TSWPF -Chapter 419 The Idea

The villagers nodded excitedly, saying they wouldn’t hurt Ah Huang.

Ah Huang obediently sat in place, letting the villagers stroke its fur.

Seeing how well-behaved Ah Huang was, the villagers became even more enthusiastic.

After three quarters of an hour, Ah Huang gave a pleading look toward Liu Zhimou, silently asking him to stop the villagers. If they kept going, it would lose all its fur.

Even sacrificing one’s looks has its limits!

Liu Zhimou caught Ah Huang’s desperate gaze. He clenched his fist, brought it to his mouth, coughed twice, and looked at the villagers. “Fellow villagers, time’s up. Stop touching Ah Huang—he’s about to go crazy.”

Hearing Liu Zhimou’s words, the villagers stopped and returned to the ground, still laughing and praising Ah Huang.

Ah Huang jumped up and dashed back.

Diandian watched its dad run away, full of sympathy.

It had thought this would be something glorious… but it turned out like this…

Thinking of its dad’s utterly resigned expression, Diandian shivered and felt sorry for him.

Luckily, it had firmly refused to let the villagers touch it—otherwise, it would have ended up like its dad.

“Sir, did you raise Ah Huang? When did you raise him?” someone asked curiously. “He’s so capable and clever.” It made them want to raise a big tiger too.

At this, their gaze turned toward Diandian, who jumped in fright and ran off with its short little legs.

The villagers’ eyes were too scary; it was better to escape first.

Liu Zhimou glanced at Diandian, then at the villagers, and laughed as he recounted Ah Huang’s origins. He also reminded them not to go up Ninghua Mountain, where ferocious wild beasts live. Wild tigers do not understand humans—they can eat people.

The villagers loudly agreed they wouldn’t go up Ninghua Mountain.

They knew how dangerous it was—how could they dare go there?

Liu Zhimou looked around, satisfied that the villagers had taken his words seriously. After a few more instructions, he watched them leave before returning to the mansion.

The prefect watched Liu Zhimou, clicked his tongue twice, then looked down at his own hands, murmuring, “Ah Huang’s fur is really smooth.”

Earlier, he had taken the chance to stroke Ah Huang twice, fulfilling a small wish of his.

“…”

Liu Zhimou gave the prefect a strange look and twitched the corner of his mouth, unsure what to say.

The prefect was too absorbed in the joy of having touched Ah Huang to notice Liu Zhimou’s gaze.

If he had noticed, he would’ve surely stomped in anger.

“When will you be leaving, Prefect?”

“What? Liu Zhimou, does this mean you don’t welcome me? Hmm?”

Liu Zhimou glanced at him indifferently. “I’m afraid of delaying your important matters.” He hadn’t even finished his own, so why linger here?

He really thinks highly of himself.

The prefect raised his brows at Liu Zhimou and snorted. “I’ll be leaving soon. I can’t stay too long—I need to figure out how to overcome my difficulties.”

Hearing this, Liu Zhimou nodded slightly, wishing the prefect a safe journey.

“…”

He’s really eager for him to leave? Already wishing him well so quickly?

The prefect sighed and glanced at Liu Zhimou, complaining a bit more.

Liu Zhimou smiled faintly, ignoring him.

This made the prefect both annoyed and amused. He sighed, saying, “I’ll go then, so I’m no longer in your way.” He had never encountered a subordinate who didn’t take him seriously, especially one so audacious that he couldn’t scold him.

Liu Zhimou stopped, turned to the prefect, and said seriously, “Until we meet again.” He wanted to see the prefect’s reaction. If satisfied, he wouldn’t mind giving him a hand to overcome his difficulties.

The prefect patted Liu Zhimou’s shoulder, nodded, said “Until we meet again,” and turned to leave.

Watching his back, Liu Zhimou smiled and followed quickly.

Seeing Liu Zhimou catch up, the prefect chuckled. “I thought you wouldn’t come to see me off!”

Liu Zhimou smiled. “How could I? You’re my superior; how could I not see you off?”

In high spirits, the prefect climbed into the carriage, waved, and said “Let’s go,” then settled inside.

Watching the carriage disappear, Liu Zhimou sighed and returned to the courtyard, hands behind his back.

Li Qingling saw him return and smiled. “I heard the villagers wanted to see Ah Huang. Did they get scared?”

When she received the news, she had been worried that Ah Huang might frighten them.

Liu Zhimou smiled and poked her nose. “Ah Huang doesn’t know how popular he is—how could he scare anyone?”

Recalling Ah Huang fleeing from the villagers, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

Liu Zhimou sat beside her and recounted the whole story. Li Qingling burst into laughter upon hearing it.

She never expected the villagers would not only be unafraid of Ah Huang but would even dare to touch him.

Wasn’t Ah Huang so protective of his fur? How could he allow it?

She could imagine Ah Huang running away in panic—definitely hilarious.

It was a pity she hadn’t seen it and missed a chance to tease Ah Huang.

“We should ask Ah Huang another day why he allowed the villagers to touch him.”

That guy is tricky—she didn’t believe he’d agree without a reason.

Liu Zhimou nodded, about to speak, when they suddenly heard howls at the door.

Diandian pounded its little legs, climbing over the threshold. “I know why!”

“Diandian…” Li Qingling laughed at the sight of him.

Diandian dashed to her, pawing at her leg, trying to climb onto her lap.

Before it could, Liu Zhimou scooped it up. “You’ve grown heavier; don’t crush my wife.”

Grown heavier?

Heavier?

Really?

These words echoed in Diandian’s mind. It protested loudly, “That’s not heavy! I’m strong, strong, understand?”

Liu Zhimou shrugged at Diandian’s continuous protests, pretending not to understand.

“…”

Diandian rolled its eyes at him, exhausted from wasting so many words explaining.

Li Qingling, sitting nearby, laughed so hard tears filled her eyes—it was too funny to stop.

Worried she’d hurt herself laughing, Liu Zhimou patted her back, urging her to calm down.

Li Qingling composed herself after several attempts.

“Yes, Diandian is not heavy; he’s strong,” she said, but then laughed again.

“…”

Lady, you’d be more convincing if you didn’t laugh.

Diandian looked at its pudgy paws, wondering if it really had gained weight.

“Howl… my mom says I’m not heavy, I’m strong.”

It nodded its little head, agreeing.

Li Qingling, hearing this, laughed all over again.

No, it’s too funny!

Diandian must have been sent by the heavens to make her laugh.

Diandian and Liu Zhimou exchanged a glance, puzzled. Liu Zhimou didn’t understand why Diandian’s words were so funny to Li Qingling, and Diandian didn’t know what was funny about its own words.

“Alright, stop laughing, your stomach will hurt,” Liu Zhimou said, patting Li Qingling’s back.

Li Qingling wiped her tears. “Okay, okay, I won’t laugh anymore.” She patted Diandian’s little head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Her low tolerance for humor was to blame.

Diandian nodded seriously, saying it didn’t blame her.

It was actually confused too—why was the lady laughing?

Li Qingling patted him again and asked why his dad allowed the villagers to touch his fur.

Diandian got excited. Jumping twice on Liu Zhimou’s lap, it loudly revealed the secret:

Its dad wanted to go out and play, so he sacrificed his looks.

Sacrificed his looks?

Li Qingling pursed her lips, trying not to laugh again.

Ah Huang, just to go out and play, actually sacrificed his looks…

She coughed lightly and asked Diandian how it knew.

“Howl… my dad told me.”

It wondered why his dad agreed to let the villagers touch his fur, and his dad proudly explained the reason.

“Howl… If I had known, I’d let the villagers touch my fur too. Then I could go out and play.”

Pfft…

Li Qingling accidentally spit out the tea she had sipped. She had been wrong to drink it while Diandian was speaking—wasting the tea.

She wiped her mouth and looked seriously at Diandian, telling him not to be like his dad—sacrificing his looks just to go out was too shameless.

Liu Zhimou facepalmed. He hadn’t expected Ah Huang’s plan to be like this. Truly… classic Ah Huang.

Diandian looked at Li Qingling, slightly troubled, and said it also wanted to go out and play.

It hadn’t gone out to explore the streets yet; it was curious about the outside world.

Seeing Diandian’s distress, Li Qingling comforted it: it was still small and could follow its dad outside. The villagers wouldn’t be afraid.

If it acted cute and coquettish, the villagers would not only not be afraid, they’d love it.

Diandian looked up at Li Qingling. “Can I do that?”

Li Qingling nodded firmly. “Yes, you can.”

Diandian excitedly howled again. Why hadn’t it thought of such a simple solution? Its lady is so clever.

It seemed that from now on, whenever Diandian was unsure, it should ask its lady for advice.