Chapter 29: Brothers
For the black panther, a chicken leg was like a tiny cookie that didn’t even fill the gap between its teeth.
Without even looking at how many times the panther chewed, it licked its lips and spat out a clean bone.
Lou Ting: “…”
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ćAh, ah, ah! I also want to pet a cat!!!ć
ćThis big cat is so…huge!ć
ćIt’s too adorable! But wait, big cat, how could you eat the chicken leg meant for our Lou Ting?ć
ćHahaha, don’t get angry, sisters. Look, “Ting Ting” has almost made the big cat go bald. The bed is covered in its fur.ć
…
Lou Ting paused his hand as he stroked the fur. Was it true?
He looked down and sure enough, there were many black hairs on the bed.
It was normal for felines to shed, but when he just petted a specific spot, he couldn’t help but feel like something was missing from that area.
Lou Ting cleared his throat, refraining from touching the black panther again. Each whisker is worth a fortune; with so much fur, he couldn’t afford to lose even one.
ćWhy do I feel like I’ve seen this black panther before?ć
ćJust searched it up, isn’t it the financial magnate, He Yunzhou?ć
ćWhat the heck?! Is that black panther really He Yunzhou? This world is too fantastical!ć
ćIt’s lying there, getting stroked without moving; so obedient!ć
ćDon’t change the topic, is it really He Yunzhou?ć
Seeing that the discussion in the chat was straying from the focus of his livestream, Lou Ting tapped the table to get their attention and said, “The black panther is not He Yunzhou. Don’t speculate randomly.”
ćHow could that be? It looks exactly like the photos!ć
ćYeah, that’s right.ć
Lou Ting said, “Are you sure you can tell the difference between two black panthers?”
The chat paused for a moment. It seemed like… they really couldn’t tell.
Under this circumstance, Lou Ting continued, “This is just a black panther I unexpectedly encountered in the wild. It was injured at the time, so I brought it back and took care of it.”
By first denying any similarities and then making the audience doubt their own perceptions, Lou Ting skillfully narrated the whole incident. Many viewers began to waver.
ćLook carefully, the eyes seem a bit different?ć
ćYes, I think so too. I wanted to say that earlier, but I was afraid of getting criticized, so I didn’t type it out.ć
At that moment, the black panther opened its eyes and leaned its head on Lou Ting’s shoulder.
The space on the bed was too small, and Lou Ting had to ensure he remained in the frame at all times. He had no place to hide, but fortunately, the big cat exerted only a little pressure; otherwise, Lou Ting might not be able to handle it.
ćAhh, this scene is so adorable! Can’t handle it! Where’s the “Head Pat Squad”? Why aren’t they rubbing the big, fluffy fur bald?!ć
ćWait, isn’t this topic getting a bit off track? Look at the time, if there’s no performance soon, Ting Ting will end the livestream.ć
With the prompt from the chat, everyone suddenly realized.
ćRight, right, right! Performance! Let’s get the show started!ć
…
After going around in circles, the topic came back to the beginning.
While Lou Ting was reading the chat, the black panther was bowing its head to eat. When Lou Ting looked up, the black panther had finished its meal and picked up a steamed bun, chewing it like a piece of marshmallow.
Lou Ting, who hadn’t eaten dinner yet, sighed.
Lou Ting turned his head slowly, making eye contact with the black panther, which was licking its lips after the meal. The golden eyes of the big cat seemed to carry a hint of amusement, as if it knew that Lou Ting couldn’t do anything to it.
The big cat licked its paws, seemingly ready to sleep after the meal.
Lou Ting grabbed the tail of the big cat.
The black panther was about to jump down, but was caught off guard by the tail grab. Its leaping motion became more restrained, and after landing, it roared at Lou Ting, “Ao?”
Lou Ting chuckled and glanced at the panther, but when speaking, he addressed the livestream audience through the camera, “Since I don’t know what to perform, let me teach you some techniques for grooming large feline animals… Like how to pet them.”
He Yunzhou: “?!?!”
—
A thick furry carpet was laid on the floor.
The black panther easily occupied most of the carpet with its large size.
Lou Ting held an iron brush specially used for grooming, though it was hard, the front end of the brush had a rounded head, so it wouldn’t scratch the animal’s skin.
Lou Ting’s technique wasn’t particularly professional, but he didn’t want the black panther to play tricks on him and escape unscathed. He came up with this idea on the spot.
From head to tail, the black panther’s fur was extremely smooth. After Lou Ting groomed it, quite a few black hairs fell off with a rustling sound.
However, he deliberately used a black carpet, so after the hairs fell in, they were not visible.
The black panther half-closed its eyes, feeling sleepy and oblivious to whether it was shedding fur or not.
Inside the room, there was not a single sound. Lou Ting’s actions remained consistent and meticulous throughout.
After a while, the soft sound of the black panther’s snoring could be heard, very light.
The audience in the livestream went from enthusiastically spamming the chat to gradually reducing their comments.
ćI don’t know why, but I feel like my messages would ruin the overall atmosphere.ć
ć…I feel the same way (whispers).ć
After Lou Ting finished grooming the back of the panther, he patted its back and said, “Turn over.”
The black panther glanced at him, and Lou Ting glared back. If news got out that He Yunzhou’s beast form appeared in a trainee’s dormitory, he would trend on the hot search for a whole year. He nearly got himself into big trouble, so could the panther please cooperate while getting groomed?
The black panther felt guilty and reluctantly turned over, exposing its soft belly, and placed its two front paws in front of its body.
ćAhh! So obedient!ć
ćThis is just too adorable! I now believe he’s not He Yunzhou. How could the great Boss He, someone who has been on the battlefield, be so cutesy and aegyo?ć
ćTing Ting, forget about singing, dancing, or rapping on stage. Take the panther with you and groom it live!ć
Lou Ting smoothed the fur on the panther’s belly, put down the brush, and turned to end the livestream.
But before he could press the button, he received a message from Fang Huandong.
Fang Huandong: ćSinging, dancing, and rapping are all part of a performance! Those are in the livestream and will be edited and posted online for voting. If you groom the cat live, how can I put you in the Star Show section? It can only go in the Cute Pets section!ć
Lou Ting paused, just thinking about extending the stream duration, but he didn’t expect they would edit and air it later. Upon closer thought, his livestream was mostly just eating and grooming the cat, with no footage suitable for the Star Show section.
“Ahem.” Lou Ting thought for a moment and suddenly said, “Wait for me.”
Amidst the inquiries from the livestream audience, Lou Ting quickly ran to the instrument room under the cover of the night.
The room was not locked, and various musical instruments from different eras and regions were stored inside for all the guests and trainees to use.
Lou Ting picked up a guitar that looked like it was made of high-quality wood, but he couldn’t tell the specific material. It was probably a special type of wood from the star system.
After tuning the guitar, Lou Ting sat beside the black panther’s belly with the instrument.
The black panther noticed his actions as it lay on its side and moved its head slightly, making a sound, “Ao.”
Lou Ting smiled at the black panther and bared his teeth, causing the panther to instinctively retract its teeth. Lou Ting patted its head and said to the camera, “It’s getting late, so I’ll sing a ballad for everyone. Today’s livestream will end here.”
ćGreat!ć
ćTing Ting is the best!ć
*Click*
The handsome young man’s lips curled up, and his slender, fair fingers gently tapped the edge of the guitar, producing a hollow echo.
The lingering reverberation gradually calmed the restless hearts of those listening, for some reason.
His fingertips plucked the guitar strings, and a soft melody flowed from the instrument. Lou Ting lightly sang, “On a warm afternoon, I lazily raise my head and look…”
His relaxed tone, accompanied by the laziness of the afternoon, and his clear and soothing voice made anyone listening feel at ease.
The weariness and stress from a busy day melted away under the spell of his song.
Each warm lyric painted a beautiful picture of the afternoon.
As he continued singing, Lou Ting reached the line, “Walking on a small path by the street, a cat is smiling at me…” At that moment, he turned his head towards the black panther watching him, his lips slightly curved, as if saying, “It’s about you, little cat.”
The panther seemed nonchalant, but it squinted its eyes and softly ‘ao’ed in response.
The simple melody came to an end, and Lou Ting said, “That’s it for today’s livestream. Goodbye.”
ćAh, no way! I haven’t had enough yet!ć
ćWhat? You immersed me in your singing and now you want to end the stream? I won’t allow you to do that!ć
Ignoring the fans’ desperate attempts to keep the stream going, Lou Ting manipulated the equipment to bring it closer to him and raised his hand to end the livestream.
With the stream over, today’s work had come to an end as well. Lou Ting leaned against He Yunzhou and stretched lazily.
Should he say it or not? The panther’s belly was very soft, so he could lay on it for quite a while without feeling tired.
The good-natured panther didn’t rush him.
Lou Ting casually groomed the panther a few more times.
He Yunzhou said, “I ordered takeout. I’ll go wash my hands and get ready to eat.”
Lou Ting asked, “Why suddenly decide to order takeout?”
“The canteen’s food is mediocre. I selected a few dishes that are not only delicious but also healthy. They will be delivered by a dedicated service. From now on, you don’t need to buy food from the canteen.”
Lou Ting nodded, looking at the black panther, and asked, “How come you can talk without transforming back into your human form?”
He Yunzhou replied, “When you get used to transforming between animal and human forms, you’ll discover that you can do much more than you can now. It’s just a matter of practice.”
Lou Ting nodded again, realizing that He Yunzhou was right. It was true that practice makes perfect, and he wasn’t in a hurry.
Seeing Lou Ting’s hesitation, He Yunzhou urged him, “Get up and let’s have dinner.”
“Okay.” Lou Ting stood up in response.
He Yunzhou stared at his back and suddenly widened his eyes. “Youā”
“What’s wrong?” Sensing that something was off in his tone, Lou Ting turned to look at him, and with a quick glance, he noticed that there seemed to be something on his back.
After coming back from the shower, he didn’t have time to change into a new team uniform before starting the livestream.
The pink top of his uniform was covered in black fur!
āāIt must have stuck to him when he leaned against He Yunzhou!
There were also some on his pants.
But his back was clean, which meant that the real panther, He Yunzhou, didn’t shed any fur. All the fur he had brushed off earlier ended up sticking to his own body.
Would he be held responsible for this? Would He Yunzhou ask him to pay for each strand of fur?
Lou Ting thought about the astronomical numbers he owed, and with the additional cost of cleaning his clothes, he couldn’t afford it. So he decided to take the initiative and blame He Yunzhou for it. Whoever was behind the pot should take responsibility.
“You shed fur and got my clothes dirty,” Lou Ting frowned, scratching his clothes a couple of times. “I still need to wear them tomorrow. You’ll clean them for me later.”
After speaking, Lou Ting didn’t even give He Yunzhou a chance to retort. He turned and went into the bathroom.
He Yunzhou: “???”
He Yunzhou used his paws to brush himself, but there was no fur shedding at all.
The big black panther was left baffled.
—
In less than a few hours after the livestream ended, Lou Ting’s name rushed to the forefront of the trending topics.
A few popular topics had already emerged during his livestream, but they weren’t as hot as this one.
But after the livestream, the fans showcased their strengths, editing videos, making memes, and photoshopping images. One big fan even bought a trending topic on Weibo, sparking a series of discussions.
The top trending topic was #Lou Ting’s Livestream Acapella#
In the video, Lou Ting was half-sitting, leaning against the big cat, with his left leg bent to support the guitar. As he strummed the strings, he sang with a clear and energetic voice. The edited video carried a magical charm that could instantly relax people.
Many netizens praised it generously, with reposts, likes, and comments flooding in.
After taking a nap, Lou Ting woke up to find that he had gained over a hundred thousand new followers.
The acapella video went viral, not only among the entertainment circles but also in other industries, with the business community also sharing it. They were all curious about whether that black panther was really He Yunzhou?!
Although no one could reach a definite conclusion in the end, it didn’t stop them from wildly speculating.
Lou Ting was oblivious to his online popularity. When he got up, he noticed his neatly washed and folded team uniform placed beside the pillow.
He Yunzhou happened to return at that moment and placed the packed breakfast down. He said, “I need to go out for a while. I might not make it back in time for tonight, so remember to lock the door when you rest.”
At first, Lou Ting didn’t understand why He Yunzhou was briefing him on his schedule. But when he heard the latter half of the sentence, he couldn’t help but smile. He realized that He Yunzhou was afraid of a repeat of the last livestream incident. Under He Yunzhou’s watchful eyes, Lou Ting nodded and said, “Got it.”
After He Yunzhou left, Lou Ting finished his breakfast on the bed before coming down. As for the hot milk… Lou Ting glanced at it and decided to leave it untouched.
When he finished changing into his training clothes and was about to head to the training room, he received a text message from an unknown number.
[Hello, we are from the Imperial Medical Center. Your younger brother, Lou Yu, has been seriously injured in a car accident and is currently being treated at our hospital. Please come and sign the surgical agreement as soon as possible.]
Seeing this message, Lou Ting’s first reaction was that it was a scam call.
But then he thought, “Lou Yu? The name sounds familiar.”
Oh, right, the original host’s younger brother?
A car accident?
Looking at the words “car accident,” Lou Ting tried hard to suppress his urge to burst into laughter.
If it weren’t for the fact that Lou Yu was still of use to him, Lou Ting would have been tempted to prepare an urn for him right now. It was a great opportunity with the shopping festival going on; they had discounted cremation urns available.
Lou Ting thought for a moment and decided to send a leave request to Fang Huandong. After all, his younger brother being involved in a car accident was a significant event, and since they were currently only practicing in the training room and not performing on stage, taking a leave should be feasible.
Fang Huandong didn’t make things difficult and granted the leave without any issues. As the director, he knew that not allowing Lou Ting to take a break now might lead to negative publicity later if news of his brother’s accident leaked out, portraying him as heartless.
After receiving the leave approval from Director Fang, Lou Ting changed into casual clothes and put on a pair of sunglasses. Recently, he had been trending online quite a bit, so it was better to disguise himself a bit.
As he was about to leave, Lou Ting hesitated for a moment when he saw the soy milk on the bedside table but decided to take it with him to drink on the way.
Lou Ting wasn’t familiar with the route, so he took a taxi to the Imperial Medical Center.
By the time he arrived, it was already three hours later.
Lou Ting approached the inquiry desk and asked, “Excuse me, can you tell me where Lou Yu is?”
The nurse took out a registration book and said, “Lou Yu, the little boy who came in after the car accident?”
Lou Ting nodded, “Yes.”
“He is in the seventh-floor ward,” the nurse replied.
“In the ward?” Lou Ting furrowed his brows, “Has his surgery been completed?”
Without undergoing surgery, how could he be directly transferred to the ward?
“Yes,” the nurse replied. After Lou Ting’s reminder, she suddenly remembered that the fees had not been paid yet, so she added, “Lou Yu’s hospitalization and surgery fees haven’t been settled. Can you pay them here?”
Lou Ting didn’t answer her question directly but instead asked, “Didn’t you say that surgery requires a family member’s signature? I haven’t arrived yet, so how was the surgery performed?”
Upon hearing this question, the nurse’s heart raced, and she hurriedly checked the records, “You’re right. Lou Yu’s older brother signed for him.”
His older brother?
Lou Ting couldn’t help but sneer internally. His biological older brother hadn’t even arrived yet, so who could take his place and sign for Lou Yu?
Lou Ting kept his emotions hidden and only said, “I’m his friend. His parents couldn’t make it, so they entrusted me to come and check on him. I will contact his family to settle the payment as soon as possible.”
“Okay,” the nurse replied and didn’t bring up the payment issue again. “He is on the seventh floor, Room 701. You can go directly there.”
Lou Ting nodded, “Thank you.”
The Imperial Medical Center was a private hospital with complete facilities. Besides the hospital in the Imperial Palace, it was considered top-notch in the Empire.
Taking the elevator up, I could still see the scenery outside, and even the potted plants were meticulously trimmed.
On the seventh-floor corridor, the walls were covered with soft materials, and handrails were installed at waist height, paying attention to every little detail.
Moreover… the rooms here were all single rooms. The price was not cheap.
If it were the original owner, he would probably rush over immediately upon hearing about his younger brother’s accident, not bothering to ask any questions, and simply use all the hard-earned money to pay for his brother’s hospitalization, surgery, and other expenses.
But… I, Lou Ting, wouldn’t waste my money on such unnecessary expenses.
I stood in front of the door, politely knocked twice, then pushed it open, “I heard you had a car accident? The doctor’s message was sent to me.”
As I spoke, I saw the two people inside the room and suddenly frowned.
However, upon seeing me, the other person’s expression eased, and he stood up with a smile, “Lou Ting, you finally came. Xiao Yu cried for a long time, wanting to see his brother.”
“You, why can’t brothers talk things out? Just speak up. Xiao Yu said you two had a fight before? Oh my, it’s not me saying this, but you, look at you, such a grown-up, still arguing with a child like Xiao Yu. He’s only eleven years old and still in school.”
Lou Ting glanced at Lou Yu, whose appearance clearly exceeded the age of eleven, and calmly said, “He doesn’t look like he’s eleven.”
The man’s confident words came to a halt, and his eyes showed surprise, seemingly not expecting me to challenge him. He said, “Kids grow up fast, it’s normal.”
Lou Ting remained silent. The original owner had asked the same question before and was dismissed by the other person. But at this moment, he truly sensed that something was amiss.
Lou Yu should be eleven years old.
But the way Lou Yu looked now… couldn’t be described as just growing up too fast.
His silence made the atmosphere awkward. Lou Yu, who had woken up by then, saw the man by the bedside and called out, “Brother.”
The man quickly turned around, “Xiao Yu, you’re awake? Calling your brother again, it seems you really miss your brother Lou Ting.”
Lou Yu frowned, seemingly a bit confused, “What? Brother, are you…?”
“Brother is here!” The man quickly interrupted him, taking a few steps forward, wanting to reveal Lou Ting behind him. But when he glanced sideways, he was blocked by the corner, so Lou Yu couldn’t see him.. The man had no choice but to repeat, “Your brother Lou Ting is here. Look, the child is missing his brother so much, he’s even crying. Lou Ting, come and see him quickly.”
Lou Ting walked out, looking at Lou Yu lying silently on the hospital bed.
Upon seeing him, Lou Yu had more to say, “Why are you here? I don’t want to see you!”
Even though he spoke harsh words after the accident, his eyes were red, making him look like a stubborn and pitiful child.
But Lou Ting didn’t have any good feelings towards Lou Yu. Lou Yu had always treated the original owner as free labor and his personal ATM. If he couldn’t gain any benefits from the original owner, he wouldn’t even bother to show any kindness.
The original owner was just naive, attributing the cold treatment to Lou Yu’s bad mood, not taking it to heart at all.
Lou Ting couldn’t be bothered to act in this fake display of brotherly love and simply said, “Let me leave? Fine, bye.”
If you play hard to get, then I’ll just walk away. I won’t fall for your tricks. As an actor, Iām the professionally trained one here. Why bother pretending in front of me with your poor acting skills?
With that in mind, Lou Ting felt even more unwilling to engage.
“Hey, Lou Ting, what’s wrong with you? Xiao Yu is on the verge of tears. Can’t you stop arguing with the child?” The man realized the situation was unfavorable and hurriedly followed, “Look at yourself, you’re a grown-up, and you’re getting angry with a child.”
“He already told me about what happened before. There’s really no need for you to do this. He’s young and doesn’t know any better, but are you young too?”
“Listen to me, just go back and talk to Xiao Yu nicely, and everything will be fine. He’s hot-tempered, but he calms down quickly. There’s no need to make things so ugly.”
“Trust me, we’ve been good friends for so many years. Do you really think I would harm you?”
Hearing this, Lou Ting abruptly stopped in his tracks.
The man was catching up, but Lou Ting stopped just in time to avoid a collision. He quickly moved aside, avoiding the awkward situation.
Lou Ting turned around, looking at him expressionlessly, calmly sizing him up.
Facing each other in silence seemed somewhat awkward. The man coughed lightly and said, “Listen to me, stop making a scene. Go back and apologize to Xiao Yu. Consider it for the sake of our brotherhood, alright?”
Lou Ting’s lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of sarcasm.
Brotherhood? How shameless.
If it weren’t for you, the original owner could have easily made money in the entertainment industry with his looks alone. But because of your interference, the original owner led a miserable life.
You were nothing but an accomplice in the death of the original owner.
But it wasn’t the time to expose everything yet. Lou Ting didn’t explode on the spot. Instead, he showed a slightly puzzled and aggrieved expression as he asked, “Fu Chongshan, do you really think this is my fault? That Iām wrong?”
**********
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