While considering their plan for the weekend, Jiang Lan received a call from Brother Four.

With smiles in his voice, his brother asked him.” Could you please send me the location of your home?”

?

Jiang Lan immediately jumped to his feet.” You are here in Jiang City?”

“Yes, I am on a business trip. Want to see you guys. I just got off the plane.”

Jiang Lan promptly sent the location to him on WeChat. He was so happy that he wanted to talk more. Bixi laughed.” We can talk more in person. Please tell little Eight, no more hiding from me.”

Hearing this, Suan Ni seemed to be a little annoyed. With a meow, he patted the phone with his paws, as if he could touch the annoying Brother Four with his paws.

Patting his head, Jiang Lan hung up the phone.

It usually took about an hour to drive from the airport to their home. During this time, Jiang Lan hurried to tidy up their home. Just after he finished mopping the floor, the doorbell rang.

Jiang Lan opened the door to see his Brother Four standing before him with his luggage. His skin tone seemed darkened. His swept back hair lent an aggressive air to his person.

“You look taller and rounder.” Bixi ruffled his hair with a naughty smile on his face.

Jiang Lan extricated his head from his hand and led him into the home.” Have you eaten yet? How long do you plan to stay in Jiang City?”

“I have my meal on the flight here. And I will leave tomorrow night.”

Bixi deposited his luggage casually by the wall and went to take a look at Jiao Tu. Leaning out of his shell, Jiao Tu greeted him with a big smile.

“Little Nine is so adorable.” Bixi took out a sealed packet from his wallet, which contained a golden pearl the size of a dollar coin and a blackish gemstone. Smiling, he poured the contents of the packet onto the sofa.” I bought these for you on my business trip to Ocean City.”

“Hooray.” Jiao Tu thanked the Fourth Brother and pounced on these shiny gemstones.

Bixi patted Jiao Tu’s head and walked over to open his luggage.” I brought something for each one of you.”

While looking over the contents of the luggage, he said.” Oh, big brother also asked me to bring something for you. Let me see…..”

“It’s Little Eight’s favorite dried fish. Pity he is not here. I will finish it for him..”

Pretending to regret Little Eight’s absence, he opened the dried fish package.

Hiding on the balcony, Suan Ni saw the Fourth Brother was about to put the fish in his mouth and couldn’t control himself. Acting swiftly, he leapt over to Bixi.

Bixi grabbed him with ease and pretended to be surprised.” Oh, are you my Little Eight? How come you turned into a fat fur ball? I couldn’t recognize you anymore.”

Suan Ni:……

Jiang Lan was amused.

Angered, Suan Ni turned his back against him. Bixi gave him the dried fish. With a wicked smile on his face, he said.” Are you mad? Do you want the dried fish?”

Suan Ni threw an angry look at him and dragged his dried fish to his sofa. While busying himself with the dried fish, he still refused to face his brother to express his displeasure.

Watching him with great amusement, Bixi commented.” Oh, he still has a fiery temper.”

Jiang Lan couldn’t contain his amusement.” Please stop messing with our Little Eight.”

Sinking into his sofa, Bixi said.” I couldn’t help it. He is so cute.”

Hearing this, Suan Ni turned to steal a look.

Bixi.” Come here, and meow to your brother.”

Suan Ni:!!!

And he turned back to focus on his dried fish with an angry look.

Bixi had a very busy schedule and this trip afforded them a rare opportunity to get together. Jiang Lan ordered some food ingredients and planned to prepare a hearty dinner for his brother.

The three brothers were used to take-out food and now they began to devour this splendid meal.

But Bixi barely touched his chopsticks. Swirling his cup, he held his coke cup as if he was drinking from a wine glass.

After the meal, they began to talk about their lives, but most of the conversation was centered on Jiang Lan’s life.

Haven’t seen Brother Four in a long time, Jiang Lan described his new life in great detail. He and his new colleagues went along perfectly. His superior even allowed him to take Suan Ni and Jiao Tu to work. His recent performance at work earned him several financial rewards…

He told his brother everything except Ying Qiao.

He wasn’t sure if he should tell his brother that in exchange for a twenty thousand Yuan reward, he went on a blind date. Once this event was mentioned, there was no avoiding telling his brother how he pretended to be a lion monster, fraternizing with a snake monster. These things must sound very weird to his brother.

While thinking this, he began to feel a sense of guilt.

As if he could read Jiang Lan’s mind, Bixi suddenly asked.” Have you met anyone lately?”

Unwittingly, this question brought Ying Qiao’s face to Jiang Lan’s mind.

Scared, he kept shaking his head.”No.”

Bixi’s face gave no clue as to what he was thinking. He simply said.” Oh, you are not in a hurry.”

Jiang Lan tried to change the focus of their conversation away from him.” How about you and Sao Zi^[1]Translator’s note: Sao Zi is used to refer to older brother’s love or wife respectfully.?”

He had heard the Fourth Brother mentioned long ago that he had met someone. But Bixi refused to reveal her name and had never brought her to the Dragon Palace.

This question seemed to have touched a raw nerve. Suddenly a gloom came over Bixi’s face. Pointing to Jiang Lan’s forehead, Bixi said.” Don’t get involved with grownup’s affairs.”

But this attitude didn’t intimidate Jiang Lan. With a smile, he said.” Please try harder.”

Bixi raised his chin arrogantly.” It’s not for lack of trying on my part. Your Sao Zi simply lacks a good taste.”

Jiang Lan found it hard to conceal his amusement.

With their brother’s visit, their home became more lively.

During the night, they found time to have a video chat with their big brother in Ocean City. In the middle of their video chat, Bixi again tried to mess with Suan Ni, who tried to run away angrily, and accidently knocked down a coke bottle. What a mess.

They had to stop the video chat to clean up the mess.

Their merry-making lasted deep into the night.

When Jiang Lan got up in the morning. He saw the fourth brother had already dressed up and was checking his appearance in the mirror. With his diamond-encrusted watch, he cut quite a dashing figure.

“Busy morning? ”Jiang Lan asked.

Straightening the knot in his tie, Bixi said.” I have to attend a business meeting on behalf of our big brother, and will be back around noon.”

“Lunch is in the kitchen, don’t forget.” Then Bixi left with his laptop bag.

Downtown, Yuan Building.

In the meeting room, Ying Qiao seemed a little impatient. ”When will he arrive?”

Checking his WeChat message, Cheng Hua said.” He said he was stuck in a traffic jam.”

“Dam.” Ying Qiao said. “I think he was late on purpose. He seemed to have every intention to raise the price.”

All the ingredients of Ying Qiao’s cosmetic company’s upscale products were extracted from the bodies of various magical beasts. His company catered to the affluent customers in the monster race. This year, Ying Qiao’s company had been developing a new product, which demands a rare ingredient extracted from a kind of shellfish only found in the deep sea.

That’s why they approached the Dragon Palace to discuss possible cooperation in developing this product.

But they didn’t expect that the person sent on behalf of the Dragon Palace turned out to be Bixi.

Bixi and Ying Qiao had a rough history.

Sensing the hostility in Ying Qiao’s voice, Cheng Hua tried to appease him.” You know the success of our new product relies on the cooperation of the Dragon Palace. Please leave your personal feelings out of this meeting.”

With displeasure in his face and voice, Ying Qiao said.” Well, that depends on his behavior.”

Sensing the phone’s vibration, Cheng Hua took it out and said.” He is here, I will go down to greet him.”

Then he left.

Bixi was surveying the grand Yuan Building. It’s his first time here and the thought of meeting this bitchy dragon today made him uncomfortable.

The appearance of Cheng Hua, who appeared at ease and well-groomed, made him more uncomfortable.

Raising his chin, he watched Cheng Hua’s approach with a sneer on his face.

“Oh, I don’t expect the Assistant Cheng will meet me in person, I trouble you too much.”

Cheng Hua was long used to his sarcasm.” Mr. Zhang is our honorable guest.”

Zhang Lu was the pseudonym Bixi used in human society.

“If I am an honorable guest, why don’t Ying Dragon come here in person?” Bixi sneered.

In response, Cheng Hua gave him a smile.” My boss has been waiting for you in the meeting room for the last twenty minutes.”

You have been very late, so put up with it.

Knowing he was in the wrong for being late, Bixi chose to remain silent except the sneer on his face.

They took the elevator reserved for internal use.

While on the way up, Cheng Hua could sense the intense stare on his back. He turned to face him.

Bixi didn’t avert his gaze. Instead, he asked a question totally unrelated to the matter they were about to tend to.” How long have you served Ying Dragon?”

Unclear about the purpose of this question, Cheng Hua still felt it wasn’t a big deal to answer it truthfully.” More than one thousand years? It has been way too long, I can’t remember exactly.”

“You have been quite loyal.” Bixi snorted.” How can you put up with that bitchy dragon?”

 He paid me handsomely, that’s why.

Cheng Hua fully agreed with Bixi’s last phrase. But in front of an outsider, he considered it his obligation to preserve the dignity of his employer.” I think Mr. Zhang had some misunderstanding with my boss.”

“Misunderstanding?” Bixi laughed.” You must know Dragon’s inglorious past”

Cheng Hua tried to put on an innocent face.

I am just trying to earn my wage.

Cheng Hua led him to the meeting room. While opening the door, he prayed for a peaceful meeting.

Luckily when their eyes met, Bixi extended his hand first.” Long time no see. Has the hair grown back on your tail? May I recommend some regeneration ointments with magical property?”

“Oh, no need for you to be concerned about my old wound. They have fully recovered.” Ying Qiao didn’t extend his hand back.” I asked Cheng Hua to prepare some sour lemons for Mr. Zhang, do you want some?”

Cheng Hua.???

When did you ask me to prepare some lemons?

He chose to remain silent, pretending to be an invisible piece of  furniture.

Their brief sharp exchange was over. Finally Bixi sat down, with some smile squeezed from his mouth.” Let’s get down to business.”