What does it mean when a pet evolves incorrectly?

Fifteen days after Lin Chen defeated Li Heng, at the Pet Treatment Center in Qingyang Town.

Sunlight lazily streamed through the blinds, cutting bright, warm stripes of light across the pristine white sheets, while a faint smell of disinfectant filled the air.

Lin Chen sat on a chair by the bed, holding a freshly washed apple in his hand. The knife nimbly spun between his fingers, peeling off a thin, even strip of peel.

After peeling the apple, he cut it into small, easy-to-eat pieces and placed them on a clean porcelain dish, which was just within reach of the small figure by the bed.

After doing all that, he turned to look at the bed.

Under the white, thin blanket, a fluffy little head peeked out.

The dog lay on its side, most of its body tucked under the blanket, only revealing its somewhat evasive eyes and its slightly twitching black nose.

At the edge of the blanket, a front paw that wasn't in a cast quietly peeked out, its tip unconsciously scratching at the sheet.

When Lin Chen looked over, the pair of eyes visibly panicked, quickly shifting their gaze away and pretending to look at the clouds outside the window, but the tips of their perked-up ears twitched slightly.

Looking at Songsong's awkward and shy appearance, Lin Chen couldn't help but smile slightly.

What a sensitive and shy little guy.

Whenever he has free time these past two days, he comes to the treatment center.

He no longer mentioned bringing the dog home, but simply sat beside him and softly asked, "How are you feeling today?" "Does your wound still hurt?" or simply told him some trivial anecdotes from the detention center.

For a highly wary pet, any hasty approach or obvious purpose may backfire.

Since he's not a beginner beast tamer yet and doesn't have a second contract slot, there's no need for him to rush to take the Pinepie away.

The vet said that the dog's external injuries are healing quickly, and it could have been discharged yesterday.

However, a more detailed examination revealed that it had been malnourished for a long time and its physical condition was already deficient. This serious injury only made matters worse. It was recommended that it stay in the hospital for observation for another two days and receive nutritional fortification supplements.

The little guy seemed to accept the arrangement and didn't show any eagerness to leave.

Every time Lin Chen came to visit, it would put on a show of "huddling under the blanket" or "looking away," but it would always quietly finish the food and water that Lin Chen brought.

Occasionally, when Lin Chen mentioned something, his little ears would twitch noticeably.

Bringing his thoughts back, Lin Chen checked the time; it was already 5 PM.

He stood up, a gentle smile on his face, his voice calm:

"By the way, Songsong, I won't be coming tomorrow."

On the bed, the small body under the blanket stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Lin Chen paused, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact, and continued, "He won't be coming the day after tomorrow either."

"..."

The room fell into an eerie silence, and even the faint sound of traffic outside the window seemed to fade into the distance.

At the edge of the blanket, the front paw that had quietly extended suddenly curled back.

Those dark eyes that had been darting around suddenly turned and stared intently at Lin Chen.

The previous evasiveness and awkwardness in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a clear look of stunned disbelief.

Why aren't you coming?

Are you tired of it?

Do you find taking care of yourself troublesome?

Or have they found other, more important partners?

It didn't move or make a sound, it just stared straight at Lin Chen, its small body trembling slightly under the blanket.

Lin Chen reached out, seemingly wanting to pat the little guy's head, but stopped halfway through, only gently patting the edge of the blanket that was sticking out.

"Get some rest and make sure you're healthy and strong."

"goodbye."

He turned around, opened the door, and went out.

The door hinges made a slight creaking sound, followed by a soft click as the door closed.

Silence returned to the room, with only the sunlight moving silently.

The dog under the blanket remained motionless in that position.

But a few seconds later, it suddenly threw off the blanket.

he's gone.

I won't be coming tomorrow.

They won't be coming the day after tomorrow either.

Will I come again in the future?

This thought, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, stirred up huge waves that it had never anticipated.

A strange mix of feelings of loss, panic, and helplessness suddenly gripped his heart.

It sat blankly on the bed, staring at the white ceiling with a somewhat vacant look in its eyes.

Many fragmented images flashed uncontrollably through my mind.

It is that vast and dangerous mountain range in my memory, running through the forest, struggling to find food, wandering aimlessly, and wary of predators under the moonlight.

It was that sudden and terrible riot that swept through the mountains and forests.

A violent aura suddenly filled the air, and the familiar pet beast became strange and ferocious. It was forced to flee, stumbling and falling into this completely unfamiliar human territory with wounds and fear.

It was that swift-eyed, bloodshot weasel that exuded an aura it instinctively loathed; it was the excruciating pain and helplessness during the desperate struggle; it was the warm, large hand that held it up before its consciousness sank into darkness.

And that seemingly magical phrase, "It's okay, get some sleep."

For the past two days, this human named Lin Chen has appeared on time every day, bringing food, speaking in a calm tone, with gentle eyes, and never trying to force his way in.

He brought me delicious food, chatted with me, and sat quietly beside me.

No one has ever been this kind to me before.

But now, he says he's not coming.

Why?

Is it because I always avoid him and am not close enough to him?

Is it because I'm just a useless wild pet that's always getting hurt?

Or is it because he finds it troublesome and doesn't want to deal with himself anymore?

Various speculations churned in its mind, making it restless.

It instinctively jumped off the bed, ran to the window, gripped the windowsill with its two front paws, tried to stand on its hind legs, and anxiously looked downstairs.

Just then, I saw that familiar figure slowly walking out of the treatment center and standing on the street.

A taxi slowly came to a stop, and Lin Chen opened the door and got in.

The vehicle started, turned a corner, merged into the increasingly dense evening traffic, and quickly disappeared at the end of the town's streets.

"Eek!"

A desperate whimper escaped uncontrollably from the mouth of the dog.

It looked in the direction the car had disappeared, then glanced at the empty ward, and finally its gaze fell on the plate of neatly cut apples on the bedside table, which had begun to oxidize and turn slightly yellow.

An unprecedented impulse overwhelmed the physical discomfort, the instinctive wariness towards the unfamiliar world outside, and even its usual caution and restraint.

It didn't want to stay in the same place.

It's going to find him!

Once the thought arises, it can never be stopped.

The dog suddenly stood up. Instead of going through the door, it used all its strength to push off the windowsill with its hind legs.

The small body shot out like an arrow, breaking through the unlocked window latch and leaping out of the open second-floor window.

It rushed into the wind.