Chapter 5: The Dog

As daylight broke, Selene set five different alarms for herself before settling down to catch up on some sleep.

Actually, Selene had already forced herself to sleep during the night, but she woke up to a surprising realization—

Her cat body and her human body were entirely separate entities. This meant that if her human body ate, her cat body would still be hungry; likewise, even if her cat body slept, her human body would still be tired.

It was as if her time was split in two, with two bodies taking turns to appear at different times, coexisting in harmony.

Though this bizarre phenomenon was truly unbelievable, Selene gradually adapted to this way of life, thanks to the powerful adaptability of humans.

At 11:30 AM, Selene woke up to the blaring sound of her alarms.

Struggling to turn them off, she rubbed her eyes and headed to the bathroom.

After a quick wash, she got dressed, grabbed a piece of bread with her mouth, and left the house.

Selene adeptly scanned her transit pass and boarded the subway.

**[I'm on my way. I should arrive before one.]**

Two minutes later.

**[Alright, here's the location.]**

**[Xue Rong Elegant Gardens, Building B, Unit 1, 1902]**

—

Selene got off the subway, exited through Gate 2, and arrived at her destination after a two-minute walk.

"Indeed, the transportation is very convenient."

Selene looked up at the golden plaque at the entrance of the community, feeling like she could smell money in the air.

The landlord must have informed the security at the gate because Selene only had to register briefly before being allowed into the community.

The property management of this high-end community was strict. To use the elevator, she needed an elevator card—completely different from the old community without elevators.

Though it seemed troublesome, Selene thought that if she lived here, it would give her a sense of security.

She became even more satisfied with the apartment.

Selene was about to ask the staff at the front desk for help with the elevator card when her phone rang.

It was a local number she didn't recognize.

Selene answered, "Hello?"

"Is this Selene?"

A youthful voice full of energy came through the phone.

Selene was a bit puzzled, "Yes, who is this?"

"I'm Mason! We chatted on the rental app!"

"Oh." Selene realized.

"Where are you now?"

"I'm at the entrance of the building. I need an elevator card to go upstairs."

"You're early! You said you'd arrive before one, and it's only twelve forty. I'll come down to get you right away!"

The other person was clearly in a hurry and hung up quickly.

In no time, Mason appeared at the elevator entrance.

He stepped out of the elevator, looked around, and quickly spotted Selene, even though she hadn't described her appearance.

Wearing a floral blouse and light blue jeans, with her black hair casually pinned up with a shark clip, she looked refreshingly natural and approachable.

She stood by, carefully examining the potted plants in the lobby.

"Selene!" Mason waved and greeted her first.

Selene turned and walked toward Mason.

Looking at the boy who was a good half a head taller than herself, she marveled, "High school students these days are really well-developed. You must be at least six feet tall?"

"No, just five-foot-nine." Mason scratched his head shyly, "My cousin is much taller."

Selene recalled Mason's cousin's WeChat profile picture, smiled lightly, and said, "No worries, you're still young. You've got plenty of growing to do."

"Haha—yeah, I think so too. Let's go; I'll take you upstairs. My cousin..."

"Cough, my cousin isn't home today. I'll show you around the apartment, but don't worry, he's prepared everything."

Selene didn't mind and glanced at the elevator buttons, "No problem. He told me yesterday."

The elevator ascended smoothly and quickly.

In less than a minute, they reached the nineteenth floor.

As soon as Selene stepped out of the elevator, she noticed a dazzling golden retriever.

She turned her head and saw the dog sitting on the doormat in front of the door on the right.

Although the dog was large, it looked very gentle, with fluffy ears hanging on either side of its head, and a pair of dark, round eyes like black grapes silently watching her, its furry tail wagging slightly in a welcoming manner.

Unlike some overly excited dogs, this one was evidently well-mannered.

Selene turned to Mason with delight, "Is this the neighbor's dog?"

Her favorite breed was the golden retriever! And this one was incredibly handsome, like her dream dog!

Mason glanced at the dog, then awkwardly looked away, "Uh... yeah, this is my cousin's dog."

"Your cousin?" Selene picked up on the keyword.

Mason blinked a few times, "Didn't I mention it? Your neighbor is my cousin, Rowan."

Such an elegant name.

A night-blooming cereus profile picture, a preference for tranquility, meticulous and considerate behavior, a refined speaking style, and even a dog that was so polite and well-behaved.

An image of a kind old gentleman instantly appeared in Selene's mind.

"Excuse me for asking," Selene said after a few seconds of silence, "but how old is your cousin?"

"..."

After a moment of awkward silence, Mason burst out laughing.

After laughing for a while, Mason caught his breath and said, "Selene, do you also think my cousin doesn't seem like a young person?"

How could he?

"He's only twenty-six." Mason glanced at the golden retriever, trying not to laugh.

Selene awkwardly tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded slightly, "...I see, I misunderstood."

"Don't blame yourself. He's just a strange guy."

Before Mason could finish, the golden retriever stood up, walked over to Mason, and stood on its hind legs, tapping Mason with its paw.

"Got it, got it. Selene, wait here a moment. I'll go get the keys and the contract."

Mason hurried into the apartment, leaving Selene alone with the dog.

Selene looked back at the fluffy golden retriever.

Its golden fur was soft and fluffy, like a giant stuffed toy, making it very touchable.

Would it be rude to pet it the first time they met?

But dogs are generally friendly; they probably wouldn't mind, right?

Selene's fingers itched, so she took two small steps forward and squatted down.

Squatting put her at eye level with the golden retriever.

Up close, its dark eyes were even more beautiful than she had seen before, clear and bright like flawless obsidian, pure and untainted.

Selene smiled brightly, "Hi, I'm Selene."

"You look so handsome. Can I pet your head?"

She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she felt like she saw a hint of amusement in the dog's eyes.

Was she really that lonely, seeing beauty in a dog's eyes?

Just as Selene was about to shamelessly pet the dog, Mason hurried back out.

"Bro! Where did you put the lease agreement?"

Selene, feeling like she was caught red-handed, immediately stood up.

But when she turned around, she found no one there.

"Wasn't your cousin supposed to be out?"

Mason froze, "...Oh, I forgot."

Selene then remembered she hadn't asked the dog's name, so she pointed at the golden retriever, "By the way, what's its name?"

Mason looked at the dog and hesitated.

...That was indeed a problem.

Mason quickly thought of a name and shouted, "It's called Brother!"

Selene was confused, "Brother?"

Mason maintained a straight face, "Brother, like the bird."

"Right, Brother~" Mason looked at the dog, a look of "praise me" on his face.

The golden retriever, Rowan: ...

---

Selene looked at the golden retriever with a complicated expression, "That's a... unique name."

"Anyway, I'll call my cousin and ask where he put the documents." Mason said, signaling to the dog with his eyes.

"Also, the dog hasn't eaten yet. I'll take him back inside."

Selene nodded, "Sure, I'll wait out here."

After a while, Mason returned, holding a set of keys and some papers.

"Let's go; it's the apartment across the hall. My cousin had a cleaning service come this morning. You can tell me if anything needs to be added."

"Alright."

Selene followed Mason into the apartment and was pleasantly surprised.

The apartment was more spacious and brighter than she had imagined. It had great natural light, with sunlight streaming through the windows, making the floor tiles shimmer beautifully.

Although it was a bit empty, once she moved in and added some furniture and decorations, it would look even better.

"Here are some design sketches my cousin made. He plans to redecorate according to these. See if you like them."

"Ah?"

Selene was surprised. She took the drawings and saw that the first one depicted the current living room but looked much nicer than the real one.

Most of the furniture remained unchanged but was rearranged. He had incorporated all the requirements she mentioned yesterday and even considered things she hadn't thought of. One corner of the living room was marked to reserve space for a cat tree.

The attention to detail was impressive.

She hadn't expected the thoughtful landlord to do so much in just one night.

Touched, Selene was also curious, "Is your cousin an interior designer?"

Mason shook his head, "He's a CG concept artist."

Sensing Selene's confusion, Mason elaborated, "It's hard to explain, but he designs and illustrates characters and scenes for games and animations. Basically, he makes a living by drawing."

Selene nodded, half understanding, "No wonder his design sketches look so good."

"Yeah, if everything looks good to you, there are two copies of the lease agreement he signed in advance. Once you sign them, it's official. Redecorating shouldn't take long, probably two or three days."

Selene smiled as she reviewed the design sketches, then looked up, "Everything looks great. I love it. Aside from the appliances, I can cover the cost of the additional renovations."

"There's no need for that. My cousin won't charge you. Selene, you moving in is already a huge help!"

Selene looked up, puzzled, "...How is it a big help?"

Mason regretted his quick tongue.

Awkwardly, he explained, "Mainly because my cousin has a dog. He's been busy with work and can't take care of the dog during the day. You moving in would really help."

"Oh~ I see."

Selene understood. No wonder the tenant needed to be a dog lover.

Got it. She could definitely help out.

Selene picked up a pen and signed her name on both copies of the lease agreement after confirming the terms were in order.

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