Lan Lan found it both funny and exasperating. The little dog, after just one day back, was already acting spoiled. Its pathetic demeanor made it seem as though she and Liang Yufeng were a pair of ill-fated lovers torn apart.
Lan Lan, driven by a competitive spirit, refused to let go. Mai Xuanfeng then began to struggle more forcefully, whimpering and whining, sounding utterly pitiful.
Naturally, Liang Yufeng felt a pang of sympathy. He reminded Lan Lan, "Don't play with her like that. You might hurt her. Let her go quickly."
In that moment, Lan Lan felt like the "vicious female supporting character" in a TV drama, with Liang Yufeng as the male lead saving the heroine. And the heroine? That was this little creature squirming in her arms.
Lan Lan grew annoyed and thrust Mai Xuanfeng into his arms. "Here, take her. Look how much you care about her."
Liang Yufeng hadn't expected Lan Lan to feel so unbalanced because of a dog. Thus, he didn't dwell on her words. Once back in Liang Yufeng's embrace, Mai Xuanfeng became visibly happier. She was already sleepy and burrowed into his arm, falling asleep.
Liang Yufeng gently stroked Mai Xuanfeng's head, his eyes filled with a tenderness like a pool of spring water. It reminded Lan Lan of their early days of dating. Back then, she was studying for certifications and often felt drowsy from reviewing. On several occasions, when she opened her eyes, Liang Yufeng had looked at her just like this.
Strangely, as she recalled it seriously, she realized how clearly she remembered the various details of that relationship. It was probably because Liang Yufeng was the most special among all the men she had dated.
This "specialness" wasn't because she liked him immensely, but rather because he was truly the least ambitious among them. Despite dating many men, only Liang Yufeng was devoted to the idea of a wife, children, and a warm hearth. It was quite remarkable.
Afraid of waking Mai Xuanfeng, Liang Yufeng moved lightly and tiptoed to turn off the lights. He then slept with Mai Xuanfeng in his arms. With the "third wheel" present, Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng coexisted peacefully that night; nothing happened between them.
The next morning, Lan Lan opened her eyes to see Liang Yufeng sitting beside her, his upper body bare. The lines of his muscles were clearly visible, while his "wife," Mai Xuanfeng, was sliding down his abs like a waterslide, occasionally sticking out her tongue to lick him. Liang Yufeng looked utterly content, even smiling.
Lan Lan frowned in distaste. "What are you two doing so early in the morning?"
Liang Yufeng asked, "Did I wake you?" He was already accustomed to Lan Lan's morning grumpiness.
Seeing that he seemed oblivious to what was wrong, Lan Lan became even more annoyed. She got out of bed to wash up. She still had to go to work today and didn't want to be late because of this trivial matter.
Liang Yufeng lingered with Mai Xuanfeng on the bed for a moment before getting up. He went to the bathroom to wash up, with Mai Xuanfeng following closely behind. They were like conjoined twins. While brushing his teeth, Liang Yufeng couldn't bear to leave Mai Xuanfeng alone and had to squat down to stroke her head.
Lan Lan felt a pang of frustration seeing this. She quickly finished washing up and went out to do her makeup.
Liang Yufeng was also quick. After washing up, he went downstairs to prepare breakfast. Before that, he fed Mai Xuanfeng dog food and goat milk.
After breakfast, both of them were about to leave for work. Mai Xuanfeng ran over, clinging to Liang Yufeng's pant leg, refusing to let him go.
Lan Lan, changing her shoes, saw this scene and teased, "She can't bear to part with you. Does Mr. Liang want to take his darling to work?"
Liang Yufeng finally realized something was amiss. Lan Lan's tone sounded like she was jealous. Was she actually competing with a dog?
However, Liang Yufeng was not a father who indulged his furry child unconditionally. He was still very strict when necessary. He laid down the rules for Mai Xuanfeng, "I have to go to work now. You stay home obediently. I'll come back to play with you after work."
Mai Xuanfeng, of course, couldn't understand these words. She could only bark and look at him pitifully. Anyone who saw that gaze would surely soften.
Lan Lan expected Liang Yufeng to eventually compromise and take Mai Xuanfeng to work. To her surprise, he was quite principled and ultimately left her alone, creating a play area for her with a fence, filled with toys.
Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng walked out of the house together. She casually remarked, "I thought you'd take her to work, given how much you dote on her."
"Doting is one thing, but we can't let her have her way in everything," Liang Yufeng seemed to have a lot of experience in raising children.
Lan Lan smiled, quite satisfied. "Hmm, it seems you have some principles after all."
"Are you jealous of Mai Xuanfeng?" Liang Yufeng asked.
"Jealous of a dog? Am I that sick?" The moment Liang Yufeng asked, Lan Lan jumped up, vehemently refuting him. However, her attitude only made it more apparent that she cared.
Lan Lan reached her car, opened the door, and got in, speeding away. Liang Yufeng watched her car disappear from view and chuckled. He didn't need her answer; he already knew. It was likely she had been displeased when he brought Mai Xuanfeng into bed last night.
Liang Yufeng had done extensive research before getting Mai Xuanfeng. However, theory was just theory. Just like raising children, no matter how many books you read, you couldn't guarantee there wouldn't be unexpected situations in practice.
A two-month-old puppy was at the best age for training. Although Liang Yufeng doted on her, he didn't want to spoil her. Thus, he decided to send her to obedience school. He contacted Jiang Rong to arrange it, a two-month program where the owner also had to attend two classes per week.
The second week after Mai Xuanfeng returned, Liang Yufeng sent her to school. Therefore, on this Friday, when Lan Lan arrived at Liang Yufeng's villa, Mai Xuanfeng was nowhere to be seen.
As she changed her shoes at the entrance, the lively little creature didn't come to greet her, which felt rather unusual. Lan Lan looked around and noticed that her toys had also been put away. Since getting a dog, Liang Yufeng's home had never been this tidy.
"Where's your little darling?" Liang Yufeng happened to emerge from the kitchen, and Lan Lan asked him.
"I sent her to school during the week," Liang Yufeng told Lan Lan about the school.
Upon hearing that Liang Yufeng would still be accompanying Mai Xuanfeng to class tomorrow, Lan Lan couldn't help but smile. He was so dedicated to raising a puppy; if they had children in the future, he would surely put in even more effort. It was likely that child-rearing would be entirely his responsibility.
Thinking about it this way, having a child with him seemed like a good option.
Lan Lan didn't know why such a thought had crossed her mind, and in the next moment, she found it absurd. She felt as though Liang Yufeng had cast a spell on her lately. Not only was she jealous of him over trivial matters, but now she even had the thought of having a child with him.
She suspected she was about to get her period, and her maternal instincts were running wild.
This was the first time Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng had been alone together since getting Mai Xuanfeng. After dinner, they went to the bathroom.
With no "third wheel" present, they naturally wouldn't hold back.
Liang Yufeng had been holding back for a long time. He became very excited in the bathroom. When they came out, Lan Lan's legs were trembling, and she could barely stand. He dragged her, almost carrying her, to the floor-to-ceiling window.
She leaned against the railing, her face pressed against his arm, her scalp tingling with each of his movements.