Mad Dog

Ji Liang’s hometown was Jiangwu, a city next to Linlan. Compared to Linlan, which had a more entertainment-oriented atmosphere, Jiangwu, although also a newly-developed first-tier city, felt significantly more ‘solemn.’
After graduating, she stayed in Linlan to pursue better opportunities, but her parents remained in Jiangwu.
Luckily, the two cities were quite close, just a four- or five-hour drive apart, so going home wasn’t difficult—just like now. When Zhi Yu made the ‘sudden’ suggestion, they drove back that same day.
Besides, Ji Liang believed that interactions between people should follow the principle of ‘familiarity breeds contempt, while distance brings charm.’ Even with her own parents, a sense of distance wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
However, worried that suddenly bringing a boyfriend home might shock her parents, Ji Liang pondered for a while in the car and eventually sent her mom a WeChat message to let her know she was coming home for the holiday, as a bit of a heads-up.
Still, Ji Liang was a somewhat carefree woman by nature. Although she knew meeting the parents was a rather tense and serious affair, the warmth and steady rhythm of the car lulled her into sleep as she leaned against the soft seat cushion.
In a drowsy state, she felt two cold fingers pinch her cheek. Frowning in displeasure, Ji Liang irritably swatted at the air but hit nothing.
Reluctantly opening her eyes, she realized that the sky outside was already dark, and the familiar buildings around her brought her back to reality—Zhi Yu had already driven into Jiangwu. Had she really slept that long?
Instinctively, Ji Liang touched the corner of her mouth.
Knowing that Ji Liang was particular about her appearance and constantly worried about how she looked, Zhi Yu teased her with a smile, then asked, “Is there a mall nearby?”
Ji Liang was still half-asleep, confused. “Why go to a mall?”
…
“Ji Liang, I’m going to meet your parents.”
Zhi Yu turned to look at her, speaking clearly and deliberately, “Shouldn’t we buy some gifts?”
Well, she felt foolish now.
She had slept for a few hours and completely forgotten they were going to meet her parents.
Now fully aware of the situation, Ji Liang belatedly started feeling nervous.
Once they arrived at the mall, Ji Liang carefully instructed Zhi Yu on what to buy, as her parents were somewhat pretentious scholars—far from being easygoing and friendly.
She wasn’t sure whether Zhi Yu would impress them. A bit lost in thought, Ji Liang felt increasingly uneasy.
Her phone kept chiming in her pocket with WeChat messages from her mom—
[Nannan, what time will you get home?]
[Dinner’s ready, I made your favorite sweet and sour ribs.]
Upon seeing this message, the glutton in Ji Liang brightened up immediately, completely forgetting her earlier worries.
She grabbed the nearly ‘shopping-obsessed’ Zhi Yu and boldly declared, “Let’s go, home!”
Thankfully, dinner turned out to be a success.
Although Ji Liang’s parents were initially surprised that she had suddenly brought home a boyfriend, they also considered her age—it was time for her to find someone. Besides, Zhi Yu was flawless in every way when it came to looks, education, job, and manners. Naturally, they were more than satisfied.
After the incredibly successful meeting with the parents, Ji Liang decided to stay at home for a couple of days. When Zhi Yu planned to drive back alone, he was repeatedly urged by Ji Liang’s parents to stay longer.
In the end, they even insisted on packing him several boxes of home-cooked meals made by Ji Liang’s mom.
Later that night, after washing up and lying in bed chatting with Zhi Yu, Ji Liang still couldn’t wrap her head around how fast things had progressed, almost as if they were riding a rocket.
After all, at the start, they had only gotten together because of mutual ‘□□.’ How had they ended up meeting the parents so quickly?
Caught up in her confusion and impulsiveness, Ji Liang sent Zhi Yu—who she had saved in her contacts under the nickname ‘Weirdo’—what she thought was a soul-piercing question on WeChat—
[Do you like my soul?]
Very quickly, Weirdo responded with a simple three-word reply: [Not at all.]
Damn, Ji Liang’s heart skipped a beat, ever so slightly.
But before she could build up enough rage to call him for a video confrontation, he sent another message—
[Why else would I be with you?]
Damn, how could a text conversation leave her hanging like that?
Ji Liang stared at her phone for a while before bursting into laughter. She rolled around on the bed a few times.
–
Three days later, after returning to Linlan before her holiday ended, the first thing Ji Liang did was invite Zhi Qi out for dinner.
At this time, Jiang Qi had just finished filming another show and was spending time with her. The two of them were practically inseparable, so much so that even through the phone, Ji Liang could feel the pink bubbles around them:
[Sure, Liang-jie, can I bring my husband along?]
…
Honestly, what’s the big deal about having a husband?
Hmph, it’s not like she was single either!
Ji Liang rolled her eyes, thinking it had indeed been a while since she’d seen Jiang Qi. She could even ask for a few autographs to auction off, so she readily replied:
[No problem.]
The dinner was set for 6 p.m. at a popular restaurant that had recently been making waves online.
Zhi Qi loved seafood and said she wanted to try the shrimp there.
Naturally, Ji Liang agreed without hesitation, and for once, she ‘didn’t really dress up’ before heading out.
— After all, she was just meeting her own people, so there was no need to be so extra. She found this excuse for her laziness perfectly reasonable.
When she arrived at the restaurant, Zhi Qi and Jiang Qi were already there, sitting by the window. Although there weren’t many people around, Jiang Qi still wore a mask, revealing only his handsome eyes, which still managed to attract attention.
Ji Liang walked over and thoughtfully suggested, “Shall we switch to a private room?”
Zhi Qi glanced at Jiang Qi, tilted her head, and smiled. “Sounds good.”
So, they called over a waiter and moved to a small private room. With no one watching, they could finally enjoy their meal in peace.
Throughout the meal, Jiang Qi was busy peeling shrimp and preparing the seafood for Zhi Qi, placing the neatly prepared dishes in front of her. The same Jiang Qi who, with just one move, could send his fans into a frenzy, now looked like the epitome of a perfect husband, showing extraordinary ‘manly virtues.’
Watching them, Ji Liang found herself suddenly picturing Zhi Yu in front of her.
No wonder people date.
If only to have better meals, dating was definitely worth it!
Ji Liang watched the young couple in front of her, resting her chin in her hand with a smile. “You two are so lovey-dovey. Emperor Jiang, if your fans saw you like this, wouldn’t they go crazy? Hahaha.”
Being in the same industry, Ji Liang was well-versed in ‘fan culture.’
Jiang Qi chuckled at her words but didn’t respond.
However, Zhi Qi, who was secretly a member of the ‘Jiang Qi Fan Club’ on QQ, felt a bit guilty and almost choked on her food, coughing several times in a row. Jiang Qi quickly handed her a glass of warm water.
“Tsk, tsk.”
Ji Liang raised her eyebrows and teasingly made a few more remarks.
“Liang-jie!”
Zhi Qi, whose face was already flushed, couldn’t help but protest shyly, “Stop making fun of us! Otherwise, I’ll introduce you to a boyfriend!”
In fact, deep down, Zhi Qi had always been tempted to ‘pitch’ Zhi Yu to Ji Liang.
Who knew, when Ji Liang heard this, she felt like Zhi Qi had played right into her hands, and she immediately replied, “No need, I already have one.”
With a loud ‘clatter,’ Zhi Qi’s chopsticks fell onto the table. Staring at Ji Liang in disbelief, she asked, “Liang-jie, since when do you have a boyfriend?”
What?! Didn’t that mean her brother didn’t stand a chance?
Ji Liang smiled. “Around the time you two got married, I guess.”
Without realizing it, it had been almost half a year already.
“Ah, this…”
Zhi Qi was at a loss for a while, realizing her reaction was off. She forced herself to smile through her ‘heartbreak’ and said, “Liang-jie, that’s wonderful.”
“Is it really that great?”
Seeing Zhi Qi’s reaction, Ji Liang couldn’t help but laugh. “Actually, you know my boyfriend. Guess who it is.”
Huh? She knew him? Zhi Qi was dumbfounded, instinctively glancing at Jiang Qi, but he looked just as confused.
“I—I don’t know anyone.”
Zhi Qi mumbled, puzzled, “Liang-jie, who is it?”
With a smirk, Ji Liang slowly revealed the ‘surprise’: “It’s your brother—bro—ther.”
With a loud clatter, Zhi Qi’s chopsticks fell again.
This meal was nothing short of nerve-wracking for her!
–
Later in the evening, after finishing a few tricky papers, Zhi Yu finally picked up his silenced phone.
He was just going to take a quick look, but when his eyes swept over the screen, he froze in place upon seeing ’47 new messages’ on WeChat.
His first reaction was to assume Ji Liang had something urgent to tell him. After all, that dramatic woman loved to send him messages for no reason. He had been busy with work and had forgotten to respond, so who knew how she might be acting out now?
With this mindset, he opened the app, only to see the notification breakdown: Sis [45], Lai Lai [2].
…
So, it turned out only two of the messages were from Ji Liang, while the remaining forty-five were all from Zhi Qi causing a fuss.
Zhi Yu frowned slightly. Out of respect for the sheer volume of Zhi Qi’s messages, he opened her chat first, only to be greeted by a flood of exclamation marks!
!!!
Instantly, Zhi Yu lost interest and couldn’t even be bothered to scroll back to the earliest message before exiting.
Next, he opened ‘Lai Lai’s’ chat, where Ji Liang’s messages were simple and straightforward—
[Had dinner with Qi Qi and Jiang Qi today.]
[Told them about us.]
Seeing the smiley face emoji, Zhi Yu’s lips curled into a faint smile.
He replied:
[Great, let’s have dinner with them together next time.]
Lai Lai:
[Sounds good, when?]
Weirdo:
[How about during the New Year?]
–
I’m officially asking you to come home with me for New Year, an invitation to enter my family.
These words lingered on the tip of his tongue but evolved in the chat window into the endlessly appearing ‘typing…’ message next to her name.
Until Ji Liang sent back two words:
[Sure thing.]
She agreed.
At that moment, Zhi Yu felt nothing but the sense of ‘settling down,’ as if everything was falling into place. He felt an inexplicable peace.
The corners of his lips lifted slightly. In the dimly lit office, half of his face was hidden in the shadows, his profile sharp and handsome, with a faint smile playing on his lips.
Weirdo: []