Chapter 11
The veterinarian quietly withdrew the pill dispenser, clearly seeing it was no longer needed.
Wen Youning hadn’t expected the German Shepherd to take the medicine so swiftly. Before she even finished speaking, the pill was almost down the dog’s throat.
Having taken the medicine, the German Shepherd nestled back into Wen Youning’s arms, its tail wagging behind.
Meeting the dog’s eager gaze, Wen Youning smiled softly and rubbed its ears, saying, “Good boy, you’re truly the bravest little dog I’ve ever seen.”
“Woof!” The German Shepherd held its head high with pride.
Wen Youning tore off a piece of jerky, originally bought to help the dog chew on the way home, now serving as a reward for taking the medicine.
The tough jerky felt as light as cotton in the dog’s mouth, easily breaking apart with a bite. After the first big chunk, chewing became a bit more laborious. The dog clutched the large piece with its front paws, gnawing on it.
Wen Youning gathered the examination report along with the anti-inflammatory medicine. “How much is it?”
“Come over here, I’ll write you a receipt,” the doctor said, tapping away at the computer at the front desk. “Show me your payment code here, and I’ll scan it.”
A beep sounded, and the machine began printing the receipt.
The doctor tore off the slip, signed his name, and handed it over. Glancing at the foam box by the door, he asked, “Is it difficult to carry all these things?”
Wen Youning replied, “No problem. I bought some items at the pet store next door, and their staff said they could help deliver everything together.”
The doctor nodded. “Alright then, you don’t have to worry about the rest. I’ll coordinate with the people next door.”
Since both shops operated in the same area and weren’t competitors, the doctor had a good relationship with the neighboring staff.
During quiet times without customers, they would even gather outside, cracking sunflower seeds and chatting together.
Wen Youning lifted the German Shepherd slightly in her arms. “Thanks for your help.”
“No trouble at all, it’s nothing,” the doctor said, pushing open the door. “My WeChat is on the receipt. Feel free to contact me if you need anything.”
“Got it.”
...
Wen Youning stepped outside with the German Shepherd, greeted by a warm breeze carrying a faint scent of roasted meat.
The morning rush had passed, and some vegetable stalls at the market were already covered with cloth.
The market had many entrances, and Wen Youning deliberately chose the one at the corner to avoid passing by the stall where the German Shepherd had been bought.
Perhaps having been confined at the stall for too long, the dog’s chewing slowed noticeably when passing the vegetable stands, its small eyes glancing at Wen Youning furtively.
“What’s wrong?” Wen Youning’s eyes remained on the path but she could clearly sense the dog’s scrutiny. “Don’t be afraid, we’ve left that stall far behind. You’re the one I spent two hundred on—a big sum to get you. No one’s sending you back there again.”
“Woof!”
“No way!”
The German Shepherd’s ears perked up at Wen Youning’s words. But the moment it barked, a piece of jerky fell from its mouth.
“Uh…” the dog quickly closed its mouth, managing to catch the edge of the jerky with its teeth, pawing at it to bring it back into its mouth.
They left the vegetable market.
Wen Youning got into a pre-booked ride, one specially marked to allow pets.
These cars catered almost exclusively to pet owners, as many people were allergic to cat or dog hair, making mixed rides inconvenient.
The fare was pricier than a regular ride, and if the pet dirtied the car, an additional cleaning fee was charged.
The German Shepherd pressed against the window, watching the outside world.
[Relieved to have left the market safely. Scary to think the stall owner might have suddenly lunged to grab the dog.]
[It’s not easy raising a German Shepherd this big. The owner must have been very worried after losing it for so long.]
[Don’t worry. The livestream is so popular, many people are clipping and sharing videos. The owner will definitely see it.]
...
“My neighborhood hasn’t posted any lost dog notices. I haven’t seen any along the way either,” Wen Youning said, turning the camera toward the German Shepherd. “Everyone take a screenshot and see if anyone recognizes him. He’s wearing a collar too. If you do, please contact me.”
“Woof?”
...
“No worries, just look at you. I’ll take you to see the kittens soon,” Wen Youning said, stroking the dog’s soft, fluffy fur. “By the way, I haven’t asked how you got caught at the market.”
“Woof!”
‘Chased the bad guy, woof, chased him far, almost caught him.’
Mentioning the past, the German Shepherd’s wagging tail drooped.
‘Then woof, I flew up. The bad guy ran away.’
‘Woof, hurt, want to sleep. Someone got out of a car and pulled me.’
‘Next thing I know, I was in a cage.’
...
The dog howled intermittently, its thoughts expressed in broken, faint snippets.
For a German Shepherd that had been in an accident, remembering even this much was remarkable, considering the time that had passed.
Wen Youning gently patted its back. It sounded like the dog had been hit by a car while chasing, lost consciousness, then was captured.
It didn’t seem like a deliberate dog theft.
More like an accident—someone hit the dog, saw the injuries were severe, and dragged it into their vehicle.
“Did anyone treat your wounds?” Wen Youning asked, holding its paw and gently pressing its pads. “Did they put ointment on the painful spots?”
The German Shepherd tilted its head. “Woof!”
‘No… I just licked it myself, and it stopped hurting!’
The pride in its tone was unmistakable.
[Hello? Streamer, do you remember you’re live?]
[Not translating at all? Folks, minors hit the refund button!]
[What are you two talking about? I don’t understand the foreign language and it’s driving me crazy. I wish I had paid attention in school.]
[Nope, they don’t teach this kind of thing in school.]
...
Wen Youning was so absorbed in talking with the dog that when she got off the car and fiddled with the selfie stick, she noticed the chaotic flood of comments.
She smacked her forehead and smiled helplessly. “Sorry, I forgot about you all.”
She pocketed the selfie stick and carried the German Shepherd off the vehicle.
“So far, we only know the dog was chasing a bad guy and got hit and paralyzed by the stall owner’s car. The owner then locked him in a cage to sell.”
[Chasing a bad guy?]
[The dog’s instincts say that person was really bad.]
[German Shepherd is heroic! Stall owner hit and abused the dog—so cruel!]
“I’ll find out more details when I get back and let you know.”
When the inner thoughts of small animals are vague, asking questions can help clarify the situation.
The ride was short, so Wen Youning couldn’t ask everything at once.
“Let’s go look at the cats first.” She deliberately chose a drop-off point near where she had found the kittens. After turning off the livestream’s video, she entered the building hallway.
The scene was much the same as it had been in the morning—except now only one little ginger kitten lay on the windowsill; the calico was nowhere to be seen.
Wen Youning approached, and the alert ginger kitten immediately opened its eyes. Mid-step as it tried to run, it stopped after recognizing her and returned. “Meow…”
When washing the German Shepherd, Wen Youning inevitably carried the scent of shampoo.
The little ginger didn’t detect any familiar smell at first.
However, since the dog carried the same shampoo scent as Wen Youning, it didn’t intimidate the kitten. To the ginger, the dog belonged to Wen Youning, whom it trusted, so it wasn’t afraid of the large unfamiliar dog.
Wen Youning placed a dish on the windowsill. “Little Ginger? Where’s Calico?”
The kitten rubbed its ears against her wrist, mewing softly, “Meow…”
‘Thirsty. Went out to find water.’
...
Not intending to broadcast video, Wen Youning casually set the phone stand on the table.
“I can’t stay too long.” Holding the German Shepherd, she struggled to open cans, but the dog was well-behaved, letting her handle everything without resistance. She opened all the cans brought along but couldn’t find the tab on the cat treats.
Unlike the cans, the soft cat treats had a pull tab for easy opening.
Wen Youning fumbled for a moment, then said, “Help me open it.”
The German Shepherd bit down on the treat, its large frame making the little snack look like a tiny jelly. It bit nearly halfway through, stopping just at Wen Youning’s fingertips.
After a brief pause, the dog adjusted slightly and pierced the treat’s end with its teeth.
“Woof!”
‘Opened!’
“Good job, well done.” With the dog’s help, Wen Youning could open several treats at once.
The curious little ginger was fascinated by the large creature in Wen Youning’s arms. The scent of the meat cans soon caught its attention.
One plate held canned meat, another cat treats, and a third had water.
This was enough to feed both the ginger and the calico for several meals.
“Thanks for guiding me today.” Wen Youning pushed the dishes toward the kitten. “Remember to call Calico back to eat. I’m leaving now.”
“Meow… meow meow,” the little ginger mewed while taking a big bite of the canned meat. The meat was a mix of chunks and pâté, with no additives—very high quality.
The little one was so engrossed it couldn’t even lift its head.
Wen Youning crouched down, dropping the empty cans and treats into a plastic bag. “Let’s go home.”
“Woof, woo…”
As she stood, the German Shepherd looked back once. It rested on Wen Youning’s shoulder, stretching its neck to reach the phone stand.
The retractable stand was short when closed; held in its mouth with the phone attached, it looked like the dog was carrying a bone.
[Is there anything about feeding cats that my VIP membership can’t see?!]
[Probably to protect the kitten’s location.]
[What’s going on? Is the feeding going to take this long? Did the streamer forget to unmute the livestream?]
VIP member: [Sending a gift.]
Gifts from premium members not only have special effects but also cause the device to vibrate.
Colors flashed across Wen Youning’s watch face, followed by a buzzing vibration.
“Ow—my phone!” With so many things in her hands, she scrambled for the phone stand but found nothing, suddenly realizing what she’d forgotten.
She remembered to take the plastic seal off the canned food but had completely forgotten both the phone and the stand.
“It’s here!”
The German Shepherd gave two soft whines, tilted its head, and the phone stand appeared diagonally in front of Wen Youning.
She paused, meeting the dog’s bright, sparkling eyes, then slowly smiled. “Thank you, such a clever dog.”
“Woof!” The dog stuck out its tongue, its mouth curved in what looked like a smile, eyes curved into a crescent.
After this brief exchange, the blacked-out livestream suddenly showed the video feed again.
Wen Youning secured the phone stand under her arm, smiling as she brought the German Shepherd closer to the camera. “I forgot my phone and stand when coming downstairs earlier. Luckily, the little dog found them and brought them down, or I’d have to go back again.”
[???]
[Showing off, huh?!]