Chapter 49

Stray Animal Rescue Base.

After a period of improvement, it had long since become completely renewed; the former brick houses were renovated and expanded, the ground was no longer just bare gray cement, a large area of soft, fresh grass had been laid out, and there were small toys for cats and dogs placed to one side.

On the other side of the base is a newly built large training ground, with various exercise equipment and professional trainers; it's impossible for only Ling Yue to be there, she also gets overwhelmed and stretched thin at times.

Here, the small animals learn various skills.

Each small animal here has its own separate little hut, and there are also small animals that habitually share cages, living together with their friends.

Melon is the latter. After training ended, it gulped down dog food, flopping onto the grass as if exhausted, gazing into the distance at Huang Ju leading Little Spirit.

The trainer familiar with it knows this is Melon relieving itself.

It really is a smart and adorable little dog, knowing what it should and shouldn't do; even when feeling down, it doesn't dare disturb humans—a dog on the lawn, eating dog food, checking out other friends.

Melon vaguely heard words like 'hunting' and 'survival skills,' and shook its head.

Little Spirit studied earnestly, strictly following Huang Ju's instructions; originally frail, it eventually became a sleek, glossy little cat under the staff's meticulous care, not only keeping pace with peers its age but, thanks to Huang Ju's teaching, faintly emerging as a leader among the kittens.

Huang Ju treats it so well, just like its mother.

Melon gnawed on a big bone, gazing at the blue sky, also missing its owner, missing its owner's mother.

In its remaining vague memories, it could still recall the owner's affection; the tiny Labrador pup, before even opening its eyes, was brought home by the owner, and when Melon was little and afraid of the dark, barking randomly, the owner would hold it on the bed, humming its favorite lullaby.

Melon still remembered the melody, wagging its tail into a crouch, and began to howl, 'Owoo~ owoo~'.

"Owner, look, I can hum the lullaby too—Melon has grown up!"

But Owner, when will you come pick me up and take me home?

"Boss, move over."

Melon looked at it with a mouthful of cheek, the younger brother lowered his head, sniffing here and biting there; the next moment, the dog suddenly got excited, wagging its tail and flashing its claws, started digging a hole—just as it began, Melon pressed down its paw: 'Milk Melon, you're being disobedient again!'

Melon saw it dirtying the ground; the originally tidy turf had already been dug into small pits, and instantly a headache struck, and angrily it said: 'If you don't behave again, I'll dig a hole and bury you in it!'

Milk Melon yelped in fright, raised its paw to cover its head, and cried out: 'Boss, boss, I'll never dare again!'

"I'm actually this excited because I smelled a stranger's scent—someone is coming."

Melon stared at it; Milk Melon grew bolder, looked up with round eyes: 'Boss, do you think it might be people coming to adopt?'

"If that's the case, Little Emerald would definitely be overjoyed—it really hopes to have a human owner."

Melon nodded and shook its head; it also didn't know.

Suddenly, its gaze sharpened, noticing Milk Melon's little move—it was spouting nonsense, its hind legs constantly retreating, clearly guilty and wanting to flee; Melon wouldn't let it: 'What are you trying to do? Running what running!'

Milk Melon shot off like a snapped arrow; of course it had to run, or else Boss would catch it and give it a good scolding.

As the kennel leader, Melon isn't as independent and strong as Huang Ju; it became top dog largely because of its worrisome nature, nagging on and on.

Just thinking about it gives Milk Melon a headache.

On the lawn, two dogs scrabbled back and forth; the trainer just watched from the side, not stopping but instead laughing while unscrewing a water cup and began to drink.

After some time together, he had a rough grasp of each dog's personality; this little dog with light yellow spots is the Labrador's younger brother, and they simply chase and roughhouse.

The trainer felt relieved, gaze falling on the other dogs, smiling as he pulled out the prepared toys: 'Little ones, let's train!'

Saying that, he didn't forget to glance at Melon; suddenly his face changed drastically and he shouted: 'Melon!'

The dog that had been chasing and playing, unaware of what it felt, suddenly changed direction, its weight of several dozen pounds lunging at the person; the trainer trying to stop it was already too late!

Contrary to expectations, no bloody scene appeared, and there was hardly any sound; the silence was so eerie it drew amazed clicks.

The trainer stared blankly in that direction——

"Wooo~"

Melon had already transformed into a giant 'woo' monster, lunging into the woman's arms, its big fluffy ears drooping, its smooth, soft fur rubbing against the owner's palm; compared to its earlier fierce look, it now was nothing short of a delicate little white flower.

Jin Ge lowered his head, astonished, looking at it, meeting Melon's watery eyes, his slowly beating heart suddenly raced.

It made her inexplicably feel an intuition: 'Melon?'

"Are you my Melon?"

Melon looked at it with wet eyes; though it couldn't speak human words, it had a tail, claws, and strength, rubbing against its owner while choking back sobs.

They say animals don't understand emotions, let alone cry.

Ling Yue thought, if that were really the case, then what she was seeing now was what?

Melon suddenly burst into sobs, various 'owoo' and 'wooo' cries shifting in tone—this was its loud crying, its venting.

"Owner, Melon misses you so much~ Owner owner… hurry and take Melon home!"

Having been away too long, it could no longer recall the owner's appearance, but as soon as it saw them, it knew: this is its owner! The very best owner in the world!

Jin Ge clung tightly to Melon, finally unable to hold back a choked sob: 'Melon, my Melon!'

No one knows that when she returned home one day and saw the empty doghouse, her head buzzed and instantly exploded!

She shouldn't have held onto hope, nor should she have thought everyone would be as kind as she is toward a dog.

They could never understand why she, always obedient, would lavish such care on a dog, even neglecting her own child while pregnant for its sake; they also wouldn't know that, to her, Melon had long ceased to be a mere plaything pet, but had become family she held dear.

Melon was picked up by Jin Ge; to be precise, when she saw a discarded puppy in the trash can, eyes still shut, only able to utter 'wooo,' she decided to bring it home and raise it.

From a little lump of meat raised into a puppy, those who've never kept a pet have no idea how troublesome it is; the puppy lacked a mother dog, needing timed feedings, waste elimination, and warmth—every few hours she had to get out of bed to check Melon's condition, fearing that any slip would cause this fragile life to vanish.

When Jin Ge picked it up, he immediately took Melon to the hospital for a checkup; later, as it stabilized, he switched to regular visits, worrying over it endlessly, and because of it, she experienced the world's happiest event.

When the dog first opened its eyes, those beautiful, watery eyes fixed on her, making one want to hold the whole world before it.

Gradually, it went from dragging its limbs to stumbling steps, then a light trot, learning manners; they were like two floating islands drifting with the current, meeting at a point and merging.

Jin Ge's parents divorced; no amount of money could make up for the lack of familial warmth, Melon's arrival soothed her pain, and by the time Jin Ge realized, Melon had already become an indispensable part of her life.

So, when her mother-in-law repeatedly demanded that she give away Melon, citing parasites on the dog that could infect pregnant women, Jin Ge objected for the first time, but she never imagined there could be such a vicious person!

That's her Melon—on what grounds, on what grounds could you sell it!

Jin Ge was nearly frantic, barely holding onto his senses as he questioned her: 'Where did you sell Melon to? Speak! That's my family—how could you sell it!'

The room was filled with the woman's heart-rending cries.

The mother-in-law stared, the guiltier she felt, the more she wanted to rudely curse: "You're crazy! That's just a dog—we country folk don't treat it like you do; according to your way of raising it, could you be raising it like a son? Can it support you in old age and bury you?"

Jin Ge stared at her fiercely; compared to her usual obedient demeanor, it was as if she had become a different person. The mother-in-law dared not meet her gaze, forcing herself to say: "I don't know where I sold it—there are so many dog meat stalls on the street, I just picked one and sold it!"

Who knows, maybe it's already on the table.

Get out! Get out of my house! She slapped the old woman's face, grabbed her cotton coat and dragged her out: "Get out of my house! The matter of Gua Gua isn't over—take me to find Gua Gua!"

Ahhh you're crazy! You're crazy!

In the midst of the chaotic brawl, her ex-husband returned, and upon seeing this scene he instantly flew into a rage.

Jin Ge couldn't understand how a man who had been so refined during their courtship could be so cruel; she was shoved onto the table, her belly against the edge, and almost instantly her newly swollen abdomen began to hurt.

The world spun, a tearing pain. Jin Ge fought back tears as she looked at him, hearing his voice as if from another world: "That's just an animal—you actually hit my mother for it? My mother worked hard to raise me; how could you treat an elder like this?"

She blinked, unaware of her own appearance, simply looking at them: "Then what about my Gua Gua?"

Does my Gua Gua deserve to be sold like that?!

Jin Ge found Gua Gua in July; it was still smaller than a small watermelon. She lost it in winter, never having gotten to show it this year's first snow.

Jin Ge sat on the ground; the chill seeping from the tiles felt like ants on the bones, a warm, damp, sticky stream gradually seeped from beneath her, instantly soaking her white pants, staining them with large patches of blood—that was her three-month-old child.

She didn't expect anything from him, directly called a friend, and was rushed to the hospital. That three-month-old child she had long awaited was strangled to death by its father, completely severing the last thread between them.

Looking back, she realized that in half her life, she possessed pitifully little. Because she lacked love, she chose a husband she thought was good for her, enduring the mother-in-law's demands made in the name of "for your own good."

I can't even keep Gua Gua, I can't even keep my child—what am I even doing?!

On the grounds of spousal abuse during pregnancy and marital breakdown, Jin Ge directly sued her ex-husband in court, applying for a forced divorce; the Jing Shi apartment was her premarital property, not his, and she directly evicted his family.

She watched her ex-husband plead: "Ge Ge, give me one more chance? I'll go find the dog, we'll have another child? I've even sent my mother back to the countryside—will you forgive me?"

Jin Ge laughed; her friend in the car honked the horn, seemingly urging her, wanting to remind her. Jin Ge looked at the man—he had a handsome face, but the corners of his eyes and brows were full of calculation, greed.

Jin Ge: "If you kneel before me, I might forgive you."

The man was overjoyed, and without hesitation knelt down.

You like this—aren't you just like a dog? A fawning lapdog, waiting for me to throw you a meat bone?

Ge Ge, I've knelt—will you forgive me?

Jin Ge: "Fine, but how can I forgive you for Gua Gua? How can I forgive you for killing my child with your own hands? Get lost! The farther you go, the better! Best to leave Jing Shi, or else—"

She didn't finish, then sat back in the car. Expressionless, she sat there, now like a walking corpse compared to before. The injury from her miscarriage, and the uncertainty of Gua Gua's fate, filled her with worry.

Wang Yu Yan slammed the steering wheel hard, looking at her lifeless friend: "Just let him go like that?"

Jin Ge looked at herself in the rearview mirror; her face was truly pale, no amount of foundation could cover it.

If he's willing to give up everything now and leave Jing Shi, then let him go.

Wang Yu Yan burst out laughing, sneering: "He? Impossible. That's just not happening—your parents don't care about anything, I'll handle it for you!" She said this, suddenly turning her head, worry hidden in her eyes: "So what do you plan to do from now on?"

Jin Ge: "Recover my health, find Gua Gua."

The big dog in her arms kept whining, pulling her thoughts back; Jin Ge wiped her tears—damn it, she couldn't stop them, like a broken string of beads, they kept flowing out.

Jin Ge gave up, scooping up the several-dozen-pound big dog in one arm; her white coat got stained with dirty black plum-blossom paw prints, she didn't mind at all—in fact, she was overjoyed.

She lowered her head to press against its forehead; the fluffy big dog's eyes were full of her Gua Gua.

Gua Gua was also happy, as if the three years of separation had never existed.

Wang Yu Yan watched from behind, knowing her friend was a neat freak, yet now she didn't hesitate at all to hug a big dog, letting it lick her face, saliva getting all over.

A chill ran through her, yet genuine happiness welled up in her eyes, and she involuntarily exhaled.

A small ball suddenly hit the back of her knee, making her instinctively look back—a majestic orange cat sat on the grass, wearing a look of disdain and contempt.

The orange cat noticed her gaze, sprang up with a swipe, its glassy eyes rolling, its fur shaking; bathed in sunlight, its whole body seemed to glow, leaving one wary eye fixed on her, as if saying: "What are you looking at?"

The friend covered her mouth in surprise, blinking: "It's so handsome!"

Here, Jin Ge finally calmed down, but her hands were unwilling to let go of Gua Gua; the several-dozen-pound big dog would be a bit of a strain even for an adult man to hold, let alone her.

Ling Yue: "Why not put Gua Gua down first?"

No need!' Jin Ge said firmly, looking at the dog's trusting big eyes and smiling: "I still think Gua Gua is too light—it—"

Her gaze fell on the dog's missing ear; Gua Gua was still happy to have finally found its owner, and warm, moist droplets fell onto its face.

Gua Gua looked at its owner, human eyes were watering; it knew this was called tears.

The owner's mother stroked its broken ear, gently, as if even a little more pressure would hurt: "Gua Gua, does it hurt?"

Gua Gua shook its head, wanting to lift its paw to stop the owner from crying, but seeing its black paws, it dared not move; it begged Ling Yue: "Doctor Ling, please save Gua Gua, don't let the owner cry—otherwise… otherwise Gua Gua will cry too."

Ling Yue immediately imagined a duet of a person and dog crying together; the bewitching image made her shake her head, trying to shake it off.

Ling Yue said: "Miss Jin, finding Gua Gua is a good thing—don't cry anymore; Gua Gua is very worried about you."

Jin Ge froze, meeting the dog's cautious gaze, and instantly broke into a smile through tears: "I wasn't crying; I just had sand in my eye."

She set Gua Gua down, squatting and murmuring to the dog: "Gua Gua, don't worry about your owner; the owner is doing very well now. When you come home, all the things you dislike will be gone, plus the little yellow ducks the owner bought you—they've come out with new models that can run and jump. The owner buys you toys every year; now there's a whole room in the house filled with your little toys!"

Gua Gua happily ran and jumped: "Wuu wuu wuu owner, I'm so happy!"

It ran around Jin Ge in excitement, tongue almost flopping out, the corners of its mouth turned up like it was smiling.

Suddenly, Gua Gua stopped, resting its dog head on the owner's knee: "Woof woof woof wuu~"

"Owner, I seem to have forgotten how to play… am I… really stupid?"

The dog lowered its head, not daring to look at her. Even the owner it remembers vaguely—how could it recall the toys it used to like?

Jin Ge was confused by its actions; Ling Yue translated, and she took a deep breath, sourness welling up in her heart: "Owner will teach you."

On the field, besides the trainer, there was now another figure with paw prints. Jin Ge grabbed a tennis ball and hurled it hard, shouting: "Gua Gua, fetch it, go!"

Other dogs watching became excited; they loved catching the ball and bringing it back, especially fulfilling, and even the dogs that had been resting in the kennel were drawn over, their faces pressed against the wire mesh.

Moreover, dogs wagged their tails and cheered for Gua Gua: "Boss, go! Go!"

"Boss, you're the best! No wonder you're the king of our dogs!"

"Dog King Gua Gua! Gua Gua, dog king!"

Gua Gua is the most awesome, Gua Gua is top-notch!

Ling Yue listened and couldn't help laughing; looking at Gua Gua again, it was so excited it couldn't hold back, biting the tennis ball and running back and forth, as if it would never tire.

This simple back-and-forth little game, I don't know why, but the more I watch, the more fun it gets; the Ya Ya beside me boasted: 'If I didn't have such a small mouth, I could fetch the ball too, and I can fly—I'd definitely be faster than it!'

Ling Yue scratched its little head, saying: 'Yes, yes, yes, exactly, exactly, everything Ya Ya said is right.'

She said this, her gaze falling not far away, and her smile deepened.

Suddenly, Ling Yue felt something, turned her head, and saw the friend who had come with Jin Ge, sitting loosely beside her, opening and closing her mouth as if torn.

Ling Yue glanced at her, then withdrew her gaze.

As for Wang Yuyan herself, recalling how she had previously assured her friends, saying 'She's definitely a liar, I don't know where she got that information, she's surely here to scam money!' and similar nasty remarks, whenever she thought of them she couldn't help curling her toes.

So embarrassing she could barely breathe.

She kept digging her fingers into the lawn, and before she knew it she had worn a bald patch; looking at the damaged grass, Wang Yuyan finally couldn't help saying: 'Miss Ling, don't you have anything you want to ask me?'

Ling Yue: '... Um, if you want to say something, just say it; I never force my guests.'

Wang Yuyan: 'No forcing, no forcing.'

'I just wanted to ask...' she said, pausing, her eyes darting around, unable to look at Ling Yue: 'Do you still take in people here for adoption?'

Ling Yue smiled and asked: 'Which animal have you taken a liking to?' Wang Yuyan's eyes lit up instantly: 'It!'

Ling Yue followed the direction of her point and saw Huang Ju leading a gang of little cat trainees in training, mighty and imposing, full of swagger.

Ling Yue couldn't help frowning; she had surveyed the cats' opinions, some were willing to be adopted, some were not, and Huang Ju belonged to the latter.

Wang Yuyan was still waiting for her answer.

She didn't dare keep ruining the lawn, so she started fiddling with her shiny nails; her personality was as flamboyant as her appearance, bright and gorgeous, and today she was so eager—yet it was the first time in her life: 'Miss Ling?'

Ling Yue shook her head, her gaze somewhat apologetic as she looked at her: 'Sorry.'

Wang Yuyan stood frozen, hearing her words as if they came from far away: 'The animals at the stray animal rescue center all have their own wishes—some want to be adopted, some don't; the Huang Ju you liked does not belong to the adoptable group.'

'Adoption?'

At some point, Huang Ju walked over, looking a bit dazed, staring blankly at Ling Yue: 'Someone wants to adopt me?'

Ling Yue nodded and communicated with it: 'This young lady wants to adopt you.'

Before she finished speaking, Huang Ju flung itself away, its sharp cry stabbing toward Ling Yue: 'I don't want to! How could anyone want to adopt me!'

Ling Yue looked at its angrily raised big tail and lowered ears, and couldn't help shaking her head: 'Huang Ju just heard that, but it doesn't want to.'

'Sorry, I originally wanted to give it a try, but looking at the situation, it seems unlikely.'

Wang Yuyan's eyes instantly darkened, as if clouds covered the sky and hid the stars: 'But...'

She bit her lip, unwilling to give up, and asked: 'Is it called Huang Ju? How would Huang Ju know it's unsuitable if it's never tried? Maybe it would like me—let's try a trial marriage, then love~'

'I really, really, really... love it.' The last sentence, if Ling Yue weren't so keen‑sensed, she might have thought it was just a gust of wind; she unexpectedly glanced at the girl.

Wang Yuyan was oblivious, tugging at her wavy hair, her movements tinged with impatience. She had a friend who raised dogs, so she naturally knew something about pet care, but she was firmly a cat person—she had seen pretty cats before, yet she had never kept any.

The friend asked why she didn't keep one, and Wang Yuyan said: 'I want to raise it not just as a pet, like your Gua Gua—I want to be responsible for it for life.'

She hesitated for a long time before daring to take that step, until she saw Huang Ju.

Partly it was lustful infatuation, partly an inexplicable fondness, forgetting where she'd seen the line in some comic: every furry creature has its destined master, and every human has a destined furry companion to tame.

Wang Yuyan: 'I just want it.'

She glanced around again, puzzled by Ling Yue's grand scale: 'A stray‑animal rescue base of this size is probably rare even in all of Jing Shi; if you don't adopt them out, the animals will keep increasing—how do you sustain it?'

Ling Yue chuckled: 'Who said there's no other way besides adoption? Look over there——'

Her eyes burned with ambitious light: 'Who says they can't? Cats and dogs also have ideals; they also hope to support themselves.'

Finally, Ling Yue lowered her voice, as if speaking to herself: 'Let them no longer fear abandonment, no longer fear bullying.'

Wang Yuyan almost forgot to breathe, clutching her fingertips; the training field she had initially overlooked was now in use, big and small cats and dogs crouched on either side, forming two clearly distinct squads, their heads swaying left and right with the trainer's movements.

On the training field, only the whistle sounded.

At the very front were one cat and one dog.

Namely, Huang Ju and Gua Gua.

Wang Yuyan swore she had never seen such a neat animal team in her whole life.

Ling Yue's voice sounded from behind, she had already risen: 'Let's go together and see how their training is going.'