Chapter 57 Little White
"Right."
Ji Hongli suddenly seemed to recall something. She lightly clapped her hands, and at once, the sound of quick footsteps echoed from deep within the cave dwelling.
A snow-white blur rolled out like a drifting cloud—it was a small wolfdog, its fur as pure as freshly fallen snow without a trace of blemish. Its ears stood upright, amber eyes sparkling, and its tail wagged like a little windmill.
"Wow—!"
Chen Xingcai's eyes lit up instantly. She crouched down with arms wide open. The little white dog leapt straight into her embrace, its damp nose affectionately rubbing against her cheek, making the young girl laugh uncontrollably.
"It's called Little White." Ji Hongli watched the pair playing together, the corners of her lips lifting. "Do you like it?"
"Like it! I love it so much!" Chen Xingcai buried her face in Little White's fluffy fur, her joy so great she stomped her feet in excitement.
Not far away, the gray bear that had been dozing suddenly pricked up its ears, its round black eyes widening. It looked at its excited little mistress, then at the sudden newcomer wrapped in white fur. Its bear face was filled with disbelief.
What—what was going on here?!
Its instincts screamed that the stable position it had always believed unshakable was now under unprecedented threat!
The gray bear let out a pitiful whimper, then shuffled over, pressing its massive head against Chen Xingcai's back.
(I was clearly your first furry companion!)
Ji Hongli cast it a faint glance.
The bear froze at once, its clear eyes reflecting Ji Hongli's half-smiling expression. Quietly, it retracted its paw, then sat obediently to the side, feigning a look of simple honesty as if to say, "I have no complaints."
"Little White is yours now." Ji Hongli rubbed the top of Chen Xingcai's head. "Remember to take good care of it."
"Mm! I'll brush its fur every day, feed it jerky, and play with it!" Chen Xingcai wrapped her left arm around Little White and her right around Little Gray. "From now on, we're a family of three!"
The gray bear: "..."
(No—obviously I came first!)
At their parting, Ji Hongli leaned against the entrance of the cave dwelling, the shadow of wisteria blossoms falling across her snow-white robes.
"Remember," she gently tapped Chen Xingcai's brow, "come to the cave dwelling at morning each day, otherwise something bad may happen~"
"I know, I know!" Chen Xingcai called back, hopping away with Little White in her arms. "Don't worry, Master Xiaohei!"
Watching the girl's figure disappear into the distance, Ji Hongli shook her head slightly.
Her fingertips caressed the sleeve-hidden volume of "I Was Bound by the Aloof Saint Venerable · Volume Three," and she let out a soft sigh.
This girl… she probably never took the warning to heart at all.
A playful smile suddenly appeared on her lips. She pointed lightly, sending out a trace of green light that quietly followed Chen Xingcai and slipped into her storage pouch.
On the mountain path, the gray bear trailed closely behind its little mistress, sneaking glances now and then at the white pup in her arms.
Little White suddenly turned its head and stuck its tongue out at the bear.
The gray bear: "..."
(This life is unbearable!)
…
In the courtyard bathed in the afterglow of sunset, Chen Chang'an sat alone at the stone table, pouring himself wine. Chen Xingcai bounced in, clutching a snow-white ball of fluff in her arms.
"Father! Look, Master Xiaohei gave me Little White!"
Chen Chang'an looked up, his gaze landing on the pure white wolfdog. For some reason, it seemed oddly familiar—especially those amber eyes, as though he had seen them somewhere before...
"Mm, quite cute," he replied casually, pouring himself another cup of Drunken Eternity.
At that moment, Little White wriggled free from Chen Xingcai's arms and darted to Chen Chang'an's feet. It raised its head, staring longingly at the winecup in his hand, pink tongue licking its nose as its tail wagged like a tiny windmill.
"..."
Chen Chang'an raised an eyebrow. "You want to drink wine too?"
Little White immediately barked once, pawing at his trousers with its front claws, eyes brimming with longing.
"Pa!"
Chen Chang'an smacked the dog's head. "Little thing, how old are you to already want to drink wine?"
"Father~" Chen Xingcai quickly leaned over, blinking her large watery eyes. "Just let it taste a little..."
Chen Chang'an looked at his daughter's expectant gaze, then at Little White wagging its tail madly at his feet. With a helpless sigh, he muttered, "Fine. A wine-loving dog, this is the first I've seen."
He took out a small cup, poured a thin layer of Drunken Eternity into it, and set it on the ground. Little White immediately pounced, its pink tongue lapping noisily until the wine was gone in moments.
"Woof!" Little White licked the cup restlessly, tail wagging even harder.
"Hahaha!" Among the three youths who had just returned from cultivation, Han Yu was the first to laugh. "This dog must have become a spirit, right?"
Xiao Chen also chuckled. "The way it drinks looks more practiced than some people I know."
Li Hanzhou, rarely smiling, reached out to stroke Little White's head. "Looks like a little drunkard."
After finishing the wine, Little White staggered a few steps, then flopped to the ground with a thud. It gave a big yawn, its eyelids drooping heavily.
"It... is it drunk?" Chen Xingcai crouched down, poking its nose.
Little White gave a drowsy whimper, rolled onto its back with four paws in the air, exposing its fluffy belly, and within moments began snoring softly.
Everyone burst into laughter again at the sight.
Chen Chang'an watched, the corners of his mouth lifting unconsciously. Yet when his gaze fell back on Little White, that strange sense of familiarity surged up once more...
This dog... was it really just an ordinary dog?
He shook his head, raised his cup, and drained it in one gulp.
—Forget it. Since it was given by Ji Hongli, it should not be a problem.
In the courtyard, cheerful laughter drifted away with the evening breeze.
Drunken Little White kicked its legs in its dreams, smacking its lips now and then, as if savoring something amusing in its sleep.
Hey readers! If you're eager to dive into advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. By joining, you'll get access to 20 chapters ahead and enjoy 8 new chapters per week. Plus, we have 2 more exciting fics with the same chapter release rate, giving you a total of 32 chapters per week! Join now and keep the adventure going!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/Alex_Cruise