Chapter 218: Taking In

Chapter 218: Taking In

Cheng Ge was so angry he nearly laughed—a mixture of exasperation and amusement. He bent down and yanked aside the curtain draping down to the floor.

There was Dahuang, his entire plump body squeezed into the cramped space beneath the couch.

His head was buried deep under his front paws, with only the tip of his tail wagging timidly.

It thumped lightly against the carriage floor, producing a faint tapping sound, as if he were playing "you can't see me, you can't see me" in a self-deceiving doggy way.

"Tsk," Cheng Ge reached out and gave his chubby rump a poke that was neither too hard nor too soft. "Getting clever, are you? Trying this trick on me?"

Dahuang's whole body stiffened, knowing he was completely exposed.

He slowly, reluctantly raised his head, his big, watery brown eyes gazing up at Cheng Ge timidly.

A pitiful whimper escaped his throat, as if he had been terribly wronged.

He even tried to stick out his tongue to lick Cheng Ge's hand, but Cheng Ge mercilessly pulled away.

Cheng Ge put on a stern face. "When we reach the next post station, I'll find someone to send you..."

Before he could finish, the carriage abruptly jolted as it hit a stone, lurching violently.

Dahuang was thrown forward, his whole dog head banging into the side of the carriage.

His whimper became even more pitiful, and he pawed at the bottom of Cheng Ge's robe with his front paws.

The rest of Cheng Ge's sentence—"back home"—got stuck in his throat. After a long pause, he gave in with a sigh and rubbed Dahuang's head.

Man and dog stared at each other for a long time in the silent carriage.

Finally—

"Forget it, forget it... since you're already here..." Cheng Ge muttered, unable to harden his heart. "Consider it... an extra foot warmer for winter."

At those words, Dahuang's ears shot up, his brown eyes suddenly blazing with excitement—where was any trace of grievance now?

His tail wagged like a tiny cyclone, slapping against the carriage wall.

His whole chubby body wriggled joyfully as he rubbed himself against Cheng Ge's legs.

He circled around in high spirits a couple times, then his canine nose twitched eagerly.

His gaze instantly locked onto the cup of milk tea still steaming on the small table.

His drool nearly dripped out as he eagerly tried to lunge toward it.

Quick as a flash, Cheng Ge gave his scheming dog head a gentle slap. "Not for you—you can't have that."

Even after being smacked, Dahuang wasn't upset; he just stared at him with a pleading look, letting out a playful whimper.

Cheng Ge: I recall you're a male dog...

Unable to handle him, Cheng Ge sighed and bent down to pull out a sealed clay jar from the chest beside him.

He opened the lid to reveal thick-cut jerky that Funiang had specially prepared for him.

He first picked a piece for himself, popped it into his mouth, and chewed with satisfaction, the rich meaty aroma spreading across his tongue.

Then he took a slightly smaller piece and held it out to Dahuang. "Here, a treat for you."

Dahuang immediately went "ah-woo" and snatched it, swallowing it whole like Pigsy eating the Ginseng Fruit.

Just as Cheng Ge and Dahuang were both happily munching on the jerky—

Suddenly, Cheng Ge felt a very faint sensation of movement at the nape of his neck.

As if scales were slowly slithering along his neck. Cheng Ge's body went instantly rigid.

His chewing stopped, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

He slowly craned his neck and glanced down out of the corner of his eye—only to meet a pair of crystalline vertical pupils.

Cheng Ge: "!!!"

There was Star Frost, who had somehow appeared and was now lazily coiled on his shoulder.

Half of its slender white body had slipped into his collar, and its head was mere inches from the tip of his nose.

It tilted its head slightly, its tongue flicking out softly, brushing lightly against his nose.

He was completely petrified, the half-chewed jerky still in his mouth, forgotten.

Damn!!! When did this thing follow me? And how the hell?!

Cheng Ge grabbed Star Frost and lifted it up to eye level, staring at its innocent red vertical pupils.

He shook its snake head in mild exasperation, then pressed his forehead against it. "Hey, little one, why did you sneak out too, huh?"

He lowered his voice, as if reasoning with it. "And your master? That Yun Xunyu—did he abandon you?

He didn't really go broke, did he? Too poor to even keep you?"

He glanced sideways at Dahuang, who was staring up at him, then hesitated. "You... ran off with Dahuang?"

Star Frost: "......"

Dizzy and disoriented from the shaking, its long body hung limply, its tongue flicking feebly.

Its vertical pupils nearly swirled into spirals, and it looked half-dead.

Seeing it in this state, Cheng Ge's heart tightened slightly, and his gaze shifted downward.

"Oops... sorry, I pinched your vital spot again." Cheng Ge quickly loosened his grip.

Star Frost: "......" As soon as its vital spot was freed, it sprang back to life instantly.

It shot like a white lightning bolt, zipping back onto his shoulder in a flash.

Then it swiftly wriggled into the hood of his outer robe, making rustling noises inside it.

Just as Cheng Ge was wondering what the snake was up to, Star Frost's little head peeked out from the edge of the hood.

In its mouth, it held a small scroll of paper tied with a red thread.

It tilted its head, holding the note out toward Cheng Ge, its red pupils fixed on him.

Its tail tip lightly tapped the back of his neck a couple times, as if prodding him to take it.

Cheng Ge was taken aback, hesitating before reaching out. Star Frost immediately released the paper and dropped the small roll accurately into his palm.

Then it curled up in the warm hood of his robe, apparently intending to settle down there.

Holding the paper roll, still cold from the snake's body, Cheng Ge couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth.

Oh boy, this wasn't just a simple elopement—it came with a letter of introduction? What the hell was that bastard Yun Xunyu up to?

Cheng Ge held the cool little paper scroll, took a deep breath, and then untied the silk thread.