Ch34.2 - The Rules of Raising a Dog-Type Boyfriend (4)

Chen Qingyu brought all of them to a barbecue restaurant near the east gate. It was clearly a very popular restaurant, with their outside seating completely taken up.

Xu Qichen’s mood brightened the moment cool air from inside rushed to greet them when they pushed the door open. 

“Ai, Qingyu is here.” Inside, a plump uncle walked up to them, “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Greetings were exchanged familiarly. Just as Xu Qichen was about to speak as well, the uncle patted his shoulder, “Xiao Han, why are you still so thin? Look at them, each one bulkier than the last.”

Xu Qichen laughed, “I already eat a lot.”

The uncle laughed as well. Then he saw Mu Yao and asked Chen Qingyu, “And this handsome one is?” 

“O, a freshman in our school, he’ll be playing basketball with us in the future.” Chen Qingyu pointed upstairs, “Boss, do you have any free rooms?”

“You came in at the right time. Someone cancelled a reservation, so a room has just been freed up for you. Go up ba, it’s the one furthest inside, closest to the washroom.”

“Okay.”

The five of them went up to the second floor, with Xu Qichen bringing up the rear. With big men stomping on wooden steps so loudly, he felt like a single misstep and he could be trampled on at any moment.

Although it was called a private room, it was really not a big one. There was a long table. Xu Qichen and Mu Yao sat on the sofa on one side, while the other three sat on the chairs on the other side. Chen Qingyu ordered enough kebabs to fill up the table. Having not eaten much that evening, the fragrance of the barbecued meat immediately made Xu Qichen hungry.

“Ai, give Lao Zhang and Block-of-Wood a call and ask if they’re coming?” Chen Qingyu gestured at Ah Ming with his elbow, but Ah Ming directly shook his head, “I already asked. Lao Zhang isn’t coming, and Block-of-Wood has an elective tonight.”

“Then let’s get started.” Chen Qingyu ordered five bottles of beer and one bottle of liquor, “Tonight, we’re all getting drunk for our team’s new blood!”

Although they were at odds with each other in the beginning, the three of them had a very friendly attitude and seemed to adhere strongly to the code of brotherhood. Xu Qichen was relieved. It turned out that Ye Han’s crush on Chen Qingyu was not unreasonable. Although he was not his type, he and his team mates were all decent people. 

He stole a glance at Mu Yao and found that he too had let down his guard and was no longer full of aggression.

Chen Qingyu opened a bottle of beer and filled his own glass before turning to Xu Qichen’s.

Watching the beer rapidly fill up his glass, Xu Qichen quickly bought strong sobering drugs from 0901.

When only Mu Yao’s glass was left, Mu Yao said, “Senior, I can’t really drink.” 

His expression was very serious. Xu Qichen’s attention was on the interaction while grilling potatoes.

Chen Qingyu was not deterred at all, “Don’t be boring, Mu Yao. You can’t get drunk on beer, just drink some.” As he spoke, he was already filling Mu Yao’s glass with beer.

After eating the potatoes, Xu Qichen quietly picked up a skewer of chicken feet and with his eyes on Mu Yao, chewed them slowly. There was reluctance on his face.

Can’t really drink. 

Drink.

Drink.

Xu Qichen suddenly recalled something. He put down the chicken feet and picked up Mu Yao’s glass, downing it in one go.

The three people sitting opposite them gave him strange looks. 

Ah Feng: “Ye Han, you drank from the wrong glass…”

Xu Qichen put down the glass and acted dumb, “Did I? Oh, right…” He laughed and pointed at the chicken feet on his plate, “This is so salty, I needed a drink to wash it away.” Saying so, he continued to mumble ‘So salty ah’ and swallowed his own glass of beer.

Although his excuse was very clumsy, Xu Qichen had no other choice.

After all, who made him write Mu Yao such a suicidal setting like ‘Will show his true form if he comes into contact with alcohol’? 

In order to not scare the others and cause a large change in the plot, Xu Qichen could only drink on Mu Yao’s behalf.

If it were just once, they could overlook it. But after a few rounds, Chen Qingyu was very confused, “No, every time I pour him a glass, you drink it. Ye Han, is there a problem with your brain?”

Xu Qichen wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and cleared his throat, “No- no ah.”

The three people sitting opposite him looked at him strangely. 

Xu Qichen laughed awkwardly, “En…”

“Senior, I’m severely allergic to alcohol,” Mu Yao explained with a sincere expression. “Senior Ye is just drinking for me to not spoil your fun.”

Chen Qingyu put down the bottle, “So it was just that ah. Ye Han, why didn’t you just say so? You drank so much by yourself, I almost thought you were going crazy.”

Xu Qichen smiled helplessly. 

Chen Qingyu immediately ordered lemon water for Mu Yao, “Drink this ba.”

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

“Thank you Senior Chen.”

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He had eaten too much and felt bloated, so he leant backwards and stretched out his legs. But he almost slipped off the sofa, so he hurriedly put his hands on the seat and scrambled to find purchase with his feet.

As he retracted his feet, he stepped on a certain person’s foot.

Xu Qichen quickly apologised, though he did not know whose foot he had actually stepped on.

“Senior, you stepped on my foot.” Mu Yao calmly picked up a glass and sipped from it. 

Xu Qichen was about to apologise again, but when he looked up at Mu Yao he could not help stuttering.

“You- you took the wrong glass.”

Mu Yao had already realised his mistake, but it was too late.

Xu Qichen frantically sat up and started pinching his face, trying to get him to open his mouth, “Spit it out quickly.” 

Mu Yao struggled out of his grip and rubbed his face, frowning, “I already swallowed it, what’s up with you, senior?”

“Ah?” Xu Qichen paused. Right, was his reaction too obvious? “Uhm… didn’t you say you were severely allergic to alcohol?”

Mu Yao looked at Xu Qichen’s panicked expression and laughed.

You can still laugh ah. 

Really…

Xu Qichen thought it was strange. Why did Mu Yao take the wrong glass just now?

Was it because he stepped on him?

But it was just stepping on his foot… 

Before he could make sense of what had happened, he was startled by Mu Yao’s next move.

That guy actually fell over, landing his head on Xu Qichen’s lap.

“Senior…” Mu Yao’s voice became especially nasal, making it sound sticky.

Like he was acting cute. 

“I’m drunk.”

Is this the time to be joking? Xu Qichen was about to push him away, only to find that…

A pair of furry black ears had sprouted on his head!

Xu Qichen was so frightened he began shaking. 

Mu Yao slightly turned his head and put a finger to his lips, “Ssh…”

It’s over.

He first glanced at the three guys on the opposite side, who were a sip away from blacking out.

Then he looked down at Mu Yao. 

He even had to act surprised and ask in a low voice, “What happened to you…?”

Mu Yao reached out and easily took the baseball cap on Xu Qichen’s head.

“This, let me borrow this ba.”

He put it on, then sat up. 

Xu Qichen’s heart was beating rapidly.

Mu Yao tilted his head, adjusted the cap, and smiled at Xu Qichen.

It was not a restrained smile, but it didn’t have the slightest hint of provocation either.

Rather, it was a bright smile full of the sunshine of a September midafternoon. 

The sharp tooth could no longer be hidden. It gleamed in an adorable and unique way under the dim light of the small private room.

To Xu Qichen, this smile was way too familiar.

Inexplicably, when he saw this smile, he felt a slight piercing pain in his heart.

It had only been a day, yet it felt like he had not seen him in a long time. 

Time was a really subjective and unpredictable thing.

Before he could recover from his distant thoughts, he had been pulled out of the room by Mu Yao.

Chen Qingyu noticed them and reached out a hand while still lying on the table, calling out blurrily, “Where… are you… going…? Continue ah…”

Xu Qichen called out to him, but he didn’t get a response at all, so he could only follow as Mu Yao pulled him by his wrist. 

Downstairs, Mu Yao told the boss about Chen Qingyu and the others being drunk. Unexpectedly, the boss simply waved his hands, “It’s hardly the first time. They look so intimidating but they can’t hold their alcohol at all. It’s not an issue, besides, the two of you can’t handle all three of them anyway, just leave them here tonight. You two should go back.”

Only then did Xu Qichen heave a sigh of relief. He had been worrying about how they would carry the three of them back.

Although one of them was not human, to carry three people by himself… even if he could manage it, it would cause quite a scene.

Mu Yao dragged Xu Qichen out of the barbecue restaurant. 

Strictly speaking, it was not summer. Even if the sunlight in the daytime was still trying to create illusory enthusiasm, once the sun set, the huge change in temperature still exposed the fact that it was closer to autumn.

The night breeze at this time of the year held a subtle temperature that was neither cool nor warm.

Pulled by Mu Yao, they briskly made their way through the busy nightlife.

Although there was no similarity in the scene, it felt as familiar as a film that had been rewatched countless times. 

Was it Lin Ran, or that person.

Xu Qichen was not even sure anymore.

Before he paid any notice, he had already been led into a dark alley.

Mu Yao finally stopped and turned around to face him. “Senior, I frightened you ba.” 

Xu Qichen nodded slowly, “En.”

Mu Yao laughed out loud, “But you don’t seem very frightened.”

Xu Qichen’s eyes darted around as he said, “I… I heard before… that, that demons or whatever exist…” He waved his hands, “But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I, I like small animals…”

Mu Yao suddenly closed the distance between them, leaning into Xu Qichen’s space. 

“Is that so?” His sharp tooth peeked out again, “Then, do you like dogs?”

Xu Qichen swallowed his saliva and nodded.

“O~”

For some reason, Xu Qichen could make out a sense of teasing in that single syllable. 

He had an ominous premonition.

As expected, Xu Qichen’s premonitions had never disappointed him.

The dark alley was suddenly filled with the sound of dogs barking. Xu Qichen squinted, only to see a bunch of furry little things bounce out from the darkness.

Physiological fear surged up like a tide. 

He swore he had never before been so terrified!

“AH!”

Xu Qichen subconsciously wanted to run, but several puppies appeared on the other side of the alley and leapt towards them excitedly.

Why is this happening ah! 

Xu Qichen was so anxious that he trembled all over, and tears were pouring out of his eyes. Both sides of the alley were dead ends, and there was no place to run.

In the moment of anxiety, Xu Qichen caught sight of Mu Yao, who was as calm as a bamboo, and pounced on him without thinking.

Looking at Xu Qichen, who had climbed up and was now holding onto him tightly like a koala, Mu Yao laughed and wrapped his arms around Xu Qichen’s thighs.

Strong survival instincts made Xu Qichen wrap his arms tightly around Mu Yao’s neck and bury his face in there, refusing to look up. 

Mu Yao laughed, “Senior, don’t you say you love dogs?”

Xu Qichen shook his head violently. His voice was muffled when he shouted, “Chase them away! I’m begging you!”

“I’m also helpless ah.” Mu Yao sighed deliberately, “Once I transform, I emit a scent that dogs can smell and get attracted to.”

Xu Qichen’s face was still buried deeply in the side of his neck, and his voice had a hint of crying, “Then what should we do! I’m afraid!” 

Mu Yao patted Xu Qichen on the back and said in a low and tender voice, “There there there, don’t be afraid.” He comforted Xu Qichen as he carried him out of the alley.

Although it was already very late, the street outside was not empty. The thought that he would be seen clinging to Mu Yao like this was embarrassing, but Xu Qichen was really scared out of his wits, and his heart was about to jump out of his throat. At this point, Xu Qichen would take being embarrassed over putting his feet on the ground.

Those scary little dogs followed them, barking non-stop.

Only at the school gates did they somewhat tone down on the barking and scatter. 

Mu Yao shook the person who was hanging onto him.

“They all left.”

Xu Qichen still did not dare to look up. He sniffed, “… Really?”

“En.” 

The other party’s voice was very certain, so Xu Qichen finally relented and looked around. The dogs were really gone. Finally, he let out a long breath.

“I was scared to death…”

Suddenly, he realised he was still hanging onto Mu Yao. He immediately struggled to get down and even began to stutter.

“That- uh… you, you… I, I’m going back… go back to your room!” 

After throwing some illogical words, he quickly made his escape.

He ran all the way back to his hostel room only to find that Yang Xiaocheng was still awake.

“Where have you been?” Yang Xiaocheng looked at Xu Qichen, who was panting from the run, “Why are you so tired, is there a dog chasing you?”

Xu Qichen used the door as support as he walked in, shaking his head guiltily. 

“You didn’t pick up the phone when I called, I thought you weren’t coming back tonight.”

“My phone ran out of battery.” Xu Qichen went to his own desk and connected his mobile to the charger, then poured himself a glass of water and drank it.

“You have been acting weird these last two days,” Yang Xiaocheng was typing without even looking up, “It can’t be that you’ve started dating ba?”

These words made Xu Qichen choke. He waved his hands frantically in denial. 

“You’re obviously guilty. Tell me, which year? Is she pretty?”

Xu Qichen shook his head to deny it again. On the desk, his phone lit up. He automatically unlocked it to see several WeChat messages.

The first one was a message from around 6pm.

Mu Yao: “You can’t!” 

Seeing this without context, Xu Qichen was somewhat confused.

What is this…?

He scrolled up and saw the last message he had sent.

[Okay, no problem, I’ll look for someone else.] 

Then he scrolled down again.

Mu Yao: [You can’t!]

Mu Yao: [Senior! You can’t look for someone else!]

Mu Yao: [Wait for me. I’ll be there.] 

Suddenly thinking of the way he had fiercely rushed into the basketball court, Xu Qichen couldn’t restrain the rising corners of his mouth.

“Look at yourself! Smiling at your phone like that! You’re definitely dating behind my back!”

No way.

Xu Qichen retorted silently.