Chapter 18

t/n: to celebrate the holidays, today will be a triple-release!

editor/TLC: serefina

Zhang Qiming soon knew of Wang Guiying’s visit. He came with an apologetic and tired expression, finally understanding that it was just wishful thinking to try and convince Zhang Hang to come home with him. Excluding him, his family no longer held any affection for the child nor hoped for his return. If Zhang Hang really were to go back, Zhang Qiming was afraid that he would be hurt even further.

“Dad, I won’t go with you,” Zhang Hang said seriously to Zhang Hang, with Big Black sitting at his side. “I’m very confident that I can live well. Recently, I have been teaching myself Braille and already understand a lot of words. In the future, I will learn some life skills and find a good job.”

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Zhang Qiming sighed deeply and had no choice but to face reality.

“At least let me take care of you until you can find a job on your own, okay?” His words held a hint of pleading as he spoke. He wanted to raise this person but required his approval. Currently, Zhang Qiming felt deeply regretful. If he had noticed Zhang Hang’s struggles at the start, he would have been able to calm himself down. Instead of telling his family, he could have secretly taken a genetic sample to test their blood relation. At least, he wouldn’t have gone as far as to do those horrible things in anger that he now regretted. Then he would not be feeling so lonely and helpless now.

But no, Hang Hang wasn’t lonely. Zhang Qiming watched Zhang Hang fondly touch Big Black’s ears, recalling the time that he hit Zhang Hang and was bitten by the dog. If one was hurt, the other would guard. From the moment that the child was born, he had no right to love him.

“Dad,” Zhang Hang said, tightly holding Zhang Qiming’s hand, “In my heart, you will always be my dad. The best dad.”

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Zhang Hang smiled happily. No matter what had happened in the past, Zhang Qiming would always be his father. It was a fact that couldn’t be changed after more than a decade of loving him.

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Knowing it was inconvenient for Zhang Hang to live with Xiao Ren, Zhang Qiming began to look for a house behind his parents’ backs. He intended to buy Zhang Hang a house that was small but with a simple layout suitable for the blind. In 2006, house prices were not too high, and Zhang Qiming was not short of money.

“Don’t let your father buy you a house,” Xiao Ren said, patting Zhang Hang on the shoulder after he was told about it. “You living here is nice. It means I have someone waiting for me every day when I come home, like hiding a wife away, very nice… Ow, Big Black, don’t bite my ear! I say, recently you’ve become more and more arrogant. So, I’ll buy Hang Hang a new guide dog and make your meat into stew. It’s said that stew made from black dogs are the best!”

It’s you who is becoming bolder! How dare you say that our Hang Hang is your wife? Lu Chengye was biting Xiao Ren’s ears, but he didn’t use any strength. If he didn’t bite down too hard, it simply hurt a little. Now that he had good control over this body, reason always prevailed over instinct.

Zhang Hang smiled wryly and followed Xiao Ren’s voice to hug Big Black. His fingers reached into Big Black’s mouth and broke his hold so he would no longer torture Xiao Ren’s poor ear. The long fingers lay against Big Black’s tongue. Lu Chengye blinked, licked Zhang Hang’s whole hand, then put the two fingers back in his mouth and gently bit them. It didn’t hurt Zhang Hang, but because he couldn’t see, his sense of touch was much more sensitive. He was licked and bitten by Big Black, which gave him a crisp numbing sensation. He patted Big Black’s face with his other hand, then liberated his fingers from the dog’s mouth and wiped them with a paper towel.

Xiao Ren rubbed his abused ears and said to Zhang Hang lowly, “Hang Hang, do you think that Big Black has become more and more perfect recently? I’ll tell you, I’ve seen our police dog. It belongs to a specially assigned officer and is very smart. It can understand most words and is extremely skilled. I thought it was the smartest dog in the world, but then I met Big Black. Honestly, he leaves those police dogs in the dust. This dog is too smart! Yesterday when I arrived home, he had the remote control under his paw and was watching the financial channel seriously. I couldn’t even understand a word they were saying!”

As soon as he heard this, Lu Chengye’s body stiffened. His ears, which were being raised by Zhang Hang’s fingers, fell down in a flash, and his previously swaying tail went between his hind legs. Like a wolf, he walked quietly to Zhang Hang and stared at Xiao Ren with alert eyes. Xiao Ren’s character was originally careless. However, from the day when Wang Guiying came, Lu Chengye realized that Xiao Ren hadn’t been a simple-minded man. He was instead meticulous and knew what to pay attention to and what not to. With his keen observation skills, analytical power, and beast-like intuition, he was a terrible foe with limitless potential. Lu Chengye hadn’t prepared for that.

“See, he’s looking at me right now.” Xiao Ren looked frightened, but his eyes didn’t leave Big Black for a moment. His face was full of uncertainty.

Zhang Hang calmly smoothed Big Black’s fur to comfort him and said softly, “I heard many stories about spiritual animals when I was a child. Even though it was probably made up, it may not have come from nowhere. Big Black is just a little smarter than most dogs. If this was ancient times, he might have become a mysterious legend.”

The boy’s gentle voice calmed Lu Chengye’s anxiety. Big Black quietly lay down with his chin on Zhang Hang’s feet, docile as an old sheep. In the past, most of the dogs owned by his friends liked to lie down on their owners’ shoes and feet. Lu Chengye had thought that the dogs’ heads were too heavy, and that it was weird they would lick his friends’ smelly feet. Now, he understood why they did it.

It was the taste of their owner and the taste of home. This taste made the dog feel infatuated and reassured. It didn’t matter if something was stinky, as long as they could smell and taste their owner.

Of course, his Hang Hang’s feet were white and clean, not smelly at all.

Xiao Ren stared at Big Black for a little while. Seeing such a fine dog lying so calmly and contentedly at Zhang Hang’s feet, his doubts were cast aside.

Why was he thinking so much? Even if the dog was exceptionally smart, that meant Big Black would probably be able to care for Hang Hang even better.

Seeing Xiao Ren’s line of sight move away, Lu Chengye rested his head on Zhang Hang’s calf. His ears once again raised and he would rotate them from side to side every now and then. Now that it was summer vacation, the weather was hot. Zhang Hang was wearing capris, and his legs were exposed. Big Black’s fluffy head was on his leg, his ears rubbing against it and making Zhang Hang itchy.

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“Big Black, don’t make a fuss. It’s itchy.” Zhang Hang tried to catch Big Black’s ears, but Big Black whined and captured the boy’s fingers with his teeth, refusing to return them.

Zhang Hang raised his hand to try to free his fingers from the dog’s mouth, but Big Black raised his head along with his movements. Eventually, the whole dog was standing upright on his hind legs, as if he had been lifted by Zhang Hang with only two fingers.

Zhang Hang couldn’t help but chuckle at Big Black’s shameless actions. He stretched out his other hand to pet Big Black, rubbed his fur, then put his head on the dog’s neck and quietly closed his eyes.

Xiao Ren: “…”

This kind of strong ‘light bulb’ feeling… Hang Hang, you’d better move out and make your two people’s world with your dog away as soon as possible!

Ah, it should be a one man one dog world…

sere: uwu. Merry Crisis yall (jk merry christmas) and thank Bear for the extra chapsss

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