Half an hour later.
Li Miao and the husky stared at the collapsed loft bed in their dorm room, lost in thought.
"Awoo?"
Where are we sleeping tonight?
The husky looked utterly confused.
Li Miao was equally baffled. Despite their vastly different faces, they shared the exact same expression—
"No idea."
Li Miao glanced at the husky's dog bed.
The dorm had a designated sleeping area for tamed beasts, located right across from the loft bed. The cot was fully furnished with bedding, food bowls, and even toys.
But.
The husky refused to sleep there.
It preferred snuggling up next to Li Miao.
Now, even the dog bed was out of the question—it had grown too big to fit.
After silently staring at the bed for a few seconds, Li Miao pondered aloud,
"What if... we modify the dog bed?"
She turned to the husky with a serious expression. "I'll sleep on the dog bed, and you take the floor. Sound good?"
Husky: ?
Do you not realize how unreasonable you're being?
Not only are you stealing the dog's bed, but you're also kicking the dog out??
The husky vehemently refused with righteous indignation: "Awoo awoo!"
No! Absolutely not!
That bed is too small—even after modifications, it won't fit us! If nothing else works, let's just find the dorm supervisor and get a new bed!
Li Miao's eyes lit up.
"Good dog."
She ruffled the husky's head. "You're absolutely right."
"When in doubt, ask the dorm supervisor."
But the next moment—
"What? No beds?"
Li Miao's eyes widened in shock. "How can there be no beds?"
Lin Lin shrugged helplessly. "Because every loft bed here is custom-made with reinforced solid materials. Under normal circumstances, beasts under tier 3 wouldn't be able to destroy them."
"Combine that with the base's limited funding, and we decided on one bed per dorm from the very beginning—there are no extras."
"Then where do I sleep?"
Li Miao put on her best pitiful expression and looked at Lin Lin. "Pretty big sis, please? I'll be here for at least two more months~"
Lin Lin was thoroughly pleased by the "pretty big sis" remark.
"Alright, I'll help you out. Wait here, and I'll bring my beast over to salvage what we can from the wreckage."
Li Miao was overjoyed.
But then—
"Oh, and let's calculate the compensation fees for damaging public property."
Lin Lin leisurely pulled out a calculator, looking sweetly at Li Miao. "Since the loft bed was a custom reinforced model, the cost isn't cheap. But since you're a student, I'll give you a discount. Plus, since it also damaged the wardrobe and other items when it collapsed, I'll factor that in too—again, discounted. So all you owe us is 7,000 yuan."
"And now—pay up."
Li Miao: "..."
The now-bankrupt beastmaster felt dead inside.
Feeling the heavy atmosphere, the husky quietly tried to make itself invisible.
But—what's coming can't be escaped. As the one responsible, the husky couldn't avoid Li Miao's stern gaze.
Shivering, its ears flattened in fear... only for Li Miao to gently pat its head instead of scolding it.
"...Sigh."
She exhaled deeply.
"This is my fault. I'm not blaming you, so don't be scared."
If she hadn't impulsively boosted the husky's stats overnight, things wouldn't have ended up like this.
Still—
Just as the husky relaxed and started wagging its tail, she immediately grabbed its head and ruffled its fur aggressively.
"But could you be any dumber?!"
"Climbing onto the bed and falling off every damn day—are you stupid?! And now you managed to slice the entire thing apart! If this happens again, will you slice me up too?!"
"How are you even this stupid?! You're practically a walking disaster!"
The husky bristled and barked back indignantly: "Awoo awoo!"
I'm not stupid!
You're the stupid one!
I just want to be with you! Sleep with you! Always, always with you!
Li Miao: "..."
She had to admit—for a brief second, she was genuinely moved by the husky's blunt honesty and innocence.
It probably didn't even realize just how much it adored its beastmaster.
She sighed and rubbed its head again.
"Alright, enough."
"Stop flattering me. If you really like being with me that much, then wait until we get home. Then you can sleep however you want."
The husky's eyes sparkled.
It didn't understand why its beastmaster suddenly became so accommodating, but—
This was amazing!
"Awoo awoo!"
Does that mean I don't have to wash my paws before getting on the bed?!
Li Miao's face instantly darkened. "Don't even think about it!"
Husky: "Whimper..."
(╥﹏╥)
Beastmaster, you've changed.
You weren't like this just a minute ago.
The husky drooped.
It was upset.
It sulked.
After struggling for ages and failing to drag the stubborn dog along, Li Miao finally caved in and coaxed it with a defeated tone.
"Fine, I get it! If your problem is washing your paws before bed, then fine! I'll let you skip it!"
The husky perked up immediately.
"Awoo awoo!"
And no washing my butt either! My fur feels uncomfortable!
Li Miao's expression turned stormy. She was about to scold it for pushing its luck, but remembering Lin Lin was still watching, she reluctantly nodded.
So what if she agreed now?
Once they were back home with the door closed, there was no way the husky could climb through the window onto the bed!
She wasn't breaking her promise—absolutely not!
Completely unaware of its beastmaster's scheming mind, the husky happily wagged its tail.
It was overjoyed.
And when it got too excited, it couldn't resist licking—
Only to realize too late that Li Miao hated having her face covered in slobber.
It quickly retracted its tongue, pretending nothing happened as it affectionately nuzzled her.
Li Miao wiped her face and pretended not to notice, letting the husky press against her.
Sigh.
What could she do? She was just too lovable to dogs.
She lightly pinched the husky's cheeks as Lin Lin summoned her own tamed beast. Soon after, they returned to Li Miao's dorm to repair the wrecked loft bed.
Though most of it was broken, cutting off the unnecessary iron railings and reattaching the snapped bed frame could salvage it.
So Lin Lin had her beast do just that—removing the extra parts, preserving the main structure, and placing it near the dog bed.
The husky wagged its tail happily.
Now, it could sleep with its beastmaster forever!
Hehe~
Excited, it circled the newly modified bed, watching with eager eyes as the canine beast worked.
Though both were canine beasts, their appearances couldn't be more different. This one's fur was crystalline and smooth, transitioning from green paws up to a pristine white body—as if stepping on soft winds.
On its head, dainty vines sprouted from its fur, draping over its ears like delicate green braids, charming and adorable.
This was a Wood-type canine beast.
[Beast: ??
Race: ???
Notes: A gorgeous canine.]
Li Miao deactivated her True Sight, fully convinced its descriptions were based on her own thoughts.
Because yes—this dog was stunning!!!
Envy. Jealousy.
She glanced between it and her husky.
The husky, sensing something amiss, followed her gaze—only to see Li Miao sighing, shaking her head, then casting an envious look back at the Wood-type beast.
Husky: !!!
You fickle, rotten beastmaster!