ACIFITFDB – Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Preparing for a Long Trip…

Qin Xian looked at Lin Qizhi, who appeared moved, and instructed, “You don’t need to do anything else. Just open the door and leave the food outside. He doesn’t eat dog food, so you might need to prepare some dog meals.”

Lin Qizhi nodded, “I can do that! My ex-girlfriend used to have a dog, I know how.”

Qin Xian nodded, his gaze swept over and paused. He then squatted by the tent.

Lin Qizhi curiously leaned over and saw a muddy paw print by the tent flap, seemingly from some animal.

Qin Xian identified it, “It looks like a dog’s paw print.”

Lin Qizhi found it normal, “There are many stray dogs in the park. They probably smelled our food and came over.”

“Is that so? Maybe,” Qin Xian lifted the tent flap and peeked inside.

The tent was clean, but there was a short, coarse black hair on the white duvet. Qin Xian picked it up and examined it. It was different from human hair, likely dog hair.

Perhaps one of them had brushed against a stray dog and picked up its fur.

Nothing suspicious.

Qin Xian tossed the hair onto the grass outside and bid farewell to Lin Qizhi, “Since the problem is solved, I’ll be going back. Add me on WeChat, and I’ll transfer the money later.”

Lin Qizhi pleaded, “Brother Qin, that, can you not delete me from WeChat? It’s fine if I’m just on your friend list. If I encounter strange things in the future, can I still find you? It feels like the city hasn’t been very peaceful lately…”

Qin Xian nodded and turned to leave.

The sky was beginning to lighten, and he could get a good rest today. Qin Xian went upstairs, feeling tired, but the first thing he did upon opening his door wasn’t to collapse on the sofa, but to look for the dog.

Tangyuan was nestled in a pile of clothes on the balcony. Seeing him return, it immediately got up and, squeezing through the sliding door, looked at Qin Xian.

Its tail was still drooping between its legs, and it didn’t even seem particularly enthusiastic about its owner’s return. It just stood there, watching quietly, its dark eyes reflecting Qin Xian’s figure.

Qin Xian squatted in front of it and suddenly grabbed its paw to examine it.

“Woof…” The sudden movement finally made Tangyuan let out a small yelp. It instinctively struggled, but unable to break free, it allowed Qin Xian to hold its paw and observe.

Tangyuan’s fur was black, and even the pads of its paws were pure black. The pads felt elastic, dry, and dirty, with even a few scabs.

Qin Xian frowned, put down the dog’s paw, and went into the bathroom to get a clean, damp cloth. He then grabbed the paw again and began to rub it.

The cloth immediately turned black, but the dog’s paw looked much cleaner. The lines on it were even visible. When squeezed, the gaps between its toes were also much cleaner.

As soon as Qin Xian released its paw, Tangyuan immediately lay down and tucked its paws under its belly. It clearly disliked having its feet washed.

Qin Xian looked at the cloth and said to Tangyuan, “Dirty dog.”

He returned to the bathroom to wash the cloth and hang it to dry. When he came out, he met Tangyuan’s gaze again, still with its paws tucked under its belly.

Qin Xian raised an eyebrow, walked over, and squatted down, pulling out the dog’s leg. Seeing Tangyuan still trying to resist, he gently pressed its leg down with his knee.

“Don’t move, let me see how your leg injury is.”

He unwrapped the bandage, revealing a jagged wound. However, the wound had already scabbed over and showed no signs of inflammation. As expected of an animal, its wounds healed quickly.

Qin Xian commented, “Good. You saved me the money for a vet. If I had to spend thousands on your treatment, I would have found you a new home directly.”

He brought over the first-aid kit and quickly disinfected, applied medication, and bandaged Tangyuan. Tangyuan didn’t make a sound or struggle, making it very hassle-free.

After finishing, Qin Xian smiled and praised, “Good dog, very well-behaved.”

Then, he saw the tip of Tangyuan’s tail, which had been drooping, twitch slightly before drooping back down.

Heh, truly ungrateful.

Qin Xian thought to himself but couldn’t be bothered by whether the dog wagged its tail.

He turned and walked to the sofa, letting himself sink into it. Before long, the person on the sofa was still, emitting even breaths.

Tangyuan got up from the floor, its ears pricked forward, listening intently. Once it confirmed the person was asleep, it tiptoed on its paws and limped over to Qin Xian.

Since Qin Xian was lying horizontally, the height was just right for the dog. Tangyuan walked to Qin Xian’s head and fixed its black pupils on Qin Xian’s face.

His eyes were closed, with a few strands of hair resting on his cheek. The fine black strands brushed against the corner of his mouth, forming a stark contrast with his pale skin.

He wondered if the sleeping beauty in fairy tales bore any resemblance to this scene.

Tangyuan blinked, its nose moving slightly closer.

Qin Xian, lying on the sofa, immediately opened his eyes, his irises shimmering with a golden light.

The pointed ears on Tangyuan’s head twitched. Just as it was about to retreat, Qin Xian grabbed its long muzzle.

“Moo!” Tangyuan whined pitifully twice.

Qin Xian held the dog’s mouth and pushed it back, pointing towards the balcony. “Sleep over there. You’re not allowed on the sofa.”

Tangyuan hopped back with its injured leg, letting out another whimper, looking extremely pitiful.

This appearance might make an ordinary owner feel guilty, but Qin Xian was clear about the force he had used.

Such an action wouldn’t hurt the dog at all.

“Acting pitiful won’t work. Go to the balcony.” Qin Xian commanded again.

He narrowed his eyes menacingly, “If you don’t go, I’ll have you neutered tomorrow and give you away.”

Tangyuan lowered its head, its eyeballs rolling upwards to look at Qin Xian pleadingly for a moment. Then, it turned and limped back to the balcony.

Qin Xian walked over and closed the sliding door, ignoring the gaze from the other side of the glass. He returned directly to the sofa and opened his phone to check the comments on the post.

Overnight, a few new replies had appeared on the post.

Ignoring the mocking and playful comments, Qin Xian noticed a particular message.

[Brother Come Home: I encountered something recently. My brother disappeared mysteriously! He’s a person who likes to do charity. After seeing the life of a mentally challenged elderly person on a live stream, he wanted to help. Then, he was never heard from again!]

[Reply: No, shouldn’t you be reporting this to the police instead of a charlatan or a con artist?]

[Brother Come Home: I’ve already called the police, but his car disappeared strangely. The police have visited several surrounding villages, and all the villagers say they haven’t seen him. The police searched for a long time but couldn’t find him. All leads have completely stopped. The most terrifying thing is, the night before last, I was anxiously scrolling through my phone and stumbled upon a live stream. I saw my brother! His hands and feet were severed, and he was crying for donations in the live stream. He must have been captured and used as a begging tool! But when I tried to share the link with the police, the live stream disappeared. I told the police about the situation, and they told me that such a website doesn’t exist!]

This situation was indeed strange and consistent with the modus operandi of Eldritch entities.

However, this time, the matter likely wasn’t a small-scale incident. It was possible that the scope of control extended to an entire village.

To reach such a scale, it definitely wouldn’t have happened in just a day or two.

He had only returned a few days ago. The Eldritch entity must have been ahead of him. Perhaps other players had even emerged earlier than him.

Qin Xian frowned.

It seemed his awakening time had been deliberately delayed.

This feeling of being arbitrarily controlled and manipulated was truly infuriating.

Qin Xian couldn’t help but curse under his breath and clicked on the distressed poster’s avatar for a private chat.

[Q: Do you know where your brother went missing? Tell me. If your brother can be brought back, you’ll transfer fifty thousand to me. If not, then forget it.]

[Brother Come Home: !? You’re going to look for him? But I’m worried you might encounter danger too…]

[Q: I won’t. Give me the address, and I’ll bring your brother back. However, his condition might not be very good.]

[Brother Come Home: Thank you so much. The address is near Fanggu Village. I think there’s a high probability it’s this village. I heard there are many people here who make money through live streaming scams. If my brother met with misfortune… please at least bring back his body.]

[Q: Alright.]

Qin Xian exited the forum and opened the map, searching for Fanggu Village.

“This is a bit troublesome…”

The village was located on the border of the neighboring province. It would take at least four hours by long-distance bus, and with the winding country roads, it would take a full day to get there.

Fortunately, at least it wasn’t in the far northwest.

But this meant he really had to ask Lin Qizhi to take care of the dog at home.

Qin Xian immediately messaged Lin Qizhi, reminding him of the precautions. Then, he directly bought a bus ticket for the morning.

The situation there seemed urgent and didn’t allow him to rest or delay.

Qin Xian immediately got up and packed his suitcase. Just as he was about to get into bed for a short nap, he heard a pattering sound from behind him.

He turned his head and saw Tangyuan had slipped out of the balcony again.

“What are you doing? I put chicken breast in the bowl for you, do you want more?”

Tangyuan turned and glanced at the suitcase.

Qin Xian, who had already gotten into bed, said to the dog, “I’m going on a long trip later. I’ve prepared a large basin of dog food and water for you on the balcony. Someone will come to feed you too, so stay put. I’ll take you for a walk when I get back.”

Tangyuan tilted its head, looking confused.

Seeing Qin Xian say all this, it took a few more steps closer, its chin almost resting on the bed.

Qin Xian nudged the dog’s head away with his arm. “Go to the balcony. If you try to get on the bed, I’ll hit you. Get out.”

“Moo…” Tangyuan let out a low whine, with a hint of dissatisfaction, and turned to leave the room. Before leaving, it peeked back into the room through the crack in the door.

For some reason, Qin Xian felt a sense of resentment in that gaze.

Qin Xian sat on the bed, feeling drowsy, and thought for a moment. He then got up and closed and locked the bedroom door.

He then fell into the soft covers, seizing the opportunity to replenish his energy to face what was to come.

Author’s Note:

———————-

This is a transitional chapter. There will be a small dungeon next, and the dog won’t be accompanying him. However, after this dungeon, the male lead’s appearances will become more frequent, and they will act together completely.