My Octopus Dumpling Became a Spirit - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Xiaobai had become quite famous, and eventually a pet variety show reached out to me.

They offered good money, so I went.

I was nervous taking Xiaobai out for the first time-what if people thought it was weird…

But once we arrived, I realized Xiaobai’s presence was surprisingly unremarkable.

The show featured owners with all sorts of pets, not just me. Someone kept a scorpion, another a big macaque, and someone even had a shark.

“Come on, that’s ridiculous,” I muttered, hugging my Octopus box and following the crowd quietly.

The first segment was a pet intelligence game called “Can You Understand Your Owner’s Commands?”

Rows of voice buttons that could speak were placed in front of the pets.

There was no comparison-Octopuses are naturally highly intelligent animals.

Xiaobai was especially sharp. While other owners were still trying to communicate with their pets, Xiaobai had already finished the task and started pressing the speaking buttons.

“I, want, ice cream.”

“No, too cold.”

I stood by the pool, pinching the Octopus’s tentacles as I protested.

Actually, there’s nothing wrong with a little ice cream in summer, but I’m the owner! How could a pet lead me around by the nose?

The next second, the tentacle slipped from my hand and tapped another voice button.

“Bastard.”

“…”

You little brat, insulting me.

“Bastard, bastard, bastard, ice cream, bastard, ice cream…”

It pressed the buttons frantically, and even the staff couldn’t help laughing.

In the end, I resigned myself to carrying the Octopus box to buy ice cream.

When I came back, I sat by the roadside, taking a bite and breaking off a piece for the Octopus.

The ice cream fell into the water and was swallowed in one gulp.

The staff seized the chance to ask, “You and your little treasure seem really close!”

“Yeah!”

“May I ask how long you’ve known each other?”

“About six months!”

“I’ve watched your livestream. This Octopus was one you bought at the market, right? What made you decide to keep it?”

Keep… Actually, it wasn’t me who kept it. It chose to stay with me. Given Xiaobai’s intelligence, it would have escaped long ago if it didn’t want to stay.

But I looked down at my wrist.

“Because… it’s quite good-looking…”

“Looks-obsessed.” That wasn’t the staff but the voice button from the big box in my arms.

“…What’s wrong with being looks-obsessed?” I bristled, itching to fight the Octopus again.

“Looks-obsessed, like, good-looking, I’m, good-looking, like, me…”

“…”

With that logic, were you the one sitting next to me during the college entrance exam back then?

I couldn’t help laughing. The staff withdrew, and I hugged the box and couldn’t resist saying, “Come on, keep running your mouth.”

“Bastard, eat, ice cream.”

In that plain mechanical voice, I unwrapped another ice cream. The summer day was perfect, and its little tentacle brushed against my wrist.

“Looks-obsessed, like me.”

“Like, like.”

The summer breeze blew over, and a parasol tree leaf landed on my head, only to be taken away and played with by Xiaobai’s tentacle.