Chapter 56: Double Jealousy
Fu Rangyi and Zhu Zhixi supported the old woman together and brought her to the cafe on the basement level of the hospital.
“These are photos of Snowball, and videos too.” The old woman took out her phone and somewhat clumsily opened her photo album, handing it to them. Nearly half of the album was filled with that little white dog.
“It’s him. This blue collar, and this paw tucked in.” Zhu Zhixi confirmed it. “Snowball is the little white dog I ran into back then.”
No wonder. He suddenly remembered that on the night of the first snow, when he had been unable to sleep and had gone downstairs in the early morning to build a snowman in the public garden, he had accidentally said the word “Snowball.” At that moment, it had been as if he sensed something. He had frozen for a second, and the light of the countdown in his palm had flickered briefly as well.
Was it because of the wisp of Snowball’s soul left inside him?
“What a coincidence,” Fu Rangyi said to Zhu Zhixi. “We searched for so long, and the dog’s owner turned out to be the old lady you saved on the day of your gathering.”
But Zhu Zhixi shook his head. “No, it wasn’t a coincidence. That day, when I went out, I already vaguely felt that something wasn’t right. Usually, I wouldn’t have taken that road, but for some reason I chose it that day. Then I saw Snowball on the way, got out of the car, and chased after him. I lost him, so I went back to the car. As soon as I drove off, I ran into Granny.”
He looked at the old woman sitting across from him and said softly, “Maybe Snowball sensed danger and guided me to save you.”
It sounded profoundly mysterious, but Zhu Zhixi could still recall that feeling of fate moving unseen.
After hearing this, the old woman looked at the poster, and tears could not help falling from her eyes. She raised a hand to wipe them away and said, “I’ve been looking for him too. Every day when I go downstairs, I walk around all the places where I used to take him for walks, calling his name as I go. When I sit in the living room watching TV, I put it on mute. Even if I hear the slightest sound, I think he’s come back.”
Hearing this, Zhu Zhixi’s heart sank. He had thought that once they found the owner, they would find the dog too…
Fu Rangyi frowned and asked, “Did Snowball get lost? Or did he run away on his own? Do you still remember the approximate time and location?”
The old woman sighed. “Snowball started eating very little in the summer. He slept all the time. At first, I thought he was like me, just too old. By winter, he often threw up, vomiting whatever he ate, and he panted heavily. I felt something was wrong, so I took him to the hospital.” She raised a hand, wiped her tears, and continued, “The doctor said it was already late-stage malignant tumor.”
Zhu Zhixi suddenly felt very cold. He had cared for too many animals and seen too many injuries, illnesses, and separations. The sorrow in his memory slowly spread, as if he had been submerged in cold water. If it was late stage, chemotherapy was basically ineffective. The only thing left was medication and injections to reduce pain.
There would never be another person in this world who could fully empathize with Snowball’s feelings at the time, but Zhu Zhixi could. He had once truly believed he had a terminal illness and was about to face death. Snowball was so small, panting from pain, and when he saw the countdown appear, he knew he would soon have to leave his owner. How scared must he have been?
In the silence, a hand reached over beneath the table and covered the back of his hand. It was the hand of the first “owner” in Snowball’s life.
The tears he had been holding back still fell, splashing onto the tabletop.
“At the time, I told him that no matter how much money it cost, I would treat his illness. He couldn’t leave before me.” The old woman shook her head. “The next day, Snowball disappeared. I remember it very clearly. It was December 7.”
Zhu Zhixi said quietly, “That was the day I returned to the country.” That night, he had met Snowball.
Fu Rangyi was silent for a long time before he could not help saying, “He… was thirteen. You raised him very well.”
The old woman did not hear the deeper meaning in his words and thought the young man was comforting her. “I have no children. My husband passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage ten years ago. If I hadn’t found Snowball, I don’t even know how I would have endured all this time.”
“Found?” Fu Rangyi frowned.
“Yes.” The old woman recalled the beginning. “I found him by the electric bike shed at the entrance of the neighborhood when I went downstairs to buy groceries. He was only three months old then, such a tiny thing, placed inside a foam box. He was so pitiful and so cute. I brought him home, gave him a bath, and found that something was wrong with his paw, so I took him to the hospital. The doctor said he might have been hit by an electric bike. His front paw was fractured. He was so young, and he had to undergo surgery. It was too pitiful.”
He asked a few more questions in detail. The time and age all matched. Snowball was indeed the little dog Fu Rangyi had saved back then.
However, after that couple adopted him from the pet shop, they had not raised him well. Instead, when he was injured, they chose to abandon him.
Zhu Zhixi quietly looked at Fu Rangyi sitting beside him and caught a glimpse of bewildered helplessness between his brows. For a moment, he even felt as though the person sitting next to him was that seventeen-year-old boy in a high school uniform, wearing a bite guard.
Was he feeling guilty? Or was he empathizing with this repeated abandonment?
In the end, Fu Rangyi never mentioned a single word in front of Snowball’s owner about having once found him.
Zhu Zhixi tightened his grip on his hand.
“Thank goodness for you,” Zhu Zhixi said to the old woman, and also to Fu Rangyi. “All these years, Snowball must have been very happy.”
Although the trail broke off again, from Granny they obtained a lot of information about Snowball’s habits: the parks he often went to, his favorite snacks, his favorite toys, and his dog friends.
They sent Granny home and took from her house a full box of things related to Snowball.
Seeing Granny’s expectant yet hesitant expression, Zhu Zhixi said, “We’ll find a way to find Snowball. Please take care of yourself. You must wait properly for him to come back, okay?”
When he returned to the car, Fu Rangyi was standing in front of the open trunk. He was holding a small red knitted sweater, clearly handmade with knitting needles. Looking at the little dog’s clothes, Fu Rangyi quietly fell into thought. A moment later, he raised his hand, lowered his head, and smelled the scent on it.
Like Zhu Zhixi, little dogs had no pheromones, but they both smelled very good.
They brought these things to the stray animal rescue station.
This time, Little Yu had tied his hair into a high ponytail, and his complexion looked much better than last time. Zhu Zhixi noticed it as soon as he entered and said with a smile, “Your new hairstyle looks really good.”
Little Yu smiled too, but he said that his strength and memories had not fully recovered yet.
Everyone sat down. After some explanation, Little Yu picked up Snowball’s daily items from the box one by one and sensed his aura.
“He deliberately ran away from home, and before he left, he was extremely frightened.” Little Yu tried to use the residual aura left on these objects to sense Snowball’s emotions at the time and search for clues. “He didn’t want his owner to spend a lot of money treating him. His owner wasn’t healthy either and often went to the hospital. He always waited at home for his owner to come back from her appointments.”
Zhu Zhixi’s heart broke hearing this.
“I think your countdown mechanism is too cruel.” He could not help speaking up on behalf of the small animals. “What do little dogs understand? Why do you have to warn them in advance? I’d rather they know nothing and be happy until the last day. Wouldn’t that be better?”
Little Yu fell silent too. “…This wasn’t my idea. I’m just the one carrying it out.” He paused, then said, “But I can understand. Maybe to humans, sixty days is only two months, very short. But converted into the lifespan of a dog, it’s almost three or four years. That time can be enough for them to make many preparations and fulfill many of their wishes.”
Little Yu sighed again and said, “But I didn’t expect that most dogs, when they see the countdown, have the first reaction of wanting to leave. They don’t want to pass away in front of their owners.”
Zhu Zhixi pursed his lips. “Sorry, I shouldn’t blame you. I should scold your superiors instead.”
Little Yu: “…”
“Since Snowball ran away from home on his own, it’s probably hard to make him show himself voluntarily,” Liang Yi’en had been thinking the whole time. “The last time he appeared, it was because he sensed that his owner might suddenly have a heart attack and be in danger, so he took the risk and came out. That means he’s constantly thinking about his owner. Maybe he’s also secretly following her.”
Fu Rangyi asked, “You mean if we follow that old lady, we might be able to find him?”
Little Yu said, “If humans follow her, it’ll be too obvious. It might even frighten the old lady. During this period, I can turn into an animal form and follow Granny to help keep watch for you.”
Liang Yi’en added, “I’ll take these things and let Xiaohua, Wangzai, Qiuqiu, and the others smell them. Those few love running outside the most. Maybe they can help.”
After dividing up the tasks, they planned to leave. Liang Yi’en walked them out and quietly asked Zhu Zhixi, “How much time is left on the countdown?”
Hearing this question, Zhu Zhixi did not dare answer directly, because the numbers he gave Fu Rangyi every day were fake. Now he finally understood people who cooked the books.
So he leaned close to Liang Yi’en’s ear and told him the real number very quietly. “Twenty-seven days, eleven hours, twenty-nine minutes, twenty-one seconds.”
Liang Yi’en frowned deeply after hearing it, very worried. “Why is it going so fast? Is Teacher Fu not good enough?”
Zhu Zhixi quickly covered his mouth and lowered his voice. “How can you say something like that?”
How is he not good enough? He’s almost thirty and still managed to make me develop a second time. He’s ridiculously good.
The two of them were acting sneaky, leaning close and whispering. Behind them, the two shadow-like figures had observed for a long time and accumulated quite a deep resentment.
“Don’t tell Teacher Fu. I…” Zhu Zhixi was halfway through speaking when he suddenly felt a chill behind him. He turned his head and saw Little Yu.
“You scared me.” Zhu Zhixi guiltily withdrew his hand and smiled, searching for something to say. “Well, Little Yu, your hair really looks nice. So long and white. Who tied that high ponytail for you? Xiao’En, right? He even knows how to braid hair. Next time, have him give you some West Coast dreadlocks…”
Before he could finish, Fu Rangyi stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and said, “Home.”
“Yes, husband.”
On the way back, Zhu Zhixi was still pinching his palm and worrying. Liang Yi’en’s feeling was not wrong. At first, holding hands could pause the countdown. Now, even kissing could not stop it for long. The effectiveness of physical contact had declined again and again.
Yet by pure coincidence, they had run into his developmental stage, so they could not do anything more excessive this week. In three more days, Fu Rangyi also had to go on a business trip. It was simply adding frost to snow. He did not even dare imagine how terrified he would be in the days away from Fu Rangyi.
He looked at Fu Rangyi and let out a long sigh.
“What are you sighing about?” The car had just stopped in the underground garage, and Fu Rangyi turned to stare at him.
Zhu Zhixi shook his head. “Nothing.” How could I tell you this? Your short-lived wife is having a hard time too.
Besides, he could sense that the shock of this day had also been significant for Fu Rangyi. First came the sudden secondary development, then they had met Snowball’s owner. His heart must be tense and disappointed. His mood was probably very complicated right now. Zhu Zhixi did not want to put more pressure on him. For once, he did not bother him and planned to let him be quiet.
The two of them got out of the car in silence, entered the elevator in silence, pressed the button, rose, the doors opened, and they went home.
Fu Rangyi unlocked the door with his fingerprint and opened it. “Last time, you said the lock at home was broken.”
Zhu Zhixi thought back. “Right, that did happen. But later it was fine again.”
Fu Rangyi changed his shoes and, out of habit, took out Zhu Zhixi’s slippers and placed them neatly too. But he seemed to regret this instinctive action and wanted to take it back. After pausing, he gave up.
He continued, “The door lock is important. I contacted the lock company and asked. They said the battery cell may be damaged. I applied to have it replaced, but they’re currently out of stock. Once it arrives, they’ll come repair it. I might not be here then, so remember it.”
Zhu Zhixi sat on the little stool and untied the laces of his canvas shoes. “Oh,” he answered. “Got it.”
Fu Rangyi silently took off his coat and hung it up. He had originally been about to leave, but then he turned back, crossed his arms, and stood there silently, waiting for Zhu Zhixi to finish changing shoes.
When Zhu Zhixi stood up, he realized Fu Rangyi was staring straight at him. That beautiful face was buried in the shadow of the backlight, looking rather eerie.
“What’s wrong?” Zhu Zhixi moved closer and raised his face to look into his eyes.
Why does he seem unhappy? Who annoyed him this time? Zhu Zhixi studied him. His gaze restlessly drifted down from that handsome face to his collarbone, then lower, to his chest.
Another erotic turtleneck sweater. White, too. Was it because of the pheromones? Or because of the hormones from his developmental stage? He seemed to have become clingier than before.
“Ah, your sweater is pilling.” Zhu Zhixi reached out, picked at a nonexistent fuzzball, and took the chance to feel him up.
Fu Rangyi: “…”
Having touched him, Zhu Zhixi was very satisfied and said with a smile, “Teacher Little Fu, when you’re outside, you have to be a little more guarded. You can’t let people take advantage of you so casually like just now, okay?”
Fu Rangyi kept his head half-lowered and still said nothing.
“Why are you ignoring me? Are you still remembering what I said last night, ‘I’m not talking to you anymore’? Grudge holder.” As Zhu Zhixi spoke, he stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips. He received no response, but he was not rejected either. He raised both hands, climbed up to Fu Rangyi’s nape, and while caressing his gland, used the tip of his tongue to part his lips. The kiss grew deeper and stickier.
But as they kissed, Fu Rangyi actually raised his head. With their height difference, Zhu Zhixi had no choice but to stand on tiptoe even harder and chase after him to kiss him. But Fu Rangyi became even more excessive, even lifting his chin.
“What are you doing?” Zhu Zhixi’s heels landed on the floor with a thud. For the first time, he realized that every time they kissed, Fu Rangyi had been accommodating him.
It’s not that much of a difference. Only nine centimeters. With shoes on, I’m almost 180 too. I’m also a long-legged Beta. The main issue is that someone is too tall.
“Lower your head a little. Kissing like this is so tiring.” Zhu Zhixi began his second round of acting cute, as well as his second round of kissing attacks. His hands were already in position, ready to grope around.
But before he could start, Fu Rangyi directly lifted him up and set him down on the entryway cabinet. Zhu Zhixi thought he had stopped sulking and leaned in to kiss him, only for Fu Rangyi to dodge again.
With a cold face, Fu Rangyi asked, “Zhu Zhixi, do you only like people with long hair?”
Zhu Zhixi was dumbfounded. “Huh?”
He did not understand why long hair had suddenly come up. The long-haired undergraduate doggy had indeed been… pure-looking. Who wouldn’t like that?
No, wait. What does “only like” mean?
Zhu Zhixi’s brain spun rapidly, and his emotional intelligence system began working. Suddenly, from the enormous amount of information from the entire day, he retrieved two key moments. They had happened when he went to Xiao’En’s place and before they left.
He had complimented Little Yu’s hair. Twice.
Zhu Zhixi suddenly understood. So the doggy doctor was jealous. But how could he even be jealous of Little Yu? This possessiveness seemed to have become much more exaggerated than before.
The corners of his mouth could not help lifting, very obviously. Of course Fu Rangyi saw it, so his expression grew even darker, as though he intended to turn and leave. But Zhu Zhixi was quick-eyed and quick-handed. He scooted forward directly, then leaped onto him like a little flying squirrel.
Fu Rangyi was startled, but still caught the bad rabbit who had thrown himself into his arms very steadily, letting him cling to his waist with both hands and feet like a koala.
“You’re jealous, aren’t you?” Zhu Zhixi rubbed his nose bridge against his, then, like last time, tried to use the tip of his nose to push up Fu Rangyi’s glasses. But Fu Rangyi lifted his chin and refused to let him do it.
So Zhu Zhixi took advantage of the opening and simply lowered his head to kiss his Adam’s apple.
Fu Rangyi’s eyelids trembled, and the hand holding the root of Zhu Zhixi’s thigh tightened.
“Is it because I said Little Yu’s hairstyle looked good?” Zhu Zhixi pressed closer, looking at him and blinking innocently, his lips brushing Fu Rangyi’s chin. “That was just politeness. You don’t actually think my personal preference is only long hair, do you?”
Fu Rangyi looked at him and asked stiffly, “Who’s jealous?”
Zhu Zhixi laughed again and said, “Fine, then you’re not jealous. I’m the jealous one. Happy?”
This self-attack caught Fu Rangyi slightly off guard. He said nothing, his eyes showing some confusion.
“Do you know why I want to see you with long hair? Because at the gathering last time, when everyone was drinking, your colleagues talked about it. Everyone had seen what you looked like with long hair, and I’m the only one who hasn’t. That’s not fair.”
Zhu Zhixi’s fingers slid back and forth over his nape, then he cupped Fu Rangyi’s face, his fingertips rubbing the gland behind his ear. He did not think there was anything special about this behavior, but strangely, the wristband had already started to glow.
“I want to know what you used to be like too. Not just the version of you with long hair. I also want to see what you looked like in class—not as a teacher, but as a student sitting below and listening. Were you the kind who listened very seriously, or did you not really listen because you were so fast at self-studying? I’m really curious. I also want to borrow books with you at the library, study with you, eat with you at the cafeteria, and take walks with you around the sports field. It’s a pity none of that is possible.”
As he spoke, his lips pressed against Fu Rangyi’s ear, intentionally or unintentionally kissing it. His voice was so soft that it trembled faintly. Warm, damp breath lingered there, every inhale and exhale brushing past the sensitive gland behind Fu Rangyi’s ear.
“Teacher Fu, tell me, what exactly do I like?”
Author’s Note:
Teacher Little Fu and Little Zhu are both in a period where their pheromones are influencing each other. During this hormonal chaos, both of them will be overflowing with possessiveness or become super clingy—especially Teacher Fu. With separation anxiety plus his wife’s developmental stage affecting him, he has completely transformed into a sensitive big dog. And soon they’ll be physically separated in two different places. I don’t even dare imagine it. You two are probably going to create sparks just from phone calls.
