Chapter 231
Chapter 231
“Is everyone ready?”
Early that morning, Qin Ying stood at her front door and swept her gaze over the group gathered outside.
Han Lie stood before her in a casual T-shirt.
At nearly six foot three, with sharply defined features, strong brows, and bright eyes, he was exceptionally handsome.
Even the pet carrier slung diagonally across his chest somehow looked more expensive on him.
His expression was just a little too grave, though. He looked as if he were heading out to fight someone.
“Ready!”
With that, he put on a black face mask that concealed most of his face.
The Thunderbird perched on his shoulder raised one wing in a salute it had picked up from who knew where.
Wangcai, nestled inside the carrier against Han Lie’s chest, furtively poked out half its muzzle and gave a bark.
Qin Ying declared, “Good. Let’s go!”
Today was the first time Han Lie would openly walk the streets in broad daylight.
When Qin Ying had killed Huang Jun, she had taken Wangcai to be dewormed while she was at it.
That meant Wangcai was due for its first vaccination at the veterinary clinic today.
Of course, none of that was the real point.
Qin Ying simply wanted to take them out for a stroll.
They could buy a few things and get a proper look at this world.
“First, we’ll buy two phones.”
Qin Ying’s phone had been dropped and battered countless times, not to mention used to whack Aunt Mo. Afterward, its screen had started blacking out.
She had decided to replace it and buy Han Lie one as well.
He would probably be going in and out of the Box regularly from now on, so she also planned to buy him more clothes while they were out.
“All right, let’s go!” Qin Ying waved grandly and led them out the door, heading straight for the car rental agency.
The owner remembered Qin Ying well. After all, she was stunningly beautiful and obviously had money to burn.
But when he heard that the car she had rented would not be coming back, the smile on his face stiffened.
“Wait, miss. What exactly did you do with the car?”
Qin Ying said nothing. She merely pulled out her bank card. “Don’t ask. Just tell me how much I owe you. I want the contract, the paperwork, and the invoice. All of it.”
The rest of the owner’s question died in his throat. After a moment, he forced out a smile. “Please wait a moment.”
He glanced to the side, intending to call someone over to help.
Only then did he notice that everyone in the agency was already busy.
The men were sneaking glances at the beautiful rich woman, while the young women were secretly watching Han Lie, who sat ramrod straight on the sofa.
Once the matter was settled, Qin Ying took Han Lie to the mall.
Only after they left did everyone in the rental agency burst into excited gossip.
Qin Ying headed straight to the mall, bought two phones, then took Wangcai to the veterinary clinic on the first floor for its vaccination.
Wangcai might normally act like one cool little dog, but that did not mean it was not afraid of needles.
The moment it saw the vet take out a syringe, it bolted and tore wildly around the room.
In the end, Han Lie had to step in and pin it down before the vet could administer the first shot.
The ordeal left the vet drenched in sweat. Forcing a smile, he said, “What a lively puppy. Very healthy. Extremely healthy.”
After the vaccination, Wangcai completely wilted.
Qin Ying’s heart ached at the sight. She bought several cases of canned dog food right in front of it, and only then did it perk up a little.
She hired a courier to deliver all the canned food to her home. When lunchtime rolled around, Qin Ying took the man, dog, and bird to a pet-friendly restaurant.
Only after they entered a private room was Wangcai willing to leave the carrier.
It flopped listlessly across Qin Ying’s lap.
“There, there. It was only one little shot, wasn’t it?” Qin Ying rubbed the injection site with her palm.
Her tone held a trace of exasperation, but her touch was gentle.
Only then did Han Lie remove his mask.
This world was still novel to him.
Last time, he had only walked around the neighborhood near Huang Jun’s home.
To him, walking down bustling city streets like this was akin to exploring the perilous Southern Wastelands.
But he was smart, calm, and possessed exceptional survival instincts.
All along the way, he quietly observed his surroundings and adapted.
Everyone he saw became someone he could learn from.
For instance, while passing through the restaurant’s main dining area, he had seen a man rinse his female companion’s dishes with hot water.
Han Lie followed the man’s example and scalded Qin Ying’s bowl for her.
Qin Ying was watching him too.
Seeing what he was doing, she couldn’t help but look amused and approving.
When she took the bowl from him, she praised, “Well done.”
Then she handed him the phone she had just bought.
“Take it and get used to it first. I’ll take you to get a SIM card later.”
Han Lie was completely undocumented in this world. Without an ID, he could only use one of Qin Ying’s secondary SIM cards.
He was actually quite curious about this device that everyone in this world seemed to own.
Even so, he looked a little embarrassed as he accepted it.
“Thank you.”
He was always taking things from her, yet there seemed to be very little he could give the Supreme Deity in return. It made him deeply ashamed.
While that big dog of a man wallowed in guilt, Wangcai whined and fussed on Qin Ying’s lap.
Qin Ying exasperatedly ruffled its furry head, then swiped to the pet meal section on her phone.
She showed Wangcai and Jinbao the menu. “What do you want? Eat as much as you like.”
At the mention of food, and at the sight of all the delicious-looking meat on the menu, Wangcai’s ears perked up slightly.
Then it raised a little paw and pointed at a plate of grilled ribs.
That dish had the most zeroes in its price, so it had to be delicious.
Not to be outdone, Jinbao gestured at the menu with its talons to indicate its choices.
Neither of them had the slightest idea how to save money. Fortunately, Qin Ying wasn’t short on cash. Otherwise, there was no way she could have kept up with this kind of spending.
Only Han Lie, who had known hardship and understood how difficult money was to earn, frowned and kept urging the two of them to show some restraint.
Qin Ying smiled. “It’s fine. I’m pretty rich.”
“If you want something, just tap the plus sign beside it.”
Before Han Lie could say anything, Qin Ying raised a finger in front of her shapely lips. “I like people who are direct and honest.”
Han Lie stared blankly for a moment, then fell silent.
By the end of the meal, Wangcai’s belly had swollen into a little ball.
The lethargy from its vaccination was now completely gone. Instead, it couldn’t stop thinking about the grilled ribs.
Grilled ribs that tasted even better than canned food!
It wanted to come back again next time.
At the thought, Wangcai gave Qin Ying an unusually vigorous wag of its tail.
Unlike Wangcai, Jinbao had merely gotten caught up in the excitement despite its tiny appetite. After eating half a serving of nuts, it flew to the window and chirped twice.
The guileless little bird needed to take care of some personal bird business.
At first, Qin Ying wasn’t worried about its safety in the slightest.
Before long, however, a commotion suddenly broke out nearby.
Someone seemed to be shouting curses.
Mixed in with the noise were the Thunderbird’s distinctive chick-like peeps.
Qin Ying’s expression changed. Han Lie was already on his feet.
As the Thunderbird’s partner in crime, Wangcai immediately abandoned its belly-up sprawl and sprang off the chair.
It was very clever and had learned how to open doors at Qin Ying’s home.
It leaped up, used its weight to press down the handle, and charged out the door.
As it ran, it barked in its childish little voice.
“Supreme Deity, I’ll go take a look.” Han Lie was no slower, racing after Wangcai.
Qin Ying followed them out and saw a chaotic scene not far away.
This was a fairly popular pet restaurant, so it was filled with both people and pets.
The moment a disturbance broke out, the whole place descended into chaos.
Ignoring their owners’ calls, the more curious dogs all rushed over to join the excitement.
A rather pretty young woman was wiping her clothes with a tissue. A sticky glob of bird droppings clung to the fabric.
Furious that her clothes had been soiled, the young woman unleashed a string of curses.
Meanwhile, the Thunderbird circled above her head.
It didn’t look the least bit guilty. Instead, it provocatively let out a series of chick-like peeps.
The instant Qin Ying saw the young woman’s face, she knew the Thunderbird was blameless and the woman was entirely at fault.
Wangcai clearly thought so too. It charged forward, baring its tiny baby teeth to bite her.
Without a second thought, the young woman ordered the black Doberman beside her, “Rocky, bite it to death.”
The sleek, handsome Doberman standing behind her opened its jaws at its owner’s command.
In the next instant, a hand gripped the scruff of its neck with measured force and pulled it aside.