CH 56.1

The boss of Rose Garden took quite a chunk of change from Xiao Zhenyun, but he handled things with utmost care and effort. The fireworks video, firecracker sound effects, and 999 colorful roses were all prepared in advance. He even threw in two free easels1An easel is an upright support used for displaying and/or fixing something resting upon it. , one bearing the text ‘Mr. Xiao (love)(love) Mr. Si 9992‘999’ is used to signify everlasting love; typically, 99, 999, or 9999 roses are sent to express eternal love.’, while the other having a deer head and a husky dog head, surrounded by golden stars.

Xiao Zhenyun stared at the sapphire-eyed husky, his expression stiffening for a moment, and said, “… Is this all good?”

The boss seemed to think he was extra considerate. “Our front desk lady worked overnight to make these. She loves small animals, and heard you guys are special individuals, with spiritual bodies of deer and dog. So, she specially made these animal easels for you. And there’s more than just these.”

As he spoke, he opened the terminal, displaying several images—roe deer and teddy bears, giraffes and Yorkshire terriers, reindeer and border collies…

Xiao Zhenyun: “… Thoughtful.”

At exactly 6:00, Si Chu, unaware of what awaited him, appeared on time outside the Rose Garden. As soon as he entered, two staff members sprayed him in the face with confetti, making him look like he had won the lottery. Xiao Nian, hidden behind the easel, crouched in a corner, licking a lollipop and watching as Si Chu was lifted away with both arms, his dog ears and tail popping out in fright.

“What, what’s going on?”

In the lavender field, Xiao Zhenyun received news of the arrival of another protagonist. He looked at the pumpkin-shaped carriage he currently occupied and couldn’t help but feel speechless. In front of the carriage was a cartoon mechanical horse with a row of pink fur on its neck, similar to the image of My Little Pony.3

“Can’t we have a more serious-looking horse?” Xiao Zhenyun asked. In the original work, ‘Xiao Zhenyun’ sat behind a carriage pulled by two sleek and shiny big horses, carrying 999 multicolored roses. In the purple lavender sea, he unleashed a colorful flower shower, resembling a prince from a fairy tale, resolutely heading towards a knight who didn’t belong to him.

Fireworks burst in the sky, reflecting in Si Chu’s astonished yet conflicted eyes.

The confession was naturally rejected. Si Chu disbelievingly said, “You’re my little uncle? You’re not joking, right? I only, I only see you as family, as my uncle.”

“What if this layer of relationship isn’t there?” Xiao Zhenyun persistently said, “We don’t actually have a blood relationship.”

“Then I… I already have someone in my heart.” Si Chu averted his gaze. “Sorry, uncle. I’ve liked Ye Feiran since I was little. I’m even upset with the elders who always paired my brother and Feiran together.”

“Xiao Chu.”

“Sorry, uncle. I’ll treat today as if it never happened.” Si Chu said, “In the future, I’ll still consider you my real uncle.”

After saying these words, Si Chu quickly left the Rose Garden without looking back.

In reality.

Si Chu’s eyebrows knitted like a bowtie, unbelievably watching as Xiao Zhenyun, resembling a witch, approached in a pumpkin carriage pulled by My Little Pony. “Little uncle…?”

“Yeah.” Xiao Zhenyun responded solemnly.

At this moment, floating screens appeared in mid-air, displaying fireworks that spiraled upwards and burst open. Si Chu stood still, staring for a long time. If question marks had a physical form, he would have drowned the entire Rose Garden in them. He stood outside the pumpkin carriage door, watching Xiao Zhenyun, who couldn’t get down because he had no legs. “Little uncle, what on earth are you doing?”

“It’s like this.” Xiao Zhenyun said, “Your brother is coming back in three days, and I want to confess to him.”

Si Chu’s eyes initially lit up with excitement, and then asked, “Didn’t you already confess? What…” He cleared his throat, intentionally adopting a melodramatic tone, “Xiao Di, I also have selfish motives…”

“How come Si Di talks to you about this?” Xiao Zhenyun couldn’t help but curse softly and said, “That doesn’t count. This time, I plan to give him a grand and magnificent confession ceremony.”

“So, today is a rehearsal?… Did you invite me to be your strategist?” Si Chu finally understood. He looked around, quickly getting into character, and started to earnestly point out flaws. “Hmm… how do I put it, uncle, don’t be angry when I say something straightforward… aren’t these floating screen fireworks a bit eerie? And these fake candles on the ground make it look like a memorial hall… my brother doesn’t like these fake things. Also, this horse, even the rocking chairs at the supermarket entrance look better than this. You might as well use the chairman’s spiritual body for rent…”

Xiao Zhenyun was too lazy to listen to his critiques, mainly fearing that he might be too blunt and anger the Rose Garden boss. “Let’s simulate it once.” He interrupted, “Pretend you’re your brother, Si Di, and listen to the confession I’ve prepared.”

“Okay.” Si Chu straightened his back, let the raised tail behind him droop, and simulated the feeling of a wolf’s tail. “Little uncle, you can start.”

“This simulation is for a scenario where you reject me.” Xiao Zhenyun said, “After listening, don’t agree, but find a reason to reject me.”

The little dog looked puzzled. “Why?”

“Because if you agree, everyone is happy, and the simulation is not necessary. The main purpose of my simulation is in case Si Di rejects me. I might be heartbroken and bedridden, so let me test it first. Even if I am rejected later, the emotional ups and downs won’t be too great.”

“How could my brother possibly reject you! He really likes you.” Si Chu widened his eyes, “If he dares to reject you, I’ll, I’ll… beat him, I’ll cut off our brotherly relationship!”

This would lead to cutting off the brotherly relationship? Xiao Zhenyun didn’t expect Si Chu’s reaction to be so intense, quickly comforting him. “Rehearsal, just a rehearsal, simulate all possible outcomes.”

“But he won’t reject you.” Si Chu said seriously, “My brother will definitely agree.”

“But I’m ten years older than your brother, and I’m also physically disabled.”

“My brother likes older, physically disabled old men who can’t be treated like humans.”

“…”

“… Sorry,” the little dog apologized obediently under the terrifying pressure, “I didn’t mean it like that… uncle, you should understand what I’m getting at.”

The Rose Garden had a total of two hours for the rush, and it took Xiao Zhenyun a whole hour just to persuade Si Chu to reject him. Under various threats and temptations, the little dog finally agreed to let Xiao Zhenyun experience the pain and struggle of being rejected after confessing.

Xiao Zhenyun quietly took out a small note from his sleeve. On it, he had written an 800-character essay detailing his life from birth to the experience of sorrow, the first encounter with Si Chu, and the sincere promise hidden within. He omitted his voyeuristic, stalking, and abusive tendencies, presenting himself as a super romantic with a troubled background but an earnest desire for brilliance.

The main idea was: the whole world may have let me down, but I will never let you down.

Si Chu also noticed Xiao Zhenyun reading from the note, but he didn’t mind. He just reminded, “Remember, when you officially confess, recite it from memory. Don’t read it word for word, or it won’t feel sincere.”

While the little dog was still earnestly giving suggestions, Xiao Zhenyun had already accelerated his speech. He just noticed a wolf’s head lying on the terminal with closed eyes, indicating that Si Di had once called him, and he missed it. Xiao Zhenyun found it strange since he had already talked to Si Di in the afternoon. Why would he leave a voicemail now?

Due to the limited time borrowed from the Rose Garden, he didn’t answer Si Di’s call. Instead, he speedily recited the script, aiming to get through the confession plot in one go.

After struggling through the 800-character essay, Xiao Zhenyun expected Si Chu to follow the script promptly. However, Si Chu deviated, saying, “Little uncle, I think your confession could use some tweaking. For example, the part where you saved my brother in the hospital could be added, and the part on the deserted island where you two…”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll revise it when I get back. Just reject me for now,” Xiao Zhenyun replied dismissively.

“Or how about you send me the confession later, and I’ll polish it for you? I’ve been writing documents for the guild every day, so my writing is top-notch… Wait, no, having someone else write it might not be good. You should do it yourself…”

“…”

“Little uncle, blablabla.”

Si Chu’s enthusiastic chatter was finally interrupted by an incoming call. He raised his wrist, saying, “Hold on, little uncle. Feiran’s calling me.”

“Keep it confidential,” Xiao Zhenyun immediately reminded. Si Chu’s answering hand froze, and he reluctantly admitted, “I’m not very good at lying…”

In the midst of hesitation, Ye Feiran had already ended the voice call. Si Chu was just beginning to exhale a sigh of relief when, the next moment, he received several stern text messages in quick succession. Each one was a harsh interrogation. He opened them, glanced, and screamed, “It’s over, it’s over, little uncle! Feiran suspects I have another dog outside. Ah! I promised to watch a movie with him tonight, but I completely forgot. Right after work, I rushed over to you. Little uncle, what do I do?”

Is it just a rule that whenever I’m following a script, there’s bound to be some bizarre and unexpected twist?

Xiao Zhenyun impatiently said, “Just say we’re together, and you’ll be back soon, don’t mention what we’re doing.”

Si Chu quickly complied with two “ohs,” but not half a minute later, he wailed, “He doesn’t believe me at all! He even asked me to take a video for proof…”

“Then take it.” Xiao Zhenyun crisply smiled at Si Chu’s terminal camera, “Xiao Fei, Si Chu and I are together. I’m sorry not to know about your previous arrangement. We’ll finish things soon, and he’ll be heading back soon. I hope it won’t delay your movie plans.”

After Si Chu finished recording, he clicked send, and soon a relaxed expression appeared on his face. “Scared me…”

“Hurry up!” Xiao Zhenyun scolded, “Do as I told you!”

With this shout, Si Chu finally obediently followed instructions. However, fabricating a rejection reason was a bit tricky for a dog. “Uh… you’re a good person, but I… I also have erectile dysfunction. We can’t really connect when we’re together… So, sorry, we can’t be together.”

“…”

No, your brother isn’t dysfunctional at all; he’s always stiff as a board.

“Don’t look at me like that, little uncle! This is the only reason I could think of that my brother might reject you!” Si Chu said, embarrassed.

Xiao Zhenyun didn’t immediately respond to him but instead glanced at Xiao Nian, who had been secretly observing in the distance.

During this time, he received another voice invitation from Si Di. Xiao Zhenyun didn’t answer but replied to the inquiry message with a brief: Busy, I’ll get back to you later.

It’s so annoying, he thought. Following the plot really interferes with love affairs. Can’t he see that his little wolf at home is getting anxious?

Xiao Zhenyun waited until Xiao Nian nodded and reluctantly made a qualified gesture. He then sighed in relief. “Okay, you’ve worked hard, Xiao Chu. Rehearsal is over; go back quickly and watch a movie with Xiao Fei.”

“Is that all?” Si Chu asked in surprise, “What about rehearsing the acceptance scenario? Don’t we need to go through it once?”

“No need, no need.” Xiao Zhenyun’s perfunctory expression was written all over his face. He used the little dog and tossed him away. He was in a hurry to leave, but before leaving, he remembered to dismantle the easel and casually threw it into a roadside trash bin.

With a major problem solved, Xiao Zhenyun, in a good mood on the way back, instructed Xiao Nian to order late-night snacks. He also sent a voice invitation to Si Di. However, the first two times, he didn’t answer. This time, it was Si Di who didn’t answer. Xiao Zhenyun smirked at how their free time always seemed to overlap, and while holding a cigarette, he sent a text to Si Di: Where are you? What do you need?

Si Di didn’t reply for a long time, and Xiao Zhenyun, accustomed to his busyness, didn’t think much of it.

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