Xu Ye saved screenshots of the posts about the beads and took photos of both beads. After some thought, she shared them in a group chat.
[Xu Ye: (Image)]
[Xu Ye: Have you guys ever received gifts from animals you helped? I found a rose quartz in my pocket the other day and just discovered a cinnabar bead today. The timing and the dogs who gave them match up, so I think they were left by the animals.]
[Liu Shuo: What the… They gave you gifts?!]
[Huo Shuyan: Never received anything.]
[Liu Shuo: Hang on, maybe they gave me something, but I missed it. I’ll go check my clothes pockets when I get back.]
[Huo Shuyan: Didn’t you notice the rural dog’s post only mentioned a “beautiful human lady”?]
[Liu Shuo: Wait… I’m not bad-looking either, and I handed it the leash! Why the double standard?]
[Xu Ye: You’ve been rescuing animals for so long and never received any gifts?]
Apparently stung by Xu Ye’s remark, Liu Shuo took a long time to reply:
[Liu Shuo: If I get plastic surgery to look like you, will I start getting gifts?]
[Xu Ye: Be yourself, please.]
Xu Ye closed the chat and curiously examined the two beads. She had assumed the jewelry was part of a forum activity, but even founders Huo Shuyan and Liu Shuo didn’t know about it.
At first, she wondered if Snowball had quietly stolen its owner’s jewelry to give to her. But after seeing the rural dog’s post, she realized the beads likely had another origin.
After all, the rural dog’s post was from Wednesday, when it was still living in a pet store display case and had no opportunity to take someone else’s belongings.
Xu Ye only marveled briefly before calmly storing the beads in her jewelry box.
Her conclusion remained unchanged: since cats and dogs could use the internet, it was perfectly reasonable for them to conjure jewelry out of thin air.
She was more curious about how they managed to produce the jewelry and why they only chose to give it to her.
Wei Lin’s call interrupted Xu Ye’s thoughts. She set aside her questions, put on her shoes, grabbed her keys, and headed out.
At the community gate, she saw Wei Lin struggling to unload large bags from her car.
Xu Ye quickly went over to help carry two bags and closed the car door for her.
Wei Lin adjusted her white mink coat, took off her sunglasses, and tossed her hair, revealing a face that showed little trace of age.
Xu Ye glanced at her glamorous mother and then at herself in a hoodie and jeans, feeling like a small assistant picking up a celebrity.
Residents of the upscale neighborhood rarely saw Wei Lin, so they curiously observed the elegantly dressed newcomer.
Feeling self-conscious, Xu Ye noted that Wei Lin had lived abroad for a while, and her warmth was slightly overwhelming.
Just as Wei Lin was about to shower her long-absent daughter with affection, something unpleasant caught her eye.
Her gaze fell on a nearby bus stop sign, and her expression turned complicated. Xu Ye followed her gaze.
Amid the monochrome sea of vehicles, two vibrant electric scooters stood out—a gaudy pink one and a bright green one, parked neatly on the right-hand side as if to promote “obeying traffic rules.”
On the pink scooter sat a man wearing a cat-ear helmet that Xu Ye recognized. The green scooter, vibrant enough to drip with color, was ridden by a man in a trench coat wearing a frog helmet, exuding the joy of a child on a spring field trip.
Wei Lin thought, “Young people these days are so eccentric. Luckily, Xiao Ye isn’t like that.” But then she saw the pink cat and green frog park nearby. The frog enthusiastically stretched out an arm to wave:
“Lord Xu~ Good morning!”
Unfazed and accustomed to this, Xu Ye nodded slightly, not even glancing at the brightly colored scooters. “Morning, Junior Huo and Liu Shuo.”
The frog and cat-ear helmets were removed, revealing two young men. Wei Lin, taken aback by their looks, thought these handsome boys belonged on a runway rather than zipping around on quirky scooters.
Liu Shuo’s gaze darted between Xu Ye and Wei Lin, and he smiled. “Is this Xu Ye’s older sister?”
Wei Lin beamed, running a hand through her styled curls. Her faint crow’s feet crinkled as she said, “What a sweet boy! I’m Xu Ye’s mom. I’m in my fifties—just call me Auntie.”
Feigning realization, Liu Shuo slung an arm around Huo Shuyan and played along. “I knew it! He insisted you were Xu Ye’s sister.”
Huo Shuyan, ever polite, gave a formal bow. “Hello, Auntie. You look amazing.”
Wei Lin’s initial disdain for the colorful scooters melted away after chatting briefly.
Young people, she decided, should indeed ride vibrant scooters brimming with energy.
Huo Shuyan directly took all the items from Xu Ye and Wei Lin’s hands, carrying a pile of packages in each hand as effortlessly as holding two pancakes.
Wei Lin, being naturally sociable, asked Huo Shuyan about his name and profession along the way. She expressed her admiration for this young man, who was both steady and energetic.
The three parted ways in front of the apartment building. Xu Ye took the packages from Huo Shuyan and almost stumbled from their weight. Huo Shuyan quickly steadied her by holding her arm, preventing her from falling.
“Your friend sure has a lot of strength.” As Huo Shuyan approached another building, Wei Lin leaned close to Xu Ye, whispering as she scrutinized Huo Shuyan from head to toe.
Wei Lin found it remarkable, “That guy’s arms don’t even look muscular, yet he carries such heavy loads as if they’re just hollow plastic bags.”
Recalling how Huo Shuyan had easily lifted a manhole cover with one hand a few days ago, Xu Ye also found it quite strange. “Yeah, he can even lift a manhole cover with one hand.”
“Wow, that’s truly a reminder that human strength can’t be generalized.”
Wei Lin remarked, giving a thumbs-up. The mother-daughter duo’s opinions aligned.
Wei Lin and Xu Ye each carried a heavy load into the house, one after the other.
It was only the third floor, yet Xu Ye felt like her arms were about to fall off. She incredulously asked, “Mom, what kind of specialty goods did you bring that’s so heavy? Barbells?”
“Nonsense.” Wei Lin rolled her eyes, “Clothes, coffee beans, food—there’s all sorts of stuff. You’ll see for yourself later. Oh, and this.”
She reached into her coat pocket, rummaged for a while, and pulled out a roughly packaged small box, handing it to Xu Ye.
“The rose quartz you wanted. I picked the most expensive one. See if you like it.”
Wei Lin had casually stuffed the expensive rose quartz into her shallow coat pocket. It was a stroke of luck that it hadn’t fallen out.
Xu Ye opened the box and took out the rose quartz bracelet from Brazil. The beads were smooth, plump, and a lovely pink color, looking quite transparent under the light. Yet, after examining it for a long time, she still felt it was somewhat lacking.
Wei Lin briefly inspected Xu Ye’s living space, tidying a nearly toppling stack of bowls and straightening the sofa cushions. Before Xu Ye could invite her to stay for lunch, Wei Lin grabbed her handbag and prepared to leave, “I’ll visit you again. I have lunch plans with someone. Eat something by yourself later.”
Without lingering, she clicked down the stairs in her high heels.
After Wei Lin left, Xu Ye compared the two rose quartz again. In the end, she stored the bracelet away and began sorting the specialty goods Wei Lin had brought.
It took her nearly two hours of organizing before she finally lifted her head, her back aching.
She hobbled over to the sofa, collapsed onto it, and picked up her phone to relax.
Big data works in mysterious ways. Xu Ye rarely came across pet videos before, but as soon as she opened a certain platform today, a video titled “Teaching Everyone How to Make a Cat Cake” appeared on the homepage.
The cute title caught her eye, and she clicked on it.
The video featured a plump gray cat lying down. Its owner used a uniquely designed comb to groom it a few times, then pressed a button on the comb. A neat bundle of fur popped out, resembling a compressed “cat cake.”
Xu Ye rewatched the video several times, becoming more and more intrigued. If this comb could collect so much fur from a short-haired cat, would it work just as well on Dai Dai? Could she collect a pile of Dai Dai “cakes” with it?
She opened the comments section, only to have her excitement dampened.
【User A: Everyone, avoid this scam. I tried it on my cat and could only get a few strands of fur—nothing like the video.】
【User B: Theoretically, you can comb off that much fur in one go, but if it happens, your cat might need to see a vet.】
After reading the comments, she concluded that the video was edited, and in reality, the comb would only remove a small amount of fur at a time. If it removed as much as in the video, it meant the cat was likely sick.
Despite this, Xu Ye shared the video in her group chat.
【Xu Ye: (Video link) Have you guys seen this kind of comb? Can it really gather that much fur?】
After forwarding the message, she opened Taobao to search for the same type of brush. Before she could browse, Huo Shuyan’s reply arrived instantly, prompting her to close Taobao.
【Huo Shuyan: Liu Shuo’s store has this kind of brush, but it doesn’t sell well. It can indeed remove fur, though not as much as in the video.】
【Xu Ye: Sigh, I thought I could really make a cat furcake.】
【Liu Shuo: The grim reaper lurks among us. If it really worked like the video, the cat would probably be gone in one stroke! But brushing a few more times can achieve that result. If you want to try, come to the store and brush Little Black. It’s sturdy enough.】
【Xu Ye: …Aren’t you the real grim reaper here?】
【Liu Shuo: Speak respectfully, let’s stay civil.】
Xu Ye lazed on the sofa for a while, unable to shake the thought of the cat cakes. Already dressed, she quickly tidied her hair, grabbed her phone and keys, and headed to the pet store.
As she entered, she greeted the familiar receptionist and was startled by Liu Shuo, who was slumped over a table in the lounge area.
In the morning, Liu Shuo had been full of energy, but now, before noon, he looked like dried jerky, as if all the moisture had evaporated from his skin.
“Morning, Lord Xu. Huo Shuyan’s brother will be here soon, he’s bringing Dai Dai in.” Liu Shuo said weakly, glancing at her.
“It’s already noon.” Xu Ye stared at his face for a while before asking, “Did a dog drag you around again, or is the disappointment of not receiving gifts too much for you?”
“It’s neither. What are you even talking about?” Liu Shuo perked up slightly, trying to open his eyes fully. “It’s nothing serious. I’ve just been reviewing photo administrator applications all morning, and now I’m questioning my life.”
To be honest, he regretted ever posting that recruitment notice.
Xu Ye found it odd. “Why would reviewing photo admin applications make you question your life?”
“You wouldn’t understand. You can’t imagine the bizarre ways people apply.”
He rummaged in his pocket, pulling out a red phone and a blue phone. He opened the red one, fiddled with it for a moment, and handed it to Xu Ye, “See for yourself, you’ll get it.”
Seeing Xu Ye’s hesitation, he waved her off, “Don’t worry, this phone is strictly for the forum—nothing else on it. Go ahead and look.”
Reassured, Xu Ye took the phone and sat down on the couch. Meanwhile, Liu Shuo shuffled to the counter to do some eye exercises.
The phone was open to the private message section. Moderators were automatically mutual friends with all forum members, but people rarely messaged them directly.
Since the photo moderator job posting went live, Liu Shuo’s inbox had nearly exploded. Even as he handed the phone to Xu Ye, new messages continued pouring in.
Starting from the oldest, Xu Ye scrolled upwards.
【Snowball: Hey, Mr. Moderator, how about me? I have a great connection with dogs, lots of free time, and I’m beautiful, kind, and optimistic! Plus, I bought a villa on the forum, so I’d definitely keep up with all posts that have pictures. (Hopeful puppy.jpg)】
【Moderator: No.】
【Snowball: Why not?! /Crying】
【Moderator: (Screenshot) Any thoughts on this?】
The screenshot showed Snowball’s bold declaration in a forum post shortly after the moderator job was posted: [If I become a moderator, I’ll delete every post from users with non-round heads!]
Xu Ye: …
Yep, that was exactly the kind of thing Snowball would say.
【Lover of Butts: Me! I’m cheerful, lively, kind, and love browsing the forum. I won’t abuse my power and would totally excel in this role!】
【Moderator: (Screenshot) Care to explain this?】
The attached image was from a thread next to Snowball’s, reading: [If I become a moderator, I’ll delete every post from users who don’t like my butt!]
Given the number of users who had criticized its butt, it’d probably have to keep deleting posts into next year.
Xu Ye stifled her laughter and continued scrolling.
【Miao Miao: Hello, Mr. Moderator. I’d like to apply for the photo moderator role. I have no bad habits, I have great feline relations, and apart from being busy with kids and having limited forum time, I don’t have any major flaws.】
【Moderator: Hmm, not bad. Limited time is fine; just let me know how much you can spare daily.】
Before she could read further, the door jingled. Turning around, Xu Ye saw a young man enter, holding a plush, fluffy white cat.
He looked bright and warm, with clear features. Seeing Xu Ye, he smiled shyly, “Hello, you must be Miss Xu. I’m Huo Yu— the Yu character from “language”. This cat’s name is Dai Dai, she’s mine. Hehe.”
So this was Dai Dai’s owner.
Xu Ye nodded, greeting him briefly, and hesitated before sitting back on the couch. The grooming brush sat on the coffee table. She picked it up, watching enviously as Huo Yu cuddled Dai Dai’s soft belly.
Dai Dai sniffed the air twice, her almond-shaped eyes glancing toward Xu Ye with a liquid clarity.
Her tail swayed before she wriggled free from Huo Yu’s grasp. Sitting up elegantly, she meticulously wiped each paw on his white shirt.
Then, ignoring his stunned expression, she gracefully leapt onto Xu Ye’s lap, settling there like a fluffy cloud.
Adjusting her position, Dai Dai closed her eyes contentedly.
Her seamless transition left Huo Yu speechless. His aloof little princess, now sprawled out like a melted marshmallow on Xu Ye’s lap, even nuzzled her head against Xu Ye’s stomach.
Glancing at his now-dirty shirt, Huo Yu exclaimed, “Dai Dai, you little ingrate! Choosing looks over loyalty? Did you have to use my shirt as a towel?!”
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