“Come on, good boy, let Uncle check your tongue.” Bai Yanzhou stroked the little boy’s head, which actually managed to quiet his crying a bit.
After examining the thin white coating on the tongue, Bai Yanzhou moved his hand to the boy’s abdomen.
“Does it hurt here?” He gently pressed near the navel.
The little boy sniffled and nodded. “It hurts so bad… like… like lots of mice are biting me…”
“Hao Hao, don’t be scared, Mommy is here.” The woman’s brow was furrowed with worry and anxiety. “Is it serious, Dr. Bai?”
Bai Yanzhou shook his head. “Don’t worry, it’s not serious. Did Hao Hao eat a lot of cold things or snacks today?”
The woman nodded hurriedly. “This morning, he was throwing a fit for ice cream, so I bought him one. Later, he ate some snacks and grilled sausages.”
Bai Yanzhou nodded knowingly.
He knew this family. They lived in the residential complex across the street.
This chubby little kid loved to eat and often ran out alone to buy street-side grilled sausages or other treats.
Bai Yanzhou withdrew his hand and said, “Alright, help Hao Hao sit up first. I’m going to massage his tummy.”
The woman didn’t doubt him for a second and helped Hao Hao sit up as instructed.
Bai Yanzhou rubbed his hands together to warm them, then placed them on the boy’s navel and massaged in a clockwise motion with gentle pressure. He did this for about two or three minutes.
Next, he used acupressure to stimulate the Hegu point (on the hand) and the Zusanli point (on the leg).
Within just half a minute, the little boy stopped crying completely.
“Mommy, it doesn’t hurt anymore!”
Bai Yanzhou stood up, pulled out a disinfectant wipe to clean his hands, and explained with a smile, “He just ate something that upset his stomach, causing acute intestinal spasms—what we commonly call indigestion. I relieved it with the massage just now. I’ll give you some herbal navel patches to take home. Apply one later, and he should be fine.”
As he spoke, Bai Yanzhou sat at a side desk and began writing the doctor’s orders.
“When you get back, don’t give Hao Hao any irritating foods—no fruit or yogurt either. You can give him some brown sugar ginger tea or the top layer of millet porridge. Stick to a bland diet for the next couple of days, like porridge or noodles. If he still feels uncomfortable, bring him back to see me.”
“Thank you, thank you so much! Oh my, I was scared to death. This child… I’ll definitely keep an eye on him when we get back so he doesn’t eat random things.” The woman let out a sigh of relief and glared at Hao Hao with mild reproach.
She really had been terrified.
“Mommy, I won’t eat random stuff anymore,” Hao Hao said, touching his belly with a pained expression.
Bai Yanzhou couldn’t resist reaching out and pinching Hao Hao’s chubby cheek. “You, little guy, really need to eat less. Look at this belly.”
Hao Hao giggled sheepishly.
The mother and son, now relieved, paid the bill and offered another round of profuse thanks, making Bai Yanzhou feel a little embarrassed.
Just then, Bai Jimu finished washing the dishes and walked downstairs, his nose twitching.
“Smells like grilled sausage.”
“Ho, that dog nose is pretty sharp.” Bai Yanzhou raised an eyebrow. “Greedy again right after eating?”
“No, Bro, I’m full,” Bai Jimu said, his eyes drifting toward the grilled sausage stall across the street.
The location Bai Yanzhou had chosen was right next to the vegetable market, and just one street over was a snack street.
This meant that Bai Jimu, with his keen sense of smell, spent every day drooling.
Luckily, this small county town had no nightlife, so everything closed around midnight.
Bai Yanzhou couldn’t smell it anyway, so it wasn’t torture for him—but it was pure agony for Bai Jimu.
The furthest distance in the world is when I can smell it but can’t eat it…
“Alright, your eyeballs are about to fall out. If you want to eat, go buy some. It should be pretty quiet today.”
“You got it! Bro, I love you!”
“Hey, take off your work coat before you go!”
The reminder successfully halted Bai Jimu. He stripped off his work uniform and dashed out in a flash.
“That little rascal.”
Bai Yanzhou shook his head helplessly.
“Hm?” Just as he was about to head into the back room, Bai Yanzhou suddenly sensed a cold gaze. He immediately turned around, his eyes scanning the bustling crowd.
Having lived for thousands of years, he was exceptionally sensitive to being watched, but this time, he couldn’t pinpoint the source.
He couldn’t help but rub his arm, telling himself it was just his imagination, failing to notice the dark shadow flashing through the ginkgo tree outside the door.
“Bro!” Less than three minutes later, Bai Jimu’s frantic voice rang out. “Bro, Bro, Bro, Bro!”
“I’m not deaf.” Bai Yanzhou clicked his tongue and paused his TV show.
Looking up, he saw Bai Jimu had reverted to his true form, a bag clamped in his jaws containing at least five grilled sausages.
Before Bai Yanzhou could get angry, Bai Jimu darted behind the counter, tail tucked between his legs, looking terrified.
“Bro, there was this super weird guy. He kept trying to talk to me just now, I couldn’t shake him off, whimper.”
In his Beagle form, Bai Jimu whined and whimpered, fear evident in his throat noises. He looked absolutely pitiful.
Before being rescued, Bai Jimu was a laboratory dog, which gave him a natural, deep-seated fear of strange humans.
He always felt like they were going to capture him and take him back to the lab.
But even so, he hadn’t forgotten to bring the sausages back.
Bai Yanzhou’s gaze instantly sharpened. He stroked Bai Jimu’s head with one hand while his other hand quickly formed a seal.
A semi-transparent silk thread flew from his fingers.
The thread moved rapidly through the air, quickly locking onto a strange man wearing a black suit and sunglasses.
He seemed to be chatting with the auntie selling vegetables across the way, holding his phone screen up for her to see.
On the screen was a photo of Bai Jimu.
Bai Yanzhou’s face darkened, and he retracted the thread.
Could it be… someone actually knows our identities and is investigating in secret?
That would explain the strange gaze from earlier.
But how is that possible?
I’ve been keeping a low profile these past few years, barely ever reverting to my true form, let alone using magic.
Why would anyone target us?
Bai Yanzhou thought for a moment, then whispered, “Don’t go out for the next few days, Little Bi. Stay home, and don’t change into human form. I’ll handle this.”
“Whimper, Bro…”
Bai Jimu was a mess of emotion, nuzzling his fuzzy head against Bai Yanzhou’s face. “You’re the best, Bro. I love you.”
Bai Yanzhou patted his head. “Good boy. Go upstairs and eat your sausages.”
Bai Jimu nodded, picked up the bag of sausages from the floor, and trotted happily up to the second floor.
Once he was gone, Bai Yanzhou’s expression instantly turned cold, his eyes narrowing.
Snake scales unconsciously surfaced on the back of his hand, and his fingernails grew long and sharp, leaving scratches on the tabletop.
The fact that someone was targeting his Little Bi made him very angry.
He wouldn’t allow anyone to destroy the peaceful life they had worked so hard to find.
If there was a threat… he would eliminate it.
Bai Yanzhou had never been as benevolent as he appeared on the surface.
If someone crossed his bottom line…
The consequences would be severe.
Bai Yanzhou exhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down.
Regardless, it wouldn’t be too late to figure out this guy’s objective before making a move.
Although Bai Yanzhou had told Bai Jimu to stay put, for a Beagle, house arrest was tantamount to torture.
Finally, night fell.
Bai Jimu lay on the windowsill, eyes full of eagerness.
It’s night… surely it’s fine now.
“Bro, can I go out for a walk?”
Bai Jimu pushed open Bai Yanzhou’s bedroom door, bumping right into a certain someone who had just come out of the shower.
“You want to go out?”
Without his glasses, Bai Yanzhou looked sharper and colder, especially with the upward slant of his eyes—completely devoid of his usual gentle demeanor.
Seeing the man squinting at him, Bai Jimu shrank his neck, feeling that his brother looked a bit scary like this.
I definitely prefer Bro with glasses, sob.
“Why aren’t you talking?” Bai Yanzhou raised an eyebrow, casually picking up his glasses from the table and putting them on.
Without glasses, Bai Yanzhou basically couldn’t see things up close.
In human terms, he was farsighted (presbyopic).
It was a common issue for snakes, though as a demon, Bai Yanzhou had it better than most.
“I said I want to go for a walk, Bro.” Bai Jimu grabbed Bai Yanzhou’s hand coquettishly, blinking his eyes rapidly. “I promise I’ll be back really fast.”
It’s Little Bi’s Starry-Eyed Attack!
Bai Yanzhou flicked Bai Jimu on the forehead.
“You can go, but you have to wear this.”
Bai Yanzhou didn’t refuse the request. After all, keeping a Beagle cooped up at home forever wasn’t realistic.
The sofa had just been repaired; it couldn’t take another beating.
He took out a red string and tied it around Bai Jimu’s wrist, instructing him again, “Do not take this off, understand?”
“Understood, Bro!”
Almost the instant Bai Yanzhou agreed, Bai Jimu shot out with a whoosh, moving so fast he was just a blur.
Bai Yanzhou rubbed his forehead, a sudden wave of worry washing over him.
Even though he had imbued a sliver of his demonic power to protect the boy, with that reckless personality, would he really be safe?
Forget it, I can protect him anyway.
Bai Yanzhou reconsidered; that guy had no other skills, but his ability to run away was top-tier.
Plus, with the demonic power guarding him, nothing bad would happen.
He happily lay down on the bed and tapped open the drama he was currently chasing.
On the other side of town, the little Beagle strutted proudly down the street.
The red string on his ankle emitted a faint glow.
The usually vicious stray dogs in the neighborhood scattered far away the moment they saw him, as if they had seen something terrifying.
“Weird. Why are those guys so well-behaved today?” Bai Jimu muttered to himself.
Usually, the strays around here were rampant; it didn’t make sense not to see a single one.
Bai Jimu wandered around aimlessly, occasionally chasing roadside rats for fun.
Soon, he noticed a familiar figure.
By the roadside, a man in a black suit was whispering into his phone, holding a bag of barbecue he bought for a late-night snack. He hadn’t noticed Bai Jimu nearby.
Bai Jimu originally wanted to turn and run, but then he remembered he was currently just a dog.
What was there to be afraid of? It was the perfect chance to overhear what this guy was up to.
And, being a very vengeful Little Bi, he planned to take a bite out of him.
This guy is so suspicious, he must be a human trafficker. One bite counts as serving the people!
Bai Jimu’s gaze shifted to a pile of fallen leaves nearby, and a plan formed in his mind.
“Boss… yes, I’m still looking… don’t worry, I’ll definitely find him…”
Fragments of conversation drifted to the sneaky Bai Jimu’s ears. He crouched low, his eyes locked dead on the bag of barbecue in the man’s hand.
Just as the man hung up the phone and sighed, preparing to hail a taxi, Bai Jimu charged.
He bit down on the man’s calf, a threatening growl rumbling in his throat.
“Hiss—what the hell! Where did this dog come from! Let go!” The man jumped in fright, shaking his leg desperately.
Bai Jimu only took one nip; he didn’t break the skin.
Then, releasing his grip with lightning speed, he leaped up and head-butted the man right in the stomach.
As the man fell to the ground in pain, Bai Jimu seized the opportunity, snatched the barbecue from his hand, and bolted.
Hehe, I’ll be taking this barbecue. Bye-bye now! Consider this Little Bi’s compensation for emotional distress!
The man stared blankly at the figure running further and further away with his barbecue, forgetting the pain in his leg.
Did I… just get mugged by a Beagle?
Back home, Bai Jimu happily devoured the barbecue, feeling incredibly proud of himself.
That counts as overcoming my inner fear! I’m awesome!
The next day, the sunshine was lovely.
Bai Jimu lay lazily at the door, basking in the sun.
When he looked up, he saw a figure approaching from a distance.
It was the familiar black suit, only now the figure was walking with a slight limp, looking rather pitiful.
Bai Jimu was so scared his fur stood on end. He turned and bolted straight behind the counter.
“Bro, Bro, Bro! That guy is here!”
I’m done for. Is he here for revenge?
I even made myself all dirty yesterday so he wouldn’t recognize me!
Bai Yanzhou looked down at Bai Jimu huddled at his feet and closed his tablet.
He looked up at the figure entering the shop and put on his signature smile.
“Hello, how can I help you?”
“Hello, Doctor.” The man put on a smile and approached the counter. “Actually, I wanted to ask you about someone.”
“Ask about someone?” Bai Yanzhou tilted his head slightly, feigning confusion. “But this is a medical clinic.”
The clinic door closed silently.
The man didn’t notice; he simply placed the photo of Bai Jimu on the table.
“It’s like this. I’m a staff member from Starry Entertainment. I heard you know the person in this photo, so I came to ask.”
Bai Yanzhou paused, halting the spell he was about to cast. He frowned. “Starry Entertainment?”
The man nodded and continued, “I recently saw a video posted by a local blogger and accidentally spotted a very handsome boy, so I wanted to ask if he’s interested in becoming an idol.”
Bai Yanzhou looked the man up and down with scrutiny, clearly still skeptical. “Do you have proof?”
The man was prepared. He pulled out his work ID from his photo album, as well as his company’s social media account. “Look, this is my ID, this is our company account, and here is my employment certificate…”
Bai Yanzhou went through the proofs one by one.
Finally, he confirmed that this person really was a talent scout.
He must have scared Bai Jimu earlier by being too excited, causing the misunderstanding.
Bai Yanzhou handed the phone back, feeling a bit speechless.
“Mr. Fang… Hong, right? So you’re looking for him to…”
“I wanted to ask if he’s interested in participating in the next trainee variety show our company is investing in. So, do you know him?”
Bai Yanzhou rubbed his chin, his eyes suddenly lighting up.
He bent down and patted the Beagle’s head on the floor. “Go, call Bai Jimu down from upstairs.”
The Beagle shook his head in terror.
“Go on. Hurry.”
With tears in his eyes, Bai Jimu finally obeyed, running upstairs to change back into human form before coming down.
Fang Hong was surprised to see such an obedient Beagle, but a moment later, he was stunned by the sight of Bai Jimu walking down.
The sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy had fluffy brown hair, with loose strands falling over his forehead.
His almond eyes drooped slightly at the corners, resembling a wet puppy, and his irises were a beautiful golden color.
His entire being exuded an air of innocent fragility.
This is it! Exactly the type young people love these days!