Rhubarb at Home

Looking at the girl with wide-open eyes in the darkness, Ye Shuang fell silent for a few seconds before suddenly asking, "Yuyou, how do you feel about Chen Qin?"

"Chen Qin-jie is a good person," Bai Yuyou whispered. "Ye Shuang is also very important to Chen Qin-jie."

Ye Shuang asked, "What if one day, Chen Qin and I get married?"

Bai Yuyou grew quiet, as if seriously contemplating the question.

Ye Shuang didn’t seem surprised by her reaction. He reached out and gently stroked her head. "Go to sleep. You don’t understand yet."

Bai Yuyou murmured softly, "I don’t understand… Why can’t the people you like all stay together? I don’t want to be apart..."

Ye Shuang simply asked in return, "Then why do you feel resistant toward Ran Xinxin but not Chen Qin? Is it because Chen Qin usually takes care of you?"

"Mhm… I like Chen Qin-jie. I don’t want her to be unhappy."

"So, 'like' and 'like'… are still a little different," Ye Shuang said with a faint smile. "But you’re already doing great. You grasp things quickly—you just need a little more time."

"Mhm."

"Alright, sleep now. Tomorrow, we’ll go fishing."

"It’s a little hot… Ye Shuang, can I take off my clothes?"

"No."

"Already did."

"..."

"I’ll turn on the AC for you..."

……

……

The next day.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo—"

Ye Shuang was woken up by the sound of a rooster crowing. Honestly, he didn’t mind it—it was far more pleasant than an alarm, especially the default ringtone on iPhones.

Beep.

After turning off the AC, he glanced at Bai Yuyou, still fast asleep, then got up to wash up.

Tang Keke seemed to have woken up early as well, sitting in the living room downstairs watching TV. On the dining table nearby, breakfast was laid out—a simple plate of rice noodles, some sausages and bread, and a thermal container that likely held congee with preserved egg and lean pork.

"There aren’t many breakfast options in the countryside. Grandma bought these from outside," Tang Keke said with a grin.

"Your grandmother should rest more," Ye Shuang replied before asking where Tang Duoduo’s parents were. He learned that the couple had taken the elderly woman out early to visit relatives.

"So early?" Ye Shuang checked the time—it was barely past eight.

He’d go out for a walk later.

"Jie—"

"Jie—"

Just then, Tang Duoduo came running inside, wailing. Stumbling as if heartbroken, she cried out,

"Big Yellow is gone!"

"Big Yellow is gone?" Tang Keke and Ye Shuang exchanged glances.

"Stolen… Wuwu… This morning, I went to feed Big Yellow, but he wasn’t there… I checked everywhere, then looked at the security footage." Tang Duoduo sniffled and pulled out her phone, showing a clip of their front yard.

At the crack of dawn, the big yellow dog had been sleeping by the gate when a van passed by. After a few distressed yelps, the dog was snatched away with a looped rope—the whole thing took less than ten seconds.

The thieves were terrifyingly efficient.

"Wuu—"

"Dog thieves are the worst! How much could they even sell him for?!" Tang Keke fumed, though she knew reporting it to the police would likely lead nowhere.

Footsteps sounded from the stairs—Bai Yuyou had come down, drawn by the commotion. She didn’t fully grasp what had happened but caught the mention of "Big Yellow."

"I don’t want to raise dogs anymore," Tang Duoduo sobbed, her eyes brimming with tears.

Big Yellow had been her longest-lived pet. Previous dogs had either been stolen or accidentally poisoned by rat bait. Big Yellow had been smart and affectionate—yet even he hadn’t escaped the thieves.

Bai Yuyou finally understood—the big yellow dog that had playfully carried an ice cream around with her yesterday had been stolen.

"Ye Shuang…" Her chest tightened inexplicably. Clutching her shirt, she looked at him with sorrow.

"Let’s check the nearby dog meat markets. There might still be a chance," Ye Shuang suggested, trying to console the girls. Judging by the footage, only a few hours had passed—there was still hope if they acted fast.

But despite searching several large markets nearby, they found no trace of Big Yellow.

The difficulty of tracking stolen dogs was precisely why thieves operated so brazenly.

Keke didn’t know what else to say, only patting her sister’s shoulder. "Duoduo, don’t be too sad..."

To Ye Shuang and the others, Big Yellow might not have been deeply cherished, but for a child like Duoduo—who had few playmates in the countryside—a loyal dog was as precious as family.

Humans stood at the top of the food chain, so many saw no issue in slaughtering dogs they no longer wanted. But humans were also emotional creatures. Countless children had returned home from school, eager to play with their dogs, only to learn they’d been butchered or sold—leaving scars that lasted a lifetime.

Ye Shuang: "..."

His gaze settled on Tang Duoduo—

[Character: Tang Duoduo

Grade 2 student at Lai Su Elementary. Has a best friend named Big Yellow.]

In the upper right corner, a small clock icon appeared.

Ye Shuang checked his remaining chances—they had refreshed.

Might as well try...

……

Rain began to fall.

Drip by drip, it soon turned into a steady drizzle.

Ten kilometers away, outside a dog meat restaurant, a rusted cage held a curled-up yellow dog. Its body was covered in wounds, fur matted with blood—evidence of a desperate struggle.

Raindrops pattered against the cage.

Inside the restaurant, customers chatted and laughed, a stark contrast to the drenched, lifeless dog outside.

Perhaps resigned to its fate, the dog barely stirred.

"We’re running low on meat. String up the yellow one first."

"Got it."

A chef stepped outside, one hand opening the cage, the other gripping a leather noose. Even as the dog shivered, his expression remained indifferent—routine work.

Strangle, skin, chop.

You got used to it.

"Arf!" The dog was yanked out, its feeble resistance meaningless against its injuries.

"Woof!"

"Tch!"

The chef tightened the noose around the dog’s neck and hoisted it up.

Unlike humans, dogs didn’t die quickly. The struggle was slow, agonizing. The dog’s legs twitched weakly, its strength fading.

"Alright, skin it later." The chef turned—only to see headlights blazing toward him. An Audi screeched across the road, slamming into the shopfront with a deafening crash!

"What the—?!"