Chapter 87 Distant Cousin

Chapter 87: Distant Cousin

"Hey, why does this dog tunnel seem bigger?"

"Heh, probably that mutt got fatter again, had to make the tunnel bigger or it wouldn't be able to squeeze through." With that, the patrolling guard moved on.

Cheng Ge tilted his head, reached out, and patted Dahuang on the head.

Dahuang didn't seem shy, licked his finger, its eyes bright and shining.

Cheng Ge patted it, looked around to make sure no one was there, then nudged Zhou Yinyun beside him.

"Let's head back."

Zhou Yinyun nodded, instinctively carrying Lü Rou on his back. The group crouched low and hugged the wall.

Zhou Yinyun's carriage was parked in a remote spot, and it took a while to find it.

As they approached, the coachman was already pacing in circles.

When he saw Zhou Yinyun and the others, he quickly rushed over.

They hastily scrambled into the carriage. Zhou Yinyun set Lü Rou down and collapsed in the carriage like a dead dog.

"Hurry back to the mansion," Zhou Yinyun ordered weakly, out of breath.

But just then, a sharp scratching sound came from outside the carriage, followed by whimpering.

Cheng Ge lifted the curtain and looked down toward the sound, locking eyes with Dahuang in an affectionate look.

Cheng Ge: "..."

"How did this dog follow us?" Zhou Yinyun poked his head out.

Dahuang wagged its tail, eyes full of anticipation, paws clawing at the wheel.

Moments later, the big yellow dog leaped into the carriage.

Dahuang excitedly circled the carriage twice, then obediently lay down at Cheng Ge's feet.

Zhou Yinyun found this amusing and reached out to squeeze its paw.

Dahuang glanced at him disdainfully and pulled its paw back.

Zhou Yinyun: "..."

...

"Master, Young Master Cheng has returned."

Cui Ji didn't even look up, flipping through a chess manual as he ordered, "Tell the kitchen to heat up the food."

The guard added, "He's brought a girl and a dog."

Before he finished, a blur vanished from the study, the book pages fluttering in the candlelight.

Guard: "???"

Cui Ji appeared at the door in a flash, just in time to see Cheng Ge carrying Lü Rou through the main gate, followed by the big yellow dog.

He furrowed his brow, his gaze first fell on Lü Rou, then he stood still watching Cheng Ge.

Cheng Ge paused mid-step when he saw Cui Ji, then a smile crept onto his face.

"Your Highness, where are you off to? Have you had dinner?"

Cui Ji didn't respond, but his eyes lingered on Dahuang for a few extra seconds.

Dahuang sensed a hint of threat and stared warily at Cui Ji.

It rubbed its head against Cheng Ge's calf, subtly hiding behind him.

"Where did this stray come from?" He was asking about the dog, but his eyes were on the woman in Cheng Ge's arms.

Cheng Ge's face froze. For a moment, he didn't know how to answer.

Seeing the fearsome Cui Ji, Lü Rou felt scared and timidly stared at Cheng Ge with wide eyes.

She cautiously pushed his arm and whispered, "Young master, put me down."

Under Cui Ji's blazing gaze, Cheng Ge set her down, stole a glance at him, and scratched his cheek. "Well... maybe she's my new concubine?"

"What did you say?" Cui Ji stepped forward, making Cheng Ge flinch from the pressure.

Cui Ji's face turned grim. He stared at Cheng Ge as if judging a cheating scumbag husband.

Seeing this, Lü Rou quickly backed away several steps, then knelt and kowtowed loudly, her head thumping against the ground.

"Lü Rou thanks Young Master Cheng for saving my life! I'll never forget this kindness as long as I live."

Cui Ji glanced at Lü Rou on the ground, then turned back to Cheng Ge, expecting a reasonable explanation.

Cheng Ge thought for a moment, then quickly looked up and leaned closer to Cui Ji.

"This is a bit complicated. Let me explain slowly.

She's actually... my mother's aunt's cousin's sister's daughter."

Cui Ji: "..."

"And what does that have to do with you?" Cui Ji seemed unimpressed, asking coldly.

"Of course it does! Think about it: my mother's aunt is my great-aunt, and that great-aunt's cousin is my mother's cousin..."

Cheng Ge started fabricating wildly, talked until his mouth was dry.

Finally, after a full ten minutes, Cheng Ge reached a conclusion.

"Based on the rigorous analysis above, she can actually be considered my distant cousin. So, does that count?"

Cheng Ge opened his eyes wide, his expression very serious—if you ignored his barely suppressed grin.

Cui Ji listened to his nonsense seriously, and somehow couldn't find any fault with Cheng Ge's far-fetched claim of kinship.

He was silent for a moment, his gaze shifting between Cheng Ge and Dahuang, as if deciding which one was the bigger dog.

"And then? What does that have to do with you bringing her back? And what's this about a concubine..."

Cheng Ge swallowed, gently placing his paw on Cui Ji's arm.

"You know, my hometown is Yuanzhou, and we just had a disaster there recently.

My distant cousin's family couldn't escape it either—now she's the only one left in her entire family. She had nowhere else to turn, so she came to stay with me.

You see, I recently lost my government post, and here in the capital city, you're the closest friend I have. But no matter how close we are, you can't be expected to support my distant cousin's family.

So... I had no choice but to say she was my concubine." By the end, his voice had trailed off.

He gently tugged on Cui Ji's sleeve, "You're not mad, are you? I can cut back on eating."

Cui Ji was annoyed, thinking, "As if I'd starve you?"

But before he could speak, he heard Cheng Ge add another line, "If you really won't take her in, then I'll take her to stay with Yu Li for a few days."

The moment Cheng Ge finished speaking, he felt himself suddenly lifted up.

When he came to his senses, he found himself pinned under Cui Ji's arm.

Cheng Ge struggled and shouted, "Cui Ji! What are you doing! Let's talk, just put me down first!"

Cui Ji said nothing, striding into the house with him tucked under his arm.

Seeing this, Da Huang barked and chased after them, while Lü Rou stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

Once inside the house, Cui Ji shoved Cheng Ge into a chair and looked down at him.

Cheng Ge rubbed his sore backside as he sat up straight, looking up at Cui Ji, who was having another episode, looking confused.

Cui Ji stared into Cheng Ge's eyes, holding his gaze for a full forty seconds before finally relenting.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Let's eat first."

Hearing this, Cheng Ge figured his fit was probably over, and being quite hungry by now, he wiped his hands and started wolfing down the food.

Midway through his meal, he finally remembered to ask, "Can I call my distant cousin and Da Huang in to eat together?"

"Just eat—they'll get theirs," Cui Ji replied, his tone still sour.

After finishing off a chicken leg, Cheng Ge added another line, "Have you eaten yet? Want to join me for a bit?"

Cui Ji: "..."