Pet Romance

*** “Hey, Qianqian, why are you taking this mongrel to the big city?” Li Meili, sitting in the driver’s seat, glanced through the rearview mirror at the person and dog playing on the backseat, and she wanted to spit blood. Shen Qian pulled out a piece of milk candy from her bag and put it in the mouth of the mixed-breed dog, which opened its big mouth to crunch on it, looking both indulgent and lazy. Li Meili had never liked this dog, and seeing its smug enjoyment made her even more furious, “I swear, I’ll butcher this dog sooner or later.” The dog seemed to understand, choked on the words, gagged, and shook its head, its pointed ears twitching. The milk candy suddenly flew out of its throat and stuck directly to Li Meili’s hair. Shen Qian was dumbfounded and fell silent. Li Meili, seemingly unaware, continued to complain, “Qianqian, if you’re going to get a dog, get a purebred. Then you could sell the puppies for a good price.” “But mixed-breed dogs have better immunity than purebreds, they’re easier to raise.” Li Meili shook her head, the milk candy stuck in her hair following the motion, now at the back of her head, oblivious to it, she continued, “But you won’t make money, no one wants them.” Shen Qian didn’t respond, just looking at Li Meili pitifully. Seeing her pitiful look, Li Meili felt helpless; Shen Qian always knew how to act innocent, and she had no choice. Li Meili said, “Take it to the vet clinic where they provide accommodation, I’ll go sleep in my new apartment.” “Okay…” Shen Qian still looked worriedly at Li Meili, imagining what Li Meili’s reaction would be when she discovered the dog’s chewed candy in her hair, probably wanting to run them over with the car. Once they arrived at the dormitory, Shen Qian quickly jumped out of the car with the dog, casually saying goodbye to Li Meili. At the dormitory entrance, Shen Qian looked around but couldn’t find a suitable temporary place for the dog. Frustrated, she scratched the dog’s head, “What should we do, Mutty? Pets aren’t allowed in the dorm.” The dog looked up at Shen Qian with its big, round eyes. Seeing its pitiful and innocent look, Shen Qian could only pout, pulling the dog aside to call Li Meili. “Hello?” Li Meili answered the phone. “Meili, could you do me a favor?” “What’s up?” “I have two options for you. Either find me a small apartment, or… you take care of Mutty for me.” Shen Qian actually couldn’t bear to part with Mutty; she knew Li Meili didn’t like the dog’s mixed breed, and Mutty didn’t like the men Li Meili introduced to her. These two had been looking at each other with disdain for the past two years, and Shen Qian had grown accustomed to it. “Are you asking for a beating?” Li Meili roared, expressing her protest against Shen Qian’s audacity. Shen Qian chuckled. Li Meili was a soft-hearted person, though she had a temper, she always fulfilled her friends’ requests, so she softened her tone, “Alright, I’ll find you a place tomorrow, leave your companion downstairs for tonight.” After hanging up, Shen Qian made a victory gesture at Mutty. She dragged the dog to the staircase of the dormitory, patted its head, and gently instructed, “Stay here quietly tonight, and tomorrow morning we’ll go to work together.” The dog wagged its tail, its big, round, and watery eyes looking at Shen Qian, who was satisfied and went upstairs with her luggage. This was why Shen Qian liked Mutty; it was so well-behaved. But the next morning, when Shen Qian came downstairs, she found that Mutty was gone. She panicked and searched around, only to find her dog playing with a very beautiful, elegant yellow Labrador in a nearby park, the scene quite joyful. Shen Qian, being a vet, immediately recognized the Labrador as a purebred, and judging by its physique and coat, it was an exceptional one. She thought, the owner must really dote on this Labrador; look at that coat, so smooth. Shen Qian was even tempted to touch it. Mutty seemed to sense Shen Qian’s gaze and looked her way while playing, then suddenly wagged its tail vigorously and ran towards her. The exquisite Labrador followed. Shen Qian squatted down to pet Mutty, and the Labrador nudged her with its nose, looking at her flatteringly. Only then did Shen Qian realize this Labrador was female, so was it trying to curry favor with the “aunt”?
Shen Qian was about to reach out to pet the dog with her other hand when she noticed a shiny tag around its neck. Seeing the name on the tag, Shen Qian nearly spat blood. “Qianqian…” The dog’s name was the same as her nickname. “Hey, isn’t this Commander You’s Qianqian?” A passerby pointed at the Labrador and said as they walked by, casting a strange glance at Shen Qian as if she might be trying to steal the dog. After the crowd passed, Shen Qian went to a breakfast cart at the entrance and bought three meat buns, followed by two rather tall dogs. She turned around and tossed a bun to each of the dogs, keeping one for herself. Her mixed-breed dog caught the bun in one bite, devouring it ravenously, while the Labrador named Qianqian sniffed at it before placing it in front of the mixed-breed’s mouth. The mixed-breed took another bite, enjoying it with a calm demeanor.