Maybe it was the first time in my life seeing such a well-behaved and well-mannered dog, which is why I couldn't stop thinking about it while having breakfast at the restaurant.
But dogs, they're creatures that can bond with anyone, right? It's not like I'm the only one they need.
Suddenly, I felt the urge to see a dog. Maybe I should go to a dog café today and pet a dog.
"Zi, has anyone claimed the dog?" Liu Mei kicked my foot from across the table.
I was tearing into a fried dough stick, soaking it in soy milk, and hearing her question, I replied honestly, "When I took the dog to the front desk, no one claimed it."
Ouyang Jing said, "It's only been a little while,spreading the word takes time."
"It really is a bit special. If no one claims it, I wouldn't mind taking it," Liu Mei said, sounding a bit tempted. But then she sighed, "Too bad my husband's allergic to dog hair, really."
So, she could only "cloud raise" a dog, but at least she reminded me that if the dog really is wild, why not adopt it myself?
Turning a wild dog into a house dog, that wouldn't be too bad.
"Zi, do you want to adopt it?"
Ouyang Jing asked the key question, and both of them turned their attention to me.
Rationality and emotion were battling it out in my head as I stirred the soup in my bowl, watching the fried dough stick float and sink.
Emotionally, I wanted to adopt it, but then I thought of all the hassle—having a big dog would give me a sense of security, but it also came with responsibility and worry.
Baths, deworming, injections, dog food, care, toys, and walking the dog. It could also chew up the house and mess everywhere… And when I go to work, it would be home alone. Would it get lonely?
I was already thinking of all this, and I haven't even adopted the dog yet.
"Look at Zi's cold expression. Does that mean you don't want to adopt it? I was thinking, if you take it, I could visit your dorm and pet it," Liu Mei said, disappointed that she couldn't read any signs of me wanting to adopt it.
Yes, since I started working at the company at 22, I've been applying for the company's welfare apartment—no shared space, a total of 80 square meters. It's enough room for me and a big dog.
The apartment is in an old community, just two streets away from the company. The building is a bit aged and doesn't have an elevator, with six floors. I live on the third floor. Though the place is old, it's fully equipped, and the surrounding area is convenient for transportation. The company even subsidizes 200 yuan a year for the electricity bill.
I'm quite satisfied with my current living situation.
I imagined the situation of adopting the big dog. When standing, it's probably about 190 cm tall. Some of the furniture could be rearranged, and if I need to buy a large dog crate, it could fit in the guest room.
After thinking for a while, I cautiously said, "I'm not sure about adopting it yet. Maybe it has an owner."
"That's simple. After lunch, we'll check if anyone claims the dog before we head back to the city," Ouyang Jing suggested.
I agreed with Ouyang Jing's plan. I was still thinking about the dog. Although when I first realized it was a wild dog, I had shown a bit of disdain and fear.
After breakfast, I went to hang out in Liu Mei and Ouyang Jing's room,chatting or playing cards, and then we ended up playing games together.
They also encouraged me to check out the game room or pool room to see if I could find someone I clicked with.
Looking for a potential match? I might as well go back to the front desk and check on the dog.
Because I'm good with my hands, every time Ouyang Jing does her nails, she asks me to help. Watching me work, Liu Mei leaned over. "Zi, I want to use this gold one."
"Okay, but first clean off the old polish with a cotton pad."
I handed her the box, and Liu Mei obediently took a cotton pad to clean her nails. Ouyang Jing said my hands were so steady, and if I polished nails for a while, I could set up a stand and make a business out of it.
I listened to the words in my heart, this is also a money-generating craft, and occasionally I will browse the information of nail art, will look at materials such as sequin rhinestones.
The three people did so, and soon reached the point of lunch, because there was no tool in hand, just simply brushed the nail oil and nail oil, but Ouyang Jing and Liumei were already very satisfied.
At noon to the restaurant to eat, a round table sitting ten people, we three sit together, just heard a colleague said the front desk dog.
With my hair tucked behind my ear and between my mirror legs, I ate a couple of bites and asked, "Is the reception dog still there?"
"Yes, but also lie on the carpet to sleep, much happier than us workers."
Hearing my colleague's reply, I was faintly relieved. "Mei Mei, Xiao Jing, I'm finished. I'm going to check on the dog."
"Looks like you really do want to adopt it," Liu Mei said with a teasing smile, waving me off to go ahead.
I quickly walked toward the front desk. From a distance, I could already see the Czech wolfdog lying on the carpet, peacefully sleeping.
The winter sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, gently caressing its fur, soft and beautiful.
It seemed to sense my approach. Its tail gave a little wag, and its head slowly turned toward me. The ears perked up, becoming pointed like little airplane wings. Then, it flashed a smile, or at least that's what it seemed like to me.
Yeah, my heart was completely melted.
All rational thoughts flew out the window. I wanted it to be a stray, and from now on, I would be its owner.
"Miss Yuan, we still haven't found its owner. It may have been abandoned, but it doesn't seem like a wild dog," the manager said as soon as he noticed me walking toward him.
He explained that they suspected the dog had been abandoned because of how well it followed commands. Unlike wild dogs, which are usually clueless and afraid of humans, this one responded quickly to instructions and wasn't afraid of people.
I walked up to the front desk. The dog lazily got up from the carpet, but instead of approaching me, it stood next to the manager's legs.
Had the manager fed it some fancy dog food, making it disdain me?
I adjusted my glasses, which had slid down my nose, and casually said, "Such an expensive Czech wolfdog, and yet someone abandoned it?"
"Who knows what the owner was thinking... Probably someone wealthy," the manager replied with a shrug.
"Since no one wants it, I'll adopt it."
"Ah..." The manager blinked in surprise.
"What's wrong?"
"I was just about to say, if no one wants it, I would take it home," the manager said, exchanging a glance with me. He seemed a bit embarrassed, explaining that his son loved dogs, and adopting such a handsome, well-behaved dog would be great.
But in this situation, I wasn't ready to back down so easily. "Manager, I really want to adopt it. I was the one who found it first."
The manager looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "That's true, but let's see which one it prefers, shall we?"
Given that the boss already had dogs at home, and the manager clearly interacted with dogs regularly, he said this with a lot of confidence.
Inside, I clicked my tongue. The situation wasn't in my favor. The dog didn't seem particularly attached to me, and I was probably just reading too much into it.
With the dog as the center, the manager and I stood about three meters apart, each trying to see who could call it over first.
Although I didn't have much hope, I still wanted to try. When I first realized it was a stray dog, I instinctively pulled back, and the dog seemed to sense it.
Could it really be that sensitive?
"Come here, Laifu~ I'll give you some canned food~"
Before I could even make a move, the manager was already squatting down, calling the dog in a friendly tone. Incredible, in just one morning, he'd already given it a name.
It made me feel like a fool for spending an entire night with it.
The big grey dog sat down on the ground, its face turned towards the manager. As it stood up and began to move towards him, I immediately raised my voice and said,
"Come with me, I'll give you a home."
I didn't call it with the usual "come here" or soft coaxing words, but with a firm and commanding tone.
The dog hesitated for a moment, then looked back at me.
At that moment, the manager sensed the situation and quickly called out, "Come here, Laifu!" and waved some jerky at it.
But I didn't waver. I crouched down with hope, extending my hands toward the dog, my eyes as determined as a bride making vows at her wedding.
The warm, furry giant walked into my arms, and it gently licked my nose.
At that moment, I knew—I had a dog.