Qiao An looked frail, but she was actually very strong. She was healthy and had a great appetite.
This was the first time Mu Zimo had ever seen Qiao An looking unwell. He could only quietly walk to her side and ask in a low voice, "What's wrong? Did you eat too much? Are you not feeling well?"
At that moment, Qiao An was still holding a bowl of fruit salad, her mind fixated on the person down below.
A trembling Qiao An shook her head, completely dazed. Mu Zimo found this a bit strange. Concerned, he drew closer, and it was only when she caught the unfamiliar scent of him so near that she snapped back to reality.
"Um, uh..."
At that moment, Qiao An had no idea how to tell Mu Zimo about something like this. She could only wrack her brains, desperately trying to think of a way.
Meanwhile, the Little Fox continued to paw at the manhole cover. This prompted Qiao An to abruptly grab Mu Zimo's hand and pull him aside.
His large hand was now held by her small one, which felt as soft as if it were boneless. Mu Zimo was stunned and could only let Qiao An drag him away with surprising strength.
"You know, my sense of smell has always been especially sharp since I was little. I think I just smelled something... not good!"
The romantic atmosphere, which had just started to fill with pink bubbles, was instantly popped by Qiao An herself. Mu Zimo's expression turned cold and hard, and he frowned.
'Something not good?'
Then he glanced at the Little Fox excitedly pawing at the manhole cover, and he immediately understood.
"You're saying... it's down there?"
Qiao An nodded, her whole body slumping. She no longer felt like eating the fruit salad she was holding.
"If I'm not mistaken, there's probably a guy lying down there. What do we do? And this is the night market district... I feel sick. I was the one who ate the most just now. WAHHH, what am I going to do!"
Qiao An, who usually just giggled foolishly, was genuinely panicked now. Involuntary tears welled up and fell from her eyes as she looked at Mu Zimo, looking pitiful and helpless.
He had to force a stern expression as he comforted her, "That's not possible. I'm acquainted with the owner of that barbecue stall. Their quality is absolutely guaranteed. It's not what you're thinking. Besides, what's going on in that little head of yours? Who would dare sell something like that? It would make people sick and get them targeted by the authorities much more easily."
Qiao An, who lacked a lot of common sense, got most of her information from TV dramas, where all sorts of bizarre plots claimed that people could resort to cannibalism in desperate situations.
But cannibalism can cause prion diseases and leads to serious problems. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't make such a basic mistake.
Hearing this, Qiao An was instantly revived. She finally felt better and was no longer nauseous.
"Trust me, I really smelled it. There's definitely someone down there. Shouldn't you arrange for someone to check it out? The location shouldn't be too far..."
Thanks to the fresh tip from Qiao An, everyone who had already clocked out for the day had to switch back into work mode. Having to enter a sewer right after everyone had eaten their fill was a true test of their self-control.
Xie Shan was the first to crack. He leaned against a wall and began to vomit violently, which even scared the Little Fox.
"WAH WAH WAH! Help me, Sister! This guy is so gross and stinky! I don't want to play with him anymore."
Busy with his work, Xie Shan had no idea he'd just been rejected by the Little Fox. Qiao An had no choice but to obediently carry it away and wait behind the police tape, craning her neck in anticipation.
There was no other reason than that Mu Zimo had said it was too late, and with a murder case on their hands, the area might not be safe, so he wouldn't allow her to walk home alone.
Soon, a professional investigator emerged from below. Forcing back his discomfort, he nodded at the crowd.
He then quickly climbed out of the sewer. After washing his protective suit while still outside, he took off his mask and said, "There's a body. It's relatively fresh, hasn't been there too long. We'll arrange for a team to bring it up and send it directly to the medical examiner. You guys can go down and investigate the scene in a bit."
'Thank goodness those little rats didn't lie to me,' Qiao An thought, slowly letting out a breath.
Leaning against the wall, a shaky Xie Shan looked at Qiao An with an expression of disbelief. He gave her a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "Sister Qiao, you're amazing! You could even smell that? We won't need to train any more police dogs in the future. We can just have you do it!"
Before he could even finish speaking, a familiar palm swooshed toward him. Xie Shan ducked with incredible agility to dodge it. But before he could get cocky, he was kicked in the calf.
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
Mu Zimo, maintaining his professional demeanor, arranged everything and then turned to look at Qiao An.
"The police car is here. I'll have someone take you home first. It hasn't been safe lately, so you should avoid livestreaming outside at night. Safety first, understand?"
Like an obedient little schoolgirl, Qiao An hugged the Little Fox and nodded in agreement. She was now truly feeling the power of her jinx-like existence. Everywhere she went, disaster followed. She was starting to feel afraid of livestreaming in the wilderness anymore.
Soon, Qiao An was driven back to the old district in a police car. It was only as she skipped happily home, holding the Little Fox, that she suddenly remembered she had promised to release it back into the wild.
Seeing how late it was, and with Mu Zimo's repeated warnings not to run around, Qiao An had no choice but to take the Little Fox home with her.
When she got back, two heads poked out from under the covers, scaring the Little Fox so much that its fur stood on end. It was about to let out a whimper when Qiao An skillfully covered its mouth.
"Don't cry, don't cry. It's too late, and the walls are thin here. You'll disturb the others. These two are also my pets. They won't hurt you. Be good."
Understanding Qiao An's meaning, the Little Fox nodded in her arms.
"Sister, I told you those rumors from outside weren't reliable. Did you come back empty-handed again?"
Little Bai wagged its tail and picked up the leftover bread, wanting to offer it to Qiao An. Although she hadn't found any treasure this time, at least she'd eaten her fill.
But then she remembered her old phone, which had made a tragic sacrifice, and Qiao An, who had essentially wasted her whole night, flopped onto her bed in despair.
Cuddling the furry Little Fox, feeling the coolness from Little Bai and Little Qing at her waist, and smelling the stink from Ao Bai (the little cat couldn't be bathed yet due to its injury, and the smell was from the abandoned junkyard), she sighed to herself.
'Making money is hard, but supporting a family is even harder. These hungry mouths to feed are like money-devouring beasts, burning through cash every day. If I don't livestream, what am I going to do?!'
'Unfortunately, my head is empty. I can't even grasp the skills that Blue Star people have mastered. I'd probably be noticed as some kind of weirdo.'
To avoid contact with too many people, Qiao An lived cautiously. She could only find a job she could do on her own. Livestreaming was the most convenient and quickest way. Unfortunately, every time she started to gain a little popularity, some new trouble would pop up.
'They say a person can't be unlucky forever. So why won't the heavens give me a break?'
'I'm mentally and physically exhausted!'
As these thoughts ran through her mind, Qiao An slowly drifted off to sleep. The Little Fox curled its tail up close to her face. Little Bai and Little Qing, who loved Qiao An's warmth the most, snuggled in close. And within the not-so-warm blankets, everyone's dreams slept soundly.