Volume 1, Chapter 19: A Little Black Dog? No, a Vicious Wolf

On the way back, Meng Yuan was still preoccupied with how she would get along with the little snake hatchlings when she suddenly heard a sound like a dog’s bark.

Why would there be a dog kept on this estate?

Driven by curiosity, Meng Yuan carefully searched for the source of the sound and finally discovered a small black puppy in a hidden patch of grass. The puppy looked like it had just been born; it was incredibly cute and fluffy, constantly waving its tiny paws as it tried to crawl forward.

Even the hardest heart would have been melted by this sight. Meng Yuan gently picked up the little black puppy. "You’re so tiny! Where is your mother?"

Unfortunately, the puppy couldn't speak; it only waved its little paws.

"Do you like me that much? You’re so happy you’re dancing."

*Hey, woman, put me down!* Following a battle, Lang Ye’s wolf form had been reduced in size after he was taken back for interrogation by Colonel Leister. Having suffered severe injuries and then endured brutal torture, he had regressed into his cub-like wolf state. He had used his small size to slip away, never expecting to run into this woman again. Truly, enemies often cross paths.

Meng Yuan looked around, but there was no one there. She didn't know who the puppy belonged to, but if she left it here, its owner might not realize it was lost until morning, and by then, it would surely freeze to death.

She made a decision. She would take the puppy to her place first and then ask around to see who kept dogs on the estate. She took off her coat, "bundled" the puppy up, and carried it back to her room.

*Hey, hey, what are you doing?* Lang Ye had no idea what she was up to, but suddenly everything was pitch black. Was she trying to suffocate him with her coat? He struggled with all his might, but his short, weak legs had no strength at all.

When his eyes regained the light, he saw the surroundings had changed completely—it was clearly a woman’s bedroom.

"Well, you can stay here with me for now. Tomorrow, I'll have someone ask around to see who lost their dog."

*Hey, you're the dog! I am a fierce wolf, a wolf, do you understand? You idiot!*

To Meng Yuan, the puppy was just barking twice.

"Since you’re all black, I’ll just call you 'Little Black' for now!"

*Such a tacky name, you dare use it on me? Do you know you're courting death, woman?*

"Oh? Miss, where did you get this little puppy? It's so cute," the young maid said, looking puzzled.

"Right? I think so too! It seems he really likes the name I gave him; look how happy he is, he won't stop barking."

Lang Ye: *I'm protesting, can't you tell?*

The maid chuckled. "By the way, I found this dog on the road. Tomorrow morning, please help me ask around whose lost dog this is."

"Of course, Miss."

After a busy day, Meng Yuan was tired. She set up a bed for Little Black and, after freshening up, lay down to sleep.

Meanwhile, Little Black, lying in his makeshift bed, suddenly woke up. Lang Ye hadn't forgotten his mission. The maid who had been with the woman had fallen asleep and had no guard up against him; this was his moment to shine.

However... this bed was too deep. Just climbing out of it consumed more than half his strength.

*Thump.* Lang Ye tumbled out, landing on his back with his limbs splayed.

*Cough, cough,* a minor miscalculation.

Regaining his confidence, he wiggled his chubby little waist and headed toward Meng Yuan's bed. The maid hadn't closed the door tightly, and the latch had clicked open after she left. Lang Ye snuck in easily, but he saw no sign of the snake eggs.

Could the woman be incubating them in her arms?

He used up all his remaining strength to crawl onto the bed. Just as he stretched out his legs to search, the woman rolled over, pinning him beneath her. For Lang Ye, even a slight shift of her weight felt like being crushed, let alone having a shoulder land on him like a thousand-pound weight. He hadn't completed his mission yet; he couldn't die now, so he struggled desperately.

Meng Yuan felt something moving under her shoulder. The thought that it might be a bug made her instantly alert. She looked and was relieved to see it was just Little Black.

She gently scooped him up. "Little Black, are you afraid to sleep alone? Or are you worried it’s dangerous for me to sleep by myself? Well, thank you for keeping me company."

*Pah! You woman, you have such a wild imagination. Who’s afraid of you being in danger?*

"Wait a moment, I’ll find something to put underneath you so you don’t pee on the bed in the middle of the night." She pointed a finger at him. "Don’t you dare go on my bed, you hear me?"

Lang Ye: *Damn it, woman! I grew out of that age long ago, I'm an adult!* (A string of curses)

Meng Yuan assumed he understood, thinking he was excited to sleep with her. She quickly grabbed some tissue paper and spread it on the bed. "Alright, let’s go to sleep now!" She pulled Little Black into her arms.

Lang Ye struggled to break free, but his tiny body was no match for her strength.

"Don't move," Meng Yuan said, pressing a hand on him. "Be good and go to sleep."

Lang Ye was completely subdued and unable to move. Since he was currently like an egg hitting a rock, he had no choice but to bide his time until he regained his true form to take revenge.

However, the sight of her chest left him feeling parched. *Woman, can you pull your pajamas up while you sleep? How am I supposed to rest like this? Hey!*

Lang Ye barked twice, but it was so noisy that Meng Yuan couldn't sleep. She wrapped a hand around his muzzle, preventing him from opening his mouth to howl.

*Damn woman, let me go!*

***

In his hazy, sleep-deprived state, Lang Ye heard someone whispering. It was incredibly annoying—couldn't they go talk somewhere else? They were disturbing his rest.

"Miss, no one on the estate has lost a dog. Since the kennel was relocated, many of the dogs haven't been let out for a long time."

"Really? That’s a shame. I wonder how this dog got in, then."

"I... I’m not sure. Would you like me to check the security footage, Miss?"

"No need, it's just a puppy. Why don’t we keep it? We can send it to the kennel for training when it gets bigger, how about that?"

"Such a small matter is for you to decide, Miss. I don't know if we should keep it."

*Huh? She wants to keep me?* Lang Ye woke up groggily to find two blurry figures by the bed. Ever since he had shrunk, he seemed to have developed symptoms of being a cub—he was drowsy and lacked physical strength.

"Alright, then we’ll keep him!" Once the decision was made, Meng Yuan told the maid to go to the butler to get some dog food and cat litter.

Meng Yuan lifted Little Black up and spun around happily. "Little Black, Little Black! From now on, your name is Little Black. You’re my dog now, so you have to be good and listen to me!"

*Ahhh—stupid woman, you're going to make me dizzy!*

*Who... who... (retch)... who is going to listen to you? (retch)... I am a fierce, hungry... (retch)... wolf!*