Chapter 43 Mad Dog Hotel

My neck hurts a lot.

Lu Qi was woken up by something pressing against her neck; no matter which way she slept, she couldn't find a comfortable position for it.

Something cold and hard pressed against her neck, preventing her from lying down.

The mattress behind me dented, as if something heavy had pressed down on it.

The cool, damp breath landed on Lu Qi's face, followed by a slippery coolness that licked her face from her chin to her forehead, accompanied by heavy, rapid breathing.

Unable to fall asleep any longer, she suddenly opened her eyes.

"Good morning." What appeared before Lu Qi was not a monster, but a handsome and elegant young man with blond hair and fair skin.

He smiled at Lu Qi and kissed her temple. "Did you sleep well, my lovely little cake?"

Lu Qi stared at him blankly.

Her memories from before she fainted slowly returned, but she couldn't tell if they were a dream.

She remembered that when she got home she saw Lulu, and then... Lulu turned into Little Lulu.

No, how could that be? Not to mention that Lulu has been dead for many years, and besides, how could a dog turn into a person?

She's been so neurotic this winter.

Just as Lu Qi was thinking this, he suddenly heard the cold sound of metal scraping together.

She looked down and saw the metal dog chain around her neck.

"Do you like it?" Lulu noticed her gaze and proudly boasted, "I should have bought an XXL, but your skin is so delicate, so I specially chose a size smaller. This chain is suitable for people weighing 30-40KG, and it looks really beautiful on you."

Lu Qi wondered if he was still dreaming.

What did she hear?

"I don't quite understand what you mean." She tried to remain calm. "And...where is this? Xiao Lu, how did we end up in a hotel?"

Could it be that she's playing some exciting game with Xiao Lu? No, no, Lu Qi believes in herself. She never drinks, and even if she were drunk, she wouldn't do such a thing.

They've only been dating for a month, that's too fast.

Lulu blinked, and after a moment, she smiled innocently. "By the way, you've lost all your memories of the ghost stories."

Lu Qi was increasingly confused. "What kind of ghost story?"

“It’s nothing important. The important thing is that you’re back.” Lulu cupped her face, rubbed the teeth marks on her ear, and gently and patiently warned her, “Luqi, this is our home. You must be obedient and never run away alone. I will be very worried.”

"Wait a minute, Xiao Lu, I still don't quite understand." Lu Qi pushed him away, feeling that his words were a bit offensive. "What's wrong with you? What happened?"

"You ran away from home, and I came out to find you." Lulu was in a great mood. "It took me a lot of time to break free from the rules, but thankfully, I finally found you. Lu Qi, you really can't run away anymore, okay?"

"What are you talking about?" Still confused, Lu Qi was anxious and restless.

She reached behind her neck and tried to remove the heavy chain. "Xiao Lu, we need to get back quickly. We have our shift early tomorrow morning."

She found the latch, but strangely, she couldn't open the switch no matter how hard she tried.

Lu Qi, refusing to believe it, turned the collar around.

The latch is very simple, but it seems to be welded shut, and I can't pry it open at all.

"Are you feeling a little uncomfortable?" Lulu gently held her hand as she unlocked the collar, smiling. "I understand. It's a little uncomfortable to wear a collar at first. You'll get used to it soon."

Lu Qi finally realized something was wrong. He wasn't joking with her.

She pursed her lips, glancing hesitantly at Lulu, "Why do I have to wear a collar?"

"Hmm?" The young man looked slightly surprised, as if he didn't understand why Lu Qi would ask such a self-evident question.

"Don't you like this style?" he asked.

Before Lu Qi could answer, he nodded in sudden realization, "Right, you've always liked delicate fabric necklaces."

“Those collars are cute, but they’re not durable.” He lowered his head and licked the red marks on Lu Qi’s neck from the chain. “Good boy, your size can handle metal collars.”

"What exactly do you want!" Lu Qi was a little annoyed and shoved Lulu's head away. "A collar, a collar! Only dogs wear collars! Did I offend you? Why are you playing this kind of joke on me!"

Despite being pushed away forcefully, Lulu was not angry; instead, her dark eyes shone with an unusual light.

“You’re right, dogs need collars.” He swallowed hard, pulling down his high collar to reveal a dark red velvet choker.

"All dogs crave collars, but only lowly, disorderly stray dogs pretend to be high-minded and scoff at collars."

He gazed at her tenderly, "Lu Qi, I will do my best to give you the best of everything. Are you angry? You can hit me, you can vent your anger on me, I'm happy to bear any of your emotions."

Lu Qi was speechless.

Xiao Lu's words and expressions were so absurd that she was too shocked to be angry.

Suddenly, the image of the golden retriever at the entrance of her rented apartment popped into her mind.

Perhaps, it wasn't a dream.

A bold hypothesis emerged—

"Lulu?" Lu Qi asked tentatively, "You are...Lulu?"

Lulu smiled and said, "Yes, Lu Qi, that's me."

"Impossible!" Lu Qi exclaimed in astonishment. "How could such a thing happen... Are you kidding me again?!"

Lulu offered no explanation. Thick foam billowed from his body, and in an instant, a magnificent golden retriever appeared before Lu Qi in place of the young man.

Lu Qi was stunned.

She did indeed notice many similarities between Xiao Lu and Lulu, and it was precisely because of these similarities that she became infatuated with him and started dating him.

But she never imagined that Xiao Lu was Lulu.

A person is a dog? Or her dog that died years ago—how could that be!

What's even stranger is her mood.

Lu Qi missed Lulu every single day. When she saw it, when it returned to her, she felt little joy or excitement. Instead, she felt a strong sense of urgency, as if there was something important she had to do immediately.

A dull pain shot through her brain, and Lu Qi gasped for breath, pressing her temples as she fell back onto the bed.

Lulu was startled and immediately transformed back into human form, pulling Lu Qi into her arms.

"Lu Qi, Lu Qi, are you feeling unwell? Are you sick?"

"Ugh..." The dull pain grew stronger and stronger, and Lu Qi's vision blurred, letting out a few groans.

If the swallow were here, it would surely laugh loudly at Lulu.

Foolish dog, how can a mortal being of flesh and blood freely roam a place like this, a place of supernatural tales?

Repeatedly going in and out in a short period of time might cause a headache, but that's the least of your worries.

Fortunately, Lulu's creation of the ghost story was full of good intentions; if it had been a malicious ghost story, Lu Qi would have been an idiot long ago.

Unfortunately, the swallows will never return.

Because of the girl on the outskirts of the ghost stories, it had no choice but to give up this territory, no matter how unwilling it was.

Lulu anxiously watched over Lu Qi for three days in a row. Lu Qi was so ill that he was delirious and unable to sort out the chaotic situation.

The first night was the hardest; she was covered in cold sweat, feeling both hot and cold, and had a thick chain around her neck.

During the ordeal, someone pried open her mouth and fed her some porridge.

She opened her eyes groggily and met Lulu's anxious face.

"Can you eat?" he asked.

"It hurts..." Lu Qi weakly tugged at the collar around her neck, "No, not this."

Lulu held the bowl of porridge, remaining silent and offering no reply.

Lu Qi turned his head away, his brows furrowing in frustration.

"It hurts..." she murmured, her words broken and her voice hoarse with sobs, "...Mom."

"Lu Qi, Lu Qi." Lulu held her hand and pressed it against her face. "Lu Qi, you will be alright, Lu Qi."

Lu Qi had a splitting headache, so she shook off Lulu's hand, turned her back, and curled up.

In her hazy state, she vaguely heard Lulu's pleading whispers.

He was calling her name, his voice mournful and low, one call after another, as he nuzzled her body with his head.

Thinking that this was her own puppy, Lu Qi felt a little soft-hearted.

But she was in so much pain that she had no strength to speak, and she couldn't even move a finger, let alone comfort the sad puppy.

After an unknown amount of time, the wailing stopped.

A metallic scraping sound rang out, and then Lu Qi's neck felt light as his collar was removed.

The wrinkles between her brows eased a little, and she was able to fall into a deep sleep.

For three whole days, Lu Qi was rarely awake. She slept intermittently, having fragmented dreams.

In her dream, she saw Zhao Feipeng with the head of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Huang Zhenyi turned into a dog. On the third night, in her last bizarre dream, she experienced a belief she had never felt before.

This belief was hard to describe. When Lu Qi woke up, all that remained in her memory was the sticky, bitter taste of chocolate with a hint of fishy sweetness.

She lay on the bed, feeling lost and dejected, her back aching, with a man's arm draped over her abdomen.

The moment Lu Qi woke up, Lulu was startled awake.

He rubbed his nose against Lu Qi's nape, licked away the cold sweat from her forehead, and asked in a hoarse, dry voice, "Do you want something to eat, Lu Qi?"

Lu Qi lowered his eyes.

That's right, he is Lulu.

For animals, having an appetite is a sign that they are getting better. Lu Qi had heard this sentence many times over the past three days.

He was constantly checking her physical condition by observing her appetite.

During the three days of being in a semi-conscious state, Lu Qi not only confirmed Xiao Lu's identity but also realized that he had lost some memories.

She originally thought that Xiao Lu had kidnapped her to a hotel;

But given the supernatural event of a dog turning into a human, this is probably not an ordinary hotel.

When he first arrived here, he said to her, "You're back," "You really can't run around anymore," and it seems he also said, "You've lost all your memories of the ghost stories."

[Strange Tales]

He calls this place "ghost stories," is it the kind of fictional genre she understands?

It sounds like she escaped from here once, carrying Lulu away.

This is unreasonable.

There's no way she would abandon Lulu somewhere and walk away alone.

Unless, she is certain she will return.

Lu Qi firmly believed this. Even if Lulu were a ghost, a monster, or a demon, she would never abandon him and escape alone.

She would leave resolutely, unless there was an absolutely necessary reason, then she must have calculated that Lulu would definitely find her.

Another noteworthy point is that she left with Lulu on her back.

Lu Qi knew that it was best not to say goodbye to her pets when leaving the house, as it would aggravate their anxiety, but she failed to follow this rule well. In the past, she would always pet Lulu again before leaving the house.

Besides, he is a human being now and can communicate with her, so it's even less likely that she would leave without saying goodbye.

There's only one possibility that would lead her to leave without telling him:

Lulu wouldn't let her leave, but she had her reasons for having to go.

Lu Qi let Lulu sniff and lick her face. Her head was still a little dizzy, so she closed her eyes and slowly sorted out her thoughts.

First of all, Lulu is back, and this is a supernatural world—let's call it [Ghost Story].

Lulu's attitude towards her was relatively friendly, and she didn't seem to be seeking revenge.

She once carried him away from here.

What is the purpose of my departure?

What made her forget about Lulu?

One possibility is that she desperately needed to go out and do something, but unfortunately she seemed to have done nothing before being brought back.

Another possibility—being trapped in [ghost stories], her departure was simply a departure from herself.

The writing on her clothes was still blurry and illegible. She hadn't written a note or recorded it on her phone; instead, she had written it on the inside of her clothes, and the handwriting was quite bold. This proved that she had anticipated that she might lose her memory and that ordinary methods might not be able to convey the information.

Since she already knew she would lose her memory, there was no expectation that she could do anything in the outside world; her purpose in leaving was more likely the second one:

This proves that you can leave this [ghost story].

“Lu Qi…” A slightly aggrieved voice sounded from the side of her neck, and Lulu gently put her arm around her. “You’re feeling better.”

Lu Qi subconsciously hummed in agreement.

She responded to him, and Lulu immediately put her arm around her, her hand moving down from her arm to cover the back of her hand.

He pressed close to her from behind, his voice gentle and soft, with a clear hint of ingratiation, "Can we... talk?"

This is exactly what Lu Qi needs.

She had back pain from sleeping, so she propped herself up in bed to sit up.

Lulu followed her movements and got up, following Lu Qi's gaze.

Lu Qi felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and hesitated before saying, "Lulu, I..." The moment she uttered his name, Lulu radiated an astonishing joy.

She called his name; she was still willing to call his name, the name she had given him!

"I love you, Lu Qi!" He knelt before her, kissing and nibbling her cheeks with wild joy, confessing incoherently, "I love you, I'm here, I love you so much!"

"Wait, wait a minute..." Lu Qi was caught off guard and stunned by the kiss. She tried to push him away, but as soon as her hand touched Lulu, he excitedly took her finger into his mouth.

"Lulu!" Lu Qi exclaimed.

Lulu looked up at her, her eyes glistening with tears, her expression innocent and adorable, brimming with affection.

Those dark eyes were filled with Lu Qi. He had a cold and aloof appearance, and also had a pair of round, puppy-dog eyes.

Looking into those eyes, Lu Qi became even more certain of a suspicion she had been harboring. This suspicion, however, filled her with some unease.

Who else is here?

Lulu paused, lightly nibbling at her fingertip, then asked in surprise, "You remembered?"

What are you thinking about?

Following his tone, she gave an ambiguous reply: "Mmm."

“I know you might not be happy, but there’s nothing we can do about it,” Lulu said with a smile. “To leave here and find you, I need power.”

"Don't worry, I didn't hurt any women." Lulu relaxed completely after Lu Qi recovered. "I even kept a few men with me."

He gently bit Lu Qi's earlobe and whispered a warning: "But if you sneak out again, I won't be able to keep the people here, including Tian Miaoying."

"Miaoying?" Lu Qi opened her eyes. She was here too? Why? "How is she?"

Lulu tilted her head.

He stared at her expression for a moment, then smiled. "So you didn't remember. You lied to me, trying to trick me?"

Lu Qi's heart skipped a beat.

Too many surreal elements filled the place, and she wasn't sure what Lulu had become.

Fortunately, things weren't as bad as Lu Qi had imagined, and Lulu's smile was genuine.

"You fooled me." He rubbed Lu Qi's cheek, overjoyed. "Lu Qi, you're such a smart baby."

Lu Qi: "..."

Was it her imagination? Lulu seemed overly active and excited, almost neurotic.

He is not a particularly enthusiastic dog; he is always gentle, polite, and adheres to rules and boundaries.

Was it her departure that triggered him...?

Lu Qi frowned.

If Tian Miaoying and many others stayed in this place, she would understand why she was determined to leave at all costs.

She roughly sorted out the logic:

Lulu trapped a group of people, but she found a way to escape. To test whether this method was feasible, she used herself as a test subject.

The experiment was a success.

Since she anticipated that she would lose her memory, she would definitely have left a record of the experiment.

There are only two ways to record evidence: witness testimony and physical evidence.

We haven't seen any physical evidence yet, but since Miaoying is here, she must have given instructions to her only assistant before she left.

She had to see her immediately.

"Where is Miaoying?" Lu Qi ignored Lulu's coquettishness and said in a deep voice, "Let me see her."

“She’s fine,” Lulu said. “You don’t need to worry about her.”

Lu Qi stood up. "I want to confirm this myself!"

Lulu's eyelashes trembled.

He forced a smile, a folded piece of paper between two fingers. "You saw her because you wanted this?"

Lu Qi's pupils contracted slightly, and he lunged forward to grab it.

Lulu took two steps back and easily dodged.

He stood at the door and said in a good-natured tone, "Baby, I'm always willing to play with you, but you're not better yet."

"Give it to me." Lu Qi realized that she couldn't possibly outrun the hunting dog. She stood still and said seriously, word by word, "Give it to me, Lulu."

“No.” Lulu was no longer as willing to give up everything she owned as before. “If you take it, you will leave me again.”

“I won’t!” Lu Qi blurted out. “I’ve never abandoned you.”

After the words were spoken, neither of them said anything.

Lu Qi was speechless. She had no memory of it, but based on her deduction, she seemed to have just left with Lulu on her back.

“I’m sorry…” She wanted to explain something to Lulu, but Lulu had already laughed happily, “Of course, you have never abandoned me, and you will never abandon me, Lu Qi.”

Lu Qi was taken aback.

She soon realized that she was deceiving herself.

He refused to admit that she had abandoned him.

“Lulu…” She was in the wrong in this matter, so Lu Qi softened her tone, “Good dog, give me that piece of paper.”

Lulu shook her head.

He gripped the piece of paper with his fingers, and dark gray mist rose from between them.

In just a few breaths, he opened his five fingers again, and a few granular pieces of paper fell from his palm.

“Lu Qi, you don’t need to look inside,” he said, taking out the silver collar again. “Come here, baby, let me put it on you.”

Lu Qi's gaze followed the swirling paper dust down to the ground.

Lulu almost never destroys things at home; she has never experienced opening the door to find all the papers dragged out and chewed up by her dog.

Reason and his professional knowledge made Lu Qi realize that he shouldn't be angry. Lulu wasn't a bad person, and the reason for this situation wasn't him, but her.

But after being forced by him time and time again, and looking at the shredded paper on the ground, she still felt a surge of anger.

Normally, when she was trying to control her emotions, Lulu would nervously glance at her face, but now, he looked directly at her without any fear.

He no longer revered her.

Lu Qi looked at the metal collar in Lulu's hand, covered her neck, and said, "I don't want to wear it."

"Good girl, be good." Lulu coaxed her affectionately, "I know it's a little uncomfortable, but you'll get used to it soon."

Lu Qi's gaze darkened slightly, and a certain guess in her heart was finally confirmed; she was certain—

The power dynamic has shifted; he's now trying to dominate her.

This is not a change that will happen suddenly.

While a pet's sudden departure from home may make it nervous and insecure, it won't make the pet feel like it's the boss of the house.

Before losing his memory, he must have done something he shouldn't have, and not just once or twice, but repeatedly indulged Lulu, which made her think that his status was higher than hers.

“I don’t like your attitude,” Lu Qi stared at him. “Lulu, you are very disrespectful to me.”

She didn't know what had happened before, but it was clearly not a good thing and had to be stopped.

Lulu lowered her eyelids slightly.

That sniffing incident taught him how to deal with Lu Qi. He thought his tone and manner were already soft enough, but it seemed he was still too tough. He needed to be more pitiful.

"Disrespectful?" He pulled down his collar, revealing a striking dark red choker against his pale skin.

Lulu asked, confused, "Lu Qi, is this disrespectful?"

Lu Qi was speechless.

She couldn't explain this to Lulu.

If she said, "Because you're a dog, you have to wear it; I'm a human, I don't need to," that would be a blatant denigration of Lulu.

She couldn't deny that the collar represented dominance and was a symbol of power.

“Lulu, the human and dog bodies are different.” She could only explain to him from a different angle, “Human sleeping positions are not suitable for this kind of collar. If you must leave something on me to make you feel satisfied, you can give me a ring, a bracelet, or like this fabric collar that I gave you.”

Seeing that Lulu was still staring at her, Lu Qi clasped her hands together and said, "How about this? I'll collect some of your fur and make a collar out of it."

Her attitude completely changed.

Compared to her initial refusal to wear the collar, Lu Qi's tone softened. She not only compromised and agreed to wear the collar, but even offered other solutions.

Lulu became increasingly certain that Lu Qi responded better to gentle persuasion than force.

She obeyed, albeit only halfway, but it was a good start and deserves encouragement.

“Okay, I agree.” Lulu crushed the collar in front of her and ruffled Lu Qi’s hair. “Thank you, I’m very happy, Lu Qi.”

Lu Qi had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but she couldn't worry about the details right now; she was eager to see Tian Miaoying.

"Lulu, where is Miaoying? I want to see her."

"Are you hungry, Lu Qi?" Lulu didn't answer her question, but asked casually, "There are still two hours before curfew. Would you like to go to the restaurant for a late-night snack?"

Access control?

Lu Qi paused for a moment, then went along with him, "Okay. Could you help me pack some things to bring back? I'll wait for you here."

Upon hearing this, Lulu's smile faded.

He stared back at her intently. "Lu Qi, I won't be fooled by the same excuse twice."

Lu Qi choked for a moment, realizing that she had already used this trick before.

“However, you are indeed very weak,” Lulu said, looking her up and down. “I can carry you down.”

"Never mind then." Lu Qi walked past him. "I'm all sweaty, I need to take a shower first."

This time Lulu didn't stop him; he considerately made way for her, asking, "Do you need me to help you wash?"

"No, thank you."

After closing the bathroom door, Lu Qi stood silently in front of the sink.

Her complexion in the mirror was terrible, and there was a tooth mark on her left ear. She had no time to care about her appearance, using this time alone to clear her mind.

Her primary task was clear: she had to get the innocent victims out.

Lulu destroyed the note that recorded how to leave, and Tian Miaoying is nowhere to be seen for the time being.

How did Lulu end up with the paper she gave to Tian Miaoying?

Did she accidentally let the secret slip when she was instructing Tian Miaoying? Or is Lulu an "omniscient" being in this place, with nothing escaping her notice?

Regardless of how Lulu got her hands on the paper, it turned out the note had been destroyed.

Did I anticipate that Tian Miaoying would be discovered?

The surroundings were too quiet, so quiet it made one's heart race.

Lu Qi turned on the tap, and the sound of running water finally brought some life to the environment.

calm.

She took a deep breath and thought carefully, trying to figure out if there was anything she had overlooked.

Lu Qi started by sorting things out from the beginning.

If Lulu were "omniscient," then she couldn't possibly have run away with him on her back;

If Lulu wasn't omniscient, how did he determine that Tian Miaoying had a note he had left behind?

Tian Miaoying was one of her closest people. When Lulu discovered that Tian Miaoying had disappeared, she went to Tian Miaoying to ask if there was anything wrong.

Yes, my past self should have foreseen that Lulu would definitely go to find Miaoying after I disappeared.

In other words, she should have anticipated that there was a risk that the paper would be discovered if it were left with Miaoying.

This is a matter of life and death, so she should be more careful and not put all her eggs in a basket that she knows is leaky.

Writing on clothes and giving them to Miaoying are both risky; she should at least keep a backup.

Will it happen? Where will it be?

Lu Qi closed his eyes and put himself in Lu Qi's shoes.

She ran away against Lulu's wishes, prepared to be caught and brought back. So it was to be expected that Lulu would feel anxious and insecure after being separated from her.

In the short term, she will inevitably be unable to move freely and will be kept by Lulu's side.

So at least one backup will be kept with Lulu.

Lulu is a hunting dog, and hiding things under his nose is no easy task.

Lu Qi tapped the sink lightly. If she were to hide a piece of paper in front of Lulu right now, where would she hide it?

The order of a dog's sensory acuity is: first the nose, then the ears, and finally the eyes.

Her primary reason for hiding things was to avoid Lulu's sense of smell.

The gentle, steady sound of flowing water carried a damp, misty vapor.

Lu Qi opened his eyes, his thoughts gradually clearing.

She touched the faucet, then went to the shower room and disassembled the showerhead.

There's none in the water pipes.

She turned and looked around, searching for any place with water, and finally, her gaze settled on the toilet.

This is a pretty good choice, as it has her strong scent, which can mask the smell of her on the backup, and water, which can block the smell of the backup itself.

At the same time, as a ghost that doesn't need to excrete, Lulu won't frequently come into contact with this place.

Lu Qi stepped forward and gently lifted the lid of the toilet tank.

Inside the water tank filled with water, a sealed bag about the size of a palm sank to the bottom.

That was the sealed bag Lu Qi used to pack hygiene products when she was packing her luggage.

Now it contains a pebble, which rests steadily at the bottom of the box.

Lu Qi lifted it out; underneath the pebble was a small piece of paper folded four times.

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Author's note: [Two days and one night doesn't require much luggage. Lu Qi only brought a power bank, pajamas, and some personal hygiene items packed in a resealable bag.]

Veterinary medicine majors have a lot of fieldwork starting from the undergraduate level. Lu Qi always keeps a stack of resealable bags used in laboratories and hospitals at home. These are cheaper than ordinary resealable bags and have a stronger sealing effect. —Chapter 20

An extra chapter will be released tomorrow at noon!

I feel this segment could be placed on the parenting channel.

The title is: "How you treat your child is how your child will treat you" (×)