Chapter 17

There was a promotion for dog food: buy 100 pounds and get 20 pounds free.

Zhang Jingzhu ordered enough food for all the animals in the small yard to get through the winter. She also brought pet snacks and some unused blankets from home to the small yard that was specifically used to shelter stray animals.

The animal protection law was enacted several years ago. The law can limit the number of crimes, but it can never completely stop them. Some people still break the law, deliberately harming animals. The people who broke the legs of the Labrador were found by the capable people in the group.

Someone from a nearby village built a tin shed in their field, specifically for raising chickens, ducks, and geese. They installed cameras to prevent theft. Through the footage captured by the cameras, the person who abused the Labrador was found.

This person was an employee of a nearby factory. Due to the factory’s poor economic performance in recent years, it was about to close down. He couldn’t find a job, had no money, and was feeling depressed. He took his anger out on the stray dog.

There were lawyers working in law firms in the group. After several people’s efforts, they not only found that this person had abused animals but also that he had committed theft. They gathered evidence and prepared to send him to prison. Unexpectedly, retribution came quickly. He ran a red light after drinking and ended up paralyzed from the waist down.

Most of the stray animals in the small yard were disabled, but some were healthy. Most of them were native dogs, many of which were abandoned by their owners after nearby demolition.

Stray cats were placed in a separate yard.

Zhang Jingzhu left the things behind and took the Labrador home.

The group leader gave the Labrador a name, Lucky.

Lucky was very beautiful. Her fur was white all over, except for her two ears, back, and the tip of her tail, which were yellowish-brown. Her hind legs had improved significantly after surgery, but she still limped a little when she walked.

Zhang Jingzhu led her home. Her black coat was covered in white dog hair. She tried to brush it off, but Lucky was too enthusiastic. She was a female dog, but she liked to jump on people’s legs, getting her fur all over them.

She opened the door.

Cheng Shuinan appeared before her.

He had been impatiently waiting at the door since he heard the sound of the car. His fishtail, which served as his legs, couldn’t move freely, so his tail fin expressed his emotions. His wide, thin, veil-like tail fin swayed back and forth, soaking a small patch of the carpet.

Immediately, he widened his eyes and stared at the big white dog that was wagging its tail and running towards him.

This dog is so big! Cheng Shuinan jumped back.

Zhang Jingzhu quickly pulled on the leash: “Don’t be afraid, she doesn’t bite. Lucky, be good, don’t jump, okay?”

Lucky whined twice and stopped approaching Cheng Shuinan. She sniffed around the house, getting familiar with her surroundings.

Gu Xinyi had already finished school by this time. She called Zhao Jing on video call.

She was making the video call while dragging the dog bed from the balcony.

“Mom, it’s like this. I have a Labrador here that needs to be adopted. Xinyi told me before that she wanted a large dog. Do you think this one is okay? She’s with me now, and she’s quite well-behaved…”

Lucky circled around Zhang Jingzhu. After she dragged the dog bed to the living room, she helped by biting the other end. When she saw Zhang Jingzhu sitting on the sofa, she ran over to her, put her two front paws on her, stretched, and pressed her feet against her abdomen. She snuggled up against her and lay down on the blanket.

Zhang Jingzhu couldn’t pull her away. She laughed twice, reached out to touch her head, and then stroked her fur.

Zhao Jing called out to Gu Xinyi on the other end: “Your sister has a big dog at her place. Come and see if you like it.”

Gu Xinyi shouted: “I want it! I want it!”

Zhao Jing: “Jingzhu… Shall I bring Xinyi to your place tomorrow?”

Zhang Jingzhu was suddenly startled. She glanced at the kitchen and didn’t see Cheng Shuinan. Her eyes darted around until she finally found him at the bathroom door. He was leaning against the doorframe, his head sticking out, his eyes fixed on her.

Zhang Jingzhu lied: “Um… She just had surgery and needs someone to take care of her. I’ll send her to… I have a dinner appointment with friends tomorrow night, so don’t come.”

Zhao Jing was disappointed: “Okay.”

Cheng Shuinan thought of a possibility:

The new white dog would steal Zhang Jingzhu’s attention.

The moment he saw the white dog, he noticed its wet, grateful, and dependent eyes. An inexplicable sense of crisis arose. He almost used all his strength to barely control his facial expression, showing Zhang Jingzhu his usual gentle and beautiful smile.

But… Zhang Jingzhu didn’t give him even a second of her attention. She was completely captivated by the white dog. The orange scent of her body was covered by the dog’s smell. Her black coat was covered in white dog hair. It was as if the white dog had gotten there first, marking Zhang Jingzhu, who should have belonged to him.

His mood went up and down.

The white dog would be sent away.

Cheng Shuinan’s facial expression finally relaxed.

“Zhang Jingzhu.”

“Hmm?”

“She’s very cute.”

Zhang Jingzhu squeezed Lucky’s paw and laughed: “She is very cute, and she has a super good temper. I can rub her all over, and she won’t get angry!”

As she spoke, she demonstrated to Cheng Shuinan, gently pinching Lucky’s ears and rubbing them. The dog didn’t resist, grinning like a fool.

Cheng Shuinan pursed his lips, silent for a moment, then hopped over.

His fishtail bumped against her.

Zhang Jingzhu could see the tightly arranged scales, the moist water carrying a faint fishy smell, hitting her face. She didn’t dislike the smell. After smelling it for a long time, she could actually smell the unique scent of Cheng Shuinan’s body after the fishy smell disappeared. It was a very sweet scent.

Like being covered in a cotton candy net.

It was a little dizzy after a while.

Zhang Jingzhu: “What’s wrong? Do you want to touch Lucky…”

Cheng Shuinan lowered his eyes, his shy gaze hidden by his thick eyelashes. “I won’t get angry either.”

“Ah?”

Cheng Shuinan glanced at the white dog that was lying on its belly, not to be outdone. He pinched his abdominal fin and placed it in front of Zhang Jingzhu. “You… can touch it freely.”

Zhang Jingzhu was slightly stunned.

Since she touched his teeth that time, she realized that it might cause him discomfort. She hadn’t touched him for a whole day. Usually, she would find all sorts of opportunities to touch his fish scales or secretly touch his hair and ear fins. Unexpectedly… he actually asked her to touch him!

Lucky was still lying on her belly at her feet.

She smiled knowingly.

Cheng Shuinan tilted his head, his eyes fixed on the carpet. Suddenly, his fishtail trembled. Zhang Jingzhu did as he wished, pinching his abdominal fin. The thin, cicada-wing-like abdominal fin was pinched between her two fingers. As soon as the cold abdominal fin touched her warm fingertips, it turned into a soft puddle of water, offering no resistance, allowing her to pinch it however she wanted.

His face was thin-skinned, and the redness spread quickly.

Zhang Jingzhu couldn’t miss this opportunity. Usually, she only dared to touch it lightly a few times. This time, she finally got his permission. She was definitely going to pinch it in her hand until she was satisfied.

She spoke, stroking his scales: “Lucky has nowhere to go, so she’s staying here temporarily. When her leg injury heals, I’ll send her to my sister… Well, actually, I still like your fishtail the most. When I was little, I loved reading fairy tales, and my favorite was the mermaid!”

Cheng Shuinan: “What’s the name of the story?”

Zhang Jingzhu thought for a moment: “Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales.”

Cheng Shuinan secretly remembered the name.

The blush on Cheng Shuinan’s cheeks never faded. After entering maturity, his sensitivity was dozens of times higher than usual. Moreover, it was the most fragile and sensitive part of his body.

Zhang Jingzhu had a talent for taking advantage of the situation.

Cheng Shuinan said she could touch it freely, so she really touched it freely.

He didn’t even let his ear fins off the hook.

In the end, he made the merman shrink into the water and refuse to come out, before Zhang Jingzhu stopped.

Gu Xinyi kept sending Zhang Jingzhu messages, begging to see videos of Lucky. Zhang Jingzhu recorded videos for her. After recording, she sent them to her and answered Gu Xinyi’s strange questions.

“Sister, can I feed her my favorite chocolate cake?”

“No, you can’t.”

“Sister, is her mouth big? Can she swallow me in one bite?”

“…”

“Sister, is she at the age to find a boyfriend? Do I need to get another male dog?”

“…”

Zhang Jingzhu was replying to the message on her phone when a few drops of water fell on her cheek. She raised her eyes in confusion.

Cheng Shuinan was standing at the head of the bed, looking aggrieved. He turned sideways.

“Zhang Jingzhu…”

He pointed at her: “She stole my spot!”

Lucky didn’t know when she jumped onto the folding bed. She curled up and fell asleep, snoring comfortably.

Zhang Jingzhu had no idea how to react:

Who would argue with a dog!