On Saturday morning, Elena Shen once again accompanied the old master on one of his social calls. After spending half the day "out and about," she returned and spent the afternoon napping in bed, cozy and content.
At their last stop, the friend they visited happened to have a litter of newborn puppies—fluffy little things barely a month old. The old man had taken an instant liking to them and insisted on bringing one back home.
Elena adored dogs, especially this kind—plump little bundles of fur that looked like animated snowballs.
Monday morning's professional lecture was canceled due to the professor's leave, with the session rescheduled for next week. Free of any obligations, Elena checked the group chat just after waking and immediately headed for the sprawling lawn behind the estate—nearly a thousand square meters wide—in search of that adorable little furball, eager for a cuddle.
It was a Samoyed pup, chubby and white like a cloud, gleefully romping across the vast green lawn like a jubilant balloon.
Elena spotted it the moment she stepped onto the grass, its fluff starkly visible against the lush verdant backdrop.
But just as she bent down and picked it up, savoring the warm weight in her arms, she found herself face-to-face with a very unwelcome figure—Adrian Jiang, striding toward her from the rear wing of the estate.
On the opposite end of the lawn, Ethan Jiang and Silas Ji were just returning from the garden and heading toward the study, accompanied by Eric Chen and Silas's assistant.
They had just reached the patch of blooming begonias outside the main hall when Ethan turned his gaze toward the lawn—and instantly spotted Elena standing close to Adrian, who had one hand wrapped around her wrist, saying something in a low voice.
Ethan's brows furrowed. He halted in place and altered course.
The breeze fluttered past as he tossed out a cool command:
"You go ahead. I'll be there shortly."
Silas had been in the middle of discussing the final terms of a pending deal. Halfway through his sentence, he noticed Ethan's sudden detour. Following his gaze, he caught sight of the pair on the lawn—Elena and Adrian, standing far too close.
Silas clicked his tongue.
Well, well. Contract talks forgotten, his interest turned to gossip.
Glancing toward Eric Chen with a knowing smirk, he asked,
"What's going on with your Second Young Master? First, he turns down the engagement—and now he looks like he's regretting it?"
Eric remained silent.
Silas clearly didn't expect an actual answer. Shifting a few steps sideways to get a better view—peeking around a pot of begonias blocking half the sightline—he leaned casually against the doorframe and murmured, half to himself:
"If Adrian's really changed his mind, then with all that history between him and Elena... maybe this whole engagement fiasco is about to take a sharp turn."
Eric, silent until now, lifted his eyes toward the lawn.
Based on his years working at Ethan's side, he was quite certain of one thing:
When it came to marriage—especially marriage forged through alliance—Ethan Jiang never let anything fall out of line. There was no world in which a "wife" would become a "sister-in-law."
On the lawn, Elena was cradling the pup in one arm and trying to wrench free from Adrian's grip with the other. In the struggle, she must've jostled the little creature too hard—it whimpered softly in her arms.
Elena's brows knit. Worried she'd hurt the fragile pup, she was just about to snap at him when a low, chilling voice sliced through the morning air behind them:
"Adrian."
Adrian's explanation about Grace Su instantly faltered. He turned around.
Ethan's eyes locked on the hand clutching Elena's wrist. His expression was a glacial mask, but it made Adrian flinch instinctively. He loosened his grip at once.
Elena rubbed her sore wrist and, without so much as a glance back, crouched to the ground. She gently placed the pup down, checking it over to make sure it hadn't been hurt.
Ethan strode across the lawn, his steps slow but deliberate.
His dark gaze fell first on the girl kneeling on the grass, brows furrowed in concern—then lifted, sharp and cold, to his brother.
"Are you here for the dog, or for your sister-in-law?"
Adrian couldn't quite meet Ethan's eyes.
He had always harbored a blend of admiration and fear for his elder brother—Ethan Jiang, a man of unrivaled brilliance and unshakable control. Even after years of being forgiven, protected, and covered for, that fear had never entirely dissipated.
Especially not after Ethan had just warned him—yesterday—to stay away from Elena.
Adrian's gaze flickered toward the puppy now bouncing happily around Elena, tail wagging with abandon. His hands curled into fists. Under Ethan's penetrating stare, he mumbled quickly:
"Grandpa said he brought back a puppy. I just wanted to see what it looked like."
Ethan's reply was curt. "Seen it now?"
Adrian swallowed hard and nodded. "...Yes."
Ethan's gaze shifted, lingering for a moment on Elena.
Then he said abruptly:
"I heard from Eric—you're interested in joining the company?"
The subject change caught Adrian off-guard. Still shaken from being caught with Elena, it took him a beat to register the question.
He nodded again. "I've been thinking about it."
Ethan's voice remained calm, yet absolute:
"If you want to earn a position in upper management, you'll need real experience. Tiancheng Group is running a key collaborative project with a Chinese-American firm this quarter. You'll be handling it."
Adrian's head snapped up in shock, his face betraying reluctance.
"Brother…"
But one look from Ethan silenced him.
"Is there a problem?"
Adrian clenched his jaw and forced down the words of protest.
"...No problem."
Ethan added coldly, "The timeline is tight. Eric will send you the project materials. You leave today."
"...Understood."
Once Adrian had left, Elena remained crouched on the grass, absently stroking the pup's fur. She hadn't looked up once.
But she could feel Ethan's gaze—quiet, intense—settling on her.
Still petting the puppy, she spoke up first, lips tight with frustration, voice barely veiling her irritation:
"I didn't call him over. He came on his own. I just wanted to play with the dog."
Ethan suppressed the emotions surging behind his eyes. His voice softened, low and reassuring:
"I know."
Noting she still hadn't stood up, he attempted to coax her gently:
"You like dogs?"
"I'll have one sent to Yushan Court for you."
Her heart stirred at the offer. She really did love dogs. On bad days, just watching them prance around the garden could lift her mood like magic.
But she hesitated—worried she wouldn't have the time to care for one, not with research, lab work, and classes piling up soon.
After a moment, she looked up at him, sunlight brushing her cheeks, and asked softly:
"Who's going to take care of it?"
"I will," he said.