宠物灵魂觉醒

Chapter 13: The Landlord Comes for the Rent

"These movements, so practiced they make one's heart ache."

"It seems that Miss Dai really doesn't treat Erha as a pet."

"Yes, it must be a kind of emotional attachment."

"Bittersweet yet reassuring, watching this scene, I can almost imagine how difficult this helpless young girl's life must have been."

"But throughout the filming of the show, Miss Dai's smile has never faded."

"Yes, she has a good attitude, she's a positive and upbeat young girl."

"Erha is also very sensible! Although he's quite aloof, he's definitely warm-hearted."

...

"That's exactly the feeling!"

In a luxury hotel suite.

After a bath, the Celestial King is comfortably resting in bed, watching the simple scene of the girl and her dog on his phone, his face full of excitement.

Erha's silent, self-starting action of taking out the trash.

The way he shakes his head gently, refusing the steak that Miss Dai tries to give him.

At this moment, it perfectly matches the role of the sensible, heart-wrenching dog in the Celestial King's script.

Without a second thought, he summons his assistant.

"Tell Screenwriter Zhang to make sure the dog in the script is changed to an Erha," he instructs.

Screenwriter Zhang, catching a glimpse of the scene on the Celestial King's phone, nods understandingly and agrees.

At Miss Dai's home.

The preparation for dinner continues.

The cheapest beef offcuts.

After an hour of meticulous cooking by Miss Dai, the stewed beef, rich in sauce and shining with oil, is transformed as it is poured from the pressure cooker.

Served with some vegetables, Miss Dai places it in the only two relatively fancy dishes they have at home.

Though much of the beef consists of fat and tendons, the flaws seem to be completely masked by the sauce.

Carefully arranged into little mounds, she sets the plates on the table.

She also places the pan-fried steak opposite herself.

"Boss, dinner's ready!"

As soon as she speaks, Erha, adept at household routines, jumps onto the stool and sits properly in front of the plate.

Faced with delicious food, his first action isn't to devour it greedily.

Instead, he extends a paw and pushes the steak towards Miss Dai.

Miss Dai frowns.

"Boss, we agreed this reward was for you!"

As she tries to push the plate back, Erha shakes his head and looks like he's about to jump down.

Desperate, Miss Dai stops her movement, takes a small knife reluctantly, and cuts the steak in half.

"One half each, or I'm not eating either."

Erha hesitates for a moment but then sits up straight again, giving a silent consent.

Then, the two of them start to eat.

"What a heartwarming scene!"

"After watching this, I couldn't help but drag my own Erha over for a scolding. Why is there such a big difference between dogs!"

"Don't envy, you can't get a dog like this by envying! This kind of Erha, there's probably only one in the world."

"Yes, and the fact that you can scold yours shows your Erha must be of pure breed too, what else could you want!"

"If it weren't for Erha's striking appearance on screen, I'd truly think they were a couple sharing mutual affection."

"And don't mention it, with Erha's delicate chewing motions, if he could use a knife and fork, he'd definitely be a gentleman."

"I thought this kind of follow-up shooting would be boring, but it turns out you can see such warm scenes. Not bad at all."

"I hope in the future competitions, Miss Dai and her Boss can have a smooth journey so she doesn't have to struggle so hard alone,"

"Yes, I've definitely set my sights on this Erha. If there's a need, I'll surely help vote."

...

The stream of comments in the chat shows a mix of admiration and sympathy.

Their dinner finishes smoothly.

As Miss Dai is clearing the dishes, there's a knock at the door.

When she opens it, she sees a stout middle-aged woman.

"It's the landlady, Auntie, please come in!"

The landlady, facing Miss Dai's warm greeting, shows little emotion.

Her eyes scan the room, lingering on the filming crew and Erha, her face carrying a hint of chill.

"Is the rent ready? Don't even think about delaying it again this month!"

"All set, I'll get it for you right now!"

Usually, this moment would be the most nerve-wracking for Miss Dai.

But today, she feels unusually relaxed.

With a slight smile, she goes to the bed, pulls out a metal box from under the mattress, and opens it.

Inside are two stacks of neatly arranged mixed bills, secured with rubber bands.

She also adds the fifty she had on

her.

"Auntie, here's three hundred for next month's rent!"

The landlady frowns, not reaching for the money.

"Three hundred just to dismiss me?"

Miss Dai is startled.

"Auntie, wasn't the rent always three hundred?"

"Heh, three hundred was for a month, it's gone up to five hundred starting this month! And if you want to stay, pay every six months. Also, you never paid the deposit when you moved in, so that's a thousand for the deposit, all together now."