Come on, What Kind of CEO Chases His Roommate Back to the Country? - Chapter 108

After the annual party, the pace of work at the company noticeably slowed.

Everyone was looking forward to the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, and even the usual meetings carried a relaxed, casual vibe.

That morning, Pei Song was sorting through the operational data for the “Senior Living Haven” project when his phone suddenly rang.

It was a call from his father.

“Song Song,” Father Pei’s tone left no room for argument, “You must come home on the 28th of the lunar month. The whole family is getting together.”

Pei Song’s hands paused. He didn’t like his father’s side of the family. Every gathering was full of probing questions and constant comparison. Especially after he had refused the blind date last time, his relationship with Grandma Pei had hit rock bottom.

Thinking of this, Pei Song rubbed his temples. “Dad, I’m really busy with work…”

“No matter how busy you are, you have to come home,” Father Pei cut him off. “You still have to put on appearances. You’re not a kid anymore, stop being so stubborn.”

Pei Song pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a wave of frustration.

This was the sorrow of traditional family ties, even if the harmony was only on the surface, the family had to gather for the new year, as if that was the only way to prove to the world that the family was still ‘complete.’

“Alright.” In the end, he agreed.

After hanging up, he stared blankly at the screen until a meeting reminder pulled him back to reality.

In the conference room, Zhou Feng was explaining the progress plan for the second phase of the “Senior Living Haven” project.

“Based on the first phase experience, we’ve made new adjustments to how we integrate medical resources,” Zhou Feng said as he flipped to the next slide in the presentation. “Hemu Medical has already confirmed the remote consultation technology plan.”

Pei Song mechanically took notes, his thoughts drifting now and then to the ‘family drama’ that awaited him.

After the meeting, Shi Yancheng stopped him. “What’s wrong? You seemed distracted the whole time.”

“It’s nothing,” Pei Song pressed his lips together. “I just have to go home in a few days.”

Shi Yancheng’s gaze lingered on his tired face. “Want me to come with you?”

“No need.” Pei Song shook his head. “I don’t want those people dirtying your eyes too.”

Shi Yancheng looked like he wanted to say more, but Jin Shuning came in, reminding him about his next meeting.

That evening, when Pei Song returned to He Guangli, he had just opened the door when he saw Max sitting on the floor, ears flat like airplane wings, looking guilty.

“What did you do?” Pei Song squatted down and noticed that Max’s mouth and front paws were stained with red fruit pulp. Scattered around on the floor were pieces of dragon fruit peel.

“You sneaked food, didn’t you?” Pei Song gently tapped Max’s head. “And you even know you should feel guilty?”

Max lowered his head, tail drooping, looking utterly remorseful.

Pei Song sighed when he saw the juice-stained fur. “Come on. Bath time.”

Max immediately backed away two steps but obediently followed him into the bathroom under Pei Song’s firm gaze. As soon as Pei Song turned on the shower, Max began to squirm.

“Don’t move,” Pei Song muttered as he lathered Max up. “This is what you get for sneaking food.”

Just as he was saying this, the door behind him opened.

“Bath time?” It was Shi Yancheng’s voice.

“Yeah.” Pei Song didn’t look back. “Guess what I found? This little rascal sneaked some dragon fruit and ended up looking like a messy little kitten.”

“Aren’t you going to punish him?” Shi Yancheng stepped closer.

Pei Song smiled and rubbed Max’s ear. “He’s getting more of a personality lately. Even the best-trained search-andrescue dog is still, at heart, just a little food-loving pup. Besides, he left his mother early and went through strict training to serve humans. He’s already sacrificed so much.”

“You’re spoiling him,” Shi Yancheng said softly. “Careful, or he’ll become lawless.”

“It’s not spoiling,” Pei Song patted Max’s back. “Honestly, seeing him sneak food makes me kind of happy. It means he really thinks of this place as home now. He feels safe enough to act like a normal, carefree pup.”

Just as Shi Yancheng was about to reply, Max gave a mighty shake, sending water flying everywhere and soaking Pei Song’s shirt in an instant.

“Max!” Pei Song gasped and stepped back, the shower slipping from his hand and spraying him directly.

The drenched fabric clung to his body, outlining his slender waist and clearly defined collarbones under the semi-transparent shirt.

Pei Song glanced down at his clothes, about to speak, when out of the corner of his eye he saw Shi Yancheng standing stock still, that burning gaze making even his ears feel hot.

The steamy mist in the bathroom only made the atmosphere thicker with tension.

“Go change,” Shi Yancheng said suddenly, picking up a towel from the rack and crouching to dry Max. His voice was low and rough. “I’ll take care of him.”

Pei Song felt like he’d been granted amnesty. He quickly nodded and all but fled the bathroom.

After changing into dry clothes, he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and grabbed the hairdryer to finish drying Max.

Shi Yancheng and Max had moved to the balcony. Max was rolling gleefully on the floor, messing up his freshly dried fur all over again. Shi Yancheng was half-squatting beside him, letting him play to his heart’s content, a rare, gentle smile on his face.

The night outside was deep and quiet, city lights streaming in through the glass, softening the silhouettes of man and dog.

“You got yourself dirty again.” Pei Song walked over, his voice unconsciously soft.

Shi Yancheng looked up, the same smoldering heat still in his eyes.

Pei Song felt his face warm again and quickly crouched down, pretending to focus on drying Max’s fur.

“No more baths for you,” he grumbled while blow-drying. “Spraying me all over like that, next time you’re going straight to the pet groomer.”

Max bumped his head against Pei Song’s hand with an apologetic look in his wet eyes, making Pei Song’s heart melt.

“This little guy really knows how to beg for forgiveness,” Shi Yancheng chuckled. “He’s got you wrapped around his paw.”

Max seemed to understand, wagging his tail and circling happily around Pei Song’s legs.

“Alright, alright,” Pei Song sighed. “I get it, you’re adorable. I’m not mad anymore, okay?”

Shi Yancheng scratched Max’s chin. “Next time you want something, just come to me. No need for sneaking around.”

Pei Song shot him a look. “You spoil him worse than I do.”

“Oh, by the way,” Shi Yancheng suddenly remembered something. “I saw these dog communication buttons. You can record different messages so Max can press them to express what he wants.”

“I’ve seen those videos too!” Pei Song’s eyes lit up. “But I wasn’t sure if they actually worked.”

“Could be worth a try,” Shi Yancheng said. “We could record things like ‘I’m hungry’ or ‘I want to go out.’ He’s so smart, I bet he’ll pick it up fast.”

Pei Song imagined Max pressing buttons with his paw and couldn’t help but laugh. “What should we record? Should we use our voices?”

“Of course yours,” Shi Yancheng said. “He loves listening to you the most.”

The two of them leaned shoulder to shoulder, their breaths mingling. At that moment, even the night breeze outside the balcony seemed to turn gentle.