55. Be a good dog for me.

The light of the setting sun spilled onto the rooftop, reflecting back into the sky. The air was filled with the dampness of recent rain.

After getting Luo Yue’s permission, Qin Zhaoyi returned to her room, changed clothes, and, timing it perfectly, leashed the big yellow dog to head out. But the dog remained listlessly lying on the steps, even more sluggish than in the morning.

Qin Zhaoyi knew that this old yellow dog had been with Luo Yue for many years. It had the weariness that comes with age. But now, the dog seemed sickly as it lay there, its ears drooping down.

Qin Zhaoyi rubbed its head, “Your owner is coming back; come with me to pick her up.”

The big yellow dog didn’t budge, not even bothering to lift its eyelids.

Qin Zhaoyi patted its belly, “Are you going to behave? If not, I’ll have to scold you.”

Suddenly, the dog’s stomach let out a loud rumble, and then foam appeared at the corners of its mouth. Its dull eyes, filled with tears, looked up at her.

Qin Zhaoyi had never seen anything like this before. She had never had a pet, and now, looking after Luo Yue’s dog, she panicked, “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

As soon as she spoke, the big yellow dog struggled to stand up, but as soon as it did, its front legs buckled, and it collapsed again, weakly vomiting a foul-smelling mess on the ground.

Qin Zhaoyi, despite the disgust, immediately called Cheng Shijing.

The big yellow dog shook its head, panting and running to the puddle left by the rain, drinking the water. Its fur, now wet and dirty, looked grimy and continued to tremble.

Even so, it didn’t stop drinking, almost like it was in a frenzy.

The sight was terrifying.

Qin Zhaoyi filled the dog’s water bowl, letting it drink while she tried to comfort it, “Drink slowly.”

Her heart raced, fearing something might happen to the dog.

But, of course, Cheng Shijing’s phone didn’t pick up at such a critical moment.

It wasn’t until her second call that she got through.

“What’s wrong?” Cheng Shijing’s voice sounded just as listless, lacking energy.

“The dog’s in trouble.” Even in her panic, Qin Zhaoyi remained calm, “It started foaming at the mouth just now, and now it’s convulsing. Is it going to die?”

“Where are you?” Cheng Shijing asked.

She could hear a clatter on his end, as if he had bumped into something in a rush, causing a chain reaction of noises. Cheng Shijing gasped, “I’ll be there soon.”

Then he hung up.

Qin Zhaoyi squatted there, watching the big yellow dog.

She had been afraid of dogs, but maybe because this one seemed so lifeless, she wasn’t worried about it biting her. Naturally, she could pet it, walk it.

These past few days, when she was bored on Moon Island, she would curl up with it. Every morning when she opened the window, she would unconsciously glance to the side. Seeing this dog lying there brought her a sense of peace.

Qin Zhaoyi couldn’t imagine what this dog meant to Luo Yue.

Even for her, the dog’s death would be hard to bear.

If it died in her care, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life.

“Don’t die.” Qin Zhaoyi didn’t mind the dirt; she stroked its fur, smoothing down its dirty, wet coat. But the big yellow dog seemed frantic, shaking as if to throw her hand off, barking at her a few times.

Because of the heat, the usually lethargic big yellow dog suddenly seemed full of energy, almost like it was on drugs or experiencing a final burst of life before the end.

Qin Zhaoyi’s heart sank, “Don’t scare me like this.”

Her voice trembled.

“If you die,” Qin Zhaoyi said, “I…”

She didn’t know what she would do.

“Don’t die.” Qin Zhaoyi wasn’t afraid of it biting her; instead, she patiently stroked its fur, as if trying to calm it down.

If you listened closely, you could hear the plea in her tone.

It had been a long time since she felt so helpless, like she was floating alone in a vast ocean, with no land in sight and nothing to hold on to.

Qin Zhaoyi’s heart was clenched tight.

Waiting for Cheng Shijing felt like an eternity, as if a century had passed.

Cheng Shijing was a doctor, though not a veterinarian. However, because there was no vet on the island, he had studied some veterinary medicine as well.

When he arrived and saw the somewhat dazed Qin Zhaoyi, he offered some comforting words, but she didn’t really register them.

Cheng Shijing first gave the big yellow dog a sedative and then opened his medical kit. After a period of busy work, the dog finally calmed down, its ears drooping and its eyes listless.

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t understand what he was doing, but when she saw the dog blink a few times before closing its eyes, she asked softly, “Is it still alive?”

Cheng Shijing nodded, “It’s still alive.”

Thanks to timely intervention.

Moon Island was small, and Cheng Shijing had sped over on an electric scooter, arriving just in time to provide crucial treatment.

“Don’t worry,” Cheng Shijing said, “It’ll be fine. It just needs to rest for a few days.”

Qin Zhaoyi took a deep breath, finally letting go of the tension she had been holding.

Cheng Shijing, sweating from the effort, wiped his forehead casually with a tissue before starting to pack up the scattered medical supplies.

As he stood up, his leg gave out slightly, causing him to wince in pain.

“You’re hurt too?” Qin Zhaoyi noticed his discomfort.

Cheng Shijing waved it off, “It’s nothing. I was in a hurry and banged my leg.”

Qin Zhaoyi opened her mouth but didn’t say anything, feeling a bit guilty.

Usually not one to owe favors, Qin Zhaoyi realized that this was definitely a debt she owed now, one that couldn’t be easily repaid with money or a meal.

“Sorry,” Qin Zhaoyi murmured, after a long moment of building up the courage.

Cheng Shijing chuckled, “That’s rare—to hear Miss Qin say that.”

His teasing tone quickly dispelled Qin Zhaoyi’s guilt.

However…

Cheng Shijing’s expression grew serious as he asked, “Have you ever had a dog before?”

“No,” Qin Zhaoyi replied, “I don’t like small animals, so I’ve never had one.”

“Then how did Luo Yue trust you to take care of her dog?” Cheng Shijing asked. “Did she say when she’d be back?”

Qin Zhaoyi suddenly remembered that she was supposed to go to the port to pick up Luo Yue.

She checked the time; it was getting late, and she frowned, “She should be back soon.”

She wasn’t sure if Luo Yue would be waiting at the port or if she would just walk back on her own.

Before Qin Zhaoyi could figure it out, Cheng Shijing said, “You should tell her about this. Do you want to tell her, or should I?”

Qin Zhaoyi hesitated.

“It’s not that you did anything wrong,” Cheng Shijing explained patiently, worried she might misunderstand. “This dog is very important to Luo Yue, so it’s best to let her know what happened. Besides, with the dog in this condition, it likely doesn’t have much time left. It’s better to prepare her for that.”

“I’ll tell her,” Qin Zhaoyi said, “It’s my responsibility.”

“It’s okay,” Cheng Shijing said, “It might have eaten something it shouldn’t have.”

As he spoke, Cheng Shijing asked, “What did it eat today?”

“It didn’t have much appetite in the morning,” Qin Zhaoyi recalled. “It ate a few pieces of dog food—it’s very picky. Later, I gave it half a steamed bun; Luo Yue had left it for me, saying the dog liked it. After that, it just slept, and when it woke up, I noticed it seemed hungry. I was bored, so I gave it more dog food. But it kept staring at the chocolate in my hand, so I gave it a little, and it also drank some…”

Before the word “water” could even leave her mouth, she heard Cheng Shijing exclaim in astonishment, “Chocolate?”

His voice nearly broke from the shock.

Qin Zhaoyi nodded, “What’s wrong?”

Cheng Shijing repeated, “You gave the dog chocolate?!”

Qin Zhaoyi pressed her lips together, unsure of what she had done wrong.

Cheng Shijing’s sudden shout drew the attention of many people, as it was a busy time on Moon Island.

Even Grandma Shixi came over and asked, “Xiao Cheng, what’s going on?”

Cheng Shijing turned his head and saw seven or eight people standing around as if watching a show.

Cheng Shijing pursed his lips, “It’s nothing.”

After addressing them, Cheng Shijing’s face remained stern.

“Doesn’t anyone have anything to do?” Cheng Shijing, uncomfortable with the attention, dispersed the crowd. “Move along, everyone, go back to what you were doing.”

Someone made a teasing comment, but Cheng Shijing ignored it.

Just as the crowd began to disperse, someone suddenly called out, “Luo Yue is back!”

Luo Yue responded with a gentle smile, “Yes.”

Grandma Shixi took her hand and whispered, “Xiao Cheng was just arguing with that little fox in your courtyard. What kind of situation is this? Doesn’t he care about your feelings at all? Take my advice, you shouldn’t marry a man like that.”

Luo Yue had been waiting at the port for a while, not seeing any sign of Qin Zhaoyi, so she decided to walk along the coastline to see if she could run into her. By the time she reached her house, she still hadn’t seen her, but found a group of people gathered at her doorstep, all there to watch the commotion.

Before she could even react, Grandma Shixi started giving her advice, and Luo Yue just smiled and said, “Don’t overthink it.”

But Grandma Shixi was insistent, “No, you shouldn’t be with a man like Xiao Cheng, even if you end up with a woman instead. Even if the little fox made a mistake, he shouldn’t be yelling at her, especially in front of so many people.”

Luo Yue frowned, “He yelled at her?”

Grandma Shixi pursed her lips, “Very loudly.”

At over seventy years old, the old lady was still sneakily tattling.

Not only that, she had even given the young woman a nickname.

For a while, there had been talk on the island about a beautiful woman who had gotten entangled with Cheng Shijing. Such women were often called “fox spirits ^[1]Vixen”.

Grandma Shixi felt it was disrespectful, and not knowing the woman’s real name, had taken to calling her “little fox.”

She also warned Luo Yue to be cautious.

Seeing Cheng Shijing’s lack of boundaries, she had even urged Luo Yue to kick him out and find someone else, even suggesting she find a woman instead of marrying Cheng Shijing.

Every time Luo Yue heard this, she would just smile and brush it off.

She had tried to correct Grandma Shixi a few times about calling Qin Zhaoyi “little fox,” but it seemed the old lady either had a bad memory due to her age or was doing it on purpose. The next time she referred to Qin Zhaoyi, it was still “little fox.”

Luo Yue didn’t bother correcting her anymore. After all, Grandma Shixi wasn’t foolish enough to call Qin Zhaoyi “little fox” to her face.

And the more Luo Yue heard it, the more she felt that the nickname suited Qin Zhaoyi. She had a face like a little fox, yet still maintained an air of innocence.

Luo Yue patted the old lady’s hand. “I’ll go check on them.”

With that, she encouraged her to leave. The old lady, still spry, quickly caught up with the main gossiping crowd.

When Luo Yue glanced into the courtyard, she noticed the tense atmosphere between the two people inside, though neither was speaking. It felt like a confrontation was on the verge of erupting.

Entering the courtyard, Luo Yue saw the dog lying there, filthy as if it had rolled around in the mud. Its sleeping form was so still that it seemed almost dead.

Luo Yue’s throat felt dry, but she wasn’t as sad as she had expected. It was as if she had been preparing for this moment for a long time.

“Is it gone?” Luo Yue guessed that this might be the cause of their argument. It seemed like the only thing that could have triggered such strong emotions from Cheng Shijing.

As she spoke those words, Luo Yue felt an inexplicable heaviness in her heart.

“No,” Cheng Shijing replied, his earlier intensity not yet subsided, and his tone still sharp. “It’s just asleep.”

Luo Yue let out a breath, finally able to muster a smile. “Then what were you arguing about?”

“We weren’t…” Qin Zhaoyi began to deny it, but Cheng Shijing cut in, eyes wide, “She gave the dog chocolate! Even if you don’t know much, that’s common sense, right? If I hadn’t gotten here in time, the dog would be dead.”

Qin Zhaoyi glanced at the indignant Cheng Shijing, feeling guilty and staying silent.

“It ate chocolate?” Luo Yue slowly repeated.

For some reason, when Cheng Shijing said it, Qin Zhaoyi felt defensive and angry. But when Luo Yue repeated it, all of Qin Zhaoyi’s defiance vanished, replaced by a guilty conscience.

“Yes,” Qin Zhaoyi said, looking at her. “It kept staring at me while I was eating, so I gave it half a piece.”

The more Cheng Shijing listened to her innocent explanation, the angrier he became. “Don’t you have any common sense? Chocolate can kill dogs.”

Qin Zhaoyi pressed her lips together, “I didn’t know.”

Cheng Shijing: “…”

The tension in the air thickened again.

Luo Yue stood between them as the sun gradually set and the wind grew cooler.

The cool breeze swept over her thin frame, lifting the ends of her hair.

After a moment, Luo Yue let out a light laugh, gently nudging the dog lying on the ground with her foot, “It seems dogs are just like people—whatever they shouldn’t have, they crave the most.”

Her tone was breezy and indifferent, as if feeding chocolate to the dog wasn’t a big deal, instead shifting the blame to the dog.

Cheng Shijing was stunned, never expecting Luo Yue to say something like that.

“Yueliang…you…” Cheng Shijing was so upset he could hardly speak, “How is the dog supposed to know? It only eats what people give it!”

“It’s still greedy,” Luo Yue replied. “Who would’ve thought it would still be so gluttonous in its old age?”

Cheng Shijing: “…”

He took a deep breath, realizing that anything more he said would only make things worse, so he decided to leave.

“Fine,” Cheng Shijing said. “It’s your dog after all. If you want to take her side, go ahead. But if you’re going to have her watch the dog, you should at least teach her the basics, shouldn’t you?”

“It’s my fault,” Luo Yue admitted.

He hadn’t expected her to agree so easily—it was obvious she wanted to defend Qin Zhaoyi.

Cheng Shijing was at a loss for words. “Fine.”

Just as he was about to leave, he heard Luo Yue call out to him, “But, Shijing Ge, don’t you think you owe her something for your behavior just now?”

Cheng Shijing: “?”

“Miss Qin was helping me take care of the dog,” Luo Yue’s voice was as gentle as a breeze, carrying an inexplicable warmth. “You scolded her in front of so many people. Aren’t you going to apologize before you go?”

At this point, it was clear whose side Luo Yue was on.

Qin Zhaoyi discreetly moved closer to her, gently tugging on Luo Yue’s wrist, signaling her to let it go.

Luo Yue wasn’t wrong, but the dog had given Qin Zhaoyi quite a scare. If Cheng Shijing hadn’t arrived so quickly, who knows what could have happened today.

Although Qin Zhaoyi felt wronged by Cheng Shijing’s harsh words, it gave her an outlet for her pent-up frustration.

Besides, Cheng Shijing had gotten hurt because of it.

But Luo Yue grasped her hand in return.

The coolness of Luo Yue’s hand contrasted with the clammy sweat in Qin Zhaoyi’s palm, instantly easing the heaviness in her chest.

It was as if something filled the emptiness inside her, ready to overflow.

“Yueliang,” Cheng Shijing stared straight at her.

But Luo Yue met his gaze, unflinching, “Ge you were too harsh just now.”

Her tone was calm, but her words seemed to say—You were so harsh, you scared my family’s child.

The intent to protect was unmistakable.

Cheng Shijing had been unable to sleep for days because of the issue with Cheng Shiyu. The way he snapped at Qin Zhaoyi earlier was partly due to his own frustration.

But the main reason was disbelief.

He couldn’t imagine someone would actually feed a dog chocolate.

At her age, how could she not know something so basic?

If this had happened in the past, Cheng Shijing would have eventually softened, seeing how insistent Luo Yue was. He would have taken a step back, apologized to Qin Zhaoyi, and ended the matter.

After all, his tone was indeed harsh.

But now, Cheng Shijing stared at her and Qin Zhaoyi for a long time.

The silent standoff lasted so long that sweat began to form on Qin Zhaoyi’s back.

However, Cheng Shijing didn’t retreat like he usually did. His tone was stiff, as if it carried a sharp edge.

“Do all you lesbians date so blindly and recklessly?”

He didn’t care that they were standing in the courtyard, nor did he consider whether there were still people outside. He bluntly exposed the secret Luo Yue had been hiding all this time.

After saying this, he let out a cold laugh, “If you want to act crazy, fine, but leave me out of it.”

His words made it clear he was done with them, like a brother who didn’t want to play anymore.

Then, just as suddenly as he had arrived, he rode off on his electric bike, disappearing into the night.

Luo Yue accurately picked up on the key word in his statement—”you^[2]Plural.”

Who else?

But there was no time to dwell on that now.

Qin Zhaoyi’s sweaty palm was soaking Luo Yue’s hand, and the dog was still lying on the ground, barely hanging on.

The moonlight blanketed the earth, and the streetlights flickered on in an instant.

The sea breeze swept over every inch of the land. Luo Yue glanced down at the dog, “I’ll carry it back to its bed.”

Qin Zhaoyi immediately stepped forward, not caring about the dirt, and bent down to pick up the dog.

After they placed the dog in its bed, Luo Yue had already opened the door and gone inside.

Qin Zhaoyi hesitated at the door, but Luo Yue called out to her, “Aren’t you coming in?”

Once inside, Qin Zhaoyi whispered, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, “I’m sorry.”

It was difficult for her to say those words.

She rarely found herself in situations where she needed to say them.

But ever since coming to Moon Island, she had been making mistakes repeatedly.

This was a world she had never seen before.

People who lacked formal education but were full of warmth, those who spoke casually but were stubborn about certain things, those who were emotionally unstable but highly capable…

It was like observing a collection of human behavior samples.

Yet, unexpectedly, Qin Zhaoyi had accepted them all.

She had even learned how to interact with different people.

“What did you do wrong?” Luo Yue asked in a low voice.

With the initial words out, the rest came easier for Qin Zhaoyi. “I fed the dog chocolate.”

“You didn’t know that dogs can’t eat chocolate,” Luo Yue said.

Qin Zhaoyi shook her head. “The dog almost died because of me.”

That was a fact, and ignorance couldn’t excuse it.

“Then why didn’t you apologize to Shijing just now?” Luo Yue asked.

Qin Zhaoyi hesitated. She had thought about it, but Cheng Shijing’s tone was too harsh.

She didn’t even want to talk to him.

“He was very worried about the dog,” Luo Yue said. “To be precise, he was worried about all of us, including my dog.”

But today, because of the dog, Luo Yue and Cheng Shijing had a disagreement.

“And what about you?” Qin Zhaoyi asked. “Aren’t you worried?”

“Of course, I’m worried,” Luo Yue replied.

Qin Zhaoyi suddenly became curious. “What if… the dog really had died because of me today?”

The atmosphere grew tense, and Luo Yue’s expression stiffened, showing that she was seriously considering the question.

Qin Zhaoyi lost her courage.

But since she had already spoken, there was no turning back. She boldly asked, “Would you hate me?”

Luo Yue slowly shook her head. “The dog is very important to me.”

It was a dog that had been with her for a long time.

In her most downtrodden and painful times, when she was alone in her room, it was there lying beside her. When she didn’t want to go outside and see the sunlight, it would run out and insist on dragging her along to bask in the sun.

In a way, it had healed Luo Yue.

Just like how Moon Island had.

Qin Zhaoyi’s heart tightened, afraid of what Luo Yue might say next. She instinctively took a half-step back.

But Luo Yue moved closer to her, extending her hand, half-jokingly, half-seriously saying, “Didn’t you say you’d hold my hand when you came to pick me up?”

Qin Zhaoyi stared at those beautiful hands, hesitating to take them.

Luo Yue gently coaxed, “Under what pretext, Qin Princess?”

Qin Zhaoyi bit her lip, unsure of Luo Yue’s thoughts.

“What do you want me to say?” Qin Zhaoyi swallowed nervously and offered her heart, “Luo Yue, you know I like you.”

Luo Yue gazed quietly at her.

Qin Zhaoyi continued, “You sleep with me, argue with your best friend for me, and say you like me, but… I seem to lack a reason to hold your hand.”

“Hand in hand,” Qin Zhaoyi added. “A reason. It feels like you’re just teasing me.”

Luo Yue chuckled lightly at her words. “Didn’t you say you wanted to be my dog?”

Luo Yue was very close to her, their silhouettes on the door overlapping. The warmth of their breath touched Qin Zhaoyi’s face, making her temperature rise.

Luo Yue said, “Zao Zao is important, and so is Zhao Zhao.”

“Which one is more important?” Qin Zhaoyi felt her voice was almost drowned out by her heartbeat.

She asked without confidence, but couldn’t help but ask.

Luo Yue suddenly leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Of course, Zhao Zhao.”

Qin Zhaoyi swallowed hard, feeling her heart rise to her throat. “Don’t be ambiguous. I said not to treat me like a pet, unless…”

“Unless I become your girlfriend?” Luo Yue completed her thought directly.

Qin Zhaoyi emitted a soft “mm” from her nose.

Luo Yue raised her hand and embraced her waist, her long fingers roaming on her back.

The sensation was unfamiliar and sudden, making Qin Zhaoyi’s tense body emit a gasp.

In the quiet room, it seemed unusually conspicuous, adding a hint of intimacy.

Luo Yue slowly said, “Then from now on, be a good dog for me.”

Afterward, she whispered in her ear, “Good baby.”

Author’s Note:

Luo Yue’s confession: Be my dog.

Dog’s confession: I’ll be your pet.

Perfectly matched and locked in.