After Amnesia, I Learn I'm a Scumbag Top?! - Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Chu Tinghan had been searching for L’s dog for a full day and night, but still hadn’t found any trace of Lucky.
When Zhou Yingjie met up with him, he found him sitting dejectedly by the roadside, his face deathly pale, his eyes dull and lifeless, his entire being haggard and disheveled.
Chu Tinghan’s condition was so dire that Zhou Yingjie couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Ignoring his protests, he forcibly dragged him into the car and drove him straight home.
During the drive, Zhou Yingjie worried he might faint and kept checking on him through the rearview mirror, occasionally speaking to confirm he was still conscious. “Sigh… wandering around aimlessly like this won’t help. You’ll collapse yourself before you find Lucky.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get Lucky back. I’ve already asked people to check nearby surveillance footage and hired a specialized pet search team. We should have news soon.”
“Since we’re so close to your place, Lucky might have already wandered home on his own.”
Just around the next corner was Chu Tinghan’s house. Zhou Yingjie was determined to get him home safely, urging, “Look, why don’t you wait until you’ve rested properly at home before looking for him again? You’re in such a state, I’m genuinely afraid you’ll collapse by the roadside.”
Zhou Yingjie parked in front of Chu Tinghan’s house and was about to get out to escort him inside when Chu Tinghan refused before he could even open the car door.
Having anticipated his intentions, Chu Tinghan quickly cut him off, “No need to escort me. I can walk myself.”
Seeing Chu Tinghan’s unsteady gait, Zhou Yingjie feared he might stumble and fall, or worse, ignore his advice and run off again to search for Lucky behind his back. After a moment’s hesitation, he still couldn’t shake his unease and made to get out of the car to follow him.
By then, Chu Tinghan had already moved to his car door. Just as Zhou Yingjie opened it, Chu Tinghan pushed it shut with a sharp bang.
The suddenness of the action startled Zhou Yingjie, and the car door slammed shut with a resounding thud, leaving him momentarily stunned.
Chu Tinghan’s complexion had improved slightly. He insisted stubbornly, “I can walk on my own. No need to escort me. You can go now.”
Zhou Yingjie watched his retreating figure, torn between wanting to speak and holding back.
Still uneasy, Zhou Yingjie circled the area, finding a new hiding spot closer to Chu Tinghan’s door.
At that moment, Chu Tinghan stood motionless at his doorstep.
Zhou Yingjie assumed Chu Tinghan was about to act rashly again, stubbornly going back to search for his dog against all advice. He was about to approach him when Chu Tinghan finally moved.
Slowly, Chu Tinghan opened the door.
Seeing this, Zhou Yingjie immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, Lucky had been lost due to his own carelessness. If Chu Tinghan were to suffer any harm from overthinking this incident, Zhou Yingjie would never forgive himself.
But in the next instant, Zhou Yingjie’s heart leaped back into his throat. A familiar white fur ball suddenly appeared in his line of sight.
When Chu Tinghan opened the door, Lucky, whom he had been searching for day and night, was right inside.
Hearing the movement, Lucky wagged his tail furiously and darted forward, his front paws raised excitedly, ready to leap into Chu Tinghan’s arms.
Chu Tinghan’s mind went blank, and he forgot to react.
He couldn’t believe his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating from exhaustion.
Seeing Chu Tinghan remain motionless, Lucky grew even more agitated. He alternated between leaping into his arms and circling him, his tail wagging so frantically it blurred like a propeller.
The little dog’s whimpers gradually penetrated Chu Tinghan’s dazed mind. He forced himself back to reality, finally daring to believe that the scene before him was real: Lucky hadn’t been lost after all. Just as Zhou Yingjie had said, Lucky had simply missed home and slipped out on his own.
Chu Tinghan numbly bent down, reaching out to stroke Lucky’s fluffy head. His pale lips trembled as he whispered hoarsely, “…Lucky.”
His thoughts swirled in chaos, a thousand emotions choking his chest. He failed to notice Lucky’s unnatural cleanliness.
The previous night had brought torrential rain, leaving puddles still lingering on the streets. Yet Lucky’s fur remained pristine white, carrying the faint scent of bath soap—as if he’d just had a bath.
“He’s back,” a deep, magnetic male voice called from the living room.
The voice immediately drew Lucky away. He dashed toward the living room, then paused, turning to see Chu Tinghan still standing frozen in place. He trotted back to him, taking a few steps forward before twisting his round head to check if Chu Tinghan was following.
Lucky trotted along, his tiny paws clicking against the floor in a cheerful rhythm, like a merry little tune.
Seeing Lucky before him, safe and sound, Chu Tinghan knew he should be smiling. Yet his heart was filled with nothing but endless remorse and sorrow.
From Lucky’s excited little movements, it was clear the puppy had missed them terribly. Yet Chu Tinghan, driven by selfish desires, had abandoned Lucky for half a year.
He was the one who had separated the puppy from his family, yet Lucky still wagged his tail at him, his eyes sparkling with joy.
If he could turn back time and choose again, he would never have pushed Lucky away.
…But there were no “ifs.” Now, he couldn’t even bring himself to apologize to the little dog.
“Why are you standing at the door for so long? Come in already.”
Chu Tinghan’s thoughts were interrupted by the voice. He looked up instinctively and met Pei Ji’s smiling eyes.
Pei Ji was sitting on the living room carpet, playing with Chengcheng’s building blocks. The floor was littered with blocks of all sizes, and Chengcheng had built a castle nearly as tall as himself.
Chengcheng carefully placed a triangular block on the very top of his castle, but the structure was too tall and unstable. The moment the triangle landed, the castle shuddered and collapsed with a crash.
Chengcheng lowered his gaze to the rubble at his feet, his lips drooping instantly, his entire face radiating displeasure.
Pei Ji soothed him while gathering the scattered blocks. He glanced up at Chu Tinghan and waved him over with a smile, calling out for his help.
Watching from the side, Chu Tinghan couldn’t shake the feeling that the atmosphere was too harmonious, unnaturally so.
Yesterday, Pei Ji had refused to even answer his calls. How could his attitude suddenly flip 180 degrees, now smiling at him?
A sudden fear gripped Chu Tinghan, the dread that this might be the death throes of their relationship.
After a beat, he gave a distracted “Mm” and absentmindedly crouched down to help pick up the blocks.
Moments later, a furry body wedged itself between them. Lucky, clueless about what they were doing, mistook the blocks for dropped treats and sniffed them curiously with his little dog nose.
They picked up a block, and Lucky snatched it away.
With Lucky constantly weaving through the pile of building blocks, the floor grew even more chaotic.
Pei Ji suspected Lucky was deliberately causing mischief and couldn’t resist picking him up and carrying him to the other side of the room.
But the moment he put Lucky down, the little dog immediately ran back.
Pei Ji shook his head, chuckled, and, at his wit’s end, let Lucky have his way.
Lucky alternated between pestering Chu Tinghan and snatching things from Pei Ji’s hands, having the time of his life.
Chu Tinghan’s movements slowed as he quietly glanced at Pei Ji out of the corner of his eye, gauging his reaction.
Lucky’s interactions with them felt so natural that Chu Tinghan couldn’t believe Pei Ji hadn’t noticed something was off.
As Chu Tinghan placed the blocks back in the box, he casually asked, “Where did this little dog come from?”
Pei Ji paused, thought for a moment, and replied, “I found him by the road.”
“Found him by the road?”
“Yeah, right near the entrance to our neighborhood. I saw him soaked in the rain, with no owner in sight, so I took him home on a whim,” Pei Ji paused, glanced at Chu Tinghan, and added, “You don’t mind, do you?”
Chu Tinghan forced a smile. “I don’t mind.”
Having worn himself out playing, Lucky settled down quietly beside Pei Ji.
Pei Ji stroked the dog’s round head and sighed heavily, his voice tinged with regret. “It’s been so long, and no one’s come looking for him. I guess his owner doesn’t want him anymore.”
Hearing this, Chu Tinghan’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly. He wanted to say, “That’s not true! I still want Lucky.”
But the question didn’t require an answer. He could only move his lips, swallowing back all the words.
Seemingly oblivious to Chu Tinghan’s emotional turmoil, Pei Ji continued thoughtfully, “Maybe we should give him a name. What do you think we should call him?”
Before Chu Tinghan could respond, Pei Ji added, “How about Lucky?”
“Coincidentally, I bought a longevity lock recently. It was originally for Chengcheng, but I think it would look nice on Lucky too.” With that, Pei Ji pulled out a pure gold longevity lock from his pocket and, without hesitation, fastened it to Lucky’s collar.
Seeing this, Chu Tinghan’s blood turned to ice, as if he had been plunged into a frozen lake.
Was this a coincidence? Why would Pei Ji name him Lucky?
Why would you put the longevity lock that was originally meant for Chengcheng on a puppy?
Every word and gesture of Pei Ji’s felt meticulously planned. Chu Tinghan suspected that Pei Ji already knew the truth but, for some reason, was delaying exposing his lies.
As for the reason, Chu Tinghan’s mind was too overwhelmed to ponder it.
Suddenly, the room felt suffocating, the air thinning as if an invisible hand were squeezing his throat, making it hard to breathe.
A split second before he felt like he was about to suffocate, Chu Tinghan managed to stammer, “I… I suddenly remembered I have work to do. I should… I should go now.”
Chu Tinghan stumbled out, Lucky tried to follow, but Pei Ji stopped him.
The smile had completely vanished from Chu Tinghan’s face.
As Chu Tinghan’s figure completely disappeared from his sight, Pei Ji suddenly felt utterly ridiculous for what he had done that day.
Every word he had spoken to Chu Tinghan had been a carefully crafted hint.
He still clung to a sliver of hope that Chu Tinghan would confess the truth—that the child wasn’t a person at all, but a beloved puppy they had named together years ago: Lucky.
Confess and receive leniency; resist and face severe consequences.
Pei Ji didn’t consider himself petty. If Chu Tinghan would just admit everything and apologize, he might be able to forgive him.
But no. Reality always defied his expectations. Even after bringing Lucky right in front of him, Chu Tinghan continued his charade, evading Pei Ji’s hints with flimsy excuses.
He couldn’t understand why Chu Tinghan would rather feign ignorance and run away than simply tell him the truth.
What was Chu Tinghan so afraid of? What was he hesitating about? Pei Ji had given him so many chances, yet he always turned a blind eye.
Ha… Perhaps his expectations had been too optimistic, clinging to the illusion that there was still room for reconciliation.
In truth, Chu Tinghan was already beyond redemption.
Never mind. None of it mattered anymore. He had no intention of playing along with Chu Tinghan’s charade any longer.
“Little Pei…” Sister Xu finally approached hesitantly. “I’m sorry, I…”
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Pei Ji replied with a self-deprecating smile, regaining his composure. “You were just doing your job. For you, it’s just work.” He added calmly, “I’ll pay you what I owe you. You won’t be needed anymore.”
Pei Ji waited until the early hours of the morning to see Chu Tinghan return.
The room was pitch-black, no lights on.
Assuming everyone was asleep, Chu Tinghan cautiously crept inside, relying on the moonlight to guide his quiet steps.
“Finished working?” A cold voice suddenly cut through the silence.
Chu Tinghan froze, his eyes dimly making out a figure seated on the sofa. “You’re still up?”
Pei Ji ignored his question, cutting straight to the point. “They’re gone,” he said flatly.
Afraid Chu Tinghan might feign ignorance, he patiently spelled it out: “Xu Zicheng has already gone home.”
A sudden ringing filled Chu Tinghan’s mind.
So he knew after all. There was no escaping this.
Pei Ji rose to his feet, his long legs carrying him silently to Chu Tinghan’s side. He produced the paternity test report.
The moonlight streamed perfectly onto the white paper, each black character gleaming under the lunar glow, impossibly stark and piercing.
Chu Tinghan felt as if all the strength had drained from his body. His hand trembled so violently that he couldn’t even hold onto the thin sheet of paper, letting it flutter to the ground.
Pei Ji stared directly into his eyes, his voice almost grinding out through clenched teeth, “Chu Tinghan, I’m asking you one last time: what exactly is our child?”
At first, Lucky had been circling them foolishly, but sensing the tense atmosphere, he suddenly froze. He sat between them, his tail slowly brushing the floor, and let out an anxious, soft bark.
Pei Ji pointed at Lucky, who was trying to mediate between them. “Is it him?”
Chu Tinghan had no defense left, only to await Death’s judgment.
Still silent, still denying, still refusing to answer, Pei Ji had had enough of his attitude. He sneered coldly, “Lying to me… is that some kind of game to you?”
“Chu Tinghan, let’s get a divorce.”