Human emotions are difficult to communicate, let alone between humans and pandas.

No matter how much Ye Yunian wailed and fussed in his enclosure, the keepers completely misunderstood his distress. Instead, they chalked it up to “healthy energy.”

That evening, when the keeper brought in fresh bamboo, he happily said to his colleague, “Yunian seems so energetic today! He played in his enclosure all afternoon. It looks like he’s fully recovered!”

His colleague glanced over at the neighboring enclosure, where Ye Yunian was still calling out to them with his little “mm-mm” sounds. His eyes crinkled with a smile. “Yeah, with how active he is, we don’t have to worry about him thriving in the wild. He’ll do great.”

Ye Yunian: “!!!”

Is it possible they don’t realize I have zero experience surviving in the wild?! Sending me out there is a death sentence, for crying out loud!

Ye Yunian was on the verge of breaking down. Why on earth can’t pandas speak human?

The keeper set down the bamboo and left, and the worn-out Ye Yunian, who had howled all afternoon, finally quieted down. He sat on the ground with a despondent bear face, utterly unamused.

It was clear that no amount of shouting would get the keepers to understand him. Unless Ye Yunian could write out, “I don’t want to be released into the wild,” there was no point in protesting.

But if he actually did that, he’d probably end up in a lab the next day!

Thinking about it made him even more disheartened. He buried his head in his soft, fluffy belly, seeking a little comfort.

What was he supposed to do?

He couldn’t just sit around and wait for them to release him…

No way!

Ye Yunian shook his round head vigorously like a rattle.

Although giant pandas don’t have many natural predators, they’re not completely safe either!

More importantly, Ye Yunian genuinely loved the cushy life at the base. He hadn’t had nearly enough of it yet.

His round black eyes rolled thoughtfully before an idea suddenly struck him—

Why not fake an illness?

He was originally rescued because he was injured, so surely the base wouldn’t be cruel enough to throw a sick panda back into the wild, right?

Ye Yunian held his fluffy face in his paws, his eyes gleaming with hope. The more he thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed.

Glancing over at the fresh bamboo the keeper had just brought in, Ye Yunian swallowed quietly.

For pandas—or any other animal—lack of appetite is a clear sign of a serious illness.

So Ye Yunian didn’t need to do anything drastic. He just had to hold out for two days without eating, and his abnormal behavior would definitely catch the keepers’ attention!

The enclosure was equipped with surveillance cameras. Once the keeper had dropped off the fresh bamboo and opened the gates between the enclosures, he headed back indoors.

Under normal circumstances, Ye Yunian would’ve waddled over to the bamboo as soon as the keeper left.

But tonight, he acted strangely. Instead of heading to the bamboo, he only glanced at it briefly before walking to the corner where he usually slept. He lay down, deliberately turning his back to the camera.

Since Ye Yunian was set to be released the next day, the keepers had been closely monitoring his condition.

Seeing this unusual behavior, one of them laughed and said to his colleague, “Looks like Yunian’s worn himself out today.”

The colleague chuckled. “Yeah, he didn’t go outside, but this is the first time he’s been so active in his enclosure—rolling around, roaring, and jumping. No wonder he’s too tired to eat.”

The two chatted and laughed, never once suspecting that Ye Yunian’s “strange” behavior was an attempt to fake illness.

After all, Yunian had just been given a full checkup the day before, and the results were clear. Plus, he’d spent the entire afternoon “happily” playing in his enclosure with plenty of energy. The keepers hadn’t even considered the possibility of him losing his appetite.

This left Ye Yunian, who was trying to fake illness, in a tough spot.

Since becoming a panda, he’d made sure to eat his fill at every meal. In the half-month he’d been at the base, he’d never once gone hungry!

Now, with no bamboo for dinner, Ye Yunian had a hard time sleeping.

In just the first half of the night, he woke up from hunger three times.

Each time he woke up, the smell of fresh bamboo teased his nose, tempting him to abandon his plan and chow down.

But Ye Yunian knew the difference between staying full for a while and being truly satisfied. He forced himself to resist the temptation.

Luckily, only the first half of the night was difficult. By the time he fell into a deeper sleep in the second half, he no longer felt the hunger pangs.

However, the experience of going to bed hungry was so painful that Ye Yunian had a vivid nightmare—

In his dream, the hunger became unbearable, and he ended up sleepwalking to the next enclosure, where he devoured all the bamboo the keepers had left for him!

The dream was so terrifyingly real that Ye Yunian jolted awake.

Thanks to the panda’s excellent night vision, he blinked blearily and glanced at the neighboring enclosure. Seeing the shadows of uneaten bamboo, he breathed a sigh of relief and went back to sleep.

Maybe it was because the hunger had subsided, but this time, Ye Yunian slept especially well. Not only did he no longer feel hungry, but he even felt a bit… full?

He slept through until morning when the keeper arrived for his shift. The sound of the gate between the two enclosures closing woke Ye Yunian.

He lazily opened one eye, then closed it again.

Since he had decided to play sick, he had to stay in character.

So, not only would he avoid eating today, but he would also act sluggish and weak, just like a panda with a serious illness.

Besides, after going hungry last night, his stomach still felt…

Wait.

Why wasn’t he hungry?

Then he heard the keeper’s voice: “Wow, Yunian didn’t leave a single bamboo from last night. He even ate all the bamboo stalks!”

Ye Yunian’s ear twitched.

What do you mean I ate all the bamboo?

I hate eating bamboo stalks. They don’t have as much moisture as the leaves, and they’re tough to chew. Even though they don’t hurt my teeth…

Wait!

Who ate the bamboo?!

Ye Yunian shot up, wide-eyed, and looked over at the keeper.

Wearing gloves and a mask, the keeper was busy cleaning up the bamboo remnants.

Yes, remnants.

The fresh bamboo from last night had been completely devoured, even the tender stalks. All that remained were the larger stalks, chewed-up splinters scattered across the floor. Some of the bamboo pieces still bore bite marks.

Where did all that bamboo go?

A sinking feeling hit Ye Yunian.

It couldn’t be, could it?

He was the only panda in this enclosure!

If it wasn’t him, who else could it have been?

At that moment, the keeper spoke again: “He polished off all 20 pounds of bamboo. Looks like we really don’t have to worry about releasing him tomorrow.”

So Ye Yunian’s lack of hunger in the second half of the night wasn’t because he’d gotten used to the feeling—it was because he’d already eaten his fill?

Ye Yunian collapsed onto the floor, completely dumbfounded.

This was a disaster!

No wonder the dream had felt so real. It wasn’t a dream at all!

Ye Yunian clutched his fluffy head with his paws, unwilling to accept the cruel reality.

His plan to fake illness had been a solid one. After all, when pandas or any other animals lose their appetite, it’s usually a sign of serious illness.

But Ye Yunian had overlooked one crucial point—pandas have a unique diet.

Pandas primarily eat bamboo, which provides limited energy. This means they need to consume around 40% of their body weight in food every day, spending about 10 hours of each day eating.

In the animal kingdom, appetite reigns supreme.

And yesterday, Ye Yunian had eaten less than half of what he normally would. How could he possibly last?

Now, Ye Yunian was truly devastated. He wanted to cry out in frustration but instead flopped onto the ground with his eyes closed, feeling utterly defeated.

He couldn’t change the fact that he’d eaten all the bamboo in the second half of the night, including the bamboo stalks he usually hated.

How would the keepers perceive him now?

Ye Yunian was so disappointed in himself that he couldn’t help but give his fluffy head a gentle slap.

Of course, it was a soft slap.

The keeper had been keeping an eye on him the whole time. Seeing this, he chuckled, “Yunian’s looking good today! He must be excited for tomorrow’s release.”

Ye Yunian: “…”

Does this look like excitement to you?!

With his thick fur covering his face and head, it was impossible for the keeper to gauge Ye Yunian’s true expression.

To the keeper—and any other human—no matter what expression Ye Yunian had, he always looked adorable, a bundle of cuteness that everyone wanted to pet.

The keeper quickly finished cleaning up the bamboo remains and tidied the enclosure. Then, he brought over another large batch of fresh bamboo.

This time, there were also two steamed buns, five apples, and a bowl of honey
Still reeling from his failed attempt to fake illness, Ye Yunian couldn’t help but glance at the spread.

Wow, quite a feast. A farewell meal, perhaps?

As a panda with some self-respect, Ye Yunian naturally had to—eat it all.

Grumbling to himself, he reluctantly accepted his fate.

After all, his plan had already fallen apart last night. There was no point in continuing with the hunger strike.

Ye Yunian was not the type to let himself suffer.

Besides, the base’s steamed buns were just too delicious!

Filled with both frustration and resignation, Ye Yunian decided to comfort his wounded spirit with food.

As soon as the keeper left, he waddled over to the fresh bamboo, grabbed a bun in one paw and an apple in the other, and began feasting.

The sweet, refreshing flavors of the food helped soothe his bruised emotions. As he ate, Ye Yunian gradually calmed down and began to rethink his strategy.

Clearly, pretending to be sick was no longer an option. Given his ravenous appetite last night, there was no way the keepers would believe he was unwell.

But what other options were left?

Ye Yunian bit into an apple, savoring the sweet juice as it filled his mouth. Delicious. His eyes half-closed in pleasure.

It was a shame that such a good life would be over by tomorrow.

With a long sigh, Ye Yunian pondered his predicament. Was there really no way to avoid being released? No clever trick to keep him at the base?

Wait—what if he… return?

The gears in Ye Yunian’s mind began to turn. The base might control when and where he was released, but nothing was stopping him from coming back on his own!

After all, the Wolong Nature Reserve was huge. Even though they’d be releasing him into the wilderness, it wasn’t as though they’d be sending him overseas. He wouldn’t need to swim across oceans.

He just had to memorize the route and make his way back. How hard could that be?

Feeling a spark of hope, Ye Yunian’s mood instantly lifted. He happily polished off the steamed buns, apples, and even slurped down the honeyed milk.

He was so giddy with excitement at his new plan that he even munched on a few bamboo stalks—something he usually avoided.

Later, when the keeper returned to clean up the remnants, he was surprised. “Wow, you even finished the bamboo stalks! You’re full of surprises, Yunian. You’re doing so well!”

Ye Yunian gave a self-satisfied grunt.

Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. Just wait until tomorrow—I’ll give you a real surprise!