The bad value system is measuring values.

Chapter 178 Black Dog

Just then, the faint sound of a dog barking came from afar, attracting Zhong Huanli's attention. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a small, pure black creature with white paws dotting its black fur, making it particularly eye-catching.

Zhong Huanli took a step forward, a smile playing on her lips: "Look, it's that little black dog, your favorite color."

Qiao Xiao followed closely behind, her gaze falling on Zhong Huanli's smile, a strange warmth welling up in her heart. "Hmm, it is indeed quite cute." She carefully observed the little animal, but found a wild glint in its eyes, its fur standing on end, as if it were on guard.

"Asdor..." The name suddenly flashed through Qiao Xiao's mind.

"Is that its name? Did you name it?" Zhong Huanli asked curiously.

Qiao Xiao was slightly taken aback. She didn't know why she thought of this name. "Maybe, let's just call it that."

Zhong Huanli carefully examined the little creature. "It looks quite injured. Let's take it back."

Qiao Xiao gazed at Zhong Huanli, thinking to herself, "Zhong Huanli, your heart is always so soft, like a compassionate god. But, could you only be like this to me..."

Just as Zhong Huanli was about to approach the puppy, it suddenly let out a fierce bark, its eyes filled with vigilance and fear.

Astor muttered to himself, "Where is this? Another world? Is this human? This is terrifying. His aura is stronger than the entirety of my world. Who is he? And the person next to him, could it be Qiao Xiao? But they look completely different. Damn it, trapped in this weak body, I'm utterly powerless."

Seeing the puppy's attitude towards Zhong Huanli, Qiao Xiao couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust. It turned out that she didn't actually like black that much after all.

“But it doesn’t seem very friendly to us,” Qiao Xiao said.

A hint of regret flashed in Zhong Huanli's eyes, but she was immediately interrupted by Qiao Xiao's words: "We need to cultivate feelings slowly."

Zhong Huanli smiled slightly and said gently, "Then come with us."

Asdor stared at the human before him, barking a few times as he couldn't help, but when his gaze met Zhong Huanli's, he felt a strange sense of calm. He trusted that this person wouldn't harm him, while the woman beside him made him uneasy.

Finally, Asdor slowly walked towards Zhong Huanli, completely ignoring Qiao Xiao's presence. Qiao Xiao sneered, thinking, "What a good dog that knows how to choose its master."

Zhong Huanli took Asdor home. Once home, Zhong Huanli placed Asdor on a soft cushion, carefully examined its wounds, and applied medicine and bandages.

Asdor lay quietly, his eyes fixed on Zhong Huanli, occasionally wagging his tail affectionately.

Qiao Xiao watched from the side, feeling increasingly uneasy.

That night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Astol quietly jumped off the mat. He sniffed around the room, trying to find clues about the world and how to restore it to its original state.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps in the distance, and then the door behind him opened; it was Zhong Yan who had returned.

Astor sniffed carefully and recognized the scent of an ordinary human. Zhong Yan wearily rubbed his forehead and inadvertently looked down at a small black dog on the ground. He then squatted down, wanting to gently stroke the puppy.

But Astor wouldn't allow a human to touch him. Astor opened his mouth and bit Zhong Yan's outstretched hand. Zhong Yan quickly pulled his hand back, but a bloody scratch was still left on the back of his hand. Zhong Yan winced in pain, and the noise woke Zhong Huanli and Qiao Xiao.

Zhong Huanli rushed over and picked up Asdor, "What happened, Dad? Are you alright?"

“This dog… is fierce.” Zhong Yan looked helplessly at the wound on the back of his hand.

Zhong Huanli comforted Asdor and said softly, "It's probably scared. I'm sorry, Dad."

Astor felt contemptuous; he truly loathed being considered inferior.

Qiao Xiao: "This dog seems to only acknowledge you."

Chung Huan-li: "I'm probably the first person to see it."

Qiao Xiao raised an eyebrow, silently watching Asdor, who was nestled in his arms, and thought to herself, "You really care about it..."

Zhong Yan remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'm going to get it vaccinated. I've contacted a veterinarian to come and check on it tomorrow."

Zhong Huanli: "Then Dad, be careful on the road."

Qiao Xiao: "Be careful on the road."

Zhong Yan nodded.

After scolding Asdor, Zhong Huanli locked it in a sturdy enclosure. Then, he turned to Qiao Xiao beside him and said softly, "It's getting late, go back and rest."

Qiao Xiao nodded obediently and replied, "Okay, I'll turn off the lights." After saying that, her gaze followed Zhong Huanli's figure as she slowly walked up the stairs.

Once Zhong Huanli's figure disappeared from sight, Qiao Xiao slowly turned around and stared expressionlessly at the Astor trapped in the enclosure.

Her gaze turned deep and cold, tinged with an undisguised, intense displeasure. She muttered to herself, "You're getting more and more of an eyesore, Asdor."

Despite her displeasure, she had no choice but to tolerate it. After all, this black dog was Zhong Huanli's prized possession. Since it was something he cared about, she could only grit her teeth and endure its existence, no matter how much she disliked it.

Meanwhile, Zhong Huanli, now back in bed, kept pondering a question: "Why doesn't Qiao Xiao seem to like this dog as much as I expected? Could it be that she simply doesn't know how to care for a dog? Or... am I putting too much pressure on her? No, I must find a way to help Qiao Xiao and Asdor build a good relationship. Until then, I need to take extra good care of Asdor for her."

On the other side, Qiao Xiao sat quietly at the table, her once bright eyes now revealing a chilling indifference. Moonlight filtered through the dappled leaves outside the window, casting shadows on the table, but it did nothing to warm her already frozen heart.

"Hmm, it's been a whole year already..." Qiao Xiao slowly uttered these words.

"I really have to thank you, Father!" She curled her lips into a cold and mocking smile.

The smile seemed particularly striking on her pale face, like a plum blossom blooming in winter, beautiful yet so cold and aloof that one dared not look directly at it.

Qiao Xiao had never intentionally disguised her personality; it was simply that she lacked the strength to unlock her true self in the past. For a long time, she had been trapped in an extremely repressive environment, like a bird with its wings bound, unable to soar freely in the sky. Every day, she struggled to survive and eke out a living in this suffocating atmosphere.

Now that she can re-examine herself, she suddenly realizes that she was not a kind person at all.

Zhong Huanli treated him that way, but he always chose to ignore the joys and sorrows of others, and could only maintain a so-called normal image on the surface by constantly pretending.

She no longer needs to beg and grovel like a puppy, but a voice inside her keeps telling her: even if she stands up, she'll still be a dwarf.

How can I overcome my inferiority complex, Zhong Huanli?