On the way back.
Inside the car.
“Uh, honestly, if it’s really that bad, Dahuang, you could sit here with me?” Shen Ming said, sounding a bit hesitant.
Looking in the rearview mirror at Dahuang, who had been shunned and was practically about to be kicked out, he couldn’t help but feel a little sympathetic.
In the back row, Dahuang was on one side, while Ye Cheng and Shen Qinghan were on the other. The young lady seemed very resistant to this kind of animal, leading to the current situation.
Ye Cheng had been pushed out by the young lady to act as a shield.
Ye Cheng: “…”
Dahuang, being very perceptive, had been grinning from ear to ear since getting in the car, putting on an innocent, harmless look and acting overly eager to please.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried to win her over, the young lady remained disdainful and wouldn’t even glance his way. Even Doudou, sitting in the front passenger seat, couldn’t bear to watch and thought about swapping places with Dahuang.
“No need. He can just stay there,” Shen Qinghan said, her voice calm. Still, she pushed Ye Cheng forward against Dahuang’s direction, using him as a barrier.
She herself stayed hidden behind, peeking at Dahuang.
Shen Ming: “…”
Well, sweetie, you really don’t have to force it that much.
But since his daughter had spoken, he had no reason to insist on changing things. After a moment, sensing the awkward atmosphere in the car, Shen Ming took the initiative to break the ice.
“By the way, Xiao Cheng, are you feeling better now?”
Shen Ming had heard earlier that Ye Cheng was severely injured, to the point of needing surgery and being wrapped up like a mummy. Yet now, Ye Cheng was bouncing around lively.
He didn’t look like a patient at all. Even if Ye Cheng’s recovery ability was extraordinary, how could it be this drastic? Hospitalized one day, discharged the next, and full of energy the following afternoon?
Was that normal?
His physique was almost on par with his wife’s.
The only difference was that his wife never stayed in the hospital—she was always at full health, never showing even a dip in her energy bar.
Even when she was lazing around or sleeping in, she could snap wide awake the moment something happened.
Don’t ask how he knew—one night, Shen Ming came home very late from work, parked the car at the entrance, and accidentally stopped on the spot marked with a “little tomato” pattern. Du Wanyi, who was asleep in bed, immediately opened her eyes.
In the middle of the night, still in her pajamas, she ran over and gave Shen Ming a thorough beating for accidentally parking on the little tomato design.
She claimed it disturbed her sleep…
Shen Ming: “…”
The memory was vivid, etched deep in his mind. He felt he had seen everything now except ghosts—and ghosts probably weren’t as terrifying as his wife, because ghosts wouldn’t get up in the dead of night to beat him and then tell him to go back to sleep.
Sigh…
“I feel pretty good, actually. I just don’t really feel like eating chicken legs right now,” Ye Cheng said, patting his stomach and letting out a burp.
Shen Ming: “…”
Why did that feel like a non-answer?
Shen Ming’s mouth twitched, but he circled back: “Oh, right, Xiao Cheng, do you still smoke? Hanhan is allergic to smoke, so you need to be careful about that.”
Shen Qinghan had a weak constitution and was easily affected by negative external factors, like cigarette smoke, which would make her cough constantly.
But oddly enough, Shen Ming noticed that today, when Ye Cheng was smoking nearby, his daughter didn’t have that reaction. She only furrowed her brow slightly, without showing any actual signs of discomfort like coughing.
Strange, really strange. Could love really be that magical?
Just kidding, Doudou—I was smoking fake cigarettes, no nicotine at all…
Shen Qinghan frowned at that, a trace of confusion in her eyes. Indeed… she was allergic to smoke, yet she had no reaction to the smoke rings Ye Cheng had just blown out.
How odd?
“What kind of cigarette were you smoking?” Shen Qinghan asked.
Ye Cheng blinked. “No clue. Picked it up off the ground.”
“Thump!”
“I mean, I rolled it myself.”
“Thump!”
“Someone gave it to me.”
“Thump!”
“Dahuang handed it to me. I couldn’t refuse—he would’ve bit me if I didn’t take it.”
This time, he finally didn’t get hit. When disaster loomed, Ye Cheng decisively chose to throw his good buddy under the bus. Go get ’em, Meng De!
Dahuang: “…”
Dahuang, still crouched in the corner, suddenly perked up, staring at Ye Cheng with a somewhat silent expression. Then he quietly began tracing something on the ground.
Oh my goodness, it was a middle finger!
Shen Ming: “???”
“Pfft, cough, cough…” Shen Ming had been watching the back seat through the rearview mirror the whole time. When he saw Dahuang get up and trace a middle finger on the floor, he lost it.
He sat up straight, eyes wide, utterly incredulous.
No way. Was this dog really that smart?
Shen Ming let out the exact same mix of amazement and shock that Lin Tianxiong had shown when he first met Dahuang, and began to wonder about Dahuang’s breed. What kind of dog could be this clever?
No wonder Dahuang gave off such a familiar vibe—his family also had plenty of these odd little animals around.
They were all creations of his wife: Big Black, Big White, and the Big Turtle… They had all mutated, more or less able to understand human speech.
It was somewhat… well, unbelievable, but true.
If his wife had been born in ancient times, she would’ve ranked as some kind of beast tamer or something like that. He thought his wife was already over-the-top, but it turned out Ye Cheng had an even bigger expert here?
“Xiao Cheng, what breed is Dahuang? And… can Dahuang understand what we’re saying?”
Shen Ming asked.
Dahuang nodded.
Shen Ming: “???”
It wasn’t just Shen Ming who looked like he had seen a ghost—the short-haired woman driving in the driver’s seat also couldn’t help but get distracted. She instinctively glanced over at Dahuang and saw him nodding.
Even the young lady, who had been using Ye Cheng as a shield, perked up with interest, a glimmer of excitement flashing in her eyes.
“Tap, tap.” She knocked twice on Ye Cheng’s head.
“What can he do?” Shen Qinghan asked.
Ye Cheng thought for a moment. “Backflips, cursing, sprinting, body slams, freestyle combat…”
Shen Ming: “???”
Short-haired woman: “???”
Both master and servant wore expressions of utter disbelief. Only the young lady’s eyes lit up. She didn’t seem skeptical of Ye Cheng’s words and wanted to test them out.
“Come on, Dahuang, do a trick for the young lady!”
Ignore, ignore, ignore…
At Ye Cheng’s command, Dahuang executed several backflips in a row.
Shen Ming: “…”
Short-haired woman: “…”
The young lady’s interest was fully piqued. She no longer felt so repulsed by Dahuang. Moving one hand off Ye Cheng, she pointed at Dahuang and gave an order.
“Backflip.”
Dahuang didn’t move an inch.
Ye Cheng spoke: “Backflip.”
Ignore, ignore, ignore…
Shen Qinghan: “…”
It was obvious that Shen Qinghan was displeased. Her cheeks puffed up in frustration—Dahuang only listened to Ye Cheng, and no one else’s orders worked.
"Why won't it listen to me?" Shen Qinghan asked.
Ye Cheng rubbed his smooth chin. "Probably because you didn't offer it any bribes?"
Shen Ming: "..."
The short-haired woman: "..."
It was as if they now knew why Dahuang was also misbehaving—turns out he took after Ye Cheng, right?
Man and dog, both needed a bribe to get moving.
"Then why don't you have to give it bribes?" Shen Qinghan frowned, apparently still unsatisfied with the answer.
"Maybe it's a dog that looks down on people, Miss. Don't bother arguing with it. Dahuang's just a dog, after all." Ye Cheng spread his hands.
Dahuang nodded along.
Shen Ming: "..."
The short-haired woman: "..."
Shen Qinghan: "..."
If those words were said about anyone else, they'd definitely be an insult for sure. But when it came to Dahuang... it fit surprisingly well, with no awkwardness at all. It was clear now—the highest command authority belonged to Ye Cheng.
Suddenly, the young lady remembered the sprained ankle incident from before.
"Why did it sprain its ankle?"
One sentence brought back buried memories, and time seemed to slip back to the first day of school. Shen Qinghan was sitting at the edge of the fountain, and Ye Cheng had just escaped from the freshman ceremony after finishing his jinxed cheat quest.
The gears of fate began to turn.
In Ye Cheng's file, one of the more eye-catching entries was his relationship with Dahuang—the two called each other brothers, and there was some mix of doctor-patient history between them.
Shen Qinghan was obviously curious about the truth behind that doctor-patient relationship.
If it had been about anyone else, the young lady might not have been so curious. But when the subject was Ye Cheng...
Ye Cheng blinked. "This guy kept sneaking off with other dogs' girlfriends. When their boyfriends caught him, he'd run, right? That mangy mutt never changed his ways. But no need to worry now."
Shen Ming spoke up: "Why don't you need to worry? Has Dahuang reformed, or did he have a conscience about how immoral it was?"
"Bro Douzi, what are you talking about? Mengde's just a dog. You're gonna lecture him about morality?"
Ye Cheng shook his head. "Mengde's dog-nappings... oh wait, dog-wife-stealing, just got more and more frequent, and he got faster and faster. The ones whose dogs got stolen can't catch him anymore."
Shen Ming: "..."
The short-haired woman: "..."
Shen Qinghan: "..."
A... remarkably plain truth. A few sentences silenced the whole carload of people. The young lady once again resumed her defensive pose from earlier, using Ye Cheng as a shield in front of her.
She stared at Dahuang with a look of extreme disgust and calmness. Though she didn't say a word, her gaze said it all: Keep your distance, thanks.
The young lady had lost all interest she had just developed in Dahuang, and tossed him a dismissive glance.
"Hey, Miss, there's no need for that. Dahuang sees you the same way you see Dahuang. He's just a dog—how could he possibly be interested in a human..." Ye Cheng spread his hands, putting on a helpless expression as he explained.
"Thump, thump, thump..."
Ye Cheng's HP -1 -1 -1...
Silence was the theme of tonight. The whole carload of people was rendered speechless by this bizarre man-and-dog duo. Seems like there's a reason those two brothers hit it off so well.
Is there any decency left in the man?
Is there any decency left in the dog?
Before long, the car carrying the group slowly came to a stop.
They arrived back at the Shen family estate.
"Xiao Cheng, don't go back tonight. Stay at our place. Let me know if you need anything—do you have trouble with new beds? Do you prefer a soft mattress or a firmer one..."
Shen Ming turned around and suddenly saw Ye Cheng scratching the back of his head with an oddly shy expression.
"This isn't great, this is kind of embarrassing, this..."
Shen Ming: "..."
What the hell are you acting shy about, kid?
Shen Ming sighed and wore a polite smile on his face.
After all, he's still just a kid. It's a bit awkward staying over at a female classmate's house—shy and uncomfortable, right? You little...
"Since you're offering, I won't be polite then. Well, Bro Douzi, arrange ten or eight maids for me. As for the room, I'm not too picky—just follow seven-star hotel standards. I'll start with some Antarctic krill to whet my appetite, then we'll rinse with some Romanée-Conti since simple's fine. Finally..."
"Thump—"
Shen Ming: "..."
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
