The vehicle was moving smoothly.
But as time passed, another round of chaos erupted inside.
When Li Miao put the husky's blindfold on for the fifth time, she spotted an all-white Samoyed darting past her seat like a smiling angel, barking loudly as it ran—its voice so resonant it echoed through the entire carriage.
Behind it was its owner, desperately trying to catch up and bring it back.
"Ayuu! Stop running and come back already!"
"Don't run!"
"I'm begging you, my little ancestor, hurry back!"
The boy's voice sounded utterly frazzled.
But what really pushed him over the edge was how his beast's hyperactivity seemed to rub off on others—soon enough, many of the other creatures in the carriage grew restless too.
Even the husky couldn't resist stirring up some mischief.
"Arf!"
It glanced down the aisle, then back at Li Miao.
Go! Play?
Li Miao pretended not to see its frantically wagging head.
"Bark! Bark!"
The creature named Ayuu began darting into nooks and crannies inside the carriage, putting immense pressure on the boy.
Though some passengers tried to help, their own beasts blocked them at every turn—not a single person managed to touch so much as a hair on the Samoyed.
Finally, the Samoyed scurried up to Li Miao's feet.
"Bark!"
It hopped once, spun in a circle, then barked again—seemingly urging the husky to come join the fun.
The husky wriggled, struggling to free itself from the seatbelt.
But the seatbelts here were specially designed for beasts, practically swallowing half their bodies.
The husky failed.
With pitiful eyes, it looked up at Li Miao.
A whimper escaped—its last-ditch effort to melt its owner's stone-cold heart.
Li Miao yanked down her blindfold.
"What?"
"Arf!"
Out! Play!
She glanced at the Samoyed, then reached out and grabbed it by the scruff—hoisting up the ten-plus-pound puppy in one swift motion.
"With this?"
She frowned. "Are you sure? This dog doesn't look very bright."
"You can play," she said, "but you'll have to pay a small price."
The husky suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of its neck—a prickling sense of foreboding.
NoNoNoNo play.
If it remembered correctly, before leaving home, Li Miao had packed a few special little dresses in the suitcase…
Stop.
Wearing little dresses… STOP!
The husky abruptly turned its head and barked furiously at the Samoyed.
Go! Get lost! Who wants to play?! Hmph! Don't touch me!
Samoyed Ayuu: ???
"Whew…"
Finally, the Samoyed's owner arrived.
"Classmate, thank you so much!"
Li Miao eyed the clearly flustered but still polite boy. "How?"
The boy blinked, blank-faced.
"Huh?"
"How are you going to thank me?"
She tilted her head, dangling the now-scrunched-up puppy—its tail tucked, ears flattened into airplane mode—in front of him.
"How about giving me your XinGe?"
The boy froze.
Meanwhile, nearby onlookers like Gao Yuanzhi and Yao Chen immediately perked up, eyes gleaming with gossip.
"Oooooh! A beauty's asking for your XinGe—what's there to hesitate about?"
"Damn! Nice going, bro! You just boarded and already hooked up with a pretty girl?"
"Dude, why so hesitant? She already made the first move!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
The boy's face instantly flushed, and he unconsciously touched his cheek.
Was he… that handsome?
Enough for her to ask for his contact right away?
He looked at Li Miao with a strange expression.
But Li Miao, thick-skinned and shameless, didn't flinch.
In the end, it was the boy who caved—he pulled out his phone and added her.
As he carried his beast back to his seat, he kept glancing over, even after sitting down—his mind spinning.
Does she like me? Or not?
But… if she doesn't, why ask for my XinGe?
He opened the chat window and stared at Li Miao's profile, fingers hovering to type—
Just then, her status changed.
[Typing…]
[Big Blanket Sharer]: Time to repay me!
His heart skipped a beat.
Was she about to… confess?
[Big Blanket Sharer]: Pay up.
Boy: ?
He didn't understand, but he was shocked.
[Chen]: What do you mean?
[Big Blanket Sharer]: You couldn't catch your beast, right? I stepped in. So, where's my service fee?
[Big Blanket Sharer]: Look, little classmate, this is just business—I work, you pay.
[Big Blanket Sharer]: Next time, I'll even give you a 50% discount!
[Chen]: …
Apologies.
He shouldn't have assumed she liked him.
Though Li Miao's logic left him stunned (and speechless), upon reflection, he realized she had a point.
She put in the effort. He paid.
Simple.
No strings, no favors—just a transaction.
But somewhere in his chest, his little racing heart crashed and burned.
[Chen]: Then why didn't you explain that earlier?
[Big Blanket Sharer]: You like getting publicly humiliated?
He paused.
His cheeks heated as understanding dawned—Li Miao had let him bask in that fleeting teenage ego boost... all while shielding his dignity.
Without further hesitation, he sent a hefty red packet her way.
[Chen]: Thanks.
[Chen]: I'm Xiao Chen. You?
[Big Blanket Sharer]: Boss, you're AMAZING! Long live the BOSS! Thanks, BOSS! Hi, BOSS! I'm Li Miao!
[Chen]: ...
Li Miao clutched her phone, grinning—she even kissed the screen.
Mama! She'd never seen this much money in her life!
10k?!
She'd only aimed to earn enough for husky kibble… Now not only was the kibble covered, but her food too!
Nearby, Yao Chen sighed.
Done for.
This girl—completely gone.
She nudged Li Miao's shoulder.
"Mianmian."
"Hm?"
"Teachers say no early dating. Got it?"
Li Miao waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, got it. No reminders needed."
Right now, her soul belonged to The Boss™.
[Big Blanket Sharer]: Boss, when's our next collab?
Xiao Chen: "..."
Why did he suddenly feel like… he was the one getting scammed?
…Must be his imagination.
Baffled but dismissive, he shelved the thought—because chaos erupted again.
Thanks to Ayuu's antics, 60% of the canine beasts in the carriage began writhing, each desperate to break free and play.
When they realized escape was impossible, the howling began—growing louder until the carriage resembled a raucous marketplace.
Just as Li Miao wondered when Chen Bin would intervene—
BOOM.
A crushing, invisible force slammed down like a mountain, leaving everyone dizzy, breathless, and disoriented.
The beasts fared worse—tails tucked, some even wet themselves, much to their owners' dismay.
Li Miao felt the strain too.
But she recovered quickly thanks to her constitution. The husky, however, crumpled—ears flat, whimpering weakly.
Misery.