Chapter 10: Truly Not Internal Strife

Xu Zhiqiao just didn’t want to go back to the Ji family.

She actually envied Zhou Cong for having his own secret base, a place where no one knew about except for him.

She also wanted to have a place like that.

A place where she could hide when she couldn’t breathe anymore.

Back in Jindong, she had a few friends, and occasionally she could talk to them, but she still didn’t dare to say too much.

When she came to Shen City, she was all alone. The bad things, she didn’t dare to tell Xu Shu.

But those bad feelings kept piling up, blocking her to the extreme, until she couldn’t stand being the obedient girl anymore and just wanted to let off some steam.

Because of the cosplay exhibition, Wen Chuang Street was bustling, with many characters from anime walking around.

Xu Zhiqiao stared blankly at those cosplayers, wanting to take photos, but she didn’t dare turn on her phone.

One cosplayer came up to her, bent over to greet her, and even gave her a bag of homemade freebies.

Gradually, Xu Zhiqiao relaxed, turned on her phone, and set it to airplane mode.

After walking around for a while, Xu Zhiqiao went to a milk tea shop and bought a cup of taro milk tea, holding a large bag of gifts, her eyes sparkling as she walked out.

Not only did she get gifts, but she also received friend requests from several cosplayers.

Xu Zhiqiao planned to find a less crowded spot to grab a taxi.

However, when she saw a man walking toward her on the street, her scalp tightened, and it felt like a thunderclap had struck. She nervously turned around, hugging the milk tea cup tightly.

Zhou Cong’s hair was all messy, but he was still incredibly handsome, standing out even in a street full of well-dressed cosplayers.

Seeing the girl trying to avoid him, Zhou Cong’s head ached in frustration. “Do you believe I’ll break your legs?”

“…”

Xu Zhiqiao held back, then simply turned around, “Why did you come here? I’ll go back once I’m done having fun!”

Who is he?

They weren’t even that close.

Zhou Cong moved quickly, his shirt tight around his body, revealing a faint muscle outline. The sleeves were roughly rolled up to his elbows, not like usual, where he’d carefully use cuffs to gather them.

“You should go out next time if you want to have fun,” Zhou Cong reprimanded, his voice slow and deliberate. “You can’t be careless with things I’m responsible for, understand?”

Xu Zhiqiao replied, “I’m already 19!”

Zhou Cong didn’t let up, “Your behavior is no different from a 9-year-old’s.”

“…”

Xu Zhiqiao’s mood, which had just improved, gradually cracked. “No one’s going to make you responsible for this. Just go back.”

Zhou Cong closed his eyes and massaged his brow, clearly irritated. “I’ll take you home…”

“I’m not going back!” Xu Zhiqiao’s sudden bad temper seemed to break her. “That’s not even my home! I didn’t even unpack my suitcase! I’m leaving after the semester!”

“…”

People passing by kept glancing at them.

It was unclear whether they were looking at the exceptionally handsome man or the girl who looked like she might start crying at any moment.

Zhou Cong sighed deeply, his voice tinged with sarcasm. He mocked himself for getting worked up over a kid.

He bent down, his gaze softening. He spoke patiently, “How about I take you for a ride?”

“No.”

“To my secret base?”

“No.”

“……”

Zhou Cong couldn’t help but laugh softly, unsure whether it was out of anger or helplessness. “Little princess, where do you want to go?”

Xu Zhiqiao replied, “You leave, I’ll go by myself.”

Zhou Cong: “No, choose another place.”

“There’s nowhere else.”

“……”

She was deliberately messing with him.

She was deliberately rejecting him.

Zhou Cong truly didn’t know how to coax a child. He had never done this before.

He was far more free-spirited than Ji Huailuo.

But now, standing in front of this girl who rejected everything, he felt an overwhelming sense of defeat, as if his hands and feet were bound.

“Alright,” Zhou Cong quickly scanned his surroundings, then compromised, “There’s a row of claw machines. See them?”

Xu Zhiqiao nodded.

Zhou Cong, sensing an opportunity to soften her mood, gently coaxed, “Which one do you like?”

“Patrick.”

“Anything else?”

“Pea pod.”

“Anything else?”

“…You can grab it, then we’ll talk.”

Zhou Cong couldn’t stop himself from laughing: “What if I grab it?”

Xu Zhiqiao replied, “Then you’re amazing.”

“……”

Zhou Cong laughed again, but this time it was a laugh tinged with frustration. “Can you give me a reward?”

Xu Zhiqiao quickly backed away, her eyes full of caution. “No.”

Zhou Cong felt a headache coming on. “No other requests? Just let me take you home, alright?”

“……”

Zhou Cong, acting like a tycoon, bought two baskets full of coins.

The claw machines in Wen Chuang Street seemed to have a vendetta against him. He watched as the claw grabbed, only for the prizes to slip out one by one.

Zhou Cong clicked his tongue. “This feels like muscle weakness.”

“They’re just trying to make money,” Xu Zhiqiao muttered as she stared at the stuffed toys inside. “And you’re too fast, you’re wasting money. Can you please aim carefully before you grab?”

Zhou Cong dismissed it. “My eyes are the ruler.”

Xu Zhiqiao: “Then your ruler is really off.”

Several minutes later…

“Big Brother,” Xu Zhiqiao couldn’t help but speak up, “If you don’t grab a toy now, I’ll be home by the time you’re done.”

“……”

Zhou Cong’s shoulders shook, and a low laugh escaped from his throat. “Who told you that Little Princess is so hard to please?”

Xu Zhiqiao, tired of correcting his words, replied, “Let’s go home.”

“No,” Zhou Cong said, irritated. “I’m not going home until I get these two toys.”

“……”

Who’s the one trying to please whom?

Two baskets of coins later, Zhou Cong rubbed his neck, his expression unchanged. “I’m going to complain to 315 about them cheating.”

“……”

Xu Zhiqiao couldn’t hold back her laughter. “You’re so bad at this.”

Hundreds of coins and not a single toy.

Zhou Cong’s eyelids lowered as he gazed at the corner of her lips, then let out a long breath. “Finally, a smile. If you didn’t smile soon, I’d have to call the police.”

“……” Xu Zhiqiao reminded him, “Big Brother, you didn’t grab a single one. I’m leaving now, goodbye.”

Zhou Cong: “……”

He forgot about that line.

After a brief silence, his face turned cold. “Wait, I’ll buy two more baskets.”

Xu Zhiqiao almost cried. “It’s already 11 p.m.”

“Don’t worry,” Zhou Cong said, “No matter how late it gets, I’ll grab it for you.”

Xu Zhiqiao regretted saying anything. “I don’t want it anymore. Let’s go home, Big Brother, take me home.”

“……” Zhou Cong raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“No more teasing?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Will you dare to do it next time?”

“……” Xu Zhiqiao was getting fed up. “Fine, grab it if you want.”

Zhou Cong chuckled, roughly ruffling her hair, ignoring her protests, and pinching her baby fat cheek. “If you’re good to Big Brother, I’ll do anything for you, okay?”

Xu Zhiqiao: “You can go ahead and call the police!”

“……”

Forget it.

This girl looked so silly, yet she defended herself so fiercely.

Not giving him a single opening.

“Let’s go~” Zhou Cong, with an almost coaxing tone, dragged her along. “This is my first time taking a girl out, and I’m feeling pretty confident about it.”

As they spoke, a staff member with a blue tag walked over, respectfully asking, “Young Master Zhou, what would you like?”

Xu Zhiqiao froze.

Zhou Cong tilted his head, signaling. “Patrick star, pea pod, and a large ear dog.”

The staff member unlocked the claw machine with a key and retrieved the three toys he mentioned.

“The claw machine is rigged,” Zhou Cong said, holding the three toys with a cold voice. “They’ve swindled me.”

“……”

Xu Zhiqiao pursed her lips. “You’re blaming others for your bad skills. Truly not internal strife.”

Zhou Cong: “……”

This girl really wouldn’t give him any face.

Zhou Cong waved his hand and dismissed the staff. Holding the three toys, he asked, “Do you want them?”

Xu Zhiqiao hesitated for a moment and nodded.

“Say something nice,” Zhou Cong said, looking down at her.

Xu Zhiqiao paused, trying to think. “Big Brother Zhou, although your skills are bad, your eyes aren’t accurate, and you like to threaten people…”

“Stop,” Zhou Cong’s face darkened. “What do I need to hear next to cancel all of this?”

Xu Zhiqiao continued, “But I believe that, having grown up under the red flag and basking in the spring breeze, Big Brother Zhou will surely become a righteous, kind, and promising person…”

Zhou Cong couldn’t take it anymore and flicked her forehead.

“Why do I need to be promising?” he laughed angrily. “And what’s with righteous and kind…”

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

This girl was just trying to get him to let her off.

Zhou Cong felt a sharp pain in his chest. “Where exactly am I wrong?”

Xu Zhiqiao said directly, “You’re a bit greasy.”

“……” Zhou Cong’s temples twitched. “What did I do to make me greasy?”

He felt like he wasn’t as greasy as her friends.

“Just… I like… my classmates,” Xu Zhiqiao tried to make him understand. “I don’t like… people like you

“……”

Damn.

Society.

People?