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The line between inside and outside the door was starkly drawn, and the dozen or so people in the private room had fallen completely silent.
Ji Huailuo coughed lightly. Not wanting a spat between Brothers to get out of hand, he took the initiative to step back. “Forget it, Ah Cong. I’ve got a little parrot with me today—if things really blow up, my Father’s gonna punish me again.”
Xu Zhiqiao: “…”
Who’s the little parrot?
“Yes, yes, let it go. Jiang Bin’s had too much to drink,” said the birthday boy, trying to smooth things over. The others quickly followed suit to mediate.
Zhou Cong raised a brow, his tone drawn out. “Let it go?”
Ji Huailuo responded quickly, “Let it go, let it go.”
“You sure about that?” Zhou Cong’s voice was laced with a teasing smile. “Your Little Darling just got insulted to her face, and you’re doing nothing?”
“……”
Insulted to her face?
What exactly had Jiang Bin said again?
It was something like—Zhou Cong couldn’t possibly be into your stepsister, right?
Ji Huailuo: “……”
How was that considered an insult?
Wasn’t that practically giving her face?
“It’s really okay, Big Brother Zhou Cong,” Xu Zhiqiao said gently, breaking the awkward tension in the room. “You misunderstood. That comment wasn’t an insult to me—it was aimed at my Big Brother.”
Ji Huailuo: “…Did I ask you to explain?”
Xu Zhiqiao replied, “I’m not taking the fall for you.”
“…When the hell did I ask you to?” Ji Huailuo was already gritting his teeth again.
Xu Zhiqiao said calmly, “Last night you shut off the main breaker, cut off Uncle’s international video conference, and then told him… I did it.”
Wasn’t that taking the fall?
Ji Huailuo’s face turned stormy, his eyelids twitching: “Go to the front desk downstairs and get the cake.”
Just go. Right now.
She was good for nothing here except pissing him off.
Xu Zhiqiao nodded obediently and handed the suit jacket back.
Zhou Cong casually tossed the coat onto the sofa, his hands slipping into the pockets of his tailored slacks, voice lazy: “I’ll walk with Little Darling.”
“What are you walking for?” Ji Huailuo snapped. “Don’t be fooled by how airheaded she looks—she’s pretending. Her Mother managed to reel in my Father. You think she’s some delicate little flower—”
Xu Zhiqiao showed no reaction to the first two remarks, but the moment her Mother was dragged in, her gentle expression slowly faded.
It was Ji Huailuo’s birthday today. Everyone here was his friend. Xu Zhiqiao had to summon every ounce of rationality not to retort.
She pressed her lips together tightly and turned to leave without a word.
Ji Huailuo’s lashes flickered slightly, then he waved a hand dismissively: “If she gets lost, don’t come crying to me. I’m not responsible.”
The girl ignored him, walking away without a shred of hesitation.
Ji Huailuo: “……”
Damn it.
She actually left.
Zhou Cong cast him a sidelong glance. “You’ve pissed off the little bunny.”
“Don’t give me that crap,” Ji Huailuo snapped, clearly irritated. “I was a perfectly fine only child, then suddenly I’ve got a sister…”
Even if it were a younger brother, that’d be fine. At least he could kick him a few times when annoyed.
But a sister? What the hell was he supposed to do with that?
Zhou Cong let out a low chuckle. “You enjoy yourself. I’ve made my appearance.”
Ji Huailuo: “Where are you going?”
“Home.” Zhou Cong stepped out, then added lazily, “Want me to drop your little darling off while I’m at it?”
He phrased it like a question.
Ji Huailuo gave it a brief thought.
Fine.
Better than letting her wander around alone.
Zhou Cong’s strides were long and leisurely. Every step covered as much ground as three of someone else’s. With that slouchy, casual gait of his, he carried a roguish air, his presence powerful and effortless.
Ji Huailuo pulled his gaze back, grumbling, “Did he take modeling classes or something?”
“You wouldn’t get it,” said the only woman in the room, analyzing the situation. “The way he walks—hips slightly tilted, hands in pockets—that means he’s got a strong waist.”
“……” Ji Huailuo choked. “Are you saying my waist isn’t strong?”
The woman gave him a sweeping glance and commented coolly, “Different vibes. You’re like a puffed-up little lion dog. The Young Master? He’s like a lion king patrolling his realm. You both have the ‘lion’ part… that’s about it.”
“……”
–
As Xu Zhiqiao stepped out of the clubhouse, her phone buzzed with a call from her mother, Xu Shu.
Xu Shu’s tone was as soothing as always, the kind you’d use to coax a child: “At the clubhouse already? Having fun? Your Big Brother Huailuo is a good kid—he’s just not quite used to having two new people in the house yet. For now, our little darling will have to bear with it a bit more.”
Xu Zhiqiao pressed her lips together. She had planned to tell her she’d already left the birthday party, but hearing those words, she swallowed it back.
“It was fun,” she replied calmly. “Big Brother even introduced me to some new friends.”
Sure enough, Xu Shu sounded delighted: “Really? That’s wonderful. Just don’t stay out too late, okay? Remember to head home with your brother.”
“Okay, Mother.”
Once the call ended, Xu Zhiqiao looked up at the sky and let out a quiet sigh.
Who knew how long it would take Ji Huailuo to finish partying?
Going home now was out of the question—she’d definitely give herself away.
Behind her came a soft, amused scoff. Xu Zhiqiao turned around instinctively.
Zhou Cong was crouched casually on the steps, looking at her with that lazy, devil-may-care air. “Don’t want the candy anymore?”
“……” With four or five steps between them, Xu Zhiqiao’s mind was elsewhere, already calculating where she could kill some time. “I don’t want candy.”
Zhou Cong’s grin deepened. He followed up smoothly, “Then what do you want?”
Xu Zhiqiao: “For school to start. Quickly.”
“I want to move into the dorms.”
That way, she wouldn’t have to live every day watching Ji Huailuo’s mood.
Zhou Cong straightened up and stretched lazily, descending the steps with that unbothered, roguish swagger of his. “Now that’s something I can’t help you with.”
No matter how capable he was, he couldn’t make time move faster.
“But,” Zhou Cong arched a brow, “giving your Big Brother a little lesson—there are plenty of ways for that.”
“……”
That was beyond Xu Zhiqiao’s comprehension.
She stared for a few seconds, then asked plainly, “Aren’t you my brother’s friend?”
Shouldn’t that mean he was on Ji Huailuo’s side?
Otherwise, what kind of friend was he?
Zhou Cong twirled the silky tie between his fingers, didn’t answer her question, and instead suddenly asked, “Hey, what’s your full name?”
“……” Xu Zhiqiao was caught off guard. “What?”
“Your full name,” Zhou Cong said. “Xu what?”
He was standing close now, and the height difference between them was obvious. Xu Zhiqiao had to tilt her head up to meet his eyes.
“Xu Zhiqiao,” she replied patiently. “Zhiqiao, as in ‘Even on a cliff of a hundred feet of ice, there are still blossoming branches’—that Zhiqiao.”
Zhou Cong tugged at the corner of his lips. “A poem, huh?”
“……”
It wasn’t.
Hadn’t he ever heard of the famous Bu Suan Zi?
“It’s a ci,” Xu Zhiqiao patiently explained. “Bu Suan Zi is the name of a ci tune form—”
Halfway through her explanation, she caught sight of Zhou Cong’s mischievous grin breaking through his nonchalant façade.
That’s when she realized—he’d been teasing her.
Xu Zhiqiao’s face fell slightly. “Young Master Zhou, do as you please. I’m going home.”
“Home where?” Zhou Cong said leisurely. “Your Big Brother won’t be done partying until past midnight.”
He had overheard her earlier conversation with Xu Shu.
Xu Zhiqiao flushed with embarrassment and snapped, “Don’t you need to go home and build cannons? How do you have time to eavesdrop on people?”
“……” The usual indifference on Zhou Cong’s face cracked for the first time, and he looked genuinely startled. “Who told you my family builds cannons?”
“Ji Huailuo!” Xu Zhiqiao answered bluntly. “He said your backyard is full of buried landmines, and if I don’t behave, he’ll toss me over there to set them off!”
“……”
Shit.
A twitch pulsed in Zhou Cong’s brow.
“Hey.” His voice cooled sharply.
Xu Zhiqiao blinked. “?”
Zhou Cong asked, “How old are you?”
“……”
“An adult, right?”
“……” Xu Zhiqiao quietly took a step back. “Yeah.”
Something unreadable flickered in Zhou Cong’s eyes as the corner of his mouth lifted. “Ever been in a relationship?”
“……”
“No?” Zhou Cong raised a brow, pretending not to know. “Then how about having one—with me?”
“……”