Baroque, on this festive day, had also dressed up to come over. Despite its old age, it was dressed very cool.
Upon entering, it shook its small body, smelling fragrant and groomed.
Lifting its paws, its nails were also trimmed.
Opening its mouth, it had rinsed with water.
The big black dog was wearing a custom-made blue outfit, which was both lightweight and warm. It had on a pair of black sunglasses, a yellow hat on its head, and a gold necklace around its neck...
Although tacky, this was fitting for the foolish dog of the landlord...
After showcasing its attire for the year, the big black dog wagged its tail with joy. Though not professionally, it exuded a festive spirit, making everyone in the living room burst into laughter, with Norman Zi Yue even laughing until tears streamed down her face.
Even someone as cool-tempered as Jian You couldn't help but curve her lips, and the curve grew wider and wider. For some reason, she really liked this dog, liking it from the very first meeting.
If only... she could have one too. The old man didn't let her get close to people, but if she was with a dog, he wouldn't object, would he?
However, Jian You's rare beautiful thought could only remain a dream, because the old man didn't allow pets...
"Alright, alright, Baroque, stop jumping. You must be tired, come here and rest."
Jian You thought the first person to express concern would be the gentle madam, but unexpectedly it was the old lady. She seemed to genuinely like the dog.
This struck her as odd. The old lady didn't seem like a very compassionate person, or rather, she didn't seem like someone who would like animals. It was all this dog's fault; she had been too focused on watching it.
But it was still jumping, happier than everyone else in the living room. Whether it was truly happy or just trying to make them happy was unclear.
"The old lady doesn't like dogs, but this dog is one that Duoduo really likes. Since then, she has doted on this dog more than any of us."
Norman Nis saw the confusion in Jian You's eyes and leaned closer, explaining in a low voice. For some reason, he wanted to tell her this, even though it was his daughter's dog, and he hadn't even given it to Zi Yue.
So that was it. Jian You understood instantly.
But their daughter was named Duoduo? How unpleasant. How could they give such an unpleasant name? Even when Norman Zi Yue called her sister many times, Jian You corrected her countless times before giving up. This was also one of the rare occasions she had spoken so much to someone repeatedly.
"Why is she called Duoduo?"
Jian You couldn't help but ask. It was just too... lacking in presence. Her own name, Jian Da, was quite good.
Norman Nis's eyes instantly deepened, as if lost in some sweet yet heavy memory...
"Because she... was warm and heartwarming like the lamp above our heads when she was little. Do you know how happy she smiled? She never had any worries. Even when she was hungry or uncomfortable, she wouldn't cry. She would tell us through her actions, very smart and cute."
After a moment, he continued, his voice seeming to come from afar, "The first thing she learned to do was smile. She was still very small then, not even as tall as my arm, yet she smiled brighter than a flower..."
Perhaps because everyone else was happy, she was infected and started smiling too, and never stopped since.
Jian You could see that everyone loved this child dearly. They must have been in immense pain at the time, but why did she feel a slight heaviness in her heart, and an unspeakable discomfort?
Was it because she had been interacting with them for so long that she had developed feelings? However, the word "feelings" was very foreign to her.
When she was in City A, she would ask the old man about people she couldn't understand. But he always said others were different from her. It was only after being out for a while that Jian You realized it wasn't that others were different from her; it was she who was very unconventional.
She hadn't felt anything wrong with it before, but now she disliked this aspect of herself. She yearned for the way they lived, to be flesh and blood, a living being, rather than being so dull like her.
Just as both were lost in their thoughts, the big black dog, ending its performance with a "woof," finally stopped. It wagged its tail cheerfully, seeking praise everywhere.
First, it went to the old lady and the old gentleman, then to the father and mother, Norman Nis and Yao Qian Ya. Each of them had also prepared a gift for it. Don't be fooled by its being a dog; it was richer than many people!
If anyone could compare to Norman Zi Yue, it had to be Baroque.
Overwhelmed by gifts, Baroque, holding them in its mouth one by one, wagged its tail and placed them on the sofa. Then it continued to the next person. Norman Zi Yue smiled and handed it a precious collectible she had gathered.
"Happy New Year, Baroque!"
"Woof!" Happy to you all.
Baroque once again became a porter. However, while holding something, it suddenly felt that something was wrong. Was there an extra person in the room? It was all because this dog was too happy today and hadn't noticed...
Hearing impaired, smell impaired, sight completely lost...
"Woof!"
After a dramatic internal monologue, Baroque suddenly turned and stared fiercely at the unfamiliar woman with bared fangs. This woman carried a dark aura and looked like she wasn't a good person.
So Baroque just glanced at her, and before its owner could react, it pounced, opening its mouth wide.
Norman Nis reacted the fastest, his expression changing instantly. He lunged forward to grab Baroque, but Baroque had already bitten Jian You. His face darkened, and he roared, "Let go!"
But Baroque held onto Jian You and refused to release its bite.
However, if one looked closely, Baroque's eyes changed rapidly, from fierce to stunned, then confused, and finally ecstatic, all within a few seconds.
Even as Baroque realized what it was doing, it still didn't let go, lying foolishly on the woman until...
"Bang~"
"Ouch~~" Why does my head hurt? Who hit me? Who hit me?! Hit me if you want, but don't let go!
Only then did Baroque realize it hadn't let go. But it had to hold onto its little master tightly; it couldn't lose her again, so it would never let go, even if beaten to death!
"Baroque! Come here!"
Norman Nis was furious and shouted sternly, but...
Won't go, won't go...
Baroque remained motionless. This worried everyone immensely. What if Jian You was bitten and injured?
At the same time, they were very puzzled. Baroque had always been obedient and very loyal. Now it seemed completely different, something that had never happened in all these years, not even listening to Aman.
"Someone! Get the..."
Norman Nis was really about to order someone to get a weapon. It wasn't an exaggeration; Baroque had never been hit before, so Norman Nis felt immense heartache saying this, but if it didn't listen, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't just let it be.
"Aman, talk to Baroque properly..."
While he could be ruthless, Yao Qian Ya couldn't. Hurting the dog pained her more than being hit. That slap earlier had unsettled her deeply.
"Exactly. Baroque has always disliked unfamiliar presences, so losing control is normal. Talk to it properly, and it will listen!"
The old lady also joined the persuasion. She couldn't just stand by and watch the situation escalate.
Norman Nis scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on Baroque, which was still biting Jian You. He knew how smart this fellow was; it was clearly doing this on purpose. If it wasn't disciplined, it would do something even more outrageous next time!
Just as he was about to speak, Jian You, who had been silent all along, suddenly said, "Let go first."