Chapter 59
On the day Tang An and Chi Ying divorced, they brought back a Husky from the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Erha's fur is shiny and smooth, and his blue eyes are clear and bright, like two crystal gems in the sun.
Time goes back two hours.
The incident happened so suddenly that Tang An almost rushed out of the Civil Affairs Bureau and ran all the way to the nearest pet shop. He grabbed a leash and rushed back.
He gasped and pushed open the glass door. The counter clerk looked up and handed over the documents with a smile: "Mr. Tang, you can sign here. Mr. Chi's copy is also ready."
Tang An bent down, supported his knees with his hands, and his chest heaved violently.
He raised his hand and waved it, his voice intermittent: "For now, don't..."
The staff member was stunned for a moment, a little confused: "Ah? But didn't Mr. Chi already..."
Tang An took a few deep breaths, stood up straight, and said solemnly, "I'm really sorry, we won't leave each other for the time being." After saying this, he bowed slightly and said, "I'm very sorry to trouble you."
The staff member was obviously a little surprised, but soon regained his smile and said in a gentle tone: "It's okay, it's okay. This is very common. Many couples act on impulse. It's good that you can think it through. I wish you a long and happy life."
Hearing this, Tang An smiled bitterly: "Thank you."
He clasped his hands together and thanked her again, then turned and ran towards the end of the corridor.
The door of the last men's restroom was closed. Tang An raised his hand and knocked twice, lowering his voice: "It's me."
A few seconds later, the door lock clicked open, and a furry dog's head cautiously poked out from the crack in the door.
His blue eyes and erect ears actually showed a hint of guilt in his expression.
Tang An bent down and whispered to Erha, who was hiding behind the door, "Please bear with me, large dogs can't be on the road without a leash."
Erha narrowed his blue eyes and grunted in dissatisfaction: "Awoo..."
Tang An slapped the dog on the head without thinking.
Erha was stunned for a moment.
Tang An was also stunned.
He looked down at his hands and said hesitantly: "I..."
The man and the dog looked at each other, and there was a strange awkwardness in the air.
I always feel like I've forgotten something important.
On the way home, neither of them said a word.
As soon as he entered the house, Erha shook his fur out of habit and looked up at Tang An. His eyes clearly said, "Help me take this thing off!"
Tang An didn't say much, but reached out and untied the noose neatly.
The moment the rope buckle was detached, the air fell silent again.
Erha twisted his neck and subconsciously wanted to jump onto the sofa, but he felt thirsty, so his feet stopped where they were.
He felt it too.
Something is not right.
The man and the dog looked at each other again.
Tang An frowned, his tone confused: "Do you feel like we've forgotten something?"
Erha nodded heavily.
Tang An touched his chin as he walked towards the sofa, sinking into the cushions. "What's the connection between the divorce and your transformation into a dog?"
The Husky howled softly, as if in response.
Tang An continued to talk to himself, more like he was sorting out his thoughts: "And I wasn't surprised that you turned into a dog. It was as natural as knowing what to eat for dinner. This is so strange."
Erha nodded in agreement.
Not only you, I also didn't expect that I could walk on four legs so skillfully.
Tang An suddenly turned his head, his eyes brightening: "By the way, aren't you going to demolish the house?"
Erha: “…Ouch?”
Tang An picked up the tattered bunny doll in the corner of the sofa and shook it: "Didn't you bite it to pieces last time?"
Erha blinked his blue eyes, looking innocent: "Ahhh??"
Tang An held his forehead, thinking he might be possessed by a demon. He stood up and walked towards the bedroom: "Forget it, let's get some sleep first. I was thinking about divorce last night and couldn't sleep a wink. Let's talk about it when I wake up."
Erha watched Tang An float into the master bedroom like a wandering soul, was silent for a few seconds, and then followed him in.
Take a nap, maybe when you wake up you will find that all this was just a ridiculous dream.
When Chi Ying walked into the bedroom, Tang An was already asleep.
He was probably really tired, so he didn't even take off his shoes and just fell on the bed and curled up.
Erha jumped onto the bed lightly, picked up a corner of the quilt with his mouth, and carefully covered Tang An's waist with it. Then he found an empty space next to him and lay down quietly.
Before closing his eyes, Chi Ying thought silently.
Fortunately, the marriage did not end in divorce.
Fortunately there was this accident.
Otherwise he will definitely regret it.
"...This is the last time we meet."
Tang An and Chi Ying opened their eyes at the same time and found themselves in a narrow space where they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces.
The two looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Mr. Rabbit.
The other person's figure was blurry, as if a slight breeze could blow it away.
Tang An's memory still remains at the moment when he just returned to the real world and Chi Ying completely turned into a dog.
Yes, he spent too much time in the time tunnel, so long that when he went back, Chi Ying's life was only one hour away.
At that moment, Tang An's strong obsession made him want to die together with his partner.
He thought he could try hard to avoid this outcome, but he didn't expect it to come to this.
Where did it all go wrong?
Tang An thought about the day of their divorce. If neither of them had gone, or if they should not have met and fallen in love from the beginning, then none of the things that happened later would have happened.
Just like in a time tunnel, he hoped that his brother could survive.
Is the tragedy of parallel universe destined or can it be changed?
In the darkness, Mr. Rabbit's voice was faint but clear, and his blurry figure seemed as if it would merge into the surrounding nothingness at any time.
"This is the last chance." Mr. Rabbit's voice was filled with an unprecedented sense of exhaustion and relief. "For so long, I've been trapped by obsession. It's Gu An's obsession with Shen Qi, which he couldn't get and the fear of separation. It's also the obsession with your deep love for each other, but your inability to express it, which ultimately led to you almost missing each other."
Tang An and Chi Ying listened with bated breath, fragments of memory flooding into their minds like a tide.
It's not just the entanglement of this life, but also the vague shadows of the previous life, Gu An's lonely practice, Chen Qi's ignorant protection, and the unspoken but heavy bond.
"Being transformed into a dog after divorce isn't a punishment," Mr. Rabbit said softly, his figure fading a little. "This is an opportunity, an opportunity for you to face your inner selves in the countdown to loss. Chi Ying's transformation stems from Gu An's subconscious ridiculous belief that those who are not of the same kind can be easily separated. It also stems from the alienation you occasionally feel in your marriage, the inability to fully integrate into the other person's world. And Tang An..."
Mr. Rabbit cast his gaze on Tang An. "You're too used to enduring and avoiding things. Your brother's death made you afraid of losing everything you possess. So, you subconsciously pushed Chi Ying away when he got closest to you. Divorce was a loss you actively chose, thinking it would prevent the pain of being abandoned in the future."
Hit the nail on the head.
Tang An's face turned pale, and Chi Ying also let out a low whimper.
"Then the life countdown..."
"It's true, and it's not true," Mr. Rabbit explained. "That's the manifestation of obsession. The moment you decided to divorce and signed your names, the contract of separation was established. The ancient obsession stemming from Gu An would determine that long-term companionship had failed, thus initiating the process of extinction. But vice versa..."
Mr. Rabbit's figure wavered, becoming almost transparent. "On the other hand, if one can truly understand the source of obsession and make a different choice at the final moment, the contract can be broken."
It looked at Chi Ying and said, "Do you regret it? Not that you regret turning into a dog, but that you regretted your impulsiveness and distrust when you first filed for divorce?"
Chi Ying hung his head and howled twice.
Mr. Rabbit looked at Tang An again: "What about you? Are you still afraid of possession? Are you still afraid of possible changes and losses in the future? Are you willing to hold on to the person in front of you even if you know the road ahead is uncertain?"
This oath, which sounded like a wedding vow, made Tang An feel complicated, but he still nodded.
"I see."
"very good."
Mr. Rabbit's voice was almost inaudible, his figure as faint as a wisp of smoke. "It's time to let go of this obsession. Gu An and Shen Qi's regrets may not be fulfilled in their own time and space, but their obsession, by some strange coincidence, has led to your eventual honesty, which can be considered another kind of fulfillment."
"What about Gu An and Shen Qi?" Tang An asked anxiously.
Mr. Rabbit: “Dead.”
Tang An: "...I know they will die, but when and how."
At this point, he bit his lip.
"Even though I know the outcome is death, I still want to know this."
Mr. Rabbit: "I have no energy now, so I can't see the picture of another time and space, but you can guess based on my current weak state."
The man and the dog looked at each other.
Tang An said slowly: "We understand."
Mr. Rabbit's voice was ethereal: "Every choice creates a new world. You cannot change the tragedy that has occurred, but the pain and understanding you have experienced will be firmly engraved in your soul. Protecting what you have now is the best way to comfort the deceased."
Its figure dissipated and eventually turned into tiny specks of light.
"Remember, love is not possession, nor is it fear. It is trust, it is courage, and it is the determination to go through it together even when you know the road ahead will be difficult."
The last point of light gently surrounded Tang An and Chi Ying.
"Goodbye."
"This time, it's really goodbye—"
The light completely dissipated, and the endless darkness faded away.
Tang An suddenly opened his eyes and found himself still on the bed in the bedroom. The setting sun was outside the window, casting a layer of warm golden light on the room.
His chest felt heavy.
Looking down, he saw the handsome Husky lying on him, staring at him with a pair of blue eyes without blinking. The look was complicated, full of worry, fear and joy of getting it back.
Not disappeared!
The countdown has stopped!
Tang An suddenly hugged the dog's head and buried his face in the thick, soft fur. He said in a muffled voice, "Chi Ying...you won't always be like this, will you?"
Erha's body stiffened for a moment, then he stuck out his tongue and carefully licked the side of his face, making a comforting purr in his throat.
Chi Ying wailed inwardly.
It's over. If he continues to be like this, he might as well be dead.
Tang An patted the dog's head: "It may be a sequelae. Maybe you will change back to normal tomorrow."
Perhaps it will take some time and opportunity for Ji Ying to turn back into human form, such as a true love's kiss at a certain moment, but they are no longer afraid.
What’s important is that they held each other’s hands again and chose to keep going. No matter whether the future holds people or dogs, a smooth road or thorns, they will face it together.
And the stories about their past and present lives, about the disappeared Mr. Rabbit, about all the bizarre encounters, and the friends they met in the process, have become the one and only secrets between them.
While taking a walk in the evening, the setting sun stretched the shadows of the man and the dog very long.
"What do you want to eat tonight?"
“Awooooo!”
"No, it's too oily and not good for your dog's stomach."
“Woof woof woof!”
"I'll make you a chicken breast and vegetable salad. It's healthy."
“…Wow.”
Maybe life is like this, with noise, compromise, and ordinary warmth.
And this time, they won't let go of each other easily.
only……
Chi Ying raised his head and let out a long cry towards the darkening sky.
“Ouch—”
tomorrow……
It will definitely change back tomorrow...
Bar? ? ?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
