Chapter Six: Where Is That Dog Barking From?

“Hey, alright!”

Uncle Lin responded with a nod. “Miss, would you like me to carry you over or would you prefer to walk?”

An’an pondered briefly with her limited little brain, then stretched out her hands toward Uncle Lin. “Carry me~”

Her soft, childlike voice dragged out the words, and those big, sparkling eyes looked up at him. Uncle Lin’s heart melted.

Carefully, Uncle Lin lifted An’an into his arms. Her soft touch felt almost boneless, as if he were holding a fluffy dough ball—soft and pliant, incredibly pleasant to the touch.

Because it was still hot and the sun was strong, Uncle Lin placed a small straw hat on An’an’s head. The hat was adorned with cartoon flowers, making it irresistibly cute.

An’an clearly adored the hat, repeatedly touching it with her hands. The little garden wasn’t particularly warm—perhaps due to the many trees and the artificial lake.

Once they reached the garden, An’an squirmed, wanting to get down. After stepping down, she didn’t run off but first said “Thank you” to Uncle Lin before toddling away on her short legs.

Uncle Lin clasped his chest dramatically on the spot. “Miss, you’re truly adorable! Why aren’t you my granddaughter?”

He stepped forward, closely following An’an.

An’an shuffled along, pausing occasionally to rest, until she reached the edge of the bushes. There, she crouched down, quietly staring into the foliage.

“Rustle, rustle—”

The bushes stirred twice. Uncle Lin was about to step forward and shield An’an when she suddenly lunged forward herself.

Uncle Lin: !!!

He hurriedly scooped An’an into his arms.

An’an still had a leaf blade clenched in her mouth, with one or two leaves stuck in her hair. She looked a bit dazed, caught off guard by Uncle Lin’s sudden embrace.

In her hand, she clutched a tuft of fine, soft white fur.

“Woof! Woof woof!”

“Ah!” Uncle Lin jumped in surprise, staring at the dog that had leapt out of the bushes barking at them. His mind briefly went blank.

Though the dog barked ferociously at them, it showed no signs of aggression. Uncle Lin dared not move suddenly, fearing the dog might perceive any motion as a provocation and come charging to bite.

However, Uncle Lin was puzzled—where had this dog come from? There were no dogs kept in the villa.

An’an watched the incessantly barking white dog, clapping her hands happily.

“Doggy, doggy, doggy.”

“Oh my goodness, Miss, I dare not let you down now.”

Uncle Lin adjusted his hold on An’an, embracing her a little tighter but carefully not to make her uncomfortable.

Though the dog was small, it was a bit large for An’an.

Uncle Lin couldn’t tell what breed the dog was, but its bark was strong, and its fur smooth and glossy. It bore no collar, yet it was clearly not a stray—it looked too well-fed.

Indeed, the dog was fat. Absurdly fat.

Its round belly and stubby legs were almost negligible under its plump figure. Coupled with its fluffy fur, it resembled a puffed-up plush toy.

Uncle Lin had never seen such a chubby dog before.

When the dog finally stopped barking at them, Uncle Lin cautiously spoke, “We’ll bring you some food shortly, but for now, can you let us leave?”

“If you agree, bark once; if not, bark twice.”

Before Uncle Lin finished, the now-quiet dog barked furiously at them.

Uncle Lin: Thank you.

With no other choice, Uncle Lin just held onto An’an and waited.

An’an said, “No.”

The dog barked, “Woof!”

An’an: “Not.”

The dog responded with a series of barks.

An’an: “Oh?”

Watching the back-and-forth like a conversation between his little miss and the dog, Uncle Lin couldn’t help but soften. “Miss An’an, are you talking to the dog?”

An’an nodded. “Yes!”

“An’an tells the dog ‘no,’ the dog tells An’an ‘no.’ When An’an doesn’t say ‘no,’ the dog gives lots of flowers afterward.”

Uncle Lin: ?? Hmm? I’m joking, but are you serious?

Trying again, Uncle Lin asked tentatively, “Miss An’an, can you please negotiate with the dog so we can leave?”

An’an’s big eyes widened with confusion: “Leave?”

Uncle Lin: “Yes, to go.”

An’an suddenly understood: “Oh~ okay!”

The dog barked, “Woof~”

An’an clapped her hands. “Tickle, Grandpa, put An’an down.”

After confirming the dog wouldn’t harm An’an, Uncle Lin carefully set her down, always keeping his arms around her.

An’an crouched, looking up at the dog. “Good!”

The dog barked back. “Woof!”

“Good!” An’an squinted her eyes, giggling.

The dog stepped forward, pressing close to An’an, but she couldn’t quite handle it and nearly fell back. Uncle Lin’s quick reflexes saved her by steadying her back, preventing her from toppling over.

An’an seemed to think they were playing, reaching out to pat the dog. “Play!”

She said it clearly and confidently.

Uncle Lin sighed, holding his forehead. “My silly little miss…”

The dog nudged her again but controlled its strength this time, so An’an didn’t fall back.

The pair played happily together. After ensuring the dog was safe with An’an, Uncle Lin called over a maid to keep her company while he went to prepare a bottle of milk formula.

Before leaving, the master reminded Uncle Lin not to forget to give An’an a bottle soon, as children get hungry quickly.

When Uncle Lin returned with the milk, he found his little miss sprawled on the dog, laughing.

The maid watching over An’an smiled indulgently, holding her face in her hands—just like the amused, affectionate smile of an auntie one might see online.

Uncle Lin hurried over and lifted An’an up. “Miss An’an, do you want some milk? Let’s drink first, then play with the dog again, okay?”

An’an nodded. “Okay! Thank you, Grandpa.”

She hugged the bottle with both hands and drank seriously.

The dog watched her drink, then leaned in again, its nose sniffing at the bottle, twitching as if to taste the milk.

At this moment, An’an wasn’t keen on cuddling and turned her body away to avoid the dog’s advances.

Feeling crowded, she stomped her little foot. “Don’t squeeze An’an! Doggie’s bad!”

The dog tilted its head, looking at her, then stopped pressing in.

Thanks to this, An’an was able to finish her milk peacefully.

The sun was warm outside, and after a while, An’an’s forehead was sweating and her rosy cheeks flushed from the sun.

She finished the bottle quickly.

After playing a bit more, An’an wanted to leave but was reluctant to say goodbye to the dog. She looked at Uncle Lin and asked, “Doggy, carry?”

Uncle Lin hesitated but didn’t want to disappoint her. “How about we take the dog to get a bath and a checkup first? Okay?”

An’an nodded happily. “Okay!”

After making arrangements, Uncle Lin sent a message to the homeowners’ group, saying a dog had wandered into their property and attaching a photo, so the owner could come claim it.

That evening, when Lu Jinqiao returned home, he heard loud barking before even stepping inside.

Lu Jinqiao: Hmm? Where’s that dog barking coming from?