If you're going to feed the dog, this amount of beef jerky isn't enough for Ruanbei.

He ran to his own shop, scooped out two large pieces of meat from the braising liquid bucket, packed them in a lunchbox, and took them all with him.

Watching his son eat and take food, Mr. Ruan said worriedly, "It's hot, the food will spoil if you don't finish it."

Ruan Bei said nonchalantly, "It's nothing, you have no idea how much they can eat."

Every time his sister gave him snacks, they almost never lasted overnight in his dorm room; a group of boys would eat them all up that same day.

At their age, they are at the peak of their eating ability. Even if they eat a full meal at night, they will get hungry again in two or three hours and crave a late-night snack.

In addition, Ruan's father is a good cook, and they love to eat whatever he makes. For example, if the dog can't eat this braised beef, Ruan Bei plans to take it back to the dormitory to feed her roommates.

Upon arriving at school, Ruan Bei and Qin Gu first put down their luggage and backpacks, then, carrying the gift for Pudding, went to meet Niu Niu's new friends.

Since it was broad daylight and Niu Niu needed to lead the way, it wasn't appropriate to put her inside the jade house.

It just so happened that the weather was still hot and the sun was very strong. Many people on the street were holding parasols, so Ruan Bei took out his Yu'an umbrella.

Yu'an is the umbrella that Qin Gu gave to Ruan Bei, and it was named by Ruan Bei. When Qin Gu asked why, Ruan Bei said, "I have no other intention. I hope that I can hold up this umbrella and create a safe haven for those benevolent ghosts, and send them on their way."

Qin Gu thought about it for a moment and felt that the name was good. His original intention in giving this umbrella was to protect Xiao Bei, and he always hoped that Xiao Bei would be safe and sound.

"Let's name the sword 'Summoning Cold'," Qin Gu said with a smile.

With an umbrella and a sword, Xiao Bei named the umbrella and the sword, which was very fitting.

"Zhao Han? What does that mean?"

"Summoning stars and ghosts to feast on cups and plates, mountain demons dine while people feel a chill." Qin Gu chuckled as he recited a line of poetry, then met Ruan Bei's questioning gaze and tilted his head with a smile: "I don't have any particular thoughts, it just sounds nice. Shall we take it?"

Ruan Bei couldn't help but chuckle: "Take it, of course we'll take it."

Thus, Ruan Bei's ritual implement had two names; the name "Yu'an Umbrella" only represented itself.

Ruan Bei held up an umbrella, with Xiao Niu Niu following under it. Since becoming a ghost, she rarely walked on the road in broad daylight, and she was very happy, jumping and skipping around Ruan Bei.

The Yu'an umbrella is undeniably beautiful, especially considering the handsome young man holding it.

There was someone nearby who wasn't afraid of the sun, lazily following the boy holding the umbrella; his skin was so white it seemed to glow.

—A miscalculation. The umbrella was too small; it's just right for two people, but too crowded for three.

In the short distance, Ruan Bei was stopped several times. In the past, they would ask for his contact information, but now, after he refused, the girls would ask where he bought the umbrella.

Ruan Bei repeatedly said that the umbrella was custom-made by an elder and the painting was done by a friend.

Judging from his tone, it was clearly a custom-made item, not for sale to the public. The young ladies watched with reluctance as the beautiful umbrella and the handsome young man walked away together.

Of course, some people asked Qin Gu, who looked down at him with a cold expression and downcast eyes: "I don't use WeChat, and I don't use a mobile phone."

Then the girls who hit the iceberg stopped paying attention to him.

Niu Niu covered her mouth and giggled. Ruan Bei looked down at her and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

The little girl smiled mischievously: "I know, all the older sisters like older brothers!"

Qin Gu, who was on his way to see Pudding, was annoyed when he heard this and ruffled Niu Niu's braids, saying, "Don't talk nonsense. Your brother wouldn't like those people."

Niu Niu covered her head, angry but unable to speak out, and muttered with a pout, "But the older sisters just like the older brothers..."

"Still talking." Qin Gu raised his hand to scare her, and Niu Niu suddenly hid behind Ruan Bei, peeking at Qin Gu with her head down.

Ruan Bei found it amusing: "Why are you arguing with Niu Niu? She's just as old as you. You're trying to scare her."

Qin Gu glared angrily: "You're still taking her side? Do you think what she said is right?"

Ruan Bei: "...?" How did we get to this point?

Niu Niu tilted her little head back, blinking her big eyes. "Big brother seems angry. Will they argue?" she wondered. She was most afraid of adults arguing; arguing was bad.

"Niu Niu is wrong!" Niu Niu retorted loudly, "My brother's favorite person is the older brother, not the older sister."

Ruan Bei: "..."

Qin Gu: "...I'll give you another Yin Qi talisman tomorrow." This kid, why is he speaking such blunt truths?

"...Thank you, big brother!" Adults are so strange, suddenly getting angry and then suddenly getting happy.

As they walked, they arrived at the school gate. Ruan Bei stopped and asked in confusion, "Niu Niu, isn't Pudding inside the school?"

Niu Niu shook her head: "It's not there, it's on the street where they sell lots and lots of delicious things."

Ruan Bei found it strange. The food street was crowded and not a suitable place for ghosts to dwell. Although there were many people in the university, there were always quiet places. Except for classes, meals, or gatherings, students would not all gather in one place.

But Niu Niu was very certain, and Ruan Bei trusted her. He followed the girl to continue walking along the food street. When they reached the middle to back section, Niu Niu stopped near a barbecue restaurant.

Ruan Bei looked up at the signboard and frowned. The local culprit had told him that the meat at this restaurant was unclean, so he had never eaten there before.

It was almost lunchtime, and there were only a few customers scattered around the restaurant. This restaurant not only sells all-you-can-eat barbecue, but also barbecue skewers.

The self-service barbecue is where you order the food and grill it yourself. The owner sets up a barbecue grill outside the door to sell meat skewers, along with some other items, but the main focus is on meat skewers.

Ruan Bei stood not far from the barbecue restaurant. The man grilling the meat was a rather young-looking man. To be honest, he wasn't very good-looking, but he was of average height, probably around 1.75 meters. However, his facial features were ugly.

Small eyes, a flat nose, and an unusually large mouth—the combination is quite an eyesore.

However, he seemed to have a very good temper. Even though he was sweating profusely from grilling meat in this weather, he still had a smile on his face and spoke to the customers waiting for their meat in a gentle and friendly manner.

Having just finished grilling a batch of meat skewers and seen off the waiting customers, the young man swung his wrist and greeted Ruan Bei and Qin Gu with a smile: "Hey, want some skewers?"

Before Ruan Bei could answer, Niu Niu tugged at Ruan Bei's finger and whispered, "Brother, don't eat it, he's a bad person."

Ruan Bei's expression softened slightly: "No need, we'll wait for someone."

"Then you wait here, sorry to bother you." The young man smiled sheepishly, his small eyes practically disappearing from sight.

Zeng Peng would sometimes chuckle, but when he chuckled, it was genuinely naive. This man's smile made Ruan Bei feel an inexplicable awkwardness.

Ruan Bei and Qin Gu moved a little further away, making sure the barbecue man couldn't hear them in the noisy environment.

Qin Gu asked Niu Niu, "How do you know he's a bad person?"

Niu Niu said, "Pudding told me that person is bad and that I should stay away from him."

Ruan Bei's focus veered off course: "Isn't Pudding a dog? How can it talk to you? By the way, how do you know its name is Pudding? Did it tell you itself?"

Niu Niu looked blank: "Yes, Pudding told me its name is Pudding. I don't know why I can understand what Pudding is saying, I just know what it is saying."

Qin Gu stroked his chin and pondered, "In essence, Niu Niu and Pudding are the same species."

They're all ghosts.

Ruan Bei: "..." The world is truly amazing.

"Can I understand it?" It would be quite interesting to have another dog language.

"It might not work." Pudding has become a ghost, but it's still a dog's soul, and it can't speak human language anymore.

"Okay." Ruan Bei sighed dejectedly, then turned to Niu Niu and asked, "Where's Pudding?"

Niu Niu looked around, her little brows slowly furrowing: "I don't know. When I used to come looking for Pudding, it would always be here waiting for me."

“Because Pudding, like Niu Niu, can’t be in the sun either,” Ruan Bei comforted the little girl. “Let’s walk around and call it, see if it answers.”

He gave Qin Gu a look: "Did you scare the ghost away again?"

There's a precedent for this; when Qin Gu first met Niu Niu, he scared the little girl to tears.

Qin Gu twitched the corner of his mouth, raised his chin slightly, and tapped Niu Niu: "Don't worry, we have hostages."

Ruan Bei: "..." You're really something, kidnapping a little girl to threaten a dog.

Niu Niu kept calling Pudding's name, and soon, the sound of dogs barking came from the narrow alleyway at the street corner.

Niu Niu cheered and grabbed Ruan Bei's hand, trying to lead him there: "Brother, it's Pudding! Pudding is over there!"

"Don't rush." ​​Ruan Bei held an umbrella and escorted Niu Niu there. Qin Gu followed. The alley was dark and narrow, probably a place where nearby businesses piled up their miscellaneous items and garbage, and it was very messy.

Using the light filtering in from the alleyway, Ruan Bei saw Niu Niu's new friend whom she had been longing to meet.

The moment Ruan Bei saw the guide leash on the dog, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Pudding is a guide dog; it won't hurt Niu Niu.

Sure enough, after Niu Niu rushed over and hugged its neck, Pudding let the little girl rub its furry ears, but its eyes were fixed on Ruan Bei and Qin Gu.

Ruan Bei took two steps forward, and Pudding immediately blocked Niu Niu's path, letting out a low growl.

Niu Niu hugged the big dog and laughed: "Pudding, don't be afraid. Those are my brother and big brother. They are good people. I've told you about them."

Perhaps the girl had mentioned Ruan Bei and Qin Gu to her friends before, so Pudding no longer showed hostility towards Ruan Bei and Qin Gu.

Qin Gu stood guard at the alley entrance, while Ruan Bei went in and squatted down in front of Pudding: "Hello Pudding, my name is Ruan Bei, I am Niu Niu's brother and current guardian, uh, entrusted by her mother."

Pudding let out a soft cry, and Niu Niu immediately translated: "Pudding said its name is Pudding, and it's Niu Niu's good friend, hehe."

As expected, Ruan Bei couldn't understand dog language, and he felt a little disappointed.

"I've taken the liberty of coming to see you today to thank you. I usually have classes and don't have time to take care of Niu Niu or play with her often, so I'm very grateful to have you here."

Pudding barked a few more times, and Niu Niu laughed happily. Ruan Bei asked her what she was laughing at, and Niu Niu said, "Pudding is shy!"

Upon hearing this, Pudding immediately cried out. Even without Niu Niu's translation, Ruan Bei could guess that it was refuting or obstructing Niu Niu.

"I'm just telling the truth." Niu Niu chuckled and patted Pudding's ear. "Pudding, don't be angry. Your brother brought you some delicious meat."

Ruan Bei helped Niu Niu explain: "When Niu Niu eats something delicious, she thinks about sharing it with her good friend Pudding."

He opened the food container, and the aroma of braised beef immediately wafted out. Ruan Bei said, "My friend can let you eat this food. Would you like to try some?"

Pudding lowered her head and hummed twice. Niu Niu hurriedly said, "Pudding, this is super delicious! Daddy Ruan's cooking is the best!"

She lived in the small house and ate a lot of the various foods that Ruan Bei smuggled in.

"Don't worry, Niu Niu. Pudding is a guide dog and has been trained to catch food."

Pudding looked at Ruan Bei with its dark, moist eyes, and nuzzled its big head against Ruan Bei's knees as he half-squatted.

Niu Niu asked curiously, "What is 'refusal to eat training'? And what is a guide dog?"

“Refusal to eat training means that a dog will only eat the food that its owner feeds it, while a guide dog is a dog that acts as the eyes of a blind person.”

Ruan Bei knew that his explanation was not rigorous enough, but Niu Niu was young and he could understand what he said: "Niu Niu, do you know what blind people are? They can't see, and guide dogs are their eyes. They help them cross the road, take the bus, go shopping, and so on."

Niu Niu cupped her face in her hands and exclaimed, "Blind people are so pitiful, guide dogs are so wonderful."

She patted her big friend: "Pudding is a good dog, right, brother?"

“Of course,” Ruan Bei said. “Every guide dog undergoes rigorous training before it can officially become a guide dog. They provide great help to blind people, and Pudding must have helped its owner as well.”

Perhaps it was because he heard Ruan Bei mention his master that Pudding's barking became a little lower, and Ruan Bei's praise failed to make him happy.

Realizing he had spoken out of turn, Ruan Bei felt a little embarrassed, but it was clearly inappropriate to mention Pudding's owner again.

Although I don't know why Pudding turned into a ghost, if Pudding is in trouble, Ruan Bei is willing to help it, but at least we have to wait until they are more familiar with each other.

He held the lunchbox and carefully asked the dejected dog, "Pudding, do you want some? Or would you like to come with us to see Niu Niu's house?"

He turned to Niu Niu: "Would you like Pudding to come to your house to play?"

“Of course I’m willing!” Niu Niu said loudly, “Pudding, come on, come on, I have lots of toys, and... and the drawing that big brother gave me, it’s so comfortable to lie on.”

Pudding barked a few times, and Niu Niu pouted, "Okay, then if you want to come to my house as a guest, just tell me."

Pudding barked at Ruan Bei a few more times, and Niu Niu immediately perked up: "Brother, Pudding said it wants to try this delicious meat, thank you."

Ruan Bei felt relieved. He had a good impression of Pudding, and it would be even better if he could feed him.

"Kunkun, help me," Ruan Bei called out to Qin Gu.

Qin Gu walked over and took out a strangely shaped, folded paper jar from his bag.

Ruan Bei asked, "What is this?"

"Incense burner." Qin Gu said, taking out a few more incense sticks, lighting them, and sticking them into the "incense burner."

Strangely enough, such a delicate fragrance stood up all at once.

Qin Gu chanted a few incantations in a low voice, and wisps of smoke drifted toward Pudding. The big dog twitched its ears, and even though its face was covered by fur, it looked very comfortable.

"Place the offerings in front of the incense burner."

"Oh, oh." Ruan Bei quickly put down the lunchbox, and then Pudding came over, sniffed it, and started eating heartily.

It eats the same way as Niu Niu; the food doesn't seem to decrease, but the taste is definitely gone.

Pudding, who hadn't eaten in a long time, quickly finished both boxes of meat and barked at Ruan Bei and Qin Gu a few times.

Niu Niu translated for herself: "Pudding is thanking you."

"Don't be shy." Ruan Bei reached out his hand, and Pudding leaned in to let Ruan Bei touch it a few times.

"So soft." Ruan Bei smiled happily; this well-behaved dog was too cute.

Ruan Bei laughed, and Qin Gu laughed along with her. Niu Niu pounced on Pudding's back and petted her for a while. Pudding stood still, letting her do whatever she wanted.

After laughing, Ruan Bei packed up the lunchbox.

Now that he had seen Pudding and knew it wouldn't harm Niu Niu, Ruan Bei felt relieved.

He and Qin Gu still had things to do. Just as he was about to ask Niu Niu whether she wanted to play with Pudding here or go back with them, Pudding, who had been very docile, suddenly yelled and rushed towards the alley entrance.

It was fast, and even faster after becoming a ghost. It pounced on the alley entrance in an instant, trying to get out, but was forced back by the scorching sunlight, and cried out in desperation.

"Pudding, Pudding, wait! Brother has an umbrella, he can take us out." Niu Niu called anxiously to her friend.

Ruan Bei hurried over, asking as she went, "What's wrong with Pudding?"

Niu Niu said, "Pudding sensed its owner, but Pudding said before that its owner went to a very, very far place and had to take a big plane to get there."

Ruan Bei was taken aback. He had thought that Pudding's owner was also gone, so he had gone abroad before? And now he was back?

As they were talking, Ruan Bei had already reached the alley entrance and opened his umbrella. Pudding immediately walked to his left front, and Niu Niu caught up and stood to Ruan Bei's right.

Pudding called out to Niu Niu, who then pointed to Ruan Bei: "The one in front, wearing black clothes and a hat, is Pudding's owner."

Ruan Bei and Qin Gu followed. As they walked, Ruan Bei felt a little strange. Logically speaking, the owner of Pudding should be blind, but the person in front of them walked very steadily and did not carry a cane or anything like that.

It was lunchtime, and the food street was packed with people. Ruan Bei also had to keep an eye on the person and dog under his umbrella, so he could only follow from a distance. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as the person went into the barbecue restaurant they had visited earlier.

Pudding started barking wildly, so loudly it was almost unbelievable for a guide dog.

Niu Niu also got anxious: "Brother, hurry up! There are bad people over there!"

Ruan Bei had no choice but to quicken his pace, with Qin Gu standing beside him, stretching out his arm to help him push through the crowd. The two finally squeezed their way to the front of the barbecue restaurant.

The shop is even busier now, it's almost full, and the barbecue stalls outside are also packed with people.

Upon seeing Ruan Bei and Qin Gu, the young man grilling meat clearly recognized them, grinning and nodding at them. As Ruan Bei walked into the shop, he didn't tactlessly ask if they had waited for anyone.

The last empty table in the shop was taken by Pudding's owner, whom they had been chasing all along. She arrived at just the right time, when a table had just finished eating, so the waiter led her over to sit down. At that moment, the waiter was clearing the table.

Ruan Bei sat down opposite her, and Qin Gu sat next to Ruan Bei. Pudding had already been lying down at its master's feet, whimpering softly twice, sounding quite mournful.

The owner of the pudding raised his head and looked at them indifferently.

This is a very beautiful girl, with willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a delicate nose, and rosy cheeks.

She had a sweet and delicate appearance, but her overall demeanor was quite aloof, and she wore large black-rimmed glasses that obscured her beautiful eyes.

After sitting down, she didn't take off her hat. From the exposed parts, it was clear that her hair was cut very short. When she first followed behind, the hair under the back of her head was probably less than a centimeter long.

Ruan Bei was taken aback by her gaze, and instinctively smiled back at her, then felt a little embarrassed.

He couldn't very well tell her here, "Didn't you once have a guide dog named Pudding? It died and became a ghost, still thinking about you. Do you want to see it?"

He didn't know the specifics of Pudding's relationship with its owner, nor did he understand her personality. If she thought Ruan Bei was crazy, that would be too embarrassing.

"I'll sit alone." The owner of the pudding had an unexpectedly pleasant voice, but for some reason, she spoke in a low voice.

Ruan Bei was at a loss. He was being chased away, but it wouldn't do for him to stay. What about Pudding?

Just then, another table finished eating, and Ruan Bei quickly invited Qin Gu to sit down at the table diagonally opposite.

But as soon as they sat down, the waiter brought the menu. Ruan Bei didn't want to eat there, but it would be strange to sit in someone's restaurant without ordering anything.

After hesitating for a moment, Ruan Bei casually ordered some vegetables. Since the meat in this restaurant wasn't clean, he decided to eat vegetarian.

"That's all?" The waiter looked at the order form, then at the two men, puzzled.

Most boys are carnivores. Even if some prefer vegetarian food, why bother going to a barbecue restaurant?

Qin Gu calmly replied, "We are Buddhists and vegetarians."

Ruan Bei: "..."

After everyone left, he asked in a low voice, "So, the Dao Ancestor won't blame me?"

Qin Gu said nonchalantly, "The Dao Ancestor is very busy; he doesn't have time to concern himself with such trivial matters."

Ruan Bei: "...What you said makes a lot of sense."

Pudding lay at its owner's feet, where people were coming and going. Niu Niu could only sit next to Ruan Bei and peek at her little friend.

After the waiter brought the menu, Pudding's owner ordered some food, but Ruan Bei noticed that she didn't eat much, and he wondered what she was thinking.

Neither table was focused on the food. After about ten minutes, the table near the door finished eating and called the waiter to settle the bill.

But the waiter was settling the bill for another table, whose customers were having questions about the price. The waiter, unable to get away, called out, "Boss, settle the bill."

Ruan Bei then realized that the man grilling the meat was actually the owner of the restaurant, which explained why he was actively soliciting customers.

By the way, the local spies say there's something wrong with the meat at this shop. Pudding says he's a bad guy, so the meat in his shop... could it be dead rat meat?

If I don't think about it, I won't; but if I do, I feel nauseous.

Just as the people waiting for the skewers outside left, the man who was grilling the skewers wiped his hands and came over with a big smile to settle the bill for the table by the door.

As he moved around, Ruan Bei noticed that he was limping, as if one of his legs had a problem.

Niu Niu whispered, "His leg was bitten by Pudding, I saw it."

Her friends would bite that man every night. Niu Niu knew that good dogs shouldn't bite people, but Pudding was a good dog, and this man was a bad person.

At the same time, Pudding stood up, blocking its owner's way and letting out a sharp cry, even though its owner couldn't hear or see it.

"That's right, isn't it? Come again next time if you're satisfied!" The unscrupulous owner of the barbecue restaurant finished calculating the bill, took the money from the customer, and looked down to find change in his pocket.

Ruan Bei had been keeping a close eye on the table where Pudding's owner was sitting when he saw the girl suddenly stand up and walk towards the young man.

She walked very fast, almost jogging. Her table was only one table away from the one by the door, and she reached the door in the blink of an eye.

The shopkeeper had just pulled out his change and hadn't even looked up when a cold glint suddenly appeared in his eyes. Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"Ahhhhhh! Murder!" The female customer waiting for her change screamed shrilly.