Taming the Fierce Hound | Chapter 24 | Our First New Year's Eve | Novela.app

Everything before him was black. The sounds of the surrounding crowds grew fainter as Zong Yan carried him on her back, gradually stepping into a world isolated from the rest of society. "Your fever should be down now. Get down and walk." He was still craving the warmth of Zong Yan’s body, but she had already set him down. He was a grown man, after all; his frame was large and heavy. Since he felt much better after the IV drip, he had to walk on his own. "But I can't see," Si Jiang said blankly. They had left in a hurry, and she hadn't brought the leash. Zong Yan had put a sleep mask on him; he never knew exactly which district he lived in or what the surrounding landscape looked like. "Just follow me." A hand gripped his wrist. Her slender, strong fingers curled around his protruding joint, her cool skin pressing against his. It was a dominant, controlling gesture, yet Si Jiang nodded blindly. "Mhm. I'll follow Master." The road was bumpy and full of potholes, yet neither of them stumbled. As night fell, Zong Yan turned on the laptop and placed it on the coffee table. The two of them set their meal out before them. The countdown to the Spring Festival Gala was about to begin. At that moment, Si Jiang was incredibly satisfied with the spread he had helped produce. "I didn't expect to have this kind of talent." He picked up his phone and snapped several photos. Zong Yan looked out the window quietly, her thoughts unknown. It wasn't until Si Jiang thrust his phone in front of Zong Yan’s eyes to show her the photos he’d taken that a notification suddenly popped up on the screen. *Your WeChat friend "Little Tree" nudged you.* Si Jiang’s movements froze. Zong Yan’s gaze lingered on the line of text. Soon, WeChat notifications chimed one after another as "Little Tree" sent several messages in quick succession. They popped up so fast it was impossible to ignore them. For a moment, the atmosphere in the room turned strange. "I..." Si Jiang wanted to say he hadn't contacted Chen Bai. "Open it and look," Zong Yan said calmly, seemingly not angry. "I don't want to." His expression was pleading. Why did they have to disrupt his life? Everything had been going so smoothly today. "Open it," Zong Yan repeated. Si Jiang was filled with resistance, but he obediently opened the chat box. There were both voice notes and text messages. Chen Bai seemed a bit drunk, rambling as he sent a flurry of words to Si Jiang. The gist was that he believed Si Jiang wasn't dead and would keep looking for him. Then he cursed, asking where the hell he had gone, before finally wishing "Old Si" a Happy New Year. "He has a good relationship with you," Zong Yan evaluated objectively. Even Si Jiang’s parents had gone silent, yet a friend was still thinking of him. He was indeed loyal. She looked at Si Jiang and asked, "Do you want to reply, Si Jiang?" Terrified, Si Jiang violently threw the phone away. "I’m not Si Jiang. They have nothing to do with me anymore. I am Zong Yan’s pet, not Si Jiang." He waved his hands in a panic. "I understand." Facing his neurotic behavior, Zong Yan simply patted his hand to soothe him. Si Jiang’s mental state had been very unstable lately; she had grown used to his occasional outbursts of insecurity. "He just remembered me because he’s lonely and bored. After a while, he’ll forget me." "People are like that. Time takes everything away." Si Jiang muttered to himself, his eyes vacant beneath his bangs. Zong Yan said, "Alright, go pick up your phone. The program is about to start." "Mhm." He obediently bent over to retrieve the phone. His collar dipped, revealing the skeletal lines of his shoulders. "Master, you won't abandon me or forget me, right?" "Mhm." On the Spring Festival Gala, a crosstalk performance was underway. The actors swayed their heads in rhythm while the audience watched with delight. Zong Yan and Si Jiang sat together, holding their rice bowls. "So cringe," Si Jiang muttered. He truly couldn't understand the humor of the program. Why hadn't he found it this awkward before? Right—he had never actually watched it seriously in the past. It had always just been background noise. Zong Yan took a bite of chicken. "Is it? I think it’s okay." Her expression, however, remained as flat as still water. Si Jiang: "..." *Master, your face isn't convincing at all.* The show transitioned to the next skit. It was about a group of young people who accidentally offended several elderly neighbors and were lectured until they were dazed. In the end, it turned out to be a misunderstanding, and the elders even tried to set them up on blind dates with their own children, leading to a happy family ending. Si Jiang was amused by the actors' expressions. "That’s so stupid. Who wrote this plot?" He turned to Zong Yan. "Old people always want to play matchmaker without even seeing if the people are a good fit." "Right, Master?" To his surprise, he saw a rare trace of a smile on Zong Yan’s face. "It is quite interesting." The Spring Festival Gala was meant to be a celebration of family—a moment for everyone to sit together, relaxed, bidding farewell to the year with happiness and laughter. Unfortunately, neither Si Jiang nor Zong Yan had ever experienced that feeling before. So, at this moment, as they leaned against each other, watching the lively program and eating a simple New Year's Eve dinner, it felt exceptionally warm. The corners of Si Jiang’s mouth curled up. He had never felt this much at peace. Could every year from now on be like today? Sitting quietly with Master, eating the New Year's dinner he had spent all day preparing, complaining about the Gala together... never again having to sit alone in a vast room with only the cold air for company. Zong Yan’s phone rang abruptly. The sound instantly scattered the thoughts in Si Jiang’s head. A sudden surge of anger rose in his heart. Who would call on New Year’s Eve? Who would disturb the peace of someone else's home? Zong Yan looked at the caller ID with confusion and answered. "Hello, Bai Mao?" "Senior, it’s me! Happy New Year’s Eve!" A vibrant young voice came from the other end, with the sounds of a family’s boisterous celebration in the background. "Happy New Year’s Eve," Zong Yan replied. "I originally wanted to say Happy New Year at the stroke of midnight, but there will definitely be so many people messaging you then that I wouldn't be the first." "So I decided to call you early. Senior, in the New Year, you have to be happy and stay away from petty people!" Bai Mao’s youthful crush was so obvious that the laughter of his family could even be heard on his end. "Mao-mao, are you calling a girl you like?" "Our Mao-mao has grown up; it’s time for him to date." Bai Mao stopped them in embarrassment. "Dad, Sis, shut up!" He hadn't even found the right time for a formal confession yet; how could he let it slip during a phone call? "Sorry, Senior, it’s a bit noisy here. I’ll message you on WeChat after midnight!" "Okay." In a hurry, the simple, shy youth hung up. His face flushed under the gaze of his family in their lively, harmonious home. But on Zong Yan’s side, things were different. She calmly placed her phone back on the coffee table, but Si Jiang couldn't swallow another bite. "Master, was that your junior again?" "Mhm." "What kind of person calls on New Year’s Eve? So rude," Si Jiang spat through gritted teeth. Zong Yan looked at him strangely. Si Jiang was calling someone else rude? Had he ever possessed such a quality himself? "I don't mind." She shook her head, indicating she didn't feel offended. Si Jiang suddenly wanted to smash his bowl, to break everything in front of him and scream at Zong Yan. But in the end, he restrained himself, gripping the bowl so hard his knuckles turned white. This was his first New Year with Master. He didn't want to ruin it. "Master, your junior seems to... like you." He emphasized the words "junior" and "like" heavily, as if he wanted to grind them to dust. "Mhm." Zong Yan wasn't stupid; she had known for a long time. When Bai Mao had asked for her WeChat, his intentions were already quite clear. *Mhm?!* *What do you mean, 'mhm'?!* Zong Yan actually knew! Si Jiang felt that even if he didn't understand Zong Yan one hundred percent, he certainly knew her better than any outsider. He had observed her for six years. Zong Yan was like a soul that didn't fit into this world. He had never seen her make friends, never seen her express vivid joy or sorrow. Those eyes were always like a pool of stagnant water; no one could truly get close to her. That was why, when he saw the love letter Zong Yan had supposedly written, his first reaction had been suspicion. How could Zong Yan write a love letter to someone? Did this woman even understand what love was? But to suppress her, he had gone along with the others' plan. Zong Yan dating? Impossible. But why was Zong Yan’s attitude toward this Bai Mao so special? She knew his feelings, called him a good person, patiently explained problems to him, replied to his messages, and even on this most important night—a New Year’s Eve that should have belonged only to Si Jiang and her—she was still in contact with him. Her tone didn't hold a trace of coldness. Si Jiang knew he shouldn't be unhappy during the Spring Festival, or the New Year would be stained with bad luck. But he could hear his rationality cracking, inch by inch. If Zong Yan started dating, would there still be a place for him? Among those sappy, love-struck couples, how many still remembered their pets? The attention that was once entirely his would likely be cut in half. A pet was just something that waited foolishly at home for its master to return, eating and sleeping while waiting for death. How could a pet compete with anyone? He had seen it countless times—young couples raising a pet together during the honeymoon phase, only for neither to want the responsibility once they fought and broke up. What about him? What about Zong Yan? If Zong Yan really ended up with this Bai Mao, would she still be able to see this disabled, disfigured pet? She would forget him. If he remained just an obedient, well-behaved pet, he couldn't win against anyone. Therefore, he, Si Jiang, could not sit idly by and wait for death. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 小树树 | Little Tree | Chen Bai's WeChat nickname. 春晚 | Spring Festival Gala | The annual televised celebration for Chinese New Year. 相声 | Crosstalk | A traditional Chinese comedic performance involving rapid-fire banter. 小品 | Skit | A short comedy sketch performed during the Gala. 白袤 | Bai Mao | Zong Yan's junior/underclassman from university. 陈柏 | Chen Bai | Si Jiang's loyal friend from his former life. 除夕 | New Year's Eve | Specifically the eve of the Lunar New Year.