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Su Zhi walked over, squatted down, extended a finger, and gently tugged at the tail of the little puppy, patting its plump and round bottom. She marveled at its softness, wondering how much milk it must have consumed to grow so well. The desire to scoop it up and cuddle it overwhelmed her.
The puppy was earnestly trying to retreat, striving to free its head. Suddenly, it yelped loudly when someone playfully targeted its tail and bottom. Startled, it froze momentarily before vigorously moving again. Although Su Zhi couldn’t see the puppy’s face, she imagined its adorable and endearing expression. With a final burst of effort, the puppy managed to free its head, rolling on the ground like a ball before settling down, whimpering with its eyes shut.
It was undeniably adorable.
Su Zhi gently poked the puppy’s wet nose, feeling its tiny size, about as big as an adult’s foot, covered in black fur that appeared slightly long, emphasizing its chubby, round appearance like a fluffy ball. Su Zhi was tempted to take it home and care for it.
The puppy, perturbed by the nose boop, opened its eyes, revealing round, almond-shaped eyes with a blue tinge. Its chin almost touching the ground, it had to tilt its head upward to see clearly. Despite its attempt to look intimidating, the puppy’s innocent gaze only made it more endearing, inviting one to playfully poke it.
“Whimper—”
When the puppy finally lifted its head to see Su Zhi’s face, she couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of a blade of grass sticking out of its mouth, adding to her amusement.
“Whimper—”
Initially, the puppy had taken a step back upon seeing Su Zhi laughing on the ground. However, it paused, tilting its head with unblinking round eyes. When Su Zhi extended her hand, the puppy hesitated, taking a small jump backward. After realizing Su Zhi was just gesturing, it stood there, creating a slightly comical scene with both staring at each other.
“Come here, little one.”
Su Zhi genuinely adored the puppy, hence her attempts to coax it closer. She waved her hand, hoping to cradle the small ball of fur in her arms. To her delight, the puppy took a step forward. Encouraged, she gestured a few more times, anticipating a chance to cuddle the fluffy pup. However, the puppy halted, refusing to move further, maintaining a fixed distance. Its round almond eyes stared intently, leaving Su Zhi somewhat exasperated.
“You little thing, are you like a child, needing treats and toys to coax you?”
Su Zhi chuckled softly, a sudden idea sparking in her mind about the spring water. She materialized the spring water, knowing now that others couldn’t see it. Once, when she ran out of water while laundering soiled clothes, she used the spring water without realizing Shen Zi’an’s return. He had not noticed the water or the lotus flower on the ground. However, Su Zhi was aware that animals could perceive it. Once, while basking in the sun in the courtyard, admiring the lotus flower, a bird had flown down to drink from the water.
Su Zhi noticed that many birds enjoyed drinking from her spring water, sometimes even in her presence. Perhaps the water was exceptionally palatable to animals?
Indeed, it proved to be true. The little puppy eagerly dashed towards the spring water, taking a couple of sips before Su Zhi concealed it. Startled, the puppy sniffed around, prompting Su Zhi to reveal the water again. After a repeat of this trick a few times, the puppy finally realized Su Zhi’s playful antics. It barked at her, disregarding fear, and ran in circles around her, playfully nudging her feet with its small round head.
Su Zhi, observing the puppy’s eager behavior, recalled how she had summoned the spiritual spring near the fence while sitting in the courtyard earlier. The puppy might have caught wind of the water’s scent, explaining its vigorous attempts to nudge the fence. It seemed that the water from the spiritual spring not only had a growth-promoting effect on plants but also held a strong allure for animals.
“Whimper—Whimper—”
A louder bark broke the air, prompting Su Zhi to realize it wasn’t the first puppy making the noise. Looking up, she spotted another puppy, this one entirely white, similar in size to the black one but appeared more robust and agile. As the white puppy drew closer, Su Zhi found it equally cute, noting its slightly narrower eyes compared to the round ones of the black puppy, with a hint of fierceness that, although not intimidating in such a small pup, added to its charm.
Upon hearing the white puppy’s bark, the black puppy bounded towards it, only to stumble and fall, causing Su Zhi to chuckle at its endearing clumsiness.
The white puppy, approaching Su Zhi, revealed a set of small white pointed teeth, which, if not for the pink gum visible in a few places, would have had a more striking effect.
Su Zhi noticed that these two puppies not only had different fur colors but also distinct personalities – one being simple and the other clever, yet equally adorable.
“Come on, since you’re here, let’s have some water together. This is no ordinary spring water; it’s special, just like you two cuties,” Su Zhi coaxed, revealing the spiritual spring. After her invitation, she questioned her own words, realizing they sounded like she was luring children. Nevertheless, she genuinely wanted to entice the puppies closer, hoping she could pet them and make them part of her family.
The white puppy caught a whiff of the spring water but remained still. However, seeing its black sibling enthusiastically prance over, eager to dip its head in and lap up the water with a crisp sound, the white puppy couldn’t resist joining in after observing. Slowly, it approached Su Zhi after her welcoming gesture.
“This little one looks like a prince, much more robust than the black one,” Su Zhi thought as she watched the white puppy, growing fonder of the pair. However, she regretted that such lovely puppies most likely belonged to someone else, evident from their cleanliness and plump appearance.
The white puppy seemed to enjoy the spring water as well, drinking merrily but with a more refined demeanor compared to its eager sibling, showcasing a sense of elegance.
The puppies, being young, were soon satisfied after drinking, their little bellies getting rounder. The white puppy sat quietly, observing Su Zhi. In contrast, the black puppy, with its full belly, started to play joyfully. It frolicked around the spring, splashing with its paws, even attempting to scoop up lotus leaves. Eventually, with a splash, it tumbled into the water, paddling around. Despite dogs’ natural affinity for water, this chubby little puppy’s movements appeared clumsy, bobbing up and down in the water, taking occasional sips.
Su Zhi thought to herself, “What a silly little dog,” as she considered rescuing it. However, the white puppy dashed ahead of her, causing a flash of white light beneath her feet, throwing her off balance. She stumbled, nearly falling onto a white lotus flower above the water, with the puppy below. In a quick decision, she retracted the spring, ensuring not to include the puppy, uncertain if she could reverse the transformation. With the lotus above, the puppy below, Su Zhi’s face collided with the flower.
“Whimper—”
“Hiss—”
As the spring water vanished, Su Zhi collapsed onto the ground, landing sideways to avoid crushing the puppy, feeling intense pain. The white puppy ran ahead of the black one. The black puppy, unaffected, leaped out of Su Zhi’s hands, showing no sign of fear, then hopped around Su Zhi, almost as if expressing gratitude.
Su Zhi sighed and heard Shen Zi’an calling out to her. She stood up, waved to the two puppies, and said, “You can come play with me again. Next time, I’ll not only give you water but also make you some delicious treats. I’m heading home now, so you should go back too.”
After her words, she adjusted the cloth that had skewed to the side on her face, mindful of not letting Li Shi see her. Her face started to itch again, possibly due to playing with the small animals, Su Zhi thought as she touched her face. Wondering when it would stop, she was taken aback by what she felt.