Lu Xuesheng felt compassion and said to Mu Yuze, "How about we take it into the house?"
Mu Yuze nodded, handing the umbrella in his hand to Lu Xue. Then he braved the wind and rain and ran over to scoop up the little dog in the corner into his arms.
The puppy didn't struggle and just obediently let Mu Yuze hold it.
The wind and rain outside grew stronger. Lu Xue held the umbrella and wandered around in the rain. She tried her best to shield Mu Yuze from the rain for a long time, but wave after wave of rain still soaked them to the bone.
In a flurry, they finally got the puppy into the house. As soon as the doors and windows were closed, the torrential rain outside seemed to be shut out.
The two of them stood in the house somewhat awkwardly. Looking down, they saw a large puddle of water where they were standing. They glanced at each other and forced out a bitter smile.
The puppy huddled in the corner of the room, seemingly scared of this strange environment.
Lu Xue walked over to tease the puppy for a while, but perhaps because it was shy, the puppy just turned its head and snuggled closer to the corner.
Lu Xue looked up at Mu Yuze and said, "The puppy is a bit shy. Let it stay here for a while to get familiar with the place."
Mu Yuze took a look at where the puppy was in the corner, then turned around and went outside to get some ham sausages. He put them on a plate and brought them over, but the puppy didn't eat and still curled up in the corner.
The two looked at each other and tacitly gave it some space, retreating outside the room.
When the rain stopped outside and they came back in, they found that the ham sausages on the plate had been eaten. The puppy still huddled in the corner, but it didn't seem as constrained as before.
Lu Xue smiled and whispered in Mu Yuze's ear, "We've done a good deed today, haven't we?"
That evening, Lu Xue gave the puppy a bath and used a hair dryer to dry its fur.
They wanted to give it a name but couldn't come up with a suitable one after thinking for a long time.
Finally, Lu Xue made the decision. "How about calling it Ham Sausage?"
Mu Yuze nodded in agreement. After that, Ham Sausage stayed with them in the house for the next two days.
Lu Xue still went up the mountain with Old Mr. Chen every day. But now, waiting at the foot of the mountain was not only Mu Yuze but also Ham Sausage, happily running around in circles beside him.
Ham Sausage was also there waiting for its owner. When it saw Lu Xue and Old Mr. Chen walking towards the foot of the mountain from afar, it couldn't contain its excitement and rushed up all the way until it reached Lu Xue's feet and circled around her legs.
Lu Xue didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She picked up Ham Sausage and walked down the mountain. The three of them and the dog walked back to the old courtyard in the village slowly under the setting sun.
When they entered the courtyard, Old Mr. Chen suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "Lu Xue, next week I've been invited by a friend and will visit his place. I'll have to leave this old courtyard. I don't know when I'll be back."
Hearing this, Lu Xue understood that Old Mr. Chen had other things to do and couldn't stay with her here anymore. In fact, she was already very content.
"It's okay. I feel really honored to have lived with you here for a week. I can't disrupt your life any more."
Old Mr. Chen smiled and waved his hand. "You're not a disruption. Being with you two young people makes me feel younger. But I'll be leaving next week. In the remaining days, if you still have any questions, let's discuss them as much as possible. After all, we don't know when we'll meet again."
Lu Xue knew that her time was running out. Although she really liked this peaceful and care - free rural life.
But good times were always short. Soon she would have to return to her original life.
That evening, Mu Yuze cooked. He made a whole table of dishes, fully demonstrating the cooking skills a graceful president should have at home.
Lu Xue and Old Mr. Chen praised the meal all the way through. After dinner, Lu Xue picked out some leftovers and put them on Ham Sausage's plate and brought it over.
Ham Sausage was already wagging its tail excitedly and rushed over from afar to start eating.
Lu Xue and Mu Yuze sat under a big willow tree in the yard to enjoy the cool. They just silently watched Ham Sausage running around happily in the yard.
After a while, Mu Yuze asked, "Old Mr. Chen will be leaving soon. What are your plans?"
Lu Xue thought for a while and said, "After Old Mr. Chen leaves, I'll also leave and return to my original life."
Mu Yuze looked up at the thickening sky dotted with stars. A sudden sense of reluctance welled up in his heart.
"If you like, you can still go back to the old mansion. Mu Ziyue and I will be very happy to have you back."
Lu Xue was silent for a long time before saying, "That place never really belonged to me. Staying there would only disrupt your and Mu Ziyue's life."
Mu Yuze turned his head and looked at the hairpin in Lu Xue's ear. His voice also grew a bit husky.