Chapter 25

The next morning, Shen Youwei forcibly brought Guan Shanyan to the hospital.
He went through a series of tests numb and expressionless. When he came out, Shen Youwei, wearing a mask, was sitting outside watching a short drama.
“You’re pretty relaxed, watching a show here,” Guan Shanyan said, looking down at her.
Shen Youwei removed her earphones and paused the video: “Finished your tests? What did the doctor say?”
“The report won’t be ready until tomorrow, but obviously nothing’s wrong.”
Shen Youwei narrowed her eyes. Guan Shanyan had been weak and often sick as a child. Even recently, he would easily catch fevers. How could he now knock out a fully grown wild boar and act as if nothing happened?
His physical condition was truly a mystery.
“Let’s go. I’m exhausted.” Guan Shanyan stretched his shoulders and arms. “You’ve been sitting here comfortably all morning.”
“Comfortable? I’m working.” Shen Youwei stood up. “Understanding the client is the first step in image design.”
Guan Shanyan raised an eyebrow slightly: “The order’s already confirmed?”
“Yes. I’ve been talking with the manager.” Shen Youwei slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out with him. “Are you going home or to the company?”
“To the company.”
“Then I’ll go by myself.”
Guan Shanyan glanced at her: “No one’s cooking at home for lunch, so let’s eat together.”
Shen Youwei thought for a moment and nodded: “Sure. Where shall we go?”
“My company is near a buffet. How about we go there?”
“Perfect. I’ve used my free quota for this month anyway.” Shen Youwei looked at him: “Your portion is on you.”
“Mm.”
At the buffet again, Shen Youwei reserved the same private room and generously covered the room service fee.
When the server brought the dishes, Shen Youwei noticed a dessert she hadn’t seen before: “Is this a new dessert?”
“No, it was specially instructed by Mr. Yu. We apologize for the last incident. He said this dessert is a small gesture of apology.” The server placed the dish and left, “Enjoy your meal.”
Shen Youwei tasted it and said to Guan Shanyan: “Not bad.”
“I’ll give you both,” he said.
“No need.” Since they were two people, the dessert was for two. “I take back what I said before; the owner here seems nice.”
Guan Shanyan smiled lightly and tried it: “Indeed. Not too sweet or heavy.”
Shen Youwei nodded, glancing at the bandage on his hand: “How’s your hand? You took the bandage off yourself?”
“It wasn’t serious anyway.”
“I think you underestimate wild boars a bit too much.”
“No, they’re dangerous. If you ever encounter one again, stay far away.”
“…” Fine. She suspected he was hiding something. But it didn’t matter, she would keep a close eye on him until he slipped up.
The wild boar news dominated online discussions for a few days before being replaced by other trending topics, and people gradually moved on.
But Mr. Wang’s banner arrived punctually at Guan Shanyan’s office.
“Not bad.” Gu Fei stood in front of the banner, feeling the fabric. “No wonder Mr. Wang is wealthy, this is top-quality material, fitting for a banner of this caliber.”
Guan Shanyan sat at his desk sketching designs: “If you like it, it’s yours.”
“No, it suits your office better.” Gu Fei turned to look at him. “I always knew you hit hard, but didn’t expect you to hit a wild boar that hard too.”
Gu Fei and Guan Shanyan had met abroad. When Guan first arrived, a few foreigners picked on him, and it escalated to a fight. He easily subdued them.
That was the only time Gu Fei had seen him fight. Despite being tall, Gu Fei couldn’t compete physically with the others, yet Guan overpowered them.
“You were a bit hot-tempered when you first came abroad. Seems like you calmed down later.”
Guan Shanyan said: “Mm, because I remembered they had guns.”
Gu Fei: “…” Smart move.
“Why were you in a bad mood then?”
“Of course, jet lag.” Not because his sister blocked all his contacts, right?
Gu Fei was silent for a moment, shook his head, and left Guan Shanyan’s office.
Shen Youwei spent the past few days catching up on Nan Xu’s short drama. Though she usually didn’t watch them, she got hooked this time.
Short-drama actors were often considered “low-budget” versions of long-drama actors, but Nan Xu was a rare type with a striking presence. She looked tall, probably over 1.65m, and if her career went well, she could transition to long dramas.
Shen Youwei spent these days both catching up on the drama and sketching her designs. She created two sets of outfits, planning to send both to Gao Yun for them to choose.
“Youwei, dinner’s ready.” Xie Mingqiu knocked on her door. Shen Youwei replied and got up.
Guan Shanyan hadn’t returned yet. Shen Youwei sat on the sofa, talking with Xie Mingqiu: “Godmother, a friend is going on a business trip and wants me to temporarily take care of her dog. Is that okay?”
When Shen Youwei lived alone before, she would have immediately agreed, but now, living in the Guan household, she had to ask her godmother first.
She expected some hesitation, but Xie Mingqiu immediately said: “Sure. What breed is the dog?”

“This is him, called Tianquan. He’s a corgi.” Shen Youwei found a photo of Tianquan in her phone album and showed it to Xie Mingqiu. “Very cute, and really obedient.”
“Indeed, very cute.” Xie Mingqiu had never kept a pet, but she would still play with cats and dogs in the neighborhood. “This is your friend, He Man, right? I think I’ve met her before.”
“Yes, that’s her.” He Man had complained to Shen Youwei before about her business being taken by Jiang Peipei. Unexpectedly, Jiang Peipei then had some trouble, and He Man finally had a chance to pick up one of his projects. “She’s going out of town for an event, maybe three or four days. Normally, the dog could stay at a kennel, but she had a conflict with the owner there, so she doesn’t trust those places much.”
“What kind of dog? Let me see.” Guan Su came out of the kitchen, hearing them talk about the puppy, and joined in. “It’s a real dog, right? Not one of those tiny puppies or wolf-dog mixes?”
“Pfft.” Shen Youwei couldn’t help laughing. “Godfather, you actually know quite a lot.”
“Of course, I surf with 5G too.” Guan Su said, glancing at the corgi photo on Shen Youwei’s phone. “This little dog is really lovable.”
“So can I keep him at home for a few days? He Man already prepared all the supplies, we don’t need to buy anything.”
“Sure, you can. Take care of him.” Xie Mingqiu agreed promptly.
“Great! I’ll tell He Man right away.” Shen Youwei opened her phone to message He Man, but paused her fingers over the keyboard. “Should we ask Brother Guan first?”
“No need. I said yes, so that’s enough. His opinion doesn’t count.”
“Okay.” Shen Youwei had just sent the message when Guan Shanyan came in through the door. Seeing everyone gathered around the sofa, he slipped on his slippers and walked over: “What are you all looking at?”
“Oh, Youwei said it’s a friend’s dog, coming to stay for a few days.” Xie Mingqiu explained.
Guan Shanyan: “…”
He was silent for a moment, then asked hesitantly: “You mean a real dog?”
“Don’t worry. It’s a corgi. Not a tiny puppy or a wolf-dog mix.” Shen Youwei held up her phone to show him Tianquan’s photo.
The fluffy little dog looked extremely cute, which reminded Guan Shanyan of the old village dog he had seen as a child when visiting Shen Youwei’s grandparents.
He had been a bit scared the first time he met it. Rumors about him being afraid of dogs had started then. But the dog at Shen Youwei’s grandparents’ house was gentle, never barking at him, and even seemed perceptive to people.
He quickly became familiar with the dog, but unfortunately, it had a short lifespan. By the next time he visited, the dog had passed away.
“Very cute.” Guan Shanyan commented on the photo. “A little like Xiaohuang.”
Shen Youwei searched her memory: “You mean the dog my grandparents used to have? His name was Ah Hua, not Xiaohuang.”
Thinking of Ah Hua made her a little sad: “It’s a pity Ah Hua isn’t around anymore. Such a good dog.”
“Indeed.” Guan Shanyan rarely agreed so wholeheartedly with her. “He was even more perceptive than your current dog.”
Shen Youwei: “…” Enough.
“Did I annoy you again?” Shen Youwei smiled at him.
“I’m praising your grandparents for raising Xiaohuang well.”
“Praise him, but at least get his name right first.”
“…”
Later, the family sat around the table for a meal. Xie Mingqiu asked about Shen Youwei and Lu Zhaoye: “Youwei, when will you go boxing again? Your leg should be better now, right?”
Shen Youwei realized she hadn’t gone for a while. “Maybe after this week. I have a client on Saturday.”
“A studio client?” Xie Mingqiu remembered her mentioning taking on a young celebrity’s project. “Can you handle it alone?”
“It’s a bit too much.” Shen Youwei frowned slightly, biting her chopsticks. “Lu Zhaoye said I could ask him for help, but I feel it would bother him too much.”
Hearing this, Xie Mingqiu immediately pushed for Lu Zhaoye: “If he said that, it means he doesn’t mind. Why not ask him?”
Guan Shanyan chuckled beside them: “Different fields are like mountains apart. You want a boxing coach to help a designer?”
“…” Xie Mingqiu laughed lightly: “Then what about our internationally famous designer here?”
Guan Shanyan cleared his throat: “I’m free Saturday.”