Chapter 27: Bankruptcy After Illness

The little panda’s body slowly recovered, and in the afternoon, she was carried out by the keeper to soak up some sun.

All the pandas were placed together in a glass enclosure equipped with toys and food. Every other panda showed intense interest in the new environment, rolling around and play-fighting, except for one—the little panda, who lay prone in the corner, motionless.

Lin Mo had assumed the cub would enjoy playing with her own kind, but she hadn’t expected the little panda’s spirits to remain so low.

One panda noticed the cub was alone and came over to pat her with a paw, wanting to say hello. Unexpectedly, the little panda simply rolled over, causing the other panda to tumble to the side.

She was quite the loner.

Lin Mo sat beside the little panda, resting her chin in her hands, daydreaming alongside her. Just then, the whispering voices of a mother and daughter reached Lin Mo’s ears.

“Mom, look! That little panda over there is so clean and cute.”

Lin Mo instantly puffed out her chest with pride. Of course, her cub was the best-looking panda of them all.

The little panda remained indifferent to the praise, her ears twitching as if her mind were heavy with worries.

“Mom, why isn’t that little panda moving?”

“Maybe because she has no one to play with.”

The panda that had been rolled aside earlier still hadn’t managed to flip back over.

The little girl leaned against the glass as close to the cub as possible, her round face lit up with a sweet smile. “Little panda, I can play with you. I can be your friend.”

The little panda gave the girl a lazy glance before turning her body away, giving her the cold shoulder.

She didn’t want other friends; she only wanted her little bamboo.

Lin Mo tutted; the little cub certainly had a bit of a temper.

The little girl looked delighted, tugging at her mother’s hem. “Mom, it’s like the panda understands me!”

The mother smiled and stroked the girl’s head, not taking it seriously. The girl ran back excitedly to talk to the cub again.

The little panda turned her body further away, ignoring the girl. While lazily basking in the sun, she worked on repairing the damage her body had sustained during the lightning tribulation.

Night fell quickly, but the wildlife park was suddenly thrown into chaos. During the head count, a keeper discovered a panda was missing and began searching the entire park.

Under the cold moonlight, a new hole appeared in the wall of the large tortoise’s enclosure.

The kind-looking old man patted the dust off Little Mo Jin’s fur. “Go on, little panda. I wish you luck in finding your little bamboo and returning to your homeland soon.”

Little Mo Jin squeezed through the hole. After walking a few paces, she turned back to look at the tortoise, a hint of reluctance in her eyes.

The tortoise wiped away a tear. “Little panda, remember to come back and see me. Bring me a stick of tanghulu (candied haws) when you do.”

A look of mild disdain crossed Little Mo Jin’s face. “You’re so old and you still eat tanghulu? I’ve only seen the human children who visit the park eating those.”

The tortoise squinted and laughed. “They’re sweet and fragrant. You’ve never tried one, have you?”

“Of course I have! I’ll bring you one when I come back,” Little Mo Jin waved a paw and departed from the wildlife park.

Standing nearby, Lin Mo couldn’t help but smile. How could a little panda from the valley have ever eaten tanghulu? She was clearly just trying to save face in front of the tortoise. It was quite adorable.

The little panda walked quickly, gradually becoming shrouded in thick mist until she was nothing but a tiny black speck in the distance.

Lin Mo knew her dream was likely ending; she only ever saw small fragments at a time. She desperately wanted to walk alongside the cub—what if she encountered danger on the road? She could protect her.

Sigh, I’m really worried. I hope the little panda stays safe.

As the mist completely obscured the cub’s silhouette, Lin Mo woke from the dream.

She tried to move her arm but realized she was being held tightly by someone. She was held so securely she couldn’t move an inch.

Eh? What’s going on?

Lin Mo rubbed her eyes and looked up, meeting Mo Jin’s gaze. For a moment, she was dazed, unable to distinguish if the person before her was the little panda or the adult Mo Jin.

Mo Jin’s cool gaze swept over her, and Lin Mo’s back instantly went stiff.

With an aura this icy, it’s definitely not the little panda. Her cub had always been soft and cute.

A hand reached out and touched Lin Mo’s forehead.

Mo Jin said calmly, “Your fever is gone. Is your body still cold?”

Lin Mo noticed a trace of fatigue on Mo Jin’s face, and a warm current flowed through her heart. Mo Jin must have worked very hard taking care of her over the past few days.

“I’m not cold anymore. Thank you for looking after me these past two days.”

Mo Jin pursed her lips and said nothing.

Mo Jin really is a “cold face, warm heart” panda. Cold on the outside, but warm on the inside.

Filled with gratitude, Lin Mo decided she would buy a stick of tanghulu for Mo Jin as soon as she got out of bed.

However, at the moment, she didn’t seem able to get out of bed. Lin Mo felt embarrassed as she realized her arm was around Mo Jin’s waist and her leg was draped over Mo Jin’s body. Her limbs felt weak and heavy, and she couldn’t seem to pull them away.

Was I really in Mo Jin’s arms? Is my sleeping posture always this bad?

She wanted to vanish on the spot from embarrassment!

Seeing Lin Mo’s shame, Mo Jin took the initiative to get out of bed and left the cabin first.

Uuuu… Mo Jin didn’t even hold it against me. As expected of the cub I watched grow up.

Despite her touched heart, Lin Mo’s energy flagged, and she drifted back into a faint sleep.

After sleeping for another full day, Lin Mo finally felt her physical condition had mostly recovered. She put on her clothes and stepped out of the wooden house. After doing a few sets of warm-up exercises to stretch her muscles, she pulled out the little Bee Robot, intending to open the Mall to buy that tanghulu for Mo Jin.

Wait… why is there only 1 Shell left in my Mall account?!

Lin Mo panicked completely. What on earth happened during the two days I was unconscious?

Somehow, she suddenly thought of the medicine Mo Jin had bought for her yesterday. She checked the order history and, sure enough, saw an astronomical order for medicine.

— Value: 9999 Shells!

Below the order, similar products were recommended: Low-purity Carbendazim powder, value: 500 Shells; Standard-purity Carbendazim powder, value: 1000 Shells.

Any of them seemed more cost-effective than this exorbitant medicine!

Lin Mo felt a sudden, sharp pain in her heart. Going bankrupt just from buying medicine once? The sources on this official website were such a scam!

“Xiao Mi, I want to file a complaint,” Lin Mo said crossly.

The Bee Robot’s green eyes flashed. “Xiao Mi is here, Master. Filing your complaint now.”

A few seconds later, red light flashed in the robot’s eyes. “Complaint failed. High-grade medicine is non-refundable once sold. If you have further needs, you may choose to purchase again.”

Purchase again? Impossible. Not in this lifetime.

Lin Mo crossly closed the Mall and walked into the kitchen. She needed to start livestreaming to earn money again. If she didn’t earn some cash, how could she buy tanghulu for Mo Jin?

Lin Mo shook the flour bag, only to be stunned again.

Why is the flour bag empty, too?