Shortly after the call ended, the atmosphere inside the car shifted from worry to a chilling dread.
Zhou Duo had cried himself to sleep from exhaustion, allowing Zhou Shu to finally push past the lingering embarrassment of his "social death" and regain control of his body.
In the driver's seat, Xiao Zhang stole a glance at the rearview mirror and swallowed hard.
The aura his boss exuded when angry was truly suffocating, even for a Beta like him who couldn't feel the pressure of pheromones.
As they drove toward the company, Zhu Lili spent the entire trip on the phone with the head agent.
"Sis, don't ask me. How should I know? These people are clearly out to get us." She pressed a hand to her forehead, muttering with her eyes closed, "Those kids looked like Shu-ge’s fans, but who knows who was hiding among them?"
"It shouldn't be Vivian or Joe. Why would they mess with us? Unless they’re tired of making money."
Whatever was said on the other end of the line made Zhu Lili’s tone turn irritable.
"If they want to cancel, let them! The money from those few endorsements wouldn't even buy a single bathroom in Shu-ge’s house!" Having vented some of her frustration, her tone finally relaxed. "Fine, fine, I’ll stop. Anyway, we’re almost there. We’ll talk in person." She leaned back against the seat and let out a long sigh.
After a moment, the person beside her spoke up: "You’re being a bit hyperbolic."
At the very least, it could buy a kitchen.
Zhu Lili shot him a look. "I’m losing my hair every day over your messes. Tell me, at your age, why do these anti-fans keep fixating on you?"
"...We’re the same age," Zhou Shu stated after a few seconds of silence, sticking to the facts.
"Well, no one would believe that if you told them. Hah, these days, the more you tell the truth, the more people think you’re just creating a diversion." Zhu Lili looked back down at her phone. Zhou Shu knew she was referring to the statement the studio had released earlier.
Looking at it now, the "diversion" claim wasn't entirely wrong. He had indeed clarified two dating rumors, only to go and actually get a marriage certificate.
Zhou Shu fell into thought for a moment before asking Zhu Lili in a feigned casual tone, "If I said I got married..."
"Shut your mouth!" Zhu Lili interrupted, glaring at him. "Don't you dare say a word of that once we get to the company. Please, just let me live a few more years."
Zhou Shu clicked his tongue in annoyance and took a drag from his e-cigarette. The cool mint flavor rushed into his nasal cavity, clearing his head and washing away some of the toxic comments he had seen on the trending topics list.
Normally, Zhou Shu didn't care about the attacks from anti-fans, but seeing Zhou Duo cry like that earlier had left a bitter taste in his mouth.
And then there was Jin Yan...
Whenever Jin Yan saw his name plastered all over the trending searches, his heart likely ached no less than Zhou Duo’s.
He would be jealous of the praise and pained by the slander, yet he could only ever stand far behind Zhou Shu, acting as the restrained younger brother who had to be careful even when they kissed.
No—he was his spouse now.
Zhou Shu gripped his blacked-out phone and turned toward Zhu Lili. "Do you have a power bank?"
Zhu Lili shifted her gaze to him. "Have you really gone this long without knowing you can charge your phone in the car?"
"..."
Meanwhile, the spouse of the Film Emperor—who had once again been pushed to the center of a storm—had just locked his phone, gripping it tightly.
He thought that if he could gather all those people in a square and release a maximum-level Enigma pheromone burst in the center of the crowd, they wouldn't be able to get out of bed for half a month, let alone have the energy to scream into their phones.
Unfortunately, this was a society ruled by law; he couldn't be so violent.
But even more unfortunately, there was no way to control those hiding behind their screens.
Jin Yan’s brow was furrowed, his breath trembling slightly.
He didn't know what his husband was doing. His messages went unreturned, and the phone was turned off.
His usually steady personality was experiencing an unprecedented sense of helplessness. Was it really impossible to just hide him away at home...?
"Jin-ge, a young girl just called. She said she rescued a puppy from a sewer drain. It looks like it’s dying, and she’s bringing it over now." Jiang Rong pushed the door open hurriedly. Jin Yan immediately put down his phone and stood up.
"Understood. Go get ready, just in case. Make sure we’re prepared for surgery at any moment."
"On it!"
Jin Yan’s pet hospital had started its soft opening today. The appointments for the first day were already fully booked. He had been busy all day and was planning to head home, but it looked like he would be working overtime.
The presence of three doctors who could all be described as breathtakingly handsome added a certain allure to the business, but more importantly, each of them was a top-tier professional.
Relying on his awakened Enigma abilities, Jin Yan was primarily responsible for consultations and internal medicine.
Jiang Rong focused on surgical treatments and operations.
Gou Feifei, who was skilled at dealing with people, took on the role of the front desk receptionist while acting as a versatile backup wherever needed.
About twenty minutes later, a girl who looked like a minor rushed in, cradling a soaking wet puppy.
The puppy was curled into a ball, with several visible external injuries. Its breathing was faint, and it appeared to be unconscious.
"Here, give him to me." Jiang Rong gently took the puppy from the girl and carried it toward the operating room to find Jin Yan.
"Little sister, take a seat here for a bit. Let me know if you want something to drink." Remembering something, he went to the front desk, grabbed a tablet, and handed it to her. "If you need to use this, feel free."
"Okay, thank you." After thanking him, the girl looked at Gou Feifei with a face full of panic. "Doctor, will he be okay?"
Gou Feifei hadn't touched the puppy yet and knew nothing of its condition, so he didn't dare say much. He gave the girl a few standard words of comfort, set the front door to ring-only for visitors, and entered the operating room.
"How is it? What’s the situation?"
Jiang Rong had just taken off his stethoscope and sighed. "He’s currently in shock. There’s obvious rale in the lungs—sounds like a drum." He stood up and pointed behind him. "I’m going to get him ready for an X-ray."
"No need." Jin Yan stopped Jiang Rong. He placed one hand gently on the puppy’s head and the other over its chest. In an instant, the world around him fell silent; he could only feel the faint pulse and the ragged, tearing sound of the puppy’s breathing within its body.
Silence stretched for dozens of seconds in the operating room. Then, Jin Yan removed his hand from the puppy’s chest and began to stroke its body gently.
"Non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema caused by near-drowning. He also has a fractured right hind leg and multiple soft tissue contusions on his back and limbs." While continuing to soothe the puppy as if trying to wake it, he spoke to Jiang Rong and Gou Feifei. "Goofy, start him on oxygen, give him diuretics and antibiotics, and clean the external wounds. Jiang Rong, prepare for surgery on the fractured leg."
As Jin Yan finished, he looked up to see Jiang Rong’s mouth hanging open to its physical limit.
"Careful there. If you keep your mouth open like that, your jaw’s going to dislocate, and we’ll have to save you first." Gou Feifei, having seen more of the world, laughed and gave Jiang Rong a pat.
Jiang Rong finally snapped out of it. He swallowed hard and shook his head in awe. "I’ve finally seen a living Enigma in action."
Gou Feifei: "Huh?"
"Jin-ge, I’m impressed! Truly impressed! With you here, why do we even need stethoscopes or X-ray machines? Your hands are practically a miracle of ancient medicine!" He ignored Gou Feifei and cupped his hands toward Jin Yan in a respectful salute. "Brother, from now on, you’re my idol!"
With that, he immediately sprang into action. Amidst the orderly pre-op preparations, he heard a quiet remark from his idol.
"The hospital equipment was prepared for you two."
Gou Feifei and Jiang Rong fell silent for a moment before laughing and ushering Jin Yan out of the operating room.
Jin Yan maintained his steady, serious expression. He nodded, said "Thanks for the hard work," and walked out to the waiting area.
The anxious girl stood up immediately upon seeing Jin Yan, her nervousness plain to see.
"Doctor, how is the puppy?" she asked urgently.
"He’s stable for now, though he’s still in shock. He has pulmonary edema and a leg fracture. We’ve scheduled the surgery. After that, we’ll have to see how he recovers before deciding on the next steps."
After finishing his professional explanation out of habit, Jin Yan remembered that the girl was the one who had saved the puppy.
"You rescued him from a sewer, right?" Jin Yan gestured for the girl to sit and took the seat beside her.
The girl nodded. "I heard a sound coming from the drain by the road. When I looked down, I saw a puppy stuck in the hole. I finally found someone to help me open the manhole cover. By the time we got him out, he could barely move, and his breathing got weaker and weaker on the way here."
As her expression grew more sorrowful, Jin Yan stood up to get her a bottle of water.
"Thank you." The girl took it but didn't open the cap. Jin Yan saw her knuckles turning white as she gripped the bottle. After a few seconds, she spoke with a sob in her voice, "Doctor, my mom won't let me keep a dog... I don't know what to do. I want to save him, but I probably can't keep him..."
As she spoke, she looked like she was about to break down. "But don't worry, I’ll find a way to pay for the surgery. By the way, how much will it cost...?"
Jin Yan smiled slightly at her and shook his head gently. "Our hospital doesn't charge any fees for stray animals." He paused, then continued, "Don't worry. We will take responsibility for his life. As for where he goes after he recovers, we can discuss that later."
Hearing this, the girl’s tears finally overflowed. Jin Yan handed her a pack of tissues, which she took with a word of thanks.
Jin Yan explained that the puppy would need continued oxygen and observation after the surgery. He took the girl’s phone number and told her to head home first.
The girl looked at Jin Yan with teary eyes, bowed in gratitude, and left.
An hour later, the surgery was complete. Everything had gone smoothly, and the puppy’s condition had improved significantly. He began to regain consciousness, and Jin Yan had Gou Feifei send the girl a message to let her know he was safe.
He handed two bottles of water to Gou Feifei and Jiang Rong. "I talked to that girl for a bit. she was very sad that she couldn't take the puppy home."
"Oh, right, she’s the one who found him," Gou Feifei said. "That’s fine. We’ll just keep him here for now. We’ll worry about it after the little guy is healthy again."
"Mm." Jin Yan hummed in agreement. He reached out and gently stroked the puppy’s belly. The puppy blinked twice, and the corners of Jin Yan’s mouth curved up. "He says thank you."
"..."
A few seconds later, an incredibly excited "Holy shit" escaped through Jiang Rong’s teeth.
In the end, they reached a consensus: Jin Yan would stay at the hospital tonight to monitor the puppy, and once he was back to normal, the three of them would take turns bringing him home.
That night, he ordered takeout. After eating, he showered in the staff room and went back to the observation room to talk to the puppy for a while.
The puppy told him that he had been on the streets for as long as he could remember. He had met many kind people who fed him, but he didn't know how he had suddenly fallen into the sewer that morning. He had been thrashing around inside for hours until he was completely exhausted.
He had been ready to close his eyes, never expecting to see the light again in the next second.
Jin Yan comforted him gently, telling him, "You are very strong, very brave, and very lucky. Things will only get better from now on."
The puppy seemed to smile, falling asleep as Jin Yan rubbed his chin.
Jin Yan placed his hand on the puppy’s chest again and found that the respiratory rale had lessened significantly. He let out a sigh of relief.
After a long, exhausting day, he finally remembered the phone he had left on the desk.
Picking it up, he saw ten missed calls and two messages.
[Phone died.]
[Why aren't you answering? Did something happen?]
Seeing the screen full of messages from Zhou Shu, Jin Yan’s heart skipped a beat.
He quickly called back, but only received a busy signal.
Jin Yan frowned. Just as he was about to call Zhu Lili, the hospital’s doorbell rang.
Puzzled, he pulled back the curtain from the door. To his shock, the person he was so desperately looking for was standing right outside.
Jin Yan froze, forgetting to breathe.
In his daze, he heard the person in front of him speak.
"Since we just got married, I figured we should put some effort into maintaining the relationship."
In the next second, Jin Yan pulled him into his arms.
At the end of a day where mental and physical exhaustion had hit him in waves, this voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 罗非鱼 (Vivian) | Vivian | A celebrity/colleague mentioned by Zhu Lili. |
| 乔 (Joe) | Joe | A celebrity/colleague mentioned by Zhu Lili. |
| 蒋荣 | Jiang Rong | A veterinarian working at Jin Yan's hospital. |
| 苟飞飞 | Gou Feifei | A veterinarian/receptionist working at Jin Yan's hospital. |
| 扁鹊 | Bian Que | A legendary physician of ancient China. |
| 华佗 | Hua Tuo | A famous Chinese physician of the late Eastern Han dynasty. |
