The man was dressed in an expensive black suit. His sleek, jet-black hair was combed back, with a stray lock falling gently over his forehead, partially concealing a pair of tender, soulful eyes. Coupled with his fair, refined features, the overall impression was one of both unruliness and sensuality.

He pushed open the door to his home and walked straight in.

“You’re back,” came a lazy, slightly sultry voice.

Without even looking up, the man changed his shoes and said, “What a waste of breath.”

“Xiao Zhe, you really have no sense of decency. Your brother is just trying to greet you, and you can’t even recognize that?”

“More importantly, when are you planning to go to work?” Song Zhe asked, turning his gaze toward the man lounging on the sofa in casual loungewear. The man’s features were strikingly identical to his own.

“I’ve been busy trying to win back the sister-in-law you lost these past few days. You’ll just have to bear with me,” Song Yi replied, stretching out his long legs with zero trace of guilt over shirking his responsibilities and dumping them on his younger brother.

Song Zhe frowned at his brother. “Song Yi, do you think I’m your nanny? I barely got back to the country, and I didn’t come here just to clean up your mess.”

Song Yi, well aware of his brother’s cold exterior and warm heart, patted Song Zhe on the shoulder with a hurt expression. “Xiao Zhe, your brother is getting old. The road to winning back my wife is a tough one. How could you bear to see your only brother suffer, only to end up a lifelong bachelor?”

Song Zhe’s mouth twitched, and he replied coolly, “You’re only three minutes older than me. It’s hardly that dramatic.”

“I already told you I’d only help for two days. After today, you’re on your own.” Song Zhe, determined not to clean up after Song Yi any longer, left this statement hanging in the air and turned to leave.

“Oh, by the way,” Song Zhe suddenly said, as though remembering something. “A girl with the surname Wang acted like she’d seen a flood when she saw me today. She nodded and bolted off. Why’s that?” His puzzled gaze fell back on the man sprawled across the sofa, clearly seeking answers.

Song Yi had no recollection of whether there was a girl surnamed Wang in his company. He stared back at his brother, utterly perplexed. “Are you sure she didn’t just run off out of inferiority after seeing how handsome you are?”

“You two really are on the same wavelength. That’s exactly what she said.” Song Zhe’s eyes practically screamed idiot as he elegantly turned around, choosing to ignore his overly confident brother.

The moment Wang Xiaoke got home, she started going through all her belongings, meticulously tallying up her savings. After turning her room upside down, she managed to scrape together a total of 47,531 yuan.

“Wang Xiaoke, what are you rummaging around for?” Su Man asked, watching her friend darting around like a headless fly, her face full of confusion.

“Gathering money,” Wang Xiaoke replied, sweat dripping down her forehead. Without stopping, she added, “The guy I accidentally sent to the hospital showed up today demanding compensation for his medical and hospital bills. The total comes to 60,000 yuan.”

Su Man had witnessed part of the situation with Chen Ze that day. She frowned and said, “If I’m not mistaken, he probably just broke a few ribs. How does that cost so much?”

Wang Xiaoke, as if not shocking Su Man enough, continued, “And that’s just for today’s expenses.”

“Why doesn’t he just go rob someone?” Su Man fumed. “Wang Xiaoke, are you stupid? The trap is so obvious, and you just jumped right in with your eyes wide open?”

Wang Xiaoke handed her the two sheets of densely packed expenses. Su Man scanned through them, dumbfounded.

“These big-ticket furniture items, he said you could take them back after he’s discharged. As for the 7,000-yuan bottle of red wine, he claimed it was to lift his mood. And then there’s all this…”