My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty 210

Chapter 210: Raising a Doggo

Xia Yun, the golden retriever, had been with the Jiang family for four years.

It had originally wandered to the animal shelter on its own. That day, when Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan went to adopt a dog, Cang Ling, who was with them, took a liking to it at first sight, helping to untie its leash, open the kennel door, and guide it to them.

After that, it joined their family and received its own name.

During the first year, Jiang Xue would often dream of Xia Yun’s original owner coming to find it.

In the most absurd dream, the original owner tried to persuade them to return the dog, and when they refused, became enraged, put on a black stocking mask, snatched the dog, and ran away.

Jiang Xue woke up while chasing the dog in her dream, immediately got out of bed, turned on her phone’s flashlight, and went to check on Xia Yun, only relieved after seeing it sleeping soundly in its bed.

Actually, after hearing about Xia Yun’s arrival at the shelter, Jiang Mei had used her connections to investigate.

No one nearby had seen or heard of this golden retriever, and some experienced dog owners even speculated that it might have come from the neighboring province, since the shelter, located on the outskirts, was near the border.

Jiang Mei didn’t investigate further after that.

Regardless, this intelligent and loyal dog had left home on its own and willingly come to the shelter. If it had truly come from so far away, something must have happened at its previous home that made it feel it had to leave.

After work that day, she even brought some fresh beef for the dog, petting its head and sincerely hoping that it could stay with them until old age.

They raised the dog for three years, until the end of the adoption observation period. Even Jiang Xue, who had been worried about its original owner appearing, finally relaxed, and they started editing the videos they had taken, creating a “Xia Yun’s Growth Vlog Series” and posting it on M-Station.

The vlogs posted on “Traces of Xue Luo” weren’t just about Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan, but also their family and friends. Xiao Luohan’s main focus was guqin-related content, so it didn’t matter if the other videos weren’t as popular, as long as there was a record.

Unexpectedly, the dog vlogs became incredibly popular, the data even attracting the attention of Ms. Silin and Ms. Ning.

The two investigated and concluded that their golden retriever was “too unlike a dog.”

One netizen even commented: 【Could there be a human soul trapped in this dog’s body?】

“Impossible,” Cang Ling said, seeing the comment. “Animal and human souls are different. I can tell!”

“It would be great if the ‘animal communication potion’ in games existed,” Xie Xitong, the veterinary student, often lamented. “I can understand what animals are thinking, but only vaguely. I can’t understand more complex thoughts.”

Xia Yun was oblivious to this, currently pondering how to make the white cat at home lie on its back. It was curious what it would be like to carry such a fluffy creature.

It couldn’t carry the cat in its mouth. Flipping the cat over was different from having it lie there willingly. And lying down and inviting it… would only result in a face full of paws.

Unable to think of a solution, it asked its owners for help.

Jiang Xue was editing Xia Yun’s vlog when the dog came to her.

She turned on her phone’s camera, followed Xia Yun, and watched as it carried a plush dog toy on its back, repeatedly raising its paw and pointing downstairs.

Jiang Xue followed its gaze. Xixi, Xie Xitong’s white cat, was lying there.

A guess, although absurd, arose in her mind, and considering that this was a plan devised by her intelligent golden retriever, she felt it made sense.

“Do you want to carry Xixi on your back?” she asked. “Bark four times if yes.”

“Woof, woof, woof, woof!” Xia Yun wagged its tail excitedly.

With the camera recording, there was no mistaking its intentions. Jiang Xue took the toy, found a tripod for her phone, and followed Xia Yun downstairs to Xixi.

The cat could now tolerate the dog—mainly because Xia Yun played with it and shared its food, and a playmate who shared food was a friend.

Seeing them approach, Xixi lazily raised its head, as if saying “State your business.”

Jiang Xue tentatively reached out, and finding that the cat allowed her to pet and hold it, she quickly scooped it up and placed it on Xia Yun’s back before it could react.

“Meow… mew?” Xixi’s eyes widened, and it looked at her, confused, its meow a complaint.

“New project, try it if you want, a free doggy ride!”

Before she could finish, Xia Yun stood up.

The cat was heavier than expected, but its fur was soft, and since its owner had told it not to move, it just lay there, oddly compliant.

Xia Yun, unaware of Xixi’s thoughts, decided to be a chauffeur, carrying the cat around the house, visiting every room.

In the end, it was Xixi who was reluctant to get off.

It even dug its claws into Xia Yun’s fur, meowing softly, acting cute!

Jiang Xue, still filming, didn’t know if different species could communicate, but after half a minute, Xia Yun carried Xixi to the courtyard.

Ms. Wei was watering the plants and, seeing the dog carrying the cat, paused and watched with interest.

Xia Yun, slightly tired, strolled around the courtyard, passing the vegetable patch and flowerbed, circling the grown plum sapling twice before lying down at Xixi’s insistence, gently letting the cat slide onto the rug.

Xiao Luohan, who had gone to Professor Yan’s, saw the new vlog before even returning home.

She clicked on it and chuckled less than half a minute in.

“What did Xiao Xue do that made you so happy?” Professor Yan asked, turning around.

“Our dog carried the cat on its back,” Xiao Luohan showed her the video. “At first, the cat wasn’t happy, but then it didn’t want to get off.”

“Oh, that big cat from the Xie family,” Professor Yan leaned in, amused. “It’s like a gas tank, isn’t Xiao Xue worried about it crushing your dog?”

“Xia Yun is very smart. If it felt crushed, it would have put the cat down,” Xiao Luohan explained confidently.

She opened the comments section, and as expected, everyone was saying “I asked my dog, and it said it’s fake.”

“I sometimes wish our dog was a dog demon,” she said, putting away her phone and continuing to organize books. “If it were a demon, it wouldn’t have dietary restrictions and could try all sorts of food; and we could even talk to it and ask about its thoughts.”

“If you like that kind of story, I have some books about demons here,” Professor Yan said, handing her a thick book.

Xiao Luohan took the book and opened it, seeing Teacher Sui’s name on the first page.

“…Teacher Sui also likes demons?” she asked.

“Her courses touched upon it. She originally bought it as a reference, then became interested,” Professor Yan said. “I don’t know if she told you, but she once launched a ‘demon’ series of designs, even collaborating with a jewelry brand for hair ornaments. They sold out despite the unusual designs!”

She continued, “When she was in university, I already thought she was entrepreneurial. But after she chose a stable teaching position, I also thought it was good. Now… seeing her dedicate herself to something she loves, Sui Mama and I are very happy.”

The Sui family elders were open-minded, embracing tradition but not bound by it.

This made Xiao Luohan think of Teacher Huang Qi and recall her disdain for Teacher Sui that night.

The person she had found unreasonable then now seemed even more like a clown.

After a busy day at the Sui family’s, Xiao Luohan returned home and petted Xia Yun’s head as a thank you, relaxing.

Xia Yun, however, misinterpreted her intention, thinking it had tried something new while she was away, and whined guiltily, then started looking for Xixi.

It found the cat, which also wanted another ride, so it carried Xixi on its back to the study, hoping to surprise Xiao Luohan.

Xiao Luohan chuckled. She was always amused by these two “living treasures.”

Although she had told Professor Yan that “Xia Yun is smart,” she was still worried about Xixi crushing her dog, so she took the cat down, spun it around a few times, then hugged Xia Yun.

Her strength had increased considerably, and she wasn’t even breathless after hugging the two large creatures.

Xia Yun, having received a reward, happily pranced around the study, then, pounced on by Xixi, chased the cat out to play.

Seeing their energetic antics, Xiao Luohan couldn’t help but think of the old dairy cow cat at Si Ling’s cafeteria.

When they had returned to eat, the owner had said that her cat “had a serious illness during winter and might not last another six months,” but unexpectedly, the dairy cow cat had recovered and was even energetic enough to hiss at Xia Yun.

But the cat was old. After finishing a treat, it would soon meow and ask for more, and in the end, the owner had to coax it back to its bed.

“Sigh, its memory is failing!” the owner had sighed. “But it’s just a little kitty, I’ll be grateful if it lives to a ripe old age.”