The back-and-forth tug-of-war ended when Huo Xiaoqi said he wanted to call over an elder to chat with Shen Leyuan.
Shen Leyuan didn’t mind chatting a bit more.
But the Little Milk Dog on the hospital bed suddenly started whimpering and wailing madly, refusing to eat or drink and refusing all coaxing no matter what. It buried its head in his arms, shivering in terror, only calming slightly when kept far from Huo Xiaoqi.
Shen Leyuan eyed Huo Xiaoqi suspiciously and demanded, “What did you do to it?”
A pot came crashing down from the heavens, and Huo Xiaoqi felt more wronged than Dou E herself. “I just hugged it—what could I have done?”
Shen Leyuan turned to Sheng Shisi. “A Si, you tell me.”
Sheng Shisi thought for a moment, then pointed out a tiny detail from the corner. “He tugged its ears.”
Huo Xiaoqi: ???
Under the young man’s stern gaze—like that of a school disciplinarian—he inexplicably felt a twinge of guilt. Wanting to cry but shedding no tears, he explained, “That barely counts as tugging! I just gently rubbed them twice!”
Shen Leyuan sneered coldly. “Should I ‘gently’ rub you twice too?”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Little Deer darted forward, excitedly shoving Huo Xiaoqi aside. “Teacher, don’t rub him—rub me!”
The Little Dog in his arms chose that moment to chime in, its whimper-whimper-woos heartbreaking to hear.
Before coming, Huo Tingfeng had wanted to acknowledge his family. Now, he only wanted to kill them. The hatred meter for that Shen guy could wait at number two. Once he grew into a majestic big mongrel dog, he’d first bite that idiot Huo Xiaoqi to death!
No more talking could happen today.
Shen Leyuan suggested, “Shall we reschedule for another day?”
With his second brother having flown the coop earlier and now his ear-tugging getting exposed, Huo Xiaoqi had no face left to refuse. He nodded miserably in agreement.
The Little Milk Dog quietly breathed a sigh of relief and settled completely still in Shen Leyuan’s arms.
A hand extended with a tissue, wiping the damp fur from its face, the tone dripping with heartache. “Sorry, baby. Daddy handed you over to a bad guy.”
Huo Tingfeng stayed silent. No sorrow greater than a heart grown dead.
But its dog ears were too sharp—even from afar, it caught Huo Xiaoqi on the phone. It missed the start, but the last loudly shouted line drilled right into its ears.
—”If you don’t believe me, check the surveillance! Second Bro loves it super much!”
Chickens followed humans into motion; tough guys shed tears.
He! Super! Loves! It!
The Little Milk Dog jolted upright in its near-death haze, unleashing a barrage of woof-woofs from behind—curses too filthy to repeat.
Shen Leyuan stroked its back worriedly. “There, there, don’t be mad, good boy…”
The doctor said his pup had fainted from sheer rage.
What a temper on the Little Dog.
Little Deer had knocked over a jar of vinegar, glaring sinisterly at the Little Dog pup. “It’s so noisy, it’s not good at all. Teacher doesn’t scold it—Teacher’s playing favorites!”
Shen Leyuan didn’t indulge him, his face stern. “What does it have to do with you?”
How can Teacher be like this!
Little Deer felt utterly wronged. Being scolded repeatedly was one thing—he could take it, as long as Teacher didn’t look at anyone else. But how could Teacher coax the Little Dog while criticizing him?
The kid blurted out a line in anger. “Then if Little Deer turns bad, it won’t have anything to do with Teacher either!”
“My profession is teacher—your family tutor. My duty is to teach you to be good.” Shen Leyuan looked at him calmly. “If you want to eliminate that relationship, I can resign.”
Little Deer fell utterly silent.
With a sigh, Shen Leyuan said, “I don’t think I’ve formally rejected you yet.”
Recalling the bits and pieces since transmigrating, he said in exasperation, “I don’t understand why you like me. Your feelings for me seem just like others’ feelings for you—bizarre love at first sight, charging forward like moths to the flame.”
Little Deer stared at him blankly, as if he understood yet didn’t.
“Such emotions terrify me, exhaust me—they’re a burden. So,” Shen Leyuan met his eyes directly, utterly serious, “I don’t accept your confession.”
Little Deer instinctively started, “If…”
“No ifs,” Shen Leyuan cut him off coldly, knowing what was coming. “‘If you become normal, I’ll like you’—I won’t make that promise. There are so many normal people in the world. What makes you worth liking?”
The blood in Little Deer’s body seemed to freeze. His body chilled and trembled; his mouth opened, but no sound came out.
What do I have that’s worth Teacher liking?
I am pretty.
I am good.
But the Little Dog isn’t pretty or good, and Teacher still likes it.
Daddy’s bad, but he still likes Daddy.
He’s good to Big Brother too.
Teacher just doesn’t like me. He plays favorites—he coaxes others but not me!
Little Deer’s heart filled with gloom. He thought of the legal videos Teacher had shown him, the forced-love porn clips and stories Big Brother made him watch, and finally, that he could ask A Si for help—maybe he could still get what he wanted.
But before he could glance at Sheng Shisi, a turning point drew him back.
“However—” Shen Leyuan smiled. “If you can understand normal emotions, no longer making Teacher so exhausted like now, then Teacher can give you a chance to pursue him.”
As he spoke, he even ruffled the young Little Deer’s hair.
Whether he caught up or not would be up to Shen Leyuan. Rejecting a “normal” Little Deer was always easier than rejecting this one.
Shen Leyuan had played a clever hand.
Little Deer didn’t detect the teacher’s scheming intent—he only heard what he wanted.
He instantly reverted to good-boy mode, eyes sparkling with excitement as he promised, “Teacher, wait for Little Deer! Little Deer can learn it!”
Shen Leyuan responded with skepticism but didn’t show it.
“I know Little Deer is very smart; he just hasn’t studied seriously before.” He coaxed. “Little Deer won’t make Teacher wait too long, right?”
Little Deer: “Mm!”
Shen Leyuan: “Then Teacher promises Little Deer too—even if Teacher resigns someday, he’ll always be Little Deer’s teacher.”
Little Deer: “Mm!!!”
The innocent kid was oblivious to the hidden meaning. The Little Milk Dog had already exhausted itself into sleep. Only Sheng Shisi, relegated to background wallpaper, caught on.
Shen Leyuan glanced up, pressing a finger to his lips with a smile: Keep it secret, okay~
Sheng Shisi uncomfortably looked away.
Not easy to keep secret.
After all, he always brought surveillance when accompanying Little Deer out. The young master might be watching right now.
Or maybe not—the monitoring system’s shielding was powerful. Bodyguards in sunglasses couldn’t see Little Deer; with earpieces, they couldn’t hear him.
Lately, the young master had eased up on controlling Little Deer but started limiting his own attention to Teacher Shen. That strong shielding might already be on Teacher Shen—low chance of the resignation intent being discovered.
Sheng Shisi lowered his gaze, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing.
Little Deer scooted over, blocking his view with fake concern for Shen Leyuan. “Teacher, you’ve been holding the Little Dog so long—you must be tired. Let Little Deer hold it!”
Before the ploy succeeded, his phone rang suddenly.
Lin Yao, having held back who knew how long, opened with a demand. “Where did you take Little Deer?!”
Shen Leyuan said helplessly, “Out for some business.”
Lin Yao: “You took Little Deer, took Sheng Shisi too—just leaving me out?”
Shen Leyuan feebly replied, “I’m visiting a patient. Little Deer came to apologize. A Si’s the bodyguard. Both of them are…”
“More useful than me.” Lin Yao let out a cold laugh and hung up.
Beep—
Shen Leyuan stared at his phone. What kind of rotten temper is this? Just like his dad’s!
Ever since considering resignation, Shen Leyuan’s attitude had shifted a lot—partly giving up, partly an urgent sense of duty, fearing he couldn’t wrap up his “work” before “leaving.”
Little Deer’s done. Might as well talk to Lin Yao when I get back?
Little Deer’s chatter went in one ear and out the other as he busily jotted notes on his phone memo.
First, talk to Lin Yao about the swearing. Second, that rebellious streak of saying one thing and meaning another. If possible, chat about his emotional life, his views on family and parents.
Little Deer was buzzing with excitement, his head full of Teacher’s promise.
In the group chat, Big Brother was throwing a tantrum, mad he hadn’t said a word about going out and chasing after Teacher’s WeChat.
No WeChat, but he could share this good news.
Deer: [@Orphan Big Brother Big Brother Big Brother Big Brother Big Brother!]
Orphan: [[Picks ear.jpg] Bro this, bro that—what, summoning my soul?]
Orphan: [If you still remember I’m your bro, quick give me that idiot’s WeChat.]
Little Deer had the constitution of a walking aphrodisiac, and Sheng Shisi was deeply poisoned. If they ran into a pervert outside, one would go wild with joy, the other mute as his heartthrob went into heat—could he stop it?
Idiot’s an idiot—no brains!
Deer: [You’re swearing again—Teacher won’t like you!]
Orphan: [[Picks nose.jpg] As if not swearing makes that idiot like you.]
Oh right, that’s what I meant to say.
Little Deer smugly boasted: [Teacher gave me a chance to pursue him~]
After that message, the group went quiet for a while.
Deer: [@Orphan Big Brother, why aren’t you talking?]
Deer: [@Orphan, you lag?]
Deer: [@Orphan Big Brother come chat with me!]
Deer: [@Orphan Teacher touched me today too [hands on hips laugh.jpg] [confetti.jpg] [happy spin.jpg]]
Deer: [@Orphan Big Brother teach me how to chase Teacher okay?]
Help my ass!
Lin Yao spoke coldly: [Just a chance—look how thrilled you are.]
Deer: [But right now only Little Deer got this chance—even Daddy didn’t!]
Deer: [That means Teacher likes Little Deer the most!]
Deer: [[covers mouth laugh.jpg] [hands on hips laugh.jpg] [happy spin.jpg] [bride groom kiss.jpg] [confetti.jpg]]
Lin Yao couldn’t stand his smugly triumphant look and snapped back.
Orphan: [How do you know he didn’t give Daddy a chance? He likes older guys.]
Younger than me, no abs yet…
Hah.
Little Deer replied after a bit, even more excited, joyfully @-ing Big Brother: [Teacher said Daddy has no chance, Big Brother neither—only Little Deer does!]
Deer: [I! Am! So! Happy!]
The second message didn’t send.
System notice: You’ve been muted.
Little Deer puzzledly checked the private chat: [Big Brother you clicked wrong?]
Deer: [Big Brother why ignore me?]
Deer: [Big Brother are you unhappy?]
Deer: [Big Brother Big Brother Big Brother Big Brother Big Brother Big Brother~]
Big Brother my ass!
Lin Yao tossed his phone aside. Out of sight, out of mind.
But out of sight, still pissed.
Lin Yao tossed and turned sleeplessly. Nothing interested him. After staring at his phone a while, he suddenly dialed a number.
“I thought I’d get a little stepmom, but nope—gained a little brother-in-law instead. He likes older ones and still didn’t pick you. Duck to the mouth flies into someone else’s pot.”
Lin Yao let out a mocking laugh. “Old thing, are you useless?”
