Bai Qingzhou’s expression was calm, and his tone carried no particular emotion.
It wasn’t anger, nor sarcasm — it was the serious tone of someone genuinely asking for guidance, which left Xia Xinghe momentarily confused.
He didn’t know what Bai Qingzhou really meant — whether he truly didn’t know how to express himself, or if he was mocking the whole idea as unrealistic. After all, Xia Xinghe himself wasn’t exactly an expert in communicating with animals either. Though he liked them, he’d never raised one himself. But since Bai Qingzhou had asked, he had to prove it could be done.
Xia Xinghe took a deep breath and gently held Bamboo’s fluffy head in both hands, guiding its gaze to meet his own.
“Bamboo, listen to me…”
Xia Xinghe patiently talked for several minutes, then looked at Bamboo with great anticipation. “Wanna try walking?”
Bamboo blinked in confusion, then affectionately stuck out its tongue to lick Xia Xinghe’s cheek, leaving a wet sensation on his skin. Bamboo looked very pleased and rubbed its head against Xia Xinghe affectionately—but clearly hadn’t understood a single word he said.
Xia Xinghe: “…”
I guess I placed my hopes in the wrong place.
Xia Xinghe sighed helplessly. When he looked up, he just happened to see Bai Qingzhou watching him leisurely, the corners of his lips slightly lifted.
That half-smile, half-smirk expression seemed like silent mockery, which instantly stirred Xia Xinghe’s pride and unwillingness to lose. “Don’t laugh! I just haven’t figured out the right method yet, but communication is definitely necessary!”
“Mhm,” Bai Qingzhou didn’t argue and even calmly nodded. “I believe you.”
He asked, “Do you need more time? Will one week be enough?”
It was practically a provocation. Xia Xinghe replied without hesitation, “Of course it’s enough! I’ll definitely help Bamboo recover!” He firmly took on the task.
Looking into his bright eyes, Bai Qingzhou lowered his gaze and chuckled softly. “Alright.”
Since Bai Qingzhou’s rehab method had no effect on Bamboo and he couldn’t monitor it all the time, he handed the responsibility of Bamboo’s rehabilitation over to Xia Xinghe. And Xia Xinghe truly took it to heart—spending his days either writing or diligently coming over to accompany Bamboo and help with training.
But sometimes, just because you want something doesn’t mean it’ll go your way. Xia Xinghe looked up all kinds of information, tried every method—treat-based lures, gentle coaching, even stern discipline—but none of them worked. Bamboo was the definition of immune to both soft and hard tactics. No matter what, it just wouldn’t put down its injured leg.
And yet, to say it was disobedient wasn’t accurate either. Every time it saw Xia Xinghe with an unhappy expression, it would limp over and lick his palm, making it impossible for Xia Xinghe to stay mad.
Three days passed in a flash, and Bamboo’s training hadn’t made any progress. That frustrating situation lasted another two days. Then on Thursday night, an exhausted Xia Xinghe had just gotten home after another failed session when he received a call from the lady at the animal rescue center.
During this time, Xia Xinghe still volunteered at the shelter every weekend. So every Thursday, the auntie would call to check his plans.
“Xiao Xia,” she greeted warmly when he picked up, “are you coming this weekend?”
Hearing her kind voice felt like grabbing a lifeline in the dark.
The aunt and uncle had spent their lives around cats and dogs—maybe they’d have a better way.
“Yes, I’ll be there, same time as always.” Xia Xinghe replied with a smile. After a short pause, he tentatively asked, “Auntie Zhang…”
“What’s wrong? Something bothering you?”
The aunt was a warm-hearted woman. Hearing his tone, she immediately grew concerned. “Tell Auntie, what’s going on?”
“It’s not really a big deal… it’s just that recently…”
Xia Xinghe fell silent for a moment before deciding to tell her about Bamboo.
He didn’t mention the disagreement between him and Bai Qingzhou—he only said he wanted to help Bamboo with rehab, so it could run and jump again. As soon as he finished, Auntie started speaking:
“Then you need to talk to the dog properly—only when it understands and realizes what you want can it cooperate with you.”
Xia Xinghe froze. “Dogs… can understand human language?”
Auntie burst into laughter. “Of course they can! But not the way you’re imagining.”
“Don’t let their dazed little faces fool you. They’re actually very sharp. They may not understand your words, but they can sense your emotions—if you’re happy, sad, frustrated—they feel it all.”
Xia Xinghe asked, “Then why can’t it understand what I want it to do?”
“Don’t rush me, I’m not done yet.”
Auntie chuckled and continued, “Emotional expression varies from person to person—let alone across species. Dogs are still animals, and their brains are more straightforward, so you need to be clear about your attitude. Praise them when they do something right, scold them when they do something wrong—and you must do it in the moment.
“When it limps over and you stroke its head out of pity, it thinks you like that behavior. Then when you put on a stern face and tell it to run away, it assumes you dislike the act of running. Isn’t that completely the opposite of your intention?”
“You need to express yourself, but in a way it can understand. Sometimes you think you’ve explained clearly, but the message didn’t actually get through. That’s true for all communication. Take me and your uncle—don’t laugh, but we fought for half our lives because we expressed love differently. He’s a quiet type who prefers to do things silently, while I like to express it with words. I’m not perfect either—I tend to bottle things up, then explode…”
Auntie’s enthusiasm meant that once she started talking, it was hard to stop. Before they knew it, she had veered off into stories of her younger days with her husband. Xia Xinghe only half-understood the parts about love, but he did successfully pinpoint the problem in Bamboo’s training.
He realized Auntie was right—when Bamboo limped, he’d comfort it out of pity. When he wanted it to run, he’d sternly command it. Though his emotions were genuine, they weren’t being communicated clearly. Bamboo misunderstood that limping made him happy.
Xia Xinghe sincerely thanked Auntie. The next day, when he returned to help Bamboo with rehab, he tried a whole new approach.
When Bamboo limped, he’d show disappointment and sadness. When it put its leg down properly, he immediately gave treats and praise. During rest breaks, he held Bamboo in his arms, gently moving its leg while talking softly to it. He knew Bamboo couldn’t understand the words—but he used his tone to convey emotion.
Time passed without him noticing. He had arrived at noon, under warm sunshine, and before long, the sky had darkened. The courtyard lights came on, barely lighting the ground beneath their feet.
After a busy afternoon, Xia Xinghe’s legs were sore from standing, but when he looked at Bamboo, a satisfied smile spread across his face—his new training method was working.
Although Bamboo still didn’t dare to fully put weight on its back leg, it seemed to sense Xia Xinghe’s encouragement. Several times, under Xia Xinghe’s hopeful gaze, it lightly touched the ground with its hind paw and even tentatively nudged Xia Xinghe’s palm.
That was progress—a breakthrough from zero to one—and Xia Xinghe happily rewarded it with a handful of treats.
As the stars dimmed under the bright moon, everything around them quieted down.
Bai Qingzhou returned home under the moonlight and immediately noticed the courtyard lights still on.
Normally, Xia Xinghe would have left before Bai Qingzhou came back, but that day he had been too excited to notice the time. Seeing Bai Qingzhou arrive, he looked up at him excitedly, a radiant smile lighting up his face. “You’re back!”
“Quick, come look! Bamboo’s back leg can touch the ground now!”
“Come on, Bamboo, run again for your owner!”
Under the orange glow of the lights, Xia Xinghe’s eyes sparkled. The golden light cast a soft halo over his head, as if coating him in a layer of faint gold.
Bamboo stood beside him, panting happily, rubbing against him in delight, joyfully wagging its tail. The whole scene was so harmonious and vivid, it seemed like something out of a dream.
Bai Qingzhou gazed at them, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly.