Chapter 57: Lucky

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Lucky

It was an odd scene.

Deep on a quiet side street, a well-dressed man was crouched in front of a scruffy little animal.

The sunset only reached the tips of his shoes, but Irene could tell there was no danger.

She lowered the wooden stick in her hand and stepped closer.

Up close, she saw the man wore a dark gray suit cut so precisely that the fabric’s sheen was obvious even in the dim light.

He had his back to her and was kneeling on one knee, carefully feeding a filthy, newborn stray puppy.

What confused Irene was the food.

He was feeding it seasoned, cooked meat that looked like it had come from a restaurant takeout box.

The puppy was clearly struggling.

It lay there listless, and even swallowing looked painful.

Irene couldn’t help speaking up softly.

"Sir, excuse me. I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t feed it that. That cooked meat is too rich for a puppy this small to digest. It could get sick."

The man startled at her voice.

His body went stiff for a second before he turned his head.

Even Irene, who was used to seeing handsome men and beautiful women, was left speechless for a moment.

His looks went beyond simple labels.

He looked like a meticulously carved work of art.

He had excellent bone structure, with a sharp, clean jawline that spoke of discipline and restraint.

And on that sculpted face were eyes that could drown a person.

His eye sockets were deep, and his long, thick lashes cast faint shadows under his eyelids.

When he lifted his gaze to Irene, there was a flicker of surprise at being interrupted, along with the natural detachment of someone used to hiding his emotions.

He looked at Irene, then down at the meat in his hand, then back at the puppy that couldn’t even wag its tail.

He seemed stunned.

Hesitantly, he reached out and gently rubbed the sparse fuzz on the puppy’s head.

His movements were clumsy, but unusually tender.

"It can’t eat this?"

His voice was low, with a note of uncertainty.

"No, it’s too small. It probably needs special puppy food or goat’s milk," Irene explained, collecting herself.

The man was quiet for a moment, then slowly stood.

His posture was straight, his shoulders broad and square.

He had the build of a runway model.

He pulled an exquisite wallet from the inner pocket of his suit and, without even looking, drew out a thick stack of cash and held it out to Irene.

"Could I trouble you to take it to a nearby pet hospital? And while you’re there, help it get some proper food. I’ll cover all the expenses."

Irene glanced at the money.

There had to be thousands of dollars in that stack.

Where did this rich, handsome guy come from?

But judging by his clothes, he clearly didn’t care about this "small change," so she didn’t refuse.

She took the money and nodded.

"Of course. I’ll make sure it gets treated."

She didn’t ask why he wouldn’t take it himself.

Maybe he had reasons, or maybe he just wasn’t used to getting too involved with people.

She offered one last kindness.

"Do you want to leave contact information? Once it’s better, I can let you know how it’s doing."

The man shook his head almost immediately.

His tone was gentle but firm.

"No need. Thank you."

After that, he gave the curled-up puppy one last look, then turned and left.

His figure soon disappeared around the street corner.

Irene watched the way he went, blinked thoughtfully, then sighed softly and carefully picked up the weak puppy.

"Alright, little one. It’s just the two of us now," she said to it.

The puppy licked her thumb with its wet tongue as if answering, and Irene’s heart melted instantly.

Holding the frail puppy, Irene didn’t leave the alley right away.

She went back to the restaurant where she’d just eaten and politely asked the confused waiter for a sturdy cardboard bag.

She lined the bottom with soft napkins.

"Excuse me, where’s the nearest pet hospital?" she asked with a smile.

After getting directions, she gently placed the puppy in the bag, made sure it could breathe easily, then hung the bag on her bicycle’s handlebars and rode toward the hospital.

Ten minutes later, the puppy was already lying on a clean, bright examination table at the pet hospital, getting a full check-up.

Irene waited for the results in the reception room.

The room was full of small animal sounds.

Dogs barked anxiously, cats meowed in displeasure, and birds chirped crisply from their cages.

Curious, she walked over to the rows of pet cages holding animals waiting for owners or adoption.

Among them, a pure white cat with heterochromatic eyes stood out.

Its fur was fluffy, and its two eyes, one blue and one gold, were like gemstones.

It sat elegantly at the very top of the cat tree, staring calmly at Irene without blinking.

It had a mysterious air, as if it saw everything.

Irene was drawn to it and stopped to meet its gaze.

She tried to look as friendly as possible, softening her smile.

For a moment, the woman and the cat just watched each other through the glass, as if a silent conversation passed between them.

Suddenly, a gentle, clean male voice came from behind her and broke the quiet.

"Its name is Snowball. It’s a resident guest here. It looks like it really likes you."

Irene turned at the voice.

Standing behind her was a young mixed-race Asian man with a slender build.

He wore an immaculate white veterinarian coat that made his skin look even cleaner.

He had rimless glasses, and the eyes behind the lenses were clear and kind, with a faint smile.

His hair was soft dark brown, neatly combed, and his whole demeanor was refined, calm, and approachable.

"It’s usually cold to strangers," he continued in that gentle voice, his gaze moving between Irene and the white cat named Snowball.

"It’s rare to see it stare at someone this long."

"Loren Li, the attending veterinarian here."

He smiled and held out his hand.

"Irene. I’m a patient’s family member, here to ask for a veterinarian’s help."

Irene shook his hand quickly.

His palm was warm and dry, exactly like a doctor’s hand should be.

Hearing her introduction, the eyes behind his lenses curved into a clear smile.

"A patient’s family member? It sounds like you’re planning to adopt this poor little thing?"

His gaze was sharp but kind.

An experienced veterinarian could easily tell the difference between a stray and a house pet, just from its condition and behavior.

"Yes. Meeting it was fate. It brought me quite a bit of good luck today, so let’s call him Lucky."

After all, because of it, she had met two top-tier handsome men with completely different styles today.