After hearing what Jiang Huaijin said over the phone, Jiang Xun fell silent.
The call continued in an uncomfortable silence. When no answer came, Jiang Huaijin ventured, "How about I buy you another one just like it?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized he had said the wrong thing.
There was no such thing as an exact replacement. Even two leaves were never identical, let alone a little life of flesh and blood.
He hadn't expected something like this to happen so suddenly, either.
Jiang Xun's lips curled in mockery. He said nothing more, only uttering two words before hanging up: "Just wait."
He returned to the sofa and told Fu Yanli and his nephew, Chu Xingye, that something had come up and he needed to go home.
"What could possibly have happened? Making a trip this late at night..." Seeing the dark expression on Jiang Xun's face, Chu Xingye abruptly shut his mouth.
That look suggested he might pull out an AK-47 and start spraying bullets at any second.
Fu Yanli put his magazine back on the shelf beside the sofa, then stood and looked at Jiang Xun. He didn't ask what had happened, only said, "I'll drive you back."
Jiang Xun didn't want to be alone with Fu Yanli at all right now. It wasn't just because of that toe-curlingly embarrassing phone call that afternoon. His instincts told him to keep his distance from this man.
He guiltily averted his gaze and declined as politely as he could. "No need. I'll book a ride."
"It's too late. That isn't safe."
"Give me a moment to change." He kept his eyes on Jiang Xun. "It's cold tonight. Put on a jacket, too."
Then he added, "All right?"
Fu Yanli seemed to give Jiang Xun no opportunity to refuse. Though his tone wasn't commanding, he carried the quiet authority of someone used to being in charge, making him impossible to turn down.
Jiang Xun could only steel himself and nod. He couldn't get the refusal out.
Fu Yanli, dressed in loose loungewear, went back to his room. Jiang Xun rubbed his bare arms beneath his short sleeves, then absentmindedly returned to his room to find a jacket.
A few minutes later, Fu Yanli emerged, having changed.
He wore a casual shirt and trousers beneath a long black coat that made his figure look especially tall and straight. The outfit wasn't formal, but it had an easy elegance.
"Let's go."
With the puppy on his mind, Jiang Xun followed Fu Yanli outside.
Sprawled on the sofa, Chu Xingye was idly scrolling through his phone. He glanced toward the door out of the corner of his eye, then suddenly sprang up and ran after them on impulse.
He looked at Jiang Xun, then at his uncle, before saying with a slightly awkward expression:
"I've got nothing else to do. I'll come along."
And so the three of them set off for the Jiang Family home.
Fu Yanli drove. Chu Xingye hurried into the front passenger seat first, denying that little dark-skinned brat any chance to get close to his uncle and curry favor.
Jiang Xun paid no attention whatsoever to Chu Xingye's little maneuver. He simply opened the door and got into the back seat. He didn't want to sit beside Fu Yanli anyway.
It was past ten at night, but there were still plenty of cars on the road.
In this bustling metropolis, some people's nightlife was only just beginning.
After more than an hour's drive, it was nearly midnight when the black Maybach passed through the gates of the Jiang Family home.
Normally, the lights would have been out by now. Tonight, however, the house remained brightly lit, and no one had gone to bed.
Jiang Xun and the other two entered the villa. The other four members of the Jiang Family were still in the living room.
Liu Ma stood to one side, guilt written all over her face.
Jiang Zixing had his head lowered, his eyes rimmed red. "Liu Ma accidentally kicked the puppy to death because she was trying to protect me."
Jiang Shiyuan patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It wasn't your fault. How could anyone blame you?"
Why had that puppy suddenly gotten loose? He had told Jiang Xun from the start not to keep a dog at home.
Now that this had happened, who was there to blame?
"How many days had Jiang Xun even had that puppy? He couldn't have grown that attached. If necessary, we'll just buy him another one."
Jiang Huaijin cut in abruptly. "Dad, please don't say things like that."
Jiang Shiyuan faltered, looking a little awkward, but fell silent.
It was only a stray they had picked up. If it was gone, it was gone; it hardly mattered. But if someone chose to make an issue of it, it wasn't a trivial matter, either.
It all came down to whether someone cared.
Deng Shu suddenly looked toward the entrance. "Xun is back."
At that, Jiang Zixing immediately raised his head. When he saw the man entering behind Jiang Xun, a flash of delighted surprise broke through his dejection.
It was Uncle Fu. Fu Yanli had come, too.
He had come with Jiang Xun.
Realizing this, Jiang Zixing felt an indescribable pang of jealousy.
The others were also surprised to see Fu Yanli and his nephew, Chu Xingye. They quickly stood to greet them.
After the greetings, no one was in the mood to make small talk with the guests. Every gaze settled on Jiang Xun.
Jiang Zixing lowered his head in guilty remorse and apologized quietly. "Jiang Xun, I'm sorry. It's all because of me... that the puppy died."
Jiang Xun gave him an emotionless glance, then walked around him and stopped in front of a cardboard box in the corner of the living room.
The puppy lay inside, a tiny bundle that looked as though it had fallen into a sweet sleep. But its body was already stiff.
Jiang Xun crouched and gently stroked its fur, his expression slowly softening.
The people behind him watched with varying expressions as an inexplicable silence settled over the room.
Deng Shu came forward and gently patted Jiang Xun's shoulder, comforting him softly. "Xun, it was an accident. Don't be upset."
Jiang Xun withdrew his hand and silently gazed at the little creature that had long since stopped breathing.
He wasn't particularly heartbroken, really. They had only spent a short time together, after all.
He simply felt it was a shame that such a small life had ended just like that.
And once that regret passed, it was time to settle the score.
The room had been closed. He didn't believe the puppy could have escaped for no reason, then happened to run straight to Jiang Zixing, who was allergic to animal fur, in a villa this large.
He didn't believe a word of it.
Jiang Xun rose, his gaze sweeping toward the middle-aged woman standing nearby. Liu Ma clasped her hands in front of her, her shoulders hunched and her head bowed guiltily.
"I'm truly sorry, young master."
Liu Ma sounded exceptionally sincere. "The puppy was biting the youngest master's trouser leg and wouldn't let go. I was so worried that I kicked it away in a panic. Who could have known that one little kick would stop it breathing?"
Jiang Xun folded his arms and watched her pathetic performance with unhurried composure.
"The youngest master is severely allergic to animal fur. If something had happened to him, it would have been too late."
"I don't know how the puppy suddenly got out of the room. If it hadn't run around, none of this would have happened."
"You shouldn't have brought it home in the first place, young master."
Chu Xingye had originally been watching with detached interest, treating it as none of his business. Hearing this, he couldn't help letting out a mocking chuckle.
"Well, look at that. Blaming the victim, too."
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present could hear him clearly.
Their reactions varied.
Fu Yanli stood with both hands in his pockets, his ink-dark eyes utterly calm as he watched it all without expression.
His cool gaze swept over his surroundings before silently settling on the person at the center of it all.
Jiang Xun narrowed his eyes slightly, then slowly walked up to Liu Ma, a faint, ambiguous smile on his lips. "So you're saying this is my fault?"
Liu Ma glanced up at him and timidly retreated half a step, looking as though an unreasonable bully were picking on her.
"I wouldn't dare blame you, young master. It's all my fault."
Seeing the atmosphere grow tense, Jiang Shiyuan stepped forward as the head of the household. "That's enough, Jiang Xun. It's already happened. Dwelling on it won't change anything."
"Zixing really is allergic to dog fur, and Liu Ma didn't do it on purpose."
Looking at his biological son, who still had gauze taped to his forehead, he softened his tone. "If you like dogs, I'll buy you another one. But you still can't keep it at home."
Jiang Huaijin frowned slightly in disapproval and nudged his father. "Dad, stop talking."
Before Jiang Xun could react, even Chu Xingye, a mere bystander, couldn't bear to listen anymore. He shot Jiang Shiyuan a disdainful look, then leaned toward his uncle's ear and muttered, "His favoritism stretches halfway across the world."
So this was the miserable life Jiang Xun led in the Jiang Family. No wonder he went after Jiang Zixing.
Fu Yanli gave no response to his nephew's remark. His gaze remained on his nephew's young fiancé.
What would Jiang Xun do next? This youngster probably wouldn't follow the usual script.
As that idle thought crossed his mind, he suddenly sensed someone watching him. He looked toward the source, his gaze passing over Jiang Zixing without lingering even for an instant.
Jiang Zixing lowered his head, repeatedly squeezing his own fingers as a thin sheen of sweat formed on his palms.
Uncle Fu just looked at me.
He secretly glanced toward Fu Yanli again. The man stood tall and distinguished, with eyes as dark and deep as an ancient well, as though a single meeting of gazes could draw someone helplessly in.
Yet the person those eyes were watching now was... Jiang Xun.
Jiang Xun didn't notice anyone else's gaze, nor did he react to Jiang Shiyuan's speech.
He stared at the puppy lying in the box. Suddenly, his expression turned strange, and under everyone's eyes, he murmured, "The puppy opened its eyes again."
Then he crouched, picked up the puppy's stiff body, and tenderly stroked its head.
"There, there... it doesn't hurt anymore."
Everyone watched, too stunned to respond, their faces filled with shock.
Fu Yanli's brow stirred slightly. A trace of interest appeared on his handsome, mature face, and understanding flickered in his eyes.
Then Jiang Xun's expression changed again. He suddenly pressed his ear close to the puppy's head and frowned in puzzlement. "What did you say?"
"You said you died an unjust death? That fat woman wanted to hurt you and deliberately kicked you to death?"
Jiang Xun pointed at Liu Ma.
Liu Ma stared at him blankly and took two bewildered steps back.
Had this country bumpkin gone mad over one dead dog?
No, he was definitely only pretending to be crazy.