Chapter 54 The Plan to Cultivate a Handsome Boy

The dog...isn't a girl?

My brain is experiencing a temporary short circuit.

After a long silence, some slow footsteps sounded. The dog walked up to me and stood still, head down, its long, dark hair still dripping wet.

"You can't kick me out." After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly, though he seemed to have a reason to say it.

I stared at him without saying a word.

"You said you wouldn't abandon me." Not hearing my voice, he gritted his teeth and lowered his head.

I grabbed a cloth and wrapped it around his head, vigorously wiping it dry. I muttered to myself, "Your hair is still dripping wet, don't you know? Be careful not to catch a cold or fever... Wipe it yourself." I tossed the cloth to him and said.

He took the cloth and looked at me somewhat cautiously.

Thinking back on his occasional little tantrums these past few days, I couldn't help but chuckle. It turns out he was adhering to the strict rules of gender separation.

I stared at him, looking him up and down. He really did look like a pretty young girl. I shook my head and sighed. How embarrassing! I can't tell the difference between a man and a woman...

With a stern expression, I coughed lightly, maintaining the last shred of my elder sister's authority.

“Who said we were going to kick you out?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

The dog paused for a moment, then looked up at me, its eyes lighting up instantly.

I laughed and gave him a flick on the forehead. "What are you thinking about all day long!" I said, taking the towel back to dry his hair.

The dog looked at me somewhat anxiously, "Is this... alright?"

I ignored him, dried his hair for him, and then, exhausted, turned over and fell asleep immediately.

"Sister..." The dog's voice behind him still seemed to carry some anxiety.

I rolled over, raised my arm and pressed it on his shoulder, treating him like a human-shaped pillow, and hooked my arm down.

"Sister..." Her face, which had finally recovered, suddenly flushed red again.

I didn't open my eyes, but I felt a little like laughing. "Don't worry, I can't eat you. Go to sleep. There's only one bed. Do you want to sleep on the floor? If you catch a cold, I don't have money to treat you or get medicine. I also don't have spare money to ask for another room. Just make do."

The dog twisted its lips, shifted uncomfortably, and fell silent.

Holding that thin child, I felt a little sad. He was so careful, and he didn't even dare to emphasize his gender. Was it because he was afraid that I would not want him?

Silly child.

"Don't worry, your sister will never abandon you," I whispered softly, hugging him tightly with my eyes closed.

The dog's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed and nestled against me warmly.

After a while, I heard even breathing in my ears. I slowly opened my eyes and saw that the dog had fallen into a deep sleep, with a smile still on its lips. My heart warmed slightly, and I closed my eyes and fell asleep as well.

The next morning, I sat by the window facing the street, enjoying the inn's breakfast while gazing out the window.

The dog sat quietly opposite.

"Eat more!" I said, pushing a steaming white bun in front of him.

The dog shook its head. "I'm full."

I turned my gaze from the window and glared at the dog. "How much have you eaten? Do you know why I mistook you for a girl? It's because you're so skinny! If you were a little stronger, would I have mistaken you for a girl?" I accused him, glaring at him.

The dog hurriedly picked up the steamed bun and ate it clean under my satisfied gaze, leaving not a single crumb.

I nodded with a smile, tapping my fingertips lightly on the table. "I'll raise you to be strong and healthy, a real man, and then marry you a beautiful bride." As I made my plans, I imagined the wonderful scene of drinking tea with my future wife.

The plan to raise pretty girls has fallen through, so I've decided to revive the plan to raise pretty boys...

"I only want my sister," Gou'er said matter-of-factly.

I laughed, leaned over the table and tapped him on the head. He didn't flinch and let me tap him.

“You can’t follow your sister forever. In the future… you will meet a woman you like… and then get married…” I coaxed with a smile, then my expression changed. “Of course, you can’t forget your sister after you get married. You have to give me pocket money! You have to take care of me in my old age!”

The dog looked at me, his beautiful black pupils reflecting my smiling face. He nodded, "I will take care of my sister for the rest of my life."

I am extremely satisfied; this kid has a conscience.

As they were talking, it suddenly became lively outside the window.

I turned to look at the commotion and saw a man dressed as a general galloping towards us at great speed, crashing into several stalls along the way. The crowd immediately panicked and retreated to the sides of the street, trying to avoid him as much as possible.

I frowned slightly and looked at the general-looking man. He looked somewhat familiar. Where had I seen him before? I thought about it for a long time, but I couldn't remember where.

"Who is that?" someone whispered nearby. The only good thing about inns and taverns is that they have endless gossip.

"It's General Che Zhou, the Cavalry Commander. Judging from his flustered state, he must have something urgent to attend to."

"Lord Liu left the city early this morning. What important matter could he have planned?" Someone nearby scoffed, unconvinced.

"Who is Lord Liu?" I turned around and asked, looking like a busybody.

"Lord Liu, you don't know?"

My lips twitched slightly. Such a familiar line. Why do I have to know it? There was such a line when I first heard An Ruo's name in the square on the day I traveled through time. How strange. Is there really a type of person in this world that everyone has to know?

Although I had many complaints, I still seemed eager to find a solution.

"Lord Liu Bei is a descendant of Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan, and a great-great-grandson of Emperor Jing of Han!" the man said mysteriously.

I didn't hear the rest of the terms that symbolized sectarian status clearly, but I did understand that the "Lord Liu" here was actually Liu Bei!

I ate breakfast absentmindedly, feeling restless. As I went upstairs, it suddenly dawned on me that I remembered why the general on horseback looked so familiar... I had seen him in Cao Cao's camp! He was one of Cao Cao's men!

When the young emperor and Dong Cheng plotted to assassinate Cao Cao but failed, Liu Bei was also involved. Now, Cao Cao and Liu Bei are at odds, and that general, who is clearly a member of Cao Cao's camp, is stationed in Xuzhou, which is guarded by Liu Bei...

Another mess! I don't want to get involved with history at all. God, why did I have to come to Xuzhou of all places, and run into trouble again! No, I have to get out of the city tonight, or who knows what kind of trouble I'll get into.

I don't want Cao Cao to discover my whereabouts and catch me again, locking me up in the magnificent Prime Minister's mansion like a jigsaw puzzle canary.