Afraid of dogs

On a sunny early autumn afternoon, with a gentle breeze, Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu strolled hand in hand with Qing Ran in a nearby park.

Qingran, like a bird just released from its cage, hopped and skipped ahead in her fluffy princess dress. She held a small twig as a sword, brandishing it as she walked, muttering incantations, playing the role of a wandering swordsman, directing Amber who followed beside her: "Amber, run! Bad guys are coming!"

Amber is very well-behaved and docile, and usually listens to Qingran the most. Right now, she is happily running away on the grass.

"Ranran, slow down, don't run too far, watch where you're going, and don't bump into anyone." Qi Shuo followed behind at a leisurely pace, his voice full of doting affection.

"Okay, brother!" Qingran replied cheerfully, turned around and made a face at them before continuing to chase after Amber.

Tan Huaiyu walked beside Qi Shuo, looking at the two figures, one tall and one short, and a gentle smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. He held Qi Shuo's large hand in his, their fingers intertwined, and felt a sense of peace in his heart.

However, this tranquility was shattered after turning past a thicket of bushes.

Ahead on the pebbled path, a snow-white Samoyed, looking like a marshmallow, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It was panting, tongue lolling out, and running happily towards them.

Tan Huaiyu suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Almost simultaneously, he tightened his grip on Qi Shuo's hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Qi Shuo immediately noticed his unusual behavior. He stopped, gripped Tan Huaiyu's hand tightly in return, and gently stroked the back of his hand with his thumb. He turned his head and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Tan Huaiyu didn't speak, but his face was a little pale, his body stiff as a stone, and his eyes were fixed on the Samoyed that was getting closer and closer.

The gentleness that had once filled those amber eyes had vanished, replaced only by obvious panic and rejection.

Qingran, however, was completely oblivious. She had already spotted the beautiful dog, and her eyes instantly lit up like stars. Excitedly pointing at the dog, she was about to rush over: "Wow! A little white dog! I want to pet it!"

Qi Shuo reacted quickly, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. He smiled helplessly, "Slow down, Ranran. You should ask your master if you can touch her first."

Qingran stamped her feet anxiously: "Oh brother! Look how well-behaved it is, it will definitely work!"

Just then, the Samoyed's owner—a kind old lady—came over and said with a smile, "It's alright, this is my Lele, she's very well-behaved and never bites anyone. If the child wants to pet her, of course they can."

As she spoke, the old lady squatted down and gently patted Lele's head. Lele immediately sat down obediently, put her fluffy head into the old lady's palm, and even rubbed against it affectionately.

Qingran was even more captivated upon seeing it. She released Qi Shuo's hand and instead shook his arm, pleading softly, "Brother, brother, look how cute it is! Just let me touch it, just once! Please~"

Qi Shuo looked down at his sister's expectant eyes, then glanced at Tan Huaiyu, who was clutching his clothes tightly, her face stiff and resistant.

He was silent for two seconds, then finally sighed helplessly and nodded: "Okay, you can only touch me once, and you have to keep your distance, understand?"

"Yay! Brother is the best!" Qingran cheered, her eyes sparkling as she leaned over and carefully reached out her little hand to gently touch Lele's fluffy head.

Lele obediently enjoyed the caresses, even playfully sticking out its tongue to lick Qingran's fingers, making Qingran giggle: "So good! So soft!"

Amber also stood up and came over, curiously sniffing Lele's scent.

Only Tan Huaiyu remained frozen in place, like an outsider, silently taking several steps back until he was behind Qi Shuo.

He clung tightly to Qi Shuo's clothes, as if they were his only lifeline, his eyes darting around, not daring to look in that direction even once.

Qi Shuo couldn't help but smile as he looked at Tan Huaiyu, who resembled a frightened little animal.

Tan Huaiyu immediately noticed that smile.

Tan Huaiyu turned her head sharply and glared at him fiercely, her cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment and anger.

Qi Shuo immediately realized he had lost his composure, quickly put away his smile, stepped forward, took Tan Huaiyu's hand again, pulled him to his side, and moved a little further away from Qing Ran and the dog.

"Alright, stop looking." Qi Shuo said softly, reaching out a hand to gently press Tan Huaiyu's head against his neck, letting him lean on his shoulder to avoid their gaze. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, it's very well-behaved, it won't come over. I'm here."

Warm breath sprayed on the side of his neck, carrying a familiar and reassuring scent. Under Qi Shuo's soothing touch, Tan Huaiyu's tense body finally relaxed little by little.

He gave a muffled "hmm," wrapped his arms tightly around Qi Shuo's waist, and buried his face in Qi Shuo's shoulder like an ostrich seeking shelter.

Once Tan Huaiyu had completely calmed down and stopped trembling, Qi Shuo called out to Qing Ran, "Ranran, it's getting late, it's time to go home."

"Oh? So fast..." Qingran glanced at Lele reluctantly, then walked back, turning back every few steps, waving as she went, "Bye-bye Lele! Bye-bye Grandma!"

Qi Shuo thanked the old lady and left the park with the two "children".

On her way home, Qingran was still excitedly reliving her experience of petting the dog. As soon as she entered the house, she couldn't wait to run to Qi Shuo, hugging his leg and pleading, "Brother! I want to have a puppy like Lele too! Please?"

Upon hearing this, Tan Huaiyu's expression changed instantly, and he almost reflexively shouted in protest, "No way!"

"Why not!" Qingran's face immediately fell, and she pouted in grievance. "Look, Amber has a friend, I want one too!"

Tan Huaiyu pursed his lips and remained silent. Actually, he didn't know how to explain. Should he say he was afraid of dogs? That would be too embarrassing.

Qingran rolled her eyes, glancing at Qi Shuo and then at Tan Huaiyu.

As the cleverest girl in the family, she quickly analyzed the situation: usually her brother made the decisions on big and small matters, but when it came to such "family decisions," especially when Tan Huaiyu was involved, her brother would always give in to his sister-in-law.

Therefore, the key figure is actually Tan Huaiyu.

So she immediately changed her strategy, turned around and threw herself into Tan Huaiyu's arms, tilting her little face up and calling out in a soft, sweet voice, "Sister-in-law~ please~ Brother Huaiyu, please say yes~ I also want to have a cute puppy to play with~"

Tan Huaiyu froze, her heart melting at the sweet address of "sister-in-law," and she couldn't bring herself to refuse.

But... the thought of having another four-legged creature in the house, especially a furry one that might pounce, sends chills down his spine.

He remained silent, his face alternating between red and white, clearly engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Qingran added fuel to the fire, deliberately speaking loudly, "Hmph! Is Brother Huaiyu afraid of dogs? Coward!"

Tan Huaiyu: "..."

He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't find the words. Was he supposed to say, "I'm not afraid of dogs, I just don't want you to keep one"? Wouldn't that just make him look even more like he was protesting too much?

Seeing his embarrassed and conflicted look, Qi Shuo finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He stepped forward, reached out and ruffled Qingran's hair, then looked at Tan Huaiyu and deliberately echoed Qingran's words, saying, "Yes, Brother Huaiyu is a coward. He's very timid."

Tan Huaiyu glared at Qi Shuo with shame and indignation, only to be met with an even more delighted smile from the other party.

Qi Shuo lowered his head, looking at the little girl in his arms, his tone both doting and helpless: "Alright, Ranran, stop teasing your Huaiyu brother. But it really isn't suitable for our family to keep another dog. Look how scared Huaiyu brother is, we have to be understanding, right? Let Huaiyu brother have his way, okay?"

Qingran pouted, seemingly still hesitant, but after Qi Shuo's persuasion, she obediently nodded: "Okay... okay then. Since Brother Huaiyu is afraid of dogs, then we won't keep one."

Hearing this, Tan Huaiyu finally felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He let out a long sigh of relief and quickly dismissed Qingran: "Alright, go wash your hands and get ready to eat. Remember to give Amber some cat food too."

Although Qingran was somewhat unwilling, she still obediently went to wash her hands.

The living room fell silent, leaving only the two of them.

Tan Huaiyu felt his face still burning. He lowered his head in embarrassment, nestled softly in Qi Shuo's arms like a deflated balloon, and muttered, "...You're the coward."

Qi Shuo raised an eyebrow, looked down at the person in his arms, his eyes full of laughter: "Isn't that right?"

Tan Huaiyu fell silent. He knew, too, that the deep-seated fear he had felt just moments before was undeniable.

He is indeed afraid of dogs, even if it's just a small dog that looks harmless.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Qi Shuo smiled even more broadly. He tightened his arms, holding the person in his arms even closer, and lowered his head to place a kiss on the top of his soft hair, his voice so tender it could melt water:

"Okay, okay, I'm a coward. As long as you're not afraid, it's okay to be a coward."

Tan Huaiyu nestled in his arms, listening to his strong heartbeat and feeling his warm embrace. The shyness and awkwardness in her heart were slowly filled by the overflowing tenderness and love.

He gave a soft "hmm," his fingers gripping Qi Shuo's clothes tightly, feeling incredibly safe and secure in that warm embrace.