Humans are worse than dogs

I wanted to walk the dog, but the dog wanted to graze Gu Wanlin. We couldn't just walk like this, so I squatted down and spoke to Cai Cai gently, "Go pee first, and after dinner we can go to your favorite place to play, okay?"

Cai Cai is clever; she tilted her head to look at me and nodded.

A short drive away, there's a lawn with few people, perfect for taking your dog to play frisbee. It's a hidden gem I discovered when Cai Cai stayed with me a few times before.

When I went out again, I took Gu Wanlin with me. Gu Wanlin initially refused, saying, "Why? I can't run with Cai Cai anyway, don't make her suffer." I told him not to worry about it, I had a plan.

Besides bringing Cai Cai's frisbee, I also brought water for the person and the dog. I pushed Gu Wanlin onto the lawn, shoved the frisbee into her hand, and said, "Throw it." Then I turned to Cai Cai and said, "Fetch it."

The edge of the frisbee was just right for Gu Wanlin to hang on his finger. Throwing a frisbee is such a great combined exercise for the arms, shoulders, and upper chest.

I got to walk the dog and get some exercise at the same time—killing two birds with one stone! I'm a genius.

Strange, it's already completely dark, and the lights here are dim. Even Cai Cai can only identify the frisbee by its own halo. I feel like I saw Gu Wanlin rolling his eyes at me.

Despite rolling her eyes, Gu Wanlin threw the frisbee with great enthusiasm. I know she especially loves small animals; we used to love forwarding pictures of cats and dogs to each other. She was afraid that if she threw it too close, Cai Cai wouldn't have enough fun. Several times, because she threw the frisbee too hard, she lost her balance and fell onto her own legs.

But she just smiled and struggled to sit up again, saying to Cai Cai, who was enthusiastically rubbing against her leg as she retrieved the frisbee, "Shall we do it again?"

Animals have a spirit; they can tell who treats them well. Cai Cai quickly took a liking to Gu Wanlin as well. Although she was panting heavily from exhaustion, she would grin at her, stick out her tongue, and rub against her legs with all her might. As she rubbed, she rubbed her foot until it fell off the pedal, her left shoe heel came off, and her instep slid to the ground. She didn't even notice and just laughed along with the silly dog.

I was annoyed and scolded, "You lousy dog, get out of the way." I pushed the dog away from Gu Wanlin's wheelchair.

I usually call Cai Cai that when she does something wrong, but now that Gu Wanlin likes her, she barks at me a few times out of spite, taking advantage of her master's power.

I knelt down to help Gu Wanlin move her ankles. She was wearing toe socks, the only kind she could wear since her injury. Without shoes, her ankles were like loose screws, her feet dangling loosely downwards, almost forming a straight line with her calves.

I helped her put her shoes back on and put the wheelchair footrests back on. She had been sitting for quite a while, and I could feel that her legs and feet were a bit swollen. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to get up on her own, so it was time to go home.

I glanced at my watch; it was getting late, and Gu Wanlin needed to go back and rest early. So I held up one finger at Cai Cai, who was panting heavily, and said, "This is the last time."

As it turned out, this last time almost led to an accident. When Cai Cai gets enthusiastic, she just likes to stand up and paw at me with her front paws. Seeing how much she likes Gu Wanlin, she only rubs her body against her legs. I never expected that she would run back to Gu Wanlin with a frisbee in her mouth, and then suddenly leap onto her wheelchair, step onto her legs, and rub her nose against Gu Wanlin's face.

Although the wheelchair had its handbrake engaged, Gu Wanlin's small frame was so light that if I hadn't reacted quickly and blocked it from behind, she would have been knocked down and thrown off the wheelchair.

I sternly scolded it, "Get down!"

Cai Cai also realized that she had done something wrong. She got out of the wheelchair and knelt down at Gu Wanlin's feet with her head down. She would occasionally look up at the two of us, her expression as if she was admitting her mistake and apologizing.

Gu Wanlin seemed quite happy, and tugged at my sleeve, "Alright, stop scolding it. It didn't mean to, it was just playing too excitedly, wasn't it, Cai Cai?"

Cai Cai let out a whimper, and surprisingly nodded, then came over and circled around me, nuzzling against me.

After returning home, fearing that Cai Cai might hurt Gu Wanlin again, I put its nest next to my bed, left it in the room, and then went to check on Gu Wanlin.

Sister Zhang had just helped her, wrapped in a bathrobe, into a wheelchair for showering and was about to push her to the bathroom.

Gu Wanlin disliked watching the caregiver manipulate her numb body. She usually felt at ease lying in bed, out of sight, out of mind. But taking a shower was different; she always felt uncomfortable. Therefore, she insisted on sitting down and showering herself first, asking the caregiver to wait outside. Only when she was absolutely unable to do it herself would she call the caregiver in to help.

I was worried that her limbs were cold and that she was afraid of the cold, so I asked her, "How about taking a bath today?"

Gu Wanlin shook his head. "Troublesome."

Without a word, I stopped her wheelchair in front of the bathtub. "What's the trouble with two people here? A soak will relax your body and mind, and maybe you'll sleep better later."

Actually, after she was injured, her parents renovated the entire bathroom and replaced the bathtub with one more suitable for her. Every time I come in and see all the meticulous care they've taken for her, I feel a little sad. Her parents still love her very much; it would have been better if they had expressed it more verbally back then.

Gu Wanlin's bathtub was clearly expensive. Unlike ordinary bathtubs, it had a door that could be opened outwards, and when closed, it sealed well, making it easy for her to get in. Inside, there were seats at both ends, with an open space in the middle, so she could sit and soak in the bath on either side, or place a cover in the middle and soak lying down like in a regular bathtub. There were air vents on all four sides, and it had multiple massage modes.

Even though the bathtub had a door on the side, saving her the trouble of stepping into the tub, Gu Wanlin still couldn't get in by herself. So, Sister Zhang had to stand outside, lift her up by the waist, and then hand her to me, who was standing in the bathtub. Actually, lifting Gu Wanlin by the waist was quite strenuous for one person. Although she was light, her right leg was missing in a high position, lacking a point of support, and her hips kept rolling outwards, making it difficult to hold her steadily. I was also afraid of twisting her hip joint, so when I took her, Sister Zhang had to reach out and support her.

I can understand why Sister Zhang always takes a shower when bathing her; Gu Wanlin isn't the type to proactively create problems for others.

Once I got her seated in the bathtub, things became much easier. I was about to take off her bathrobe and run the water, so I turned to signal Sister Zhang to come out.

"Can I stay here?" I really couldn't leave her alone. Taking a bath is not the same as taking a shower. She's 90% numb, and it would be dangerous if she slipped in the bathtub and choked on the water.

A self-deprecating smile appeared on her lips. "Anyway, you helped me change my clothes when I was in the hospital, and you've seen the ugliest parts of me. What's wrong with that?"

I nuzzled her hand. "Don't talk nonsense, it's not ugly at all. If you don't want me to look at it, I'll go out and call Sister Zhang in for you."

She sighed softly and said it was alright, that's fine.

Gu Wanlin and I used to shower together countless times, whether it was a shower or a bath. But back then, we were a couple, openly expressing our intimacy through physical closeness. What are we doing now? To the outside world, and to Gu Wanlin herself, I always said that I was worried she wouldn't be used to living with a caregiver, so I stayed with her for a while to help her adjust.

I certainly want to do everything I can to help her through this difficult time, but I will never secretly expect any form of reward just because of what I've done for her now. Although I do love her and hope never to be separated from her again, if one day she says she no longer needs me, that should be the time for me to leave.

When we broke up, I told her, "Gu Wanlin, although we've separated, it's not because we no longer love each other. We're definitely among the people who understand each other best and care about each other the most. If one day we need each other, we'll do everything we can for each other without hesitation, won't we?"

Gu Wanlin shook his head at that time and said that if we were to break up, it would be meaningless to say these things. Although we still love each other now, we will eventually enter into other intimate relationships. You will meet someone you understand better and care about more. At that time, what will we have to do for each other without hesitation?

I was speechless.

All I want to do right now is stay by her side. She seems to still need me for the time being. What does it matter if our identities are a little ambiguous? I just want her to get better quickly; that's more important than anything else.

She leaned against the back of the bathtub, her hands hooked around the armrests on both sides. I helped her take off her bathrobe. "Let's check your legs first. I'm worried because Cai Cai stepped on them. Let's check them."

Gu Wanlin sighed, "It's not that fragile. Cai Cai only weighs thirty or forty pounds. My leg won't break just because a dog stepped on it."

I feigned surprise and teased her, "Only thirty or forty pounds? Gu Wanlin, you're so arrogant. If you don't eat properly, even a dog will weigh more than you."

Upon inspection, I found several bruises on his leg from being stepped on, but his bones were fine. I'll have to teach that idiot a lesson when I get back to my room.

I filled the tub with water for her and turned on the bubble massage function. She sat there, and the water level was just up to her chest, near the sensitive area.

Gu Wanlin closed her eyes, lay back, and said in a muffled voice, "Actually, I didn't feel much when I soaked in the water. I didn't even know where I was sitting. I couldn't enjoy the bubble massage. I just felt like my upper body was floating on the water, and I was always worried that I was about to slip in and drown."

A bitter feeling welled up in my heart. I reached out and helped her tidy her hair. "I'll keep an eye on you and make sure you don't slip into the water. Since it's good for your health, let's soak in it a little longer."

Gu Wanlin kept her eyes closed and reached out to feel her body. "It's been a year, and I still can't get used to this feeling. My body is clearly my own, but it feels like someone else's when I touch it. Where did my body go?"

She stopped at her lower abdomen, where a thin layer of fat had accumulated, looking somewhat out of place on her bony body. She rubbed it with the back of her hand. "I've been very careful with my diet, and I've been wearing a corset all the time. My kneecaps are getting more and more prominent, but this is where my belly is piling up..."

I interrupted her, "Gu Wanlin, a person without fat on their stomach is dead. It's part of our female physiology that we need to grow fat here to protect our internal organs. You have it, and so do I."

She gave a wry smile, "Mine and yours are different."

I picked up the shower head hanging by the bathtub and washed her hair. "Nothing's different. I just think you're too thin. You really need to gain some weight."

Back in the room, I took the vegetables and stood in the corner. It knew it had done something wrong earlier, so it didn't resist and just stared at me pitifully.

I sat down cross-legged. "Sister Gu isn't feeling well. She likes you so much and treats you so well. You need to be sensible. Don't get carried away when you're excited. You're not allowed to pounce on her or step on her anymore, understand?"

Cai Cai also lay down, whimpering and acting coquettishly, resting her chin on my leg, and then licking my hand.

"I'll take that as you understood. There can't be a next time."

Before leaving home the next day, I specifically reminded Sister Zhang to keep an eye on the vegetables. I never expected to see this when I came home early from work that afternoon:

After being discharged from the hospital this time, Gu Wanlin was much more relaxed around me. Before, when she saw me at home, she would sit upright wearing her prosthetic leg, but now that she's not doing standing exercises, she doesn't wear it at home anymore. Since the heating was still on at home, she dressed more casually, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and loose gray knit sweatpants, with the right pant leg casually rolled up and placed on her wheelchair.

She held Cai Cai's snacks in her hand to amuse it, her eyes crinkling with a smile, making her appear exceptionally gentle. She patted the empty space on the right side of her wheelchair and smiled at Cai Cai, saying, "Come on, get on."

Cai Cai was quite sensible. This time, she quietly jumped onto her wheelchair, placing all four feet on the wheelchair seat, and nuzzled her face with her head, wanting to get close.

When Gu Wanlin saw me return, he laboriously wheeled his wheelchair, which weighed thirty or forty pounds heavier than usual, to greet me. "Why are you here so early today?"

I coldly cursed, "You piece of trash! Get down here!"

It made my stomach hurt with anger. Who does it think it is? How dare it sit there? I wanted to sit there too!

Humans are worse off than dogs.