There's a chat group for pets in my neighborhood.

The sense of unreality only lessened slightly when Qin Zhuyan knocked on Lu Fang's door.

He opened the security door in response, and the sight before him made him pause in surprise.

At this moment, Qin Zhuyan had completely shed the image of a capable female boss she had presented at the pet store during the day. She had changed into a light beige silk slip dress of excellent quality, and casually put on a soft light gray knitted cardigan over it.

Her hair was still wet at the ends, clearly indicating that she had just taken a shower and hadn't had time to dry it.

The early summer night was a bit muggy. Qin Zhuyan's cardigan was slightly open at the neckline, revealing a large expanse of fair and delicate skin and exquisite collarbone. Lu Fang only glanced at it before looking away as if he had been electrocuted, afraid that his eyes would be drawn in.

Her usually meticulously tied ponytail was now casually coiled behind her head with a shark clip, a few playful strands of hair hanging by her ears. Paired with her gentle, slightly brown eyes, and the fact that she was here to help Lu Fang move, like an angel descending to earth, she shone even brighter.

"What are you standing there for? Don't you recognize me?" Qin Zhuyan looked at Lu Fang, who was dumbfounded, and couldn't help but chuckle. She stretched out her hand and waved it in front of him.

"No...no, it's just that I'm used to seeing you in shirts and jeans, so seeing you in this outfit is a bit of a surprise."

"What? Doesn't it look good?" Qin Zhuyan bent down and moved a little closer.

Lu Fang blushed and quickly stepped aside to make way for him, saying, "It's beautiful, really beautiful."

Qin Zhuyan let him go for the time being, walked into the house, and looked around the small rented room.

Although the house was rather dilapidated, the floor was spotless, showing none of the slovenliness or odor often associated with single men living alone.

"Wow, you've cleaned this up really well. I thought it would be a mess," Qin Zhuyan teased.

"I'm used to living alone, and a messy place annoys me. I clean it every time I have a break. Otherwise, how could I be so efficient at work in the shop?" Lu Fang scratched his head and pushed over several packed cardboard boxes.

Qin Zhuyan was about to help move things when she suddenly caught a glimpse of Charlie huddled in the corner on an old blanket.

"Is this the puppy you told me you rescued?" Qin Zhuyan's eyes softened instantly.

She walked up to Charlie and slowly squatted down. As she moved, her knitted cardigan slipped down her rounded shoulders, revealing the delicate straps of her slip dress.

Qin Zhuyan seemed not to notice, and instead reached out and gently rubbed Charlie's head.

Seemingly sensing the kindness emanating from her, Charlie not only didn't flinch, but instead reached out and licked her palm.

It's itchy.

"It's badly injured, what a poor little thing." Qin Zhuyan carefully examined Charlie's distinctive long body and short legs, then looked up at Lu Fang with some surprise: "It looks like a purebred dachshund. Judging from its coat and frame, it shouldn't have been cheap. How did it get abandoned?"

"It seems to have gotten lost, but I don't know much else." Lu Fang hesitated for a moment before not directly mentioning the dog theft.

But then he realized that Charlie wasn't just any dog ​​you'd see on the street; this guy was clearly lost, and his owner must be frantic with worry.

Once Charlie is feeling better, we need to find a way to return it to its owner.

"Let's hurry up and not let the little guy suffer. Let's go to the new house." Qin Zhuyan stood up and quickly helped Lu Fang carry his light luggage.

Throughout the journey, Lu Fang received plenty of attention, mostly from envious, jealous, and hateful glances from other men.

Half an hour later, the two people and the dog returned to Qin Zhuyan's residence with bags and packages.

Although Lu Fang had brought the drunk Qin Zhuyan back once before, the situation was chaotic at the time, and he didn't have time to take a closer look before being summoned away by a message from Brother Li.

Now that I'm living here as a roommate, it feels completely different.

The house was decorated in a warm color scheme. Two pairs of soft, fluffy slippers were neatly placed in the entryway. On the coffee table in the living room was a vase of freshly cut peonies, still glistening with water droplets. A faint jasmine fragrance filled the air, exactly the same scent as Qin Zhuyan.

The whole house was filled with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, much more comfortable than Lu Fang's previous cold and impersonal house.

"I just cleaned up the second bedroom, and the sheets and duvet covers are all new. You can sleep in it right away."

Qin Zhuyan took two cans of iced cola from the refrigerator, handed one to Lu Fang, and the two sat side by side on the soft fabric sofa.

"Thank you, Sister Qin. I'm really sorry to have caused you so much trouble this time." Lu Fang pulled the tab on the can and handed it to Qin Zhuyan. He took the can back from her, opened it, and took a big gulp. He felt the cold carbonated drink flow down his throat, and the anger that had been stirred up by the landlady subsided considerably.

"Why are you being so polite with me?" Qin Zhuyan brushed a stray hair behind her ear, turned her head to look at him, and smiled faintly. "If it weren't for you, my shop would still be losing money. Just stay here and relax. We can talk about the rent and deposit after you've calmed down."

"By the way, consider it as me letting you move in because I agreed to your request this afternoon, and I've kept my promise."

"become!"

The two sat on the sofa, chatting casually about the store's future plans. Charlie lay comfortably in his new nest, looking up at the two chatting.

After chatting for a while, Lu Fang noticed the fatigue in Qin Zhuyan's eyes, so he took Charlie back to the second bedroom and told her to get some rest.

After closing the door, Lu Fang settled Charlie on the soft cushions that had been laid out. Charlie lowered his head and sniffed, seemingly quite satisfied with the clean smell of the room.

Lu Fang lay on the bed, took out his phone, and opened the pet chat group.

I've moved, and the orange cat will be coming to see Charlie again tomorrow. I need to let them know in the group chat beforehand, so the cat doesn't come for nothing.

"@Socialite Tanuki, Tanuki, tell the orange cat not to go to that place tomorrow. We've changed our base."

Brother Li, the Socialite: "Changed location? What's going on? What are you doing running around like that badly injured dog in the middle of the night?"

"Legs are 1.8 meters long: Yeah, why are you moving house so late at night instead of sleeping?"

"Don't even mention it. The orange cat has been running around a lot these past few days. The landlord found out that he had a dog in the house, and we were all kicked out. That old landlady is a pervert. She hates cats and dogs to an extreme degree, and she even used that as an excuse to steal my friend's deposit."

"So we had to move to another location overnight. I'll send you the address; the orange cat can come over tomorrow."

The moment the message was sent, the previously silent group chat exploded with activity.