Chapter 17: She’s Pretty Good with Kids

Xu Zhiqiao had a peculiar sense of humor—so unpredictable that her laughter burst out without warning.

It wasn’t a big deal that Hua Niuniu exposed his lie in public. What really stunned Zhou Cong was how articulate she was.

Holding his phone to his ear, Zhou Cong demanded, “Why didn’t you tell me your sister could talk?”

“…” On the other end, Hua Qingyang let out a string of curses. “What the hell… What’s so strange about my sister being able to talk? You should be more concerned if she couldn’t talk!”

“I mean full sentences—sentences!” Zhou Cong gritted his teeth, struggling to explain. “I thought she could only manage one or two words.”

“She’s four! Four years old! That’s fifty months!” Hua Qingyang snapped.

“…” Zhou Cong fell silent. “Kids at fifty months can talk in full sentences?”

Might as well just say she’s four.

Fifty months just made her sound even younger.

“Brother, seriously,” Hua Qingyang yelled, “You’ve got a kid right in front of you and instead of talking to her, you’re calling me—”

Before he could finish, Zhou Cong hung up with a snap.

Leaving Hua Qingyang to stew in his own frustration.

Inside the milk tea shop, Xu Zhiqiao pulled out a box of children’s milk from her bag, gently coaxing Hua Niuniu to drink it slowly.

Zhou Cong stayed quiet for a moment, then crouched down. “She… she can actually speak.”

“…” Xu Zhiqiao couldn’t hold back her laughter again. Her slender shoulders shook as she tried to suppress it. “She’s already in kindergarten.”

Zhou Cong stared at the curve of her lips. “How do you know that?”

“She told me herself.”

“…” Zhou Cong looked like he was breaking down again. “She can say something that complicated?”

Xu Zhiqiao pinched Hua Niuniu’s cheek. “Niuniu, say it again for him.”

Hua Niuniu repeated fluently, “Big Brother, I’m in the junior class at kindergarten.”

A vein twitched at Zhou Cong’s temple.

“Hua Niuniu,” he said coolly, “So why did you just respond with one word at a time when I was talking to you all this time?”

Hua Niuniu replied calmly, “Because Big Brother thinks I’m dumb and that’s funny to him.”

“…”

Who’s treating who like a fool here?

Xu Zhiqiao was laughing so hard she could barely sit upright.

Who was Zhou Cong?

The kind of Young Master even someone like Ji Huailuo, with his explosive temper, had to yield to. The overbearing “mafia” type who threatened to bulldoze her milk tea shop on a whim.

And now he’d been played by a four-year-old.

The shop was quiet, except for Xu Zhiqiao’s uncontrollable laughter.

Zhou Cong’s face was sour. He stared at her laughing for a moment, then the storm clouds in his eyes seemed to be blown away by a warm spring breeze—dark, glossy, and clear.

“She drank your milk,” Zhou Cong said, fishing for something to say, “What are you going to drink?”

“I’m good.” Xu Zhiqiao waved it off.

Li Qi, the owner, ran the shop loosely. There were always fresh fruits stocked up. Whatever didn’t sell was split among the staff, and replaced the next day.

Losing one box of milk was nothing.

Hua Niuniu was still holding the milk while standing. Xu Zhiqiao crouched in front of her, and Zhou Cong crouched beside her too, blocking the narrow path inside the shop completely.

“Xu Zhiqiao, Big Brother’s treating you to lunch,” Zhou Cong softened his tone, then remembered Hua Qingyang’s words and respectfully added, “—Is that okay?”

Xu Zhiqiao shook her head. “I have plans at noon.”

“…”

Was she really busy or just making an excuse?

She really was busy.

This morning, Ji Huailuo had thrown ten thousand yuan at her. She felt it was too hot to hold and didn’t dare take it, but Xu Shu had smiled and told her to accept it, saying, “It’s just your Big Brother giving it to you, what’s the big deal?”

Ji Huailuo’s subtle shift in attitude had left her distracted for quite a while.

He wasn’t like Zhou Cong. Ji Huailuo, after all, was her Mother’s Husband’s son. With enough stretching, he could be categorized as family.

So she accepted the money and planned to deposit it at the bank during her lunch break.

—

At 11:30 sharp, Hua Qingyang came to the milk tea shop to pick up his little sister. He just didn’t feel safe leaving Hua Niuniu with Zhou Cong.

For most things, if Zhou Cong gave you five out of ten, he could turn it into a perfect ten—but when it came to taking care of children, Hua Qingyang feared his sister might end up missing an arm or a leg.

Zhou Cong’s mood was unusually good—he even handed over a gift bag containing an expensive diamond bracelet. “Let your sister play with this.”

“…” Hua Qingyang rolled his eyes. “She’s four. You think she can actually play with that?”

Zhou Cong spoke so gently it gave Hua Qingyang goosebumps. “Don’t let her size fool you. She’s got a sharp tongue.”

“…”

“But I don’t blame her,” Zhou Cong sighed dramatically. “It’s my own fault for having no common sense—thinking four-year-olds only drink milk and wet their beds. Never imagined her little mind was a honeycomb of schemes.”

“…” Hua Qingyang was about to crack. “Then why are you grinning?”

Zhou Cong rubbed his eyes. “Am I?”

“You’re not?”

All the usual pride and arrogance that clung to him like a second skin was gone—replaced entirely by something warmer, more human.

He looked approachable.

Zhou Cong lifted the corners of his lips, his voice low and magnetic. “Even if her mind’s a honeycomb, at least she broke the ice for us. I owe her for that.”

“…” Hearing that, Hua Qingyang instantly knew something had shifted—and shamelessly took the diamond bracelet with him.

The two men chatted outside the shop. Through the glass doors that kept the cold air in, Li Qi clicked his tongue in admiration. “Now that’s what those rich young masters from the capital look like.”

Xu Zhiqiao grabbed her bag. “I’m heading out.”

“Take the little path on the right,” Li Qi reminded her warmly. “It’s cooler and closer.”

“Thanks, Brother Li.”

As the glass door opened, the summer heat rushed in and hit her full in the face. For a second, Xu Zhiqiao felt like she’d been thrown into a steamer.

Hearing the door, Zhou Cong turned around, frowning. “Where are you going? I’ll get the car—”

“No need. I’m walking. There’s a shortcut.”

“…” Zhou Cong took two long strides to catch up. “Where are you going?”

“To the bank,” Xu Zhiqiao replied honestly.

“For what?”

“To deposit money.”

“How much?”

“…Ten thousand.”

Zhou Cong glanced sideways and clicked his tongue. “Your salary’s not bad.”

“My Big Brother gave it to me,” she replied.

“…”

The path Li Qi had pointed out was shaded on both sides by old, soon-to-be-demolished apartment blocks. Wooden poles and bamboo rods stretched between buildings, hung with brightly colored clothes and bedsheets.

The air smelled of laundry detergent. Here and there, balconies jutted out with potted plants on them.

It was full of life.

Zhou Cong kept his thoughts to himself and changed the subject. “You’re pretty good with kids for someone your age.”

Xu Zhiqiao stepped over a puddle. “I took care of my Father’s son for five years.”

“…” Zhou Cong’s sharp brows furrowed. “From what age to what age?”

She thought for a moment. “From when I was eight until I turned thirteen. After that, my Mother brought me back, so I didn’t take care of him anymore.”

Eight?

She was still a child herself at eight.

“Your Mother…” Zhou Cong pressed his lips into a thin line. “Why didn’t she take you back earlier?”

“She wasn’t working at the time, just staying home to look after me. The court gave custody to my Father. To get me back, my Mother became a salesperson, started running around doing business. Eventually, she joined a big company, built a career, and only then had the standing to go to court and win me back.”

Then she looked at Zhou Cong and said, “Brother Zhou Cong…”

“What did you just call me?” Zhou Cong cut in coldly.

Xu Zhiqiao paused. “Maybe you should talk to my Big Brother and figure out what exactly I should call you.”