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"Thief! Put Dahuang down right now!" Tang Duoduo was the first to rush out of the car, ignoring the rain as she reached out to untie the leather strap. She recognized her family’s dog immediately.

"Get lost! How do you know this mutt is yours? All these strays look the same. You here to start trouble?" The chef grew agitated when he saw Tang Duoduo trying to loosen the strap and shoved her to the ground.

"Duoduo!"

Ye Shuang stepped out of the car and strode toward the chef. "This is our dog. Untie him now!"

In the outside world, a car often served as a second form of identification. Though an Audi Q5 wasn’t anything special in the city, to a rural restaurant chef, it still carried some weight—the man hesitated, not wanting to offend over a dog. Under the group’s intense stares, he finally undid the strap.

Dahuang collapsed onto the ground, motionless, barely breathing.

"Dahuang!"

"Woof!" At the sight of Duoduo, a faint light returned to Dahuang’s eyes, and he weakly licked her palm.

"Wuwu… I’m just glad you’re okay." Tang Duoduo didn’t care about the mud or filth, cradling Dahuang’s head in her arms as she stroked him.

The commotion at the entrance drew the restaurant owner outside. "What’s going on here? You trying to steal my dog?"

"This is clearly our dog, you thief!" Tang Duoduo shouted angrily, her hair now soaked by the rain, turning her mushroom cut into a drenched helmet.

"I bought this dog. What proof do you have that it’s yours?" The owner didn’t take offense to being called a thief—he knew exactly where the dog traffickers sourced their "merchandise."

"Dahuang."

"Woof!"

"Dahuang."

"Woof!"

Tang Duoduo declared, "That’s the proof!"

"That’s no proof at all." The owner scoffed. Then, clicking his tongue, he called, "Here, Dahuang, Dahuang…"

Dahuang turned his head and, with uncanny human-like disdain, rolled his eyes at the man.

"See?!" Tang Duoduo said triumphantly.

Unfazed, the owner crossed his arms. "I paid for this dog, so it’s mine. If you want him back, pay up!"

"How much?"

"Two hundred!"

"Show me your QR code." Ye Shuang said. Seeing how readily he agreed, the owner glanced at the car and quickly backtracked. "Wait, no—I remember now. I paid five hundred for him!"

"You—you’re jacking up the price!" Tang Keke glared. Was this guy serious?

"Pay up, or I’ll turn this mutt into soup." The owner spoke leisurely, confident he had the upper hand.

Ye Shuang remained calm, eyeing him for a moment before giving him a once-over.

The owner felt an inexplicable unease under Ye Shuang’s gaze, but reassured by the presence of his people inside, he regained his composure. "Well? Made up your mind?"

"I don’t mind the money, but I have something else you might find more interesting." Ye Shuang said slowly.

"What?"

"Your chef’s son looks an awful lot like you." Ye Shuang murmured with a faint smile.

The owner stiffened, his face paling. "What are you implying?"

"Though your chef has quite the temper. Spent a few years in jail for assault when he was younger. Lucky for him, you took such good care of his wife while he was away." Ye Shuang continued, unfazed.

"Boss, you’re quite the saint."

The owner’s legs nearly gave out, his forehead now slick with sweat. The confused chef called out, "Bro, what’s wrong?"

"N-nothing, I’m fine."

"Uh… buddy—" The owner stammered, panic rising as Ye Shuang laid out details that felt far too personal.

"Who’s your buddy? I preferred your earlier arrogance." Ye Shuang shook his head.

"It’s… it’s a misunderstanding." The owner forced a dry laugh.

"Here, scan me a thousand, and we’ll call it even." Ye Shuang pulled out his own QR code.

"You—" The owner was dumbstruck. Was this guy seriously extorting him now?

"Gas isn’t free, you know."

"Tch." The owner sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth, realizing Ye Shuang was even more ruthless. Reluctantly, he paid up.

"999 for friendship’s sake."

"Mm."

After sending them off with forced smiles, the owner slapped his own face. "Damn it, should’ve just taken the two hundred."

Now he was out a thousand!

The chef, still puzzled, asked, "Bro, what was that about? That guy mentioned me?"

"And why’d you give him money?"

The owner’s heart bled, but he swallowed his frustration and trudged back inside. "Just brotherhood!"

......

Inside the car.

Tang Keke couldn’t contain her curiosity. "Brother, why did that owner give you money? What did you say to him?"

Ye Shuang smiled. "I told him dogs are man’s best friend, and he realized his mistake."

"Eh?"

"Oh, I see." Bai Yuyou nodded sagely.

Keke facepalmed. "Yuyou, that makes zero sense!"

Back home, Dahuang spent the next few days resting on the concrete in the yard. As the old saying went, dogs were creatures of the earth—when injured, they’d seek out herbs in the soil and recover on their own.

But Tang Duoduo soon noticed Dahuang sneaking off to dig himself a shallow pit in the grass.

He seemed to think he was dying.

It was an ancient instinct—dogs nearing death or suffering grave injuries would distance themselves from their homes to avoid attracting predators with their scent.

The next day, Ye Shuang drove Dahuang to a vet for shots.

Soon, Dahuang was back to full health.

From then on, Tang Duoduo would occasionally tease him by bringing him to the pit, reminding him of his "shame."

Mortified, Dahuang would turn away with a huff, earning playful laughter from Duoduo.

One day, Tang Duoduo would surely face grief again—but for now, these were her happiest days, carefree and eager to grow up.

......

Ye Shuang and the others spent a few more days in Tang Keke’s hometown, fishing and hiking. Aside from a few mosquito bites, the only noticeable change was that Keke and Bai Yuyou had tanned a shade darker.

But a healthy sun-kissed glow wasn’t a bad thing—they’d pale back soon enough.

Soon, Ye Shuang received another message from An Shiyu.

Reading the cracked screen, he knew—

It was time to go back.