Chapter 10

Xu Ruyi stared blankly at her, then suddenly realized, like a drowning person grabbing the last straw, she hugged the cat and nodded fiercely: "I believe you!"

Anyway, it's come to this point, what does she have to fear? Xu Ruyi held her breath inside; she was clearly telling the truth, so why won't anyone believe her?

Recalling the manager's earlier smile, Xu Ruyi couldn't help shivering, clenched her fists: "But how are you going to prove it?"

She had produced all her evidence, yet the other side dismissed it with a few words, leaving her in disarray.

What could she possibly do?

Upon hearing that, Ling Yue gave a gentle smile: "Miss Xu, hello; I forgot to introduce myself earlier—I'm the owner of a pet consultation shop, and I have a special ability that happens to be able to help you."

"As for proof, I don't need to prove it; let it do so."

Ling Yue pointed at the ragdoll cat, bent slightly, keeping her eyes roughly level with the cat's: "Are you called Sweet Sweet? Can you say again how they abused you?"

No sooner had her words fallen than an uproar broke out.

The onlookers almost dropped their melons, staring in shock at Ling Yue—'Holy crap, they couldn't be hallucinating, could they? She's talking to the cat?'

How can a person talk to a cat?!

Such a pretty young lady, how could she just… be like that?

The manager's face shifted, as if he'd suffered a great insult: "Is this what you call proof?"

"How could a cat understand human speech, and what testimony could a single cat provide? Miss Ling, please don't fool everyone."

The onlookers chimed in, thinking Ling Yue was pulling a prank, little knowing she was serious. Many quietly stepped back a few paces, fearing to get burned.

Ling Yue glanced at the manager; though it was just a fleeting, offhand look, it made the man's heart pound, his palms instinctively curl, and he came away with a handful of sweat.

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

He tried to convince himself, forcing a smile, wanting to say more, but Ling Yue had already turned to Xu Ruyi: "Miss Xu, please put the cat down."

The kitten in her arms rubbed against her like a spoiled pet; Xu Ruyi didn't know if it was coincidence or something else, but she had seen that pose countless times at home.

It wanted to get down.

As if possessed, she really let go.

The kitten landed lightly, meowed a few times at Ling Yue, flicked its fluffy tail, and strolled slowly toward the shop, glancing back now and then.

Someone noticed that the one it was looking at was none other than Ling Yue.

Sweet Sweet: "Thank you."

Ling Yue's eyes crinkled: "You're welcome. Quickly lead us to the evidence."

Someone rubbed their eyes in disbelief; it truly looked like they were communicating.

Such a rare sight quickly drew a crowd; by then the shop owner finally realized, but it was too late to do anything, and he could only tell himself, 'How could this be?!'

This must all be a coincidence!

How could anyone possibly understand an animal's words!

As for what he really thought, his faltering steps revealed a little.

Inside the PetLove store, several employees nervously watched the cat as it moved forward, that direction! It wasn't――

Xiao Qi really wanted to slap herself; she couldn't be dreaming, could she?

The manager's eyes widened, as if he were holding a live, jumping rabbit; no way, he'd hidden things well, they'd surely not be found.

The next moment, a crackling sound burst in his ears; to the manager, it was like a bolt from the blue.

All that could be seen was that the shelf holding cat and dog food was a mess.

The kitten weakly supported itself, its canine teeth biting the milk powder lid; Xu Ruyi shot forward like a small cannonball, clutching her treasure: "Sweet Sweet, my Sweet Sweet, are you alright?"

She was terrified, yet she noticed what her treasure was desperately chewing: "Could it be you like this brand of milk powder? When you're better, Mom will buy you a bunch!"

Ling Yue: "……"

She really wanted to roll her eyes.

The ragdoll cat Sweet Sweet explained: "Mom's just like that—silly, but she treats me really well; I'm happier than my siblings."

Ling Yue: as if she'd been shown up.

She bent over, picked up the milk powder can, and as soon as she took it in hand she sensed something off—the weight… was too light.

That's also why Sweet Sweet could easily knock it over.

As for the manager, upon seeing her take the can, his heart leapt to his throat; he almost couldn't help shouting, but it was already too late.

All that was heard was a soft 'pop.'

The lid opened, revealing intact pills sealed inside.

A chill shot from his soles straight to his head, his limbs soaked in icy water; he opened his mouth like a dying fish.

Ling Yue translated Sweet Sweet's earlier words: "This is the medicine you prepare for your weak pets; Sweet Sweet told me that whenever customers come, you feed it to her. Miss Xu, I suggest you have it tested."

The manager shrugged, saying nothing defamatory; he knew he couldn't deny it, and he hated only one person—Ling Yue!

If it weren't for her meddling, this would have ended long ago!

But now, it's not necessarily without a chance to recover.

The manager immediately spoke up: "This is my dereliction of duty—I failed to supervise the staff properly; I never imagined they'd be so bewildered as to pull such a low trick!"

He turned, his angry gaze fixed on Xiao Qi: "Xiao Qi, you're also a veteran employee here—how could you have forgotten how I taught you? How could you abuse animals like this?"

"You're fired! Besides that, you must apologize to this customer!"

Having said that, the manager gave Xu Ruyi a fawning look: "Miss Xu, are you satisfied with this handling?"

Ling Yue gave him a deep look: "Really, only she's at fault? How could a low‑level employee pull strings to get these special medicines? Aren't you all in cahoots?"

Ling Yue's words hit the nail on the head.

The manager's face instantly went pale; Ling Yue surveyed the pets—some seemed numb, many full of hatred, the animals' gazes all fixed on the manager and these staff, believing that if not for their cages they could leap out and tear them apart.

Xu Ruyi didn't believe it either. Though she's slow‑witted, she's not stupid—how could the dosage of these drugs used be just for her little Sweet Sweet? Who knows how many victims there were before this!

She glared at the manager angrily: "I'm not satisfied with this outcome!"

I'm not short of money—who would care about your compensation? I will definitely investigate thoroughly!

Forgot to say, I'm not afraid of your PetLove behind you; if you try to screw me over, you're doomed!

The shop manager had originally been taking a chance, thinking these cats and dogs were just small animals without legal protection, so his behavior was at most fraud; but hearing this young lady's words, he suddenly shuddered.

Xu Ruoyi no longer paid him any mind, holding Sweet Sweet and thanking Ling Yue profusely, her eyes like a hungry wolf—what a powerful master! She had actually run into one!

Master, ah—boss, I really just thanked you! She then whispered, "Boss, you said our Sweet Sweet—can it still be cured?"

Ling Yue seemed to sense something, opened Sweet Sweet's attribute panel, and indeed a progress bar appeared below—more precisely, a life bar.

After seeing it clearly, her eyes flickered slightly: "If you take it to a pet hospital and give it careful care, maybe it will get better."

A full green bar—conservatively, it could still live another fifteen years!

Xu Ruoyi directly ignored the 'maybe' and was overcome with excitement.

The story took a turn—she actually found evidence!

The onlookers' gazes toward Ling Yue shifted instantly. What does that show? It shows she truly has real skill!

Those who had just mocked her now felt their faces burning with pain.

It's all their fault for having eyes but not recognizing Mount Tai!

Xu Ruoyi pulled out a stack of red bills; although mobile payments are popular now, for a proud young lady like her, she always keeps a stack of cash in her bag—aside from anything else, flashing it looks impressive!

A thick stack that makes people's eyes pop out.

This is my fee—thanks to your help; otherwise the bad guys would still be roaming free!

Ling Yue shook her head: "Too much; to me, this is just a small matter."

Instead, the crow circling above her head suddenly swooped down, amid the surrounding people's gasps, and snatched three hundred-dollar bills.

Xu Ruoyi jumped in surprise, but then heard passersby clucking in amazement: "Hey, I just saw the boss put up a sign outside—pet consultation is three hundred bucks; this can't be a coincidence, can it?"

Holy shit, a crow as a cashier? Boss, you still claim to be an ordinary person!

Ling Yue looked at the crow helplessly, but it puffed up proudly: "I see that human shops all have cashiers; the owner is you, so I volunteer to be your cashier."

After Xu Ruoyi understood the whole story: three hundred bucks? That's way too cheap!

No way!

My situation is complicated; I can't just pay the usual consultation fee—I'll double it! Boss, you must accept it; if you don't, you're not treating me as a friend!

When leaving, after exchanging contact info with the boss, Xu Ruoyi felt pleased as punch; she may lack ability, but her friend has talent!

As for why Ling Yue opened a shop here, perhaps it's what the books call 'the greatest hidden in the city.'

On the first day of opening, Ling Yue's account gained exactly ten thousand.

With Xu Ruoyi as a living signboard, the store's business instantly boomed; if Ling Yue hadn't limited the number of visits, she wouldn't be able to leave work until evening.

After finishing with the tenth customer, Ling Yue looked at the long queue behind her and said, "Work's done, I'm clocking out."

Customers: "......"

They looked up at the sky; the sun hadn't fully risen, and each wondered if they were seeing or hearing things.

The customers wailed: "No way, boss, it's only just past nine—you're closing way too early!"

Ling Yue pointed at the steady stream of office workers entering the distant building and smiled: "Not early at all—people have already started clocking in for work."

The customer choked.

Damn, she actually pulled that on us!

They go to work while she gets off work, yet they demand she not leave—talk about miserable—but the boss is their lifeline; if they can't make it today, they'll have to come tomorrow.

The customers left grudgingly.

The owners of several nearby shops watched with envy, but that's just because the little girl has real skill.

The owner of the neighboring aquarium shop couldn't help but advise Ling Yue: "Customers are practically shoving money into your hands—why are you pushing it away? What time is it even?"

His tone carried a hint of frustration at her not living up to expectations.

Ling Yue wasn't annoyed either, smiling: "But I still have other things to do."

She needs to train Dahei and the crow, study the system panel, hone her combat skills; as for the visit limit customers complained about, Ling Yue thought it over and decided it could be added, but not now.

Before locking the shop door, she said, "Dahei."

Dahei sprang up with a swipe; during this time, thanks to Ling Yue's careful feeding, Dahei's fur was glossy and smooth, retaining some of the black-backed breed's vigor.

Let's go train.

Jing Shi is a first-tier city, with skyscrapers, a developed economy, and all kinds of venues, including dog training centers; however, Ling Yue's standards are high, and she could find one only thanks to Zhao Lin showing her the way.

Dahei carried the leash over to his owner, a real clingy sweetheart. The crow looked at him disdainfully: "Pah, a dog's lackey!"

Having said that, it landed on Ling Yue's shoulder, rubbing against her neck: "Owner, I'm not like a dog."

Ling Yue raised an eyebrow: "Can it flatter better than it?"

While Ling Yue was preparing things, she didn't know that this video had already been posted online; it started with only a few clicks, but soon it went viral across the net!

But the comments were sharply polarized.

One part was convinced it was fake—who could hear animals talk? Nowadays self-media will do anything for clicks; such an obvious script, are they taking us for fools?

Another part consisted of onlookers who had experienced it firsthand; netizens hadn't seen them, but they had—Ling Yue's ability is genuine, with no watering down!

But compared to the tens of thousands of netizens, this group of supporters is like a tiny wave in the sea—just as they speak up, they get drowned out.

The remaining large portion were drawn in by the story; from the initial conclusion to its complete overturn, the plot twist left them satisfied, like watching a brilliant short drama!

Marvelous—actually thinking of letting the pet prove its own innocence!

In the video, the little cat and Ling Yue interact as if the cat could really speak, full of spiritual aura; plus the pretty lady's high looks made an already interesting, fresh video go completely viral.

Don't underestimate netizens' looks-loving trait; many have already been secretly inquiring about the address—not because they crave the pretty lady's body, but out of curiosity.

It smacks of 'there's no silver here, but I'm shouting three hundred taels'—i. e., overcompensating.

While Ling Yue was training the dogs, she didn't realize she had become famous, and consequently her pet consultation shop also attracted attention.

Tiger Whale streamer Guangtou Qiang, a well-known debunker with nearly ten thousand followers, was in the live chat shooting the breeze with netizens, wondering what topic to pick for the next episode.

Suddenly he saw someone in the live chat mention Maomao Xiannv.

"What cat fairy?" Guangtou Qiang's eyes lit up: "Netizens, the streamer has plenty of time, let's chat in detail."

【He's the star of today's viral video, supposedly able to communicate with animals and also extremely good-looking! Cough cough, Brother Qiang, you said the next episode isn't set yet, right? Why not go live and debunk it, to see whether it's real or not?】

【You've seen that video, right? The fairy is so beautiful—no, the cat is so beautiful! Brother Qiang, if you go live, we netizens will definitely support you!】

Guangtou Qiang raised an eyebrow.

The assistant had finished searching, upon seeing the heat he immediately sucked in a breath of cold air, and behind the equipment he frantically made gestures.

Take it!

Brother, with such huge popularity, we definitely have to take it!

Seeing the netizens flood the screen with urging, Guangtou Qiang snapped back to attention, grinned, and said: "Let me, Guangtou Qiang, lead everyone in debunking and checking out shops—whether it's real or fake, tune in to my live stream tomorrow at 8 a. m.; don't miss it!"