DSMIS CH71

Chapter 71: Extra 1 – Heibao Gets Jealous

Early on a weekend morning, Jiang Lin walked out of the bathroom, toweling his hair dry. He spotted Director Shen sitting on the bed, twisted around and staring at his pillow with a look of utter tragedy. Taking a few steps forward, Jiang Lin asked:

“What’s wrong? What are you looking at?”

Shen Xing looked up, his eyebrows practically tied into knots:

“I feel like I’m going bald.”

Leaning in, Jiang Lin noticed about a dozen stray hairs scattered across Shen Xing’s pillow towel. He affectionately ruffled the man’s head:

“Are you grading the thesis again today?”

The reason for Director Shen’s hair loss was quite simple: his very first batch of graduate students was set to graduate in six months. And naturally, there were a couple of notoriously difficult cases in his research group torturing the newly-turned-thirty Director Shen into premature aging. Shen Xing pulled the duvet over his head, nodded twice, and then kicked his legs furiously beneath the covers:

“Ahhhhhhh! I don’t want to grade the thesis!”

Amused, Jiang Lin sat on the edge of the bed, hugging the giant flailing silkworm cocoon and rocking him gently:

“What do you want for breakfast?”

The cocoon immediately poked its head out:

“I want that pasta you made last time.”

As Jiang Lin headed into the kitchen to cook, Shen Xing drifted out of the bathroom like a wandering ghost and draped himself over Jiang Lin’s back like a sloth. Jiang Lin freed one hand, reaching back to give his rear a light pat:

“It’ll be ready soon.”

“Mm.”

Director Shen had always possessed formidable drive and self-discipline, particularly when it came to academics and clinical work. Jiang Lin had watched him stare intently at surgical videos for five solid hours and chew his way through massive medical tomes where just the introduction spanned tens of thousands of words. But clearly, Director Shen’s drive and self-discipline did not extend to grading his students’ theses.

After breakfast, Jiang Lin watched Shen Xing start stalling for time. One minute he was squishing Qianjin’s chubby cheeks, the next he was playing with Heibao’s tail, and then he would wander over to feel up Captain Jiang. He did absolutely everything except go into the study to “work.”

Jiang Lin didn’t mind being felt up, but they had agreed to take their annual leave together at the end of the month for a road trip. He was genuinely terrified that if Director Shen kept dragging his feet, the theses wouldn’t be finished by then, and Shen Xing would spend the entire drive shedding hair out of stress.

He pulled the man into his arms and suggested carefully:

“How about… going in to review those theses?”

The response he got was Director Shen burying his head into his shoulder. The gesture immediately made Jiang Lin’s heart ache. He turned his head and kissed him:

“Is this teaching requirement mandatory? Can you just not take on students?”

Shen Xing clung to him, nuzzling against his chest, and shook his head:

“No. Our hospital has quotas. I can’t escape it.”

For the first time, Jiang Lin found himself regretting not studying orthopedics; at least then he could have helped Shen Xing shoulder the burden of grading.

After dawdling for over half an hour, Director Shen finally took a deep breath and marched into the study.

The morning sunlight streaming into the study was perfect. When Shen Xing first moved in, Jiang Lin had originally planned to convert another spare bedroom into a second study.

But Shen Xing simply waved a hand and moved all his things straight into Captain Jiang’s study. Over the past two-plus years, the originally stark, minimalist study had undergone a massive transformation.

The spacious desk now featured two chairs facing each other from opposite sides, with two laptops set up head-to-head. Originally, they had split the territory evenly, drawing a clear “Chu River and Han Border” down the middle. But over time, that “Chu River” had steadily shifted its position.

On Captain Jiang’s side, books and files were stacked with immaculate precision, occupying one modest corner of the desk. Meanwhile, Director Shen’s side was a sprawling mountain range of textbooks and documents stacked layer upon layer, gradually annexing the vast majority of the desktop real estate.

By the window sat a beige beanbag sofa, with a small round table in front of it. Beside it was an adorable, natural-wood cabinet shaped like a black-and-white panda, holding the lucky mugs Director Shen had “summoned for duty” from the massive sideboard collection outside. Next to the little panda sat a compact espresso machine. The entire window alcove looked exactly like a cozy little cafe corner.

Jiang Lin followed Shen Xing inside, proactively pulling his chair out for him. Resting his hands on Shen Xing’s shoulders, he gave them a light squeeze and leaned down:

“Director Shen, would you care for some study-room service?”

Shen Xing tilted his head back, nuzzling against the man’s lower abdomen:

“I want pineapple and strawberries and a glass of cola.”

Jiang Lin smiled and ruffled his hair:

“Alright, coming right up.”

Ten minutes later, Jiang Lin returned to wait upon Director Shen with a plate of freshly sliced pineapple, washed strawberries, and a glass of Cola chilled with ice and lemon slices. Then, he sat down opposite him and picked up a book.

When working, Shen Xing adhered to a strict policy of “tackling the hardest obstacles first.” After popping a few pieces of fruit into his mouth, he pulled up the thesis from the student who gave him the most headaches and began editing. Glancing up periodically, Jiang Lin watched the man opposite him knit his brows tighter and tighter, the clatter of his fingers striking the keyboard growing faster and more furious. Jiang Lin genuinely suspected that Director Shen’s margin notes were longer than the actual thesis the kid had written.

Finally, Shen Xing’s hands lifted from the keyboard. He slumped back against his chair, rubbing his eyes:

“Seriously, it’s just one thesis! Why is it this exhausting?! If it still doesn’t pass after this round, I should just write the damn thing for him.”

From his undergraduate years to the present, the number of manuscript rejections Shen Xing had suffered combined didn’t equal the amount of grief this one student’s thesis was giving him. How could it be this hard?!

Jiang Lin laughed:

“Should I secretly let him know that his supervisor is going to write his thesis for him?”

The remark made Shen Xing laugh out of sheer exasperation.

Fortunately, thanks to Director Shen’s “tackle the hardest obstacles first” spirit, the subsequent theses were progressively better. By the afternoon, Director Shen was no longer sitting at the desk, but curled up in the beanbag chair by the window. The moment he raised a hand, Captain Jiang placed a freshly brewed cup of coffee into his palm.

Just by looking at Director Shen’s relaxed brow, Jiang Lin knew the day’s work was nearing its end; Shen Xing was likely reviewing a thesis from one of the top students in his group.

Forty minutes later, as the sky outside began to dim, Shen Xing finally extracted himself from the beanbag chair and rubbed his temples:

“Finally finished them all. If I had to read another page, my head would have exploded. Captain Jiang, I need to replenish my energy tonight.”

Knowing Shen Xing’s palate intimately, Jiang Lin smiled:

“Barbecue or hot pot?”

Shen Xing thought for a moment:

“Barbecue. I’m not that hungry yet. Let’s take Qianjin out for a walk first, and head to the night market once it gets dark. Haven’t been there in a while. I don’t have to work tomorrow, so let’s grab some beer.”

Qianjin had been “losing weight” for over two years now, yet his weight showed absolutely zero downward trend. Still, Shen Xing refused to give up the fight. Smiling, Jiang Lin nodded:

“Deal.”

In the living room, the plump Samoyed was playing fetch with Heibao. However, in terms of both technique and canine IQ, the gap between the two was vast. Heibao could catch the ball with a casual flick of his paw, while Qianjin required a full-room sprint just to reach it. Heibao’s expression and body language clearly showed he had zero interest in the game, yet he still patiently humored Qianjin. Watching the scene, Shen Xing laughed:

“Don’t you think this looks exactly like a domineering CEO and his delicate little wife?”

“Have you been secretly reading the romance novels your nurses bring to the department again?”

“Why would I need to read them? Doesn’t your phone feed you those short-drama ads?!”

“The algorithm might have skipped over a prehistoric artifact like me.”

That evening, Jiang Lin drove them, bringing Heibao and Qianjin along, heading straight for Director Shen’s favorite night market. Because parking there was notoriously difficult, he parked two intersections away, making it a perfect distance to walk the dogs over.

Having been mentally ravaged by academic papers all day, all Shen Xing wanted now was to suck on some spicy river snails, gorge on skewers, and revive himself with a couple of pints of draft beer. He and Jiang Lin, each holding a leash, marched toward the battlefield.

The night market bordered two university campuses, and as night fell, it swelled with a deafening, bustling crowd. Traffic police were directing cars at the campus intersections. Suddenly, Shen Xing felt the leash in his hand pull taut. Turning his head, he saw his chubby white furball trying to bolt to the side. He pulled back on the leash, but the massive, hefty frame stubbornly refused to obey, straining against the collar to fight him.

Following the direction Qianjin was desperately trying to run toward, Shen Xing realized there were SWAT officers on patrol near the university entrance. One of them was holding the leash of a German Shepherd wearing a police K-9 vest. The white furball seemed wildly excited, barking happily at the other dog. Naturally, Shen Xing had no idea what he was saying.

The police dog and the SWAT officer noticed the commotion. Seeing the Samoyed wagging its tail frantically at them, the German Shepherd took two steps forward.

When a seventy-jin semi-truck fires on all cylinders, even an orthopedic surgeon like Shen Xing struggled to hold it back. Digging his heels in and dragging backward, Shen Xing scolded:

“Hey, silly dog, what are you doing?! Have you got the wrong dog?! Your Bao-ge is right behind you!”

Qianjin refused to listen, straining forward with all his might. Left with no choice, Shen Xing was dragged along. Jiang Lin walked behind him holding Heibao’s leash. He had no idea why Qianjin was so determined to head over, but he did happen to recognize one of the SWAT officers on duty.

Figuring he might as well go over and say hello, Jiang Lin tugged Heibao’s leash—only to find that Heibao refused to budge.

The black-and-tan German Shepherd stood there, ears pricked up, radiating a majestic, unapproachable dignity. Jiang Lin looked ahead at Qianjin, who was whining and lunging toward the other German Shepherd, then down at the frosty-faced German Shepherd by his side. For the first time, he felt a headache coming on, unsure how to handle this canine drama.

He rubbed Heibao’s head:

“Jealous?”

For the first time, Heibao didn’t nuzzle into Jiang Lin’s hand; instead, he stubbornly turned his head away.

Jiang Lin gave the leash a gentle tug:

“Qianjin is probably just curious because that dog looks like you. Come on, let’s go say hello properly.”

It took half a day of coaxing, pleading, petting, and massaging before Heibao finally lifted a paw and followed. When they walked over, they saw Qianjin enthusiastically pressing himself against the other dog, raising a paw as if trying to scratch at the police dog’s uniform vest.

Shen Xing quickly scooped him up into his arms:

“Stop squirming! You’re obstructing official duties, do you understand?! If you keep acting up, you can forget about canned food for an entire week!”

The semi-truck was left flailing in Shen Xing’s arms like a New Year’s pig waiting for the butcher. Shen Xing felt incredibly awkward. Thankfully, Jiang Lin stepped up in time, standing beside Shen Xing to greet the SWAT officer he knew.

“Captain Jiang, out for a stroll?”

Jiang Lin glanced at Shen Xing and nodded:

“Yeah, just walking the dogs and hitting the night market.”

The officer looked down, spotting the alert, spirited German Shepherd by Jiang Lin’s side, and immediately guessed its identity. He had heard that Jiang Lin had adopted a highly decorated retired anti-narcotics K-9:

“This is Heibao, right?”

Jiang Lin nodded:

“Yes.”

At that moment, Qianjin was still squirming in Shen Xing’s arms. Heibao’s aura abruptly shifted. His eyes locked onto the other German Shepherd, his posture and gaze turning distinctly aggressive. Jiang Lin quickly knelt to rub his head soothingly. The SWAT officer holding Coffee immediately sensed the tension, pulling Coffee back two steps and glancing at the struggling Samoyed:

“Is that Samoyed Heibao’s emotional support dog?”

Heibao’s stress response had clearly triggered only after seeing the Samoyed attempting to cozy up to Coffee. Jiang Lin chuckled:

“Not exactly an emotional support dog. But I think right now, he’s just jealous.”

Facts proved that Heibao was indeed fiercely jealous. For the very first time, he completely ignored the white furball trying to nuzzle him. That night, all the way until Shen Xing and Jiang Lin finished dinner at the night market and headed home, Heibao refused to walk anywhere near Qianjin. Whenever the white furball tried to edge closer, Heibao would pointedly step aside, leaving Qianjin with nothing but a cold, unforgiving back.