Xu Ye’s hand froze mid-scroll as she glanced at Huo Shuyan. He remained facing the window, sitting upright with his perfectly composed posture. From where she sat, all she could see was his half-profile and the fluffy back of his head.
Not knowing what was going on, Liu Shuo still pulled over as instructed, parking the car under the streetlight.
Initially, Xu Ye had planned to ask Liu Shuo to drop her at the residential complex entrance. Then, she’d recruit them both to help find the dog stuck in the water and finally unmask Huo Shuyan as the admin—such a perfect plan.
But now, with Huo Shuyan’s abrupt stop request, she was unsure. If he had something urgent to deal with, she might be left to search for the dog alone.
Liu Shuo adjusted the rearview mirror and turned apologetically to Xu Ye, “Sorry about that. I meant to take you straight to the complex entrance.”
Xu Ye thanked him again, opened the car door, and began looking around for any sign of a drainage opening.
Huo Shuyan got out as well but didn’t go far. His gaze settled on a manhole cover under the streetlight, “I hear something down here.”
Xu Ye’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at the sealed manhole cover. Her first thought was whether Huo Shuyan had come across the same post.
But he’d been on a call with his professor the entire ride and hadn’t touched his phone.
His car window had been down, close to the manhole. Xu Ye could only hear the whoosh of passing cars slicing through the air. If Huo Shuyan truly heard something from the manhole, his hearing was almost unnervingly sharp.
Suppressing her suspicions, Xu Ye followed them over.
The manhole cover bore the words “Potable Water.” Liu Shuo leaned back, placing a foot on it and pressing lightly.
It didn’t budge. Applying more force, he managed to tilt it slightly, prying open a small gap.
The safety net inside the manhole was missing. From Xu Ye and Huo Shuyan’s angle, they could see something small and dark squirming in the water below.
Huo Shuyan crouched down and, with the slight leverage, fully lifted the manhole cover, setting it upright.
In the glow of the streetlight, a tiny yellow creature flailed in the water—a small yellow dog, pudgy and round like a little meatball.
The manhole wasn’t very deep, nor was the water, but it was enough to overwhelm such a tiny dog. The smooth walls offered no foothold, leaving it struggling to stay afloat.
This area near the complex entrance was still lively at night. The parked car obscured the manhole, so no one had noticed anything unusual.
Even if passersby had heard sounds from the manhole, they wouldn’t have associated it with the struggling animal inside.
Liu Shuo ran to the car and returned with a rope tied into a small loop. Huo Shuyan and Xu Ye each held the manhole cover while Liu Shuo carefully lowered the rope into the opening.
Xu Ye glanced sideways at Huo Shuyan.
The manhole cover was heavy, but Huo Shuyan had flipped it open single-handedly, as casually as a pancake vendor flipping pancakes on a griddle.
The manhole labeled “Potable Water” usually connected to a freshwater pipeline and typically didn’t contain water. This one must’ve been leaking.
The little yellow dog, seemingly aware of the rescue attempt, paddled toward the loop. Liu Shuo adjusted the rope’s position repeatedly, but the dog’s tiny paws couldn’t quite grab hold.
In the end, it bit the rope with its small teeth and looked up at the three humans expectantly.
Its round yellow body, floppy ears, and bright eyes made it look adorably familiar to Xu Ye. It reminded her of a dog her grandmother had once raised, a native Chinese village dog—or “tu gou.”
These dogs typically grew to resemble wolves, with pointier snouts and upright ears. Her grandmother used to lament how her dog had lost its youthful cuteness as it matured.
Liu Shuo slowly pulled the rope upward to avoid shaking the dog loose. Xu Ye held her breath, afraid that even a sigh might knock it back into the water.
But the dog’s grip faltered near the opening. After a pitiful whimper, it let go.
Huo Shuyan reacted instantly, catching its front legs mid-air. Liu Shuo quickly reached out to support it from the other side, ensuring the dog’s legs wouldn’t get hurt.
When they finally pulled it to safety and placed it on the ground, Xu Ye exhaled deeply, feeling like she had almost suffocated herself.
The little dog shook itself off a short distance away, spraying water everywhere.
Seeing the dog unharmed, the three of them worked together to lower the manhole cover back into place.
Just then, a loud, authoritative voice boomed from across the street, “You three! Yes, you by the manhole! What are you doing over there?”
The voice startled Xu Ye so much she almost lost her grip. The three of them turned to see a municipal officer striding toward them, his uniform unmistakable.
Behind him were several younger officers, their expressions a mix of disbelief and dismay as if they couldn’t believe anyone would dare steal a manhole cover right at the complex entrance.
Kneeling around the manhole with a thick rope beside them, the trio certainly looked suspicious.
The officer slowed as he neared, his expression turning from stern to conflicted, “You’re young—what are you even doing?”
He studied the trio, noting that any one of them could easily get by from their looks alone. Why resort to this? His bafflement deepened when his gaze landed on Xu Ye.
Her delicate, refined demeanor, paired with her small crossbody bag and thin arms, made her efforts to lift the heavy manhole cover almost comical.
Xu Ye stood up abruptly, swaying a bit. She pointed resolutely at Huo Shuyan, her vision still blurry, “Sir, you’ve got it all wrong. The dog fell into the manhole, and we just rescued it.”
Her confidence was palpable, but she had pointed to the wrong “dog.”
Liu Shuo’s lips twitched as he gently adjusted her arm to point in the right direction.
Huo Shuyan wasn’t offended by it, his lips only curved slightly in amusement.
The city patrol officer glanced at the drenched little dog, then at Xu Ye, and finally at the rope with visible bite marks. Retracting his baton slightly, he seemed to find this scene more fitting for three energetic young people, “Is that so…”
A female city patrol officer soon arrived as well. Catching Liu Shuo’s gaze, she let out a surprised “Oh!” and visibly relaxed, “Zhang-ge, isn’t this Xiao Liu from the pet shop nearby? Don’t worry, there’s no way they’d be stealing manhole covers.”
“Xiao Liu from which pet shop?”
She explained, “The one always doing charity work for stray animals—Xiao Liu from Le Rong Pet Shop.”
The officer pondered for a moment and finally recalled. Yes, that pet shop owner—one who didn’t organize fundraisers or publicize anything, relying solely on himself and a friend surnamed Huo for charity work. Locals sometimes called them “good-for-nothings” because of their selfless generosity.
Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, the city patrol team praised the trio for their good deed. They commended their rescue of the drowning dog and their attention to the manhole and pipeline issues. One by one, they then frowned at the smooth manhole cover, taking pictures to report the matter.
While they wrapped up with the officers, the little dog, standing on the ground nearby, suddenly began coughing like it was sneezing, choking on water.
Liu Shuo didn’t panic, handling the situation with the skill of someone experienced. He lifted the dog by its hind legs, while Huo Shuyan supported its back and gently pressed on its belly.
As they pressed, water trickled from the dog’s nose and mouth, and its previously swollen stomach gradually deflated.
Once the dog stopped making those pitiful snuffling sounds, they set it down again. It shook its head and finally seemed back to normal.
Liu Shuo, with a flourish of his fingers, searched his pockets but found nothing. Looking up at Xu Ye, he asked, “Sorry, do you have any tissues?”
“I do.” Xu Ye pulled out a small packet from her bag, took a few sheets, and handed them over.
The three of them dried the water from their hands. The little dog, meanwhile, bounced up to them, wagging its tail and raising its front paws in what seemed to be an expression of gratitude.
“Where’s its owner? It’s round and plump, with smooth fur—not a stray, surely.” Liu Shuo stood up and scanned the area, but the pedestrians near the complex all appeared calm. None seemed to be looking for a lost dog.
Xu Ye took out her phone to check that forum post, curious about the poster’s updates.
[Post Updates]
[19F: Someone rescued me! Whoever called for help, please leave your name—I’ll definitely come thank you in person!]
…
[24F: Glad the dog is safe. OP, go home and rest now.]
[25F: [Crying Dog Meme.jpg]]
[26F: My owner threw me into the water, sob sob sob.]
[27F: Hmph, from now on, I’ll train harder at swimming so no one can hurt me again! [Determined Dog Meme.jpg]]
Xu Ye glanced down at the little yellow dog. Just as the post described, it whimpered softly, its droopy ears giving it an even more pitiful appearance.
“Don’t bother looking.” Huo Shuyan stopped Liu Shuo, his tone tinged with irritation. “It’s been abandoned.”
Xu Ye didn’t understand how Huo Shuyan could conclude that from just one look. Was this the sharp instinct of an admin?
“Let’s take it to the shop for now,” Liu Shuo said, picking up the dog and heading for the car. “It’s just one more mouth to feed.”
When he reached the car, holding the dog, he winked at Huo Shuyan and then nodded subtly in Xu Ye’s direction.
Liu Shuo wondered if Huo Shuyan caught the hint.
Xu Ye, being just a few steps away from the complex, couldn’t possibly ride with them again.
She and Huo Shuyan exchanged a glance and spoke at the same time:
“Actually…”
“After you,” Xu Ye said quickly.
Huo Shuyan was polite, “You first.”
Backlit by the streetlamp, his features were obscured in shadow, but to Xu Ye, it was as if his face was illuminated by bright, unmistakable words: “Yes, I’m the admin.”
Suppressing her amusement at her own vivid imagination, Xu Ye boldly asked, “You’re the admin, aren’t you?”
Author’s Note:
Honestly, I enjoy writing about the cats and dogs more than about Xiao Huo. For example, there’s David, my dream cat. How did David and its owner face off at the Forbidden Summit? The truth is…
Manhole Trivia: If I’ve made any errors about manholes, feel free to point them out! I remember where I live, potable water manholes usually don’t have water, just like there’s no wife in wife cakes (joking).
Also, Liu Shuo isn’t just a bleeding heart—it’ll come up later!
Lastly, dear readers, please avoid stepping on manhole covers! It’s dangerous. Some may look sturdy but are actually loose.
Tl’s Notes:
Happy New Year!! Prepare your resolutions folks, and have a merry year ahead ദ്ദി ˃ ᵕ ˂ )
You can support the translator here for faster updates! _(:3 」∠)_
