Pen Pals {MXTX}

18- Xie Lian's petsitting dairy (Part 2)

"Gege. You haven't paid me my can of paint yet."

"..." Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"I could... Maybe send it to you tomorrow-?" Xie Lian offered.

"Hm," the boy pretended to consider this and then briefly nodded his head. "Gege, why don't I help you? It seems like you could use some help."

"Oh, that will be incredible," Xie Lian said gratefully.

"Mn, just let me pack up my materials while Gege can tell me what the dogs look like." Hua Cheng glanced over at the art supplies on the sidewalk along with a portable wooden easel that Xie Lian hadn't noticed earlier. Xie Lian presumed this boy was probably some sort of street painter.

"Alright, there's E-ming, who's a black lab..."

...

They found the dogs.

The dogs were not together, however. Xie Lian found E-ming barking at a squirrel up on a tree in a nearby park. The squirrel was a daring one, pelting E-ming with acorns.

Xie Lian dragged the dog away from the little rodent. He could have sworn the animal stuck its tongue out at E-ming. Poor E-ming.

Afterward, Xie Lian and the street painter boy search for Ruoye. It took them a while to realize that they could have used E-ming's sense of smell to help them.

E-ming found Ruoye or rather Ruoye was just waiting for them by the area where Xie Lian met the boy. Looking quite pleasant too.

The streak of red paint was gone also, and Xie Lian did not think Ruoye was the one who cleaned it. Yes, Ruoye is a smart dog but Xie Lian hasn't taught her how to clean up messes yet.

"Well, at least both of you are here now. Don't run off like that again, alright?" Xie Lian was relieved.

Ruoye responds by wagging her tail while E-ming chases his.

"Really now, I was quite worried," Xie Lian scolded them.

The boy chuckled, "Gege, you must be too nice to them, aren't they spoiled."

Xie Lian offered an embarrassed smile. Then his phone ranged.

"Hello?" Xie Lian picked up the phone, eyeing the energetic dogs. The last thing he wanted was for the dogs to run off again.

"Xie Lian dear, it's me, the errands are taking longer than I expected, you don't mind watching E-ming and Ruoye for an extra hour? You can bring them to Puqi Park, they love that place." ...it wasn't Xie Lian the one spoiling them.

"I'll pay you extra for it, dear! See you in an hour!" and then the lady hung up.

Xie Lian: "..."

Oh, well. Xie Lian didn't have anything else planned today, so he supposed he could spend some more time with these cute (although naughty) dogs for a little longer.

"E-ming, guess we are going back to that park!"

Xie Lian turned to the boy.
"Thank you for helping me today, sorry to have bothered you, I promise I'll send the money by tomorrow."

"It was my pleasure helping you, Gege. Say, are you going back to Puqi Park? Mind if I walk with you? I was heading there myself."

"Of course! Er..." Xie Lian furrowed his brows when he realized he never got the boy's name.

"San Lang. Gege can call me San Lang."

"San Lang then! I'm Xie Lian. I hope I haven't interrupted any plans you had today."