Bai Yanzhou gently wiped the kitten’s face dry, but a few stubborn tufts of fur remained matted together, sticking up in clumps.
The more he looked, the funnier it seemed.
Seeming to sense that Bai Yanzhou was laughing, the kitten bared its teeth and let out a fierce yowl, but that only made it look cuter.
“Feisty little thing.” Bai Yanzhou mercilessly poked the kitten’s forehead with his index finger, easily toppling the little guy onto the table.
Watching the cub struggle to flip itself over, Bai Yanzhou held up his phone and snapped a few photos.
Don’t know where this kitten came from, but I’ll foster it for now.
If someone comes looking, I’ll return it.
When the kitten finished its milk and lazily dragged its hind legs to crawl onto the cushion, a pair of large hands lifted it up again.
“Don’t rush, Little Coal Ball. Let me check your leg first.”
Bai Yanzhou skillfully gave the little black cat a name on the spot.
It’s gray and dusty looking; Coal Ball fits perfectly.
Although Bai Yanzhou usually treated humans, that didn’t mean he only knew how to treat humans.
When it came to animals, he had a few tricks up his sleeve, too.
He gently palpated the kitten’s hind leg.
Good, it’s just a dislocation.
With a quick, deft snap of his wrist, before the kitten could even yowl, it realized its hind leg didn’t hurt anymore.
Bai Yanzhou curled his lips in satisfaction and placed the kitten back on the cushion.
“Alright, go to sleep. I’m going to lie down for a bit too.”
With that, Bai Yanzhou lay back on his recliner, the picture of leisure.
He didn’t notice that as he turned his attention to his TV show, a sharp glint flashed through the eyes of the black cat behind him.
It looked nothing like the gaze of an ordinary animal cub.
Meanwhile, Bai Jimu had run to the slide in his usual park and curled himself into a miserable ball underneath it.
Sob sob sob, I hate Bro!
It clearly wasn’t my fault, but he still hit me!
Just as Bai Jimu was crying tears of grievance, the voices of several men drifted over from nearby.
“Are you sure you saw that fat dog run this way?”
“Yeah, could I be wrong? With a build like that, how could I mistake it?”
“Hurry and look. If it runs off, we’re in trouble. The restaurant is really short on meat lately. I’ve been watching this dog for days. It gets fed well every day; the meat quality is definitely better than a wild stray.”
Bai Jimu’s ears perked up.
Fat dog? They can’t mean me.
The aunties always say I’m too skinny and need to eat more.
Bro never said I was fat either.
Yup, definitely not me.
Although he thought this, he still silently tucked his tail in.
These guys sounded like bad news, talking about “meat quality”…
Are they running a dog meat restaurant?!
“Found it!”
One man, sharp-eyed, spotted half a Beagle butt sticking out from under the slide and immediately signaled his companion.
“You take the front, I’ll take the back!”
The two men assumed this was just an ordinary dog that couldn’t understand human speech, so they acted brazenly.
Bai Jimu went on alert, standing up and lowering his body, a warning growl rumbling in his throat.
Unfortunately, that didn’t scare the two burly men in front of him.
One held a net, the other a tranquilizer dart. They clearly intended to knock the Beagle out and take him away.
Naturally, Bai Jimu wasn’t going to let them succeed.
After all, he hadn’t been eating all that food for nothing.
With a whoosh, Bai Jimu sprinted out, twisting to dodge the reaching hand and slipping right between the man’s legs, tearing off into the distance.
But the other man immediately blocked his path, swinging the net toward Bai Jimu’s head.
Don’t let the fact that this Beagle was chubbier than his peers fool you—he hadn’t lost an ounce of agility. He dodged their attacks with ease, running circles around them as if he were the one walking the humans.
“Hah… hah… this fat dog… how can it run like that?” The man couldn’t keep up, panting as he looked at the Beagle ahead, who was giving them a mocking expression.
He began to question his life choices.
“Hmph.” Bai Jimu snorted disdainfully, scratching his paw on the ground.
Two useless trash heaps. If you suck, go train more.
Trying to catch me with that skill level?
Go practice for another five hundred years.
“Why do I feel like I’m being despised by a dog?”
The man looked at his companion with a look of utter disbelief.
“You’re not wrong, we were definitely mocked. F*ck, get him! I don’t believe this!”
Saying that, the two put on their ferocious faces again, ready to resume the capture.
But unfortunately for them, people were already walking toward the park nearby.
Since they were stealing dogs on the sly, they didn’t dare make a scene, so they could only watch helplessly as the Beagle disappeared in a flash.
Bai Jimu strutted back to the shop, head held high and looking smug. He was just about to recount his tragic encounter when he discovered a small, dark animal lying on his brother’s lap.
“!!!”
Bai Jimu looked on in disbelief.
I was only gone for a little while, and Bro already has a new favorite!
He swore he had never seen such a gentle expression on Bai Yanzhou’s face before.
Sensing the commotion at the door, Bai Yanzhou looked up at the stunned Beagle. He waved, his smile fading slightly.
“What are you standing at the door for? Come back in.”
Coal Ball stirred on his lap, lazily lifting his eyelids to glance at Bai Jimu before closing them again, enjoying the embrace that belonged to him.
Although Bai Yanzhou’s body temperature was lower than that of an average human, Coal Ball didn’t seem to mind.
“Bro! I’ve only been gone for a bit, and you have a new love!”
Bai Jimu howled and charged over regardless of the consequences, barking at the creature on Bai Yanzhou’s lap.
“Meow…” Coal Ball just let out a weak, soft cry.
Seeming frightened, he grabbed onto Bai Yanzhou’s clothes and climbed up with incredible speed, diving into his collar in no time.
Feeling the soft, warm sensation against his chest, Bai Yanzhou laughed and patted him gently through the fabric.
“Don’t scare Little Coal Ball, Little Bi.” As he spoke, Bai Yanzhou reached out and patted Bai Jimu on the head. “This is a kitten that wandered into the shop by accident. He had an injured leg, so I saved him. It’s not what you think.”
Bai Jimu didn’t care about any of that. He shoved his head under Bai Yanzhou’s hand, whining and acting spoiled. “I don’t care, Bro, you love me the most, right? You’re not allowed to like other little vixens!”
Helpless, Bai Yanzhou could only indulge him and rub his head.
“Yes, yes, I like our Little Bi the most. Be good, stop making a fuss.”
Hidden inside Bai Yanzhou’s clothes, Coal Ball’s little claws pressed against the smooth skin, unsure where to place them. It felt wrong no matter where he put them.
He decided to struggle and climb out, only to feel pressure from behind.
It was Bai Jimu throwing himself forward, desperately rubbing his head against Bai Yanzhou’s face.
Squeezed in the middle, Coal Ball could only let out helpless mewling sounds.
Miscalculation. If I had known, I wouldn’t have used this form.
Coal Ball’s entire face was forced flat against Bai Yanzhou’s collarbone.
“Cough, cough!”
In a coffee shop, a man in black suddenly started coughing. His grip on the coffee cup slipped, spilling some onto his pants.
“What’s going on, Bro?” Sitting across from him was a man with exaggerated dyed blond hair and a punchable tone. “Even drinking coffee can make you choke these days?”