Lin Xu had never seen an animal that turned into a puddle of mush yet fought back with such ferocity. One could imagine wrapping it in clothes, only for it to leap in every direction.
Its claws were quite long, piercing through the fabric and scratching her arm, leaving a glorious, gruesome gash.
Lin Xu endured the pain, wiped off a handful of sweat, and tried to communicate with it in human language—utterly futile.
Perhaps it was tired, or maybe animals understood humanity after all, though the biggest reason was probably that it couldn’t beat Lin Xu in a fight, so it had no choice but to submit.
To avoid dirtying the car seats, Lin Xu’s jacket was ruined beyond repair. One animal, one jacket—they were now bound together for survival.
Lin Xu grumbled endlessly, “Taking it to the hospital… Seriously, who would want to hurt you for no reason? Are you that tasty?”
Not cute at all.
Shu Qingyou had never kept pets growing up; she was used to being a lone wolf. But she knew basic ethics and solemnly answered for the animal, “You can’t eat it.”
Lin Xu hadn’t planned to eat it anyway. She chuckled, “Do you think there’s enough meat on it to pick your teeth?”
Shu Rong stared at Lin Xu in horror, as if wondering if the big sister was a monster who ate anything.
“The amount of meat can’t be the standard for whether you can eat it or not.”
Lin Xu thought she was being ridiculous; even Rongrong wanted to distance herself from such brutal thinking.
“You two, I was just joking. Making a big fuss over nothing—who’s going to care about me?”
Shu Qingyou watched as Lin Xu lifted her arm and waved it around, seeking attention and comfort. She obliged.
They immediately headed to the local epidemic prevention station, where the doctor gave her a shot.
Lin Xu stopped complaining after that. The pain of a rabies vaccine shot was something only those who’d experienced it knew—one jab and she went silent.
She tossed aside the cotton swab pressing the injection site and said sinisterly, “My arm hurts. I need some physiological comfort.”
Shu Qingyou drove toward the pet hospital. Seeing Lin Xu in good spirits and cracking veiled jokes, she refused flatly.
“No chance today.” She tapped Lin Xu’s lips.
It was devastating news, but Lin Xu pouted, “I meant for you to cook me something delicious.”
Shu Qingyou had misunderstood… She cleared her throat awkwardly. “Sure…”
At the pet hospital, since Shu Rong treasured this little creature so much, Lin Xu carried it to the vet like a precious treasure in her suit jacket.
She explained the situation roughly; she still hadn’t figured out what kind of animal this squishy, boneless lump was.
“It seems like it has some internal injury. Huh, what kind of creature is this?”
Shu Qingyou stayed silent, letting Lin Xu handle it with her odd wording.
It was clearly from playing too many games lately.
The vet quickly and gently parted the animal’s fur, listened carefully with a stethoscope, then lifted its abdomen, speaking clearly.
“A dragon cat. You picked it up?”
Lin Xu smiled modestly. “The kid likes it.”
Pleased with the response, Shu Rong agreed wholeheartedly with the big sister. She leaned down amiably to reach for Lin Xu’s hand, but Shu Qingyou pulled her back into her arms.
She whispered in her ear, “Don’t be fooled by the big sister’s facade so easily.”
Lin Xu stared intently. Dragon cats were pretty cute; this one was just too feisty. She pointed at its paws. “Can you trim its nails?”
“You’re thinking ahead. Aren’t you afraid it won’t make it?”
The vet removed her disposable gloves and said, “Externally, there’s no visible wound, no obvious swelling or bleeding. High chance of minor fractures in the ribs or spine.”
Lin Xu didn’t have much experience with pets. She asked, “Just fractures?”
“How would I know?” The vet called the nurse. “Draw some blood and do an X-ray. Pay the fees first.”
Speaking of fees, Lin Xu pulled out her phone to pay and saw it was bound to Shu Qingyou’s bank card.
Lin Xu was eating soft rice hard—feeling thoroughly kept.
The screen brightness was high, and Shu Qingyou’s eyesight was sharp. She caught on immediately. “I’ll go pay with you.”
“Is there enough money, Shu-jie?”
Lin Xu racked her brain. She came from a wealthy family and had several unlimited black cards, but she couldn’t remember where she’d put them.
Now she was acting all soft and calling her Shu-jie. Shu Qingyou had no interest in answering. They’d come this far—could she really skip out on the bill?
Among them, only Shu Rong was truly worried about her little pet. Now that she knew its name was dragon cat…
Disregarding that her mom was still holding her, she kicked her legs impatiently to get down.
Shu Qingyou’s eyes were still a bit sore, but she admired her daughter’s playfulness. She hadn’t noticed this side before—Lin Xu had definitely led Shu Rong astray.
Shu Qingyou pinched her daughter’s chubby cheeks. “Mommy and big sister are stepping out for a bit. Be good and stay here.”
Though Shu Rong’s little face still looked sickly, her eyes were bright and full of energy. She climbed onto the exam bed, which was at her height, with both hands.
Once the nurse drew the blood, she poked at the dragon cat’s fur.
Lin Xu glanced back and snorted. “This kid really isn’t afraid of dirt. Qingyou, I need a thorough bath when we get home. I feel so sticky.”
Shu Qingyou touched her warm arm and tried to take off her coat. “It’s almost winter. You can’t just wear a shirt. Take my coat.”
Lin Xu stopped her and helped her put it back on. “You’re the one who hates the cold. What if you get sick and I have to take care of you?”
She took the chance to cop a feel of Shu Qingyou, mimicking her cheek-pinch and saying deliberately, “Your face doesn’t have as much meat as Rongrong’s. Bad texture.”
She thought Lin Xu was calling her too skinny. Shu Qingyou wanted to eat more too, but her stomach was only so big. She couldn’t force it and burden her body unnecessarily.
Especially after being sick, her appetite had dropped by more than half.
Suddenly, cheerful voices rang out behind them. “Today, we’re getting a trim for our little Bean. She’s super well-behaved. Everyone, praise her!”
Turning back, a sweetly dressed and pretty girl held up a calico longhair cat and a phone tripod for live streaming. Lin Xu caught a glimpse of the barrage in her peripheral vision—all praising how cute the kitty was.
Indeed, this cat was way more obedient than the dragon cat, though there was no real comparison.
Lin Xu and Shu Qingyou stepped aside politely. The corridor was narrow, but the vlogger set up quite the spectacle.
“Huh? They have such great vibes.”
The pet vlogger spotted them. The taller one had clean features and a tall, upright figure; the other had a classic aloof style in both looks and dress.
She muttered softly to the camera, zooming in a bit. “Wow, they really match.”
It was just a quick shot of their profiles, but the barrage exploded: [Who are they??] [This chemistry, I’m shipping them hard!] [Go ask if they’re a couple—they’re more eye-catching than a lot of celebs!]
Lin Xu pulled Shu Qingyou to the front desk to pay, not noticing the vlogger snapping their backs.
After settling the bill, they waited for the X-ray. It came back quick. The vet sat at the computer, scrolling the mouse up and down, double-checking multiple times.
She frowned and made a puzzled sound.
“That’s weird…”
Lin Xu couldn’t read the films but could read the vet’s distress. She chimed in, “Doctor, can this dragon cat survive?”
The vet nodded, stood up, grabbed the stethoscope again. After a moment, she placed the dragon cat on a soft pad, where it flopped like a cookie again.
The vet’s brows remained furrowed. She pulled over the lab report. “This is strange. No fractures at all—no major issues whatsoever. Look, the blood work is all normal.”
Lin Xu didn’t buy it. “Is this dragon cat faking it for sympathy?”
Logically, dragon cats had the intelligence of a two- or three-year-old. The vet thought for a moment. “We’ve seen plenty of animals like this here. Mostly house pets seeking owner attention, pulling off bizarre acts.”
In the end, under the vet’s few words of persuasion, Lin Xu bought an airline crate and stuffed the dragon cat inside.
In that instant, Lin Xu swore she saw the dragon cat shoot her a fierce glare.
Yeah, must be an illusion. How could a dragon cat glare? Probably her eyes playing tricks from exhaustion—she hadn’t slept in over 24 hours.
“Shu-jie, I’m so sleepy. I’ll nap in the car. Wake me when we get there.”
Shu Qingyou felt a pang of sympathy. Dark circles were forming under Lin Xu’s eyes. While Shu Rong was fixated on the dragon cat, her eyes glued to the crate…
She tiptoed up and planted a kiss on Lin Xu’s cheek.
Lin Xu jolted awake like she’d been injected with chicken blood. “Not enough, not enough.”
She cupped Shu Qingyou’s face and pressed her against the car door. Her lips descended, nipping lightly a few times—soft and chewy like mochi.
She couldn’t help but marvel at how delicious an Omega’s mouth was.
Shu Qingyou’s face heated from the bites. They were still on a busy street—even with the car shaded by trees, she couldn’t let loose.
In two seconds, she pushed Lin Xu away, got in without looking back, and started the engine.
Once Lin Xu settled in, she took a breath. “Three chapters of rules: No touching outside.”
“Wrong,” Lin Xu grinned mischievously. “Qingyou, you’re the one badmouthing first—who kissed first?”
Shu Qingyou shut up and focused on driving.
The happiest was Shu Rong, who refused to sit in front no matter what, determined to live or die with the dragon cat.
Her fingers even reached into the crate, fiddling around. Lin Xu teased that she’d forgotten her mom now that she had a pet.
Shu Qingyou defended her daughter. “You forget to eat on time when you’re gaming.”
Lin Xu stuck out her tongue, yawned, her eyes watering at the corners. She closed them. “I’m still a gaming addict teen. Have some mercy, Shu-jie.”
Her IQ seemed much sharper than the past few days, and her actions a bit more mature. This sparked a faint worry in Shu Qingyou’s heart.
The pet hospital was in the city, heavy traffic providing good cover.
One car followed unhurriedly, keeping several vehicles between them—not too close, not too far.
Until they neared their village, Lin Xu’s sixth sense kicked in. Her heart skipped. She opened her eyes. “Qingyou!”
“Hm?” Shu Qingyou thought it was urgent. “What’s up? We haven’t reached home yet.”
Lin Xu’s breathing steadied. She wasn’t sure. “Just had a palpitation. Feeling better now.”
Shu Qingyou glanced at her. “Heart issue? We’ll get an ECG and color ultrasound tomorrow.”
Lin Xu brushed it off. “Nah, I’ve got a strong heart. Body’s tough.”
It was a bit exaggerated, but not far off. Lin Xu was confident.
Habitually, she checked the side mirrors. Few cars in the suburbs, but one was going awfully slow. This road wasn’t speed-limited, right?
For some reason, that car behind felt familiar. She narrowed her eyes, watching intently.
Seeing her zoned out, Shu Qingyou asked, “You sure you’re okay? Sleep more.”
Lin Xu mumbled vaguely, gaze fixed. Seconds later, she said, “Qingyou, at the intersection ahead—turn around.”
