Narrator:

When Feng Xin stumbled across a box of abandoned puppies during one of his patrols in the mortal realm, his first instinct was to bring them to safety. The problem? He had no idea what to do with a litter of tiny, wriggling creatures. Naturally, he decided to drag them to the only person he could think of who might have the patience to handle such chaos...is Mu Qing.

Mu Qing wasn't thrilled about being roped into Feng Xin's impulsive rescue mission. The idea of having dirty, noisy puppies in his pristine quarters was nothing short of a nightmare. But as the days passed, the adorable chaos and Feng Xin's unexpectedly tender side..began to chip away at his carefully constructed walls.

The sound of soft, high-pitched whining filled the air as Feng Xin kicked the door to Mu Qing's residence open, a wooden box tucked securely under one arm. "Mu Qing!" he bellowed, stepping inside without so much as an invitation.

Mu Qing appeared moments later, his expression already twisted in irritation. "Have you ever heard of knocking or do you just enjoy being insufferable?"

Feng Xin ignored the jab, plunking the box down on Mu Qing's spotless table. "Look what I found!" Mu Qing peered into the box, his brow furrowing as he took in the sight of four tiny puppies squirming and yipping inside. "What... is this?"

"Puppies." Feng Xin said matter of factly. "I can see that..." Mu Qing snapped. "Why are they here?"

"They were abandoned in the mortal realm" Feng Xin explained, crossing his arms. "I couldn't just leave them there!"

"And your brilliant solution was to dump them on me?" Mu Qing asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You're better at... you know, planning and stuff." Feng Xin said, gesturing vaguely. "I figured you'd know what to do."

Mu Qing sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "First of all, they're filthy. Second, I don't have the time or patience to deal with this. And third, they're not staying here."

One of the puppies let out a soft whimper, and Feng Xin immediately reached into the box, scooping it up with surprising gentleness. "Come on, Mu Qing..look at them. How can you say no to this face?"

Mu Qing glanced at the tiny creature in Feng Xin's hands, its big eyes wide and pleading. For a moment, his expression softened..just a little. "That's emotional manipulation." he muttered.

"Is it working?" Feng Xin asked, smirking.

"No." Mu Qing crossed his arms. "But I suppose we can't just leave them to fend for themselves."

"See? I knew you had a heart in there somewhere" Feng Xin said with a grin.

"Don't push your luck" Mu Qing warned, grabbing a towel and a basin of water. "If we're doing this, we're doing it right. Step one..clean them. And try not to make a mess."
_

The next few hours were a whirlwind of chaos. "Feng Xin, you're getting water everywhere!" Mu Qing glare, snatching the wet towel from Feng Xin's hands.

"I'm trying!" Feng Xin shot back, holding a squirming puppy that seemed determined to escape the makeshift bath. "This one keeps wiggling!"

"Because you're holding it like a sack of rice" Mu Qing said, rolling his eyes. "Here, let me-" Before he could finish, one of the puppies bumped into the bowl of water, sending it spilling across the table and onto Mu Qing's lap.

For a moment, there was silence. Then..

"You absolute menace!!" Mu Qing shouted, standing up and glaring at Feng Xin, who was struggling not to laugh.

"It's not my fault! It's the puppy!" Feng Xin said, holding up the tiny culprit as though to prove his innocence.

Mu Qing glared at him for a moment longer before letting out a long-suffering sigh. "Give me that." He took the puppy from Feng Xin, cradling it in his hands with surprising care. "Honestly, I don't know how you manage to function."

"Hey, I'm doing my best.." Feng Xin said, watching as Mu Qing gently dried the puppy with a fresh towel. "You're pretty good at that, though." Mu Qing glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "Someone has to be." he muttered but his tone lacked its usual sharpness.
_

Over the next few days, the puppies settled in..and so did Feng Xin, much to Mu Qing's annoyance. "Why are you still here?" Mu Qing asked one evening as Feng Xin lounged on his floor, a puppy snoozing on his chest.

"Enjoying this cuties" Feng Xin said simply, scratching the ears of another puppy curled up beside him.

Mu Qing raised an eyebrow. "And that's supposed to be a good enough reason?"

"It's better than 'because I annoy you'.." Feng Xin shot back with a grin.

Mu Qing rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Instead, he sat down on the floor beside him, reaching out to stroke one of the sleeping puppies.

"You're not as bad at this as I thought you'd be..." Mu Qing said after a moment, his voice quieter than usual. Feng Xin looked at him, surprised. "Was that... a compliment?"

"Don't get used to it.." Mu Qing said, though there was a faint smile on his lips.

Feng Xin chuckled, watching as Mu Qing carefully adjusted the blanket over one of the puppies. "You know" he said, his voice softer now, "I don't think I've ever seen you this relaxed."

Mu Qing glanced at him, his usual sarcasm giving way to something more genuine. "Maybe because you're usually too busy yelling to notice."

"Fair." Feng Xin admitted, his grin widening. "But I like it. Seeing you like this." Mu Qing's cheeks flushed faintly, but he didn't look away. "Don't make it weird, idiot.." he muttered.

"Too late" Feng Xin said, leaning over to nudge Mu Qing's shoulder with his own. Mu Qing sighed but his smile lingered. For once, he didn't push Feng Xin away.

As the days turned into weeks, the puppies grew stronger and so did the bond between Feng Xin and Mu Qing. What had started as chaos and bickering slowly transformed into something softer, quieter and far more meaningful.