Gu Yi pressed his head again. "You still sound terrible."
"Wang (jerk)!"
Shi Jianhua stared fixedly at Ye Zhizhou in Gu Yi's hand, his hand tightening, looking like he was about to go mad.
"The painting your grandfather likes, I can sell it to you," Gu Yi suddenly turned his head towards him, then discreetly tucked Ye Zhizhou under his coat. "And about that studio you mentioned last time, I can invest in it, but I won't be a fool. I want to see returns within a year."
Shi Jianhua's gaze shifted from the tail of Ye Zhizhou, which had peeked out, to Gu Yi's face. He regained his composure and said calmly, "Alright, I'll increase the price of the painting by 20% for you, thanks for your generosity. As for the studio, it won't take a year. With Jianwen around, six months should be enough. When are you available? Jianwen wants to invite you for dinner."
"Let's do it this weekend," Gu Yi replied after considering his recent schedule. He then patted Ye Zhizhou's butt and said, "Don't fidget, be a good boy."
Ye Zhizhou, who was trying to wriggle out of his clothes, stopped struggling and silently called out to the heavens, "Scan Gu Yi's soul state for me, and while you're at it, scan Shi Jianhua's physical condition."
[Scanning Gu Yi's soul state... Scan complete, body and soul match 100%, no abnormalities. Scanning Shi Jianhua's physical condition... Scan complete, congenitally weak, requires rest. Suitable elixir: Ten-Tonic Pill.]
Another 100%? Could it be that Gu Yi was also a fake image created by the soul flag for him? He couldn't help but feel frustrated; this hell mode was really too tricky...
Gu Yi, who had finished discussing matters with Shi Jianhua, pulled him out of his clothes again, felt him, and then pinched him. "Raise your tail."
Ye Zhizhou glanced at him and turned away. "Wang (fake, don't want to talk to you)."
Shi Jianhua's expression became strange again as he stepped forward and said, "He's probably hungry. I have some puppy milk in my house for him; I can feed him."
Gu Yi hurriedly tucked Ye Zhizhou back under his clothes, squinted at him, and assessed him from top to bottom. "Jianhua, I noticed you're acting a bit strange today... Take a moment to calm down. I'll take my leave for now, and we can meet up later."
After saying this, he turned and walked away, not giving Shi Jianhua a chance to stop him.
The car quickly disappeared, and the fervor in Shi Jianhua's eyes gradually faded, returning to a calm and composed state. He bent down to pat his own pet dog in front of him and furrowed his brows slightly. "What just happened? Why did I suddenly want that little white dog..."
Ye Zhizhou, who had been played with by the soul flag twice, lay listlessly in his cage, completely disheartened.
"Are you hungry?" Gu Yi stopped the car, opened the cage, and picked him up, examining him closely. He suddenly frowned. "You've become uglier."
Ye Zhizhou stared at him with lifeless eyes.
"It turns out the reason is the lack of a dog tag," Gu Yi muttered to himself and magically produced a dog tag from his pocket, putting it around Ye Zhizhou's neck. "It's okay; I ordered a whole box. I promise you won't wear the same one for a month."
"Wang (moron)."
"Be good."
"Wang Wang (I want to poop in your car)."
"Call me Daddy."
"Wang (call your ancestors)."
"Come on, shake hands."
Ye Zhizhou turned around, presenting his backside to him.
"It seems you need some training," Gu Yi patted him again, then picked him up and got out of the car. "Let's go, I'll buy you some milk."
Ye Zhizhou was always straightforward about his needs regarding food, so he wagged his tail somewhat enthusiastically.
Gu Yi opened his phone's map and found a nearby pet supply store. After confirming the address and route, he crossed the street and entered an alley. "Let's get you some food to fill your belly for now. I'll go to a proper pet supermarket later tonight and get you some proper food. Don't worry; you'll fatten up."
"Wang (thank you, male lead)."
Harmoniously, the two of them walked through the alley and reached another main street after a while. They turned again and entered a bustling street outside a residential area. The fur on Ye Zhizhou's back stood on end once more. This place, this scene, and that familiar "xx Hotpot" sign... Isn't this where Gu Yi found the protagonist? He quickly poked into the plot information and checked the timeline, only to discover with horror that the story had indeed progressed to the point where the protagonist left Shi Jianwen's house!
No, he couldn't let the protagonist meet Gu Yi!
The fur on his body stood on end as he tilted his head back and howled, "Woof woof woof (there are monsters on this street, male lead, quick retreat)!"
"You can't eat hotpot." Gu Yi held down his ruffled fur and turned his head back towards the hotpot restaurant, speaking with a solemn tone. "If you eat hotpot, you'll turn into hotpot yourself."
Ye Zhizhou angrily and anxiously huffed through his nostrils, raising his paw to scratch Gu Yi. "Woof woof woof woof woof (I didn't want hotpot, no, I'm not hungry at all! Don't buy food; let's go)!"
"Don't be in a hurry," Gu Yi patted his head and rubbed his belly, frowning slightly. "Your belly is indeed empty. Just endure it a bit; we're almost at the pet supply store."
Unable to communicate at all and being shamelessly molested by a man, what kind of pathetic male lead was this! Ye Zhizhou was so frustrated that he lowered his head and gave Gu Yi a fake bite, then kicked away his intrusive hand with his hind legs. In his mind, he anxiously asked, "Tongtian, is there a way for me to become human? Or at least to be able to speak human language? This dog's body is completely unsuitable for completing missions!"
[Do you want to use the mission reward "Purple Void Technique" or Transformation Pill?]
Ye Zhizhou paused, "Oh right, I still have a Transformation Pill... Wait, what's this 'Purple Void Technique'? Can I learn it?"
[Host's permissions have been upgraded, and some restrictions have been lifted. The first three levels of the "Purple Void Technique" are now accessible.]
"Does this mean I can finally learn the truth about the soul flag?"
[Your permissions are still insufficient to extract that information.]
"..."
[The "Purple Void Technique" Formation section has been unlocked.]
... Refusing to give a sweet jujube while striking with a stick, thank you very much.
He closed the screen, feeling slightly relieved. Thankfully, he could still become human, and there was a glimmer of hope for the mission. Plus, with the "Purple Void Technique," he had already learned alchemy and talisman crafting; now he was adding formations... Wait a minute, alchemy! In his previous life, with his lover's guidance, his alchemical skills had improved rapidly. Just before leaving that world, he had successfully concocted a bottle of Resurrection Elixir! The reason why the protagonist had encounters with several male leads was because his soul had entered the body of a cat. As long as he returned his soul to its rightful place, the tasks in this world would become much easier, wouldn't they?
There's a way out when there seems to be none! Heaven is looking out for me!
He excitedly wagged his tail, completely changing from his previous look of not wanting the protagonist to appear. He stood up and stared with round, gleaming eyes as he searched the street for the protagonist's pitiful figure. He rattled the calculations in his mind. He had to make sure Gu Yi brought the protagonist back! Once he did, he could feed the Resurrection Elixir to the protagonist! First, he would use the Resurrection Elixir to return the soul of the little cat to its place, then find a way to locate the protagonist's body and use the elixir to return the protagonist's soul... In that case, the chances of the male leads falling in love with the protagonist, starting with Gu Yi, should all decrease! Perfect!
The detailed plot information stated that Gu Yi and the protagonist met by a trash can in a small alley. At that time, the protagonist looked disheveled and miserable, and Gu Yi happened to pass by, his heart filled with pity, so he carried the protagonist back. Therefore, he needed to find a trash can... Where was the trash can? The trash can... He found it! His eyes lit up as he spotted a small figure with a creamy color near the trash can, and on top of that figure's head were six soul flags!
It was the protagonist, no doubt about it!
"Woof (look over there)!" He raised his paw and scratched Gu Yi, who was focused on the map, and excitedly barked in the direction of the trash can.
Gu Yi followed his gaze, then shook his head seriously. "No, even if you're hungry, you can't rummage through the trash can. Remember, you are the dog I, Gu Yi, am raising—a dog with money."
"...Woof (to hell with you)!"
"Be a good boy, I'll feed you soon." Gu Yi patted his head, completely ignoring the pitiful protagonist. He took large strides past the trash can and tossed it behind him.
[The probability of love between Gu Yi and the protagonist has dropped to 50%. Host, please try harder.]
Damn it... Something is off with this plot!
He became more anxious and tugged at Gu Yi's clothes, raising his paw and pointing towards the trash can. "Woof woof woof (don't go, your true love is still by that trash can! Hurry and bring him back)!"
Gu Yi held his small paw and pinched it, looking at him with a stern face. "Little Strong, be obedient."
What a blockhead!
He angrily withdrew his paw and, with his head lowered, estimated the distance from Gu Yi's chest to the ground. He gritted his teeth and was about to struggle out when he suddenly saw a creamy figure stumbling towards them from the direction of the trash can.
"...Woof?" Why did the protagonist run over? Is he cooperating like this?
Gu Yi had almost let go of him, but he quickly pulled him back. Following the protagonist's gaze, Gu Yi turned around and furrowed his brows. "Little Strong, you're too small to play with stray cats; you'll get sick."
At that moment, the protagonist had just arrived beside the two of them. He paused at Gu Yi's words and then looked up at him.
"What an ugly cat," Gu Yi continued to taunt, smearing his words with poison, "and dirty too. Aren't cats supposed to be clean?"
[The probability of love between Gu Yi and the protagonist has dropped to 40%. Host, please try harder.]
Ye Zhizhou: "...Woof woof woof?" Male lead, your reaction is a bit off, and the protagonist's cat body is an Exotic Shorthair with white fur, round face, and bright eyes—clearly a beautiful cat.
The protagonist's tail stiffened, and he exchanged glances with Gu Yi for a while. Suddenly, he squatted down, licked his paw, and wiped his face, speaking softly, "Meow~"
Ye Zhizhou: "...Woof." The protagonist's behavior is different from what's in the plot information. What happened to the dignified cat lord?
Gu Yi took out his phone and opened the browser. Ye Zhizhou, curious, moved closer and saw that Gu Yi was searching for the contact information of an animal rescue organization in this area.
This jerk didn't even consider adopting the protagonist! The protagonist even chased after him and acted cute! Ye Zhizhou hurriedly raised his paw to stop Gu Yi from typing and looked up at the protagonist on the ground. Then he wagged his tail toward Gu Yi and barked, "Woof (I like this cat, let's bring him with us)!"
The protagonist strangely understood what Ye Zhizhou, the dog, was trying to convey. He took a few steps forward and also wore an eager expression, meowing.
Ye Zhizhou trembled as he was licked by the protagonist and his fur stood on end. The protagonist's cat act was too convincing, and this behavior of his, deliberately running over and begging Gu Yi to adopt him, seemed like he knew who Gu Yi was and was specially trying to get adopted by him.
"No." Gu Yi shook his head at Ye Zhizhou, a cruel expression on his face. "Even if you're hungry, you can't eat cats. You're still young; eating meat won't digest, and I heard cat meat doesn't taste good."
The protagonist froze again.
Ye Zhizhou couldn't stand it any longer and paw-slapped Gu Yi. "Woof (do you dare not to be blind? I didn't mean that)!"
[The probability of love between Gu Yi and the protagonist has dropped to 30%. Host, please try harder.]
...How did it drop again?
After a minute of standoff between the man and the cat and dog on the street, Gu Yi finally gave in. He frowned, patted Ye Zhizhou's head, and asked, "Do you want this cat?"
Ye Zhizhou wagged his tail happily. "Woof (male lead, you've finally shown some intelligence)!"
"Alright." Gu Yi nodded expressionlessly, deleted the contact information for the animal rescue center, squatted down to take off his coat with Ye Zhizhou inside, and then put the protagonist into the coat pocket. He held the coat like a plastic bag, carrying Ye Zhizhou, and headed towards the pet store. "Little Strong, from now on, you can't ask for live toys or dirty ones, understand?"
The protagonist protested with a meow and received Gu Yi's comment that it sounded even worse than "Little Strong."
[The probability of love between Gu Yi and the protagonist has dropped to 20%. Host, please try harder.]
"...How much do you despise the protagonist, male lead! Weren't you supposed to be a cat lover? Moreover, everything has been progressing according to the plot information, so why is the love probability between the male lead and the protagonist dropping so drastically?"
Inside the coat, Qin Bai, who was being carried, shifted slightly and looked up at the silly white dog cuddled in Gu Yi's arms. A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes. He remembered that when Shi Jianwen was on the phone with Shi Jianhua, he mentioned that Gu Yi didn't have any pets. So, what's with this dog that looks so silly, and it seems like Gu Yi dotes on it... A shadow of darkness briefly passed through his blue pupils but quickly disappeared.
It's just an ordinary dog, nothing to be afraid of. He retracted his gaze and closed his eyes, lying down. The predicted outcome was correct; Gu Yi did indeed appear near his house at this time. This dog was just a minor accident and shouldn't have much impact.
[Detected abnormal energy fluctuations attempting to scan the host's body. The system has intercepted. Host, please be cautious! Host, please be cautious!]
Ye Zhizhou was momentarily stunned and quickly lowered his head to look at the protagonist, who was tucked inside the coat. He furrowed his brow deeply. Abnormal energy fluctuations? Could it be that the protagonist has awakened his clairvoyant ability? But the plot information clearly stated that the protagonist awakened this ability after returning to his own body...
"Tongtian, is it another plot hole?"
[There is an unknown force interfering with the system signal. The information may be inaccurate. Host, please discern it on your own.]
It's not the usual "Please trust the system" line... Ye Zhizhou's heart sank. Could that unknown force be the soul flag? Could it be that the plot holes in several previous worlds were also influenced by the soul flag?
Damn Hell Mode.
"Little Strong," Gu Yi suddenly spoke, lightly poking Ye Zhizhou's butt and sounding puzzled, "Why do you smell so good, like something delicious?"
Ye Zhizhou was momentarily stunned, then shocked, and his fur stood on end as he exclaimed, "Woof woof woof (Even in Hell Mode, this is not okay! He doesn't want to become dog meat hotpot)!"