The Top Star Fell for Me at First Sight After I Transmigrated as a Dog-Like Streamer - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Atavism 2.0

It was impossible not to panic.

“Uh, Xiaobai, don’t panic. It might just be the Atavism Month. Let me ask around, I’ll go find out.”

Yu Congyue scrambled up, grabbed a blanket to wrap around Bai Xun, and carried him downstairs effortlessly. Through the reflection of the living room glass, Bai Xun finally caught a clear glimpse of his current form.

He was a Golden Retriever puppy, about four or five months old.

He closed his eyes, looking utterly resigned to his fate.

However, his attention soon shifted to other matters.

For instance… could he now eat that expensive dog food even more legitimately?

As they reached the door, Yu Congyue received a call from Tracy.

“Boss, it’s been half a month since the first episode of the daily vlog. Do you think Teacher Bai could come to the office? We need to plan the next episode…”

“I was just about to look for you. Xiaobai suddenly underwent atavism this morning. What do we do?”

There was a silence on the other end for several seconds, followed by a reply tinged with a hint of wild ecstasy: “I’m coming over right now! Boss, you calm Teacher Bai down first.”

Yu Congyue held Bai Xun tightly in his arms, stroking him vigorously from head to tail. He began searching for information with a worried gaze, then, as if remembering something, dialed his eldest brother, Yu Congchuan.

“Brother, does your sister-in-law turn back into her original form during Atavism Month?”

Yu Congming had just finished a meeting. He looked at the black cat sunbathing by the office window and gave an “Mm.” Detecting something, he followed up: “Did yours undergo atavism?”

“Yeah, I woke up this morning and suddenly changed back. He doesn’t seem to know what’s going on.” Yu Congyue didn’t bother correcting the way his brother addressed Bai Xun. He combed through the fur with a face full of worry. “You don’t think he’ll stay like this forever, do you?”

“Why? If he can’t change back, you don’t want him anymore?” Yu Congming opened a pack of chicken breasts and placed a strip in front of the black cat, cracking a rare joke.

“No way, but he used to be… forget it, never mind. We’ll talk later.” The words Yu Congyue intended to say took a sharp turn. He sighed again, buried his face in Bai Xun’s fur for a deep breath, and let out another long sigh.

Bai Xun looked up at him with wet, misty eyes, ears drooping—looking as if he were waiting for an explanation, or perhaps inviting a pet.

Yu Congyue truly couldn’t refuse any of his actions right now. Sighing, he continued to rub the pup while using his other hand to anxiously scroll through a “Beginner’s Guide to Raising Dogs” while waiting for Tracy.

By the time he had recklessly ordered two pounds of deep-sea fish oil, canine vitamins, imported fresh meat combos, and a five-pound teething beef bone, Tracy finally arrived.

She entered and emptied a pile of button-like objects from a bag. While Yu Congyue inspected them, Tracy gave a casual greeting and headed straight for Bai Xun, sitting unceremoniously on the rug to give his big head a vigorous rub.

“Don’t mess with him. What are these?”

Yu Congyue turned to see Bai Xun squinting his eyes in enjoyment, feeling a sudden pang of jealousy. He picked up a button and pressed it, but there was no response.

“These are speech buttons. Usually, when atavism is this pronounced, communication becomes difficult. You can record common answers like ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Some dogs are a bit… slow; they can use these to communicate before they regain their speech.” Tracy scratched behind Bai Xun’s ears with satisfaction. “Hold it for three seconds; once the green light on the back stays on, you can record. Five seconds max.”

Bai Xun lay on Tracy’s lap, letting her hands massage his skull. Her technique was so skilled it was intoxicating for a dog.

“Oh, Teacher Bai, your original form is so cute! Mine is an Alaskan Malamute; you guys should meet sometime! Oh, look at this muzzle, and the fur is so fluffy. Who’s such a cute little puppy?”

Yu Congyue, who was still studying the buttons, felt his scalp tingle hearing Tracy’s intentionally softened, baby-talk voice: “You don’t usually talk like that.”

“Considering both can’t communicate, I personally find cats and dogs much better than some humans.” Tracy reverted to her business-like tone, only to turn back and go high-pitched again: “Isn’t that right, doggy baby?”

Yu Congyue had no rebuttal. He rummaged through the bag and found she had brought quite a few things, mostly overlapping with what he had just ordered.

“That bottle in your hand is for joints. Even though atavism only lasts a month at most, you still need to maintain things.” Tracy recalled Yu Congyue’s tone on the phone. “But usually, there are obvious signs before atavism—like heart palpitations, overthinking, impulsivity, or sensitivity. From the look of it, you two were completely unaware?”

Hearing this, Bai Xun struggled to prop himself up and looked at Yu Congyue.

So that was why he had been so anxious the past few days.

He had thought it was just a hormonal imbalance caused by his former company’s ridiculous antics.

“Xiaobai felt he was fine, and I didn’t see anything unusual these past two days. He just got drunk last night and woke up like this.” Yu Congyue sorted the vitamins into categories just as a figure appeared outside the terrace door.

“Second Brother, Second Brother! Good morning!”

The culprit, Yu Congji, had clearly finished most of his business and was now happily dropping by. He spotted the little Golden Retriever at once. With a “Yo!”, he reached out for a rub.

“Second Brother, you’re raising a dog? Isn’t one enough?” He then noticed Tracy. “Oh, you’re here too?”

“Why shouldn’t I be? Teacher Bai has undergone atavism, so I came to check on him.”

Tracy didn’t have a good impression of this dandy. When she first joined, she had to handle numerous cases of signed artists being harassed by him. Hearing the word “drunk,” she understood immediately.

“Drinking is not recommended a week before or after atavism; it can trigger it prematurely.”

A flash of guilt crossed Yu Congji’s face. He didn’t dare mention the topic of the rabbit now.

Interrupted by him, Tracy remembered the other purpose of her visit. She reluctantly let go of Bai Xun, stood up, pulled a tablet from her briefcase, and showed Yu Congyue the new video data analyzed by the team.

“The vlog posted half a month ago has surpassed 124 million views across all platforms. Short video platform staff and some home brands have started reaching out for collaborations for the next quarter. I originally wanted to discuss the next episode with Teacher Bai, but given the situation, we’ll put it on hold.”

Bai Xun had been listening intently. Learning the video was a hit, he wagged his tail proudly, sprawling out on the floor like a starfish to take a lazy nap. Meanwhile, Yu Congji crouched beside him, filming with his phone and muttering, “Mom, sister-in-law turned into a dog, Brother, look at this…”

Bai Xun opened his eyes to size up the face in front of him. It bore some resemblance to Yu Congyue, but while his brother’s face was usually gentle yet distant, this one was more lively. His upturned “peach blossom” eyes carried an indescribable flippancy, and the mole at the corner of his eye added a touch of craftiness.

Yu Congyue is still better looking.

Giving an objective evaluation, Bai Xun stopped caring about the harassment, buried his head in the blanket, and drifted back to sleep.

…

By the time Bai Xun woke up again, it was dark out. Yu Congyue had presumably carried him back to the bedroom. Following the scent of chamomile, he soon spotted Yu Congyue by the bed, wearing headphones and in the middle of an online meeting.

Bai Xun was still not used to walking on four legs. He stood up teeteringly; the short distance felt incredibly difficult. He managed to wobble to a corner where he could smell Yu Congyue’s scent more clearly and waited quietly for him to finish.

It seemed that after becoming a dog, his thoughts had become simpler too.

Since the day he transmigrated, he had been working non-stop. Even after gaining Yu Congyue’s favor, he hadn’t dared to slow down. It felt like a relief to finally have a legitimate reason to rest; his mind felt much lighter.

Resting his head on a low pillow by the bed, he watched the seagulls flying past the window, his mind drifting toward what to have for dinner.

“Hmm? You’re awake?” Yu Congyue sensed movement behind him. He muted his mic, took off his headphones, and turned to see Bai Xun lying there quietly in a daze. His heart softened instantly, and he didn’t even notice his own voice becoming a bit “cutesy.”

Bai Xun enjoyed the affection, placing a front paw in his palm.

The smile on Yu Congyue’s face didn’t fade for a second. He simply left the meeting, took a light blue knee pad from the nightstand to put on him, and carried Bai Xun downstairs.

“Hungry? I asked around—the first few days of atavism consume a lot of energy, so you’ll get tired easily. If you’re hungry, press this.” He pointed to the row of buttons in the living room and pressed them one by one.

Since a human mind was inside the shell, Bai Xun quickly memorized the positions of the buttons and gave them a test run.

“Yu Congyue, food, love you.” “Walk, toilet, snack, okay.” “Not good, tired.” “Love you, love you, love you.”

Bai Xun couldn’t find a “Thank you” button and figured the meaning was probably similar. After pressing it a few times, he noticed Yu Congyue’s tone was distinctly different from the other buttons. He sensed something was off and tilted his head suspiciously at him.

Yu Congyue was very satisfied with Bai Xun’s constant “expressions of love.” He held the small paw and looked earnestly into his eyes.

“If there’s a question outside of the buttons, I’ll ask you this way. Let me give you an example.”

Yu Congyue released his hand and asked a question.

“Do you remember what you said to me last night?”

“Remember / Don’t remember.”

Yu Congyue opened his left and right hands respectively, lowering them in front of Bai Xun.

Bai Xun froze.

He had absolutely no idea what he had said last night.

His tail slowly drooped, thumping lightly against the floor, looking even more confused. He looked up at Yu Congyue, ears flattened softly against his head, looking pitiful and helpless.

Yu Congyue suddenly felt playful. He feigned a broken heart, clutching his chest.

“Don’t tell me you don’t remember anything you said to me last night?”