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Xu Zhiqiao’s nerves snapped.
That bloodstained white T-shirt—used in that unspeakable situation—had somehow been picked up, washed clean, and returned to Zhou Cong.
“You—aren’t you a germaphobe?” Xu Zhiqiao’s voice trembled as if she were facing a lunatic. “You—you’re sick, really sick… Throw it away now or I swear I’ll fight you!!”
Zhou Cong raised an eyebrow. “Who would mind something from their own child?”
“……”
Ahhhhhh!!!
Could this world just… end already?!
Could he live in a world all by himself?!
Xu Zhiqiao clung to the last thread of hope. “You’re not really going to wear it, right? Right?”
“Mm.”
Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, Zhou Cong added calmly, “I’m keeping it.”
“……”
—
Xu Zhiqiao fled back to the Ji Family like she was running for her life.
She couldn’t bear to face such an utterly humiliating situation.
Ji Huailuo had been taken somewhere by Zhou Cong and hadn’t returned to the Ji Family since the National Day holiday.
A week into the new semester, Xu Zhiqiao received a message from Zhou Cong saying that Ji Huailuo had gone back to work at Ji Corporation and told her not to worry.
It was probably something Zhou Cong had done behind the scenes—Ji Huailuo had actually listened to him.
Throughout October, Ji Shou and Xu Shu were rarely home, leaving Xu Zhiqiao and Sister Li in the Ji Family alone.
At the end of the month, their major course instructor assigned a project—designing a logo for a local radio station.
The project originated because the instructor, Song Wan, happened to be an honorary advisor at a broadcasting station in Shenzhen, which coincidentally needed a logo. She took it upon herself to offer her class the chance for hands-on experience.
“If your design gets selected,” said Song Wan, “the prize is one thousand yuan. It’s not a lot, but your logo will be displayed on the broadcasting building. Everyone in Shenzhen will see it.”
It was a matter of prestige.
Song Wan smiled. “I hope everyone puts their heart into it.”
Excited, the students began sketching and coloring, referencing the styles of renowned designers.
After a stretch of busy days, November arrived before they knew it.
Xu Zhiqiao pulled on a duffle coat, planning to return to the Ji Family over the weekend to bring her cotton-padded jacket to the dormitory.
She couldn’t stand the cold.
That day, Xu Zhiqiao received a message from Zhou Cong.
[It’s that time of the month. Be careful.]
Xu Zhiqiao: “……”
That matter she had almost managed to forget resurfaced with this one message. She dove under the covers and screamed into her pillow, nearly ready to storm over and fight him to the death.
Song Siting yanked her blanket open. “How’s your project going?”
Xu Zhiqiao pushed back her hair. “The draft is finalized.”
“I’m feeling really confident about my design,” Song Siting said. “If mine gets picked, I’ll treat everyone.”
Xu Zhiqiao replied, “I want barbecue.”
Song Siting: “Deal.”
—
In mid-November, the selected logo design was revealed—but not by Instructor Song Wan.
Instead, a classmate saw it on the exterior wall of the broadcasting building.
The designer’s name was printed in a tiny font beneath the logo.
It said: Song Wan.
Most students didn’t feel much about it—after all, it was about participation. They were only freshmen, with little sense of gain or loss.
But Song Siting was devastated.
“Look at this,” she said, her fingers trembling. “This half is exactly like mine. She copied it!!”
Everyone agreed—they did look incredibly similar.
But who dared to accuse their own course instructor of taking a student’s idea, subtly altering the details, and claiming it as her own?
Zou Qi was furious too. “How could she do that? Did you confront her?”
“I did,” Song Siting said, eyes red. “She told me I’m too young to understand the concept of plagiarism. And as a teacher, she wouldn’t bother arguing with me!”
And that was how she dismissed her.
Wang Miaomiao asked, “So what now?”
Song Siting replied, “She has power and influence, and I’m from out of town. If I make a scene, people will think I’m blowing things out of proportion. It’s just a logo…”
A thousand yuan prize and a chance to be seen.
It didn’t seem worth risking everything.
But the disgust she felt—it was like eating filth.
“Tingting,” Xu Zhiqiao comforted, “I’ll treat you to barbecue. I just got my paycheck from the milk tea shop.”
Hearing her voice, Song Siting paused, then suddenly asked, “Qiao Bao, can you help me?”
“……”
“Your family,” Song Siting said urgently, “your Big Brothers—they’re all amazing, right? One word from them and I could get justice, couldn’t I?”
“……” Xu Zhiqiao pressed her lips together and explained, “I’m really not that close with them.”
Even Ji Huailuo had been ignoring her lately.
The light dimmed in Song Siting’s eyes. “So… you don’t want to help?”
Xu Zhiqiao: “It’s not that…”
She truly couldn’t bring herself to ask.
Even if this had happened to her, she would’ve just swallowed it. She wouldn’t have asked anyone for help.
Song Siting didn’t say anything else.
But that evening, she went to the cafeteria with Zou Qi and Wang Miaomiao—and didn’t invite Xu Zhiqiao.
Xu Zhiqiao sat there, lost and helpless, questioning herself repeatedly. Had she made a mistake? Should she have at least tried?
After all, Song Siting had always been kind to her.
Now that she needed help, Xu Zhiqiao hadn’t done her part.
Just before seven, she got a call from Zhou Cong, asking her to come downstairs.
He said he had brought Xue Bie Zhen over.
She hadn’t seen the bunny in almost a month. Changing her clothes quickly, Xu Zhiqiao went downstairs and saw Zhou Cong standing tall beneath a mimosa tree, holding Xue Bie Zhen with one arm.
Zhou Cong stroked the rabbit’s ears and said, “She’s having babies.”
“……” Xu Zhiqiao was stunned. “What babies?”
“Xue Bie Zhen,” Zhou Cong said, amused, “she’s pregnant.”
“……”
Xue Bie Zhen can have babies?
Xu Zhiqiao’s lips twitched. “Who’s her husband?”
Zhou Cong: “A male rabbit from the pet shop.”
“……”
Zhou Cong: “So I brought her here for you to see.”
The silk collar still hung around Xue Bie Zhen’s neck. In addition to the silver heart pendant, a gold one had been added.
“I better not let it slip,” Xu Zhiqiao said nervously. “If Xiuxiu finds out, she’ll drool.”
So many spicy rabbit heads, just like that.
“……” Zhou Cong’s eyelid twitched. “I’m hungry.”
Xu Zhiqiao lifted her eyes. “You’re hungry?”
Zhou Cong: “Rushed over here—didn’t have time to eat.”
Xu Zhiqiao rubbed her stomach. “I haven’t eaten either.”
Zhou Cong narrowed his eyes and scrutinized her. “You didn’t have class this afternoon. Why wait this long to eat?”
“…How do you know my schedule?”
“You forgot?” Zhou Cong said. “The chairman of Shenzhen University is a friend of my Big Brother.”
“……”
Hearing that, Xu Zhiqiao’s heart sank again—thinking of Song Siting.
Just then, three girls walked by. Zou Qi glanced over and said, “Qiao Bao, your Big Brother came to see you, huh.”
With that, the three of them continued straight into the girls’ dormitory.
For some reason, in that one sentence, Xu Zhiqiao detected a mocking tone.
Mocking her for pretending.
Pretending she wasn’t close with her Big Brother, when clearly she was.
Zhou Cong’s gaze swept past the three and finally settled on her face.
“So this is… being excluded?”