Chapter 19: Biting the Hand That Feeds

Thinking that he had helped her in the end, Xu Zhiqiao took the initiative to invite Zhou Cong for a meal.

She chose a clay pot restaurant with decent flavor, one of those small, hidden places down an alley—like a fly-infested restaurant you’d find in a corner.

The restaurant’s sign, with a red background and black letters, looked like it had aged a few years. The store name was missing a couple of strokes, and the sign was no longer vibrant—one could poke it and plastic particles would fall off.

Inside, there were four orange-red tables, and the round stools looked greasy. The walls were shabby, adorned with price lists for various clay pots.

Zhou Cong felt a headache coming on.

He wanted to suggest going somewhere else but hesitated to speak up.

Xu Zhiqiao cheerfully urged him to sit, and turned around to order two servings of clay pot dishes.

“I’ll get you seafood,” her voice still sounded hoarse from crying, “I’ll have the vegetarian one.”

“…” Zhou Cong had lost the will to resist. He glanced at the round stool, which seemed to have a layer of greasy residue on it, and found it hard to sit down.

Xu Zhiqiao rested her elbows on the table and looked up at him. “Sit down.”

Zhou Cong’s lips moved slightly.

“You think it’s dirty?” Xu Zhiqiao cupped her cheek with one hand, her clear eyes filled with understanding. “But I’m just a student. This is the only place I can afford.”

Zhou Cong’s brow furrowed, and an air of pressure radiated from him.

He wasn’t stupid.

Xu Zhiqiao was clearly doing this on purpose.

She was trying to drive him away.

She was trying to remind him of the gap between them.

She was trying to make him feel disgusted.

Zhou Cong lowered his gaze, calmly took a few tissues, and slowly wiped down the stool before sitting without saying a word.

While waiting for the food, Zhou Cong wiped the table and dialed a number, instructing someone to check the surveillance footage on the bus.

The two steaming clay pots arrived, the sauce emanating an aroma that made one’s fingers itch to dip into.

The “seafood” clay pot turned out to be little more than a couple of freshwater shrimp, a handful of clams, and a few small dried shrimp tossed into the broth.

Xu Zhiqiao’s bowl only contained two fresh green lettuce leaves.

Zhou Cong lowered his eyes and swapped their bowls.

Xu Zhiqiao stopped, her hand poised over her chopsticks. “I don’t want…”

Zhou Cong lifted his gaze. “Has it started snowing outside?”

“…”

It was the middle of August, the hottest time of the year—what did snow have to do with this?

“You’re acting like,” Zhou Cong sneered, his voice cold, “we’ve fallen so low that we can only eat a single bowl of clay pot, and you push me away, and I push you, and after we finish, we walk into the snow to freeze to death.”

“…”

Xu Zhiqiao fell silent for a moment, then couldn’t help but say, “I’m allergic to seafood.”

Zhou Cong: “…”

Xu Zhiqiao peeked at him. “Really.”

It wasn’t severe, but she wasn’t very interested in seafood either. Xu Shu had strictly forbidden her from eating it to avoid any accidents.

Silence.

The light mist swirled in the air. Zhou Cong wore a stern expression and swapped the bowls back again.

This girl was probably difficult to take care of.

She had a bunch of little habits, and she loved crying, which made his chest ache in a dull, lingering way.

“Big Brother,” Xu Zhiqiao instinctively called out, her familiar tone, “don’t force yourself…”

Zhou Cong slowly took a sip of soup. “What am I forcing myself for?”

“…”

Naturally, it was about finishing the clay pot noodles.

Let’s just hope he didn’t throw up afterward.

Seeing the unspoken words on her lips, Zhou Cong chuckled. “Who are you looking down on? You can, but I can’t?”

Xu Zhiqiao didn’t say anything.

She liked clay pot noodles.

She didn’t mind them.

After finishing half a bowl of noodles, Zhou Cong’s phone rang. He answered the call emotionlessly, replying with a short “Mm,” before hanging up.

Thinking about the ten thousand yuan, Xu Zhiqiao looked up, her eyes shining with expectation as she watched him through the thin mist.

Zhou Cong lowered his head, wrapping a few noodles around his chopsticks. “They found it. There was a guy standing behind you on the bus…”

At this point, his tone darkened. “Don’t you know to wear your bag in front?”

“…”

Xu Zhiqiao automatically ignored the latter part and eagerly asked, “Did you find it? Did you find the money?”

“Eat your meal,” Zhou Cong scolded her. “They’ve already arrested him. After the interrogation, they’ll return the money.”

“Really!”

She hadn’t expected to get the lost money back, and her eyes lit up with delight, the happiness almost radiating from her.

Zhou Cong stared at her for a few seconds and suddenly smirked. “Did you cry for nothing?”

After the shock of getting the money back, Xu Zhiqiao, her delicate white hand waving, called out to the waiter, “Boss, add another serving of noodles for my Big Brother!”

“…” Zhou Cong was speechless.

What was this?

Biting the hand that feeds her.

But whatever.

He didn’t mind the sudden intimacy when she was happy.

It wasn’t like it was a big deal—just one more bowl of noodles!

—

When they returned to the milk tea shop, Zhou Cong transferred the ten thousand yuan back to her via his phone. “They returned it to me, so you don’t need to go to the police station again and trouble your mother.”

Xu Zhiqiao nodded. “Thank you, Big Brother.”

She really didn’t want Xu Shu to know.

“Hey,” Zhou Cong bent down slightly, his hands on his thighs as he met her gaze. “Would you quit?”

“…”

Zhou Cong: “Aren’t you tired?”

Xu Zhiqiao shook her head.

“Why don’t you…” He thought of the way her thin arms had been stirring the lemon, and Zhou Cong tried to negotiate, “You can come work at my company…”

Xu Zhiqiao interrupted him. “Goodbye, Big Brother.”

“…”

Silence.

Zhou Cong, helpless, bent down again, his back that had never bent in his life bending once more. “Well, no more taking the bus then…”

Xu Zhiqiao: “Goodbye, Big Brother Zhou Cong!”

“…”

Zhou Cong laughed in frustration. “Stop using that trick on me.”

Forget it, forget it.

It was probably not going to work coming from her.

Zhou Cong said no more. When she wasn’t looking, he reached over and ruffled her hair hard. “Go ahead. I’ll head back.”

Xu Zhiqiao sighed in relief, sneaking a few steps into the store.

Zhou Cong rubbed the back of his neck, not angry but chuckling. This girl hated him, and it was so obvious.

When he left the milk tea shop, he turned the car’s air conditioning to its highest setting and, with his Bluetooth in his ear, called Ji Huailuo. “I’ll go see Er De tonight.”

“You’re crazy,” Ji Huailuo retorted bluntly. “What’s so interesting about a dog?”

Zhou Cong: “I enjoy watching.”

“Then enjoy yourself!”

“Tell Sister Li to set another place for me. I’ll be there on time.”

“Wait to eat leftovers.”

That day, the milk tea shop closed early. Li Qi stretched and yawned. “Once classes starts, it’ll be peak season. Go home and rest up, there’s plenty of work ahead.”

Xu Zhiqiao slung her bag over her shoulder and nodded in acknowledgment.

The evening sun was vibrant, casting a fiery glow that felt like it was burning her cheeks.

Li Qi patted his head and suddenly called out to her. “Qiaoqiao, this money is yours, right?”

“…”

Xu Zhiqiao turned around.

Li Qi pulled out a stack of crisp new bills from the drawer, tied with a rubber band.

Xu Zhiqiao’s pupils froze. “Brother Li, it’s not mine.”

Wasn’t hers. Didn’t a little thief steal her money?

Zhou Cong had already transferred it back to her.

“It’s yours,” Li Qi said confidently. “I checked the surveillance. When you put your bag in, the zipper was left partly open. It must’ve slipped into the seam like that. I noticed your bag was about to fall, so I zipped it up for you.”

He hadn’t realized the money had fallen out.

It was only when they were cleaning up that they found it.

“…”

Li Qi scratched his head. “But with so much money, you didn’t notice it was missing?”

“…”

Xu Zhiqiao’s lips moved but she didn’t say a word.

So, what about the money Zhou Cong had given her?