Chapter 64: Wishing Your Luke a Flourishing Growth...

? Has Shang Zhitao changed?

At the end of the workday, Luan Nian sent Shang Zhitao a message: “Come to my car to pick something up.”

“Oh.”

Shang Zhitao got into the car, but Luan Nian didn’t seem to have any intention of giving her anything. He drove directly to the building where she lived.

“Then thank you,” Shang Zhitao said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Luan Nian also got out of the car: “I’ll walk you.”

... Shang Zhitao couldn’t quite figure Luan Nian out. His moods were unpredictable—sometimes like wind, sometimes like rain, and sometimes like thunder. His emotions weren’t particularly stable.

When Shang Zhitao reached the entrance of the building, seeing that he didn’t leave, she asked him: “Would you like to come up for a while?”

“Sure.”

He wasn’t particularly interested in going, nor was he curious about other people’s living spaces. But he remembered how Shang Zhitao had stopped him downstairs last time, and today she had uncharacteristically refused to go back to his place. This made him want to see what kind of dog she had brought home. The hallway of her building was narrow, and the stairs uneven. If it were late at night, even a small stray cat darting out from the side could scare someone half to death.

Suddenly, he realized how many times Shang Zhitao must have climbed these stairs after working late into the night. She must have been frightened many times. Yet, she always smiled brightly, and no one could tell.

Shang Zhitao opened the door and went inside. Luan Nian stood at the entrance, glancing around her apartment, surprised to find it clean and tidy. Shang Zhitao felt a bit uneasy and pointed to the sofa: “Can you wait here for a moment? I’ll pack some things, and then we can leave.”

“Where to?”

“Aren’t we going to your place?” Shang Zhitao assumed she understood Luan Nian’s intentions—since he had condescended to come here, what else could it be for? Perhaps just to let his “bird” out for a stroll. But Shang Zhitao didn’t want to do those things here because this was her home with her good friends, and she didn’t want to bring that kind of activity into this space.

“... What about the dog?”

“Bring it along. If the dog doesn’t go, I won’t go.” Shang Zhitao was unusually bold today. It must have been Luke who gave her courage, prompting her to repeatedly challenge Luan Nian.

“Mm.” Luan Nian took off his coat and shoes, waiting for Shang Zhitao to bring him slippers. Shang Zhitao apologized awkwardly: “There’s only one pair of men’s slippers in the house—they belong to Sun Yuanzhu...”

“It’s fine.”

Luan Nian stepped onto the floor and sat on the sofa. He watched Shang Zhitao run to the balcony, open the small door, and a snowball-like creature tumbled out excitedly, circling around Shang Zhitao happily.

Shang Zhitao was delighted too, stamping her feet lightly on the ground: “Sister is back!” She bent down to pick him up: “Wait a moment, okay? I’ll pack some things, and then we’ll go stay in a big villa. How about we take a pee in the villa area? Isn’t that great?”

What nonsense!

In his mind, Luan Nian sneered and turned away, taking out his phone to reply to messages. He received many messages, which he dealt with in batches. As he was replying, he felt some warmth on his foot. Looking down, he saw Shang Zhitao’s dog sitting on his foot, sticking out its tongue and grinning at him.

Luan Nian called out: “Shang Zhitao!”

His voice was clearly displeased. He pulled his foot away and moved his leg onto the sofa. When Shang Zhitao came out and saw Luan Nian’s posture, and then glanced at Luke, she widened her eyes: “Are you afraid of dogs?”

“Get it away.”

“Why?”

Luke had become the star of the neighborhood just days after arriving. The elderly people who walked their dogs early in the morning adored him. Luan Nian was the first person who didn’t like him.

“Get it away.”

Luan Nian disliked dogs, especially those that looked soft and floppy. Why not get a Pitbull instead? What kind of thing was this dog Shang Zhitao had gotten? It looked just like her—stupid and clumsy. Now it had jumped onto her lap, its two ears drooping, its round eyes looking left and right, finally landing on Luan Nian. When the traffic light turned red, Luan Nian glanced at the dog, and the dog, seemingly offended by his coldness, barked at him.

“What did you call it?” Luan Nian asked Shang Zhitao.

“What?”

“What’s the name of your stupid dog?”

“Just... Dog...” Shang Zhitao smiled at him and patted Luke’s head. Luke hadn’t yet adapted to his name—it didn’t matter what he was called. He opened his mouth and bit his little ball, his small ears flapping as he played happily.

“You got a dog. What will you do when you go on a business trip?”

“My roommates can help me.”

Luan Nian glanced at her, noticing the happiness she radiated when talking about her roommates. He remained silent.

After getting out of the car, Shang Zhitao carried Luke toward the house. Luan Nian asked her: “Are you bringing it inside? Is the garage not enough for it to stay?”

“Then I’ll stay in the garage too. Or we can go back to the car, finish quickly, and I’ll hold... the dog and leave.” Her face was resolute, determined to stick together with her dog through thick and thin.

Luan Nian was amused by her defiance: “Keep it away from me!”

“It’s shy. It won’t approach you.”

Shang Zhitao really didn’t understand her own dog. Sure enough, when they entered the living room and put him down, he ran to Luan Nian’s leg, scratching it, and then lay down on his back. Luan Nian froze and asked Shang Zhitao: “It’s shy?” He glared at Luke and walked away.

Shang Zhitao hurried forward to pick up Luke and scolded him: “Can’t you read the situation? Can’t you tell if someone likes you or dislikes you? Why are you approaching someone who doesn’t like you?”

These words were infuriating. Luan Nian shot her a glance, but she acted as if she didn’t notice, continuing to lecture Luke: “Let me tell you, don’t be so enthusiastic anymore. If you push it too far, I’ll beat you.”

She patted Luke’s head and put him down to play. Luke, being in a new place, found it exciting. He wandered around, sniffed here and there, but soon became unsatisfied. He squatted down on his hind legs. Shang Zhitao’s voice trembled with urgency: “Luke!”

Too late. Luke had already marked his territory with a pee in Luan Nian’s living room, kicking his hind legs afterward. That shout of “Luke” froze both the people and the dog in the room.

Luke: Did you call me?

Luan Nian: Who is Luke?

Shang Zhitao: Why did I say that out loud?

An eerie silence settled over the room, as if an entire century had passed.

Luan Nian looked at Luke, then at Shang Zhitao: “What’s its name?”

Shang Zhitao wished she could bite her tongue off. She smiled awkwardly at Luan Nian: “It’s... just called Dog.”

“What did you just call it?” Luan Nian’s expression had turned grim.

Shang Zhitao lowered her head and muttered softly: “Luke.”

“You named your dog Luke?” Luan Nian asked her.

“I just thought the name sounded nice.” Shang Zhitao felt a cold breeze blowing over her head—it was probably the gates of heaven opening above her.

After a long while, however, there was no reaction. When she looked up, Luan Nian had already walked to the elevator. He was truly angry.

Even when he was harsh with Shang Zhitao, he had never disrespected her to this extent. Was it possible that he could also get a dog and name it Flora?

In the bedroom, Shang Zhitao followed him in as he undressed. Clearing her throat, she said: “Luan Nian.”

“Get out.” Luan Nian took off his clothes and went to change into a casual T-shirt. Hearing no movement to leave, he turned to look at Shang Zhitao: “What is it, Flora?” Calling her Flora meant he was truly angry.

Shang Zhitao walked up to him and, after a long pause, said: “I named it Luke because the name popped into my head when I was naming it. I thought it sounded nice. Only later did I realize why it sounded familiar—it’s similar to your English name. Maybe it’s because I’m always thinking about you, so I impulsively decided... Should I change its name? Alex sounds nice too, I think.”

...

Her explanation was somewhat heartfelt, but Luan Nian didn’t bother responding: “Call it whatever you want. It’s none of my business.”

Shang Zhitao pursed her lips behind him, her eyes curved into a smile. Wasn’t she smiling?

“So it’s called Luke, then?” Shang Zhitao pushed her luck further, turning to the dog beside her: “Luke, come here. Say hello to Uncle.”

“You’re calling me uncle?”

“You’re older...”

Shang Zhitao was truly bold today, acting recklessly in front of Luan Nian. Seeing his expression change, she secretly felt a bit pleased, thinking: Hmph, I’m not afraid of you.

Though she claimed she wasn’t afraid of him, when the lights were turned off and everything went pitch black, she still felt fear as his hot breath scorched her body. Every time before Luan Nian left on a long trip, he became scarier—more ferocious and more insatiable than usual. Sometimes, when Shang Zhitao was tired, he would say: “Did I make you move?”

The implication being: I’m not tired, so why are you?

Today, Shang Zhitao was truly grateful to Luke. Just as she was anxiously wondering how far things would go tonight, Luke suddenly barked from the side of the bed—he must have entered at some point. Luan Nian paused and, under the silvery moonlight, looked toward the bed. There sat the dim-witted dog, staring at them.

Damn.

Luan Nian sat up, exhaling deeply to release the pent-up frustration before saying to Shang Zhitao: “Get your dog out of my bedroom.”

“It sleeps with me at night.” Shang Zhitao spoke seriously, then got out of bed and took Luke to the guest room.

This time, it was Luan Nian who was left hanging, unable to sleep as he lay in bed. In the middle of the night, wanting something cold to drink, he went downstairs to the living room and opened the refrigerator. Hearing the door creak, he saw Shang Zhitao bundled in her down jacket, bringing Luke back. Seeing Luan Nian’s suspicious gaze, she explained: “I was afraid it would pee in your house again—it’s exhausting to clean up.”

Why did she get up in the freezing cold to take Luke out to pee? Luan Nian didn’t look at her, turning to drink water instead. The person behind him, carrying a chill, hugged him, pressing her face against his back. She said: “What else should I call it besides Luke? With Luke gone, there’s still Luke...”

She had never realized how profound love could be. Her heart was unmoored, jealous of his long trips with friends, unwilling for him to leave for a month or two. She felt pathetic—before he even left, she already missed him. Wanting him but unable to tell him, she could only utter such light, fleeting words. The rest was silent resistance and sharp edges.

Luan Nian, held by her like that, waited for a long time before turning around, cupping her face, and kissing her gently. Luke hummed beside them. Luan Nian paused his kiss and asked Shang Zhitao: “So, can your Luke stay alone in the guest room for a while? It feels like being spied on.”

“Okay.”

Finally, Luan Nian’s body, which had been left hanging, found its place. He wanted to empty himself completely, leaving her and slowly refilling himself later. Unable to control himself, his teeth landed on Shang Zhitao’s neck. She slightly resisted: “Don’t. I need to go home.”

Luan Nian ignored her. So what if she needed to go home? He pinned her down, not allowing her to move, his tongue tracing her neck, hearing her gasp involuntarily. He knew she liked it.

He liked it too.

Shang Zhitao retaliated, even more intensely than him.

“Would others care?” Shang Zhitao asked him.

“No one else.”

“Huh?”

“No one else.” For the first time, Luan Nian directly answered her question: “You probably have delusions, thinking I have casual partners all over the world, right? I’m not an animal.”

“So how do you handle things when you’re away for so long?” Shang Zhitao sat up and looked at him. The T-shirt draped over her belonged to Luan Nian—it was loose and baggy. Despite buying her loungewear, she insisted on wearing his clothes.

“Do you want me to demonstrate?”

“Sure.”

Luan Nian grabbed her hand and whispered: “Like this.”

Burning hot. Shang Zhitao swallowed hard, not daring to look into his eyes. Unsatisfied, Luan Nian told her: “Look at me. Focus.”

His lips pressed against hers, his tongue grazing her tongue: “Try harder, Shang Zhitao.”

Luan Nian was truly lethal.

Shang Zhitao, pushing herself to the limit, returned home with Luke in tow. Luke, not even two months old, experienced his first journey in life, covering over 2,000 kilometers round trip. It was truly an impressive feat for a young dog.

Old Shang and Da Zhai loved Luke dearly, especially Old Shang, who treated him like a grandson, lifting him onto his shoulder: “Oh, my little Luke! On New Year’s Day, I’ll take you to pay New Year’s greetings!”

“Do you know how to bow? If you learn to bow, we’ll ask for red envelopes, and I’ll buy you meat to eat!”

“Hey, Luke! Don’t eat that meat! It’s salty! Your snowy white fur can’t handle salt!”

“Where’s Luke? Where’s Luke? Grandpa’s taking you out to play!”

Shang Zhitao protested: “What grandpa?! Call me sister! If you call yourself grandpa, the generational hierarchy gets messed up!”

“What should I call you?”

Shang Zhitao didn’t know what to call him either. After struggling for a while, she finally said: “Call him uncle!”

It was still New Year’s Eve, and outside, firecrackers were popping loudly. Shang Zhitao said to Luke: “Another year has passed, Luke.”

In New York, Luan Nian was playing cards with a few close friends. A friend of Chen Kuannian noticed the two hickey marks on Luan Nian’s neck and teased: “Looks like it was pretty intense.”

Luan Nian glanced at him without saying anything.

A little while later, he received an email from Shang Zhitao—still just a short sentence: “Happy New Year. Wishing you all the best.”

“Happy New Year. Wishing your Luke a flourishing growth.”