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Ji Huailuo and the others wrapped up their little stunt and came out, all giddy and excited like a trio of overexcited huskies.
“Brother, you really should’ve gone in and seen my sister’s face,” Ji Huailuo boasted. “She called me a dumbass right in front of the entire school.”
Zhen Chuang chuckled. “Got cursed out and still feeling good about it.”
Ji Huailuo snorted. “What do you know? The way she sang that song, she looked like a peacock in full display. Wouldn’t be surprised if some punk’s already got his eye on her. I just cut off that path early.”
“…” Xu Zhiqiao wanted to charge at him again. “Why are you like this?! Why are you so damn scheming?!”
“Scheming?” Ji Huailuo raised a brow, completely unbothered. “I’m just learning how to be more calculating lately. Making great progress, if I do say so myself.”
Hua Qingyang shook his head. “Never seen someone with depth who has to declare it.”
Zhen Chuang added, “Looks like he’s plotting all the time, but never gets it right. Classic idiot.”
Xu Zhiqiao’s heart sank. It felt like they were mocking her.
She’d fought back several times now, thought she’d used all her best, cleverest tricks. But none of them worked. And instead of turning things around, she just looked more and more like a fool.
Ji Huailuo was right. She was a fool.
“Hey, Xu Zhiqiao,” Ji Huailuo walked over holding the banner, stepping a bit closer. “That monkey of yours—is he around? Which one is it? I want to meet him.”
Already at her breaking point, and now he had to come poke the bear—Xu Zhiqiao had had enough. Without saying a word, she crouched down and buried her head between her knees, crying softly.
“…”
Ji Huailuo’s hair practically stood up. He was both panicked and furious. “Is that really necessary?! Seriously?! Fine, I won’t meet him! Who the hell wants to see some ugly monkey anyway?! Stop crying already!!”
Zhen Chuang and Hua Qingyang exchanged a glance, then subtly peeked at the silent man nearby.
The air froze. Stiff. Awkward.
Only the girl’s sad, stifled crying could be heard.
Hua Qingyang coughed and crouched beside her, calling on his experience from coaxing Hua Niuniu. “Is it ‘cause your Big Brothers embarrassed you in front of your classmates?”
“It’s not even embarrassing,” Zhen Chuang squatted on her other side. “Come on, what’s embarrassing about this? I swear—”
But every word they said just reminded Xu Zhiqiao of another recent screw-up.
Losing money. Making Zhou Cong sick with food poisoning. Inventing a fake ugly monkey boyfriend. Accusing Zhou Cong of liking Ji Huailuo…
How had she done so many dumb things?
If even one had gone well, she wouldn’t be this crushed.
“I’m a dumbass,” she muttered.
“…” Ji Huailuo froze, then jumped up in frustration. “So I’m a dumbass and you’re a dumbass, and now you’re gonna go and call our whole family dumb, huh? Why don’t you curse these three next?!”
Hua Qingyang twitched at the corner of his mouth.
“God, my heart,” Ji Huailuo groaned. “No wonder Qingyang’s the most haggard-looking out of the four of us.”
Raising a kid really does age you.
“Get lost,” Hua Qingyang growled through clenched teeth.
Zhen Chuang glanced up, then quickly looked away, muttering, “We’re clearly not helping. Why don’t we let Zhou Cong try? He always has a way with words.”
“Sure,” Ji Huailuo stood up. “We’ll go wait at the hotel. You’ve got five minutes to make her smile.”
Hua Qingyang followed him. “Could you be any bossier?”
“No choice,” Ji Huailuo muttered, “he wronged me first.”
“What’d he do? You two have secrets now?”
“Ah, get out of here.”
The three of them disappeared in a flash.
The distant flowerbeds rustled in the wind, making this little corner feel even quieter.
Zhou Cong lowered his gaze, staring at the girl curled up into a ball.
He knew perfectly well that Xu Zhiqiao wasn’t crying over Ji Huailuo’s blind date with the “ugly monkey.”
Zhou Cong had never felt lost like this in his life.
Was he really that terrible?
Did he really disgust her that much?
“Stop crying, Xu Zhiqiao.” Zhou Cong’s voice was soft and low.
The girl’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Zhou Cong slowly lifted his gaze and looked into the night. “If you don’t want me, then fine.”
All his initiative, his gentleness, his humility—if she didn’t want it, then so be it.
“This mistake, I won’t make again.” He mocked himself.
—
Xu Zhiqiao didn’t want to go to the dinner, but Ji Huailuo kept calling her like a man possessed, ordering her to be there within ten minutes.
Even after splashing cold water on her face, her eyes were still as red as a rabbit’s.
Ji Huailuo was irritated. “I’ll give you fifteen thousand next month, take it as your Big Brother’s apology. If that’s not enough, go ahead and stab me.”
“…” Xu Zhiqiao sat beside him, her voice stuffy. “I want soup.”
“Alright,” Ji Huailuo was clearly in the wrong, now groveling like a grandson. “What else do you want? Your Big Brother will take care of it.”
Xu Zhiqiao: “And apple pie.”
Ji Huailuo: “You look like an apple.”
Still, he stood up and got it for her.
Hua Qingyang and Zhen Chuang both shifted their eyes to the left, then simultaneously said, “Zhou Cong—”
Only to fall silent at the same time.
Ji Huailuo gave them a sideways look, annoyed. “What’s wrong with you two?”
“Well…” Hua Qingyang clicked his tongue. “Zhou Cong, maybe ease up on the drinks. Don’t you have to head back to the Old Residence? If Grandpa sees you like this, he’ll break your legs.”
The man to Xu Zhiqiao’s right held his wine glass, his pale, beautiful hand laced with veins, drinking slowly.
“This is good wine,” Zhou Cong said lazily without lifting his eyes. “Left it here last time. You guys should try it.”
Zhen Chuang licked his lips, pulled his chair a little closer, and clinked glasses with him. “If you’re really into Huailuo, your Brothers will help clean him up for you.”
Ji Huailuo burst. “Screw you all!”
“Go cheer up your sister, stop running your mouth,” Hua Qingyang hushed him. “The three of us will drink.”
Zhou Cong curved his lips slightly.
In this situation, anyone with a brain could tell something was off—except an idiot like Ji Huailuo.
Young guys, all fired up, just a few words and a bottle of strong liquor was already empty.
Zhou Cong waved for the manager to bring the rest and let them breathe.
“Hey,” while waiting for the wine to air, Hua Qingyang tried to make conversation. “That blind date didn’t work out last time—what did Grandpa say?”
Zhou Cong lowered his eyes. His voice, soaked in alcohol, carried a faint drunkenness. “He gave me six months. If I don’t bring his future granddaughter-in-law to him, he’ll arrange the marriage himself.”
“Well, that’s not bad,” Zhen Chuang said. “At least he’s letting you take the lead.”
Hua Qingyang: “That should be easy…”
But as he spoke, he seemed to remember something, and his voice faltered until it disappeared.
“Let me tell you,” Ji Huailuo suddenly cut in. “Just now at the gala, a girl added me on WeChat. You saw it, right? I’m more popular than this mutt.”
Xu Zhiqiao froze mid-bite, her apple pie stuck at her lips. “Don’t flirt with my classmates.”
Ji Huailuo: “Just eat.”
“Anyway,” Zhen Chuang shook his head, “let’s go to Zhou Cong’s Chixia Ranch for National Day. Bring your sister too.”
Xu Zhiqiao refused.
“Come on, have some fun,” Hua Qingyang coaxed. “Your Brother Chuang’s girlfriend is going too. That ranch has falcons.”
Xu Zhiqiao still wouldn’t go. “A classmate from Jindong is coming to hang out with me.”
“…” Zhen Chuang paused for a moment, his tone meaningful. “What classmate? Male or female?”
Ji Huailuo waved his hand and blurted out, “I already interrogated her. One guy, one girl. The guy’s been chasing her for three years.”
As the words dropped, the atmosphere quietly froze.
Zhou Cong’s hand, still holding the decanter, stopped mid-air.
Chased her for three years.
And they were still friends.
No tension, no awkwardness at all.
But when it came to him, she looked at him like he was trash.
Heh.