Mad Dog

Zhi Qi’s family had quite a few relatives, and since most of them lived in Linlan City, they would usually gather for a meal every few weeks.
Jiang Qi had already attended one of these gatherings once as Zhi Qi’s husband, under Mei Ran’s invitation. It was one of those “meet the family” moments, especially since they were already married. Naturally, he had to meet her extended family.
However, Jiang Qi, by nature, had a rather indifferent temperament, which made it hard for him to adjust to situations that required constant smiling and conversation.
He spent the entire time awkwardly smiling, his face stiff by the end of it.
What made it even more uncomfortable was the curiosity some of the middle-aged relatives, who weren’t big on the internet, had about his “celebrity” status. They bombarded him with questions, and Jiang Qi patiently answered. By the end of the meal, he had probably spoken more than he would in an entire month.
But since it was Zhi Qi’s family, there was no room for slacking off.
To be honest, Jiang Qi felt a bit anxious about these “family gatherings.”
On the drive back to Zhi Qi’s family home that weekend, every time they stopped at a red light, he would instinctively tighten his grip on the steering wheel.
“Jiang Qi.”
…
Of course, nothing ever escaped her notice.
Jiang Qi pursed his lips, hesitating for a moment before honestly telling Zhi Qi the reason behind his nerves.
“Really? You’re nervous about dealing with my relatives?”
Zhi Qi laughed when she heard this, but after thinking it over, she nodded. “It’s true, family gatherings with elders tend to come with a lot of questions. Plus, they don’t know you that well yet. How about this: if you don’t feel like talking, just pretend.”
“Pretend?” Jiang Qi glanced at her, confused.
Zhi Qi smiled mischievously and winked at him. “I can say you have a mouth ulcer, and it hurts to talk.”
That way, the relatives wouldn’t press him with endless questions.
Jiang Qi had never thought of using such a trick. His first instinct was to worry about how awkward it would be if they found out he was lying.
But Zhi Qi smiled so confidently, as if… as if she had done this many times before.
Curious, he asked, “Qi Qi, have you used this trick before?”
Zhi Qi nodded, very honestly. “All the time.”
Even though she was always well-behaved and considerate, sometimes she just didn’t feel like talking.
So she had to come up with some tactics.
When they arrived at Zhi Qi’s family home, as soon as they stepped inside, several aunts and uncles’ eyes lit up upon seeing Jiang Qi carrying bags and following behind Zhi Qi.
Immediately, someone waved from the sofa, calling out to him, eager to chat. “Xiao Jiang…”
“Second Aunt, long time no see!”
Zhi Qi looped her arm around Jiang Qi’s and smiled brightly. “If you’re curious about anything, just ask me. He had a mouth ulcer a few days ago, and it hurts when he talks.”
Her protective stance left everyone a bit surprised.
Zhi Qi remembered that her second aunt had been the most curious last time—she’d chatted with Jiang Qi for half an hour straight!
Seeing this, the group could only awkwardly smile and move on with their own conversations.
Noticing Jiang Qi’s confusion, Mei Ran chuckled and explained, “Zhi Qi often gets mouth ulcers. You young people just have too much heat in your bodies.”
…
No wonder.
Jiang Qi, feeling slightly out of his depth, nodded in agreement under the table at Zhi Qi’s silent prompting. “Okay.”
Zhi Qi held back her laughter, taking his hand and leading him upstairs to “get treatment,” using it as an excuse to escape the noisy dining table.
“I think the older I get, the less I like crowds.”
Once they were upstairs in her room, Zhi Qi kicked off her slippers and curled up on the bed, muttering, “Every time I come back for these family meals, it feels so loud.”
Zhi Qi’s room was like that of most pampered girls—a typical “princess” room.
Everything was soft pink, including the large, plush princess bed. Unfortunately, the room didn’t have a sofa or chairs, so Jiang Qi awkwardly perched on the edge of the bed, not sure what to do.
Dressed in a suit, Jiang Qi, tall and slender, seemed entirely out of place in the sea of pink. But Zhi Qi found him more endearing the more she looked at him.
The warm, gentle colors softened Jiang Qi’s sharp features, making him seem both funny and cute. Zhi Qi bit her lip and smiled, then crawled from the head of the bed to where Jiang Qi was sitting.
“Honey.”
Zhi Qi cupped his face with her small hands and pouted flirtatiously. “Kiss me.”
She rarely called him that, and now it was clear she was teasing.
Jiang Qi’s light-colored eyes darkened noticeably, and just as his long fingers reached up to cradle her head, an untimely knock sounded at the door.
*Knock knock knock*, a sharp and annoying sound.
…
Right, he almost forgot—they were still at Zhi Qi’s family home.
Jiang Qi paused for a moment, then reluctantly let her go.
The person knocking was Zhi Yu, who only knocked a few times as a formality before pushing the door open. His tall figure stood in the doorway, looking slightly impatient as he said, “Come downstairs, Mom and Dad are looking for you two.”
They had no choice but to obediently head downstairs.
Fortunately, most of the relatives had already left after dinner, and only a few remained.
When they came downstairs, Zhi Minglin was sitting on the couch brewing tea, the aroma of Jin Junmei tea filling the living room.
Zhi Qi led Jiang Qi over to sit down, and two cups of tea were immediately placed in front of them.
Although Zhi Qi didn’t particularly like tea, she still politely picked up the cup and took a sip—bitter. She resisted the urge to frown.
Meanwhile, the two young men remained calm, drinking their tea. Jiang Qi wasn’t fazed by bitterness, and as for Zhi Yu, he had likely become accustomed to it from years of drinking tea with Zhi Minglin.
“Ah Qi, Qi Qi.”
After a few rounds of tea, Zhi Minglin exchanged a glance with Mei Ran. At her urging, he turned to the young couple across from them, smiling kindly as he asked, “We’ve talked to Zhi Yu about this before, and now we’re asking you two—how are your thoughts on the matter we mentioned?”
Zhi Qi froze for a moment, then quickly realized what Zhi Minglin was referring to. Alarm bells immediately rang in her head.
Uh-oh!
She remembered how she had planned to handle Zhi Yu, but she had completely forgotten that the idea of a wedding was actually her parents’ doing. Worse, she had forgotten to give Jiang Qi a heads-up. He was definitely going to be confused.
Zhi Qi pressed her lips together, about to interject, but Jiang Qi quietly stopped her.
“Yeah, I’ve heard from my brother.”
Jiang Qi remained composed, gently squeezing Zhi Qi’s soft hand. Under her surprised gaze, he calmly continued, “Dad, Mom, Qi Qi and I have talked it over, and we’ve decided to go along with whatever she wants.”
…
That was a lie. They hadn’t discussed it at all.
But what Jiang Qi was saying was that he was aware of the Zhi family’s desire for a wedding, and he was leaving the decision to her.
Zhi Qi was stunned, her heart softening as his long fingers intertwined with hers, full of quiet determination.
Jiang Qi’s response took Zhi Minglin by surprise, but he quickly turned to his daughter.
“So, Qi Qi,” Zhi Minglin asked carefully, “what do you think?”
Zhi Qi was silent for a moment, then decided to take a more roundabout approach. “Dad, Mom, what’s your suggestion?”
“We think it’s important to have a proper wedding.”
Mei Ran smiled warmly, her voice gentle. “Even though you’re both young, you’ve already officially registered your marriage. It’s only right to invite close family and friends to celebrate with you.”
Older generations often placed great importance on ceremony.
In their eyes, getting married should be a grand event, announced to the world.
“But…”
But Zhi Qi still found it troublesome. She mumbled and quickly pulled her brother into the conversation again as a shield. “Mom, Jiang Qi and I are still so young. If we have a wedding now, where does that leave my brother? People will laugh at him for having a younger sister who’s already married while he still doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
“Hey!”
Zhi Yu, who had been quietly observing the conversation from the side, finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Why do you always drag me into this?”
Zhi Qi blinked innocently. “But I’m just telling the truth.”
Zhi Yu snorted, ruthlessly calling her out. “You’re only using me as an excuse because you can’t think of a better one, right? It’s fine. I’m not afraid of being embarrassed.”
…
Was there anyone with a thicker skin than Zhi Yu?
“Alright, you stop interrupting.”
Mei Ran waved her hand dismissively in Zhi Yu’s direction, then turned back to Zhi Qi and Jiang Qi with a bright smile. “Since your brother doesn’t mind being embarrassed, let’s go ahead and start planning the wedding.”
Zhi Qi felt as if she had just shot herself in the foot.
At this point, it would be difficult to refuse… She couldn’t help but frown, feeling a bit stuck.
“What’s wrong?”
Mei Ran noticed her daughter’s hesitation and paused. “Is there something you’re worried about?”
Zhi Qi bit her lip, remaining silent.
“Mom.”
Jiang Qi, seeing Zhi Qi’s discomfort, spoke up at the right moment, offering a somewhat apologetic smile. “Qi Qi might be worried about me.”
Everyone in the room was taken aback.
“Because of my profession, there will inevitably be complications.”
Jiang Qi wasn’t just saying this to appease Zhi Minglin and Mei Ran. He looked directly at Zhi Qi, his expression serious. “If we have a wedding, there will likely be many uninvited media outlets. It would be hard to keep them out, and they’d make a big deal out of it online… It could end up ruining the whole event.”
“It’s my fault. I can’t give her a peaceful wedding.”
“Qi Qi’s hesitation is because she’s thinking about the difficulties my career in the entertainment industry would bring. It’s not that she doesn’t want a wedding.”
“But… I really want to give you a wedding—a private one, where only close friends and family attend.”
Jiang Qi rarely spoke this much. Normally, he was the quiet type who listened while others talked.
But now, after saying so much, it was obvious he was nervous. Still, he looked at Zhi Qi with determination. “I’ll do my best to make sure we aren’t disturbed. Give me a chance, okay?”
He didn’t want Zhi Qi to always be the one making concessions for him. He wanted to give her a proper wedding, too.
He wanted to announce to the world that Zhi Qi was his.
—
During dinner, Jiang Qi dutifully played the role of the “sick patient,” taking small bites of food and avoiding anything too spicy or hot.
After all, Zhi Qi had gone to great lengths to craft his “mouth ulcer” image—he couldn’t let it fall apart.
“Ah Qi, does it hurt a lot?”
Mei Ran, seated across from them, looked on sympathetically. “Maybe you should use some medicine? We have an oral spray at home.”
They have an oral spray too? The Zhi family’s medicine cabinet seemed a little too well-stocked.
Jiang Qi was a bit surprised and quickly shook his head.
“Maybe you should spray some? It’s in Zhi Qi’s room. She can take you to get it.”