Chapter 11: The Brown Sugar Ginger Tea He Gave Her

Zhou Beiming carefully helped her dry her hands. Su Nian turned her face away. “I’ll do it myself.”

She took the towel from Zhou Beiming’s hands and quickly wiped the water off her hands.

After leaving the bathroom, Su Nian brought the jewelry she had just packed up and the pink box Old Master Zhou had given her and placed them in front of Zhou Beiming.

Heavy.

She wasn’t his girlfriend, so she shouldn’t be accepting these things. “Here, I’m giving this back to you.”

Zhou Beiming glanced at what she was holding. “You hold onto it for now. When I don’t need you anymore, you can give it back.”

Su Nian’s place was safe — but what if something happened?

If it got lost, how would she compensate?

“It’s too valuable. I’m afraid I’ll lose it.”

She was being completely honest.

But Zhou Beiming didn’t understand honesty. “If you’re afraid of losing it, then just keep it safe. Can’t even do something that simple?”

His tone was flat and emotionless.

Su Nian knew he didn’t care about this kind of money.

But still…

“I might not be able to keep it safe. If it goes missing, I can’t afford to pay for it.”

Zhou Beiming’s face remained blank. “If it’s lost, you can spend the rest of your life paying it off.”

Hearing that, Su Nian’s gaze wavered for a moment as she looked at him.

When she got older, he’d probably kick her aside and make her his housekeeper.

As she spaced out, Zhou Beiming took the pink box from her hands and opened it.

It was filled with White Rabbit milk candies. Su Nian had thought it was something expensive.

Zhou Beiming seemed to have known all along. He picked one out and handed it to Su Nian. “Want one?”

It was already late.

Su Nian shook her head. “I already brushed my teeth.”

But Zhou Beiming unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. “Brush again.”

The sweet candy slowly melted in Su Nian’s mouth.

She liked White Rabbit candies.

Zhou Beiming watched her lips move softly, the candy shifting from her left cheek to her right.

Her slightly pouting lips — damn, too cute.

His throat moved as he swallowed. “Does it taste good?”

“Yeah.” Su Nian liked sweets.

She was no longer sleepy. Seeing Zhou Beiming didn’t seem ready to sleep either, she decided to stay up with him.

She sat on the edge of the bed, hands resting on the mattress, quietly eating the candy, looking up at Zhou Beiming.

Zhou Beiming had refined features, pale skin, his face so perfectly sculpted it was like a masterpiece from God’s hand.

If he didn’t speak, he was like a silent vampire.

But once he opened his mouth, “Mouth moving like that — are you trying to seduce me?”

A complete rogue.

Su Nian was just eating candy — how was she supposed to eat without moving her mouth?

So she stopped moving altogether. “No.”

Zhou Beiming always twisted her words. “Playing hard to get? If you want something, just say it. It’s not like I’d say no.”

He set down the candy box, braced his hands on either side of her, and leaned down to kiss her lips.

The candy rolled from her mouth into his — and back again, over and over.

An overly intimate way of sharing candy, but Su Nian didn’t resist. Maybe she was used to it by now.

The milk candy didn’t melt quickly — it just softened. Eventually, it ended up back in Su Nian’s mouth.

When they finally parted, their lips were sticky with the sweet, milky flavor.

Zhou Beiming let out a low chuckle. “From now on, you’re only allowed to eat candy with me like this.”

Sometimes Su Nian thought Zhou Beiming was really childish.

Only he would find ways like this to share candy with her.

She nodded cooperatively. “Got it.”

One night at the Zhou residence finally passed.

The next morning, Su Nian woke up late. Zhou Beiming was no longer in the room.

She got up to wash, then heard a knock on the door.

She opened it to find the butler. “Old Master Zhou asked me to take Miss Su to breakfast.”

With all the twists and turns from last night, Su Nian didn’t even know how to get to the dining room, let alone find her way out.

She nodded. “Just a moment. I’ll be right there.”

Su Nian went to grab her bag — the one with the jewelry and the candy.

It took over ten minutes to reach the dining room.

There were no elders at the table, only a few young people chatting about the news involving Zhou Beiming from the night before.

“Brother Beiming is something else. Keeps the home fires burning while flying his flag outside too.”

“Don’t speak too soon — we don’t even know if last night’s home flag will be allowed to stay.”

…

Su Nian recognized all of them.

She had memorized their profiles before and had met them briefly last night.

As they chatted, they noticed Su Nian entering.

Zhou Beiming’s cousin Zhou Kang greeted her with a teasing smile. “Sister-in-law, how come Brother Beiming didn’t come have breakfast with you? Don’t tell me he left last night?”

The butler, expressionless, quietly pulled out a chair for Su Nian.

She sat down without distraction. “I don’t know.”

She really didn’t.

She had fallen asleep while Zhou Beiming was still showering.

Her voice was soft, almost emotionless.

Zhou Kang felt disappointed. He rubbed his nose. “Oh? You’re not going to keep him in check?”

Su Nian calmly sipped her porridge. “He’s not a child.”

She couldn’t keep him in check even if she wanted to.

Zhou Kang felt like he’d kicked a steel plate.

He had heard that their aunt Zhou Yun had been emotionally wrecked last night after getting a “bounce back” reply that sounded like it came from a grade-schooler — so it must’ve been true.

Su Nian had a small appetite. After porridge and a piece of pastry, she was full. “You guys take your time. I’m heading out.”

She stood up, and Zhou Kang stood as well. “Sister-in-law, are you going to A University?”

Su Nian nodded.

Zhou Kang said, “I’m headed that way — I’ll take you.”

The butler interjected, “Old Master Zhou has already arranged a car for Miss Su.”

Zhou Kang, ignoring that, walked up and grabbed Su Nian’s bag. “Why make it so complicated? Besides, I want to spend some quality time with Sister-in-law.”

As Zhou Kang took her bag, Su Nian’s heart skipped a beat.

This bag was worth over a hundred million right now.

Zhou Kang strode outside without giving her a chance to say no. Su Nian had no choice but to quickly follow.

At the dining room entrance, Zhou Kang was suddenly shoved back inside.

A man held a cup of pitch-black liquid in one hand. Despite the push, not a drop spilled. “I’m here. You think you’re taking her?”

Zhou Kang stumbled a few steps before regaining balance.

Su Nian, right beside him, quickly snatched back her bag and hugged it tightly like a robbery victim.

Zhou Kang’s heart dropped when he saw Zhou Beiming — he had assumed Zhou Beiming had left.

He put on a goofy grin. “Thought you’d already gone to work, bro. Didn’t expect you were waiting for your wife…”

Then he noticed the black drink in Zhou Beiming’s hand. “What’s that? Black coffee?”

Zhou Kang leaned in to sniff but was kicked away by Zhou Beiming.

“Scram.”

Zhou Kang couldn’t afford to mess with him and backed off.

That stuff looked toxic — probably dangerous to even smell.

Zhou Beiming walked up to Su Nian and held the “toxic drink” up to her lips. “Aunt Zhang made you some brown sugar ginger tea.”

Brown sugar and tea?

Su Nian hugged her bag and looked down into the cup.

It was so black it looked like ink.

Just from the name, she could tell Aunt Zhang must be the type of person good at brewing this kind of concoction.

Could this be a special version of brown sugar ginger tea?

Uncertain, Su Nian looked up at Zhou Beiming.

His expression was blank. “Want me to feed you?”

“No need.” Su Nian shook her head, slung the bag over her shoulder, and took the cup.

Without a second thought, she downed the whole thing.

It was sickeningly sweet — and sticky on the lips.

She almost threw it up, but the oppressive gaze from Zhou Beiming’s dark eyes made her swallow it down.

“Thank you,” she said, suppressing the nausea.

Zhou Beiming took the empty cup from her and casually placed it on the dining table.

Then, looking coldly at Zhou Kang — who was still trying to peek at Su Nian — he said, “You want some too? There’s more in the kitchen. Plenty.”

Zhou Kang stared at the black liquid in the cup and shook his head so hard it blurred. “No, no, I’m full.”

Zhou Beiming twirled the cup on the table, lowered his frosty black eyes, and casually wiped the red lipstick mark from the rim. “Then throw up what you ate. If you don’t finish what’s in the kitchen, I’ll have someone crack open your skull and pour it in.”