Zhong Residence on Liuyin Street, Chunhui Courtyard

 

The chill of early spring outside made one reluctant to step beyond the door, yet inside the greenhouse conservatory, everything was lush and thriving under meticulous care.

 

When Zhong He pushed the door open, he saw his elder brother sitting there, expressionless, drinking alone.

 

“Brother,” Zhong He said casually, “is it that old geezer in the UK again, or that batch of goods in Guangshi? How many billions did you lose to get this drunk?”

 

His brother’s ears were flushed red. The deliberately gentle, polished calm he usually wore was gone; in its place was a cold, gloomy sharpness.

 

If not for how rarely this look appeared—once every few years at most—no outsider would have guessed he was drunk at all.

 

The room was oppressively silent. In the corner stood a German Hermle nine-tube grandfather clock; its pendulum swung soundlessly.

 

Zhong Xianzhi tipped his head back and swallowed another mouthful of whisky. His voice was low and hoarse.

 

“Get out.”

 

Faced with his good-for-nothing younger brother—who was habitually late to work and left early, who once knocked someone over while riding a motorcycle in the city, who raced supercars in the suburbs on a bet with rich second-generation kids, who once broke Old Qin’s grandson’s leg over a moment of anger—Zhong Xianzhi’s first words were to kick him out.

 

Zhong He immediately stepped forward. “Brother, I already explained what happened last month. It was that bastard—”

 

Zhong Xianzhi set his glass down with a loud bang, cutting him off.

 

“He insulted you. You could’ve just talked back. Where did that sharp tongue of yours go?”

 

Zhong He: “……”

 

So his brother really was drunk—he was even being sarcastic now.

 

Zhong He hadn’t completed his “mission,” so of course he wasn’t leaving. Besides, his curiosity was killing him.

 

He plopped down onto the sofa and pulled out his phone, first sending a message to his girlfriend.

 

Thinking of their kiss before parting that evening, her soft, fragrant embrace, her cute little tongue, the sweetness lingering on her lips…

 

Zhong He took a deep breath, crossed his legs, and silently recited in his head:

 

Calm down. Don’t be an animal. My baby is beautiful and pure, and even her little temper is adorable… I can’t fantasize about her. I have to respect her. Take it step by step…

 

He forcibly shoved the messy thoughts aside and sent Jiayin another message.

 

He asked her to copy out her class schedule for him tomorrow.

 

He had originally typed:
I’ll rent an apartment near your school. How about we live together?

 

How comfortable could a girls’ dorm possibly be?

 

He could rent her a spacious, fully furnished place with a terrace of dozens of square meters.
He’d pick her up and drop her off for classes; on weekends they’d go on dates; during holidays they could travel anywhere, domestic or overseas.

 

But then he remembered—they had only just confirmed their relationship today.

 

If he brought this up tonight, Xiao Yin would probably think he was some kind of pervert. So he deleted the line.

 

Seeing Zhong He smiling like a spring breeze while texting, Zhong Xianzhi guessed that he had probably succeeded in courting that girl.

 

So fast.

 

But that wasn’t surprising. Zhong He had always had a sweet mouth.

 

From ninety-year-old elders in the family to five-year-old nephews, everyone adored him.

 

This was his younger brother’s first relationship; he was probably the type who gave the girl anything she wanted, without hesitation.

 

Handsome, cool, smooth-talking, generous with money, good at surprises, cheerful and articulate.

 

Winning a girl’s heart so quickly was only natural—unlike himself…

 

Zhong Xianzhi mocked himself inwardly. He fished out a piece of ice from the bucket beside him and poured another third of a glass of whisky.

 

When Zhong He saw his brother silently drinking again, he put his phone away and began probing for answers.

 

Based on his understanding of his brother, if it were a business problem, Zhong Xianzhi would be on the phone right now, cold-faced, calling shareholders.

 

If he’d really lost several billion, his brother wouldn’t be drinking here at all—he’d be pulling an all-nighter at the company.

 

And their mother, too—why was she always watching him so closely when both of them were her sons, yet never caring what her eldest was doing?

 

Why not worry a little more about the older one?

 

Did she think his brother was worry-free? Tch.

 

Deep down, they all knew the truth: the eldest son was the one nobody could control—and nobody dared to.

 

Zhong Xianzhi was even more stubborn and sharp-edged than Zhong He. If he was truly angered, no one would have an easy time.

 

Zhong He only dared to complain in his head. On the surface, facing his elder brother—who was practically a father figure—he never talked back.

 

During his rebellious teenage years, he had snapped at his brother a few times for being too controlling, only to be beaten into submission every time.

 

After entering university, if he angered his brother, Zhong Xianzhi would simply smile at him and say lightly:

 

“If you’re still unconvinced, then your credit card is suspended for the next three months. If you need living expenses, go ask Dad.”

 

—

 

Zhong He shamelessly rambled on about this and that, determined not to leave.

 

He even found a crystal glass in the cabinet, poured himself a drink, and started plying his brother with alcohol.

 

After another three glasses of whisky, even someone with a high tolerance would feel it—let alone Zhong Xianzhi, who was already drunk.

 

In his dizzy mind flashed the image of a girl wrapping her arms around him, finally letting her emotions show.

 

Her tears, like pearls, fell against his neck.

 

Hot. Tingling. Heart-achingly pitiful.

 

Her soft body, the way she pouted with full pink lips when acting spoiled, her small hand fitting perfectly in his palm—each of these became things he missed when away on business.

 

For the first time, Zhong Xianzhi found himself not wanting to travel for work.

 

He wanted to spend all his free time陪ing her, paying for her, watching her cling to his arm and smile happily.

 

Yao Jiayin was like a lively, beautiful lark that had suddenly flown into his world.

 

Chirping away, sharing every trivial detail of her life—yet never annoying.

 

She was also like a naïve little fox that had just left the mountains, knowing nothing, circling around him, placing all her trust in him.

 

In just one month, the girl had already moved into the long-desolate chambers of his heart.

 

The more Zhong Xianzhi missed Yao Jiayin while away, the more he warned himself to exercise restraint.

 

He forced his focus onto work, pushing matters of the heart to second place.

 

After all, Jiayin was so sensible. She wouldn’t throw a tantrum just because he was busy.

 

But the truth was—

 

Just a slightly delayed reply from her, a message that sounded distant and polite, was enough to make him lose patience.

 

He grew distracted while reading documents, unease creeping in, until he finally decided to change his schedule and return overnight.

 

—

 

In the dead of night, the crystal glass clinked coldly against the ice.

 

Zhong Xianzhi took another drink. Bloodshot red crept into his eyes as he suddenly let out a low, hoarse laugh.

 

Perhaps it was the alcohol.
Perhaps it was because he’d let down his guard in front of family.
Or perhaps because if he didn’t say it now, the emotion burning behind his eyes would have nowhere to go.

 

“She gets embarrassed very easily. She’s at an age when she should be carefree, but because her family situation isn’t good, she’s always careful, always trying to please others.”

 

“She watches my expression, deliberately tries to make me laugh… like a blank sheet of paper. You can see through her at a glance.”

 

“She knows I have money, but she doesn’t pretend not to care. Instead, she asks about this and that out of pure curiosity.”

 

“But when I actually wanted to buy her a set of jewelry worth over a hundred thousand, she got unhappy.”

 

“She looked nervous and heartbroken, said that no matter how much money I have, I still earned it through hard work… her voice all soft and sweet.”

 

“I didn’t dare be rash and scare her. I just held her hand, hugged her.”

 

That day in the car, he had wanted to ask Jiayin if he could kiss her.

 

But when he saw her lower her head in fright, her face turning bright red, he stopped. In the end, he only kissed her forehead.

 

Good thing he hadn’t forced it—otherwise, in Jiayin’s eyes, it would’ve been like an older brother harassing his little sister. She might have been scared to tears.

 

“And in the end… heh.”

 

“She just treats me like a real big brother to rely on… I’m ridiculous.”

 

“She’s just a child. Forget it…”

 

Zhong He, who had been listening silently, tightened his grip on his glass and stared at Zhong Xianzhi in disbelief.

 

Holy hell. His brother was… this pure?

 

No—this was ridiculous.

 

Either completely cold and desireless, only sleeping with dollars and pounds sterling—

 

Or, once awakened, he set the whole old house on fire and burned it to ashes.

 

“Brother,” Zhong He said, “after the New Year you’re already twenty-nine. Even if you’ve never dated, haven’t you ever… you know… touched anyone?”

 

“So many people have sent you models, foreign girls. You really never slept with a single one?”

 

He traveled between several countries year after year, with nothing in his life besides work. Was his libido really zero?

 

The heavy smell of alcohol rose in Zhong Xianzhi’s throat. He scoffed.

 

“I’m not a stud. Sex without love is just a transaction of money and flesh. It’s filthy.”

 

He glanced at his brother, his tone laced with sarcasm.

 

“I’m not so desperate that I want to sleep with every pretty face I see. You ask me this—aren’t you the same?”

 

They shared the same blood. Many things about them were far too similar.

 

Otherwise, Zhong He wouldn’t be twenty-four after the New Year before chasing a woman for the first time.

 

Zhong He: “……”

 

“…Alright, brother. My bad. I have a foul mouth.”