Chapter 12: You Hit Me

The police officer handling the case spoke up, “Miss Qiao, we need to examine the dog’s right paw.”

Qiao Xu placed the dog on the table. “No need to check. The dog belongs to him.”

“But it wasn’t stolen by me.”

Qiao Xu recounted how, four years ago, when she returned to the apartment and found the door not properly closed, the dog had run out.

“At that time, we were dating. The dog was his purchase, but we raised it together.”

“Since we raised it together, taking it with me doesn’t count as theft.”

Xu Sian had no idea she had been back to the apartment four years ago.

Back then, he was drowning in the pain of their breakup and, distracted by the lost dog, never imagined the woman who had heartlessly left him would return.

The police officer was silent for a moment. “Miss Qiao, according to civil law, since Mr. Xu purchased the dog, it must be returned to him.”

Qiao Xu nodded. “Understood.”

A slight smile curled at Xu Sian’s lips as he tapped the table twice with his fingers. “Cherry, come here.”

The dog, which had been circling around Qiao Xu, suddenly leapt into Xu Sian’s arms, rubbing against his cheek and licking his palm.

Qiao Xu’s eyes reddened with anger.

A spiteful dog—after raising it for years, as soon as it didn’t want her, it just turned away.

Qiao Xu stood up. “Can I leave now?”

The police officer looked at Xu Sian; the man gestured for the lawyer to handle the paperwork.

Without even glancing at the dog, Qiao Xu stood and prepared to leave.

Xu Sian, holding the dog, rose as well. “Return my things.”

Qiao Xu stopped and turned back. “What things?”

“You wanted the dog, I’ve given it back.”

“I didn’t take anything else.”

Xu Sian suppressed his emotions, inwardly wishing to kiss the mouth that only knew how to argue until it was swollen.

“The leash.”

The pendant on it was something they had made together.

A heavy ache filled Qiao Xu’s chest, but she forced herself to remain calm. “I’ll have a courier send it to you.”

Xu Sian stepped forward. “No need to make it complicated; I’ll come with you to get it.”

He carried the dog past her and left; Qiao Xu followed behind, wiping away tears that threatened to fall.

Qiao Xu didn’t get into his car but called a ride home.

When she arrived at the residential complex’s entrance, Xu Sian was standing by the flowerbed smoking, the dog circling at his feet.

Qiao Xu passed by him into the building and pressed the elevator button; Xu Sian carried the dog inside.

The elevator ascended silently; neither spoke.

At the door, as Qiao Xu prepared to scan her fingerprint, she heard him say, “Four years ago, when you came back to the apartment, were you trying to reconcile with me?”

Qiao Xu paused for a few seconds. “You’re overthinking; I was just passing by.”

Her wrist was suddenly grasped, and he pinned her against the door. “Passing by? Such a stubborn mouth.”

“You passed by, took the elevator upstairs, passed by our home’s door, and conveniently took the dog with you.”

“When you took Cherry away, did you ever think about how much it would hurt me, how crazy it would make me?”

Qiao Xu felt guilty and found no words to refute his accusations and emotions.

Cherry was important to her, and just as important to Xu Sian.

“Return the dog.”

Those three light words almost tore Xu Sian apart.

He released her wrist but immediately grabbed her chin and kissed her fiercely.

Qiao Xu only reacted after the pain and began to struggle.

The more she resisted, the more forceful Xu Sian’s kiss became.

When he dominantly pried open her teeth and explored with his tongue, she bit him in defiance.

Xu Sian was forced to release her lips, and a slap followed.

He pressed his bitten tongue to his cheek. “You hit me.”

“You forced a kiss on me, played the rogue—I can’t hit you back?”

Xu Sian laughed in exasperation. “Playing rogue? I’m kissing my girlfriend—how is that rogue?”

Qiao Xu was too tired to argue. “I’m not your girlfriend.”

She pushed Xu Sian away, opened the door, and before he could enter, locked him and the dog outside.

Cherry scratched at the door with her paws and barked a few times.

Xu Sian lightly patted her rump. “She hasn’t treated you badly; she left me and you gained weight.”

The dog got fat, while he had lost so much weight.

He’d wasted two years raising that flesh.

Not long after, the door opened again. Qiao Xu carried two large bags and a dog cage.

“Everything you want is here: the leash, the bed, the blankets, the food and toys. I know you can buy new things, but these are what she’s used to. You can wait until she adapts before switching.”

“This is the dress from yesterday—I washed it.”

Qiao Xu’s eyes were red, which suddenly made Xu Sian feel deeply guilty.

He clearly knew the dog was with her, so why did he insist on fighting for it?

But seeing her so close and intimate with someone else irritated him greatly.

“Let’s go. Don’t come to my house again.”

Just as Qiao Xu was about to close the door, a hand stopped it. “Are you really going to keep score so precisely?”

“Weren’t you the one who started?”

“Xu Sian, I’ve returned everything of ours.”

“Now, please leave my house immediately.”

Xu Sian was momentarily stunned, giving Qiao Xu the chance to push him away and close the door.

When he regained his composure, the hollow feeling in his heart from four years ago returned.

“Qiao Xu, I’m not—”

“Get lost.”

Hearing the quiver in his voice, Xu Sian panicked slightly. “I don’t want Cherry anymore, don’t cry.”

“Get lost, Xu Sian, just get lost.”

Xu Sian tried her door code—her birthday—but it was incorrect.

“Qiao Qiao, please don’t cry, I was wrong.”

“Xu Sian, just go, I’m begging you.”

Just as Xu Sian was about to put the dog down, Qiao Xu said, “Take your dog and leave.”

Qiao Xu stood by the window, watching Xu Sian leave with the dog and the belongings.

He stopped, looked back at the eighth-floor window, and Qiao Xu drew the curtain shut.

She opened the door and saw the bag with the dress she had packed left at the doorstep.

Qiao Xu brought the dress inside, closed the door, and sank onto the sofa in exhaustion, pulling a pack of cigarettes from the drawer beneath the coffee table.

Xu Sian got into his car, holding the dog.

The dog, excited to be reunited with its dad after a long separation, was completely unaware it had just lost its mom.

Xu Sian suddenly felt a little annoyed and gave the dog a light but firm kick.

“What’s there to be so happy about? Your mom is crying.”

Cherry was utterly speechless—wasn’t it you who made her cry?

Xu Sian lit a cigarette and took out his phone to message Qiao Xu.

“Qiao Qiao, don’t be angry. I’ll put Cherry back at the door and leave.”

The moment the message was sent, a red exclamation mark popped up.

Xu Sian was stunned and even more frustrated.

Never mind that he was her ex-boyfriend, but also her immediate superior—he had been blocked by his boss?

He opened the pinned chat labeled “Qiao Qiao Baby.”

The chat history still lingered on the last message he sent late at night: “Stole my dog.”

He wasn’t sure if Qiao Xu had seen it and felt uneasy in his heart.

“Baby, I’m sorry.”

“Damn!”

“Xu Sian, you’ve really done yourself in.”

The sky seemed to fall on him again.

Another red exclamation mark appeared. Just when he realized she had unblocked him, within two days it was back to square one.

This was even worse—he had lost the WeChat account he had “secured” with his status as her superior.