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Ming Zhao was best at reading the situation and knew when to be flexible.
Suppressing her unexpectedly erratic heartbeat, she quickly and skillfully looped her arm through his, subtly defending herself.
“It’s not my fault. He came to find me first.”
Zhou Tingyun glanced at her but said nothing.
“Let’s go. Say hello to Grandpa.”
He then nodded slightly at Lin Zhiwei and led the group away.
Throughout the entire exchange, he didn’t spare Gu He a single glance, as though he didn’t exist at all. Yet, the subtle air of condescension was unmistakable.
Those around them exchanged confused glances.
“Has Mr. Gu offended Mr. Zhou somehow?” one person whispered.
“I don’t know; I just got here. What’s going on?” another replied.
In their minds, Zhou Tingyun was calm and composed, always gentle and courteous to everyone. They had never seen him behave with such disregard.
Among the murmurs, someone hesitated before speaking up.
“Well, could it be that he’s just simply annoyed with his brother-in-law in the reserves?”
…Oh.
With this explanation, everyone immediately understood.
Those who hadn’t quite grasped it were quickly enlightened with an impromptu lesson.
In short, the story was about how the various young ladies, before going abroad, had ruled over the capital with arrogance, and how Mr. Zhou had always been there to clean up the mess afterward.
So, if you wanted to become the son-in-law of Ming Yue Group, it wasn’t as simple as it seemed.
The atmosphere became calm and harmonious, but Gu He’s face was as pale as a ghost.
…
On the other side, Old Master Zhou watched as Ming Zhao walked toward him from a distance, snorting disdainfully with a face full of displeasure.
He couldn’t stand this type of young lady—fragile, incapable of doing anything, spoiled, and pretentious.
He couldn’t fathom how this girl was raised by his own grandson.
Seeing her greet him sweetly with a bright smile, her eyes gleaming like dark sugar—the kind of sweetness that stuck like sticky malt candy—Old Master Zhou immediately furrowed his brows, as if he could crush a fly between them.
He couldn’t help but speak up, reprimanding her.
He subtly implied that she wasn’t independent enough, too clingy, and careless about the impression she made, all of which were harmful to her reputation.
Upon hearing this, Ming Zhao’s eyes widened in shock.
So that’s how it is—he’s the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, which is why Zhou Tingyun suddenly started ignoring her, right?!
She was just as annoying as Gu He.
She tightened her grip on his arm, her face clearly displaying, “I’m not listening to a single word you’re saying.”
And in her mind, she secretly cursed, stupid old man.
Old Master Zhou was even angrier when he saw her defiant expression.
“You’re an adult now, but look at you. Tingyun is about to enter a marriage alliance, and with a clingy sister like you, what young lady would ever be interested in him?”
Zhou Tingyun’s expression darkened. Before he could speak, Ming Zhao snapped, “Old-fashioned and feudal. Our family never forces him into marriage; you’re being unreasonable.”
Old Master Zhou glared at her. That brat.
He sneered, “He’s part of the Zhou family, and our Zhou family is feudal. We do marriage alliances.”
Zhou. Family. People.
Ming Zhao tightened her grip on Zhou Tingyun’s arm.
Zhou Tingyun gently squeezed her fingers before she could lose her temper.
“Alright, Zhao Zhao, would you like some chestnut cake?”
Hearing this, Ming Zhao became even more irritated and shot Zhou Tingyun a fierce glare.
It seemed that this Zhou family member had no intention of refuting her.
She coldly yanked her arm away and stepped a few steps back.
Old Master Zhou observed this and thought to himself, “Well, this young lady has quite the temper.”
He couldn’t help but mutter something, seemingly out of nowhere.
“You’re so reluctant to leave your brother; why don’t you just marry into our Zhou family?”
“You know Zhou Qian, your brother’s third uncle’s son…”
“Grandfather,” Zhou Tingyun interrupted him calmly. “Rest well.”
“Hey, hey,” Old Master Zhou called out from behind. “Think about it, girl. That young man is a good person — just one year older than you.”
…
The chestnut cake was soft, sticky, and dense, rich with a fragrant aroma.
Ming Zhao held a silver fork, absentmindedly bringing bites to her mouth, her expression vacant.
Noticing her distraction, Zhou Tingyun spoke up.
“You don’t have to take his words seriously.”
Screech—
Ming Zhao’s hand wavered, and in her fluster, the fork scraped against the porcelain plate, producing a crisp sound.
The man frowned. “Zhao Zhao?”
“Ah… what?” Ming Zhao’s eyelids fluttered suddenly, her gaze shifting awkwardly. “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Tingyun stared at her for a moment and asked, “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing,” Ming Zhao responded quickly.
His voice remained calm. “Tell me the truth.”
She pressed her lips together slightly.
Knowing she couldn’t hide it from him, she asked softly, “Well, what does Zhou Qian look like?”
“…”
Zhou Tingyun rarely showed any emotional fluctuations, and the few times he did were because of Ming Zhao.
At this moment, he couldn’t quite put into words how he felt.
If Ming Zhao were five or six years old and acting mischievously, she would already be pinned across his lap, receiving a firm slap.
He forced himself to stay calm. “What exactly is going on in your head?”
She almost blurted out; I’ve been thinking about you.
Fortunately, the weight of the serious atmosphere made Ming Zhao bite her tongue just in time.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel that Zhou Lao’s words were quite reasonable.
If Zhou Tingyun were to enter into a marriage alliance in the future, he would surely move back to the Zhou family’s old estate. And if Zhou Qian match her aesthetic preferences, wouldn’t that be perfect?
Zhou Lao truly had a brilliant idea!
She silently apologized for calling him an old man earlier.
The emotions that had been tangled up for years left Ming Zhao unable to distinguish whether her feelings stemmed from dependence on her older brother or entirely something else.
All she knew was that, just like when she was little, she had a habit of clinging tightly to her favorite toy—acting impulsively without considering the consequences.
Zhou Tingyun’s breath became slightly heavier, feeling as if his lifespan had just been shortened.
It was his fault; he hadn’t taught her well.
…
When Ming Zhao was born, she had been nothing more than a wrinkled little bundle.
At the age of seven, Zhou Tingyun leaned over the cradle, staring at her without blinking.
“She’s so ugly,” he muttered, unaware of the concept of emotional intelligence.
Ming Zhao, who had been smiling at him, seemed to understand his disdain. Her face crumpled, and she suddenly burst into tears, sending the entire household into a frenzy as they scrambled to calm her down.
Zhou Tingyun felt incredibly guilty. For several days, he didn’t dare to go near her, only sneaking in at night to take a peek.
To his surprise, the little one had an impressive memory. She remembered his insult, and as soon as she saw his face, her lips quivered before she started crying again.
Zhou Tingyun panicked, quickly rocking the cradle and murmuring soft words in an attempt to comfort her.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Baby be good.”
“Baby is very pretty. Don’t cry.”
The baby in the swaddling blanket stared at him blankly.
A bubble of snot appeared.
From that moment on, he became afraid of Ming Zhao crying. It made him feel uneasy inside. He preferred her smiling—her smile, even when a little awkward, was still incredibly cute. Every day, he eagerly rocked her cradle more than anyone else.
As Ming Zhao grew, she blossomed into a soft, plump little ball of sweetness. Her long, curly eyelashes and chubby cheeks—like a block of milk cake—had nothing to do with being ugly.
Her tiny hand could only wrap around one of Zhou Tingyun’s fingers. Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she giggled, “Hee-hee-he”
Brother… older brother…
The large villa felt very empty.
But his heart was completely full.
As an older brother, his deep sense of responsibility made him quietly vow never to let his sister shed another tear.
And so began eighteen years of pampering—
Unconditional compromises, the fulfillment of every request.
It had shaped her into the person she was today.
Zhou Tingyun lowered his gaze, his brows furrowed as he looked at Ming Zhao, who seemed to take everything for granted.