Chapter 6: The Unveiling of Ren Dog’s Manor

Zhong Tian flung the lemon tea into the trash bin.

He then lifted his gaze to the prominent McDonald’s sign.

Pushing the door open, he stepped inside.

The blast of cold air instantly enveloped him.

It swiftly carried away the heat clinging to his body.

‘Wow… do you guys pay nothing for air conditioning?’

Zhong Tian surveyed the surroundings.

His eyes immediately landed on the two exuberant ‘idiots’ whose smiles shone brilliantly.

The one with long hair was Lin Yu.

She was a year older than him and nearly a head taller—his senior.

She was a stunning beauty with an exceptional figure.

The short-haired girl in glasses was Jiang Nanjin.

She was the “source of all evil” who sat behind him.

‘Hmm, I’ve found the two origins of all evil.’

‘Alright, found them. Stay calm.’

“Where are my clothes?”

Zhong Tian sat down before the two girls, arms crossed, his gaze flat and unblinking.

Li Jianren also settled into a seat.

He waved a hand in disclaimer.

“Just to be clear, I didn’t bring Old Zhong here, alright?”

“Oh, come on…”

The beautiful girl opposite him brushed a strand of black hair from her cheek behind her ear.

She smiled at Zhong Tian.

“To think you found us even like this, you’re quite impressive, aren’t you?”

“My clothes?” Zhong Tian reiterated, his expressionless stare unwavering.

“Oh, don’t rush, don’t rush,” the long-haired Lin Yu waved a dismissive hand at Zhong Tian.

“Look how cute you are right now.”

“Why don’t you just keep them on?”

“No way!” Zhong Tian shook his head vehemently.

His ponytail swung, brushing against Li Jianren’s face.

“But why not?”

“Haven’t I already explained it to you?”

“Old Zhong, you might as well give up resisting,” Jiang Nanjin, the short-haired girl beside him, declared.

She gave him a thumbs-up.

“We’ve already thrown your clothes back to your place.”

“They’re on top of your shoe cabinet!”

Zhong Tian rested his forearms on the table, burying his face in his hands.

‘You guys are intentionally trying to drive me crazy, aren’t you…?’

“No, no, not at all, Hahaha!” Lin Yu burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“We just, we just wanted to see Little Zhong in girl’s clothes, hahahaha.”

Zhong Tian remained with his face covered.

He was already dreading how he would explain this to his older sister upon returning home.

“Well, in that case, we’ll be heading off now~” Lin Yu lightly flicked Zhong Tian’s ponytail.

With a mischievous chuckle, she and Jiang Nanjin departed.

Zhong Tian glanced at the clothes he was wearing.

Then he looked at Li Jianren.

A sudden idea sparked in his mind.

“Hey, you silly dog, how tall are you again?”

“One meter seventy-eight… why?”

‘…’

‘Unconsciously, Ren Dog has already reached one meter seventy-eight?!’

‘Why am I still only one meter sixty-seven!’

“I’m coming to your place to borrow a couple of your clothes!”

‘…’ Ren Dog stretched his neck.

“That might not be so easy… My mom might be home.”

“What’s difficult about it? It’s just your mother, isn’t it?”

“No, no, brother, you should first consider your own appearance.”

“Then, take a look at the clothes you’re wearing.”

Ren Dog spun around repeatedly in his swivel chair.

“If my mom finds out I brought home a creature that looks suspiciously like a girl…”

“She wouldn’t scold you, would she…?” Zhong Tian suddenly felt a pang of anxiety.

“Your mom should still remember me, right? After all, I used to visit your place to play.”

“How old were we back then?” Li Jianren remarked.

“Besides, the person you saw before wasn’t my mom; that was my nanny.”

“Huh?”

“…Never mind. I’ll be a good brother.”

“It’s still early, and she hasn’t come home yet, so let’s hurry to my place, change into some men’s clothes, and then you can leave.”

“Nice! Let’s go!”

“Alright…”

****

“Ren Dog… this is your home?”

“Huh? This *is* my home…” Li Jianren shrugged.

“The one in Binhai City before was just a school district apartment bought for elementary and middle school.”

“This is… a bit too extravagant, isn’t it…?”

Zhong Tian gazed at the distant villa.

He felt as though he were dreaming.

The pure white villa was built upon a verdant cliff face.

A section of it extended out from the rock, supported by pillars rising from the sea.

This cantilevered portion, likely designed for optimal ocean views, was entirely composed of glass panels.

Yet, from the outside, one could discern nothing of the interior.

From every angle, the villa exuded an aesthetic of refined simplicity.

Not far off, waves crashed against the rocky cliff, sending sprays of water several meters high.

He could even vaguely make out a stretch of beach encircled by a wire fence.

‘A private… private beach?’

The two walked along a path paved with grey marble slabs.

They passed sprawling artificial lawns.

Skirting a fountain in the center of the path, they arrived before the imposing main gate.

“Your family… is this rich?”

“It’s… just like this, I suppose…”

‘…’

‘What kind of modern Versailles (TL Note: Refers to ‘Versailles literature,’ a trend where one subtly shows off wealth while feigning modesty or complaint) is this?’

‘Seriously, is this bastard’s family *that* wealthy?’

‘All this time, I thought his family was just comfortably off.’

Zhong Tian simply couldn’t conjure an image of this guy driving a Lamborghini, sunglasses on, speeding towards him.

It was far too incongruous.

‘No, his face doesn’t even look like a rich second-generation heir.’

‘And when I used to read his mind, I never saw any scenes of his family being particularly wealthy.’

Carrying five parts astonishment, three parts curiosity, and two parts caution, Zhong Tian stepped into Li Jianren’s foyer.

‘So this is what it feels like for Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden (TL Note: A famous allusion from ‘Dream of the Red Chamber,’ describing an uncultured countrywoman’s awe at a magnificent, luxurious estate), huh…’