You take Lizi back first.
"Coming?"
Wen Shaoyu held the handlebars of his bicycle. The old-fashioned bike, set off by the tall, slender boy in white, had a kind of 1980s movie vibe.
"Didn't you say it was close? Can't we just walk?" Ji Shuhe held Lizi in her arms, the puppy wagging its tail cheerfully, and resisted with all her might.
Wen Shaoyu kicked down the kickstand, trying to bring her back to reality. "Miss, we have a dog with us. Walk there and back on foot? You might not be tired, but I am."
"Then... then I'll ride by myself. I'm not sitting on your back seat!"
"Too bad. There's only one bike. Ji Shulang doesn't have one to lend you."
"I can take a cab!"
"Sure, but cabs won't let dogs on."
"..."
"Pfft."
Ji Shulang came out holding a ceramic plate with printed patterns, a shengjian bun in his mouth. Seeing Ji Shuhe and Wen Shaoyu locked in a standoff at the doorstep, he abandoned his meal to watch the commotion.
Leaning against the doorframe, he was amused by their bickering. He wanted to speak but bit into the bun too eagerly, scalding his mouth with the hot soup. He winced and waved a hand to fan his mouth.
Ji Shuhe had her back to him, so she didn't see, but Wen Shaoyu caught the whole scene. He silently sighed but said nothing.
"Xiao Shu, if you ask me, don't go. He's taking the dog for a checkup. Why do you want to tag along?" Ji Shulang's tongue was still burned, but he was quick to stir up trouble.
Wen Shaoyu shot him a cold glance. "Eat your food properly. Carrying your bowl around—aren't you afraid you'll choke?"
Ji Shulang shrugged and continued whispering to Ji Shuhe, "See how vicious he is?"
Ji Shuhe agreed wholeheartedly, but considering the reality of who actually wanted to keep the dog, and with Lizi wriggling excitedly in her arms, she didn't dare show it in front of Wen Shaoyu.
The siblings exchanged looks, an unspoken understanding. But Wen Shaoyu wasn't about to let them off easy. "Ji Shulang, I'm curious. If you didn't have tutoring later, would you follow me, a vicious person, to join in the fun?"
"Of course..."
Ji Shulang opened his mouth without thinking, but caught himself mid-sentence, swallowing the contradictory truth he was about to blurt out.
Having dealt with the chatterbox, Wen Shaoyu turned to Ji Shuhe. "And you. Your brother wasn't wrong. I'm the one keeping the dog. So think carefully whether you want to come along and get on this bike."
It was just a battered old bike with a crossbar in front, but he made it sound like a Ferrari or Lamborghini.
Ji Shuhe pushed down the puppy's head that was nuzzling her face, her expression one of resignation. "...Then ride slowly, okay?"
The bike wound through the gloomy alley, the tires grinding over the stone slabs under the weight of two people and a dog. The noise was loud, and the bumps were obvious.
Wen Shaoyu's bike was an antique. The back seat hadn't been modified; it still had a metal rack. Ji Shuhe sat sideways with the dog, her thighs going numb from the jolts as she struggled to keep her balance. If they hadn't left the alley soon, she would have suspected Wen Shaoyu was deliberately torturing her.
In late autumn, the weather in Xinhai was unexpectedly clear. The warm sunlight filtered through the bare branches of the plane trees, casting dappled shadows on the leaf-strewn road.
Ji Shuhe was bored, but Lizi in her arms stared wide-eyed at everything, curiously exploring. When a motorcycle blasted exhaust in their faces, the little thing barked back and struggled to jump down for a fight.
Ever since Wen Shaoyu brought Lizi home, he had been the one taking care of him. In just a few days, the puppy had improved a lot—his eyes were bright and lively, and his fur had become smooth and tidy.
Ji Shuhe hugged Lizi tighter. The puppy's scent wasn't unpleasant. She couldn't quite identify it, but the feeling of the furry little thing wriggling in her arms made her so happy that she stopped thinking.
Indeed, keeping Lizi was the best decision she'd ever made.
As for how it came to be...
Ji Shuhe remembered that evening when the rain began to fall.
...
"Xiao Miaomiao, say something nice to me. Beg me."
"Maybe I'll keep this dog for you."
...
The annoying teasing echoed in her ears. Ji Shuhe glanced sideways at Wen Shaoyu, seeing his broad back, and then a shiver ran down her arm where she held Lizi.
This lunatic even gave others nicknames.
She thought Wen Shaoyu must have something wrong with his head. He always found ways to annoy her, as if just to see her get worked up.
Including keeping Lizi this time. She had said nice things to him... well, maybe, but definitely not as many as the insults.
The bike hit a speed bump. The violent jolt, combined with Lizi's constant struggle to break free, made Ji Shuhe grab the hem of Wen Shaoyu's shirt.
His smooth jacket wrinkled. Ji Shuhe quickly let go as she came to her senses, but the bike had already slowed down.
Neither spoke. The autumn wind carried a deep chill, yet Ji Shuhe felt her cheeks burning.
She began to waver for the umpteenth time—wondering if Wen Shaoyu was actually considerate at heart, maybe just a tease, not irredeemably bad.
With no support while sitting sideways, Ji Shuhe moved slowly, trying to comfort herself.
Wen Shaoyu felt the movement on the back seat and pressed down harder on the wobbling handlebars. "Can't sit still?"
A bit. Ji Shuhe looked around. "How much longer?"
Wen Shaoyu tilted his chin forward. "Just around the corner. Hang in there, Miaomiao~"
"Wen Shaoyu!"