The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 238

Chapter 238

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Nina decided that while dropping the little snake back at Wild Goose Ridge, she’d also look into why the Peach Blossom Jellyfish were disappearing.

She checked in with her old friends at the Forestry Department to get the green light.

Early the next morning, Nina threw on some comfy hiking clothes and headed out with Crow to the edge of a mountain pool on Wild Goose Ridge.

The air on Wild Goose Ridge was crisp and clean, and there were no big, dangerous beasts like takins lurking around. Part of the area had even been fixed up for tourists.

Bathed in the morning light, the pool was so clear that one could see right to the bottom; it was practically transparent.

Nina staked out by the pool for half the day before finally spotting a few Peach Blossom Jellyfish drifting through the water.

These little creatures weren’t pink at all; they were completely transparent.

They got their name just because they usually showed up when the blossoms were in bloom.

Jellyfish don’t have brains, but their neural networks are spread all over their bodies, like an invisible web of

senses.

Nina couldn’t hear any sound from the jellyfish, but she could clearly see their fear just by watching them.

The Peach Blossom Jellyfish swam for a while, but as soon as they touched the edge of the pool, they curled up into tense little shapes and zipped around anxiously in the water.

“Stubby,” Nina called, letting the blunt-headed two-tailed snake out of its tank.

“Can you help me bring over a few of the pool’s residents? I’ve got some questions for them,” she asked.

Set loose in the wild, Stubby wasted no time and slipped into the grass.

Soon enough, it came slithering back, clutching a marsh frog in its tail; the poor thing was kicking for dear life.

“Let go of me. You hear me?” the marsh frog fumed, its cheeks puffed up

in anger.

“I’d rather croak than be humiliated,” it grumbled.

“Fine, you’re not eating me, but now you’re kidnapping me? If this gets out, how am I supposed to face the other frogs?” the marsh frog complained.

Nina quickly told Stubby to let the marsh frog go, barely holding back her laughter as she explained, “Whoa, it’s all a misunderstanding. We’re not bad snakes or bad people; we just want to ask you something.”

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Chapter 238

“Have you noticed the Peach Blossom Jellyfish in this pool are getting fewer?” she asked.

“Has anything strange happened around here recently?” Nina added.

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The marsh frog was still trembling as it was set down, and only then did it realize Nina could actually command a big snake, and even understand frog-speak.

Its big, round eyes popped wide open, full of awe. “Oh my, an animal-talking boss.”

The marsh frog immediately started croaking, “Someone finally cares.”

“Something’s seriously wrong with the mud in this pool. If I use it to scrub myself, I end up itching for days on end,” the marsh frog grumbled.

“My jellyfish buddies are definitely getting wrecked by this nasty mud, too,” the marsh frog went on.

“And those green little bead seeds at the bottom? Pretty much all dead now,” the marsh frog lamented.

The green beads the marsh frog was talking about were actually a type of algae called Celestial Algae, which lives in harmony with the Peach Blossom Jellyfish.

This was serious trouble.

It wasn’t just the Celestial Algae taking a hit; plenty of other little critters were getting affected, too.

Nina knew she had to report this to the Forestry Department ASAP.

Marsh frogs were basically the survival experts among amphibians.

They could settle anywhere, from rice paddies to mountain streams; nothing fazed them.

“Even hardy creatures like you are steering clear of this water,” Nina remarked, her brow furrowed.

“Seems like the problem at the bottom of the pool is even more serious than I imagined,” she added.

She crouched down and deftly fished a sampling tube and a sealed bag out of her bag.

“There’s definitely something off with this mud,” Nina said under her breath.

Nina went around, carefully using the sampling tube to collect mud from different spots.

She turned to the marsh frog, who was curiously supervising her, and said, “Hey, little frog, can you help me find any friends around here who got sick from touching the mud? Can you ask them to come see me?

“I’m a vet. I can check them out and help if they need it.”

Stubby immediately piped up, “She’s awesome. I was this close to meeting the King of Hell, and she yanked me right back.”

The marsh frog shyly rubbed its front paws together, looking a bit embarrassed. “Uh, Doc, do you think you could check me out, too? That mud’s been making me feel kinda weird.”

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Chapter 238

“Of course, I can,” Nina replied softly. “But if you’re okay with it, you’ll need to hang out with me down the mountain for a while.”

“I’ll use some equipment to run a more detailed check-up,” she added.

“Down the mountain?” The marsh frog’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“I’ve never been down the mountain before,” it exclaimed.

“I heard there are these things called cars that zoom around, and giant glowing mushrooms at night. Are those real?” the marsh frog chattered.

“Count me in. I really wanna check it out,” the marsh frog blurted out.

It puffed out its cheeks and let out a loud, confident croak, “Leave it to me.”

Then, like a little cannonball, it zipped into the grass.

Before long, it came back with a few patients in tow.

Three sluggish toads were brought in, each sporting some odd-looking red spots on its back.

The marsh frog, playing the role of a super-eager guide, piped up first: “This is the doctor. She’s awesome, even the snakes do what she says.”

The toad was one of the infamous Five Poisons in local folklore.

Oddly enough, the three plump toads were clutching leaves way bigger than themselves, awkwardly hoisting them up with their front legs.

As soon as they spotted Nina, they all ducked behind their giant leaves, leaving only their wide eyes peeking out, sneaking timid glances at her.

The marsh frog whispered, “Whenever humans come up the mountain and spot these guys, they start calling them toads or lumpy freaks, and they even mock them.”

“After hearing that over and over, they just end up hiding behind their leaves,” the marsh frog explained.

These little guys, known as toads, always looked a bit goofy and awkward.

With their rough, bumpy skin and big, bulging eyes, they were a little slow on the uptake.

But they were mild-mannered and soft-hearted. If someone picked on them, they’d just squat there, pawing at their eyes, curling up in a sad little ball, and inching backward bit by bit, hoping it wouldn’t hurt so much.

Only when really pushed would they secretly release toxins to protect themselves.

Yet each of these little guys could quietly chomp down on tens of thousands of pests every year, guarding a whole field all by themselves.

Nina gazed at the three little bundles huddled together on the ground, watching the toads hide their bodies,

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Chapter 238

bodies they thought were ugly, behind their giant leaves. Her heart melted a little.

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