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“I don’t want you or your gifts! So, if you could kindly vacate my home—”
But Yue Qingyuan, who often sagged and sighed unhappily at Xiao Jiu’s attempts to kick him out, couldn’t even comprehend a single word his Shidi was saying.
He couldn’t hear anything.
He was absolutely blinded by the creature lying on the ground next to A-Yuan.
Because right in front of him was the roundest dog he had ever seen in his entire life.
Dogs… Dogs couldn’t be this large… right?
How could this even happen?
How could this possibly exist?
Ignoring its enormously overweight size, Yue Qingyuan could guess that this was a normal or perhaps a larger-than-usual street dog— black all over and with luxuriously fluffy fur. As the dog lay on the floor panting heavily under the loving pets of A-Yuan, the dog was so tall that its head reached A-Yuan's shoulders.
To begin with, it was a large dog. But when his nephew had been clearly overfeeding it…
Oh my god it was so round.
“Yue-Shibo,” A-Yuan was a growing boy, but he appeared to regress back into the size of a toddler when beside the dog. “Isn’t Binghe really cute?”
Cute…? Yue Qingyuan’s eyes never left the dog. As it rolled over to give A-Yuan better belly-rubbing access, he supposed the dog was quite cute. But, oh god, it was so large that when it rolled over the dog’s legs were pointed straight up in the air like stray branches growing out the top of a perfectly circular garden bush.
What on earth did A-Yuan feed this dog?
Yue Qingyuan could barely think— the dog was so fat.
“A-Yuan! What did I say about playing in the living room when guests are over!” Shen Qingqiu picked up his son by the collar and began dragging him into the bedroom. Binghe, the massive meatball of a dog, ran after his master— his feet speeding and racing along the wooden floor, nails loudly scraping along the wooden floor.
“But I wanted to show off little Binghe to Yue-Shibo…”
Little Binghe?
“Well, you’ve already shown your stupid dog to him. Now get back to your room!”
“Actually,” Yue Qingyuan tried his best not to stutter. “I don’t think I’ve seen enough of your Little Binghe. A-Yuan, why don’t you tell me more about your new pet?”
“Yes!” A-Yuan let himself out of Shen Qingqiu’s gentle grasp before trying to pick Binghe up. But even at a healthy size, Binghe would've been the same size as A-Yuan. With the added fat, it was basically impossible for little A-Yuan to lift him up. And so, when A-Yuan tried his best to pick his dog up, Shen Qingqiu had to support him— holding his son’s back stead so that he wouldn’t fall down from the weight of his dog.
“This is little Binghe! Isn’t he so cute!!?”
When lifted up, the dog was almost a perfect oval shape, quite literally overshadowing A-Yuan's small figure.
He trembled with immense self-restraint as A-Yuan's legs suddenly failed under the weight of the dog— both of them falling forward. But the dog was so fat that it seemed to bounce upon gently hitting the floor.
Yue Qingyuan tried.
He tried so hard.
But even with Xiao Jiu’s glare aimed straight at the side of his head, Yue Qingyuan had no choice but to excuse himself from the building— running back to his own home to freely wheeze and comprehend what the hell he just saw.
What…
What was A-Yuan feeding his little Binghe????
—---------------------
A-Yuan could never forget the first time he saw Binghe.
Wrapped up in innumerable coats and warming layers, A-Yuan toddled alongside his father as they went about their annual winter holiday.
(“It’s not good to stay on the Peak for too long, A-Yuan. You've already been in bed for so long due to your seasonal illness. As a growing boy, you should be moving and having fun.” That was what his father had said to him. But A-Yuan didn’t mind Cang Qiong. He loved his uncles a lot even if eating all the candies they gifted him would give him a belly ache…)
(But A-Yuan loved his father even more. And so, these annual spring and summer and autumn and winter holidays were something he treasured dearly.)
Although he was dressed for the intensely snowy weather, A-Yuan’s lightly gloved hand, held tightly by his father, was the warmest part of his body.
And yet, when the little boy saw a little black puppy floating alone in the frozen Luo River, A-Yuan didn't hesitate to let go of his father.
The moment his father turned around to talk to a vendor, the little boy, not even old enough to be a disciple, chased after the tiny drowning puppy.
The tiny puppy whimpered and cried so sadly... How could A-Yuan possibly abandon such a little creature?
But the Luo River was too wide and A-Yuan was only so small.
The little puppy was floating away no matter how much A-Yuan ran he couldn't catch up.
Suddenly, in a burst of confidence and panic, A-Yuan threw himself into the frozen river— paddling his little arms and legs in an attempt to swim towards the poor puppy.
However, the freezing water soaked into his numerous coats, pulling his body down into the currents below— away from the winter sun and air.
He was falling to the bottom of the river.
He couldn't swim.
He couldn’t breathe.
But in the corner of his blackening vision, he saw a little black puppy frantically swimming towards him. The starving puppy dove deep into the icy waters, using its maw to hold on tightly to A-Yuan. Then, with all its tiny body, it tried to pull A-Yuan to the surface.
However, it was too small. It couldn’t drag the boy to safety.
The helpless puppy could only hold on and drown alongside the little boy.
When Shen Qingqiu dove into the freezing river and fished them out, the little starving puppy, shivering from the cold stuck to its fur, still held onto A-Yuan tightly.
“Why did you jump in you STUPID boy?!” Despite his cultivation, even Shen Qingqiu was shivering violently. “How can my own son be such an IDIOT???”
“P..P-Puppy…” A-Yuan’s mouth wouldn’t stop quivering from the intense temperature. And yet, despite how weak his arms felt, upon seeing the starving tiny thing in his arms shivering almost to death, A-Yuan used all his strength to show the tiny puppy to his father.
Tears fell warmly from A-Yuan's eyes.
“Father— Puppy! Help the puppy! Please, don’t let him die!”
“...You stupid child.” Shen Qingqiu grabbed both the puppy and his son— racing back to Cang Qiong on his sword. “If you wanted to save the puppy, then you should’ve just asked me first.”
—---------------------
A-Yuan, as mandated by his father, was forced to attend monthly health checkups on Qian Cao Peak and, this time, he decided to bring little Binghe along.
Mu Qingfang was bamboozled by the sight of little Binghe and, to be fair, A-Yuan couldn’t exactly blame him…
No matter how much A-Yuan refused to believe it, he couldn't exactly ignore how little Binghe had blown up like a balloon.
(When he saw little Binghe’s starving body— so small and fragile that not even his fluffy fur could hide the signs of starvation— A-Yuan felt so sad that he couldn’t stop crying.)
(“A-Yuan, you’re a grown boy. If you’re upset about such a thing, then you should try your best to fix it.” With quiet and gentle actions, Shen Qingqiu picked up his son and allowed the little boy to cry into his shoulder. He never once shouted orders at the child to stop crying. “This father will help you, okay, A-Yuan? If you don’t want to see the puppy be sick anymore, then this father will make sure your dog doesn't become ill.”)
(Face buried within his father’s snotty robes, A-Yuan swore to NEVER let little Binghe starve ever again!!!)
Mu Qingfang hadn't seen the dog in almost a year— ever since Shen Qingqiu had first brought him a starving freezing little puppy. “Your… little Binghe has really grown rather large.”
A-Yuan nodded vehemently and jumped with excitement— tugging slightly on the child leash his father forced him to wear after the incident in the Luo River. “Little Binghe’s become an adult now!”
“Indeed, he’s an adult…” Mu Qingfang watched curiously as the boy pulled the fat dog onto his lap. The dog really was bigger than A-Yuan and yet the boy still petted and cooed at his dog as if it was still a puppy.
“A-Yuan,” Mu Qingfang had to pull the boy’s attention away from his dog. “Your little Binghe must lose some weight.”
“Why?!”
Why?
Mu Qingfang almost wanted to cry.
Your dog is a damn BOULDER.
LITTLE Binghe is bigger than some DISCIPLES.
“A-Yuan, you must understand that if Binghe stays at this weight he might get sick—”
But upon hearing the word “sick” drop painfully from Mu Qingfang’s mouth like a rock, A-Yuan’s body suddenly froze up with paleness.
A-Yuan's jaw fell open with horror.
They all stood there in silence for a little while, staring at the absolutely terrified A-Yuan, with great difficulty, put Binghe onto the ground from his lap before running up to his father.
“Father!!! HELP!!! HELP!! Is Binghe going to die????”
—----------------------
Shen Qingqiu couldn’t stand pets.
He couldn’t stand dogs.
Why should he take care of some damn mutt when he had a million other better things to do? Leave pet-rearing to those with too much time on their hands.
And so, when A-Yuan begged and begged and BEGGED to keep this disgusting little mutt in their home, Shen Qingqiu only agreed on the basis that A-Yuan would be doing most of the busy work related to the stray dog.
So why was he tasked with washing the dog???
Why was he currently cooking a third meal for the stupid mutt??????
WHY AM I THE ONE WHO IS WALKING THE GODDAMN DOG??
He knew why— the reason was obvious to everyone including himself and his son. When it came to his little baby, he could never truly deny him anything.
That and the fact that A-Yuan simply COULD NOT BE TRUSTED to walk the dog on his own.
No. Absolutely not.
At first, they walked the dog as a family.
But when Liu Qingge flew over to Qing Jing Peak for a fight and saw him holding the leash to his son who was also holding the leash to the fattest dog he had ever seen…
A leash conga line…
Safe to say that they were NEVER doing that in public ever again.
Nope. He wasn’t open to being RIDICULED by his martial siblings.
They had even asked about it in the Peak Lord Meeting…
No.
Nope.
Absolutely not.
And so, to maintain his own social reputation, he had demanded that his son walk the stupid dog by himself.
“It’s YOUR dog! You go walk the damn thing!”
Of course, the stupid boy needed to be watched and LEASHED at all times. After all, what if he jumped into ANOTHER river? The boy couldn’t even swim!!!. And so, despite his harsh words, Shen Qingqiu still stalked his son from behind, making sure he wouldn't run into any trouble without his help.
It should be okay for the child to walk the dog on his own... He supposed that the stupid dog was well-behaved enough to not drag A-Yuan into strange places.
Still, Shen Qingqiu kept a close eye on the mutt just in case it’d hurt his little child…
However, turns out it wasn’t the mutt who misbehaved but rather HIS OWN CHILD.
A-YUAN. Put down the dog!!!!
The dog was so fat that it couldn’t walk as quickly as A-Yuan. Taking pity on the disgusting little dog, his child had decided to carry the damn mutt.
PUT THE DOG DOWN! A-Yuan, you’re going to fall and tumble down the mountain!!
A-Yuan, if you carry the dog around like that then there’s no point in this exercise routine…
Ahh…
What a nightmare.
A-Yuan hated seeing Binghe struggle. Every time the dog barely even whimpered at something, A-Yuan would be there to comfort the fatass dog with even more treats. Sometimes, the boy would even cry alongside the damn dog— forcing Shen Qingqiu to intervene and feed BOTH of them snacks…
He should just let A-Yuan taste the consequences of his own actions. He had already told him MANY times that the dog would become sick if he fed it too much.
But that stupid child would be so upset if his dog actually became ill…
…
And so, here he was. Walking the damn dog.
This isn’t even his dog!!!
Tugging the dog along, Shen Qingqiu tried his best to make the mutt walk faster to no avail.
Without A-Yuan, the fatass had no motivation to walk forward— forcing the entire walk to go so awfully slow that Shen Qingqiu felt like he was going insane.
Even worse, there was an audience watching him.
At first, it consisted of A-Yuan, hiding in the bushes and loudly following him.
(“You stupid boy! Do you not trust this master to walk a dog?”)
(“But… what if you’re mean to little Binghe?”)
(“...GET LOST!”)
Then the audience expanded to include Yue Qingyuan.
(“Ah— Shen-Shidi. I… I was just accompanying little A-Yuan on a walk! Your son requested that we come walk with you and… the… dog…”)
(“GO AWAY!!!”)
And then, somehow, news spread throughout the entire sect that the cold and serious Qing Jing Peak Lord could be seen around the Peak, walking an enormously fat dog.
This supposedly juicy and interesting bit of gossip… How could his martial siblings possibly miss such an opportunity to see him being reduced like this?
"Gap moe". Shang Qinghua said that this was the appeal of spying on him walking his son's dog.
No.
NOPE.
NOOOOOOOOOOPE.
I hate this dog. I hate this dog. I hate this dog. I HATE THIS DOG—
He still walked the stupid dog every single day.
Despite the watching eyes of his son (and all his good-for-nothing martial siblings), these daily walks were actually quite relaxing— a break from the hectic paperwork of Qing Jing.
It was an... enjoyable silence.
But, for some reason, no matter how much he walked the dog, the stupid mutt just wouldn’t lose ANY weight.
They had been going on daily walks for almost a month now. The beast should have slimmed down at least a little, right?
Or, at least this should have been the case.
However, one especially cold night when he walked into his child’s bedroom to make sure the boy hadn't kicked his blanket off—
A-Yuan was feeding the dog.
A-Yuan was goddamn OVERFEEDING THE DOG.
All of his hard work and humiliation walking the damn dog was RUINED by the machinations of his own child….
—------------------------
Liu Qingge didn’t believe that a spoiled bastard like Shen Qingqiu could raise a son. He thought it was cruel, actually, to let a child be raised by the Qing Jing Peak Lord.
In the past, he tried to kidnap the boy from Shen Qingqiu out of concern for the child’s safety. It had been a long time since he stopped these attempts but, right now, Liu Qingge couldn’t help but think that perhaps A-Yuan should be taken away for a different reason.
Shen Qingqiu spoils that boy too much!
The Qing Jing Peak Lord couldn’t even force the boy to walk his own dog.
One day, bursting into his house, Shen Qingqiu had suddenly thrown both his son and the fatass dog at him— demanding that Liu Qingge go walk the damn dog for him.
???
Liu Qingge stared at the fatass dog in his living room.
??????
He could probably get the disciples to carry Binghe around while running as punishment.
But no. He was sure A-Yuan would ABSOLUTELY try to murder him if he disrespected his little pet that way. Or, more likely, he’d beg his father to do so.
However! He’d never do such a thing because…
Well…
Little Binghe…
Isn't little Binghe really cute????????
Liu Qingge had long understood that he was an animal lover but— oh god, save him, he couldn’t even look at the mutt without his heart silently squealing in happiness.
How can a dog be this round????
The dog was really like a MASSIVE oval… SO CUTE!!!
In just a single glance, the Bai Zhan War Lord was easily defeated by this cute chubby dog.
Shen Qingqiu must really be a heartless bastard if he could so easily give up walking the dog to Liu Qingge!
Liu Qingge’s happiness was really over the moon. But when the dog barked and growled and even bit him whenever he got close to A-Yuan or his dog-walking leash…
"Ah."
That was the sound of his heart breaking into a million pieces.
Animals hated him— this was an excruciatingly painful fact that Liu Qingge knew from a lifetime of experience.
And yet, to see such a cute dog wag its tail happily at A-Yuan only to turn around and try to chew him to death…
No amount of bite wounds could amount to the pain he felt in his chest.
“Father said that you need to walk little Binghe… Father said I can’t be trusted to walk him…” A-Yuan looked so sad recounting his father’s words that he was completely ignorant of how adorable little Binghe was trying to bite his uncle's fingers off.
“Liu-Shishu, can you please help walk Binghe? I don’t want him to get ill… If you walk him properly then you can become my favorite uncle!”
Liu Qingge narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Am I not already your favorite uncle?”
“Hmmm, you’re the second favorite?”
UGH.
The dog hating him was painful enough but A-Yuan admitting he's not the favorite uncle........
Binghe continued to bite and chew his wrist.
The world can be so cruel….
But oh well, he wasn’t so cruel as to object to a child’s heartfelt request because of his own feelings. Additionally, as the Bai Zhan Peak Lord, it really wasn't too big of a deal to walk the dog for A-Yuan. It wasn't like he had any duties he COULDN'T shove off onto his head disciple...
However, the dog was NOT willing to listen.
“Binghe—”
It growled at him.
“You better not growl at me. A-Yuan begged me to walk you. Do you want to disappoint your master?”
But Binghe never gave in. The dog would simply lay down on its overwhelmingly round belly and stay there— forcing the Bai Zhan Peak Lord to tug the dog along the floor or pick him up.
That was, well, until…
...
“Do you want a treat?”
Binghe’s ears suddenly perked up.
“...Will you let me pet you if I give you something to eat?”
Binghe panted heavily as he ran towards Liu Qingge.
“...”
“...” Binghe stared at him expectantly.
“...”
…
After a month of this, Binghe returned to A-Yuan fatter than he was before.
—--------------------
Binghe was put on a diet by Mu Qingfang— banning his usual meals of extras from Shen Qingqiu and his son’s homemade meals.
Now, the dog's diet mainly consisted of smaller portions of boiled chicken and beef, a far cry from the dog's usual meals.
When they first adopted the stupid mutt, Shen Qingqiu had spent countless hours in the library researching the dos and don’ts of doggy meals. After all, if he accidentally poisoned that silly child’s dog then he’d be dealing with the absolute worst tantrum of all time.
After utilizing his immortal scholarly abilities to research dog foods, Shen Qingqiu decided that the meals he currently cooked for himself and his son were good enough to feed the dog. Nutritionally, they were excellent. He just needed to change some of the ingredients and add no seasoning to the dog’s portion and it’ll be okay for the mutt to eat.
Shen Qingqiu was essentially cooking for another person now.
He was... cooking for a dog... This was too strange. Why was he preparing a home-cooked meal for a dog? It wasn't even his own pet. Whenever he thought about this when cooking family meals, he would get pangs of embarrassment and regret.
Even worse, the dog had a habit of sitting at the table alongside A-Yuan— eating its meal off the plate as if it was an entire goddamn human.
Oh. My god.
He couldn’t handle it.
Why was there a dog eating at the same table with the Qing Jing Peak Lord?????
The solution should’ve been simple— just stop cooking for a third person and ban the dog from the dining room.
The dog would lose weight and he wouldn't lose his sanity.
Easy.
The annoying mutt wouldn’t stop whimpering loudly from outside the dining room— his nails, scratching the expensive wooden door, resounded so loudly throughout the house like the noise of torrential rain.
It… should be easy if he just ignored it.
“Boy.” Shen Qingqiu snapped his son’s attention back to his unfinished meal. They had already been here for over thirty minutes and A-Yuan had barely eaten. “Eat.”
“I’m… I’m full. Can I save some for later?”
From outside the dining room, the dog whimpered so loudly that even Shen Qingqiu couldn’t ignore it anymore.
“No. Eat now.”
“Father... I’m really not hungry...”
“Didn’t you cry about not growing taller than Ning Yingying? If you want to grow, you will need to eat.”
“...” A-Yuan began nibbling on his meal with a massive unhappy pout.
"..."
“Can’t little Binghe eat with us?”
“No. He will be eating separately from now on. These are Mu Qingfang's orders.”
“But… But Binghe’s so sad that I feel sad too…” A-Yuan began to sniffle and then tears began to fall and his cheeks began to grow red and—
Oh god. Liu Qingge was correct.
He really couldn’t say “no” to his son.
And so, there the dog was— sitting in the chair next to him and A-Yuan.
The dog…
It was sitting on the chair…
It was…
…
What the hell…
But out of the corner of his eye, Shen Qingqiu saw that his child was finally eating…
He let out a massive sigh.
"Father, are you okay?" His son looked so worried...
…
"It's nothing. Just continue eating."
(It doesn't matter. I can tolerate it. )
(Just be healthy.)
After dinner, A-Yuan tried to feed it some stale chicken (as per Mu Qingfang’s recommendation) but the mutt wouldn’t accept it.
A-Yuan almost cried with the thought that his little Binghe would go to bed hungry— “What if Binghe becomes super skinny again!!! I don’t want him to starve!”
My sweet child….
Shen Qingqiu stared at the dog. It was wider than him— a grown adult.
A-Yuan. That dog is NOT starving.
“Just leave out the chicken. Your dog will eat it if he’s hungry.”
“But…” A-Yuan’s lip began to wobble upon seeing Binghe stare sadly at the boiled chicken. “What if Binghe thinks it’s not tasty?”
“...Your Binghe is a dog.”
“But—”
“Go to sleep, A-Yuan. I have work early tomorrow morning. I will NOT be hearing any more of this issue today. We will resolve this tomorrow.”
And with that, Shen Qingqiu tucked his son into bed— alongside the dog, of course, who always cuddled next to his tiny child.
(It'll be okay. The dog is large and warm. Even if it's useless, the mutt will make sure A-Yuan doesn’t freeze at night.)
…
One morning, the dog’s barking woke Shen Qingqiu up.
...It was odd. The dog never barked.
Something was wrong.
He didn't hesitate to follow the doddering fat dog. As quickly as it could, it led him to A-Yuan’s room—
His son was clutching his stomach.
"It hurts...!"
He clung to his father.
Painful tears streamed down his child's face.
"My tummy hurts!"
Shen Qingqiu didn’t hesitate to scoop his son up in his arms and (with one hand holding the dog) he flew to Qian Cao Peak.
A-Yuan had always been prone to illnesses. Almost every season, and especially when he was a toddler, his child would become almost deathly ill with whatever season virus was around.
(Due to A-Yuan's weak body, the child had missed so many beautiful scenes of the seasons— unable to see the beauties of Qing Jing due to illness… Shen Qingqiu thought it was too unfair. His son deserved to enjoy life too…)
(That’s why, at every available opportunity, the father planned holidays outside of Cang Qiong with his son— allowing the boy to see the different sights of the world that no one else would ordinarily be able to see.)
(Because...)
(In those days of terrible sickness, Shen Qingqiu would hold his child tightly.)
(In those horrible days when his son's breath grew shallow and painful, he had determined one crucial thing—
(If his son couldn’t live a normal life, then he will live an extraordinary one.)
Fearing that his A-Yuan was returning back to those sickly days, he didn’t hesitate to break down Mu Qingfang’s door— demanding immediate medical attention.
His son was breathing too heavily.
His son’s face was becoming red.
His boy…
His very own child…
(My A-Yuan can’t die)
Mu Qingfang wasn’t a stranger to A-Yuan’s deadly seasonal illnesses. He got straight into the action— carefully flooding his spiritual energy into A-Yuan’s body, still held tightly in Shen Qingqiu’s warm arms, and quickly doing a full body check over, trying to find the problem quickly and now.
(The child has only recently recovered from this season's illnesses… My son can’t be sick again.)
(Shen Qingqiu held his child tighter.)
(I won’t allow him to—)
“I think he’s constipated.”
…?
???????
Shen Qingqiu was flabbergasted.
“Constipated…?”
“Indeed— constipation and indigestion, actually. I think A-Yuan has just eaten a little too much and got a stomach ache. Have you been feeding him more?”
“...No…”
“Hmm... Whatever. This isn't a serious matter. Make him drink this medicine every six hours. If he doesn’t defecate in a couple of days then come back to me.”
“...”
“You should find out why he’s constipated. Judging by his stomach, he’s probably been eating too much. Perhaps he has a hidden storage of sweets? This is usually the main cause when it comes to younger disciples. You should limit how much he’s eating.”
It was strange. Shen Qingqiu curated and cooked his son’s meals so that they were perfectly nutritionally suited to the child’s growing needs— all with Mu Qingfang’s guidance, of course.
He was absolutely sure that he didn't overfeed or underfeed the boy.
So how could A-Yuan suffer from indigestion?
Shen Qingqiu stared at the dog.
The still fat dog…
…
For the next day, Shen Qingqiu kept a close eye on his son— hiding behind walls and using his superior cultivator senses—
Shen Qingqiu slammed the door open to find A-Yuan, late at night, secretly bent over a large bowl of cold rice and tofu— eating a second dinner together with the dog.
“I KNEW IT!”
A-Yuan froze with a pale face full of fear.
Good. The boy knows he’s in trouble!
“Not only are you destroying your own health but you’re also ruining your damn dog’s wellbeing!”
“PLEASE! Binghe wouldn’t eat no matter what! I didn’t want him to starve like he did as a puppy!” A-Yuan tried to plead but it was too late. Shen Qingqiu was over it.
Even the stupid dog tried to whimper in defense of A-Yuan. But if Shen Qingqiu was unwilling to listen to his son, then he was definitely NOT going to listen to some dirty mutt’s pathetic whines.
“A-Yuan, do you know how much I worry about you?”
He didn't shout. Instead, Shen Qingqiu's voice was cold in such an unusual way.
His child looked like he was about to burst out crying. So many things in A-Yuan’s life made him upset. But nothing made the child sadder than his father’s cold scolding.
“You STUPID BOY! I’ve spent so much of my time and effort helping you. When you begged me to keep this stupid dog, I agreed on the basis that YOU would take care of it. Do you know how busy I am? Do you know how many duties I have to care for?! So why am I taking care of your stupid dog?”
The boy really was crying now.
“You never say thank you. You never take responsibility for the dog! Look at the size of the mutt— this is because YOU refuse to listen to me when I tell you to stop feeding him. Do you want that dog to become sick? Do you want that beast to die???”
A-Yuan couldn’t stop sobbing. “I DON’T WANT BINGHE TO DIE!!!”
“Then LISTEN TO YOUR FATHER! You stupid boy! You make me worry and fret over you so much— I care for you so much and yet you act like this? If you don’t listen to me anymore, then I’m giving your dog away!”
“I DON’T WANT TO ABANDON BINGHE!!! I DON’T WANT BINGHE TO DIE!!!”
With that, the little boy raced out of the house and into the night— tears and sobs falling loudly violently from his mouth.
The fat dog ran after A-Yuan.
Stupid child… Stupid dog...
Shen Qingqiu stared at the retreating back of his child.
…
The air tonight was warm. There was no way that A-Yuan could get cold in this weather.
His disciples knew A-Yuan well. If they found him wandering about, they would definitely bring him indoors and comfort him.
And, even if A-Yuan ran off the Peak, the boy’s uncles and aunt love him dearly— they don't treat him badly despite Shen Qingqiu's bad reputation and relationship with them. They wouldn’t hesitate to help him if he ran to one of their Peaks.
A-Yuan will be safe no matter what…
Even if his child runs away from him, he’ll be safe…
A-Yuan will survive a couple hours away from home.
He’ll be okay…
His child will be okay…
Shen Qingqiu could no longer see his child in the darkness.
…
Hmph.
Shen Qingqiu left the door open— A-Yuan is a small child and can’t reach the door handle. The open door let a breeze into the home, but that was okay.
Then, sitting down in his living room, Shen Qingqiu tried to get some work done.
But no matter how pressing some of his duties were, he couldn’t focus on anything but the memory of his son’s sobbing face.
(I made him cry...)
…
What an annoying boy.
How can such a stupid child make him worry so much?
Shen Qingqiu abandoned his desk— instead bringing his candle to the kitchen.
That stupid boy will come back soon after he’s done crying.
Shen Qingqiu brought out a basket of fresh fruit from the counter and reached for his chopping board and knife.
The chopping board was engraved with A-Yuan's drawing of a little cat.
Shen Qingqiu ran his fingers over the engraving with a sigh.
"...What a silly child. He's always doing such useless things."
He’s just a little boy. It’s normal for him to be naughty like this.
(My son will be back soon.)
(But still.)
(I’ll prepare some fruit for when he comes back.)
—-------------------
Despite how the night darkly fell upon the land, Shang Qinghua was awake.
Well— to be fair— when wasn’t he awake?
Ahhh, the sect really had too much paperwork. Even with MULTIPLE all-nighters, it was really too impossible…
And so, when an almost silent knock on his door rang out through his office, Shang Qinghua didn’t hesitate to skip away from all his boring paperwork to see what horrible and interesting chaos was waiting for him at his front door—
Oh.
It was a crying child…
It was the scum villain’s sobbing child.
And—
Oh my god.
And the fattest dog he has ever seen…
What… What the hell is this dog…?
Ushering the boy inside and… closing the door after the fatass dog entered, Shang Qinghua sat the pair on his sofa.
“A-Yuan— Sit down… Sit down…” Shang Qinghua began preparing some calming tea and biscuits. “Do you want to tell your Shang-Shishu why you’re crying? No matter what, your Shang-Shishu will listen to whatever you say…”
“FATHER WANTS TO THROW BINGHE AWAY!!!”
Binghe?
Luo Binghe…?
The protagonist???
“The dog?”
A-Yuan nodded violently before sitting still to allow Shang Qinghua to wipe away tears and snot.
“FATHER DOESN’T LOVE ME ANYMORE!!!”
Ah, what the hell. As if that scum villain would EVER do such a thing.
Shen Qingqiu would surely throw up with self-hatred and disgust at the thought of hurting his child— let alone hating him…
Did they get into a fight again? Hmm, A-Yuan really had the tendency to overreact to things…
A-Yuan was just a little boy. It was okay for him to overact like this. He just needed his father to scold and reign him in every now and then just in case it caused trouble.
And looking at the goddamn largest dog he has ever seen, Shang Qinghua supposed that Shen Qingqiu was scolding him for disobeying his orders and overfeeding it.
Shang Qinghua could easily guess that A-Yuan overfed it because he was too worried that the dog would starve.
...
When A-Yuan finally stopped crying, Shang Qinghua tried to speak as gently as he could. Even in his previous life, he wasn’t good with children but A-Yuan was an exception. “Are you sure your father hates you? Maybe he was just a little angry…”
“F-Father said that if I misbehave again— he’ll throw Binghe away… I DON’T WANT TO THROW AWAY BINGHE—”
“Shh, shh, shhhhhh. Don’t cry again. How old are you, ah. You’re certainly old enough to think through this issue with your Shang-Shishu, right? Your father loves you. I’m sure he was just a little angry. He would NEVER do something you hate. If you really REALLY don’t want to abandon the dog…”
Shang Qinghua looked down at the absolutely massive dog resting by A-Yuan’s feet. Even when he had access to the internet, he’d never seen a dog that fat. “If Binghe is important to you, then it is important to your father as well, okay? Your father loves you dearly. He wouldn't do something you hate.”
A-Yuan nodded quietly, still sniffling slightly.
“Shang-Shishu… I want to say sorry to Father… I promise I will take better care of little Binghe this time…”
“Ah, don’t say this to me, say this to your father. Come on, I’ll carry you back to Qing Jing Peak, okay? It’s already so late at night… Your father must be really REALLY worried right now.”
Stepping onto his sword, Shang Qinghua very quickly realized that he was unable to fly with both the boy AND this humongous dog. And so, sighing quietly, he began to travel to Qing Jing by foot— allowing A-Yuan to nuzzle into his shoulder, yawning slightly and trying to keep himself away despite being past his usual bedtime.
Quietly and with a voice full of fatigue, A-Yuan whispered into Shang Qinghua’s ear.
“You’re my favorite uncle— even better than Liu-Shishu...”
Favorite uncle.
Favorite uncle.
FAVORITE UNCLE—
Oh my god, A-Yuan really was too cute…
Liu Qingge had the right idea of trying to kidnap little A-Yuan when he was a baby… If Shang Qinghua wasn’t such a wuss, maybe he would’ve gotten into the kidnapping action (HE WOULDN’T).
—--------------------
A-Yuan has been away for an hour.
AN HOUR.
Oh god, what if my child gets lost… He usually never goes out without his child leash…
The freshly cut fruit lay on the table. The fruit, cut into cute animals, had been waiting there for an hour.
The weather is warm, but what if A-Yuan still gets cold?
My son is always so careless… What if he gets hurt?
What if my disciples don’t see him outside?
What if my USELESS marital siblings don’t spot him???
What if my sweet little son has to sleep outside on the floor…
(Shen Qingqiu remembered his own childhood— the life of a slave, suffering through cold winters with an empty stomach.)
(He remembered sleeping on the freezing stone floor, shivering, wondering if this night would be his final one.)
…
I...
I need to go and find A-Yuan.
I need to bring my child back home—
Shen Qingqiu tore the door open before Shang Qinghua could even knock.
The dog ran inside, almost knocking Shang Qinghua off his feet due to its sheer size.
“S-Shen-Shixiong…!” Shang Qinghua VERY QUICKLY retreated his hand before he could accidentally knock the scum villain’s forehead. “I’ve brought your son. He’s sleeping right now… But… What happened?”
Gently taking the boy from Shang Qinghua and embracing his slumbering child once more...
Shen Qingqiu hugged his son tightly.
A-Yuan’s favorite adult in the entire world... Even when deep in sleep, A-Yuan didn't hesitate to lean into his father's neck as usual.
Shen Qingqiu buried his face into the top of the child’s hair, taking a deep breath of his son’s familiar scent.
Then he faced Shang Qinghua again.
“Shang Qinghua, I just scolded him a little. He made me a little angry and I shouted at him once or twice… I will spoil and apologize to him in the morning. Thank you, Shang Qinghua. Thank you for taking care of my stupid child.”
And with that, Shen Qingqiu retreated back into the house.
Spread across his table were different medicines and floral herbs that could possibly speed up the dog’s weight loss journey a little bit more— just to help A-Yuan.
He had been studying non-stop to distract himself from A-Yuan's crying face.
“Silly child…” Shen Qingqiu lay his son into his bed, tucking him in with the mutt. “If you like this dog so much, then I’ll help you keep it no matter what.”
Reluctantly, he gave the fat dog a goodnight belly rub for adoring A-Yuan so dearly.
Then, Shen Qingqiu kissed his son’s forehead.
“Goodnight, my loveable child. I will see you tomorrow.”
Quietly, almost indiscernible, A-Yuan mumbled a couple of words in his warm slumber.
“I love you... See you tomorrow, Father.”
—------------------------------
A-Yuan knew he wasn’t supposed to be here… But he really couldn’t help breaking the rules.
He had spent so many hours alongside Mu-Shishu, Shang-Shishu and Father trying to find a safe medical solution to Binghe’s weight problem.
After a couple of months of properly dieting and regular exercise, little Binghe had lost quite a bit of fat and could walk a lot better now— no longer wheezing or struggling to walk upstairs.
He was no longer a circle.
(Well, he wasn’t THAT much of a circle anymore.)
(Even Yue-Shibo looked impressed!)
“Binghe!!!”
They were sneaking into one of Mu-Shishu’s secret storage rooms. Father and Mu-Shishu had decided that this particular herb may be good for Binghe. They needed to wait a bit to decide what would be the best dosage for a dog. However, A-Yuan just couldn’t wait!
“Binghe! Don’t wander around! It’s dangerous!”
Little Binghe whined a little— BUT! But A-Yuan was a strong boy now! He wouldn’t so easily give into Binghe’s complaints anymore!
“No! You MUST stay close to me, okay?”
Binghe cried again but listened closely— never once leaving A-Yuan’s side…
Until…
A massive burst of energy erupted from behind A-Yuan— so large that even A-Yuan, not yet trained in the cultivation arts, could feel it.
A-Yuan turned around to check on Binghe only for another boy to suddenly tackle him to the ground.
“MASTER!!!!” A naked boy, rather large compared to the tiny A-Yuan, snuggled his face into A-Yuan's hair excitedly. “Master! I’m a human!!!”
Master?
Pulling the naked boy off his body, A-Yuan only needed to take a glance at the boy’s fluffy black hair and incredibly chubby cheeks to understand what was going on.
“BINGHE?????”
His adorable little dog had eaten some weird plant and transformed into a human!!!
—-----------------------
Shen Qingqiu was mindlessly grading disciple papers when his child knocked gently on his office door— begging quietly to be let inside.
A-Yuan is knocking?
Gently??
QUIETLY???
His child was NOT gentle and quiet.
That stupid boy was loud and brash and playful— never listening to instructions until he was eventually scolded.
Shen Qingqiu narrowed his eyes at the boy.
“Shen. Yuan.”
His son flinched at his full name.
“Child, what did you do this time?”
“I… Father— I didn’t do… anything…”
As if!
Shen Yuan’s eyes couldn’t even meet him.
What on EARTH did this stupid boy do?
“Father— I… uh… Is it okay if I can have a friend stay over?”
“Ning Yingying?”
“No! Not Yingying… It’s a boy…”
“A disciple? What’s his name?”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...Shen Yuan. What is his name—”
Suddenly, an annoying voice rang loudly from right outside his office door.
“Master… How long do I have to sit outside…”
A-Yuan couldn’t stop Shen Qingqiu's march across the room. Upon ripping the door open, Shen Qingqiu glared at the chubby boy with ill-fitting clothes sitting like a dog outside his office.
…
This was DEFINITELY THAT GODDAMN MUTT.
“NO.” Shen Qingqiu wasn’t dealing with this today. “Absolutely not!”
“PLEASE! FATHER! LET ME KEEP HIM!!! HE’LL BE A GOOD BOY, I PROMISE—”
Oh…
Oh my god…
This ANNOYING and STUPID child of his…
However, at this moment, the person Shen Qingqiu insulted the most was in fact himself.
Because, no matter what, he knew it was only a matter of time before he gave into the demands of his sweet and lovable child.
(Oh… Oh my god… Another child…)