Pei Xu kept his word and moved back to the Qiao residence.
Qiao Nan’s wish was granted, and with a dog now, he was always beaming with joy, his face perpetually lit up with a smile.
Aside from classes, his biggest daily task was visiting Qiao Xiaobai at the hospital.
Oh. Qiao Xiaobai was the name he’d racked his brains to come up with.
After names like Qiao Fugui (Rich Qiao) and Qiao Meili (Beautiful Qiao) were rejected, he decided simple was best.
So, pointing to Qiao Xiaobai’s barely visible white bald patches, he named him Qiao Xiaobai (Little White Qiao).
The vet said Qiao Xiaobai had been straying too long and was malnourished.
When Qiao Nan had no classes, he’d go into the kitchen with Aunt Chen to research nutritious meals.
Every afternoon, after Pei Xu finished work, they’d drive together to the hospital to feed Qiao Xiaobai.
Qiao Xiaobai was a very clever dog.
It seemed to remember Qiao Nan had saved it and was especially affectionate towards him.
Its fractured hind leg was in a cast, so it couldn’t run around and had to stay in a cage at the pet hospital.
But every time Qiao Nan visited, it would try very hard to move to the edge of the cage, its head struggling to fit through the bars.
Its round black eyes would look at Qiao Nan, a wet tongue licking his hand, making soft whimpering sounds.
Qiao Nan’s heart melted, and he wished he could take Qiao Xiaobai home immediately.
But the hospital said Qiao Xiaobai wouldn’t be discharged for at least ten more days.
Qiao Nan could only endure the pain of missing his dog every day.
Especially since his birthday was on Friday and a birthday banquet was being held at home, he figured he wouldn’t have time to visit Qiao Xiaobai all day.
Thinking about how sad Qiao Xiaobai would be if he didn’t show up on Friday, Qiao Nan specifically went to the pet hospital early on Thursday afternoon, planning to play with Qiao Xiaobai a bit longer as compensation.
“Dad won’t be able to visit you tomorrow because of something, so you need to be good and listen to the doctor, okay?”
Qiao Nan earnestly instructed Qiao Xiaobai.
Qiao Xiaobai tilted its head, seemingly understanding, wagging its tail and leaning in to lick his hand.
Its round black eyes were wet and glistening.
Even with some bald patches, it didn’t detract from its cuteness.
The doctor said Qiao Xiaobai was a Samoyed, and once its skin condition healed and its fur grew back, it would be very beautiful.
Qiao Nan loved it immensely, patting its head and pinching its triangular ears, “Lie still, Dad’s going to draw your portrait.”
Qiao Xiaobai obediently lay beside him, its tail wagging incessantly.
Qiao Nan opened his memo pad and spent twenty minutes sketching Qiao Xiaobai.
He found it incredibly adorable no matter how he looked at it.
After screenshotting it and sending it to Pei Xu, he also shared it in his group chat with friends.
[Look at my kiddo!] followed by three accompanying pictures.
Qian Chuan was the first to jump in, worried, [My godson looks a bit dishevelled; I’m afraid he’ll have trouble finding a partner later.]
Xiao Rang followed closely, [Let’s buy some nutritional supplements for our nephew; we’re not short on cash.]
Others also chimed in, earnestly, [It’s not good for our nephew to be bald at such a young age.]
Qiao Nan sent an eye-rolling emoji and switched to check his brother’s reply.
[He’s gained a little weight, and his skin condition looks much better. How much longer until he can be discharged?]
[At least ten more days,] he replied.
My brother really is the best.
Qiao Nan was satisfied, switching back to his friend group and replying, [You stupid mortals who only care about appearances!]
Qiao Nan spent two hours playing with Qiao Xiaobai before leaving the hospital.
He didn’t go straight home but decided to visit a pet store.
Qiao Xiaobai would be coming home in ten days, and many things needed to be prepared in advance.
Navigating to the largest pet store nearby, Qiao Nan parked his car and went on a shopping spree.
From large outdoor dog houses to small chew toys… he bought everything he could think of.
When checking out, because he bought so much, the items were delivered directly by the pet store.
Qiao Nan arrived simultaneously with the delivery guy.
After parking, he eagerly called for the housekeepers to help him arrange everything.
He didn’t call Uncle Wang or Aunt Chen because they were busy checking the flow of tomorrow’s birthday banquet.
While Qiao Nan was in full swing, the villa gate opened again, and two cars drove in one after another.
Hearing the housekeepers call “Sir and Madam,” Qiao Nan belatedly realized that his parents, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, seemed to be back.
There were two cars in the yard, clearly arriving from different places.
Both his parents were workaholics dedicated to their careers.
The Qiao Group’s industries were spread across the country, and in recent years, the group’s focus had been shifting from Nanjiang to the capital.
His father spent most of his time overseeing operations in the capital.
Although his mother’s law firm was in the capital, due to her profession, she was constantly on business trips across various regions.
***
The family of four seldom spent time together.
Qiao Nan put down what he was doing and stepped forward, “Dad, Mom.”
Qiao Shi’an, a traditional strict father, always stern, merely gave a reserved nod despite not seeing his son for a long time.
Zhou Ruo, on the other hand, saw him sweating profusely and took a tissue to wipe his forehead, “What are you busy with?”
Qiao Nan subconsciously glanced at his dad before saying, “I rescued a stray dog, named Qiao Xiaobai. I’m setting up his living space.”
As expected, Qiao Shi’an frowned upon hearing this but didn’t immediately object.
Instead, he subtly said, “If you want to get a dog, just buy a purebred one from a kennel. You never know if stray dogs have diseases; they’re probably quite unsanitary.”
Qiao Nan quietly pouted and mumbled under his breath, “Whether he’s clean or not, you don’t even live here.”
Qiao Shi’an didn’t hear clearly, “What?”
But Qiao Nan refused to speak further.
The smile faded from his face, and with downcast eyes, he was clearly less happy than before.
Zhou Ruo was more observant and noticed Qiao Nan’s subtle change.
She sighed silently and quietly nudged Qiao Shi’an, “Why are you bothering him so much? It’s not like you have to raise him, whether he’s clean or not. Let’s go inside first.”
The three entered the house, and Aunt Chen brewed and served tea.
Qiao Shi’an and Zhou Ruo sat on the two-seater sofa, while Qiao Nan sat on the single sofa opposite them.
He held his teacup, taking small sips, unsure what to say.
Perhaps because he hadn’t been close to his parents much since childhood, Qiao Nan always felt uncertain about how to interact with them, caught in an awkward state of not being close enough yet feeling that being distant would hurt their feelings too much.
He could openly act spoiled with Pei Xu, be chummy with his friends, and even sweet-talk some relatives and elders he interacted with.
But when facing his parents, he always felt a bit more awkward and distant.
This mindset wasn’t ideal, and he didn’t want his parents to notice.
He cleared his throat and stiffly tried to find a topic, “It’s just a birthday; you didn’t have to take time off to rush back.”
“What kind of talk is that?”
Qiao Shi’an disapproved.
“You are the future heir of the Qiao Group. A birthday banquet isn’t just about celebrating a birthday; these events involve business dealings and maintaining connections.”
Qiao Nan put down his teacup and dryly “oh’d,” with his hands on his lap.
Qiao Shi’an shook his head, seemingly disappointed, “We shouldn’t have agreed to let you study oil painting in the first place. You’re over twenty, and you don’t even understand social etiquette. How will you shoulder the burden of the Qiao Group in the future?”
Qiao Nan remained silent, not replying.
Anyway, it wasn’t the first or second time his dad had said such things, and arguing would only lead to more quarrels.
Zhou Ruo, however, listened as Qiao Shi’an spoke more and more excessively.
She placed her teacup heavily on the coffee table with a thud.
Qiao Shi’an paused, turning to look at her.
Zhou Ruo tucked a stray hair behind her ear and smiled, “Alright, we came back to celebrate Nan Nan’s birthday, not to listen to your meetings. Put away your chairman’s airs and speak less.”
Qiao Shi’an met her gaze, realized something, and grudgingly stopped talking.
The three sat for a while longer.
Zhou Ruo then inquired about Qiao Nan’s life until there were no more topics left.
Only then did she suggest going upstairs to rest.
***
Dinner with the Family
After seeing them ascend to the third floor, Qiao Nan secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Upon learning that Mr. and Mrs. Qiao Shi’an had returned early, Pei Xu didn’t work overtime that day and returned to the Qiao residence early.
With the family of four rarely gathered together, Aunt Chen prepared an exceptionally lavish dinner.
Qiao Nan and Pei Xu sat side by side, opposite Qiao Shi’an and Zhou Ruo.
He really didn’t want to hear his dad’s incessant nagging, so he simply kept quiet and focused on eating, to avoid drawing attention to himself.
Anyway, his brother could handle it.
Pei Xu saw his dispirited look and knew that Qiao Shi’an must have lectured him again when he wasn’t around.
He subtly guided the conversation, preventing Qiao Shi’an’s attention from falling back on Qiao Nan, thus ensuring a harmonious dinner atmosphere.
After dinner, Qiao Shi’an brought out the gift he had prepared for Qiao Nan, “After your birthday, you’ll be twenty-one, not a small age anymore. If you don’t have anything planned this summer, come intern at the company.”
Qiao Nan accepted it, knowing without guessing that it was either a bank card or car keys.
It was pretty much the same every year.
“I don’t want to join the company,” Qiao Nan said sullenly.
Qiao Shi’an’s eyes widened, about to speak, but Zhou Ruo quickly pressed him down, saying, “It’s too early to discuss this topic now. It’ll be fine for Nan Nan to join the company after he graduates.”
She naturally shifted the conversation to the newly released product from Xu Nan Technology.
***
Qiao Shi’an was quite interested in the topic and finally stopped harping on Qiao Nan, turning to company matters instead.
Qiao Nan sat on the side, secretly pulling out his phone to chat in his group.
[@everyone Have your birthday gifts been prepared? Just so you know, I don’t need anything else, but my godson’s dog food, treats, and toys are a must. Thanks.]
Qian Chuan popped up to tease him, [Holy cow, you’re not going to bring your dog son with us when we go out for drinks, are you?]
Xiao Rang replied to Qian Chuan, [Bringing your dog son out for drinks is nothing; I’m just worried that Young Master Qiao will only have his son in his eyes and no brothers.]
Qiao Nan joked around with them for a bit, and his mood finally improved.
By the time Qiao Shi’an reluctantly wrapped up the conversation, it was already time to rest.
He gave Qiao Nan a look of disappointment, as if he still wanted to say something, but Zhou Ruo nudged him, and he grudgingly went upstairs.
***
Finally, the evening was over.
Qiao Nan let out a long sigh of relief, leaning sideways and collapsing onto Pei Xu’s lap, complaining softly, “It’s always like this. First, I get a thorough dressing-down, then a gift. This birthday has no novelty at all, not even the gifts change.”
Pei Xu naturally knew his hang-up.
He rubbed his head and said, “Uncle means well; he just doesn’t express it very well.”
“I get it, I get it, they’re just busy with work, right?”
Qiao Nan pouted, “Anyway, work is definitely more important than me.”
When he was little, other kids were picked up and dropped off at school by their parents, while he had nannies.
Other kids had their parents attend parent-teacher conferences, but his were always attended by an assistant.
The Qiao family’s villa was huge, and he was actually scared sleeping alone at night.
He had secretly hoped his mom and dad would come home more often to be with him.
But as time passed, and his hopes were dashed more often, he gradually learned not to have futile expectations.
Back then, he really envied Qian Chuan having a brother for company and even asked his mom if she could have a brother for him.
If his parents couldn’t be home with him, having a brother would be good too.
But his mom felt that having him already interfered with her work, so naturally, having a second child was out of the question.
However, not long after, his mom brought Pei Xu home.
He was overjoyed at the time, full of curiosity about his new brother.
After observing for a few days, he finally gathered the courage to knock on Pei Xu’s door, holding a pillow.
Although his parents were unreliable, at least they found him a reliable brother.
Qiao Nan turned sideways and hugged Pei Xu’s waist, burying his face in his abdomen and rubbing against it, grumbling, “Forget it, you can’t have everything. It’s enough that I have a brother.”