Chapter 2: Pampering and Vanity 4
I have to say that the staff is very efficient. The messy grass was renovated in just over ten minutes. The melodious music started playing again and the food on the table smelled delicious. The pet chef not far away carefully placed delicious food on a slightly lower table for the pet owners choose from. There were also bold pets like Abaibai who directly begged the staff or stared at the chef just to eat more of their favorite food.
“Dangdangdang——”
A few clear silver bells rang out, and the music stopped. The butler with two white mustaches stood upright in the center of the stage, shook the small bell in his hand, coughed, and began to speak: "Everyone, please bring your pets to the stage. The pet beauty contest will begin soon."
Everyone was moving towards the stage in groups of three or four, and when Abaibai heard the word "beauty pageant", his eyes seemed to light up. He insisted on going to the first row and even asked me to help him tidy up his cloak.
Ah Baibai... Isn't this a bit too obvious?
I looked at A Baibai helplessly, whose posture was more standard than that of a beauty pageant contestant, and didn't know what to say.
The music started slowly again, and suddenly white smoke rose from the ground of the stage, making the whole stage look even more dreamy.
At this time, pink rose petals began to fall from the top of the stage, as if welcoming something.
After a few salutes, on one side of the stage, Tian Moli changed into a snow-white Greek-style floor-length dress. Her long brown curly hair fell to her waist, and she wore a golden laurel leaf-shaped crown on her head, making her look like a Greek goddess. A green gem on the crown sparkled.
Behind her, a man in a tuxedo was pushing a golden cart with an exquisite red velvet seat on which sat a white Persian cat - that cat should be Tian Moli's pet - Theodora, right?
Teodora's white fur was combed neatly, his pink nose shone with a healthy luster, and his round face had emerald green eyes like the purest emeralds, making him look extremely elegant and noble.
However, what is more attractive than the cat is the necklace inlaid with colorful gemstones hanging on its chest and the crown on its head that is the same as Tian Moli's.
But, to my concern, Teodora did not look happy:
Constant shaking of the head means that the pet is uncomfortable; rapid wagging of the tail means that the pet is feeling anxious...
“It’s so annoying... My neck is so heavy, it’s not fun at all..." A tiny voice sounded in my mind.
Who? Who's talking?
I looked around, and within the range of my eyes I could see: a colorful macaw stood on the owner's shoulder, rubbing the owner's cheek affectionately with its beak; a groundhog in a flowery dress, with round eyes open, nestled in the owner's arms, stuffing a large almond into its mouth; a little hedgehog lay on the owner's knees, with its limbs spread out, enjoying the belly massage from the owner with a comfortable look on its face; a black and white Border Collie excitedly jumped in the air and caught a frisbee...
The pets released their emotions to their owners in their own way, and their emotions were also well conveyed to their owners - at least, their owners' happy and relaxed smiles at this time could not be faked...
Everyone is happy, but...
"I hate it! I'm a boy, why do I have to wear a skirt and a necklace? Stupid human, my smooth fur is more beautiful than the most precious gem in the world--"
That little voice sounded in my head again.
"... Let's give a warm round of applause to welcome Miss Tian Moli and her beloved pet, Teodora!" The host, who appeared at some point, started speaking, interrupting my thoughts.
Looking up, I saw Tian Moli reaching out to hug Teodora with a proud smile on her face.
"Meow--"
Just as her hand touched Teodora, Teodora suddenly let out a sharp cry, shook off the crown on her head, and stretched out her claws to grab Tian Moli's hand.
"Ah——" Tian Moli screamed and withdrew her hand. Then, a drop of bright red blood flowed out from between her fingers.
"Meow--" Teodora cried miserably, and then while everyone was stunned, he jumped off the cart and quickly got into the stage curtain, and his snow-white figure disappeared.
"Miss, you are bleeding--" The white-bearded butler hurriedly ran out from the side of the stage, looking at Tian Moli's still bleeding hand with an anxious look on his face.
"...I'm fine...What are you still standing there for! Go find Teodora for me!" Tian Moli waved the housekeeper away with one hand, and the blood drops rubbed onto her white skirt, like red flowers on the edge of golden laurel leaves.
"Teodora, you've embarrassed me today. I'm going to put you in a cage and cut off your food for a day!" The microphone on the stage, which had not been turned off in time, amplified Tian Moli's voice many times and played it out.
I looked at her who was so angry on the stage, but I felt a little worried about Teodora.
Just now...the voice in my head was actually Teodora speaking, right?
Tian Moli has always been proud of Teodora's appearance and noble bloodline, and has always wanted to dress Teodora up more beautifully, so she put a heavy crown on her and clothes that affected her walking. But she forgot that things that humans think are good may not necessarily be good for pets...
"Xiaoduo?" Perhaps sensing my low mood, Abaibai rubbed my feet, raised his head and looked at me with concern.
"Abaibai... do you... have any way to find Teodora? I'm a little worried about it..." I asked Abaibai.
"Hmph, who am I, Lord Abaibai? Isn't it just looking for a cat? Just wait, I'll find it for you in minutes!" Abaibai seemed to be trying to make me laugh on purpose. He spoke in a contemptible manner, puffing out his chest, and the mustache on his face trembled like a little old man.
Tian Moli had already gone off the stage to treat her wounds. The stage was empty, leaving only a small golden cart and a velvet cushion decorated with lace and tassels.
I walked onto the stage, lifted up Abaibai, and brought it close to the cushion. Abaibai stretched his neck, sniffed it, then broke free from my hand and ran towards a place.
I hurriedly followed.
After running a certain distance, Abaibai would stop, stretch his neck to sniff the air, and then run in one direction with firm steps.
"It's over there!" Abaibai said to me in a firm tone when he stopped for the fourth time.
I looked around and found that I was so focused on following A Baibai that I didn't realize that I had walked out of Tian Moli's house without knowing when.
We are now probably on a meadow not far from Tian Moli's house, because from the woods not far away, I saw the pointed stained glass roof that is unique to Tian Moli's villa.
There was a large meadow around us with no bushes, and not far away was a big tree that a person could hug.
Teodora... should be in that tree, right?
Abaibai and I slowly approached, but before we got close, we heard shrill screams coming from the trees.
"Help me - there's a pervert trying to catch me -"
Upon closer inspection, we saw a ball of white fur clinging to the trunk and shivering on a branch that was stretched out more than three meters high. At the bottom of the tree, a person wearing a familiar doll costume was climbing the tree with his back to us.
Are you trying to catch the cat right in front of me? This is unbearable!
You know, Xiao Xiaoduo, who is determined to become a respected veterinary doctor, hates pet dealers the most!
"Abaibai!" I licked my lips, crossed my hands and moved them, and the joints of my fingers made a "cracking" sound.
"Understood!" Abaibai responded to me softly, digging the ground with one of his front paws and making a low "huffling" growl from his throat.
"one two three--"
After Abaibai and I counted to three silently, we ran to the tree as fast as we could. Then, in perfect tacit understanding, I hugged the cat thief's waist to stop him from climbing up, while Abaibai tore his pants hard.
We thought that our arrival could stop the other party's actions, but instead of stopping, the other party climbed up even harder.
"Meow--"
Just as Abaibai and I were attacking the puppet man, Teodora, who was shivering and curled up on the tree trunk, suddenly screamed, pounced directly on the puppet man's head, and tore at his hood frantically.
I didn't know if it was because the puppet's clothes and my weight were too heavy to make the puppet man unable to hold on, or because of Theodora's attack. I just felt that my body was falling down at an extremely fast speed. In a hurry, I could only hold on to the puppet's clothes tightly, and I don't know what happened to Theodora. He seemed to be frightened and stood on the puppet's big head, not daring to move.
There was the whistling wind in my ears, and when I opened my eyes I saw the blue sky and the trees that were getting farther and farther away from me...
“Boom boom…”
Everything was like a movie played in slow motion. I could even hear my own heart beating.
The weight of the doll costume, plus the weight of a person and a cat...
I'm the one at the bottom...
If I fall from a tree, what are the chances that I will be able to walk home alive?
Haha, I'm about to fall to the ground and I can still think so much...
Huh?
That's not right...
Why can I think so much?
Why is the sky still right in front of me, but the top of that big tree is still in the same position without moving?
It has been at least half a minute since we fell, why don’t I feel any pain yet?
That's not right! We...we...
I turned my head and saw that there was grass about two meters below me, and the doll man, Teodora and I were suspended in the air in a posture that violated the earth's gravity.
Teodora opened her big round eyes, looked at me, then slowly jumped in front of me and landed on the ground .
My eyes followed Teodora, but I accidentally saw another figure floating in the air...
A small body, snow-white fur, a short tail swaying slightly unconsciously, and the long hair on the face swaying gently in the breeze like a little old man - it's Ah Baibai!
Abaibai stood on his legs, raised his front paws, and made a lifting motion. His orange cape fluttered behind him - just like Superman on TV...
Abaibai gently scratched the doll with one of its claws, and the doll slowly fell to the ground. Then, it carefully held me up in the air with both hands and placed me on the doll's...belly...
What exactly is going on?
Ah Baibai...how could it have such ability?
Or am I actually just dreaming today and haven't woken up yet?
"puff--"
After my legs felt the solid ground, I heard a painful groan from beneath my body.
Oh, yes, the puppet man who catches the cat!
I can't let you go so easily!
While the other party was still not standing up, Abaibai and I worked in perfect harmony, one pushing and the other pulling, and together we took the giant headgear off the doll's head.
I originally thought that a cat thief should be an ugly, greasy bald man, but unexpectedly, the moment the hood was pulled off, I saw a face that was not very familiar but would never be forgotten.
The dark flaxen hair should look super soft, but because the owner didn't take care of it, a small tuft of hair was deformed and stood straight on the head like tentacles. The abnormally white skin looked a little flushed because of being in the hood for a long time. The pair of slightly upturned eyes were so transparent and clear, like crystals soaked in the sun, clean and bright, but not empty if you look closely, as if the eyes were hiding the secrets of the entire universe.
The high and straight nose bridge was as standard as the Greek sculptures on display in the museum, and from the rosy lips below the nose came a slightly painful groan...
this person……
No matter how good-looking he is, I just can't like him! Because he is the super terrible former owner of Abaibai, the psychopath who sent me countless text messages!
"White Scallion——"
A Baibai couldn't help but shout out.
Uh, this guy's name is Bai Xiaocong? Why is he here? And Baibai, is there something he didn't explain to me?
I looked at the person lying on the ground, then at Abaibai, my heart filled with confusion and anger.
"You...don't have anything to say to me?" I asked coldly.
