Sonata: Fleeing to Avoid an Arranged Marriage Chapter 16

Behind Nancheng Garden was a large field where many residents like to bring their cats and dogs to play. 

Xiao Gu also takes Husky for a long walk and run around the field everyday, then have a break on the gra.s.s right after. 

Since Mi Qing was with them today, their speed was considerably measured, and even Husky run slower than usual. When pa.s.sing by a small restaurant, the boss still greeted loudly: “Xiao Ha, you came out again for a stroll with Xiao…”

The boss suddenly faltered into a screeching halt as his eyes widened in disbelief, “Boss Xiao, when did you find such a beautiful girlfriend!”

The feeling of a traitor infiltrating this single dog camp without warning was incredibly unpleasant. 

Xiao Gu glanced at him and said with equanimity: “She's not my girlfriend.”

Mi Qing walked past the entrance of the small shop and told the shop owner smilingly: “How could he have a girlfriend like me?”

Owner of the small shop: "…"

This smell of marital harmony must be his illusion.

But today, when Xiao Gu walked with his dog, there is a consensus among the shopkeepers along the way, that is – Hey, Boss Xiao's girlfriend is really beautiful.

Mi Qing walked behind Xiao Gu as they strolled around the gra.s.s. There weren't many people who came out with their pets, so she found an empty spot and sat down on the bench.

Husky is already chasing other dogs on the gra.s.s. Xiao Gu walked towards Mi Qing and sat down beside her. After a few glances, he ignored him.

The two sat quietly for a while. Though the scenery was average, the air was really fresh and it was really cool basking in it. Mi Qing rubbed her hands and consulted Xiao Gu: “Boss Xiao, shouldn't you consider giving us overtime pay?” 

Xiao Gu glanced at her sideways and returned lightly: “You should know, your current salary is already considered high among waiters.”

The corners of Mi Qing's mouth twitched: "…Then we're more tired than others. I didn't get off work until 11:00 last night!”

Xiao Gu laughed aloud: “How tired can you be as a newcomer? Have you learned how to a.s.semble bamboo sticks?”

Mi Qing felt insulted and grumbled in dissatisfaction: "Mr. Xiao, in any case, I've graduated from college, ah, and my major is also related to finance, why don't you transfer me to the cash register?"

Being a cashier is much easier than being a waiter.

Xiao Gu retorted: "I think being a waiter suits you better."

Mi Qing complained: “Why!”

“Because I have a hard time imagining you doing mental labor.”

Mi Qing: “…”

Haha, they can't communicate.

She turned her head and looked at Husky nearby, who kept struggling under a Teddy's body.

Mi Qing: “…”

She pulled the sleeves of Xiao Gu's jacket: "Your dog…" He's crushed by a Teddy.

Following the direction of her gaze, Xiao Gu shared with surprise, “He has never won a fight, even for a day.”

Mi Qing asked with difficulty: “Even if the other dog is just a Teddy?”

"Even if it's just a Teddy.”

Mi Qing: “…”

The dog has grown into just a huge size like that.

The two sat in silence on the bench again for a while. Xiao Gu noticed Mi Qing rubbing her hands then blowing them from time to time, he rose to his feet and said: "Okay, let's go back.”

“Oh.” Mi Qing stood up too, but as soon as she turned around, she froze.

When they arrived here just now, there were only two or three dogs scurrying around the field and they were all but tiny dogs so she wasn't scared at all. But not long after she sat there, more than a dozen dogs have now scattered around. She couldn't count them all at once. But several huge dogs bigger than an average dog couldn't escape her attention…

It was just h.e.l.l.

Mi Qing stiffened and did not dare to move a muscle. Surrounded by so many dogs, every hair on her stood on end in vigilance.

"What's wrong?" Seeing her motionless for a time, Xiao Gu glanced at her.

“Dogs …” Mi Qing spit out the word stiffly, her quaky eyes expressing her fright vividly.

Xiao Gu quickly responded. He looked around and comforted: "It's alright. These are all pet dogs. Their owners are with them so they won't bite."

Mi Qing remained stiff, her neck seemed to move as if trying to shake her head.

Xiao Gu: "The gra.s.s is at most six or seven centimeters tall. We can go past them quickly."

Mi Qing muttered while shivering: “I dare not …”

Xiao Gu: “…”

He scrutinized her for a moment before he suddenly moved forward, stopped before her and hoisted her up. 

The moment her feet hang suspended in the air, Mi Qing subconsciously wrapped her arms around Xiao Gu's neck. She looked at him both in horror and rage: "What are you doing?”

"Carry you out!" Xiao Gu pointed out, then called his dog, "Tiantian, let's go."

Husky didn't seem to have played enough. He barked twice in reluctance, but when Xiao Gu glared at him, he ran over obediently. Seeing him keeping up, Xiao Gu carried Mi Qing across the field and walked away.

Everyone in the field looked at them in curiosity. This standard carrying princess' style drew a lot of women to gossip. Mi Qing is thin-skinned, in her shyness, she couldn't wait to bury her face in her chest.

She nudged Xiao Gu twice: “Put me down, everyone is watching!”

Xiao Gu: "Are you sure? How about that German Shepherd?

Mi Qing: “…”

She'd definitely freak out if he puts her down now, but this posture is truly embarra.s.sing. Since she couldn't bury herself in her own chest, she stuffed her face into Xiao Gu's and hid her face with as much as possible.

The ambiguous cacophony of whispers from pet owners and their various dogs barking seemed to drift away, and the only noise that Mi Qing heard most clearly was Xiao Gu's heartbeat.

The beat was akin to a magic spell, miraculously calming Mi Qing down. Even with numerous dogs surrounding them, the sound of Xiao Gu's heartbeat made her feel at ease.

She can still recall more than a decade ago. When she was just over five years old, she was about to be scared witless by a vicious dog, but her Brother Rabbit also appeared out of nowhere and drove the dog away for her.

At that time, she was enveloped with this same tranquility.

“What are you thinking? You look like an idiot.” Xiao Gu, who arrived across the street without her knowledge, let Mi Qing down.

Mi Qing coughed in embarra.s.sment as she sorted her clothes and hair somewhat awkwardly, “I wasn't thinking of anything, I was just a bit scared.”

Xiao Gu looked her up and down, his brows slightly rising to a roguish arc: “I remember you saying that a big brother helped you get rid of a dog and became your hero, right? So am I your super hero now?" He couldn't resist chuckling at the thought of it, "You must never think so, I'd die laughing."

Mi Qing: “…”

She squeezed her right hand into a fist, took a deep breath, and hurried forward. Husky drew Xiao Gu, barking and chasing after her.

After a day off, the next day, Mi Qing went back to work in great spirits.

Her first task in the morning was training how to count bamboo sticks, still accompanied by the young boy. The two practiced for a while and their techniques for counting the numbers were improved to varying degrees. Rong Rong jie finally stopped making fun of them for their clumsy hands.

During the last break before opening, the young boy shook his sour hands and poured himself a cup of tea: "When I started studying, I also thought of relying on my face to eat like Boss Xiao. Who would have expected that I would end up selling labor.”

Mi Qing was so impressed, she comforted him: “At least you can't starve to death by labor. If you only rely on your face, you might starve to death in two days.”

Young boy: "…"

Thank you so much, that was very much comforting.

"Alright everyone, cheer up, it's time to work." Rong Rong jie clapped her hands and organized everyone for the opening. Hence, the guys who couldn't afford to rely on their faces started selling out their labor.

At twelve o'clock, three foreigners with blue eyes and blond hair came. Xiao Dezi, who was responsible for reception, was thrown into panic at this sudden arrival. He tried recalling all English words he had learned while studying and vomited a word he thought was the most standard p.r.o.nunciation: “h.e.l.lo!”

One of the blue-eyed, yellow-haired foreign uncle happily responded to him in English: “h.e.l.lo. We're here for a trip. We were just pa.s.sing by, but we caught a sniff of the tempting aroma here. What are you offering?"

Xiao Dezi: “…”

He again cracked his brains out for more English words and then answered: "Thank you."

The foreign uncle laughed cheerfully: "No thanks, we are all curious what we can eat here.” He thought for a while and asked in jerky Chinese, “Yes, huo guo (hot pot)?”

Xiao Dezi only understood the two words “hot pot.” He shook his head and said, “This is not a hot pot xiang (restaurant), it is Chuan Chuan xiang.” He specifically emphasized Chuan Chuan restaurant in his foreign accent, p.r.o.nouncing each word exaggeratedly.

"Chuan chuan, xiang?" The foreign uncle mimicked him once, raising his eyebrows in doubt, “What is this?”

Xiao Dezi tried to organize a sentence for a long time, and finally opened his throat and shouted inside the store, “Mi Qing, can you speak English? The sort of college level!”

Mi Qing has just poured a cup of tea for a table guest, and when he heard Xiao Dezi calling at the door, she looked out. When she saw three foreigners standing there, she quickly walked to them: “h.e.l.lo, may I help you?”

She spoke English so fluently, that Xiao Dezi was left staring at her dumbfounded. The foreign uncle was pleased to meet someone who can finally communicate with him, "Oh, yes, we wanted to have lunch here, I'm wondering if we can?"

Mi Qing answered: “Of course, please follow me.”

Mi Qing brought the three foreigners in, and Lin Jingrong winked at her, indicating that she'd be attending to the three foreign customers.

Because of serving these three foreigners, Mi Qing was more relaxed. They were rather curious about everything so she only a.s.sumed the role of their translator.

Xiao Dezi leaned on the checkout counter, while staring at Mi Qing's table, and said to Lin Jingrong: “Rong Rong jie, I think she might never look at me now.”

"Poof." Before Rong Rong jie could break into a smile, the sister at the cash register burst into laughter first, "Just because of your h.e.l.lo, thank you?"

Xiao Dezi: “…” 

He was injured and went to the doorway to welcome guests.

An hour later, the foreign friends went away tearfully, but were greatly satisfied. There weren't many customers left in the shop at this time.  Everyone served the last few ones and ended the morning shift. 

Xiao Dezi, who was lying by the door, was gasping for breath for a moment when the foreign friends who hasn't gone for long, returned. 

He hastened standing straight up and struck his spirits up to 12,000 points.

“I'm sorry, have you seen a USB flash drive? I seemed to have left it in the store. It's so big, it's not easy to miss it.” The same foreign uncle just now asked Xiao Dezi anxiously.

Xiao Dezi, who couldn't understand a word he was saying, was even more anxious. Mi Qing has already gone home to rest. Chen Shishi would only come in the evening. Now, n.o.body in the shop could communicate with him.

“h.e.l.lo, what's the matter?” A stream of fluent English suddenly sounded in his ears. Xiao Dezi looked up in surprise and found Xiao Gu coming.

When the foreign uncle saw another who could speak well with him, he immediately repeated, "h.e.l.lo, I seemed to have dropped my USB flash drive in the store."

Consultant Xiao Gu: What brand and what color?”

The foreign uncle told him the color and even the capacity of the brand.

Xiao Gu nodded, saying: “Please wait for a moment." He went to the restaurant and asked the cashier, “Did you find a USB flash drive here?”

The cashier thought for a moment and said, “Ah yes, there is one!” She took a USB flash drive out of a drawer and handed it to Xiao Gu. Xiao Gu gave it a glance. The information was consistent with the description of the foreign uncle just now.

He returned it to the foreign uncle, who exclaimed happily, “Oh, great, thank you! There are many photos in it, they're very precious!”

Xiao Gu simply answered: “You're welcome, this is too small, be careful next time.”

Xiao Dezi, who was rendered dazzled the second time today, finally closed his mouth after a while and asked: "Boss, why do you speak English so well …”

Xiao Gu glanced at him sideways: “Why do you talk so much?”

Xiao Dezi: “…”

He's just curious.