Chapter 29

Song Shuling hadn’t been resting well lately, under a lot of pressure, and had just smoked quite a bit, so he suddenly felt a bit of stomach pain.

But it was just a stomachache, nothing serious, and it would be fine with some medicine.

There was no need to look at him with such an expression, was there?

Concern, surprise, and a hint of inexplicable panic.

Song Shuling put down his hand. “Aunt?”

“You…” Lin Sulan hesitated, choosing her words carefully, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“A bit,” he admitted honestly, “I haven’t been eating regularly these past few days, and I’ve been smoking a lot. I’m sorry.”

There was another reason he didn’t mention: he had uncovered a case of embezzlement and ghost salaries, orchestrated by the mother of his three minor nephews.

If it was just about taking some money, it would have been fine, but she had been stuffing her people into the company, accepting bribes, and greasing the wheels, even involving herself in power-money transactions and money laundering. She was walking a tightrope, and if anything went wrong, the repercussions would be massive. So, Song Shuling acted swiftly, cleaning up the core department, and before he could even deal with her shady affairs, the twin brothers were dropped off at his doorstep.

She was formidable, not pleading or making excuses, just dumping the two kids at Song Shuling’s door—let him deal with it.

The twins were still in elementary school, at the age where they fear nothing, making Song Shuling quite annoyed.

In the end, he couldn’t help but feel a bit soft-hearted when it came to children.

Not just Song Shuling, even the parrot was driven crazy by the noise, abandoning its usual antics of swinging on the swing and teasing the fish, and instead flew into the bookshelf to sleep, ignoring the two rambunctious kids.

After hearing the explanation, Lin Sulan let out a slow breath, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and her expression returned to its usual calm.

“Are you sure you want to take care of them? Have you thought it through?”

Song Shuling nodded. “Yes.”

Lin Sulan stood up, adjusting her shawl. “Alright, then I won’t stop you.”

With the matter settled, there was nothing more to say. If he had made up his mind, that was that.

Song Shuling lowered his gaze. “Aunt…”

Lin Sulan had nothing more to say. She looked up at him, the little boy she once knew now grown tall, so tall that she had to tilt her head back to see his face.

She spoke calmly. “Move aside.”

Song Shuling smiled.

Just like that rainy day at the funeral, he respectfully stepped aside, watching her straight back and determined steps as she walked away, growing smaller and smaller.

No, she paused.

Because as Lin Sulan descended the stairs, she nearly got hit by a flying piece of cake.

Song Xiaowu and Song Xiaowan were jumping on the sofa, screaming and throwing cake at each other. The floor, dining table, and even the ceiling were splattered with cream. Several servants were chasing after them, trying to clean up, but they couldn’t keep up with the twins’ speed.

Song Shuling hurried over. “What’s going on?”

The butler rushed over, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Sir, the young masters said they had a day off from school, so they came back to celebrate…”

Before he could finish, Song Xiaowan threw a piece of cake at the back of his head. “Ha, big dummy!”

Song Xiaowu, not to be outdone, almost made a hole in the sofa. “Idiot!”

“Stupid, both of you are stupid!”

“Hehe, watch my super move!”

The butler didn’t dodge in time, and the cake slid down his head, landing with a squish on the floor.

The twins looked up at the stairs, grinning mischievously.

Lin Sulan turned around, shocked, and looked at Song Shuling.

“These are the twins,” Song Shuling explained in a low voice, “Their mother sent them here. They’re quite a handful.”

Most importantly, they didn’t fear him much.

It didn’t matter if he was the head of the family or a powerful figure who could take down a street with his bare hands. The kids didn’t care. They got their pocket money from their mother, the servants couldn’t control them, and Song Shuling couldn’t really hit children.

Even if he sent them back, they would just run over again.

Their mother had told them they didn’t have to go to school and that staying with Third Uncle was being good kids!

Lin Sulan was still shocked. “They’re making a mess here, and you can’t do anything about it?”

Before Song Shuling could respond, Song Xiaowan spoke up. “What’s it to you, old hag!”

They had just skipped school and were planning to cause chaos when they saw a strange old lady coming down the stairs. She was annoying, and they didn’t like the look of her.

“This is your great-aunt!” Song Shuling scolded, quickly descending the stairs and dismissing the butler. He grabbed the twins by their arms. “How dare you speak like that! Apologize!”

The twins immediately started crying and wriggling.

“It hurts, let go!”

“Uncle, Third Uncle! You hit us, how can you hit us!”

They were like two loud, noisy cannons, screaming and struggling to get free from Song Shuling’s grip. He was careful not to hurt them, but the kids dared to kick him.

“My dad just died, and you’re bullying us, waaah…”

“Mom doesn’t want us anymore, are you going to abandon us too…”

Song Shuling had never taken care of children, especially not kids of this age. He was at a loss, wondering if he should put the twins in time-out as punishment and if it would leave a psychological scar. As he was thinking, he saw Lin Sulan walk down the stairs, carefully stepping over the cream on the floor.

Then, he watched in shock as his aunt, who had spent her life in academia, stern and dignified, raised her hand and slapped each twin hard.

They were stunned.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds before Lin Sulan elegantly adjusted her linen shawl, speaking with the same expression she used when teaching.

“Dealing with this, a good beating helps a lot.”

Song Shuling stared at her in disbelief.

That wasn’t something he learned in school.

He had expected her to talk about child psychology or educational theory, not resort to physical punishment!

The twins, recovering from their shock, started crying even louder, wailing like banshees.

Song Shuling pulled them behind him to prevent them from kicking and hitting, and tentatively asked, “What do we do now… another beating?”

He didn’t usually hold grudges against children and was afraid of hitting them too hard, but with an educational expert standing in front of him, he felt he should follow her advice.

Lin Sulan calmly replied, “Not yet, let them cry.”

Song Shuling nodded. “Alright.”

Then, he heard her add, “When they’re tired of crying, then we’ll give them another beating.”

Late at night, Ruan Zhen got out of bed for the third time.

He didn’t turn on the light, and the room was dark, with only a faint moonlight filtering through the window, casting a pale glow on the bed.

The yellow dog was lying on a mat, panting and wagging its tail slightly.

“Good boy.”

Ruan Zhen smiled, patting the dog’s neck, and bent down to carefully pick it up.

Age had not only turned the dog’s fur white but also made its hind legs weak. Recently, the dog had been walking with increasing difficulty. The vet said it was too old, with osteoporosis, and there was nothing much that could be done except to provide companionship.

The dog also had asthma and allergies, and its respiratory system was failing.

The vet suggested that if possible, it would be better for the dog to be in a more humid environment.

The dog knew it made loud, rapid breathing sounds, so it refused to sleep inside at night, afraid of disturbing people. It quietly huddled in a corner of the yard, and Zhang Laotou was very worried. Ruan Zhen reassured him, saying it was fine, and offered to let the dog sleep with him.

With the dog’s hind legs failing, Ruan Zhen carried it to the bathroom.

“You’ve lost weight,”

His hand felt the dog’s side, touching the warm flesh and the more prominent ribs, and the beating heart. “We need to eat more. Don’t worry, I can carry you.”

When Ruan Zhen was young, every time he came home from school, the dog would excitedly jump up and nuzzle his face, standing on its hind legs to reach his shoulders. Ruan Zhen, who was shorter than the dog at the time, would laugh and hug the dog’s neck, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with you soon!”

As Ruan Zhen grew taller, Zhang Laotou and the dog grew smaller.

They even started to resemble each other.

Zhang Laotou had issues with his lungs and bronchi, coughing frequently, and when he got upset, he would pound his chest with his fist.

The sky was dotted with sparse stars, and the yard was filled with the chirping of crickets.

Ruan Zhen used a warm, damp cloth to clean the dog’s paws and bottom, then carried it back to the bedroom.

The dog was so light, it felt like he was holding a puppy.

The door to the next room creaked open, and Zhang Laotou, wearing a sweatshirt and holding a fan, stepped out. “Can’t sleep?”

“Uh-huh,” Ruan Zhen placed the dog on the mat. “Why are you up?”

Zhang Laotou chuckled. “Old age, less sleep.”

He waved the fan, and the dog wagged its tail, both movements small and gentle, one barely creating a breeze, the other just a slight sweep of the floor.

After a while, Zhang Laotou sighed deeply. “Is it all over?”

Ruan Zhen took the fan, smiling as he fanned Zhang Laotou. “Yeah.”

Zhang Laotou looked at him. “But I still feel like I’ve held you back.”

“How have you held me back?”

Ruan Zhen spoke slowly and lazily, as he often did at home. “I’ve already discussed this with my teachers. It’s a rare opportunity… don’t overthink it.”

Zhang Laotou scratched the back of his head, wanting to say something but then closed his mouth.

Ruan Zhen teased him. “What, are you tired of me or the fan?”

“Neither!”

Zhang Laotou stood up, hands behind his back, and walked away. “I’m going to find the air conditioner and let the machine take care of me!”

Summer was long and short.

Long were the noisy cicadas, short were the nights, the cool condensation on soda bottles, the sudden downpours, and the quick clear skies.

A faint rainbow was visible.

Song Shuling had finally had a break these past few days. He had gathered all the evidence of illegal activities and turned it over, standing firm against the pressure from all sides, even if it meant hindering the family business. For now, the Song family was on edge, but he had more sweeping reforms planned to cut out the rot.

The twins had been sent back to school, and he had contacted their mother. Song Shuling placed a sheet of paper on the table, and the woman’s face turned pale.

It was evidence of her transferring assets and meeting her lover outside.

“According to the previous will, the child support and property division will be as agreed.”

Song Shuling looked at her calmly. “But if you continue this, I don’t mind taking the kids for a paternity test.”

The matter was resolved smoothly.

No matter how complex or difficult, it could be unraveled step by step.

But—

Song Shuling looked at the rainbow in the sky, so beautiful and dreamlike, and wished he had someone to share it with.

The only one there was the parrot on his shoulder, chirping noisily.

“Ball, do you think Ruan Zhen can see this rainbow?”

“Chirp!”

Song Shuling reached out, and the parrot gently pecked his finger.

“Right now, he should be back at school, resuming his normal life, right?”

“Chirp chirp!”

After they parted, Song Shuling hadn’t asked about Ruan Zhen’s schedule. He respected his privacy but had done everything he could to ensure Ruan Zhen wouldn’t be targeted by the Song family again. So—

Was Ruan Zhen, in the teaching building, also looking up at this beautiful rainbow?

Song Shuling didn’t know.

If they could share this moment, it would be a good thing.

“Ball,”

The parrot perched on Song Shuling’s arm, preening its feathers, not interested in his questions. “Do you think inviting Ruan Zhen to dinner would be intrusive?”

“Chirp chirp!”

The bird had no idea.

Song Shuling’s eyes widened. “What, you miss him?”

The parrot looked up. “Chirp?”

“Perfect,” Song Shuling smiled. “Then I’ll invite him to dinner, to celebrate the start of the school year.”

Flap, flap—

The white parrot took flight, drawing a beautiful arc in the air, and landed on the swing, bouncing and swaying.

And in the courtyard, Song Shuling finally dialed the number.

Just a dinner.

His eyes sparkled as he listened to the dial tone on the other end—

Until it automatically disconnected, with no answer.