The Aloof Little Puppy Is Super Obedient - Chapter 9

Chu Jingtian listened to Zhang Yang’s teasing and looked at him with a trace of embarrassment, unsure of how to respond. Being called out like that made his heart feel awkward, and he let out a sharp breath.

“Alright, stop teasing me. Hearing you say those things makes me feel so embarrassed,” Chu Jingtian said as he lowered his head, his face flushing.

Seeing his reaction, Zhang Yang’s lips curved into a smirk. “Now you know how to be embarrassed! Back then, you weren’t shy at all when you were telling me those things.” He sighed, seeing Chu Jingtian’s discomfort, and gently patted his back. Though he was teasing, his heart actually ached for his friend. Chu Jingtian hadn’t done anything wrong, yet he had suffered such a total defeat in his personal life.

“Fine, fine, just stop. Every time you bring up the past, I want to crawl into a hole,” Chu Jingtian replied as he kept his head down.

When those events were actually happening, he hadn’t felt they were a big deal. But looking back now, he felt a deep sense of regret and struggled to find the words to explain his past self. Still, he shook the thoughts away; it had already happened. There was no use dwelling on the messy details of the past.

Zhang Yang understood, nodding as he squeezed Chu Jingtian’s shoulder. “I have high hopes for you now that you’re back. I expect great things from you at the company,” he spoke with a genuine smile.

Chu Jingtian sighed at the weight of those expectations but nodded back. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it.”

The two of them laughed together, reminiscing about their shared history. Their bond was built on subtle, shared emotions. Back when Chu Jingtian married that man, Zhang Yang had been miserable, unable to fathom why his friend would choose Zhou Nian. Seeing Chu Jingtian finally back on the right path and no longer lost in his delusions brought him immense relief.

“Just focus on your work here and stop overthinking everything else,” Zhang Yang said before turning to leave.

Chu Jingtian watched him walk away. “Thank you for giving me this chance,” he murmured. It was a short sentence, but it carried weight. Even though they had co-founded the company, Zhang Yang had been the one laboring here for years; yet, he had handed Chu Jingtian a high-level position without hesitation. Looking at his office, Chu Jingtian felt a surge of gratitude he couldn’t quite express.

Chu Jingtian spent the entire morning buried in work. Seeing the mountain of documents on his desk that needed processing, he frowned and began working through them at high speed. He was determined to be a role model and handle the company’s affairs with precision. He realized that if he wanted to finish everything, he might have to skip lunch, but he didn’t mind. Being back in the flow of work was doing wonders for his internal state. This was his first day back; he had to prove his strength and establish his footing.

Suddenly, a crisp sound came from the door. Chu Jingtian, who was just about to take a sip of coffee, sighed and set the cup aside. “Come in.”

He looked up to see Su Jingyang walking through the door. “Jingyang? What are you doing at my company?” Chu Jingtian asked, puzzled. He hadn’t told Su Jingyang where he worked; he was surprised the younger man had found him so quickly. He hadn’t even mentioned his specific plans to his parents that morning.

Su Jingyang looked at the stacks of files on the desk, his eyes filled with concern. “Brother Jingtian, with all these documents, did you even eat lunch?” He could tell at a glance that Chu Jingtian was drowning in unfinished tasks. The sight made his heart ache.

Chu Jingtian gave a helpless laugh. “You don’t need to worry so much. This is my job. Everyone in the company is busy; I can’t just ignore my responsibilities.” He wasn’t about to slack off while his employees were working hard. As a manager, he felt he had to lead by example.

Su Jingyang’s brow furrowed at the thought of Chu Jingtian’s workaholic tendencies. He quickly placed a lunch box on the desk. “Brother, you can’t sacrifice your health for work. You need to eat something to recharge.”

He opened the containers efficiently. “Brother Jingtian, as your neighbor, I call you brother, but as a friend, I have to remind you: if you keep working like this, your body will give out before the job is even done.” Su Jingyang laid out the cold, hard facts. If Chu Jingtian didn’t start paying attention to his health, he would regret it later in life.

Chu Jingtian sighed, feeling defeated by the younger man’s persistence. “Alright, alright. I’ll eat.”

Seeing the lavish meal, the corners of Chu Jingtian’s lips curved upward. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. During the years he spent with that man, he rarely enjoyed the food he actually liked; he was always having to accommodate someone else’s taste or eating cold leftovers. Now, he could finally eat what he wanted.

As he tasted the food, his eyes widened. He looked at Su Jingyang in disbelief. “If I’m not mistaken, you made this yourself, didn’t you?”

Back in high school, he had tasted Su Jingyang’s cooking. During those stressful years, Chu Jingtian was often too busy to eat, and Su Jingyang—who was only in middle school at the time—would personally bring home-cooked meals to his classroom.

Chu Jingtian could tell immediately; it was the exact same flavor. The realization hit him, and he couldn’t stop the tears from falling. Sometimes, an adult’s breakdown happens in a single moment, triggered by the taste of a memory.

Su Jingyang, seeing him cry, immediately grabbed some tissues and began to wipe his face. “Hey, don’t cry. It’s just a simple lunch I prepared for you. It’s nothing to cry about.” He looked at Chu Jingtian with a mix of helplessness and joy. Seeing how moved Chu Jingtian was made him happy, yet he didn’t know how to comfort such raw vulnerability.

Chu Jingtian saw Su Jingyang’s frantic attempts to explain himself and let out a watery laugh. “Okay, you don’t have to say anything else. I know how much you care. Thank you for preparing such a wonderful lunch for me.” He looked at Su Jingyang’s determined face and chuckled. To him, Su Jingyang would always be that little boy from next door, no matter how much he grew.

“As long as you like it,” Su Jingyang said, ducking his head shyly. Seeing Chu Jingtian enjoy the food made him incredibly happy.

“By the way, did you eat yourself?” Chu Jingtian asked, suddenly concerned. He knew Su Jingyang had a habit of bringing him food while skipping his own meals.

Su Jingyang smiled brightly, clenching his hands slightly. “Of course, I ate. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have the energy to bring this to you.”

Chu Jingtian nodded, satisfied. If Su Jingyang hadn’t eaten while he enjoyed the meal, he wouldn’t have been able to swallow it comfortably. He spent the next half hour finishing the meal, then gathered the dishes and handed them back to Su Jingyang.

“Thank you for today. It tastes exactly like it used to, absolutely delicious.”

Su Jingyang lowered his head, unable to hide his delight. Hearing Chu Jingtian’s praise made his heart soar with uncontrollable joy.

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