Chapter 243

The girl tugged at her mother's sleeve, pleading: "Mom, please——" Please don't say any more.

She didn't even dare to finish her words, fine pain welling up in her eyes; she couldn't understand how things had come to this.

Her kind‑looking mother gave her a harsh stare: "What are you begging for? This is a temple fair, with so many people watching—I originally didn't want to say more, but you, you're simply unbearable!"

She was so angry she clutched her chest, her peripheral vision watching the growing crowd of tourists; when her daughter couldn't bear it and tried to flee, she grabbed her wrist: "Where are you going? Isn't what I'm saying right?"

Song Youli: "Hiss——"

She watched, almost feeling the same pain, and couldn't help saying: "My mother has never done anything like this; if she treated me this way, I'd definitely go crazy!"

Others also wore expressions of disapproval.

That mother, angry, raised her voice and declared loudly: "Why are you moping? It's just a dog!"

"You brought that dog all the way from the city yourself, then lost it, and have been sulking at home; I feed you and give you drink, yet you keep muttering about your precious dog!"

"Do you know how I feel? Your dog isn't something I lost! Don't give me that attitude!"

At this point, many people had taken out their phones to film; the girl lowered her head, covering her face: "Mom, I'm just sad—how did my little Mihua get lost?"

Her mother answered with a cold snort, then directly shoved the girl away; her indifferent silhouette made people catch their breath.

Xu He, who had finally managed to leave the house, was also there; hearing this, he sighed, and the camera caught his voice: "There are no bad parents in the world—some people treat their pets wonderfully, yet they never think of their own parents."

His words, both overt and implied, were all condemning the girl for being unfilial.

Behind him, the massive crowd of brainless fans was moved to tears, constantly saying, "Brother is so amazing, brother is so filial," while regarding the girl, they thought, "She's obviously a dog lover!"

These days, dog lovers are praised and criticized in equal measure; using it here is blatant mockery—treating a dog as a son while forgetting one's own parents.

Ling Yue couldn't help glancing again at the girl; she moved sluggishly into the crowd, her expression numb, a low murmur squeezing through the throng and reaching Ling Yue's ears.

"I… am useless… how… should I not just die…"

Ling Yue's expression shifted slightly; looking again, the girl was like a drop of water merging into the sea—instantly vanished.

This temple fair is the largest in the local area and within a hundred‑mile radius, drawing a wide crowd—besides locals, even people who drive hundreds of kilometers from elsewhere come; it's lively and crowded, with a river encircling the surroundings, its water never freezing year‑round, very beautiful.

Ru Tan noticed Ling Yue's expression, gently linked her arm, and asked: "What's wrong?"

Taking advantage of the intimate physical contact, Ru Tan voiced her question.

Ling Yue blinked: "I'm a little worried about that girl, afraid something might happen to her."

Ru Tan: "Something happen?"

Ling Yue opened her mouth to explain, then suddenly had a good idea; she shook her head and said: "I've thought of a way."

While the two whispered, Song Youli hurried over, met Ling Yue's gaze, and unconsciously broke into a sweet smile—probably ever since the chicken‑ghost incident, she had begun to admire Ling Yue.

Whatever she did, there seemed to be an inseparable idol aura; as a little fangirl, she couldn't help wanting to get closer, QWQ

Song Youli smiled dreamily, feeling happy even without speaking.

Ling Yue, meanwhile, was fiddling with her pigeon whistle when the camera wasn't rolling; the pair of gray pigeons she had helped were no ordinary pigeon couple—they were the pigeon flock's leader within a radius of dozens of miles, or rather, the Pigeon King.

This whistle was a gift from them.

Not long after Ling Yue blew the whistle, a small flock of pigeons came fluttering over, instantly spotting her in the crowd: "Co‑co‑co~"

"Benefactor of the Boss, hello~"

The pigeons were very polite; Ling Yue didn't delay, describing the girl's appearance before saying: "……Please help me find her; she should be somewhere at the temple fair, and once you succeed, I will surely reward you handsomely!"

As soon as Ling Yue finished speaking, a lazy little pigeon in the flock, its mung‑bean eyes suddenly lighting up, flapped its wings and flew up to her: "Human, believe me—I will definitely find her!"

Ling Yue has a good memory; seeing the gray speck on its head, she knew it was a member of the pigeon flock that had previously helped find Old Master Zhou, and her reward had been a pile of tasty pet food.

Pigeons that forage in the wild have never tasted such carefully prepared delicacy; now recalling that flavor, their mouths practically water.

The other pigeons exchanged glances: "Hey, you old six! You're the only one who knows how to curry favor with humans, aren't you!"

They likewise held their heads high, gave Ling Yue a round of assurances, and after a while the pigeons fluttered away.

Because the gathered pigeons were somewhat numerous, many people thought they were witnessing a pigeon‑flying competition.

An old gentleman with his hands behind his back, walking with an air of nonchalance, approached; Ling Yue hadn't reacted at first, until he stood before her and said: "Little miss, are you selling this pigeon?"

Ling Yue: "(O_O)"

She caught her breath, nearly choking on her own saliva.

The old man thought she was reluctant, rubbed his hands, and said: "I'll give you fifty bucks for one pigeon—how about it? Why is your pigeon so spirited?"

At some point, the camera had been fixed on Ling Yue; after those earlier incidents, the production crew realized a truth: with Ling Yue on screen, popularity is guaranteed not to drop.

But no one expected it to turn out so ridiculously.

The netizens watching the live stream were about to burst out laughing.

【Fifty bucks for one pigeon—what a price!】

【The streamer sure knows how to train a fine pigeon!】

Ling Yue had to explain once more that it was a wild pigeon and she wasn't a stall vendor; the old man remained reluctant, sighing with each step: "Too bad… too bad…"

Ling Yue's face was blank; she no longer knew what to say.

After watching her entire interaction with the pigeons, her companion Song Youli extended a thumbs‑up in admiration.

Song Youli quietly leaned in: "Aren't you an escaped Disney princess?"

No matter how many times she watches Ling Yue and the interaction, she is always surprised and curious.

Because it's simply too miraculous!

Ling Yue raised her eyebrows and beckoned; Song Youli toddled over, hearing her words, she covered her mouth in shock, and her gaze toward Ling Yue became completely different.

"You… I… ahhh!"

She spun around on the spot, overjoyed to the point of taking off.

The feng shui turtle beside her was very curious, asking: "What did you just say?"

Ling Yue said solemnly: "……I said I'm a deity descended to the mortal realm, here to undergo tribulation and training." She hadn't expected Song Youli to actually believe it!

Feng shui turtle: "……"

Such pure humans!

A group walked and ate, half of them had never attended such a grand temple fair, their eyes were dazzled, it was simply not enough.

Suddenly, Song Youli excitedly pointed at a nearby stall, she wore a rabbit mask covering most of her face, only her red lips slightly parted: 'Ring toss! It's actually ring toss!'

"Ah, this rabbit is so cute, are you selling it?"

The stall before them was very wide, displaying all kinds of things, dazzling to the eye; besides ceramic products, there were Barbie dolls, and the further back, the higher the value of the items.

Ling Yue glanced over; besides inanimate objects, there were live small animals—the white rabbit Song Youli had asked about was one kind, and there was also a white miniature Pomeranian curled up in its cage, its glassy, big eyes gazing melancholically at the visitors before the stall.

In an instant, Ling Yue's attention was captured by its melancholy gaze.

By then, Song Youli had already found out: 'The rabbit isn't for sale.'

She pouted, her lips so high they could hang an oil bottle: 'But I really like small animals; why don't I try to ring one? To be a companion for my baby?'

As she spoke, Ling Yue glanced at the white rabbit in her arms; the rabbit character widened its red eyes: 'What companion? Can it be eaten?'

Ling Yue: '......'

She shook her head, leaning on the railing, staring intently at the small Pomeranian; saying it was pure white wasn't entirely true—its fur was messy, covered with a layer of gray dust, looking somewhat dull.

At that moment, it was curled up in the small cage, unable even to stretch.

The Pomeranian lowered its head in melancholy, suddenly feeling a scorching gaze; it instinctively glanced over and, terrified, barked loudly: 'Woo woo woo, master save me! Master save me!'

It was so frightened that tears streamed down.

Blue-faced with fangs, a ferocious visage—more than scary, it would practically scare a dog to death.

Among small dogs, Teddy and Pomeranian are the most popular, cute and low-maintenance, but their temper is violent; when they bark they act like they're the boss and everyone else is second, a ferocious demeanor.

Ling Yue stumbled on her feet; the small dog kept outputting, although it kept repeating those few lines—'Big bad guy, don't come over!' 'Master, save me!' 'Master, hit her!'—but its voice was remarkably loud.

Ling Yue even wondered if it wasn't a loudspeaker dog that had become a spirit!

Not only her; the dog's barking even drowned out the surrounding vendors' cries, drawing a lot of attention.

The ring-toss stall holder grabbed a bamboo pole, thumping it against the puppy's cage repeatedly, several times poking the dog's hind legs; the frantic, nonstop clamor stalled for a moment, like a river rushing endlessly.

Stall owner: '...... What are you barking for! Bark again and I'll beat you to death!'

He thumped the cage repeatedly, his actions brutal and cruel; the little Pomeranian whimpered, shrinking its head, its glassy eyes blinking, tears dampening its grayish fur.

"Master... master I miss you so much~ woo woo woo~ Mi Hua wants to go home......"

Someone nearby couldn't bear it; the stall owner laughed: 'Why are you angry at a dog? Having it follow me is a blessing; otherwise, it would already be on a plate at someone's dog meat restaurant.'

As for why he spent money buying a Pomeranian, the boss felt sick inside; he initially thought it was a fox, spent several hundred bucks, intending to give the stall a gimmick.

The Pomeranian indeed also has the name 'fox dog'.

Small in stature, with fluffy fur, delicate features, and pointed ears, it truly resembles a little fox.

It sat slumped in the cage, big eyes dripping tears, melancholy and pitiful; even the most hard-hearted person couldn't help but be moved.

Moreover, Ling Yue already felt guilty.

Besides, Mi Hua!

Ling Yue slowly widened her eyes; the familiar name brought back her memory, and she whispered: 'Mi Hua?'

The puppy in the cage jerked its head up, seeing Ling Yue it startled, then immediately drooped and hid to one side.

But its reaction confirmed Ling Yue's suspicion.

This is too much of a coincidence, so coincidental that Ling Yue couldn't believe it.

She immediately turned to Song Youli: 'Just now the stall owner said animals aren't for sale, only ring toss?'

Song Youli nodded, saying somewhat painfully: 'It costs twenty yuan.'

The production team gave each of them only a hundred yuan; earlier, while walking and eating, she had spent half, leaving only fifty for ring toss—moreover, the rabbit was farther back, very far away; just a moment ago, while she was watching, a little kid bought ten rings, used them all up at once, and only managed to ring a ceramic piggy bank.

Song Youli, who previously didn't know the value of firewood, rice, oil, and salt because she wasn't managing a household, now felt the pinch, gritting her teeth; she had never thought money so important, muttering: 'I guess I won't play after all......'

She was saying that when she saw Ling Yue walk over, pull out twenty yuan: 'Boss, give me one ring.'

The stall owner was somewhat startled, smiling obsequiously: 'Beautiful lady, just one?'

Ling Yue nodded; the owner thought she was just practicing, so he immediately handed her one, inwardly gleefully calculating the money he'd collect this round.

He didn't even notice Ling Yue.

Song Youli hurried over, looking as if the world were ending: 'You really want to play ring toss? Can we still back out now?'

She was even more eager than Ling Yue, the main party.

Ling Yue squeezed out a light laugh, lightly tossed the plastic ring; amidst the uneven rings, it seemed as if aided by a deity, shooting straight onto the cage of the Pomeranian Mi Hua.

"Good good good!"

Clapping crackled like thunder, cheers and applause rose and fell; the boss was just handing over a payment code, then turned his head, his eyes nearly popping out.

The dog was caught by the ring!

The atmosphere had been built up to this point; even if he was unwilling, he had to put on a face: 'Hey, congratulations, beautiful lady—this is our stall's treasure!'

He cheerfully lifted the cage: 'This dog is yours.'

In one big motion, Song Youli beside them couldn't believe her eyes, mouth slightly open, muttering to herself: 'Ring, ringed it?!'

Ling Yue lowered her gaze to the tiny Pomeranian; the dog trembled all over, timidly looking at strangers, although it couldn't speak, during this time of wandering and jostling, the puppy had already understood everything.

Its round eyes brimmed with crystal tears; it kept trying to squeeze into a corner, pressing against the cold iron cage, with nowhere to hide.

The dog whimpered: 'Don't, don't hit me... don't eat me... woo woo woo... master I'm scared......'

"Mi Hua?"

The puppy blinked; Ling Yue released an aura of affinity, and the dog finally calmed: 'How do you know my name is Mi Hua?'

Ling Yue curled her lips: 'I heard it.'

The puppy widened its eyes; Ling Yue's conversation with it was also captured on camera, seeing this, the netizens in the livestream all perked up, wishing they could wear a human-beast language translator.

"Ahhh! I really want to know what she's saying to the dog!"

I just knew Yueyue wouldn't be so impulsive; she really does have a purpose!

So what are the host and the dog saying, huh? Ah, the little dog cried!

Help, I just want to cry, what's wrong with the dog? Hurry, let big sis hug it~

Finally, Ling Yue stopped communicating with the dog, looked at the camera, and said, 'I was just chatting with Rice Flower and confirmed its owner.'

Wow, is it a kidnapped dog?

Rice Flower? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere, but I can't recall.

Compared to the netizens, the people nearby were even more shocked; Song Youli's lips parted slightly: 'So you just went to rescue the slipping dog?'

Slipping dog? Pfft hahaha, Lizi can always make people burst into laughter instantly 【admired】.

Song Youli didn't know these; she stared intently at Ling Yue.

Ling Yue: '…Seems not wrong either?'

Flap—

A clear wing-flapping sound suddenly rang out from the sky; Ling Yue looked up, and the wild pigeons scattered about, like heavenly maidens scattering flowers.

The clever little pigeon landed on Ling Yue's shoulder, puffed out its chest proudly, and cooed fluently: 'You're looking for that young lady; we've found her!'

Come follow me quickly!