41. Brothers and brotherhood, and my wife is calling la~!

A few days later, Qiu Rong realized that it might not have been the previous owner’s carelessness that allowed the cat to slip away.

Despite appearing soft and only knowing how to act cute and playfully paw at people with its mountain-like paws, the lion cat actually longed for freedom.

The first time Qiu Rong discovered the cat missing, he anxiously searched the entire villa, but there was no sign of the big white cat anywhere. He was so scared that he almost transformed back into a wolf and followed the scent outside to look for the cat.

Fortunately, before he could do that, the cat, who had taken a carefree trip somewhere, came back on its own.

The cat sat at the entrance, waiting for Qiu Rong to clean its paws, and then casually slipped into the house to find a comfortable place to sleep.

After this scare, Qiu Rong realized that his cat not only climbed high and low but also had the ability to open doors on its own. Qiu Rong considered changing the door lock, but the next day, the cat jumped out of the first-floor window again.

Doors and windows were no match for the cat’s longing for freedom.

Having witnessed the master’s superb skills in running away from home, Qiu Rong felt that he couldn’t restrain it and had to leave the door open, waiting at the door every day for the master to finish playing and come back on its own.

That look of longing, it resembled Qiu Xiao’s waiting for Yan Ling to come home from work in the past.

When Qiu Rong went to the pet store, he bought a soft cat bed for the master, placing it next to his own bed. However, the cat never slept in it. Instead, every night, it would run to Qiu Rong’s pillow, curling up into a cat ball and purring. It effectively alleviated Qiu Rong’s melancholy of being unable to contact his wife.

As his wife was still out of contact, Qiu Rong turned to his brother for help.

Qiu Rong wanted Yuan Shang to keep an eye out at the school in case someone had lost a cat. If the previous owner of the escape artist lion cat was still looking for it, they could inform them promptly that the cat was safe.

Upon hearing that Qiu Rong had taken a cat and run away from home, Yuan Shang couldn’t help but express his frustration, saying, “How can you win back your wife like this?”

Qiu Rong also knew that he couldn’t wait any longer and said, “I’m planning to go directly to find him.”

Yuan Shang asked, “Really?”

Qiu Rong confirmed, “Yes, really.”

Yuan Shang exclaimed, “Good. A true man doesn’t give up without a fight!”

Qiu Rong remained speechless.

After a few days of rest, Yuan Shang regained some energy and sighed, “Rong, to be honest with you, do you remember the case of blood loss that was circulating on the internet? I saw the forum back then, and some people mentioned that the victims had suddenly become very weak before their deaths.”

Qiu Rong: “…How did we end up talking about this?”

“Doesn’t it resemble my situation this time? And I had such a strange dream.” Yuan Shang lamented, “Actually, before you came to find me, I thought I was done for. That dream was so eerie, with wishes and a dog with an ugly face. I don’t know if it was a magical creature or some kind of supernatural power, but at that time, I really had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.”

“It’s only in the past few days that my condition has improved a bit, so I dared to talk to you about it. Before that, I was afraid that if I mentioned it, it would come true.”

Qiu Rong comforted him, “No, remember when you refused that person’s help in writing your thesis? If he couldn’t help you, how could he harm you? Don’t forget about the conservation of energy.”

“Hahaha, thanks. I feel comforted now,” Yuan Shang lightened up again and laughed, “The topic almost got derailed. Actually, what I wanted to say is that time waits for no one. Who knows if tomorrow or an accident will come first? So, Qiu Xiaorong, stop obsessing and go quickly to find your General Yan and reconcile!”

Qiu Rong and Yuan Shang sighed about the value of life and said that Yuan Shang had rested enough and was ready to return to the lab to continue his research. He hoped that Qiu Rong could retrieve his wife soon and join him in working together.

Qiu Rong advised him to rest for a few more days and reminded him to contact him promptly if anything came up before ending the call.

Yuan Shang had provided Qiu Rong with emotional counseling multiple times, and Qiu Rong was also willing to provide emotional support to Yuan Shang.

After a series of words that moved Yuan Shang to tears, before he could finish crying, Qiu Rong hung up the phone.

Yuan Shang: “…”

Brotherly affection exists but is limited.

The Violation Handling Department investigated A University and found no trace of Wulieer. There are still people remaining at the school to ensure the students’ safety. However, Yuan Shang, as someone who had been sought out by Wulieer, still needed to remain cautious.

Qiu Rong didn’t expect Yuan Shang to ponder so much alone in the dormitory. He wasn’t sure if it was the influence of the demon that made people’s emotions become sensitive and easily depressed, or if the shadow hanging over A City was more severe than the Central Administration had imagined due to the frequent occurrence of death cases with unreliable reports in recent months.

The former Director, Song De, probably didn’t care at all about what ordinary people thought, but the current Director, Zhong Lishu, certainly wanted to give the public a satisfactory explanation.

However, all of this hinged on first eliminating Uriel, the culprit.

In recent days, Uriel seemed to have disappeared. There were no new reports of deaths, and no superhumans were being tracked.

Everything had fallen into an eerie calm.

Like the calm before a storm.

The next day, the weather was clear, with not a cloud in the sky.

It wasn’t a special day, and the cemetery was silent.

After greeting the administrator, Qiu Rong climbed up the mountain, holding a bouquet of hyacinths.

The Gu family’s tomb was located halfway up the mountain, in the most scenic spot chosen by Huo Zhixing’s parents.

The Wolf Clan no longer used a unified burial ground, just like humans, they needed to choose their own resting place.

During the car accident and the subsequent secondary explosion that Meng Jiadong staged, not even a tangible body was left for the Gu family. But after all, they were the clan leader’s family, and Meng Jiadong’s originally chosen burial ground was not bad. It still looked more luxurious than this place.

Huo Zhixing’s mother and Qiu Rong’s mother grew up together as close friends since childhood. They were like sisters, and Huo Zhixing’s mother knew that her dear friend wouldn’t like such a place. So, she rejected the new clan leader’s decision and personally chose this burial site.

In the summer, the branches were lush, and occasionally, the silent cemetery would be filled with the crisp chirping of birds.

Qiu Rong wiped away the dust on the two tombstones and placed a bouquet of mixed blue hyacinths and white tulips in front of his parents’ shared grave.

“Mom, Dad, Brother, Meng Jiadong was arrested today, and the Central Administration will soon release a statement to clarify what happened back then,” Qiu Rong said, half crouching in front of the two tombstones, his gaze soft as he looked at the names of his family members. “Now, only Wulieer remains… It’s almost the fifteenth of July, and I hope all of these things can be resolved before then.”

“At that time, I want to introduce someone to you.”

“It’s the person I mentioned last year, and we are together now. And I just found out that he was the one who saved me fifteen years ago.”

“I feel a bit foolish for only realizing now that the person I’ve been searching for was right beside me.”

Last year, on the anniversary of their death, Yan Ling happened to be on a business trip, and at that time, Qiu Rong had just moved into Yan Ling’s apartment. They weren’t together yet. A year had passed, and this time, Qiu Rong hoped to officially introduce Yan Ling, his lover, to his family.

“He also has another identity, I’ll tell you next time. You will definitely be surprised,” Qiu Rong smiled. “Recently, because of this matter, we had a little misunderstanding between us. I’ll go find him later, hoping that we can reconcile soon.”

Today, Meng Jiadong was arrested, and Zhong Lishu asked Qiu Rong if he wanted to see Meng Jiadong one last time, but Qiu Rong refused. He had nothing to say to that man. During the battle for the Alpha position, Qiu Rong had bitten off the other man’s leg bone, and Meng Jiadong still held a grudge to this day. He seemed like he wanted to skin Qiu Rong alive and extract his tendons.

Qiu Rong sat in front of the graves for a while, and when he felt it was time, he stood up and said, “I’m leaving now. Dad, Brother, I’ll definitely bring flowers for you next time.”

Qiu Rong had impulsively decided to visit the cemetery today. There were no chrysanthemums in the flower shop, so he chose a bouquet of his mother’s favorite hyacinths and tulips. He believed that as long as his mother was happy, his father and brother wouldn’t mind.

As Qiu Rong stood up, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him on the stone steps.

He turned around, and his eyes met three large bouquets of chrysanthemums.

Qiu Rong: “…?”

The three bouquets completely blocked the person holding them, and that person couldn’t see the way and walked in twists and turns until they stood in front of Qiu Rong.

A tuft of curly hair peered out from behind the flowers.

Qiu Rong accepted one bouquet of flowers from the person and as he regained his line of sight, he exclaimed in surprise, “Boss?”

…

Meng Baichuan also heard about Meng Jiadong’s arrest. He went to see it, watching from a distance as the man with nearly all white hair, wearing a patient’s gown, was taken away by someone in handcuffs.

“On this joyous occasion, I thought of making your parents and brother happy, Boss.” Meng Baichuan arranged the three large bouquets of flowers, paid his respects, and then stood up, feeling embarrassed as he rubbed his nose bridge.

Qiu Rong looked at him, raised his hand, and ruffled Meng Baichuan’s curly hair, saying, “Perfect timing. I didn’t buy flowers for my dad and my brother. Thanks.”

Meng Baichuan raised a brilliant smile and said, “No problem, Boss!”

Qiu Rong could guess why Meng Baichuan came to bring flowers to his family.

Probably out of some unfounded guilt.

Meng Baichuan hated the Meng family and resented how they abused their stolen position as clan leaders.

But he himself bore the surname Meng and had also lived in Qiu Rong’s villa.

No one from the Meng family apologized to the Gu family, so Meng Baichuan thought he should come and offer a bouquet of flowers.

Meng Baichuan’s father was Meng Jiadong’s younger brother, a typical playboy. When he was young, he used sweet words to deceive an ordinary human girl, who then gave birth to Meng Baichuan.

It was only when she witnessed her child turning into a little wolf that Mother Meng realized she had fallen in love with an irresponsible man.

Because of giving birth, Mother Meng’s figure drastically changed, and her appearance was not as good as before. Father Meng quickly grew tired of his exhausted wife and the constantly crying child, so he went out and indulged himself in worldly pleasures.

Mother Meng had considered divorce, but since Meng Baichuan was a werewolf, if they divorced, he would be entrusted to his father’s care. Looking at the lively little wolf cub chasing after a tennis ball on the ground, Mother Meng couldn’t bring herself to do it.

When Meng Baichuan turned six, Father Meng accidentally died while seeking pleasure outside. Mother Meng not only had to raise the child on her own, but she also had to repay the debts that Meng’s father had hidden from her.

Working day and night for several years, rushing through meals to save time, not long after, Mother Meng was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Just as the debts at home were finally paid off, there was very little money left. The treatment was delayed, and in the end, Meng Baichuan’s mother also left him.

As a young wolf cub, he couldn’t control his own transformation. According to regulations, Meng Baichuan was adopted by his uncle, Meng Jiadong.

Obviously, Meng Jiadong couldn’t care much about Meng Baichuan.

Meng Baichuan experienced hunger and satiation in the Meng family, and at a young age, he learned to go to internet cafes to help people play games and earn money.

Unpaid debts, a mother unable to seek medical treatment, a childhood without enough food… It was these experiences that shaped Meng Baichuan’s excessive concern for money.

“…Boss, can I ask you a question?” The parking lot was a distance away from the graves of Qiu Rong’s family. Meng Baichuan walked unsteadily alongside Qiu Rong, his hands behind his back.

“You can ask.”

“Well, why were you willing to send me to the youth training camp three years ago?” Meng Baichuan lowered his head, counting the descending stone steps, feeling curious and nervous about what kind of answer he would hear.

Qiu Rong walked a step slower than Meng Baichuan. He glanced at the intertwined fingers behind Meng Baichuan and the scorching sun overhead. The shade of the trees cast on the stone steps, and the vibrant cicadas chirping somewhere nearby.

Qiu Rong raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sunlight and said, “Because you were still young and had great talent.”

Three years ago, Qiu Rong severely injured Meng Jiadong. When he came to the Meng family again, it was Meng Baichuan who opened the door for him.

Later, Ruan Sijia mentioned that the Meng family had an adopted son who was on the verge of being expelled from school.

Qiu Rong followed Ruan Sijia to an internet cafe and saw Meng Baichuan slurping instant noodles, using harmonious language with a full mouth.

Growing up in internet cafes from a young age, it was hard not to pick up some bad habits.

At that time, Meng Baichuan and Ruan Sijia were still in high school and classmates. Meng Baichuan squatted in the internet cafe as a companion player, streamed live games, and could earn quite a bit of money in a month. As he earned more money, he completely lost interest in studying and only wanted to make money.

“Why don’t you go pro if you love games so much?” Qiu Rong asked him.

Meng Baichuan lied with his eyes wide open, “Because I don’t have money. The monthly salary for youth training is too low, not enough.”

In reality, Meng Baichuan, like a hamster hoarding food, had already saved up quite a bit of money.

Out of admiration for Qiu Rong, Meng Baichuan patiently listened to his cliché stories.

The air in the private room was stagnant. Qiu Rong paused as he spoke, looking at Ruan Sijia beside him, who had obediently placed his hands on his knees and listened to him, and then glanced at Meng Baichuan, whose eyes were wandering and thoughts clearly elsewhere. Qiu Rong paused and said, “If you really want to play games, I can take you to arrange a leave of absence and go pro. If you don’t have enough money, I’ll give it to you.”

Meng Baichuan, who was lost in thought, suddenly snapped back and couldn’t make sense of the situation. “Clan… Clan leader, but I’m a member of the Meng family…”

At that time, Qiu Rong didn’t pay attention to Meng Baichuan’s confusion and simply asked him if he wanted to play or not.

Now Qiu Rong could calmly tell Meng Baichuan, “When I was alone in another city, I had many unpleasant experiences, but I reached this point today with the help of many, many people.”

“When I saw you back then, it was like seeing myself in the past. No one to rely on, no one to trust, everything had to be done by myself. The important choices in life couldn’t be negotiated, I could only rely on my limited knowledge to make judgments.”

“A slight deviation in one’s thoughts can lead a person down a completely different path in life.”

“Someone once helped me out of the depths of life, so when I saw you, I wondered if I could help you too. After all, you’re still so young, just standing at the starting point of life.”

“This has nothing to do with your bloodline or my hatred. Baichuan, I just want to help a younger brother with unlimited potential.”

Walking ahead, Meng Baichuan stopped and took a duckbill cap from somewhere, placing it on his head. Qiu Rong descended two steps and stood next to Meng Baichuan, leaning forward to take a look. “Crying?” he asked.

Meng Baichuan wiped his eyes, sniffed, and tightly pursed his lips, staring with teary eyes, his voice cracking, “No…”

Qiu Rong raised his lips slightly, not teasing Meng Baichuan any further. He continued walking forward, and soon Meng Baichuan caught up with him, whispering, “Clan Leader, without you and Xiao Ruan, I wouldn’t have reached this height. I used to believe that the money in my hands was the only real thing. Going through the youth training was tough, and there was no guarantee of success. So, I didn’t dare to take risks.”

“Thank you for giving me a push, giving me the opportunity to join the second team, to become a starter, and to stand on the podium that I could never have imagined before.”

Qiu Rong had watched Meng Baichuan in the championship match, where the youth and his teammates stood under the dazzling lights, amid flying ribbons, lifting their trophies, full of vitality and radiance.

“It’s your own effort and talent that brought you to where you are now,” Qiu Rong said, lifting the brim of Meng Baichuan’s cap, looking at his still red eyes. “You have teammates now, honors, and a brand-new life. Meng Baichuan is just Meng Baichuan. Leave everything from the past behind.”

No more feeling inferior, no more cowardice, no more burdening oneself with unwarranted guilt.

Meng Baichuan understood what Qiu Rong meant.

He admired Qiu Rong greatly because Qiu Rong easily defeated the uncle who considered him a beggar. But sometimes, Meng Baichuan also feared that this version of Qiu Rong secretly despised him.

Because he was a member of the Meng family who had taken over their nest.

Now, Qiu Rong told him that Meng Baichuan was just Meng Baichuan.

The clan leader wouldn’t let hatred involve unrelated people, and Meng Baichuan no longer needed to be trapped by the past.

The two of them arrived at the parking lot, and Qiu Rong thought, “Technically, you should call me ‘cousin’.”

“Really?” Meng Baichuan couldn’t remember the complex kinship relations. Whenever he met an elder, he called them whatever others told him to call them.

In the parking lot, only a few cars were parked. Qiu Rong spotted Meng Baichuan’s car and nodded. “Alright, I won’t send you off.”

“Hurry back, don’t you have training in the afternoon?”

“The team has a day off today. Later, I’ll go out for dinner with my teammates.” Meng Baichuan hesitated for a moment, then stammered, “Clan… Clan Leader…”

Qiu Rong looked at him with amusement. “What is it?”

Meng Baichuan’s cap almost lowered to his chest, and he whispered, “You just said you’re my cousin… Can I… Can I call you ‘brother’ from now on?”

Qiu Rong pretended to consider it, seeing Meng Baichuan looking up pitifully. He smiled and said, “Of course you can.”

“Brother!” Meng Baichuan joyfully shouted like a child, rushing closer and gently hugging Qiu Rong. He said, “Thank you, thank you so much, brother.”

Both of them had lost the

 protection of their parents since they were young, but at this moment, they were each other’s family.

Leaving the cemetery, instead of going to find Yan Ling directly, Qiu Rong went home first.

The lion cat in the house had probably gone out to play again and couldn’t be found after searching around.

These past two days, Qiu Rong had been reviewing the books at home. He and Ruan Sijia and Meng Baichuan had looked up information about demons before, and now Qiu Rong wanted to go through the rest of the content as well. You never knew when it might come in handy.

It was already evening, and the cat still hadn’t returned. Qiu Rong felt a bit worried. He put down the book and glanced at his phone. It was about time for Yan Ling to finish work.

Qiu Rong didn’t plan to go to Xin Yue Media to find Yan Ling; it wasn’t convenient for them to talk there. He decided to go directly to the villa in Lanshan Royal Garden, the address left on the registration form from the special investigation team.

Leaving an open window for the cat, Qiu Rong hesitated whether to go and look for it first. It was a bit late for it to come back today.

However, the cat had a collar with Qiu Rong’s phone number engraved on it, and considering his cat’s cleverness, Qiu Rong felt somewhat reassured.

While he was hesitating, his phone rang.

Looking at the caller ID on the screen, Qiu Rong couldn’t believe it and his hand trembled.

…

【CEO Cat】

【Answer】【Hang Up】

Author’s Note:

Stopped at a good point (not really).

Oh my god! 6 Chapters! Qiu Rong finally! Immediately! Can talk to his wife (in human form)!!

Congratulations to our puppy!

Puppy Qiu: Thank you. (Grinding teeth)