"No worries, big brother," Ye Jingzhi said, giving a thumbs-up, "Your Er Mao is truly smart, strong, and handsome."
"Ao ao ao~" (Handsome as hell!) Qiuqiu was extremely displeased.
"Hahaha! Thanks for the compliment. Er Mao was trained by a friend of mine. He used to be a trainer at the police station, specializing in police dogs," Er Mao's owner said, scratching his head sheepishly.
"Oh, right, my name is Chen Cong. I live in Guanlan Residential Area just up ahead," Chen Cong remembered to introduce himself.
"I'm Ye Jingzhi, and this is my little niece, Nuannuan. We live next door."
"Hello, Uncle~" Nuannuan was always very polite.
"Whoa~ meeting a big shot today! Hello there, kiddo," Chen Cong said jokingly.
"I'm not. Nuannuan's dad is. Hehe~" Ye Jingzhi said a bit embarrassed.
"You're all family, no difference," Chen Cong waved his hand, indicating he understood.
"Right, is this your first time here? I come here often and haven't seen you before."
"Yes! Our Qiuqiu is too fat, so we thought we'd take him out for some exercise to help him lose weight. But he's too lazy and refuses to move," Ye Jingzhi said, looking at Qiuqiu helplessly.
"Ao~ (Don't call me fat again.)" Qiuqiu was immediately unhappy.
"Indeed, it's not good for dogs to be too fat, and it affects their lifespan. But this dog has good breeding, and it's purebred, right? Alaskan Malamutes are usually quite active!" Chen Cong bent down to examine Qiuqiu closely.
"Ours probably has a gene mutation! Not like your Er Mao," Ye Jingzhi said, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Er Mao.
"Er Mao is not only obedient and well-behaved but also good at leading other dogs. If you're willing, let Er Mao try with Qiuqiu; the effect will definitely be good," Chen Cong suggested.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Nuannuan heartily agreed. Qiuqiu was indeed too lazy.
"Ao ao~ (I disagree! What are you suggesting?)" Qiuqiu was very reluctant and barked fiercely at Chen Cong.
"Woof!" Er Mao, fiercely protective of his owner, shut Qiuqiu up with a snap of his jaws.
"Oh dear! Er Mao, how could you bully another dog?" Chen Cong's tone was a bit stern.
Er Mao looked a little wronged but still glared fiercely at Qiuqiu.
"It's okay, it's okay. Qiuqiu was being aggressive towards you just now. Er Mao was just protecting his owner."
Ye Jingzhi waved his hands quickly. Er Mao hadn't used much force, and Qiuqiu was just a bully at home.
"Uncle, Er Mao is very good. It's Qiuqiu who is misbehaving. Nuannuan apologizes to you." Nuannuan bravely stepped forward and petted Er Mao, who affectionately licked her hand.
"Ao~ (Cub, don't you love me anymore!)" Qiuqiu circled Nuannuan aggrievedly.
"Qiuqiu, you can't be mean to Uncle. Nuannuan will teach you a lesson," Nuannuan said sternly.
"Ao~ (I understand.)"
"Then shall we give it a try?" Ye Jingzhi was quite tempted.
"Alright, Er Mao!"
"Woof!" Er Mao sat up straight on the ground, waiting for his owner's command.
"Take Qiuqiu for some exercise, understand?" Chen Cong pointed at Er Mao, then at Qiuqiu, and mimed throwing a frisbee.
"Woof!" Judging by Er Mao's expression, he understood.
"No problem, they'll get along quickly after a bit of adjustment," Chen Cong guaranteed.
For the next while, Qiuqiu was forced to chase the frisbee ahead, with Er Mao following close behind.
"Ao ao ao~ (Mad dog, stay away from me! Cub, save me!)"
"Woof woof woof!"
Er Mao chased relentlessly, still with energy to spare, his mouth wide open behind Qiuqiu, as if he would bite if Qiuqiu slowed down even a little.
"Go Qiuqiu! Qiuqiu, you're doing great!" Nuannuan cheered excitedly, watching the two dogs chase each other on the lawn.
After a few rounds, Qiuqiu completely collapsed on the ground, motionless, his tongue hanging out, panting heavily.
"Qiuqiu, we're going home, get up," Ye Jingzhi tugged at the leash, but Qiuqiu didn't budge.
"Qiuqiu, we're going home now!" Nuannuan came over and nudged his ear.
"Ao ao~ (I can't! You'll have to carry me back!)" Qiuqiu lay on the ground, moving his ears, but stubbornly refused to move.
"You're not expecting me to carry you back, are you? Do you even know how much you weigh now?" Ye Jingzhi asked incredulously.
"We've rested for half an hour, how can you still be panting like this?"
"Woof!" Er Mao walked over and barked fiercely.
Qiuqiu immediately stood up reflexively and shook himself.
"Heh, you're not afraid of me, but you're afraid of dogs. You're really something," Ye Jingzhi said in disbelief.
"Ao~ (This is called knowing when to quit!)"
"Hahaha! I told you my Er Mao is good at leading dogs! Let's call it a day then. I'm usually here every day, so you can find me here in the future."
Chen Cong walked over, patted Er Mao's head, and laughed heartily.
"Thanks, Brother Chen. We'll definitely be back."
Ye Jingzhi shook his hand, then took Nuannuan home. Qiuqiu followed behind him with a wronged expression, looking rather pitiful.
"Aowu~ (I really didn't want to come.)"
From then on, Qiuqiu began its grueling weight-loss journey, and inexplicably gained a playmate who was bullied by it every day.
Every day, a spectacular chase unfolded on the lawn.
"Ao ao ao~ (You damn dog, wait until I'm back and train for a couple of days, then we'll see if I can beat you.)"
"Woof woof woof!" Er Mao sprinted over from a distance, his movements agile.
"Ao~ (Don't think I'm scared of you!)" Qiuqiu bolted, shouting threats as he ran.
"Go Qiuqiu!" Nuannuan's encouraging voice followed.
"Ao ao ao~ (I was wrong, I was wrong!)"