Jiao Bai was wearing a coat over his shirt and trousers. The coat, made of stiff material, reached down to his feet, and the large hood covered his entire head. His hands were tucked inside the sleeves, and he had sunglasses and a mask on his face, wrapping himself up tightly from head to toe.

Such an odd outfit provoked the displeasure of those around him.

It was like seeing a rat in a stinky ditch—even from a distance, you’d feel that it’s dirty.

Jiao Bai stood in front of Shen Ji, facing the chilling coldness in his eyes as he questioned, “Who allowed you to dress like this?”

The old school dog-blood domineering CEO-style[1] line and atmosphere made Jiao Bai’s adrenaline spike. It was his chronic habit acting up. After all, that was the sort of thing he loved reading in comics. He slowly exhaled. When Wang Chuqiu first arrived in South City, it was the hot summer season so he had taken protective measures. However, the Shen family found his attire strange and embarrassing, so they didn’t let him dress that way. Since then, Wang Chuqiu had to wear the clothes prepared by the old butler every time he visited the old residence. He had no say in what he wore on those occasions.

Madam Shen, however, had a particular fondness for natural scenery, so the family gatherings were always held in the front garden on sunny days with the sun directly shining down.

Wang Chuqiu had a tough time. After each family gathering, his exposed face and neck would become red, swollen, itchy, start peeling and form a dense layer of blisters.

Jiao Bai didn't want to endure that kind of suffering. Just thinking about it was terrifying. On the way there, he had forced the driver to stop and hurriedly bought this entire outfit.

Shen Ji’s tone was icy. “Go back and change into something else before coming back.”

Jiao Bai ignored him. As soon as a friend came online, the account logged in automatically. He stared at the Pikachu profile picture, who was second on his friend list. To his surprise, Pikachu wasn’t just a picture—it was alive, moving, and actually spitting fire at him.

Don’t ask why Pikachu has fire-breathing skills[2]. If you insist on asking, the answer is that it’s sick.

The fire seemed almost tangible and Jiao Bai felt like his whole body was burning. In the heat of the moment, he retorted, “I’m not changing.”

Shen Ji hadn’t expected the dog to resist, and was stunned for a moment. His face then hardened. He raised his right hand and Jiao Bai quickly dodged to the side.

At the same time, that hand was intercepted by another force.

Qi Yilao frowned and said, “Lao Shen, how can you get physical without understanding the situation?” He released Shen Ji’s hand, tilted his head to the side, and looked down at Jiao Bai with a very friendly expression, “Xiao Li, do you have a cold? Are you sensitive to the cold?”

Jiao Bai: “...”

If you don’t call me Xiao Li[3], I might even be able to touch your cat's head.

“I don’t have a cold. I have sun dermatitis.” Jiao Bai pushed up the sunglasses that had slipped down.

“Oh, sun dermatitis.” Qi Yilao’s face showed a trace of kindness and understanding, “You’ll need to wear more layers then.”

“Lao Shen, have you taken Xiao Li to the hospital?” Qi Yilao tilted his face slightly. The sun brushed his temples, and cast a golden halo on his straight nose. He stood there like a compassionate saviour.

Shen Ji exhaled a puff of smoke. “No need.”

Qi Yilao sighed and said, “He still needs to go to the hospital for a check-up.” He smiled at Jiao Bai and added, “Lao Shen doesn’t have the time, so you should go by yourself, little one[4].”

Jiao Bai looked at Qi Yilao’s profile picture and wondered if the white cat was about to be rsqzmfkdc to cdzsg.

The white cat was like a lifeless object, making the Pikachu downstairs, which was still spewing fire, look especially comical. They were like two completely different artistic styles.

Jiao Bai gave a cursory greeting and walked alone towards the old residence’s hall. He ignored the two gazes from behind, his steps hurried, wanting only to quickly reach a place without light.

Shen Ji said indifferently, “The person is still the same person, but his temperament has changed.”

Qi Yilao flicked the ash from his cigarette. “Do you know how he was like before?”

Shen Ji narrowed his eyes. He didn't even pay attention to the kid from the Qi family, let alone a little dog like Wang what’s-his-name. “I asked the old butler.”

Qi Yilao held the cigarette between his light-coloured lips. He freed up his hands and elegantly adjusted his suit cuffs. “Lao Shen, that child looks like a withered, yellow weed, but he has a tenacity that doesn’t match his appearance. Just now, he was different yet again compared to last night. He keeps changing like a kaleidoscope. It’s not every day you come across someone like him. You should spend some time to watch over him too.”

Shen Ji’s fingers moved slightly, snapping and crushing the small remaining half of the cigarette. That was just a dog, nothing more.

Jiao Bai drank a bottle of anti-allergy medicine he had brought with him and tossed the empty bottle into the rubbish bin. He sat in the corner, took off his coat, sunglasses and mask, and applied some ointment on his face and neck. He had applied some before leaving but he needed to apply more because he was still worried. Once things settled down, he planned to see a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. He had to cure his dermatitis.

The front garden was bathed in sunshine and the fragrance of flowers filled the air. Jiao Bai leaned against the wall, using the angle to hide from view to discreetly observe the guests arriving for the birthday banquet. Most of them were members of the Shen family, with a few being long-time business partners of the Shen family and friends of the head of the Shen Family.

He didn’t see Shen Er’an, the young master of the Shen family. It was said that he had already returned to school for exams or something.

Jiao Bai wasn’t surprised. Shen Er’an was the result of his father’s one-night of indulgence when he was young. His mother was a tea picker from Mt. Cheng[5]. She barely survived bringing him into the world, and used the remainer of her life to send him to the Shen family.

Shen Er’an’s arrival indirectly led to the death of Shen Ji’s beloved. Shen Ji harboured no affection for him and paid him no attention.

The father and son didn't live together, and rarely dined at the same table. Their encounters felt like those of strangers.

Madam Shen was in a difficult position. After trying to intervene a few times without success, she gave up. Her youngest son only had one heir. Even if they weren’t close, their blood relationship couldn’t be changed.

Jiao Bai yawned. Wang Chuqiu was inconspicuous and had no friends. Consequently, he didn’t need to exchange pleasantries with anymore and was as free as a bird. When he was about to fall asleep in the corner, a large cloud appeared in the sky over the front garden, blocking most of the sun. Madam Shen came out.

Today was her eightieth birthday. If she didn’t reveal it, nobody would be able to tell her actual age. She practiced vegetarianism and recited Buddhist scriptures. She didn’t look particularly aged, and appeared quite energetic.

Madam Shen sat in a wheelchair and was pushed to the hall by her most successful youngest son, the current head of the family, Shen Ji. She held a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, and was dressed simply. The birthday banquet was also modest.

The proceedings were kept simple, with a purely vegetarian menu, as it was every year.

Jiao Bai clicked his tongue and scoffed. It was ironic that an elderly person who looked so kind and benevolent could leash people like dogs.

Regarding this matter, since it involved characters who were not the protagonists, Broken Wings didn’t address it directly or comprehensively. Instead, it was pieced together from the perspectives of several people.


[1] "霸总" (bà zǒng) – means domineering CEO, handsome overpowered businessman – is character trope where the CEO or leader is powerful, assertive, and often has a controlling personality.

[2] 火娃的技能 (huǒ wá de jì néng) – Fire Baby’s technique - huǒ wá – means fire baby and refers to the fire breathing brother in the Chinese animation Calabash Brothers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabash_Brothers).

Fire Baby:


[3] 小李 - (Xiǎo Lǐ) – Little Li - 小(xiǎo) – means little,李 (lǐ) – means plum (is likely a surname) – This nickname has nothing to do with Jiao Bai or Wang Chuqiu’s names. He’s calling him by the complete wrong name.

[4] 小朋友 (xiǎo péngyǒu) translates to "little friend" or "child." 小" (xiǎo) means "small" or "little" and 朋友 (péngyǒu) means "friend." It's a way to address or refer to kids in a friendly, warm or endearing manner.

[5] 蛏山 (Chēng Shān) – Mt. Cheng - 蛏(chēng) means mussel or clam