Page 29

When they first arrived at the Chu Family home, Gu Bai had worried that Mocha would struggle to adjust to the new surroundings, so he left his door open for him every night so he could come in.

Now that Gu Bai had discovered the joys of waking up naturally, he had locked his bedroom door every night for several days running. At first, Mocha would still fuss with the door, but after a few attempts, he would settle down after pawing at it once.

Gu Bai could let Mocha come and go freely in the morning, but at night, it was better for pet and owner to have their own space and not disturb each other.

Yet only a few days later, Gu Bai noticed something was wrong. Several toys were missing from Little Nest on the second floor, where Mocha's bed was.

At first, he thought Mocha had chewed up the stuffed toys and secretly hidden them somewhere else, but the next day, the toys returned to Little Nest completely intact. He had never noticed Mocha doing this before.

Gu Bai was around all day, so Mocha had no opportunity to commit the crime during the daytime. The only window was after he returned to his room at night, when Mocha could act in secret.

That evening, Gu Bai shut his bedroom door as usual and heard Mocha pawing at the handle. This time, the effort seemed a little halfhearted, because Gu Bai had not locked the door at all. If Mocha had worked the handle the way he used to, the door would have opened.

Gu Bai became even more certain that Mocha was brazenly committing an offense.

After a while, Gu Bai opened his bedroom door. The hallway was silent, and Mocha was nowhere to be seen, but the toys in Little Nest were still there.

Then Chu Zeshen's bedroom door opened, and Mocha swaggered out.

So the reason he was no longer coming into his room to sleep was that he had found a new owner behind his back.

The moment Mocha saw Gu Bai, his ears flattened out to the sides, as if he knew what he had done.

The man and dog remained at an impasse in the hallway for quite some time before Chu Zeshen's voice came from inside his room.

"Haven't you found that toy of yours yet?"

When he received no response, Chu Zeshen came out to check, only to be met with the original owner's burning gaze.

At eleven at night, a man and a dog stood in the second-floor living room, waiting to be interrogated.

Gu Bai glanced at Mocha, who was pressed tightly against Chu Zeshen's feet. "A few nights sleeping together, and you've grown close."

Mocha guiltily raised his head and looked at Gu Bai with a fawning expression.

The dog could not talk, so Gu Bai had to find someone who could.

"Mocha hasn't been disturbing you, has he?" Gu Bai asked.

"No," Chu Zeshen said. "He's very well behaved."

Gu Bai sighed. "He can actually sleep outside on his own. Don't spoil him too much."

Chu Zeshen looked down at Mocha, who had been unable to go over and cling to his owner's leg because of the command to stay. "I haven't been spoiling him. He's not allowed on the bed. He sleeps on the floor in my room."

Gu Bai let out a laugh and said helplessly, "You have a bed, but you insist on sleeping on someone else's floor instead, huh?"

Mocha's tail wagged even harder, and he looked even guiltier.

At the sight of Mocha's shamelessly fawning behavior, Gu Bai's temper faded as quickly as it had risen. He did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"It's late. Mocha will stay here. We won't keep you from your sleep."

Chu Zeshen bent down and said to Mocha, "Bring me the bag on the bedside table. The cabinet you used as a chew stick a few days ago, treating its leg like a chair leg."

Gu Bai: ...

It seemed he was in no position to criticize anyone else, either.

Hearing someone give him a task, Mocha immediately left the scene of the trouble and trotted eagerly into the room.

"I'm sorry. I'll keep a better eye on Mocha from now on and won't let him wander into your room." Gu Bai was genuinely apologetic. He had failed to keep his pet under control and let him wander into someone else's room.

Chu Zeshen said without a change in expression, "It's all right. These things are bound to happen when we live together. Mocha hasn't caused me any trouble."

"Did he chew up your bedside table?" Gu Bai asked.

Chu Zeshen considered how to put it. To Gu Bai, it looked as though he was trying to downplay the seriousness of Mocha's mischief.

"I'll reimburse you for the bedside table at its original price."

"It was custom-made, so I'm not sure what the original price was," Chu Zeshen said.

For the first time, Gu Bai felt the urge to punish this unfilial son of his.

Mocha came over carrying a bag in his mouth. Chu Zeshen took it and rubbed Mocha's head. "Good boy."

After being praised, Mocha began to get carried away again, completely forgetting the guilt he had felt while admitting his mistake moments earlier.

Chu Zeshen handed the bag to Gu Bai, who accepted it with a puzzled expression. "What's this?"

"You said you liked my cologne a few days ago. My perfumer has been abroad lately, so getting it here took a little time."

Gu Bai knew Chu Zeshen's cologne was custom-made and of very high quality. He had not expected someone to take a casual remark of his to heart.

Holding the gift, he found it a little difficult to accept. After all, Mocha had also chewed up Chu Zeshen's bedside table.

"Thank you. I really like it." Gu Bai kept a clear account of things and could not accept something for nothing. "How much did it cost? I'll pay you for it along with the bedside table."

Chu Zeshen did not seem particularly concerned. "Not much. Just the price of a meal."

Since he had offered, Gu Bai had no reason not to take the opening. "All right, I owe you a meal. In a few days..."

He paused, remembering that the Gu and Chu families would be having a meal together in a few days.

"There's no hurry," Chu Zeshen said. "We can discuss it after the two families have had dinner."

Gu Bai nodded. "All right."

That matter was settled. The question now was what to do with Mocha tonight.

As the two of them headed into their respective rooms, that unfilial son Mocha actually followed Chu Zeshen. The man and dog had built a deep bond over the past few nights.

"Get in here," Gu Bai ordered in a low voice.

Mocha glanced at Chu Zeshen, as if to say, Bro, remember to leave the door open for me.

Chu Zeshen looked at him with a smile.

Gu Bai did not see this exchange. He took Mocha into his room for a lecture.

In the end, Mocha did not return to Chu Zeshen's room that night, because Gu Bai locked the door and made Mocha face the wall and reflect properly on his behavior.

But early the next morning, Mocha woke Gu Bai with his noise. Left with no choice, Gu Bai opened the bedroom door and let him out.