As soon as Youyou got downstairs, he ran toward Simba’s doghouse.
His behavior was strangely anxious, which made Sang Miao a bit uneasy as well.
Sang Miao followed and found Simba lying on the ground, looking particularly listless,
as if he were not in good spirits.
There was dinner in the bowl in front of him, and although it had been a while since his usual dinner time, the food had hardly been touched.
She squatted in front of the border collie and gently petted his head.
Simba rubbed against her palm but didn’t jump up and wag his tail energetically like usual.
You nudged him with your foot,
but Simba didn’t pounce up to play like he normally would.
He wasn’t feeling well.
Sang Miao frowned and asked the servant in charge of looking after Simba,
“Is Simba not feeling well today?”
“Madam, he’s been like this since noon.
He’s eaten and drunk less than usual.”
The servant thought for a moment and continued,
“This kind of thing does happen occasionally.
I took his temperature twice, and it was still within the normal range.
He didn’t show any other signs of discomfort.”
She was familiar with Simba’s condition and explained things in detail,
“So I thought I’d observe him again tonight to see if anything changes.”
“But it doesn’t seem like he’s getting better, so I was going to tell you, Madam.”
Sang Miao knew she wasn’t the owner of the villa.
She had always taken a hands-off approach here.
Unless it was something related to her personally,
she generally didn’t interfere in big or small matters.
Usually, matters in the villa were reported to Shao Ying first.
Shao Ying was very capable, managed everything well, and had worked here for several years, earning Meng Peisheng’s trust.
Aside from major decisions that needed the master’s approval,
She could handle almost everything on her own.
However, Housekeeper Shao had taken emergency leave for the past couple of days.
And now that there was a lady of the house present,
the servant thought it best to report things directly to Madam.
Sang Miao carefully felt Simba’s body.
It seemed like his temperature was a bit high.
She wasn’t sure if it was a cold or fever, or something else,
and she frowned slightly and said softly, “Take his temperature again.”
Looking at Youyou staying close by Simba’s side,
she figured even he sensed something was wrong.
Although the dog didn’t seem to have any obvious symptoms,
maybe it was all the years of watching animals suddenly fall ill that left a shadow in her heart.
Even knowing this was the real world, she couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.
Sang Miao had always been the type to consider all possibilities, good, bad, and worst-case scenarios.
To prevent anything unexpected, she decided to take the dog to the hospital for a checkup.
If it turned out to be nothing, then that would be best.
Meng Peisheng was on a business trip these few days.
She wasn’t sure if he was busy, so she first called Lin Yanzhou, who was accompanying him.
After spending a few months with the dog,
even she had developed feelings for him.
And those two, father and son, had always treated Simba like family.
She had to give them a heads-up.
The call was picked up after just two rings, and Sang Miao immediately asked,
“Uncle Zhou, is Meng Peisheng busy?”
Sang Miaorarely called him on her own,
especially to reach out to Meng Peisheng, so something must have been urgent.
Lin Yanzhou’s calm and reassuring voice came through,
“Sir is in a meeting, which should end soon. Madam, is it something urgent?”
Sang Miao replied, “Oh, it’s Simba. He seems a bit unwell.
It’s not serious for now… I want to take him to the vet for a checkup, just to let him know.
I was afraid he was busy, so I called you first.
Could you tell him once his meeting is over?”
Upon hearing it was about the border collie at home,
Uncle Zhou’s tone became more serious, and he said,
“Alright, I’ll contact the pet hospital first. Please take him in for a checkup.”
After hanging up, Sang Miao asked the servant to prepare some things for taking the dog out.
Soon, the driver was waiting at the door.
Just to be safe, she also brought Youyou along to the hospital in case it was something contagious.
She didn’t want Youyou catching it either.
In the backseat of the car, the two large pets each took up one side.
Sang Miao sat in the middle, watching them.
Youyou was also much quieter and well-behaved than usual,
lying obediently without moving around much, and thankfully didn’t seem to be feeling unwell while sitting there.
Simba still looked sluggish.
With both the cat and the dog nestled beside her,
Sang Miao occasionally reached out to comfort Simba.
The pet hospital Simba usually went to wasn’t far from the villa.
When they arrived, the familiar doctor and nurses who knew Simba were already waiting.
At this hour, there weren’t many people at the hospital.
Simba lay on a small bed while the doctor did a preliminary check-up and then proceeded with a more detailed examination.
The test results came back, it turned out to be canine distemper.
In the past, whenever Simba had minor issues and came to the hospital, it was always Meng Peisheng or Meng Xici who accompanied him.
Routine checkups were usually handled by the servants.
The doctor had never met Sang Miao before.
But seeing her now, he figured she wasn’t some new pet sitter.
Thinking of the recent news about President Meng’s marriage,
he more or less figured out who she was.
He first confirmed her identity:
“Are you Mrs. Meng?”
Sang Miao nodded.
“It is canine distemper.
Usually, this disease occurs in puppies.
The chances of adult dogs getting it are much lower.”
Sang Miao had some basic knowledge of common illnesses in dogs.
Simba, being over a year old, was already an adult dog.
He had also been properly vaccinated and taken care of regularly.
In theory, he shouldn’t have contracted it.
Simba was very active.
Even though he spent most of his time in the villa,
he was often taken to the mountains or the park for walks to avoid getting too bored.
Sang Miao had also taken him out once before.
There were other dog owners there, and Simba had played with other small dogs.
Maybe that’s when he got infected from another dog.
Thinking of this, Sang Miao told the doctor,
“Sometimes we take him out to play.
Maybe he got infected outside.”
The doctor nodded and reassured her,
“Canine distemper has an incubation period.
Fortunately, you brought him in early.
Simba’s condition isn’t too bad right now.
He’s been vaccinated, so the chances of it being fatal are relatively low.”
“But he does currently have some inflammation.
In the coming days, his condition may be unstable, and he may continue feeling unwell for a while.
You’ll need to be especially careful with him during this time.”
“For this week, he’ll need to receive injections and take medicine.
Also, pay attention to his eating habits…”
Sang Miao nodded while carefully noting down all the doctor’s instructions.
While she was being briefed, the nurse took Simba to the side to get his injection.
When Simba saw the needle, he visibly shrank back.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of his energetic days,
otherwise, he’d probably be struggling to escape by now.
When the injection started, he looked truly pitiful.
Seeing the injection from outside, Youyou also grew anxious and frightened.
Sang Miao quickly picked him up and took him outside.
Thankfully, the nurse was familiar with Simba’s body and temperament and knew how to soothe him.
The injection went relatively smoothly.
Although canine distemper doesn’t spread to humans or cats,
since they were already at the hospital, Sang Miao decided to have Youyou undergo a basic check-up as well.
Simba was temporarily left there under the care of the nurses.
The doctor said that the entire treatment process for distemper could take quite a long time,
possibly one or two months, and there was still the risk of aftereffects.
Sang Miao felt a heaviness in her heart.
Distemper wasn’t a minor issue.
She had initially thought it was just a cold or a slight fever.
Although the doctor said the chances of recovery were quite high based on Simba’s current condition, she still didn’t feel entirely at ease.
When she first moved into the villa, she had learned from the servants that Simba was a gift for Meng Xici.
Whenever he was home, aside from studying, he spent most of his time playing with the dog.
He was currently still in school, and technically, it wasn’t convenient for him to come back.
But Sang Miao felt she should still tell him about Simba’s illness,
at the very least, to keep him informed.
Yuli High School didn’t prohibit students from having their phones.
She sent a message directly to Meng Xici and didn’t hold anything back to avoid worrying him.
She stated the situation truthfully.
Sang Miao checked the time, guessing that he might be in class or evening study.
His phone was likely on silent or turned off.
As for Meng Xici’s self-discipline, she did not doubt that he wouldn’t use his phone during class.
A few minutes later, Meng Xici finally replied.
…
The classroom had just let out, and it quickly became lively.
Meng Xici, who rarely used his phone, happened to have it with him today
and received a message.
After reading Sang Miao’s message, he replied with concern:
Got it. I’m going to ask the teacher for leave right now.
Stuffing his books and test papers into the drawer, Meng Xici headed straight to the teacher’s office.
Ji Zhuo noticed his unusual expression and wanted to ask what was wrong, but couldn’t stop him in time.
So he followed behind, asking along the way.
Meanwhile, Sang Miao replied to him: Okay, I’ll have the driver come pick you up.
Sang Miao wasn’t too worried about him being denied permission to leave.
With his grades and status, taking a leave shouldn’t be an issue.
…
Elsewhere, Lin Yanzhou had already received the diagnosis report that Sang Miao sent.
Not long after, Meng Peisheng stepped out from the summit venue.
Lin Yanzhou immediately went up to inform him of the news.
The meeting had lasted for several hours.
A subtle weariness lingered beneath Meng Peisheng’s calm and aloof demeanor.
Hearing Uncle Zhou’s report, his expression grew a little tense.
He said, “Call Xici’s homeroom teacher and inform them.
If he wants to return, help him apply for leave.”
After that, he called Sang Miao.
Over the phone, Meng Peisheng’s voice was deep and husky: “You’re at the hospital now?”
Sang Miao: “Mm, Simba just got his injection.
He’ll have to stay at the hospital for the next few days.”
After briefly explaining the situation, she paused for a moment and added,
“The doctor said the recovery rate is high, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Okay. I’ll wrap things up here and come back tomorrow.”
Meng Peisheng’s voice sounded noticeably gentler.
Sang Miao paused for a second, surprised: “Oh, okay.”
She remembered he had said earlier that the business trip would last another two or three days.
Was he coming back early on purpose?
But that wasn’t something she needed to concern herself with.
Sang Miao quickly pushed the thought aside.
She remembered something else and continued,
“By the way, I told Meng Xici about Simba being at the hospital.
He said he’s going to ask for leave and come see him.”
Meng Peisheng was slightly taken aback, the corners of his lips lifting ever so faintly.
His voice softened, “Alright. I’ll have someone make sure Simba’s cared for at the hospital.
Don’t stay too late, go back and rest early.”
After hanging up, Uncle Zhou said calmly beside him,
“I just called, Xici happened to be asking his teacher for leave.”
“Mm.” Meng Peisheng thought for a couple of seconds, then said to Uncle Zhou,
“Have Zhou Qing attend the remaining meetings these next two days.
I’ll head back tomorrow morning.”
Uncle Zhou’s expression grew serious and respectful: “Understood.”
The most important part of the summit was already done.
What remained were mainly business dinners and small-scale meetings.
With Zhou Qing, the executive CEO, staying behind and Yan Heng there as well, it would be enough to handle everything.
…
In the school hallway, Xu Songyue exited her classroom and walked in the direction of Meng Xici’s class.
On the way, she passed the teachers’ office and happened to see Meng Xici coming out quickly,
looking rushed as he headed downstairs.
Meng Xici was usually calm and composed in some ways, he resembled Uncle Meng.
It was rare to see him showing visible emotion like this, so something must have happened.
But he walked too fast, Xu Songyue didn’t have time to stop him and ask.
She turned and entered their classroom through the back door and called out to Ji Zhuo, “What’s going on with Meng Xici?”
“He took leave to go home. I think… Simba is sick.
He’s at the hospital, and Meng Xici’s going to see him.”
Xu Songyue’s expression tensed slightly: “Ah… is it serious?”
Ji Zhuo frowned lightly, a little worried: “Seems pretty serious, he was anxious.”
Xu Songyue had met Simba back in Port City.
She had seen him grow from a tiny pup into the handsome, large dog he was now.
Though Border Collies were mischievous and liked to play little tricks, even tricking her for fun, to Meng Xici, Simba was basically like a younger brother.
She didn’t hesitate before saying to Ji Zhuo,
“Then, after school one day, let’s buy something nice and go visit him.”
“Definitely,” Ji Zhuo nodded approvingly, pulled out his phone to look something up,
Then showed her a picture, “Let’s get this banana dog toy!”
Xu Songyue gave him a disapproving look, walked out of the classroom, and while walking,
Sent a message to Meng Xici: I heard Simba is sick. Is it serious?
By the time Meng Xici arrived at the hospital, Simba had already gotten his injection,
taken his medicine and was resting.
He received messages from Xu Songyue and Ji Zhuo and replied briefly to reassure them.
Simba had looked listless earlier, but upon seeing him, perked up a little,
coming over to nuzzle him and act spoiled.
His big, round eyes sparkled brightly as he looked up at him.
Seeing him like this, Meng Xici felt a pang in his heart.
He reached out to pet Simba’s head, gently comforting him as he murmured,
“Why’d you get sick… I didn’t take good care of you.”
A teenager’s rare display of soft emotions was moving to witness.
Sang Miao saw his increasingly self-blaming expression and felt her heart soften a bit.
She was about to say something when Meng Xici suddenly turned to look at her.
With a handsome, cool face, he looked at her seriously and sincerely said,
“Thank you for taking him here today.”
He had just heard from the doctor that Simba’s symptoms weren’t very obvious in the last couple of days easy to miss.
If they’d delayed a few more days and things had worsened, it could’ve been dangerous.
And in the middle of the night, she had noticed Simba feeling unwell and immediately brought him to the hospital…
Meng Xici was genuinely grateful to her.
Sang Miao was silent for a couple of seconds,
then suddenly lifted the sleeve of her right arm and showed it to him.
“Meng Xici, classmate, do you see this?”
Meng Xici saw her serious expression and thought maybe she’d gotten scratched by the dog or something while taking care of it.
He tensed up and immediately leaned over to take a look.
But her forearm was pale and smooth no scratches, nothing unusual.
He was confused, “See what?”
“Goosebumps…” she said, then rubbed her arm for emphasis.
Meng Xici: “…”