By now, the livestreaming forums had completely exploded.
“Looking for a recording of J.C.X. and Sanzi’s livestream battle yesterday.”
“Sanzi’s fans are always bragging about how much he pampers them, aren’t they? Is this what ‘pampering’ looks like? [cry-laughing]”
The forums were flooded with posts about the battle between the two of them the night before.
“Go check Sanzi’s fan forum. It looks like J.C.X. single-handedly crushed his fans last night.”
【That battle got way too big, didn’t it? His fans usually rely on their army of big spenders and love bullying fans of other streamers.】
【I’ve disliked this try-hard for ages. Who exactly thinks he’s handsome? [sweating emoji]】
【I said before that L was one of J.C.X.’s fans, but no one believed me. I wonder how many accounts she used this time…】
【Who was it that said J.C.X. was innocent? The fact that she chose those three words so deliberately clearly means she knows something.】
People in livestreaming circles across every social media platform were discussing the incident. Sanzi’s company was frantic and kept deleting posts online, but the more posts they deleted, the more appeared.
The fans were arguing in their group chats as well. The battle with Ji Zhaoxi the night before had gotten far too intense—and they had lost so badly that even the big spenders felt humiliated. Many fans had withdrawn from Sanzi’s fan club.
Still, some fans continued to support him.
Meanwhile, Ji Zhaoxi was sleeping soundly in bed.
Her phone suddenly rang, but she didn’t notice.
Sunlight streamed into the living room as Ji’s mother carefully placed the flowers in a vase.
“She still hasn’t woken up. Should I wake her and have her eat before going back to sleep?” she asked with a frown.
Ji’s father was lying on the sofa, reading a book. He shook his head.
“Don’t, don’t. If you wake her up, she won’t be able to fall asleep again.”
If the mother and daughter started arguing later, he would be the only one caught in the crossfire…
The Golden Retriever was racing around the garden with a toy in its mouth when it accidentally knocked over a flowerpot beside it.
It stared helplessly at the shattered pot on the ground, its tail drooping.
Then it suddenly thought of something. With the toy still in its mouth, it hurried inside.
Ji’s mother glanced at it and called out, “Don’t wake your sister!”
The Golden Retriever expertly pushed open the door. The room was dark. It glanced guiltily at Ji Zhaoxi, grabbed her slippers, and ran off with them.
While Ji’s mother wasn’t paying attention, it dashed downstairs and placed Ji Zhaoxi’s slippers beside the broken flowerpot.
After completing this task, its tail began wagging cheerfully again.
It had learned that trick from Ji Zhaoxi.
The girl and the dog often framed each other like this.
At three in the afternoon, Ji Zhaoxi finally dragged herself out of bed. She sat there, looking around in confusion.
“Dog? Stinky Dog? Sweet Dog?”
How strange. Why was Stinky Dog taking so long to come see her today?
Even after she had washed up and gone downstairs, she still hadn’t seen so much as a shadow of him.
Ji’s mother looked at Ji Zhaoxi as if she wanted to say something, but when she saw how exhausted her daughter looked, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Ji Zhaoxi stared at her mother blankly.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
That question finally pushed Ji’s mother past the point of endurance. Holding Ji Zhaoxi’s slipper in her hand, she began lecturing her without pause.
Ji Zhaoxi understood what had happened the moment she heard her. She obediently ate her meal.
“Mom, I don’t want this soup…”
“Drink it! Look at how haggard you are. And what did that flowerpot ever do to you? Those flowers were so beautiful…”
The Golden Retriever hid by the doorway, listening to the voices inside. Its tail wagged nonstop, and its face was full of delight.
It raced around the garden, tossing its toy this way and that. When it grew tired, it lay down in the shade for a nap.
Just as it was falling asleep, it felt something cool repeatedly bouncing against its face. When it opened its eyes, it was so startled by the person in front of it that it nearly jumped.
“Stinky Dog!”
“Woof, woof, woof!”
The Golden Retriever quickly recovered and began excitedly snapping at the air before biting at her pant leg.
“Whine… woof!”
It hurriedly fetched its toy and gazed at her pleadingly, asking her to play with it.
Ji Zhaoxi laughed despite herself. Then she pulled a slipper from behind her back.
“What’s this?”
The Golden Retriever’s tail immediately drooped. It lowered its head and didn’t dare look at her.
Ji Zhaoxi picked up the toy from the ground and coaxed it.
“Want to play?”
“Woof, woof!”
Stinky Dog barked happily twice, its tail whipping back and forth.
Ji Zhaoxi brought out the slipper again and stared at it. Stinky Dog let out a few unhappy whines, and its tail stopped moving once more.
It was especially hot that day. Ji Zhaoxi threw the toy a short distance away, and Stinky Dog immediately tore off after it.
She sat in the rocking chair and messaged Lu Huainan.
[Lu Huainan, it’s too hot today. If you haven’t left yet, don’t come.]
Lu Huainan had mentioned a few days earlier that he wanted to take the dog for a walk with her.
He replied the very next second.
[It’s fine. I’ve already left.]
Meanwhile, at the Lu residence…
Mr. and Mrs. Lu stared in utter confusion at Lu Huainan, who was carrying a pile of dog toys and a giant teddy bear.
The bear was almost as tall as Lu Huainan himself.
His younger brother, sitting on the sofa, was equally stunned.
“Holy crap! Bro, how did you manage to get that bear?! Can I have it? I want to give it to my girlfriend.”
Lu Huainan said nothing. With a cold expression, he carried the entire pile of things out the door.
His mother exchanged a glance with his father, then stood up and called after him, “Son, where are you going in this heat?”
And he was carrying so many things. Anyone who saw him would think he sold toys for a living.
His younger brother took a bite of watermelon and shook his head.
“Men in love are terrifying.”
He couldn’t imagine what his brother must be like when he liked someone. Ice meeting a person would only leave them frostbitten, wouldn’t it?
And so Lu Huainan arrived at Ji Zhaoxi’s house carrying a pile of dog toys and a giant teddy bear.
But once he reached the gate, he hesitated.
Would she like it?
She had only mentioned it in passing during a livestream. She hadn’t said she really wanted one. And the bear was so huge. Wouldn’t it just get in the way in her room?
He lowered his head. Maybe he had only brought her more trouble.
Just then, a car drove out through the gate. Lu Huainan stepped aside, and the car window rolled down, revealing two faces that seemed familiar yet strangely unfamiliar.
Ji’s mother looked at Lu Huainan hesitantly.
“Hello. Is there something we can help you with?”
She glanced at the basket of dog toys on the ground and at the teddy bear crammed crookedly into the car, then asked tentatively, “Are you selling toys?”
But judging by the way he was dressed, that didn’t seem likely.
Ji’s father also looked Lu Huainan over through the window. What a handsome young man. He could be a streamer too.
Lu Huainan’s voice was slightly tense.
“Hello, Auntie. Hello, Uncle. I’m Ji Zhaoxi’s classmate, Lu Huainan. I’m here to see her.”
He wasn’t sure whether it was because of the blazing sun or because he was too nervous, but he suddenly felt a little short of breath.
He had forgotten to bring a gift for her parents. He had only brought presents for her and Stinky Dog…
Just then, a Golden Retriever suddenly shot out of nowhere and began tearing at the toys in the basket. The next second, it leaped onto Lu Huainan, trampling his white shirt into a wrinkled mess.
Ji’s mother scolded sternly, “Ji Xinxin, where are your manners?!”
The Golden Retriever immediately wilted.
Lu Huainan hurriedly said, “It’s all right, Auntie. These toys were for Stinky—Ji Xinxin in the first place.”
