During the New Year, An Jin returned home with me. Yuan Xiao pounced as usual but was quickly caught by An Jin. Yuan Xiao, dissatisfied, saw An Jin as the culprit ruining its happiness and wanted to attack him. Before I could stop it, An Jin calmly patted its neck and said, “Stop.”
Yuan Xiao hesitated, then walked away dejectedly, leaving our family wide-eyed. I was surprised; I never expected An Jin to have dog-training skills.
From then on, Yuan Xiao would obey the “stop” command, helping me prevent further attacks.
Yuan Xiang circled around me, letting out happy whimpers after confirming An Jin had followed.
“This fellow can only be managed by a son-in-law!” Mom suddenly asked, “A Yao, does your son-in-law know Yuan Xiang’s origins?”
I shook my head. “I’ve never mentioned it. He hasn’t asked.”
“That’s good,” she sighed. “I was afraid he knew Yuan Xiang was—”
“Mom,” I smiled, “You’re overthinking it.”
Speaking of Yuan Xiang’s origins, I can’t help but mention some aborted romances from my adolescence.
The first was Duan Chang, son of a senior compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Although he had ordinary looks, he was gentle and from a wealthy family. We drank tea and chatted, and after a few dates, I considered entrusting my future to him. However, I saw him coming out of the Linglong Pavilion, known for men who love men. I realized I couldn’t accept sharing a future husband with another man and suggested he consider his sexual orientation. His expression was complex, and he never appeared again.
The second man was Xia Zhichun, the third prince of Qi Kingdom. Our relationship developed dramatically, but the Qi Kingdom suffered a massive defeat in battle with Western Liang, which resulted in him becoming a hostage. He left and never returned.
The last was Zheng Huo, Yuan Xiang’s previous owner, the son of a Western Liang merchant. He was handsome, and we met at the Sunshine Moon Study, where he praised my paintings. We got along wonderfully.
He traveled with several attendants and a few small dogs, including Yuan Xiang, who was only three months old, round and tender like a large glutinous rice ball. Seeing I liked her, Zheng Huo gifted Yuan Xiang to me.
