Page 45

Never mind, there would be plenty of time to repay him later.

"Then remember, next time it's my treat."

Chu Zeshen nodded and agreed. "Yes, your treat."

After dinner, Chu Zeshen took Gu Bai to pick up Mocha.

Xie Wen was at a private bar, a place for entertaining friends over drinks. It seemed to belong to someone Xie Wen knew, or they would not have allowed pets inside.

When Gu Bai entered the private room, he saw Mocha chasing a girl around, having the time of his life.

He called Mocha's name, but Mocha did not react at all. He had not even noticed Gu Bai.

A little annoyed, Gu Bai led Mocha out of the room on his leash, while Xie Wen held Chu Zeshen back to talk.

Mocha was rather reluctant to be led out. He had gotten hooked on partying.

"Are you coming or not?" Gu Bai asked in a low voice.

Mocha glanced at Gu Bai, stopped struggling, and followed him.

Once outside the bar, Gu Bai stood in an open space across the street, with Mocha sitting beside his feet.

Everyone going in and out of the bar was drawn to the young man and his dog across the street. It was not hard to tell from the young man's face that here was another person who had come to catch his partner out. It was the usual story: his partner had said goodnight, only for the two of them to run into each other at a bar.

Whenever Gu Bai scolded his dog, his expression unconsciously turned stern. He lowered his eyes to look at Mocha.

"Look at you, throwing yourself straight into several girls' arms. Can't take another step when you see a pretty girl, can you?"

Mocha had already been neutered, but he was the sort to gravitate toward pretty girls, unless they disliked dogs, like Gu Jiazi and Chu Hanjin. Mocha could sense whether someone liked him. If they genuinely did, he would throw himself into their arms and beg for pets.

Mocha's eyes darted about guiltily, with only the light-up collar around his neck flashing rainbow colors.

Gu Bai was just about to bend down and remove the annoying glowing collar when he saw someone walk up to him.

"Hello, we meet again."

Mocha instinctively rose again and stood in front of Gu Bai, blocking the newcomer's path.

Gu Bai looked up at the person before him, unable to quite recognize him. "You are?"

Hearing Gu Bai ask who he was as his very first words, Song Xiuling almost failed to keep his smile in place, but his upbringing would not allow him to show such an expression.

"We met last night."

Gu Bai had met quite a few people at the Guan Family's banquet the night before. A day later, he remembered none of them.

Gu Bai nodded. "Oh, hello."

Seeing his reaction, Song Xiuling knew Gu Bai had not remembered him.

"We met in the backyard. You even suggested a way for me to train Fendi..." Song Xiuling looked at Gu Bai's face, then smiled. "None of that matters. My name is Song Xiuling. Guan Yuan is my uncle by marriage. I heard from him that you're a friend of Xie Wen's."

After listening to that long speech, Gu Bai picked out the important information: Guan Yuan had not told anyone else about his relationship with Chu Zeshen. That seemed to be Chu Zeshen's wish. Apart from those close to him, Chu Zeshen did not want others to know about their relationship.

Gu Bai played along. "Yes, we came to the island together for a vacation."

"I lived here throughout my childhood. I could be your guide." Song Xiuling was unusually enthusiastic.

"Xie Wen has arranged our entire itinerary," Gu Bai said.

Song Xiuling sounded a little disappointed. "I see..."

Suddenly, someone called over, "Xiuling?"

Song Xiuling had come with friends, but when he spotted Gu Bai standing across the street, he had left them behind to come over and say hello alone.

Gu Bai glanced across the street. "Your friend is calling you."

Torn between the two sides, Song Xiuling ultimately chose his friends. "Gu Bai, I'll come hang out with you in a couple of days."

Song Xiuling did not seem to fit in with Xie Wen's crowd. Whether he could actually come was another matter.

Gu Bai nodded perfunctorily.

As Song Xiuling entered the bar, he passed Chu Zeshen. He was just about to greet him, but Chu Zeshen did not notice him at all, leaving the bar and crossing the street to Gu Bai's side.

Gu Bai was supposed to be Xie Wen's friend, yet he felt that Gu Bai and Chu Zeshen had quite a close relationship.

His friends pushed Song Xiuling into the bar, leaving him unable to see what happened next.

"Let's go," Chu Zeshen said.

Gu Bai did not ask about Xie Wen and the others. They were all adults; staying out all night was perfectly normal.

Before getting into the car, Gu Bai finally switched off the collar around Mocha's neck, which had been flashing so brightly it hurt his eyes, then tossed it aside.

Having spent the whole afternoon apart, Gu Bai and Mocha got into the back seat together.

The moment Chu Zeshen saw this arrangement, he knew Gu Bai was going to scold the dog and tactfully kept quiet.

He had expected Gu Bai to start scolding Mocha on the way home, but even after they had been in the car for a while, not a sound came from the back seat.

Chu Zeshen glanced in the rearview mirror and found Gu Bai with his eyes closed, pinching Mocha's ear. Mocha looked aggrieved, but could not bear to pull free and wake Gu Bai.

Gu Bai was a little tired, but not so tired that he would fall asleep the moment he got into the car. He simply could not be bothered to scold the dog. Giving him a stern look was enough; there was no need to keep at it.

It was just that the back seat was spacious, and he was comfortable.

When they returned to the villa, Mocha shot out of the car the instant Gu Bai opened the door, then went over to Chu Zeshen.

Chu Zeshen bent down and rubbed Mocha's head, offering him some comfort.

Gu Bai got out with a bag, and Mocha came over curiously to sniff it.

Chu Zeshen closed the door for Gu Bai. "Xie Wen and the others haven't had their fill of fun yet. They'll be back in a while."

Gu Bai murmured an acknowledgment and went inside with Mocha.

After spending the whole day outside, Mocha needed his paws wiped and his coat cleaned with special no-rinse grooming gloves when he got home.

Gu Bai was responsible for wiping his paws at the entrance, while Chu Zeshen took him to the bathroom to wipe down his body.

Neither of them knew when their division of labor had become so clearly defined. It was just like at home, where Chu Zeshen took Mocha out for exercise and Gu Bai fed him afterward. Everything was harmonious.

Mocha was very well-behaved today, and his whole body was wiped clean in under five minutes.