Chapter 286: Tender And Gentle

Chapter 286: 286: Tender And Gentle

Both of them were doing a terrible job. They couldn’t even manage to remove Minnie’s clothing, and the little cub was having the time of her life laughing at their struggles. At one point, she even turned away from them and tried to run off.

Kellie sat nearby, watching the chaos unfold. Since he was in his beast form, he didn’t have any clothing to worry about. He simply watched everything in silence.

When Rai could no longer stand watching them struggle, he finally stepped in. "Okay, stop... You two. I’ll handle it from here."

"..." Commander Lynn and Kan stared at him in confusion before slowly stepping aside to let him take over.

They watched as Rai effortlessly caught Minnie before she could run away. He gently placed her on the rock and carefully removed her clothing without any trouble.

Once he was done, he handed it to Commander Lynn. "Take this and toss it away. And..." He turned to Kan. "Go and get another set of clothing for her."

"Oh!" The two men nodded almost immediately, following his instructions without asking any questions. Commander Lynn left to discard the soiled clothing while Kan went to retrieve a fresh set they’d kept aside.

After Rai finished, he stepped back and turned towards them. "Now, do you want to continue with the rest?"

Commander Lynn nodded firmly. "Yes. I have to do it myself if I want to learn..."

Kan blinked. "I don’t think I need to learn..."

But Commander Lynn immediately interrupted him. "The two of us are doing it."

Kan had no choice but to comply. Meanwhile, Rai sat close to the water, watching as the two men held the cubs near the edge of the stream.

He had already given them instructions on how to clean the little ones, so he settled down to rest while watching them put his advice into practice.

Unfortunately, the two were still doing a terrible job.

Commander Lynn held Minnie as he tried to clean her, but his efforts weren’t getting him anywhere. He wasn’t cleaning her properly, and Minnie wasn’t making things any easier. She kept splashing around in the water, constantly looking for an opportunity to escape.

Kellie wasn’t any better. While Kan tried his best to clean him, the little black wolf struggled to get away from the water. He kept shaking his body and splashing water everywhere, making the task even more difficult.

Rai sat there watching them, unable to stop himself from sighing as he ran a hand through his hair.

"And yet they want to take responsibility..." he muttered.

Finally, he got to his feet and adjusted his clothing. "Okay. I’ll take it from here..."

Commander Lynn and Kan immediately looked up at him.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Commander Lynn asked.

"I’ll handle it."

---

Commander Lynn and Kan stood to the side, keeping Minnie close while Rai started with Kellie.

He gently settled the little black wolf on a rock beside the water and began cleaning him from head to toe. Carefully, Rai poured water over him, smiling as he spoke in a soothing tone.

"Here... How does it feel? Good, right?"

He sprinkled more water over Kellie, gently working it through his fur. He also applied the soap they’d brought along, all the while showering the little one with sweet, coaxing words.

Kellie sat quietly without the slightest protest. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the experience as Rai gently scratched his ears, neck, and body to keep him comfortable throughout the process.

"How does it feel? Good?" Rai asked with a gentle smile as he continued bathing and cleaning him.

Commander Lynn and Kan stared at the scene in speechless amazement. They couldn’t believe Rai was so good at this. He was incredibly gentle and patient, nothing like the person they were used to seeing.

"Am I seeing things, or is he actually being sweet and gentle?" Commander Lynn muttered, staring at the scene in disbelief. "Did something happen to him? Because that’s not the brother I know. At least, the Rai I know has never been this sweet and gentle..."

Kan, however, was smiling from ear to ear as he watched the wholesome scene.

"He’s always been this gentle, sweet, and kind," Kan said, his eyes fixed on Rai. "He’s always had this side to him..."

Commander Lynn turned to stare at Kan, who was still smiling at Rai. "Aren’t you two always bickering? How come you’re saying all these things about him while smiling like that?"

Kan snapped out of his thoughts and awkwardly turned towards Commander Lynn, clearing his throat.

"Well..." He scratched his head. "I’m just saying what’s true. He does have that side to him, you know."

His gaze soon drifted back to Rai.

"That kind and sweet side of him... It’s just that he almost never shows it. It’s rare, but it’s there..." he explained, smiling again as he watched Rai tenderly care for the little one.

Commander Lynn shook his head with a sigh. "You two... I don’t even want to try understanding you anymore."

Rai and Kan had been childhood friends who’d known each other for as long as they could remember. They were always bickering and teasing each other about practically everything, with Kan usually being the one to start the teasing.

Despite their constant arguments, however, the two were incredibly close and almost inseparable. They were always there for each other, much like soulmates. One moment, they could be arguing over something, and the next, they’d be fighting side by side as though nothing had happened.

Commander Lynn had long since given up trying to understand their relationship.

And so, he simply stood beside Kan, watching Rai bathe the little one. Even Minnie seemed intrigued by the scene.

She stared at Rai with a smile before suddenly calling out, "Mama!"

Then she ran off, leaving Commander Lynn and Kan behind as she hurried towards Rai.

"Did she just call him Mama?" Kan burst out laughing at the realization.

Commander Lynn folded his arms, utterly speechless. "I can’t believe someone else got called that before me..."

Kan shook his head, still amused. "Well, I guess she associates his gentle actions with what her mama would do." He smiled as they watched Minnie approach Rai.

"Mama... Mama..." she continued calling, looking up at him. "Bath... Water..."

Rai stared at her in bewilderment. "I’m not your mama, though," he tried to explain, but it was no use. Minnie continued repeating the words she wanted to say, seemingly unconcerned by his protests.

Finally, Rai shook his head in defeat and smiled at her.

"Okay, then. I’ll bathe you right now, okay?" he assured her.