Chapter 317: Chapter 317: Snowball’s Brother, Snowcake

Renee looked at Winter on the split-screen and asked in confusion, "Winter, do you know why?"

Winter said, "Shannon says a stepmother isn’t a real mother, so she doesn’t like her. No matter what her stepmother says or does, Shannon thinks she’s crazy."

"So, is her stepmother good to her?" Renee asked.

When Nugget heard her ask Winter that, she frowned and snapped, "What are you asking it for? What could a cat possibly understand?"

Winter nodded its fluffy head at Renee on the screen. "She’s very good to her! But Shannon isn’t good to her stepmother. She’s always mean to her. Her husband tells her not to be, but Shannon won’t listen. She even asks if he’s fallen for the stepmother."

"I see." Renee’s opinion of Nugget soured even further. In a cold tone, she said, "Forget it. Let’s end the call here."

"Why?" Nugget’s expression turned sour, her voice laced with anger. "Renee Jennings, what’s with the attitude?"

Renee’s porcelain-white face remained expressionless. "I’m disconnecting. Goodbye."

She tapped the screen with her finger, ending the call with Nugget.

[This Nugget chick is crazy. I feel so bad for her stepmom and husband.]

[So the stepmom cooks her husband’s favorite dish, and she thinks they’re having an affair? What would she say if the stepmom *didn’t* cook his favorite dish?]

[So many weirdos in this world.]

[Glad Renee cut her off. Wasting another second talking to someone like that is just a waste of life.]

[Streamer, are you nuts?]

Nugget started spamming insults in the comments, so Renee simply blocked her.

She took a sip of tea to clear her head. After about a minute, she smiled and said, "Okay, let’s connect with our fourth viewer."

The connection with "Cream Puff" was successful. A girl with straight-cut bangs and shoulder-length curly hair appeared on the split-screen. Her large eyes were sparkling and beautiful.

The corners of Renee’s lips lifted as she said in a warm, smiling voice, "Cream Puff, you’re adorable."

"Really?" Cream Puff beamed. "Thank you for the compliment, Renee! You’re so beautiful."

After the exchange of compliments, Renee raised an eyebrow. "You look like you have something on your mind. Can I help?"

"Is it that obvious?" Cream Puff sighed, a troubled note in her voice. "Actually, there is something I was hoping you could help me with."

Renee nodded. "Okay, go ahead."

Cream Puff frowned, her face clouded with deep worry. "I think my dog has been switched."

[Huh? Her dog was switched?]

[Maybe she grabbed the wrong dog by mistake?]

Cream Puff continued, "I was away on a business trip for forty days. I often asked my husband to send me videos of our dog, but ever since I got back, he’s been distant."

She paused, her voice trembling slightly. "At first, I thought he was just acting strangely toward me because I was gone for so long. But after a few days, things felt more and more off. I have a feeling... he’s not the same dog."

Cream Puff looked at her earnestly. "Renee, I need you to ask the dog for me."

"Alright," Renee agreed. "Where is he?"

"He’s in the living room." Wearing pajamas, Cream Puff stood up from her vanity and said in a low voice, "He used to follow me everywhere. He doesn’t do that anymore."

She walked into the living room and flipped her camera.

On a piano-black sofa, a fluffy white ball of fur was lounging. It was a lazy-looking Bichon Frise, tilting its head as it gently chewed on a toy.

"Snowball," Cream Puff called.

After a few seconds, the Bichon finally, slowly, turned to look at her before quickly averting its gaze.

"Snowball," Cream Puff said again as she sat on the sofa. She reached out to pet him, but the Bichon immediately shrank away.

A hurt expression filled Cream Puff’s face. "He won’t even let me touch him. I really don’t think this is my Snowball... The real Snowball would never, ever act like this."

Renee heard the Bichon start yipping and whining.

It said, "I was never your Snowball to begin with!"

Renee blinked, a flicker of curiosity in her heart. She asked softly, "Then who are you?"

The Bichon froze, its round eyes staring at the phone in Cream Puff’s hand. "Huh? The person in there can understand what I’m saying?"

Renee said, "Cream Puff, hold the phone screen up to his face."

Cream Puff quickly complied.

Renee and the Bichon stared at each other through the screen. She said slowly, "You just said you’re not Snowball. So who are you, and why are you at Cream Puff’s house?"

[So it’s really not Cream Puff’s dog?]

[Oh my god, was he switched by accident???]

The Bichon stopped playing with its toy and stared curiously at Renee on the screen. "You’re an amazing human. You can actually understand our language."

Renee raised an eyebrow slightly, the smile on her lips deepening. "You still haven’t answered my question."

The Bichon said, "Ask it again. I forgot."

Renee repeated her question.

Only then did the Bichon answer, "My name is Snowcake. I’m Snowball’s older brother. I’m here because Snowball got sick, so his owner brought me here."

Renee’s brows knitted together as she quickly asked, "Snowball’s sick? Is it serious?"

Hearing this, Cream Puff’s face immediately filled with anxiety and unease. "What’s wrong with Snowball?"

Snowcake said, "I don’t know how serious it is. I just know that his male owner was afraid the female owner would be sad, so he brought me home and told me to pretend to be Snowball."

Renee translated Snowcake’s words, and the viewers in the livestream were also very worried.

[Don’t tell me Snowball is... already gone...]

[The husband meant well, going out of his way to find a replacement dog.]

[But Snowcake isn’t Snowball, after all.]

With red-rimmed eyes, Cream Puff said in a choked voice, "I’m going to call my husband and ask. He’s still at the office working overtime."

She minimized the livestream and speed-dialed a number.

A man answered quickly, his voice low. "Flora, it’ll be a little while longer before I can leave. A program has a bug. Is there anything you want to eat? I can bring it home for you."

Hearing his voice, Cream Puff fought to suppress her anxiety and forced a calm tone. "I don’t want anything. Just be careful on your way home. I’m hanging up."

Cream Puff sniffled. Just as she was about to return to the livestream, her husband called back.

She answered the phone. Her husband’s concerned voice came through the receiver, "Flora, were you crying?"

"I wasn’t crying," Cream Puff denied, not wanting to distract him while he was working.

"Something’s definitely wrong," her husband said, his tone certain. "I’m coming home now."

"Don’t!" Cream Puff took a deep breath. "I just want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Is Snowball sick?"

"..." There was a moment of silence on the other end before he chuckled. "Silly girl, what are you thinking? Snowball’s perfectly fine, isn’t he?"

"That’s not Snowball." Cream Puff’s voice was thick with tears. "The dog we have now is Snowball’s brother. His name is Snowcake, isn’t it? Tell me the truth. What happened to Snowball?"

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