Chapter 36 - 2#
Jing Shun chuckled at his words. “Mm, that’s true.”
During their brief exchange, Gou Bao stealthily sniffed at Eone, confirming that the other dog didn’t mind it at all, then perked up again, bounding around Eone in circles.
Eone let the smaller dog prance around, its slender tail twitching slightly.
Yu Zhen could tell his big dog was secretly happy. He suggested, “No one in this area keeps dogs, so Eone usually doesn’t have any playmates here. Jing Shun, are you planning to keep walking? Want to team up?”
Seeing that Gou Bao’s excitement hadn’t worn off, Jing Shun didn’t refuse. “Sure.”
Yu Zhen pointed the way. “Let’s take this greenway. There’s a nice stretch of scenery further ahead.”
The two returned to the greenway.
Yu Zhen looked at Jing Shun’s face and felt a vague sense of familiarity. “Jing Shun, are you a celebrity? I feel like I’ve seen you in a TV show or something.”
Jing Shun didn’t intend to hide his acting background. “Yeah, I used to act in some dramas, but not anymore.”
Yu Zhen noticed his wheelchair but didn’t pry. Instead, he complimented, “No wonder—you’re really good-looking.”
Jing Shun was no stranger to compliments about his appearance. “Thanks. Do you work in Macau?”
Last night, Chi Gui and Wei Di had mentioned that only the wealthy and powerful could afford to live here. Yu Zhen looked young and said his hometown was in Suzhou, so what brought him here?
Yu Zhen was candid. “Oh, I came to Macau over five years ago. Someone recommended me, and I came here to work and make money.”
He rubbed his fingertips, mimicking a dealing motion. “A croupier, you know? The Chinese homophone for Eone is ‘yiwan’—like striking it rich.”
Eone heard its name and deliberately turned its head for a look.
Jing Shun laughed. “Of course I know.”
Gambling is legal in Macau, and croupiers aren’t exactly a niche profession there.
Sometimes, when guests won a round of cards, they’d tip the croupiers—making it easier to save up. On the flip side, if guests lost, they might take their anger out on the staff.
Yu Zhen glossed over the work hassles. “But I’ve been working less these past two years. Most of the time, I just rest here.”
Jing Shun caught the key word. “Rest?”
“Mm.”
Yu Zhen tapped his heart. “A couple of years ago, something happened. I barely made it back from the gates of hell.”
He pointed at Eone, who was walking ahead. “My dog’s scar is from that time too. He saved me.”
Probably recalling the bad memories from two years ago, Yu Zhen’s eyes dimmed for a moment.
But he quickly brightened up again, smiling. “So now I think, as long as you’re alive, it’s good. As long as you’re alive, there’s hope. Don’t you think?”
Those words struck a chord deep within Jing Shun.
He nodded firmly. “Yes.”
…
The two circled the greenway once more, returning to the path where they had first met.
Eone and Gou Bao had already gotten familiar with each other’s scent, and now they were playing—though most of the time, it was Gou Bao clinging to Eone.
Yu Zhen stopped at his own doorstep and asked, “Jing Shun, want to come in for a bit?”
Jing Shun politely declined. “Maybe next time. It’s our first meeting, after all—dropping in unannounced wouldn’t feel right.”
Yu Zhen didn’t push it, but said, “Then wait here for a second. Let me grab something for you!”
“Hey—”
Before Jing Shun could refuse, Yu Zhen had already hurried inside.
Eone, who had been barely tolerating Gou Bao’s antics, immediately followed its owner.
Seeing the other dog walk away, Gou Bao tried to chase after it but was held back by the leash. It scratched the ground frantically a few times before whining at Jing Shun in displeasure.
Jing Shun rubbed its neck. “You’ve had enough fun for today. We’ll play again tomorrow, okay?”
Gou Bao whined, drooping its head.
Yu Zhen was taking a while, and Jing Shun didn’t want to enter without permission, so he waited by the door.
From his angle, he could see part of the living room—
White carpets and white sofas were covered in warm-toned plush toys, making the place feel cozy. In one corner of the sofa stood a display cabinet, filled with all kinds of pottery pieces.
Suddenly, Jing Shun’s eye caught a familiar-looking pottery piece—abstract in shape.
But before he could get a second look to confirm, Yu Zhen emerged. “Jing Shun.”
“Hm?”
Yu Zhen handed him an elegant cake box. “I don’t know if you’ll like it, but I made this dessert myself. I was planning to eat it after walking the dog this afternoon.”
Instead, he had run into Jing Shun, and they’d ended up circling the greenway again, delaying things.
Jing Shun was surprised by the beautifully presented dessert. “You made this yourself?”
“Mm. I’ve been experimenting with cooking in my spare time these past two years. Give it a try?” Yu Zhen smiled. “I think I know roughly which house you live in. When I have time, I’ll bring Eone over to play with you guys.”
Jing Shun accepted the gift. “Thank you.”
As he spoke, Eone came running out of the house.
It had a large meat-flavored chew stick in its mouth, which it dropped right in front of Gou Bao. “Woof~”
Gou Bao’s eyes lit up at the sight of the big dog’s chew toy, its tail wagging like a propeller.
It bounced on its front paws, then lowered its head to Eone: “Woof!”
Bow before the boss!
Jing Shun was stunned. “Can it even eat that?”
Yu Zhen laughed. “It can just play with it. At her age, she’s ready for some heavy chewing.”
“Thanks. We’ll head off then.”
“Alright.”
…
Jing Shun retraced his steps, while Gou Bao struggled to carry the chew stick, wobbling as it walked.
Just as they reached their doorstep, they saw the butler coming out.
The butler’s expression relaxed when he saw Jing Shun. “Sir, you were out for quite a while. Did anything happen?”
Jing Shun shook his head. “No, I just ran into another dog owner from the neighborhood. Lost track of time chatting.”
The butler didn’t press further, simply passing on a message. “Assistant Wei called just now. The master is still busy and has a dinner banquet tonight, so he won’t be back for dinner.”
“…”
First day back, and he’s already this busy?
A subtle flicker of disappointment crossed Jing Shun’s heart, though he didn’t quite notice it himself.
The butler asked, “Young Master Jing, what would you like for dinner? I’ll have the kitchen prepare it.”
Jing Shun lifted the cake box on his lap. “No need. I’ll just eat this. Could you have someone bring me a glass of warm milk? Send it to my room.”
“Of course. I’ll prepare that and some fresh fruit as well?”
“Sure.”
Jing Shun returned to his room. With nothing to do, he caught up on the latest four episodes of This Is the Real Workplace!
Time slipped by until nine o’clock, and there was still no sign of Chi Gui.
Only a dim desk lamp was lit in the room.
Jing Shun stared at the black screen after the show ended, then at Gou Bao gnawing away at its new snack in its dog bed. A long-lost feeling of loneliness crept over him.
He sat motionless in his wheelchair for a long moment, even feeling an impulse to send a message asking when Chi Gui would be back.
As soon as he realized how inappropriate that thought was, he quickly exited the chat interface.
“…”
In my past life, I endured so many lonely days alone. I thought I’d gotten used to it. Why is it that now, I’m feeling unsettled?
Jing Shun sighed, tucked away his emotions, and headed to the bathroom.
When he came out, Gou Bao was too tired to chew anymore, lying in its bed and huffing softly.
Jing Shun glanced at the chew stick—it had only minor surface damage.
“Baby, tired? Keep at it tomorrow.”
He ruffled the dog’s head, then climbed onto the bed. “Time for us to sleep nicely now.”
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the door. Knock, knock—the unlocked door made a noise.
“Jing Shun, are you asleep?”
It was Chi Gui’s voice.
Instinctively, Jing Shun sat up a little straighter. “Come in.”
Chi Gui pushed the door open. He was still wearing a dark brown suit.
Gou Bao tensed for a moment, then relaxed after recognizing Chi Gui’s familiar scent. It lay back down.
Chi Gui noticed the dog bed on the floor, a little surprised. “You didn’t let him on the bed tonight?”
“Mm. He didn’t get on last night either. He dragged his own bed over here.” Jing Shun met the man’s eyes, and the earlier disappointment vanished without a trace. “Busy day?”
“A bit.”
Chi Gui didn’t hide it from him. “Zhang Aode got humiliated on the cruise and couldn’t take the loss. He came back a day early and tried to gang up with other shipping companies to pressure us.”
Jing Shun frowned. “Is it easy to handle?”
Chi Gui remained composed. “Easy. They won’t amount to anything.”
The Chi Corporation had already contacted Zhang Yazhi in secret. She was covertly buying up Zhang’s shares, and within three days, the Zhang family would be reshuffled. Once Zhang Aode was out of power, they wouldn’t be the ones calling the shots anymore.
Chi Gui noticed the giant chew stick in Gou Bao’s bed. “Where did that come from? The butler said you met a fellow dog owner during your walk today?”
Jing Shun briefly told him about meeting Yu Zhen that afternoon. “I think he’s a nice person. And at least Gou Bao will have a playmate for now.”
Chi Gui didn’t restrict Jing Shun’s freedom to make friends. “Alright. Just be careful.”
As for this Yu Zhen, he’d have Wei Di look into him discreetly.
“It’s late. You should rest?”
“You must be exhausted after working all day?”
They both spoke at once, then paused as they made eye contact.
“…”
“…”
A faint flutter stirred in Jing Shun’s chest. He instinctively looked away from Chi Gui. “Gou Bao and I are about to sleep anyway. You should get some rest too. You’ve had a long day.”
“Alright.”
Chi Gui stepped forward, dimming the bedside lamp for Jing Shun. “Rest well.”
In less than five minutes of exchange, Jing Shun felt the loneliness from earlier melt away completely. He took a deep breath, sensing something on the verge of spilling out from his heart.
“Gou Bao, come here.”
Hearing its owner’s call, Gou Bao padded over from its bed to the edge of the bed.
Jing Shun lifted the dog’s fluffy paw, trying to bridge the gap between human and dog. “You worked hard today, baby. Come say goodnight.”
The “goodnight tool dog” was on high alert, wary that Chi Gui might kick its new big snack.
I remember! This guy kicked my little bowl last time! He’s bad!
“…”
Chi Gui’s attention wasn’t on Gou Bao at all. Hearing Jing Shun’s soft voice, the tension that had gripped him all day suddenly eased.
The room was dim, silent feelings quietly spreading.
“Mm, received.” Chi Gui’s gaze pretended to pause on Gou Bao’s paw for a moment, then, in the final second, shifted to the one it was truly meant for.
“Baby, goodnight.”