Having successfully indulged in her little whims, Li Miao contentedly let the husky off the hook.
From now on, they would have to undergo a three-month training and adjustment period.
However, these three months of training wouldn't take place at school but would instead involve practical training sessions conducted by the local military in cooperation with the school.
In other words, all senior high school students would have to follow military arrangements and, based on the type of their tamed beasts, disperse to various locations, leave the city, and enter dense forests for training.
Li Miao's beast was a canine, so she was assigned to a specialized training area southwest of the city.
But up until now, she hadn't received any notifications—if it weren't for Jiang Huan privately messaging her last night, she truly wouldn't have known about it.
[Jiang Huan]: Honey, we're not in the same team, what a shame.
[Sleep-Together]: No worries, just hand Bluey over to me, and then I'll be on your team.
[Jiang Huan]: ? Dream on!
[Sleep-Together]: You're stingy.
[Jiang Huan]: Bluey is my life!
Li Miao glanced at the husky, which was currently stealthily trying to wiggle out of its skirt. The struggle was so intense that only the dog itself seemed oblivious to it. Its master's death glare was already fixed upon it.
[Sleep-Together]: Just kidding~ Don't take it seriously, babe. Come on, tell me when your team is meeting up?
[Jiang Huan]: Didn't I tell you last night? I'm reporting for assembly today.
Li Miao: ???
Did she remember that?
After a moment of thought, Li Miao clicked her tongue.
Okay, there was indeed such a memory.
It's just that last night, she'd been too busy playing games.
Li Miao clutched her chest in faux pain.
As a senior high school student, not only did she not focus on studying, but she also spent her time playing games and scrolling on her phone—so indulgent… and utterly blissful!
Without a shred of guilt, Li Miao glanced at the husky, which had successfully freed itself from the skirt, and swiftly scooped it up.
The husky stiffened.
"Relax, I'm not making you wear it again."
Li Miao tutted. "It's just a tiny skirt, why the drama?"
The husky's heart sank into despair.
You don't understand. You'll never understand. A dog's dignity is sacred!
"Let's go, we're heading out. We'll eat outside today—what do you want? I'll buy it for you."
The husky instinctively wagged its tail. "Woof!"
Ice cream! Ice cream!
"Deal!"
She weighed the husky in her arms—over twenty pounds of dog flesh hanging from one arm was definitely a bit heavy.
Li Miao decided to maintain her ladylike image and silently set the dog back on the ground.
"Follow right behind me later, got it?"
Woof!
"No running around. There are beast traffickers out there who abduct tamed beasts. If you get snatched and our contract is forcibly broken, we'd both get hurt—badly. You might even end up skinned and turned into hotpot!"
The husky tucked its tail between its legs. Woof woof!
I swear, I promise, I won't leave your side for a second!
Pleased, Li Miao patted the husky's head and strode out of the room, shouting, "Mom, I'm broke!"
Li's father gave her a sideways glance.
"Didn't you just make a fortune? That not enough for you?"
Li Miao stiffened.
She looked past her dad at the squirrel, Yaya, kneeling on a washboard behind him.
Yaya grinned. "Squeak squeak."
The truth always comes out.
Li Miao clutched her chest in exaggerated despair. "Yaya, you traitor, did you rat me out again?"
Yaya: ?
"Ah, whatever. That's not the point. The point is, my training assembly starts today, so I need to leave early. By the way, Dad, where's Mom?"
As expected, her father was easily sidetracked. "All you ever do is call for your mom. Am I that insignificant in this household compared to her?"
"Dad, I'm broke. Can you spot me some cash?"
"...Ask your mom. She's in the kitchen."
"Oh."
Li Miao turned and approached her mother, her voice dripping with sweetness like a cream cake, exuding sugary charm from head to toe.
"Mommy~ Your precious daughter is heading out early today for training assembly~"
"Speak properly."
"Oh."
Li Miao pouted. "I'm broke. Mom, gimme money."
Immediately pleased, Li's mom pulled out her phone. "That's more like it."
"Thanks, Mommy~"
Li Miao swiftly accepted the digital red envelope, then grabbed the husky and strode out without looking back, remembering at the last second to bring her pre-packed suitcase.
Jokes aside—three whole months of practical training!
But she hadn't packed too much, because their destination was the wilderness outside the city. Given the military's training tendencies, they'd probably confiscate all personal belongings.
So aside from a change of clothes, she only packed essentials like a toothbrush, towel, phone charger, and sunscreen.
But…
Where exactly am I supposed to assemble?
After scrolling through the entire group chat on the messaging app, Li Miao finally found her team's group at the very bottom.
She stared blankly at the empty chat.
Why hasn't the instructor said a single word?
With no other choice, Li Miao opened the instructor's profile and sent a friend request. Noticing his posts were public, she casually scrolled through them.
"Huh?"
Li Miao enlarged a few of his photos.
Isn't this the police station where I took the husky to get its ID registered?
Thoughtfully, she glanced at the husky.
The husky: Woof.
Hungry. Food.
"Let's grab a bite first."
As for the rest…
They could figure it out after eating.
Li Miao took the husky to a nearby restaurant.
Meanwhile, the instructor assigned to her team inexplicably sneezed.
"Who's talking about me now?"
He rubbed his nose and sighed. "Boring."
"You call this boring?"
The young man sitting next to him on the police station steps scoffed. "You're about to lead a team out—and you're bored? What, those rookies not entertaining enough for you?"
"Entertainment? Is that how you see training rookies?"
The instructor rolled his eyes. "It's called cultivating talent. Get it?"
"Thinking about babysitting these kids for three months makes my heart ache..."
"Cut the crap. You're probably thrilled—three months of paid leave! Why didn't I get assigned this gig?"
The young man sulked. "I'm here to investigate suspicious individuals sneaking into the city, especially new beast tamers who recently registered at the station."
The instructor paused.
"New beast tamers?"
"Yeah. Isn't this high school awakening season? Most students awaken around this time, so with more registrations, there's more room for shady people to slip in."
The young man sighed. "Rumor has it a bunch of rookie tamers got tricked into joining the Celestial Sect."
The instructor: "..."
"That bunch of idiots who keep preaching that beasts are gods and humans are just ants beneath their feet? The delusional cult that's hell-bent on creating god-like beasts?"