Ever since Big Yellow had eaten the Essence-Nourishing Pill, her whole demeanor had changed.
Now she lay by the entrance with her ears standing straight up, her nose twitching every so often and her eyes fixed on the mouth of the alley, as though she were constantly picking up signals Wen Ning couldn't sense.
At first, Wen Ning had been pleased. Those Merit points hadn't gone to waste—the Bathhouse's chief security guard was finally starting to look like a dog who cultivated.
Soon, he would have an amazing dog just like Erlang Shen.
But before long, Wen Ning realized something was wrong.
Big Yellow hadn't even worked security for two days before she started heading out.
Not occasionally, either. Every single day.
Each morning, when Wen Ning opened the doors, Big Yellow would make a show of lying by the entrance for a while and sniffing the fresh air. Then she would stand up, shake out her fur, and head toward the mouth of the alley.
Whenever Wen Ning asked where she was going, she always answered without looking back.
"Out for a walk."
Then she vanished in a flash.
At first, Wen Ning thought she was attending a delegate meeting of the Woof Patrol. That had happened before, after all.
Besides, with Big Golden Retriever gone, the Woof Patrol really did need a dog to oversee its affairs.
But he checked the alley behind the market several times. Husky-Corgi Mix was dozing beside a trash can, Old Limp was sunbathing in the usual spot, and the black-backed shepherd was chasing a sparrow at the other end of the alley. There was no sign whatsoever of a Woof Patrol meeting.
Standing at the entrance, Wen Ning began seriously considering Big Yellow's recent movements.
She left early and came back late