Chapter 280 - 279: When Laozi Was Still a Little Laozi

The Leogryph walked up to Charles Lowell. Instead of recklessly nudging him with its head, it first extended its paw toward him, just as it had done before.

"ROAR!" ’Grandpa~ Lionus is here, Grandpa~ Wishing you wealth and prosperity! Quick, give me half your secret stash!’

Charles Lowell: ’I’ve waited for so long, and today is finally the day~’

Next were Wendy Sutton and her husband, Caleb Lowell, who both petted it all over.

All of them said things like: "This little one is so smart, so precious, so full of life, just wonderful!"

As the Leogryph passed Yvonne Lowell, it didn’t forget to lift a paw and pat her thigh, as if to comfort her.

"ROAR~" ’Mommy~ Wait for me to finish this round, okay? I’ll come back to you in a bit, so you be good. Don’t be jealous. I’m doing this for the future happiness and well-being of us both! My head’s about to be petted bald, and I haven’t even thrown a fit, have I?’

Yvonne Lowell leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling, indicating she couldn’t bear to watch this social-climbing show-off.

Thankfully, the space between the sofa and the coffee table was wide enough. Otherwise, the big lug probably would have gotten stuck at the entrance, which would have been a total embarrassment for her.

Goldie, hiding under the sofa: ’...Seriously, does nobody care if I live or die? Maybe just send me back to my in-laws? I’ll just go find my birth mom. Or you could send me to my brother-in-law’s place to find my little sister!!’

(Older sister: Yvonne Lowell; younger sister: the Grant family’s little ball of fluff, Trixie.)

When it was the turn of the Lowell brothers, who had long been waiting with their hands eagerly outstretched, the Leogryph merely condescended to pat their knees before moving on to the next person.

The brothers stared blankly at the big lion, which had already walked out of the aisle, then looked down at their own hands still hovering in mid-air.

Only the paw prints on their pants served as a reminder that they had already been "graced" by the Leogryph’s favor.

"Seriously? I held my hand out and waited in line, and that’s it? What’s that supposed to mean?!" Adrian Lowell said with a look of disbelief.

Zachary Jacobs burst out laughing without reservation, not forgetting to act as a translator and build a bridge of communication for them.

"The Leogryph means that only those who have shaken its paw are allowed to pet it. Since you guys haven’t, you can’t touch it unless it initiates contact. You can’t touch it without its permission."

What Zachary Jacobs didn’t say was that they would have plenty of opportunities for it to touch them in the future. He just hoped they wouldn’t lose their minds over it when the time came.

"ROAR!" ’You get it, kid. You’re on the right track. In that case, I’ll treat you equally!’

The Leogryph walked forward and patted Zachary Jacobs in the same manner.

Harrison Lowell, who was closest, was so angry he laughed. He pointed directly at the big beast and said,

"Listen here, kid. Didn’t you do your homework before you came? I’ve been the boss of this house since I was just a little boss myself.

Now, the big boss is warning you: if you can’t even figure out the pecking order when you’re sucking up, you’re going to have a hard time surviving in this family!"

Hearing this, the Leogryph lifted its beastly eyes to meet his gaze.

Harrison Lowell wondered if his anger was making him hallucinate, because he thought he saw the cunning glint of a successful scheme in its eyes. And did it just smirk?!

The next second, the Leogryph turned and walked away.

Just as Harrison Lowell thought it was running off to sulk in a corner out of humiliation and anger, the Leogryph threw itself onto the sofa where Old Mr. Lowell was sitting.

It gently rested its paws on his lap, its magnificent back somehow looking utterly pitiful.

"WHIMPER~" ’Maternal Great-Grandfather~ Does Third Uncle not like me? Maybe I should just go home with my mom? Or I could go to my stepdad’s house. Even though that good-for-nothing stepdad of mine dislikes me too, he wouldn’t dare do anything with my mom around.’

The cry it let out was so sorrowful and mournful, a long, drawn-out sound that couldn’t have been more pitiful.

In an instant, all the elders turned to look at Harrison Lowell with expressions of condemnation and disapproval.

Old Mr. Lowell quickly stroked its head. "Our dear Leogryph has been wronged, hasn’t it? Don’t be sad, okay? Maternal Great-Grandfather will give him a spanking, how about that?"

"WHIMPER~" ’It’s my fault, Lionus is bad. Don’t be angry, Maternal Great-Grandfather. It’s not Third Uncle’s fault. I think I’ll just go to my stepdad’s place. I heard his house is really close to here, just around the corner, right? Could you give me directions?’

Harrison Lowell pointed at the Leogryph, then at himself, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

"Seriously, what did I even do?! Does it even understand me? How is it already trying to frame me?!"

"It’s just a child! Why are you arguing with a child?!" Old Mr. Lowell shot him an irritated glare, then his expression instantly changed as he looked back at the Leogryph.

"Our Leogryph is so smart, of course it understood everything, right? There, there, good Leogryph, don’t be sad. We just won’t play with him anymore in the future!"

"ROAR!" ’I’m not sad anymore. But I’ll definitely continue to ’play’ with him in the future.’

The Leogryph grunted in response, not forgetting to turn its head and, from an angle the elders couldn’t see, shoot a provocative glance at Harrison Lowell across the room.

’The boss of the house, huh? Is that all he’s got? Does he think Lord Lionus is an idiot?’

"What the hell! You... you...!!!"

If Harrison Lowell was just speechless before, now he was well and truly losing it!

’Is this damn thing a manipulative, innocent-acting lion?! And why do these tactics seem so familiar?!’

"’You’ what? Put that finger away!"

Grandma Lowell shot him a sharp look, and Harrison Lowell had no choice but to shut up and sit there, sulking.

Did they really think the elders couldn’t tell the Leogryph was putting on an act? Of course not.

It was precisely because they could see through its act that they found it all the more precious.

A male lion that could be tamed without violence was already a rarity in the world, to say nothing of one so clever and discerning that it knew how to treat different people differently. Who could possibly dislike such a creature?

Zachary Jacobs patted Harrison Lowell’s shoulder. "Why did you have to go and provoke it? Its IQ is higher than yours. You can’t win against it."

"Thanks. I don’t feel comforted at all. In fact, I feel like you’re insulting me." Harrison Lowell said with a deadpan expression, staring at the ceiling as if all hope was lost.

Frank Lowell and Yancy Lowell discreetly brushed at the paw prints left on their legs, pretending to be unfazed as they continued to sit.

They repeatedly consoled themselves inwardly: ’It’s fine that it didn’t let us pet it. It’s a good thing, really.’

Frank, as a doctor with mysophobia, hadn’t really wanted to touch it anyway. Yancy, as an academic prodigy, needed his hands and had no desire to get them scratched.

Having enjoyed the show, Yvonne Lowell finally spoke up. "Alright, Leogryph, that’s enough."

’So, since he doesn’t have to be the one to calm someone down after provoking them, he can just go wild, is that it?’ she thought. ’But if the Leogryph isn’t going to placate him, neither will I.’

Harrison Lowell: ’...So?’

"ROAR!" ’Mommy~ My last name is Lowell now~’

The Leogryph instantly shed its dejected, sorrowful demeanor and sat up straight. Anyone could see it was in an excellent mood now, which made everyone laugh.

The old butler came in to announce that Caleb Lowell was back.

Hearing this, Old Mr. Lowell stroked its head.

"Leogryph, your Oldest Uncle is home from work, so it’s about time for dinner. Maternal Great-Grandfather has already asked the kitchen to prepare lots of meat for you. You have to eat your fill in a little while, okay?"

Caleb Lowell, who was changing his shoes in the entryway, paused when he heard this.

’Maternal Great-Grandfather? Oldest Uncle? Has Nola’s pet already managed to get in everyone’s good graces at the old family home?’

’And what a name... Leogryph? It sounded more like some kind of fungus. A truly terrible name...’