“Uh…” Song Pingping choked up, her face showing a pensive expression, slowly nodding, obviously also feeling it made sense, suddenly turned around and left, “I’ll wash up first.”
This meant she agreed, telling them to wait for her.
First they left the little puppy howling in its cage, and all three women ran off to wash up.
When the three gathered again, Little Red opened the cage.
The moment the cage’s click sounded, the little puppy’s howling stopped abruptly, its tear-filled tightly shut eyes immediately opened, and it quickly turned its head to look.
Seeing the door open, the little puppy immediately jumped up and ran straight out.
It looked back at the cage once more, confirming it had truly gained freedom, then immediately hopped about joyfully. Panting as it ran, it rushed down the steps, its fluffy bottom swaying, and charged into the courtyard grass, forging ahead like it was cutting through brambles.
The three women exchanged glances, then all lifted their skirts and ran down the steps, chasing after it.
Before leaving, Little Red didn’t forget to grab a small bag of “dog food” brought from Qinglian Mountain, since after all it was already morning feeding time.
The three women stopped when they reached a row of flowers and shrubs. The little puppy didn’t take the proper path, seeming to dart wherever was most hidden, and they couldn’t follow.
“I’ll go.” Song Pingping leaped into the air, lightly stepping and gliding above the flowers and trees, tracking the little puppy’s movements all the way.
Wen Xin and Little Red lacked this ability, so they could only stick to the proper path, first running out of the courtyard, then finding a way around.
Once out of Jade Garden, Wen Xin felt too embarrassed to keep running while holding up her skirt. Her upbringing was such, and she also found it unseemly.
Little Red understood, shouting, “Miss, I’ll go chase Sister Pingping.”
But in no time Song Pingping’s figure was nowhere to be seen, and she didn’t know which way to go either.
Fortunately Song Pingping soon appeared in the distance again, waving to signal the mistress and servant to come this way, then after giving the signal she flashed away and disappeared again.
Even though Song Pingping could move high and low, tracking it all the way wasn’t easy.
The little puppy constantly didn’t take human paths. Who knew how it found its route? It would pass through many people’s territories. For instance, some people’s courtyards weren’t places anyone could just trespass into, and they had guards too.
Fortunately they were all acquaintances, so Song Pingping explained and got through.
The whole journey was quite an ordeal.
The few of them finally understood why the little puppy always got lost even in its own home at the Wen residence.
Early in the morning, Yu Qing shouldered a broom. Half the cleaning responsibility for the road outside the courtyard was his, routine sweeping.
While sweeping, a little chubby figure appeared. Yu Qing turned his head, watching it run right up to him. It was indeed the little puppy.
Yu Qing looked left and right, didn’t see anyone else, and still pretended not to know it, softly advising, “Too late, the food was just thrown out, go away.”
Last night this little puppy’s howling had been truly miserable. He suspected it might have eaten spoiled overnight food from his place, causing its stomach to go bad. So he wanted to distance himself from the little puppy, lest he get implicated.
He gave a soft verbal warning, continued sweeping, and pretended not to know it.
But the little puppy didn’t think this way. It actually flapped up and jumped, pouncing on his swishing broom leaves. That appearance seemingly treated Yu Qing’s sweeping as playing with it.
This shameless creature was actually clinging on. Yu Qing’s face was expressionless as he swept the broom aside, directly flipping the little puppy half a zhang away.
The chubby thing rolled over and climbed up, wagging its head and tail, excitedly panting. One leap after another it bounded over, pouncing again to bite the broom leaves. It emitted a low and joyful aowu from its mouth, its amethyst-like eyes sparkling as it stared at Yu Qing, tail wagging even more happily, as if saying, again!
From the looks of it, it really treated Yu Qing’s distancing behaviour as playing with it.
Huh, Yu Qing discovered this little puppy was really somewhat shameless. He immediately kicked the little puppy flying out with one foot.
It was just one foot to flick it a bit farther. Given the little puppy’s status and background, when hitting a dog one must look at its master. How would he dare really kick it? If he really kicked and something happened, he feared he couldn’t bear the responsibility.
“Hey, that little moustache, what are you doing?”
A woman’s sharp shout suddenly came.
Yu Qing turned to look, seeing a pretty-faced woman in a blue skirt coming out from the inner courtyard side door, clearly pointing at him to issue a warning.
He had seen her before. She was exactly the one he had seen while peeping in the rockery last night. His heart chilled, and he secretly groaned. Of all times, she had to pop out right when he kicked. He immediately felt trouble brewing.
Holding the broom, he was in a tight spot.
He could imagine that in these people’s eyes, the life of a servant like him was probably not even worth one of this little puppy’s toenails.
Hearing the shouting, Little Red was the first to run out to see what was happening.
Wen Xin behind also quickened her pace, coming out to look, asking, “Sister Pingping, what is it?”
Song Pingping walked over with a cold face, “This dog servant actually dared to kick Zilong with his foot.”
“…” Wen Xin and Little Red were stunned, then also quickly walked over.
Yu Qing, looking this way, was also stunned. Seeing Wen Xin had come too, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He, who had always been fairly calm, actually felt some inexplicable nervousness, never expecting he would meet Wen Xin directly so soon.
Of course, what he worried about more now was the matter of kicking the dog. Being seen with someone’s own eyes, trouble. And he didn’t know how Wen Xin would view him.
But when he saw the little puppy flap over again to bite the broom, a thought flashed through his mind. He had an idea.
The three women arrived one after another. Song Pingping’s face was frosty. Little Red was already pointing at Yu Qing’s nose to question, “You kicked Zilong?”
Yu Qing hurriedly waved his hands saying, “No no, how would this small one dare? This small one is playing with it.”
Song Pingping glared and shouted, “Nonsense, I saw with my own eyes you kicked with your foot.”
“This small one really didn’t. Just now it was like this…” Yu Qing said while demonstrating with his foot. He again flicked the dog flying with one foot, this time with much more restrained force.
After flicking the dog flying, he immediately waved the broom to tease it.
Splattering onto the ground, the little puppy rolled over and got up again. Seeing it was indeed playing with it, it excitedly panted and hopped and jumped over, pouncing again to bite the broom leaves, wagging its tail waiting for more. That was what you call eyes full of anticipation.
“…” Song Pingping choked speechless, twitching the corner of her mouth and saying nothing.
The three women could all see he was playing with the little puppy. The little puppy’s own reaction was the truest proof.
Thinking about it, in this Wen residence, who would dare kick the spirit pet sent by the Qinglian Mountain sect leader with their foot, let alone a servant?
Wen Xin glanced at the name on the plaque at Yu Qing’s waist, smiled and nodded, “Niu Youqing, it’s fine, they misunderstood, you go about your business.”
It was the first time Yu Qing had seen her face clearly up close. Their gazes met, and an inexplicable feeling entered his heart. He slightly bowed in salute, avoiding her eyes, and responded, “Yes.”
Little Red had already quickly squatted down, snatching up the little puppy in her arms, “Stop biting, Zilong, that’s a sweeping broom, filthy.”
Yu Qing also stopped sweeping, holding the broom as he turned and left.
The little puppy immediately wouldn’t have it. It struggled desperately in Little Red’s arms again, “Aow aow” calling nonstop, clearly calling toward Yu Qing’s departing figure.
Song Pingping said, “Put it down, let it continue searching, see where it wants to go.”
Little Red had no choice but to put it back on the ground.
The little puppy, once free, immediately spread its little short legs and charged toward Yu Qing, pouncing again to bite the broom.
Yu Qing quickly hoisted the broom onto his shoulder, conveniently looking back at Wen Xin and the other two. Since they found his broom dirty, he naturally had to be sensible.
Without the broom, the little puppy immediately rushed to Yu Qing’s feet, weaving and circling around them.
This wasn’t good. It made Yu Qing unable to walk, afraid of stepping on it. Especially in front of Wen Xin and the others, he couldn’t show any rejecting behaviour.
He also couldn’t show his martial arts dodging ability, so he had no choice but to stop. The little puppy immediately ran to sit in front of him, looking up at Yu Qing with pitiful eyes, tail wagging happily. The meaning of seeking favour was very obvious.
Yu Qing immediately quickly stepped around it. The little puppy turned back and clung on again, forcing Yu Qing to stop again. Once the person stopped, it sat down wagging its tail, pitiful-eyed.
At this dog’s behaviour, Yu Qing couldn’t help muttering inwardly. Was this Purple Cloud Hou any different from a common mongrel?
“…”
Wen Xin and the other two were already dumbfounded, not knowing what this situation was. Since Zilong came to the Wen residence, it had been indifferent to everyone. They had never seen it so friendly to a person, especially so dependent on one person.
“Likes brooms? That’s quite a peculiar preference…” Song Pingping muttered, suddenly quickly walking over, reaching out her hand, “Little moustache wait, give me the broom.”
What could Yu Qing do? A servant, apart from unconditional obedience, had no choice. He could only present the broom with both hands.
Song Pingping, broom in hand, was rather excited, assuming a posture of “I will conquer you”, making “jiu jiu” sounds from her mouth, swishing the broom leaves on the ground, intending to attract the little puppy’s attention.
But as soon as Yu Qing took a step after handing over the broom, the little puppy immediately got up and followed.
Of course, the commotion from the broom did attract the little puppy’s attention, but it only looked back. It glanced at Song Pingping and the swaying broom in her hand. That glance’s expression was hard to describe.
Song Pingping’s movements froze, the corner of her mouth twitching. She felt like a clown, an inexplicable sense of humiliation washing over her. Not knowing if she saw wrong, she seemed to have read a “look at this idiot” meaning from Zilong’s eyes, dismissing her.
Watching the little puppy that, no matter what tricks were used, “this lord only follows one person”, Wen Xin and Little Red were both shocked. It was a feeling of extreme amazement.
The little puppy seemed to have calmed down from the joy of reunion. It no longer wove between Yu Qing’s steps, starting to walk alongside instead.
Taking little short steps, swaying its fluffy bottom, wagging its happy tail, it walked side by side with Yu Qing’s pace. The feeling of going home together was very obvious.
However, Yu Qing couldn’t take it back. Looking at this behaviour, what was he to do?
He stopped again, pointing at the little puppy that also stopped, asking Song Pingping and the others, “This… this small one fears another misunderstanding, aren’t you taking it away?”
The three women already had blank faces, full of “who am I, where am I, what did I see”. Their faces were full of divine confusion.