Chapter 2615: Magical Creatures in the Park 22

The sightseeing bus slowly drove out of the row-house area, proceeding along the clean asphalt road.

Warm sunlight showered on him, a gentle breeze brushed his face, feeling very pleasant.

First they passed the Snake Garden.

Inside the glass enclosure, the golden python remained coiled in its exclusive spot on the fake mountain, sleeping soundly, unresponsive to outside movements.

Then they entered a shaded path lined with tall trees, lush foliage, feeling especially cool and tranquil even in summer.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting specks of light; occasionally free‑range rabbits could be seen leisurely nibbling grass by the roadside.

Jin Chen had been lounging by the window watching the scenery, when a white rabbit in the bushes suddenly caught his attention.

The rabbit was pure white all over, a fluffy ball, but its ruby‑like eyes were exceptionally lively and spirited, unlike the dull gaze of other rabbits.

Xiao Bai Lion stared for a few seconds, tapped Amu's hand to signal him to slow down, then jumped off the car and approached the rabbit.

Xiao Bai Lion walked slowly around the rabbit in a circle, lowered his head, and gently sniffed with his nose.

Indeed, from this rabbit one could sense an extremely faint spirituality, different from that of ordinary animals.

"Huh?"

Xiao Bai Lion let out a low, tentative sound, conveying a simple greeting.

If it had awakened spiritual awareness and could communicate, it should understand.

However, the little white rabbit lifted its head, its red eyes looking at him in fright.

The instinctive fear of a bottom‑of‑the‑food‑chain creature toward a top predator prevailed.

It pushed off with its hind legs and, at great speed, swooshed into the nearby bushes, vanishing.

The Xiao Bai Lion, sitting where he was, tilted his head in bewilderment: "……"

Did he feel mistaken?

Ling Gun Gun appeared above his head, flickering twice, 【Host, perhaps it has only just opened a tiny bit of spiritual awareness, its energy weak, not yet smart enough for complex cross‑species communication.】

All right.

No forcing it, even if a little disappointed.

Xiao Bai Lion jumped back onto the sightseeing bus, tapped Amu's arm to signal they could continue.

Seeing the little lion seemed to have failed at making friends, Amu, worried he'd be upset, quickly comforted: "It's okay, Xiao Bai Yu!"

"Don't you already have plenty of followers? Those little birds and sparrows that followed you down the mountain, plus the hedgehogs—aren't they all staying in our zoo?"

"They like you a lot! After the zoo tour ends, I'll take you to find them and play."

Xiao Bai Lion nodded calmly.

The sightseeing bus continued onward, passing the Pigeon Plaza.

A flock of pigeons was leisurely strolling and pecking on the plaza.

Xiao Bai Lion stood up, gripped the window, and let out a few howls toward the pigeon flock as a greeting.

A few pigeons fluttered their wings closer, cooing.

Jin Chen narrowed his eyes, listening to them gossip about the latest happenings in the park.

For example, which tree's fruit is sweetest, what new bugs have appeared in which corner, what the keepers are up to when they slack off, what's on the cafeteria menu today… wait, that's not what pigeons care about—they've got food.

Further ahead, they passed the Aquarium zone.

Amu slowed the bus and asked, "Xiao Bai Yu, want to go in and have a look? The aquarium has lots of beautiful fish! Plus the giant salamander you brought back yesterday—Doctor Su should have placed it in the holding pool."

The aquarium has its own dedicated staff, not part of his patrol route.

The little lion thought of that somewhat clumsy baby fish that goes "wah‑wah," and decisively shook his head.

He isn't very interested in creatures that live in water.

Amu was about to speed away when Xiao Bai Lion suddenly seemed to sense something, jerking his head up, twisting his neck, and gazing toward the bushes beside the aquarium.

Only a white flash flickered by, fast, but Jin Chen saw it clearly.

It was another white rabbit, extremely similar to the one that had fled from the shaded path earlier!

He immediately tapped Amu, signaling to stop.

Amu stopped the car, looked over, and also saw the rabbit, smiling: "Oh my, you really want to befriend rabbits today? One isn't enough, you want another? Looks like our zoo's rabbits really catch your eye!"

No, foolish humans.

The little lion muttered inwardly, licking his paw.

This is the same rabbit from just now in the shaded path.

From the shaded path to the aquarium, the bus had traveled a considerable distance—how could this rabbit possibly outrun it?

Unless it isn't an ordinary rabbit at all.

Jin Chen jumped down again, sneaked into the bushes beside the aquarium, and pursued the suspicious rabbit.

He also didn't forget to wave his paw at Amu, indicating the tour was over for today, he had business to attend to, and would keep him company tomorrow.

Amu: "……"

Watching Xiao Bai Lion plunge into the bushes without hesitation, the young keeper felt tears welling up.

Sniff, he too could be good friends with Xiao Bai Yu!

Why are rabbits more attractive than him!

Just then, Bai Rongdong messaged Amu, asking if he'd seen Xiao Bai Yu and where it had gone to play.

Amu replied sadly: "qaq Director, Xiao Bai Yu went off to befriend the rabbits, at the aquarium entrance."

Bai Rongdong: "……Alright, I'm coming over now."

In the bushes, Jin Chen, relying on his keen sense of smell and hearing, quickly picked up the rabbit's trail again.

It seemed to be deliberately circling him, its speed alternating between fast and slow.

Jin Chen gradually lost patience, seized an opportunity, thrust with his hind legs, lunged, and firmly pressed the rabbit onto the soft grass with his claws.

He lowered his head, staring intently at the trembling little fur ball under his claws, and let out a low, threatening growl from his throat.

"You're so fast, and you still have spiritual energy—why did you pretend not to understand earlier? What exactly are you?"

The little rabbit was held down by him, shaking even more violently; its short tail flicked back and forth rapidly, its ruby-like eyes darting around, full of terror, yet it kept its three-part mouth tightly shut, refusing to make a sound or respond to his thoughts.

Jin Chen narrowed his eyes and applied a little pressure.

"If you don't speak, I'll really eat you."

He certainly wouldn't eat a rabbit, but scaring it a little is still possible.

Just then, there was another rustling in the nearby bushes.

The third one looked exactly the same, a white rabbit popped out as if carved from the same mold.

It didn't flee; instead, it adopted an almost upright stance, its front paws gripping the grass blades as it hid behind a not-too-thick tree, exposing only half its head and the same ruby-red eyes, nervously looking this way.

Jin Chen: "???"

He looked at the one under his claws, then at the one behind the tree.

【What a copy-paste rabbit!】

Ling Gun Gun also jumped in surprise on his head, 【Host, could it be that they're three not-so-bright triplets, taking turns coming out to confuse you?】

Jin Chen released his claws.

The rabbit he had been holding sprang up and quickly joined the one behind the tree.

The two rabbits stood side by side, glanced at Jin Chen, then simultaneously lowered their heads, pushing out two clean, crystal-clear carrots from the bushes, placing them on the ground and nudging them toward him.

Then they turned and, with astonishing speed, whooshed away simultaneously into the dense thicket.

Jin Chen: "..."

Xiao Bai Shi shook his head again, indeed able to feel that they possessed an extraordinary spiritual fluctuation, but...

How could they be such not-so-clever stupid rabbits?

He didn't want to eat the carrots at all.

Disdainfully, he flicked aside the two orange roots with his claws; Xiao Bai Shi, full of doubts, emerged from the thicket and shook off the grass clinging to his body.

Just as he emerged, he looked up and saw Bai Rendong walking toward them.

Bai Rendong was obviously looking for him, his eyes worried; seeing Xiao Bai Shi emerge unharmed from the bushes, with only a bit of grass on him and no injury, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Bai Shi lunged into Bai Rendong's embrace, suddenly froze, then lowered his head to sniff him.

Lion's damn it.

My wife just went off to be busy for a while, and I've somehow picked up a whole body of monster smell!