Chapter Text
"What is that."
"A dog, Shizun."
"I know what a dog is. I'm asking what it is doing here."
The dog, held securely in Ming Fan's arms, was a small thing. A puppy that obviously wasn't well fed, so it couldn't possibly belong to any seniors on the peak. Yet, it couldn't belong to anyone younger due to what Ming Fan could only assume was an unspoken 'no pets rule' on Qing Jing Peak as he has never seen anyone bring or request a pet to live with them. Though, maybe, no one has thought to try.
Ming Fan had gone to the woodshed to find the brat to take care of chores. Instead, he found a black ball of fur shivering in the dark and cramped area, the poor creature struggling to find warmth in dirty Qing Jing disciple clothing. Luo Binghe wasn't even nearby, nor sighted by any of the other disciples, if his Shidi was noticeable at all.
Telling Shen Qingqiu exactly this, Ming Fan studies his Shizun's expression. There isn't much to study, not really. Shizun is frequently scowling no matter the hour, and he does so now. Even when a hand painted fan is hiding the lower half of his face, Ming Fan can easily guess. He's glad Shizun's eyes aren't directed at him right now as well.
The man glares at the puppy with disgust, suspicion, and anger. None of which Ming Fan can begin to piece together as to why Shen Qingqiu feels so negative about a creature so small.
The poor pup probably understands the look, or it's still cold. The black bundle shaking, yet silent.
"I see." Snap , goes the fan when Shen Qingqiu closes it. "Take care of it." The man turns, walking deeper into the house, then out of sight.
A dismissal. Ming Fan takes it as he should with a quick, "Understood, Shizun." taking his exit back outside.
Unaware of the breath he holds up until there are several feet between him and the house, Ming Fan breaths out. The dog seems to sigh in relief as well, the shaking gradually coming to a stop, it's round body going limp.
If the tiny heartbeat felt under his hand were not there, he'd have thought just meeting Shizun had killed the creature. It would have been killed if Shizun's gaze could. Several would have long died under the gaze of Shizun, perhaps even Ming Fan himself.
"Da-shixiong!!"
Several except for one.
Gaze rising, Ming Fan watches Ning Yingying run up to him, waving her hand high in the air. "What did Shizun say?"
The dog, suddenly no longer limp, raises its head and gives a small, "Arrf!" its short tail smacking Ming Fan's chest as it wags quickly, and stubby paws pushing on the arms holding it. Those arms only tighten to keep the dog from jumping on Ning Yingying, who stops in front of Ming Fan, cooing at the dog instantly.
"Shizun told this one to take care of it."
"We can keep the dog then?"
"This one isn't sure yet, Xiao-shimei." Ming Fan watches his shimei pet the dog, the round thing reaching out with a small pick tongue to lick the girl's arm. Ning Yingying giggles, the simple sound plays like a soft tune in Ming Fan's ears. The giggle isn't directed at him, but he feels his face grow warm nonetheless.
"He already likes Xiao-shimei, so perhaps Shizun will let him stay as a pet eventually." A hopeful grin spread across Ning Yingying's face, infectious as a smile formed on Ming Fan's own. "First, this one has to take him to the dorms to warm up. Shimei can see him again later, okay?"
Ning Yingying removes her hand off the dog, both hands now finding their way to her hips. She gives him a stern look, questioning, "Da-shixiong promises? He won't hide the puppy, will he?"
The spoken puppy had stopped trying to reach for Ning Yingying by now, it's black eyes staring at the girl instead. It almost looks to be pleading to not be left behind.
Ming Fan nods. "I promise, shimei. He already likes you too, so this one will be quick to reunite you two."
Ning Yingying hums loudly in consideration, her stern gaze fading away, growing into a soft smile. "Okay!" She pats the dog once more, cooing, and speaking in a ridiculous voice, "I'll see you soon, puppy. Bite Da-shixiong for me if he takes too long."
"Arrf!"
Giggling, Ning Yingying takes a step back. "I'm going to look for A-Luo."
Before Ming Fan can say a word, the young girl runs off in the direction of the forested area. He just sighs in slight annoyance. Shimei shouldn't bother with that brat.
The dog whines, going limp again.
✩
The dog, having been wrapped up into a blanket to warm up, was left in the dorm for only half a shichen while Ming Fan rounded up a few disciples to go on a hunt for Luo Binghe.
Proving a fruitless effort, the group broke up with little disappointment. If Luo Binghe decided not to be found, so be it, it was none of their problems.
Except for Ming Fan's.
Forced to walk up the stars and past the bamboo that lead up to Shen Qingqiu's bamboo house, Ming Fan had stood in the home, his head held high as he announced, "Luo Binghe isn't anywhere on the peak to be found, Shizun." Shizun hated the brat, so even if Ming Fan could not find him, surely that would still be pleasing to hear. Finally, a nuisance was out of the way, even if only temporarily.
Shen Qingqiu did not spare him a glance, busy looking over a scroll of words. Ming Fan dares not squint to attempt reading what is written down on it, but he can tell from the deepened scowl on his shizun's face, that it is another nuisance for him.
Not a word is said out of Ming Fan's mouth, nor Shen Qingqiu. The silence expands for a minute, then two, then three and four. The head disciple is less sure that his shizun is pleased with the halved trouble on the peak each ticking second. Like a stick jabbing his side that he had previously thought to be nothing but a twig.
On the fifth minute, Shen Qingqiu clicks his tongue. "If you can't even look under your own nose, then get out."
Becoming a nuisance to Shizun himself, Ming Fan took the words as a dismissal, quickly leaving the house. Fists balled, nails pricking at his skin in shame at failing something that Shizun must have believed would be simple work for him.
When he makes it back to the dorm, his mind already begins forming up a story, his shame turned into annoyance at his missing shidi.
Pacing back and forth in his space, grumbling, "Luo Binghe, that brat, must have found the dog on the peak, only to leave it in that shed to suffer. Then he made a run for it." No one on Qing Jing Peak can find the younger boy, so perhaps he'd gone off into hiding on some other peak, or maybe even down the mountain.
The latter is less likely, Ming Fan knows this because Luo Binghe is nothing but weak. Weak in cultivation and weak in physical strength as far as he is concerned. It'd be more likely that Luo Binghe ran off, then had a tumble by tripping on a pebble, leading to him being stuck halfway down.
Luo Binghe wasn't found today, but he'll take care of the dog however.
Many of his other shidi and shimei have already seen the small dog on his way to the dorms, yet none took up responsibility to claim it as theirs, providing only coos and many attempts to pet the animal. The hallmasters are ruled out automatically, none would have left a dog to wander. Ming Fan halts his movements to gaze at the dog's face a little longer, he adds to himself that none would have left a dog to look so shaken and depressing in a dirty woodshed, or out in the open.
The dog stares at at Ming Fan with that depressing face, eyes big and black. Like two large pebbles that have lost some of their shine. Under the blanket, the black fur is still a little dirty due to Ming Fan not yet giving it a bath. The fur is fluffy however, making the dog look rather round with its short legs. After a bath, it may even be soft to the touch.
Searching for Luo Binghe already happened for today with no results. Now, the dog could become Ming Fan's main focus.
Nodding to himself as he hums, he speaks to the dog with certainty. "I'll name you Xiao Dan since you're so round."
The dog looks less depressed at that. Ming Fan can not tell if it's happy, but it does look cute. He says the name a few times, watching as the dog blinks at him slowly, a little judgmental.
Ming Fan provides Xiao Dan with a smile in return. "Since no one claims you, and Shizun said to care for you, you'll stay with me." Xiao Dan continues to stare from within his bundle of warmth. "We'll find that brat eventually too, and he'll regret leaving you in that shed. To think his brain was as weak as his cultivation to put a puppy in a place as bad as there."
"He'll be lucky to do anything else besides chores and however Shizun decides to punish him after we drag him back."
Xiao Dan's shaking returns, and he tries pushing himself further into the blanket.