A full hour passed.
The moment that hour was up, several familiar text notifications popped up before Gu Qing's eyes.
[You have trained animals with your friend Liu Zhiyi for over an hour] [Beast Language Ability +1] [Beast Taming Skill +1] [Accumulate 100 points in Beast Taming Skill to obtain the attribute-Blood Essence Enslavement] [Current points obtained: 1]
PS: Holding out my bowl, begging for monthly votes and recommendation votes!
25, listening to animals
Beast Language Ability +1?
Beast Taming Skill +1?
Obtain the attribute-Blood Essence Enslavement?
What effect would this Blood Essence Enslavement have?
Control a target with my blood essence and turn them into my slave?
Gu Qing looked at the text before him, then at the [Beast Taming King] tag above Liu Zhiyi's head.
He thought to himself.
What Beast Taming King?
She's clearly a slave owner!
Just then.
Liu Zhiyi brought the little female cat over in her arms.
She said gently to Gu Qing:
"Here, try communicating with her through physical contact."
"Okay, I'll give it a try."
Gu Qing dismissed the text before him and turned his gaze to the little female cat in front of him.
The little cat was also looking up at him, letting out a few soft, sweet meows.
Gu Qing was just about to say how cutesy the little cat sounded.
The next second, a translucent text notification appeared before his eyes.
[Human, pretty, pet me]
Was this... what the little female cat in front of me meant by those meows?
I can understand animal calls now?
Just one point in Beast Language Ability had such an obvious effect.
If I add more in the future, won't I be able to hear animals' thoughts directly?
It might even upgrade further, evolving into the ability to transmit my voice to animals from a distance...
As he thought.
Gu Qing reached out and stroked the little female cat in front of him.
The little cat felt so good that she couldn't help meowing.
[Pet, feels good, pet, feels good...]
Looking at the text that had appeared before him again.
This time, Gu Qing could finally be certain that he really could understand animal calls.
At least he could understand this little female cat's calls.
Over the time that followed.
Gu Qing tried it with other animals too.
When he reached out to pick up a hamster, it struggled and squeaked nonstop:
[Human, so annoying, go away]
When he fed nuts to a squirrel, it was especially docile, never struggling no matter how he petted it, and even letting out a couple of little squeaks when the petting felt good:
[Human, beneficial insect, like]
After a round of testing.
Gu Qing reached a conclusion: he could understand the calls of any animal.
Liu Zhiyi followed him the entire time. Seeing that he could actually communicate effortlessly with every pet in the shop, she was filled with disbelief and couldn't help asking:
"Have you learned how to communicate with animals before?"
"No."
"Then how are you so good at it?"
"Didn't you just teach me, Sister Zhiyi?"
Gu Qing answered casually as he played with the little fox in front of him.
Liu Zhiyi looked as though she was questioning her entire life.
Wait, what?
I only just taught you a little theory, and you're already putting it into practice perfectly?
Then what did all my years of hard practice amount to?
At that moment.
Liu Zhiyi really did feel a little crushed.
She suddenly began to waver inwardly, feeling that perhaps she wasn't suited to making a living running a pet shop.
Meanwhile, Gu Qing had no idea that he had already shattered Liu Zhiyi's conviction.
He was still playing with the little fox with great interest, carefully experiencing his newly acquired Beast Language Ability.
Time ticked by.
Before he knew it.
Another hour had passed.
[You have trained animals with your friend Liu Zhiyi for over an hour] [Beast Language Ability +1] [Beast Taming Skill +1] [Accumulate 100 points in Beast Taming Skill to obtain the attribute-Blood Essence Enslavement] [Current points obtained: 2]
The instant the text appeared.
Gu Qing clearly felt both his Beast Language Ability and Beast Taming Skill grow stronger.
Previously, he had needed to be very close to an animal to understand its calls.
Now, even from several meters away, he could easily understand them.
The same went for his Beast Taming Skill.
Before, he had needed to pet an animal for quite a while to find its sweet spots.
Now, a casual stroke could make an animal cry out in pleasure, instantly winning it over.
"Qing, it's already five. Time to go home."
Seeing that it was about time, Gu Yao looked at her brother and reminded him.
Gu Qing checked the time. It was indeed five, so he stood up and said to Liu Zhiyi:
"Sister Zhiyi, my sister and I need to head home. We'll come visit your shop again."
"Oh, right, Sister Zhiyi, I don't think we're friends on WeChat yet. Let's add each other."
"If any of my friends want a pet in the future, I'll send them to your shop."
As he spoke, Gu Qing took out his phone, opened his WeChat QR code, and held it in front of Liu Zhiyi.
Seeing this, his sister beside him also took out her phone, opened her own QR code, and said:
"Sister Zhiyi, add me too. Quite a few girls in my class want pets. I'll share your WeChat with them when I get home later."
"Then let me thank you both in advance. If business picks up, I'll treat you to a meal."
Liu Zhiyi said this with a smile, then took out her phone to scan their codes and add them both on WeChat.
After leaving the pet shop.
Gu Qing was in an excellent mood.
With Liu Zhiyi's [Beast Taming King] tag.
He would have someone to farm attributes with even when he was home on break.
He would no longer have to sit around with nothing to do like before.
That evening.
The family of four sat around the dining table eating dinner.
Wen Wanyi looked at her son and casually brought up a topic:
"I heard from your sister that you ran into your high school English teacher today?"
"Yeah, she taught me English for a semester in my first year, but she quit teaching a long time ago. Now she's opened a pet shop across from our residential complex."
"Your first-year English teacher... she must be quite a bit older than you, then?"
"Probably six years older."
Gu Qing answered as he shoveled rice into his mouth.
Wen Wanyi frowned. "It's fine for a man to be six years older than a woman, but when the woman's six years older, I don't think you're a good match."
Gu Mingbo disagreed. "Son, I thought that English teacher of yours was very pretty. She's just right for that ridiculously handsome face of yours."
"And how does that saying go? A wife three years older brings a gold brick."
"You'd be getting two solid gold bricks. You have my support!"
"..."
Wen Wanyi hurriedly objected. "No, no, absolutely not!"
"I heard from Yaoyao that the woman used to come from a wealthy family. She didn't even value a secure teaching job and quit just like that."
"Even if her family's fallen on hard times now, she's still pampered to the bone. She definitely couldn't live an ordinary life. An ordinary family like ours can't afford to wait on her."
"..."
Gu Qing looked speechless. "Seriously, what are you two imagining? I just happened to catch up with my former English teacher and chatted a little. There was absolutely nothing else to it."
He had barely finished when his sister muttered beside him, "Keep pretending. You two were sitting awfully close in the shop earlier. You definitely have a thing for her."
The corner of Gu Qing's mouth twitched slightly, and he fired a threat straight back at her. "Yaoyao, you idiot, you wouldn't want your classmates finding out how you go to town picking at your feet, would you?"
At these words, Gu Yao instantly lost her nerve and hurriedly raised her hands in surrender. "I was wrong, I was wrong! I'll shut up right now and won't say another word. Please spare your little sister."
Just as the older brother went on the offensive, striking his little sister's weak spot and utterly routing her.
Their mother, Wen Wanyi, suddenly looked at the siblings and said gravely, "Do you two remember that drunk who attacked someone with a knife at the entrance to our complex?"
Before you continue