Ji Shuhe couldn't take it anymore. "Who are you calling Miaomiao?!"
"You. Ji Shuhe—'he' means seedling, so Miaomiao is naturally you." Wen Shaoyu said matter-of-factly. "Besides, Miaomiao sounds lively and cute. Just right for your age. If you don't like it, how about 'Meow-meow'?"
Meow-meow his head, meow-meow.
Ji Shuhe took a deep breath. Her family and friends called her Xiao Shu. No one had ever called her that before.
And a nickname exclusive to one person... felt a little too intimate. Since she and Wen Shaoyu weren't even friends, she'd prefer if he used her full name.
"You can call me by my full name."
"That's so distant. We're at least neighbors, upstairs and downstairs."
But living upstairs and downstairs didn't mean they were close!
Ji Shuhe was about to argue, but Wen Shaoyu took the chance to add, "Besides, now we have the bond of keeping Lizi together."
"Or... do you not want to keep him anymore?" Wen Shaoyu pressed on, not giving Ji Shuhe a chance to interrupt. He taunted the puppy, "Hear that, Lizi? Someone doesn't want you."
"Arf!"
The little guy responded to his name with a bark, his floppy ears lifting and falling without any awareness of being a hostage.
Ji Shuhe found herself at a loss for words.
Fine. Call me whatever you want.
...
Wen Shaoyu wasn't entirely lying. Around the corner was a chain pet hospital. It was on a busy street, two stories, in a really nice setting.
Actually, it wasn't that far from Yong'anli, but maybe because of the bike ride with a passenger, Ji Shuhe figured it took about twenty minutes.
Wen Shaoyu parked the old bike on the sidewalk in front of the store. After locking it up, he turned to see Ji Shuhe trying to push open the heavy glass door with her shoulder.
She had Lizi in her arms and couldn't use much force. But the girl was stubborn, silently wasting her effort, looking more pathetic the harder she tried.
Would it kill her to wait for him?
"Let me."
Wen Shaoyu walked up behind her, reached out, and pulled the door open. He motioned for her to go in first.
Ji Shuhe paused, then nodded and walked in without hesitation.
Her slender figure moved briskly. Wen Shaoyu held the glass door, not moving, feeling oddly like a hotel doorman.
Stuffing one hand in his pocket, he laughed to himself at the absurd thought, shook his head, and then stepped inside.
Wen Shaoyu had called earlier to book Lizi's checkup. Since the puppy was a stray, they needed to screen for infectious diseases and get his vaccinations.
At the nurse's strong recommendation, Wen Shaoyu added a complete blood count and fecal exam.
Some weren't necessary, but Wen Shaoyu hated listening to people talk. The moment the nurse started pitching, he agreed. So while they held Lizi down for the blood draw, Ji Shuhe muttered about wasting money.
Wen Shaoyu didn't think much of it at first, but when he got the stack of receipts, he realized she might have had a point.
They had to wait for the results. Ji Shuhe said she was going to the restroom and handed Lizi to Wen Shaoyu. The puppy's ears drooped, and he ignored Wen Shaoyu, probably angry that he had been the one holding him down during the shot.
Wen Shaoyu sat outside the exam room for a while, then decided to buy some necessities like a leash at the front desk. As he walked out, he heard Ji Shuhe's voice. When he turned the corner, he saw her standing at the cash register, pulling out bills from her small purse.
That strange feeling came over him again.
"We agreed to raise Lizi together. Why are you sneaking off to pay?"
Ji Shuhe was so focused that she jumped at the sound. It could only be Wen Shaoyu, so she continued counting money without looking up.
"You bought the goat milk powder and dog food. I'll take care of the checkup."
Wen Shaoyu said nothing. He placed Lizi on the wide counter and leaned over his arm to watch her. Lizi charged at Ji Shuhe, who had just finished counting, and while the receptionist printed the receipt, she began calculating again.
"Lizi mainly drinks goat milk powder now. In a few months, he'll eat dog food, plus freeze-dried treats... Is 200 a month enough?"
Her little face was serious as she figured it out, but Wen Shaoyu couldn't help smiling. He leaned closer and asked earnestly, "Ji Shuhe, do you realize you look exactly like a parent giving their kid an allowance?"
This guy was asking for it!
Ji Shuhe's brow furrowed. She picked up Lizi and turned away. "I've got nothing to say to you!"
After walking a few steps, she added, "Don't forget the receipt!"
"Pfft." The receptionist couldn't help laughing at their bickering. She handed the payment slip to Wen Shaoyu and asked, "You two are so close. Are you siblings?"
"Of course not." Wen Shaoyu thought Ji Shulang would die of anger if he heard that.
The receptionist paused, then caught on. "Oh~ so you're a couple. Young love, first love. Youth is wonderful!"
"No, you've got it wrong." Wen Shaoyu lowered his head to organize the receipts. His peach blossom eyes drooped slightly, but the corners turned up. He couldn't hide his mischievous smile. "She's my young miss, and I'm her servant. See? She pays, and I handle the trivial stuff."
The receptionist clearly didn't believe him but couldn't find a flaw to argue. Wen Shaoyu didn't say more. He packed up and went after Ji Shuhe.
With the results in hand, they headed back. Ji Shuhe got on the bike again. Maybe it was just her imagination, but the ride back seemed much faster.
And this time, she was smarter. She jumped off as soon as they reached the alley and insisted on walking Lizi back.
So they walked side by side—one pushing the bike, the other leading the dog—back to the alley of Yong'anli. Lizi didn't know the way yet, stopping and starting. As they passed an intersection, malicious voices of some teenagers carried over like wings.
"Wen Shaoyu? That's not his mom. That's his stepmom! You guys don't know, after his mom died, his dad married his mom's best friend to be his stepmom! I heard they couldn't stand him, so they sent him here to live with his grandma!"
"Don't even mention his dad. Who can stand someone like him? His temper is unpredictable, he hits people without warning, and he's afraid of nothing! My mom says guys like him will end up in juvie!"
...
The boys' voices, in the middle of their voice changes, chimed in with agreement and questions. They all seemed convinced that Wen Shaoyu was a despicable scumbag.
Some of the things they said were really harsh. Ji Shuhe gripped the leash and stole a glance at Wen Shaoyu. His expression was calm, but his hands on the handlebars were tightening, the veins on the back of his hands standing out...
Ji Shuhe hesitated, wondering if she should comfort him. But Wen Shaoyu suddenly spoke.
"I've got something to do. You take Lizi back first."