The chief examiner wasn’t inside the Guan Shan Residence but rather outside.
The little dumpling secretly observed the chief examiner, trying to see if he was as formidable as the rumors said.
Little Bai and Xiao Xiao had both said that the Big Boss was really scary!
The little dumpling’s secret surveillance went on for quite a while.
The more he watched, the more confused he became. “The Big Boss isn’t that tough.”
The Big Boss couldn’t transform like him and Ah Wu, nor did he possess martial arts skills like the guards.
Other than looking handsome, it didn’t seem like the Big Boss was particularly strong.
The little dumpling cautiously padded along behind the Big Boss. What started as an effort to observe the Big Boss had now turned into an attempt to protect him.
As he followed, the little dumpling glanced back.
Ah Wu wasn’t there.
Satisfied, the little dumpling shook his head and continued moving forward.
Feeling proud that he could finally reassure Ah Wu, the little dumpling had no idea that Ah Wu was standing atop a tree, gazing down at him from above.
The little dumpling didn’t look up, so he didn’t see Ah Wu.
Time ticked by.
The little dumpling observed the Big Boss seemingly wandering aimlessly, and following him was starting to get tiring. Staring at the Big Boss’s back, he found it quite boring.
“Awooo—”
The bored little dumpling, standing like a kitten, stretched out his two paws and made a playful scare pose toward the Big Boss’s back.
His growl was soft, and after his little scare, although the Big Boss remained oblivious, the dumpling giggled quietly to himself.
Up in the tree, Ah Wu saw the entire scene.
His naturally cold face seemed to soften the moment he saw the little dumpling stretch out his paws to sneakily scare someone.
The Big Boss wasn’t walking fast.
So the little dumpling, trailing behind, would sometimes try to scare him, and at other times roll around on the ground, having quite a bit of fun.
Rolling and rolling, the little dumpling bumped into a tree stump.
He held his head with his paws and whimpered for a moment, finally deciding to walk properly.
When the little dumpling covered his head, Ah Wu nearly jumped down from the tree, but he restrained himself.
This was supposed to be the little dumpling’s independent training session, so he couldn’t interfere.
After a while, seeing that the aimless Big Boss was finally leaving, the little dumpling started heading back to Guan Shan Residence.
However, he had barely taken a few steps back when he was spotted.
The little dumpling also saw the person who had discovered the Big Boss.
He looked at the chief examiner, then at the villain rushing towards the chief examiner with a menacing glare, and the little dumpling panicked.
The chief examiner remained calm, neither armed with any big weapons nor taking a defensive stance.
Seeing the chief examiner in such a state, the little dumpling thought he was about to be knocked out.
The little dumpling had always been skeptical about claims of the chief examiner being dangerous—after all, even he could knock the chief examiner unconscious.
In the moment of crisis, the little dumpling couldn’t wait any longer. He leapt out from the grass, growling from his throat, and charged forward with both front paws extended.
The sudden appearance of the little dumpling made the chief examiner raise an eyebrow.
The little dumpling stood in front of the chief examiner, chittering loudly.
The chief examiner didn’t understand a single word of his chattering.
Ah Wu, watching from the shadows, could understand.
His little dumpling was muttering about protecting the chief examiner—and noodles…
The little dumpling might be chatty while fighting, but luckily, that didn’t stop him from swinging his paws or showing off his fierce stance.
The chief examiner could already tell that this little dumpling was trying to protect him, watching with great interest, clearly intrigued by the little one.
The little dumpling, full of confidence, knocked down the bad guys. His fighting style bore traces of both Ah Wu’s teachings and Shui Shui’s guidance.
He instinctively aimed his paws at the spots that could knock people out.
After knocking the villains unconscious and without getting hurt himself, the little dumpling strutted over to the chief examiner’s legs and rubbed against him.
His expression was one of pride, clearly waiting for the chief examiner’s praise.
But before any compliments came, he suddenly felt his body lifted into the air. The next second, he was carried away.
The little dumpling: “Chirp?”
The chief examiner had picked up the little dumpling with both hands, tucking him into his arms and carrying him off.
The little dumpling wriggled a bit, but the chief examiner stroked his head, making him feel very comfortable.
“Come with me. I’ll make you something to eat,” the chief examiner said in a low voice. The moment those words fell, the little dumpling immediately behaved, retracting his tiny, sharp claws.
“Chirp chirp.”
The little dumpling let out a soft chirp, his voice full of happiness.
The chief examiner carried the little dumpling all the way back.
Ah Wu followed behind, his face dark as iron.
His well-trained little dumpling had just been casually carried off by the chief examiner.
The chief examiner was swift in carrying him, and the little dumpling was unusually obedient.
Not long after, they arrived back at Guan Shan Residence, returning to the chief examiner’s house.
As soon as they got back, the little dumpling sprawled out, exposing his soft little belly for the chief examiner to see.
When the chief examiner looked down at him, the little dumpling grabbed the chief examiner’s hand with his paws, wanting him to rub his belly.
“This one sure warms up to people quickly.”
The chief examiner’s interest in the fearless little dumpling only deepened.
He grabbed a piece of fresh raw meat, placed it on a plate, and brought it to the little dumpling.
“Eat.”
The little dumpling tilted his head: “?”
Was this big, uncut, uncooked piece of meat for him?
The little dumpling’s wet eyes widened. He stretched out a paw and swatted the plate away.
The floor was covered with rugs, so the plate didn’t break.
The chief examiner watched as the little dumpling pushed the plate away and lightly tapped its paw, “If you don’t want to eat, then don’t. But why push the plate away?”
He picked up the plate and the meat, then brought out a plate of vegetables after washing them.
The little dumpling frowned, still wanting to push the plate of vegetables away. But this time, before it could extend its paw, the chief examiner quickly snatched the plate.
“If you’re not eating meat or vegetables, what do you want to eat?”
“Chirp-ow!”
Noodles!
The little dumpling chirped and then leaped up to the cupboard, rummaging through it to find noodles.
The previously destroyed kitchen had been completely renovated, and the new version was even better than before.
The little dumpling grabbed the same bag of noodles as last time and brought it over in its mouth.
“Ow!”
Cook this!
With the ingredients in its mouth, the chief examiner easily understood what the little dumpling wanted.
However, a curious look flickered in his eyes.
Why does this little dumpling also love noodles?
The more the chief examiner looked at the little dumpling, the more familiar it seemed. It wasn’t just that he felt familiar with the little dumpling; the dumpling also seemed quite familiar with him.
“Alright, I’ll cook this for you.”
The chief examiner added water to a pot and began boiling the noodles.
While the water was boiling, the little dumpling acted like a supervisor, watching over the pot.
As the noodles softened and curled in the boiling water, the little dumpling sat on the counter, lifting its round face and chirping happily at the chief examiner.
Listening to its soft little voice and comparing it to the fierce sounds it made while fighting, the difference was remarkable.
“You’re like a little kitten; even your voice cracks.”
The little dumpling didn’t understand what he said.
After chirping, it grabbed a chicken drumstick.
Noodles, fried chicken, and fried potatoes — the best combination.
The little dumpling brought all the ingredients over, and the chief examiner fell into thought as he looked at the familiar trio.
While the chief examiner was lost in thought, the water in the pot started to boil.
The little dumpling quickly chirped to alert him.
The chief examiner, skilled at cooking, added some fried pork and vegetables to the noodles. By the time it was served, it looked both appealing and delicious.
“How do you plan to eat this?”
He placed the bowl in front of the drooling little dumpling and asked.
The little dumpling looked at the bowl, thought for a moment, and then went to wash its paws.
After washing, it waited for the noodles to cool slightly, then reached out with its paw to grab the noodles, licking the soup with its little tongue when thirsty.
The chief examiner watched the entire process without blinking.
“I’ve never seen your kind before. You can understand human speech, you fight well, and even the way you eat is different from other small animals. I think you should stay with me.”
“I’ll feed and take care of you. What do you think?”
The little dumpling buried itself in its noodles, not responding.
After slurping down the noodles, it washed its paws and wiped its mouth.
Having done all this, it still didn’t understand a word the chief examiner had said.
Though it was clear the chief examiner liked its current form, the little dumpling knew it couldn’t stay with him.
It still had to find Ah Wu!
It couldn’t stay here every day, but the chief examiner could let it roam freely.
The little dumpling made a decision. Next time it wanted noodles, it would return in this form to get food.
“Chirp-ow!”
I’m leaving now!
Having eaten and drunk its fill, the little dumpling was ready to leave.
But the chief examiner held it down, not letting it run away.
At that moment, Master Jue and several other Master arrived to discuss the people gathered outside the Guan Shan Residence.
The little dumpling, about to leave, heard their conversation and obediently nestled into the chief examiner’s arms.
Its chubby little bottom rested on the chief examiner’s hand as it tried to blend in as an inconspicuous little ornament.
The Masters and the chief examiner talked in the study.
The chief examiner, who had just held the little dumpling firmly, now, before entering the study, made a move to set it aside, intending not to bring it in.
But the little dumpling, with a quick slip of its paws, slid under the floor of the study.
Now hidden beneath a bench, the little dumpling refused to come out.
To get it out, they’d either have to move the heavy bench or lie down and reach for it.
The bench was too heavy to move, and it wasn’t very dignified to lie down and grab the dumpling in front of everyone. So, the chief examiner chose to turn a blind eye and left the dumpling there.
“Boss, we’ve found the culprit.”
“It was Du Yao from the 4th class who leaked the details of Guan Shan Residence. The cleaning team has already been sent.”
“This is a list of people he’s shared this information with.”
“Boss, many of the people outside are gone, but they’ve mobilized the army, and the troops are heading to Guan Shan Residence.”
The Master reported, while the chief examiner sat in the center, his expression indifferent, showing no reaction.
As the report continued, the chief examiner occasionally responded with a faint “hmm,” acknowledging the information.
The fact that the people outside had been able to mobilize an army was somewhat impressive.
“Boss, should we continue?”
Master Jue asked, “Do we finish them off now? If they stay outside, it’ll disrupt the students’ classes.”
“In my opinion, their persistence suggests someone else is behind this. Boss, I think we should teach them a lesson.”
“Finishing them off too quickly might not scare them enough.”
Another Master offered his opinion, “We should use this opportunity to show the students.”
“We need to remind the students that the agreement they signed upon entering Guan Shan Residence is not to be taken lightly.”
They teach these children and protect them, not so they can grow up to be ungrateful wolves. If they become such wolves, Guan Shan Residence will not tolerate it.
Each of the teachers had their own opinions, and the little one listened intently, ears perked up. He could even tell which teacher was speaking.
The conversation dragged on for quite a while. By the end, the little one rubbed his face with his paws, his ears buzzing from all the talking.
“Let them come,” the chief examiner finally decided. “They’ve prepared so much, we can’t let their efforts go to waste.”
He accepted one of the teacher’s suggestions. They would have the students witness firsthand that, even if the army were involved, challenging Guan Shan Residence would lead to nothing.
With the decision made, the teachers didn’t linger. Knowing that the chief didn’t like to entertain guests for long, they all promptly excused themselves.
Before leaving, one of the teachers, Master Jue, glanced over at the sofa, noticing the little one. He had seen the little one before during a practical class, but the little one had always been cautious and remained undiscovered.
Master Jue stared at the spot where the little one had just been, before casting a puzzled look at the chief. The chief didn’t say a word, so Master Jue didn’t ask any questions and left quietly.
After the teachers had gone, the chief examiner looked at the long chair and called out, “Why aren’t you coming out?”
The little one chirped twice from underneath but didn’t emerge.
The chief examiner patiently waited for a while, but the cub kept chirping and refused to come out. He frowned slightly, “Are you stuck?”
Knowing that the little creature could understand, he added, “If you’re stuck, chirp once. If not, chirp twice.”
The little one chirped twice.
The chief examiner, seeing the cub chirping but not crawling out, couldn’t figure out what was wrong. The atmosphere seemed to stall.
After a moment, the chief didn’t want to kneel down to peek under the chair. He pressed his temple, then began to move the chair.
As he lifted the chair, his sleeves rolled up, revealing muscles that weren’t exaggerated but were clearly defined and noticeable when he exerted force. Though he seemed slender while dressed, his muscles were strong and toned.
With the chair moved aside, the little one laid there pitifully, raising his small head. His beautiful round eyes were brimming with tears, and his paws were sprawled flat on the floor, unmoving.
“What’s going on?” The chief examiner, realizing something was wrong, squatted down in front of him and poked his little head.
The poke made the little one’s head wobble, but his paws still didn’t move. He looked up at the chief examiner with pitiful eyes and complained, “Chirp, chirp chirp chirp!”
Roughly translated, the chirps meant: “I was lying here and suddenly couldn’t move. My paws are all weird and messed up.”
The little one didn’t yet realize that his paws had gone numb, so he simply said they felt all mixed up.
Although the chief examiner couldn’t translate the chirps, he had a pretty good guess. He picked up the cub and started massaging his paws.
The kneading was a bit painful, and the little one’s tears fell. One drop landed on the chief’s hand, causing him to pause.
“I just remembered who you remind me of.” He continued massaging the little paws while gazing into the cub’s teary eyes, his voice casual. “You look a lot like Little Seven.”
Just like Little Seven, who loved noodles, was soft and adorable, and often had tearful eyes.
The little one froze immediately. His teary eyes blinked nervously.
The chief had said it offhandedly, but he didn’t expect the cub’s paws to tense up, claws extending in response.
Seeing the stiff paws and the stunned little one, a small smile played at the chief’s lips.
“Getting nervous… do you know Little Seven?”
“Chirp!” No, no, I don’t.
The little one chirped hurriedly, shaking his head vigorously.
“Oh, you don’t?” The chief smiled lightly, seemingly convinced. He continued chatting with the cub while massaging its paws. “Little Seven also loves noodles, but he wasn’t as well-behaved as you.”
The little one: “…”
He remained silent, listening as the chief continued to talk about Little Seven.
Hearing the “bad things” about Little Seven, the little one’s expression visibly darkened with displeasure.
“You seem much more obedient than Little Seven. You can come by whenever you want noodles,” the chief offered.
“Chirp!” The little one slapped the chief’s hand with a paw, indicating that he was not obedient at all.
He was so furious that, taking advantage of the chief not knowing his true identity, he boldly rebelled, even throwing a fit. He scratched up the table with his claws.
After finishing with the table, the little one jumped down from the chair. His paws were no longer numb, and he could move freely again.
Fueled by anger, the little one darted around the room like a parkour master, causing havoc as he went. While he ran, he continued to destroy things here and there.
“Chirp!” I’m not more obedient than Little Seven!
“Chirp chirp!” Little Seven isn’t annoying!
As the little one dashed around the room, destroying things, the chief calmly observed and even began jotting down notes. After watching for a while, he picked up a notebook, ensuring he recorded everything in detail.
Exhausted from all the chaos, the little one hesitated between escaping through the window or taking a look at the notebook. In the end, he chose the latter.
He stepped over, walking on his little paws, and saw the long string of numbers written in the notebook: “Chirp?”
What’s this?
The chief examiner seemed to know what he was asking, so he calmly replied, “This is a bill. It’s to be sent to Ah Wu.”
The little one: “!!!”
The little one’s round face filled with panic: “Chirp, chirp?!”
Why send the bill to Ah Wu?!
The little one was utterly terrified, and meanwhile, in the palace of Qi Dynasty, Emperor Ling, who had just learned that an army was planning to attack Guan Shan Residence, sat up from his sickbed.
He gulped down the medicine that the imperial physician had brought him, the bitter taste so intense it made him furrow his brow tightly.
He took a moment to try and recover, but still couldn’t quite get over it.
Lu Guang, seeing this from the side, quickly handed over a plate of candies for Emperor Ling to suck on.
The candy had been brought back by the Seventh Prince, but not much was left. What was sent to the Chengming Hall was also running low.
Emperor Ling picked out a piece of candy and put it in his mouth. The sweetness barely managed to dispel some of the bitterness.
Still frowning, he asked Murong Xu in front of him, “Tell me in detail again, why is the army suddenly attacking Guan Shan Residence?”
“The reason given by the army is that their prince has been detained by Guan Shan Residence, and since they won’t release him, they’ve gathered troops to demand his return.”
Emperor Ling: “…”
Emperor Ling found this hard to believe: “Isn’t that ridiculous? Didn’t the other nations also send their princes and princesses there? If something really happened at Guan Shan Residence, wouldn’t their children also be in danger?”
“Your Majesty, they don’t seem to care.”
It was said that part of this army had been deployed by the new empress of Great Qing.
The intentions of the new empress were blatantly obvious.
Emperor Ling’s face darkened. Other countries had sent their unwanted princes and princesses, but his Little Seven was not the same.
His Little Seven was precious and beloved.