No need to guess—he knew there wasn’t.
If it had really happened, Little Deer would’ve flooded the group chat last night with elaborate flaunts. There was no way it’d be this dead quiet even now.
But who knew? That guy doted on Little Deer so much, cooing over him like a doting mom.
Lin Yao thought about it, and an uncomfortable feeling stirred in his chest.
Ten minutes passed with no replies. The group was eerily silent.
Orphan: [@Deer-man? You in the Confinement Room again? Or crashing at that Shen guy’s place?]
Orphan: [@Deer come out and spill yesterday’s battle results]
Orphan: [@Deer-man?]
Orphan: [@Sheng Shisi where’s Little Deer? Didn’t your heart-deer go nuts last night? Weren’t you with him?]
Orphan: [@Sheng Shisi did you two both end up in the Confinement Room???]
Half an hour dragged by, and neither of them replied, making him look like a frantic little clown jumping around.
Lin Yao’s fingers hovered over his phone screen, irritation boiling inside him.
Last night, after the call, he’d saved that guy’s number on impulse. But searching it turned up no WeChat, and calling directly would seem too weird—like he actually cared or something.
After agonizing over it, Lin Yao flung off the covers and steeled himself to go to class, come hell or high water.
He went to the classroom. He checked the lakeside. He wandered by Little Deer’s room. He even passed by that guy’s door several times. But he didn’t spot a single soul.
He even looped through the dining hall, taking a jab at some solitary old geezer eating alone, mocking how no one kept him company or loved him.
“They went out on business,” the solitary elder said coolly. “Didn’t take you.”
One-shot kill.
Just then, the group—dead as a doornail—finally bubbled up with Sheng Shisi. Same old digital response.
Sheng Shisi: 【1】
Orphan: 【？？？】
Orphan: 【Did you all go out with that guy?】
Orphan: 【@Sheng Shisi @Deer-man! Get out here!】
Sheng Shisi: 【1】
Orphan: 【？！！！！】
Orphan/Lan/Sheng/Ning: 【Where did you go?!】
Orphan: 【Location】
Orphan: 【@Sheng Shisi @Deer-man, roll out!】
Sheng Shisi set his phone aside and ignored the group, turning his gaze to the hospital room door.
Teacher Shen stood there awkwardly, leading Little Deer to apologize: “I’m truly sorry, I didn’t expect…”
He hadn’t expected the victim to still be unconscious, lying comatose on the sickbed.
Little Deer clutched the fruit basket, staring at the scene with discomfort churning inside: Teacher’s already apologized, but this guy’s still pulling a sour face. How can he be like that!
Shen Leyuan frowned. “Little Deer.”
What’s with that fierce, ready-to-throw-hands expression?
Little Deer quickly schooled his real feelings and pitifully apologized: “Sorry, Little Deer didn’t mean to. I’ll change next time.”
His tone carried this inexplicable… passive-aggressive edge?
Shen Leyuan found it odd.
But perhaps the Flower Market protagonist’s halo kicked in—the young bedside guardian’s expression softened a bit, even tinged with a hint of bashful shyness. “Fine, fine. If you really wanna go in, just peek inside.”
Little Deer wilted a little. “Thanks, big bro.”
The young guy sighed deeply.
Alas!
If not for Second Bro being too damn eager, this little beauty might’ve really become my sister-in-law. Look at the mess now…
If Huo Tingfeng knew what he was thinking, he’d bite him for sure.
He and Little Lunatic—no! They could never share the same sky!
If he could do it over, he’d rather die, rather go limp for life, than have anything to do with Little Lunatic!
But he had no clue. Right now, “he” was all consumed with thoughts of reunion and touching his own body.
This morning, Little Milk Dog’s pitiful howls had earned it the chance to tag along, and Little Deer hadn’t said much about it. So now the dog crate sat on a bench outside, zipper torn open just enough for the Corgi pup to poke its head out furtively.
That Shen guy had made all those lesson plans last night; he was surely busy teaching now, no time to watch it.
That’s how it should’ve gone.
Shen Leyuan would patiently and meticulously explain to Little Deer how awful it felt to lie ill in bed, how punishments like this belonged to the police and courts, and ask what Little Deer would think if he suffered the same. They’d discuss how to make amends for such a wrong.
But in reality, they’d only gotten to step two.
Little Deer kept zoning out, his big eyes darting excitedly toward something. Shen Leyuan tried to stop him but failed, so he looked too—and his face twisted into something profoundly bizarre.
That thing is…
Outside, Little Milk Dog’s four legs blurred into shadows as it bolted for the door. But fate’s iron hand descended once more.
The young guy scooped up the pup and asked A Si, “This your young master’s pet?”
A Si didn’t answer.
The young guy wasn’t pleased. “I let those two in, and this is your attitude? I’m just asking what this little dog’s deal is with your young master. Not prying into Lin Family secrets, right?”
A Si paused, then replied, “Competitive relationship.”
The young guy: ???
Huo Tingfeng ignored their chat, too busy gnashing at this idiot Huo Xiaoqi.
You blind fool! Let me in!
Its milk teeth only tickled his finger. Huo Family’s Little Seven tugged the dog’s ears curiously. “What competitive relationship? This your Third Young Master’s?”
A Si’s face and gaze stayed utterly impassive, too lazy to engage.
Huo Xiaoqi was about to say more when he spotted the little beauty backing out of the room. His attention snapped away, brows furrowing. “What’re you doing?”
Little Deer looked all wronged. “Teacher suddenly told me to come out.”
Huo Xiaoqi’s brows knit tighter as he craned his neck into the room. “What were you guys doing in there?”
Just then, Shen Leyuan’s voice came from inside: “Come in.”
Little Deer bounded in gleefully: “Teac—”
He’d barely approached when Shen Leyuan said again, “Go out one more time. No need to come back in this time.”
Huo Xiaoqi grew more suspicious. He simply carried Little Milk Dog inside. First thing he saw was the teacher’s ashen face, like someone had wronged him badly. He got pissed right away. Second Bro’s not even awake yet. Did my fart stink you up or what?
Following the man’s gaze, he fell silent.
A full half-minute passed before he awkwardly spoke up: “There’s this saying—five hundred glances back in a past life earn a brush-past this one, five hundred brushes-past earn…”
He slapped a hand over his face, abandoning the nonsense.
Second Bro, how much do you love him? He walks in and you pop a boner!
Unsure. Maybe I saw wrong. Maybe I’m dreaming. He pinched his thigh hard, then glanced over. Inner screams continued: No mistake—Second Bro’s roc is spreading its wings AHHHHHHHHH
The roc’s owner lay rigid in his arms, frozen like a Little Milk Dog statue.
Let me die.
Now! Right now! Immediately!
Above him, Huo Xiaoqi stubbornly scrounged for excuses for his brother.
Books say coma patients have normal physiological responses. Probably just coincidence.
As the reaction flagged halfway, Huo Xiaoqi asked tentatively, “Can Little Deer come in one more time?”
Little Milk Dog wailed in terror.
No! Absolutely not! Huo Xiaoqi, you’re torturing me to death!!!
Its wail drew zero attention.
“Coming!” Summoned again by the teacher, Little Deer trotted in happily, triggering another roc-spreading-wings.
Huo Xiaoqi refused to believe it. He tried again and again, each time more mortifying.
Amid the elevator’s ups and downs, Little Milk Dog’s breaths grew shallow.
Its milk teeth clamped its own tongue but couldn’t bite through, so a bitter tear slid from the corner of its eye.
And from “his” eye too.
—On the bed, the comatose body reacted to the outside world for the first time, silently shedding tears.
Must be sensing his sister-in-law’s here.
Huo Xiaoqi murmured, “He loves him so…”
Loves your mom.
The elevator loomed powerfully in his periphery. Little Milk Dog’s tears flowed fiercer. If it had the chance, it’d castrate itself in one chomp.
Does this lust crap even need to exist?
No.
Not every rooster’s fit for crowing. I should be mute.
I know I was wrong. Really.
That day, I shouldn’t have gone out. Shouldn’t have lost my mind over the freshly adult Little Lunatic. Shouldn’t have tried sweet-talking him into bed the day we met. I’m no human. I’m evil incarnate, deserve ten thousand deaths. I should stay limp forever.
But heavens, isn’t this level of social death enough?
In a dizzy haze, Huo Xiaoqi’s hesitant voice came from above: “Uh, can you guys come often from now on? This thing’s a bit… cough cough, but it’s a reaction after all. Stimulate it a few more times, maybe my bro’ll wake up?”
Second Bro loves him this deep—I gotta play divine wingman!
The words barely left when his finger got savagely bitten by the deathbed-reviving Little Milk Dog, hard enough to actually hurt.
Shen Leyuan quickly took the pup. After a thought, he said, “Sure.”
He glanced down—and Little Milk Dog had rolled its eyes and gone limp, fainting inexplicably.
“Pup!” Shen Leyuan cried out.
In the ensuing chaos, Little Dog ended up on the sickbed too, half-dead at the nearby pet clinic.
Huo Xiaoqi sat on a little stool beside, haggling over Little Deer’s hospital visits: “Twenty times a month, no less! Hospital’s close anyway!”
“At most ten times a month,” Shen Leyuan said. “Close or not, I won’t leave him alone in there. Our situation’s special—I’ll have to chaperone every meeting.”
Huo Xiaoqi: “He’s just a patient. What can he do?”
Shen Leyuan smirked coldly, drawling lightly, “His body’s out, but his dick’s not. Terrifying.”
Huo Xiaoqi: …
He shut up.
Little Deer zeroed in on the key info amid the talk and piped up proactively: “Teacher, teacher! I can come every day! Didn’t you say we gotta make amends for wrongs? I’m willing!”
Huo Xiaoqi’s eyes lit up.
His sister-in-law and bro are rushing toward each other!
Shen Leyuan: “Seven times.”
Huo Xiaoqi: ?
Shen Leyuan’s tone chilled: “More than that, and even if you visit, I won’t chaperone.”
Little Deer: QAQ
He grudgingly conceded: “F-Fine, ten times then.”
Shen Leyuan: “Seven.”
Shen Leyuan: “Keep talking and it drops more.”
Huo Xiaoqi watched them gloomily, tears welling for his brother’s tragic love: So not mutual rushing—it’s just couple’s play.
Bro, you’re so pitiful.
His bro lay flipped on his back on the little bed nearby, oxygen mask on, eerily calm.
Being a dog ain’t bad.
The good part? Short lifespan. Lifetime’s over quick.
![I’m Keeping the Overbearing CEO After He Went Bankrupt [Rebirth]](https://i0.wp.com/dobynovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BROKE.jpg?resize=151,215 "I’m Keeping the Overbearing CEO After He Went Bankrupt [Rebirth]")
