Chapter 17: The Stone Settles
The next day dawned clear and calm, without a breath of wind. Winter’s Jiangcheng felt like it was wrapped in cotton, unusually warm and dry.
Early in the morning, Lin Xia opened the shop for business. Unexpectedly, the first person to arrive wasn’t Wang Ziyu, but Tang Yinlang, who had brought an injured dog to the shop for treatment yesterday.
“Good morning.” The man’s voice was as indifferent as his appearance; it was simply his nature.
“Good morning, Mr. Tang!” Lin Xia greeted him with a smile. He was always gentle and polite; people always felt comfortable around him.
After their greetings, Lin Xia took Tang Yinlang upstairs to see the dog.
Lying in its soft bed, the dog, having received treatment, had its injuries properly addressed and was full of spirits. Seeing its savior come to visit, the dog wagged its tail gratefully.
“Good morning.” Lin Xia stroked the dog’s head, greeting it.
“Woof~” The dog licked his palm affectionately.
“Hehehe…” Lin Xia was a little ticklish and couldn’t help but laugh.
Tang Yinlang, standing behind him, looked indifferent. He could lick hands too; Lin Xia’s palm should be his.
Roar! I wish I could transform into a large white tiger, so Lin Xia would hug and pet me!
After checking on the dog, the two went downstairs. Tang Yinlang didn’t leave but followed Lin Xia closely.
“Mr. Tang?” Lin Xia was puzzled.
“Is there anything I can help with?” Implying he was free and could help out at the shop.
“Perfect, you can learn how to care for pets.” Lin Xia could tell at a glance that he had no experience with pets. Since he wanted to help, he might as well stay and learn.
“Mm.” Anything was fine as long as he could stay. A smile touched Tang Yinlang’s lips; the slightly upturned corners softened his usually indifferent face.
“Ziyu, you take…” Lin Xia wanted to ask Wang Ziyu to take Tang Yinlang, but before he finished, the familiar dog’s bark interrupted him, causing him to change his words, “…Mr. Li and Weifeng.”
“Woof woof!” Weifeng led Li Hao in; Li Hao nodded slightly as a greeting.
“Here they are again!” Wang Ziyu felt a mixture of emotions, leading Weifeng and Li Hao with a sigh.
“Then…Mr. Tang, please come with me.” With no one to take Tang Yinlang, Lin Xia had to do it himself. He brought Tang Yinlang to a puppy similar in size to the one Tang Yinlang wanted to adopt and demonstrated.
“Mr. Tang, stroking a dog like this will make it feel comfortable.” Lin Xia stroked the puppy’s head, and the puppy rubbed against him contentedly.
“Mm.” Tang Yinlang didn’t listen much; his attention was entirely on Lin Xia. Lin Xia’s hands were so beautiful, slender and fair, his nails neatly trimmed, round and smooth, he wanted to hold them in his mouth…
Tang Yinlang’s gaze was fervent, lingering on Lin Xia’s hands, unwilling to look away.
“Mr. Tang, you try!” Lin Xia removed his hand, smiling encouragingly at Tang Yinlang.
“Okay.” Under Lin Xia’s expectant gaze, Tang Yinlang reached out, his broad palm covering the puppy’s head. Unexpectedly, the soft fur didn’t feel unpleasant.
“Yes, that’s right,” Lin Xia said happily. “Be sincere, let it know you like it.”
Lin Xia couldn’t help but smile. For some reason, the scene was quite amusing. The serious-looking man and the lovable puppy formed a stark contrast, and the man’s indifferent expression as he petted the puppy was something he could watch all day.
After petting the puppy until it was comfortable, Lin Xia taught Tang Yinlang how to feed it.
“A puppy this size can eat dog food and meat, but too much dog food isn’t good; it’s best to make fresh food for it.” When talking about this, Lin Xia became very professional and meticulous.
Looking at the vibrant Lin Xia, Tang Yinlang couldn’t help but reach out and touch his head.
“Something’s on it.” So soft, so comfortable! Beneath his serious exterior, Tang Yinlang’s inner monologue ran wild.
“Oh really? Thank you!” Lin Xia, without suspicion, thanked Tang Yinlang.
“You’re welcome.” Actually, Tang Yinlang felt a little guilty saying that.
…
As the New Year approached, the pet shop became much quieter. There weren’t many customers all morning, so Li Hao and Tang Yinlang stayed for the entire morning, reluctantly leaving only at lunchtime.
“Lin Ge, what are we having for lunch?” Wang Ziyu asked, holding a takeaway menu.
“Let me ask.” Lin Xia washed his hands and asked Little Hamster and Bai Tuanzi what they wanted to eat.
“Ziyu, order three bowls of soup and rice for me.” Soup and rice was a bowl of soup with rice; drinking warm soup on a winter day was a happy experience.
“I’ll have soup and rice too.” They could order separately, but Wang Ziyu thought soup and rice was good too. A sip of soup followed by Lin Xia’s homemade pickles—the taste was simply wonderful.
That’s what they decided on for lunch. The restaurant’s delivery was fast; it arrived in half an hour. Three people and one tiger sat together for lunch.
“Awoo!” Bai Tuanzi wagged his tail, waiting for Lin Xia to feed him.
“Wait a bit; it’s still hot.” Lin Xia blew on the still-steaming crab leg before feeding it to Bai Tuanzi.
“Awoo!” Dad, you eat too! Bai Tuanzi only took a bite, leaving half for Lin Xia.
“Dad isn’t hungry yet; baby finish eating, then Dad will eat.” Usually, Lin Xia fed Bai Tuanzi first before eating himself. Also, he wasn’t that hungry; he didn’t have much of an appetite.
“Awoo!” Okay! Bai Tuanzi obediently finished the remaining half of the crab leg, diligently waiting for Lin Xia to feed him. He had to eat quickly so Dad could eat sooner.
Bai Tuanzi ate everything with a sweet expression, unintentionally whetting everyone else’s appetite; they also found the food quite fragrant.
After lunch, the adults busied themselves again, while Bai Tuanzi played happily to himself, here and there, having a great time.
…
Tang Yinlang picked up his phone; his usually indifferent expression turned tense. This was a crucial message; Tang Yinlang felt he had never been so nervous. Although he was highly likely to be certain, concrete evidence would put his mind at ease.
“The results are in. The relative probability of a kinship relationship between these two samples is 99.99%, which means…”
Tang Yinlang didn’t hear the rest; the number 99.99% had occupied his mind and was spinning endlessly. The evidence he needed to confirm his suspicions had been validated. The big stone that had been weighing on Tang Yinlang’s heart finally settled, filling him with a warm, full, satisfied sense of fulfillment.
Tang Yinlang now just wanted to fly to Lin Xia and the little tiger cub, hug them tightly, and gently kiss his wife and child.
But Tang Yinlang’s rationality held back his impulsive actions; it wasn’t the right time yet; such actions would only scare him away. There was plenty of time; he believed he would soon be with his wife and child.
Author’s Note: Big White Tiger: Wife and child, warm bed!
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