Shen Li was utterly speechless. The dog’s name differed from his own by only the first syllable. “Ji Zhouye, why not call it ‘Dali King Kong’ instead?”
‘Shenli’ sounded better, Ji Zhouye replied, dead serious, clearly making nonsense.
Shen Li almost spat blood from frustration. “Wouldn’t calling it ‘Shen Li’ be more fitting? Ji Zhouye, you’re making me think you still can’t get over me.”
“Hmm, I do think of you. Every time I call its name, I think of you,” Ji Zhouye said, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
To Shen Li, it was infuriatingly teasing.
Back when they were dating, Shen Li had said that if Ji Zhouye ever didn’t want him and broke up with him, he would get a dog and name it ‘Ji Zhouye.’ Now the roles were reversed—and he was the one being compared to a dog.
He suddenly realized that Ji Zhouye hadn’t directly named the dog ‘Shen Li,’ and considered that already an act of mercy. “Thank you… for thinking of me,” he muttered.
Thinking of it, it was clear Ji Zhouye was deliberately teasing him.
Originally, the dog had no name. Ji Zhouye had tried several, but the dog didn’t respond. One night, after drinking, he tried again, calling out names that failed to get a reaction. He remembered how Shen Li had left him indifferent when he pleaded for him to stay during their breakup.
So he called the dog ‘Shenli.’ This time, the dog wagged its tail and nuzzled him. Ji Zhouye initially thought it was coincidence, but repeating the name got the same response—the dog had found its name.
He wouldn’t be like Shen Li, who, after a breakup, would name a dog after the ex.
If the dog didn’t respond to these two characters, he wouldn’t have used them.
“You like dogs? In a couple of days I’ll bring it over for you to play with.”
Shenli, playing with Shen Li?
Perfect. Excellent.
“Fine, bring it over.” Shen Li planned to rename the dog ‘Ji Zhouye’ when it arrived.
Shenli had been rescued as a sick puppy, under two months old, with low survival odds. That was why it had been abandoned. But luck was on its side, and after a half-month in the veterinary hospital, it recovered.
Ji Zhouye had kept it in the estate. At times, he was too busy to care for it and sent it to the old residence.
When Shen Li arrived, Ji Zhouye didn’t know if he liked dogs, so he temporarily kept it at the old residence—conveniently, Shen Zhiyu liked it. Shen Zhiyu wanted to rename it several times but failed, so he gave up.
Only the name ‘Shenli’ got a response.
Shen Li said, “Ji Zhouye, tomorrow I’ll get a dog too, and I’ll call it Ji Zhouye.”
“As long as you’re happy, fine by me,” Ji Zhouye replied nonchalantly—he knew Shen Li was just talking.
“Sleep,” Shen Li pulled the blanket over himself.
Ji Zhouye’s words were blunt: “Weren’t you going to sleep with me?”
Shen Li froze. He couldn’t believe he remembered.
“Never mind, I don’t want to sleep.”
Ji Zhouye: “Then I’ll sleep with you.”
The atmosphere instantly turned intimate. Shen Li’s heart raced uncontrollably whenever he was with Ji Zhouye. “I’m tired. I don’t want to,” he protested.
This time, Ji Zhouye didn’t leverage their prior agreement or his status as a lover. Instead, he said: “Shen Li, you must take responsibility for what you say and do. Did you forget what you said at the restaurant? Need me to remind you?”
Shen Li: “…”
He knew Ji Zhouye well enough—if he denied it, Ji Zhouye would make him remember through action. Tonight, something would happen, either initiated by Ji Zhouye or by him.
Ji Zhouye had slept at his place countless times. Sleeping with Ji Zhouye once was not excessive.
“Then let’s do it.” Shen Li flipped over, pinning Ji Zhouye beneath him, and tried to kiss him like Ji Zhouye had.
His kissing was clumsy—proof that he was only meant to be on the receiving end.
He provoked Ji Zhouye’s desire but didn’t know how to extinguish it, leaving Ji Zhouye to take over.
Shen Li had wanted to sleep with Ji Zhouye, but in the end, he ended up being the one ‘slept upon.’
The next morning, his entire body ached. He kicked the still-sleeping Ji Zhouye and stomped off to the bathroom without looking back.
Ji Zhouye woke from the kick, unconcerned, a clear smile in his eyes. “Shen Li, this is all you’re capable of.”
Shen Li emerged from the bathroom, hands in pockets, looking aggrieved. “Just wait, Ji Zhouye. When Jiangqing grows strong and surpasses JH by leagues, you’ll be my lover, beneath me.”
Ji Zhouye chuckled, which Shen Li interpreted as mockery.
“I’ll wait,” Ji Zhouye said with a smile. “Looking forward to your success.”
Shen Li stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door.
At Jiangqing’s office:
Ling Feng was tidying papers on the desk.
Shen Li asked, “Tell me, what does it mean when someone doesn’t like you but keeps teasing you?”
“Lonely, probably,” Ling Feng said without thinking. Then paused and added, “Or they like you, but hide it well. You just haven’t noticed.”
“Really?” Shen Li sounded skeptical.
“Really.”
Ling Feng nearly flinched—one careless word and he could have offended his boss. Now he had to be both assistant and relationship advisor.
He couldn’t resist a little gossip. “Boss Shen, what exactly is going on between you and Boss Ji?”
Shen Li had nothing to hide. “He’s my first love. The breakup wasn’t pleasant… he wanted revenge.”
“Boss Shen, you’re trying to fool me, right?” Ling Feng couldn’t believe Ji Zhouye wanted revenge. “If he really wanted revenge, why would he go to the police station to get you out?”
“Exactly—that’s what I don’t understand. What do you think Ji Zhouye is thinking?”
“I’ve never dated anyone. Just my personal opinion: his revenge is fake, his desire to reconcile is real.”
Ling Feng: “Think about it. Who takes revenge like that? He could destroy you with a flick of his fingers, so why bother?”
Shen Li thought for a moment. “What if he wanted to torture me slowly—first hope, then despair?”
“Ji Zhouye isn’t like that,” Ling Feng said firmly.
Shen Li almost thought Ling Feng was secretly on Ji Zhouye’s side. “Have you been bribed by him? Why do you always defend him?”
“Anyway, Boss Ji is a good person.”
“Fine, fine. Everyone’s good… just me who’s the bad one.”
After Ling Feng left, Shen Li fell into self-doubt.
Had he really judged Ji Zhouye too harshly?
No doubt about it—Ji Zhouye was skilled at winning hearts. Even Ling Feng was completely convinced.
Recalling Ling Feng’s analysis, Shen Li’s lips twitched slightly, a small smile forming.