Chapter Thirty-Two: Dominion

On the way back, Zhang Congwen appeared somewhat worried. With a dog like Big Tiger—both in size and temperament—if it bit someone, it was unlikely to be a minor injury. Yet Zhang Congwen couldn’t understand how Song Jiawei had ended up bitten by Big Tiger.

When they first arrived at the Xie family villa, Zhang Congwen had already noticed that Big Tiger was properly tethered under the tree in the front yard. It didn’t seem possible that Song Jiawei would be foolish enough to approach such a fierce dog, and it was even less likely that Xie Julie would have a sudden lapse of judgment and unleash Big Tiger.

Precisely because of this, Zhang Congwen had felt comfortable leaving Song Jiawei at the villa.

Could Big Tiger have broken free from its chain?

The chances of that were slim. Zhang Congwen was at a loss for an explanation.

Fortunately, Li Hui’s house wasn’t far from the Xie family villa. Zhang Congwen and Xie Caizhe jogged back and arrived quickly.

Only after seeing Song Jiawei’s wound did Zhang Congwen finally relax. The bite was on Song Jiawei’s right hand. The wound wasn’t large, but it was quite deep—a small patch of flesh had been torn loose, and blood was streaming down.

Big Tiger, meanwhile, was still obediently chained under the tree, just as before—nothing like the scene Zhang Congwen had feared. This only deepened his curiosity about how Song Jiawei had gotten bitten.

It was through Xie Julie’s account that Zhang Congwen learned what had happened. However, upon hearing the story, he found himself speechless—Song Jiawei had really brought this upon himself.

After Zhang Congwen and Xie Caizhe left, Song Jiawei and Xie Julie had been chatting in the yard. For reasons unknown, Xie Julie suddenly decided to feed Big Tiger some snacks, and Song Jiawei, unfortunately, happened to be standing right behind her at that moment.

Big Tiger was an especially sensitive dog, easily provoked into aggression. What’s more, being chained under the tree was already a source of stress, and now a stranger stood nearby watching him.

Inevitably, as Xie Julie tossed a treat to Big Tiger, the dog suddenly lunged at her. Song Jiawei, quick to react, yanked Xie Julie aside just in time to save her from being bitten. But in his moment of heroism, Song Jiawei was less fortunate—Big Tiger sank its teeth into the hand he’d used to pull Xie Julie away.

Fortunately, Big Tiger hadn’t continued the attack. Otherwise, Song Jiawei’s injuries might have been far more severe.

“What happened here?”

Mr. Xie had returned home early, his business at the company having gone especially smoothly that day. As soon as he entered, he spotted bloodstains in the yard and immediately demanded an explanation.

Xie Julie looked on the verge of tears, blaming herself for everything. She briefly recounted the incident to her father.

Mr. Xie said at once, “Julie, take Xiao Song to the hospital and make sure his wound is properly treated. Caizhe, you go too—help where you can.”

“Mr. Xie, let Caizhe stay,” Zhang Congwen interjected. “He’s the one who can handle things with Fatty, and I have some matters I need to discuss with him as well.”

Since his good friend was interested in Xie Julie, Zhang Congwen naturally wanted to lend a hand.

Hearing this, Song Jiawei shot Zhang Congwen a sly, approving grin—gone was the grimace of pain from a moment before. He couldn’t help but wonder when exactly Zhang Congwen had become so considerate.

After Xie Julie left with Song Jiawei, Mr. Xie turned to Zhang Congwen, apologetic. “I’m really sorry. Xiao Song was so eager to help me train the dog, and yet the dog bit him. I feel awful.”

Eager to help you train the dog? More like eager to court your daughter! Zhang Congwen thought, though he would never undermine his friend in such a situation. Out loud, he just said, “It’s nothing. Fatty’s tough as nails—he can handle a few bites.”

Mr. Xie didn’t dwell on the matter and instead shifted the topic back to Big Tiger.

“How should I train this dog?”

Zhang Congwen glanced at the materials stacked in the corner of the yard for building a dog cage and asked, “When will the cage be ready?”

“This afternoon. The workers are coming by, so it should be finished today,” Mr. Xie replied.

“Once it’s done, keep Big Tiger inside,” Zhang Congwen instructed. “Don’t let him out, except when necessary.”

Next, Zhang Congwen suggested Mr. Xie put a muzzle on Big Tiger and unchain him from the tree.

Mr. Xie complied without hesitation. As Zhang Congwen expected, when Mr. Xie put the muzzle on, Big Tiger struggled, but nowhere near as fiercely as he had with the Xie siblings.

Once freed, Big Tiger joyfully dashed around the yard, sniffed at unfamiliar scents, then trotted over to Mr. Xie. Rising up on his hind legs, he pressed his full weight onto Mr. Xie, as if attempting to knock him over.

At first, Mr. Xie didn’t mind and let Big Tiger climb on him. But after a few rounds, perhaps growing annoyed or finding it undignified, he simply pushed Big Tiger off with his leg.

Unwilling to give up, Big Tiger tried a few more times, but each time Mr. Xie resolutely pushed him away.

Seeing his efforts thwarted, Big Tiger quickly changed targets and leapt at Xie Caizhe, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground. Big Tiger straddled him, and though Xie Caizhe tried to struggle, he was no match for the dog’s strength and soon gave up, treating it as a game.

Watching all this, Zhang Congwen asked, “Mr. Xie, why aren’t you stopping Big Tiger?”

Mr. Xie looked puzzled. “Big Tiger rarely plays with the kids. Now that he’s playing with Caizhe, it’s a good way to build their bond. He’s not hurting him, so why interfere?”

Only then did Zhang Congwen realize why Big Tiger’s attitude toward Mr. Xie differed so much from how he treated the Xie siblings.

He shook his head and explained, “This isn’t play—it’s domination.”

“Domination?” Mr. Xie was taken aback, not grasping the meaning.

“In the world of dogs, this is how a superior asserts dominance over a subordinate,” Zhang Congwen said. “Big Tiger does this to Caizhe to show he’s above him. He tries it with you, too, but since you reject him, he redirects his attention to the less threatening kids.”

In other words, Big Tiger considered himself the real master of the household. Repeatedly failing to challenge Mr. Xie’s authority, he turned his focus to the two children.

Judging by Big Tiger’s current behavior, this form of asserting dominance could easily escalate into violence in the future.

Mr. Xie, however, was unaware of this fact. For now, Big Tiger still considered himself beneath Mr. Xie, not because of Mr. Xie’s commanding presence as a company boss, but because Mr. Xie, by chance, was doing the right thing for the wrong reasons—thus Big Tiger didn’t dare to treat him as harshly as he did the siblings.

“So what should I do? Have the kids reject him the way I do?” Mr. Xie asked, now understanding.

Zhang Congwen simply shook his head.