Chapter 58 Wow, a savior!

As soon as we entered, Lele excitedly clung to us, its tail wagging like a whirlwind, eagerly running back and forth between the entrance and where its leash was, clearly wanting to go out.

The puppy can't speak, but its wet, yearning eyes are clear at a glance.

"Is our Lele so anxious that she's about to open her mouth and speak?"

Xia Zhiyu tugged at the puppy's head and cheerfully picked out a pink and white leash.

Xia Xiaojiang sat proudly on the tallest cat tree in the house, her dark green vertical pupils silently staring at Jiang Zhiyan standing at the door.

After a brief standoff between the man and the cat, Xia Xiaojiang coldly turned and jumped into the house, leaving Jiang Zhiyan with only his back view, which he was too lazy to pay attention to.

Unlike Xia Xiaojiang, Lele really liked Jiang Zhiyan, rubbing against his legs and circling around him. A puppy's affection is hard to hide and can be seen at a glance.

Xia Zhiyu chuckled and tightened the leash. "It seems to like you quite a bit. Before, when Ren Yu came over to tease it, it ignored him and even peed on Ren Yu's feet, which made Ren Yu so angry that he never came to my house again."

Jiang Zhiyan's gaze towards the puppy quickly shifted from affection to admiration.

"The puppy doesn't understand these things. Ren Yu must have upset it. Otherwise, how could such a well-behaved puppy like Lele do such a bad thing? Is there a pet store nearby? I want to buy some treats for it, and I'll also buy some for that unfilial son Xia Xiaojiang on the way."

“She’s very well-behaved there. She fights with Xia Xiaojiang at home every day. There’s a pet store right at the entrance of the community, just a few steps away.”

In the long summer days, when the streetlights come on silently before the sun has completely set, the warm yellow light casts two long shadows that briefly intertwine at a lucky angle.

Jiang Zhiyan subtly changed his angle, trying to get his shadow closer and closer to Xia Zhiyu.

It's actually kind of cute.

When the thought popped into her head, Xia Zhiyu was startled. How could Jiang Zhiyan, a black-hearted capitalist who was almost 1.9 meters tall, be associated with the word "cute"? She had indeed been out of touch with reality for too long; even Jiang Zhiyan seemed cute to her.

"You've been talking about me all day. What about you, Zhiyan? How have you been these past few years?"

Golden light danced on Xia Zhiyu's hair as she looked at Jiang Zhiyan with gentle eyes, her tone revealing clear concern.

Jiang Zhiyan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and the simple word "good" hovered on his lips, but when he said it, it turned out to be, "Not so good. The work at Jiang's is much more complicated than I imagined. Just dealing with the hidden worries left by the previous administration has kept me very busy."

"Is it that hard?" Xia Zhiyu raised her eyebrows in surprise. "But Jiang's stock price has been rising all along, hasn't it? I thought that meant that Jiang's internal situation was very stable."

“This is probably because I’m always working, so even if there are big problems, I can solve them in time,” Jiang Zhiyan said, squatting down to remove the grass stuck to Lele’s fur. “After all, I don’t know what else I can do besides work. Every day, besides work, I eat and sleep. It’s boring and tedious.”

Xia Zhiyu asked subconsciously, "Didn't you used to really like Lego...?"

Before she could finish speaking, the words stopped on her lips. No, she was the one who liked Lego, she was the one who liked traveling, and she was the one who liked golf, running, and board games.

During the four years she and Jiang Zhiyan were together, all their entertainment activities were Xia Zhiyu's hobbies, including raising Xia Xiaojiang, which was also Xia Zhiyu's idea.

Jiang Zhiyan only likes to spend time with Xia Zhiyu, no matter what the means or method. As long as Xia Zhiyu is by his side, even work is a happy time.

This was the first time Jiang Zhiyan hadn't responded to Xia Zhiyu's words. He simply lowered his head and patted Lele's back, signaling it to get up. The little dog rubbed its wet black nose against the back of his hand, its eyes sparkling.

Jiang Zhiyan, however, looked somewhat downcast, her eyebrows drooping slightly.

The atmosphere between the two suddenly became heavier. Xia Zhiyu didn't know what to say, but she felt a pang of sadness when she saw Jiang Zhiyan's somewhat forlorn appearance. Especially since his soft, fluffy hair fell over his forehead today, softening his originally sharp and cold aura, the sense of loneliness he exuded when he lowered his eyes and head was even more pronounced.

When Xia Zhiyu returned to the house carrying the two large bags of gifts that Jiang Zhiyan had bought, she still had some indescribable feelings in her heart.

In the video, Fang Xinle was laughing so hard she looked like a duck had run away from home, and her face mask was practically falling off. She pressed her lips to suppress her laughter and said, "So you're starting to feel sorry for your ex-boyfriend who earns billions a year?"

“The main thing is that he looked really pitiful,” Xia Zhiyu couldn’t help but sigh. “How can I describe it? It’s a bit like when I saw Lele in front of the dog meat shop. Lele’s expression at that time revealed his bewilderment and helplessness in the face of fate, and also a bit of confusion.”

"Wow, a savior!"

Fang Xinle, in a high-pitched voice, relentlessly teased Xia Zhiyu.

"Stop joking," Xia Zhiyu said helplessly. "We self-media creators are all like this. How can you do self-media without some empathy?"

"Then don't sympathize with your ex-boyfriend. Honestly, what's the difference between you feeling sorry for him and a man feeling that a woman is cute?"

Fang Xinle suddenly changed the subject, "But if it's an ex-boyfriend like Jiang Zhiyan, I support you going back to him."

"How can you be so hypocritical? Before, when Ren Yu wanted to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, you wanted to smash him with a brick to wake him up. How come when it comes to me, you support me getting back together with Jiang Zhiyan?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the video call. Fang Xinle stroked his chin and recalled for a moment before saying, "Do you remember when his mother came to find you back then?"

"Remember."

“I did send you a video call. Actually, Jiang Zhiyan was sitting right next to me. When you said you felt like you'd never really known Jiang Zhiyan…”

Fang Xinle paused for a moment, then hesitated for a while before saying:

“He looked terrible, really terrible. His face looked like he could be buried any second now. Maybe it’s because he loves you so much that he was in so much pain when he realized that his actions were hurting you rather than protecting you. I saw him stagger when he entered the elevator. He was like a completely different person from the Jiang Zhiyan I remembered.”

Xia Zhiyu pursed her lips and tightened her grip on the phone slightly.

The image of Jiang Zhiyan that she saw when she turned back to the pet store at the entrance of the community to pick up something unconsciously floated into her mind.

Jiang Zhiyan leaned against the car door, his bangs falling to cover his eyes. A small flame flickered near his lips, and wisps of bluish-white smoke drifted away, blurring his expression.

As dusk settled, he stood before the car like a frozen statue, his very breath seeming cold. The warm glow of the streetlights cast a shadow on him, but instead of bringing him any warmth, it made him appear as if he were an exhibit in a museum.

A profound sense of desolation emanated from him, making him appear vulnerable.

Lele suddenly barked twice, attracting Jiang Zhiyan's attention. The moment he saw Xia Zhiyu, Jiang Zhiyan stubbed out his cigarette, and a smile naturally appeared on his lips.

In an instant, it was as if he had been brought back to life.