Playing with the Dog

As night fell, the temperature in the mountains dropped sharply. Wenjay had roughly figured out the layout of this "marital home." The first floor consisted of a living room, dining room, kitchen, and laundry room. The second floor had his large guest room, two smaller rooms, and a tiny sitting room. The third floor was Mingyoo's office, its oak door at the end of the stairs locked tight, hiding who knows how many "secrets."

Wenjay knew very little about Mingyoo. Yahlin, always full of unique ideas, had nothing to say when Wenjay asked her about Mingyoo's details. The single mother suggested that for their interaction to be "natural, harmonious, and interesting," Wenjay should discover everything he wanted to know on his own.

So far, Wenjay only knew that Mingyoo was 34 years old, a decade older than himself, and worked for a mysterious non-profit organization. Currently, he was staying at Maplewood Farm to handle some business.

As a wealthy man, Mingyoo owned many properties. Maplewood Farm was just one of the estates passed down from his ancestors. In addition, he owned a well-known horse farm at the foot of the mountain and had inherited some valuable bonds and stocks from his family. In short, he was a bona fide rich man. Even if he did nothing but lounge on the sofa, his weekly income would be enough for Wenjay to work hard for a whole year.

As for Mingyoo's appearance, character, conduct, and past relationships, Wenjay had no idea. According to Yahlin, he would have to discover these things himself.

After familiarizing himself with his living environment, Wenjay went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. The pantry was well-stocked with expensive organic food, indicating that Mingyoo was a man of taste.

While Wenjay was checking the ingredients, Patton, the dog, ran in, tugging at his pants leg and pulling him in front of the refrigerator. A note was stuck on the fridge under a magnet that read: "Feed the dog."

It seemed Mingyoo really loved this dog. Not only did he mention it in the letter, but he also left a note in the kitchen to remind Wenjay.

Seeing Wenjay standing there, Patton stood on his hind legs and tapped the note, indicating that he should pay attention.

"You're quite the communicator, aren't you?" Wenjay couldn't help but laugh. He took a chicken from the fridge, cut two-thirds of it to make dog food, and stir-fried the rest with some fried rice for dinner.

By the time he finished cooking, it was almost eight o'clock, and Mingyoo still hadn't returned. Wenjay left half of the food in a container in the fridge and sat at the dining table to eat the rest. As he ate, he said to Patton, who was gnawing on his dog food across the table, "Your master is really busy, not coming home this late."

Patton licked his mouth and actually nodded.

It seemed Mingyoo was indeed a busy man. No wonder the dog was so excited to see someone around.

After dinner, Wenjay washed the dishes, took out the trash, and when he came back, Patton tugged at his pants leg again, pulling him in front of the fridge. There was another line on the note: "Walk the dog."

Had Mingyoo come back?

He hadn't heard a car come in!

Wenjay ran out to check the windows on the third floor- they were dark. He called out, "Mr. Jow," but no one answered. Clearly, there was no one upstairs.

What the hell? Wenjay was dumbfounded for a few seconds before he asked Patton sincerely, "This wasn't written by you, was it? There's no one here, is there? You're Mingyoo Jow, aren't you?"

Patton just stared at him.

"Can you transform? Do you need the moon to come out?"

Patton gave him a blank look for a few seconds before rushing over to hug his leg.

"What the f**k..."

Despite his complaints, Wenjay knew he had to do what his "fiancé" had asked. He put on a thick jacket, attached a leash to Patton, and headed out the door.

The moon was full, casting a hazy light over the deep forest. Wenjay walked the dog along the path. At first, he was leading the dog, but soon the dog was leading him. An Alaskan Malamute in heat was like a four-wheel drive seeding machine, powerful and passionate. It wanted to rub against every tree and rock it saw, even a wild rabbit... Wenjay felt like he had run half a mountain with it, and he joked that even the local wildlife would be worn out by tomorrow!

"Enough!" Wenjay finally managed to stop Patton by a small stream. He tied the dog to a tree and sat on a large rock by the stream to catch his breath.

He should suggest to Mingyoo that the dog be neutered. It wasn't good for the dog, and it certainly wasn't good for people!

Suddenly, a cool breeze blew from behind. Wenjay turned around and saw a shadow flash to his right.

"Who's there?"

The wind rustled the tree branches, casting shifting shadows, but no one answered.

Wenjay, naturally brave and with a few years of martial arts training under his belt, took a few steps towards the shadow and raised his voice, "Who's there? Come out!"

A figure stood under a tree about five meters away. The figure was tall and sturdy, but Wenjay couldn't see his face in the dark, only two eyes reflecting cold light.

"What are you doing? Why are you following me?" Wenjay picked up a stick from the ground, holding it in both hands as he slowly moved forward. "Come out, or I'll attack!"

The figure seemed to be scared by his threat, took a couple of steps back, turned, and ran, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Could it be a wild man? Wenjay chased after him for a few steps before giving up, laughing at his own ridiculous guess. Although this was a mountainous area, it was close to a big city, and not far ahead was a village called Chicken Frame Village. There wouldn't be any wild men here.

Discarding the stick, Wenjay led Patton back home. Halfway there, he heard the sound of a car on the provincial road. He looked over the cliff and saw a blue-green off-road vehicle speeding towards Chicken Frame Village, leaving two bright headlights in the dark night.

After an hour of walking the dog and five minutes of wrestling with the leash, Wenjay returned to Maplewood Farm feeling like his arms were about to fall off. After some thought, he added a line to the note on the fridge: "Neuter the dog."

Then he pulled Patton over, "What do you think?"

Patton happily circled him, stood up, and tapped the note on the fridge.

"So you're not Mingyoo Jow." Wenjay shook his head in disappointment, added a line to the note saying, "Midnight snack is in the fridge, help yourself," and then went back to his room to sleep.

After an indeterminate amount of time, a faint noise broke the silence of the night. Wenjay stirred, vaguely hearing the sound of a car pulling in. After a moment, the sound of uneven footsteps echoed from the living room, as if someone was using a cane.

Had Mingyoo returned? Was he having trouble with his legs? Out of universal concern for the disabled, Wenjay considered getting up to see if he needed help, but he felt as if he was under some strange spell, unable to fully wake up.

The sound of a dog's claws scratching the floor echoed from downstairs - Patton had woken up. Wenjay heard the dog's whining and a man's deep chiding voice. Finally, there seemed to be a heavy object falling, making a dull thud.

He didn't fall, did he? Wenjay was a bit worried, but the feeling of being trapped in a nightmare intensified. He couldn't even lift his eyelids. After struggling for a few seconds, he fell back into a deep sleep.

When Wenjay woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky. The morning breeze blew the curtains on the terrace, making the pure white gauze look as if it was gilded in the sunlight.

Wenjay sat up groggily, just as the door to his room was suddenly pushed open. A giant furball leaped into his arms.

"Shit! Patton, get off me!"

The Alaskan Malamute was as enthusiastic as ever, knocking him over and licking him all over first thing in the morning. Wenjay finally managed to push him away, washed up, and went downstairs. His first stop was the fridge to check the note.

"Agreed."

Wenjay sighed in relief. So, after last night's "battle," had Mingyoo finally had enough of his overly enthusiastic dog?

When Patton once again nudged his leg, Wenjay, feeling a sense of empathy for the dog who was about to lose his reproductive abilities, didn't resist. 'Go ahead, nudge all you want. After today, you won't have this hobby anymore.

The garage was empty; Mingyoo had already left. It was already half past ten in the morning, so Wenjay decided to combine breakfast and lunch. He cooked himself a big bowl of meat sauce pasta and took it out to the yard to eat.

The garden was fresh with flowers and trees, and a gentle mountain breeze blew. Squirrels ran across the treetops, not afraid of people at all. Patton, having no breakfast because of his upcoming surgery, had somehow found a dark green plaid slipper and was diligently burying it under a cassia tree, even marking the spot with a puddle of pee.

Country life had its own charm, and Wenjay was in high spirits.

After eating, Wenjay drove Patton to the only pet hospital in Maplewood Town for the neutering surgery. However, when they arrived, they found that the hospital was closed. A note on the door from the head of the hospital read: "Family emergency, closed for two weeks."

Two weeks? You've got to be kidding!

A male dog in heat was as formidable as a Navy SEAL. Wenjay feared that in two weeks, all his pants would be worn out by Patton!

After hesitating for five minutes at the hospital door, Wenjay decided to perform the neutering surgery himself. When he was in kindergarten, he had worked in a pet hospital for over a year. Occasionally, when the hospital was short-staffed, the doctor would ask him to assist with surgeries. Once, when he visited a classmate's house in the countryside, he even helped his classmate's father neuter the sheepdog on their farm.

An Alaskan Malamute should be similar to a sheepdog, right? They both have the same... equipment!

Wenjay looked up the necessary supplies for the surgery online, bought everything he needed from the supermarket and pharmacy, and then returned to Maplewood Farm with Patton.

"Well, don't be nervous." Wenjay coaxed Patton into the laundry room, trying to secure his limbs to the table with restraints. Unable to find suitable ones at the supermarket or pharmacy, he resorted to buying handcuffs from a sex shop.

However, it turned out that the sex shop products were all for show. The thin faux leather couldn't restrain the strong Alaskan Malamute. Wenjay had just secured Patton's front paws when the dog seemed to see through his plan. Sensing what was about to happen, he broke free from the handcuffs and bolted into the yard.