Chapter 83: Let Go

Chapter 83: Let Go

Chen Bai recounted the entire story about Yiwan. When he mentioned adoption, Ms. Jiang on the other end was taken aback. She wanted to say something but held back, allowing him to continue.

Chen Bai slightly lifted his gaze and said, "But I still can't bear to part with him."

A person who, once they understand something, is very adept at being straightforward, the agent listening in gave a thumbs up.

Ms. Jiang finished what Chen Bai couldn’t say, "Then keep him here at home. Auntie will make sure he's well-fed and plump."

It wasn't an illusion; Ms. Jiang sounded genuinely delighted, her voice two octaves higher than usual. In the background, she could be heard calling for Mr. Xu to join the call.

The voice call turned into a video call, and Chen Moubai showed Ms. Jiang and Mr. Xu the lion-dancing Yiwan.

The little white furball, upon hearing the voices from the phone, twitched its ears around. Hearing the sounds but not seeing anyone, its eyes darted everywhere, looking quite puzzled.

By the end of the call, Yiwan was officially renamed Chen Yiwan. After receiving a vaccine shot in a few days, he would be picked up by his newly acquired grandparents.

Overjoyed at becoming a grandmother, Ms. Jiang, who loved dressing up children, started scouring for puppy clothes. Amidst the hustle and bustle, she hung up the call.

As the screen went dark, the agent’s smiling face reflected beside it, saying, "See? That phone call solved everything."

Chen Yibai also smiled, agreeing. He gently stroked the puppy's head in his hands.

The agent glanced at the fortunate Chen Yiwan, saying, "Being raised by your aunt, you're truly living in luxury now. President Wan wakes up every day on his eight-hundred-square-meter bed, his daily task is to frolic in the vast lawn, and someone chases after him to feed him."

Who would have thought that this puppy was nearly dying on the streets not long ago?

She poked President Wan's head, "You're quite good at picking your targets."

Yiwan, like his father, didn't resist when his head was poked. After dodging, he continued his lion dance performance.

That night, the exhausted Chen Yiwan was put back in his cage, hugging his shark toy to sleep. The overjoyed Chen Yibai left the hospital under the watchful and strangely enthusiastic gazes of the staff.

A few days later, the official handover ceremony for Chen Yiwan took place.

The ordinary fluffy puppy had already been given a specially modified seat in the car that came to pick him up before leaving the hospital. Boarding the luxury vehicle, he transformed from Yiwan to Young Master Wan.

Grandpa and Grandma had visited several times before the official pickup, familiarizing themselves with Chen Yiwan. Thus, when he was placed in the car, there was no resistance. Instead, he sniffed around, memorizing the scents, and the handover ceremony was completed smoothly.

After the handover, it was the end of the month. Chen Yibai joined a production team to earn money for Chen Yiwan's dog food.

This time, it was just a cameo role in a movie, so his scenes weren't heavy. He finished shooting all his parts in two months, wrapping up neatly while the main cast was still struggling in the set.

In the afternoon, after wrapping up, the production team hosted a small wrap party that evening. Everyone feasted and drank their fill under the guise of the wrap party.

After eating and drinking to their heart's content, it was already late at night. The others assumed Chen Yibai would stay, but he put on his hat and said goodbye.

He was going home tonight, as someone was coming to pick him up.

A group of people who had taken the opportunity to drink a little wine followed him to the roadside under the pretense of seeing him off, swaying like zombies attacking Dave's lawn in a large-scale zombie attack. Chen Moubai, dressed in a light yellow hoodie, resembled a Sunflower mistaken for a zombie.

Standing by the roadside for not long, the car arrived, and the only Sunflower was taken away.

The man who dug out the Sunflower in front of the zombies didn't wear a hat or mask. Under the dim light, his facial features were still prominent, half-hidden in the shadows, yet his distinctiveness remained.

"…"

The zombies watched as the drowsy Sunflower leaned back against the person, politely smiling and waving at them.

The agent mixed among the zombies was used to such scenes. As the others reacted, she waved them off, urging them to leave.

The Sunflower was then transplanted into the passenger seat, buckled up, and driven away, as the zombies watched the car depart.

Until the road emptied, a gust of autumn wind blew, causing someone to shiver weakly, "It's a bit cold, and a bit lonely."

Someone next to him patted his shoulder, saying, "We still have work tomorrow."

Those words made colleagues shed tears in the chilly autumn night.

The Sunflower, sitting in the Good Neighbor's car again after a long time, felt neither cold nor lonely. Although restrained by the seatbelt, unable to perform his routine post-work punching and kicking, he could still stretch. After stretching, he leaned against the backrest, comfortably collapsing.

The Good Neighbor told him, "Yiwan is already asleep, we can only play with him tomorrow."

Yiwan's schedule matched that of Grandpa and Grandma, early to bed and early to rise, never staying up late. Chen Bai acknowledged this, lowered his head, and looked at the new photos of the puppy that Ms. Jiang had sent earlier on his phone, saving them skillfully. Then, remembering something, he said, "I'm taking Yiwan to a newly built park to play with a friend tomorrow."

He had many friends, but Xu Sinian remembered clearly whenever Chen Bai mentioned him, asking, "The friend you met at the dog cafe?"

The social butterfly nodded. Xu Sinian didn't ask more, only reminding him to be careful.

Assuming it was about Yiwan's safety, Chen Moubai nodded earnestly, saying, "I'll definitely hold onto Yiwan and prevent him from running around."

The Good Neighbor driving glanced at him slightly.

When they arrived home at midnight, most of the household had already retired for the night.

Without having anyone else receive them, after parking the car, Xu Sinian got out, circled halfway around to open the passenger door, woke up the person who had fallen asleep halfway, and bent down to help undo the seatbelt.

Fortunately, he slept lightly in the car, and the person who usually was hard to wake up once asleep woke up on their own. Upon waking, their first instinct was to leap out.

The attempt failed, and he was caught by the Good Neighbor standing outside the car, carried under the armpits and landed safely.

No one was waiting at the door this time; they opened it themselves.

Knowing they would return that night, the lights inside were left on, bright and welcoming, except for the dimness in the living room. The Good Neighbor said, "Yiwan is sleeping in the living room."

So, Chen Moubai went to take a look.

According to the others in the household, when Chen Yiwan first arrived, his activity radius didn't exceed five meters from the cage he was brought back in. At night, he slept beside the cage with his shark toy. Over time, especially with the influence of Grandpa and Grandma's doting affection, he evolved into a creature that roamed freely, choosing random places to sleep each day. The only constant was that he always slept with his toys.

This time, the living room sofa was the lucky recipient of Chen Moubai's choice, with a prominent white lump on it. A blanket covered the non-existent belly button of this ball of fur, along with the little shark.

Chen Yibai had only intended to take a glance from a distance, not getting too close. However, the furry lump on the sofa stirred, and a pair of dog eyes suddenly opened with a slick motion, as if turning on in an instant.

Without any time to react, he was hit by a cannonball impact, falling backward onto the sofa. His hat, which he hadn't had time to remove, dropped onto the carpet, bearing a weight that it shouldn't have had to carry.

A five-month-old dog, its weight was somewhat beyond what an ordinary person could comfortably bear.

Chen Yiwan's tail blurred as it wagged. Perhaps because no other dog had taught him how to bark, he couldn't do so; he could only emit a series of undulating tones, akin to a whine.

A good neighbor came over, picking up the hat from the floor without complaint. Only he could steady Chen Yiwan, reaching out to lift the dog into his arms.

Finally relieved of the weight, Chen Yibai's tousled hair was disheveled, and his shirt had ridden up, revealing a segment of his pale waist in the dim light. As he sat up, the shirt fell back down, covering everything once again.

Forced apart, Yiwan turned to retrieve his shark and blanket. This time, he didn't launch another cannonball attack but circled around Chen Moubai's feet instead.

The message was clear: he wanted to sleep together.

In principle, a certain Bai was accustomed to sleeping alone. But Yiwan circled around him, offering the little shark, and having just been freshly bathed that afternoon.

He agreed. The man and the dog reached an unspoken agreement, silently gathering their strength.

Then they were held back.

One hand gripped the man's wrist, the other caught the dog's collar. The good neighbor's eyebrow twitched as he said, "Don't run up the stairs."

Chen Bai looked down at Yiwan, exerting the authority of an old father, saying, "Did you hear that, Yiwan?"

"…"

The man and the dog were lifted up the stairs.

After being taken upstairs, Chen Moubai first took a shower. Yiwan, with his toys and blanket, climbed onto the bed on his own, refusing to sleep even though his eyes were drooping shut, waiting for him to finish bathing.

When the man emerged from the shower, Yiwan on the bed was already leaning heavily to one side, nearly asleep. He climbed into bed, and man and dog finally settled down to sleep together.

The good neighbor, who had been waiting quietly on the sofa, got up to leave the room, conveniently turning off the lights as he went.

Just before the lights went out, Chen Moubai, buried in the fragrant fluff, poked his head out. Looking at the man and then at the still empty half of the bed, he patted the space, saying, "Comrade Old Xu, why don't we sleep together?"

The man standing by the door looked over. Then he scrutinized the other's physique more closely, ultimately lying back down and hugging the small dog, saying, "You're too big. There's no room for you. Sleep by yourself. Goodnight."

"…"

Comrade Old Xu, disqualified from sleeping together due to his large size, turned off the lights and left, seemingly catching a glimpse of Yiwan, nestled in the man's arms, smiling contentedly.

---

The next morning, Chen Yibai and Chen Yiwan descended the stairs together, coinciding with the time when Ms. Jiang and her husband were having breakfast. They met face-to-face.

Ms. Jiang, already made up and looking like a successful entrepreneur, gave the man and the dog an extra look. Her eyes widened, the water cup she held suspended mid-air for a moment before slowly being placed on the table. Swallowing the water she had just sipped, she asked, "Yibai slept with Yiwan last night?"

Chen Moubai confirmed it, asking, "Auntie, how did you know?"

Ms. Jiang and Mr. Xu's gazes fell upon his tousled hair and Yiwan's artfully disheveled white fur, finding it hard to believe they hadn't come from the same nest.

It was a very polite Yiwan. Fully energized after waking up, he went to greet his grandparents, receiving a new blue-and-white bib from Grandma Jiang. The bib was knitted, with a small white bone woven into it, perfectly fitting his image.

The kitchen helper prepared a glass of soy milk for Yiwan's father to fill his stomach.

As Yiwan's father sipped his soy milk, the good neighbor returned after having gone out early in the morning. Dressed in a simple black top, he casually wiped the sweat from his neck with a towel.

A self-disciplined father of Yiwan and a father of Yiwan who seemed like a layabout.

---Originally, when deciding on titles, the good neighbor should have been addressed as Uncle, but it felt strange. Calling him Brother would have been even stranger, so he ended up being referred to as Yiwan's father, with Dad and Father being used interchangeably without causing confusion.

When leaving in the morning, since the park they were going to was on the way, Chen Bai and Yiwan were picked up by Auntie Jiang and her husband.

Over the past two months, Yiwan often accompanied his grandparents on outings. Upon jumping into the car, he knew it meant they were going out to play, sitting restlessly in the seat, brimming with excitement.

Upon arrival, Chen Bai had already fastened Yiwan's leash. The leash was also light blue, matching the bib quite well.

Through the car window, one could see the park. The man, who preferred to remain unseen, put on his hat and mask again. The vehicle pulled over to the side of the road, and he and Yiwan hopped out, waving through the window to those inside the car.

Watching the car depart, Chen Bai, holding the essential pet bag and leash, lowered his head to send a message to Brother White Moonlight, now his contact for all things related to the puppy.

Unexpectedly leaving earlier than planned, there was still some time before their scheduled meeting. He assumed Brother White Moonlight would arrive later, intending to kill some time with Yiwan elsewhere. However, the person was already there.

Thus, plans changed, and he followed the location directly to meet Brother White Moonlight.

Although the park had just opened, the plants within had been planted for quite some time. In late autumn, the ginkgo trees lining the paths had turned yellow, their golden leaves blanketing the ground. As the dog's paws ran across, they stirred a small breeze, slightly lifting the fallen leaves before settling back into tranquility.

Yang Shu was by the lake in the center of the park. Having arrived early, a few ginkgo leaves had already settled on his wheelchair, blown away by the wind and landing on the ground again.

No further messages came, so he put away his phone.

The lake shimmered with light, and the sound of a dog running on the ground and chaotic footsteps approached from the end of the path. Turning his head, he saw the man leading the large white dog running toward him.

Unable to stop in time, the man's shirt and hat fluttered in the wind. Just as the brim of the hat was about to be lifted, he pressed it firmly back onto his head.

As they drew closer, the man, one hand holding his hat, struggled to brake, simultaneously stopping the little dog cart in front of him. He safely halted less than two meters away, the action stirring a gust of wind carrying the scent of late autumn.

Having safely stopped, Chen Moubai, holding the leash, smiled and waved in greeting, "Good morning, friend."

He always seemed so full of vitality, regardless of the time.

Yang Shu objectively thought it was no longer morning, but he reciprocated the greeting nonetheless.

After greeting each other, Chen Bai crouched down halfway, presenting Chen Yiwan to him for a full view.

Due to his past abandonment, Chen Yiwan was originally aloof, but after repeated head pats and treats from the grandparents and household staff in the mansion, he had become an affectionate and socially bold Ye once more, proactively snuggling up to the wheelchair and sniffing around.

Yang Shu lowered his head to stroke the puppy's head, feeling the furry texture under his hand. As his hand left the dog's head, he retrieved a paper bag from behind the wheelchair.

Unwrapping the paper bag revealed a small plush toy, a miniature Bernese Mountain Dog, which he handed to Chen Yiwan, saying, "A gift for our meeting."

Chen Yiwan, who appreciated all toys equally, provided ample emotional value, grabbing the small Berner and making some sounds as he lay on the ground to play.

Recalling that Ye Cai had been bathed the day before, Chen Moubai ultimately chose to ignore the sight of him lying on the ground, pretending not to see it.

There were benches nearby, and keeping the leash in hand, he sat down on one of them.

Yang Shu glanced at the fluffy ball of fur and asked, "Didn't you say you weren't considering getting a dog?"

Chen Moubai chuckled. "For reasons like these, I decided to keep him. He's currently being cared for by a friend."

The park had just opened, and since it was the weekend, there were quite a few people passing by. Initially out for a stroll, they stopped upon reaching this spot to gather around Ye, who was holding the small Berner. After receiving permission, they began petting him. One person asked while stroking the dog, "May I ask what your dog's name is?"

"Chen Yiwan," Chen Bai thought for a moment and added, "Yiwan as in ten thousand."

With heads and cheeks being scratched by others, Yiwan's eyes narrowed in comfort, turning his head symbolically when he heard his name.

It was a peculiar name, and those petting the dog smiled. Someone, hearing the voice, couldn't resist stopping their hand, their mind working to place the name.

It sounded familiar somehow. Although muffled by a mask, the voice seemed to ring a bell somewhere.

Their thoughts were interrupted. Someone wanted to take a photo with the puppy, and Chen Moubai, holding the other end of the leash, nodded in agreement.

Five-month-old Ye should have been in his awkward phase, but Yiwan had surprisingly good genes, remaining a round-faced little ball, a perfect miniature doggy car. Passersby took turns taking photos with him.

After the photos were taken, those who had gotten their fill of petting finally rose to leave, bidding farewell to both the humans and the dog as they departed.

Once others had finished taking their photos, Chen Moubai casually snapped a couple of shots himself. Afterward, he turned his phone to show the images to Brother White Moonlight for appreciation.

Sitting there, Brother White Moonlight's hand, hanging by the wheelchair, involuntarily moved a couple of times as he saw the photos. Choosing his words carefully, he said, "...They have an artistic quality to them."

Chen Bai then put away his phone, saying, "I'll post them on Weibo when we get back."

His agent had occasionally nudged him to engage with his accounts, and today would be a good opportunity to do so.

Seeing no hint of jest on Chen Moubai's face, Yang Shu interjected promptly, "Perhaps using different photos might be better."

Chen Yibai personally enjoyed these artistic shots and felt they were perfectly fine. Yang Shu, glancing at Ye, who was oblivious and still playing with his toy, chose not to comment further.

The area had been quiet until a breeze blew, causing the leaves overhead to rustle and fall. The change happened in an instant. As the leaves descended, Ye, who had been playing with his toy, lifted his head, his eyes following the leaves. When the leaves neared the ground, he gathered his strength and charged forward.

Along with him went the person who had been sitting on the bench.

Below was a grassy slope. The man and the dog moved swiftly, leaving no room for reaction. Yang Shu froze for a moment before quickly standing up. The driver and bodyguard, who had been nearby, also rushed over.

"..."

Halfway through the charge, Chen Bai managed to hold onto Yiwan on the slope. Though not as effortless as his neighbor lifting him, he wasn't completely powerless.

Gripping the leash firmly, he scolded Ye on the spot. Turning his head, he noticed the empty wheelchair where Yang Shu had been, along with an unfamiliar sunglasses-clad man already halfway up the slope, and Brother White Moonlight, who had arrived quickly and stood at a distance.

...Standing at a distance?

Holding the leash tightly, Chen Bai widened his eyes, strategically lifting his cap brim, closing and opening them again in disbelief. "Dude, how can you stand up!"

A medical miracle had occurred on such an ordinary day.

In his ears was the sound of rapid heartbeats, and his chest filled with the icy chill of air entering his lungs, tinged with a slight burning sensation. Yang Shu caught his breath.

"I'm unable to engage in activities that require much physical exertion; I can't stand for long or run. I'm not incapacitated."

The sound of his heartbeat mixed with the wind, the sensation of his limbs moving swiftly for the first time in a while, as if the air was infused with the scent of green and yellow grass. He exhaled, saying, "Using the wheelchair is simply more convenient for daily life."

Chen Moubai continued to look at him, the awe and reverence in his eyes at witnessing a medical miracle finally dissipating slightly.

Having not breathed so intensely and directly for a long time, the cold air stung his nostrils, yet he smiled.

His legs, unused to such movement, ached, and he sat directly on the grass, looking up and asking, "You don't like Huochuan?"

The sudden shift in topic was unexpected and highly跳跃. Still pondering the medical miracle, Chen Bai took a moment to respond, affirming that he did not.

Yang Shu said, "What if he confessed his feelings to you, would you agree?"

Chen Moubai sat down beside him, hearing this, and hugged the furry Yiwan in an attempt to warm up, his eyebrows twitching fiercely. "Friend, let's not tell cold jokes in autumn, okay?"

As everyone knows, the only thing separating autumn from winter is a cold joke.

"I came out today to tell you that I've let him go."

Yang Shu said, "I plan to let him go and free myself as well."

There was no need for any further action from him, nor did he need Huochuan to return. Huochuan would pay the price for his arrogance.

Though Chen Moubai didn't quite understand how the person had come to this realization over the past two months, it was certainly a good thing.

Chen Moubai raised his thumb, praising him for his high level of ideological awareness, then asked, "Why did you think to tell me this?"

Yang Shu replied, "I felt it was relevant to you and necessary to inform you."

Citizen Chen Moubai, always on the front lines of gossip, waved his hand and laughed. "What does it have to do with me?"