Chapter 24

editor/TLC: serefina

After walking Zhang Hang home, Lu Chengye lost his balance and fell to the ground. His nose was dry and it was difficult to breathe. Zhang Hang immediately knew that something was wrong with Big Black. He followed the sound and felt around Big Black’s neck until he touched his ears, which felt a little hot.

“Big Black, did you catch a cold in the rain?” Big Black’s body was soaked. Zhang Hang thought he must have gotten wet when bringing him home, and regretted not taking a taxi. Lu Chengye feebly licked Zhang Hang’s fingers with a hot tongue.

Ordinary people might not have felt Big Black’s change in temperature, but Zhang Hang’s sense of touch was very sharp. He found that Big Black’s tongue was much hotter than it was previously.

If you're reading this, this translation is stolen. Please support our translators at chrysanthemumgarden.com

“You have a fever!” He stumbled into the bathroom right away, found the big bath towel Lu Chengye commonly used, and completely wrapped the dog in it. After going back to find his only poncho, he carried the big dog on his back with the poncho covering him. One hand clutched Big Black, the other felt along the wall as he exited the condo.

Big Black must have gotten a fever because of the rain. He had to go to the pet hospital to get Big Black treated as soon as possible. However, it was very dangerous for Zhang Hang to walk with one hand holding Big Black and the other on the wall. He walked to the elevator according to his memory, keeping his feet close to the foot of the wall. Suddenly, he heard a low “woof” from the big dog on his back.

Zhang Hang decisively stopped, then reached in front of himself and touched the box, which was about 50cm tall, that his neighbor had placed near the elevator. The box was full of old books and was very heavy. If Zhang Hang had continued blindly stumbling along, he would have tripped over it. Thankfully, even though Big Black was feeling unwell, he still remembered his duty as a guide dog.

“Big Black, I’ll take you to the hospital as soon as I can, so please bear with it,” Zhang Hang said as he touched Big Black’s nose. The previously wet nose was now dry, and he could feel heavy breaths on his fingers.

Even though Zhang Hang carried the 80-pound Big Black on his back, his steps were steady. Since he was a child, he had liked to exercise. Although outdoor sports were not possible because he was blind, the amount of indoor exercise had not been reduced, so it was easy to carry Big Black. At last, he reached the elevator and went to push the button according to his memory. When he hovered over the down arrow, Big Black woofed again.

Ktf yjgx kjr kfjx jcv rwjii, ktlmt wjvf Itjcu Ljcu rjv tfjglcu la. Lf qgfrrfv atf yeaabc jcv rboais rjlv, “Dlu Dijmx lr gfjiis ubbv jcv ofjgifrr.”

Ktf bcis nlrlyif qjga bo Oe Jtfcusf kjr tlr tfjv, ktlmt gfrafv bc Itjcu Ljcu’r rtbeivfg. Llr wlcv kjr wevvifv jcv tlr nlrlbc kjr rilutais oehhs. Ciatbeut tlr rabwjmt kjr mtegclcu, tf aglfv cba ab nbwla, jr atja kbeiv pera wjxf Itjcu Ljcu kbggs wbgf. Coafg rtbklcu Itjcu Ljcu atf kjs jcv wjxlcu regf tf rjofis qgfrrfv atf olgra oibbg fifnjabg yeaabc, Oe Jtfcusf mibrfv tlr tfjns fsfr ab ajxf j gfra.

Please visit chrysanthemumgarden.com

The fever was very serious, one moment he was cold, the next he was hot. There was no way he could sleep, so Lu Chengye just closed his eyes in hopes that it would make him feel a bit better. In the narrow space of the elevator, Zhang Hang could clearly hear Big Black’s heavy and arduous breathing.

He was shaking slightly as he held onto Big Black, not from effort, but from fear. For more than a year, Big Black had been his real family. The reason why Zhang Hang had been able to stay strong and push onwards was due to Big Black’s silent companionship. When Big Black collapsed, Zhang Hang’s mind had been a mess. Now, his head was so full of possible bad outcomes that he was unable to reassure himself at all.

The days during which his parents divorced and he went blind had, over time, cast a psychological shadow on Zhang Hang. If something bad happened, he would instinctively expect the worst outcome. He didn’t dare to hope for happiness.

When he ran out of the elevator with Lu Chengye on his back, Zhang Hang whispered with tears in his voice, “Big Black has to be okay.”

Hearing the voice of the youth, Lu Chengye opened his eyes with difficulty and stretched out his dry tongue, licking the side of the teenager’s face. He made a low “wuwu” to tell Zhang Hang that he was alright. Lu Chengye couldn’t help but regret getting wet from the rain, and that he made things difficult for Hang Hang. He could understand why Zhang Hang currently was so scared. The child wouldn’t be able to bear it if he lost anything more than he already had. He was still only seventeen, not even an adult yet. It hadn’t been easy to persist until now, and he was strong yet fragile. Strong enough to calmly face his pain, but fragile enough to be unable to bear any more loss.

He didn’t need to be afraid, it would be okay. Lu Chengye just had a cold.

Zhang Hang had put his only poncho on Big Black, and couldn’t spare a hand to hold an umbrella. He went straight into the rain and walked to the intersection with difficulty, then patted Big Black. “Big Black, call out when you see an unoccupied taxi.”

Lu Chengye rubbed the boy’s shoulder with his head to show that he understood.

He was useless… Zhang Hang wiped his face with his spare hand, unable to tell whether it was rain or tears. He was really useless. If Big Black left, he wouldn’t be able to do even the most basic things.

On rainy days, it was hard to get a taxi. Zhang Hang waited more than ten minutes before he came across an unoccupied one. By then, he was quite wet, but Big Black was dry due to the protection of the poncho.

After a long journey to the nearest pet hospital, Zhang Hang gave a bill to the driver with trembling hands. He didn’t even wait for the change as he rushed out with Big Black on his back. Fortunately, the driver was not greedy and got out of the taxi to give him the change.

Holding Big Black in his arms, he anxiously rushed into the pet hospital. A vet quickly took Big Black’s temperature, finding it to be 100.4 degrees. For large and medium-sized dogs, this was already in the range of being deadly. Thankfully, Zhang Hang had come in time, and the fever hadn’t been that high for long.

The required treatment was an injection and an IV infusion. A shot wasn’t too difficult, as most dogs wouldn’t feel any pain unless there was a problem with the veins. After the injection, the vet prepared the medicine. Zhang Hang took Lu Chengye’s front paw out of the bath towel and hugged Big Black according to the vet’s instructions, so as to avoid any biting.

Lu Chengye didn’t like shots very much, but didn’t feel the urge to bite like other dogs. The vet smoothly inserted the needle and praised the dog. In general, even if a dog was comforted by their owner, they couldn’t help but bite the vet, so for most dogs they would use a muzzle. Big Black was very obedient, and didn’t even bite once.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

It took more than an hour for the infusion to finish. Zhang Hang sat on the treatment table beside Big Black, stroking his body with a palm and comforting him silently.

Lu Chengye had been looking at Zhang Hang the whole time. Although he was very sleepy and his eyes were heavy after taking a fever-reducing drug, he was reluctant to part from the boy.

This kind of affection, as if he couldn’t bear to look away for even a second … How could this possibly be due to the impulses of spring? Lu Chengye put his head on Zhang Hang’s palm and rubbed against it twice.

However, whether it was love or estrus, it didn’t matter. No matter his feelings, he was just a dog.

All he could do was maintain his health and take care of Zhang Hang until the end of his life.

I won’t get sick again. Lu Chengye licked Zhang Hang’s palm and made this silent promise.

sere: omgg poor doggybear: when i was little i got a fever of 104 degrees… i thought i was going to die ( ⚆ _ ⚆ )

If you're reading this, this translation is stolen. Please support our translators at chrysanthemumgarden.com