Chapter 49 Little Yellow Dog

As soon as they stepped out of the phone booth, the people in line behind them rushed to take over. The crowd was thick, and some were holding phone books as they waited. Xie Yan and Xue Qingdai walked through the sea of people, ready to head back.

Xie Yan held her half-eaten candied hawthorn stick. His phoenix eyes carried a hint of darkness.
“I got you a pair of cashmere gloves, but you don’t want to wear them. So only my hands are warm enough?”

Xue Qingdai blinked.
“Of course! Your hands are big, Xie Yan. They’re way warmer than gloves.”
If she wore the gloves, she wouldn’t be able to eat her candied hawthorn, obviously. So she chose the “Xie Yan-brand” natural hand warmer. Xie Yan’s body ran warm—it was a blessing in this freezing weather.

Xie Yan pressed his thin lips together, trying not to let her see his smile.
He had stood next to her while she made the call, listening intently. Dadai had clearly been doted on in the Xue household. The family atmosphere seemed warm and harmonious. But her grandfather’s attitude toward him had been odd—nothing like the enthusiasm one might expect after a recent engagement. In fact, the old man seemed to harbor some strange hostility.

That made Xie Yan uneasy. And the girls who hung around him? Grandpa Xue seemed to dislike them most.

“Dadai, it’s been a while since I saw your grandpa. He enjoys a good drink, right? I’ll prepare something for when we visit.”
Alcohol was in short supply, and Xie Yan remembered that the old man had a taste for it. Gifting it could earn him some praise and goodwill.

Xue Qingdai’s eyes widened in surprise. Wasn’t he just trying to worm his way into her grandfather’s heart? It had taken ages for her grandpa to quit drinking.

“No need for that! My grandpa doesn’t like alcohol. He’s allergic!”
She denied him three times in a row, a little too urgently—trying to stop this show of thoughtfulness immediately.

Xie Yan tightened his grip on her hand.
“I’ll still ask Grandpa Xue myself. I’ve got a few extra ration coupons for alcohol. My dad and I don’t drink anyway—it’d be a waste not to use them.”

Xue Qingdai pouted, half her face buried in her scarf.
“Xie Yan! My grandpa’s focused on his health right now. No drinking!”
If Xie Yan really sent alcohol, she’d never let him earn Grandpa’s favor points.

“Alright, no wine. I’ll bring some supplements instead,” Xie Yan said, brushing her cold cheek gently.
“More gifts mean a happier grandpa—and that’s good for you, too.”

Xue Qingdai: “…”
Good for her, how? These complicated entanglements were exactly what she wanted to avoid. All she wanted was to break off the engagement and leave the capital cleanly. Involving anything from Pengyang Village would just make things messy again.

“Then give the gifts to me, and I’ll pass them to Grandpa myself. You’re so busy—it’d save you time.”
“You work so hard every day, Xie Yan. I really admire you.”
She was sincere, and it was smart: once she took the supplements, they’d be delivered under her name. She was such a clever little fox.

Xie Yan rubbed her head gently.
“Alright.”
As long as Dadai didn’t reject his kindness, he was content.

Then he suddenly added,
“I heard from your second and third brothers that you were often bullied back in the village. If anyone ever bullies you again, you need to tell me. I can protect you too.”
He actually wanted to ask about the male educated youth who had hurt her, as mentioned by her brothers. But he was afraid it would bring up painful memories, so he didn’t push.

Xue Yongkang had also written about a man who’d made Dadai very sad. It might have been the same person. Just how much of Dadai’s beautiful youth had he missed?

Xue Qingdai blinked.
“Huh? I was bullied?”
If anything, it was a miracle she didn’t bully others.

Aside from the local cats and dogs loving her, few peers really played with her. She was basically lawless in the village—never lacking food, clothes, or anything. While other kids crowded around black-and-white TVs, her third brother bought her one just for herself. And she didn’t like to share. After all, whenever she had shared, people still spoke badly of her or even cursed her family.

She wasn’t kind because kindness didn’t help. People spread rumors about her being spoiled, about her borrowing money and not paying it back, about her being leechy.

So she changed. She lived how she wanted, never caring about the opinions of those who lived worse lives than hers.
Mess with her, and no one had peace.
She didn’t want to be the good person. She just wanted to be herself.

If the ending of the book hadn’t been so tragic, would she have ever left her cozy, spoiled life?

Thinking it over, Xue Qingdai decided to pretend she’d been bullied.
After all, male sympathy was a useful thing.

“Yeah, Xie Yan. Someone did bully me once. But it’s in the past. I don’t want to dwell on people’s wrongdoings.”
“Back then, I used to cry when people bullied me. But now, thinking back on it… it doesn’t even matter anymore.”
“Xie Yan, aren’t I amazing?”

Xie Yan held her hand tightly, falling silent for a long time.
“Dadai… I showed up too late…”

He let her grow up alone, not knowing how many times she had cried in secret, pretending to be strong on the outside.
How much did he owe her? He couldn’t even count.

Xue Qingdai gave a soft cough.
When was her third brother going to show up? This act was getting hard to keep up.

—

A few days later, Xue Qingdai clearly felt that Xie Yan was treating her even better. The guilt made her sweeten her words even more. After all, talking was free. Whether it was sincere or not, no one really cared.

“Xie Yan, you’re so strong! You just lifted those bricks like it was nothing.”

Xie Yan raised his brows. That flattery was a bit too obvious. Still, he responded,
“That’s nothing.”

He was always observant. He remembered that there had been a hole in the ground that almost tripped Qingdai. So when he had time, he patched it up with new red bricks and mud.

On the ground, where the bricks had cracked and crumbled, Xie Yan patched and repaired them, making the courtyard floor more even.

“Daidai, don’t come out in a bit. I’m going to take a shower.”

Xue Qingdai, holding the neighbor’s little yellow dog, had no intention of staying inside.
“Xie Yan, this dog looks kind of familiar. It used to seem so aloof.”
She said it with a grin and then ran outside.

Having grown used to living in this siheyuan (traditional courtyard house), she was also accustomed to greeting the neighbors warmly. Though her lip balm hadn’t officially “launched” yet, her name was already gaining recognition, and some small orders had started trickling in. Xue Qingdai wasn’t in a rush, but her customers were nearly going crazy with anticipation.

She remained polite and gentle with everyone she met. When asked about the lip balm, she would always look troubled, as if she hated to turn people down. After all, people only cherish what’s rare and memorable—especially kindness.

The winter sunlight made everything feel warm and cozy. The little yellow dog nestled in her arms was particularly well-behaved. It had just recovered from a serious illness, and since Xue Qingdai had treated it, it had become extremely attached to her.

“Little doggy, time to go home.”

Aunt Liu from next door had even brought over some radish balls and preserved duck eggs afterward as thanks. She was such a warm and generous neighbor that Xue Qingdai had taken a real liking to her. She had done everything she could to nurse this frail little dog back to health.

“This pup’s always been weak since it was born. I didn’t think it would survive the winter, but you saved it.”
Aunt Liu waited for the dog to come back to her but stood awkwardly with empty hands.
“It’s a smart little thing. Sees a pretty girl and instantly gets clingy.”

Xue Qingdai nudged the dog’s paw, and instead of lashing out, the pup clutched her clothes lightly, almost as if it was worried about tearing them, then stopped moving.

Its jet-black eyes stared up at her without blinking, letting out a soft whimper.

Aunt Liu glanced back at the rest of the litter, still huddled in a rough burlap sack. She wondered if any of the others would survive the winter. Saving one was already a blessing.

“Xiao Xue, would you like to keep a dog?”

Xue Qingdai looked down at the spirited little yellow dog. It immediately lifted its paw and then lowered its head obediently.

“Alright. I’ll check the others too.”
“I’ll take this ‘disobedient’ one back with me and give it some proper training.”

So, with that, Xue Qingdai brought the little yellow dog—now named Yanyan—home.