The Pope Only Paid for Everyone's Dinner

By the evening of the third day, before Bibi Dong had even entered, Absol had already walked to the three-step rug.

It sniffed the wind from outside and did not turn toward the kitchen.

"Have you eaten today?" Yue Guan asked.

"I ate dinner before coming," Bibi Dong said.

Absol stepped aside to clear the entrance.

Xia Che leaned behind the counter. "It already checked."

Bibi Dong looked at him. "You need to check too?"

"I can't smell it."

"Then ask less."

She sat in the chair she had used the previous two days. The backrest had been replaced, and the metal clasp hidden in the lining had been removed. Absol circled the chair legs once and finally found no new problems.

Pancham breathed a sigh of relief nearby.

It had inspected the place six times over the past two days. If something went wrong again, its dignity as gatekeeper would be ruined.

Indeedee placed a long box on the table. Inside were a soft-bristled brush, a wide-toothed comb, paw-care cloth, and several cleaning sponges of different hardness.

"What are we doing today?" Bibi Dong asked.

"Brushing fur," Xia Che said.

"I have been here for three days, and my first official arrangement is brushing fur?"

Absol lowered its head and looked at the long white fur hanging along its side.

It had walked through the rain the day before yesterday, and the tips of its fur had picked up a little dust. It had already cleaned most of it itself, but two strands near its back were still tangled together.

"You can also watch it brush itself."

"It can't reach."

"So we saved it for you."

Yue Guan lifted his teacup, hiding the corner of his mouth.

Bibi Dong picked up the hardest comb.

Absol's ears twitched, and it backed away half a step.

She switched to the wide-toothed comb.

It did not retreat again, but neither did it come closer.

Indeedee took out the soft-bristled brush, brushed it across the back of her hand first, then handed it over.

Bibi Dong accepted it. She did not call Absol over, merely laid the brush in her palm and let it smell it on its own.

Absol circled halfway around her, then stopped sideways and exposed the tangled side.

The first stroke was very light.

The white fur was not tugged, and Absol did not dodge.

For the second stroke, Bibi Dong slowly smoothed the fur in its natural direction. When she reached the knot, she separated it with her fingertips first, then carefully cleaned away the dust bit by bit.

The front hall was unusually quiet.

Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena returned from training. Seeing the scene, none of them spoke first.

Magby, however, did not understand the mood. It ran to the table, stared at the box full of combs for a while, then picked one up and shoved it into Yan's hand.

Yan looked down. "You don't have fur."

Magby pointed at its belly.

"That doesn't need combing either."

Rotom flew past from the side. "Scan conclusion remains: no fur brushing needed, Roto."

Hu Liena finally laughed.

The brush in Bibi Dong's hand did not stop, but her gaze swept toward Yan. "Is there writing on the back of your schedule again?"

"Not anymore."

Xie Yue added, "There wasn't any today."

"You didn't have to say that," Yan said.

"Teacher asked."

Absol's white fur was quickly smoothed out. When Bibi Dong set down the brush, it did not leave immediately. Instead, it lay beside the chair, keeping its freshly groomed side off the ground.

Indeedee drew a tiny green comb on the meeting card.

"That counts as passing?" Bibi Dong asked.

"It was willing to let you get close. That counts," Xia Che said.

"What comes next?"

"See what it wants to do."

Absol raised its head and looked toward the outer robe she had placed on the counter when she arrived.

The loose decorative button had already been sewn back on. The stitches were firm, and a layer of soft cloth had been added beneath it so it would not tear off easily again.

"Indeedee repaired it?" Bibi Dong asked.

"Hu Liena did."

Hu Liena froze for a moment. "Teacher, I only helped thread the needle."

Indeedee turned the stitching toward her.

The neatest final two stitches had indeed been sewn by Hu Liena.

Bibi Dong looked it over without saying much, then draped the outer robe over herself again.

Absol sniffed the repaired spot and finally stopped staring at the button.

Since they might be going to the Papal Hall tomorrow, Indeedee prepared a set of supplies for a short outing.

A shallow water bowl, a folded soft mat, a small bag of Berries, cleaning cloths, and a thin rain cape to protect its long fur were all laid out on the table.

Bibi Dong looked them over. "The Papal Hall has all of these."

"Does it have a water bowl too?" Xia Che asked.

"We can have someone prepare one."

"How deep?"

Bibi Dong paused.

The Papal Hall certainly did not lack bowls, but no one had ever measured how deep one needed to be for Absol to lower its head and drink comfortably.

Indeedee pushed the shallow bowl forward. Absol tried lowering its head into it. The rim did not bump against the curve of its muzzle, and the size was just right.

"Take this one," Bibi Dong said.

Yue Guan selected a gold-trimmed soft mat from the supply catalog nearby. "This would be more suitable for the Papal Hall."

Absol stepped on it twice, then immediately walked away.

Indeedee placed another plain dark-gray soft mat down.

It lay on top of that one.

Yue Guan looked at the gold-trimmed mat he had chosen. "The material is clearly the same."

"The pattern is too bright," Ghost said.

"And you know that?"

"It chose the dark one."

Bibi Dong did not insist on replacing it with the more expensive mat. She merely had Indeedee fold up the gray one.

Last came a lightweight travel bag.

While everyone was focused on the water bowl, Zorua had already quietly slipped inside. It used an illusion to make the opening look empty, but its real black tail still stuck out, swaying against the table leg.

Absol walked over and pressed the tip of the tail beneath its front paw.

A startled cry came from inside the travel bag.

Zorua dropped its illusion and poked its head out of the bag, its entire face asking how it had been discovered again.

"Smell," Hu Liena reminded it.

The little fox sighed and climbed out on its own.

Only then did Absol sniff the travel bag, confirm there was not a second Zorua inside, and nod in acceptance.

Bibi Dong set the selected items aside. There were not many things, nor were they expensive. What truly needed to be prepared beforehand was only a suitable bowl and a mat that would not strain the eyes.

At the end of the meeting, Indeedee placed the bill on the table.

Three days' worth of Berries, grooming supplies, tea, and the soft cloth used to repair the button were all listed clearly. The total was not much, and Bibi Dong could settle it with a casual payment.

Yue Guan glanced at it. "My tea is on there too?"

"You drank six cups," Xia Che said.

"Six cups across three days is not much."

Hearing that, Yan immediately took out another slip of paper. "Since we're settling it together, can I include half the cost of my fireproof mat too?"

"No," Bibi Dong said.

Xie Yue pressed Yan's paper back down. "I told you already."

Ghost spoke from beside the wall. "I only had two cups of tea."

"You want to include yours too?" Yue Guan asked.

"I am stating a fact."

Bibi Dong looked at the people around the table, then suddenly asked, "How much is dinner tonight?"

Xia Che quoted a number.

She placed the meeting fees and dinner money together on the counter. "I will pay for the combs, tea, button, and tonight's meal. The training mats, sharpening stones, and whatever each of you takes away, pay for yourselves."

Yan put away his bill.

Quite pleased, Yue Guan poured himself a seventh cup of tea.

Indeedee soon brought out dinner. Bibi Dong had already eaten, so she only asked for a small dish of fruit slices. Hu Liena and the other two sat down with their partners, Ghost's bowl was placed in its usual spot by the wall, and Absol lay beside Bibi Dong's chair.

After Yue Guan finished eating, he pushed an empty lunch box toward Indeedee. "Are there any Berry pastries left?"

"You want to take them away?" Ghost asked.

"To eat if I get hungry tonight."

Indeedee packed half a box and attached another small bill.

Yue Guan looked at Bibi Dong.

"Pay for it yourself," Bibi Dong said.

He had no choice but to take out money.

Seeing the lunch box, Zorua brought over its own little bag, wanting a portion too. Indeedee reminded it that there was still food on its plate, so Zorua used an illusion to make the empty plate appear piled high, attempting to prove that it was another fox's dinner.

Absol looked at it, then at the plate that was actually giving off a delicious scent.

Zorua held out for two breaths before dismissing the illusion itself.

In the end, Indeedee packed two small pieces for it on the condition that it finish its proper breakfast tomorrow.

Zorua hugged its little bag and nodded repeatedly.

Watching the round of bargaining at the table, Bibi Dong suddenly understood why Xia Che was only willing to let her pay for tonight's dinner. If takeaway snacks were included too, Yue Guan and Zorua would empty out tomorrow's portions as well.

Once Xia Che got his food, the first thing he asked was, "Coming again tomorrow?"

"There is business at the Papal Hall tomorrow evening."

Absol's ears twitched softly.

Bibi Dong looked at it. "Would you be willing to stay there for half an hour?"

She did not call it an order, nor did she have Ghost make arrangements in advance.

Absol stood up and walked to the coat rack where the outer robe hung. It touched the newly sewn button with its nose, then turned toward the door.

"Looks like it is willing," Yue Guan said.

"I will come pick you up tomorrow."

Xia Che swallowed his mouthful of food. "Remember to eat dinner first."

Bibi Dong ignored him.

But Absol looked back at her.

"I will eat," she added.

The carriage outside had been waiting for quite some time.

Bibi Dong put on her outer robe, and Absol walked her to the threshold without following her into the carriage. It returned to the three-step rug and watched the carriage lamps turn out of the street before lowering its head to lick the long fur that had just been combed smooth.

Standing beside the carriage, Yue Guan sighed. "It is already willing to see you to the door after three days. Things are going well."

Before getting into the carriage, Bibi Dong looked back. "Tomorrow is only half an hour."

Xia Che was already clearing the bowls. "If it takes too long, it will come back by itself."

Absol raised its head as if it had heard him.

Bibi Dong glanced at it once more before finally lowering the carriage curtain.