Huo Yao glanced at her second older brother and nodded. She handed one of the boxes to him. “Happy birthday, Brother Tingrui.”
“Thanks!” Huo Tingrui beamed as he accepted the gift and placed it on the coffee table. He rubbed his hands before he opened them.
Just as he was about to touch the box, he pondered and pulled his hands back.
Huo Yao glanced at him quizzically. “Why aren’t you opening it?”
Huo Tingrui cleared his throat and adjusted his spectacles slightly. He concealed his intention to brag and said with a straight face, “I will do it when everyone is home.”
Huo Yao said nothing. Since there was padding in the box and there were breathing holes at the side of the box, the dog had no problem staying in there.
She placed the other box containing dog food, a cage, and other essentials on the corner table. “I am going to get changed.”
Huo Tingrui waved to his little sister before he raised his head to check the time. It was already 6:30 pm. Why weren’t Huo Yanxi and Huo Xiang back yet?
He frowned as he took out his phone and called them to hurry up. He desperately wanted to show off and couldn’t wait for them to be around to see him with the gift boxes.
After Huo Yao changed into some home wear, she came downstairs and saw Huo Tingrui walking around the box in circles with his hand on his chin as though he was in deep contemplation.
Huo Yao’s lips twitched. She walked towards him and said, “If you want to open it, then do it already.”
Huo Tingrui’s eyes gleamed. He shook his head and paused before he asked. “Yao, what did you get me?”
Huo Yao raised her brow and asked. “Didn’t you hear any sound coming from inside the box?”
“Noise?” Huo Tingrui looked at Huo Yao. “Nope.”
Huo Yao nodded. She felt perhaps this husky was quiet in temperament even though it was a male puppy.
Before long, Huo Xiang and Huo Yanxi came back. Huo Yulin had left home after the Chinese New Year to attend to some matters.
Hence, only the six of them were around for Huo Tingrui’s birthday.
Huo Tingrui was in no hurry to have dinner. Instead, he called his brothers and parents into the living room. He stood in front of the coffee table as he rubbed his palms, all set to show off his birthday present.
Before Huo Tingrui opened the box, he said, “Yao bought this especially for me.”
Huo Yao cleared her throat with her eyes narrowed.
“What is it?” asked Huo Xiang a little enviously, as expected.
This was exactly the reaction Huo Tingrui wanted to see from them. “I will open it now.”
The moment he finished his sentence, he undid the ribbons on the box unhurriedly before opening it.
Huo Tingrui’s hands froze when he saw the puppy inside and the cover fell onto the ground. His voice was trembling when he asked. “Oh god! What is this?”
He was terrified of dogs ever since he was bitten as a child.
The husky had remained quiet for an hour, but he finally broke his silence and howled at Huo Tingrui a couple of times.
Huo Tingrui’s face instantly turned slightly pale and he retreated a couple of steps.
Huo Yao had already stood up beside her stupid second older brother. She patted him on his shoulder as she looked at him with her beautiful eyes. “Brother Tingrui, don’t you like your present?”
Huo Tingrui’s face convulsed as he looked at his little sister. He wanted to answer no, but he forced himself to swallow his words and said, “Y… yes… I love it.”
The moment he finished his sentence, the rest of the family watched him with their lips twitching since they knew that Huo Tingrui was terrified of dogs.
They were very impressed that Huo Tingrui managed to pull this feat off.
Huo Yao blinked. She glanced at the puppy inside the box and raised her brow. “From now on, he is your son. Do you want to carry him?”
Huo Tingrui went speechless.
