Trying to avoid trouble, Qiao An had the big dog sent to a pet hospital, then returned home cradling the bandaged Ao Bai. The moment she opened her door, she was met with a gust of cold that nearly made her cry out.
"Y-You… You left the window open?"
Little Bai dove right back under the covers, pretending not to have heard a thing. Only the simple-minded Little Qing poked its head out.
"We don't know how to close windows! We're just snakes!"
Qiao An trembled with rage, but there was nothing she could do. She didn't have the money for heating; what little warmth her room had was leeched from the unit next door.
"Forget it, forget it. I'm going to go bathe, I stink. You two look after Ao Bai. He's a patient, after all."
She found a cardboard box, padded it with a few old clothes, and carefully placed Ao Bai inside.
'This tracksuit, stained with filth, had to go. This was Blue Star, and destroying evidence was crucial.'
After changing her clothes, Qiao An grabbed her toiletries and headed straight for the public bathhouse. She couldn't stand the stench on her body a moment longer.
As she emerged, steaming, from the bath, she noticed quite a few unfamiliar faces in the old district. Wanting to avoid attention, Qiao An hurried home. On the way, she thoughtfully bought two cartons of goat's milk and a bag of cat food, leaving only enough money to grab a few cups of instant noodles for herself.
When she opened her door again, she saw Little Qing resting its head on the cardboard box, staring intently at Ao Bai. The feral cat, normally so imposing, was now huddled in a corner, too scared to move.
"What are you staring at him for?" Qiao An crouched beside the cardboard box. Little Qing lazily flicked its tail. "Didn't you tell us to look after the patient? I'm keeping an eye on him, in case he suddenly croaks…"
Huddled in the corner, Ao Bai slowly let out a sigh of relief. He felt like his life had just been spared.
"If you're going to 'look after the patient,' could you at least wipe up your drool? Anyone would think you're planning to eat Ao Bai for dinner!"
Qiao An picked up Little Qing, stuffed it back under the covers, then deftly opened a carton and poured some goat's milk into a dish, placing it in the cardboard box.
"Here, have some milk. Once you're better, you can go back to protecting your little friends. Be a good boy and listen, okay?"
She indulgently stroked Ao Bai's long fur. Exhausted herself, Qiao An climbed into bed to catch up on sleep. She slept until the sky was completely dark, only to be startled awake by a knock on the door.
"Little Qiao! Little Qiao, wake up! The neighborhood committee is doing a population survey. They need us to come out and register our information."
Hearing her neighbor's voice, Qiao An rubbed her eyes and opened the door. Given that she was in her pajamas with messy hair and her room was dark, no one paid her any mind as they all gathered at the doorway, ID cards in hand.
"Why a sudden census now? Are they afraid one of us secretly had a kid or something?"
A few of the young women stood in the doorway, joking among themselves. Outside, the young men conducting the survey blushed, looking a bit awkward.
It couldn't be helped. This was the Urban Village; anyone who could find a decent job wouldn't be stuck in this dump. The women all worked at nightclubs. They were used to being looked down on and had even learned to make self-deprecating jokes about it.
"In this day and age, who'd be crazy enough to have a kid? If I had money, I'd spend it on myself. I don't even have a pet. No one's getting a dime out of me!" As she spoke, the neighbor shot Qiao An a sideways glance. "I always hear you talking to yourself in your room. You haven't gotten a pet, have you?"
Qiao An's heart leaped into her throat. She tilted her head, feigning a confused expression.
"I'm not talking to myself. I'm livestreaming."
Only then did the neighbor suddenly remember. Qiao An was that treasure-hunting streamer who was always out and about late at night.
Hearing this, the staff member doing the registration glanced at Qiao An with suspicion. She could only force a sheepish smile.
'A lack of funds could stump even the greatest hero.'
'If she had money, Qiao An would move out of the Urban Village in a heartbeat. She'd find a small farmhouse far from the city, isolated from everyone, so at least Little Bai and Little Qing wouldn't have to spend their days hiding under the covers from the world.'
Just then, footsteps sounded from the floor above, and Xie Shan appeared, dressed in casual clothes.
"Qiao An?" Xie Shan's face lit up with pleasant surprise. He flashed her an honest, good-natured smile. "I never thought you'd live here! Oh, right—my captain is here too. Want to grab dinner with us tonight?"
Xie Shan knew about Qiao An's tragic backstory and was radiating kindness, but his enthusiasm put her in a difficult position.
'Normally, at the mention of a free meal, she would've crawled over even with broken legs.'
'But she had just dealt with that man to save Ao Bai. She was terrified she'd give herself away in front of Mu Zimo.'
The other women, however, nudged Qiao An's shoulder and whispered, "Say yes, quickly! A high-quality guy like that is a rare sight around here. Latch on while you can. Who knows, you might just marry rich and turn your life around."
'It was a mystery how these women had developed such eagle eyes, able to tell with a single glance that Xie Shan wasn't from the Urban Village.'
"I—I'm still helping with the survey…"
Qiao An tried to make an excuse, but Xie Shan's enthusiasm cut her off.
"It's fine. Qiao An doesn't need to register. We're well aware of her situation."
'What was a population census anyway? Just registering basic information. The captain had Qiao An's entire life file. No one's record was cleaner.'
Since she had no choice, Qiao An could only turn back to change her clothes and leave with Xie Shan.
They walked to the end of the alley, where she saw a police car half-hidden in the darkness. Mu Zimo was leaning back in his seat, resting with his eyes closed. He only opened them when he heard their footsteps.
"Captain, I was just conducting a survey when I ran into Little Qiao. I thought we could take her to dinner with us."
Unlike the guileless Xie Shan, Mu Zimo got out of the car and rubbed his temples. The streetlight illuminated his strikingly handsome face as his sharp gaze swept over Qiao An's attire—a childish fleece jacket and messy hair. She had obviously just woken up.
"Haven't eaten yet?"
His deep, husky voice echoed in her ear. She gulped.
'Damn, this man is way too seductive!'
"I was planning to get some more sleep and then stream tonight…" Before she could finish, Xie Shan cut her off, his face a mask of desperation. "Little Qiao, I'm begging you. Please, don't stream for a while. If you dig up one more thing, I'm done for. I haven't been home in three days. I really can't take any more overtime!"
Only then did Qiao An notice how exhausted the two men looked. Both had dark circles under their eyes.
"If you're really that hard up for cash, I can spot you some, alright?" The only answer Xie Shan got was the sound of Mu Zimo slapping him. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Qiao An looked at Xie Shan's simple-minded expression and smiled, her dimples showing faintly. 'Humans really are kind and adorable creatures!'