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After receiving this goodnight message, the shadow in Zhou Cong’s eyes did not disappear.
This girl couldn’t curse, couldn’t hit anyone, and when pushed too far, she just screamed. The best she could do was curse him with something about being bitten by a mouse. He figured that she must have been bitten before, or at the very least, terrified by one.
This girl was still young, not understanding that her words could reflect the deep fear inside her.
She was afraid of mice.
Zhou Cong felt somewhat helpless.
What was he supposed to do about this?
She was fragile, sensitive, and easily flooded with sympathy, trusting people without reason.
No matter how you looked at it, staying by someone like him—a ruthless and cold-hearted person—was probably the most fitting place for her.
In the following half month, Ji Huailuo would basically go to the milk tea shop every day to pick up Xu Zhiqiao and take her home.
But after that night, Zhou Cong became much quieter. He didn’t force her to meet him anymore and sent fewer messages.
Xu Zhiqiao hoped that he would just disappear from her life.
For some reason, Ji Huailuo hadn’t scolded her lately, nor had he commented on the fact that she was secretly seeing someone who resembled a monkey.
He simply acted as her chauffeur.
One day, after leaving the milk tea shop, Ji Huailuo suddenly stopped his car next to a candied chestnut stall.
“Want some?” he asked.
Xu Zhiqiao snapped out of her thoughts. “Huh?”
“I asked if you want some, are you deaf?” Ji Huailuo snapped. “Chestnuts! Do you want them or not?!”
“……”
Ji Huailuo slammed the car door open. “Asking you is pointless. You’re like a wooden plank! I’ll buy them, and you’ll eat them!”
The month had entered autumn, but the weather in Shenzhen CIty was still hot. It wasn’t exactly chestnut season.
Ji Huailuo grabbed a bag of candied chestnuts wrapped in brown paper and roughly shoved it into her hands.
“There. Can you stop looking so down now?”
“……” Xu Zhiqiao stared blankly. “Am I looking down?”
Ji Huailuo raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”
He was clearly irritated. “It’s just a breakup. There are plenty of men out there, what are you so worked up over?”
Xu Zhiqiao’s stunned expression suddenly cracked.
So, he thought she was upset over a breakup.
No wonder he hadn’t scolded her in days and had been kindly picking her up every day.
He even bought her candied chestnuts.
But Xu Zhiqiao couldn’t explain herself.
However, Ji Huailuo’s cautious behavior suddenly made Xu Zhiqiao’s eyes well up with tears.
After starting to feel a sense of belonging to the Ji family, she had started to develop a real connection to Ji Huailuo, this “Big Brother.”
“Damn!” Ji Huailuo’s eyes widened as if about to explode. “If you dare cry, I’ll throw you out of the car right now!!”
Xu Zhiqiao burst into laughter, reaching into the bag to pull out a few warm chestnuts. “Here.”
“……” Ji Huailuo paused, then snorted. “You want me to peel them for you?”
Xu Zhiqiao didn’t answer, but simply stretched out her hand. “Here, you eat them.”
Ji Huailuo looked at her for a moment before snorting and slapping her hand away, then peeling the chestnuts in one swift motion.
The warm, sweet scent of chestnuts filled the air inside the car.
“You need to raise your standards when it comes to choosing a man,” Ji Huailuo muttered, throwing a peeled chestnut into his mouth. “You little girls are the ones who end up with losers. Don’t settle for trash.”
Xu Zhiqiao obediently answered, “Okay.”
Ji Huailuo raised an eyebrow. “Do you know what a good man looks like?”
Without hesitation, Xu Zhiqiao replied, “Andy Lau.”
“……” Ji Huailuo was stunned. “You like Andy Lau, but you’re still looking at a monkey?”
Xu Zhiqiao was at a loss for words.
“From Mount Emei?” Ji Huailuo continued. “Or is it a golden snub-nosed monkey? If you like golden snub-nosed monkeys, I won’t say anything.”
“……”
A monkey was still a monkey, no matter how you looked at it.
Ji Huailuo sighed, as if he’d aged a few years. “Looks like taking care of a kid makes you feel older.”
Xu Zhiqiao pouted and bit into another chestnut.
“I’m telling you, that monkey is not a good man,” Ji Huailuo said seriously. “Someone like me, or your Big Brother Zhou Cong, isn’t one either…”
Hearing that name, Xu Zhiqiao instinctively reacted, “Big Brother.”
Ji Huailuo’s thoughts were interrupted. “What?”
“The school’s military training is over,” Xu Zhiqiao said quietly. “There’s a performance next week. I didn’t participate in the training, and the counselor wants me to go up and sing a song, just to get familiar with everyone.”
“Sing? A funeral song?”
“……”
“Fine, fine,” Ji Huailuo raised an eyebrow. “What, are you going to ask your Big Brother for money to buy equipment?”
Xu Zhiqiao shook her head seriously. “I want to invite you to watch.”
“……”
There was silence.
Ji Huailuo’s expression was unreadable, but he seemed a little awkward, stiffly replying, “Fine. Send me the time and location on my phone. I’ll attend in style…”
Xu Zhiqiao rolled her eyes. “I live at home every day. Just come with me.”
“……”
The next day, Xu Zhiqiao saw a giant banner in her living room, the kind that glowed in the dark, with Andy Lau’s picture on it.
Xu Zhiqiao, like a puppet on strings, looked up in confusion. “What is this?”
“Support,” Ji Huailuo said, lounging with his legs crossed. “Using your idol to support you. Your Big Brother wants you to be the brightest star in the whole place.”
“……”
It was a thunderclap of a shock!
Xu Zhiqiao never imagined that Ji Huailuo, at the age of 22, would do something so cheesy.
“Is there more?” she asked hopelessly.
“Oh,” Ji Huailuo showed her his phone screen. “I posted it on my WeChat Moments. Look, they’re all liking it.”
“……”
Is this what you call encouraging your absurd behavior?
Xu Zhiqiao wanted to die.
Why had she even invited him?
Ji Huailuo hissed. “Your Big Brother Zhou Cong is almost here. He said he’s taking you to get a haircut, so you’re ready for the performance.”
“……”
Xu Zhiqiao froze, as if struck by lightning. “Ji Huailuo!! Are you trying to die?!”
Ji Huailuo paused, then exploded. “What’s wrong with you?!”
Xu Zhiqiao, now panicking, grabbed his hair and pulled.
Ji Huailuo was half-reclined on the sofa, and his posture made it easy for her to act.
“Xu Zhiqiao, you’re dead! Hiss! Let go!! If you pull my hair out, I’ll kill you!”
Xu Zhiqiao, overwhelmed by the dreadful situation, yanked at his hair again and then grabbed his face.
The living room was in chaos, filled with Ji Huailuo’s cries.
Sister Li cleared her throat and reminded, “Young Master Zhou is here.”
Xu Zhiqiao froze like she had been struck by a bolt of lightning.
Ji Huailuo rubbed his face, got up, and cursed, “Hurry up, I won’t hit you. Ah Cong, you come here.”
The man they mentioned stood at the entrance, backlit, his tall figure casting a long shadow on the floor. His face was unclear, but he was looking in their direction.
After a long pause, his long legs, in fitted trousers, moved slowly toward the sofa.
An inexplicable sense of pressure suddenly filled the air.
Xu Zhiqiao’s breath caught in her throat, her hand tightly gripping her clothes, nervous and unable to move.
Until that long, slender hand fell onto her head, gently ruffling her hair twice. His deep voice, slightly rough yet somehow gentle, murmured:
“Stop it, your Big Brother. I’ll take you out to play.”