Pei Dundun quickly finished his meal in two bites, added a stool to his chair, and climbed onto the table with Orange to examine the box.
It must be Pineapple.
He and Orange often hosted stray cats from the neighborhood, and Pineapple deserved the warmest welcome. He took out a pile of cat treats and cans of food, calling Uncle Zhang over to help open them.
The table was covered with cans of cat food, leaving only two small spaces for him and Orange to sit. There was even a tray of homemade cat biscuits that Pei Rong had personally prepared.
Pei Dundun patted Orange on the head. “This is Pineapple.”
“Pineapple, this is Orange. You two need to get along and not fight.”
Pei Dundun held onto the combination lock, thought for a moment, and turned the six numbered wheels.
With a creak, the lock opened.
Out popped Pineapple, sticking its head out, only to be kicked back in by the watchful Orange.
Pei Dundun returned to the ground the same way he had climbed up and said, “Orange, let Pineapple out.”
The gatekeeper, Orange, stepped aside. The enraged Pineapple, a beast unleashed, darted out of the cabinet. As its huge body squeezed out, its excited tail swept across, knocking over five cans and a cat treat. Then, in a flash, it leaped onto the curtain rod, securing the high ground and staring sharply at the cats and cubs below.
*Plop, plop, plop.*
The five overturned cans spilled onto the floor. Pei Dundun and Orange widened their eyes in unison.
Quick, lick it clean! If Dad sees this, we’re doomed!
Pei Dundun quietly picked up the cans and threw them into the trash.
Orange suddenly pounced onto the curtain rod and drove Pineapple down. The two cats began a life-or-death chase inside the villa. Overfed and brimming with energy, Orange displayed an astounding level of combat prowess, cornering the newly-arrived and slightly awkward Pineapple back to the spilled cans. With a leap, Orange pressed Pineapple’s handsome face straight into the can sludge.
Pineapple flailed its limbs, gasping for air. It licked the fur near its mouth and—its fierce expression froze for a moment.
It’s food.
Orange supervised as Pineapple ate, delivering a flurry of unseen cat punches for good measure before biting Pineapple’s head and dragging it to the next can.
When Lu Qin came downstairs, he was greeted by the sight of Pineapple being punched and fed alternately. For such a big cat, easily twenty pounds, it seemed utterly indifferent to how many hits it took as long as there was food to eat.
When it got to the cat treat, Pineapple guarded it under its belly and stayed perfectly still, licking it meticulously.
Exhausted, Orange helped finish the remaining cans.
Pei Rong asked with interest, “What’s its name?”
Lu Qin replied, “...Pineapple.”
Pei Dundun shouted enthusiastically, “It’s Lu Pineapple!”
Pei Rong laughed. “Oh, it has the Lu surname. Not bad, very dignified. A cat takes after its owner.”
Lu Qin: “...”
The whole face and beard were covered in bits of canned food—where was the majesty and handsomeness befitting a master?
What kind of tough guy was this? In Siberia, he might be a pineapple, but the moment he landed, he turned into a peeled pineapple!
President Lu was very disappointed with it!
Pei Dundun clung to Lu Qin’s leg, saying, “Dad, the floor’s dirty. Let’s take the cleaning truck out again.”
Lu Qin replied, “Alright.”
Pei Rong cooked two fresh beef bones. There wasn’t much meat on them, just enough for the cats to gnaw on for fun.
He drained off the water and tossed one to Orange. Orange sniffed it, picked it up, and carried it to Pineapple’s mouth. Then it pushed Pineapple’s head down, as if worried it wouldn’t recognize the treasure.
Pineapple: Nice stuff, 10/10.
After Lu Qin finished mopping the floor, Pei Dundun went to share some family info with Pineapple. Lu Qin headed to the kitchen, thinking about making some breakfast.
Pei Rong noticed and asked, “Haven’t eaten yet?”
Lu Qin: “No.”
Pei Rong: “Want some noodles?”
Lu Qin, barely containing his excitement: “Yes.”
Could it be that Pei Rong was willing to cook breakfast for him? A night shift perk?
Pei Rong made full use of the resources at hand: “There’s still a pot of beef bone soup here. Perfect for some egg noodles.”
Lu Qin, who was following Orange hoping for leftovers, hesitated to say anything. A broth made from simmering bones wasn’t the same as one made from just boiling them—but who cared? Even if it was just noodles cooked in rinse water, Lu Qin wouldn’t miss out.
Pei Rong instructed: “Go wait outside and keep an eye on Dundun.”
Lu Qin went outside. Orange had a very stable personality—calm, even in heat, and always seeking comfort from its owner. Pineapple was new, though. Even though the previous owner said it was especially good with children, Lu Qin couldn’t rest easy until he saw it for himself.
After finishing its meal, Pineapple wiped its face with its paws, rough and vigorous, until its true appearance was revealed: ruggedly handsome, sharp-eared, and with piercing eyes. It stretched out a paw, seemingly to swat Orange’s head in revenge, but under Orange’s sharp glare, it switched tactics and began licking its fur as if in submission.
Before long, Pei Rong came out with a bowl of vegetable and egg noodles.
Lu Qin took a couple of bites. The taste was bland—no fragrant scallions fried in oil, and the egg was simply cracked in, showing no culinary finesse.
The soup from the big bones, rich in flavor, hadn’t been used. It was obvious this had just been boiled in plain water.
Pei Rong was still worried about him!
“Finish eating and go rest. Let Aunt Zhang check on Dundun.”
Lu Qin considered for a moment and said, “My parents want to visit Aunt Zhao. Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
Lu Qin added, “Secretary Gao will inform you of their arrival time. If you feel uncomfortable, you can take a walk in the garden.”
Pei Rong replied, “Alright.”
Madam Jiang and Lu Jianye chatted with Aunt Zhao about Dundun and didn’t bring up anything else. However, their presence alone was a gesture of respect toward Pei Rong.
After talking with Madam Jiang, Aunt Zhao probably felt like she had found the perfect person to plead on Dundun’s behalf, relieving a significant weight off her shoulders. Her appetite even improved slightly that day.
In the evening, Lu Qin brought Dundun to the care center to keep Aunt Zhao company. After an hour, Pei Rong would take Dundun home, and the two of them took turns in this way.
This routine continued for a week.
One time, when Pei Rong returned home, he found Lu Qin showing his cat videos of Northeastern golden British Shorthairs, attempting to teach the cat to mimic the tiger’s fierce demeanor.
Lu Pineapple brought over a large bone to Orange, stood upright in front of the TV, and hissed at the screen. It nearly punched through the screen in an attempt to scare off the roaring golden British Shorthair.
Lu Qin commented, “Impressive. Yet in your own home, you’re a coward.”
Pei Rong admitted that if it weren’t for Lu Qin and his not-so-bright cat, it would’ve been hard for him to stay optimistic while facing the harsh reality of Aunt Zhao’s worsening condition. But with their presence, he could still cheerfully interact with Dundun every day and tell bedtime stories.
Was Lu Qin really not that bright?
Perhaps it was intentional.
He deliberately got another cat and deliberately said silly things so that every time Pei Rong came back from the care center, he would be greeted by one child and two cats running toward him, completely transforming his mood.
Lu Qin and Dundun brought chaos to his otherwise stagnant life, leaving no room for despair or sorrow.
***
Despite Lu Qin's heartfelt plea for her to stay and Pei Rong's deep reluctance, Aunt Zhao's life came to an end on a quiet evening one month later.
"Live well." Aunt Zhao left Pei Rong with these four words.
It was already better than Pei Rong had anticipated. He had prepared himself mentally and calmly went about dressing Aunt Zhao in burial clothes, covering her with a white cloth, and obtaining her death certificate.
Following the traditions of Aunt Zhao's hometown, they lit a tall incense stick and burned paper money throughout the night. The incense was to remain unextinguished, and the fire uninterrupted, until her soul returned home and her body returned to dust.
It happened to be during Lu Qin's shift change with Pei Dundun. For the first time, Pei Dundun did not see Aunt Zhao and anxiously asked where Grandma had gone.
Before anyone could answer, Pei Dundun burst into tears: "Is Grandma never coming back?"
Pei Rong wiped his tears and said, "Didn’t Daddy tell you? Grandma also has a daughter and a grandson. They’ve come to take her home now. Will Dundun let Grandma reunite with her family?"
"Yes," Dundun sobbed, "because Grandma misses her daughter every day... because her daughter is the most important person to Grandma. But what if Dundun misses Grandma?"
"Dundun is also the most important person to Grandma."
Jiang Yan carried Dundun away, allowing Pei Rong to change into white mourning clothes.
With red-rimmed eyes, Dundun asked Jiang Yan, "If Uncle Jiang catches the person he likes, will he also never come back?"
Dundun seemed to understand the things important to others. Adults, it seemed, always liked to share secrets with children.
This kind of worry wasn’t something he would bring to his father, because he knew his father loved him the most.
Jiang Yan answered firmly, "Uncle Jiang will bring the person he likes to meet Pei Ge first. I’ll always be your Uncle Jiang. Whenever Pei Ge calls, I’ll be there."
That night, Jiang Yan took care of Dundun while Lu Qin stayed with Pei Rong, burning paper money.
Pei Rong’s eyes were reddened from the smoke. Lu Qin gently covered his eyes with his hand and asked, "Can you give me the privilege of burning paper money with you for just one night?"
"Do as you like."
Pei Rong replied curtly, but as soon as he spoke, tears suddenly welled up uncontrollably.
Lu Qin pulled him into his arms, letting the tears soak his chest without uttering a word of comfort. One hand patted his back while the other fed paper money into the fire.
He couldn’t comfort Pei Rong from five years ago; all he could do was hold him tightly in his arms.
The long night stretched on, second by second, like flames devouring sheets of spirit money, the rising firelight reflecting in the eyes of the two people leaning on each other.
Aunt Zhao’s ashes were buried next to her daughter’s grave, just as she had arranged while she was alive.
Pei Rong packed up the things from the nursing home and brought them home, patiently spending a week with Dundun.
Lu Qin finished handling the backlog of work in his office. Just as he was about to head downstairs, he unexpectedly saw Pei Rong bringing Dundun up in the elevator.
The moment the elevator doors opened, Lu Qin knew this was the scene he had long dreamed of—despite vowing not to take advantage of the situation.
The stunning beauty had stepped from one world into his.
It felt as though his legs wouldn’t move; he could only stand there, his gaze following Pei Rong.
Lu Qin subconsciously glanced at Pei Rong’s shoes—a pair of simple white sneakers.
Not tiger-head shoes, but his instincts told him trouble was brewing.
Lu Qin suddenly grew nervous, as if the place he was standing wasn’t the Lu Corporation building, where he ruled the business world, but some kind of courtroom. He stood still, trying to maintain an appearance of composure.
Pei Rong sat casually on the sofa in the lounge and said lightly, “I need you to look after Dundun for a while.”
Lu Qin, on guard, asked, “Where are you going?”
Pei Rong’s eyes curved into a smile. “I told my fans I was going on a trip. I’ve been putting it off for three years.”
Lu Qin’s palms immediately tightened. Where was he going? When would he return? Could he keep Dundun here and video call him every day?
But then he remembered those words: “Give him a little more time.”
If Aunt Zhao could do it, why couldn’t he?
He asked nothing more. Almost through gritted teeth, Lu Qin forced out a “Fine,” making it seem like he’d barely stopped himself from saying “No.”
Pei Rong gave him a surprised look but didn’t hide anything. “I just want to go back to my hometown, to see my mom and the house we used to live in. I want to walk around. I don’t want to bring Dundun.”
If he brought the child, the trip would become purely about looking after him.
Lu Qin closed his eyes. Yes, ever since Dundun’s unexpected birth, Pei Rong hadn’t had any time to himself.
He once thought he had given Pei Rong three years to travel the world without seeking him out, but in reality, that time had never truly been handed over to Pei Rong—it had been snatched away by another small hand.
"You can travel for as long as you want. I’ll take good care of Dundun."
Lu Qin spoke quickly, as if afraid he might regret it if he delayed even a moment. His throat tightened as he added—
"When you come back from your travels, can we go on a date?"
