âShi Jin,â she said, âthereâs something I have to tell you.â
âGo ahead.â
******
She confessed what had happened to Bomei and tried her best to make her words concise and comprehensive.
âI didnât take care of Bomei properly, and it lost a lot of fur. Iâm taking it to get its fur trimmed today and to get a change in style.â
After all, it was Shi Jinâs dog. Jiang Jiusheng didnât think she had the right to decide.
Shi Jin didnât hesitate. âYou can decide.â
Jiang Jiusheng was silent for a moment, then said tentatively, âI plan to give it a crew cut.â
Liu Xu had been very aggressive. Unless Jiang Jiusheng chose a crew cut, it was likely to make Bomei look bad.
Shi Jin gave a low laugh. âIt doesnât like getting its fur trimmed. You can bring some meat jerky and toys. Otherwise, thereâs no way it will sit still.â
His voice sounded huskier through the phone, and it was soothing to listen to as it met her ear.
Jiang Jiusheng stood before the balcony in Shi Jinâs apartment. It was a warm and pleasant autumn day. âGot it,â she said.
âCan you send me a photo when youâre done?â
âSure.â After a pause, Jiang Jiusheng said, âShi Jin?â
âHmm?â Shi Jin responded, then waited quietly for her to speak.
There was a long silence. Finally, Jiang Jiusheng lowered her voice and said, âAbout last nightâŚâ
She stopped halfway and did not continue.
Shi Jin seemed to have taken a few steps. She heard the sound of the wind, and the volume of his voice increased. âWhatâs the matter?â
Jiang Jiushengâs tone was casual as she said, âItâs nothing.â
Shi Jin seemed to contemplate this. He was silent for a while. He was still deep in thought when he said, âI wanted to call you last night, but you go to sleep at 10:00 p.m., so I didnât want to disturb you.â
Jiang Jiusheng was flabbergasted. âYou even know that I go to sleep at 10:00?â
âI know many things about you,â Shi Jin replied. His smile could practically be heard through the phone.
She smiled wordlessly and lifted her head. The sunlight outside was visually mesmerizing. The clouds looked beautiful as they floated by. She hung up only after exchanging a few more sentences. He said, âSee you when I get back,â but he waited for her to cut the call.
In the end, she didnât ask her question on her mind: Who was that woman from last night?
She had started to say it, but the remaining words had gotten stuck in her throat. She hadnât been able to bring herself to ask. Now that she thought about it, she didnât think she was in a position to care or to guess.
Shi Jin was a gentleman, and he had once said that he was single. She didnât know why, but she felt quite sure that he would never lie to her. If he did fabricate a lie, she suspected that someone like him could fool her for a lifetime. It was just that the previous nightâs call had made her feel like her heart had been stabbed with a knife. After the initial numbness, it had gradually started to throb with pain.
Jiang Jiusheng kneeled and smoothed the uneven fur on Bomeiâs head.
âBomei.â
The dog lifted its head.
Woof!
Jiang Jiusheng smiled at it. âI think I want more than just your fatherâs hands.â
Bomei answered while eating.
Woof!
Her smile faded. She couldnât believe she was actually talking to a dog.
I guess the impact from last nightâs call hit me quite hard. Iâm infatuated and head over heels in love⌠I think I might be doomed.
After remaining in a daze for almost half the day, she whipped out her phone and gave Mo Bing a call. The moment Mo Bing spoke, she asked, âMo Bing, what should I do to keep my fanboy by my side forever?â
How sudden⌠Since when did she start caring so much about fan management?
Mo Bing took 10 seconds to react before offering her professional suggestion. âMaintain a fixed distance and keep things fresh,â she said. âMake the fan continue to desire you.â
If that was the case, they could no longer speak on the phone so often.
Jiang Jiusheng was rather vexed. âWhat about interactions?â she asked. âWouldnât frequent interaction deepen the relationship?â