What Are Your Tastes? chapter 11

 Poodle

“We’re the same kind of people.”

In the underground garage, the voice sounded a bit distorted.

“Really?” Lu Yunchu asked lightly.

Of course, he understood what Lin Yizhe meant by that. No wonder he had the reputation of being a “playboy.”

Since childhood, Lu Yunchu had never lacked suitors, though most of his admirers had been women, especially in a country where the culture was less open, and few people with special orientations dared to express their love boldly.

Even though he had sensed Lin Yizhe’s intentions during dinner, hearing him speak so plainly still caught him by surprise.

It was better to get it out in the open, saving them both the trouble of playing coy.

But Lin Yizhe should have had girlfriends before. How could he consider them to be the same?

“Mr. Lin,” he reminded, “haven’t you dated women?”

“It seems you know something about me,” he said with a hint of pride, “Interacting with women was just a front to fool my family. In reality, I only like men. Once I find the right person, I’ll take responsibility and move on from my past.”

His gaze grew more intense. “So, would you give me a chance?”

“Sorry,” Lu Yunchu suppressed his disgust, “I’m not interested.”

“I didn’t expect you to agree right away,” Lin Yizhe showed no sign of being disheartened, “We should get to know each other first. We can start as friends.”

Lu Yunchu scoffed, “Your intentions are already impure. How can we be just friends?”

“That’s why I hope to see you again.”

“Mr. Lin, if fate allows,” which actually meant, I hope I never see you again. He hoped this playboy could take a hint.

“Alright,” Lin Yizhe smiled again, “I look forward to our fate.”

Lu Yunchu rolled his eyes at his retreating figure, unsure whether to admire his thick skin or his obliviousness.

Because of this unexpected episode, Lu Yunchu felt stifled on the drive home. Not to mention, he was perfectly content being single and had no intention of dating. Even if he did want a partner, it wouldn’t be someone as off-putting as Lin Yizhe.

At a red light near a city park, he stopped in the rightmost lane. The late August night breeze was cool, so he left the window open instead of using the air conditioning. Glancing out the lowered window, he saw a white shape flicker under the trees.

The green light turned on, but Lu Yunchu didn’t drive the car forward immediately, causing the cars behind him to honk continuously. He was still preoccupied with what he had just seen and quickly turned the car onto a side road, parked it, and returned to the area around the trees to search.

The wind had stopped, and the pitch-black shadows of the trees were completely still.

Where did it go…

His eyesight had always been good. If he wasn’t mistaken, it should have been a living creature, and it was furry.

Lu Yunchu walked back and forth along the shrubs on the park’s perimeter a few times. On his last pass, just as he was walking back to where he had parked, he heard a faint whimper at his feet. He immediately looked down.

It was a small white poodle.

The little dog raised its head, staring at him with two round black eyes. After making eye contact for two seconds, it shrank back into the bushes.

Is it scared? Lu Yunchu squatted down, facing it without making any movements. After a while, perhaps sensing no danger, the dog crawled out again.

This definitely wasn’t a stray dog; its fur was very clean and it wore a collar around its neck. However, apart from a small park nearby, there were only office buildings and hotels in the vicinity. The nearest residential area was Blue Bay where he lived, two streets away. It was unlikely that a house dog would get lost from there.

Could it have been abandoned?

Lu Yunchu had a dog when he was very young, one that he secretly bought with his pocket money. When Lu Changming found out, he was furious because he hated all furry animals. Wu Lan spoke a few good words on its behalf, so the dog was reluctantly allowed to stay.

However, one day after school, he found his dog had disappeared. Lu Changming casually told him that he had given the dog to a friend’s child who wanted a pet.

That was the only time he cried after starting elementary school, and he cried for a long time. Even now, thinking about the little life he had lost so unfairly, he still felt heartache.

The dog he had was a Chihuahua, a different breed but about the same size. So when he saw this homeless little dog, Lu Yunchu felt a sense of familiarity.

He still made no movements, and when the dog relaxed and moved closer, he tentatively reached out his hand. The dog’s curly fur was warm and felt nice to the touch.

“Where is your home?” he asked. If it lived nearby, it might find its way back.

But it just looked around blankly and whimpered pitifully.

“You don’t know where you are either?”

Its throat made a low gurgling sound, which sounded like agreement.

Since it was a house dog, leaving it outside would make survival difficult. Lu Yunchu patted its back and gently asked, “Shall I take you to my place first?”

The little dog shrank its neck, and Lu Yunchu thought it was unwilling, but then it crouched obediently by his feet.

He carefully picked it up. Thankfully, it wasn’t afraid of people.

After getting home, he examined the dog closely and found no signs of injury or illness, though a check-up at the pet hospital the next day would be necessary. There were a few English letters on its collar, spelling out the dog’s name: Sabrina.

Lu Yunchu was more convinced that this dog had been well cared for but had somehow become separated from its owner. He immediately took several photos and posted them on Weibo, tagging some local pet-related bloggers. He also posted on a local forum, asking if anyone had lost a dog.

After logging out from the computer, he checked his phone and saw several messages from Bai Shan.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect him to have feelings for you.”

“If you’re not interested, just ignore him.”

It was obvious who “him” referred to.

Bai Shan knew his orientation but hadn’t told anyone else. Lu Yunchu was certain of that. She must have just noticed Lin Yizhe’s hidden feelings tonight.

Lu Yunchu didn’t blame Bai Shan. She was just trying to help him expand his social network.

So he replied: “Don’t worry about it, I know what to do.”

Fortunately, Lin Yizhe hadn’t sent him any disturbing messages yet. The urgent task now was to help the poodle find its owner.

Soon after posting on Weibo and the forum, he received several replies, but they were mostly about how cute the dog was, how it might have gotten lost, or if it had been deliberately abandoned. Some even asked if he would adopt the poodle if its owner couldn’t be found.

Lu Yunchu hadn’t yet considered this. His current life wasn’t suitable for keeping a pet: financially stable but not affluent, limited space at home, limited time, and with a new work plan that would make him even busier if implemented. Finding a suitable new home for the dog might be the best choice if he couldn’t find the original owner.

Busy checking the posts and Weibo, he hadn’t noticed the little dog beside him. After shutting down the computer, he saw the little creature lying under the dining table, staring intently at the bread on the table.

It probably hadn’t eaten for several hours.

Lu Yunchu had whole wheat bread on the table, intending to have it for breakfast the next day. With no dog food at home, he had to make do with it. Under Sabrina’s hopeful gaze, he handed the bag of bread to her.