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For the rest of the month, Xu Zhiqiao cycled between attending classes and working part-time at the milk tea shop.
Zhou Cong messaged her every day. She didn’t block him but never replied, firmly maintaining her soft cut-off.
Ji Huailuo used his own savings to buy her an Audi A6. “I wanted to get you something more expensive, but your Big Brother Zhou Cong said it was too flashy. Driving that to campus would attract gossip. He even made me switch the color to white.”
If it were up to him, he would’ve gone all out—probably gotten her a bright red one.
Xu Zhiqiao didn’t dare drive much, squeezing in practice time by slowly circling the neighborhood.
As December arrived, the festive atmosphere of the upcoming winter holiday began to settle over Shenzhen City.
After discussing it with Xu Shu, Xu Zhiqiao planned to return to Jindong for the break.
On the day of the Zhou Family’s birthday banquet, Xu Zhiqiao pretended to be sick, refusing to leave the house. Ji Huailuo stood at her bedside, arms crossed, his expression dark as thunder.
Xu Zhiqiao buried her head in the covers, muffling her voice. “I’m not going. You can go represent me.”
“You think I want to go?” Ji Huailuo snapped. “The Ji Family’s future is on both of us. You should at least learn how to handle social occasions!”
“It’s yours, not mine. I don’t want it,” Xu Zhiqiao said.
Time was running out, and Ji Huailuo was growing frantic. “Damn it, this isn’t about wanting to go—it’s about whether or not you’re going!”
“Not going, not going,” she waved him off. “Don’t want to, and not going.”
“……”
The air froze.
A moment later, Ji Huailuo sneered, “What? You waiting for your Big Brother Zhou Cong to come invite you himself?”
Xu Zhiqiao’s flushed face shot up. “I’ll fight you!!”
“Let’s go,” Ji Huailuo huffed impatiently. “Don’t make me call your brother.”
Xu Zhiqiao was ready to throw punches.
Ji Huailuo muttered, “I think you just want him to keep playing the ‘Big Brother’ role.”
“……” Xu Zhiqiao threw off the covers and got up reluctantly. “Fine, but I’m driving.”
Ji Huailuo stiffened. “Then I’m not sure I’ll make it there alive.”
“If I don’t drive, I’m not going,” she warned.
“……”
Fine, whatever.
There wasn’t a single adult in the house who could control her.
Everything fell on him—playing both Father and Big Brother.
Xu Zhiqiao wasn’t great behind the wheel. The car jerked and bounced along the way. Ji Huailuo strapped on his seatbelt tightly and clutched the handle, sitting stiff as a board.
“Whoa, damn it! There’s a person ahead—brake! BRAKE!!”
“Shit, Xu Zhiqiao, I swear I’ll fight you! RED LIGHT, RED LIGHT, RED LIGHT!!!”
At some point, Xu Zhiqiao chucked her purse at him. “Shut up already!”
“Crap crap crap—LOOK AT THE ROAD!! AHHH!!!”
By the time they arrived at the Zhou Family, Ji Huailuo was drenched in sweat.
Once she parked the car, Xu Zhiqiao scrambled over to the passenger seat and started smacking him. “You were shouting so much I got scared! You were distracting me!”
Ji Huailuo winced, blocking her with one hand as he tumbled out of the car. “Calm down! There are people outside!”
The gift had been prepared by Ji Shou. Ji Huailuo held the box in one hand and yanked Xu Zhiqiao by the collar with the other as he led her toward the Zhou Family.
The Zhou Family’s old residence wasn’t as luxurious as she had imagined. Tucked amid towering buildings, it was a quiet, rustic house with mossy red-brick walls that had clearly weathered time.
And yet, there seemed to be an invisible threshold between this old house and the bustling street outside—a dividing wall marking two entirely different worlds.
Hua Qingyang and Zhen Chuang had already arrived.
Xu Zhiqiao followed obediently by Ji Huailuo’s side. She greeted whoever she was told to greet, smiled when asked, and even ate candy when handed some—well-behaved to the point of robotic.
Ji Huailuo glanced at her. “You’re kind of terrifying like this.”
“……” Xu Zhiqiao forced a smile. “Stop mimicking me, or I’ll break your figurines.”
Ji Huailuo cleared his throat and waved to the people ahead. “Uncle, Auntie, Cong.”
As soon as the main characters appeared, the surrounding guests quickly gathered to greet them.
Zhou Hezheng wore a traditional Chinese red Tang jacket and pretended to complain about how his brat of a son had insisted he wear it.
Cue another round of compliments.
Xu Zhiqiao clutched Ji Huailuo’s sleeve and kept her eyes on her toes, silently enduring the event.
After a while, Zhou Hezheng and Wu Shoufang came over together. Zhou Hezheng smiled warmly, “Huailuo, is this Little Bao?”
Ji Huailuo responded with poise, “Yes, this is Xu Zhiqiao. Say hello to Uncle and Auntie.”
Xu Zhiqiao looked up, keeping her gaze centered and steady. “Hello, Uncle Zhou. Hello, Aunt Wu. Wishing you joy, prosperity, and evergreen health.”
She was still young, her features not fully matured. Hearing such formal blessings from her lips made her seem adorably innocent.
But as soon as the words fell, Zhou Cong chuckled aloud.
Wu Shoufang shot him a glance. “What are you laughing at? Her blessings were lovely.”
“They were,” Zhou Cong drawled, clearly asking for a beating, “That’s why I laughed—to show my appreciation.”
Zhou Hezheng praised her a few more times and signaled Wu Shoufang to hand her two red envelopes.
Xu Zhiqiao didn’t dare accept.
Zhou Cong casually took them from his mother’s hand. “I’ll give them to her. Dad, Mom, go mingle with the guests. She’s with me.”
“Alright,” Zhou Hezheng said. “You behave, don’t upset Little Bao—or you’ll get it from me.”
Their childhood friends had gathered together.
The two red envelopes hovered directly in front of Xu Zhiqiao’s face, accompanied by Zhou Cong’s ambiguous voice. “Take them.”
Xu Zhiqiao remained polite. “That won’t be necessary, Big Brother.”
“Are you taking them or not?” Zhou Cong’s eyes drooped with menace. “You want me to beg you?”
Xu Zhiqiao’s face turned red with frustration.
Ji Huailuo waved his hand, took the envelopes, and stuffed them into her coat pocket without fuss. “She’s not used to this kind of scene. Don’t scare her with your passive-aggressive games.”
“……” Zhou Cong narrowed his long eyes, the sourness prickling in his chest. Even his words turned sour. “Funny, at the hospital, wasn’t someone saying he had no choice but to fake affection…?”
Ji Huailuo gave him a shove. “You looking for a fight?”
Xu Zhiqiao was confused, not sure what set Ji Huailuo off. But she worried he might lose his temper and cause a scene at the Zhou Family.
“Big Brother,” she tugged on Ji Huailuo’s sleeve, flustered. “What are you doing?”
Zhou Cong calmly adjusted his clothes. “It’s fine. Your Big Brother’s just messing with me.”
Hua Qingyang and Zhen Chuang, who had witnessed the scene firsthand, jumped in to smooth things over. “Don’t worry, Little Sister. They’re just fooling around.”
Ji Huailuo scoffed. “I’m gonna drink him under the table today.”
Hua Qingyang and Zhen Chuang each hooked an arm around his shoulders, steering him toward the Courtyard. “Then let’s all help! Look at that outfit—he looks like a damn butterfly.”
“……” Zhou Cong paused, glancing down at himself. “A butterfly?”
Crimson lettered hoodie, black casual pants—about as ordinary as it gets.
What part of that said “butterfly”?
Xu Zhiqiao stayed silent.
“Hey,” Zhou Cong said coolly, “You don’t reply to my messages, and now you’ve forgotten how to speak too?”
Xu Zhiqiao maintained the bare minimum of politeness. “They were just joking. Please don’t take offense, sir.”
“……”
Damn it.
She was back to calling him sir again.