Mr. Zhang snorted vindictively, "Weren't you unconcerned? Weren't you making fun of me? Why are you so anxious hearing that Ruan said he likes boys?"
"Why do you care? I'm just being a hypocrite, so what?"
Seeing the two elders about to argue again, Ruan Xingwen smiled wryly in resignation.
Just came to the park for a stroll, how did it turn into a dispute between the elders, arguing over introducing potential partners for me.
Sigh, it's a headache.
The Little Qilin in his arms was sleeping soundly, and Ruan Xingwen gently poked its butt, compromising, "Grandpa Zhang, Grandpa Yu, please don't argue anymore. I'm not looking for a partner right now; I have no such plans at the moment."
"Hmph!"
"Hmph!"
Watching the two elders turn their faces away angrily, Ruan Xingwen found them adorable from the bottom of his heart. If his grandfathers were still alive, they would probably be like this too, taking walks, playing chess, and arguing every day, how happy they would be.
Finally convincing the two old men, packing up the chessboard, and escorting them to their homes.
As they parted, both elders competed to get Ruan Xingwen's contact information, nearly starting another argument.
Ruan Xingwen's park stroll finally came to an end.
Meanwhile, Mr. Yu, having just arrived home, couldn't wait to pick up the phone and dial. Once connected, a slightly hoarse yet magnetic voice came through the receiver, "Hello, Grandpa, is there something you need from me?"
"You brat! Can't I call you just because I want to? Are you so busy? Do I need an appointment to reach out to you?"
The person on the other end was clearly used to the old man's unreasonable ways, "No, Grandpa, you can contact me anytime. So, what's the matter?"
Mr. Yu excitedly recounted his day's experiences to the person on the phone, including the people he met, and praised Ruan Xingwen from head to toe, inside and out.
The person on the phone remained noncommittal about what his grandfather said, but upon hearing that this person was a minor celebrity, he subtly frowned. He paused the report from someone by his side and tapped the table, indicating them to continue.
He divided part of his attention to deal with his grandfather, realizing it was a new tactic, not approaching him directly but starting with his grandfather. Had these people extended their reach to his grandpa?
Thinking of this, he directly interrupted, "Alright, Grandpa, I have something to attend to here. Let's talk later after I finish."
"You brat! Brushing me off again. What are you busy with all day? What's more important than major life events?! I've come to terms with you liking guys, so why can't you just please me this once?"
Hearing the old man clearly angry, his tone a bit unstable, the person on the other end had to reluctantly concede and comfort him, "Grandpa, I really have work to do. You know that I am managing the company for you and have to act in movies too, which is quite busy. When I have time, I'll definitely visit you and see the person you're talking about, okay?"
The old man was just complaining; in his heart, he understood that his grandson was truly busy.
His unreliable parents had been away for several years, pursuing their ideals in art, without coming back to accompany their son.
Sometimes it's truly heart-wrenching; how could a grandfather not feel for his grandson? But he genuinely wants to find a companion for him. How many more years can this old man stay by his side?
He knew his own body and could no longer work intensely. The doctor also advised him against working due to his age, as it was mentally and physically draining.
For so many years, the young boy had carried the entire family alone, which was not easy. Well, children and grandchildren will have their own paths; let things take their course.
After a few more words, he reminded the old man to take care of his health and mentioned he'd visit when he had the time; the call ended there.
On the other side, Ruan Xingwen, having just arrived home, quietly placed the peacefully sleeping Little Qilin into its little nest. It slept really soundly, not moving even when the location changed.
He rubbed his aching arm, got up, and sat on the sofa. Little did he expect that this seemingly small Little Qilin would be quite heavy.
Ugh, haven't washed my hands yet.
He got up, went to the bathroom, washed his hands, and then his face. Finally, having done everything, he collapsed on the sofa and gradually fell asleep too.
When Ruan Xingwen opened his eyes again, it was already three in the afternoon, having missed lunch. He thought for a moment, decided to skip that meal, and planned to have it with dinner.
Propping himself up from the sofa, he rubbed his stiff neck and glanced towards the Little Qilin. The little creature was happily "hugging" its food bowl while eating heartily.
He walked over to it and squatted down, watching it eat, "Are you so relaxed with me? Do you trust me that much? Not hiding anything at all, does that mean I don't need to prepare meals for you in the future?"
At this moment, a soft, milky voice sounded in Ruan Xingwen's ear, "Not really, I'm just growing, so I get hungry quickly. I saw you were still sleeping, so I helped myself." It continued, "Of course, I trust you. If you hadn't saved me, I wouldn't be alive today～"
Even though he had accepted the fact that Little Qilin was a Divine Beast, hearing another voice suddenly by his ear still startled Ruan Xingwen, who said with a slightly shaky voice, "You can talk now? Weren't you still 'aowu aowu' before?"
"I was too weak. I had just arrived in this world and got thrown in that box, with heavy rain pouring. It would be strange not to be weak." Little Qilin spoke while eating, occasionally spilling bits of dog food from its little mouth.
Speaking of heavy rain, he didn't know why he felt a bit uneasy.
But he really couldn't resist. He picked up the crumbs with disgust and tossed them into the trash bin, "So, are you fully recovered now? Is there any area still uncomfortable?"
"Nope, just growing fast and needing lots of energy, so I need to eat and sleep more. By the way, this dog food is quite tasty and nutritious. I can eat this, but those buns today were also delicious, hehe." Little Qilin giggled naively.
Ruan Xingwen was still a little concerned, "When communicating with me like this, will anyone notice? Can others also hear you talking?"
"Don't worry, it's just the two of us now. In front of others, I'll communicate with you through thoughts, and they won't notice. Just like now."
This time, the way of communicating was obviously different from before; Little Qilin was eating normally, but the voice appeared in Ruan Xingwen's mind.
"That's good. Otherwise, I was afraid you'd be taken back to a research lab as an alien creature for dissection."
The human and Qilin continued chatting while eating.
Ruan Xingwen suddenly remembered, "Can you digest human food; can your body handle it?"
"Yes, I can eat anything. The more I eat, the longer I sleep, and the faster my body grows." Little Qilin continued eating...
Seeing the pricey dog food, which was halfway gone in just two days, Ruan Xingwen considered, "How about you eat less? Eat with me instead?" He thought it was healthier to cook himself, worried Little Qilin couldn't handle takeout.
"I can cook. I'm not great with complex dishes, but I'm pretty good with simple ones." Living alone since thirteen, he had basic skills to take care of himself.
"Hmm, I'm almost full. Let me finish this bag of dog food first, and then I'll eat what you cook." Little Qilin, feeling very "considerate," said with a contented smile.
Watching that bag of high-end dog food, enough for a month, Ruan Xingwen felt his wallet bleeding. In the future, it might be better to let it eat with me; feeding it dog food is unaffordable, boohoo.