Chapter 40: The Performance

The tea tray, which had performed such a great service, was carefully brought back to the studio by Lou Xinyue.

In the studio, employees who hadn’t participated in the “scum-dumping” operation all came to see the tea tray after hearing about the incident.

They weren’t interested in the scumbag.

But they never tired of hearing about the new magic and magical artifact displayed by their boss, wishing they could travel back in time to witness it themselves.

They repeatedly asked the ladies who were present to describe the scene, then exclaimed in amazement.

“Oh!”

“Ah!”

“Wow!”

Qin Qing: “…”

Chen Shuhan, being honest, voiced his confusion while observing the so-called “artifact.”

“Isn’t this just the tea tray from the reception room? I don’t see anything different about it.”

He was rebuked by his sister, Chen Moqing.

“Is the tea tray in your eyes the same as the tea tray in the boss’s eyes? When you reach the boss’s level, falling leaves and flying flowers can all be made into artifacts. Isn’t the compass we use also a product bought from outside and modified by the boss? What era is it now? Do you still expect the boss to light a fire and smelt copper, or mold clay into artifacts herself?”

Chen Shuhan suddenly understood: “So that’s how it is.”

Chen Moqing: “That’s exactly how it is.”

Qin Qing: “…”

Falling leaves and flying flowers might be a bit much.

But the imaginative explanation was quite reasonable, and it saved her the trouble of coming up with an excuse.

Now, this tea tray was no longer an ordinary tea tray; it was displayed on a tall stand in Qin Qing’s office.

The success of the compass and the tea tray proved that Qin Qing genuinely lacked social experience and hadn’t realized the importance of packaging in a buyer’s market.

No matter how impressive the ability, if it’s only described verbally, the effect is greatly diminished.

When she first set up her stall at Baiyun Temple, those who came for fortune-telling suspected she had ulterior motives. If she had realized the importance of such “magical packaging” earlier, and demonstrated anti-physical props, her path to earning a small fortune wouldn’t have been so circuitous.

Qin Qing, holed up in her office, browsed online stores, mostly those selling folk culture items. She ordered a pile of various props: divination sticks, peach wood swords, bells, soul-summoning banners, incense, candles, paper money… and also tarot cards and crystal balls.

As for whether they could be used, and how they could be used, she hadn’t yet decided.

She could experiment with each one behind closed doors once they arrived, so she wouldn’t have to improvise like today and be surprised by that small tornado.

The express delivery wasn’t that fast, but Liu Simin’s assistant arrived in person.

He said that the transfer procedures for the apartment given as a thank-you gift had been completed, and he was there to deliver the keys. He also stated that if Qin Qing ever wanted to view the apartment, she could contact him to be her guide, and he could also help her find movers if she wanted to relocate.

Qin Qing didn’t want to trouble this working professional. When she left home, she only brought one suitcase, and her belongings hadn’t increased much since then. She could completely travel light.

However, she could indeed go see the apartment before that. She pulled Mumu along and headed out.

The distance was a bit far, so Qin Qing decided to take a taxi.

Many cars were unwilling to carry pets, so it took a while for Qin Qing to find a ride with a female driver. According to her, she also had a dog at home, so she was more accepting.

Mumu was already a large dog, weighing dozens of pounds, and most people would be scared when they saw him.

However, he was exceptionally well-behaved, just a bit excited because they were going out.

Before getting into the car, Qin Qing put shoe covers on him. After getting in, she told him to lie on the floor mat and not get on the seats, and he obediently followed instructions.

Qin Qing never let go of the leash throughout the ride.

The driver even comforted her not to be so nervous and praised Mumu for being handsome.

Mumu always got happy when praised. This time, he also perked up his head, smiling and looking at her. It was as if he was saying, “Oh, listen, someone’s praising me,” incredibly cute, and Qin Qing hugged him for a good rub.

Upon arriving at the destination community, Qin Qing realized that this place looked somewhat familiar.

She had taken a cat-finding order in this community before; it was a high-end community with very strict entry and exit checks.

The community had a large green area, complete internal facilities, and relatively fewer residents.

She hadn’t expected that the apartment Liu Simin gave her was here, a livable place known as “Forest Villa.”

Qin Qing’s building was located deeper inside, so it would take a while to walk there. She wasn’t in a hurry and just walked with Mumu, treating it as getting familiar with the surroundings.

Mumu was absolutely thrilled.

Her previous apartment didn’t have a proper community environment; it was in a high-rise building right by the road.

Now, it was great; he could run around to his heart’s content.

It was just a bit exhausting for the owner; Qin Qing was like a kite being pulled by Mumu.

They floated through the community’s central courtyard.

Passing two elderly women, one said, “Hey, what lively young people.”

Thank you, the young person is actually a homebody; she’s just passively lively.

Passing a middle-aged man, the man said, “Oh, little girl, you’re quite agile, walking as if flying.”

Thank you, the little girl is actually terrible at sports; she’s just being “flown.”

Passing a child, the child excitedly said, “Dad, look, it’s Ultraman!”

Hmm… that doesn’t sound right. Saying Mumu is a little monster would be more accurate.

But the voice sounded a bit familiar. Qin Qing stopped, reined in Mumu, and looked back, panting.

A sturdy child, leading a chubby cat, excitedly ran towards her.

“Ultraman Jie-jie!”

What a peculiar title.

Qin Qing remembered; the child was the kind boy she had once met who was being bullied but didn’t realize it.

Ming Youqian: “Jie-jie, are you here to see me?”

“Hello, Qianqian. No, I’m here to walk my dog.”

The child was a little disappointed but still politely asked, “Jie-jie, do you have a friend living here?”

“Not yet, but I might live here in the future.”

“Really?!” The child was so happy he almost jumped, and the end of his sentence changed, sounding adorable.

Ming Youqian held up the cat leash in his hand: “I’m also walking my cat. We can walk together.”

He seemed to have a natural closeness to Qin Qing and wanted to prove his usefulness, adding, “Jie-jie, if you’re busy in the future, I can help you walk your dog.”

What an little angel! Completely different from the little devils Qin Qing had seen before.

How could anyone have the heart to bully such a warm little man?

Ming Youqian also squatted down and asked Mumu: “Hello, doggy, what’s your name? Can I pet you?”

Mumu wasn’t averse to children, but Qin Qing tugged on the leash, not letting him touch.

“No, don’t randomly pet strange dogs. Even if you know them, you must first ask their parents if it’s okay before you can pet them.”

The tall Mr. Ming was not far away, held up by another man walking a dog. That man had a worried look between his brows and was saying something to Mr. Ming.

Unable to pet the dog, Ming Youqian was a little dejected, but he was very sensible and didn’t fuss about wanting to pet it.

He even thoughtfully asked, “Ultraman Jie-jie, do you want to pet my cat? It doesn’t bite, you can pet it freely.”

This cat, after being found, might have been overfed; it looked quite overweight.

Hearing its little owner’s words, it just lazily meowed once, then continued to lick its fur and wash its face.

A moment later, Mr. Ming walked over with the man and his dog.

Mumu, who had been resting, stood up and watched the approaching dog.

After exchanging pleasantries, Mr. Ming asked, “Teacher Qin, could you take a look at my friend’s dog?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

The gentleman’s dog was a brown husky, looking listless. It was currently lying at its owner’s feet, spiritless.

Apparently, Mr. Ming had already introduced Qin Qing’s situation to the dog owner, Mr. Hua. Mr. Hua didn’t immediately question anything, but rather introduced the situation worriedly: “It’s sick, it doesn’t like to eat. I’ve taken it to the hospital several times, but they haven’t found anything wrong.”

Then he hesitated and added, “I heard you’re a fortune teller, a ‘life master,’ and you can also cure illnesses?”

Qin Qing replied, “I don’t cure illnesses; you still need to go to a hospital and see a doctor. But I can help communicate and see what’s making it uncomfortable.”

If it were before, Qin Qing would have directly opened her System Panel and started reading data and logs.

But now, she had learned to package her information sources.

Making her identity as a ‘life master’ seem more mysterious.

She squatted down and petted the husky.

“Hello there, little one. I’m here to help you, so don’t be scared. Can you tell me what’s making you uncomfortable?”

The husky lifted its eyes, licked Qin Qing’s hand, neither biting nor barking.

The owner said, “Its name is Coffee Snow. It used to be so lively. I used to have a headache every day because of its excessive energy, often tearing up the house. Now it doesn’t like to chew things up, nor does it like to go out and play. It lies down after walking just a few steps. It’s also getting thinner and thinner.”

The owner was full of heartache.

“Don’t worry yet. Let me chat with Coffee Snow first.”

Qin Qing found an angle where Coffee Snow could make eye contact with her.

Then she began her one-woman show.

“Coffee Snow, don’t be afraid, your dad is here with you too.”

“What? No way, your dad loves you the most, he’ll protect you.”

“Don’t be scared, quietly tell me, I won’t tell anyone, I’m just here to help you.”

“Oh, I see… Ah? How could that be! That’s too awful.”

“Don’t worry, we will definitely save you.”

Qin Qing stood up, putting on a solemn expression.

Her monologue completely bewildered the two adults and one child present.

Only the innocent Ming Youqian asked, “Sister, Coffee Snow didn’t bark, how did you talk?”

Qin Qing repeated Yang Sang’s self-introduction about being a Pet Communicator from their first meeting.

“Small animals have pure hearts with no distractions, so they can communicate telepathically through their eyes. They convey their feelings and intentions to the communicator. What they convey isn’t complete words; it needs to be organized and translated.”

Mr. Hua anxiously asked, “What did Coffee Snow say?”

Qin Qing said with a serious face, “The strongest emotion it conveyed was ‘Dad doesn’t love me’.”

Mr. Hua exclaimed, “Impossible!”

Qin Qing calmly replied, “I’m just translating what I heard for you. The truth of the matter still needs to be judged by you.”

Mr. Hua pressed, “There must be a reason, I spend time with it every day whenever I’m free.”

Qin Qing said, “Coffee said that you brought a terrifying thing into its territory, and it wanted to protect its territory, but it couldn’t defeat that thing, and you even helped that thing.”

Mr. Hua was confused, probably already starting to doubt the reliability of Mr. Ming’s recommendation.

Qin Qing asked, “Do you have an orange-colored container at home that belongs to Coffee Snow?”

Mr. Hua thought for a moment: “Its food bowl is orange! It’s been using that bowl since it was very young, and Coffee Snow is a bit particular about its bowl. It only eats food if it’s in that bowl; it won’t eat it if it’s placed anywhere else. What’s wrong with that food bowl? Does it dislike that bowl?”

Qin Qing wanted to complain, it was purely the owner’s filter. It wasn’t particular about the bowl; this silly, clumsy dog clearly couldn’t find food if the bowl was changed, treating its nose as a mere decoration.

Facing the owner, she said with concern, “Coffee said that fragrant food used to grow in that orange-colored container every day, but ever since its territory was taken over, the food there has been contaminated. Most of the time it’s stinky, and it’s hard to find delicious food anymore. Eating stinky food makes it uncomfortable.”

“So…” Qin Qing concluded, “Coffee Snow isn’t actually sick; it’s just hungry. Without energy, it naturally won’t tear up the house or be in good spirits.”

Mr. Hua found it quite absurd: “I specifically hired a housekeeper to take care of it, and its food bowl is always full. It’s just not eating. Could there be something wrong with its nose?”

Qin Qing guided him: “How long has this housekeeper been working at your house? Think about when Coffee Snow started getting sick. Does it coincide with the housekeeper moving in? If the timing matches, then this might be the invader it fears, the one taking over its territory.”

Mr. Hua silently calculated the time. Coffee Snow indeed got sick shortly after the housekeeper arrived.

Seeing his realization, Qin Qing added, “If the food is indeed sitting there uneaten, then it’s best to carefully check the condition of the food.”

“Da Ming, help me watch it.” Mr. Hua entrusted Coffee Snow to Mr. Ming and rushed home.

Qin Qing handed a business card for her studio to Mr. Ming: “I’m leaving now, Mr. Ming. You can tell your friend to contact this number to pay the consultation fee.”

Ming Youqian also craned his neck: “Sister, can I have one too?”

“What would you use it for?” Qin Qing asked him with a smile, and casually gave him one.

The child took the business card and carefully put it in his pants pocket. He smiled like a ball of sunshine: “I’ve collected Ultraman’s contact information.”

—

Meanwhile, Coffee Snow’s owner, Mr. Hua, rushed home. The housekeeper was watching TV.

“You’re back? Oh… where’s Coffee Snow?”

Mr. Hua ignored her and walked straight to Coffee Snow’s room, squatting down to check the food in the dog bowl.

Without a close look, one wouldn’t know. Looking at the overflowing bowl of dog food, only a thin layer on top was fresh; everything underneath was spoiled.

Mr. Hua directly picked up the dog bowl and placed it in front of the housekeeper.

He suppressed his anger and asked, “What’s going on? This food is all spoiled.”

The housekeeper initially tried to play dumb, saying it was because the weather was too hot, trying to get away with it.

But Mr. Hua wouldn’t let her succeed.

Under his interrogation, the housekeeper finally tearfully confessed the whole story.

Initially, Mr. Hua hired the housekeeper because he had to go on a business trip for a month. He couldn’t bear to send the silly Coffee Snow to a pet boarding facility, so he asked for a recommendation for a reliable housekeeper to take care of it at home.

Initially, it was agreed that she would only be hired for one month.

After the housekeeper arrived, she indeed took very good care of Coffee Snow.

Mr. Hua’s job paid well, had little work, and the house had a good environment. She had an exclusive guest room during her live-in period.

There were no picky employers, and her main work was basically just cleaning the house and taking care of the pet; she didn’t even have to cook for the employer.

In the employer’s large kitchen, she made food for herself every day.

The housekeeper didn’t want to leave.

Coffee Snow had a sensitive stomach, easily getting sick with just a little bit of manipulation.

She took the opportunity to extend her stay, claiming that commercial dog food was unhealthy and that she would cook homemade dog food.

Thanks to Coffee Snow, she successfully stayed.

Under her care, Coffee Snow indeed got better. But it got too good; it started tearing up the house and constantly wanted to go out and play.

This only added to the housekeeper’s workload.

Out of impatience, she began to cut back on its food as a way to vent. Then she discovered that this silly dog’s energy was entirely maintained by food, and she had an idea.

At first, she didn’t dare to go too far, but later she realized that the employer was careless, and this silly dog wouldn’t eat anything except what was in its own bowl. So she devised a method of making the top layer fresh and the bottom layer spoiled.

Coffee Snow developed the illusion of being sick; it was weak but no problems could be found. Now, even the dog had the employer’s company. The housekeeper had almost no work to do except cook for herself. But she still got paid…

Mr. Hua could hardly believe what he was hearing.

He recalled Coffee Snow’s description of an evil presence trying to seize its territory…

Isn’t this exactly like a guest usurping the host?

The housekeeper cried, “I didn’t mean to harm it. I controlled the daily food dosage for that dog; it definitely wouldn’t starve to death. I really had no other choice but to do this. I love it here so much; I just wanted to stay.”