Chapter 505: Chapter 505: May Was Harmed by Stinky Auntie Webb
The moment Goldie spoke, several stray dogs and cats came forward to greet Renee.
"WOOF~ Hello, miss!"
"MEOW MEOW~ Youâre so pretty, miss~"
Renee waved and smiled. "Hello, everyone."
After the greetings were exchanged, the cats and dogs fell in line behind Goldie.
Passersby couldnât help but do a double take when they saw the animals walking in such an orderly fashion.
Goldie led Renee and her companions through streets and alleys for over ten minutes, finally stopping before a three-story villa with red bricks, black roof tiles, and a garden.
The villa stood out incongruously in the heart of the urban village, looking utterly out of place.
"Miss." Goldie looked up at Renee. "This is Granny Maeâs house."
Renee lowered her gaze to meet his and nodded. "Okay, Iâve got it. Iâll ring the doorbell and ask."
The animals immediately made way for her.
Renee walked forward and pressed the video doorbell.
After a moment, a voice came through the intercom. "Who is it?"
Renee spoke politely, "Hello, Iâm looking for Granny Mae. I was wondering if sheâs home?"
"Just a moment." After these words, the connection was cut.
Soon, the main gate swung open. A woman with a sharp, short haircut and metal-framed glasses stood there, her gaze scrutinizing. "What do you want with my grandmother?"
Renee explained softly, "Well, Granny Mae usually feeds the stray dogs and cats, but they havenât seen her come out for the past few days. Theyâre very worried and wanted to come see her. Is it possible for us to see her?"
Hearing this, the short-haired womanâs brow slowly furrowed. "What did you just say?"
âThe cats and dogs are worried about Grandma? How could this girl possibly know that?â
"My name is Renee," she said calmly. "Iâm an animal live-streamer who specializes in communicating with animals. You can look up my name online."
"Renee?" The short-haired woman skeptically took out her phone, worried that this was some kind of scam targeting her grandmother.
She searched for the name "Renee" and watched a couple of live-stream clips. Her gaze landed on Reneeâs fair face, and a hint of interest sparked in her eyes. "Can you really communicate with animals?"
Renee raised an eyebrow at her. "Wanna test it?"
"Alright." The short-haired woman opened the gate wide and gestured them inside. "Please, come in."
Renee and her companions entered the yard, but she suddenly felt like something was missing. Turning her head, she saw Goldie and its friends still outside the gate, their clear, innocent eyes fixed on her hopefully.
As stray animals, the rule not to rashly enter human territory was ingrained in their very being.
As if guessing their thoughts, Reneeâs brow furrowed slightly. She turned to the short-haired woman. "Excuse me, how should I address you?"
"My surname is Dawson."
"Ms. Dawson, would it be alright to let the cats and dogs outside come in?"
Ms. Dawson nodded. "Yes, thatâs fine."
"Thank you." Renee waved to the animals. "Come on in. Zoe says youâre welcome."
Only after hearing this did Goldie and its companions cautiously cross the threshold.
Ms. Dawson raised an eyebrow. "Theyâre quite well-behaved."
"Yes," Renee said with a smile. "Theyâre very good and have excellent manners. They wonât enter a strangerâs home without the ownerâs permission."
Ms. Dawson changed the subject. "You said you can communicate with animals. We have a tortoise and a parrot. Can you talk to them?"
Renee replied, "I can talk to both."
"Alright, Iâll go get the parrot." Ms. Dawson turned and went inside the house.
About two minutes later, Ms. Dawson returned with a green monk parakeet perched on her shoulder.
She looked at Renee. "Alright, you can start."
"Okay." Renee gave a slight nod, took two steps forward, and held her hand out to the green parakeet. "Hello, little parrot. Do you have a name?"
"Sprout." The green parakeet hopped onto Reneeâs hand of its own accord.
Seeing this, a flicker of astonishment crossed Ms. Dawsonâs eyes.
âSprout is usually so haughty. He wonât even give me the time of day. Whatâs gotten into him?â
Sprout tilted its small head, its black, bean-like eyes gazing curiously at Renee. "Human, are you looking to keep a parrot?"
"Keep a parrot?" Renee raised an eyebrow. "Which parrot are you referring to?"
Sprout flapped its right wing, pointing the tip at itself. "Me, Sprout, of course!" it chirped.
Renee laughed. "Donât you already have an owner?"
Sprout immediately declared, "But I like you more!"
"Youâll make Granny Mae sad if you say that."
"You donât want me?"
"You have an owner. I canât just take you."
"Sigh..." Sproutâs head drooped as he sighed. "Boring."
As Ms. Dawson watched the human and bird chattering back and forth, a serious problem suddenly occurred to her.
âI canât understand a word Sprout is saying. Whoâs to say this girl can actually communicate with him? What if sheâs just making it all up?â
Renee gently tapped Sproutâs head with the pad of her finger. "Can I ask you a question?"
Sprout replied in a glum tone, "What is it?"
Renee asked, "What happened to Granny Mae? Why hasnât she been out recently?"
Hearing this, Ms. Dawsonâs eyes narrowed slightly.
Sprout blinked its little black-bean eyes. "May broke her leg. She canât walk, so she canât go out."
Hearing this, Reneeâs slender brows slowly knitted together. Her gaze fell on Ms. Dawsonâs scrutinizing face. "Is Granny Mae injured?"
Ms. Dawsonâs face was a picture of astonishment. "You can actually understand him?"
Renee nodded. "Sprout said Granny Mae broke her leg."
"Thatâs incredible." Ms. Dawsonâs suspicion vanished, the scrutiny in her eyes replaced by admiration. "You really can understand Sprout."
When Goldie and its companions heard that Granny Mae had broken her leg, they all grew worried.
"WOOF~ Is Granny Mae in pain?"
"WOOF WOOF! Poor Granny Mae!"
"MEOW~ How could Granny Mae break her leg?"
"MEOW MEOW MEOW~ Can we cats go see Granny Mae?"
Hearing the cats and dogs, Sprout was more than happy to answer. "May was hurt by that rotten Auntie Webb! Her leg is broken, so of course it hurts!"
"Auntie Sterling?" Renee looked at Ms. Dawson. "Who is Auntie Sterling?"
Ms. Dawson replied, "Auntie Sterling is the caretaker we hired for my grandmother. Why are you asking about her all of a sudden?"
"Sprout said Auntie Sterling is the reason Granny Mae broke her leg."
"Auntie Sterlingâs fault? But my grandmother told me she just lost her footing coming down the stairs."
Sprout immediately started squawking, "It was Auntie Webb! She cried and begged May not to tell anyone! She said she couldnât lose this job~"
Renee relayed this to Ms. Dawson.
"I see." Ms. Dawsonâs brow tightened, her expression turning grim. "In that case, I need to have a serious talk with my grandmother."