tail, twisting his head from side to side from time to time as if looking at something only he could see.

Bi Fang was initially walking with Bai Ze, but after a few steps, he couldn’t sit still again. Lightening his footsteps, he crept up behind Wen Tun to scare him. Wen Tun gasped in fright, clinging entirely onto Long Ya, mumbling and whining, “Bi Fang is so annoying.”

Long Ya glanced at Bi Fang, his expression darker than usual. “Bi Fang, do you want to fight again?”

Bi Fang made a face at him, but his eyes were fixed on Wen Tun, who was clinging tightly to Long Ya. He said sourly, “The coward actually likes an insidious guy like you. Just wait until he finds out how insidious you really are, let’s see if he’ll still play with you then.”

Long Ya looked at him as if he were an idiot. Snorting, he lifted Wen Tun into his arms and walked away quickly.

Bi Fang stamped his feet in anger behind them. Bai Ze pulled him back with a beaming smile, comforting him like a little adult, “Why do you always bully Wen Tun? Long Ya is going to beat you up again later… and you can’t even beat him…”

Walking at the very back, Rong Sui watched the little ones bickering and playing. His eyes shifted, and he noticed Yin Zhuzhi lagging behind all by himself.

Yin Zhuzhi was slightly taller than Long Ya, and his build didn’t look like a student from the small class; one could easily believe it if someone said he was in the first grade. He wore the kindergarten’s sailor uniform, but the pant legs were a bit short, revealing a section of pale ankle. On his feet were a pair of white sneakers; the white edges of the soles had turned slightly yellow, but it was obvious they were well-cared-for and kept perfectly clean.

He walked alone, his spine perfectly straight. Because his back was turned to Rong Sui, his expression couldn’t be seen, but Rong Sui’s heart still softened at the sight.

From the first day he arrived, this child had been rather detached. Wen Tun was always with Long Ya, and Bai Ze and Bi Fang were good friends, leaving only Yin Zhuzhi on his own. He rarely spoke and usually stared blankly during class. Staring at the back of his head, Rong Sui thought to himself that it wasn’t good for a child to be so isolated at such a young age.

As Yin Zhuzhi walked, his hand hanging by his side was suddenly held by someone. He instinctively tried to pull it back, but when he turned his head and saw the gentle smile on Rong Sui’s face, he paused and unconsciously let go of his resistance.

This big monster’s hand was very soft, and it felt warm when holding his, without any of the sensations that usually made Yin Zhuzhi uncomfortable. Yin Zhuzhi wrestled with the thought for a moment. Realizing the man bore no ill intent and that they would have to get along in the future, he just let him be.

Rong Sui, on the other hand, was delighted. The kid looked pretty defiant, but he turned out to be quite well-behaved.

After digesting their food, Rong Sui took the little ones back for their afternoon nap.

He first escorted the four little ones back to their dormitory to settle them down, watching them fall asleep obediently before sending Yin Zhuzhi, who slept alone, back to his room. Yin Zhuzhi’s dormitory was right next door. His daily necessities were arranged neatly, though the four-person room looked rather empty.

Rong Sui didn’t say anything on the surface, but he thought to himself that it was far too unsafe for such a young child to sleep in a dormitory alone. He wondered if the little guy was scared. Maybe he should talk to Bai Tu about moving in here to stay with Yin Zhuzhi so he could look after him.

With his hands resting on his stomach, Yin Zhuzhi stared intently at Rong Sui for a while before slowly closing his eyes. Rong Sui turned on the fan for him, draped a small blanket over his belly, and then left with quiet steps.

—He still needed to check on the room next door.

Bai Tu had gone out to submit documents during the lunch break, so the nap time duties fell entirely on him. Pulling up a chair, Rong Sui sat at the doorway of the dormitory, keeping an eye on the little ones while browsing his phone to read teaching experiences shared by other kindergartens.

Halfway through reading, a dull thud suddenly came from inside the room. Startled, Rong Sui looked inside and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It turned out Wen Tun had rolled over too violently and bumped his head against the iron railing of the bed. Yet, the little guy didn’t even wake up; he simply twisted his body and continued to sleep like a log.

Rong Sui stepped inside lightly, lifted him up to adjust his posture, picked up the small blanket from the floor, patted it clean, and covered him with it before standing up.

However, as he stood up, he suddenly felt an intense gaze staring at him from outside the window. Rong Sui snapped his head up and locked eyes directly with a pair of golden vertical pupils.

Seeing that Rong Sui had noticed it, the creature didn’t leave. Instead, it raised its head slightly higher, exposing half of its head to continue peering inside.

Rong Sui gasped in horror at its appearance.

He couldn’t tell what kind of animal it was. Two horns sat atop its broad forehead, its eyes were round and large, tapering slightly at the corners, and its snake-like pupils were narrowed into fine vertical lines. The golden hue of its iris wasn’t as glaring under the sunlight as it was at night, but Rong Sui recognized it instantly—this was the mysterious creature from his “dream” last night.

It had been too dark last night for Rong Sui to see its other features, leaving him with only the memory of those golden vertical pupils. He balled his hands into fists to pump himself up. His eyes fell upon Bi Fang and Long Ya, who were sleeping closest to the window. Biting his lip, he grabbed the broom by the door and cautiously made his way toward the window in a defensive stance.

Bi Fang was still sleeping soundly. Long Ya secretly opened his eyes and glanced toward the window; Yin Zhuzhi gave him a look, so he continued to pretend to be asleep, lying completely motionless.

Approaching the window carefully, Rong Sui could now see most of the creature’s body. It was covered in black scales that reflected a deep, faint red light under the sun. Sharp claws gripped the exterior wall, its serpent-like body coiled into a semi-circle, and the tip of its tail wagged back and forth.

As Rong Sui drew closer and saw that the creature showed no intention of attacking, he kept his movements as light as possible to avoid provoking it. Although it looked only about the size of a basketball and was even a bit chubby and cute, who knew if it was some kind of venomous species? If it got provoked and suddenly lunged to hurt someone, it would be a disaster.

Rong Sui reached out and scooped Long Ya into his arms, keeping his eyes locked onto the “unidentified creature” the entire time. Seeing that it still didn’t move, he went over to the opposite bed, picked up Bi Fang as well, carrying one in each arm as he carefully retreated backward.

Yin Zhuzhi blinked, the tip of his tail scratching at his chin. He had only come over because he felt uneasy leaving this big monster alone in a room with the other cubs, but he hadn’t expected the big monster to look as if he had seen a ghost, seemingly terrified out of his wits. He vaguely recalled that the man had looked equally terrified upon seeing him last night, which left him rather perplexed.

Could his original form happen to be the natural predator of this man’s species? Otherwise, it made no sense why an adult, powerful monster would be so afraid of him. But if that were the case, why wasn’t the man afraid of his human form? The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Shaking his head, Yin Zhuzhi turned around and slithered back toward his own dormitory.

For now, it seemed this big monster harbored no ill intentions and treated the other cubs quite well. Even though he was clearly scared to death himself, he still dared to approach and protect Yazi and Bi Fang. Yin Zhuzhi felt quietly satisfied. Wagging his tail, he prepared to head back for his afternoon nap.

Seeing that it had finally left, Rong Sui’s tensed nerves snapped back to relaxation. He set down Long Ya and Bi Fang, who had been awoken by the commotion, and rushed over to slam the window shut.

Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly remembered that Yin Zhuzhi was sleeping right next door! If that creature climbed in there… His heart stopped for a beat in sheer terror. Ignoring everything else, he bolted out the door and sprinted next door. Pushing the door open frantically, he found Yin Zhuzhi sitting up on the bed, rubbing his eyes.

Seeing him barge in with a face full of horror, Yin Zhuzhi asked in confusion, “What’s wrong, teacher?”

Rong Sui rushed to the window and looked out, but saw nothing. The creature had likely already run off. Only then did his heart, which felt like it was about to leap out of his chest, settle back down. Tightly locking the window, Rong Sui forced a smile and rubbed Yin Zhuzhi’s head, saying gently, “It’s nothing. It’s not time to get up yet, go back to sleep for a bit.”

Yin Zhuzhi glanced at him, then obediently lay back down and pulled up his small blanket.

_

The Author has something to say:

Teacher Rong: What on earth was that? Why does it look so randomly put together???