Ji Ran had worked all day. Apart from a slightly sore lower back from sitting too long, everything was fine. Zhao Pingchuan had already messaged him to say he would pick him up after work.
Ji Ran knew there was no point refusing, so he readily agreed. He wasn't working overtime today anyway, so he could go home early.
Zhao Pingchuan cooked dinner again. It was a plentiful meal, but noticeably lighter than usual.
Ji Ran liked spicy food, though he didn't need it at every meal. He took a bite and praised it as he always did. "Delicious!"
Zhao Pingchuan smiled. "As long as you like it."
After a while, he suddenly asked, "Ranran, would you like to have a pet?"
Ji Ran swallowed his food, his eyes widening slightly with curiosity. "Do you want one, ge?"
Zhao Pingchuan handed him his phone, which displayed a photo of a puppy. "I saw this puppy at the mall today," he said. "It's very cute."
Ji Ran took the phone and looked at the photo. It was a tiny white Shiba Inu, and according to the information beside it, the puppy was less than two months old. It looked into the camera with round, watery eyes full of innocence. It lay in its cage with both front paws stretched out, and even the way it blinked was adorable.
Ji Ran was overwhelmed by its cuteness. "Oh my god, it's so cute! It's so tiny."
Seeing that he liked it, Zhao Pingchuan's expression softened further. "Do you like it? We can buy it and bring it home."
Zhao Pingchuan rarely showed such intense affection for anything, and Ji Ran found it novel. "I do! If you want to keep it, ge, let's go buy it."
Zhao Pingchuan answered without hesitation. "Okay, I'll go tomorrow."
In fact, when he had chanced upon the little white Shiba Inu today, it had instantly caught his eye. The puppy's round, watery black eyes looked so much like a certain person's, and its expression was similar too-just as adorable. Zhao Pingchuan had stood in the pet shop for a long, long time, watching the puppy without looking away, while the puppy gazed curiously back at him.
He had heard a strong voice in his heart, saying, Bring it home.
Zhao Pingchuan really felt as though he had been bewitched.
The young saleswoman had noticed the handsome man long ago. None of the pets in the shop were cheap, and most people merely looked before leaving, but she could tell from his clothes that he had money. So she had come over enthusiastically to tell him about the puppy.
Zhao Pingchuan had listened attentively, but he had retained enough reason to know he needed to ask Ji Ran first. What if Ji Ran didn't like keeping pets?
He had taken the shop's contact information, planning to ask Ji Ran first and then reserve the puppy directly.
And sure enough, Ji Ran liked the puppy very much too.
So Zhao Pingchuan transferred the payment without a moment's hesitation.
Ji Ran leaned over to look at his chat history. "Ge, I didn't know you liked Shiba Inus."
Zhao Pingchuan ruffled his hair, his eyes full of laughter. "Not exactly. I just thought it looked a lot like you."
Ji Ran's eyes widened. "It looks like me?"
How did he look anything like a Shiba Inu?
Little did he know that, in Zhao Pingchuan's eyes, his expression at that moment was even more identical to the little Shiba Inu's. Ji Ran's soft hair was just as nice to stroke as the puppy's fur.
Extremely, extremely, extremely cute.
Ji Ran studied the photo for a long time but still couldn't see the resemblance. His eyes were rather round, but surely they were different from a Shiba Inu's little beady eyes? Still, he understood why Zhao Pingchuan was so taken with the puppy, and he felt quite pleased.
He asked, "Then tell me, do you like it more or me?"
Zhao Pingchuan smiled. How could the two compare? Still, he answered seriously, "You."
Only then was Ji Ran satisfied. "All right, then I'll allow you to like it second best."
Zhao Pingchuan was highly efficient. The next day, as soon as Ji Ran got home, he saw a little white ball of fluff in the living room. The puppy seemed a little shy around strangers and hid behind the sofa when someone came in, but it couldn't resist peeking out curiously.
At the sight of the puppy in person, Ji Ran silently mouthed, "Wow." Sure enough, the puppy was even cuter in motion than in the photo. He tiptoed closer and crouched down in front of it.
With the person crouching down, the little Shiba felt less threatened. It hesitated for a moment, then ran toward Ji Ran, sizing up this human too.
Ji Ran was delighted. He reached out and rubbed the puppy's head. Its clean white fur was warm and soft, and it felt so good that he couldn't stop. The little Shiba clearly enjoyed it too, lowering its head and letting Ji Ran pet it. Before long, the two were as familiar with each other as good friends.
Zhao Pingchuan watched them interact, a gentle smile in his eyes.
Ji Ran turned to him. "It's so soft, ge. Come and pet it."
So Zhao Pingchuan came over and crouched beside him, and the two of them stroked the little Shiba's fur together. The puppy thoroughly enjoyed the attention and rubbed its damp little nose against Zhao Pingchuan's hand.
Ji Ran poked one of its little ears, and the ear twitched. He laughed. "This is so much fun."
Although he had only agreed because he could tell Zhao Pingchuan wanted a dog, it wasn't until they actually brought the puppy home that he realized how lovable the little thing was.
He happily told the little Shiba Inu, "From now on, you're part of our family."
The puppy looked adorably at him, not knowing what he was saying. It didn't bark, remaining quiet and still.
Ji Ran said, "Shouldn't we give it a name?"
"Mm," Zhao Pingchuan said. "You choose."
Ji Ran thought about it, but felt that no name was worthy of such a cute dog. He was a little troubled.
Zhao Pingchuan smiled. "You don't have to think so hard. A simple name is fine."
Ji Ran sat down on the carpet and picked up the puppy. It was so small that he could hold it entirely in both hands. He thought there probably wasn't anyone in the world who wouldn't like it.
"How about Little White? It rolls off the tongue," he suggested.
"Sure." Zhao Pingchuan nodded. "It'll like it."
Ji Ran lowered his head and pressed his cheek against Little White's, a radiant smile on his face. "Then from now on, your name is Little White. Don't hate it, okay?"
Little White wouldn't hate it. He seemed to be quite fond of Ji Ran, his round black eyes bright with joy.
Zhao Pingchuan was firmly committed to giving Little White the very best. It was only his first day home, and they had already bought a pile of supplies for him, choosing the best of everything. In any case, with President Zhao's current means, Little White certainly wouldn't want for anything.
He really did think Little White was a lot like his Ranran. Every day, watching the two of them play in the room made his heart melt.
The puppy grew quickly. At two months old, he had been tiny, but by six months, he was already as tall as the sofa.
Every morning, Zhao Pingchuan took Little White out for a run and some exercise. After dinner, the two of them took him out for a walk together.
Because of Little White, the two changed their original plan and ultimately chose a home with a yard. It consisted of a ground floor and a basement, with enough room for Little White to romp around.
Seeing their two names side by side on the property deed, both of them were very happy.
Zhao Pingchuan said, "Ranran, let's go abroad and get a marriage certificate someday."
Ji Ran tilted his head to look at him. "Ge, is that a proposal?"
"Of course not." Zhao Pingchuan smiled and patted his head. "How could I propose so casually?"
Ji Ran put the property deed away and thought for a moment. "Sure. When we have time, let's take a trip abroad and get a marriage certificate while we're there."
He added, "Actually, a foreign marriage certificate doesn't prove anything. It would be nice to have one as a keepsake, but it's fine if we don't. We don't need it to hold our relationship together."
Zhao Pingchuan looked at him steadily, then nodded. "You're right."
All their friends accepted them and wished them well, and they would spend the rest of their lives together. That was something both of them were absolutely certain of.
A certificate in a foreign language really did seem insignificant in comparison.
Still, there had to be a proposal, Zhao Pingchuan thought to himself. Whatever others had, his Ranran couldn't go without.
He also needed to start planning for the rings. If they were custom-made, he would have to order them well in advance.
What about the wedding banquet? He could discuss that with Ranran after the proposal.
Ji Ran had no idea Zhao Pingchuan had already arranged everything that would come afterward in his head. At that moment, he was excitedly patrolling upstairs and downstairs in their new home, growing more satisfied the more he looked.
They could hire a designer to create a small garden in the yard and plant some flowers and greenery. They also needed to leave some space for Little White to play.
Some of the furniture could be moved over, while some would have to be bought new. The two of them could go shopping at the home furnishings market together over the weekend.
This was where they would live together from now on, and Ji Ran had his own ideas for every corner.