Chapter 2: Save Qiaoqiao

More than ten minutes later, Jiang Yuan stood panting, holding a bag of meat, and stared at the large black dog.

The countdown had only eight minutes left.

Jiang Yuan tried tossing a piece of meat into the corner.

The large black dog reacted as expected, turning its head to stare at the meat in the corner.

Jiang Yuan threw another piece.

The large black dog lunged instantly, pinning the meat down with its front paws and beginning to tear into it.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuan threw all the remaining meat from the bag, walked quickly to the trash can, and lifted the lid. A dirty little face appeared, accompanied by a pungent stench.

"Auntie, I'm sorry." The little one's clear eyes were filled with fear, and she trembled as she said, "I didn't mean to be disobedient. When Auntie spanks my bottom, can you please be a little gentle?"

Jiang Yuan covered her nose, her brows furrowed. "Get down first."

"I'm coming down right now!" Momo wobbled as she stood up, only to find that the box she had been standing on was gone.

Seeing that she hadn't come down after a long while, Jiang Yuan asked, "Do you want to live in there?"

"No, no." The little one immediately shook her small head, pleading in a milky voice, "Auntie, please don't be angry."

Jiang Yuan watched her carefully trying to climb down and realized that the height was a bit much for a child.

She felt awkward, but she still reached out and lifted the stinky little child out of the trash can.

【System 009: Miss Jiang, congratulations on completing the novice task. You have received a Dog Dictionary and a reward of one million. The cash has been deposited into your bank account.】

Jiang Yuan set Momo down and took out her phone, seeing the text notification that one million had been deposited into her card. Balance: ¥1,001,578.

There was actually money!

This system was quite useful after all.

The corners of Jiang Yuan's mouth curled up, and her mood was wonderful.

So this is what it feels like to have a million.

Even the dirty little child suddenly looked more pleasing to the eye.

"Let's go, I'll take you to get cleaned up."

Jiang Yuan rented a hotel room for Momo to take a bath while she planned how to spend the million.

First, buy a few designer bags!

No.

That’s not right.

She couldn't be vain, and she couldn't be controlled by the plot, or she would only end up dead.

Her phone ringing interrupted her thoughts.

Seeing the caller ID, Jiang Yuan’s heart tightened abruptly—

Fu Jinxing!

Thinking of the way she was tortured into a ghost of a person by him in her dreams, Jiang Yuan’s scalp went numb.

She pressed the mute button, placed the phone face down on the table, and began to wonder if she confessed and told the truth, whether Fu Jinxing would spare her life.

"Auntie."

Momo finished her bath and walked out of the bathroom wearing her dirty clothes.

Jiang Yuan: "..."

She held her forehead and said, "I'll go buy you a new set of clothes. You wait for me here."

As Jiang Yuan stood at the elevator entrance, her phone rang again, and she froze instantly.

Thinking it was Fu Jinxing, she let out a sigh of relief when she saw the name "Jiang Die."

As soon as she answered, she heard the other person's anxious voice.

"Xiao Yuan, where is Momo?"

Jiang Yuan: "She's in the room."

The person on the other end clearly relaxed. "Good, as long as she's okay."

Jiang Yuan gripped her phone tightly. "Sister... why are you suddenly asking this?"

Jiang Die didn't hide it and explained, "Xiao Yuan, I received a text message saying that Momo is missing."

Jiang Yuan was silent for a few seconds.

Jiang Die quickly said, "Xiao Yuan, don't be angry. I'm not doubting that you didn't look after Momo well..."

"It's fine, it's fine." Jiang Yuan chuckled. "I'll send her back in a little while."

After hanging up, she stepped into the elevator.

Staring at the changing numbers on the floor display, Jiang Yuan’s fair face showed a hint of gravity.

Who sent that message to Jiang Die?

She clearly hadn't told anyone about intentionally losing Momo, not even Fu Xiaoxiao.

**

At 11:30 PM, Jiang Yuan sent Momo back.

In the narrow living room, Jiang Die said softly, "Xiao Yuan, don't buy Momo new clothes next time. Keep the money for yourself. Thank you for taking care of Momo for me today."

Jiang Yuan looked at the woman's gentle, makeup-free face, and a mix of complexity and guilt intertwined in her heart.

Controlled by the plot, she had always been jealous of and hated Jiang Die.

But Jiang Die had clearly been very good to her.

Zhanzhan took his sister into the room and whispered with concern, "Momo, how many times did you get spanked today? Does it hurt?"

Momo shook her little head. "Auntie didn't hit me."

Zhanzhan widened his eyes in shock. "You mean Auntie didn't spank your bottom today?"

Auntie was so mean, how could she not spank his sister's bottom?

Momo said in a childish voice, "That's right, Auntie didn't hit me today."

Zhanzhan's little eyebrows furrowed into a wavy line. He thought seriously for a few seconds and finally concluded, "It must be because Auntie's hand hurts today!"

"Zhanzhan, Momo, come out and see your aunt off," Jiang Die's gentle voice drifted into the room.

"Got it, Mom." Zhanzhan had no choice but to bring his sister to the living room.

Jiang Yuan noticed that when the little boy looked at her, his clean, clear eyes were filled with hostility and rejection.

She said softly, "I'm leaving now."

The building Jiang Die rented was an old residential block without an elevator. Almost all the lights were out by ten o'clock, and there was no one on the road, only a few dogs lying under the dim streetlights.

Jiang Yuan's second-hand red BMW was parked at the entrance of the residential area.

After getting in the car, she transferred 200,000 to Jiang Die's card.

As she fastened her seatbelt and prepared to start the car, a cry suddenly rang out, breaking the surrounding silence.

"Qiaoqiao, there's danger!"

Jiang Yuan turned her head to look out the car window.

A young girl with short hair was holding a guide dog, her other hand gripping a white cane.

A man wearing a gray hoodie and a mask was following closely behind her.

Jiang Yuan thought they were together, but just as she was about to drive off, she heard another voice.

"Qiaoqiao, a male two-legged beast has been following you!"

Jiang Yuan’s hand on the steering wheel froze.

This was... the guide dog talking?

But she clearly couldn't understand the large black dog earlier that night.

【System 009: Miss Jiang, this is the reward for completing the novice task.】

Jiang Yuan recalled, "The Dog Dictionary?"

【System 009: Yes.】

Jiang Yuan asked blankly, "What do I need to understand dogs for?"

System 009: 【It allows you to have an affinity with dogs.】

Jiang Yuan: "Why?"

【System 009: Because a villainous female supporting character has no popularity.】

Jiang Yuan: "..."

The guide dog's voice came again—

"Qiaoqiao, there's danger, woo woo woo!"

"Go away, don't follow Qiaoqiao!"

The guide dog barked at the masked man.

Jiang Yuan drove the car out and saw the girl's serene face in the rearview mirror.

After a few seconds of contemplation, she slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching against the ground.

"Skree—"

"Someone, save Qiaoqiao!" the guide dog, Xiao K, cried out helplessly.

Jiang Yuan got out of the car, her heels clicking as she walked toward the short-haired girl, her gaze fixed on the man behind her.

Ignoring the warning in the man's eyes, she said to the girl, "Hello, Qiaoqiao, I want to tell you something."

The girl stopped and looked confused. "Do you know me?"

Xiao K, the guide dog, looked at Jiang Yuan and urged desperately, "Please, save Qiaoqiao! That male has been following Qiaoqiao the whole way!"