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Gu Bai said, "Mocha, say hello."

Mocha had been curious about the person in front of him. At Gu Bai's command, he tilted his head up slightly to look at Chu Zeshen, then nudged his head forward in a friendly gesture.

Chu Zeshen reached out and rubbed Mocha's head. "Hello, Mocha."

Chapter 9

Gu Bai sat in the passenger seat while Mocha stretched his head forward from the back, sometimes leaning toward Chu Zeshen's shoulder, sometimes nudging Gu Bai. His excitement had yet to wear off.

Gu Bai pushed Mocha's head back, telling him to sit still, then said to Chu Zeshen, "This is usually his walk time. I haven't walked him today, so he's a little excited."

There was no displeasure on Chu Zeshen's face. "I had Uncle Li tidy up the lawn yesterday. Once we get home, he can run around and burn off some energy."

When they reached the entrance to the Chu Family residence, Mocha was even more excited than Gu Bai, the household's other new owner. Rather than stopping in the garage, the car drove in and stopped outside the house, right in front of a lawn.

It was now mid-August. Some time had passed since the beginning of autumn, but the weather was still hot. The lush expanse of green was a pleasant sight, refreshing and soothing.

Gu Bai got out, and Mocha suddenly became well-behaved, sitting quietly in the back seat. His eyes, however, stayed fixed on Gu Bai, following him as he walked from the passenger side to the back door. They shone as though saying, "Master, could you hurry up and open the door?"

Gu Bai suddenly laughed at the sight. It made it hard to bear leaving this little dog shut in the car.

Once the door opened, the illusion of good behavior shattered. Mocha shot out of the car like an arrow and raced toward the lawn that belonged to him.

Gu Bai had had a reason for asking Chu Zeshen whether there was a lawn at home. Since coming to this world, he had grown increasingly idle. Even walking the dog was limited to a few laps downstairs in the residential complex; he was unfamiliar with anywhere farther away.

Having a large lawn at home now would be perfect, solving the problem of walking the dog.

Gu Bai stood beside the car, his eyes following Mocha. After running a lap, Mocha found a branch somewhere and trotted eagerly over to Gu Bai, dropping it at his feet.

One look at this and Gu Bai knew Mocha wanted to play fetch. They often played it on the little lawn in the residential complex. Games that involved jumping like this could only be played on grass, since the soft ground cushioned a pet's joints.

Gu Bai granted Mocha's wish, throwing the branch for him to catch several times.

Only when he heard people talking nearby did Gu Bai remember that today was their first day moving into the Chu Family residence, and their luggage had yet to be unloaded.

Gu Bai glanced to the side. Chu Zeshen had been watching them while someone beside him spoke to him.

Gu Bai walked to the trunk, only to find that the luggage had already been unloaded. The Chu Family's driver and another woman wheeled it into the house.

"Sorry, I got a little carried away playing," Gu Bai said to Chu Zeshen. "I've held you up."

Chu Zeshen smiled. "You haven't held me up at all. My time today was set aside for bringing you home. Are you happy with the lawn?"

Mocha spotted some animal or other and started circling a tree again.

Gu Bai said, "I am."

"Good," Chu Zeshen said. "Let Mocha play out here to his heart's content. The gate is closed, and it's safe here. I'll show you inside."

Gu Bai nodded. "Okay."

The large lawn made Mocha temporarily forget his owner, and Gu Bai followed Chu Zeshen into the villa.

Over the phone, Elder Chu had said that Chu Zeshen's home lacked signs of life. Yet Gu Bai had already seen no fewer than ten people since arriving. It seemed quite lively.

The villa was decorated in the minimalist style Gu Bai liked. Whatever else there was, he was particularly pleased with the sofa in the living room.

After looking around the first floor, Gu Bai heard Chu Zeshen ask, "If you aren't happy with it, we can redecorate, though it might take some time."

"There's no need. I'm very happy with it," Gu Bai said.

Chu Zeshen stopped and looked at Gu Bai, who failed to notice his gaze and went on, "The sofa is huge. I really like it."

Chu Zeshen took him upstairs. There were three rooms on the second floor: a master bedroom, a secondary bedroom, and Chu Zeshen's study, where he worked.

Both bedrooms had their own bathrooms, but the secondary bedroom's balcony was smaller than the master bedroom's.

Seeing that his things had already been placed in a room, Gu Bai instinctively assumed it was his. Only after walking inside did he realize that it did not seem to be his room.

The decor was stark and austere, with an all-black four-piece bedding set. A faint fragrance lingered in the room, and chargers for electronic devices sat on the bedside table. Though everything was tidy, one glance made it clear that someone already lived here.

The butler had probably heard that the Chu Family's new owner was moving in and automatically put his things in the master bedroom. After all, they had already registered their marriage, so it was only natural for them to share a room.

Chu Zeshen stood silently at the master bedroom door. Gu Bai took his two pieces of luggage and headed out. "Someone must have made a mistake. Where's my room..."

Chu Zeshen suddenly reached out and held down Gu Bai's suitcase. Puzzled, Gu Bai let out a questioning hum.

Chu Zeshen looked at Gu Bai for a long time without speaking. After a while, he took the suitcase from him and said, "The first room after you come upstairs."

Gu Bai frowned slightly as he watched Chu Zeshen's retreating figure, but did not dwell on it.

The master bedroom's four-piece bedding set was black, while the secondary bedroom's was white, looking neat and clean.

Chu Zeshen said, "I'll have someone come help you unpack."

Gu Bai declined. "No need. I don't like other people touching my personal belongings. I'll do it myself."

Chu Zeshen was just about to leave when Gu Bai called him back. For some reason, Gu Bai felt that there was a trace of disappointment in his retreating figure, and he spoke on impulse.

Chu Zeshen turned to look at him. Gu Bai gave a polite smile. "Sorry for the trouble, but could you bring Mocha upstairs? I have pet wipes here. His paws need to be wiped when he comes in."