The Favored Heiress-Chapter 1303: It’s Not a Pet, It’s a Companion
Ten minutes later, Shang Yin and Qin Mushi walked out of the tea room.
Meanwhile, Qin Baiyu and his wife remained inside, chatting with Shang Zonghai.
"Brother Yin, your house is so big," Qin Mushi said with slightly raised peach blossom eyes, "Wouldn’t you get lost living here?"
The young man’s bright voice radiated innocence and excitement.
"No," Shang Yu tilted his head, looking at the shorter Qin Mushi, and said softly, "If the distance is far, you can take a ride."
Qin Mushi pursed his lips slightly, "What’s wrong with your voice?"
"It’s the voice-changing period." Shang Yin’s tall, slender frame paused, "You’ll have it too."
Qin Mushi nodded, looking up at the handsome yet aloof boy beside him, always feeling a cool, indifferent distance about him.
Even though Shang Yin answered every question and was polite and considerate, there was still a coldness that permeated from within.
The two youths walked side by side under the old house’s corridor, and Qin Mushi noticed that Shang Yin didn’t seem to like chatting much, so he wisely stayed quiet, peacefully enjoying the scenery.
"Roar—"
Suddenly, the roar of the White Tiger came from the Medicine Garden on the left.
The robust and huge tiger body clung to the fence gate of the Medicine Garden, staring directly at Shang Yin, roaring continuously.
Qin Mushi slightly paused, his eyes filled with wonder, "Brother Yin, is that... a tiger?"
Warmth appeared in Shang Yin’s cool gaze as he walked forward with one hand in his pocket, "Yeah, that’s Yin Bai."
That’s Yin Bai—simple words hiding an inexplicable sense of closeness.
Qin Mushi showed no fear, following Shang Yin’s steps, quickly entering the gate.
White Tiger leaped and pounced on the youth, with its large paws resting on Shang Yin’s shoulders, rubbing its tiger head against his face.
Shang Yin glanced at the ridges destroyed in the Medicine Garden and the herb roots left in halves, playfully patting the tiger head, "Xiao Bai, did you steal Uncle’s herbs again?"
White Tiger gave a small roar, tightened its front paws on the youth’s shoulders, and suddenly kicked with its hind legs, regardless of its tonnage, burrowed into Shang Yin’s embrace.
Qin Mushi watched them with interest, itching to join the fun.
Then, in the next second, he saw Shang Yin directly crushed flat by the hefty White Tiger.
Man and tiger fell by the fence wall, yet despite this, White Tiger continued to nuzzle and push in the youth’s embrace, like a big cat with not much intelligence.
Shang Yin didn’t get angry or show displeasure, propped his upper body up, and tugged at the White Tiger’s ear, "Xiao Bai, you’re heavy, get up."
Watching this, Qin Mushi quickly walked over, bending down and reaching out, "Brother Yin, come."
Shang Yin leaned against the fence gate, looked up, eyes bright, "Aren’t you afraid of it?"
He’s been back in Parma for over three years now, and he hardly had any particularly close friends.
Many people had tried to connect with him but were all deterred by the White Tiger.
Some even suggested he take the White Tiger to the zoo or release it, standing on moral high ground to criticize his uniqueness and eccentricity.
After all, in their eyes, normal people wouldn’t keep a fearsome beast like a tiger.
At this time, Qin Mushi gently shook his head, extending his fingers, wanting to poke but not daring to, "Not afraid, isn’t it your pet?"
Shang Yin’s lips slightly curved up, grabbed Qin Mushi’s hand and stood up using his strength, "Not a pet, it’s a companion I grew up with, want to pet it?" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"Want, want, won’t it be fierce to me?"
Shang Yin said it wouldn’t, then held his wrist and placed it on the tiger’s back, "Go ahead, Xiao Bai isn’t fierce to those close to us."
Qin Mushi’s eyes were bright, cautiously stroking White Tiger’s fur, "Will it shake hands?"
"Maybe, you can try."
Shang Yin said while moving to the side, brushing off the grass clippings on his pant legs, "Xiao Bai, sit."
White Tiger licked its paw, leaned forward, and sat on a bunch of herbs.
Shang Lu, who had just stepped out to pick herbs: "..."
"Yi Bao, tell your little rascal to move the tiger’s butt off!"
Shang Lu roared angrily, stepping quickly forward in heartbreak.
This darn Tiger always ran amok in his Medicine Garden, couldn’t be chased away, couldn’t be killed and cooked, he didn’t even know how many rare herbs it had destroyed!
Upon hearing this, Shang Yin and Qin Mushi looked back simultaneously, and the moment they saw him, Qin Mushi waved in greeting, "Uncle Shang."
"Little Mushi?" Shang Lu paused, his eyes searching around, "You? In Parma?"
He hadn’t traveled back in time, right? This is the old house in Parma, right?
Qin Mushi pointed toward the front yard, "Dad’s in the front yard."
"Damn it!" Shang Lu’s body shook, excitedly trembling his leg, "Well, you doggone Qin Si, you came to Parma without saying a word!"
Shang Lu dropped the medical book in hand, disregarding the herbs crushed by the tiger’s butt, and hastened to the front yard.
Shang Yin glanced down, smiling again, turning to Qin Mushi, "Want a handshake?"
"I do!" Qin Mushi hurried up to the White Tiger, squatting down to meet its gaze, "Xiao Bai, how about a paw shake?"
White Tiger gave a mighty small roar, and seeing Qin Mushi still smiling and extending his palm, it then proudly raised its paw.
Qin Mushi held the large tiger paw, happily looking up, "Brother Yin, it’s so well-behaved!"
The boy merely smiled silently, his handsome brows showing more rare warmth.
He hoped Yin Bai could be accepted and liked by people, though difficult for most, some odd ones liked what he liked.
Like the Qin Mushi before him.
That day, Shang Yin and Qin Mushi exchanged phone numbers, leaving contact information, agreeing to meet often if possible.
Before leaving, Qin Mushi said to Shang Yin, "Brother Yin, will you return to the country someday?"
"Yes."
With a definite answer, Qin Mushi smiled happily, "Then I’ll wait for you, and Xiao Bai."
Shang Yin cleared his throat, nodding solemnly, "Okay."
...
When Shang Yin was seventeen, he didn’t return home the entire year.
June, midsummer night.
By the artificial lake at Paibo Manor, a tall, handsome young man reclined lazily, staring at the shimmering lake surface with a calm and indifferent expression.
From far away, his black figure almost blended into the dense night.
White Tiger lay at his feet, occasionally twitching its ears, maintaining its beastly sharp instincts even in slumber.
"Young Master," someone walked up behind him, it was Qing Lei, one of Shang Yin’s four assistants, "The plane back to the country has been arranged after the Royal University graduation ceremony, next Wednesday at 10 AM."
Shang Yin caressed the crystal bracelet in his hand, responding lightly, "That’s fine. Thanks."
Qing Lei slightly raised his eyes, looking at the crystal bracelet the young man never took off, wanted to ask but feared offending the Young Master.
He was sent by the old Shang family master to the Young Master’s side three years ago, and since then, this bracelet had always been worn on the Young Master’s wrist.
