After finishing her meal, Wen Youning checked the cat food—it had cooled down enough.
She used a spoon to mash it up bit by bit.
There was still some heat inside, so she mixed it with the fully cooled outer layers to make sure it wasn’t too hot.
“Alright, your food is ready.” Wen Youning set down two bowls and changed the water in their dish.
Then she turned to move her laptop to the coffee table, clicking on the request for a live consultation. “Alright, let’s get to work.”
She brewed a cup of floral tea with ice cubes perfect for a post-meal drink in an air-conditioned room.
This time, she didn’t even need to advertise. A list of usernames popped up in the request queue. The first one: Jinghua.
Wen Youning clicked on it. “Hello.”
“Hello, teacher.” A short-haired girl appeared on the live stream.
Wen Youning asked, “What’s the issue with your pet?”
Jinghua nodded. “I think my ferret is depressed. Uh… wait, how do I switch the camera…” She adjusted her phone and aimed it at a ferret perched on a shelf.
The ferret looked sluggish, half its body dangling off the edge. Its small eyes were half-closed, showing no reaction to the approaching human.
“My Rongrong used to be super energetic. It would always run up to me, climb all over me, and even hang from my shoulders. But two days ago, I went out, and when I came back, it suddenly wouldn’t let me touch or hold it. If I reach out, it tries to bite me.”
Jinghua was confused.
She couldn’t figure out why her ferret’s personality had changed so drastically.
“And it’s not just me it’s biting my mom too.
Rongrong used to be really close to her.
Now it won’t let anyone near and just keeps trying to run out the door.”
Jinghua hesitated. “So I suspect it might be sick. Or maybe… I’m not in China right now. It’s still snowing here, so maybe it got too cold outside?”
The ferret lazily lifted its eyelids.
‘You’re the one who’s sick.’
“Did you buy this ferret?”
Since she had joined the live session, Jinghua had prepared everything she might need.
She immediately took out an identification card and showed it to the camera.
“It’s a caramel-colored Andrew ferret. I’ve raised it since it was a baby, bought it from a specialized ferret breeder. Here’s its ID from the shop.”
Wen Youning carefully examined the details on the card, then said, “The ID does say Andrew ferret, but… your ferret is actually a sable.”
The moment those two words—sable—were spoken, the ferret on the shelf snapped its eyes wide open. It stretched its paw toward the phone broadcasting the live session.
‘Yes! Yes! That’s right!’
‘Tell her! I’m not Rongrong!’
‘I just went out to play in the snow, and they caught me! These crazy humans!’
‘And now she thinks I’m sick? She’s the one who needs her eyes checked!’
Wen Youning: “…”
The live chat exploded.
【Why does it feel like it’s suddenly getting really emotional?】
【Its eyes went completely wide, hahaha. Those little mung bean eyes are about to turn into walnuts.】
【Wen-jie, please translate! I’m dying of curiosity!】
【A sable? Isn’t that a protected species? How is this girl keeping one as a pet?】
Sables have low reproductive rates, and due to deforestation and poaching, their population has drastically declined.
They have long been classified as a first-class nationally protected wild animal keeping them as pets is illegal.
“You caught the wrong ferret.”
Meeting the expectant gaze of the sable, Wen Youning explained, “Your Andrew ferret is probably still outside.
Caramel-colored Andrew ferrets do look a bit similar to sables, but if you look carefully at the ears, tail, and body length, you should be able to tell the difference.”
Jinghua: “???”
Chat:
【…Pfft.】
【Hahaha, girl, I suggest you take good care of it. If it so much as rolls its eyes during this livestream, you’ll be crying behind bars when you return to your country.】
Jinghua picked up the sable and compared it to a photo of her Andrew ferret.
“They… look the same.” She hesitated, growing less confident.
“Right? They’re the same…?”
Wen Youning mercilessly shattered her fantasy.
“What you’re holding is definitely a sable.
It’s not sick it was just minding its own business in the wild when you suddenly grabbed it, hugged it, and kissed it.
Of course, it’s speechless.
Just let it go, and everything will be fine.”
The sable, clearly uncomfortable at being held up, twisted its body and swiped at Jinghua.
‘Put me down, human!’
Jinghua looked at Wen Youning suspiciously. “It’s saying…?”
“It wants you to put it down.”
“Oh, oh!” Jinghua quickly complied, setting the sable back on the shelf.
Wen Youning gave her a serious reminder.
“Andrew ferrets are domesticated pets. They cannot survive in the wild. Your top priority right now should be to release the sable and find your Andrew ferret.”
“I’ll go right away!” Jinghua was genuinely worried about her pet, but as she turned around, she suddenly realized where was she even supposed to look?
Wen Youning noticed her hesitation and asked, “Did your Andrew ferret run away on its own?”
Jinghua shook her head.
“Not exactly. I’ve had a cold for a while, and the medicine isn’t helping.
A long time ago, my Rongrong got sick, and she went outside to eat some wild grass, and it cured her.
So, as a joke, I told her to go find some herbs for me. But after I said that… she actually left.”
Jinghua sighed. “Later, when she didn’t come back, I went out to look for her… and I found this sable on the mountain. I thought it was Rongrong, so I brought it home.”
Sable: “Chrrr!”
‘I am NOT Rongrong!’
Wen Youning sipped her tea.
“The sable resisted when you caught it, didn’t it?”
“Yeah.” At this point, Jinghua’s voice grew smaller.
“But I thought Rongrong had fallen in love with the great outdoors and didn’t want to come home. So…”
“So you forcibly grabbed it and took it home?”
Jinghua closed her eyes and nodded heavily.
“To be fair… this sable is about the same size as my Rongrong. Their body lengths are almost identical.”
Help. If what Wen-jie said was true, then she had just done something incredibly stupid.
The sable, now completely enraged, puffed up like a little furry barrel.
【Pfft—HAHAHAHA! That’s literally KIDNAPPING!】
【The funniest part isn’t even the mix-up. It’s that the sable was so indifferent to her, and she thought it was sick! 】
【Look at how pissed it is! It’s never been through something so ridiculous in its life.】
Jinghua put her hands together and bowed to the sable.
“I’m so sorry! My bad, my bad!”
But first things first they needed to find the real Rongrong.
Since Wen Youning was in China, she obviously couldn’t physically help from overseas.
Jinghua had no leads, either.
Thinking for a moment, Wen Youning turned her attention to the indignant, paw-on-hip sable.
“Little guy, can you smell the Andrew ferret’s scent?”
The sable tilted its head and then proudly lifted its chin.
‘Of course! I can do anything!’
“Then can you help find the Andrew ferret that used to live here?”
Wen Youning glanced at Jinghua. “She can give you a reward, like food and water.”
Jinghua immediately nodded.
“Of course! I still have tons of canned food and freeze-dried snacks, plus fresh quail and raw meat.
As long as you help me find Rongrong, I’ll cover all your meals for life! When it’s the coldest, you can even come to my place to hibernate for the winter.
I’ll provide shelter… does that sound good?”
Food in the wild was scarce, and it wasn’t easy for a sable to find enough to eat.
Having a stable food source was undoubtedly a good deal for a wild sable.
“Chrr!” The sable slapped a paw on the shelf.
Deal!
After making the agreement, the sable climbed down from the shelf and darted toward the door.
From the shelf to this path, it had clearly made this trip many times before.
It had probably been waiting for the perfect chance to bolt outside the moment Jinghua opened the door and reclaim its freedom.
The moment the door opened, the sable rushed forward only to be stopped in its tracks.
It stood up on its hind legs, slapped a paw firmly against the door, and let out a sharp “Chrr!”
‘Open the door, human!’
Jinghua looked at Wen Youning for confirmation.
Wen Youning nodded slightly.
“Go ahead. First, find the Andrew ferret.”
“On it, on it!” With Wen Youning’s approval, Jinghua rushed forward, unlocked the door, and grabbed a down jacket off the shelf.
She threw it on, wrapped a scarf around her neck, and called out, “Let’s go!”
A gust of cold wind immediately slapped her in the face, swirling snowflakes all around.
Fine snowflakes drifted down as Jinghua exhaled a breath of white mist.
She shivered, hung her phone on her chest to continue livestreaming, and trudged through the thick snow, following the sable’s lead.
The sable moved quickly across the snowy ground, leaving behind a trail of tiny paw prints.
Its long tail dragged across the tracks, partially blurring them as it went.
Jinghua jogged behind, struggling to keep up.
When the snow got too deep, the sable simply burrowed into it, disappearing completely but never losing its sense of direction.
Jinghua, on the other hand, stood there dumbfounded, staring at the vast stretch of untouched snow.
The sable had already tunneled far ahead.
When it realized there were no human footsteps following, it popped its head out from the snow, looked around, and finally spotted the human still stuck in place.
“Chrr!”
The sable was pissed.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” This time, she didn’t even need Wen Youning to translate Jinghua could feel the impatience and annoyance in the sable’s tone.
She quickly pulled her coat tighter and trudged forward through the snow.
The livestream quality wasn’t great in the snowstorm everything looked blurry, and every now and then, she had to wipe the lens clear of frost.
Thankfully, they didn’t have to walk too far before the sable abruptly stopped and started circling one spot.
“Rongrong is here?” Jinghua panted, her breath coming out in visible puffs.
Running through deep snow was exhausting, and she felt like she had lost half her life just making it this far.
Still, her first instinct was to ask about her Andrew ferret.
The sable suddenly leaped up a nearby tree.
The next second, a chaotic series of high-pitched shrieks erupted from the branches above.
“Chrr! Squeak, chrr-chrr—!”
At the same time, the tree branches shook violently, sending a cascade of snow tumbling down.
It sounded like an intense chase was unfolding above.
‘Get down here!’
‘HELP—!’
“Rongrong? Is that you, Rongrong?” Jinghua craned her neck, shouting up at the tree.
“Big sis is here.”
Before she even finished speaking, a snow-covered Andrew sable leaped from the tree.
Jinghua took a quick step forward and caught it steadily in her arms.
“Phew…”
Jinghua reached out to brush off the snow on its fur and gave it a scolding pat on the butt.
“You little rascal, playing outside and not coming home!
You nearly scared me to death, do you know that?”
Andrew sable shook its head angrily, twisting and turning.
“Zhi gu, zhi gu gu gu—!”
‘If you can’t find herbs, don’t blame me!’
‘Sable helped you, and you still hit me!’
Jinghua: “Still talking back?!”
Wen Youning chuckled helplessly.
“You told it yourself, if it couldn’t find herbs, not to come back.”
“Huh?”
Jinghua was stunned.
Her anger, which had come from worry, faded a little.
She suddenly remembered what she had told Andrew sable before it left.
Awkwardly, she rubbed her nose.
“I-I was just joking…”
“It took you seriously.”
Wen Youning pointed to the familiar grass beneath the tree.
Even though it was covered with a layer of snow, fresh green leaves were still peeking out.
“It really found the herb. Look, it’s right in the bushes beside you.”
Andrew sable turned its head with a swoosh, its eyes brimming with tears as it looked at Wen Youning.
“Gu!”
‘Kind human!’
“You did the right thing.”
Wen Youning reassured Andrew sable through the screen, then turned to Jinghua.
“It doesn’t have hands to pluck them, and if it bit them off, you wouldn’t eat them.
So, it’s been waiting here for you to pick them yourself.”
【Only those who have wrongly accused a sable can truly understand how wrongly sables can be accused. Wen teacher understands.】
【Hahaha, Andrew sable: I will speak for myself! I will speak for myself!】
“Huh? It really found it?”
Jinghua had originally just been teasing her fluffy pet.
She never expected things to take such an unexpected turn.
The sable in the tree poked its head out.
“Gu!”
‘Stupid human.’
Wen Youning tapped on the searched encyclopedia entry and displayed the image to the live stream audience.
“The grass next to it—its roots, bark, and leaves can all be used medicinally.
It can treat colds, flu, and other inflammations.
When soaked in alcohol, it can also be used to treat bruises and injuries.”
Finally, Wen You Ning justified Andrew Mink: “Andrew Mink really wasn’t mistaken.”
Jing Hua let out two “ouch” sounds and hurriedly hugged Andrew Mink, coaxing him: “Rong Rong, be good, Rong Rong is the best. Sister wrongly blamed you.”
Andrew Mink puffed up angrily and exhaled.
‘I’m going to tell Mom!’
With everything settled, Wen You Ning couldn’t help but be curious after hearing Andrew Mink’s thoughts: “Did your mother not realize she took the wrong mink?”
“Mom recently had to go abroad for some matters.
Before she left, she had only interacted with the sable once.
She did feel something was off at the time, but since Rong Rong was sick and unwell, she…”
Jing Hua patted the snow off her gloves.
She had actually noticed something was wrong but had brushed it off with an excuse.
Then, since her mom had gone abroad and hadn’t interacted with the mink, she naturally didn’t realize the mistake.
[That was close. The young master almost ended up as a stray just for going out to buy medicine.]
[Was that herbal medicine really not just for show? If it was real, then Andrew Mink is truly incredible.]
Jing Hua hugged Andrew Mink and rubbed him all over, “Alright, alright, let’s go home first.”
Just as she turned around, she remembered something and lifted the brim of her hat.
“Little sable, do you want to come with us? I’ll give you some delicious food.”
“Gu!” The sable turned its head and disappeared into the layered branches and snow.
Wen You Ning’s voice came from the live stream: “The sable said it will come find you when it’s hungry.”
“Oh, I see.” Jing Hua raised her hand and waved toward the direction where the sable had disappeared. “Then I’ll be waiting for you at home anytime. Thank you for today.”
But the one who truly deserved the most thanks was Wen You Ning.
Jing Hua sighed, “If it weren’t for you helping, I still wouldn’t have realized I had caught the wrong mink.”
Luckily, she had good luck.
The animal hospital was in the city center, and with the heavy snow sealing the roads, even walking was difficult, let alone driving.
That’s why, when she saw this high-traffic pet medical live stream, she had quickly requested to join the broadcast.
She had been taking a chance, but unexpectedly, she got a surprising outcome.
Jing Hua lifted her hand and sent two big gifts in the live stream, “Come, Rong Rong, say thank you with me.”
“Zhi, gu gu gu…!”
Andrew Mink was very excited.
‘Thank you, big sister! I love it!’
‘I like it!’
Wen You Ning curved her eyes in a smile.
“It’s cold outside where you are, hurry home.”
A little tabby cat poked its head near the computer screen, “Meow?”
Andrew Mink wasn’t on a cat’s menu, so the little tabby had probably never seen a mink before.
But that didn’t stop it from extending its paw after hearing Andrew Mink’s words.
‘Who’s trying to steal big sister away from me?’
“—Ha!”
‘Take this swipe!’
With a “slap,” the paw hit the screen, and the live broadcast call was directly cut off.
Staring at the suddenly blacked-out computer screen, the little tabby blinked its eyes, looking innocent as it meowed softly, “Meow woo…”
‘No more power.’
Wen You Ning chuckled softly, picked up the mischievous little one, and tapped its forehead with her finger.
“You even know there’s no power, huh?”
She clicked the mouse, and the computer screen returned to the live stream display, but the microphone kept showing “unable to connect.”
‘Ding-dong.’
The doorbell rang.
Wen You Ning got up suspiciously.
Who would be ringing her doorbell at this hour?
She hadn’t ordered anything, had she?
When she opened the door, she was met with two large gift bags.
“Hey! We meet again.” The gift bags parted, revealing Shi Jin Chen’s face.
Behind him, the German Shepherd perked up at the familiar voice and barked excitedly.
‘Dad’s here!’
“Didn’t you already give me gifts before? Why are you bringing more?”
When Shi Jin Chen first arrived, he had already brought gifts, and those two boxes of bird’s nest and ginseng were still in the kitchen.
Shi Jin Chen explained, “That was a thank-you gift. This one is as your neighbor.”
Wen You Ning: “???”
Shi Jin Chen enthusiastically announced, “I rented a place in the building next to yours!”
“I went to the property management office hoping to find a unit in the same building, but this entire building was fully rented out, so I settled for another one nearby.”
Shi Jin Chen continued, “I asked a friend, and they said that after acupuncture treatment, there still needs to be rehabilitation.
So, I bought a lot of rehabilitation equipment, and I even covered the floor with mats. This place is just right for rehab.”
He should be solely responsible for General’s treatment.
Since Wen You Ning had already taken care of most things, it was only right that he covered all the additional details to make sure she wasn’t carrying all the burden alone.
Wen You Ning raised an eyebrow.
“Won’t this delay your work?”
Shi Jin Chen shook his head.
“Not at all. Since General appeared here, I suspect the suspect might have hidden in a vegetable delivery truck to escape to another city.”
“That market supplies goods to surrounding cities.
After General went missing, all the delivery trucks were heading to City A.
I’ve already requested assistance from the local police.
This case is now under my charge, so I can stay here and make sure the suspect is caught.”
Shi Jin Chen always made careful decisions.
He had discussed this with his mentor before staying.
Surveillance cameras were everywhere along the highways, so the suspect wouldn’t dare to get off the truck easily.
They were most likely transported into City A along with the vegetables.
During this period, all major highways and village entry and exit points were being monitored.
There was a high probability that the suspect was still in City A.
Wen You Ning didn’t know the details of the case.
Since she understood that their line of work involved confidentiality, she didn’t ask much. She just asked, “When you rented the place, did you check if the landlord allowed pets?”
“Of course.” Shi Jin Chen rented this place specifically for General’s rehabilitation.
With all the necessary equipment, it was more convenient to have his own space.
Some landlords didn’t allow pets, so he had made sure to ask beforehand.
“The place I rented is empty except for some old furniture.
I just need a folding bed to sleep on, and the rest of the space is for rehab equipment.
As long as I restore it to its original condition when I leave, it’s fine.”
Wen You Ning rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
“In that case, if you have extra space, General can stay with you.”
“Huh?” Shi Jin Chen, who was still thinking about what else to buy, was momentarily stunned.
Then, he asked in surprise, “Really?”
Shi Jin Chen scratched his head.
He really wanted to stay with General, but considering everything, he asked again, “Didn’t you say General shouldn’t be taken away before full recovery?”
Wen You Ning explained, “I didn’t want him taken away because I was worried about unprofessional care affecting the acupuncture and massage schedule.
But since you’re in the same neighborhood, it only takes five or six minutes to bring him up and down, so it won’t be a problem.”
Acupuncture could be done anytime.
As long as treatment wasn’t delayed, there was no issue with General staying with Shi Jin Chen.
“If that’s okay, then that’s great.”
Shi Jin Chen couldn’t hide his excitement.
“Then I’ll give you a spare key, so you can come anytime for acupuncture.”
“No need. I’ll just contact you when it’s time.”
She handed him some homemade dog food and chew bones.
“Feed him light, low-salt food. Snacks should be given in moderation.
Daily meals should ideally be homemade dog food like this.”
“Got it.” Shi Jin Chen took notes on his phone.
Just as they were about to leave, General knocked over a bottle of carbonated water, tasted it, and exclaimed:
‘Dad, this water is alive!’