Chapter 70: Dog Scratch

Wei Meng shouted, but no one dared to move. Outside, the loud and deep barking of a dog rang out. A-Huang, the house dog, twitched its ears and barked along.

Usually, when it was the only dog in the household, A-Huang acted like a king. Its barking was full of energy and confidence. But now, in comparison with the one outside, the difference was stark. A-Huang’s bark sounded soft and feeble, like a bullied underdog. After barking twice, it shut up, tucked its tail, and ran to Bao Ning’s side with a pitiful expression.

Bao Ning immediately remembered what Ji Yun had said yesterday—that he wanted to gift her a Tibetan mastiff.

Outside, Ji Yun and Wei Meng were about to fight. Bao Ning, worried that Ji Yun might get hurt, sat up quickly to get dressed. She shoved Pei Yuan and said, “Stop sleeping—my little brother’s here.”

Pei Yuan had long since woken up. He hadn’t forgotten Ji Yun’s schemes. That brat was playing his cards well, clearly trying to snatch Bao Ning away from him. He even had a house set up for her—what kind of behavior was that for a brother-in-law?

He didn’t move. He lay there on his back, watching Bao Ning get dressed.

Bao Ning pressed her lips together. She knew exactly what Pei Yuan was thinking, but there wasn’t time to explain. She quickly tied her sash and rushed to open the door.

“Ji Yun, what are you doing with that spear? Put it down!”

Hearing Bao Ning’s voice, Ji Yun felt relieved. He twirled his silver spear in front of Wei Meng’s face to distract him, then darted toward Bao Ning. “Sister, did that scoundrel do anything to you?”

Ji Yun was truly furious this time and wasn’t even pretending to be civil with Pei Yuan. He flat-out called him a scoundrel. As for Wei Meng, he called him the “blue-eyed scoundrel.”

Bao Ning tried to soothe him: “I’m fine. Don’t overthink—”

Before she could finish, Ji Yun spat on the ground and said, “I want to duel him!”

“What are you doing?”

Bao Ning froze for a second, then rushed to stop him. But Ji Yun had already stepped over the threshold, slammed the butt of his spear on the floor, and yelled, “Shameless scoundrel, come out!”

Bao Ning felt a headache coming on. She hurried to the inner room, hoping to keep Pei Yuan inside to avoid more trouble. She figured she could just talk Ji Yun down. But before she got there, Pei Yuan had already strolled out—still wearing just his white shorts from the night before, shirtless, showing his lean waist and abs.

Bao Ning felt even more faint.

Pei Yuan stood there, one hand on his waist, the other rubbing his temple, and looked up casually. “Who are you calling shameless?”

“You, of course!” Ji Yun gritted his teeth. “You’re half-naked in broad daylight—shameless. You bullied my sister—shameless. You snuck in here like a rat and locked the courtyard—shameless! What, you got anything to say for yourself?”

Pei Yuan gave a sarcastic “Oh?” and raised his eyebrows. “A bookish brat really does speak in paragraphs.”

“You—!” Ji Yun was fuming.

Pei Yuan said coldly, “Did your teacher never teach you about manners or respect? I’m your brother-in-law. And you’re here calling me a scoundrel like you’ve got the moral high ground?”

Ji Yun scoffed loudly. “Who’s your brother-in-law? Did anyone actually acknowledge that? You’re just full of yourself!”

Pei Yuan crossed his arms. “What do you want, then?”

“I want you out of here!” Ji Yun held his spear across his chest.

Hearing them bicker, Bao Ning’s temples throbbed. These two never got along—before, it was still under wraps, but now the facade was gone, and they had no shame left.

Bao Ning did lean slightly toward her younger brother, though. He was still young, and if they fought, he’d definitely be at a disadvantage.

She tried to reason with Pei Yuan first: “A-Yuan, don’t get angry with a kid. Go lie back down, please.”

Ji Yun took the opportunity to mock: “I thought the Fourth Prince was supposed to be so fierce and brave. Turns out he’s just a sickly weakling.”

Pei Yuan’s eyes turned cold.

“A-Yun,” Bao Ning quickly turned to stop him, pulling on his arm. “Calm down and go home, or your teacher at the academy will report you to Father again. You’ll get punished.”

Pei Yuan sneered and said, “I thought little Master Ji was so rich he could buy estates at his age. Turns out he still has to study—or else get his hands whacked.”

Ji Yun, full of youthful pride and temper, couldn’t hold back when provoked. He stepped forward and pointed the spear at Pei Yuan’s nose. “Let’s fight if you dare!”

“You’re just a kid. If I fight you, people will say I’m bullying a child,” Pei Yuan said as he slowly straightened and lifted his chin. “I’ll just stand here and not move. You get twenty strikes. If you can even draw blood, I’ll admit defeat.”

Bao Ning frowned. “Pei Yuan! You’re a grown man—why are you doing this?”

But Ji Yun was already charging in.

He had learned martial arts and was outstanding among his peers, which made him a bit cocky. But his skills, which might work against street thugs, were nothing more than flashy moves to Pei Yuan.

Ji Yun went all in with nineteen strikes, breaking three vases and two stools. Pei Yuan remained unscathed. He held up a finger and taunted, “Last move, little brother-in-law. Give it your best.”

Bao Ning had gone from anxious to numb, standing off to the side watching the show.

Ji Yun clenched his teeth and lunged again with his final strike.

As the silver spear swept toward Pei Yuan’s face, he leaned back sharply, his head nearly touching the floor. Ji Yun had put in too much force and couldn’t stop himself, stumbling forward two steps. Pei Yuan suddenly sprang up, grabbed the spear, and twisted hard. With a loud snap, the weapon broke in two.

The spearhead clattered to the ground. Ji Yun was stunned.

Pei Yuan chuckled, stepped forward, and patted his shoulder. “Little brother-in-law, come over more often. If you want to learn some real moves, I can teach you…”

Before he could finish, something flashed before his eyes—Ji Yun had thrown a big handful of beef jerky at him and shouted, “Lucky!”

Everyone turned to follow his gaze.

The Tibetan mastiff was only two months old. Though thick and fierce-looking, it was still just a puppy barely knee-high. It had already been subdued by Wei Meng and was panting in his arms. But hearing Ji Yun call its name, the dog perked up and smelled the beef. Its eyes lit up, and with a strong kick of its hind legs, it launched itself out of Wei Meng’s grasp. The force of it made Wei Meng stumble backward, nearly falling.

Lucky charged straight at Pei Yuan. Though he dodged its bite, one of its sharp claws raked his arm, drawing blood instantly.

Bao Ning was shocked. “Ji Yun, what are you doing?!”

Ji Yun was a bit dazed too. He knew he was in the wrong. His move was impulsive and reckless. Seeing Pei Yuan actually hurt, he realized he had crossed a line.

The mastiff tried to pounce again, but Pei Yuan grabbed it by the scruff and flung it aside. It hit the ground before it even realized what happened. A servant rushed in with an iron chain, and Wei Meng quickly secured the dog.

This breed was indeed fierce—rumored to fight tigers and kill wolves. That didn’t seem exaggerated. At only two months old and not yet loyal to anyone, it was already this wild. If raised properly, it would grow into a fierce and loyal guard dog.

Pei Yuan’s arm was still bleeding. Bao Ning looked grim. Wei Meng didn’t dare linger. He tied the dog to a post by the window and quickly slipped away with his men.

Bao Ning did a rough patch-up job on Pei Yuan’s wound, then dragged Ji Yun outside.

Ji Yun hung his head, standing in the corner. Bao Ning flicked his forehead angrily. “You’re young and hot-headed—if you want to fight, then fight. If you lose, just admit it. What’s with the dirty tricks? Who taught you that?!”

Ji Yun glanced up at her, then quickly looked down. “Second Brother-in-law.”

Bao Ning furrowed her brows. “It’s fine if you want to learn business from him, but don’t pick up anything else.”

Ji Yun replied in a wronged tone, “I know I was wrong.”

Bao Ning looked at him for a while before finally sighing. She stepped forward to straighten his collar, her voice softening: “A-Yun, Sister knows what’s in your heart.”

“Actually,” Ji Yun’s lips were tight, “I just want to do everything I can to make your life a little better.”

Bao Ning cupped his face and saw that his eyes were turning red. She felt a pang in her heart. “I understand.”

Ji Yun was about the same height as her. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward and hugged Bao Ning’s shoulders. “In this world, you and Auntie are the ones who treat me best. When I was little, I swore I’d protect you both.”

Bao Ning smiled at him. “I know, A-Yun is an especially good little brother.”

Ji Yun glanced toward the house and muttered, “Yesterday, I almost hated him to death.”

Bao Ning knew who he meant, but said nothing. Ji Yun paused, then added, “But seeing him today… maybe he’s not completely beyond redemption. I’ll give him another chance.”

Bao Ning went along with him gently, “Mm, let’s give him one more chance.”

Ji Yun said, “Sister, remember this: this estate is yours, and you have the final say. If he dares to bully you again, let Lucky chase him out. Feed Lucky well, and in three months, when he’s grown, not just one Pei Yuan—even three of him won’t be able to beat Lucky.”

Ji Yun added fiercely, “Let him bite him to death!”

Bao Ning laughed, “Alright, I’ll remember that.”

Ji Yun continued, “I’ll always be your support. No matter what decision you make, don’t be afraid. Worst case, when I grow up, I’ll give up titles and honors—we’ve got money. I’ll take you and Auntie somewhere quiet and beautiful, and we’ll live our own peaceful life. Forget that Pei Yuan—let him rot.”

Bao Ning nodded. “Okay.”

Ji Yun wiped his eyes. “I’ll leave early tomorrow morning.”

“Study hard when you get back.” Bao Ning smiled, hooking her arm through his as they walked. “I’ve prepared some things for you—food and clothes. A few are not quite ready yet. Once they’re packed tonight, I’ll send someone to deliver them.”

Ji Yun gave a soft “Mm,” just about to say something, when they heard footsteps behind them.

Pei Yuan had come out at some point. With his long legs, it only took a few steps to reach Ji Yun’s side. He slung an arm around Ji Yun’s shoulders, taking Bao Ning’s place.

Bao Ning was bumped aside helplessly and could only walk beside Pei Yuan.

Ji Yun stiffened under Pei Yuan’s arm, feeling very uncomfortable.

His view of Pei Yuan had shifted a bit. He used to think the man was cold and arrogant, but now it seemed he also had a pretty thick skin. Just moments ago they were fighting, and now he was acting like nothing happened. What an actor—was it just to show off in front of his sister? Fine, put on a show then, but why did he have to grab him? So greasy and annoying.

Pei Yuan walked Ji Yun out of the courtyard, patted his shoulder, and said with mock concern, “Take care. I’ll visit Auntie another day.”

Ji Yun couldn’t deal with his fake politeness and muttered, “Mm.” He cupped his hands in a perfunctory farewell and quickly walked away.

Pei Yuan felt quite pleased with himself. Bao Ning had always been critical of how he treated her family. Now that he had seen Ji Yun off and even said all the right things, that should count as a big improvement, right?

Bao Ning had already returned to the room. Pei Yuan, still in high spirits, walked in—only to see her bending down to clean up the shards of porcelain on the floor. They had been broken during the earlier scuffle with Ji Yun.

Pei Yuan’s heart sank. He realized—this matter wasn’t over yet.

Bao Ning heard him come in and pointed toward the side of the bed. “Tired? Go sit over there.”

After saying that, she went to the sewing basket, pulled out a needle, lit a candle, and held the needle over the flame.

Pei Yuan asked, “What are you doing?”

“Last night I noticed two blisters on your feet,” Bao Ning said, blowing on the red-hot needle. “It was too late to deal with them then. I’ll take care of them now.”

Support Sansukini on Ko-fi

Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк　чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)

You can also check out my other translations Here