CH 22
Xiao Yao was startled by the old white dog’s sudden movement, and a layer of goosebumps crawled from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
After all, Baiju was a big demon, even if he appeared to be a human, it didn't change his brute force. His sturdy arms were as solid as gold and without much effort Xiao Yao couldn't move despite trying several times.
Xiao Yao also couldn’t really muster any strength to deal with these two friendly arms. After struggling twice, he simply adjusted to a more suitable posture in the old white dog’s hold and was locked in a tight grasp. After that, Xiao Yao dared not move again for a while.
Otherwise, what if there was a big baby sitting under his butt.
After a pause, Xiao Yao felt Baiju's fluffy head rub against his neck, seeming to take in two breaths abruptly.
The action was similar to when he nuzzled into the dog.
Xiao Yao stared out the front window of the car with no expression on his face, thinking about his words with a desolate heart, "That..."
As a result, as soon as he spoke, it wasn’t the old white dog who responded but the monkey gestured with an OK sign in the rearview mirror, and the partition between the front and rear seats was raised neatly.
Xiao Yao began to think about changing Hou Jing's job.
But at the moment it was more important to plan his own way out of Baiju's arms.
"Bai’ge..." Xiao Yao waited for a while, then seeing that Baiju didn't mean to let go, he jabbed him with his elbow, "Bai’ge, what are you doing? Let go, it's not safe to sit like this."
Baiju didn’t think he was being too much, and now that he’d calmed down, he was instantly refreshed. Hearing Xiao Yao’s words, he let go and put the person back by his side, then he put his arm on Xiao Yao’s head and draped over him happily, expressing his thoughts into his shoulder, "You humans are really smart."
Xiao Yao had no idea what the silly dog was talking about.
Baiju spared no effort in praising humanity, "Look, I never knew that malaise of the heart could be treated by a therapy dog. I didn't expect that holding you would really improve my mood."
Xiao Yao, "......"
Xiao Yao felt that he had learnt something.
First of all, Baiju was in a bad mood just now. Secondly, Baiju treated him as a therapy dog. Finally, Baiju actually felt that his mood had improved after nuzzling him.
After quickly sorting out the logic between Baiju's words, Xiao Yao really didn't know what to think.
With a sigh, Xiao Yao felt some happiness in the old white dog’s logic, but also felt that he should still complain about the dog treating the human as a therapy dog, "Bai’ge, is it too difficult to admit that you are a bit clingy?" Sticking to someone and holding them like a therapy dog to relax isn’t the same thing! This dog looks stoic, but he’s actually very sticky.
Baiju blinked quite innocently, "Yao Yao, I’ve never denied it."
Xiao Yao turned his head, seeing Baiju's face was calm, he felt a little pained.
Let it go, the dog had a very youthful mental age.
·
The road to the orphanage was relatively remote, and it wasn’t a place that was frequently visited by the General Administration. Therefore, after Hou Jing drove through three portal gates, the remaining trip could only be travelled normally, there were no shortcuts, and the entire journey was almost an hour.
Before arriving at the orphanage, Xiao Yao asked Hou Jing to adjust the trip and drive to a nearby supermarket, where he got out of the car with Baiju.
Candies, toys, snacks, crayons, notebooks...they bought a bunch of odds and ends. When they walked out of the supermarket, Baiju was carrying four shopping bags in both hands and the vegetable seller stuffed tomatoes into his arms.
Baiju felt that the experience was a bit novel, and regardless of suddenly being overburdened, he sidled towards Xiao Yao with everything, "Yao Yao, that little girl...I mean, that auntie, she didn’t want our money. "
Xiao Yao amusedly pushed away Baiju's fluffy head, "The supermarkets here don't have so many rules. The aunties liked you and gave you some food, she doesn’t mind making less money so you can be happy."
Baiju was pushed a little away, and looked down. Worried that he might hit Xiao Yao, he drew half a step behind him and continued to be moved, "There are so many good people here." He had gotten used to modern mobile phone payments, which were unforgiving, so Baiju was a little flattered when he was suddenly given a bag of tomatoes by the auntie.
Xiao Yao smiled, "There are still many good people in the world. The children in the orphanage also received a lot of care from the residents here. Although ordinary people rarely adopt orphans, the red fox and the monk Yuanchun have done a good job. The residents here have been affected to a certain extent...every New Year’s they give food and occasionally a lot of people come over to do volunteer work when they have time."
Baiju nodded thoughtfully, then looked back at the supermarket and said, "They will have good?karma."
Xiao Yao pulled open the car door, thinking that if they could get your blessing, it would be worth half their lives of accumulated virtue.
After leaving the supermarket and passing two intersections, they arrived at a place next to a park, decorated like a kindergarten. It was the orphanage run by the Demon Management Bureau. It’s name was quite down to earth, and it was called the Ping An Orphanage.
The guard of the orphanage apparently recognised Xiao Yao's car as they approached the gate. After confirming who was in the driver's seat he opened the gate.
Ping An Orphanage wasn’t small. In order to keep away from the regular welfare institutions, the Demon Management Bureau registered it as a private welfare institution, and it was mostly funded by the practitioners who had too much money to spend. As a result, they had invested a lot of money in the construction and there were many dormitories and playgrounds. A lot of attention had also been spent on decoration and maintenance. It looked bright and clean, and felt very warm.
Baiju and Xiao Yao arrived at a special time. It was almost 11 o'clock in the morning and the teachers were arranging for the children to wash their hands and eat.
Xiao Yao looked at his watch and led Baiju into the activity room to put the toys and things away first, and then took him to the cafeteria.
Pushing open the door of the cafeteria, the smell of food floated out. The scene in the cafeteria was very unique, Taoist priests with buns all wore the uniforms of the orphanage and talked happily. Volunteers wearing red sleeves and the Taoist priests divided the children into small tables and sat with them to share the meal.
The appearance of Baiju and Xiao Yao made the cafeteria quiet for a short while, but the red fox who was wearing a mask to serve soup to the children had a good nose. The smell of Xiao Yao and Baiju in the air floated to him, and he turned his head to look. Coming over, he stretched out his hand in surprise and waved, "Curator Xiao, Boss Bai, you’re here too!"
Baiju didn't know how to answer, but Xiao Yao, who normally was cold and calm, shook Baiju’s hand comfortingly, and held up the bag of tomatoes in his hand and waved it, "Just in time we’ve brought you some food."
The atmosphere in the canteen has warmed up a lot and a few brave children pushed and shoved down the dining table, and ran to Xiao Yao hand in hand to greet him, "Xiao Yao’gege, long time no see."
"Long time no see." Xiao Yao smiled, bent down and rubbed the little boy's hair, "Leilei has grown taller."
The little boy called Leilei straightened up his chest upon hearing this, and couldn't help grinning, revealing his white teeth with a gap in them.
Xiao Yao couldn't help but laugh. He was about to introduce Baiju to the children but when he turned his head, he found that Baiju had actually stepped back two steps cautiously, and his eyes looked a little bewildered.
Xiao Yao was taken aback.
The way Baiju looked now, reminded him of the way he was on the first day they met.
Baiju, who would rather wait for several hours in the hallway than rashly step into his domain.
This dog had become much more proactive recently, that he forgot how polite and cautious he was at first... capturing the fleeting bewilderment in that pair of black eyes, Xiao Yao was heartbroken, so much so that he couldn't speak for a moment.
What had this guy experienced before?
Slightly pursing his lips, Xiao Yao pressed down the doubts in his heart, and smiled calmly, "Bai’ge, come and meet the kids."
Baiju hesitated for a moment, then took a step forward, and then bent down like Xiao Yao. He looked in the eyes of the few children seriously and smiled, and greeted them in a soft voice, "Hello."
Several small children immediately stammer back to him, "Big, big?brother, hi!"
Then they turned and ran behind Xiao Yao and hid, watching Baiju from the side.
Baiju was stunned by their reactions and looked up at Xiao Yao in confusion.
Xiao Yao laughed and motioned to him to look at the blushing faces of the children, "They’re shy."
The children were even shy when they heard this, and they shrank behind Xiao Yao and watched Baiju motionless.
Xiao Yao stretched out his hand and patted their heads, coaxing them, "Do you like your new big brother?"
The children were as quiet as mice, "Like him..."
Xiao Yao continued to ask, "Does your new big brother look good?"
The children continued to squeak, "Looks good~"
Baiju was still bent down, and he didn't react when he heard their first answer. When he heard their second answer, all the reactions rushed forward at once, and he blinked his eyes, blushing.
Baiju straightened up and covered his face with one hand, "...Thank, thank you." Thank you for liking me...
Xiao Yao was trembling with Baiju's unexpected reaction. A big man at 1.9 metres tall was shy because he was praised by children. His reaction was too cute.
Silently suffocating the cry in his heart, Xiao Yao quickly suppressed his smile, turned around and pushed the children to the dinner table, "Okay, let’s go to eat first. Your new big brother will accompany you in the afternoon to play."
Saying hello to several acquaintances in the canteen, Xiao Yao took the tomatoes to the kitchen, preparing to make some candied tomatoes as snacks for the children, followed by a fascinated and silent big dog Baiju behind him.
Baiju silently handed a plate to Xiao Yao, who was cutting tomatoes. When the last plate was handed over, he couldn't help but lean over to Xiao Yao's side, stretch his hand and pull Xiao Yao's sleeve, "Um... Yao Yao."
Xiao Yao turned his head and saw Baiju's worried and bright eyes. He immediately guessed the dog's mood, but still asked him cooperatively, "Hm? What's the matter?"
Baiju felt a little silly and his ears were a little red, "Do they really like me?"
Xiao Yao's heart was so soft that he replied warmly and earnestly, "Yeah, they really like you."