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She expanded the original gym, added an audiovisual room, and installed several punching bags. Now, her gym was fully equipped with all sorts of facilities, providing enough space for her to practice boxing.

After a vigorous hour-long workout and a shower, Xiang Changge headed to the main house, feeling full of energy.

Just as she walked outside the villa's main entrance with her umbrella, she saw a slender girl with long, dark hair hanging down standing on the white-gold tiled floor inside. The girl was looking down slightly, her gaze soft as she watched the little white puppy in front of her, whose head was buried deep in a white porcelain bowl as it slurped up goat milk.

A rare sight indeed.

At this hour, it was truly unusual to see Yu Qing on the first floor.

Seeming to hear a sound, Yu Qing looked up toward the entrance.

Mist and rain unfolded behind the person arriving. Beneath the black umbrella, a pair of light-colored eyes seemed to carry an inexplicable hue as they landed on her.

By the time Yu Qing wanted to look more closely, the other person had already lowered her gaze to look at the little white puppy, whose belly was now round and full.

"Good morning, Miss."

The voice was flat and steady, slightly husky, yet carried a hint of allure.

Yu Qing nodded and replied, "Morning."

Yesterday, she had spent the day painting and playing the piano with Yao Ningran, so she hadn't slept at all. In the evening, she had waited until past ten o'clock for the runaway steward to return.

By the time she finally lay down, she didn't even know when she had drifted off to sleep.

Waking up groggily in the early hours, she had expected to be unable to fall back asleep as usual, but when she opened her eyes, she found the little puppy still sleeping soundly nearby.

She watched it for a while and then, inexplicably, drifted back to sleep.

When she woke up again, it was already six-thirty in the morning.

Thinking the puppy might be hungry, she didn't linger in bed. After washing up, she brought the puppy downstairs and waited for the housekeeper to prepare some goat milk for it.

No one in the house usually drank goat milk, so this had been specially purchased for the puppy.

Patting the puppy's firm, watermelon-like belly, Yu Qing suddenly said as Xiang Changge walked up to her, "I agree to what you said the day before yesterday about turning the golf course into a pasture."

"You were right; leaving the course unused is just a waste."

"If we raise cows and goats, Xigua will be able to drink fresh milk every day."

Xiang Changge: "..."

She looked with a complex expression at the system-dog, which had already finished a bowl of goat milk and was licking the milk stains from the corners of its mouth. For the first time, she truly understood what it meant to be "pampered by one's master."

When she had mentioned it to Yu Qing two days ago, Yu Qing had looked at her as if she were witnessing some kind of moral decay.

How long had it been?

In just one night, the system-dog had captured its master's heart to the point where she was willing to convert a golf course into a pasture just so it could have fresh milk every day!

Xiang Changge closed her eyes to steady her emotions and snorted coldly at the system, which was currently shouting in her mind with emotion, "Baby Yu Qing, you're so kind! Tongtong wants to be your puppy for a hundred lifetimes!"

"I never realized you were so manipulative."

System: "..."

Why did that not sound like a compliment?

"Understood."

Xiang Changge put on an emotionless smile and said to Yu Qing, "Since the puppy is full, Miss, you should go have your breakfast too."

"By the way, the puppy is quite full, so please remember not to leave any leftovers for it."

Yu Qing: "..."

Why was she being sarcastic the moment she opened her mouth?

Puppies were truly the most adorable things in the world—a fluffy ball with big, bright black eyes and pink paw pads. They were soft and bouncy in one's hands, so much fun to play with.

Yu Qing spent the whole morning playing with the puppy. Even when Xiang Changge wasn't right in front of the system-dog, she could hear it howling in her mind.

Finally, after Xiang Changge threatened to send it to guard the gate at the foot of the mountain if it kept making weird noises, the system indignantly blocked its own voice from her, and Xiang Changge finally enjoyed a moment of peace.

After lunch, Ge Bufan arrived.

Seeing the new puppy, Ge Bufan also let out a strange cry, though it was one only Yu Qing could hear.

"Wow, a puppy! A cute puppy! Come here, let sister kiss you, let me pet you, let me pet you, hehehehe!"

Xigua shook its trembling little ears and dove into Yu Qing's arms in fear, refusing to come out for half an hour.

Ge Bufan could only sigh at the dog and join Yu Qing in making puppy treats.

Slicing chicken breast into long strips, wrapping them around carrots or apples, and baking them in the oven made for a nutritious snack perfect for a puppy.

After finishing, seeing that it was still early, Ge Bufan thought for a moment and then led Yu Qing to make some cranberry and blueberry-flavored nougat using marshmallows and milk powder.

Xiang Changge had been busy with the golf course project, but upon hearing that the two were making nougat, she timed her arrival perfectly to enter the kitchen, which was filled with a sweet aroma.

Aside from the candy she let Ge Bufan take away, she set aside one piece of each flavor for Yu Qing and then packed up all the rest.

Steward Xiang had said at the time: "Miss, candy is too high in calories; you shouldn't eat too much."

Yu Qing already didn't like to eat much, and with her low activity levels, eating more sugar would only give her excess energy, making her even less inclined to eat proper meals.

Xiang Changge still had the task of ensuring the other party ate three meals a day on time; she was simply looking out for her employer, not because she thought the nougat tasted good.

After Xiang Changge left, the kitchen felt a bit too quiet, so Ge Bufan hurriedly searched for a topic to break the silence.

She sighed, remarking that even though Steward Xiang wasn't by their side, she was as sharp-eyed and well-informed as if she had installed real-time surveillance on them, and she was incredibly responsible to boot.

Finally, she steered the conversation toward how lucky Yu Qing was to have hired such a responsible steward. She made sure to spread the praise around, complimenting both of them in turn.

Yu Qing listened in silence, looking at the last two pieces of nougat in her hand, wanting to say something but holding back.

For some reason, she had a sinking feeling that those candies would never find their way back to her.

She had made those candies herself, and she had wanted to eat a few more.

Chu Keke arrived the next day. Ge Bufan had spent the entire previous afternoon helping Yu Qing make puppy treats and nougat, and since Yu Qing was likely exhausted, she refused to do anything at all today.

Xiang Changge called Chu Keke over, asking her to analyze foreign novels for Yu Qing, who was lounging lazily against the sofa.

And so, on a gray, rainy day, Yu Qing sat on the comfortable sofa, cradling the soft-furred puppy while listening to Chu Keke read stories.

Whenever she felt a bit sleepy, the puppy in her arms would activate its puppy skills, licking her wrist or nudging her with its head.

Thinking it needed to use the bathroom, Yu Qing would get up to take it out.

In the two days since she'd had the puppy, Yu Qing's daily routine had become a bit more regular.

That night, the system hopped around in Xiang Changge's mind, feeling smug: "Yes, our puppy really can save the world."

Xiang Changge felt like it was doomed; it had truly started to think of itself as a puppy.

When Chu Keke first arrived, she had wanted to talk to Xiang Changge about what happened after that night, but Xiang Changge had been busy buying cows, sheep, and pasture grass, so Chu Keke never found the chance.

It wasn't until the third day, when the rain stopped and the sky cleared up significantly, that Xiang Changge had some free time. Sensing that the novelty of the puppy had worn off slightly for Yu Qing, she thought about calling all three of them over for a barbecue in the garden, or perhaps to do something equally meaningless.

Yu Qing did not refuse.

However, in the morning, before the trio of temporary workers could arrive, someone else showed up first.

It was Zhou Jiayi, the former special assistant to Yu Qing's parents.

As Xiang Changge led Zhou Jiayi into the parlor, Zhou Jiayi kept eyeing Xiang Changge's back as he followed her.

Xiang Changge noticed, but she didn't say anything.

This time, she didn't make Zhou Jiayi wait too long; after the special assistant had been sitting in the parlor for about ten minutes, Yu Qing walked in.

She was as unadorned as ever, though perhaps it was just his imagination, but Zhou Jiayi felt that Yu Qing's spirits seemed much better than before.

What was even more unique was that as she walked over, a fluffy White Tusong followed closely at her heels.

The puppy was of excellent quality, wearing a pink-and-white bib with a small strawberry pattern around its neck. Its tawny ears twitched as it walked, so cute that even Zhou Jiayi couldn't help but take a few extra looks.

"When did you get a puppy, Miss Yu? It's truly adorable," he complimented.

Yu Qing replied in a cold, indifferent tone: "Just these past two days."

Xiang Changge calmly had the housekeeper serve Zhou Jiayi a cup of tea. Seeing her standing by Yu Qing's side, Zhou Jiayi asked a question he already knew the answer to: "And who is this?"

"My steward, Xiang Changge."

Yu Qing kept her eyes on the puppy circling her feet, her attitude toward Zhou Jiayi quite casual.

Zhou Jiayi didn't mind; or rather, he was already used to it.

"So it's Steward Xiang. Nice to meet you," Zhou Jiayi said with a smile, greeting Xiang Changge.

Xiang Changge nodded without saying a word.

Zhou Jiayi wanted to say something more, but facing these two equally taciturn people, he felt that no matter how much he said, it would be of no use.