Chapter 25: I’m Adorable

Chapter 25: I'm Adorable

Rong Xiao, a former CYO peacekeeping special forces soldier, could carry 40 kilograms over long distances for hours, then snipe a target with a single shot. Fearless against blades and flames, he seemed invulnerable, but in reality, no one knew his only two weaknesses.

"Firstly, he can't drink alcohol."

"Secondly, he's allergic to dog hair."

"Not drinking alcohol and avoiding furry animals had almost become his principles. However, Yun Zi'an repeatedly broke these rules."

"Meng Wen drove Rong Xiao to Yun Zi'an's rented place. He glanced repeatedly at the rearview mirror, his expression hesitant, fingers drumming on the steering wheel, uncertain if he should speak."

"When the car stopped, Rong Xiao opened the door to get out. It was then Meng Wen finally spoke, 'Chairman Rong, are you sure you don't need me to accompany you?'"

"No need," Rong Xiao replied, looking surprisingly calm, even nonchalant, "It's just feeding a dog."

He chuckled lightly, "Even if he had a Tibetan Mastiff, it wouldn't matter."

But doubt filled Meng Wen's eyes as he pushed up his glasses, "You seem as if you're about to battle an army of five hundred."

"Rong Xiao, fully geared up, wore an HYZ-4 type gas mask on his face, sterilized medical gloves on his hands, and was fully armored without a single gap. To the knowledgeable, he was just going to feed a dog, but to others, he looked like he was heading to a nuclear disaster site for a rescue mission."

"Rong Xiao fell silent for several minutes after being teased, then abruptly closed the car door and turned towards the building."

"Meng Wen watched his ascent, snapping a photo with his phone, and sent it to a contact."

"Moments later, he received a reply."

"Wishful Death: [Wow, so dramatic?]"

"Meng Assistant: [Yes.]"

"Wishful Death: [Well done, Xiao Wen.]"

"Meng Assistant: [You flatter me.]"

"Fully armed, Rong Xiao ascended the stairs, pausing at the door to take a deep breath. His face tensed as if defusing a bomb, he cautiously unlocked the door with his key."

"The living room came into view, eerily quiet and seemingly safe."

"Rong Xiao, in full combat readiness, pushed the door open wider, his eyes as sharp as a military blade, cautiously stepping forward, the floorboards creaking beneath him."

"But as soon as the sound echoed, a shadow suddenly rolled towards him."

"Instinctively, Rong Xiao's hand on his thigh drew his gun, firing without the need to aim, relying solely on sound -"

"Bang! A gunshot rang out!"

"The rolling Corgi, unable to stop in time, was struck and tumbled, losing balance. It rolled twice before its back hit the sofa leg, red liquid seeping into its fur..."

"After waiting a couple of seconds to ensure the target was no longer a threat, Rong Xiao holstered his gun and slowly approached."

"His phone rang abruptly, and on answering, he heard Yun Zi'an's lazy voice, 'Seen my son yet?'"

"Your son..." Rong Xiao's gaze slowly dropped to the motionless Corgi on the floor, "..."

"After a pause, he responded without hesitation, his voice steady, 'It's fine.'"

"Really?" Yun Zi'an's voice, filled with skepticism about Rong Xiao's peaceful coexistence with the dog, came through the phone, "Let it bark for me."

"Rong Xiao, gripping the phone, fell into a rare silence, '...'"

"Sensing Rong Xiao's silence, Yun Zi'an's voice grew suspicious, 'You didn't do anything to my son, did you?'"

"'I...' Rong Xiao's tongue seemed to tie itself in knots, 'No...'"

"Yun Zi'an's voice escalated, 'Rong Xiao! I warn you! If anything happens to my son, you're gonna take his place!'"

"Faced with such a stern warning, Rong Xiao had no choice but to take it seriously, hiding the gun behind him, he solemnly replied, 'We are getting along very well, very peacefully.'"

"Yun Zi'an clearly didn't believe him, 'Let it call you daddy then, let me hear it.'"

"Rong Xiao, '...'"

"Forget about its current state; even awake, it's unlikely to ever call out 'daddy'."

"'Rong Xiao...' Yun Zi'an seemed like a hunter luring a wild beast into a trap, chuckling maliciously, 'You just wait!'"

"After speaking, Yun Zi'an hung up without giving Rong Xiao a chance to explain."

"Rong Xiao's hand holding the phone dropped, looking at the tranquilizer gun in his other hand. The non-aiming, smoothbore gun loaded with contact tranquilizers was supposed to make everything smooth - find the dog, shoot it to sleep, then fill its bowl with food and water, and leave effortlessly. In a few minutes, the dog would wake up by itself."

"But he never imagined Yun Zi'an would micromanage even dog feeding!"

"Uncertain of the consequences he would face, Rong Xiao looked up at the ceiling light, pursing his lips slightly, '...'"

"Despite his grievances, he still had to take good care of Yun Zi'an's 'son'. Sighing, he opened the kitchen cabinet, filled the dog bowl to the brim with food, unsure of a dog's meal portion, but going with a 'since I'm here' attitude, he overfilled the bowl."

"Unexpectedly, amidst the clatter of dog food, the unconscious dog in the living room twitched its paws and opened its eyes after two seconds of eyelid fluttering."

"As it clumsily skidded towards him, Rong Xiao was caught off guard, scattering dog food everywhere, retreating in shock, '!!!'"

"Don't move!" He swiftly raised his tranquilizer gun, his expression stern and eyes fierce. "Hands up! Clasp your head and squat down!"

Diao Diao blinked its innocent dog eyes, squatting on the ground, tilting its head quizzically, "Woof?"

Probably sensing Yun Zi'an's scent on Rong Shao, Diao Diao naturally categorized him as a friend. Its fluffy tail, like a motor started, began to wag uncontrollably, eager to approach.

"Stay there!" Rong Shao growled a warning again. "Don't make me shoot!"

Diao Diao reluctantly lowered its probing paw, looking rather forlorn.

Seeing it had no intention of approaching, Rong Shao relaxed slightly, showing mercy for once. "I'll give you three minutes to run."

The sound of pattering footsteps began, like beans bouncing on the floor.

Seconds later, Rong Shao looked down at the Corgi that had rubbed against his leg, leaving dog hair. His voice trembled, "I didn’t mean run towards me..."