A week ago, Chen Jiaojiao, finding her solitary life too boring, adopted a Corgi from her client, Mrs. Wang.
Mrs. Wang was a client introduced by Lu Ma, a woman of means who doted on her dog as if it were her grandchild. However, with her daughter-in-law recently pregnant, Mrs. Wang had to give the dog away to make more room for her soon-to-be-born grandson.
Chen Jiaojiao, not particularly fond of animals, feigned enthusiasm to appease her client and to alleviate her own loneliness, taking the dog in. Mrs. Wang was delighted, repeatedly urging her to take good care of it and sending her videos of the dog's well-being.
From then on, Chen Jiaojiao found herself with many new tasks after work: feeding the dog, walking it for its bathroom breaks, and bathing it. While watching others with dogs seemed fun, raising one herself proved to be quite troublesome. For someone as lazy as her, the daily, tedious walks around the neighborhood tested her patience.
One evening, Chen Jiaojiao was momentarily distracted by her phone. In that instant, the dog slipped its leash and bolted ahead. By the time she finished her message and caught up, it was already entangled with another dog. The Corgi was female, and Mrs. Wang, being fond of it, hadn't had it spayed.
With one dog already keeping her busy, Chen Jiaojiao certainly didn't want a litter of puppies. Seeing her Corgi with another dog, she rushed forward to stop them, attempting to separate them. However, the two dogs seemed to have fallen in love at first sight. No matter what she said, they wouldn't budge. The other dog, a small but dominant Teddy, even barked defiantly at her.
Chen Jiaojiao, a little scared, hesitated to approach directly and scanned the surroundings for the other dog's owner. "Whose dog is this? Don't bully our female dog, separate them quickly! Whose dog is it?" she called out.
After a few shouts, a tall, long-legged young man appeared on the pebble path. He wore a simple white t-shirt and black casual pants, with a clean-cut face. Like her, he held a leash that had slipped from his dog's grasp. Seeing his dog entangled with someone else's, he also looked anxious.
"I'm so sorry, it's mine. I wasn't paying attention, and it slipped its leash. I'll separate them right away."
"Hurry! If you're any slower, it'll be too late. What if my dog gets pregnant? Your dog has no manners!"
Xiang Yang was in the neighborhood to tutor a student. It was only his second day. While the student was working on a math test, the student's mother, unable to walk the dog herself, had asked him to help. He never expected to encounter such a situation within minutes of stepping out.
Unfamiliar with the dog, he stood by, like Chen Jiaojiao, shouting and trying to deter them, but to no avail. The dogs were unrestrained, their actions becoming increasingly bold. Xiang Yang didn't want to jeopardize his new part-time job by causing trouble. Seeing that his dog was beyond control and Chen Jiaojiao was anxiously shouting beside him, he panicked. He crouched down and grabbed the Corgi's muzzle.
He intended to forcefully separate the two dogs. To his surprise, this action angered the Corgi. With a yelp, it pulled its mouth free from his grasp and bit his arm. It was the first time in his life he had been bitten by a dog. The sharp teeth sank into his flesh, causing him to flinch in pain. He immediately stood up and yanked his arm free.
Several long bloody marks remained on his arm. The two dogs continued their activity. Seeing that Xiang Yang had been bitten, Chen Jiaojiao forgot about the dogs and quickly moved closer to him. "Oh my goodness, I didn't expect dogs to be so fierce. Are you okay?"
The dog had bitten him tightly. After the forceful shake, several deep gashes were left on his arm, and blood flowed freely. He had taken on the responsibility, and his dog had run off. Despite the gruesome wounds, Xiang Yang could only accept his misfortune. "I'm fine. Sorry, the dog isn't mine, and I'm not very familiar with it. It doesn't listen to me."
Chen Jiaojiao was too shocked by Xiang Yang's injury to worry about the dogs anymore. "Never mind, never mind. Even if it gets pregnant, it's fine. You should go home and bandage your wound."
She had only come out to help, and now this had happened. She worried about leaving a bad impression of being reckless. Xiang Yang had no intention of leaving. "It's fine, it's not serious. We can deal with it later. What if the dog runs away?"
"Move back a bit. While its attention is focused, I'll try to put the leash back on." Chen Jiaojiao had never met anyone like him. His arm was severely injured, yet he acted as if he hadn't noticed, his sole focus on the dog. Perhaps her earlier reaction had been too intense and put him under pressure, she felt a bit embarrassed. "It's okay, it's okay. If it gets pregnant, it gets pregnant. Don't worry about it. You go home and bandage your wound first."
But Xiang Yang didn't listen. He quietly approached the dog with the leash and, catching it off guard, reattached the hook. Afterward, neither of them spoke. They silently watched the two dogs until they finished and voluntarily separated.
"I'm sorry for the trouble," Xiang Yang said, pulling a pack of tissues from his pocket to press against his arm. Chen Jiaojiao nodded with mixed feelings, watching him lead his dog away. His lean, young, and upright figure left a good first impression on Chen Jiaojiao.
Even after he had walked a considerable distance, she was still marveling, "The country's quality education is truly effective; this generation of young people is quite civilized." She assumed Xiang Yang was a resident of the complex and, after this dog-walking incident, she found herself hoping to see him again during her dog walks over the next two days. She wondered how his wound was healing. After all, she felt somewhat responsible, and it wouldn't be out of place to inquire. However, she didn't know what he was busy with, as she hadn't seen him again.
It wasn't until the third day, when Chen Jiaojiao finished work and was driving home around nine o'clock, that she happened to glance at a bus stop near the complex. She saw that familiar, clean figure again. Xiang Yang was dressed the same as that day – a simple white t-shirt, black casual pants, and white sneakers. He wore a black backpack on his shoulder and white earphones around his neck, sitting alone on the bus stop bench, lost in thought. His left forearm was covered by a black wristband, which conveniently concealed the wound.
Seeing him like this, it seemed he was fine and there was no need to say anything further. Yet, for some reason, Chen Jiaojiao felt compelled to make small talk. She slowly drove her car to the edge of the bus stop. "Hey!" She rolled down her window and called out to Xiang Yang.
Xiang Yang was listening to music and didn't hear her. However, he knew that parking near a bus stop was not allowed. A car stopping in front of him naturally drew his attention. He looked up, and his gaze met Chen Jiaojiao's. Seeing her lips moving, he took off his earphones.