The appointments at the pet hospital today were mostly routine consultations, with many people coming just to test the waters. There was also a portion of visitors who had seen the promotional photos and videos on the website and had come specifically to catch a glimpse of the three doctors.
Jin Yan’s steady and gentle aura, in particular, frequently drew in owners who were more focused on him than their pets. He, of course, paid them no mind, remaining entirely focused on communicating with the animals.
By the end of the day, he had seen cats and dogs of every temperament, as well as a lop-eared rabbit. Some dogs were gentle and could play freely in the hospital’s pet recreation area, while others had fierce gazes that warned all species to keep their distance.
It was quite different from the animals he had encountered during his time in Country A. There, domestic pets tended to have very similar temperaments—generally mild-mannered and loyal to their owners. He rarely encountered any that were overbearing or so simple-minded they lacked any thought of their own. Those animals usually had their own sense of judgment and knew exactly what they could or couldn't get away with.
Although Jin Yan and the others were busy with consultations all day, they were also constantly absorbing new information. He discovered that for the pet owners of Haicheng, the number of people who had ever taken a pet training course was practically zero.
It wasn't surprising, though. When he was a child, he hadn't sought professional advice on how to raise his little kitten, Duo Duo, either. This realization sparked an idea.
When he shared his thoughts with Goofy and Jiang Rong, both agreed without hesitation.
"I agree with launching pet training courses at our hospital," Jiang Rong said, eager to share his own thoughts. "Today, I met many owners who brought in new puppies for vaccinations, and they all said they were worried because they didn't know how to train them."
"Yes, especially for puppies who have just finished their first round of shots. We should arrange courses for them immediately. Both the pets and the owners need systematic lessons," Goofy added. The three of them were in immediate accord.
Once their ideas aligned, they began to hammer out the details.
"We can hold them on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings after the hospital closes. Two hours a day, with the three of us rotating shifts," Jiang Rong suggested. "Even though charging a fee might look like we're just trying to make a quick buck, I don't support making it free."
"Charging a fee is an exchange for quality service; it’s also a threshold. We certainly shouldn't do it as volunteer work, or people might think we’re unprofessional," Goofy joked. "I can already see the social media headlines: 'Pet hospital with professional returnees from Country A does this for free? Is it naive kindness or a profit-driven conspiracy?'"
The three of them laughed. It truly wasn't easy to find a balance that satisfied everyone.
After a few minutes of reflection, Jin Yan proposed a compromise. He suggested that the course fee be based on their hourly wage, with four groups per class to split the cost. Their knowledge would be shared for free, but the labor and time invested needed to be compensated fairly.
Even if the cost ended up being no more than the price of a takeout meal, there would always be someone who felt such an expense shouldn't be "wasted" on a pet. Having anticipated future conflicts and disagreements, they ran through a few hypothetical scenarios. Jiang Rong then took the refined plan to start drafting promotional materials and course details.
By the time they finished their discussion, the clock had passed seven. None of them had expected to end up working overtime just by talking.
Only then did Jin Yan remember his plans for the evening—he was supposed to have dinner with their parents. He hurriedly changed his clothes while dialing a number. It rang twice before being picked up.
"Off work?"
"Brother, I'm sorry. We had an impromptu meeting and I lost track of time."
"It's fine. I told Mom and Dad you were busy. Dinner's been pushed to seven-thirty. Come straight to Xianyue Pavilion."
The line went quiet for a few seconds before Jin Yan spoke. "Two meals at Xianyue Pavilion in one day."
As soon as the words left his mouth, both of them laughed into their phones.
After hanging up with Zhou Shu, Jin Yan tapped his screen to check for unread messages or missed calls. He found that aside from some trivial notifications and a few unknown numbers, there wasn't a single red notification dot from Zhou Shu or his parents.
A surge of warmth rose from the depths of Jin Yan's heart. Zhou Shu still understood him so well.
Zhou Shu knew that Jin Yan would contact him as soon as he was finished. So, even though two hours had passed since the end of the workday, he had waited patiently and smoothed things over with their parents. Looking at the dinner time, it was clear he must have called every half hour to push the reservation back.
Thinking of this, Jin Yan drove a little faster. How could his "brother" be so wonderful? When would he finally be able to deepen the bond between them?
Yesterday, he had been so close—just a hair's breadth away from biting into that gland...
Fortunately, he had restrained himself. But from the look of it, his brother didn't seem to find it that repulsive?
Just recalling the scene from the previous night, the scent of that sweet pheromone seemed to rush into Jin Yan's mind. Feeling a certain restlessness in his body, he rolled down the window, letting the wind clear his head.
Half an hour later, Jin Yan arrived at Xianyue Pavilion. Although he had been chasing the moonlight since leaving work, he was still five minutes late for the reservation.
Upon entering, he was led straight to the private booth. When he walked in, the parents were already having their pre-meal bone broth.
"Yan-yan, come sit," Zhou Shu’s mother called out, waving him over as soon as she saw him.
"Auntie Liang, Uncle Zhou, Mom, Dad, sorry I'm late," he said, taking the seat next to Zhou Shu and removing his coat. "We had a meeting after work and I lost track of time."
"It's fine, it's good to prioritize your career," Zhou Shu’s father said. "I heard from your brother that things are going quite smoothly at the pet hospital."
"Yes, very smoothly. There are more bookings than expected, and my two colleagues are very capable," Jin Yan said with a smile. "I originally thought the three of us would take some time to adjust, but it looks like we'll have to hire more staff ahead of schedule."
"See? Yan-yan has only been back for a few months and he's already established his career. He’s been different since he was a boy," Zhou Shu’s mother praised, looking at Jin Yan with eyes full of endless affection.
Jin Yan’s mother joked, "Sister Liang, stop praising him. If you keep it up, the little brat's ego will fly into the sky."
The group chatted idly, while only Jin Yan’s father listened quietly, rarely speaking. Jin Yan’s personality was quite like his father’s—a steadiness that radiated from his very bones. However, Jin Yan was more relaxed and sociable around people he knew, unlike his father, who always maintained a certain posture, as if he were deliberately upholding a specific persona.
In that regard, he was quite similar to the current Zhou Shu.
"Uncle, can we start serving the food?" Zhou Shu leaned in and asked Jin Yan’s father, who was sitting next to him.
Jin Yan’s father gave a slight nod, indicating that he would defer to Zhou Shu’s judgment.
While waiting for the food, Zhou Shu cleared his throat, intending to announce their news first.
"Uncle Jin, Auntie Fang, Mom, Dad—Yan-yan and I plan to move out and live together." As he finished, his fingers curled almost imperceptibly, but in the next second, Jin Yan gently took his hand.
the four parents were somewhat surprised, and a silence fell over the table after they acknowledged the news.
"Where are you moving?" Zhou Shu hadn't expected Jin Yan’s father to be the first to respond.
"To my apartment downtown. It's close to Yan-yan’s hospital, and it's convenient for me when I'm back in town," Zhou Shu said.
Jin Yan’s father frowned slightly. "Why don't you wait a bit? Tomorrow, I'll arrange for someone to take you to look at houses. You can pick wherever you like. Once you've chosen, tell me, and I'll have someone pay the full amount."
Both Jin Yan and Zhou Shu were stunned by this.
Jin Yan thought for a moment before it clicked. Clearly, among everyone present, his father was the one who took the "reality of their marriage registration" most seriously.
The other three elders felt that whether the two children were married or not didn't change much; they had been stuck together since they were small, anyway. Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, there was just the slight novelty of their different genders; everything else was exactly as they had always envisioned.
The two didn't plan on having a wedding either, as if all this effort was just to obtain that official red booklet.
But Jin Yan’s father cared deeply. He likely still held the mindset of a traditional father, believing that since Jin Yan was an Enigma, he had to shoulder the responsibility for the entire household, including providing their home.
Jin Yan lowered his head and smiled silently, marveling at how traditional his father could be.
However, Jin Yan’s father was thinking something else entirely.
He thought: *Xiao Shu is a world-famous movie star and a public figure; his industry is full of pressure and temptation. Xiao Shu is so outstanding, and a top-tier Alpha to boot. The fact that he hasn't abandoned my son in these five years is something to be truly grateful for. Therefore, we must show proper respect and importance to what matters now!*
Zhou Shu, showing rare patience, spoke seriously to Jin Yan’s father. "Uncle, we just want to move out on our own for now. It doesn't matter whose house it is. Besides, that apartment of mine is so large; it’s just sitting there empty and useless."
As Zhou Shu spoke at length, his mother’s expression shifted slightly. It had been a long time since she had seen her son explain something so earnestly. After all these years, she had thought Zhou Shu would remain cold and distant forever.
But now, she saw glimpses of the young Zhou Shu—the dutiful older brother who would argue with adults every day for the sake of his younger "brother." Indeed, only Jin Yan would do as a partner.
"Dad, there's no rush for a house. The two of us just want to live together first. We thought about it and decided moving out would be more convenient; otherwise, we’d feel bad about bothering any of you," Jin Yan added. Zhou Shu turned to look at him, and both their eyes were filled with irrepressible smiles.
"Fine, just move out already. Staying at home and showing off your affection is an eyesore for us," Jin Yan’s mother teased, and everyone at the table burst into laughter.
Jin Yan’s father didn't press the matter further. The conversation shifted to the usual topics of their family dinners: the fathers discussed business, while the mothers talked about where to get their facials the next day. This cycle had repeated for over twenty years, yet it never became dull.
Dish after dish was served. Jin Yan lowered his head to peel a lobster he had just taken, placing the meat on the plate beside him, while Zhou Shu picked up the sea cucumber from Jin Yan’s bowl.
"Xiao Shu, what are you doing? Why are you stealing Yan-yan’s food? Just order another portion if you want more. Yan-yan, don't spoil him!" Zhou Shu’s mother cried out when she saw the scene between the two across from her.
Zhou Shu sighed and looked at her helplessly. "Mom, Yan-yan is allergic to seafood."
"Huh?" Zhou Shu’s mother froze, her eyes widening. "How can that be? I remember when Yan-yan was little, he loved seafood the most. He was always clamoring to go to the beach to catch flower crabs and mantis shrimp. He used to eat more than anyone."
Jin Yan smiled and said, "Your memory is right, Auntie Liang. I could eat it when I was little. The allergy only started later."
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Yan-yan. I really didn't know." She thought for a moment and looked at Jin Yan’s mother. "Wait, that’s not right. I remember every time he came to our house for dinner, whatever I put in his bowl, he finished it all."
Jin Yan’s mother shook her head and looked at the two young men. "Every time, Xiao Shu would take the seafood out of his bowl. We never had to worry about it."
Jin Yan had been an obedient and sensible child, rarely making demands or wanting to trouble others. Fortunately, Zhou Shu had silently memorized all his likes and dislikes, playing the role of the perfect older brother and taking meticulous care of Jin Yan for eighteen years.
Zhou Shu had done so gladly for those eighteen years. He was the only one who knew the little secrets Jin Yan didn't want to share with others.
Seeing Zhou Shu cough awkwardly as the mothers teased him, Jin Yan quickly came to the rescue.
"I'm only allergic to saltwater seafood. Freshwater is fine. I still eat plenty of grass carp and hairy crabs at home."
Hearing this, Zhou Shu raised an eyebrow at Jin Yan. "So, Duo Duo actually *can* eat crab roe soup dumplings..."
The two stared at each other for a moment before laughing out loud.
After a while, Zhou Shu’s mother watched Jin Yan eating salmon and asked, "Oh, by the way, Yan-yan, when exactly did you start being unable to eat seafood?"
Jin Yan thought for a moment, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. "Probably... right around the time my brother differentiated."
He looked to his side, meeting the gaze of the stunned Zhou Shu. Jin Yan couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, leaning in to whisper into Zhou Shu’s ear.
"It’s probably because your pheromones turned into the scent of sea salt," Jin Yan said in a breathy tone. "I was just too jealous of them."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
蒋荣 | Jiang Rong | A colleague/partner at the pet hospital.
闲月阁 | Xianyue Pavilion | A high-end restaurant where the families often dine.
梁姨 | Auntie Liang | Zhou Shu's mother.
周伯 | Uncle Zhou | Zhou Shu's father.
方姨 | Auntie Fang | Jin Yan's mother.
海盐 | Sea salt | The scent of Zhou Shu's pheromones.
