C14 The New Talent Sharing Two

"Thank you, my name is Chu Menghan."

Her response was directed at Hsu Xiaoyue, but her gaze lingered on Liu Xu, clearly harboring other intentions.

Noticing Liu Xu's lack of response, she fidgeted with her fingers, visibly downcast.

Truth be told, Chu Menghan felt quite aggrieved.

After Liu Xu had helped rescue the child, she went home with a heart fluttering with emotion. Yet, she found herself listless, unable to focus on anything but Liu Xu's image haunting her thoughts.

It had taken considerable resolve to decide to see him, even fabricating an excuse about buying a pet to be closer to him. But Liu Xu seemed ungrateful, even chiding her, which left her, a young lady accustomed to others' compliance, rather discontented.

I've gone to all this trouble, can't you at least acknowledge it? He's such a blockhead!

She brooded in self-pity.

Hsu Xiaoyue, being perceptive and a woman herself, noticed Chu Menghan's mood shift. Though the cause was unclear, it undoubtedly involved Liu Xu.

Seeing Liu Xu's aloof demeanor, Xiaoyue swiftly steered the conversation elsewhere: "How about we take a look at the pets first? Miss Chu, what kind of pet are you considering?"

"I'll raise whatever he suggests," Chu Menghan stated frankly.

Xiaoyue paused, taken aback, then subtly nudged Liu Xu's calf with her foot, urging him to speak.

Why is this coming back to me? I'm not the one wanting a pet!

Liu Xu was at a loss for words. He was about to refuse when a thought stopped him; he reconsidered and finally spoke up, "Alright, I'll have a look."

He rose and made his way to the backyard. Addressing the pets, he announced, "Listen up, there's a wealthy beauty outside. Who's interested in going home with her?"

A peculiar hush fell over the pets. But it was short-lived. The Husky, whom Liu Xu had previously helped by changing its water, was the first to respond enthusiastically.

"Me, me, me! I'm tired of this cage. I want to live in luxury and feast on gourmet meals!"

The dog seemed overly eager, its barking both soulful and erratic—fluctuating between high and low pitches in a way that was unintentionally hilarious.

Chu Menghan, trailing behind Liu Xu, couldn't contain her laughter upon hearing it. She declared, "This dog is a riot. I'll take this one."

Hsu Xiaoyue, encountering such a decisive customer for the first time, was thrilled. She wasted no time in negotiating the price.

Before long, they had struck a deal.

Simultaneously, Liu Xu's phone buzzed with a system alert:

"You have successfully fulfilled a Husky's dream of 'marrying into wealth,' earning a Pet's Gratitude."

"Your tally of Pet's Gratitude has now reached ten, unlocking a hidden feature."

"The installation countdown for this feature begins now: 30 minutes."

Liu Xu hadn't anticipated that Pet's Gratitude could be collected repeatedly. He burst into laughter, his curiosity about the hidden feature growing uncontrollable.

After some effort, Chu Menghan finalized the transaction, and the Pet Shop could finally close for the day. Liu Xu bid farewell to his colleagues and hurried home.

What he didn't realize was that, moments after his departure, Hsu Xiaoyue, swayed by Chu Menghan's financial persuasion, had sold him out without a second thought, even providing Liu Xu's phone number left from his job registration.

...

Since Liu Xu's home was relatively close to the Pet Shop, it took him just twenty minutes to get there.

Not being a local, he lived in a modest room he'd found near University Town, chosen for its convenience to balance part-time work with his studies.