31: Chapter 31 It rushed into the wind

The fifteenth day after Lin Chen defeated Li Heng, at the Qingyang Town Pet Healing Center.

Sunlight lazily filtered through the blinds, slicing bright, warm strips of light across the pristine white bedsheets, while the air was filled with the faint scent of disinfectant.

Lin Chen sat on a chair beside the bed, holding a freshly washed apple. A small knife turned nimbly between his fingers, peeling away uniform, thin strips of skin.

Once finished, he cut the apple into bite-sized pieces and placed them on a clean porcelain plate, positioned just within reach of the tiny figure on the bed.

Only after doing this did he turn his head to look at the bed.

Beneath the white thin blanket, a small, furry head was exposed.

The Songsong Dog was lying on its side, most of its body tucked under the blanket, revealing only those slightly evasive eyes and a black nose that twitched ever so slightly.

At the edge of the blanket, one front paw, not covered in a cast, poked out slightly, its claws unconsciously scratching at the bedsheet.

When Lin Chen's gaze turned toward it, those eyes clearly panicked for a moment, quickly shifting away to pretend to look at the clouds outside the window, though the tips of its upright ears trembled slightly.

Watching the Songsong Dog's awkward, shy demeanor, the corners of Lin Chen's mouth couldn't help but lift slightly.

What a sensitive and easily embarrassed little fellow.

For the past two days, whenever he had free time, he would come to the healing center.

He no longer mentioned anything about taking the Songsong Dog home, instead just sitting beside it, softly asking, "How are you feeling today?" "Does your wound still hurt?" or simply chatting about trivial, interesting things at the Beast Control Bureau.

For a pet with such extreme vigilance, any eager approach or obvious ulterior motive could prove counterproductive.

Besides, he wasn't a Primary Beastmaster yet and didn't have a second contract slot, so there was no need to rush to take the Songsong Dog away.

The doctor said the Songsong Dog's external wounds were recovering quickly and it could have actually been discharged yesterday.

However, more detailed examinations showed it had been suffering from long-term malnutrition, leaving its physical foundation weak, and this serious injury had only made matters worse. The doctor advised keeping it for another two days of observation while providing nutritional supplements.

The little fellow seemed to accept this arrangement and showed no sign of being in a hurry to leave.

It was just that every time Lin Chen came to visit, it would perform this little "hide under the blanket" or "avert gaze" routine, yet it would always silently finish eating and drinking the food and water Lin Chen brought.

Occasionally, when Lin Chen said something, its little ears would move quite noticeably.

Withdrawing his thoughts, Lin Chen checked the time; it was already five in the afternoon.

He stood up, his face wearing his usual gentle smile, his voice calm:

"By the way, Songsong Dog, I won't be coming tomorrow."

On the bed, the small body beneath the blanket stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Lin Chen paused, as if merely stating a perfectly ordinary fact, and continued, "I won't be coming the day after tomorrow, either."

"..."

The room instantly fell into an eerie silence, and even the faint sound of traffic outside seemed to drift further away.

At the edge of the blanket, the front paw that had been quietly sticking out suddenly curled back in.

Those black eyes, which had been avoiding his gaze, suddenly snapped over and locked tightly onto Lin Chen.

The previous evasiveness and awkwardness in its eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a clear look of bewilderment.

Why weren't they coming anymore?

Was he annoyed?

Did he think taking care of it was too much trouble?

Or did he have other, more important companions?

It didn't move, nor did it make a sound, just staring straight at Lin Chen, its tiny body trembling slightly under the blanket.

Lin Chen reached out his hand, seemingly wanting to stroke the little fellow's head, but halfway there, he stopped and instead just patted the edge of the exposed blanket gently:

"Get some good rest and build up your strength."

"Goodbye."

He turned around, opened the door, and walked out.

The door hinge gave a slight "creak," followed immediately by a soft "click" as the door was closed.

The room returned to silence, with only the sunlight still moving silently.

The Songsong Dog under the blanket remained in that same position, not moving at all.

But a few seconds later, it suddenly threw off the blanket.

He had left.

He wouldn't be coming tomorrow.

He wouldn't be coming the day after tomorrow, either.

Would he... ever come back in the future?

This thought was like a pebble thrown into the lake of its heart, stirring up huge ripples it hadn't expected.

A strange emotion, a mixture of loss, panic, and helplessness, suddenly gripped its heart.

It sat dumbly on the bed, gazing somewhat vacantly at the white ceiling.

In its mind, many fragmented images flashed uncontrollably.

There was the memory of that vast and dangerous mountain range, where it ran through the forest, struggling to forage, living a displaced life, and remaining vigilant against predators' eyes under the moonlight.

There was that sudden, terrible turmoil that swept through the mountains.

Violent auras suddenly filled the air, and familiar pets became strange and ferocious. It was forced to flee, stumbling into this completely unfamiliar human territory, covered in wounds and fear.

There was that Gale Weasel with blood-red eyes, radiating an aura that made it instinctively disgusted; the intense pain and helplessness during the desperate fight; and the warm, large hands that caught it before its consciousness sank into darkness.

And that sentence, as if imbued with magic: "It's okay now, have a good sleep."

And these past two days, this human named Lin Chen appeared punctually every day, bringing food, speaking calm words, with gentle eyes, never trying to force himself closer.

He brought it delicious food, chatted with it, and sat quietly by its side.

No one had ever been this kind to it before.

But now, he said he wouldn't come anymore.

Why?

Was it because it always hid from him and wasn't close enough?

Was it because it was just a useless wild pet that was always getting hurt?

Or was it because he found it troublesome and didn't want to deal with it anymore?

Various guesses churned in its heart, making it unable to sit still.

It subconsciously jumped off the bed, ran to the window, gripped the windowsill with its two front paws, stood on its hind tiptoes, and anxiously peered down at the street below.

It just happened to see that familiar figure walking unhurriedly out of the healing center's main gate, standing by the street.

A taxi slowly pulled up, and Lin Chen opened the door and got in.

The vehicle started, turned a corner, merged into the thickening evening traffic, and quickly disappeared at the end of the town street.

"Whimper!"

A whimper filled with urgency uncontrollably escaped the Songsong Dog's mouth.

It looked in the direction where the car had disappeared, then glanced back at the empty hospital room, its gaze finally landing on the plate of neatly cut apples on the bedside table, which had already begun to oxidize and turn slightly yellow.

An unprecedented impulse overcame its physical discomfort, overcame its instinctive vigilance against the strange outside world, and even overcame its long-held caution and reserve.

It did not want to just stay here.

It wanted to go find him!

Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.

The Songsong Dog rose abruptly. It didn't go through the door; instead, using all its strength, it pushed off the windowsill with its hind legs.

Its small body, like an arrow released from a bow, knocked open the unlocked window latch and leaped out from the open second-story window.

It rushed into the wind.