Published at 3rd of January 2021 10:29:47 AM
Chapter 77
Translated by Neirith
Episode Nine – Let’s Build Our House (4)
Xia Zhi blinked and asked guiltily, “You’ll pay no matter how much I borrow?”
“Sure . ” Ye Qia tossed his newspaper aside and ate the last piece of bacon as he said, “In any case, the house will have my name on it too . ”
Because Ye Qia had replied so seriously, Xia Zhi felt his heart twirling . He went straight to his office chair, and sat down, caught in his fantasies . How to decorate their future home, how they needed to buy a huge, fluffy bed for making love, how they would wake up each morning under the brilliant sunshine in great comfort… Yes, it couldn’t be more wonderful .
When he got off work, he went to buy a bunch of groceries . As he passed a cafe, he had a waft of coffee fragrance and watched the line of people queuing for coffee . He thought about it for a long time before he finally decided, with great trepidation, not to buy a coffee . They needed to save for their down payment . If he could minimize his expenditures, even the smallest ones, that would be for the best . The less he ate, the more he saved .
He went home full of enthusiasm, and by the time he left the metro, it was already dark . As he walked, he began to feel a strange sense that something was following him . He entered a quiet alley . Since there was a long string of hills leading to his residence, nobody walked along the road, and it was often empty .
He could clearly distinguish the sound of small, rhythmic clicks behind him . As soon as he walked, he would hear the clicks, and as soon as he stopped, they would stop . This continued all the along the way .
At first, he thought he was being followed by a debtor . This kind of thing wasn’t uncommon . So, he passed a glass all, but saw nobody . After carefully listening, he discovered that it wasn’t the sound of a human at all . It was too small, too short, and too fast . The more he listened, the more frightened he became . He didn’t dare turn around, and sped up, desperately rushing home . He couldn’t help but wonder if something might suddenly grab his leg .
By the time he got home, Xia Zhi had already lost half his souls . He pounded on the door with enough strength to knock it down, even forgetting about his keys . Fortunately, Ye Qia happened to be home . When the door opened, his legs were trembling, and he stammered, “B-Behind me, there’s something…”
Ye Qia stared blankly and peeked outside . “There’s a dog behind you . ”
“I really love dogs!” Xia Zhi was on the verge of collapse . “Don’t come for me! Go find whoever killed you!”
Ye Qia was amused . “It’s a live dog . ”
“… Huh?”
Xia Zhi remained petrified for a few seconds before he slowly turned around to see a muddy dog with droopy ears sitting on the stairs, giving him sad puppy eyes .
“…”
Xia Zhi didn’t slow down until the end of the meal, holding onto his bowl of rice like a little maiden counting each and every grain, looking very much unlike his normally boisterous self .
Ye Qia watched him and wanted to laugh . He commented, “Aren’t you normally fearless? Now you’re afraid of that dirty little thing?”
“I can’t fight those things!” Xia Zhi stated angrily . “You can fight people, but you can’t fight those!”
“Well, anyways, I don’t believe in that kind of stuff . ” Ye Qia shrugged . “The demons and ghosts that people are so afraid of are all things they made up to scare themselves . Just like you . Isn’t it just a dog? And you were so afraid . ”
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Xia Zhi stared at him with wide eyes, but couldn’t find a way to refute him so he angrily finished his rice .
Ye Qia asked pensively, “What are you going to do with the dog?”
Xia Zhi rolled his eyes . “What does that have to do with me?! It’s not my dog!”
“It’s still at the door . ”
Turning his head, Xia Zhi looked at the closed door . Just before the door had closed, he’d glimpsed his own reflection in the dog’s eyes through the cracks . The sky was completely dark, and there were no sounds in the corridor . He didn’t know if the dog was still there .
“It should have already left . ” He murmured anxiously . “It must have followed me after smelling the food in my bag . ”
“Didn’t you want to get a dog?”
“I want a golden retriever, not that kind of dog . ”
After saying this, Xia Zhi fell silent and felt an indescribable sense of guilt . He couldn’t help but glance at the door . He hoped Ye Qia would say something more, but Ye Qia only gave him an “it’s up to you” and stopped talking . When they finished eating, it was his turn to wash the dishes . As he washed the dishes, he kept looking out the window . Suddenly, a broken branch knocked against the glass, and his heart constricted .
The dog should have left, right? It’s just a stray dog anyways, it’s better to leave it . No need to worry .
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That night, Xia Zhi remained anxious, sitting in front of the TV without really watching . He didn’t know what was on his mind . When he came to, the show was already over .
“It’s windy out . ” Ye Qia came out of the bathroom, climbing into the bed as he spoke . “It’ll be colder tonight . Do you want to add another blanket?”
“No, I’m not cold . ” Xia Zhi said loudly before immediately lowering his voice . “It’s really not cold . I don’t need it . ”
Ye Qia gave Xia Zhi a profound look but said nothing . The result was that later that night, the half-asleep Xia Zhi got under Ye Qia’s covers . He held onto him like an octopus, so much so that it was hard to breathe, and subsequently earned himself a fierce kick . That morning, when he woke up, Xia Zhi’s face was pallid and he stooped over, looking like a century-old corpse .
“Didn’t sleep well?”
“I slept very well!” Xia Zhi had a belly full of fire . “It wasn’t cold in the slightest!”
Ye Qia was bemused . “I didn’t say you were cold . ”
Xia Zhi was about to become angry, but he took one glance at Ye Qia’s serene look and swallowed back his curses . After hurriedly eating breakfast, he slowed down and began to loaf around .
Ye Qia asked as he got dressed, “Aren’t you going to work? It’s almost eight, you’re going to miss the metro . ”
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“None of your business!” Xia Zhi said resentfully as he stood with his hand on the doorknob, not daring to open it .
Ye Qia finished dressing and saw him blocking the door . He raised his hands and said, “Move, I want to go out . ”
“Leave, leave!” Xia Zhi drew in a deep breath as he pushed open the door and stuck his head out, only to stop making any noise .
Last night, the sky was dark and he hadn’t looked carefully . Now, the corridor was lit, and he could see the miserable little dog . Its body was entirely wet, and it was so filthy that its original color was indistinguishable . A pair of big black eyes looked up at him, full of caution and pleading .
He took a step forward, and the dog immediately retreated a step, whimpering softly as its body became taut . It raised one of its front paws, as if it were both afraid and begging .
“I don’t know how long it’s been a stray . ” Ye Qia’s voice came out from behind him . “Looks like it doesn’t have a home . ”
As soon as he heard this, Xia Zhi’s nose became tart, and he crouched down, stretching his hand out to the dog as he said softly, “Come here . ”
After a few moments of hesitation, the dog seemed to confirm something and suddenly rushed forward, jumping into Xia Zhi’s arms, panting and wagging its tail .
“Let’s keep it . ” Xia Zhi said .
Having expected this, Ye Qia gave a very gentle smile and said . “Okay . ”