Chapter 190

190 Gossip Takes the Blame

Duan Jiazhe hit the stop button on the video, leaned back in his office chair, and glanced at Lu Ya, his expression clearly saying, “Go ahead, start whining.”

Lu Ya, clearly agitated, shot back, “Nonsense! When did I ever…!” He couldn’t even say the words, his frustration bubbling over.

Duan Jiazhe simply raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing. “Didn’t you? Anyway, that behavior counts in our human realm.”

Lu Ya huffed, not wanting to admit anything. He crossed his arms tightly, his voice low and defensive. “Earlier, I was just disciplining you. How dare you spread rumors to outsiders?”

Duan Jiazhe almost laughed out loud, but he suppressed it, lowering his gaze to his notebook. He glanced at his to-do list, trying not to grin. “Whatever you say, boss.”

The calmness in Duan Jiazhe’s tone only fueled Lu Ya’s frustration. His glare sharpened as he tried to provoke a reaction, but Duan Jiazhe didn’t budge.

Then, Duan Jiazhe suddenly lifted his gaze, his voice turning serious. “Don’t you think what you did was a bit much?”

Lu Ya froze. “What?”

Duan Jiazhe repeated, his tone even, “Don’t you think what you did was too much? I’m talking about earlier, when you accused me.”

Lu Ya’s face went blank, then darkened. His emotions were always right there on the surface, and now, his pride was on the line. He wasn’t sure how to respond. There was a tight, unfamiliar feeling in his chest, and he was completely unsure of how to handle it.

Duan Jiazhe didn’t let up, tapping his pen on the table with a rhythmic click. “You hinted at it, and I responded thoughtfully. But you’ve been calling me by my full name the whole time.”

Lu Ya stared, speechless. His thoughts raced. Was Duan Jiazhe really making him rethink this?

Duan Jiazhe didn’t stop there. “So, do you think you’re being unreasonable? Why do you always try to make me happy?”

Lu Ya’s mind went blank for a moment. He’d been caught off guard and had no comeback. After a beat, his voice finally broke the silence. “…Jiajia?”

Duan Jiazhe looked down again, flipping through his notebook, pretending to focus. “Yeah, almost.”

Lu Ya’s cheeks flushed with realization, his annoyance bubbling up. With a loud “thud,” he slammed his empty teacup on the table, his voice rising, “I’m not happy!”

The White Dolphin Mating Season

It was spring—mating season for the white dolphins. As the once-thriving species swam to cleaner waters, ready to mate before the next generation arrived, their reproductive success had become a global spectacle.

Duan Jiazhe had heard about the white dolphins living at the Aquatic Research Institute, their courtship drawing more attention than even the giant pandas. The media buzz was palpable, the dolphins’ romance streaming live to viewers worldwide. But Duan Jiazhe couldn’t bear to watch the stream when he noticed Bai Haibo’s face among the experts. His presence unsettled him—an awkward reminder of things left unsaid.

Still, Duan Jiazhe checked the updates later, learning that the dolphins had successfully courted, though it was unclear if they had conceived. If all went well, the next spring would bring a new calf.

But Bai Haibo, for all his involvement in guiding the dolphins’ welfare, never made a fuss about his part in it. For Duan Jiazhe, Bai Haibo’s work felt like a quiet miracle.

Bai Haibo’s Visit

After the season ended, Bai Haibo made his way to Lingyuan, cautious, but eager. He arrived and was greeted not by Duan Jiazhe, but by the animals sent from the institute. Xiaoqing, always a bundle of curiosity, called out to him, “Are you still matchmaking at the Aquatic Research Institute? Is it over?”

Bai Haibo only rolled his eyes, considering the suggestion of being a matchmaker, but nodded nonetheless. He had never been one to shy away from such labels—yet this time, there was more on his mind. Xiao Qing’s casual remark about the dragons intrigued him.

And then it hit him. Could it be that the boy, the one always with the cat, was more than he appeared?

A Secret Revealed

When Bai Haibo finally met Duan Jiazhe, he couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “Director, Xiao Peng’s identity is extraordinary, right?” he asked.

Duan Jiazhe gave him a sidelong glance, “Oh, yes.”

Bai Haibo’s eyes widened. “It’s really him? A dragon?”

Duan Jiazhe chuckled, shaking his head. “No, no. He’s not a dragon. He’s a Kunpeng.”

Bai Haibo blinked, his mouth slightly agape. “A Kunpeng?” he repeated, in awe.

Duan Jiazhe just smiled, knowing that Bai Haibo would soon realize there were more secrets here than even he could uncover.

Baozhu’s Visit

The day Baozhu arrived, Bai Haibo couldn’t help but feel small. She wasn’t just any water creature. She emanated the strength of the dragon clan, and it made him uneasy. Her calm demeanor was laced with an unspoken power that he couldn’t ignore.

She greeted him politely but firmly, asking him about his work, then offered suggestions for improvement. As she spoke, Bai Haibo couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of respect—maybe even reverence.

After her visit, Duan Jiazhe casually told him, “I’ll call Baozhu and let you meet the dragon clan…”

Bai Haibo was shaken. “What? No, no, no…” he stammered. But it was too late. Duan Jiazhe had already noticed. “You’re not pretending to like dragons, are you?” Duan Jiazhe teased, raising an eyebrow.

Bai Haibo exhaled slowly, “No, of course not.”

Xiao Rong and the Gossip

Later, a photo surfaced online—Xiao Rong kissing someone at a banquet. The internet went wild, creating rumors about his sexuality. It quickly escalated, with media outlets bringing up old gossip about his past relationships.

Duan Jiazhe, while not personally invested, was drawn into the scandal when a colleague from the zoo suggested that his “boyfriend” was none other than Duan Jiazhe himself. Duan Jiazhe rolled his eyes and quickly changed his WeChat profile to a photo of himself and Lu Ya, just to shut down the rumors.

His classmates, ever the gossipers, bombarded him with questions, and Duan Jiazhe’s only response was, “No, no, my boyfriend is hotter than Xiao Rong!” His classmates, of course, were left in complete confusion.

Xiao Rong’s Reveal

Xiao Rong, feeling cornered by the media frenzy, finally logged into his long-forgotten Weibo account and posted a statement acknowledging that his sexual orientation was unconventional. The internet went wild, crashing his account with the sheer volume of traffic.

But Xiao Rong didn’t care. He had no agent, no image to protect anymore. As the journalists continued digging into his past, he stayed silent, letting the storm pass him by. The zoo, meanwhile, carried on its business.

For Duan Jiazhe, the scandal had become a background noise, a part of his life he couldn’t control. He sighed, rolling his eyes. “I should have just posted a statement on the official website from the start. It would have saved everyone the trouble.”