After talking to Zhao Guanlan, Chi Xiaochi drove his car away from the hospital.
He said, “Su Wenyi’s father arrived in Toronto yesterday. He intends to file a second-degree murder charge against Zhou Kai. I’ll make an appointment with him to have a talk with him.”
061 reminded him, “Shen Changqing’s parents are flying in tonight.”
Chi Xiaochi went silent.
061 immediately realised that this wasn’t a good topic. “……Where are we going now?”
Chi Xiaochi turned a corner, driving towards the pet hospital Help was at.
How could he not guess at what 061 was thinking? But this kind of consideration made him feel a little uncomfortable.
Chi Xiaochi laughed and said, “……Liu-laoshi, do you think I’m made of gla.s.s?”
His silence wasn’t because he was feeling sentimental about his own annoying family. It was mainly because he wasn’t very good at dealing with any relatives, including “parents”.
As Chi Xiaochi drove, he said to 061, “When my mom was younger, she could be considered a flower in the factory she worked at. There was no shortage of men chasing her and my dad was the one who was chasing her the most ruthlessly. She originally never planned on marrying my dad, but then an accident happened and she had me, so she had no choice. Later on, when they quarreled, they’d turn on me, one side saying that if not for me, he wouldn’t have taken her as a wife, and the other saying that if not for me, she wouldn’t have married him. So, in the end, those two adults not living great lives was entirely the fault of me, who was just an embryo.”
Chi Xiaochi had never spoken such words in public, so this was 061’s first time hearing about this.
Chi Xiaochi had said this too breezily, even having a slight smile on his face.
How many times had this scar been wrenched open, such that he could talk about these past matters so easily and in such a practiced manner?
Chi Xiaochi changed the topic, “Later on, I learned my lesson. The very moment they started quarreling, I would run to Lou-ge’s house.”
Chi Xiaochi remembered that on countless chaotic nights, still in pajamas, he’d run downstairs and knock on the door to Lou Ying’s house.
The walls in the tube-shaped apartments were only used to separate each home. They didn’t block any noise. Anyone with ears that were even a little sharp could hear whether the people upstairs were watching the news or a short “best-of”.
The Chi home was upstairs, slightly off to the side rather than right above the Lou home, so every time he heard the sound of quarreling from above, Lou Ying would take the initiative to go lean against the door, waiting for Chi Xiaochi.
Within two minutes, Chi Xiaochi would sneakily slip downstairs, his dark eyes bright, so cold he was hopping, “Lou-ge, Lou-ge, quick quick quick, it’s freezing outside.”
“If it’s so cold, why didn’t you put on more layers?”
Chi Xiaochi climbed onto Lou Ying’s bed, and curled up in Lou Ying’s quilt. “Cause it’s warm here.”
Lou Ying locked the door. “You’re not going back today?”
“Not going back.”
“Have you had dinner yet?”
“I have.”
Lou Ying walked over and patted his sunken-in belly. He shook his head helplessly. “……I’ll make you something to eat.”
Lou Ying’s aunt was always working the night shift, and his uncle didn’t like staying at home, often liking to go out with a group of brothers to have drinks and chat, so Lou Ying was usually the only one left at home.
He took out some things from the fridge and went to the public kitchen.
After a while, Chi Xiaochi’s body warmed up a little, so he got down from the bed, wrapped himself in Lou Ying’s coat and felt his way to the public kitchen.
The water on the stove had just begun to boil, the noodles placed in the pot turning the soup water milky white, emitting puffs of steam. Lou Ying stood before the pot filled with the fragrance of noodles, his silhouette shrouded in the steam.
He sliced the shredded meat evenly and placed it into the pot. Soon, the smell of meat spread, making Chi Xiaochi’s mouth water.
He walked over, sticking out his head to watch Lou Ying cook.
Lou Ying picked up chopsticks and began to gently stir the pot to prevent the noodles from sticking to the side of the pot. “You want eggs? I can crack in an egg for you.”
Chi Xiaochi, “I want one.”
Lou Ying cracked open an egg and found it was a double-yolk.
Chi Xiaochi gasped in admiration, “Wow, amazing.”
Lou Ying, “What’s amazing? It’s not like I laid it.”
At that, both of them broke into laughter.
Each of them took a white porcelain bowl and took a portion of noodles from the pot. They then crouched down at home, their heads knocking together as they slurped it up.
Chi Xiaochi said in a m.u.f.fled voice, “We haven’t fed Dog Meat today, let’s leave a bit for Dog Meat.”
Lou Ying had long gotten used to him and Chi Xiaochi each using their own names. “I left a portion for Maimai already.”
As such, after finishing their meal, Chi Xiaochi and Lou Ying went out to feed the little yellow dog. It liked eating noodles, scarfing it down between happy howls.
After feeding the dog, Chi Xiaochi who couldn’t cook pushed up his sleeves and began washing the dishes in a noisy clattering of plates.
As he carried the three clean bowls, sticking close to Lou Ying’s back, Chi Xiaochi’s heart was filled with warmth.
Now full, Chi Xiaochi curled up on the bed, sharing a little table with Lou Ying as they worked on homework. When his homework was finished, he pulled up the quilt and fell asleep.
Lou Ying was two years older than him, so his homework was more than his and harder than his. Naturally, he slept later.
The sound of smashing objects from upstairs continued. When the sound of arguing became sharper, Lou Ying put down his pen. As he seriously looked over his questions, he used both hands to cover Chi Xiaochi’s ears.
Familial love, to Chi Xiaochi, was too far away and vague a concept.
What he’d felt was another, completely different feeling. When he thought about it as a child, he’d called it friendship. Later, he let it develop, causing it to change into a hazy feeling.
To tell the truth, if Shen Changqing’s parents came, he really didn’t have sufficient experience to deal with them.
But it was nothing. He’d just adapt according to the situation.
Once the news about Zhou Kai’s domestic violence was revealed, it set off huge waves, resulting in enormous societal reactions. The hospital which had taken Help in for treatment was even more shocked and immediately upgraded Help’s treatment.
When Chi Xiaochi reached the hospital, he was shown in by the nurse and saw Help, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.
The pet hospital Zhou Kai had picked was clean and far away, top-quality and had a playground specially made for dogs.
When Chi Xiaochi came to the playground, there were dozens of dogs there, chasing each other and frolicking around.
For a time, he couldn’t tell who was who, so he just shouted out, “……Help!”
A Labrador which had a disc in its mouth and was shaking its head turned around.
Upon seeing Shen Changqing, it was at a loss for a moment, as if it wasn’t too sure who he was.
The face was that same familiar face, but it still didn’t seem to be that person.
However, only a moment later, it dropped the disc and ran over to Chi Xiaochi. After sniffing at his feet, it circled around him happily, letting out happy, delighted whuffing sounds.
Chi Xiaochi squatted down and hugged Help around its neck.
Help trustingly stretched out its furry neck, placing its softest, most vulnerable area in his hands, woofing softly, its paws placed on Chi Xiaochi’s shoulders like it was acting cute, but also like it was comforting him.
Chi Xiaochi began to check on its injuries.
Because the fur on its chest and abdomen that had been shaved for necessary treatment purposes had yet to grow back, it hid it, refusing to let Chi Xiaochi look. It persistently rubbed its wet, shiny black nose against the side of Chi Xiaochi’s face.
Chi Xiaochi seemed to understand what it was thinking. He stroked the back of its neck and gently comforted him, “……Even without your fur, you’re still handsome.”
Only then did Help become obedient. It lay down and rolled over, exposing its belly for Chi Xiaochi to pet.
Only after it lay down on its back did Chi Xiaochi find that the fur on its chest had been shaved into a heart.
Chi Xiaochi burst out into a bout of absolutely unrestrained mocking laughter, “Hahaha.”
Help c.o.c.ked its head to the side. Instinctively knowing that its owner was happy, it placed its paws against his calves, blinking its big, wet eyes, quietly sticking to him, shockingly well-behaved.
Chi Xiaochi picked Help up, sat down on a bench by the playground, and stared out into the overcast sky, lost in thought.
As for correctly guessing what Chi Xiaochi had on his mind, 061 already had some experience. “Dog Meat will be fine over there.”
“Of course it’ll be fine,” Chi Xiaochi said, “Dog Meat was born with damaged eyes, but when it came to s.n.a.t.c.hing food, I haven’t seen anyone better than it. It was very crafty and even knew how to hide bones, it won’t go hungry.”
Chi Xiaochi had raised a dog, so he could understand Shen Changqing’s feelings.
He had personally watched as Dog Meat left the world.
Before Dog Meat pa.s.sed away, it had already gained a serious geriatric condition, already unable to run, to bark, it couldn’t even bite into bones that had been cooked until they were soft. Chi Xiaochi personally fed it, but it couldn’t swallow, only being able to hold the food in its mouth.
But even so, it wouldn’t die.
It held on for day after day, taking injections, eating, gradually thinning to the point where it barely had flesh on its bones, becoming just a skeleton.
During that time, Chi Xiaochi put aside all work, accompanying it all day long. He hugged it, saying, “Dog Meat doesn’t even have any meat any more, you can only be used to make soup now.”
Dog Meat barked weakly in protest.
But of course it couldn’t go on like this forever.
Before its suffering became even worse, Chi Xiaochi took it to the hospital to be euthanised.
But even after more than 20 minutes after the injection, it was still struggling to breathe, taking irregular breaths, its paws wrapped around Chi Xiaochi’s arm, refusing to let go.
Chi Xiaochi hugged it. “Go on, Dog Meat.”
Dog Meat refused to die. Its eyes were already dimmed with the shadow of death, but it still stared straight at Chi Xiaochi.
Chi Xiaochi closed his eyes. “……Come on, Maimai.”
About a minute after Chi Xiaochi said this line, Dog Meat pa.s.sed.
Probably because it had mistakenly thought, its other owner had come to pick it up.
There wouldn’t be another dog in this world that would be as crafty, as underhanded, as willing to steal food from its owner as Dog Meat anymore.
To a pet owner, every dog they raised was unique, so only the death of Help in the beginning would so thoroughly destroy Shen Changqing’s last glimmer of hope for survival.
061 advised him, “Dying old and dying of illness is a very normal thing.” Dog Meat being able to die in peace at a ripe old age could already be considered a fairly happy ending for a stray dog.
Chi Xiaochi replied, “I know. I’ve long gotten used to it.”
Chi Xiaochi thought of that person who’d fed Dog Meat together with him. In his daze, he suddenly felt something strange next to him.
He turned his head to look, and unexpectedly, saw a toy dog that had appeared at some unknown time, lying against his arm. Its dark, shiny eyes were aimed towards him, looking incomparably cute.
061’s gentle voice sounded by his ear, “I exchanged this for some of Zhou Kai’s regret points in the shop. To comfort you a little.”
He had to admit, for a moment just now, he really wanted to materialise and give Chi Xiaochi a hug.
But he held back the impulse.
Chi Xiaochi couldn’t accept physical contact, but an embrace and contact from a toy should be fine.
Saying this out loud, it sounded strange, but seeing the seemingly all-powerful Chi Xiaochi occasionally let out confusion or distress, unexpectedly, gave rise to an unbounded desire to protect in 061.
Seeing the toy dog appear out of thin air, Help, lying on his leg, became a little interested. It opened its mouth, wanting to bite onto it, but its head was pressed back onto Chi Xiaochi’s knee by Chi Xiaochi.
Its owner didn’t allow it to touch it, so it became obedient, just that pair of unresigned eyes made people unable to help but laugh.
Chi Xiaochi picked up the toy dog in his hands and looked over it carefully. “Liu-laoshi.”
061, “En?”
Chi Xiaochi asked, “How many points does a system cost. When I go, can I bring you with me?”
When Chi Xiaochi asked this, his tone was half-joking, improper even in death.
But 061’s heart was as if struck by that brilliant smile. He wasn’t able to pull himself back together for a long time.
He seriously thought over the question, then said, “After I’m done guiding you, I still have 90 more tasks to do. When the time comes, if possible, I’ll go to your world to visit you.”
Chi Xiaochi nodded, “Alright then. When the time comes, I’ll make you a meal.”
It began to rain, and Help, along with the other doggies, was led into the kennels by a nurse.
It reluctantly bid Chi Xiaochi farewell.
Chi Xiaochi drove back to his residence and made himself a rich dinner. After the meal, he washed up and went to bed, picking a philosophy textbook for 061 to read to him, preparing to sleep.
After Chi Xiaochi’s breathing evened out, 061 closed the book in his hands, and closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, as the light around him dispersed, 061, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, was standing in the hall of the Lord G.o.d’s s.p.a.ce.
He marched towards the “s.p.a.ce Between Moments”.
……He had some things he wanted to talk about with the Lord G.o.d.
The author has something to say:
Today’s a warm, tender chapter qwq
I hope every doggy will be treated kindly by their owners.
baum: ……I cried translating this chapter orz
Some translating woes:
Chi Xiaochi hugged it. “Go on, Dog Meat.”
Dog Meat refused to die. Its eyes were already dimmed with the shadow of death, but it still stared straight at Chi Xiaochi.
Chi Xiaochi closed his eyes. “……Come on, Maimai.”
This part was so poetic in chinese ; – ;
“Come on” and “Go on” were both the same in Chinese, so CXC says the same thing each time, but he means two different things *cries*