Chapter 91: The Shocked Old Gentleman

Chapter 91: Chapter 91: The Shocked Old Gentleman

The old gentleman’s eyes went wide with disbelief. He never expected that the little marmoset he had pampered like a treasure would be so easily won over by Liang He.

"Good heavens! This is the first time I’ve ever seen Koko get so close to someone else!"

Feeling a bit jealous, the old gentleman tapped the Dwarf Marmoset’s forehead, both amused and exasperated. He jokingly called it an ungrateful little thing for abandoning an old man like him the moment it saw a pretty girl.

"Maybe it’s hungry?" Liang He pointed at the Platinum Giant Lion. "I was just feeding Cyril, so my hands might smell a bit like meat. Koko must have caught the scent."

Dwarf Marmosets were omnivorous. They generally ate tree sap but occasionally caught insects to supplement their protein. Beef should count as high-quality protein too, right?

"Haha, it certainly is a little glutton. But without my permission, it won’t accept food from anyone else—"

Before the old gentleman could even finish his sentence, he watched Liang He tear off a small piece of beef from the Platinum Giant Lion’s plate and hand it to the Dwarf Marmoset.

"Koko?"

The old gentleman couldn’t believe his eyes. The Dwarf Marmoset began happily munching on the shredded beef Liang He offered it without missing a beat, completely ignoring the owner who had doted on it for years.

"Ahem... sir, why don’t you sit down and eat with us?" Hoder, who had been busy devouring his meal on the side, finally couldn’t help but interject. Afraid that Liang He might inadvertently give the old gentleman a heart attack, he quickly invited him to take a seat. "Sir, please don’t find it strange. Liang He naturally has a strong affinity with animals. She’s a complete exception."

He silently hoped the old man wouldn’t doubt his entire existence or take the betrayal to heart.

Hearing the underlying meaning in Hoder’s words, the old gentleman was momentarily left speechless. In the end, he just chuckled and shook his head, looking at the happily eating little marmoset with a very kindly gaze.

"I’m not going to hold a grudge over this; I’m just very surprised." At his age, he could take things in stride. He was merely taken aback by the Dwarf Marmoset’s special treatment of Liang He. However, Hoder’s explanation piqued his curiosity. "So, young lady, you naturally get close to animals?"

"...Yes," Liang He responded hesitantly. Although she didn’t think there was anything special about herself, since Hoder had said so, he probably had his reasons.

"I see. No wonder this lion obeys you so well. He doesn’t even get territorial when you snatch food from his bowl."

The old gentleman had found it very strange earlier. Whether Liang He directly stuffed meat into the Platinum Giant Lion’s mouth with her bare hands or tore a piece of meat from his plate for the Dwarf Marmoset, both actions were tantamount to provocation. Yet, the Platinum Giant Lion was clearly used to it. Not only did he not reject her, but he also intentionally avoided Liang He’s hands, afraid of accidentally biting her.

"Cyril is just a bit mischievous, but he has a very good temper." Aside from his uncontrollable urge to jump through hoops whenever he saw them, Liang He felt that the Platinum Giant Lion, despite being a spoiled baby, was quite easy to manage.

"Are you a Breeder, young lady?" As Federation First-Class Protected Animals, lions were not allowed to be kept privately, which prompted the old gentleman’s question.

"Yes, I’m a Breeder at the key Animal Protection Zone on Sky Shining Star." Liang He felt they were just casually chatting, so there was no need to bring up that she was the station head. To her, it made no difference anyway.

"Sky Shining Star. Now that is a good place." The old gentleman looked meaningfully at the Platinum Giant Lion—who had just finished eating and drinking and was currently licking his paws to wash his face—and offered a gentle smile.

The three chatted happily, maintaining a tacit understanding not to ask for each other’s names. After finishing their dinner, Liang He returned the fully fed Dwarf Marmoset to the old gentleman and left the restaurant with the Platinum Giant Lion.

"Cyril, be a good boy and sleep tonight. No running around, understood?" Liang He locked the cabin door securely but still gave the Platinum Giant Lion a stern warning. She was afraid that he might have secretly learned how to open doors from the Canglan Hunting Eagles and would sneak out, frightening the other passengers again.

"ROAR~"

The Platinum Giant Lion responded lazily. After letting out a yawn, he lay down right next to Liang He’s bed. Using his paws as a pillow, he rested his chin on them and let his eyelids droop, gradually drifting off to sleep.

"Looks like after a whole day of tossing about, Cyril is tired too." Sitting on the opposite bed, Hoder looked at the Platinum Giant Lion and knew that he probably wouldn’t pull any more stunts tonight.

Liang He completely agreed. Finally feeling at ease, she washed up in the luxury cabin’s private bathroom and quickly went to sleep as well.

In her sleep, Liang He felt a familiar presence lingering nearby, but she didn’t open her eyes. The Platinum Giant Lion guarding her did open his eyes, but after seeing who it was, he lazily shifted his posture and went back to sleep, not paying it any mind.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

Early the next morning, Hoder woke up to a commotion outside. Upon hearing the knock on the door, he immediately sprang out of bed. He only opened the door after confirming that Liang He was awake and properly dressed.

"Hello, sir. I’m very sorry to disturb you. A passenger just discovered that their clothing was stolen, so I’m here to ask if you’ve lost any belongings?"

The Starship security officer inconspicuously surveyed the cabin. He saw that apart from Liang He and Hoder, there was only a Platinum Giant Lion that hadn’t fully woken up yet. As for their suitcases, they were lying wide open for easy access, with no signs of any stolen clothing inside.

"No. Do you really think anyone would dare sneak in here to steal?" Hoder nonchalantly pointed at the Platinum Giant Lion. Sure, the lion was well-behaved and obedient, but one shouldn’t forget that it was still a fierce beast.

Detecting the displeasure in his tone, the officer quickly apologized and left.

"What happened?" Liang He looked at him in confusion after Hoder closed the cabin door again.

"Someone lost their clothes. It’s probably some guy who loves to play aristocrat, bringing expensive formal wear on a vacation. Now that it’s lost, they’re panicking."

It wasn’t that Hoder was prejudiced. Generally speaking, real nobles who could afford expensive formal wear and needed to attend banquets almost never traveled via public Starships. They had private shuttles, just like when Liang He was rushed to Star D139. Travelers taking a Starship, especially a massive one like this, were mostly interstellar tourists. Who would bring expensive formal wear on a sightseeing trip? It was obviously just for show.

"Everyone thinks differently. I don’t understand it, but I respect it." Liang He didn’t care much about such matters. There was an exception to every rule, so no one could say for sure.

"We still have over two hours before arriving at Greenfield Star. We can go grab some brunch first."

They wouldn’t reach Greenfield Star until 1:00 PM, and it wasn’t guaranteed there would still be lunch available. Liang He didn’t want to trouble others to prepare a special meal for them.

"Alright, you go ahead. I’ll wash my face, get ready, and meet you in the restaurant."

Hoder went into the bathroom while Liang He left first with the Platinum Giant Lion, heading toward the animal-friendly restaurant from the night before.

This time, she once again saw the man she had bumped into at the elevators last night.

He wore a black hat, from under which a wisp of pure black curly hair faintly peeked out. The black and gold formal suit made his figure look exceptionally tall and straight.

"Hello, are you taking the elevator?"