Chapter 473

Bai Liang is very skilled at handling little dogs.

He already showed off this skill on the show "Longing for Life," where Wang Wang's team followed him around everywhere.

And his pocket is like Doraemon's dimensional pocket—he can pull out good stuff anytime, making the dogs scamper after him happily~

Now, on the set, it seems the same "scene" from back then is being replayed.

On the left is Dou Xiao Tian, on the right is Dou Xiao Ye, and behind them, Chocolate and Rou Rou are wagging their tails~

The two genuine little dogs have long been good friends; when they wag their tails, their hindquarters even nudge together.

But the happy little dog and the gloomy little dog clearly can't get along—they either have a clash written in their stars or incompatible birth charts; though both follow Bai Liang, they've never exchanged a single word.

They each speak to Bai Liang alone, completely ignoring each other.

About this, Bai Liang says he doesn't want to interfere.

He can't make them hold hands and act affectionate, can he~

Besides, conflicts between girls are normal—Hot Ba and Na Zha even ended up in a full-blown fight, and Bai Liang never meddled, nor did he take sides.

Da Xi and Dou Xiao Ai nearly spat at each other and cursed on the show, yet he only did what he was supposed to do and never actively intervened in their feud.

But just because he doesn't meddle doesn't mean no one will.

At dinner, Meng Jie and Li Yitong each took one away—and also took Chocolate and Rou Mu with them.

This made Bai Liang feel like he was running a pet daycare, where the parents come to pick up their "kids" after work~

"Dou Xiao Ye, what's going on between you and Dou Xiao Tian?" Meng Jie asked bluntly.

Zhou Ye scratched his head. "Nothing's going on. She's really mean—I don't want to talk to her."

"Really mean? I didn't notice~"

"Seriously! Meng Jie, you didn't see how she glared at me before—it felt totally like some aggressive, food-guarding dog."

Hearing this description, Meng Jie's face twisted into a puzzled frown~

Really? How's that like a dog guarding food?

"At least Chocolate doesn't guard food~" Meng Jie suddenly cheered.

Zhou Ye:.

No wonder you're Meng Jie! Your thinking is so unpredictable~

Meanwhile, on the other side, Li Yitong, also "teaching" her "little one," got a straightforward answer.

Dou Xiao Tian honestly shared her thoughts with her, holding nothing back.

"Sister, she's kind of like me."

"Huh? Like? You two look completely different—but of course, our Dou Xiao Tian is prettier!"

"Not appearance." Dou Xiao Tian scratched her head, thought for a moment, then dropped a bomb: "Sister, when are you and Meng Jie going to break up?"

"Huh? Why would I break up with her?" Li Yitong asked, bewildered.

"Shouldn't you break up? Aren't you rivals for his affection~?"

So in the adult world, "innocent child's words" still pack a serious punch.

Some questions are better avoided—no need to spell them out clearly; a little ignorance lets everyone stay happy.

Once everything is laid bare and smoothed over, there's no room left to turn back.

Like that group of "Qing Yu Nian" sisters—they seem to talk about everything, yet everyone quietly avoids one topic, never mentioning it.

Like how Meng Jie never asked Li Yitong: when did she "steal" him? How did she "steal" him? What was she really thinking?

Once you ask, you can't go on as before.

So.

"I won't break up with Meng Jie—we're great best friends," Li Yitong said firmly.

But Dou Xiao Tian shook her head. "Even best friends can fall out~"

Li Yitong couldn't hold back—she pinched Dou Xiao Tian's cheeks with both hands. "Stop acting so old-fashioned—you're not cute anymore~ That bright-eyed, clueless little look you give Bai Liang? That's adorable!"

"Sister, do you really like me that way?"

Instant kill!

On Meng Jie's side, she was already grooming Chocolate's fur, while the evil little kitten faced Dou Xiao Tian's "interrogation of the heart."

At this point, she realized she'd been underestimating this adorable little sister.

The girl was surprisingly perceptive—perhaps even more perceptive than she was.

But then again,

"So, was Dou Xiao Tian's whole act fake?" the evil little kitten blinked and asked in return.

Damn it, don't underestimate the wisdom and emotional intelligence of an older sister contestant, you little brat!

Sure enough, now it was Dou Xiao Tian's turn to feel uneasy.

If she could fake that act, her acting could outshine everyone on set—including Bai Liang!

Besides, she'd originally intended to treat Bai Liang with the same slightly aggressive attitude she used toward Zhou Ye.

Unfortunately, imagination and reality had a tiny mismatch.

Failed~

She herself couldn't understand why she'd been "captured" by a single dog biscuit.

Li Yitong also didn't get it—she'd eaten that dog biscuit too, and thought it wasn't that tasty.

"Dog biscuits are really delicious~ Look how happy Chocolate is eating them."

"Because Chocolate is a dog."

Watching Chocolate wag its tail happily and lick its own paw, Bai Liang thought for a moment, then took a bite himself.

"It really is delicious! Meng Jie, try some too~"

"Can you really eat this?"

Meng Jie's big eyes were full of doubt, but trusting her own little hedgehog, she carefully picked up a piece.

Crunch crunch~

"Kind of bland," Meng Jie said after carefully tasting it, giving an honest evaluation.

Seeing Meng Jie wasn't falling for it, Bai Liang turned to Zhou Ye, who was eagerly waiting nearby. "Don't you want to try it, Xiao Ye?"

But the girl's expression drooped slightly. "Brother, can you not call me Xiao Ye? I'm a girl—it sounds bad."

"Xiao Ye?"

"Mm-hmm!"

Actually, Bai Liang thought calling her "Xiao Ye" made their relationship feel closer.

But after tasting the dog biscuit Bai Liang recommended, Zhou Ye's eyes lit up instantly. "It's delicious!"

"See? I told you~"

With renewed support, Bai Liang immediately turned to Meng Jie with an "I told you so" expression.

Meng Jie was still full of question marks, so she picked up another piece. It really did taste kind of bland~

It was just a matter of personal taste.

Turning to Zhou Ye, she saw the girl had already started gobbling them down.

Bai Liang quickly warned: "Xiao Ye, slow down—this isn't actually made for human consumption."

Bai Liang added, "Yeah, and I haven't restocked yet. The rest of the chocolate, meat bits, and Xiao Tian all need some too."

The moment he said that, Zhou Ye ate even faster!

She was determined to devour every last one right now, leaving not a single bite for the "dogs."

Chocolate stared at her blankly, clearly frightened by her eating style, then scrambled into Meng Jie's arms.

And she loudly complained: She's hoarding the food!

Clearly, Zhou Ye's behavior was a provocation toward Xiao Tian.

This was the most childish rivalry Bai Liang had ever seen among girls.

Zhou Ye: Brother, she started being mean to me first~

Xiao Tian: She's eating my biscuits.

Zhou Ye: Just because you bought them doesn't mean you get to eat them all?

Xiao Tian: I worked hard to earn these as a quest reward.

Dealing with such childish bickering was simple.

Just call the brand and have them rush eight hundred miles to send more boxes.

Not only would there be enough to share—she could even eat them for meals.

Though Xiao Tian had been "captured" by the dog biscuits, she didn't actually eat much.

Just one or two pieces at a time made her happy.

Compared to eating them, she probably enjoyed the ritual more.

If she were truly allowed to eat freely, she'd refuse—it wasn't her habit, and she didn't want to.

But sending too few was out of the question—what if Zhou Ye sneaked in and devoured them all again?

Of course, pulling this off required Bai Liang to call in a favor.

Because these dog biscuits weren't even his endorsement product.

He had to find Zha, then get her to contact them. Yes—the brand's official spokesperson was Xiao Bao.

This extremely valuable little cat wasn't just earning her own food anymore—she was letting her "companions" enjoy it too.

Chocolate, Rou Rou—they all said they benefited from it~

But this made Meng Jie feel a little emo again.

The name Zha carried some psychological shadow for her—now even the pet was so impressive.

That night, when she and Zhou Ye shared a room, Zhou Ye saw her hugging Chocolate, muttering to herself:

"Chocolate, if only you could become a celebrity dog and earn your own dog food and snacks—just look how well Xiao Bao is doing."

"Meng Jie, are you PUA'ing it?"

"Huh? How could I? Dogs don't understand what I'm saying~"

"... Didn't you just tell me Chocolate understands human speech?"

"Did I?" Meng Jie thought for a moment, then nodded seriously. "It understands!"

"Then you're definitely PUA'ing it—you're giving off that 'other people's kids' vibe. If Chocolate could talk, it'd probably say: Why don't you compare yourself to other 'moms'?"

As soon as Zhou Ye finished speaking, she regretted it—Meng Jie visibly deflated.

She muttered dejectedly under her breath: "I can't compete… neither me nor Chocolate measure up."

Zhou Ye: Oh no~ I have to comfort her—help!

After tremendous effort, she finally got the emo Meng Jie to cheer up, leaving Zhou Ye with a strange feeling: Who's the real older sister here?

So tired~

She immediately fell asleep.

But just minutes after she drifted off, a sneaky figure slipped off the bed.

The movement was barely audible, but Chocolate, lying on the floor, heard it and lifted its head.

"Shhh~ Chocolate, be quiet. I finally got her to sleep."

Chocolate:??? Who's soothing whom?

Meng Jie didn't care—she was leaving now, to find her little hedgehog.

She was a little emo, but she certainly wasn't this terrified of that thing.

The main reason she was emo was because Zhou Ye insisted on sleeping with her at night.

It wasn't that she didn't want to cuddle and chat with her sister—she just wanted to cuddle with Bai Liang more~

Then she ran into Li Yitong, who was also sneaking around.

This evil little kitty had just "soothed" Dou Xiao Tian to sleep.

After they met, both felt awkward.

"Cough cough, Meng Jie, what a coincidence~"

"Mm hmm, Tongtong, you're awake too, wandering around?"

"Yeah yeah~ Dou Xiao Tian was in a bad mood today, I comforted her for ages, and my sleepiness vanished, so I came out for a walk."

"Xiao Ye just fell asleep too."

After this strange exchange, both felt speechless.

What are you pretending to be, sister?

Li Yitong just waved her hand dismissively, "Go eat some grass again?"

"Mm~"

"Meng Jie, you've been eating it for years—don't you get tired of it?"

"I eat it nonstop and never get tired—what can I do, I just love it~"

Got it~ Now the flavor of da zha zi is coming out.

Of course, Li Yitong ended up retreating—there was no help for it; just like Meng Jie had a slight weakness toward that thing, she too was naturally a bit weaker than Meng Jie.

All she could do was watch the other head toward her usual spot, wu wu wu~ Now she'd have to go back and use the fake one.

She wanted the real, warm one too—no matter how similar, a fake is still a fake~

"Sister~"

"Oh shit!"

Dou Xiao Tian's shout scared Li Yitong half to death.

As she cursed, her whole body jolted, and she felt something actually leak out.

"Sister, I didn't mean to."

"Weren't you asleep?" Li Yitong sighed, patting her chest.

"Sister, let's charge!"

"Huh?"

At that moment, Li Yitong studied Dou Xiao Tian's expression—she had her lips pressed tight, fists clenched, her face set like she was ready for battle.

"Charge where?"

"To steal a boyfriend! I'll help you, no matter who the rival is!"

"Oh no, no need!" Li Yitong quickly waved her hands.

She'd thought Jin Da Xi, that "crazy" woman obsessed with being a mistress, was already the ultimate, but now she found someone even more fearless—who was this general?

Oh~ It was her own. Then it was fine.

"Sister, if you don't fight for it or confront them, you'll never succeed!"

"Do you really think Meng Jie is your rival?"

"Huh?"

Li Yitong's expression turned suddenly "serious." "Meng Jie's just a nobody—she's a failure herself. I'm just letting her win. The real rival is far stronger than her—we need to get much stronger before we charge. Got it?"

"Oh~~ I get it!"

What exactly did you get?

After Li Yitong spouted nonsense, Dou Xiao Tian's fiery determination finally calmed down—for now.

But when she returned to her room and lay down again, she couldn't help sighing: Youth is so wonderful~

If she were only twenty-something herself, she'd be just as fired up~

She wouldn't be like that "useless iron lump" Meng Jie, who could've gone straight for it but chickened out at the critical moment.

Unfortunately, she was already thirty by lunar age.

In a melodramatic way: looking back, not even love—she still didn't understand her career.

Judging by this situation, she'd probably have to cling to the big fox's leg and climb up again.

Previously, her relationship with Bai Liang had been relatively "equal."

Back then, Li Yitong hadn't particularly sought to cling to him—she liked him, and that was it, no extra motives.

But now, even if she refused to admit it, when planning her career and future, Bai Liang was an unavoidable factor—possibly the most important one.

Now even her feelings weren't pure anymore.

She felt herself slowly becoming like Li Xin—their situation was far worse; Li Xin had clung from the start, otherwise how could she have so easily become a champagne girl?

This thought was obviously melodramatic, but Li Yitong felt it was proof she'd truly turned thirty.

Even if her face hadn't changed much, her mindset reminded her: things are different now~

The next day, the set of "The Son-in-Law."

Meng Jie, glowing with excitement, taught Zhou Ye her experience playing a courtesan.

One dared to speak, the other dared to learn.

Their roles had slightly more screen time than ordinary cameos, but neither girl minded.

What difference would a little more make?

After learning from Meng Jie, Zhou Ye also demonstrated to others how he'd interacted with Bai Liang on the set of "Youth of the Past."

Happy puppy is fully online!

The super shadow is back~

"Little Watermelon~"

"Here, here."

When Bai Liang habitually prepared to assign Dou Xiao Tian the "daily mission," he discovered that the one who had answered him was actually Zhou Ye.

And Dou Xiao Tian, a beat behind, was glaring at her, her cute little face about to show a fierce expression.

"Did I call you?" Bai Liang said, somewhat amused.

"I thought that was my new nickname~ It's kind of cute, even if it's not an animal type anymore." Zhou Ye said with an innocent face.

"Little Watermelon is Dou Xiao Tian."

At this point Bai Liang was quite straightforward, stating that this nickname could only belong to Dou Xiao Tian, and couldn't just be "swiped away" by Zhou Ye~

"Oh."

"Ahem, let's start over. Little Watermelon~"

"Here!"

Dou Xiao Tian gave a standard little cat salute, which startled Zhou Ye.

Good lord, what kind of ritual is this? So grandly done.

Quite imposing too.

She instinctively wanted to imitate it. And honestly! She imitated it really well!

It's just that although she also stood with her chest out and chin up, the relative lack of certain conditions made it miss just a little bit of that flavor.

And by this time Bai Liang had already finished giving Dou Xiao Tian her "daily mission," and the other girl couldn't be bothered with Zhou Ye, giving her a glare before clattering off like a land-bound aircraft.

"I want one too, I want one too~"

"Want what?"

Zhou Ye blinked, "The same as her~"

"How could it be the same?" Bai Liang shook his head, saying he really couldn't do another one—he wasn't Pan Hong.

Unfortunately, Zhou Ye didn't seem to notice anything off either; she just thought it was fun.

I want it, I want it~ Brother~

Bai Liang had no real way to deal with her either. This happy puppy had been able to provoke Chen Chen Chen Chen Duling into "chasing her down" back on the set of "Better Days," which showed just how clingy she was.

But her courage was actually limited to being clingy; she would never dare to do the same things Chen Chen Chen Chen Duling did~

She'd bring out the true form of the red-hot puppy's martial soul.

In summary: all bark and all play~

(End of chapter)