Archive of Our Own

Out of every absurd situation that could have happened in Mo Ran’s life, he never thought that at some point, he would end up turning into a dog. Not just any kind of dog, but a husky, at that.

Looking back, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to go to that club. It was a shady place at the outskirts of the city, dimly lit by barely functioning neon lights. Dozens of people stood by the entrance, and many more danced and wreaked havoc inside the building.

It wasn’t the kind of place Mo Ran would willingly go to. He preferred bars with less ear-drumming music and where the men he could flirt with were hopefully less wasted than the ones stumbling into him at the club.

As everything bad that has ever happened to Mo Ran, this too, was Xue Meng’s fault. No matter how much his dear cousin called him a dumb dog, they weren’t that much different.

Xue Meng’s stupidity dragged him out of the comfort of his home to this shady place. A drunk call was enough to send Mo Ran bolting out of the couch, grabbing his phone and wallet towards the location sent through texts. That idiot was naive enough to get intoxicated without a single care in the world, risking his life and Mo Ran’s sanity.

Making his way inside, Mo Ran was stopped by multiple people trying to flirt, dragging him both physically and verbally to join them and drink. A charming smile and a rotund denial was enough for them to leave him alone, but the nuisance was enough to cause the beginnings of a headache drum on his temples.

Finally, after ten minutes of his arrival and twenty after the call, Mo Ran found Xue Meng. His cousin was not, in fact, in any sort of danger. Instead, that fucking peacock was busy sucking tongue with a blond man, arms dragging the taller man by the neck and looking ready to devour him.

A little scarred by the sight, Mo Ran groaned loudly enough to gain the attention of fellow onlookers. All of his worries turned quickly into annoyance and irritation. This was enough of a lesson for him to stop worrying about that asshole.

Sure enough, that was only the start of his night.

Not wanting to have gone for nothing, Mo Ran walked towards the bar, asking the bartender for whatever. Looking around the place, there was nothing worth mentioning, really. Anywhere his eyes landed, there was a mess.

The bartender placed a glass of a reddish drink in front of him. Mo Ran looked at it, took it in hand and gave it a gulp. The liquid burnt down his throat, strong and bittersweet. With a raised eyebrow, Mo Ran chugged down the whole drink in a swift motion, placing the glass back on the counter and asked for another one.

Perhaps, he should’ve been more careful with his alcohol consumption and more attentive to every new cocktail he got and asked for.

But then again, he thought at some point between his third and fourth drink, it was all Xue Meng’s fault. If he hadn’t called Mo Ran in the middle of the night, slurring his words and crying into the phone, Mo Ran wouldn’t have stepped into a club or a bar for another couple of months. He was busy enough as it was.

From that point onwards, Mo Ran doesn’t remember anything, except for the taste of alcohol heavy on his tongue.

In one moment, he was drinking on a stool by the bar and in the next, he’s waking up with the terrible realization that something is wrong.

His senses had somehow heightened overnight. A myriad of smells come to his nose, overwhelming and strange. Every noise is a little too loud: people chattered and cars sped on the streets. The city was alive around him.

With one, slow and painful motion, Mo Ran opens his eyes.

The world looks different in Mo Ran’s eyes. Every color is now different, duller, as if his vision had narrowed down to just a couple of shades and colors. Panic travels down his spine. Alarmed, Mo Ran stands up from where he was lying on the floor.

Why was he lying on the ground in the middle of the street?! Had he passed out and no one had cared enough? Did everyone just let him lie down in the middle of the street?

Soon, Mo Ran learns why he was left alone.

Instead of standing up in two legs, Mo Ran finds himself moving four, all wiggly and unsure. He makes a weird noise that he’s sure he couldn’t do yesterday. Looking down in confusion, he doesn’t see legs and feet but fucking furry paws.

Ah, Mo Ran thinks. I’m dreaming. 

Or maybe he passed out while drunk, and is now having the weirdest dream of his life.

Because if it’s neither of them, then Mo Ran has no idea why the hell he has paws.

Looking at his surroundings, he sees a pair of socks that look like the ones he was wearing the night before. A quick sniff leaves Mo Ran grimacing but confirming they are his socks indeed. There aren’t any more signs of his other belongings, though. Thinking of how long he must’ve been lying on the street, it’s no surprise they were already taken by someone.

With shaky legs, Mo Ran stands up and walks on the street carefully. There’s not many people out, with the sun barely rising in the skies. Mo Ran reaches the front of a store and slowly turns his head to look at his reflection in the window. 

A big dog with thick white and black fur, blue eyes and perky ears stares back at him. With a quick tilt of his head, Mo Ran confirms that said dog is him.

The whole situation is very funny, actually. It’s not just the usual insults Xue Meng throws at him, but the reality of Mo Ran being a dog, with a snout and a tail and fangs and little eyebrows formed by white fur; basically, a whole canine. If he weren’t, well, a dog, Mo Ran would be laughing hysterically, maybe out of amusement, maybe to not cry, or maybe both.

A long whine escapes his mouth —snout?—, a very dog-like whine, at that.

If he, by some magical power he was unaware of, really became a dog, Mo Ran wants to know why, why is he a fucking dog?

Mo Ran tries to recount the night before, searching for an answer, for any clue that may explain his current situation, but he finds nothing. Is this even real? An idea pops on his head, so he sits on the floor, lifting a paw to his snout and bites hard.

Ow! The dream option is discarded. 

With more whining, he feels his ears drop. Will he be able to turn back into a human again? Will he remain a dog forever? Mo Ran doesn’t want to be a goddamn dog forever, he has a business to maintain, a cousin to annoy and a man to confess his love to!

Mo Ran spends a good amount of time swallowing in misery, walking with his head lowered, ignoring the people passing by his side, some coo at him, many others greet him and another couple of them seem annoyed at him. But Mo Ran can’t really care about them right now, he walks and walks, hoping all of his misfortunes would go away with every step he takes. Where is he going? Well, Mo Ran doesn’t know. He will let his tiny dog legs lead the way for him.

Although distracted, Mo Ran always makes sure to be careful and not crash into anyone, waiting for the people in the crosswalks to start walking so he can cross the streets too. He may be an actual dog, but he’s not stupid enough to risk his life in this form.

Mo Ran only stops walking when thirst makes him pant for, tongue sticking out with rapid puffs of breath. This is his life now, he laughs on the inside. He will live as a dog for the rest of his life, destined to walk on four legs in the streets without getting his previous life back. He will either have to live as a stray or be taken by an animal shelter and be adopted by some human. Neither of them sound appealing enough.

Stopping his tired legs, he drops to the ground, a very sad “awoo” coming out from the deepest parts of his soul.

“What’s wrong buddy?” someone asks, friendly tone startling Mo Ran out of his meltdown. “Are you lost? Where’s our owner?”

Mo Ran turns to look at the stranger. A tall, young man stares back at him, eyes showing a hint of worry. The man extends a hand towards Mo Ran, and quite wary, he moves backwards, eyeing the man’s movements closely.

“It’s okay, little friend,” the kind stranger says. “Are you thirsty? Want some water?’

At that, Mo Ran perks up, tongue sticking out. This is his opportunity! With absolute resolution, he tries to channel his best impression of puppy eyes towards this man. He’s not sure of how it comes out, because he can’t quite control this new strange face, but it must’ve been enough for the man to chuckle and take out a water bottle. The kind stranger inclines the bottle to Mo Ran’s snout, who gladly drinks the water with a clumsy tongue.

“A-Si?” Another voice comes from behind the man. “What are you doing?”

“This little friend here was thirsty,” the man answers. The newcomer laughs and doesn’t ask for anything more. There’s really good people out there, huh?

Mo Ran drinks the entirety of the bottle’s content, ready to start walking again. With a gentle nuzzle on the man’s hand, Mo Ran tries to convey his thankfulness. The man —A-Si?— laughs, moving his hand to scratch at Mo Ran’s ears and oh shit, that feels so good!

With some more petting, the couple say their goodbyes and walk away. Mo Ran does the same, walking in the opposite direction.

At some point, his surroundings start to become familiar, and he feels relieved at finally being able to recognize the buildings and streets. It’s been a whole day of walking and running, and he’s starting to feel tired. Now, in a known space, he will search for some place to spend the night and leave the worries for tomorrow’s him.

Mo Ran’s legs halt in front of a building painted with pastel colors and a big sign that reads “Haitang Bakery.”

This is his business, one that he worked so hard to have, leaving his sweat, blood and tears to finally be able to open this small bakery in a cozy neighborhood. With Xue Meng’s insistent help, they both work hard every day; Mo Ran bakes since early in the morning and Xue Meng takes care of the counter. It’s a newfound pace Mo Ran has found comforting in the last year, and he finds himself immensely thankful for his cousin’s help.

Right now, though, Mo Ran looks at the closed doors and turned off lights, and can’t help but feel disappointment coil deep into his heart. All of his usual customers must have felt disappointed at being met with closed doors and no explanations. That’s probably all they’re going to find in the next couple of days, even weeks or months.

All because Mo Ran is now a shitty dog!

Lost in thought, Mo Ran fails to notice a person walk by him and stop right in front of the bakery. A quiet huff is what makes Mo Ran turn his gaze to the newcomer, finding a beautiful man dressed in a white cardigan and grey trousers.

All of Mo Ran’s concerns fly out of the window at the sight of this man, tail wagging rapidly, a bark rumbling on the back of his throat.

“Woof!”

The man startles, but the only sign of surprise are his slightly widened eyes when he turns to look at Mo Ran.

Chu Wanning, a frequent customer of his bakery, the person with the sweetest tooth Mo Ran has ever met. He’s a man of few words and plenty frowns. His focused expression as he looks at every dessert is the cutest one Mo Ran has seen in his entire life.

Chu Wanning is also the man Mo Ras has been having the biggest crush on in the past couple of months.

“Woof!” Mo Ran barks again, trying to get Chu Wanning’s attention.

Chu Wanning turns to look at him and Mo Ran can feel a smile bloom on his little silly dog face. For a moment, Chu Wanning’s hand seems to reach out, only to be withdrawn quickly. Mo Ran whines.

“Where did this dog come from?” Chu Wanning mutters, shaking his head with a small frown on his face. He gives Mo Ran a nod, as if to say goodbye, and starts to walk away.

What? Not even a headpat? Some nice words for him? Mo Ran doesn’t know what he was expecting, but it was definitely not this. He should have known not even a dog would be able to trespass the walls surrounding Chu Wanning.

A new thought appears in Mo Ran’s mind, unprompted but not unwelcome. If it isn’t Chu Wanning, then Mo Ran doesn’t want anyone else. Decided, he starts following the familiar flowery scent, now stronger on his canine nose.

Mo Ran knows this path, familiar with every building and street. Chu Wanning always visits the bakery early in the morning and late at night, almost at closing time. It was in one of those nights, when the night had fallen too quickly for Chu Wanning to arrive on time, that Mo Ran got a little closer to him. They didn’t talk much, because even if Mo Ran asked, Chu Wanning’s answers were short and his eyes looked wary. After Mo Ran finished packing a couple of desserts left from the day, they both walked out of the bakery building.

It’s a little secret Mo Ran has been keeping close to his heart, a little white lie he hopped no one would ever find out about. On that night, Mo Ran walked side by side with Chu Wanning, giving him quick glances, appreciating the beauty of the man under the bright moonlight. Mo Ran had lied, telling the man his house was in the same direction. Ever since then, when Chu Wanning got a little too late to the bakery, Mo Ran accompanied him home.

Mo Ran had already been interested in Chu Wanning who cared a little too much about his desserts and cookies, who seemed so cold and indifferent but enjoyed every bite of the sweet goods he bought. That night was like a blessing, an opportunity given by the world to get closer to Chu Wanning. He learned his name, the opinion the man had on some of his particular products and that he worked as both, a teacher and an engineer in the local university. Sometimes he got too busy and engrossed in his  work, he ended up getting off work late. They were little things that meant a lot to him, and like that, Mo Ran’s interest grew into a proper crush, wishing that someday he would be able to hold Chu Wanning close.

At this moment, Mo Ran follows Chu Wanning on his way home, small paws trailing behind big strides. Without a warning, Chu Wanning stops on his tracks, making Mo Ran almost crash into his legs.

“Don’t follow me,” he says, clearly expecting no answer. With an exasperated huff, he turns arounds and resumes his walk.

As if that would be enough to stop Mo Ran when he’s so resolute to follow Chu Wanning!

The second time Chu Wanning stops, Mo Ran turns to look at him, tilting his head to the side in a confused motion when he sternly voices a “stay”, one of his fingers pointing to the ground. It feels good to be able to do the dumb dog act at this moment.

And again, Mo Ran follows Chu Wanning, feeling his tail wag happily as he walks.

For the rest of the walk, Chu Wanning doesn’t stop until they arrive at an apartment complex. Mo Ran looks at the building and recognizes it, knowing this is where Chu Wanning lives.

Turning to look at him, Chu Wanning’s frown deepens on his pretty face. He tries to shoo him away, although not with the same pointy glare he did previously. “Go, go.”

Mo Ran whines, tail stopping and ears dropping. From where he stands, Mo Ran tries to channel the saddest puppy eyes he can. Chu Wanning’s face twitches, and Mo Ran feels like he could fly with the new knowledge that Chu Wanning is weak to dogs and their puppy faces. Mo Ran continues looking at him.

With a long sigh, Chu Wanning shakes his head and turns to walk towards the building. He doesn’t say anything, so Mo Ran ventures to follow him for the last time. If Chu Wanning tries to shoo him again, then Mo Ran will give up and go back to sleep by his bakery, hoping to meet Xue Meng and bite him in the ass.

Instead, when they cross the building’s door, the security guard turns to look at Mo Ran and smile at Chu Wanning. “Ah, Chu-xiansheng, you’ve gotten a dog!”

Chu Wanning answers with a noncommittal hum. Mo Ran’s ears perk up at that, tail wagging with even more intensity than before. They get into the elevator together, quietly waiting for it to go up to Chu Wanning’s floor. When they walk out of the elevator, Chu Wanning walks towards an apartment door and unlocks it, but holds it closed. Mo Ran makes a little noise, turning to look at Chu Wanning, who looks back at him with a conflicted expression.

“You…” he trails off, finally giving up with a sigh. “Go inside.”

The door opens and Mo Ran walks inside with hidden enthusiasm. Chu Wanning’s place! He has never been invited inside before, and he understands. But today, today he’s stopping inside Chu Wanning’s private space, feeling a little guilty at the unintentional intruding he’s doing.

He’s shaken out of his thoughts at the sight that greets him. The apartment looks like everything was turned upside down, clothes are covering the floor, scattered along books, papers, plates and—are those screws and a fucking drill?

Mo Ran stays frozen in place. Chu Wanning walks right by him, turning to glare at the unmoving dog. “Why are you staying there, come inside.”

It’s a little funny and very endearing the way he talks to Mo Ran who, well, is a dog. His words hold none of the baby talk and endearment people used to talk to their pets. The thought of Chu Wanning using baby talk for Mo Ran was enough to cause a rush of emotions on Mo Ran’s tiny brain. That thought needed to be stopped before he would end up howling to the world.

However, that didn’t stop him from being a little offended. Wasn’t he a cute dog? Chu Wanning hasn’t even patted him once!

Mo Ran walks into the apartment, trying to not step into anything of the mess, but of course, having four legs makes it a lot harder. The apartment is truly a mess, there’s no other way to explain it. Mo Ran stops in a place where he can stand without stepping in anything and doesn’t dare to walk further.

Chu Wanning seems to notice the dog’s reluctance to move while looking at the place. Clearing his throat, he begins to pick some of his clothes and papers, walking inside one of the rooms and kicking to the side the things he finds on the way.

Mo Ran, taking a little pity of the man’s efforts, decides to help him, taking clothes into his snout and piling them on the now visible couch.

Chu Wanning comes back not much later, looking impressed at how Mo Ran has managed to leave the clothes in a pile on the couch, making the place look a lot more clear. For a moment, his eyes are wide open and in the next, he scoffs. Mo Ran didn’t expect that reaction at all, but he guesses it’s not that bad.

Maybe he would do better with a praise, but deep down Mo Ran knows he would first go back to his human self and hearing a praise come out of Chu Wanning’s mouth.

With a cleaner apartment, Chu Wanning sits down on the couch, looking at Mo Ran for long minutes. Mo Ran barks a couple of times, then whines when Chu Wanning doesn’t move from his pensive position. Carefully and checking the responses, Mo Ran approaches Chu Wanning and lies next to his feet.

Chu Wanning continues looking at him, and with a small nod of his head, he says, “You’ll be only staying here for a couple of days.”

Mo Ran looks back at him, trying to convey his absolute denial at such words.

“I’ll find your owners and you’ll go back to them.”

Yeah, Mo Ran thinks with too much annoying smugness, good luck with that.

—

Mo Ran does not, in fact, stay in Chu Wanning’s apartment for just a couple of days.

The same evening he first got into the apartment, Chu Wanning posts a blurry picture of Mo Ran in a lost pets forum he found. The post has multiple responses the next day, but none of them claiming to be the owner of said dog.

“What a handsome dog,” one of them reads and Mo Ran feels proud. Of course he’s handsome even as a dog!

“If he has no owner, then I’ll be happy to adopt him!” Another one says, much to Mo Ran’s dread

The days go by, and no one seems to really recognize Mo Ran as their dog. Chu Wanning sighs after a final look at his post, giving up in trying to push Mo Ran’s snout which was obstructing a part of the laptop’s screen. “Do you really have no owner?”

“Woof.”

And so Chu Wanning makes an appointment with the nearest vet for the next weekend, trying to see if Mo Ran had a tracking device or something that may help to return him home. The vet’s examination is a little too uncomfortable, with too much groping and rough touching everywhere.

“Are you planning to keep him?” the vet asks Chu Wanning after the examination, petting Mo Ran’s head with a softer touch.

A couple of seconds pass, in which Mo Ran grows incredibly worried that Chu Wanning will really end up leaving him here; if he does, then Mo Ran has no option but to stay. Much to his relief, thank the heavens, Chu Wanning gives a curt nod, asking the vet a couple of questions for dog care, each of his words very carefully chosen.

Mo Ran is glad to finally leave the vet’s place after he caught the words neutering leaving Chu Wanning’s mouth. No thank you! His balls will remain intact for as long as he remains a dog, or else he won’t hesitate to throw some bites.

After that, Chu Wanning makes sure to buy a couple of dog related things: bowls, toys and food, which has Mo Ran in a relationship of love-hate, but what can he do about it? Not eat it? After Chu Wanning bought it for him, carefully eyeing each brand and flavor and looking satisfied after finally deciding which one to choose? Not in a million years.

Now, finally, for the first time in a whole week, Chu Wanning places his hand in Mo Ran’s head, carefully petting the fur with the lightest touch, as if afraid of hurting the big dog if he dares to be more rough.

Elated, Mo Ran’s tail wags rapidly, head pressing against Chu Wanning’s hand in what he hopes is a reassurance. The meaning is conveyed when Chu Wanning starts to pet more comfortably, slow strokes that go from the top of his head to his back. Mo Ran can’t believe Chu Wanning went a whole week without petting him, because this right now, feels like heaven itself. With his tail wagging like a helicopter’s helix, Mo Ran could ascend to the skies.

He’s slowly being lulled to sleep, but everything flies out of the window the moment Mo Ran turns his head to look at Chu Wanning and sees the beginning of a smile appear on his lips, soft and carefully guarded, a sweet moment just for the two of them.

Mo Ran jumps abruptly, startling Chu Wanning when he lands on the couch, tongue sticking out to kiss —or rather, lick— his cheek. Chu Wanning seems surprised and snorts softly, patting Mo Ran’s back a couple of times before he stands and walks to the kitchen.

Mo Ran’s whole life is now completed and if the world were to be destroyed in that moment, he would gladly accept his fate. A loud howl leaves his snout, happy and excited, even as he watches Chu Wanning put a sad looking pre-made food into the microwave.

Nothing will take away Mo Ran’s. Not right now. The howling continues for the best part of half an hour.

—

Living with Chu Wanning has been an experience.

Mo Ran has learned that Chu Wanning is a little bit of a mess, always leaving things wherever, only reminding to pick them up when they start piling or worse, when Mo Ran stumbles into something, because Chu Wanning seems to have built resistance to somehow never step into anything.

So that’s why Mo Ran finds himself everyday dragging his dog’s body along the apartment while Chu Wanning is at work, trying to tidy things up and leave them where they should go. All the clothes are messily folded by his snout and clumsy paws, left on the wardrobes; the dishes are taken to the dishwasher, unable to wash them himself, so he waits for Chu Wanning to come home and to the kitchen until actually washes the dishes. 

That’s not the only time Mo Ran has to drag Chu Wanning by his clothes to do something. When the man is working at home, Mo Ran has to forcibly drag him out of his room and out of the couch to the kitchen, so the man eats something for the day. The first time Mo Ran noticed Chu Wanning had forgotten to eat something all day, he had to bark until Chu Wanning’s attention was focused on him.

He was truly a mess, and Mo Ran wonders how he has been able to live by himself for so many years!

Aside from that, Mo Ran has been enjoying the dog life. Chu Wanning has become more touchy with him, something completely unexpected but deeply appreciated. Every time he has the opportunity, Chu Wanning pets Mo Ran’s head, resting his hand on the thick fur on his back and lately, he has even been letting Mo Ran sleep on the bed and cuddle him.

What doesn’t make Mo Ran happy, though, is the amount of fur flying on the air with every breath he takes. Chu Wanning doesn’t seem to care much about it, of course, but it does annoy Mo Ran, so he also has to drag Chu Wanning into vacuuming the house.

Today, they’re going for an afternoon walk. Chu Wanning finished his work early and after feeding Mo Ran, he put on a red collar on his neck, always careful and pausing to make sure he’s not uncomfortable. Mo Ran had once caught him searching “how to take care of a dog” on the internet and left him terribly endeared, aware of how much Chu Wanning cared for doing things right.

Chu Wanning has been taking Mo Ran out on walks, mostly around the apartment complex without going too far, but today, they walk farther, to the more familiar streets Mo Ran knows perfectly well.

It’s quite surprising when they stop right in front of Mo Ran’s bakery. Confused, he looks back to Chu Wanning, who has a deep frown on his face as he looks at the building.

Ah, did he want some pastries? Mo Ran can’t help but feel guilty and a little sad. Chu Wanning seemed to genuinely love sweets, and in the past couple of weeks, Mo Ran hasn’t seen him eat a single one of them. Was he waiting for his bakery to be open? Does he visit, every day, like he used to?

Did he… did he miss Mo Ran?

The thought is a little funny, but Mo Ran’s heart deeply aches for it.

“Chu-xiansheng?” A familiar voice comes, startling both of them.

Mo Ran whips around, ears twitching at how familiar the voice is, a voice he has and hasn’t missed.

“Xue Meng,” Chu Wanning nods as a greeting, watching Mo Ran walk out of the bakery building and lock the door behind him. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been well,” Xue Meng answers, voice devoid of his usual emotion. “I apologize for the sudden closing of the bakery in the past weeks, you’ve been a dear customer of ours and we didn’t even give a prior notice!”

Mo Ran turns to look at Chu Wanning, noticing the way his ears turn a little pink. “Don’t worry about that, has...” He clears his throat, turning to look at Mo Ran.

“Yes?”

“No, it’s nothing.” Chu Wanning ends up shaking his head, falling quiet as he continues looking at Mo Ran.

Xue Meng seems to follow his gaze, because his next words are more cheerful, “Ah, I didn’t know you had a dog!”

Mo Ran can’t help the bitterness that blooms in his heart. You fucking idiot! It’s your fault he now has a dog!

“What’s his name?”

Chu Wanning blinks a couple of times. “He doesn’t have a name.”

“What?” Xue Meng turns to look at Chu Wanning.

“I didn’t think of naming him.”

“Chu-xiansheng! You should!” Xue Meng insists, unaware of the glare Chu Wanning throws at him. “What about Feirou? Or maybe Jiaozi? He’s very big and kinda round?”

God fucking dammit Xue Meng! 

Chu Wanning doesn’t move a single muscle, but Mo Ran can catch the disapproval in his eyes and he can't agree more with him.

“Oh! What do you think about Tangguo or Tiandian?” Xue Meng says with a smile.

“I’ll think about it,” Chu Wanning says with a pensive look on his face, much to Mo Ran’s disapproval. Ah, why are all of them food names?

Steps approach and Mo Ran feels even more resentful. A growl escapes from his throat, in menacing and warning, but Xue Meng doesn’t look in the least bothered, crouching down to hold his hand out, reaching towards Mo Ran’s head.

Not on his fucking watch. This ‘I’m gonna make out with a blondie man while my cousin is worrying about me’ asshole won’t touch a single fur on his canine body.

Before anyone can react, Mo Ran moves his head, opening his mouth to chomp down on Xue Meng’s hand, hard enough to give him a scare but gently enough so he doesn’t get hurt.

It works perfectly, because Xue Meng is yelping loudly and throwing himself back, falling into his ass with a betrayed expression.

“Hey!” Chu Wanning yells, walking towards Mo Ran as he tries to push him further away from Xue Meng. Mo Ran gives him the look, ears dropping, the very picture of a sad foolish dog. “I’m sorry, Xue Meng, he isn’t usually like this.”

He then turns to look and glare at Mo Ran, who pitifully whines. It was a joke! A tiny, little silly joke! Xue Meng doesn’t have a single scratch.

“No, Chu-xiansheng, don’t worry!” Xue Meng shakes his head. “It was my mistake to approach so suddenly,” he says, but the nasty glare he throws at Mo Ran proves that his pride isn’t all that fine. 

Xue Meng stands up, dusting his pants and hands with flushed cheeks and clears his throat awkwardly. Looking at the bakery’s closed doors, he tries to change the topic.

“That’s right, Chu-xiansheng, I wanted to ask…”

“Mn?”

“Have you seen Mo Ran recently?” Xue Meng asks nonchalantly, but Mo Ran catches the hint of hesitation.

“I—I have not.” Chu Wanning blinks once, eyebrows furrowing. “May I ask why?”

“Ah,” Xue Meng’s tsks loudly, shaking his head. “That useless dog has been gone for a while and I can’t get a hold of him. That fucking idiot, making me worry and all!”

Excuse me?! Useless dog? Well, he’s now one, all thanks to you!

Chu Wanning’s frown deepens. “Have you called the authorities?”

“No, no,” Xue Meng waves his heads rapidly. “I want to give him the benefit of the doubt before telling anyone.”

Chu Wanning insists. “Help must be requested quickly in these situations.”

“Yeah,” Xue Meng lowers his head, voice small. “You’re right. He’s not the kind of person who does this.”

Even with the bitterness and indignation Mo Ran feels, guilt overtakes every single of them. He truly never meant to disappear without notice. It was well known how much Mo Ran loved his bakery and how hard he worked for it; he would have never left his business unattended unless completely necessary. But this, becoming a dog, was completely unexpected. Never in his life Mo Ran thought he would end up turning into a dog after waking up on the streets.

Quite reluctantly, but very guilty, Mo Ran approaches Xue Meng and starts rubbing his head on his cousin’s legs.

Xue Meng pets him, scratching the back of his ears with a sad smile. With a final pet, he says quick goodbyes to Chu Wanning and promises to open again as soon as possible. Chu Wanning nods and wishes him well.

Soon, they too start walking home in silence. There are too many thoughts in their minds to focus on something else. When they reach home, Chu Wanning’s thoughtful expression stays for the rest of the night, distraction clear when he ends up knocking down some things on his way to the kitchen.

Lying down on bed, Chu Wanning absentmindedly strokes Mo Ran’s fur as they fall asleep, muttering something Mo Ran isn’t able to understand as he falls asleep.

—

It’s been a whole month since Mo Ran became a dog.

Since then, Chu Wanning had once tried to call him by the names Xue Meng had proposed, testing every single one of them. Mo Ran whined and howled whenever Chu Wanning called him, even going as far as ignoring him. It pained him, because Chu Wanning looked rejected every time and it broke Mo Ran’s heart, but he really didn’t like any of those names!

To be quite honest, he’s surprised at how fast he got used to the life of a canine. It had its complications, but he learned quickly and was able to perform as a dog perfectly. He appreciates the opportunity given by the gods for spending his dog time with Chu Wanning, in a way his human self would have never been able to. Mo Ran has learned much about him and has come to appreciate and love everything about the man.

But he really missed his life as a human. He misses walking on two legs, being able to appreciate a larger color range and baking every morning, watching the happy smiles of the customers as they looked at his creations.

And every day he wishes he could go back to being a human, so that he can hold Chu Wanning between his arms, cooking for him on those nights he’s too busy with work he forgets to take care of himself. What wouldn’t Mo Ran do for Chu Wanning? He has come to imagine a domestic life between the two of them, relishing in a faraway fantasy he’s sure he shouldn’t be imagining.

It’s even more endearing when Chu Wanning starts talking to Mo Ran, talking about his job and some projects he’s planning to start working on soon. Sometimes, he even tries to ask if he should try his hand at baking, to which Mo Ran answers with an alarmed sound that ends up deflecting Chu Wanning’s motivation.

One of those nights, when Chu Wanning and Mo Ran lie side to side on the bed, Chu Wanning has his laptop propped on his legs and Mo Ran rests his snout on his shoulder. With a sigh, Chu Wanning closes the laptop and stares at the wall for a couple of seconds.

“Is Mo Ran okay?”

Hearing his own name startles Mo Ran, sitting down on the bed as he looks at Chu Wanning. Did he hear right? Did Chu Wanning really just ask for him? Mo Ran barks softly.

“The bakery is still closed,” Chu Wanning says, turning to look at Mo Ran, holding a hand out to rest it between his ears. “And I haven’t seen Xue Meng since that time.”

Chu Wanning’s expression is one Mo Ran had never seen in the time he accompanied Chu Wanning home, nor in his month living with him. His eyebrows are furrowed in concern, eyes holding an emotion Mo Ran can’t and doesn’t want to think about, because Chu Wanning is talking about him while looking like that, and it’s a little too much for Mo Ran’s tiny brain.

Chu Wanning sighs, continuing to absentmindedly pet Mo Ran’s head.

“Do you think they will come back soon?’ he asks, quietly, like he’s afraid anyone else would hear his words. “Mo Ran I…"

Silence. Mo Ran waits eagerly, but after a while, Chu Wanning doesn't look like he's going to continue. Mo Ran holds back a whine.

"I miss him,” Chu Wanning concludes after a long silence, a whisper into the quiet room, a secret for no one to hear.

All of Mo Ran’s senses malfunction at the quiet confession. Those three words and his name on Chu Wanning’s lips were everything Mo Ran has ever wanted, and even more. Warm fills his heart, tail wagging incessantly as his words repeat again and again on his small dog brain.

Chu Wanning missed him? Chu Wanning missed him!

The joy was short, because out of nowhere, Mo Ran is spiraling down to somewhere, he isn’t sure where. He barely catches the sound of Chu Wanning worriedly calling for him as his vision whitens, his head spins and he feels nothing but the sensation that something is happening, and he doesn’t know what.

At one moment, Mo Ran is sitting on the bed as a dog, and at the other, he’s opening his eyes, light too bright for his pulsating temples. Mo Ran groans and—

Wait.

That’s not a dog groan, but a painfully dry and low groan of… a human?!

Mo Ran shoots up from where he’s lying down, uncaring of the annoying light piercing his eyes and giving him a headache. The looks down, moving his hands and arms and legs, they’re all there, in the place they should be. Mo Ran pats down his body, feeling from his face —which has eyes, nose and mouth, and most importantly, his very human ears—, down his torso and legs.

A very relieved sigh leaves his lips. Mo Ran has to breathe deeply a couple of times, because he’s really close to start sobbing right there and then.

It’s then, at that moment, when he remembers where is and who is with him. Mo Ran’s body freezes, his head slowly turning to the side.

Chu Wanning stands right next to the bed, holding his laptop in a threatening motion, ready to strike at any moment. His eyes are wide, mouth hanging open as he looks at Mo Ran with clear incredulity and confusion on his face.

“Mo Ran?!”

Mo Ran flinches, clearing his throat before muttering a raspy, “Haha, hi?”

He watches as Chu Wanning’s gaze travels down his body, eyes widening as they land somewhere down Mo Ran’s waist. His face reddens, sputtering half-worded sentences, moving quickly to grab a pillow and throw it at Mo Ran’s face without looking at him.

“Cover yourself!”

“Sorry, sorry. I will!”

Mo Ran covers his lower body with the pillow, eyes never leaving Chu Wanning’s face, who is cutely flushed all the way down his neck, still refusing to look at Mo Ran.

“Why— why are you here?” Chu Wanning asks after a minute of silence. “Where is the dog?”

“Oh, yes, uh funny story,” Mo Ran laughs awkwardly. “I was the dog?”

Chu Wanning breathes in, deep and slow, but doesn’t say anything, so Mo Ran continues.

“A month ago I went to a club to search for Xue Meng at night, and the next morning I woke up as a dog.”

Now, Chu Wanning seems to have forgotten about his embarrassment and turns to look at Mo Ran, frown prominent on his face.

“So,” he starts, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re saying you were a dog? All along?”

“Yes?”

Chu Wanning inhales sharply. “And you were conscious the whole time?”

“Oh, uh… yes?”

Chu Wanning’s face pales at that. Now, Mo Ran feels really bad.

“I’m so sorry, Chu-xiansheng,” Mo Ran says, gaze fixed on the messy sheets. “I didn’t mean to intrude into your personal space. I have no justification for staying here for so long. I’m sorry for taking advantage of your kindness, I—I should get going.”

“Where are you going while naked!”

Ah, Mo Ran had forgotten about that. He looks down to his bare chest and bare legs and his cheeks heat a little. Great, he was now baring his heart to the love of his life while sitting naked on his bed? The world truly hates him.

Chu Wanning shakes his head, walking to one of his wardrobes. Mo Ran keeps his gaze fixed on the bed, too embarrassed to look anywhere else. He had no right to do so, too.

“Here,” Chu Wanning gives him a plain white shirt and a pair of sweatpants. “Put these on, I’ll go outside.”

“Thank you.”

And with that, Chu Wanning leaves the room. As soon as the door clicks shut, Mo Ran buries his face on his hands. Gods, Chu Wanning will truly hate him for the rest of their lives. He will never visit the bakery again and will forever have the image of “stalker Mo Ran who spent a whole month living under his roof” engrained on his mind. He should have just stayed as a stray for the whole month. And why change right in that moment? At least the whole thing could’ve happened while Chu Wanning was at work!

Putting the shirt and sweatpants on, they’re way too tight on him, shirt stretching on his chest, feeling that if he moves, it’ll rip open and well… his dick is also hanging in the open with just the tight sweatpants on.

He stays sitting on the bed for a couple of minutes, contemplating what his life has become in the past half an hour. If Chu Wanning decided to cut all contact with Mo Ran, well, he will maybe cry for a couple of days. But it’s fine, he can deal with crying. What he can’t deal with is the knowledge of owing Chu Wanning for letting him stay in his home for a whole month —even if he didn’t know it was Mo Ran—, buying him everything he needed as a dog. He will pay Chu Wanning back all the money spent on him and even more.

Resolute to talk with him about this deal, Mo Ran walks out of the room, searching around and finding Chu Wanning sitting on the couch, gaze lost somewhere between the front wall and the floor.

“Chu-xiansheng,” Mo Ran says, pretending to ignore the small jump Chu Wanning gives at the sound of his voice. It’s fine. “Again, I’m sorry for all the trouble, I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me after this, but please, let me repay you for everything.”

Mo Ran’s eyes are fixed on the floor, unable to look at Chu Wanning’s face.

“No need,” Chu Wanning answers, and Mo Ran’s neck creaks from lifting his head too fast.

“What? No! It’s the least I can do for everything I’ve caused!”

“And I said, no need,” Chu Wanning answers, eyes leaving no room for objection.

“But,” Mo Ran starts, not knowing how to convince this stubborn man. Dejected, he lowers his head, sighing with a sad smile on his lips. “Chu-xiansheng, ah, you’re too good for people who don't deserve it.”

Chu Wanning humphs. “Who says they don’t deserve it?”

Mo Ran blinks a couple of times. “Me?”

“Then you’re mistaken.”

Those are Chu Wanning’s final words, refusing to talk more about it and telling Mo Ran to go home, because his family must be very worried about him.

And shit, he’s right, but at that moment, Mo Ran only wants to think about Chu Wanning and his beautiful face and his kind words.

Later, Mo Ran will leave Chu Wanning’s apartment with a quiet “see you soon”, to which Chu Wanning will answer with a hum and a sharp nod.

Later, Mo Ran will call Xue Meng, and his cousin will cry on the phone, running towards Mo Ran’s apartment and throwing punches directly into Mo Ran’s gut as soon as he opens the door.

“You shitty dog, where the fuck have you been? I thought you were dead.”

It will take a lot of reassurance that he’s fine and awkward hugs for Xue Meng to calm down, then Mo Ran will blame him for all his misfortunes and explain how he ended up as a dog the day he searched for him at the club. Xue Meng won’t believe him and he’ll get mad at Mo Ran for trying to hide what he had been doing in the month he disappeared, and well, it won’t be Mo Ran’s business if Xue Meng doesn’t believe him.

A week later, they will open the bakery again and Chu Wanning will come at night, eyes lightening up as soon as the pastries he used to buy come into sight. He will eat them immediately, and Mo Ran will stop him before he leaves. They will walk like they used to, with a silence no one will dare to break. But then Mo Ran will gain courage and start talking about the month they lived together. They will settle things down, and Mo Ran will learn that the only thing that bothers Chu Wanning out of the whole thing was that he saw and heard every embarrassing part about the man. Mo Ran will laugh, endeared at Chu Wanning’s pretty flush, and tell him that it was the best month of his life.

A month later, Mo Ran will ask Chu Wanning out. He will get a surprised look and he will have to assure Chu Wanning that he had liked him before the dog incident, as they had started calling it. Mo Ran will say that the incident only helped him love Chu Wanning even more. Chu Wanning won’t give him a verbal answer, but Mo Ran will ask for permission to kiss him and Chu Wanning will close his eyes, cheeks burning as he waits for Mo Ran to do it.

Mo Ran will kiss Chu Wanning, will hold him close, inhaling the sweet scent on his neck and will sink in the warm embrace Chu Wanning returns.

Much, much later, after months of dating, Mo Ran will confess how much he missed being petted by Chu Wanning, to which he will get an angry response, but at night, as they lay in bed together, Chu Wanning will start caressing Mo Ran’s hair, lightly grazing the outline of his jaw and cheekbone. Mo Ran will hug him by the waist and tell Chu Wanning how much he loves him. Chu Wanning will turn his back at Mo Ran, embarrassment coloring his ears, but Mo Ran knows the answer to his words.

The petting will become an usual occurrence from that day on, and both of them will remember the dog incident with humor and a trace of fondness.

But all of that is for later, at this moment, as Mo Ran leaves Chu Wanning’s apartment, he feels like things could possibly go better than his mind wants to believe.

—

(Mo Ran slumped on the bar, a pitiful moan leaving his lips. The bartender sighed, shaking his head as he called at Mo Ran, who continued with his complaints, barely paying attention to the man trying to send him home.

“He’s the prettiest man I’ve ever met,” he slurred, words barely comprehensible. “But he… he seems to have a wall surrounding him. I never know what he’s thinking, I don’t know if he even likes me? It’s so hard to understand him!”

Mo Ran stood upright again, only to chug down the rest of his drink.

“I want… I really want to understand him better,” Mo Ran bemoaned. ”But he will never let his guard down in front of me and I’ll have to live the rest of my life just looking at him until he grows tired of me.”

“Sir, please go home. I will call a cab for you.”

“No!” Mo Ran argued. “I don’t want to go! Please, good sir, help me. What should I do?”

“You should go home,” answered the tired bartender.

“No, not that!” Mo Ran chuckled. “What should I do to get to know him better? And for him to be sincere with me?”

“You should just wait until he warms up to you, sir.”

“Didn’t you hear me before? He will never do that!” Mo Ran cried out. “Ha, I really would take anything if it could help me.”

“Anything?”

“Yes, anything.”

The bartender smiled. Anything would be.)