The Second Challenge, The Dog Training Plan

"Aunt Qi Meng, did you and Aunt Ru Xue stay up late chatting again last night?"

"Why hasn't she come down yet? It’s almost eight o'clock."

Lin Yu asked curiously.

Aunt Ru Xue wasn’t the type to be late.

She was the one who had set the time herself.

By all logic, she should have appeared by now.

Chen Qimeng shook her head with a smile and said,

"No, we went to bed early last night and slept... very well."

"Ru Xue should be almost ready by now."

"But don’t be shocked when you see her later."

Lin Yu: "???"

Da Xiao and Er Chi: "???"

Shocked?

What did Aunt Qi Meng mean by that?

Was Aunt Ru Xue going to come downstairs wielding a kitchen knife?

Just as they were puzzling over this,

Aunt Ru Xue’s voice came from the living room...

"Sorry, I had to take a quick shower because of my hair."

"We’ll be out all day today, and if there were stray hairs sticking to me, it’d be annoying."

Lin Yu, Da Xiao, and Er Chi curiously stepped out of the dining room.

The moment they saw Du Ruxue, all three froze in place.

Her hair...

She had cut it short!

No wonder Aunt Qi Meng had said that.

And what was with the sportswear?

Paired with the baseball cap in Du Ruxue’s hand,

If they ran into her on the street, they’d never connect her to the elegant woman they’d met just days ago.

If outsiders would be stunned,

Xia Yiwei and Maomao were even more shocked.

"Aunt Ru Xue, your... your hair..."

Xia Yiwei stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.

Du Ruxue had always been meticulous about her appearance.

Even something as simple as a haircut—

For years, she had only trusted one stylist.

Every trim was nearly identical, with no major changes.

How much resolve had it taken for her to cut her hair short today?

"Aunt Ru Xue..."

"You look really good like this."

Maomao’s reaction, aside from shock, included genuine praise.

She didn’t know why Aunt Ru Xue had cut her hair or why she was dressed this way,

But something felt... different about her now.

"Qi Meng’s haircutting skills are just so-so, so bear with it."

"Maomao, today, no one can help you."

"Today’s test is just between you and me."

As soon as the topic shifted to the day’s challenge, everyone snapped back to attention.

Maomao, the one being tested, didn’t find it strange at all.

Yesterday,

Without everyone’s help, she never could have completed the task alone.

Today’s rule—limiting it to just her—was completely expected.

She didn’t say anything, just waited quietly,

Listening for Aunt Ru Xue to continue.

At the same time,

She couldn’t stop admiring Aunt Ru Xue’s sportswear.

From childhood until now, she had never seen Aunt Ru Xue wear athletic clothes.

This outfit had to be Aunt Qi Meng’s.

The size looked about right,

But if you looked closely, the pant legs were just a bit too short.

Aunt Ru Xue never bought clothes with sizing flaws.

Du Ruxue walked up to Maomao and held out her hand.

"Maomao, give me your phone."

Maomao didn’t ask why or what for.

She obediently handed it over, even entering her passcode so Aunt Ru Xue could see it clearly.

Du Ruxue pocketed the phone, then took out her own and handed it to Maomao.

Maomao took it hesitantly, her face full of question marks.

Du Ruxue pointed at the phone.

"No passcode. There’s enough money in Alipay and WeChat."

"Today, you’re the adult. You’re taking me out for a day in Pingchuan."

"Eat, drink, bathroom breaks—everything except sleep—we’re doing it all outside!"

Maomao took a deep breath, her expression unreadable.

Yesterday’s test was about whether she knew how to spend money wisely—

What was worth paying for, what wasn’t.

Today’s test was basically...

To see if she could take care of someone!

If she couldn’t even look after Aunt Ru Xue, whom she knew well, in a single day,

How could she possibly take care of herself living alone?

Aunt Ru Xue’s reasoning made perfect sense.

Lin Yu nearly laughed out loud at the request.

What kind of test was this?

Wasn’t this just an excuse to go out and have fun with Maomao under the guise of a challenge?

And making the inexperienced Maomao take care of her?

Hahaha—

Could this even be called a proper outing?

Maomao had no way out. Even though she felt this task was even harder,

Her only option was to agree.

Du Ruxue added,

"No need to rush. I’ll give you an hour to prepare."

"You can ask them for advice or look things up online."

"At least figure out what we’ll be doing today."

"Don’t push yourself into something you’re not good at—it’ll just cause unnecessary trouble."

Maomao’s tension eased a little.

Aunt Ru Xue was so kind!

She was giving her time to prepare.

That made it much less daunting.

If they had to leave right now, Maomao would be completely lost.

Snap!

Xia Yiwei flicked her fingers and gave Maomao a thumbs-up.

As a local, she knew exactly where to go and what to do to kill time.

This was no challenge for her!

......

At 8:30 a.m.,

Lin Yu and Aunt Qi Meng arrived at the shopping street.

Maomao didn’t need Lin Yu to stay and help.

With the Xia sisters’ tips, things seemed to be going smoothly.

Lin Yu had come to Mao Ruirui’s pet shop, so he and Chen Qimeng left together.

"Yu, these bags are light. I can carry them to the shop myself."

"Go see Ruirui. She’s been at the shop since early morning—she’s probably been waiting for you."

"Be careful training the dogs. Don’t get scratched or bitten."

Chen Qimeng insisted on taking the bags from Lin Yu so he could tend to his own business.

A few rolls of wrapping paper weren’t heavy enough to need his help.

"Alright, I’ll head straight to Ruirui’s then."

"I’ll come by the shop at noon to bring you lunch. Don’t go out."

Lin Yu glanced around—no familiar faces on the street.

Then,

He quickly kissed Chen Qimeng on the cheek.

Chen Qimeng’s face flushed instantly, and she turned and hurried across the street.

......

(Second update for today. More coming soon!)