Chapter 7: Foolish Dog

For a moment, Shen Hongyuan wondered if this Manager Li had somehow gotten wind of some information and was deliberately hinting at him.

"There are some things, they simply don't belong on the dining table!" Mr. Li continued to ramble.

Shen Hongyuan's face had turned ashen.

He struggled through the remaining stairs, ascending to the second floor with great effort.

After the polite exchange, President Li finally concluded the call.

Shen Hongyuan and Madam Shen returned to their bedroom.

After three days of rest, the couple resumed their individual tasks.

"Didn't you mention having to go on a business trip next week? Have you packed your luggage?" Madam Shen inquired.

Shen Hongyuan let out a sigh. "The project is likely to be postponed."

"Postponed?" Mrs. Shen sounded surprised. "Have the families clashed again?"

Shen Hongyuan shook his head, his expression grave. "That incident with those youngsters racing and hitting someone caused quite a stir. I suspect it's related to that Ji family member."

He sighed. "It's unclear why they'd suddenly target these small families."

Mrs. Shen didn't typically interfere in the family business or pay much attention to such matters.

She sat before her dressing table, searching for her jewelry. "Where has my pearl necklace gone?"

"Where did you put it yourself?" Shen Hongyuan was growing impatient.

"It was right here! This is last season's limited edition from H House," Mrs. Shen rummaged through her collection.

"Think back to when you placed it there," Shen Hongyuan lit a cigarette, grumbling habitually, "You should keep track of your own belongings."

"It was just the other night, the night before last!"

Mrs. Shen blurted out.

At this mention, both of them instantly recalled what had happened the previous night.

The terrifying memory flooded back as anticipated.

"..."

An eerie silence settled in the bedroom for a moment.

Madam Shen no longer searched for the necklace.

Shen Hongyuan ceased his complaints.

Right then, the door was knocked on gently. Shen Xingran poked his head in, "Mom, Dad."

"Ranran, come in quickly!" Madam Shen promptly broke the silence.

The tension on Shen Hongyuan's face also dissipated slightly.

Shen Xingran pushed the door open and affectionately nestled himself between the two, sitting down beside them.

"Mom, your hairstyle looks lovely today."

He first complimented Mrs. Shen before turning to Shen Hongyuan and inquiring, "Dad, I heard from Zhang Lin that things have been a bit unstable lately. Something's going on with the Ji family."

"Zhang Lin? You know that kid from the Zhang family?" Shen Hongyuan was somewhat surprised.

"Mm," Shen Xingran replied, looking slightly troubled. "He keeps wanting to give me gifts and come over to play at our place."

Shen Hongyuan listened with satisfaction. His favorite child was precisely this youngest son of his because Shen Xingran always managed to build good relationships with the sons of other prominent families. This was undoubtedly a significant advantage when it came to negotiating business deals.

Mrs. Shen was also proud and praised, "Our Ranran is just so likable."

Shen Xingran steered the conversation back to the Ji family. "Dad, can you tell me what's happening with the Ji family? I'm worried I might accidentally cause trouble for our family."

Shen Hongyuan pondered for a moment but didn't delve into specifics. He simply said, "In any case, keep your distance from the Ji family. As for the Hu family and the others that have recently encountered issues, avoid them even more."

Not that Shen Hongyuan didn't want to share.

It was just that he truly had no idea what the Ji family member was thinking or why they suddenly made a move.

The Shen family could be considered middle-tier in Beijing's business circle.

But they were still far from being on par with a giant like the Ji family. Though they wouldn't be crushed by a single finger from the Ji family, they wouldn't escape unscathed if targeted.

However, Shen Hongyuan wouldn't reveal such truths to his child.

Otherwise, it would make him appear as an incompetent father.

Unsatisfied for not getting the information he wanted, Shen Xingran wasn't in a good mood.

Lately, everything seemed to be going against him, almost to the point of bad luck. Frustration welled up inside him, making it hard to maintain his obedient facade.

Nonetheless, he wouldn't lose his temper in front of Madam Shen and Shen Hongyuan.

Scanning Shen Hongyuan's visibly thinner face, Shen Xingran found an outlet for his anger.

He glanced at Shen Hongyuan and then at Madam Shen, worriedly saying, "Dad, you've lost so much weight after being in the hospital for a few days."

Both Shen Hongyuan and Madam Shen froze.

At this moment, they hated nothing more than having someone mention food or hospitalization!

Moreover...

Shen Xingran let out a sigh that seemed to express both helplessness and tolerance. "Ran Brother is really something. He's just too..."

The eye drops he was about to apply hadn't even come out yet.

Suddenly, facing the unusually amiable Shen Hongyuan, he turned pale and shouted, "Ah! Shut up!"

Shen Xingran was stunned by the shout.

He instinctively looked at Madam Shen.

Only to see that her expression wasn't pleasant either. With both hands flailing anxiously, she complained, "Why did you have to bring him up?!"

Shen Xingran was dumbfounded as he was "kindly" asked to leave the bedroom.

It wasn't until he returned to his own room on the third floor that he snapped back to reality.

He had actually been scolded by Shen Hongyuan and Madam Shen?

Because of Lu Ran?

Fuming with anger, Shen Xingran hurled everything within reach onto the ground.

The thick carpet and the villa's excellent soundproofing absorbed all noise.

After calming down, Shen Xingran reflected on himself and realized it was not the right time to mention Lu Ran.

Not only his parents, but even he himself would experience a jolt in his heart and an instinctive desire to evade at the mere mention of Lu Ran's name.

Shen Hongyuan and Madam Shen were likely in the same situation.

However, Shen Xingran was momentarily unsure whether their strong reaction towards Lu Ran was a good or bad sign.

The more Shen Xingran thought about it, the more annoyed he became. He picked up his phone and sent a message.

Moments later, there was a knock on the door to the third floor.

Leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe, Shen Xingzhuo played a game while asking, "What do you want?"

"Still playing games?" Shen Xingran sounded a bit agitated.

He launched into an accusatory tone. "Didn't you promise to take care of that dog? Why is that damn dog back again?"

Shen Xingzhuo paused in his actions.

Soon, the sound of his character's demise echoed.

"Brother! I really hate that dog. Every time I see it downstairs, I get scared," Shen Xingran whined, knowing full well that this tactic worked on Shen Xingzhuo.

He tugged at Shen Xingzhuo, leading him to sit down on a sofa nearby.

However, this time, Shen Xingzhuo didn't give in as easily as before.

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "You live on the third floor, and there's a railing on the stairs. Big Yellow shouldn't be affected by staying on the first floor."

Shen Xingran was stunned, almost failing to catch what Shen Xingzhuo was saying.

That dog had defecated on Shen Xingzhuo's back, yet he not only didn't kill the dog, but even called it 'Big Yellow'?

Had Shen Xingzhuo lost his mind?

"Second Brother!" He put on an aggrieved expression. "I know I'm not a child of this family, not your biological younger brother. Are you going to make me live in fear every day?"

"Yet, when you entered Lu Ran's room, the dog didn't bite you," Shen Xingzhuo still seemed hesitant.

In an instant, Shen Xingran's anger flared up.

"No wonder Dad and Mom both place so much importance on Elder Brother. If you're not going to help with the Shen Xingzhuo matter, then forget it!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Xingzhuo's expression darkened.

His casual demeanor vanished, and without a word, he left the third floor, slamming the door so hard it echoed through the space.

Shen Xingran observed his retreating figure, knowing that the situation was now under control.

Considering all the injustices he had endured recently, Lu Ran should lose something in return.

Descending from the third floor, Shen Xingzhuo exited the Shen family's villa directly.

He made a call and then drove silently towards a busy street in the city center.

Cars congested the road, making it challenging to find a parking spot.

Spotting an empty space, Shen Xingzhuo swiftly shifted gears and forcefully maneuvered into the spot with a grim expression.

His car's rear swung widely, barely grazing the headlights of the adjacent vehicle.

A honk echoed followed by the lowering of the driver's window. "What the hell! Do you know how to drive? And I was about to take that parking spot..."

Shen Xingzhuo ignored the outburst.

He parked the car and shut the door with a loud "bang."

As he walked past the vehicle, he casually slipped a stack of red bills through the driver's window.

The driver, who had been cursing, felt the thickness of the cash and promptly moved his car to another spot.

Shen Xingzhuo, staring at the location on his phone, marched straight towards a shop on the street.

His anger, sparked by Shen Xingran's words, still simmered within him, causing his strides to be long and purposeful.

The thick, structured fabric of his windbreaker rustled audibly in the breeze.

Only when he reached the storefront did Shen Xingzhuo abruptly pause.

Looking up at the transparent glass wall, he realized that it was a pet store.

Against the street-facing wall stood a large enclosure.

Inside were a litter of freshly weaned Corgi puppies, their bellies rounded from eating. Some sprawled on the ground, yawning widely, while others frantically waved their tiny legs in vain attempts to roll over.

One of them had even dozed off with its nose pressed against the glass.

A plump paw, patterned in pink and black, gently deformed the surface of the glass.

The resentment that Shen Xingzhuo had been harboring dissipated significantly.

He crouched outside the glass wall, observing them in silence.

When the puppies had eventually worn themselves out, they all fell asleep.

Lost in thought, Shen Xingzhuo continued staring at the puppies, his mind wandering back to a few days prior.

That dog called Big Yellow was somewhat foolish.

With a bit of coaxing, it would follow him anywhere.

Shen Xingran had expressed that he didn't want to see this dog.

Shen Xingzhuo understood his younger brother's sentiment.

He led the dog out of the Shen residence, initially planning to dump it in any nearby river.

But upon reaching the riverbank, he remembered that dogs could swim.

Shen Xingzhuo walked the dog on the road.

He discovered that the dog was well-behaved, not barking unnecessarily or rushing about wildly; it obediently stayed by people's sides.

On several occasions, Shen Xingzhuo had wanted to kick the dog into the middle of the road with his foot.

Yet, each time, as he raised his leg, he found that the dog seemed completely unaware of the danger, thinking he was playing with it. It looked at him with gleaming black button-eyes, filled with excitement.

Meeting the foolish dog's gaze, Shen Xingzhuo inexplicably couldn't bring himself to kick it.

In the end, he left the dog in a deserted stretch of road.

He called for the yellow-haired person.

Even though he was the one who initiated the call.

Yet at that moment, Shen Xingzhuo was hoping that the foolish dog had already left that stretch of road.

Little did he know, a fool was still a fool.

Left to its own devices, it actually remained there, waiting patiently without moving an inch.

The corner of Shen Xingzhuo's mouth twitched, mocking his own hypocrisy.

He lit a cigarette, shifted his position, and continued staring at the glass wall.

In truth, Shen Xingzhuo had always been fond of dogs.

However, Shen Xingran was slightly allergic to dog fur. Out of consideration for him, Shen Xingzhuo had never kept one.

They had grown up together, and Shen Xingzhuo knew that his younger brother wasn't as obedient on the surface as he appeared.

But Shen Xingzhuo didn't mind.

As someone who wanted to be a good older brother, he naturally needed to accommodate all aspects of his younger brother's life.

If one were to dote on a younger brother for his obedience and affection, yet despise him for a bit of wilfulness, how would that differ from the way their parents treated him and his older brother?

At this thought, Shen Xingzhuo's heart settled into a calm resolve.

He stood up, extinguished his cigarette, and tossed the butt into the trash can. Then, he pushed open the door to the pet shop and entered.