CH 62

Is there really a chance?

Xiao Zhenyun lowered his eyes gently, and with reserved composure, he muttered a polite acknowledgement to the hardworking doctor. Only Si Di knew the uncontainable excitement and anticipation bubbling within him. If given the choice, anyone would long for excellence and strength.

Following the guidance, he performed two more examinations. Doctors entered and exited the office continuously to check Xiao Zhenyun’s test results. The fixed routine involved glancing at the data on the monitor, curiously looking up at Xiao Zhenyun, and then getting discreetly pulled aside by colleagues to be informed of the wheelchair-bound guide’s identity. Subsequently, they would glance again at Xiao Zhenyun with surprise, occasionally observing Si Di, before earnestly discussing their professional duties.

As more doctors joined one after another, the exchange of voices intensified. Even the elderly guide doctor from the adjacent expert clinic was drawn in. This silver-haired doctor, resembling a lynx, carried a cup of strong tea, squinting as he perused documents. His steps were shaky, but when arguments erupted, his voice overshadowed them all.

The wolf tail behind Si Di swayed continuously, leisurely tapping Xiao Zhenyun’s wheelchair back occasionally. It was gentle, but Xiao Zhenyun felt it. When he didn’t notice, it was fine, but once he became aware, his attention couldn’t help but be fixated on the rhythm of the tail’s taps.

Finally, he turned his head and grabbed the long tail from the base, stroking it all the way to the appropriate position, placing it on his lap, “Don’t swing randomly.” 

Si Di, unexpectedly caught by the tail, instinctively shuddered. Defending himself, he asked, “Did I swing something?”

A wolf and a wolf’s tail are two different beings, as common knowledge dictates.

The tail’s fur was coarse and stiff, unlike the soft fur on Tai Ji’s belly. Xiao Zhenyun used his fingers as a comb, running them through the tail’s pointed hair. The office door was partly open, but he remained focused, watching the fervent discussion inside among the doctors.

Si Di lowered his gaze and glanced at him. As he bent down to help Xiao Zhenyun adjust his collar, his right hand slowly slid down along his spine until it reached beneath Xiao Zhenyun’s shirt. Without needing to look, his fingertips easily located the zipper after a couple of touches. With a deft flick of his fingers, he plucked out the tiny deer tail.

Xiao Zhenyun’s gaze was finally drawn back by this action. Si Di, seemingly oblivious, wrapped his palm around the entire tail, kneading it like dough. Fortunately, he knew when to stop, giving it just a couple of squeezes before releasing it. He stood up with a smile, “The collar was flipped inside out.”

“You flip my collar inside out and grab my tail? It’s not like I’m wearing a rebellious inside-out style.” Xiao Zhenyun retorted, fixing the folds near the tail with a backward sweep of his hand. Si Di couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re still holding my tail, yet you won’t let me touch yours? Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”

“Your tail is troublesome. If left alone, it’ll swing around randomly.”

“It’s just an innocent tail. You have to learn to understand it and coexist peacefully with it.”

Xiao Zhenyun glanced at him lightly, then suddenly hooked his finger. As Si Di leaned in, he whispered softly in his ear, “You know what? When I grab your tail and pull it upwards, the place where you take me will open uncontrollably…”

“…” Si Di’s expression visibly changed, his gaze deep and intense as he looked at Xiao Zhenyun. After a moment, he slowly uttered three words, “I… don’t believe it.”

Then he added, “Unless you prove it at home.”

Xiao Zhenyun didn’t plan to take that medicine for a while, but some teasing and closeness with Si Di seemed harmless. So, he smiled, “Sure.”

Since they had an agreement, Si Di didn’t want to wait any longer. He immediately pushed Xiao Zhenyun to the office door and asked what results the doctors had discussed.

“One test result is still pending, and we need further confirmation, but we all agree it should be accurate. Mr. Xiao, your condition is quite unique, but your father also had a similar condition, just not as clear. It seems you inherited it from his genes, and surpassing the predecessor is not surprising…” the doctor who initially attended to Xiao Zhenyun explained.

Xiao Zhenyun allowed him to tease and build suspense up to this point. If they didn’t get to the point soon, he was going to lose his patience.

The doctor paused for a moment, earnestly presenting the examination data and pointing out the highlighted items to Xiao Zhenyun. “Mr. Xiao, the evaluation of a guide’s spiritual power involves various aspects, primarily focusing on the size and intensity of the spiritual power pool. Without a doubt, you score only a C in both of these aspects. However, there’s one aspect not included in the evaluation, which is the spiritual power recovery speed. It’s not considered because the recovery rate for almost all guides is similar, ranging from 0.9 to 1.2, falling within the normal range. However, your recovery speed is at 7.3, far exceeding the usual 7 to 8 times.”

Xiao Zhenyun silently picked up the data report, his expression neither sad nor happy. He calmly scanned through it, nodded slightly, then asked, “Will this have any negative impact on my body? Could the rapid spiritual power recovery speed conflict with the narrow spiritual power pool?”

The doctors chuckled and reassured him, “At the moment, it seems unlikely.” “Don’t worry, Chairman, it’s a good thing.” “Yes, yes, 7.3, a number I’ve never heard of.” “Your father’s recovery speed was 2.9, coupled with an S-class spiritual power pool, truly the envy of every guide…”

Si Di cautiously probed Xiao Zhenyun’s spiritual domain. The latter immediately released the spiritual link and connected with him, revealing a Xiao Zhenyun completely opposite to his outward appearance. The sentinel heard the guide’s unrestrained laughter, evidently happy by this good news.

Si Di turned to look at Xiao Zhenyun in the wheelchair. The other person furrowed his brows slightly, emitting a barely audible sigh, “7.3, wasted on a C-level guide. With my spiritual power level, a fast recovery is of no use…”

The doctors quickly comforted him, urging him not to belittle himself. They assured him that there was no such thing as wasting such a talent. With innate abilities, Chairman, you will surely find a suitable way to utilize the 7.3 recovery speed and so on…

Si Di then listened to Xiao Zhenyun’s inner thoughts and heard a series of cheerful laughter.

Si Di: “…”

Any news related to special individuals couldn’t escape the watchful eyes and ears of Xiao Jingfeng, whose influence spanned far and wide.

As soon as Xiao Zhenyun arrived home and demonstrated to Si Di that the tight little point could indeed lengthen and open up when the tail was pulled up, the chairman’s call rang continuously, sounding more urgent with each ring, resembling a life-or-death situation.

Si Di’s wolf ears on top of his head kept swaying, so Xiao Zhenyun covered his back with a blanket, only to have it pushed aside disapprovingly by the wolf tail.

“Hey, Uncle…” Xiao Zhenyun leaned against Si Di, his deer ears playfully teased by the latter, “You better really have something important.”

“…” Xiao Jingfeng keenly sensed a storm brewing from the calm tone of these words. “Did I disturb you while you were doing something important? …Wait, with your condition, can you even do anything important?”

“Why not?” Xiao Zhenyun tilted his head, and from the corner of his eye, he noticed a spot with a different color from the rest, trembling unsteadily in the cold air. He couldn’t resist glancing at it, then raised his gaze to look at Si Di again.

Meeting his gaze, the sentinel raised the corner of his lips. His fingers threaded through Xiao Zhenyun’s dark, silky hair, weaving through the strands. The broad palm cradled the junction of his neck and head, applying a gentle pressure, urging him to lean in.

Xiao Zhenyun slightly dodged, but how could he match Si Di’s strength? Besides, he wasn’t really resisting. With just a couple of movements, he followed Si Di’s lead and turned his face toward the iron-like embrace. He nuzzled affectionately against Si Di’s cheek, then obediently opened his mouth as Si Di pressed against them.

“I always thought you two were more platonic, except for that one time…” Digging deeper might lead to some age-related suspicions, and Xiao Jingfeng was also aware of the burden on his nephew’s shoulders. He cleared his throat and continued, “I already know about your physical condition. Regarding your spiritual power recovery speed far surpassing that of ordinary individuals, I have several ideas. Are you free tomorrow around 2 p.m.? Come to my office at the union then.”

Xiao Jingfeng didn’t hear a response, so he asked again, “Zhenyun?”

“Uh.” Xiao Zhenyun made a vague sound as if he were eating something.

Xiao Jingfeng, puzzled, asked, “What are you eating? Did you hear what I said to you?”

Xiao Zhenyun pushed Si Di away and calmly replied, “Eating gummy bears. I heard you. I’m free tomorrow.”

“Eating candy so late at night? Aren’t you afraid of cavities? Remember to brush your teeth after eating.”

“Uncle, I’m thirty, not thirteen.”

“Hahaha, I’m just caring for you, okay?” Xiao Jingfeng chuckled. “By the way, bring Xiao Jiali tomorrow. I want to take another look at his spiritual domain…”

As Xiao Zhenyun responded, he felt Si Di, who had been rather restless behind him, supporting his back and laying him flat on the bed, then kneeling down on both sides of his thighs.

Confused, Xiao Zhenyun looked at Si Di, who gestured with his mouth: I want gummy bears too.

Xiao Zhenyun: “…”

“Zhenyun?” Xiao Jingfeng asked, puzzled, as there was no sound from the other end.

“I’m here,” Xiao Zhenyun replied absentmindedly. He gestured with his eyes towards Si Di kneeling beside him, “Uncle, continue.”

Si Di silently laughed, adjusting Xiao Zhenyun’s position so his upper body leaned against his shoulders. Then, he lowered his head, and Xiao Zhenyun immediately grabbed his wolf ears. Si Di ate on one side, and Xiao Zhenyun grabbed the other.

After chatting with Xiao Jingfeng for about five minutes, confirming the meeting time for tomorrow, he ended the call. When Xiao Zhenyun finished the call, he clearly felt that something was very wrong.

Suppressing the urge, he adjusted his shirt. “…You’re asking for trouble.”

Si Di couldn’t stop laughing. He put on a jacket before hopping off the bed, taking advantage of Xiao Zhenyun’s inability to move his legs, knowing he couldn’t reach him.

“I’ll go wash some cherries for you to replenish your energy.”

“Come here,” Xiao Zhenyun said, a mix of anger and amusement. “I’ll let you replenish as well.”

Si Di laughed heartily, casually put on a pair of sweatpants, and left the bedroom. Xiao Zhenyun moved a bit, causing friction and a stinging sensation. Helplessly, he lifted up his shirt again to let it air dry.

At that moment, a video call invitation popped up on the terminal with a cute Q version of a puppy as the profile picture. Surprisingly, Si Chu sent a video call at this time.

“…”

Xiao Zhenyun pulled the blanket tighter around him, feeling even more uncomfortable, before finally answering Si Chu’s call.

“Little uncle!” Si Chu exclaimed. “The rehearsal of your confession in the rose garden last time; it was unexpectedly edited into a video by the boss over there and sent to me. He seems to have misunderstood something; he edited it so seriously. Feiran saw it and praised it after watching, and even asked me to make a confession like that for him too.”

“…Send it to me for a quick look?”

“Sure.” Si Chu operated the device while asking, “Little uncle, when are you planning to confess to my brother? Next week is the union ceremony, and you should complete the confession before that, right? I’ve taken half a month off starting the day after tomorrow. If you need anything, just let me know, and I’ll come to help immediately.”

What a good little dog, Xiao Zhenyun thought. Even though he was about to be confined to the basement, Si Chu was wholeheartedly concerned about his uncle’s love life.

Xiao Zhenyun couldn’t help but feel a sense of pity.

Si Di entered the room carrying a bowl of cherries. Looking up, he noticed Xiao Zhenyun’s neck covered by the blanket while he was having a somewhat challenging video chat with Si Chu. Unable to contain his laughter, Si Di, with a bowl of cherries in hand, chuckled, and Si Chu’s dog ears immediately perked up. “Brother?”

“Xiao Chu,” Si Di said, placing the cherries down. Before appearing in the frame, he zipped up his jacket to the top, presenting a perfect elder brother image to his younger sibling. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Uh…” Si Chu tentatively used his eyes to ask if Xiao Zhenyun could tell, not realizing that his little uncle had practically been exposed by his brother, “Your brother already knows.”

“Brother, you know already…” Si Chu sighed. “Little uncle, didn’t you say it was supposed to be a surprise? How come my brother knows? …Wait, wasn’t the day you guys bonded also the rehearsal day? Did my brother get so excited when he heard you were going to confess to him that he agreed to everything and then… bonded with you?”

“…” Though the details were a bit off, but also… Xiao Zhenyun and Si Di exchanged a glance, the latter hesitating before saying, “Something like that?”

“I knew it! How could my brother refuse you?” Si Chu wagged his tail, puppy eyes innocent and warm. “Brother, have you never been honest about your feelings with little uncle? Little uncle has been worried that you’d reject him, even asked me to simulate, so he could be mentally prepared… Brother, communication is crucial in a relationship. You can’t keep all your feelings bottled up; you must express them.”

Si Di: “…”

Si Di smiled with softened eyes. “Got it, Xiao Chu.”

What a good dog, and here I am obtaining the security duty schedule through internal hotel channels, planning to kidnap and confine him in the basement in the morning.

“Xiao Chu…” Xiao Zhenyun pondered for a moment and, with a compensatory mentality, asked, “In a few days, when you’re not busy, do you want to go out and have some fun after work? Relax a bit before the bonding ceremony.”

Si Chu was very interested. “What are we going to do? Uncle, Brother, and me, plus Feiran – the four of us going out together?”

“Sure.” Xiao Zhenyun agreed, glancing at Si Di, who nodded in approval.

“Leaving Xiao Nian alone at home isn’t a good idea, is it?” Si Chu was concerned about his younger cousin. Meanwhile, Xiao Zhenyun had completely forgotten about Xiao Nian. “It’s fine, Xiao Jiali is here.”

“Then let’s bring Xiao Jiali along,” Si Chu suggested excitedly. “How about the six of us go camping? Spend a night outdoors and come back the next day.”

“That works…”

“I’ll go discuss the location with Feiran.” Si Chu quickly got up from the bed. “Little uncle, Brother, goodnight. See you tomorrow!”

With that, the energetic pup ended the call. The central screen of the floating display showed the Rose Garden edited video he had sent just a moment ago. Nonchalantly, Xiao Zhenyun attempted to slide his finger to hide the video, but before he could do so, Si Di firmly caught his hand and read the video title in a clear and steady voice, “Mr. Xiao love Mr. Si, Heart 999.”

Xiao Zhenyun: “…”

Before Si Di opened the video, Xiao Zhenyun reversed his grip on Si Di’s hand. “You can watch, but promise me you won’t get jealous.”

Si Di gave him a ‘what kind of joke are you making’ look, immediately swearing, “I promise I won’t get jealous.”

“This is a video of my affectionate confession to your younger brother. Are you sure you won’t get jealous?”

Si Di: “…”

Si Di: “What do you want from me?”

“How about we not watch it then?” Xiao Zhenyun tried to stop him, and Si Di squinted at him. “Little uncle, the more you say that, the more I want to watch.”

“Then you bear the consequences yourself.” Xiao Zhenyun silently let go of his hand, and Si Di willingly clicked on the video…

The opening screen featured a deer head and a husky dog head superimposed on Si Chu’s retina. Then Si Chu, with a beauty filter turned up to level ten, appeared on the screen, surrounded by a circle of flickering plastic candles at his feet. The scene resembled a religious ceremony.

TL: I’m changing the update schedule back to how it was earlier, with a 2-day interval between each chapter!

Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters.  (๑>ᴗ