Ji Shuhe shook her head.
Not surprised, the person said sympathetically: "Probably someone nearby had puppies and didn't want to find them homes, so they left them here."
"Too bad. It's going to rain heavily soon. A puppy this small, left out here, will freeze to death."
Yes, the forecast said heavy rain would come at night. Rain combined with a drop in temperature would be fatal for a newborn puppy.
Ji Shuhe looked down. The silly Little One had no idea about its situation, stubbornly clawing at the flimsy box, shivering in the wind and rain.
Her face fell. She tested the young man nearby: "Big brother, do you want to take it home? Or does anyone in this area want to adopt a pet? I'll take it to them."
The man paused, then laughed, as if amused by her naivety: "Forget it. People living here can barely support themselves. Who has the heart to keep a dog?"
Then, the passerby passed by.
Watching him leave, Ji Shuhe couldn't bear to walk away. She tilted her umbrella to shield the box, stealing glances at it now and then.
The puppy, sensing a stranger's scent, was pawing at the side of the box, wagging its head as if searching for something, innocent and cute.
Ji Shuhe tried to resist, but she couldn't. Girls rarely have resistance to cute things. She finally approached, crouched down, and reached out to touch the puppy's head.
But before her fingers even touched its fur, she pulled back. Remembering something, she showed clear fear of the harmless Little One in front of her.
She had thought she'd always envied people who kept pets.
Before her maternal grandparents emigrated, they lived in a courtyard house. A family there kept a pretty little Pomeranian, a rare small dog that didn't bark much.
Ji Shuhe had always wanted to pet it, but Xia Chun had drilled into her: dogs bite. Getting bitten means wasting time on shots and missing scheduled English lessons.
So, until her grandparents sold the house, Ji Shuhe never got to touch a fluffy little animal. She had always wanted a dog, a cat—anything, as long as it was willing to keep her company and need her.
But Xia Chun would never agree.
She hated anything that caused her trouble. The thought of cat and dog fur flying everywhere made her strictly forbid Ji Shuhe from even thinking about it.
Ji Shuhe's behavior had been shaped into Xia Chun's ideal mold. Even though she was now free in person and action, she still acted according to Xia Chun's requirements.
Including petting a dog.
But the puppy didn't understand. Feeling the warmth approaching, it backed away, tilting its head and unintentionally pressing its muzzle into Ji Shuhe's hand.
The fuzzy, warm touch caught her off guard, cutting through all her hesitation.
Ji Shuhe's hand stiffened as it slid from the puppy's head to its empty belly. The little thing lay down without a care, exposing its stomach to her touch, but her heart grew heavier.
She sighed, feeling as if her heart were being crumpled like a tissue: "Sorry, I can't take you home either."
That home wasn't hers. She was already living under someone else's roof—how could she bring back a problem?
"Arf~" The puppy trembled violently, whimpering as if in reply, then buried its head in the box.
"Hey, where'd you pick up a dog?"
Wen Shaoyu's teasing voice sounded. Ji Shuhe frowned immediately.
Although this road was the only way home, running into this guy meant nothing good.
Ji Shuhe didn't reply, but he was used to talking to himself. He crouched beside her, scooped the puppy into his arms, and gently stroked its head with his long fingers.
"Looks like a mutt? But with a bit of Golden Retriever in it. Matching the color, why not call it 'Chestnut'?"
Ji Shuhe's fists clenched.
Never mind who could actually keep this dog. With that ridiculously uncreative name, she knew Wen Shaoyu was just craving the sugar-roasted chestnuts from the shop near school.
Ji Shuhe glared at him without speaking. But when her eyes fell on the puppy nestled quietly in his arms, she had nothing to say.
Arguing was useless. Even if she won the argument, she still couldn't take the puppy home.
Wen Shaoyu's gaze swept over her sullen face. He understood perfectly. Letting the puppy nibble at his fingers, he casually poked at her sore spot.
"You like it, don't you?"
"Then take a good look. You can't take it home anyway."
This pissed Ji Shuhe off so much that she stood up straight. "Wen Shaoyu, are you asking to be yelled at?!"
Wen Shaoyu nodded, rose gracefully, and shamelessly squeezed under her umbrella. "Move over a bit. The rain's heavy; don't let the Little One get wet."
Cornered, Ji Shuhe had no choice but to reluctantly tilt the umbrella toward him.
"So hot-tempered at such a young age. The moment someone tells the truth, you blow up." Wen Shaoyu looked down, lifting the puppy toward Ji Shuhe.
"We both know your situation at the Ji's. Probably no one in this alley wants a dog. So this Little One..." He tapped the puppy's nose with his fingertip. "...is in big trouble."
"But if you really want to keep it... there might be a way."
Wen Shaoyu changed his tune, and Ji Shuhe's eyes lit up. Ignoring his teasing lecture, she looked up at him: "What way?"
Wen Shaoyu played coy, the corners of his eyes curving as he stayed silent.
Having faced off with him so many times, Ji Shuhe felt he was tricking her. She let out a soft snort and muttered, "Liar. Always talking big."
"Who's a liar?" Though soft, he caught every word.
Ji Shuhe gave up on pretense: "You are!"
"What good ideas could you possibly have? You just mess with me."
She turned away and sniffed. She couldn't tell if it was emotion or reality, but she'd lost face in front of Wen Shaoyu too many times. Now, she couldn't be bothered to fake niceness.
If she wanted to be angry, she was angry. If she wanted to snap, she snapped. Even knowing she might be taking it out on him, one look at his face made all thoughts of peaceful coexistence vanish.
He'd thoroughly offended her for no reason.
Wen Shaoyu shrugged, indifferent to her attitude. "See? You're always in a hurry. If you had even half the patience you show your idiot cousin, we wouldn't be at each other's throats."
"My cousin's not an idiot." Ji Shuhe was quick to defend him.
"Fine, fine." Wen Shaoyu had nothing more to say to the siblings. "Do you still want to keep the dog? Do you want to hear the idea or not?"
The temptation was too great. Even knowing there might be a catch, Ji Shuhe couldn't help sneaking a glance at him. "Tell me. What's the idea?"
Wen Shaoyu broke into a grin, his round eyes curving into crescents. "You can't keep it, but I can."
"Xiao Miaomiao, say something nice to me. Beg me."
"Maybe I'll keep this dog for you."