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Xue Bie Zhen was supposed to be taken care of by Xu Zhiqiao, but in the end, it was Zhou Cong who had been looking after it. Furthermore, now that Xue Bie Zhen was pregnant, Xu Zhiqiao planned to use the money she earned from working to buy more foods for it.
Zhou Cong clicked his tongue: “Am I supposed to let it starve?”
“Why don’t you just give it back to me?” Xu Zhiqiao proposed. “I’ll go beg my mother.”
Zhou Cong: “The doctor said it can’t live with a dog.”
“…” Xu Zhiqiao thought he was just making up excuses, but since she stayed in the dorm from Monday to Friday, it really wasn’t convenient for her to take care of it herself, so she had no choice but to compromise. “Fine, I’ll bother you. I’ll buy more things for it.”
“It’s no trouble,” Zhou Cong chuckled. “Single father raising a child, this is what it’s like.”
“…”
—-
Ji Huailuo didn’t return until half an hour later after smoking several cigarettes.
“If it weren’t for airing out the smell,” he said, looking proud of himself, “I wouldn’t have spent so long in the cold wind.”
Xu Zhiqiao frowned: “Are you smoking more than you did in July?”
Ji Huailuo: “Mind your own business, it’s none of your concern.”
Xu Zhiqiao raised her hand: “The cigarettes.”
“…” Ji Huailuo paused. “What now?”
“Hand them over,” Xu Zhiqiao said, her tone firm. “When you have cravings, come to me for a cigarette.”
Ji Huailuo was annoyed: “Now you even control my smoking?”
Xu Zhiqiao looked at him with clear, calm eyes and said softly, “Hand them over.”
“…”
The scene froze for a moment.
A few seconds later, Ji Huailuo reluctantly shoved the half-empty pack of cigarettes into her hand.
Xu Zhiqiao: “Lighter.”
“Are you done?” Ji Huailuo shouted. “I’ll beat you…”
Xu Zhiqiao repeated, “Lighter.”
“…”
The scene froze again.
Ji Huailuo clenched his jaw, his muscles tight, and shoved the lighter into her hand with force.
“I’m not afraid of you,” he grumbled, “I’m afraid you’ll break my figurines again!”
Xu Zhiqiao patted him on the shoulder: “Getting you to quit smoking is my future sister-in-law’s job. For now, I’ll help her by making sure you control the amount.”
Ji Huailuo opened her hand: “What did you order? I’m hungry.”
“Zhou Cong ordered,” Xu Zhiqiao put the cigarette pack and lighter in her bag, “He’s familiar with this place.”
Ji Huailuo casually asked: “How do you know?”
Xu Zhiqiao: “I saw him here last time, on a blind date with a lady.”
Zhou Cong’s eyebrows twitched.
“Oh, I remember now,” Ji Huailuo suddenly realized. “Wasn’t it the time he bumped into you and your ugly monkey boyfriend here?”
Mentioning the “monkey boyfriend,” Xu Zhiqiao was momentarily stunned. It took a few seconds for her to remember what he was talking about.
The man on her left shook his shoulders in amusement, and Xu Zhiqiao turned her head to stare at him with an expressionless face.
Zhou Cong clenched his jaw, looking handsome enough to make everyone resentful, his arrogance in full display: “I didn’t say it, your brother did.”
So who was really to blame for this?
It was all his doing.
“Alright, I was wrong,” Zhou Cong purposely softened his tone. “Let you take charge and order two more dishes, okay?”
Ji Huailuo was speechless: “I was the one who said it, why are you apologizing?”
Zhou Cong: “So you want to apologize instead?”
“…” Ji Huailuo stammered for a second, then gave in, “Fine, you’ve already apologized, just stick with it.”
Zhou Cong exhaled a faint laugh: “Mm.”
The three of them sat in the hall, opposite a man-made wooden boat indoors, with a small bridge and flowing water as decoration.
A half-height wooden fence separated the table from the corridor.
The food was coming out a bit slowly, all made with fresh ingredients.
When a few small dishes were brought over, a group of people walked past the corridor.
At the front was a middle-aged noblewoman, dressed simply and neatly, with sharp lines at the corners of her eyes that added to her commanding, efficient demeanor.
The men behind her seemed to be reporting work, respectfully bowing.
Hearing the woman’s voice, Ji Huailuo raised his eyebrows: “Oh, Auntie.”
Zhou Cong curved his lips slightly, his reaction minimal.
At that moment, the woman’s gaze fell on them.
Ji Huailuo stood up cheerfully and pulled Xu Zhiqiao up too: “Hello, Auntie.”
Wu Shoufang nodded at him: “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Why don’t you come over to visit me sometime?”
“Been really busy,” Ji Huailuo said lazily. “Even finding time to meet with Ah Cong is hard.”
Wu Shoufang smiled, her well-maintained eyes showing a hint of subtle fatigue when she made an expression.
She then turned to Xu Zhiqiao: “Is this your sister?”
“Yes, this is Xu Zhiqiao,” Ji Huailuo introduced. “Call her Auntie.”
Xu Zhiqiao obediently greeted her.
Wu Shoufang’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment: “Xu?”
“Yes,” Ji Huailuo replied, “She takes after her mother’s family name.”
Wu Shoufang nodded but didn’t say more. Instead, she turned to Zhou Cong: “Your grandfather mentioned Miss Ye. How rude of you.”
Zhou Cong raised an eyebrow: “Didn’t Grandpa send the apology gifts?”
“…” Wu Shoufang frowned. “The Ye family doesn’t lack these, but the surface work still has to be done.”
Zhou Cong: “Oh.”
Wu Shoufang: “Stop brushing me off.”
“Auntie,” seeing the tension, Ji Huailuo quickly intervened, “Have you eaten? Want to join us?”
“No,” Wu Shoufang softened her expression. “Next month is your uncle’s 48th birthday. Bring your sister over to the house.”
Ji Huailuo: “Sure.”
Wu Shoufang nodded, her eyes subtly sliding over Xu Zhiqiao’s face before she was surrounded by others and left.
The air, which had been frozen earlier, slowly relaxed.
“My heart,” Ji Huailuo patted his chest dramatically. “No matter how many times I see Auntie, I’m still nervous.”
Zhou Cong kept his head lowered, pouring drinks from a juice jug.
Ji Huailuo looked at Xu Zhiqiao: “I can’t even imagine, if your future mother-in-law is as imposing as that…”
Before he could finish, Zhou Cong shot him a cold glance: “You’re pretty bold, aren’t you?”
“…” Ji Huailuo paused, realizing his words didn’t sound right. “What, do you think my sister isn’t good enough for your family? You can’t even imagine it?”
Zhou Cong’s temple twitched, and his gaze unconsciously landed on a certain girl: “What nonsense are you talking about? Do I think that?”
“You better not,” Ji Huailuo said unhappily. “I’ll personally choose my sister’s boyfriend, and you’re the first one I’m excluding.”
“…”
Silence.
After a second, Zhou Cong narrowed his eyes: “What’s wrong with me?”
Ji Huailuo: “Your family, not to mention people, even your dog could easily handle her, like playing with a rubber ball.”
“…”
The relaxed and comfortable atmosphere seemed like a fleeting illusion, dissipating in an instant.
Zhou Cong’s emotions were unclear as he turned to the girl who hadn’t said a word for a while: “Xu Zhiqiao.”
Xu Zhiqiao looked up.
Zhou Cong: “Share your opinion.”
Before she could speak, Zhou Cong added with warning in his tone: “Think carefully before you speak.”
The two men’s gazes were fixed on her, making her feel like she had to make a decision.
After a brief pause, Xu Zhiqiao pursed her lips and said honestly: “I agree with my brother.”
“…”
Xu Zhiqiao: “I listen to my brother.”
Zhou Cong: “…”