Chapter 7: Disturbing
The next day was New Year’s Day. When Luo Jing woke up, he found himself lying in a bed that wasn’t his. He instinctively fished out his phone from somewhere and checked the time.
11 a.m. It seemed he didn’t need to go pay New Year’s visits.
A secret joy welled up in his heart.
The older brother who had carried him to victory in many ranked games last night was now leaning against the headboard, looking like he had already washed up but had nothing to do. Seeing him sit up, he asked, “Awake? What do you want for lunch?”
Huai Dan had woken up around 8 a.m., which was already late compared to his usual schedule.
He was a bit at a loss for what to do, but also relaxed. The child who had insisted on staying last night was still sound asleep. After washing up in the bathroom, he opened the curtains halfway and saw that it was still snowing.
The world outside was white, and the snowflakes fell slowly, making one feel drowsy.
He heard a knock on a door outside, muffled through the door. After a while, the door opened, and Lin Xue’s voice sounded, somewhat indistinct: “Huh, where’s Xiao Jing?”
Huai Dan glanced at the soundly sleeping Luo Jing, got up, and opened the door.
Lin Xue was puzzled, then suddenly heard the sound of the next door opening. She instinctively turned her head and saw Huai Dan standing there.
“Xiao Huai, you’re up so early. Why didn’t you sleep more?” she asked.
“Good morning, Auntie,” Huai Dan greeted. “I woke up and got up. Luo Jing slept in the guest room.”
“Oh, is he still sleeping?” Lin Xue immediately lowered her voice and subconsciously glanced into the guest room, then said apologetically, “I’m so sorry to trouble you, Xiao Huai… My brother keeps running to your room, did he disturb your rest?”
“Not at all. Do you need me to wake him up now?” Huai Dan saw that Lin Xue was fully dressed and even wearing light makeup, realizing they were probably going to pay New Year’s visits, so he asked.
Lin Xue thought for a moment, then sighed: “Forget it, let him sleep.”
Luo Feng heard this downstairs and felt it was quite unfair: “Mom, if Luo Jing doesn’t have to go, I don’t want to go either.”
“You’ve already gotten up and dressed,” Lin Xue said gently.
“Do you cook?” Luo Jing pressed down his slightly messy bed hair and asked instinctively.
“I don’t cook,” Huai Dan replied, gesturing to the takeout app on his phone: “You can order whatever you want.”
Luo Jing unlocked his phone and saw new messages in the family group chat:
Mom: [@AAA.Homework Wholesaler Xiao Luo, your dad, sister, and I are going out to pay New Year’s visits. You stay home with your brother. Order takeout for lunch, I’ll reimburse you. Don’t let your brother spend money, okay?]
Mom: [You order, and after you’re done, I’ll pay you back. Don’t let your brother spend money, okay?]
AAA.Homework Wholesaler Xiao Luo: [OK.jpg]
Sister: [One punch knockout.jpg]
Sister: [Do some homework if you have nothing to do at home]
Luo Jing ignored her message, buried his head back in the pillow, and turned to Huai Dan happily: “I don’t have to go pay New Year’s visits.”
Huai Dan chuckled: “Mm, you overslept.”
“Great!”
After choosing a decent-looking home-style restaurant that was still open during the New Year holidays, Luo Jing went back to his room to wash up. When he returned to the guest room, Huai Dan was gone, so he went downstairs.
Huai Dan was sitting on the sofa downstairs, looking at his phone. With no one else in the house, it was exceptionally quiet.
Luo Jing didn’t like such a quiet environment, so he turned on the TV and put on a random drama to listen to the sound.
He caught sight of the small house in the corner of the living room and suddenly realized something, hurrying over.
Lifting the curtain, Plastic Bag was dragging its bandaged hind leg, pawing at a small ball—one of the toys Luo Jing had bought for it yesterday.
It seemed to be having a great time.
Hearing the noise, it instinctively turned its head and met Luo Jing’s gaze.
In the next instant, it abandoned the ball, barked happily, and ran towards Luo Jing.
Plastic Bag stood up on its front legs, wagging its tail excitedly at Luo Jing. Luo Jing could practically feel the dog’s joy at seeing him after half a day apart.
“Alright, alright…” He patted the puppy’s head while looking at Plastic Bag’s food bowl. To his surprise, there was still a small portion of dog food left, and the water bowl was almost empty. It looked like it had been fed recently.
“I fed it this morning,” Huai Dan’s voice sounded from behind him, as if knowing what he was thinking.
Luo Jing turned around and said gratefully, “Thank you, brother.”
“You’re welcome.”
Luo Jing looked at Huai Dan, a puzzled look on his face: “Brother, aren’t you going to pay New Year’s visits?”
Wasn’t the point of his visit to see his family with his sister?
“Who am I going to pay visits to?” Huai Dan chuckled.
Luo Jing thought for a moment, figuring they might not be at that stage yet. Then he thought again, since he had already met his parents, there was no rush to meet those less important relatives.
Thinking of this, he patted Plastic Bag’s head, feeling relieved.
This was even better. This way, his brother would have more time to play games with him…
Wait.
He suddenly realized that since Huai Dan had arrived, he hadn’t seen any interaction between him and his sister, not even a single word exchanged.
Thinking about it again, Huai Dan seemed to have been with him all the time—or rather, he had been clinging to him.
A pang of guilt hit Luo Jing. He belatedly realized he had been a third wheel for quite a while.
“Brother, have I been bothering you these past two days?” Luo Jing asked cautiously, feeling guilty.
The question was so sudden that Huai Dan was stunned for a moment, then found it amusing.
So this child could also feel this way?
But wasn’t it a bit late to ask now?
His behavior, objectively speaking, might indeed seem a bit abrupt and intrusive. If it were anyone else, Huai Dan might have found it troublesome and even distanced himself.
But when the person doing these things was Luo Jing, it inexplicably became less annoying.
Huai Dan had even gotten used to it.
As if Luo Jing should be treated this way.
His fondness for this child probably started from the moment they first met. His first impression was that this child seemed very well-behaved.
Luo Jing was indeed the best-looking child he had ever seen, and his personality was also good.
Luo Jing’s father was the owner of an entertainment company, a relatively well-known one, with several popular artists under its wing. The company ran smoothly and had considerable income, and was recently trying to expand into other fields.
Luo Jing’s material life was undoubtedly very affluent, and it was also clear that his family doted on him.
But growing up in such an environment, he hadn’t become spoiled or arrogant. Although he occasionally showed some signs of being pampered, it wasn’t annoying, but rather cute.
Although he might be a bit of a handful sometimes, Huai Dan really wanted a younger brother like this.
“You’re not bothering me,” he said.
“Really? Then can I continue to hang out with you?”
“Yes.”
Luo Jing was happy.
Although he was aware of being a third wheel, this awareness didn’t affect his actions.
Since Huai Dan had said so, Luo Jing felt at ease and decided to continue hanging out with Brother Huai.
Luo Jing played with Plastic Bag for a while. Since the puppy with the fractured leg couldn’t be bathed, he used dry cleaning gloves to wipe it down thoroughly. Then the takeout arrived.
After lunch, the two sat on the sofa, a bit at a loss for what to do. Soon, Luo Jing started complaining of boredom again.
“Is there anything you want to do?” Huai Dan asked helplessly.
It was a novel experience. Since meeting Luo Jing, he had found himself at a loss more and more often.
“Brother, why don’t we take Plastic Bag for a walk!” Luo Jing suggested excitedly.
Huai Dan paused, looked at the snow falling outside, then at Plastic Bag’s bandaged hind leg, his expression a bit complex: “Weren’t you afraid of the cold?”
“But I’m really bored.” Luo Jing looked at him expectantly, practically begging him to take him out to play.
Huai Dan sighed and resigned himself: “Go put on your coat. I’ll go upstairs and get the car keys.”
They went upstairs to change their clothes. When Huai Dan came downstairs, Luo Jing was trying to put Plastic Bag into the pet carrier bag he had bought at the vet yesterday.
Yesterday’s white down jacket was being washed. Today, Luo Jing was wearing a camel-colored coat. It looked good on him, but he looked a bit like a child playing dress-up.
The carrier was a tote bag, like a duffel bag, with an opening on the side, just big enough for Plastic Bag to stick its head out without falling out completely.
Plastic Bag wasn’t very big. The vet had indeed said it was still young.
Its appearance didn’t reveal its breed. It was clearly a mixed breed.
But a cute mix, with pure white fur, without a single spot of another color.
Luo Jing reasonably suspected that Plastic Bag was the offspring of a purebred dog and a stray, born unexpectedly, and then abandoned because its owner didn’t want to treat its fracture and no one wanted to adopt a mixed breed.
Because it was very clean and friendly, it didn’t have the weathered and world-weary look of the stray dogs he usually saw.
When Huai Dan walked over to him, Luo Jing had just put Plastic Bag in the carrier. Hearing the noise behind him, Plastic Bag and its owner both looked up at him simultaneously, creating the momentary illusion of facing two puppies.
Luo Jing had just washed his hair last night, and it was clean. The bedhead from this morning had been tamed by gravity over the past few hours and looked very touchable.
Huai Dan couldn’t resist and reached out to ruffle the child’s soft black hair.
He rarely made such an intimate gesture, the kind of thing elders often did to younger generations, and he felt a bit unaccustomed to it.
But it felt good.
Then, he withdrew his hand and said calmly, as if nothing had happened, “Ready? Let’s go.”
