Chapter 106

The stray dog from the accident underwent surgery for nearly an hour and a half. During that time, Qi Xu even signed a critical condition notice.

The moment he held that notice in his hands, he froze. His heart felt heavy. Just moments ago, the little life had been wriggling and crying in his arms—and now a doctor was declaring it in critical condition.

He quickly scribbled his signature. Even his normally elegant handwriting turned chaotic, a clear reflection of his shaken mood.

Fortunately, the little creature was granted a second chance. Thanks to the doctors’ efforts, it was pulled back from the brink.

As the owner and party responsible, Qi Xu went into the doctor’s office to understand the dog’s condition.

Fractures, internal bleeding—hospitalization was required. Qi Xu paid a week’s worth of hospitalization fees all at once.

The dog, still groggy from anesthesia, lay in the cage, IV drip in place, eyelids drooping. When it noticed Qi Xu approaching, it weakly moved its eyes toward him—and, surprisingly, wagged its tail.

Qi Xu crouched down, using his fingertips to gently rub the dog’s nose. “Rest up. I’ll come see you in a few days.”

The dog let out a soft whine, as if acknowledging his words.

By the time Qi Xu returned home, it was already eight o’clock. His clothes were ruined. He ordered takeout and took a shower.

Having missed Old Xie’s birthday banquet, his phone predictably blew up with calls—from Shen Zhuohai, Zeng Yun, even Shen Zeyu—but he ignored them all.

During dinner, he finally checked his phone and noticed a new friend request in WeChat: Xie Huai.

A few days prior, Xie Huai had also sent a request, but Qi Xu hadn’t accepted—there was no need. Business was handled in work chats; personal matters didn’t concern them.

This time was no different. Qi Xu didn’t accept.

He opened his work chat, replying to all missed messages, hardly taking a bite of his food before diving back into work.

His assistant was the first to notice that Qi Xu had been leaving work on time these past few days. Normally, he lingered in the office even without work to do—a relentless workaholic.

One afternoon, the assistant even caught a whiff of disinfectant on him when he returned from outside. Concerned, she mentioned it to Li Kaixing, who agreed something seemed off. Together, they confronted their boss.

They loved their boss and assumed he must have been secretly seeing a doctor.

As Qi Xu packed up to leave, Li Kaixing blocked the doorway. “Boss, leaving so early tonight? Want to join us for dinner?”

Qi Xu slung his coat over his arm. “Not tonight. I’ll reimburse your expenses. Have fun.”

Li Kaixing, backed by a high-heeled assistant, persisted. “Boss… are you hiding something from us?”

Qi Xu glanced at him. “What are you talking about?”

Seeing Qi Xu’s frankness, Li Kaixing asked directly, “You’ve been going to the hospital a lot lately?”

Qi Xu nodded. “Yes.”

Li Kaixing was surprised at how quickly he admitted it. If it were something serious, it would be impossible to hide. He hurried to reassure him. “Boss, you’ll be fine. You’re still so young.”

Qi Xu paused.

“The one in trouble isn’t human,” Li Kaixing added.

Both Li Kaixing and the assistant froze. Not human? Then what else could it be?

Finally, Qi Xu relented and took them to the veterinary hospital to see the injured dog.

After hearing the story, they both understood immediately. Indeed, the one in trouble wasn’t a human.

The dog was recovering well. Aside from still being unable to walk, its energy and appetite were normal.

The vet had cleaned it up; its matted, dirty fur was now neat, revealing its true appearance.

It was probably a mix of Corgi and Golden Retriever, under a year old, long homeless, infested with bugs.

Li Kaixing’s heart ached as he quietly paid for the remaining hospitalization fees. “I didn’t bring a gift, so here’s the hospital bill.”

The assistant bought a bag of canned food to supplement the dog’s meals. Then she asked, “Boss, are you thinking of keeping it?”

They’d temporarily named the dog Xiao Guai—“Little Good”—because it had been so obedient, enduring pain quietly. Even the vet had praised it for cooperating during injections and medication.

Qi Xu looked down at Xiao Guai smiling at him from the cage. A rare flicker of softness crossed his heart. But he wasn’t suited for pets, especially dogs that demanded constant care.

“I can’t keep it. Once it recovers, let the hospital put up an adoption notice. Find it a good home. Are either of you interested?”

The assistant wanted to adopt it, but her cat hated dogs.

She sighed. “Too bad my cat wouldn’t get along with it.”

Li Kaixing shook his head. “I live alone, travel a lot. My life doesn’t allow it.”

From that day on, Xiao Guai’s adoption became Li Kaixing’s second priority—the first being his promotion.

He asked around, but none of their friends or colleagues wanted to adopt—either allergic to dog hair or already had pets.

Makes sense. Most young people who wanted a dog had already adopted one once their income stabilized.

If no one around was interested, they’d have to look elsewhere.

During an online meeting with the Xie Corporation, Li Kaixing casually mentioned the dog while discussing a solved problem. Qi Xu, still online, didn’t immediately leave the call.

Xie Huai’s assistant asked, “What kind of dog? My daughter has wanted a pet for years. We said no because of her age. She’s now in first grade—time to consider.”

Li Kaixing explained: a stray, eight or nine months old.

Hearing the age, the assistant politely declined—most parents prefer raising a dog from puppyhood.

No one else expressed interest either. Just as Qi Xu was about to hang up, a familiar voice spoke—usually reserved for correcting mistakes in meetings.

“Are there any requirements for adoption?”

Qi Xu had entrusted Xiao Guai’s adoption entirely to Li Kaixing. He was too busy to deal with it.

Li Kaixing, hearing Xie’s voice, felt as if he’d glimpsed Xiao Guai’s future of comfort and care. “No special requirements. Stable income, love for animals. President Xie, would you consider adopting?”

Xie Huai glanced at the bottom-right corner of his screen, noting Qi Xu’s disinterested demeanor but tense attention—a habit formed from observing him through college.

“My home has some space. I’d like a pet.”

Li Kaixing was suddenly envious of Xiao Guai—living in a mansion with Xie Huai as its master. He could only imagine.

Still, he was happy for the dog. Even if Xie Huai was busy, the dog would never lack care.

“President Xie, I’ll add you personally and send photos and videos of Xiao Guai. If you’re interested, we’ll discuss the next steps.”

Xie Huai accepted, adding Li Kaixing.

Qi Xu didn’t follow up further. A week later, Li Kaixing informed him that Xie Huai had officially adopted Xiao Guai, taking it home from the hospital that morning.

The veterinary hospital had even sent Qi Xu a video—after all, he was the one who had rescued Xiao Guai.

In it, Xie Huai personally drove a Porsche to pick up the dog. The vet filmed it for dozens of seconds, remarking that Xiao Guai was going to live a spoiled life, giving Qi Xu a sense of the adopter’s means.

But the dog’s desperate wailing was impossible to ignore. When the vet tried to lift it into the Porsche, it struggled violently, scratching at the door.

Xiao Guai wasn’t obedient anymore. It even peed in the car—fortunately, there was a pad.

Xie Huai finally took over. Somehow, producing a chew stick from nowhere, he coaxed Xiao Guai with soft words.

Magically, the dog took the stick and voluntarily hopped into the Porsche.

A happy ending for all.

Qi Xu couldn’t help but smile at the video. Such a greedy little dog—one chew stick and it was won over.

There was no denying that with Xie Huai as its owner, Xiao Guai would have endless chew sticks.

With a new owner settled, Qi Xu could finally let go of the matter—though Li Kaixing would occasionally show him updates.

Xie Huai was diligent, reporting Xiao Guai’s condition weekly. Even from afar, Qi Xu witnessed the dog’s growth.

Qi Xu’s collaboration with the Xie Corporation went smoothly, apart from one negotiation where neither side budged—normal behavior, each team safeguarding its interests.

What infuriated Qi Xu was how Xie Huai stayed silent, dragging the meeting out all afternoon.

Afterward, his assistant invited them to lunch. Qi Xu refused outright; he’d already swallowed enough frustration at the table.

Later, Li Kaixing went to negotiate. The other side made concessions, and Qi Xu was even angrier—he didn’t even have afternoon tea that day.

Meanwhile, Shen Fengkai’s collaboration project was nearing completion, yet chaos loomed.

Fengkai was planning his wedding; Zhao Siran was left to manage work. In just a short time, everything had gone awry.

Now the team scrambled to fix it.

An assistant reported, “President Shen, Xie Huai isn’t willing to meet. They’re asking for breach compensation. We need a reasonable solution.”

Fengkai frowned. If this failed, the board would surely hold another critique meeting. And with Qi Xu around, his position as CEO could be at risk.

“Invite Xie Huai under Qi Xu’s name. Arrange a meeting tonight at a hotel suite.”

The assistant, confused, followed instructions.

Soon, Xie Huai called. “President Shen, what does it mean to invite me under someone else’s name?”

Fengkai smiled. “Ah Huai, you’ve been back a while, and I, your elder brother, haven’t thrown a welcome-back dinner. Why not tonight? Invite whoever you want.”

Xie Huai replied simply, “No need. Just you and me.”

Within the hour, Li Kaixing somehow learned this and reported to Qi Xu.

Qi Xu, now used to this corporate intelligence war, remained calm.

Li Kaixing asked, “What leverage is Shen offering this time? Not another person, I hope?”

Without looking up, Qi Xu said, “You said he’s desireless. Who makes him desire something?”

Li Kaixing shook his head. “No idea. But what if… a lucky coincidence?”

Qi Xu didn’t care. He didn’t believe baseless speculation, and it seemed Shen Fengkai and Xie Huai didn’t need intermediaries—Shen Zeyu was enough.

He only hoped this project with Xie Huai would end smoothly, without further trouble.

Author’s note:
It’s not just pets people want to raise… sometimes, it’s people.