After Being Entangled By A Weak And Sweet Little Fox - Chapter 1

Dark clouds pressed down outside the window, and the air was thick with muggy dampness. S City’s summer was always plagued by continuous, uncomfortable rain showers.

Qiao Jiao sat at the clinic’s front desk, turning her pen and watching the bluestone pavement outside the door slowly become saturated by raindrops. She turned her head and switched the television to the news channel.

With such heavy rain, no one would bring their pets to the clinic, which meant she had three hours of work time to use freely.

The news channel was unchanging every time she turned it on, it was the same face giving a hypocritical speech or announcing new protective regulations for Beast-Humans.

“The Beast-Human Protection Association, following its ninth representative meeting, proposes that as citizens of S City, the abandonment of pets adopted under a signed agreement is strictly prohibited. Violators will face severe penalties…”

“Sister Qiao, watching the news again?” After only a moment, Qiao Afu came out, wagging his tail. “Every time I see Liu Zhongxin’s face, I just feel like that guy is shady.”

“Why do you feel that way?” Qiao Jiao raised an eyebrow, looking at Qiao Afu, feeling a little curious.

As an orphan, she had started from the bottom and worked her way up to this position in this society where humans and Beast-Humans coexisted. Along the way, she had witnessed countless methods used by the upper echelons to deal with Beast-Humans. She was well aware that beneath this harmonious society lay countless dark secrets.

But that was just for her. It wasn’t surprising for a woman nearing thirty to see through society, but Qiao Afu had just turned twenty. Why did he also dislike the upper management?

Qiao Afu merely pursed his lips, his exposed ears drooping slightly. “They only talk a good game. When Beast-Humans are genuinely in trouble, you never see them come to the rescue.”

With that, Qiao Afu looked at Qiao Jiao, his small tail wagging again. “If I could, I’d nominate you to be the president, Sister Qiao! You are the one who truly cares about us Beast-Humans. We all like you!”

Qiao Jiao was stunned for a moment, then she curved her lips and refused. “I won’t do it. Too much trouble.” She then looked back at the TV screen.

The newly announced regulation had already been incorporated into the legal text. Liu Zhongxin, the president of the Beast-Human Protection Association, smiled with a completely harmless expression. He would likely gain countless followers after today, and countless simple and naive Beast-Humans would trust him again.

She let out a scoff. Outside, a sudden, booming clap of thunder sounded, as if even the heavens couldn’t bear the hypocrisy of these people.

But at the end of the day, she was just a small time citizen. Even if she saw many things clearly, she couldn’t stop others from supporting those people. She turned off the television and began tidying the front desk. Qiao Jiao looked out the window again.

The rain was still pouring down and didn’t look like it would stop anytime soon. Bored, she scrolled through her phone. The announcement of the new regulation had indeed led most Beast-Humans to praise Liu Zhongxin online.

However, there were a few dissenting voices, but they vanished within a few minutes.

Can’t handle the truth. Qiao Jiao turned off her phone and lay down on the front desk, closing her eyes. The comfortable temperature and familiar scent of the clinic allowed her to relax and drift into a dream.

The dream was not pleasant. Perhaps because she had seen Liu Zhongxin’s face a second earlier, she was back in the orphanage, living with those pets and Beast-Humans who had been abandoned since birth.

She saw countless companions who were adopted and then sent back, and heard countless suppressed cries of sorrow, eventually turning her into the numb Qiao Jiao.

“Doctor! Is there a doctor! Save my child!”

In a haze, Qiao Jiao heard someone push the door open with a great deal of noise. Coming to her senses, she quickly woke up, stood up, and pushed the mobile hospital bed forward to meet them.

It was a couple who looked extremely anxious, bringing a dying large dog to her clinic.

Running a pet clinic meant encountering all sorts of people. Most people treated their pets well, but there were also some who were unworthy of being called owners.

The couple in front of her seemed genuinely distressed, which gave Qiao Jiao a good impression of them.

“Afu, come with me to the examination room to check on the patient. The two of you, please have a seat by the door and don’t worry. We will do our best to save him.” After summoning Afu to help push the large dog into the examination room, Qiao Jiao performed a detailed check-up.

The more she checked, the more her brow furrowed.

“Sister Qiao, there’s a lot of undigested food in his stomach. Is that what’s causing his digestive system problems?” Qiao Afu also noticed the issue and looked at Qiao Jiao, confused.

Logically, this large dog was adopted by this couple, and before adoption, there would have been various instructions to help the adopters better raise the pet. But why hadn’t the couple noticed the accumulation of so much food in the pet’s stomach?

“The initial diagnosis suggests that is the reason. He shouldn’t be a typical dog breed. Let’s run a further check.” Qiao Jiao nodded and performed a full set of tests before finding the problem. “A hybrid of a wolf and a hound… the food in his stomach is unsuitable for wolf breeds to consume in excess. We have to operate to remove it.”

“Ah? A Wolfdog? Did they not know their pet was a Wolfdog? How could they feed him so many vegetables and processed foods?” Qiao Afu looked at the Wolfdog on the bed, who was struggling to breathe, feeling a pang of sympathy.

This was also Qiao Jiao’s thought. They were clearly so distraught when they entered, and their concern seemed genuine. But why didn’t they even know their pet’s dietary restrictions?

Thinking this, Qiao Jiao walked out of the examination room and approached the couple.

Before she could speak, the husband anxiously asked first, “What’s going on, Doctor? Isn’t our Bubbu a premium breed dog? Why is he always getting sick?”

“And when we bought Bubbu, the merchant clearly said that large dogs like him could transform before reaching adulthood. Why hasn’t he transformed yet, even though it’s been months past his adulthood? Were we scammed?” the wife beside him asked, full of confusion.

Qiao Jiao froze. In the time since she had stood in front of the couple, neither of them had asked her a single question like, “How is our child?” Instead, they were questioning whether they had been cheated by the pet shop owner.

It seemed their initial worry was a facade. Qiao Jiao subtly frowned, then said lightly, “Your child is called Bubbu, correct? Bubbu is not a purebred dog but a hybrid. Compared to purebred dogs, the transformation of dogs like Bubbu will be later. Furthermore, he cannot consume too many greens, vegetables, or processed foods, as this puts a strain on his stomach. The only way now is to perform an…”

“What? Not a purebred dog? But his physique was the best among all the dogs at the time! The shop owner even showed us a certificate!” Before Qiao Jiao could finish the treatment plan, the man’s emotions flared up again. “If he can’t transform, or if he’s not a purebred Beast-Human after transformation, everyone who likes him will leave!”

“What do you mean?” Qiao Jiao completely failed to understand what the man was saying. She only felt that the couple in front of her was just as hypocritical as Liu Zhongxin.

“Since we brought Bubbu home, so many people have liked him, precisely because he’s a purebred dog and has a good physique. Countless people are looking forward to his transformation, but…” The woman sighed as she spoke, then looked at Qiao Jiao. “Doctor, is Bubbu beyond saving? We truly didn’t know he was a hybrid dog and raised him as a purebred. If there really is no way to save him, then let’s euthanize him.”

It seemed they hadn’t heard the four words, “the only way,” that she had said earlier. Qiao Jiao gritted her teeth and smiled politely. “You two don’t want him anymore, do you?” She voiced the couple’s inner intention.

The two exchanged glances, their embarrassed expression at being exposed made Qiao Jiao sick.

“The Beast-Human Protection Association just announced a new regulation: you cannot abandon adopted pets,” she stated righteously.

“That only applies to Beast-Humans! Is he a Beast-Human? It’s not even guaranteed he can transform!” The man became agitated, seizing on the loophole in the text. “Besides, we bought him, we didn’t adopt him. There’s no stamped certificate or any evidence that proves he is our pet!”

“You just don’t want to save him! Is it because he’s a hybrid dog? Because you’re afraid people will notice the difference after he transforms? You don’t deserve to be his owners!” Qiao Afu also ran out in indignation, pointing a finger at the couple and scolding them.

Being scolded by a Beast-Human was a blow to the man’s pride. He immediately widened his eyes in fury, completely losing his initial kind demeanor. “Is there a place for a Beast-Human like you to speak here? If you pity him, you take him! Wife, let’s go.” With that, the man dragged his wife away.

Qiao Afu angrily stood in place, continuing to curse and point at their retreating figures. Because he was so angry, he couldn’t help but let out two “woofs.”

Qiao Jiao withdrew her gaze and calmly walked into the examination room to begin preparing Bubbu for surgery.

“Sister Qiao, I knew you would save him!” Seeing this, Qiao Afu immediately followed. “He’s just as lucky as I am to have met you!”

“Stop being silly. Help me push Bubbu into the operating room and assist me,” Qiao Jiao said, looking at Qiao Afu helplessly.

Qiao Afu made a “Yes, sir” gesture and began assisting Qiao Jiao with the surgery.

The surgery lasted nearly an hour. Bubbu successfully pulled through. Qiao Jiao and Qiao Afu finally got a chance to rest and sat together by Bubbu’s hospital bed.

“Sister Qiao, did you know those two were using Bubbu to make money? I wanted to tell you earlier. Bubbu looked super familiar. I checked and found out he’s a very popular cute pet online. They specifically created an account for Bubbu to take advertisements and do live streams. Bubbu’s good looks are unique in the cute pet category, and many people love him.” After a while, Qiao Afu sighed and mumbled.

“Bubbu is a Wolfdog. After transformation, his looks will be even more outstanding. They took the wrong path,” Qiao Jiao said dismissively, letting out a cold snort.

The moment she walked out of the examination room, she had seen through the couple. The reason she didn’t tell them Bubbu was a Wolfdog was out of fear that they weren’t sincere about him. Now that she heard this, it was just as she suspected.

“Yeah, maybe they only cared about other people’s opinions. I looked at their account. Since the day Bubbu turned adult, many people have been asking why he hasn’t transformed yet, or some said Bubbu didn’t look like a high quality dog. Over time, they must have been influenced by the comments. Even if they genuinely loved Bubbu at first, that pure love is gone now.”

Qiao Afu lowered his head after speaking, seemingly recalling having gone through similar things, and thus felt deep sympathy for Bubbu.

Qiao Jiao stroked Qiao Afu’s head, silently offering comfort with her actions.

“And I realized they weren’t in a hurry at all. They only brought Bubbu when the rain eased up. Bubbu’s condition clearly had been going on for a long time. They just weren’t willing to go out in the heavy rain.”

Qiao Afu’s words suddenly gave Qiao Jiao a wake-up call. Yes, why hadn’t she noticed this detail? The rain had significantly lessened when the couple arrived, and Bubbu’s condition looked like it had been sustained for a while.

She had still underestimated humanity too much.

“Don’t think about it anymore. Bubbu is safe here with us now. Let’s clock out. We worked overtime again today. I’ll calculate your overtime pay later. I’ll have to trouble you to take good care of Bubbu during this time.” Qiao Jiao said, getting up to tuck Bubbu in before leaving the ward.

“Sister Qiao, go home with peace of mind. I promise to take good care of Bubbu and have him running around happily in no time!” Qiao Afu wagged his tail and watched Qiao Jiao until her figure disappeared from the clinic.

The shower had nearly stopped. The eight o’clock evening sky was dark, but there were still many people on the road walking their pets or taking their Beast-Humans out for a stroll.

Qiao Jiao’s heart was calm as she looked at the faces of the pets and Beast-Humans, hoping they were truly happy.

Humans, as the keepers of pets and Beast-Humans, stood at the top of the food chain. In this era where every household adopted a pet or a Beast-Human, she insisted on living alone.

Because she had witnessed too many ridiculous and absurd things.

Back at her apartment, Qiao Jiao ate some noodles and then tidied up her home.

Food scraps couldn’t be left overnight in the summer. After cleaning everything up, she looked out the window, confirmed it was only light rain, and went downstairs with an umbrella to throw out the garbage.

The garbage station was not far from the apartment building. The neighborhood was very quiet when she went down at half past nine every night. This was Qiao Jiao’s goal; she didn’t like interacting with people, so she would avoid all opportunities for socializing.

However, just as she finished throwing out the trash and was about to go home, she heard a faint whimpering sound not far away. It didn’t sound like a human. Instead, it sounded like some kind of animal.

Her professional instinct led Qiao Jiao to follow the sound. The next second, a small fox appeared in the corner next to the garbage station. It was completely drenched, shivering, and whimpering weakly.