Chapter 188

This is an anti-theft chapter; not enough subscribers, cutie~ At eight or nine o'clock, the fragrance from the night market stalls nearby blows over in waves, making Ling Yue a bit hungry.

Feifei panicked, its paws almost numb: 'The boss is right here!'

Tonight the boss is leading our rat minions to expand into new territory; I don't know what happened, but we've clashed with Big Sis and her group—wuwuwu—poor boss, about to be eaten!

Ling Yue doubted: "Big Sis? I remember Duo Duo is a single rat; when did it get a wife?"

You rat clan aren't like mantises, eating your husbands after marriage, are you?

As her words fell, a sharp cat cry drowned out her voice, as if tearing her throat, sending chills down one's spine.

Ling Yue immediately locked onto the spot—right in the small grove!

She turned on her flashlight; as soon as she stepped in, she was startled by the scene before her. Faint green light sprouted everywhere like countless tiny lanterns staring fixedly at her; a chill shot up her back, making her scalp go numb.

By the light, Ling Yue finally saw the situation clearly.

Taking the big poplar in the middle of the grove as the boundary, one side is the rat army led by Xunbao Shu Duo Duo, the other side is a crowd of various cats, packed so tightly there's no room to step.

Seeing her, Xunbao Shu Duo Duo immediately shouted loudly: "My master has come! Master has come to help me!"

It shouted for a long time before realizing no one was paying attention to it.

Ling Yue gazed at the sea of cats covering the ground and trees, her eyes falling on the lead black cat. Its body was pitch black, limbs slender; when stretched, it resembled a miniature leopard, revealing sleek muscles beneath its short, glossy fur, and its long tail suddenly twitched.

A cold female voice rang out in the grove; the mystic cat stepped forward like a queen: "Who dares help this stinking rat? It is—"

Before the word "enemy" could leave its mouth, it saw Ling Yue; its amber cat eyes widened in surprise, and Ling Yue opposite it looked exactly the same.

Ling Yue: "You are... Xiao Mo!"

Xiao Mo was a mystic cat Ling Yue used to feed in college; besides her, no one had noticed it.

When Ling Yue mentioned the mystic cat Xiao Mo to her roommate, the latter said she was dreaming, because among the many little cats on campus—whether Sanhua tortoiseshell or Daju tabby—no one had ever seen a completely black mystic cat.

After graduation, Ling Yue left school for an internship, and it's been a long time since she last saw Xiao Mo.

The mystic cat huffed at her, tail drooping; obviously, in Ling Yue's presence it was quite relaxed, muttering: "Who's Xiao Mo? That name is awful! Call me Queen, got it?"

Ling Yue: "Xiao Mo, what are you doing here?"

Xunbao Shu Duo Duo was completely dumbfounded: "Master, you know my wife?"

The Mystic Cat Queen sprang up, coiling then launching like a taut bow, pinning the rat down: "Stinking rat, watch me tear your mouth apart—who's your wife?!"

A cat's face suddenly loomed huge before it; Xunbao Shu Duo Duo wasn't scared but instead stretched out its tiny paws, blinking its rat eyes: "It's me—I'm your wife!"

Ling Yue felt creeped out—she'd never seen the rat act so fawning—but as for the rat's safety, she wasn't worried.

LOL, ever seen a rat rushing to its own death?

This is it.

Actually, Ling Yue understood the situation; she saw the cats' claws weren't bared, just pressing on the rat's belly, leaving it unable to struggle.

Looking at its rat minions, Feifei had already covered its eyes; the other rats likewise looked away, clearly used to this.

"The boss is truly losing face for rats, acting so un-ratlike!"

"Nonsense, if you meet a cat you might end up even more embarrassed than the boss!"

"The boss's taste is weird— as a rat, actually liking a cat, and the top cat at that— it's practically asking for a rat's death!"

Ling Yue also didn't expect that, seeing the rat like this, it's still a masochist.

Xunbao Shu Duo Duo objected: "You don't understand; this is true love, a cross‑species romance—my goddess. Even if I die beneath your beautiful claws, I'd willingly accept it."

"\"Iloveyou~\"—finally a heartfelt confession, even throwing in English. Ling Yue finally understood why Xunbao Shu Duo Duo had been following the big black crow Daheiyaya, studying hard lately."

The cats in the grove reacted even more strongly.

"Ugh!"

"Damn rat, so disgusting I threw up my dinner!"

"You stinking rat, constantly harassing our boss—if we could beat you, we'd have eaten you ages ago!"

The Mystic Cat Queen trembled as she loosened her claws, then warned sharply: "Stinking rat, what kind of daydream are you having!"

"Just because you know a couple foreign phrases you spout nonsense—bother me again and I'll eat you straight up!"

"\"Little thing. \" The Mystic Cat Queen flicked its belly: \"Your scent is intoxicating; I want to take a bite… eat you! \"

When it said "eat," it meant it literally—even the usually laid‑back Xunbao Shu Duo Duo was frightened enough to make its rat fur stand on end.

In the end, Ling Yue spoke up, defusing the battle.

She gave a light cough: "Queen, for my sake, spare this guy. He's just… all heart and no guts."

As her words fell, a dead silence ensued.

The cats stared at her in shock: "Humans can actually understand our cat speech!"

"Help, this guy must be a monster in disguise—everyone run!"

In the blink of an eye, all the cats on the grass vanished without a trace, leaving only the Mystic Cat Queen: "Can you understand my speech?!"

Ling Yue gazed at its amber eyes; there was something in them she couldn't put into words that made her heart leap, giving her a bad feeling.

As expected.

The Mystic Cat Queen strode over arrogantly and confidently, stopping at Ling Yue's feet: "Earlier that stinking rat expanded its territory and ran onto my turf, so we fought—though it was inconclusive—it must have been acting on your orders, right?"

Ling Yue's vision darkened, as if a black pot had fallen from the sky and slammed onto her head!

Before she could explain, the cat queen spoke, elegantly licking her paw: "I can let my minions retreat a step, but you must do something for me!"

"\"Those who can understand beast speech—over the years I've only ever met one person like you. \""

The cats proudly lifted their heads: "I want you—"

A sudden sound cut off its words.

At night, a lovebird couple full of thoughts walked hand in hand into the grove, only to feel the ground soft beneath their feet, like stepping on cotton.

"\"Honey, how can cotton still move? \" the girl wondered, pulling out her phone flashlight to check."

"\"Ah, what is this? \""

Among the rats fleeing with heads tucked, Fei Fei happened to be stepped on underfoot by a girl. As a trusted aide of the rat boss, needless to say he loved face a lot, yet now someone actually stepped on his face—he instantly flew into a rage: "What are you looking at, human woman? Haven't you ever seen a rat?!"

In an instant, a chorus of squeaks filled the forest, like surging waves rolling.

The girl finally belatedly reacted.

She clutched her head and screamed: "Rats, the ground is full of rats! Rats, ahhh!!"

The piercing, high‑decibel female voice split the sky, its pig‑slaughter‑like wail making scalps go numb.

Heaven and earth suddenly fell silent.

Ling Yue only then realized she had temporary tinnitus. The cat's request naturally went unheard as well.

Pure Moon Residential Area.

The fifth‑floor apartment door was opened, light spilling out and washing over the returning girl; that exquisite, radiant brow and eyes—who else could it be but Ling Yue?

She went out alone and came back with a cat, a rat, and a bag of small yellow fish in her backpack; if she weren't strong, she'd have collapsed under the weight.

Summoning Da Hei and Ya Ya, Ling Yue gave a brief introduction: the new friend—Mao Mao Nüwang—would be staying temporarily at her home.

Mao Mao Nüwang disparagingly sized up the room: "It's really small; even all together it's not as big as my room."

Ling Yue waved a hand: "Having a place to stay is already good enough."

Mao Mao Nüwang glanced at a sealed door and suddenly said: "Whose room is this? Is it a surprise prepared for me?"

Ling Yue rose abruptly: "Don't move."

Even Da Hei, the thick‑lined one, looked over, noticing the master's tense expression; Ling Yue pressed her lips, neither glossing over nor elaborating: "This is the room my mother had before she passed away."

Since her passing, Ling Yue has never opened it, just as her mother had sealed it away in her heart.

While bathing, Ling Yue noticed a black collar around the queen's neck, fronted by a dark‑silver cat portrait; from the worn outline it was clearly the queen's likeness. Because the collar blended completely with its fur, Ling Yue only now noticed it.

Before she could ask, Xunbao Shu Duo Duo spilled the beans like overturning a bamboo tube—this was its goddess, how could it not care!

"Ding ding ding ding! Let me grandly introduce: this is my pursuit target, Lady Queen! It's a super‑rich, mighty pet cat."

Saying this, Xunbao Shu Duo Duo licked its face and moved close: "Queen wife, am I right?"

Xuan Mao Nüwang gave it a cold stare: "Stinky rat, you're investigating me? I didn't expect you to be such a scheming rat!"

Shu Shu felt wronged, Shu Shu felt sad.

But for the queen, whom he regarded as his future wife, Xunbao Shu Duo Duo had endless motivation, spilling cheesy love words without restraint.

Mao Mao Nüwang pressed down on Xunbao Shu Duo Duo with a cold expression, pawing at it as if recalling something, and sighed: "…But what it said isn't wrong either."

Even Ling Yue learned for the first time that Mao Mao Nüwang was actually just a house‑pet cat. Though naturally free‑spirited, its owner let it roam, and because the nearby university was teeming with stray cats, over time the formidable Mao Mao Nüwang became the leader of the local strays.

As for what Mao Mao Nüwang had previously wanted her to do, due to an accident Ling Yue still doesn't know to this day.

But right now, what's most important isn't that—it's gold!

Small yellow fish covered the tabletop, and under the blue tablecloth and light, each one shone with a blatant money‑glow.

Da Hei gaped in shock: "Master, we've struck it rich!"

Ling Yue rubbed its ears: "Not just that."

The redwood chest holding the gold in the old house was as high as an adult's knee, wide and deep; her backpack was full, yet she had only taken off one layer, and without looking closely it seemed as if she hadn't taken anything at all.

Ya Ya fiddled with the crystal in its paw, glanced at it then looked away—this was a promise Ling Yue had made earlier; the other lackeys happily carried off gems to their dens, but only Ya Ya was reluctant, playing with it for days.

It said: "Master, tomorrow I'll put this crystal in my nest; the sun will surely make it look gorgeous!"

Ling Yue nodded, still pondering how to handle the gold, when she caught sight of Ya Ya and suddenly had an idea!

Evening.

Zhao Lin's phone on the bedside table suddenly beeped twice; a WeChat message lay quietly in his phone, waiting for tomorrow morning when the owner would check it.

After that, Mao Mao Nüwang seemed to have forgotten what it wanted to say, and Ling Yue waited, but it never came to find her.

A few days later, she happily brought the gold to Dragon Auspicious Jewelry, where Zhao Lin welcomed her warmly. Although he had already made a rough estimate, he never expected it to be such a huge surprise!

With gloves on, opposite her lay a pile of gold mountains.

Zhao Lin stroked it in amazement: "This batch of gold is very pure, and you can tell part of it is aged." As he spoke he lifted his head to look at Ling Yue, the meaning obvious.

Ling Yue declared firmly: "The source is no problem."

She paused and said: "Someone gave it to me."

From the very beginning she had preserved the blood‑written document and evidence, even found the old house's deed, and Ling Yue directly authenticated it.

Zhao Lin nodded: "Then I'll melt it down—I've already weighed it, I'll pay you the market rate of 375 per gram; you know the price swings wildly lately because of the fighting."

Ling Yue nodded; actually this price was quite reasonable, since she was selling the gold outright for cash.

Soon after, her phone chimed; she glanced at it and her heart pounded like a drum: 28,125,000.

This was only part of it.

A legendary overnight riches?

Ling Yue felt as if she were stepping on a soft, fluffy cloud, able to rise to heaven at any moment—of course this is just an exaggerated description; apart from feeling happy and joyful, there was nothing else to show.

But this was already enough!!!

Even the dog could sense the master's joy, wagging its head and shaking its body; suddenly it stalled, then sprinted off: "Master, there's a situation!"

Ling Yue was pulled by it to run to the front of a university; on a weekend afternoon, the street outside the gate was filled with all kinds of stalls, their aromas intertwining endlessly, drawing crowds of students.

The lively scene was dazzling to the eye.

Ling Yue puzzled, she whispered: "Da Hei, what's wrong with you?"

Da Hei sniffed carefully, then barked: "Master, I smell a strange odor—it's drugs!"

Ling Yue: "Are you sure?"

Da Hei looked at her: "Master, you forgot—when you trained me to sniff, I smelled it in that big room and I remember."

"Even if there's just a trace, I can still smell it!"

Ling Yue instantly thought of Big Black's extraordinary sense of smell; the reward for completing a mission is usually a special ability of an animal, which the system can extract, and they are all extraordinary animals.

This is an old residential area; there are plenty of narrower lanes inside, no need to go through all that trouble—I can get home after just a few steps.

Having said that in one breath, she pushed the door open and stepped out, meeting Zhao Lin's eager gaze, and politely said, "I'm not sure whether this will succeed, but if I get any news, I'll contact you."

Zhao Lin was overjoyed, but to avoid putting too much pressure on Ling Yue, he suppressed his expression and repeatedly said, "I believe you! I believe you! I believe you!"

Whether he was panicking or not, he certainly was—what clues could a young girl possibly find? It might turn out to be a futile effort, like trying to draw water with a bamboo basket. But for Zhao Lin at this moment, he had exhausted all his options; grasping at straws, perhaps, just perhaps, a miracle might appear.

He didn't even realize it, but the hope and anticipation in his eyes shone as brightly as a 500‑watt bulb.

Ling Yue walked all the way home, passing old houses scattered like a spiderweb, their quality varying greatly; her home was in one of several adjacent old residential areas, actually the newest in terms of construction age, and the estate was in decent condition.

Pink roses bloomed profusely in the flowerbed; in the pavilion, a group of elderly men gathered to play chess. As Ling Yue approached with her bag, the onlooker Old Man Jin exclaimed in surprise, "Eh, off work already? Why so early today?"

Ling Yue smiled faintly: "I've resigned."

As soon as she said that, the noisy chess area fell silent for a moment; the elders stared at Ling Yue in shock, having resigned without a word?

Some still wanted to advise her, after all, she was a child they had watched grow up; besides, these days college graduates are increasingly undervalued, and jobs are hard to come by.

Who would have thought Ling Yue showed no dejection at all—her smile deepened, two dimples blossomed on her cheeks, and she politely declined their kindness in a pleasant tone, appearing even happier.

She carried her bag into the apartment building; on the mottled, peeling exterior wall beside her, a clump of lush green ivy climbed upward, extending like a waterfall of green jade, resembling a vivid, lively scroll.

Ling Yue lowered her head and climbed the stairs, deliberately presenting an aloof, socially anxious demeanor—as for why she did that——

Having climbed just a few steps, the flower‑shirted aunt pursed her lips, shook her fan, and called out to her: "Hey, the college student from our building is back? How's work today? That luxury car outside is blocked at the entrance!"

At that shout, Ling Yue rolled her eyes, instantly grasping the implication; combined with the malicious insinuations—'middle‑aged man,' 'luxury car clearing the way,' 'could even be her dad'—she was being subtly accused of being kept.

Upon hearing there was gossip to consume, many in the hallway furtively poked their heads out, while others stepped forward, glaring disapprovingly at Aunt Wang; they were longtime neighbors who knew her temperament well—this was just seeing a helpless girl and bullying her again.

Who would have expected Ling Yue to look at Aunt Wang as if just waking from a dream: "Wasn't there just an earthquake?"

"Auntie, I don't understand what you're saying. As for setting me up on a blind date, your son is in his thirties, divorced twice and has two kids over ten—being a stepmother really isn't suitable for me."

While the neighbors in the estate are generally decent, a big forest attracts all kinds of birds; Ling Yue had been handling funeral arrangements at home when, for some reason, Aunt Wang latched onto her.

At first she could keep up a façade, pretending to help while actually telling her, both openly and covertly, that a woman must always find someone to rely on; someone like her, without parents, is an orphan who will be bullied down to nothing.

Before Ling Yue could speak, they brought up their precious son.

As an online saying goes: he is obviously ordinary, yet exceedingly confident.

Aunt Wang has only one son, whom she dotes on endlessly; in her eyes he's perfect in every way—if it weren't for his insistence on marrying Ling Yue, she wouldn't bother saying another word!

Now that her precious son is being slandered like this, her face flushed from green to red to purple; she wished to tear apart the mouth of the insolent girl opposite: "You're talking nonsense! Our son is a civil servant! A Jing Shi civil servant! What does age matter? Older people are more caring—many are after him, and you're not even worthy of a glance!"

Ling Yue clapped her hands: "Well said, your beloved old baby has plenty of suitors—so don't bully a lone girl like me. Our homes are two buildings apart; you're standing guard in the hallway, surely not waiting for me, right?"

"Pfft—"

Nobody knew who let out a laugh; the sound seemed contagious, and the shrewish Aunt Wang, who had caused trouble all her life, felt her chest tighten and lost face!

She immediately erupted in a tirade, cursing the whole building; others instantly became displeased—who was she scolding? Is it justified to bully a little girl?

They all shouted back at her; Aunt Wang, outnumbered, slunk away like a rat. Before leaving, she glared at Ling Yue with venom.

Ling Yue gave a cold smile and shut the door.

It's a simple two‑bedroom, one‑living‑room apartment of about a hundred square meters; the furnishings are old but clean and tidy, and with only one occupant it feels somewhat austere.

Ling Yue first went to the kitchen, took out the seldom‑used small bowls and plates, and walked to the balcony to look outside.

"Ya ya."

The few crows circling above suddenly halted, flapped their wings and landed on the balcony, as if unintentionally tilting their heads; a pair of soybean‑sized eyes swiveled to look inside.

What good could she do?

Hearing that, Ling Yue gave a gentle smile: "Hello, Miss Xu—I forgot to introduce myself earlier; I'm the owner of a pet consultancy, 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 show."

Ling Yue pointed at the stuffed cat, bent slightly, keeping her angle nearly level with the cat: "Are you called Sweetie? Could you say again how they abused you?"

No sooner had she spoken than an uproar broke out.

The gossip‑watching crowd nearly dropped their melons in shock, staring at Ling Yue: "Holy shit, 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 shop owner's face shifted unpredictably, as if suffering a great insult: "Is this the proof you spoke of?"

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

The onlookers chimed in, thinking Ling Yue was playing a prank, unaware she was serious; many quietly stepped back a few paces, fearing they'd get burned.

Ling Yue glanced at the shop owner; though it was merely a casual flick, it made the man's heart pound, his palms instinctively clench, yielding only sweat.

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

He tried to convince himself, straining to keep his expression, still wanting to say more, but Ling Yue had already turned to Xu Ruoyi: "Miss Xu, please put the cat down."

The little cat in her arms rubbed against her affectionately; whether coincidence or something else, Xu Ruoyi had seen that pose countless times at home.

It wanted to get down.

By some strange twist of fate, she really let go.

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

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

Sweetie: "Thank you."

Ling Yue's eyes curved: "You're welcome. Hurry and lead us to the evidence."

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

Such a rare occurrence quickly drew a crowd of onlookers; by then the shop owner finally realized it was too late to do anything, and could only tell himself, "How could this be!"

This must all be coincidence!

How could anyone possibly understand animal speech!

As for what he really thought, his faltering steps revealed a bit of it.

Inside the PetLove store, many employees nervously watched the kitten as it kept moving forward, that direction! That wasn't——

Xiao Qi really wanted to slap herself; she wasn't dreaming, was she?

The shop manager stared wide-eyed, as if holding a lively, jumping rabbit; no way, he'd hidden the stuff really well, it definitely wouldn't be found.

The next moment, a crackling sound exploded in his ears; to the shop manager, it was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

Only see, one side of the shelf displaying cat and dog food was already a mess.

The kitten weakly supported its body, canine teeth biting the milk powder lid; Xu Ruoyi shot forward like a small cannonball, hugging her treasure: "Tian Tian, my Tian Tian, are you okay?"

She was about to die of fright, yet she still 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 whole bunch!"

Ling Yue: "……"

She really wanted to roll her eyes.

The ragdoll cat Tian Tian explained: "Mom's just like that, silly but she's good to me; I'm happier than my other siblings."

Ling Yue: It felt like she'd been shown up.

She bent down to pick up the milk powder can; as soon as she took it, she felt something off—this weight… too light.

This is also why Tian Tian could easily knock it over.

As for the shop manager, when he saw her grab the can, his heart leapt to his throat; he almost couldn't hold back a shout, but it was already too late.

Only heard a "pop".

The lid opened, revealing the intact pills inside.

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

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

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

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

But now, there might still be a chance to fix things.

The shop manager immediately spoke up: "This is my dereliction of duty; I failed to supervise the staff, never expecting them to be bewildered and pull off such a despicable trick!"

He turned, his angry gaze shooting at Xiao Qi: "Xiao Qi, you're also a veteran employee here; didn't I teach you before? How could you abuse animals like this?"

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

After speaking, the shop manager gave Xu Ruoyi a fawning look: "Miss Xu, does this handling plan satisfy you?"

Ling Yue gave him a penetrating 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 shop manager instantly turned pale; Ling Yue then sized up the pets—some seemed numb, many full of hatred, the animals' eyes all fixed on the manager and the staff, believing that if not for the cages, they'd leap out and tear them apart.

Xu Ruoyi didn't believe it either. Though she was slow‑witted, she wasn't stupid; how could the dosage used be just what her little Tian Tian would take? Who knows how many victims there were before this!

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

"I'm not short of money; who cares about your compensation? I'll definitely investigate thoroughly!"

"Forgot to say, I'm not afraid of your PetLove behind the scenes; if you drag me down, you're doomed!"

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

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

"Master, uh, boss really thanked you just now!" she then murmured: "Boss, you said our Tian Tian—can it still be cured?"

Ling Yue seemed to sense something; she opened Tian Tian's attribute panel, and at the bottom a progress bar appeared—actually, a life bar.

After seeing it clearly, her eyes flickered: "If you take it to a pet hospital for careful care, maybe it'll get better."

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

Xu Ruoyi directly ignored the "maybe," overwhelmed with excitement.

The story took a turn—she actually found the evidence!

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

Those who had mocked her earlier now felt their faces burning hot.

It's all their fault for not recognizing Mount Tai when they saw it!

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—just flashing it looks great!

A thick wad that makes people's eyeballs 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."

On the contrary, the crow circling above her suddenly swooped down, snatching three hundred‑dollar bills amid the crowd's gasps.

Xu Ruoyi jumped in surprise, but heard passersby clucking in amazement: "Hey, I just saw the shop owner's sign outside—pet consultation three hundred bucks each; this can't be a coincidence, right?"

"Holy shit, a crow as cashier? Boss, you still claim you're just an ordinary person!"

Ling Yue looked helplessly at the crow, which instead puffed out its chest proudly: "I see human shops all have cashiers; the owner is himself, I'd be happy to act as your cashier."

After understanding the situation, Xu Ruoyi thought: "Three hundred? That's way too cheap!"

No way!

"My case is complicated; I can't charge the usual consultation rate—I'll double it! Boss, you must take 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 delighted; she may lack ability, but her friend is capable!

As for why Ling Yue opened a shop here, perhaps it's what the book says: "the greatest hidden is in the market."

On the first day of opening, Ling Yue booked a clean ten thousand.

With Xu Ruoyi as a living signboard, the store's business instantly boomed; if not for Ling Yue limiting the number of customers, she wouldn't get off work until night.

After finishing the tenth customer, Ling Yue looked at the long queue behind and said: "Work's done, I'm getting off."

Customers: "……"

They looked up at the sky; the sun hadn't fully risen yet, and each wondered if they were seeing and 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 in front of the distant building and smiled faintly: "It's not early; they've already started clocking in for work."

The customer choked.

Damn, she actually got us!

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

The customers left resentfully.

The owners of several nearby shops watched enviously, but that's just because the young lady is capable.

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 them away? What time is it even?"

His tone carried a hint of frustration, wishing she would improve.

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

She needed to train Dahei and Ya Ya, study the system panel, hone her combat skills; as for the complaint about the limited number of uses, Ling Yue thought it over and decided it could be added, but not now.

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

Dahei sprang to his feet; after this period of careful feeding by Ling Yue, his coat was glossy and smooth, retaining a hint 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 facilities; however, Ling Yue had high standards, and she could only find one thanks to Zhao Lin showing her the way.

Dahei carried the leash over to his owner, a real cling-on. Ya Ya glanced at him disdainfully and snorted, "Dog lackey!"

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

Ling Yue raised an eyebrow: "More adept at acting cute than it?"

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

The comments, however, were sharply polarized.

One group was convinced it was fake—who could hear animals speak? Nowadays self-media will stop at nothing for clicks. With such an obvious script, are they taking us for fools?

Another group consisted of eyewitnesses among the onlookers; netizens hadn't seen them, but they had, and they affirmed Ling Yue's abilities were genuine, with no falseness whatsoever.

But compared to the tens of thousands of netizens, these supporters were like tiny ripples in the sea—just as they spoke up, they were drowned out.

The remaining large portion were drawn in by the story; from initially writing it off to completely overturning their view, the plot twists left them thoroughly satisfied, like watching a brilliant short skit.

How clever—actually thinking of having the pet prove its innocence.

In the video, the little cat's interaction with Ling Yue seemed almost like real speech, full of spiritual aura; plus the pretty lady's high looks made the already interesting and fresh video go completely viral.

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

It rather smacks of protesting too much.

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

Orca streamer Guangtouqiang, a well-known debunker with nearly a million followers, was in his live chat bantering with netizens, pondering what topic to do next.

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