Chapter 1
Just past noon.
The sun was at its brightest.
Sunlight streamed through the window, warming her face. Even with her eyes closed, Wen Youning winced against the glare. Sleepily, she raised a hand to shield her face, turning to face away from the light, hoping to continue sleeping. Then, a sharp "beep—" suddenly sounded.
Wen Youning snapped her eyes open and sat up, glancing at the computer screen. The live stream window showed: [User1998 has entered the chatroom.]
After streaming for three hours with no one joining, finally the first visitor arrived. Her eyes brightened. “Welcome—”
But the moment she spoke, the real-time viewer count in the upper right corner dropped from 1 to 0.
—New user left the chatroom.
Wen Youning: “...”
A new streamer’s venture ended before it even began.
Propping her chin with one hand, she opened her phone and stared at the glaring zeros in her account balance, letting out a heavy sigh.
She hadn’t even figured out lunch yet.
If only she had eaten that staff meal before this transmigration, then gone back to sleep.
As a certified animal caretaker—and the only one who could understand animals’ thoughts—Wen Youning’s daily work involved chatting with animals and making friends. Whether they were zoo animals or wild creatures roaming the plains, she could communicate with them all.
After several nonstop days of fieldwork, she returned to the zoo, immediately diving into psychological counseling with the tigers.
Her work went smoothly; after talking with a tiger all night, she collapsed as soon as her head hit the rest room pillow, too exhausted even to eat lunch.
She had planned to feast after waking, but upon awakening, she found herself inside a recently read novel about switched heirs, now trapped as the unlucky true daughter who had been switched with the nanny’s child since birth.
The Wen family, a long-established aristocratic clan, had lost much of its former glory with the decline of traditional industry, but their feudal pride still lingered deep within their bones.
The real daughter, once found, was despised everywhere for lacking noble refinement and proper education, deemed uncouth and unfit for public appearances.
In contrast, the fake daughter grew up learning piano and dance, radiating elegance and grace in every gesture, making the real daughter seem worthless by comparison.
In the aristocracy, profit mattered most. The clan had many young heirs, and blood ties counted for little against interests.
In the original story, the true daughter tried hard to please everyone, displaying utter humility, but the fake daughter repeatedly sowed discord with endless schemes and slanders. Eventually, the real daughter was thrown out of the house and, before leaving, forced to donate a kidney to the fake daughter under family moral pressure.
Shortly after being expelled, overwhelmed by grief and worry, she died beneath an overpass, with not a single soul to collect her body.
Meanwhile, the fake daughter naturally assumed the Wen family’s true heiress status, married into another noble family, founded her own brand and company, and ultimately took control of the Wen empire.
When Wen Youning arrived, the original owner had not yet been found by her biological parents.
Thinking of the upcoming plot, Wen Youning had no desire to get involved with the Wen family’s drama.
Reunion was impossible. Besides, since the original was now over eighteen, the Wen family wasn’t obligated to provide financial support or care. She wondered if she could sue them for abandonment and get some compensation.
But before all that, the most urgent matter was figuring out lunch.
Her last yuan had already been spent on breakfast buns.
Just a short while ago, she had been thrust into this unfamiliar world. Though skilled in medicine, without a veterinary qualification, she couldn’t work officially.
Fortunately, the internet was widespread, and live streaming was booming. Wen Youning set up her own channel with a catchy title: [Professional Veterinarian, Mind-Reading Treatments for Pets’ Difficult Illnesses.]
But... it had no traction; no one came in.
As Wen Youning pondered whether to pick up some manual labor to make ends meet, a stream request popped up on the screen.
Work at last!
Wen Youning smiled and greeted, “Hello.”
The young man on the other end slouched in his chair, mouth moving as if chatting with viewers. When he saw the live link, he was startled and hurriedly sat up, patting his head. “Oops, I clicked wrong—meant to cancel but accidentally confirmed... Face pay just deducted the fee. Uh, can I get a refund for this paid link?”
Wen Youning thought for a moment. “If you’re underage, yes.”
The male streamer laughed, figuring it was just ten yuan. Paid links even got traffic boosts, so he waved it off. “No worries, it’s fate that we connected. What kind of streamer are you?”
As he spoke, he opened her stream and squinted at the screen. “Veterinarian, mind-reading diagnosis? What’s that new profession? You can understand animals’ thoughts? Diagnosing through live stream?”
“Yes,” Wen Youning said seriously, “but only for complex cases that regular pet hospitals can’t solve. For common issues like colds or fevers, I recommend going to a vet.”
She spoke earnestly, but the male streamer’s chat was already flooding with question marks.
[This streaming business is getting weirder and weirder.]
[Money-grabbing, confirmed.]
The male streamer didn’t believe in this cyber doctor nonsense, but he saw a chance to entertain and gain followers from the buzz. “Coincidentally, my dog’s been acting weird lately. After eating, he throws up. Sometimes he barely takes a few bites before running off to vomit, then comes back to eat again.”
Broadcasting from his phone, he left the room and squatted by the dog’s cage. “See, we’ve been to the vet. They gave him nutritional paste and fluids for two days, but no change.”
“It’s not the food. We’ve tried two kinds of kibble and even fresh meat, but he still vomits.”
The camera panned to a half-height cage where a blue-eyed husky lay on a blanket, wagging its tail weakly. It looked listless, giving an impression of exhaustion.
The streamer petted the dog’s head and asked, “Could it be psychological? Depression? Emotional eating? He wasn’t like this before. Can you fix it?”
Wen Youning studied the husky. “How old is he?”
“Two years. I raised him from a puppy.”
The husky’s eyes flickered as it sniffed the phone.
‘I’m so hungry, so hungry... want to eat...’
The husky’s thoughts came in a jumble of murmurs. Wen Youning looked at its sunken belly. “Bring the dog food over and feed him on camera.”
The streamer hesitated. “Huh? Feeding makes him throw up.”
[Is the streamer even listening? At this point, the dog should be on food and water restriction for observation.]
[Using a little animal for show, this is animal abuse!]
Wen Youning poured a glass of water. “Feed him as I say. I guarantee he won’t vomit. Give him about ten kibbles.”
The streamer, doubtful, set down the bowl. “Ten pieces, right?”
The husky’s eyes lit up when it saw the bowl. As soon as it was placed down, it devoured the kibble without hesitation. Ten morsels were a mere flick of the tongue for a two-year-old husky.
In a moment, the bowl was empty.
The husky sat back, tongue out, looking at its owner with no sign of nausea.
“Huh?” the streamer exclaimed in surprise. “So he vomited because he ate too fast?”
“That’s partly it,” Wen Youning said, lifting her chin. “Give him ten more.”
The streamer complied, and the husky again ate quickly.
After several rounds, Wen Youning instructed, “Now give him a handful.”
No sooner had she spoken than the husky, still chewing, suddenly looked up, tears welling in its sky-blue eyes as it stared at the phone. “Woof!”
Really?
“Ah?” The streamer froze mid-count. “That’s too much. He usually eats one full cup.”
He shook the measuring cup in his hand.
Wen Youning eyed it—it was about half a bottle of mineral water.
“For a dog his size and age, that cup should be at least ten to fifteen per meal. You can occasionally feed treats or dental chews, too,” she sighed. “You’ve practically raised a greyhound.”
The streamer’s hand trembled as he slowly poured the kibble. “No way. When I bought him, the seller said that’s all he needs. He usually eats some leftovers too, so why feed so much kibble?”
Wen Youning asked, “Do you think a puppy eats the same amount as an adult dog?”
[Wow, that amount wouldn’t even cover my dog’s training treats.]
[Husky: Eat but never full, hungry but never dead.]
[LOL, look at that face when the streamer said ‘one more cup.’ Husky: Really, foster mother? More food coming?]
...
The chat was filled with the sound of the husky crunching kibble.
Wen Youning advised, “If you feed him a lot of leftovers, take him to the vet to check liver, kidney, and pancreas function. Too much oil and salt can damage those organs.”
“No worries. I don’t feed him many leftovers; he mainly eats kibble.”
Wen Youning: “...”
Chat: [...]
“So you feed mostly leftovers and only one cup of kibble?”
“This dog’s been through a lot.”
“Forget the dog’s illness for now—go get yourself an appointment at a top hospital.”
Clearing her throat, Wen Youning said, “Your dog vomits after eating because he’s too hungry and eats too fast. Long periods of hunger have shrunk his stomach, so it can’t hold much food. Any irritation triggers vomiting.”
“Take your time raising him, gradually increase his food. Once he can control his hunger and slows down, give him a full bowl. He’ll stop eating when he’s full.”
“Woof!” The full husky rubbed eagerly against the phone, its head sometimes blocking the lens. Its eyes cleared noticeably, as if wanting to nuzzle Wen Youning through the screen.
“Good boy. Eat slowly. Don’t rush. There’s always food for you.” Wen Youning sighed softly, “Lucky you connected to me today. If this was delayed a few more days, this dog would have starved.”
“Woof!”
Right!
Almost starved no more!