Shang Zhitao always followed through on her word.

During the last week before the New Year, colleagues were either on vacation or had gone home, leaving few people in the office. The efficiency improvement project model that Shang Zhitao was working on had passed testing and approval, scheduled to officially launch after the New Year.

Suddenly, with nothing to do, she had a rare opportunity to browse other websites at her workstation. Lu Mi returned with water and saw her looking at dogs online.

“You like dogs?”

“Yes. I want to get one.” Shang Zhitao nodded. She had read online that dogs are affectionate and like to lie by your feet. She imagined how it would feel when it was snowing or raining, or when she was simply alone and bored, to have such a cute companion by her side—it would surely feel wonderful.

“I happen to have a friend who runs a dog breeding place in Tongzhou. Want me to take you there to pick one?”

“Huh? Now?”

Shang Zhitao truly admired how her mentor seemed to know everyone—it was as if there wasn’t anything in the entire city of Beijing that she couldn’t handle or any person she couldn’t connect with.

“Of course now.” Lu Mi put on her coat. “These few days of playing hooky are the perfect opportunity—why wait?”

Shang Zhitao also got dressed and saw Kitty stand up from her workstation. Today she was wearing a black short dress with over-the-knee boots, and surprisingly smiled at them: “Where are you going to see dogs?”

Lu Mi wanted to say “none of your business,” but Shang Zhitao spoke first: “To Tongzhou.” She nipped their potential quarrel in the bud.

As they were putting on their coats to leave, Kitty followed them out.

The three of them stood silently in the elevator when Shang Zhitao’s phone rang. She answered: “Hello, Manager Wang.”

It was a supplier that had been added to their database this year; Shang Zhitao had used them for her event in Suzhou.

“I’m at the office,” Shang Zhitao said with a smile.

“You’re outside our company building?”

“Sure, I’ll come down right away.”

Shang Zhitao hung up and told Lu Mi: “Old Wang is here, says he was passing by and wanted to visit.”

When they exited the elevator, they saw Manager Wang sitting on the first floor with two red New Year gift boxes beside him. Kitty entered the café through the back door, glanced at the gift boxes, then looked at Shang Zhitao before going inside.

“It’s the New Year, and our company has prepared spring couplets for clients. We also prepared some for you two.”

“No, we can’t accept them. Gifts are small matters, but work is important,” Lu Mi directly refused. “Manager Wang, there’s no need for such formalities. We can have a meal together sometime, but please take the gift boxes back.”

“Yes,” Shang Zhitao nodded beside her and said to Manager Wang, “There’s no need to be so polite.”

The three chatted casually for a few moments before saying goodbye.

Lu Mi took Shang Zhitao to the underground parking garage to get her car. Only after they got in did she say: “There will be more of these situations in the future. Trust me, don’t accept anything. Of course, you’re not that kind of person anyway.”

Shang Zhitao nodded: “I’m too cautious. I don’t want to be sent to prison at such a young age—my parents would have to take the high-speed rail to visit me. So exhausting!” She said it casually, but her sense of justice wouldn’t allow her to behave otherwise. If you take even a needle or thread from the people, how could you face them afterward?

“In our industry, these things happen all the time. People in marketing are always on the edge—today it’s a gift box, tomorrow it’s a silk scarf, the day after it’s a bag, and slowly, that’s how you’re ruined,” Lu Mi said while changing lanes. “Besides, I don’t lack that bit of money!”

When Lu Mi mentioned “a bag the day after,” she suddenly remembered the four untouched bags at home. Were those bags bought by Luan Nian or given by clients? The thought suddenly popped into her head, but she shook it away just as quickly. Luan Nian wasn’t that kind of person; he lacked nothing himself and had that air of pride about him.

Shang Zhitao couldn’t grasp how Luan Nian had developed the habit of casually giving bags. He gave gifts so lightly—”your gift is on the sofa, take it when you leave,” or “take the gift from the back seat when you get out of the car.”

It took up a lot of space. How much stuff did she even have? During the move, that bag alone had to occupy a separate box. People who didn’t know better might think she was trading in luxury brand packaging boxes!

Just as she was thinking about this, Lu Mi took a small box from the back seat and handed it to her: “It’s the New Year. This isn’t for you—it’s for your uncle and aunt.”

“Why are you giving gifts to my parents?” Shang Zhitao felt uncomfortable accepting it.

“Just take it! It’s not for you—they’re belts, one for each of them. To thank your uncle and aunt for the pickled vegetables they made. They were delicious. I hope you bring back more when you visit home this time.”

The last time Shang Zhitao went home, she had brought back pickled vegetables made by Da Zhai, filling half her suitcase with jars and bottles—quite a spectacular sight. She had brought two jars for Lu Mi, who fell in love with them and ended up eating all of them.

“If you like them, I’ll bring more, but why are you giving gifts…” Shang Zhitao felt a bit embarrassed.

“Is that any of your business? Take them, don’t make me angry.”

The two bantered to the dog kennel. The person at the kennel looked somewhat punk and greeted Lu Mi by slapping her shoulder: “You’re getting a dog?” They seemed very familiar.

“My sister is.” Lu Mi said to Shang Zhitao: “Tell him what kind of dog you want. He knows all the kennels around here. If he doesn’t have what you want, he can take us to other places to look.”

“I want a Samoyed or a Golden Retriever,” Shang Zhitao said seriously. She liked Samoyeds—they looked like snowballs—and Golden Retrievers were obedient and intelligent. Either would be fine with her.

“I happen to have a litter of Samoyed puppies that were just born—show-quality dogs with top-tier fur density, bone structure, and length. Want to see?”

“Sure.”

Shang Zhitao followed him in and saw a litter of little snowballs.

The man instructed her: “When buying a dog, it’s all about fate. Call to them—the one that comes to play with you first is the most clever and has a connection with you.”

Oh.

Shang Zhitao squatted there and called out. How should she call? “Woof!” She imitated a dog bark, making the kennel owner laugh heartily—he had never seen anyone call like that before: “You’re quite funny, miss.”

Lu Mi also laughed on the side: “She’s just like that—a bit silly.”

Sure enough, one of the puppies heard Shang Zhitao’s call and nestled by her feet. It was fluffy and opened its mouth to gently bite her finger, playing with her. Shang Zhitao’s heart melted. She picked up the puppy and placed it on her lap. The puppy seemed to like her, showing her its belly for rubs. Was this the connection the kennel owner mentioned?

Shang Zhitao couldn’t bear to put down the little snowball as she held it. Looking up, she asked the kennel owner: “How much is it?”

“No charge.”

“Huh?” Shang Zhitao had researched beforehand and knew that show-quality Samoyeds weren’t cheap—they could cost from several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan. What did he mean by no charge? Lu Mi, however, bent down and picked up the puppy by the scruff of its neck and started walking out: “If it’s free, don’t you want to leave quickly before the owner changes his mind?” The puppy was also obedient, allowing Lu Mi to carry it with its four paws stretched out, looking adorably silly.

“Just treat it well. When it’s bigger, bring it back to visit its parents. It’s already had its first shot; you’ll need to get the rest. Do you want to take the cage or just carry it?”

“I’ll carry it. But I should still give you some money. I saw online that show-quality dogs cost thousands or tens of thousands—I don’t feel right about this.”

“Are you crazy? What’s there to feel bad about? He’s my brother!” Lu Mi pushed Shang Zhitao toward the exit. “We’ll have a meal together sometime! Hurry up—don’t you need to buy a cage and dog food? Don’t you want to buy it some new clothes?”

The two got into the car with the puppy lying in Shang Zhitao’s arms. Lu Mi looked at the dog and then at Shang Zhitao, exclaiming: “Damn, Shang Zhitao, how is it that the dog you picked looks so much like you?”

“How are we alike?” Shang Zhitao held it up to her face, and they looked at each other eye to eye. The puppy gave a small “woof.”

“Look at that expression! That face!” Lu Mi laughed so hard her stomach hurt. “So silly and oblivious—exactly like you!”

Huh?

Am I silly?

Shang Zhitao held up the puppy and said to it: “Am I silly? Luke?” The puppy tilted its head. Yes, silly.

“What did you call it?” Lu Mi thought she had misheard and asked again.

“Luke,” Shang Zhitao seriously replied to Lu Mi. “It’s a good name, a satisfying name.”

Shang Zhitao had been wanting to raise a dog named Luke. Luke, come here! Luke, sit down! Luke, stop! Luke, good boy! How satisfying! She chuckled: “Calling it Luke sounds so powerful. In the future, when I’m upset at work, I’ll come home and discipline Luke. ‘Luke, what kind of work is this? If you can’t do it right, don’t do it at all. Luke, why did you pee inside? If you can’t behave, you’ll have to go! Luke, look at the other dogs, and now look at yourself.” Shang Zhitao imitated Luan Nian’s tone perfectly, and her expression was also spot-on—furrowed brows, cold face, looking completely deserving of a punch. Lu Mi was dying of laughter, hunched over the steering wheel for a long time: “When you put it that way, it is satisfying! I should go home and rename my lizard son ‘Lu An.'” Lu and An made Luan: “Lu An, you little bastard! Who are you glaring at, Lu An? Glare again and I’ll starve you!”

The two laughed together while Luke contemplated his new name in Shang Zhitao’s arms. After thinking about it for a while, he must have felt it was quite imposing because he suddenly stood up and gave an adorably fierce bark: “Woof!”

“Good Luke, give your sister another bark.”

With Luke, Shang Zhitao felt that this year had truly been perfect. She carried him into the house and said to Sun Yu and Sun Yuanzhu: “Come look at my little snowball.”

The three adults surrounded Luke, petting him adoringly. Luke was such an adorable little thing, so lovable. When you petted him, he would open his small mouth and pretend to bite you. After a while, he would lie on the ground, showing his belly, displaying all his tricks. Nothing like the human Luke—much more fun than him, Shang Zhitao thought.

She couldn’t bear to lock Luke in a cage, afraid he would feel sad. Sun Yuanzhu found leftover materials from when he assembled the bookshelf and cordoned off an area on the balcony. He also bought dog treats online, worried that Luke might be malnourished. Sun Yu, concerned that Luke might get cold, took apart a blanket and started sewing a dog bed for him, saying as she sewed: “Don’t you bite this, it’s not easy to sew it once.” Luke, perhaps sensing how treasured he was in this family, would nuzzle against one person’s leg, then scratch at another’s pants, always keeping busy.

Seeing how adorable Luke was, Sun Yu said to Shang Zhitao: “You know, Luke has a good temperament.”

Of course! Much better than Luan Nian.

That night, when Shang Zhitao was sleeping, she heard Luke whimpering and pacing restlessly on the floor with a pitter-patter sound. She turned on the bedside lamp and sat up. Luke immediately sat properly on the floor, but after a few seconds, he stood up again and placed his fluffy little front paws on the edge of the bed with a whine that descended in pitch, sounding somewhat dejected.

“Do you want to sleep with me?” Shang Zhitao asked him.

“Woof!” Luke barked, probably saying, “Yes! Sleep with you! Right now!”

Shang Zhitao picked him up and placed him on the bed: “But don’t wet the bed, okay? I know you can’t understand what I’m saying. You’re too small and can’t control your bladder yet!” Little Luke sat on the bed, tilting his small head, his round eyes looking at Shang Zhitao as if thinking. Then he barked again.

Maybe he was saying: I’ll try not to pee.

Shang Zhitao laughed, turned off the light, and in the darkness, little Luke found a spot next to her hand. His fluffy body pressed tightly against her arm, his head resting on her wrist, letting out a soft whimper. Shang Zhitao’s heart felt indescribably soft. A Luke that belonged only to her, a Luke that must sleep beside her at night. She placed her hand on his head and said softly: “Luke, you must be good. Don’t learn from the human Luke.”

With Luke, she felt that the space in her heart was finally filled, as if she no longer needed Luan Nian to fill it.

Luke was good in every way except that he was too young. In the early morning, he needed to go out to pee. If she didn’t take him out, he would whimper inside the house, so Shang Zhitao would bundle up in her down jacket, disheveled, to take him downstairs to pee. In the small garden downstairs with snow, Luke didn’t know how to lift his leg to pee yet. His hind legs would bend, and he would pee on the snow with a splashing sound. With his short legs, after peeing, the fur on his bottom would get wet. Shang Zhitao would have to use a warm towel to wipe his bottom when they got back upstairs.

Seeing her struggle, Sun Yu teased: “When the human Luke can help you take care of the dog Luke, your life will be complete.”

Shang Zhitao’s hand paused as she was wiping the dog’s bottom, then continued.

Having a dog meant she woke up earlier. Lacking sleep, she now had dark circles under her eyes.

On the second-to-last day before the New Year holiday, she ran into Luan Nian at the company. Remarkably, he asked her: “You’re here so early?”

“Ah…”

Luan Nian looked at her and asked: “Shall I pick you up tonight?”

“I can’t… I’m not available tonight…” Shang Zhitao said very seriously.

?

“I need to go home to walk my dog.”

“You got a dog?”

“Mm-hmm. If I don’t walk him, he’ll pee inside. And he needs to go downstairs to pee in the early morning…”

“What about your roommates?”

“My roommates are all on holiday and have gone home today.” Shang Zhitao waved her hand: “I can’t come to your place!”

The elevator opened, and she got in ahead of Luan Nian, thinking to herself how strange it was—with Luke, even her desire had diminished!