Chapter 14: Melon Seeds and Walnuts

Previously, Yan Jin would not bring snacks into his bedroom to eat. Part of the reason was because he did not have a heavy appetite, and the other part was to maintain the cleanliness of his bedroom. Maybe it was after he started keeping Xiao Yu, but the desk was so messy that you could not unsee it — yet he did not feel bothered. During the night, he would bring some snacks into the room and share it with Xiao Yu. Before that though, he never failed to bring Xiao Yu to the bathroom for a shower.

This time around he brought a bag of tomato-flavored walnuts. He opened the bag and there was an incoming phone call.

As for work-related matters, Yan Jin rarely handled them during the weekends. His subordinates knew his habit, so a phone call at this time would mean that it was either an urgent matter from work or his friend had gotten into trouble. Whichever it was, he had to deal with it seriously.

He placed the packet of walnuts onto the table and then moved to the side of the window to take the call.

A piece of walnut rolled out from the packaging.

Xiao Yu ran over, picked up the walnut and gnawed his teeth on it. After all these times they had spent together, he was very clear on Yan Jin’s degree of leniency on him – Yan Jin was even willing the eat the melon seeds he peeled, so he wouldn’t mind him taking a little snack.

Previously, Xiao Yu always thought that Mr. Chairman was obsessed with cleanliness and had to disinfect his office several times a day. When Xiao Yu became closer to him, he realized that those assumptions about Yan Jin did not exist. Yan Jin’s villa was only scheduled for cleaning once a week and he tidied his bedroom himself. He did not pay particular attention to his daily life, kept a stray hamster with an unknown background, and even consumed melon seeds peeled by a hamster.

Therefore, there are some assumptions you can’t make.

In fact, Yan Jin could be considered a low-key chairperson. Xiao Yu occasionally saw Yan Jin’s group of friends on social media – his official account mostly had official statement releases that were work-related. As for his personal account – which seemed to be more active – the feeds were mostly shared news on interesting events and famous designs. They never contained a selfie, and he rarely flaunted his financial status. Most of the updates recently were even secretly-taken photos of Xiao Yu sleeping.

That kind of life was truly meaningless, uneventful, and unbelievable.

Xiao Yu suddenly felt sorry for Yan Jin – if he didn’t know how to enjoy life, then what was the point of earning so much money?

Public rumors said that Yan Jin practiced asceticism. Not true. Yan Jin’s character was filled with a natural gene for evilness that was very easy to ignite. If he really had to say something, ‘tyrant’ seemed to be most suitable.

Xiao Yu gnawed on the walnut as he wondered about these random thoughts.

Don’t look down on a hamster’s teeth — Xiao Yu could cleanly peel that walnut and perfectly remove the seed from its shell. In fact, he really did so.

When comparing the natural ability to peel a walnut, a human could never win over a hamster. Xiao Yu thought of this in joy.

Xiao Yu was truly bored. He heard that a walnut’s seed resembled the human brain. Previously, he never had the skill to peel a walnut perfectly before – it was good enough that he did not crush the entire thing into bits in a bite – now that he had a chance… Xiao Yu placed the two broken pieces of walnut seeds together on the table.

It looked like a brain?

Xiao Yu stared at the walnut seed intently before realizing that he did not know what exactly the human brain looked like.

Fine, then off into the mouth it goes.

Xiao Yu stretched his paws, but they did not reach the walnut.

Not only was he unable to reach it, the distance became even further.

SQUEAK!

He was picked up!!!!

Xiao Yu did not need to look back to know which idiot who picked him up all of a sudden.

“Fishy…” Yan Jin’s deep voice came from behind: “You even know how to peel walnut?”

“Squeakkkkk.” Any hamster can do that, you idiot.

Yan Jin held Xiao Yu at eye level and looked at him: “Fishy, are you a spiritual being?”

That sentence made Xiao Yu stiffen for a whole second.

Could it be that Yan Jin realized that something was wrong with him? Wait, how could anyone think that a hamster is a spiritual being just because he could peel a walnut!

“SQUEAKK!” Yan Jin! Quickly put me down!

Yan Jin completely ignored Xiao Yu’s miserable screaming. He tucked the hamster near his chest and continued the phone call.

“The matter you’re talking about, I’m aware of it now. Let me ask you a question, can hamster gnaw open a walnut just like how they can break open a melon seed?”

Xiao Yu was quite close to the phone as he heard a very clear voice coming from the other end of the phone call –

“Obviously! How could you not know such a thing?”

Yan Jin angrily hung up the call and placed Xiao Yu back onto the table.

The moment Xiao Yu touched the ground, he immediately charged forward and ate the walnut seed at lightning speed.

He did not forget what Yan Jin did to his melon seeds, and he would never ever give Yan Jin a second chance.

Amused by Xiao Yu’s cute, overprotective reaction to his food, Yan Jin couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

Xiao Yu had his back facing him as he munched on his walnut and recalled the voice he heard from that phone call.

It was Chu Ge again.

Even if he could not verify his voice, he could tell from the tone that the person talking to Yan Jin was Chu Ge.

Ever since the day Yan Jin became his owner, Chu Ge was the only visitor to this villa.

That was not normal.

Although he couldn’t point out what was wrong exactly, Xiao Yu could sense that Yan Jin was different from the average person.

Not that he was different from a normal person – it was normal for a chairperson to be different from a normal person – but from an average person’s point of view, Yan Jin’s life was too abnormally antisocial.

Did that mean that Yan Jin disliked getting close to others? Just like how Hibari Kyoya¹ hated crowds?

Xiao Yu felt that explanation didn’t seem right. It may be normal in the 2D world, but how could there be such weirdos in actual society?

However, Xiao Yu very quickly forgot about that question – whether Yan Jin was normal or not had nothing to do with him. He wished that Yan Jin would instantly go crazy and then SI would become the leading design corporation.

Suddenly, a walnut rolled into Xiao Yu’s view like a very obvious trap, waiting for him to leap into it.

What a joke, was he a stupid hamster?

Xiao Yu couldn’t bear to look at that walnut anymore as he walked back to his small house.

Halfway through, just as he expected, he was stopped by Yan Jin.

“Fishy.” Yan Jin put Xiao Yu onto his palm and rubbed him. When he released his hand, he grabbed a few pieces of melon seeds and placed it before Xiao Yu’s eyes, speaking in a low voice: “Peel walnuts for me and I’ll give you five melon seeds, deal?”

Xiao Yu couldn’t be bothered – he would never waste his efforts for just peanuts.

Yan Jin grabbed more melon seeds: “Ten?”

Xiao Yu remained unmoved.

“Fifteen.”

Xiao Yu immediately turned around and grabbed the walnut.

“Squeakkk.” Seeing how sincere you are, I shall reluctantly agree to your request.

Kacha-kacha. With just a few bites, Xiao Yu perfectly peeled the shell off and placed the walnut seed onto the table. When he raised his head and saw a black camera flash.

Yan Jin successfully captured that rare scene which made him felt good.

Xiao Yu was already used to being photographed by Yan Jin; he could even position himself in a nicer angle right before the snapshot, in exchange that he would not be used to make emoticons.

A few days later, Chu Ge visited Yan Jin again. This time around, it was because of his duty as the family doctor to conduct a health checkup on Yan Jin.

Yet, even an amateur like Xiao Yu could see that the checks that Chu Ge did were very, very routine. It was basically like those long tables set up at the entrance of his neighborhood to take blood pressure for the elderly residents.

Xiao Yu munched on his melon seeds and watch the scene with interest.

The routine-check soon ended and before Chu Ge left, he noticed Xiao Yu who was on the tea set trying to get some attention.

The first sentence he said was, “Oh, Fishy, you’re still alive.”

Xiao Yu: ……

Yan Jin frowned: “If you can’t say anything good, then shut up. Otherwise I can’t guarantee that I won’t tear that mouth of yours.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, fine, I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Chu Ge said unhappily, “Not needing your friends anymore after keeping this pet.”

“What use do I need you for?” Yan Jin replied without a second thought.

Chu Ge widened his eyes as he was unable to voice any replies to that sentence.

The role he was needed for was so important! If it wasn’t for the sake of this bastard, Yan Jin, who would want to get involved with the Yan family! Why did he not just live a peaceful life as a renowned surgeon instead of coming all the way to Yan Jin to create havoc!?

Sigh, that was the friend he acknowledged – he had to stick by it even if he had to suffer.

Chu Ge pointed his finger at Xiao Yu: “I have got to be more useful than that!”

When Yan Jin heard that, his lips curled upwards eerily. He stood up and walked towards the bedroom and took out a bag of walnuts. He poured a few pieces onto the tea set under Chu Ge’s confused gaze.

Xiao Yu understood by heart. He unleashed his skills and peeled a pile of walnut seeds perfectly in an instant.

Then, Xiao Yu very gentlemanly pushed that pile of walnut seeds before Yan Jin, raised his head arrogantly and watched the dumbstruck Chu Ge.

“How’s that, Fishy is more capable than you.” Yan Jin smiled as he grabbed one and threw it into his mouth.

Chu Ge glanced at Xiao Yu and then turned to face Yan Jin.

Goddammit, didn’t they say that spiritual beings don’t exist?!

“Is it that shocking?” Yan Jin waved his hand in front of the distracted Chu Ge: “Didn’t I ask you whether hamsters could peel walnuts or not?”

Chu Ge was in fact, innocent. He cried, “How would I know you’re referring to this?!”

For a normal hamster to be able to peel walnut, that wasn’t a big deal. But to peel walnuts for their owner? That’s unheard of! Could this hamster really be a demon?

Chu Ge was quite scared of the supernatural, so he could only console himself mentally: No, no, no, it’s probably just Fishy being too intelligent. It must be.

Yan Jin simply ignored Chu Ge’s stupid expression. He had known Chu Ge for years, he was already used to that fellow’s silly acts. So not only could Yan Jin see the horror in Chu Ge’s eyes, he even handed over a walnut seed to him:

“Have some, improves your brain.”

Chu Ge waved his hand frantically: “Not eating, not eating. I’m leaving.”

Xiao Yu, who did not realize that he was so close to getting exposed, even thought that he had shocked Chu Ge as he became proud of himself.

“Why leave, stay for a meal.” Yan Jin laughed.

“No, no, no. You…” Chu Ge hesitated for a moment but still decided to continue, “That hamster of yours is too demonic, there’s no such hamster that would peel walnuts for a human.”

Yan Jin replied, “That’s because I’ve trained it well.”

“Such things can be trained?” Chu Ge questioned doubtfully.

“Of course, aren’t cats and dogs trainable? Let’s have lunch, a whole morning of checkups is making me feel starved…”

After the meal, the two amateur pet owners ultimately concluded Xiao Yu’s weird actions with their illogical answers. Hence, this successfully saved Xiao Yu from getting exposed. How gratifying.

Translator’s Note:

[1] Hibari Kyoya – a character in Japanese animation, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, who absolutely hates crowds.