Chapter 3 — The Illusion of Spring Peaches

The camera tilted downward, revealing a tiny ball of fur, Dongpo, curled tightly in the corner of the room. Its minuscule head was tucked firmly between its hind legs, and its entire body trembled like a frightened, fluffy bundle. Its round, watery eyes harbored a faint, flickering trace of stubborn resilience beneath their overwhelming terror. A heavy, prolonged silence descended upon the entire livestream broadcast.

Sobs and exclamations flooded the chat instantly. How could anyone bear to hit such a tiny dog? Dongpo is so small; it musters every ounce of its courage just to bite a bad person! Such a poor little soul! Young Master Ly, are you not going to talk some sense into your own sister? Are you really planning to keep a husband like that around for the New Year?!

I stared at the screen, noticing that the young man was still caught in a whirl of emotional turbulence, and gently reminded him over the feed, First, take Dongpo to the animal hospital for a thorough checkup. I suspect its body is covered in more injuries than we can see.

Upon hearing this, the young man snapped back to reality as if waking from a profound trance. He knelt and scooped the tiny creature into his hands, his movements so excruciatingly gentle that he seemed terrified of breaking it, and turned as if to head straight out the door.

Yet at that exact moment, the doorbell chimed. Frowning slightly, the young man walked over to peer at the screen of the smart video doorbell. Taking in the image displayed before him, he froze, an expression of utter astonishment washing over his features. Hesitating for a brief second, he finally turned the latch and pulled the door open.

Before him stood a man and a woman. The man was tall, strikingly handsome, with bright, clean features and an air of effortless refinement; at a glance, he possessed an extraordinarily dashing demeanor. Beside him stood a woman whose face was deeply haggard, her figure slightly bloated, with hurried makeup that utterly failed to conceal the bone-deep exhaustion etched into her skin.

Sister? Brother-in-law? Why have you two come here? The young man stepped aside to let them cross the threshold.

The comments section exploded in an instant. What the hell! The brother-in-law is drop-dead gorgeous! I simply cannot believe a man like that would ever hit a dog... there has to be a misunderstanding here! Exactly! He is even carrying the bags for his wife; he doesn't look like a bad person at all...

While the audience was buzzing with frantic speculation, the elder sister had already rushed forward the moment she stepped inside, snatching the tiny dog straight from her brother's arms. Dongpo! You scared mommy half to death!

Woof! Woof woof woof! The little dog was overcome with boundless joy, its tail wagging so furiously it resembled an electric fan, while its wet tongue incessantly licked the woman's face. The scene was simultaneously heartwarming and profoundly choking to witness.

Yet before anyone could fully savor the emotional warmth, a piercing shriek echoed through the entire apartment. Ahh! Ly Trach Phong, you are dead meat! Why are there dog paw prints smeared with feces all over the floor?!

The livestream audience fell dead silent for a second. The chat room erupted with chaos. Sister... this is the definitive proof of General Dongpo's armed resistance against oppression... Oh, comrade Honey deserves absolute veneration! Down with tyranny, abolish discrimination! Watch your language up there! You must address him by his proper name: Honey!

The atmosphere within the broadcast room grew wildly chaotic and dramatic. Comments cascaded down the screen in a dense torrent accompanied by roaring laughter, yet deep in the corner of the room, Dongpo's eyes still held a lingering shadow of obscure terror.

The chat room was currently blazing like a wildfire, comments overflowing the screen, but on the other end, the young man sat on pins and needles, his face burning with mortification. It is fine... I will just call a professional cleaning service in a moment...

Before he could finish, his sister glared at him fiercely. Oh, just be quiet for once! Sit down on the sofa and stop making things worse.

With that, she rolled up her sleeves, preparing to clean up the foul mess on the floor with her own hands. But before her fingers could even brush the handle of the mop, her picture-perfect husband stepped smoothly forward, intercepting her wrists with a gentle touch and a voice dripping with honeyed concern.

Vantinh, let me handle it. The last time you tried to mop, you flooded the entire place; thank goodness I noticed in time, otherwise, the wooden flooring would have been completely ruined.

Hearing this, the sister paused, her expression flickering with momentary embarrassment and guilt. The entire livestream audience began to waver slightly in the face of the brother-in-law's attentive attitude—a tall, handsome man who willingly took on household chores.

Yet precisely at that instant, the little dog resting in the sister's embrace emitted a low, vicious growl, its dark eyes locking onto the brother-in-law with venomous intensity.

Grr... woof!

The low, ferocious snarl bore no resemblance whatsoever to its earlier whining. And in the very next second, Dongpo launched itself out of the woman's arms, hurtling forward like a furry projectile straight toward the man's shanks, snapping viciously at his leg!

Had the man's reflexes not been as lightning-fast as a cat's, sidestepping in a split second, he would have been bitten clean.

Dongpo! What on earth are you doing?! the sister cried out in sheer panic, hastily lunging forward to gather the thrashing animal back into her arms.

Even within her grasp, Dongpo continued to bare its sharp teeth, emitting a continuous, rattling growl while glaring at the brother-in-law as though a single second out of its sight was a risk it could not afford.

The comments section went completely ballistic once more. What is wrong with this dog?! I genuinely believe it harbors a deep-seated hatred for the brother-in-law! Come on, the guy is clearly a saint! He proactively cleans the house and plays the chivalrous gentleman. Host, are you entirely certain you aren't just making things up? Who knows... maybe the dog is just playing the pity card to manipulate affections?

Ham Giang, are you alright? the sister asked, clutching Dongpo tightly to her chest as she cast a look of profound anxiety toward her husband.

To Giang, the brother-in-law, merely offered a gentle, beatific smile, his expression entirely unruffled as he shook his head. I am quite fine.

He then lowered his gaze, casting a fleeting, meaningful glance at the struggling animal in his wife's arms before curving his lips into a light, amused smirk. Little beast, your memory is remarkably long-lived, isn't it?

Woof! Woof woof! Refusing to yield an inch, the dog barked twice in clear warning, its entire posture radiating the defiance of one standing before an irreconcilable mortal enemy.

To Giang let out a soft chuckle, offering no further retort. He turned gracefully on his heel, stroking into the storage closet to retrieve an automatic floor-scrubbing machine. His movements remained impeccably elegant and industrious, devoid of even a shred of irritation.

The audience in the livestream split once more into two polarized factions. Oh lord, a brother-in-law who looks this delicious... I simply refuse to believe he could ever abuse an animal! Exactly, look at how chivalrous and tender he is, even helping his wife clean up... it just doesn't make logical sense. I refuse to believe it! I will never believe a hotboy brother-in-law could be a pet abuser! But wait... Dongpo's reaction... is unmistakably one of stark terror mingled with pure hatred...

On the surface, To Giang played the role of the quintessential model husband, yet Dongpo's eyes had never once loosened their vigil. Deep within those glossy, obsidian pupils lay not merely fear, but a dense, raging pool of bitter resentment.

Across the room, the young man furrowed his brows slightly, glancing toward his sister with a tentative question. Sister... why did the two of you suddenly decide to drop by today anyway?

Ly Vantinh stroked the dog's trembling fur, a bittersweet smile touching her lips. I missed Dongpo... so I wanted to come over and check on it for a little while.

The young man nodded faintly, hesitating before probing further. Sister... lately, how have things been between you and... brother-in-law?

The moment those words left his mouth, Ly Vantinh's eyelashes fluttered violently, and the rims of her eyes instantly flushed crimson. She dropped her head, her voice choking as though she were fighting a desperate battle to maintain her composure. I... I honestly do not know. Lately, I find myself crying for no reason... crying completely out of control. I feel as though I... I am no longer myself anymore.

Hearing this, a sharp pang pierced the young man's heart. He wrapped his arm around his sister's trembling shoulders, patting her back in a soothing rhythm while his voice turned hoarse. Sister... please do not torture yourself like this.

Dongpo, sensing the profound sorrow radiating from its mistress, immediately straightened its small body, licking frantically at the stray tears spilling down her cheeks as if striving to wipe away her grief.

A barrage of comments cascaded down the screen. A sister in this state... could this be mild depression? She really ought to consult a psychological specialist as soon as possible before it spirals into something worse. Wait... but this is so strange... If the brother-in-law is that handsome, why does the sister look this utterly worn down? You guys are clueless! Look at the luxurious high-rise apartment owned by the young man; his sister is clearly a wealthy heiress, at least the wealthy part checks out! Oh lord, I am so green with envy! A handsome husband and a wealthy family background, that is at least twenty years of hard labor saved right there! Hold on, what are you even talking about! Being that handsome yet moving into his wife's place and having to mop the floors... sounds an awful lot like a kept man living off his wife's family!

At that precise moment, To Giang, having meticulously finished scrubbing the floors and packing away his tools, strolled casually toward the sofa and seated himself directly across from the siblings.

Brother-in-law, thank you so much for this, the young man said earnestly, his tone dripping with sincerity.

To Giang merely waved a slender hand dismissively, flashing a warm smile. It was nothing at all, merely a trivial matter.

Darling, Ly Vantinh chimed in, clutching the dog as her eyes sparkled with starry-eyed adoration, how on earth do you manage to get the floors so spotless? There isn't a single streak left anywhere!

Hearing this, To Giang turned his gaze toward his wife, the corners of his eyes crinkling into a soft, intensely doting crescent. Naturally. Without me around, you... would never be able to accomplish anything properly.

For the fraction of a second, an alien flash of something unreadable sliced through the depths of Ly Vantinh's eyes, but faster than lightning, she smoothed her expression into a brilliant, radiant smile and chimed right along, My hubby is simply the best at everything!

The livestream chat instantly dissolved into absolute pandemonium. Oh my god, the sugar levels are lethal! Watching this couple makes my heart simply melt! This pairing is 100% worth shipping! They look so utterly perfect together! Just looking at this... the sister must be living a fairy-tale life of pure happiness, right?

Yet sitting behind my monitor, I frowned deeply. To Giang's smile was entirely too immaculate, too flawlessly rehearsed... so pristine that it radiated an artificial stench. And the gaze Dongpo fixed upon him remained as unyieldingly defensive as ever.

Realizing that his sister and brother-in-law were chatting harmoniously and that the atmospheric tension had temporarily smoothed over, the young man made a move to terminate the livestream broadcast, when suddenly...

His eyes drifted down to his smartphone screen, where a private notification from me flashed urgently: Do not shut down the broadcast! Your brother-in-law definitely has a massive problem! For your sister's sake, trust me just this once!

The young man jerked slightly, his gaze wavering with deep uncertainty. Stealthily, he cast a sideways glance toward the two figures chatting across the room, and without a word, he quietly placed his phone back onto its stand in the far corner, readjusting the lens angle so that the entire living room remained trapped within the unblinking eye of the camera frame.

Whatever transpired from that moment onward... the entire livestream would witness in absolute clarity.