My cultivation is too warm

Since Wang Jing suffered a burn on one of his hind legs during the college entrance examination, the people at the research institute have unanimously made a decision:
That means that from now on, Nuannuan and Wangjing's weekly meal delivery service must be stopped.

Nuannuan and Wangjing have been delivering meals to everyone once a week, and this hasn't stopped even though the children are in school. In fact, they've expanded the meal delivery service to schools. Fortunately, the schools are also located in the research institute, so they can finish delivering on the same day. Otherwise, they would have to work another day.

However, this time, with Wangjing injured, everyone realized that Nuannuan and Wangjing had also entered old age, and no one was allowed to continue sending them gifts.

After their objections proved fruitless, Nuannuan and Wangjing had no choice but to accept the decision.

Of course, this is also because Nuannuan and Wangjing have realized that they have entered old age and their bodies are no longer as strong as before. Even though the food delivery cart has been modified again and again, it is now not difficult to pull the cart weighing hundreds or thousands of kilograms.

However, their pace is not as fast as before, and the delivery time is getting later and later each day. Recently, after they finish distributing the meals, it is almost time for school to let out and for everyone to get off work.

They could sense that if a while longer passed, perhaps the children at school would have already left, and everyone at the research institute would have gone home, and they still wouldn't have finished distributing the meals to everyone.

If that's the case, and everyone has to wait for them to deliver food after school or get off work, then what's the point of them doing this?

Since that's the case, it's better to stop now before things get too messy, so as to avoid having everyone cooperate with their actions and ending up in such a mess.

Nuannuan and Wangjing have completely accepted the fact that they are getting old.

Fine, if they don't allow it, they don't allow it. It's good to just watch everyone work hard and the children study and grow.

"Giggle."

"Wang Wang Wang."

Nuannuan and Wangjing let out a few soft cries, indicating their approval of everyone's suggestion.

Upon seeing this result, the researchers at the institute and the children at the school all cheered. Their biggest worry was that Nuannuan and Wangjing would disagree. Now that Nuannuan and Wangjing had felt everyone's good intentions, everyone could rest assured.

……

Outside Xu Mo's research institute, in the early morning, Wang Jing cautiously glanced around before slowly walking into the institute's gate.

When it entered the research institute and arrived at the first room, it couldn't help but stop and hesitate outside for a while before stepping inside.

The reason for this is that it has been recovering from its injuries for the past two weeks, and the lady of the house, Liang Huanhuan, has not allowed it to go out until its injuries are fully healed.

So today, the owner, Liang Huanhuan, finally allowed it to go outside.

After receiving approval, it excitedly ran to the research institute. Just as everyone at the institute had become accustomed to its presence, it had long been used to spending its days with the researchers and children at the school, laughing and playing together. They would tease it, and it would tease them in return.

I am very satisfied and very happy.

So it excitedly went out and ran over quickly, eager to play with everyone.

On its way there, it kept imagining what everyone would play with it today and how it should respond. As it ran, the sound of the wind whistling past its ears made it seem as if it could hear everyone laughing heartily.

But when it arrived at the entrance of the research institute, it suddenly braked hard, and its previous excitement turned into hesitation.

It was thinking that its previous performance had failed. Not only had it failed to make everyone happy, but it had also caused the abrupt termination of the college entrance examination. The joyous event had become a time of worry because of it, and it had dragged everyone down.

So, will people still like themselves? Will people feel like they can't do anything right and start to dislike themselves?

If that's the case, maybe I shouldn't go.

Thinking of this, Wangjing suddenly had second thoughts, wondering if it should just turn back to avoid upsetting everyone. It was even more unwilling to see everyone pretending to be happy and pleased just for their own sake.

So it hesitated, unsure whether it should go in.

After struggling internally for a long time, it ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of spending time with everyone, nor could it let go of its affection for them. So, it finally decided to enter the research institute.

It thought that if people disliked it because of what happened before, it would try its best to make them like it again.

Thus, amidst this trepidation and unease, Wang Jing entered the first room.

Just as he stepped through the gate, a joyous explosion rang out, countless flower petals rained down from the sky, followed by cheers and congratulations.

"Wangjing, congratulations on your recovery, welcome back."

The sincere cheers and congratulations made Wang Jing clearly feel everyone's happiness and joy. It was a genuine liking and care for him from the bottom of their hearts.

He also spotted his owner in the crowd.

The master's usual workplace is not here, but on the third floor. Since the entire research institute has five floors, and the master is the core of the research institute, it is most suitable for everyone to be able to find him for consultation. The distance between the upper and lower floors is about the same.

The owner must know that I've recovered and been allowed to go out. So, the owner is here because they know I'll be the first one to walk into the house today, and they've prepared a surprise for me to celebrate.

My master really loves me too much.

Wangjing raised its head, a proud and smug expression on its face, sticking out its tongue and wagging its tail in response to everyone.

It truly feels like the happiest dog in the world right now.

Not only did everyone not despise me, but they also continued to care about and worry about me.

With so many people liking you, how could you not be happy?
"Come on, Wangjing, this is a special recovery meal that everyone has prepared for you. We bought the ingredients ourselves and made it ourselves. It certainly doesn't taste as good as what Chef Lao Ou and Yao Yao make, but since we all worked so hard to make it, no matter how bad it tastes, Wangjing, you have to finish it."

Several younger researchers pushed a food cart to Wang Jing and took out several plates containing various kinds of meat and juice.

Wangjing looked at the food placed in front of him, barked a few times to express his gratitude, and then happily began to eat.

After taking a few bites, Wangjing realized that everyone hadn't lied to it after all. The food really didn't taste very good. Not to mention compared to Ou Fenjin and Xu Yaoyao at home, even someone who randomly picked it from outside would have made it better. Some of the food was already burnt, some was too salty, and some was too sweet.

These researchers are really not suited to cooking.

Wangjing sighed inwardly, but it still ate happily because it was made by everyone and it was everyone's kindness. Although the taste was terrible, it had a kind of happiness to it.

Wangjing originally thought that it might be disliked by everyone after its return, but today's experience made it feel that this was its third happiest day.

The happiest day of my life was when I met my owner.

The second happiest day was when I saw my master again after being separated from him for more than ten years, and I also saw his family, the mistress and the young master.

Today, it held its head high all day, a proud and smug smile on its face.

Because today, when it went to the research institute, every time it entered a room, someone would congratulate it and give it a small gift.

In the end, everyone even gave it a small cart with a large bamboo basket on it, and all the gifts were placed in the basket.

After it had walked around the research institute, the bamboo basket, which was larger than a person, was already full of more than 10,000 gifts, mostly small items such as snacks, candies, and toys.

In the end, it took ten researchers to help it carry the gift home.

That night, looking at the small gifts piled up in the room, Wangjing circled around them again and again, too happy to sleep.

It's so nice to have so many people who like me.

The next day, after the owner left, Wang Jing found Nuan Nuan and then the female owner, Liang Huan Huan, and asked her to call a truck for him.

From over ten thousand small gifts, it took out a few items: one for itself, and the remaining one each for its mistress, mistress, little mistress, Nuannuan, its master's senior brothers and sisters, Ou Fenjin and his apprentice, Doctor Mo Fusheng, and the talking alchemy furnace at home. It decided to have Nuannuan accompany it to deliver the rest to the children at the school.

"Wow, Principal Nuannuan, Master Wangjing, are these all for us?"

Wangjing and Nuannuan unloaded the gifts from the truck and placed them on the school playground. They then called the children over, and the children shouted excitedly upon seeing the gifts.

"Giggle."

"Wang Wang Wang."

Nuannuan said that these were all gifts from Wangjing, and Wangjing said that the children could choose whatever they wanted.

"Thank you, Principal Nuannuan, and thank you, Director Wangjing."

"Wow, wow, wow! There are dumpling plush toys here, and tigers, and..."

"Principal Nuannuan and Director Wangjing are amazing! They have so many rare and discontinued dolls and toys."

Seeing how happy the children were, Wangjing couldn't help but raise its head. It squinted its eyes, and the corners of its mouth were crooked with a smile. Hehehe, praise me more.

Nuannuan, standing to the side, also wore a gratified expression; as long as the children were happy, she was happy.

……

The more you care about time, the faster it seems to pass. Researchers at the institute have always wanted to slow down time so that they would have more time and more opportunities to find ways to extend the lifespan of those they care about before they grow old.

However, that's how the world works: the more you care about success and the more you want it, the further success will be from you.

Although the researchers were anxious, they still had no clue about methods of cultivation or longevity.

On the contrary, during this time, the children grew up day by day. In the blink of an eye, Xu Mo's child, Xu Qingli, and the first batch of children who were the same age as her, were already in college.

Nuannuan and Wangjing are getting older and older.

Nuan Nuan has lost some of her feathers, especially on her neck, where there is a bald patch.

Looking at Nuan Nuan like this, Xu Mo couldn't help but recall how he first met her.

Back then, Nuan Nuan looked just like that, with several bald patches on her body and her feathers looking like a bird's nest, all messy and haphazard. It was hard to imagine that this was actually an ancient divine beast like the Primordial Crimson Phoenix, lacking any of the majesty of a divine beast.

However, Nuannuan acted this way back then to take care of the disciples of Lingmiao Peak. Because the Nine Wonders Peak Master doted on his disciples, Nuannuan also spoiled them, allowing everyone to run into the Nine Wonders Peak Master's cave to pluck feathers from her body.

Now, it's simply because it's old and shedding its fur.

Then there's Wangjing. Its fur is all messy now, and it sheds a lot. Because it often leaves a pile of dog hair on the floor when it walks around, it even asked Xu Mo and Liang Huanhuan to build a doghouse for it outside the house so it wouldn't get the house dirty.

However, both Xu Mo and Liang Huanhuan refused Wang Jing's request without hesitation and bought a robot vacuum cleaner so that Wang Jing wouldn't have to worry about this issue.

In response, Wangjing could only sigh that it was really lucky to have met its owner. However, even so, it would be very careful every time it came home to avoid shedding any of its fur, and would even deliberately limit the number of times it walked around the house.

Besides, it is indeed old now and doesn't have the energy to move around much.

Most of the time, it likes to lie down, and so does Nuannuan.

Now, every day when it and Nuannuan come to the research institute, they just lie lazily in the open space at the boundary between the school and the research institute; they no longer want to move.

"Nuan Nuan, Wang Jing, we've come to see you."

A shout came, and then more than a dozen people came out of the research institute, squatted down in front of Wangjing and Nuannuan, and told them about their daily lives. They responded occasionally.

Now, the researchers take turns visiting them, which is completely the opposite of before. However, the time is still the same: each person spends ten minutes in each room, talking to them for ten minutes before going back. Then, the next person in the next room comes out to continue spending time with them.

"Principal Nuannuan, Director Wangjing, we're here!"

A group of children ran over excitedly. Like the researchers, the children from the school took turns accompanying them according to their classes.

“Principal Nuan Nuan, Director Wang Jing, look, I got a perfect score on this exam.”

"Me too, I got a perfect score."

Several children held up their test papers, proudly showing them to Wang Jing and Nuan Nuan.

"Giggle."

"Wang Wang Wang."

Nuannuan and Wangjing barked happily a few times; nothing makes them happier than seeing their children grow up.

"I didn't do well on the test this time; I was three points short of a perfect score."

"I didn't do well on the test either, I was five points short."

"I'm one point short, I'm seven points short..."

Compared to the dozen or so children who were holding up their test papers with joy, the other dozen or so children looked dejected and kept their test papers low to their stomachs, not daring to show their scores.

"Hehehe." Nuannuan got up, stretched out her wings, and patted the children one by one.

"Woof woof woof." Wang Jing also got up and stretched out a paw to gently touch them.

They all just want to convey one message: don't be sad, keep trying, you'll definitely do well next time, we believe in you.

"We will study hard," the encouraged children said firmly.

Nuannuan and Wangjing nodded with satisfaction.

"Principal Nuannuan, Director Wangjing, we'll come visit you again next time."

The children waved to them, and they responded slightly, promising to meet again next time.

Several more years passed like this.

The day after the first batch of students finally completed their graduation thesis defense.

The children at the school and the researchers at the research institute discovered that on this day, Nuannuan and Wangjing, who had not been patrolling for a long time, began to patrol again.

On their first day, they toured the research institute, stopping for a while in each room to watch everyone working hard. On the second day, they went to the school, stopping for a while in each classroom, and even attended the graduation ceremony of the first batch of students.

Finally, they returned to Xu Mo's house and had dinner with Xu Mo and Liang Huanhuan's family.

On the morning of the third day, everyone saw Nuannuan and Wangjing lying motionless under a statue of a blurry figure next to the fountain pool between the academy and the research institute, the same place where Nuannuan and Wangjing usually waited for everyone.

Their eyes were closed, but their faces still held a hint of happiness.

It's as if it's telling everyone: Thank you for meeting us, thank you for your companionship all this time. We are so lucky and so happy!

(End of this chapter)