Archive of Our Own

　　Chapter 1

The autumn wind swirled with withered sycamore leaves on the empty asphalt road, and scattered leaves were crushed by the wheels, making a soft rustling sound.

A white car sped smoothly along the road, its engine humming softly.

With the car window half-lowered, the thin sunlight outlined a striking profile.

The young man has a clean and sharp jawline, slightly protruding brow bones, and long eyelashes that cast a small shadow under his eyes.

Feeling the gentle breeze on her face, beneath her high, straight nose, her rosy lips curved slightly upward, swaying freely.

The fingers resting on the steering wheel were in complete control until the car came to a smooth stop at the red light.

To the left of the car, a low-key black car also had its window half-open.

She turned her head and saw the handsome profile of the man in the passenger seat.

He was talking to the person in the driver's seat when he noticed the gaze and turned his face away.

Upon seeing the other person's face, her smile deepened. She leaned closer to the window, whistled, and called out, "What a coincidence, handsome! Want to get in my car? I'll give you a ride for a spin."

Cen Heng met his gaze and remained silent for a moment.

Then he rubbed his temples and said in a deep voice, "Cen Sibao, you think you can drive a driving school car like a convertible supercar?"

Looking at the chubby middle-aged man sitting next to Cen Sibao, he nodded politely, "Coach, it's really troublesome for you to bring her along."

The driving instructor, who had been ignored along the way, chuckled and shook his head. "Not at all, Xiao Cen drives very steadily. He passed the second part of the test on his first try. If he practices a little more before the test, he'll have no problem with the third part."

Cen Sibao couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Brother, I was just joking with you because you were so serious. It was really a coincidence that we met on the road."

As soon as she finished speaking, she caught a glimpse of another man sitting next to Cen Heng, who was also looking in their direction.

Even when waiting at a red light, the man kept both hands on the steering wheel, very respectfully.

Sharp brow bones and slightly deep eye sockets give him a somewhat aloof air when he's not smiling.

Upon hearing Cen Heng's words, he subconsciously looked out the window and saw the four large characters "Wutong Driving School" on the car.

Thinking of Cen Sibao's dashing whistle just now, a smile flashed in his eyes, and his cold face became more refined.

When he looked up again, his gaze lingered briefly on Cen Sibao's bright and delicate face before he calmly sat up straight again.

But in that split second when he looked at her, Cen Sibao still glanced at his smiling face.

With a fleeting glance, Cen Sibao took in the man's features.

Cen Heng was the best-looking man she had ever met. This man was different from Cen Heng's cold and aloof style, but they were equally good-looking.

Her eyes lit up instantly.

But he only glanced at her once before looking away.

She is beautiful and aware of it. Most people can't help but take a second look at her, regardless of age or gender. They all show her their affection.

He was the only exception.

It was as if she were just an ordinary person.

Cen Sibao suddenly became interested. Seeing that there was still some time left on the red light, she asked, "Brother, why are you riding in someone else's car?"

"The car broke down on the road, and Qi Ji happened to be nearby," Cen Heng explained simply.

“Qi Ji?” Cen Sibao repeated the name in a low voice, “It’s really a good name.”

It's truly a miracle that I don't like her.

She wanted to take another look, but the light turned green. She was going straight, but Cen Heng's car was turning left.

Cen Heng raised his chin, gesturing for her to look at the traffic lights, "Practice driving properly."

Cen Sibao muttered something, but still started the car.

Watching the car gradually disappear into the distance, Cen Heng's gaze softened. "That was my sister, Cen Sibao."

Qi Ji knew.

As friends, Cen Heng would occasionally mention his sister in front of him during gatherings.

She sounds like a spoiled girl who grew up being a bit willful.

However, although Cen Heng often said that Cen Sibao had a lot of flaws—a desire for novelty, a short attention span, a tendency to cause trouble, and extreme self-confidence…

But every time it's brought up, the tone softens with a tender affection.

Qi Ji never participated in the evaluation; he simply listened quietly without showing any interest.

It was probably because of his lack of interest that Cen Heng, who was usually very guarded about his sister's relationships with men, was able to bring her up without any reservations.

Upon meeting her, the image of the troublesome younger sister that Cen Heng had described came to life.

However, Qi Ji did not press Cen Sibao about it. As always, the topic shifted to work.

Conversely, although they had never even met face-to-face, Cen Sibao was very interested in Qi Ji.

It wasn't just his indifferent attitude that fueled her competitive spirit, but also his face, which was exactly the kind of face that appealed to her aesthetic standards.

I don't know if this counts as love at first sight, but it definitely falls into the category of lust at first sight.

She tried to subtly inquire with Cen Heng several times, but didn't get any information.

All that is known is that the other party is friends with Cen Heng and his cousin Cen Liang, and is also the founder of Rhinoceros Hornbill Technology. He has been single to this day, has zero scandals, and is of excellent character.

She had heard of this company before, and they had business dealings with her family. She only knew that he was very capable, but she didn't know he was so good-looking.

She was very careful in her inquiries, never directly asking about Qi Ji's situation, so Cen Heng didn't notice anything amiss. He then picked out several car models and said, "Now that you have your driver's license, pick one. What kind of car do you want?"

Cen Sibao's enthusiasm for driving had actually waned somewhat, but seeing her brother's seriousness, she directly chose the first convertible.

What color do you like?

Without a second thought, Cen Sibao replied, "A multicolored black."

“…Cen Sibao, I’ve made it this far, and even clients don’t dare to make things so blatantly difficult for me anymore.”

Later, when Cen Heng mentioned this to Qi Ji, Qi Ji smiled.

She is indeed a willful young lady.

The Cen family's main business is jewelry, including gold, platinum, diamonds, and jade... with stores all over the country.

The current head of the family business is Cen Sibao's grandmother, who dotes on her the most among her grandchildren. She said when Cen Sibao was born that she would hand over the family business to her only granddaughter.

The Cen family was very supportive, and Cen Heng and Cen Liang respectively focused on developing their careers in the upstream and downstream of the jewelry industry, paving the way for her future.

Therefore, she has the right to be willful.

Unfortunately, the timing was unfortunate; it was almost the end of the year, and everyone's lives were entering a busy phase, including Cen Sibao and Qi Ji.

Since she hadn't been able to see Qi Ji again, Cen Sibao's interest in him gradually faded.

Just when she had almost forgotten about him, Cen Heng took a break from his busy schedule to go play tennis. She followed him out of boredom and unexpectedly ran into him again at the tennis court.

Besides Cen Heng and Qi Ji, they also played ball with a mutual friend who was their regular partner.

When they saw Cen Sibao, who was dressed in a tennis skirt and looked youthful and beautiful, they were both stunned.

Her eyes lit up as she stared intently at Qi Ji.

Originally intending only to wander around, they immediately raised their hands: "How about we play doubles?"

Cen Heng nodded and looked at the two people opposite him, "Bring her along, she's pretty good at the game."

Upon hearing this, Qi Ji raised an eyebrow in surprise.

When they were divided into groups, Cen Sibao kept secretly observing Qi Ji.

He still didn't pay much attention to her, probably treating her only as a friend's sister, or even a stranger.

Even if I accidentally bump into her, I will immediately apologize and keep my distance.

Although very gentlemanly, he was also extremely distant.

Cen Sibao, who was usually very adept at interpersonal relationships, was suddenly at her wits' end when she met someone who didn't take her seriously at all.

Add to that face that perfectly matched her aesthetic, and Cen Sibao was certain she was smitten.

She decided to take the initiative and strive for what she wanted.

She was determined to make him see her.

Cen Sibao had never pursued anyone before, so she sent a message to her roommate, with whom she had a good relationship, seeking advice.

She gazed thoughtfully at the reply from the other side.

"I've never pursued anyone before, but I think you should understand the other person's needs and address them accordingly to make them feel satisfied, right? What are you two doing now?"

Cen Sibao: "Play tennis."

"How about... you feed him the ball and let him win on purpose? The key is to make it obvious, so that he can see it, understand it, and start to struggle. Then the initiative will be in your hands."

Normally, Cen Sibao would definitely fight to win.

But now, since it's all for fishing, it's unavoidable to compromise a little.

Cen Sibao made her decision, raised her head, and said, "I want to be in a group with my brother."

As expected by the other three, after warming up, Cen Heng twirled his racket with the logo facing up, and then served.

Cen Sibao once again volunteered, "Brother, I'll serve."

Cen Heng glanced at the ambition in her eyes, passed the ball to her, and frowned slightly: "Are you ready to warm up?"

"Don't worry, it's all set."

The afternoon sun divided the tennis court into patches of light and shadow. Cen Sibao pulled down the brim of her hat, and the slivers of sunlight slipped away from her face.

She mentally simulated the plan to feed the ball to Qi Ji, calculated the angle, and eagerly swung her racket.

The next second, the yellow sphere drew a clean arc in the air and flew diagonally with a whooshing sound.

Gradually, people from other stadiums were also drawn to the match and gathered around.

After several rounds of back and forth, Cen Sibao curled the corners of her lips into a smile.

Qi Ji must have noticed such an obvious pass.

Indeed, he wasn't the only one who noticed it; Cen Heng and another person also discovered something unusual.

During halftime, Cen Heng hesitated for a moment, but then asked in a low voice, "Do you have feelings for Qi Ji...?"

Cen Sibao's heart skipped a beat.

"What are your complaints?"

"ah?"

If it weren't for a deep-seated hatred, Cen Heng truly couldn't understand why Cen Sibao aimed every ball straight at Qi Ji's face.

No matter where Qi Ji stands, no matter how tricky the landing point is, she can accurately hit the ball towards Qi Ji.

Every ball was played with extreme aggression.

Cen Sibao retorted, puzzled, "Of course I'm not dissatisfied."

She was clearly sacrificing herself to feed the ball to Qi Ji so that he could win.

“If I were dissatisfied with him, I would definitely try to make him lose. But look at them now, they are in the lead, and Qi Ji has played so many good shots.”

Cen Heng's expression became even more complicated. "Yes, you're almost forcing out the potential of a professional player."

On the other side of the net, Qi Ji rubbed his wrist, which had been vibrating under the fierce wind of the ball, and silently glanced at Cen Sibao.

They are quite strong.

His friend was also amazed, "Cen Heng, I didn't expect your sister to be so good at basketball. She even made Qi Ji take it seriously. That's really rare."

Cen Heng was torn between his best friend and his younger sister, a rare and difficult situation.

To ease the tension, he thought for a moment and suggested to Cen Sibao and Qi Ji, "Why don't you two try being a pair?"

Cen Sibao immediately shook her head coldly: "No, I can only be his opponent."

This way we can feed him the ball more effectively.

"Let's continue, I can't wait." She took a long stride, leaned forward slightly, and held the racket in both hands.

Her high ponytail swung in the air, and her beautiful eyes held only a sense of readiness.

Everyone thought that Cen Sibao and Qi Ji had a blood feud.

One ball after another, Cen Sibao continued to carry out his plan to sacrifice himself and feed the ball to Qi Ji.

One ball after another, Cen Heng suspected that Cen Sibao wanted to beat Qi Ji to death.

Cen Sibao felt that she was getting better and better at cooperating with Qi Ji.

The onlookers murmured, "They're getting more and more aggressive; it's like it's either him or her who lives."

Even though she was exhausted and out of breath, Cen Sibao persevered to the end because she knew it was the first time she had ever pursued someone.

This was the first time Cen Heng had realized that Cen Sibao's hatred could last for so long.

Finally, Qi Ji glanced at Cen Sibao's condition and took the initiative to stop, raising his chin slightly, "The time for the event is almost up."

Because of the excessive amount of exercise required to deal with Cen Sibao's targeted shots, the veins on his racket-holding arm were still slightly bulging.

As Qi Ji was packing his backpack, he had just taken out a bottle of water when Cen Sibao walked up to him.

Cen Sibao's gaze lingered for a moment on the shoulder and arm muscles beneath his sleeveless sportswear.

Arms with perfect proportions, smooth lines, and fair skin covered with a thin layer of sweat—they were incredibly sexy.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Qi Ji raised an eyebrow. "Did you need something from me?"

Cen Sibao suddenly came to her senses, and after confirming that Cen Heng was not nearby for the time being, she began to gaze at him intently.

I've put so much effort into feeding them all these balls, so I need to check the results.

This was the first time the two had spoken.

A smile played on her lips, her posture confident and poised, as if she were the one being confessed to, or a seasoned lover. "I have something to say."

"Qi Ji, we've been playing ball for over an hour, can't you tell? I'm pursuing you."

Cen Sibao lowered her voice: "I fell for you the first time we met."

Qi Ji paused slightly in his hand holding the water glass, then looked up thoughtfully.

"He harbored murderous intent?"

A note from the author:

----------------------

Chapter 2

On the way back, Cen Heng was still thinking about the scene he had just witnessed: Cen Sibao and Qi Ji together.

Cen Sibao stood tall and proud, while Qi Ji sat in a chair, tilting his head slightly to look at her, a relaxed smile on his face.

Although he couldn't hear the conversation clearly, it seemed to him that she rushed over and threatened him, and he chose to forgive and forget.

After careful consideration, Cen Heng asked Cen Sibao, "Have you and Qi Ji met before?"

"No."

Cen Heng did not believe it.

When they were playing ball, their hostility was almost palpable.

But he didn't think his sister was the type to make a fuss unnecessarily. After thinking for a moment, he said, "He's not a bad person, but if he's ever bullied you, tell me."

“Brother, what are you saying?” Cen Sibao glanced at him. “I think he’s pretty good, and he has a good sense of humor.”

"?"

In the car traveling in the opposite direction, Qi Ji glanced at his phone, smiled, and shook his head.

She said she wanted to pursue him, but she didn't even ask for his contact information. It seems like it was just another whim.

Sure enough, he did not see Cen Sibao again in the days that followed.

The next time they met was in the evening after get off work. He drove his car out of the underground parking garage and glanced around the corner, and that's when he saw Cen Sibao standing there.

As winter deepens and the weather gets colder, Cen Sibao is now wearing a wool coat, a far cry from her previous appearance in just a tracksuit, but she still maintains her slender figure.

Her hair was styled in an updo, revealing a section of her fair neck.

A strand of hair stubbornly fell down, swaying in the wind, brushing past her upturned nose, and finally stopping at her slightly pale lips.

Those once bright almond-shaped eyes were now drooping and somewhat dim.

There was a suitcase next to her; it was unclear whether she was going out or had just returned, but she was probably waiting for a ride.

Qi Ji withdrew his gaze and drove past her.

Meanwhile, Cen Sibao lowered her head, counting the floor tiles under her feet. She felt her pocket vibrate, took out her phone, glanced at it, and then frowned.

Then she saw her roommate Zhang Man asking her when she was going back. She replied: "The driver said there was a traffic jam on the road, so I might be a little late. I'd better find a coffee shop to wait in first."

After replying to the message, her shoulders slumped again.

A passerby glanced at her a few more times.

After walking a few steps, the person turned back and said, "Miss, you're so pretty, can we be friends?"

Cen Sibao put his hands in his coat pockets and said, "Sorry, I didn't bring my phone."

With such an obvious excuse, the other party had no way to refute it and left awkwardly.

As the wind grew noticeably colder, she suddenly thought of Qi Ji.

She forgot to add his contact information last time, which was also her fault as it was her first time pursuing someone and she was completely unfamiliar with the process.

But after so long apart, he's probably already forgotten about her.

Come to think of it, her memory of him seems rather vague.

Forget it then. He didn't even take the initiative to contact her. He's so cold and unromantic. There's nothing to pursue him for.

She decided to say "sour grapes" because she couldn't have them.

Thinking this, the car that was supposed to pick her up finally arrived.

Cen Sibao looked up in surprise, put the small suitcase in the trunk, and then opened the car door, "Didn't you just say you were stuck in traffic..."

She stopped speaking in surprise halfway through her sentence.

"Qi Ji?"

In the rearview mirror, Qi Ji saw that Cen Sibao's eyes seemed to be instantly electrified.

"Qi Ji, what are you doing here? I thought you were the driver who was picking me up, so I came up."

After saying that, she wished she could cover her mouth.

Doesn't this tell him that she got on the wrong bus and that someone else is picking her up?

Would he just tell her to get off the bus?

Qi Ji looked straight ahead and answered her first question: "Just passing by after get off work."

He paused, then bent his finger and knocked twice on the car door. "If you want to get in, close the door."

"Go on!" Cen Sibao closed the door without saying another word.

Since the grapes were suddenly presented to her, Cen Sibao changed her mind.

Let's talk about the sweet and sour taste after we've tasted it.

She had just gotten into the back seat when she suddenly said, "Hey, wait a minute, Qi Ji, don't drive yet. I want to switch seats and move to the passenger seat."

But Qi Ji had already started the car. "Just sit there."

Cen Sibao had no choice but to give up, muttering "heartless" under her breath, and then moved closer to his seat, "Qi Ji, you get off work so late? You must be exhausted."

"Sit still."

Her hem of her dress rode up slightly as she sat, revealing a section of her fair calf above her boots. Qi Ji understood the reason for her listlessness.

“Qi Ji, you’re just like my brother,” Cen Sibao muttered again.

Because of the warmth of the air conditioner, her lips gradually regained their color. Before Qi Ji could ask, she blurted out, "Qi Ji, I went to another city to participate in a debate competition. That's why I haven't been able to contact you for so long."

"But I didn't follow the main group, I came back early on my own, Qi Ji, just to find you. I was waiting for the bus back to the dorm just now."

Actually, he only came back because he was bored, but Qi Ji didn't know the real reason.

However, whether he believed it or not, he didn't seem moved at all.

"Qi Ji, why didn't you ask me about my final ranking?"

A second after saying that, Cen Sibao couldn't help but blurt out the answer herself: "Qi Ji, our school won the championship. Do you want to see my trophy?"

The car was filled with her incessant calls of "Qi Ji," "Qi Ji," like a newly fledged oriole singing sweetly.

He was full of energy, showing no trace of the listlessness he had shown by the roadside just moments before.

He had just softened and asked her to get in the car; he was probably only temporarily swayed by appearances.

Cen Sibao suddenly fell silent, staring at his long eyelashes. "Qi Ji, are you not saying anything because you find me annoying?"

That's quite perceptive.

Upon hearing this, Qi Ji heard the voice behind him lower, as if it were somewhat aggrieved, but what it said was: "I haven't even complained about you being mute yet."

Even if you don't agree to my pursuit for now, we can at least be considered friends, right?

Qi Ji remained noncommittal: "So?"

She moved forward slightly. "So let's exchange contact information. I completely forgot last time."

Qi Ji then glanced at her again, "Didn't you say you didn't bring your phone?"

Cen Sibao was taken aback for a moment, "I brought it."

After saying that, realizing something was wrong, she slowly asked, "Did you hear that person trying to chat me up just now?"

Could it be... that he wasn't just passing by, but was specifically looking for her?

"Are you jealous?" she exclaimed, her voice rising with delight.

Qi Ji remained unmoved: "You are Cen Heng's sister."

Cen Heng was his good friend, and the implication was that he was just helping his friend look after his sister.

She carefully observed Qi Ji's expression and realized with disappointment that she had indeed been overthinking things.

Qi Ji remained calm as usual, without even furrowing his brow, clearly just making a casual joke.

She sighed and slumped heavily against the backrest. "Of course I lied to him. I don't add people I'm not interested in as friends."

Qi Ji paused almost imperceptibly.

Cen Sibao didn't look at him anymore. She listlessly took out her phone and sent a message to the driver, telling him that he could go straight back and didn't need to pick her up anymore.

Then I turned on the podcast I listen to when I'm sad, turned on Bluetooth, and took out my headphones.

In Qi Ji's view, Cen Sibao's delicate face was lowered helplessly, her long eyelashes obscuring the emotions in her eyes, as if she had returned to the state she was in before getting on the bus.

The next second, the car speaker suddenly emitted a pairing success beep:

[Huangfu Tieniu, stop playing with fire!]

Ha. How old are you? Still believing that playing with fire will cause bedwetting?

Qi Ji: "..."

"Oops, wrong number, sorry, sorry." Cen Sibao suddenly fired a bullet.

Seeing Qi Ji looking at her with a troubled expression, she felt a little embarrassed. "What's wrong? When you're feeling down, you should listen to something cheerful."

"I'm sad because of you," she muttered. "What's wrong with listening to something cheerful?"

Qi Ji rubbed his temples. "It's nothing."

She glanced at him, then pressed her advantage: "Can I just use your speakers? Or is it more comfortable without headphones?"

"...Listen."

The gloom on Cen Sibao's face vanished instantly.

After dropping Cen Sibao off at school, Qi Ji promptly drove away.

Cen Sibao watched the car disappear from sight before turning her head away.

It's really not easy to get grapes.

However, if anyone could easily eat this grape, she wouldn't care so much.

Looking at the friends she had recently added on her phone, she tapped the screen.

I remembered before going to bed, sent him a short "goodnight," and fell asleep without waiting for a reply.

She originally intended to show him warmth and care online, leaving a deep impression on him, but she soon realized that she couldn't do it at all.

She has a rich life of her own, and only contacts him when she thinks of him. Sometimes she meets him offline and has helped him a lot. She thinks things are going well.

With the annual meeting of Rhinoceros Hornbill Technology approaching, the Cen family, as an important partner, has also been invited.

Cen Liang went on a business trip, and Cen Heng attended.

In previous years, Cen Sibao was very reluctant to participate in these activities because they were really boring, but this time, she did not refuse.

When they arrived at the venue with Cen Heng, they happened to see Qi Ji.

Cen Sibao was a step too slow, and from the shadows, she thoroughly examined Qi Ji from head to toe.

Shedding his sportswear and casual wear, a well-fitting suit hugged his tall and straight figure, as if he were brimming with boundless explosive power. Yet, his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and tightly closed collar added a touch of asceticism to his appearance.

In Cen Sibao's heart, a little person was jumping around, shouting: Ah, what a delicious grape!

Perhaps it was because her gaze was so direct, Qi Ji quickly shifted his gaze to her.

The annual meeting of our business partners is not a hunting ground for vying for attention and stealing the spotlight. Cen Sibao came on behalf of her grandmother, dressed very modestly, but with makeup that was a little different from usual.

Seeing him looking at her, Cen Sibao winked at Qi Ji twice.

Her eyes were slightly upturned at the corners, with a subtle light brown shimmer that would sparkle as her gaze shifted, like a mysterious and beautiful river.

Her aggressiveness seems to extend beyond the basketball court.

Qi Ji slowly withdrew his gaze.

Cen Sibao didn't rush to sit down. Taking advantage of the fact that no one recognized her, she wandered among the employees, hoping to hear some gossip about her boss.

There really are.

She overheard several employees speculating about their boss's ideal type.

"I heard that President Qi likes mature women with short hair, who are decisive, calm and composed, and not pretentious or affected."

Cen Sibao listened thoughtfully, and from this perspective, it seemed that she didn't quite fit the description.

The main thing is that she has long hair.

She touched the ends of her soft hair.

The group continued to whisper among themselves: "Is it true? Is it news from the CEO's office?"

"You're overthinking it. Those people are tight-lipped and would never reveal President Qi's private matters. We're just guessing behind his back. The only people around President Qi who can talk to him are of this type."

For the rest of the annual meeting, Cen Sibao was absent-minded.

Does he really like that?

After observing the situation, it was found that Qi Ji had only come into contact with a very small number of women, making the sample too small to be reliable.

But considering his cold attitude towards her, Cen Sibao began to believe him.

When Qi Ji was talking to Cen Heng, he caught a glimpse of Cen Sibao, who was staring blankly at the stage.

Cen Heng also glanced at the stage, where a group of boy band members were dancing. They were young and handsome, and the atmosphere was hot. The female audience members below the stage gasped in unison.

He didn't recognize her, but there was no surprise on his face. "She seems to be one of her favorite celebrities lately. No wonder she wanted to come today."

Qi Ji nodded slightly.

"By the way, I heard from Cen Sibao that you picked her up the day she came back from the debate competition? Thanks." Cen Heng tilted his head and said in a low voice.

"It's nothing, I just happened to run into them."

"I heard she was in a bad mood on the phone that day, but luckily I met you."

"In a bad mood?" Qi Ji's brows twitched.

Cen Heng frowned. "Yes, although she won the championship, the judges, in order to balance things out, gave the Best Debater award to a student from the runner-up school. The other student's performance wasn't any better than hers, so she was a little upset."

"The original plan was to win Player of the Match for us."

"But when I called her later, her tone was back to normal." Cen Heng glanced at Cen Sibao from time to time and asked, "Did you comfort her?"

He observed that Cen Sibao and Qi Ji's interaction today seemed less tense.

Qi Ji didn't speak for a moment, as if he hadn't heard clearly. After a while, he said with a normal expression, "No. I don't know about this."

Cen Sibao's dazed state didn't end until the lucky draw at the end of the annual meeting.

Qi Ji was very generous; even the lowest fifth prize was a large appliance, and there were quite a few available. Even those who didn't win received a consolation prize.

After all the big prizes were drawn, the winners beamed with joy – this was probably the program the employees loved to watch the most.

Cen Sibao tugged at Cen Heng's sleeve and whispered in his ear, "Brother, I think we should skip all the fancy stuff at our company's annual party and just do a lucky draw."

"A three-hour lottery with prizes for everyone—that's truly inspiring!"

Cen Heng glanced at her and said, "Why not just throw money around for three hours?"

"Your idea is superior."

Cen Heng tapped her head with his fingertips.

The grand prize has been drawn, and the host on stage said with a smile, "Did everyone think the prizes were all drawn? Please wait a moment."

"The progress of Hornbill is not only due to the hard work of our employees, but also inseparable from the support of our partners. Therefore, this year we added an extra round of lucky draws exclusively for our partners, with the prize being Hornbill's family portrait product. In the upcoming new year, we hope that everyone will continue to cooperate happily and that the projects will progress smoothly."

The representatives sitting in the front row straightened up, surprised by this turn of events.

Although no one is short of money, being considered and genuinely involved in this annual meeting is truly comforting.

Unlike employees who received number tags upon entering, they used their seat numbers for the lottery draw on stage.

The numbers on the big screen started jumping randomly, and Cen Sibao couldn't help but feel nervous as she watched them change.

The numbers suddenly stopped, freezing on a seat number: 1#12.

The people in the first row began to look around, trying to find out who it was, and Cen Sibao also looked around.

Cen Heng turned his head, crossed his arms, and looked at her: "What are you looking for? Isn't it you?"

“1#12, oh, it’s me?” Cen Sibao’s shoulders trembled slightly, her lips curled up in surprise, and she happily raised her hand.

The host glanced at the sign on the table. "Congratulations to the representative from Yu Feng Jewelry! Please fill in your mailing address after the event."

No matter what the prize is, winning a prize is always something to be happy about, and Cen Sibao's smile never faded.

This must be a good omen, indicating that she will be able to eat that grape successfully.

While filling out the address, Cen Sibao deliberately looked for Qi Ji's figure.

He was talking to a business partner when, a short while later, he started walking in this direction.

Cen Sibao blocked his way.

Qi Ji stopped in his tracks.

Cen Sibao noticed that he seemed a little different from before. Upon closer inspection, she saw that his collar was loose and he looked somewhat lazy.

She waved at him, trying to get closer: "Qi Ji, I won a prize from your company, you saw it? Doesn't that mean we're quite destined for each other?"

“However…” she drawled, “I don’t need this prize.”

Qi Ji said casually, "You can throw it away too."

Cen Sibao frowned. "How can that be? I came to you to ask if we could exchange the prize for another one of equal value."

Qi Ji didn't speak, just stared straight at her.

"Well, of course, I wouldn't be so unreasonable as to ask you for a prize." Cen Sibao shifted her gaze.

"I just overheard your employees chatting and they said your staff cafeteria is really good. Could you change the prize to meal vouchers? I'd like to try it too."

Cen Sibao's tone was sincere, and it sounded like she was just simply craving something.

"This shouldn't cause you any trouble, right?" She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, her eyes reflecting the light above her head.

Qi Ji suddenly raised his hand and placed it on the top of her head.

Cen Sibao was stunned by the light yet firm touch.

Doesn't Qi Ji dislike her? Is this him trying to comfort her?

She was a little dazed, but then a large hand on her head turned her body 180 degrees, making her face the person behind her. "Your brother is looking for you, didn't you hear me?"

Cen Sibao: "..."

She slapped the hand off her head in annoyance, turned her face, and her anger was particularly vivid. "Qi Ji, were you a blacksmith in your past life?"

Qi Ji let his hand fall naturally, gesturing for her to continue.

"Otherwise, why would I get so many rejections?"

A hint of pleasure flashed across Qi Ji's eyes.

Cen Heng had already walked up to him. "Is the address filled in?"

Cen Sibao strode away expressionlessly. Cen Heng frowned and looked at Qi Ji: "What were you two talking about? Why does she seem a little angry?"

"It's nothing," Qi Ji smiled. "She was asking me for directions."

Cen Sibao sat alone in the car and calmed down.

Qi Ji is someone who is completely impervious to both soft and hard approaches.

Is it really because she's just short, not his ideal type?

At this moment, Cen Heng returned, holding something in his hand, which looked like a card.

"Qi Ji just gave this to me. He said that since the prize wasn't ready, he'd give me a meal card of equal value first, which I can use in their staff restaurant."

Cen Heng glanced at the unremarkable card and asked, "You probably don't want it?"

Before he could finish speaking, the card in his hand was snatched away. "Of course I want it, it's the prize I won."

The lingering anger on Cen Sibao's face gradually dissipated.

She fiddled with the card, wondering why Qi Ji seemed a little more agreeable tonight.

Qi Ji had drunk some red wine today, and on the way back, he handed the car over to the driver. Since his assistants were also unable to drive, he simply asked a few of them to get in the car and drive them back together.

The group consisted of mostly quiet people, and although the car was full of people, it was so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard.

The driver asked Qi Ji somewhat awkwardly, "Mr. Qi, would you like to listen to some music? It's too quiet, I'm afraid I'll get sleepy."

"Um."

With permission, the driver turned on the speaker, and the control panel displayed the podcasts the driver had last listened to. He clicked on one.

At the same time, a warning echoed in everyone's ears:

[Huangfu Tieniu, stop playing with fire!]

Inside the carriage, silence turned into deathly stillness.

But drivers are no longer afraid of getting sleepy.

Qi Ji looked at the night outside the car and took out his phone expressionlessly.

The screen showed that Cen Sibao had just sent him a message: "I'm home and getting ready to sleep. Where are you now?"

We've reached a crevice in the ground.

Cen Sibao lay on the bed, her mind still replaying the gossip from the employees.

Does he really like short hair?

The next day, Cen Sibao took some time to go to a hair salon .

An hour later, she walked out with light steps.

Zhang Man was a little worried and called: "Have you already cut your hair short?"

Cen Sibao smoothed her hair and looked at her reflection in the glass curtain wall: "How could that be? I'm not going to cut it. I think I look better with long hair."

She just came in for a routine hair wash and trim.

"If he really only likes short hair, then it's more realistic for me to try to make his aesthetic preferences more diverse."

Zhang Man breathed a sigh of relief. She realized she didn't know Cen Sibao well enough; she was genuinely worried that Cen Sibao would forget herself for the sake of others.

"I'm not going to say anything more, I'm going to the mountain."

Zhang Man suddenly became very curious. Shan was not Cen Sibao, and Cen Sibao seemed to be with him on the surface, but in reality... he didn't seem to be that close.

She said the other person is very hard to pursue. Is it really possible to win her over?

Cen Sibao swiped his card and entered the hornbill's staff restaurant without any problems.

Unfortunately, she did not see Qi Ji here.

She was also sensible; without an appointment, she wouldn't rashly go up and disturb Qi Ji. She just wanted another chance encounter, and then spout some nonsense about fate.

But for three days in a row, she didn't even see a shadow of Qi Ji.

At first, she dressed up carefully, but instead of meeting the person she was looking for, she attracted a bunch of unwanted suitors. Later, she stopped wearing makeup altogether.

They're all equally beautiful anyway.

The only consolation is that the hornbill's staff canteen is indeed delicious.

Everything around Qi Ji seems to suit her taste.

It wasn't until the third day that she learned that Qi Ji had been away on a business trip for a week.

Cen Sibao sighed. Was he doing it on purpose?

Knowing full well that she wanted to bump into him, he went on a business trip the next day.

Since no one was there, she didn't go to the hornbill restaurant for the next few days. Coincidentally, her cousin Cen Liang also came home and took her out for a few meals.

It was from the conversation between Cen Liang and Cen Heng that she learned that Qi Ji was about to return.

Cen Sibao had hardly thought of Qi Ji these past few days, but now that she was bored, her mind started to wander again.

Knowing his landing time and checking his destination, it's easy to deduce his flight.

So, as soon as Qi Ji and his assistant stepped out of the airport, they looked up and saw a face that had been waiting anxiously for them.

She rested her chin on her hand, held her sunglasses in her other hand, and tapped the temple of the glasses against the car. She seemed lost in thought, with a slight upturn at the corner of her mouth, like a lazy cat waiting to be petted.

Cen Sibao quickly spotted Qi Ji and waved her sunglasses at him.

"Hey handsome, what a coincidence! Want to hop in my car for a spin?" Cen Sibao winked her left eye. "This time it's a real convertible."

The people beside Qi Ji looked at each other in bewilderment.

Anyone who has attended the annual meeting knows that she works for Yufeng Jewelry.

They had witnessed countless instances of their boss being approached by women, but it was rare to find someone so beautiful and with such a relaxed and natural attitude.

However, in the past, Qi Ji would not respond to any women, even those he had worked with, in private, leaving no room for speculation .

He ignores even casual attempts to strike up a conversation, which can be quite embarrassing.

Thinking about what would happen next, they couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl in front of them.

Unexpectedly, Qi Ji did not leave immediately, nor did he refuse outright.

They felt the atmosphere was a bit...unusual.

Those with quicker minds suddenly remembered what they had tacitly forgotten: the roar that Qi Ji had blasted from the speaker in his car before his business trip.

Seeing Qi Ji's subtle expression, Cen Sibao worried that he would reject her, so she became serious and said, "Okay, Mr. Qi, actually I came here specifically to pick you up, to thank you for driving me back to school last time."

After saying that, her tone softened, and she whispered, "Get in the car, get in the car."

It would be too embarrassing to be rejected.

In public, she and her car were equally eye-catching, able to be seen at a glance no matter how complicated the environment, so many eyes were drawn to her.

Perhaps he heard her inner thoughts, or perhaps it was because she was his friend's sister, in any case, Qi Ji said a few words to the people behind him and then walked towards Cen Sibao's car.

Cen Sibao couldn't help but cheer in her heart.

She kept muttering, "Isn't my car beautiful? Animals love it. A few times when I parked in an open-air parking lot, cats even climbed onto the roof of my car."

She smoothed her hair. "The car reflects the person."

Qi Ji's lips twitched slightly.

"Don't worry about riding in my car, I'm a really good driver," she boasted proudly.

Qi Ji had already learned about this from her driving school instructor that day. She calmly fastened her seatbelt, her eyes showing a hint of fatigue from the long business trip.

Cen Sibao glanced at him, then asked, "Are you busy this afternoon?"

Qi Ji glanced at his watch. "I have two hours free."

Cen Sibao was a little disappointed. "Only two hours? Oh well, that's enough."

Where to?

She wagged her finger: "Keep it a secret for now."

Qi Ji did not press the matter further.

In a way, can't this also be considered a date?

Thinking of this, Cen Sibao started the car happily, feeling that today had gone exceptionally smoothly.

Qi Ji watched the scenery along the way rewind rapidly, while Cen Sibao glanced at his profile.

"Watch where you're going," the person beside me said calmly.

Cen Sibao looked away. "Ahem, I just wanted to say that if you're tired, you can take a nap."

"I can't sleep."

"What's wrong? Why can't you sleep?" Cen Sibao immediately asked caringly, "Is something bothering you? Is it something in your life? Or something at work? You can tell me anything. As long as it doesn't involve trade secrets, I can give you advice on any problem."

"The wind is too strong."

Cen Sibao: "..."

She maintained the smile on her lips. "Such a simple reason. I thought you would like this feeling of freedom."

Just as he finished speaking, the sky suddenly became overcast and it started to rain.

Feeling the fine raindrops on her face, Cen Sibao quickly lowered the soft-top roof.

The canopy closed perfectly just before the rain started to pour.

Cen Sibao breathed a sigh of relief.

With the rain falling, she focused more on the road conditions ahead.

Fearing that Qi Ji would regret going out with her, she said righteously, "It's just that the weather is not cooperating, but actually, sitting in the car listening to the rain is quite interesting, isn't it?"

“That’s certainly interesting,” he said in a deep voice.

She was surprised to hear Qi Ji agree with her statement, and her spirits immediately lifted.

"Right? And today's rain is a bit special. Did you notice how the sound of the rain was exceptionally clear, like surround sound?"

He gave a soft "hmm".

Receiving affirmation again made Cen Sibao even happier. "Besides, the sound of rain can help you sleep. You can take a nap now."

"I can't sleep."

Cen Sibao asked in surprise, "Isn't the wind less strong now?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Qi Ji beside him and immediately paused.

The wind has subsided, but the rain is heavy.

No wonder the sound of rain was so clear today.

Because it's right above Qi Ji's head.

The canopy above Qi Ji's head had a hole at some point, and rainwater was pouring in, soaking Qi Ji.

Chapter 3

Raindrops fell in streams, pattering against his hair and shoulders, a few sliding down his brow bone, which he wiped away.

Despite this unexpected situation, he was able to sit calmly and wait for her to notice.

Cen Sibao was so surprised that her eyes widened, and she quickly found a place to park.

Looking closely at the scratches on her head, she realized, "It must have been from those cats before; I didn't even notice."

But the spot they grabbed was really precise.

"Why didn't you just tell me? You've been soaked for so long for nothing."

After saying that, Cen Sibao realized that it might just be for driving safety.

"I already said I drive very steadily, and even in the scariest situations, I wouldn't lose my grip on the steering wheel."

However, she now understands why her brother speaks so highly of her; he is indeed emotionally stable.

I don't know what would make him angry.

After managing to treat the cut on her head, she found a dry towel and carefully handed it to Qi Ji.

She pursed her lips and said dejectedly, "I'm sorry, I originally wanted to give you a welcome dinner, but you're mad at me."

Qi Ji calmly wiped his soaked hair. "No need. The wind has caught it, and the dust has been washed away."

The first half was a welcoming party, and the second half was a cleansing party.

He genuinely didn't seem to blame her.

These words struck a chord deep within Cen Sibao, stirring up an indescribable emotion within her. In the end, she could only stammer, "You're... quite optimistic."

Qi Ji has already contacted his driver to come over.

Cen Sibao looked at his suit and shirt, which were half-wet, clinging tightly to his strong shoulders and back. The wisps of hair on his forehead were also wiped away by the towel, revealing his smooth forehead.

Despite his disheveled state, he was not disheveled at all; compared to his usual self, he possessed a wilder side.

He had a fresh appeal to her, and although it wasn't her usual style, she couldn't take her eyes off him.

Qi Ji could feel the intense, direct gaze on his side, and his movements slowed down.

"Qi Ji, do you prefer short hair or long hair?" she suddenly asked, finally voicing the question that had been troubling her for so long.

Qi Ji slowly folded the towel. "I've never tried growing my hair long before."

Cen Sibao: "..."

Cen Sibao suspected that Qi Ji knew what she was asking but was deliberately twisting her meaning, and her gaze sharpened: "I mean, what is your preference for a partner? Do you prefer long hair or short hair?"

Qi Ji pondered for a few seconds, and was about to speak when Cen Sibao suddenly reached out to stop him: "Forget it, let's not say anything. Anyway, saying anything won't change anything."

If he says he genuinely prefers women with short hair, it would only cause her unnecessary distress.

Qi Ji then fell silent.

Soon, Qi Ji's driver arrived, along with one of his assistants.

"Miss Cen, hello, my surname is Yu." He nodded politely to her.

"Hello, Assistant Yu." Cen Sibao smiled guiltily.

She always felt that Assistant Yu's gaze towards her was meaningful.

Was he blaming her? Before leaving, Qi Ji was perfectly fine, but now he was soaking wet, while she seemed completely unharmed.

Qi Ji glanced at Cen Sibao and said, "Get in the car."

As for her car, which can be used for both wind and rain, someone else will take care of it.

The plan to welcome Qi Ji back was completely scrapped. Qi Ji had to go back to the company, so she could only go back to school.

Cen Sibao held her face in her hands, somewhat unwilling, and looked out at the heavy rain.

Assistant Yu paused for a moment, then said in a measured tone, "Ms. Cen, are you bored? Would you like to hear something?"

Qi Ji immediately turned his head and squinted at him.

Of the four, only Cen Sibao knew nothing and nodded, "Sure."

A warning immediately echoed through the vehicle again: "Huangfu Tieniu, stop playing with fire!"

Cen Sibao immediately sat up straight, her body slumped in the back of the chair.

Last time I listened to a podcast directly in his car, but when I turned it on again, that same segment started looping again.

It felt completely different when there were only her and Qi Ji in the car compared to when there were two other strangers in the car now.

She belatedly realized that, without her knowledge, Huangfu Tieniu had once played with fire.

And it burned down to Qiji.

“I think we shouldn’t listen to this,” Cen Sibao said seriously. “It’s not serious at all. How could there be this in the car? When I have free time, I prefer to listen to symphonies and concertos.”

Assistant Yu also said with a stern face, "Okay, I'll look for it."

Cen Sibao slowly rested her chin on her hand, stealing glances at Qi Ji out of the corner of her eye.

He was resting with his eyes closed.

But she always felt that it was to escape some unbearable memories.

During the journey, Cen Sibao stepped forward and patted Assistant Yu on the shoulder, silently indicating that he should add her contact information.

Then, amidst the stirring and resounding symphony of destiny, the driver took Cen Sibao to her destination.

"Go back and take a hot shower and change your clothes," she instructed Qi Ji.

Qi Ji nodded.

For the remainder of the journey, the car returned to silence.

However, due to working overtime with irregular hours for several days during his business trip, coupled with being exposed to wind and rain, Qi Ji, who was usually in good health, also fell ill.

Even if you're sick, you still have to work from home.

Cen Sibao had already developed Assistant Yu into an inside source, so she heard about this matter immediately.

Cen Sibao felt deeply guilty, as it was because of her that she got sick.

So she asked Assistant Yu for Qi Ji's address and went to his house that same day.

When Qi Ji saw her, he frowned slightly.

His face was flushed from the fever, but his lips were dry and pale, and his tall frame, dressed in pajamas, looked somewhat thin.

It seems to be more serious than she imagined.

Cen Sibao's compassion was instantly aroused.

She quickly pushed him inside, saying, "You should lie down and rest."

Qi Ji had little room to resist and was pushed back onto the sofa by her.

"I'm fine, you can go back." His voice was unusually hoarse, and he coughed twice after speaking.

Entering Qi Ji's house for the first time, Cen Sibao didn't really care about looking around. "It would be strange if nothing happened. Since it all started because of me, I can't just stand by and do nothing. Besides, I was the one who forced Assistant Yu to give me the address, so don't blame him."

"I brought you some porridge from home."

Cen Sibao arranged the things and handed him a spoon.

Qi Ji stared at the thick yam and millet porridge in front of him and remained silent for a moment.

"Even if you don't have an appetite, you have to eat something." Cen Sibao gestured for him to eat quickly.

He had already eaten, but seeing Cen Sibao's gaze, Qi Ji still forced himself to eat a few bites. Cen Sibao touched his forehead and said, "It's so hot."

Then he took out a thermometer from his bag, took the temperature, and glanced at it: "Thirty-nine degrees, that's so high, and you're still working?"

Qi Ji looked up and saw her neatly roll up her sleeves, her posture capable: "Never mind, leave it to me."

After saying that, he paused for a moment, then furtively took out his phone, as if searching for something, and muttered to himself, "Ah, I need to cool it down physically first."

When she turned her face away, she regained her capable demeanor. "You should lie down now. I'll take care of you. I have a lot of experience."

Qi Ji twitched the corner of his mouth.

She found ice cubes in the refrigerator, wrapped them in a towel, and placed them on Qi Ji's forehead.

Qi Ji's sense of smell wasn't very sharp anymore, but when she bent down, she could still smell the fragrance in her hair.

Cen Sibao carefully fixed it in place, then said, "Okay."

Perhaps it was because of her arrival, but Qi Ji did feel sleepy and gradually closed his eyes.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, Cen Sibao nudged him, "Get up, it's time to take your medicine."

She brought him warm water and watched him take the medicine.

He then lay back down.

In his hazy state, Cen Sibao changed the ice pack for him, and he woke up again.

After a while, when sleepiness returned, Cen Sibao nervously took his temperature again, and he woke up again.

"It's still 39 degrees."

He heard Cen Sibao muttering.

She frowned, staring at him intently.

"Or, how about I cool you down a bit?"

Qi Ji's eyelashes trembled slightly. He hadn't actually heard clearly, but he still gripped his collar tightly.

Cen Sibao: "...You're quite alert."

Qi Ji's consciousness gradually faded.

But whenever he was about to fall asleep, Cen Sibao would anxiously come to his side, change his ice pack, take his temperature, and moisten his lips with warm water, keeping herself very busy.

As darkness fell, Cen Sibao sat on the other side of the sofa, panting heavily, observing Qi Ji's expression.

Qi Ji seemed more lucid than he had been a while ago.

"Have you slept well?" she asked cautiously.

Qi Ji sat up and slowly hummed in agreement.

Lying on the sofa made his shoulder and back muscles even more sore.

"That's good. It's getting late, I have to go back." Cen Sibao stood up and said, "You continue to rest, but don't touch any work."

Qi Ji watched her leave quietly, leaned back on the sofa, rubbed his throbbing temples, and then went back to his bedroom to lie down on the bed.

Because the next day was the weekend, Cen Sibao ran into Cen Heng, who had come to pick her up, when she returned to school.

Cen Heng is going on a long business trip abroad soon and is a little worried about her.

She didn't care: "I'm not a child anymore, I can take care of myself."

At this point, she became a little smug.

She can now take care of herself and her patients, which is really amazing.

It's a pity I can't tell Cen Heng, otherwise I would have made him praise her properly.

Cen Heng had no idea what Cen Sibao was humming and whining about, and his eyes showed some worry.

"Your relationship with Qi Ji..."

Cen Sibao suddenly looked up.

"Are you still so nervous?"

Cen Sibao breathed a sigh of relief, "No, we get along very well."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "He probably admires me quite a bit too."

Cen Heng nodded.

Cen Liang isn't very reliable either; of all my friends, only Qi Ji is the most dependable.

He needs to find Qi Ji and ask him to take good care of his sister.

Before Cen Heng set off, Cen Sibao stayed home obediently for a day.

He replied to the messages I sent to Qi Ji very quickly, so it seems he's alright.

But Cen Sibao still felt uneasy, so after thinking for a moment, she asked Assistant Yu.

Only then did they learn that Qi Ji had been hospitalized because his fever persisted.

They said it was because they hadn't rested well.

She was taken aback.

That won't do.

Working day and night?

According to Assistant Yu, President Qi felt that his condition was not serious and did not arrange for anyone to stay in the hospital to take care of him.

In other words, he would be all alone in the hospital.

Enjoy a relaxing weekend.

A picture of a cute little character sitting on a hospital bed, wiping away tears, flashed through Cen Sibao's mind, and her heart clenched.

When she was sick, her whole family stayed by her side.

Her compassion was stirred once again.

After finding out which hospital it was, she grabbed her bag and ran out the door.

When Cen Heng asked from behind, she made up a random excuse: "I made plans with Zhang Man."

She took a taxi to the hospital and found Qi Ji's ward, where he was sitting on his bed having a conference call.

She didn't shed any tears.

Upon seeing Cen Sibao arrive, his gaze narrowed slightly, but he continued speaking smoothly without stopping.

Cen Sibao quietly sat on the edge of the bed, pressing her index finger to her lips to indicate that she would be quiet.

Qi Ji looked at the screen and continued his meeting.

Time passed by unnoticed, and by the time Qi Ji finished the meeting, two hours had already gone by.

He then felt the blanket was a bit heavy, and when he turned his head, he saw Cen Sibao sleeping by the bedside.

Her soft cheeks were pressed against her arm, and they were a little red.

He stared at her for a while, then thought of Cen Heng's phone call. He pulled the blanket over her, then, feeling tired, he closed his eyes as well.

When Qi Ji woke up again, he was awakened by the cold.

He opened his eyes and saw that Cen Sibao had unknowingly rolled the quilt around himself, leaving him with very little sheet covering him.

He was not surprised at all by this situation.

They even took it for granted.

The air conditioning in the ward wasn't set too high; she probably felt a bit cold after falling asleep.

Qi Ji chuckled, shook his head, and picked up the blanket that had fallen to the ground.

Cen Sibao was startled awake by his movement. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and asked, "You've finished your meeting?"

Touching the blanket covering her, she was somewhat surprised: "You're sick, why are you covering me with all the blankets? What if it makes my condition worse?"

Qi Ji remained silent at the opportune moment.

Cen Sibao was now fully awake.

"By the way, I also wanted to ask, why didn't you tell me you were hospitalized? You even lied to me that you were cured," she questioned.

"There's no need."

Upon hearing this, Cen Sibao pouted and whispered, "So heartless."

But considering that Qi Ji was a patient, and moreover, she was the one pursuing him, she shouldn't hold it against him, so she swept her emotions aside and said, "Shall I wash some fruit for you?"

"No need," Qi Ji refused again. "Go back, you'll get infected."

Cen Sibao looked at him and said, "You should just pretend you're mute."

Qi Ji pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Your brother asked me to take care of you."

Forget it, I'm the one taking care of you now.

Cen Sibao was extremely arrogant.

Seeing that Qi Ji was speechless, she snorted softly and moved closer to him, "This is the first time I've ever taken care of someone who is sick."

"Thanks."

Cen Sibao didn't want to hear that. She pinched her little finger and gestured, "After all this time, don't you even have a tiny bit of liking for me?"

Qi Ji didn't speak, but suddenly looked up and asked an unrelated question: "You're not driving that car anymore?"

Cen Sibao didn't understand, but still replied, "I won't drive anymore. I've completely lost interest in driving. I'll just take a car when I go out."

Qi Ji's lips curled up slightly. She had only learned to drive on a whim and had only been driving for a short time when she was completely fed up with it.

Cen Sibao: "Why are you asking this?"

Qi Ji looked at her with a sharp gaze: "What's the difference between your liking for me and your liking for those male celebrities, or your liking for driving?"

Cen Sibao was stunned by his words and subconsciously retorted, "Of course there's a difference."

But when asked to explain the specific differences, she seemed unable to articulate them.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

A look of understanding flashed in Qi Ji's eyes.

Even as she left, Cen Sibao still couldn't understand why he was so hung up on this. Regardless of the difference, wasn't it still liking someone?

She has never taken care of a sick male celebrity, nor has she taken care of a broken car.

But Qi Ji simply told her to think it through.

What exactly do we need to figure out?

Do I have to think about the difference between this grape and the other uneaten grapes if I just want to eat one?

Is it bigger, or rounder?

She hadn't been this distressed in a long time.

Before leaving, Qi Ji looked at her with a calm and rational gaze, as if through a layer of fog.

The amount of effort she has put into Qi Ji during this period has far exceeded her expectations.

Sometimes, she felt that Qi Ji was getting closer and closer to her.

But sometimes I feel that it's just my imagination, and he is still like the moon in the water, impossible to grasp no matter how close I get.

Maybe we should just give up. We've done all the good deeds and said all the nice things, but he's still an impenetrable wall.

Cen Sibao sat in the chair, biting her finger as she thought.

But if we give up now, wouldn't the sunk cost be too high?

She really likes him, and she hasn't gotten tired of him yet.

Her mind was blank as she scrolled through the apps on her phone, opening and closing them repeatedly.

I opened the calendar by chance and realized that New Year's Eve is almost here.

She stared at the date for a long time, and a vague plan began to form in her mind.

Let's try one last time. Maybe he thinks she's being too frivolous and not serious enough? Then let's confess to him seriously one more time.

If he continues like that, then she should cut her losses and just let him go.

Chapter 4

"three!"

"two!!"

"one!!!"

On New Year's Eve, tens of thousands of people gathered at the riverside square to count down to the new year. Just as the last number was shouted out in a grand manner, the large screen in the square suddenly went dark.

At the same time, a ray of light appeared on the horizon.

A gasp of surprise erupted in the square.

"Look! It's another rich guy confessing his love!"

Hundreds of drones slowly rose into the air, skimming the clouds and leaving faint streaks of light across the night sky.

Gradually, the light trail began to shrink and converge, and the drones at the edge slowly extended outward, outlining a smooth arc, while the drones in the middle layered up, filling in a full outline.

A few seconds later, a giant heart made up of hundreds of points of light hovered in the night sky.

The bustling noise was shut out by the riverbank, and on the quiet other side, Qi Ji's shadow was stretched long by the light.

Beneath his high, straight brows, a pair of dark pupils gazed intently at the person opposite him.

The warm light shone on Cen Sibao's bright face, casting a light shadow on her long, thick eyelashes.

"Qi Ji, this was specially prepared for you." Her almond-shaped eyes, which usually had slightly upturned corners, curved into two crescent moons with pride, and her rosy lips smiled smugly. "Now you can prove that I really like you, right?"

He looked up again and saw the heart in the air swaying slightly, with the lights flickering on and off, like a real, beating heart.

A faint smile appeared on Qi Ji's lips.

"Wait for me to come back..."

The deep voice made Cen Sibao's heart skip a beat, and she opened her eyes the next second.

She was lying on her bed in the dormitory, feeling slightly agitated.

She slept so soundly during her afternoon nap that she completely forgot the time. Cen Sibao slapped her forehead in annoyance, trying to put the dream she had just had out of her mind.

Since that night, Cen Sibao has never seen Qi Ji again, and this is the first time she has dreamed of him.

She was a little annoyed, so she opened her phone and decided to randomly find a sucker to vent her anger on.

As January arrived, the city welcomed its first snowfall of the new year, and the abandoned factory buildings on the outskirts of the city, spanning four or five hundred square meters, found a new home.

The snow in the outdoor parking lot was swept clean, and the brand-new sign of the Bole Gallery was hung high.

The car was parked by a designated person, and a group of people chatted and laughed as they walked through the gate.

"Why did you choose such a lousy place?" Jiang Feiyang looked around at the gray concrete pillars and arched dome with disdain.

Gallery owner Bo Le walked over and gave him a warm hug before saying, "I'm happy to. And what do you mean by 'shabby place'? This is industrial memory, and that's exactly the style I want!"

He raised his chin: "Although it looks dilapidated, the circulation design has been precisely calculated, and all the works are positioned at the golden ratio point in your field of vision."

"Wow, that's quite sophisticated."

Cen Liang stopped and carefully examined a dark-colored painting on the wall.

He frowned and turned his head: "How did Lin Zishen's paintings become so popular? My sister likes them too recently."

Bo Le smiled and said, "You don't understand, do you? Tragic narratives are an eternally popular theme."

Cen Liang crossed his arms and glanced at him: "Come on, I'm afraid you, the 'talent scout,' are probably behind this."

Bo Le snorted and chose to skip the topic. "You just said our sister likes Lin Zishen's paintings? Why didn't you say so earlier? I would have given them to her."

Cen Liang shook his head. "She's the kind of person who only has a three-minute attention span, no matter what she likes." After thinking for a moment, he said, "Make a few more."

Bo Le gave an OK sign. "Don't just watch, give me some suggestions. I'm serious this time."

After saying that, he looked at another man who was also carefully examining the painting, "Hey, Qi Ji, you also like Lin Zishen's paintings?"

Everyone's gaze naturally turned to the man standing by the wall.

He has never liked to join in the fun; even when he stands still, he looks like a painting, naturally on a different level from them.

I don't know why, but today, the sun rose in the west, and I surprisingly agreed to Bo Le's invitation. Moreover, I had just returned from a business trip and came here as soon as I got off the plane.

He chuckled softly and simply said, "It wasn't me."

Bo Le didn't press the matter, but nudged his shoulder: "Hey, by the way, isn't digitalization all the rage now, Mr. Qi? Get me one too sometime."

Upon hearing this, Qi Ji withdrew his gaze, remained silent, and calmly reached out to dust off the spot on his shoulder where he had been bumped.

Bo Le laughed in exasperation at his actions. "Qi Ji, you're pulling this trick again. Fine, fine, I'll pay you. I won't let you work for free. You look like a respectable and upright person, but you're actually a wicked capitalist."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cen Liang's phone rang.

Everyone glanced at the screen; the caller ID displayed only three words: Little Ancestor.

He didn't avoid those gazes, smiling as he swiped to open the call button, his tone sounding rather annoyed: "What instructions do you have now?"

A few words were spoken on the other end of the phone.

"Sure, it's just a painting by Lin Zishen, I'll get it for you, but there are conditions."

His expression turned serious: "Have you started dating recently?"

"What informant? Where would I get an informant?" Cen Liang's lips twitched. "You forgot to block me when you posted on your Moments."

The volume on the other end of the phone suddenly increased to an unbelievable level, which could be faintly felt even by the people next to him.

"Break up with me right now, we're not compatible."

"It's unsuitable in every aspect."

Before they could exchange more than a few words, the other end of the phone hung up.

Bo Le stepped forward: "Is she our sister?"

Cen Liang looked up: "She's my sister."

"They're all the same."

Not far away, Qi Ji suddenly spoke up: "Cen Sibao?"

Cen Liang was somewhat surprised. "You know her? How did you meet?"

He basically didn't let Cen Sibao have much contact with her friends.

Qi Ji nodded: "Cen Heng."

"Oh right, I almost forgot, you're closer to Cen Heng."

Qi Ji's tone remained largely unchanged from before, yet carried a strange coldness: "Dating?"

Mentioning this, Cen Liang got a headache. "Yeah, I just saw the chat history she posted on her WeChat Moments today. The other person seems to be a poor guy who hasn't had time to talk to her yet."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess her parents don't know about this either, and neither does her older brother, Cen Heng. It's a good thing she's not in the city right now. If he found out, World War III wouldn't be far off."

Jiang Feiyang sighed, "I think your cousin worries just as much as her own brother."

Bo Le grinned and put his arm around Cen Liang's shoulder: "Others may be unreliable, but I am. Introduce me to them."

The group of people immediately burst into laughter.

Only Qi Ji's face remained hidden in the shadows, his pupils growing ever darker, his eyes lowered as if lost in thought.

Cen Liang snorted coldly: "Go to hell. Among this group of people, only Qi Ji is somewhat decent. As for you, forget about it."

After thinking for a moment, she looked at Qi Ji and said, "But Qi Ji definitely doesn't like my sister's type, so I can feel more at ease knowing that he's the only one who interacts with her."

Qi Ji looked up, met his gaze, and smiled, exuding righteousness.

The conversation immediately shifted back to Qi Ji.

He wasn't the oldest among the group, but probably because he had started from scratch and endured hardship, he was more mature than the others.

In their eyes, such people are indeed not a good match for a little princess who was born to be pampered.

When asked what type of person he liked, Qi Ji just smiled faintly and said nothing.

After joining in the commotion, Bo Le glanced at the time and said, "You guys keep shopping, I'll go upstairs and take a look."

Upstairs in the restroom, Ding Yaoguang paced back and forth, holding his phone.

He thought for a moment, and was about to make a phone call when someone arrived.

He looked up and saw Bo Le.

Ding Yaoguang's expression was a little unnatural. After hesitating for a moment, he still reported, "Um, boss, I'd like my girlfriend to come to the art exhibition too, is that okay? She really likes Lin Zishen."

“Sure,” Bo Le said generously. “You’ve been busy lately, which must have interfered with your date with your girlfriend, right? I’ll approve a few days of paid leave for you, and double your bonus.”

Ding Yaoguang nodded: "Thank you, boss. But she's alright in this respect. She's quite sensible and never makes a fuss with me."

Bo Le smiled, reached under the tap, and the water flowed freely. "Then you'd better cherish it."

It was rare for me to talk about life with my boss, and he unconsciously rambled on a bit, saying, "Hey, who knows what the future holds? We're all still young."

"Although I like her quite a bit, after all, she's pretty and doesn't bother me, her family isn't well-off."

“She told me that her parents had passed away and she was living with her brother, so I had some concerns. After all, my family isn’t well-off, and I hope her family can help us with things like buying a house in the future. Marriage is a big decision, and I need to think it over carefully.”

After listening, Bo Le glanced at him thoughtfully, said nothing more, washed her hands, and left.

After hanging up the phone with Cen Liang, Cen Sibao immediately opened her WeChat Moments to check, and sure enough.

With a large family, Cen Liang was overlooked when setting up the groups, which led to a major mistake.

She mentioned it to Ding Yaoguang last night while they were chatting, and he seemed a little aggrieved. She hadn't made their relationship public until this morning when she suddenly remembered it and casually posted it on her WeChat Moments.

Unexpectedly, Cen Liang happened to see it.

Cen Sibao tapped the screen with her finger, annoyedly pulling him into the group, trying to salvage the situation after the fact.

After hesitating for a couple of seconds, his expression relaxed.

It's nothing serious. If she treats him to a few more meals, Cen Liang will be overjoyed and will agree to anything she asks.

Cen Sibao put the matter aside and happily opened the game, but her phone suddenly vibrated.

She frowned slightly, but when she saw that it was Ding Yaoguang calling, she answered the phone.

"Honey, didn't you tell me last night that you liked Lin Zishen's paintings?"

Cen Sibao thought of the painting Cen Liang had promised her not long ago, and her eyes crinkled into a smile. "Yes, what's wrong?"

"I told you, my boss recently opened another art gallery. He just loves to mess around with things."

“Today is a private preview, and all the people here are core collectors and my boss’s friends. Ordinary people can’t get in.” Ding Yaoguang’s tone carried an understated sense of superiority. “But I can bring you in to take a look and broaden your horizons.”

Cen Sibao didn't notice anything amiss in his tone and casually replied, "Really? That's amazing."

Ding Yaoguang was pleased and smiled. "Also, I've been too busy lately and neglected you. I can finally catch my breath a little tonight, so let's treat this as a date."

"Okay, I'll head over right away."

"Yes, I've already spoken to the boss. Just come in, take the elevator, and find me on the third floor."

After hanging up the phone, Cen Sibao happily went to change her clothes.

Behind me, my roommate Zhang Man asked with a complicated expression, "Xiao Cen, are you dating that Ding Yaoguang?"

Cen Sibao's fingers traced through the wardrobe, picking out a black dress. "Yes."

Does he know that your family is particularly well-off?

Cen Sibao thought for a moment and said affirmatively, "I know, I told him. Okay, I know what you're going to say, but we've had contact in the debate team before. Senior Ding isn't the kind of person you're thinking of. He's a really good person."

“You wouldn’t believe it, but he has never asked me for anything—it’s like he doesn’t know I have money.”

"What a wonderful person he is," Cen Sibao sighed and shook her head.

Zhang Man hesitated for a moment, then said, "Never mind, whatever makes you happy."

She noticed that Cen Sibao hadn't called Ding Yaoguang even once in the past week. She spent most of her free time on her hobbies and hanging out with friends, having a great time.

Zhang Man couldn't see anything about her liking Ding Yaoguang anymore.

I was quite happy to receive the call, though.

The problem is, she seems so happy no matter who calls her.

Looking at Cen Sibao's beautiful back, she peeked out and said, "Hey, Cen, wear more clothes, it's very cold outside."

Cen Sibao left the school gate, got into a car, and headed straight for the address sent by Ding Yaoguang.

I didn't expect the gallery to be located in such a remote area. Plus, the roads were slippery due to the snow and there was a lot of traffic, so it took a long time to get there.

She had just gotten off the bus when she received another call from Cen Liang.

At this moment, a group of people were standing in front of the elevator, preparing to go upstairs.

Qi Ji brought up Cen Heng again.

This reminded Cen Liang that after much thought, he felt he still had to resolve Cen Sibao's problem completely before Cen Heng returned.

The call connected quickly, and he said seriously, "Xiao Bao, come home tonight."

Cen Sibao had no patience to listen to his phone call and casually replied, "Oh, brother, class is about to start, I'm busy!"

"I can't talk to you anymore, don't interrupt my studies!"

"Hello? Wait a minute—" Cen Liang stared at the screen where the call had ended, speechless: "Never mind."

A group of people around her burst into laughter: "Sister Si Bao is really amazing."

"Only your sister would dare to hang up on you so many times."

Putting away his phone, Cen Liang and the others entered the elevator one after another.

Meanwhile, Cen Sibao had already registered her identity at the door, and as expected, no one stopped her.

There weren't many people in the gallery, and she was taken aback by its bright and unadorned decor.

Thinking she should go find Ding Yaoguang first, she stopped admiring the painting and started looking for signs, and soon found the elevator.

Cen Sibao rushed straight to the elevators, only to find one of the elevator doors about to close. She quickly shouted, "Wait a minute!"

Fortunately, someone inside pressed the open button in time, the elevator door stopped, and then opened again, revealing a large number of people standing inside.

Cen Sibao breathed a sigh of relief, rushed into the elevator, and stood still.

Yu Guangli saw a group of tall, handsome, and good-looking elites standing around her, all silently watching her.

Because of her good looks, Cen Sibao was already used to being stared at, so she didn't pay much attention and said crisply, "Thank you."

She took a step to the side, peeked out and saw that the button on the third floor had already been pressed, and felt relieved.

Turning her head, she saw a few snowflakes spreading on the hem of her black skirt. Cen Sibao lowered her eyes and straightened herself.

Then he straightened up and patted the snow off his shoulders.

Only after she finished the whole set of movements did she raise her face to tidy her hair, but she met a pair of familiar eyes and froze instantly.

Cen Liang narrowed his eyes. "Cen Sibao, didn't you just say you were going to class?"

He glanced at the paintings hanging in the elevator.

"Art class?"

Chapter 5

Cen Sibao never expected that Ding Yaoguang's boss would happen to be Cen Liang's friend.

Her lie was exposed, and she was speechless for a moment.

Her mind raced. Cen Liang had already wanted her to break up with him, and now she couldn't let him see Ding Yaoguang.

She paused for a moment, then mumbled, "No, I just heard that Lin Zishen's art exhibition is here, so I came to take a look."

Cen Liang looked at her with suspicion in his eyes: "Then why didn't you tell me? Don't you always have someone accompany you when you go out?"

Cen Sibao was speechless again, "Not every time, right?"

The other people in the elevator were probably Cen Liang's friends, and they were all watching her with great interest.

Feeling a very strong gaze, she looked up and saw the man who had pressed the door button for her earlier. He had deep-set eyes and a smile that seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

Upon seeing the person clearly, Cen Sibao paused again, her eyes darting around as she thought of her dream that afternoon.

Bo Le stepped forward and smoothed things over with a smile, saying, "Alright, Cen Liang, stop questioning him. He's an adult, after all, and he needs some personal space."

Cen Sibao nodded repeatedly: "That's right."

Cen Liang frowned and said seriously, "This dilapidated gallery is so far away, in the middle of nowhere. It's snowing outside, and it's going to get dark soon. You're a young girl who's come all this way. Can't I even ask you something?"

Seeing Cen Sibao hang her head dejectedly, he softened his tone: "Have you eaten?"

Cen Sibao shook her head quickly.

Bo Le immediately said, "Then why are we still looking at paintings? Let's go out to eat. I'm your brother's friend. I've heard about you before, but this is the first time I've seen you in person. We have to celebrate!"

He glanced at Cen Liang and said, "Your brother defends me so well he could make the NBA All-Defensive Team."

Cen Liang separated him from Cen Sibao and nudged him hard with his elbow. "I'm also particularly good at attacking, want to give it a try?"

"That was a malicious foul, okay?"

After leaving the gallery, Cen Sibao followed closely behind Cen Liang and got into the car.

A large group of people rushed to his car from behind, and Cen Liang said impatiently, "Don't you have a car?"

“Sharing a ride is more environmentally friendly,” Jiang Feiyang said seriously.

"roll."

In the end, he still couldn't stop Bo Le, Jiang Feiyang, and Qi Ji from getting into his car.

The first two were persistent and shameless in getting into the car, while the last one happened to have a broken-down car and had just contacted someone to tow it.

Cen Liang originally wanted to ask Cen Sibao about her love life in the car, but seeing that there were too many people around, he decided to keep quiet about it.

Of course, there was no room for him to ask questions. Jiang Feiyang and Bo Le were extremely curious about Cen Sibao and asked her a lot of questions, from what she liked to eat to what classes she took at school.

In the end, only he and Qi Jiqing were left in the car.

He glanced through the rearview mirror at Qi Ji, who was looking out the window and seemed completely uninterested in their conversation, and once again confirmed his judgment.

As expected, only Qi Ji can put his mind at ease.

Cen Liang and his group took Cen Sibao to the restaurant owned by Jiang Feiyang's family. It was newly opened and far from Cen Sibao's school, so she had never been there before.

The restaurant was almost full. Jiang Feiyang greeted them, and the waiter led them to a private room that had been reserved in advance.

Cen Sibao lingered at the back, while Qi Ji was a step behind her. He glanced at her skin beneath her black dress, turned around, and whispered something to the waiter.

The waiter responded and went out.

The others didn't sit down. After Cen Sibao randomly picked a seat, Cen Liang naturally sat down next to her.

Bo Le originally intended to sit on her other side, but Qi Ji had already taken his seat. He looked up and saw that Qi Ji's expression was calm and composed, as if he had just chosen her randomly.

Without thinking further, Bo Le sat down next to Qi Ji.

Cen Sibao glanced at Qi Ji discreetly, straightened her back, and began to look at the menu.

After a while, Jiang Feiyang unbuttoned his collar and said strangely, "Why do I feel like the air conditioning in this private room is set higher than usual?"

Chen Nian, who was standing nearby, said, "Should I ask the waiter to lower the temperature?"

Cen Liang looked at Cen Sibao: "Are you hot?"

She looked up and shook her head. "I think the temperature is just right."

"Then we won't adjust it."

Cen Sibao was choosing vegetables when her phone suddenly vibrated. She glanced down at her phone and saw that it was Ding Yaoguang calling.

She glanced casually at Cen Liang on her left and then at Qi Ji on her right. They were both talking to other people and not looking at her.

She hung up the phone first, and was just about to send a message to Ding Yaoguang when Qi Ji beside her slowly asked, "Why didn't you answer the phone?"

Cen Sibao hurriedly put away her phone like a thief, then looked up abruptly to see Qi Ji leaning back in his chair, listening to Jiang Feiyang speak.

She replied awkwardly in a low voice, "It was just a nuisance call."

She then stood up and, under Cen Liang's questioning gaze, stammered, "I want to go outside to wash my hands."

Cen Liang frowned: "Isn't there a restroom in the private room?"

Cen Sibao stammered, "I... I just wanted to go outside and get some fresh air."

Cen Liang guessed that there were many strangers here, and she felt embarrassed, so she didn't ask any more questions. She just got up, pushed back her chair, and said, "Do you know the way? I'll take you there."

Cen Sibao lowered her voice and said, "Oh, no need, I'm not a child anymore."

After she repeatedly declined, Cen Liang finally sat down again and watched Cen Sibao walk around in a big circle.

Even though Qi Ji's side was closer to the private room door, she insisted on going through Cen Liang's side.

Cen Liang glanced at Qi Ji, who was sitting upright, and pondered for a moment: "Why do I suddenly feel that my sister is a little afraid of you?"

"Really?" Qi Ji raised his cup and took a sip of tea. "I guess it's because I feel guilty."

Cen Liang was taken aback, not having heard clearly, and leaned closer to ask, "What did you just say?"

Qi Ji smiled and shook his head.

Bo Le also smiled and came over: "I also think that Si Bao is a little afraid of Qi Ji. Is it because she is too 'upright'?"

Chen Nian walked over from across the street, took out a pack of cigarettes, and said ingratiatingly, "Brother Qi, Brother Cen, Brother Bo, want to go out and have a couple of smokes?"

He wasn't that close to this group of people; he was brought in through Jiang Feiyang's connections, so he kept trying to get close to them.

Cen Liang glanced at him and shook his head. "I quit a long time ago. By the way, you're not allowed to smoke when I'm around."

Chen Nian said with a smile, "Oh, Brother Cen, you have a girlfriend now? But we're out here, it's okay. We're grown men, we can't let women control us too much."

Cen Liang frowned, ignored him, and simply said, "Xiao Bao has been acting as a no-smoking ambassador at home lately."

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table turned to look at them.

Cen Liang raised his chin: "Last time she saw a news article online about an old smoker who died of lung cancer in his fifties. She was terrified and came back and strictly forbade anyone in the family from smoking."

"Let alone seeing it, even if you smell the slightest trace of someone else's cigarette on your clothes when you get home, you'll be criticized for half an hour at most."

None of the people in her family smoke often, let alone are addicted, but seeing her serious expression, they would pretend to smoke in front of her to tease her.

She would often lose her temper because of this.

Cen Liang spoke with disdain, but laughed out loud: "This rascal, he posts lung biopsy images of lung cancer patients in the group every day, and he always posts them during mealtimes. He also insists on regular checkups and won't let us mute the group. How can anyone stand that?"

"If any of you want to quit but can't, I can forward the picture to you."

Bo Le couldn't stand it anymore and pushed him: "Alright, stop showing off. Look in the mirror. Your mouth is practically stretched to the sky."

After leaving the private room, Cen Sibao sent a message to Ding Yaoguang: "I have something to do for now, I'll go see it another day."

Ding Yaoguang called immediately. She hesitated for a moment, but answered anyway.

The voice on the other end sounded a bit annoyed: "What is it? Is it that important? I've been waiting for you for ages, why didn't you answer my call earlier?"

Cen Sibao glanced back and said, "It's nothing, my brother invited me to dinner."

"Oh, but didn't you say your brother went abroad to fight organized crime... to work?" Ding Yaoguang's tone was subtle. "He's back? So soon?"

He thought her brother would never come back.

After all, judging from Cen Sibao's tone, he could guess that her brother had smuggled himself out of the country.

Cen Sibao stared nervously at the door of the private room, barely listening to what he was saying. "No, he's still a long way from being back. He's another cousin of mine."

Ding Yaoguang nodded; as expected, he wouldn't be coming back.

He said with pity, "Oh, I see. You have quite a few brothers."

"It's alright, my cousin only has one son, but my other cousin has two sons."

Ding Yaoguang secretly noted it down, then probed, "So, are your parents' relatives helping with your and your siblings' living expenses now?"

Cen Sibao looked somewhat bewildered: "No."

Ding Yaoguang sighed again. Yes, if they had kept an eye on things, her brother wouldn't have had to smuggle himself abroad to work illegally.

"Okay, that's all for now. My boss went out for lunch. Since you're not coming, I'll go home first."

Cen Sibao originally wanted to tell him that his boss was friends with her cousin and that he shouldn't reveal the truth, but then she thought that she would have to explain to him that Cen Liang had asked her to break up with him, so she didn't mention it.

Goodbye then.

After saying that, Cen Sibao hung up the phone decisively.

To go all out of the act, she then went to the restroom, passing a pregnant woman on the way, which she carefully avoided.

As she stepped out of the restroom, her nose twitched slightly as she smelled a pungent odor of smoke.

She glanced at the pregnant woman who was speeding past in front of her, then walked straight around the corner and, sure enough, saw two men smoking in front of the window in the corridor.

Inside the private room, Cen Liang checked his watch several times, frowning. "Why hasn't Xiao Bao come back yet?"

Bo Le interjected, "Is your sister really lost? After all, she's never been here before."

Cen Liang was about to get up when he noticed that Qi Ji beside him was already walking unhurriedly toward the door.

He was somewhat surprised, but didn't think much of it. He looked at Bo Le with a stern face and said, "I've already told you, she's my sister." He emphasized the word "I".

"I know, I know, what's the rush?"

As soon as Cen Liang and Qi Ji left, the others in the private room followed them out with great interest to search for the person.

In the corridor, Cen Sibao squinted at the two men with cigarettes between their fingers, stepped forward, and said in a clear voice, "Gentlemen."

They turned around, and she asked warmly, "Would you like me to call two wheelchairs for you?"

The two were taken aback. "What do you mean, 'wheelchair'?"

Cen Sibao smiled: "The restaurant should provide wheelchairs for blind people."

Their expressions changed drastically. "How dare you talk like that? Who are you calling blind?"

"Hey, aren't you blind people?"

Cen Sibao pointed to a no-smoking sign not far from the wall, and her smile vanished instantly:

"If you can't understand the Chinese, there's an English version. If you have a reading disability, there are pictures too. If you can't understand any of them, are you blind or mentally challenged?"

The other person choked for a moment, then sneered, "If you can understand the picture, then we'll... draw it, so what?"

Cen Sibao nodded. "Oh, so you have a rebellious personality—you absolutely mustn't jump off here."

They choked again, "No way, you're even interfering with my smoking? You're banning smoking now? Are you some kind of Lin Zexu?"

Cen Sibao smiled and tossed her thick hair: "That's my new nickname."

The two: "..."

They brandished their fists menacingly: "Mind your own business!"

Cen Sibao raised her chin and said arrogantly, "You're smoking in places where you shouldn't be. The smell is choking me, the secondhand smoke is harming my health, and the cigarette ash is polluting my eyes. Why can't I do something about it?"

The man scoffed, "We just like the smell of smoke, we just like cigarette ash, what's it to you?"

She pointed her slender finger: "If I don't intervene now, you'll dare to smoke in restaurants today, gas stations tomorrow, and flour mills the day after. It will be extremely harmful to society."

After saying that, she softened her tone, "But I understand, sometimes when the urge strikes, it's hard to control yourself, so if you really can't resist the urge to smoke—"

"I suggest you go smoke in the incinerator instead. The temperature there is just right, the smoke is strong, and there's lots of ash." She clapped her hands: "Your dream place!"

Not far away, Jiang Feiyang suppressed a laugh, "Cen Liang, I finally understand why you said your sister's personality is something most people can't handle. When I saw her earlier, I was wondering why she seemed like such a well-behaved little sister. Turns out she was deliberately keeping a low profile."

Cen Liang shook his head helplessly.

After being bombarded with questions by Cen Sibao, the two men in front of her looked her up and down, lingering on her face for a few seconds. Suddenly, their eyes darted around, and they changed their minds: "Okay, I won't smoke anymore."

After stubbing out his cigarette, he looked at Cen Sibao and chuckled, "Little sister, what you said earlier was absolutely right. You're so interesting. I feel like we've known each other forever. How about we go outside and find a place to have a more in-depth discussion about the downsides of smoking?"

Looking at the two tall, burly men opposite her, who seemed to have ill intentions, Cen Sibao took a step back warily. "Who are you calling 'sister'?"

"My God, you two look like this, and you want to pretend to be related to me by blood? Who are you trying to humiliate?"

The man opposite her was so angry that his face contorted, and he simply reached out to grab her.

Cen Sibao retreated in a panic, only to bump into a broad chest and become unable to move.

The hand that reached out to grab her stopped in mid-air.

She looked up and saw Qi Ji looking down at her, his eyes filled with a hint of anger. He was still holding the man's wrist with such force that he was twisting his arm back and howling in pain.

Beside him, Cen Liang, his face grim, rolled up his sleeves: "Gentlemen, where are you planning to take my sister?"

Chapter 6

The two, whose hands were restrained, looked around. On their left was Qi Ji, and on their right was Cen Liang.

Behind them stood several tall men with unfriendly expressions.

Cen Sibao had already hidden behind Qi Ji and smugly hummed.

Realizing they had bitten off more than they could chew, the two men looked even more pained, but still apologized repeatedly: "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. We didn't mean to do anything to this lady. We just wanted to chat and make friends."

"Yes, because we've been fans of Lin Zexu since we were kids."

Cen Sibao poked her head out, "Are you treating people like idiots again?"

"No, what we said is true!"

Jiang Feiyang stepped forward, raised his chin, and said, "After all, this is my territory. I'll handle these two."

Bo Le stepped forward and looked at Cen Sibao with concern: "Sibao, are you alright? Were you frightened?"

"Don't worry, no." Cen Sibao shook her head.

Only Cen Liang remained silent, looking at Cen Sibao with a strange expression.

More accurately, it was the hand that was still tightly gripping Qi Ji's clothes.

Cen Sibao realized something was wrong, and without saying a word, she let go of his hand, walked to Cen Liang's side, grabbed the hem of his clothes, and smiled up at him.

After she finished completing the procedure, Cen Liang's tightly furrowed brows relaxed. "Your own brother is right here, why are you running off to someone else?"

Cen Sibao whispered, "The situation was critical just now, and he was just closer. I didn't think too much about it."

Qi Ji glanced at the wrinkles in the hem of his clothes but didn't say a word.

"Don't be so impulsive next time," Cen Liang nagged worriedly. "What if we're not here?"

Cen Sibao followed behind him with small steps, "It's precisely because I know you guys are here that I feel safe to act impulsively."

“They haven’t even touched a finger of mine, and you’ve arrived. The timing is perfect.” She said, clapping her hands.

"You're still laughing; you have no idea how serious the problem is."

Back in the private room, Cen Sibao was finally able to eat a peaceful meal.

Qi Ji, who was next to her, was playing with his phone and didn't look at her.

Scrolling through her WeChat Moments, she indeed didn't see the post Cen Liang had mentioned that exposed Cen Sibao's relationship. Either she had blocked him too, or…

Qi Ji found Cen Sibao's account and quickly discovered that she had deleted him.

Blocking someone can be a sign of spite, but deleting them as a friend carries a different meaning.

Out of the corner of Cen Sibao's eye, he saw the protruding wrist bone move, and his fingers gently but firmly slammed the phone face down on the table.

The two didn't exchange a single word until they finished their meal.

He didn't look at Cen Sibao, and Cen Sibao unconsciously felt a competitive energy rise within her, so she restrained her gaze and didn't look at him again.

"Let's go home." After finishing the meal, Cen Liang handed his coat to Cen Sibao.

"I'm not going home. I'm going back to my dorm." She wasn't stupid; if she chose to go home, and he interrogated her further, then the other family members would find out too.

Cen Liang frowned, puzzled, "Why do you like your shabby dorm room so much?"

“Your house is the shabby one,” Cen Sibao retorted.

"I haven't settled the score with you for lying to me this afternoon. You shouldn't have many classes these days, right? Why are you still spending so much time at school? Just to date?"

Cen Sibao clicked her tongue twice: "Cen Liang, I really didn't expect you to be such a love-struck person. Your first reaction was actually this."

Cen Liang: "...You're turning the tables on me."

Cen Sibao refused to go home, so Cen Liang had no choice but to send her back to school.

Once in the car, he quickly locked the door, glanced out the window at his friend who had to stop, and said, "I'm taking her back to school. It's not on your way, so figure out how to get back yourself. Also, don't hitch a ride with me again; you're incredibly noisy."

Bo Le was so angry that she picked up a ball of snow from the ground and threw it at the back of the departing car, but Cen Liang had anticipated this and dodged the snowball with a swerve.

Cen Sibao leaned against the window, watching them laugh, and shouted, "Next time, throw it in front of him!"

Bo Le sighed with a mix of emotion and envy: "You have such a sweet smile. It's a pity my parents didn't give me a little sister."

Jiang Feiyang grinned mischievously: "Go back and tell your parents that it's not too late to have another child now."

"Come on, it's not certain that you can give birth to such a cute and well-behaved little sister. Right, Qi Ji?"

"Good girl?" Qi Ji pondered for a moment and smiled.

In the car, Cen Sibao's lips drooped, and her sweet smile from before had completely disappeared.

Cen Liang was earnestly trying to persuade her to break up with him.

"I saw a screenshot of your WeChat Moments. That person said they wanted to give you a gift and were planning to start saving money now so they could give it to you when they had enough?"

Cen Sibao retorted, "What's wrong? People aren't allowed to save money?"

Cen Liang was furious and wanted to slap her on the head: "Don't you understand? It's not even close to being settled yet, what does he mean by saying this now? Is he trying to get your emotional support in advance? And you even refused?"

"There are too many scheming men in society nowadays who prey on naive young girls like you. They only care about your money and background, using you as a stepping stone. They're not sincere at all, you know?"

“I don’t need any gifts.” Cen Sibao covered her ears and said, “That’s prejudice. They are relatively poor, but they never asked me for anything, never asked how much my family’s assets were, and even cared about my brother and my living expenses.”

Cen Liang was silent for a moment. "What does he care about?"

She lowered her hand and tugged at the seatbelt. "Anyway, I have my own judgment. Can you please not interfere with my decision?"

At the red light, Cen Liang glanced at her expression through the rearview mirror and lowered his voice, "You really like this person?"

Cen Sibao paused for a moment, then nodded casually.

He sighed, "Let's not talk about me for now, what about your other brother?"

She looked up abruptly: "Don't tell my brother yet!"

"Hmph, it seems you also know that he's more difficult to deal with than me. Well, you've always listened to him more since you were little." Cen Liang's tone was sour.

Cen Sibao moved closer to him in a flattering manner, putting her hands together and saying, "You are all very good brothers, without any distinction between you. But it will be quite a while before he comes back from his business trip, and I don't even know if my relationship will last that long, so let's not let that busy man worry about me."

Cen Liang backed down and said, "Okay, then send me a picture of that Doraemon and his personal information so I can check his character."

"Doraemon?" Cen Sibao tilted her head, puzzled. "Who are you talking about?"

He said sarcastically, "Your boyfriend? He's dirt poor, Doraemon, isn't he?"

Cen Sibao: "...You don't need to keep emphasizing this point."

Cen Liang continued driving, drawing out his words: "Hurry up."

"Oh, here we go again. Can't you just let go and let me be independent for a while? I'll protect myself. You have to respect me and others."

"It's because your taste is unreliable. The little boy you liked since kindergarten was never a good person. He seemed to like you a lot, but he could have easily broken up with you by giving you a bag of candy."

Cen Sibao sneered, "You have the nerve to say that? I've never seen a wicked mother-in-law from a wealthy family who tries to break up a couple in a TV drama, but you and Cen Heng are a perfect example of that."

Cen Liang ignored her verbal attack and continued, "If you liked someone like Qi Ji, I wouldn't be so worried. You know Qi Ji, right? The one sitting to your right at the dinner table."

Cen Sibao's voice was a little softer, "I know."

Cen Liang steered the wheel, "But he's a laid-back person, and he's only interested in his work."

So while everyone in the private room was vying to introduce themselves to Cen Sibao, only Qi Ji sat calmly and didn't say a word.

Cen Sibao didn't dare to speak; he remained silent because there was no need for an introduction.

Along the way, Cen Liang was coerced and bribed by her until his throat was dry. He finally agreed not to tell Cen Heng for the time being, for a period of one month. If the two had not broken up by then, he would carefully examine this person.

Cen Liang pondered for a moment, "But if you go out with a boyfriend like this and run into your friends, won't it embarrass you..."

"Does he have a car? How about he borrow one from me first, just to save face?"

Cen Sibao smiled knowingly, "No need. He definitely doesn't want to accept gifts from others."

"What does he do for a living? Should we arrange for him to work at the family company first?"

Cen Sibao smiled again, "There's no need for that. He would definitely prefer to build his career with his own hands."

"Then you know him quite well."

"certainly."

Then Cen Liang inquired about her internship plans by asking about her feelings. After getting off the bus, Cen Sibao was exhausted.

Zhang Man happened to be returning from outside and saw her at the entrance of the dormitory area. She was about to go upstairs with her.

Through the car window, Zhang Man greeted Cen Liang reservedly. Cen Liang's expression softened: "Thank you for taking care of Xiao Bao. She's a troublemaker, so please bear with her."

She waved her hand: "No, no, Xiao Cen is not troublesome at all. I've benefited a lot from her."

Cen Liang looked at Cen Sibao and said sternly, "Remember what I said, and be careful of that Doraemon."

Cen Sibao said impatiently, "I know, you can just leave now."

"What Doraemon?" Zhang Man asked, puzzled.

Cen Sibao walked back with her and explained the origin of the story.

Zhang Man laughed uncontrollably, "This title is really fitting. I didn't realize your brother was so humorous. I was actually a little afraid of him."

Cen Sibao pouted, "What's there to be afraid of about him? He's just a nag."

"That's because you know him well. Anyway, I think he's pretty scary. By the way, your brother is even scarier. He has a blank expression and you feel like he might pull out a machine gun at any moment and shoot any bad guys who get close to you."

Cen Sibao laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Zhang Man enjoys spending time with Cen Sibao, but she is most afraid of seeing her brother. When they treat anyone other than Cen Sibao, even when they are smiling, there is always a sense of distance between them.

Back in the dorm, Zhang Man continued, "However, I also want to say that it was a bit hasty for you to agree to Ding Yaoguang's pursuit so easily. Didn't you have someone you liked before?"

Cen Sibao waved her hand dismissively, "Yes, there is."

"You failed in your confession?" Zhang Man knew that she had made a big show of confessing, but she hadn't heard her mention it since, so she felt something was wrong and didn't dare to ask.

Cen Sibao's eyes flickered, and she stammered, "It seems... it can't be considered a failure."

"Then why?"

"I feel that person doesn't like me enough."

Thinking of how Qi Ji didn't even glance at her during the meal, seemingly indifferent to her every move, Cen Sibao sneered again, becoming even more determined in her decision.

She raised her head earnestly, "From childhood to adulthood, my parents, brother, and everyone in my family have told me: I am the best, and I deserve the best."

"Therefore, I will not waste any time or effort on a man who doesn't like me enough, and I will not beg for his pity."

Zhang Man paused for a moment, then gave her a thumbs up: "Wake-up call. A role model for us all."

She turned away for a moment, then turned back: "But how did you determine that he doesn't like you enough?"

Just as Cen Sibao was about to speak, her phone suddenly received a message.

"I'm downstairs."

The sender is an unknown number.

But just from that tone, she could imagine the other person's calm and composed demeanor.

Seeing her strange expression, Zhang Man asked curiously, "Who is it?"

Cen Sibao didn't reply. She slowly walked to the window and lifted the curtains.

Men are not allowed to enter the girls' dormitory area, but their dormitory building is right next to the gate, and it is easy to see a tall and straight figure standing downstairs.

As if sensing something, the figure turned around.

Zhang Man moved closer to her and only caught a glimpse of a black coat and half a handsome profile in the instant Cen Sibao quickly lowered the curtain.

That was an unfamiliar face, definitely not one of Cen Sibao's brothers.

Zhang Man thought of something, and a smile spread across her lips. "Who is this?"

A flicker of panic crossed Cen Sibao's face, but she quickly regained her composure: "Nobody."

She replied to the message coldly: ? I don't think I know you.

Not long after, the other party replied unhurriedly: "Really? Then it must have been sent to the wrong person. Sorry to bother you. I'll go ask the dorm manager if I can get in touch with Cen Sibao."

Cen Sibao gritted her teeth and ran downstairs amidst Zhang Man's winking and gesturing.

Under the tree, the reflection from the phone screen illuminated Qi Ji's cold, indifferent, and rational face.

Looking up and seeing the small cannonballs being fired from afar, a smile flashed in his eyes. "Looks like I didn't fire at the wrong target."

"Hello, Mr. Qi, what can I do for you?" Cannonball rushed up to him, his tone curt.

He frowned as he looked at Cen Sibao, who was still wearing the same dress she wore that evening: "Aren't you cold?"

Cen Sibao immediately reached out to refuse: "Don't even think about putting your coat on me. Men and women shouldn't touch each other. I have a boyfriend."

Qi Ji stopped smiling, withdrew his hand, and handed the bag to her.

Cen Sibao looked down and saw several semi-transparent insulated boxes inside, with the logo of the restaurant from earlier.

She thought the food was good, and she ate the most of a few dishes, which happened to all be here.

Cen Sibao was stunned for a moment.

In addition, there were two hot drinks, with the sugar level to her liking.

"And your roommate's share too."

Cen Sibao raised an eyebrow, wanting to tease him. It turned out that he had been pretending not to look at her but had actually been paying attention to her the whole time. Fortunately, he was smart enough to hold back.

Remembering that Zhang Man had mentioned working late and not having time to eat, she still took the bag from her.

"Thank you." She said deliberately, "I know, Cen Heng must have asked you to take care of me before he went on his business trip."

Qi Ji ignored her deliberate distortion, his deep black eyes staring straight at her, as if looking into her very heart.

"When did you get a boyfriend?" he suddenly asked.

Cen Sibao blinked, but quickly realized that he was no one to her, and she had no reason to feel guilty.

So she said confidently, "After New Year's Eve."

After a few seconds of silence, a soft, enigmatic laugh came from the other end of the line. She had never seen his expression before.

Warm, calloused fingers lifted her face. "So, you confessed your feelings to me, and then you got together with someone else?"

Chapter 7

Qi Ji was furious when he rushed back from a business trip only to hear that Cen Sibao was in a relationship.

Anger and regret mingled within him, and at that moment his heart was twisted with jealousy, even conjuring up the idea of ​​grabbing her and pulling her to his side regardless of everything.

Cen Sibao's eyes were darting away just now. When he reached out his hand, he only wanted her to look up and look at him.

But as his fingers caressed her cheek, the soft touch made him forget his original intention. His fingertips parted her hair and gradually moved upwards, touching her earlobe.

It was cold there from the wind, so he covered himself up directly.

The yearning for warmth is deeply ingrained in human genes, which is why Cen Sibao subconsciously rubbed against it.

Seeing her kitten-like expression, Qi Ji's heart softened, and most of his anger from before subsided. He simply said in a deep voice, "Raise the score with him tomorrow..."

Before he could utter the word "hand," a hesitant voice sounded from beside him: "Cen Sibao? Baby, is that you?"

Ding Yaoguang walked through the snow and saw a man holding a girl's face in one hand not far away.

The hand was very large, almost cupping her entire face in its palm.

He initially only glanced at her, feeling a little envious. How could other people's boyfriends and girlfriends be so intimate? He wished she were his girlfriend.

Then I glanced at her profile—it really was his girlfriend.

Upon hearing that somewhat unfamiliar yet familiar voice, Cen Sibao's gaze suddenly sharpened, and she turned her face away, taking a step back.

Qi Ji's gaze shifted to Ding Yaoguang, and the coldness in his eyes startled him.

But he quickly realized that this coldness came from the other party's covetousness of Cen Sibao.

He knew that Cen Sibao had many suitors.

However, he has always been very confident in himself and proud of being the victor among this group, so whenever he sees her admirers, he becomes even more determined.

At that moment, he also secretly compared himself to the man opposite him.

At first glance, although I'm not as tall as him, his looks...

She's a little less capable than him. But in terms of economic strength...

Judging from his clothes, he might not be as wealthy as her. But at least in terms of his aura...

It seems he's not as good as her...

However, he should be younger than this man.

He is young, so he has more time, and as the saying goes, time is money, so this can make up for his lack of financial strength.

Based on this, it seems that the two are evenly matched in overall strength.

Thinking of this, Ding Yaoguang straightened his back, stepped forward, and said in a deep voice, "Hello, my name is Ding Yaoguang, and I am Cen Sibao's boyfriend."

Qi Ji only glanced at Ding Yaoguang when he first arrived, then focused his gaze solely on Cen Sibao, ignoring his subtle declaration of ownership.

Cen Sibao glanced at Qi Ji, who was calm and composed in front of her, and then at Ding Yaoguang, who was embarrassed but also pretending to be calm. She felt a headache coming on.

She started to get impatient, and even felt like kicking each of them.

At the crucial moment, Zhang Man almost appeared out of nowhere, saving the two from being kicked. "Xiao Cen, why aren't you upstairs yet? I've been waiting for you for ages. Didn't you say you were going to help me find my lipstick?"

After saying that, as if she had just noticed the people next to her, Zhang Man asked in surprise, "Huh, there's someone else? Are you busy?"

"Well, if there's nothing too urgent, Xiao Cen, why don't you come upstairs with me? Finding my lipstick is more important."

Qi Ji nodded. "Go on up."

Ding Yaoguang was a step too slow, but he still repeated, "Baby, go up."

Upon hearing the first two words, Qi Ji glanced at him.

Qi Ji only left after Cen Sibao and Zhang Man returned to their dormitory.

Ding Yaoguang's eyes darted around, and he quietly followed behind him. He glanced at the car the man was driving, and gritted his teeth after seeing the logo.

At this moment, Cen Sibao, realizing what was happening, sent him a message asking why he had come to see her.

Ding Yaoguang sat on his electric scooter and made a phone call. "It's nothing, I just missed you."

"I was planning to go on a date with you, but then you went out to eat with your brother, so I thought I'd better come and see you instead."

"Although my rented place is far away, and it was snowing, and I couldn't bear to take a taxi, I rode my bike for a long time and was freezing, but seeing you warmed my heart."

Cen Sibao only heard the last sentence, "It's warm now? That's good."

Ding Yaoguang: "..."

He had originally intended to get Cen Sibao to say a few kind words to him, so as to show that he was different from that man.

After all, that person drove a nice car, sheltered from the wind and snow; that's not as sincere as him.

Speaking of which, "By the way, who was that person just now? Why was he holding your face in his hands?" he asked casually .

Cen Sibao paused for two seconds, "He's one of mine..."

Countless answers lingered in her mind before she finally chose: "Dentist."

Ding Yaoguang looked bewildered: "Huh? One dentist? Do you have many dentists?"

She continued making things up: "No, that's not it. There's only one. Actually, he's a friend of my brother's. He came to see me at my brother's request, and also to check my teeth."

"But your teeth look pretty straight to me, and they don't look like they have cavities."

"And dental care is very expensive, isn't it?" Ding Yaoguang's attention was completely drawn to this point, and he frowned. "I remember that medical insurance doesn't cover this."

Although he felt that given Cen Sibao's family background, the two of them might not be able to have a happy ending, he still had to adjust her mindset and save money for their future, as long as there was even the slightest possibility.

After all, Cen Sibao doesn't have elderly parents to support, but he does have parents, grandparents, and maternal grandparents to take care of.

Then his words carried a hint of reproach: "I think that if your teeth hurt a little or are a little sensitive occasionally, it's not a big problem. You can just bear with it and it will pass. You'd better not see a dentist."

"Let me tell you, those doctors are wicked. They want to make money, so even if your teeth are fine, they'll make you say there is something wrong and try every means to get you to have your teeth pulled, have root canals, or get fillings, just to rip you off."

It was hard not to feel resentment towards the man who was his equal and who was a so-called dentist.

After she finished speaking, there was a moment of silence on the other end. Ding Yaoguang vaguely heard her say something that sounded like something Doraemon would say, and asked in confusion, "What?"

Cen Sibao coughed lightly: "It's nothing. I didn't spend much money, and even if I did, my own living expenses are more than enough to cover it."

She emphasized the word "herself" to remind him not to be too possessive of her money.

Ding Yaoguang disagreed, saying, "Given your brother's current situation, you should be even more frugal with your living expenses."

Cen Sibao was confused: "Me? Save money?"

Although she understood Ding Yaoguang's frugality and admired his self-reliance, Cen Sibao was a little unhappy because he always wanted to drag her into being frugal.

After speaking, Ding Yaoguang realized that he had talked too much about money tonight, which might have damaged his image.

Even though he wasn't entirely satisfied with her family background, he still liked Cen Sibao very much, so he changed the subject: "Let's not talk about this anymore, honey. My boss gave me two days off. Shall we go out and have some fun tomorrow?"

Cen Sibao watched as Zhang Man placed the well-insulated lunchbox on the table, silently beckoning her to come and eat. She then fiddled with the hem of her skirt and said, "We'll see. I might have something to do."

"What's wrong?"

"Work."

Ding Yaoguang was taken aback for a moment, then looked pleased. “I’m really glad you thought of going to work and earning money to ease the burden on your family. Of course, it would be even better if you could save a little more, that’s how you increase income and reduce expenditure.”

Cen Sibao fell silent again.

If the little money she earns can alleviate the financial burden on her family, then her family is not far from bankruptcy.

She accepted Ding Yaoguang because he was persistent, seemed to like her a lot, and appeared to be a nice person. Of course, there was also an element of impulsiveness and spite, as well as an inexplicable desire to see Qi Ji's reaction.

In retrospect, the good thing is that he never spends her money.

The bad thing is, he also won't let her spend her money.

This left her completely baffled.

Perhaps she should reconsider this relationship that has only just begun.

After hanging up the phone, Cen Sibao tied her hair up and took the chopsticks Zhang Man handed her.

"The person who came downstairs to find you and bring you food, isn't that him?" Zhang Man gestured with her lip, pointing downstairs, indicating that she was referring to Qi Ji.

"Um."

"Then continue, how do you know that so-and-so doesn't like you enough?"

Cen Sibao still felt angry when she talked about it. She tapped her chopsticks on the edge of the box with a clatter and sneered, "After I confessed my feelings back then, he actually said that my feelings for someone are always just a three-minute infatuation."

"Ha! Do you think I'm that kind of person?" She looked at Zhang Man.

Zhang Man then looked down at the poster she was using as a takeout tablecloth.

If I remember correctly, she liked the male celebrity mentioned above for exactly three days.

She opened her mouth: "Ah, I think you, you shouldn't be."

"Yes! I'm so loyal! How could he say that to me, that he doesn't want a fleeting, uncertain kind of affection?"

He also said that he would only give me a few days to change my mind, and once he returned from his business trip, there would be no more chance to change my mind.

"Ha! You're giving me a few days to think it over? Tell me, isn't that going too far?" She then looked at Zhang Man.

Zhang Man scratched her forehead.

When you've listened to your sister's accusations with righteous indignation, but then realize that she actually has a bigger problem, what should you say?

"I think what he did was indeed a bit excessive."

"Right? That's what I'm most angry about. If he really liked me enough, he should have immediately agreed with gratitude when I confessed to him, then hugged me and kissed me until the end of time, as if he wanted to go to the bridal chamber right away."

Zhang Man's face flushed red, and she coughed twice: "You, you should stop saying such inappropriate things."

"That's it in a way. He doesn't like me that much at all; it's just that I like him. He wants me to back out, right? Well, I'll show him I'm going to back out then." Cen Sibao said confidently.

Zhang Man tried to convince herself to follow her train of thought: "Yes, show it to him."

"Also, I later found out that the algorithm for the company I rented the drone from was provided by Qi Ji's company. They have a very close relationship. Maybe he already knew I was preparing for the confession ceremony. When I asked him if he was surprised, he lied and said he was."

Zhang Man held her forehead: "Haha."

"So he knows you're with Ding Yaoguang now, right?"

"I understand." Cen Sibao's voice dropped eight octaves.

Zhang Man warned, "After finding out, you immediately came to find me late at night. Did you suddenly realize your mistake, turn back, and plan to do 'that' for love?"

“Impossible, he’s a very rational person,” Cen Sibao retorted directly. “As far as I know, he wouldn’t do such an immoral thing.”

Zhang Man thought to herself that she had just been upstairs and had seen him domineeringly cupping Cen Sibao's face, but she couldn't see any rationality or morality in him.

Cen Sibao muttered, "Besides, I don't think he would go to that extent for me."

Unable to continue attacking Qi Ji against her conscience, Zhang Man changed the subject, saying, "By the way, I heard you say on the phone earlier that you're going to work? Going home to inherit the family business?"

Cen Sibao said, feeling tired. She rested her chin on her hand and took a sip of soup. "Not really. I want to go to the directly operated stores first. I already told my brother on the way back."

Outside the dormitory, in the parking lot, the rational Qi Ji still hadn't left.

He sat rationally in the car and rationally dialed Bo Le's number.

After a long while, Bo Le finally answered the phone.

Qi Ji cut to the chase: "I'm looking for someone, possibly an employee of your gallery."

Ding Yaoguang's face flashed through his mind. At first glance, he felt that Ding looked familiar, as if he had seen him in the gallery that afternoon.

However, the person was busy receiving other important guests at the time and later went upstairs, so they probably didn't get a good look at him.

Bo Le had just fallen asleep when she was woken up, and she yawned.

Sensing the coldness in Qi Ji's words, and despite being disturbed, she still replied with good temper, "Alright, Mr. Qi, who are you looking for? What's their name?"

Qi Ji paused for a moment, then said, "Call him Ding..." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

At that moment, anger surged within him, and he neither listened carefully nor wanted to listen.

But he remembered it was a name that he loathed upon hearing, yet it also perfectly suited the person's character—

“Yaozu, Ding Yaozu.”

A note from the author:

----------------------

So cute, so sweet, I had to quit typing halfway through to catch my breath, and it took me a whole day to recover. If there are no more updates, it's probably because the author has fainted again.

Chapter 8

Bo Le hummed in agreement, then became more alert: "Wait a minute?"

Does he have any employees with such an unpleasant name as Yaozu?

Ding Yaozu.

He muttered a couple of sentences to himself and immediately thought of Ding Yaoguang.

"I remember there wasn't anyone named Ding Yaozu, but there was someone named Ding Yaoguang. Is that him? Did he offend you?"

Bo Le carefully recalled the events at the gallery today; the two people shouldn't have had any direct contact.

Qi Ji opened his eyes. "It's him."

He remembered that Cen Sibao had gone to the gallery that night to find him, and had even dressed up specially.

Lying for him was probably to protect him, because he was worried that Cen Liang would ruin his job. Qi Ji felt a surge of anger.

He didn't want to reveal that Ding Yaoguang was dating Cen Sibao at all, and simply asked, "What kind of person is he?"

Bo Le was fully awake now. Suppressing his curiosity, he said, "This guy hasn't been out of school for long. As for his work ability, he's alright. I've jumped between several industries, and he's always been there for me. His education is also quite good."

"And what about his character?" Qi Ji asked.

Bo Le leaned back, recalling their conversation in the restroom earlier that day, and curled his lip. "It's alright. He even told me today that he's dating a girlfriend from a poor family. It sounded like he was looking down on her."

Qi Ji frowned slightly: "Not from a good family background?"

“Yes, let me think about it—it is said that the other party’s parents have died and he has an older brother to rely on. Ding Yaoguang feels that the other party will not be able to help him in the future when he gets married.”

Qi Ji frowned deeply. "Both parents deceased?"

Bo Le scoffed, assuming that he, like himself, was dismissive of Ding Yaoguang's words. "Yeah, and he said his girlfriend is very well-behaved and sensible, and pretty too. If you ask me, whether that girl even likes him or is willing to marry him is still another matter."

"Well-behaved and sensible?" Qi Ji's thoughts lingered for even longer.

Bo Le crossed his legs: "So, what exactly did he do to you?"

Qi Ji slowly spoke: "Now I feel that he may not be the person I am looking for."

For the first time in his life, he was so confused: "Does this person have a twin brother named Ding Yaozu?"

Bo Le was also puzzled: "Really? Then I'll ask around for you later."

He wanted to press Qi Ji for what he wanted to do with the person, but Qi Ji had already hung up the phone.

"Hang up on me? Are you imitating the Cen family's youngest sister?"

The next morning, Cen Sibao woke up early, which was unusual for her. She got out of bed in a daze to wash up and regretted going to work.

Actually, it wasn't that early; Zhang Man had been out for a long time. But she was used to being carefree, so she relied on five alarm clocks to wake herself up.

She left home right on time and arrived at the store she had finalized the agreement with Cen Liang the day before.

Within the entire region, this store's sales have been declining sharply year after year, which is quite noticeable.

The store's location is actually not bad, situated in a corner of the city's CBD, although the competition from the surrounding area is also fierce.

However, this shop is special to her.

It was held during her 100-day celebration when she was a baby.

At the time, her grandmother gave her many slips of paper with addresses on them, and in the end, she picked this place from among dozens of options.

It was because of this connection that she chose this place.

She didn't rush over; she went to a nearby store and bought a cup of coffee first.

While I was queuing, I caught a glimpse of a man who looked somewhat familiar out of the corner of my eye.

After taking a second look, she remembered him by the black-rimmed glasses; he was Qi Ji's assistant.

She had met him twice and contacted him several times by phone. He not only seemed like a dull person, but also spoke in a very formal and rigid manner.

Hmph, so boring, she's perfect to be Qi Ji's assistant.

I almost forgot, Qi Ji's company is also nearby.

Cen Sibao subconsciously covered her face with her bag, but this action only made her more conspicuous in the group.

She realized this herself, and casually put down her bag and looked straight ahead.

Assistant Yu glanced at the slender figure standing stiffly, took out her phone, and opened the chat interface with Qi Ji.

Then send it with a blank expression:

"Mr. Qi! Guess who I ran into!!"

Cen Sibao grabbed her coffee and immediately left, keeping an eye on Assistant Yu's position; he was still in line.

She didn't breathe a sigh of relief until she had walked quite a distance.

As soon as she arrived at the entrance of Yufeng Jewelry Store, she saw a woman looking at the time.

"Hello, you must be the store manager?" Cen Sibao stepped forward. "I'm a new employee, you can just call me Xiao Cen."

Her face was unfamiliar to Yufeng's employees; she was just using an alias.

Store manager: "A college student intern?"

Cen Sibao nodded.

The store manager led her inside, full of suspicion: "Who interviewed you? Yufeng Jewelry's directly operated stores never hire part-time workers or interns during winter or summer vacations."

"Oh, actually it's because I'm a very good talker that I was admitted despite not meeting the usual requirements," Cen Sibao said without batting an eye.

The store manager nodded thoughtfully. "What's your family's financial situation like?"

"Do I really need to ask that?" she thought for a moment. "It's alright, I guess."

The shop manager glanced at her and was surprised to find that she didn't have any accessories on her, not even pierced ears.

But looking at those slender white fingers, there wasn't a trace of pigmentation at the joints, showing that they were usually well cared for and never did any manual labor.

Anyway, she's just temporarily filling in for a former saleswoman. "Go change into your uniform first, and Sister Zhou will show you around in a bit."

Cen Sibao glanced critically at the uniform.

Yufeng Jewelry's winter uniform consisted of trousers, a suit style, made of good fabric, giving a crisp and neat look, and it wasn't bad-looking. She was fairly satisfied.

I glanced at the store again. All the directly operated stores had the same decor, and they had been renovated not long ago, so there were no problems.

The store manager went behind the counter and spoke a few words to Sister Zhou.

After a while, Cen Sibao came out after changing her clothes.

Sister Zhou subconsciously looked at the slender and shapely figure opposite her; the well-fitting cut of the uniform highlighted all the advantages of her body.

Her hair was styled in an updo, her head-to-shoulder ratio was excellent, and her legs were incredibly long. Pants of the same size would probably drag on the ground on most people, but they fit her perfectly, with straight trouser legs reaching just above her feet.

Not to mention her strikingly beautiful face.

Sister Zhou clicked her tongue twice, "She does look quite presentable, but the prettier she is, the more likely she is to be all show and no substance and lack professional skills."

The store manager had a similar idea, but didn't say it aloud: "Just teach them more and get through this period."

Sister Zhou wasn't very hopeful. "Those who are sent here probably aren't any good prospects."

After giving his instructions, the store manager went to the back to check the accounts.

Only Sister Zhou and Cen Sibao remained at the counter, and the two discussed the key points of their work.

Although Sister Zhou wasn't very enthusiastic and her tone wasn't very warm when she spoke to Cen Sibao, she explained things in great detail. Worried that Cen Sibao might not remember, she slowed down her speech.

"You need to familiarize yourself with each display area, including the 4Cs of diamonds, the texture and clarity of jade, the craftsmanship of gold... You need to memorize all these terms."

"Most importantly, your hands should never leave the goods, and the goods should never leave the container. There should also be proper procedures for handling them. You should use a tray and avoid directly touching surfaces like diamonds and jade that are prone to leaving fingerprints."

She had prepared to explain and demonstrate more, but she soon discovered that Cen Sibao could remember things after hearing them only once, and even knew many things without her having to explain them. She was also very adept at using the tools.

She was somewhat surprised: "You have experience?"

Cen Sibao smiled and said, "A little bit."

Sister Zhou's opinion of her has changed somewhat.

"Anyway, there are customers who come to look around, but not many actually place an order. Just remember to be patient, even with customers who don't buy anything."

"I know."

"You're quite clever. As long as you don't say the wrong thing and just go along with the customers, there shouldn't be any problems."

Cen Sibao: "Don't worry, I'm known for being good with words."

Sister Zhou was relieved.

The shop was already poorly managed, and since it was a weekday, there were hardly any customers.

Even when there are no customers, they cannot sit down and must remain standing behind the counter.

This was the first time Cen Sibao had stood for so long, and her calves quickly began to ache.

Around noon, a couple appeared at the door.

The two men looked around the doorway and then came in.

"Welcome to Yu Fung Jewelry".

Sister Zhou stepped forward, gave Cen Sibao a look that seemed to encourage her, and smiled, "Hello, what type of jewelry would you like to see?"

The woman said gently, "We'd like to see the three gold pieces for our wedding."

Sister Zhou patiently inquired about her preferences and recommended several products at different price points, explaining them to her with great care and understanding.

Her fiancé beside her didn't say much, but just looked at her with affection, saying, "Wife, pick whatever you like, but don't try to save me money."

He then put his hands in his pockets and started wandering around the store.

As they walked, they slowly approached Cen Sibao and leaned against the counter.

Cen Sibao was listening to Sister Zhou's words and looked at him questioningly.

"Hey," he suddenly lowered his voice, "Do you have any gold-plated silver designs here?"

Cen Sibao paused almost imperceptibly, but still mustered all her patience and said with a smile, "Of course, there are some on sale right now. I can show them to you both."

"No." The man glanced back at his fiancée to make sure she was still looking at the styles and hadn't noticed them.

He whispered, "It's like this, I wanted to tell you in advance that later, you should bring me some gold-plated silver designs, but don't say it out loud."

Thinking of his words, "Don't try to save me money," Cen Sibao's fair face twitched slightly.

Then, with a subtle, drawn-out sigh, he said, "Sir, you mean you want me to provide you with some gold-plated silver jewelry, but to deceive your fiancée into thinking it's pure gold?"

"Keep your voice down. Yes, that's what I mean, but it's not about lying, it's about keeping it a secret. Especially remember, you have to keep the price a secret from her too. Just give me the invoice directly."

The man looked up at Cen Sibao, who was smiling with her eyes downcast, and said, "You're on commission, aren't you? Your store's business is so bad, you're lucky if you make a sale. You better put on a good show for me. If you do a good job, I'll buy my diamond ring from you too."

Cen Sibao raised her eyelashes and said softly, "Really? As for the diamond ring, should I find you a few moissanite ones too, and then tell your fiancée that they are real diamonds?"

The man's eyes lit up: "This works too? That would be perfect! As long as it's flashy enough, it's all the same anyway."

Cen Sibao's smile swayed under the dazzling lights: "That won't do, sir."

"Tsk, can't you be flexible? Only the two of us know about this."

"No, I mean, the cost is still too high for you."

"Huh?" The man was taken aback. "There's an even cheaper one?"

“Yes.” Cen Sibao nodded seriously, then raised her hand and pointed to a supermarket across the street. “See that supermarket?”

"If you want to buy a diamond ring, we sell diamond candies inside, with ring bands. Even if you wear them on all ten fingers, it won't cost more than ten dollars. The aspartame added to them is as sweet as your love."

"If you want to buy three gold items, just buy a few gold coin chocolates. They're sold by weight, five cents each. Peel off the outer skin, knead it, and it'll look just like gold. It's like getting a few pieces of cocoa butter substitute chocolates for free, just like your love, so rich and intense."

"How wonderful!" Cen Sibao happily clasped her hands together.

"..."

The man realized what she meant, and his face turned pale and then red. "If you don't want to, you don't want to. Why are you scolding the customer!"

His voice couldn't help but rise, attracting the attention of others.

"What's wrong?" Sister Zhou thought to herself, realizing something was wrong. His fiancée also came over, looking at the two of them suspiciously.

"What kind of saleswomen are you? You're swearing!"

Sister Zhou frowned and looked at Cen Sibao.

Cen Sibao spread his hands: "I didn't curse him. God have mercy, I didn't say a single swear word."

She looked at Sister Zhou with an innocent expression: "Just like you taught me, I was patient the whole time, went along with him, and said only nice things, really. I swear."

A note from the author:

----------------------

Chapter 9

The group looked at the man.

The man's eyes blazed with anger: "She kept talking about aspartame and cocoa butter substitutes, saying it was like my love, all in such a sarcastic way. Doesn't that count as insulting me?"

His fiancée, confused and displeased, looked at Cen Sibao and asked, "Miss, what do you mean by this?"

Sister Zhou quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Sorry, there might be a misunderstanding. Our Xiao Cen just arrived today and isn't familiar with the work yet."

“There’s no misunderstanding.” Cen Sibao smiled and looked at the woman: “What do you mean? It means that his love is cheap and harmful to your health.”

"Luckily you two aren't married yet, it's not too late to find out now."

The woman was puzzled and looked at the man beside her for an answer. Knowing he was in the wrong, the man immediately pulled her up and walked towards the door.

"Fine, I won't buy from you anymore, okay? No wonder nobody comes here. What kind of sales assistants are you? Not only are you unprofessional, but you also verbally abuse customers. Just you wait, I'm definitely going to file a complaint against you!"

Cen Sibao waved her hand and raised her voice: "Okay, I'll be waiting~ And that lady, you're also welcome to come back with a different fiancé."

Sister Zhou stamped her foot anxiously, "Say less, what exactly happened just now?"

Cen Sibao briefly explained the cause and effect.

Sister Zhou stared at her in shock, "Xiao Cen."

Cen Sibao looked up: "Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Didn't you say before that you were admitted exceptionally because you can talk?"

As a result, she managed to swindle her first business deal with her words.

Cen Sibao remained unfazed: "That's right, do you think I can't speak?"

"...They're quite good at it, quite good at swearing without using any profanity."

"But you did manage to drive a customer away, and judging from his behavior just now, this matter won't be easily forgotten."

Cen Sibao's eyes flickered, seemingly curious: "In that situation just now, if it were Sister Zhou, would she have lied for him against her conscience?"

Sister Zhou became serious. "Of course I wouldn't. It's not only a moral issue, but also a violation of company rules."

Cen Sibao smiled and said, "Then it's alright."

Sister Zhou frowned and said earnestly, "How could nothing be wrong? You're still too young, you know? Being too straightforward makes people feel awkward, which isn't a good thing."

She advised, "If he really files a complaint, losing money is a minor issue; you might lose the job you just found. Our company is very strict in this regard."

Cen Sibao looked at her, "Do you often encounter this situation?"

"It doesn't happen often, after all, business at our store isn't good and we don't have many customers, but it's inevitable that we'll encounter these oddballs. But no matter how disdainful you feel inside, you have to keep smiling and politely refuse the customer's unreasonable demands. You can't anger the customer, understand?"

Cen Sibao did not speak.

Sister Zhou sighed, feeling that this girl was doomed.

She hesitated for a moment, but still didn't tell the store manager immediately.

The shop became empty again.

Cen Sibao looked at another jewelry store diagonally opposite. It was obvious that the customer traffic there was much better than here.

Seeing that she kept staring at the other side, Sister Zhou understood: "Are you envious of how much money others make? I'm also wondering why you, with such good prospects, came here."

"Isn't this place nice?" Cen Sibao raised an eyebrow.

Sister Zhou shook her head: "Ahead of you, Xiao Liu just left. There was another sales clerk before him, quite the smooth talker—not the kind of smooth talker you are, haha, but he later switched to the store across the street."

"I'm just getting old and want some stability. My family doesn't have a heavy burden, so I'm staying here to make a living."

Cen Sibao seemed to be deep in thought.

No other customers came into the store until noon.

After standing all morning, Cen Sibao looked down at her heels, which were red and swollen, and her calves were even more swollen.

She had specifically chosen a pair of shoes with lower heels.

Sister Zhou saw it too, and was speechless: "Xiao Cen, you're too spoiled. It's only been a short time."

She watched as Cen Sibao bit her lip, bent down and rubbed her calves twice in frustration, and shook her head.

She's neither good at pleasing people nor can she tolerate being wronged, and she has a terrible temper. She's clearly spoiled and can't endure hardship.

Perhaps it's because there's always someone in her life who's there to protect her.

I'm afraid they won't come back tomorrow.

During the lunch break, Cen Sibao wanted to ask Sister Zhou if she wanted to have lunch together, but she politely declined, saying that she had brought her own lunch from home.

Cen Sibao sat in the corner, angrily tapping her calf: "Useless!"

After saying that, she felt inexplicably wronged, and pouted. Suddenly, her phone rang.

Caller ID: Cen Heng.

Cen Sibao cleared her throat, making sure everything was alright, before answering the call and saying, "Brother?"

The voice on the other end was deep and magnetic: "Cen Sibao, if I don't call you, you won't even call me?"

Even when Cen Heng is away on business, he still calls her every day, except for yesterday when he didn't have time to call.

Cen Sibao: "Who said that? I was just guessing you were busy. By the way, it should be night where you are, right? Why aren't you asleep yet?"

She felt a pang of sympathy; Cen Heng was a workaholic who easily forgot to eat and sleep.

On the other end of the phone, Cen Heng's solemn face softened slightly, "Just finished a meeting, not sleepy yet."

Cen Sibao listened and breathed a sigh of relief, confirming that Cen Liang hadn't told Cen Heng about her relationship.

"Cen Liang told me that you went to Yu Feng's directly operated store?"

"yes."

"To be the store manager?" he asked, knowing the answer already.

“No.” Cen Sibao curled the corners of her mouth. “As a sales clerk, I’m pretty good, right? The veteran employees here even praise me for being smart and good at talking.”

Cen Heng didn't reply immediately. He sighed and then said, "You've been standing all morning, haven't you? Are you tired? Do you want to continue?"

Cen Sibao retorted, "Am I the kind of person who goes back on their word and can't endure hardship?"

Cen Heng feigned surprise: "Aren't you one?"

She said angrily, "Why are you saying the same thing as Cen Liang?"

Sensing the change in her tone, Cen Heng stopped teasing her. "How's your leg? Is it swollen?"

Cen Sibao said easily, "Of course it's not swollen. When there are no customers, I just sit down. I'm so clever."

Cen Heng, unsure if there was any news, said, "Be careful. If you encounter any trouble, let Cen Liang handle it."

"Of course, he can't escape."

"Oh, by the way, I also told Qi Ji that you can contact him if you need anything." He paused. "Do you remember him?"

Cen Sibao kicked her heel: "I remember, didn't Cen Liang tell you that we had dinner together yesterday with his friends?"

Cen Heng tapped his fingers, his expression not good. "Stay away from his bunch of cronies."

"Cen Liang said, 'Don't let him send you food from his side.'"

"Um."

“I’ve already spoken to Qi Ji. You can eat at his company’s staff cafeteria. I’ve been there before, and it should suit your taste.”

Cen Sibao was taken aback and wanted to refuse, but the other end had already made the final decision, "Perfect, he can also help me take care of you. You can just go there later."

He had already changed the subject: "Also, go back and spend more time with Grandma when you have free time."

"I know, I'll be going back this weekend."

Cen Heng glanced at the time. "Alright, you can hang up now. Then go eat."

Her family knew it was her first day at work, and they took turns calling to check on her. Her close friends also sent their well wishes.

Cen Sibao felt better. Holding her phone, she thought for a moment and sent a message to Zhang Man.

Not long after, Zhang Man arrived.

Her internship company was nearby, and she usually ordered takeout for lunch. Cen Sibao simply invited her to come along.

Zhang Man looked at Cen Sibao and hugged her: "Our little Cen has really suffered. She's so tired and got up so early."

Cen Sibao nuzzled against her, "Actually, it's alright. I'll recover after resting for a while. Let's go."

The office park was right across from the shopping mall, and they arrived at the two buildings not far away.

The silver logo of Hornbill Technology gleams with an understated light.

Zhang Man hesitated for a moment, but Cen Sibao had already walked in as if nothing had happened.

Zhang Man squinted, and after seeing her familiarity, she realized that Cen Sibao seemed to have been here before, and probably not for the first time eating in the staff canteen.

She teased, "Speaking of which, why did you call me along? Are you... worried about running into President Qi?"

Cen Sibao glanced at her sideways and said, "You're overthinking it. What are the chances of us bumping into each other? I just don't want you to order takeout all the time."

Zhang Man hugged her again, pinching and kneading her cheeks with her fingers: "Why is Xiao Cen so good to me? Oh, I'm your true love, aren't I?"

Qi Ji watched from afar as the two laughed and joked as they walked into the staff cafeteria.

His gaze shifted downwards, landing on Cen Sibao's calves.

At the same time, Cen Heng also sent him a message: "Did you see her? She told me her leg wasn't swollen. Could you take a picture of her for me?"

Cen Sibao and Zhang Man had just sat down and ordered food online when two people in work clothes suddenly appeared next to them.

"Excuse me, but the staff cafeteria is currently upgrading its menu. Could you please help us with a survey? It's not a lot of questions, it can be completed quickly, and we'll make sure everything is implemented."

“Your company has such a great sense of humanistic care,” Zhang Man said embarrassedly, “but we are not actually your employees.”

"Oh, it's okay, anyone who ate here can fill it out."

Cen Sibao, knowing she would be staying here permanently in the future, readily scanned the QR code.

The question is what opinions they have about the existing dishes, and what cuisines and dishes they would like to eat at the restaurant.

After the two left, Zhang Man looked at Cen Sibao and her lips twitched: "Did you just fill in that you wanted to eat fresh meat mooncakes? How strange."

Cen Sibao said nonchalantly, "What's so strange about it? Didn't the higher-ups say we should provide our true feelings? When I'm tired, all I want to do is eat."

"Where can I buy it at this time of year?"

"Lianji has it."

"Please, that's super far! Fresh meat mooncakes taste best when they're fresh out of the oven."

Cen Sibao looked up triumphantly, "Yeah, so if they can really bring them into the restaurant, then I won't have to go too far to eat there anymore."

"You're really smart."

When the meal arrived, Zhang Man turned her phone horizontally and placed it against the plate.

“You’re still playing on your phone while eating,” Cen Sibao pointed at her.

"I just watch variety shows."

What variety show?

"It's been popular for a long time, it's called 'Elite Intern', and I like Shen Chen the most."

Cen Sibao shook her head. "I'm not interested in the entertainment industry or celebrities."

"They're not celebrities. The people on this variety show are all college students, about our age, and it's quite interesting."

Seeing her lack of interest, Zhang Man reminded her, "You must have seen it before. There was an episode where Mr. Gu from Chaoyun Group said he used his card to buy two yuan worth of bread and had his nine assistants share it. That show went viral."

Cen Sibao frowned in disgust. "I remember now, I heard my family mention it, but how could that be? Is it a script for the show?"

Zhang Man recalled for a moment, then looked up: "It doesn't seem like acting."

Cen Sibao glanced at her screen. This company, Chaoyun Technology, was, in a way, a competitor of Qi Ji.

Thinking of this, her brows relaxed. "It would be better to be even more stingy, preferably to make Chaoyun's stock price plummet."

Zhang Man: "But everyone likes him quite a bit, saying they've discovered a different side of him."

Cen Sibao choked, "So being so stingy is actually popular?"

She got goosebumps all over. "Wouldn't that make Ding Yaoguang a heartthrob ?"

Zhang Man: "...Mr. Gu is very generous most of the time, except for a few times when he's acting crazy. I think appearance and economic factors are still quite important."

When the topic of appearance came up, Cen Sibao paused, and for some reason, she thought of Qi Ji.

Compared to the popular CEO Gu that Zhang Man mentioned, Qi Ji's appearance is more in line with her aesthetic.

Cen Sibao ate very slowly, and Zhang Man watched a variety show while waiting for her.

Cen Sibao didn't finish eating until there were fewer and fewer people in the restaurant.

The two went to the restroom to wash their hands, came back to their seats, and were about to grab their phones and leave when they froze.

There were two bags on the table.

The two looked at each other in bewilderment. "They give out gift bags after the meal here?"

Cen Sibao walked forward inexplicably, glanced at the bag, the first one was an insulated bag, opened it, and the oily, fragrant aroma wafted out.

The outer packaging has the words "Lianji" written on it.

The other one contained a brand new pair of shoes and some ice packs.

Zhang Man glanced around and said leisurely, "Oh, it seems there's no one for me. It's a surprise gift package for a specific group of people."

She crossed her arms and said, "Oh, Lianji, it's so far away."

Cen Sibao pursed her lips uncomfortably, glanced around, but did not find Qi Ji anywhere.

But then they saw Assistant Yu walking towards them.

Looking at him, then at the bag on the table, Cen Sibao understood, and the corners of her mouth immediately fell.

"Ms. Cen," Assistant Yu greeted her, "Was lunch satisfactory?"

She gestured with her chin toward the bag on the table, "Thank you, but I don't want this."

Assistant Yu looked at it blankly for a moment, then glanced at it as well. "Why?"

Her eyelashes drooped: "Because all domineering CEOs are equally ruthless."

"Either he's extremely stingy, or he likes to bother his assistants, making them travel so far during their rest time just to curry favor with him on their behalf. What a heartless boss!"

After delivering her scathing critique, Cen Sibao turned to leave.

"Wait a minute, Miss Cen." Assistant Yu pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and called out to her, "I think you may have misunderstood something."

“Our CEO Qi is different from those other glamorous and domineering CEOs.”

Cen Sibao turned her face in disbelief.

Looking at Assistant Yu's face, which exuded a dull and serious demeanor, she thought she had misheard: "What did you say, 'demon'?"

With a blank expression, Assistant Yu continued, "President Qi rarely takes up his assistants' time with personal matters unrelated to work; he always handles things personally—especially matters concerning you."

"I was unaware of this snack and these shoes, and I didn't deliver them. If you want to thank someone, please thank President Qi."

Chapter 10

After finishing speaking, Assistant Yu let out a long sigh.

Their CEO, Mr. Qi, is like that little mermaid who came ashore and fell in love with the prince.

The Miss Cen in front of him was like the prince who fell into the sea. It was clearly the little mermaid who did the good deed, but the scumbag prince attributed the credit to him, the princess, no, to this little assistant.

How could this be?!

He can't tolerate any cracks in the ship he ships! Especially not because of him!

A look of confusion and helplessness flashed in Cen Sibao's eyes.

She glanced at the two bags again. "Did Qi Ji buy these himself?"

Assistant Yu replied proudly, "That's absolutely right."

Cen Sibao's voice softened a little, "Then where is he? He just left his things and disappeared. How could anyone know it was him?"

A cold glint flashed across Assistant Yu's glasses. No wonder they say President Qi is like the Little Mermaid, doing good deeds anonymously.

He would never let President Qi follow the same path as The Little Mermaid.

So he took the initiative to say, "Didn't you just say you wanted to thank me? Mr. Qi should be in his office right now."

Cen Sibao bit her lower lip, pondering for a moment. Zhang Man and Assistant Yu exchanged a glance, and ultimately decided to play the wingman.

She nudged Cen Sibao, "Weren't you going to thank me? Go on, my lunch break is shorter than yours, I'm going back first."

With her words providing a way out, Cen Sibao reluctantly accepted.

"Okay, then be careful on your way back."

"I know, I know. You should go up too, President Qi must be very busy." Zhang Man smiled and left.

In the office, Qi Ji was on the phone with Bo Le.

Bo Le: "Ding Yaoguang is off today, but I asked him and he said he doesn't have any brothers, only an older sister. Do you want me to keep asking around for you?"

"No."

Bo Le could vaguely sense the determination in Qi Ji's words.

Will Ding Yaoguang be an obstacle for him? Never.

He didn't need to remember his full name or his face.

There is no doubt that Cen Sibao cannot stay with him for long.

The only person he needed to care about was Cen Sibao.

Bo Le became increasingly curious, but he could tell that Qi Ji wouldn't tell him the truth, so he could only say, "If Ding Yaoguang really has any problems, just tell me, and I can fire him."

As they were talking, there was a knock on Qi Ji's office door.

"Hang up."

Before he could finish speaking, Bo Le pressed the hang-up button with lightning speed.

Looking at the disconnected screen, he wiped away imaginary cold sweat from his forehead: "That was close, he almost hung up on me again."

"Finally, we got our revenge."

Qi Ji was completely unaware of Bo Le's vengeful intentions. He casually put down his phone and turned his gaze to Cen Sibao, who was slowly walking in through the door.

Assistant Yu dropped the person off and then withdrew.

He closed the office door, raised his hand, clenched his fist, and waved it expressionlessly.

Qi Ji stared at Cen Sibao for a long time, then lowered his eyes and said casually, "Did Yu Huanhuan force you to come?"

Cen Sibao's carefully constructed psychological defenses crumbled instantly: "What is Assistant Yu's full name?"

Qi Ji slowly raised his eyes and saw that she had her head down and her shoulders were trembling.

A burst of loud laughter erupted shortly after: "His name is Yu Huanhuan?? Hahahaha! No wonder he never told me his real name! No wonder I always felt something was off about him, hahaha!!"

Before Assistant Yu had gone far, he could faintly hear bursts of silvery laughter coming from behind him.

He adjusted his glasses with a sense of relief.

Qi Ji looked at Cen Sibao, who was laughing so hard she was almost falling over, shook his head helplessly, walked up to her, and calmly extended his arm.

Cen Sibao could no longer stand up straight, and the next second she buried her head in Qi Ji's arms, her waist fitting perfectly into his tight embrace.

Her laughter stopped abruptly.

When she looked up, the tears welling up in her bright, smiling eyes were still crystal clear and wet.

A shock came over him. Qi Ji only looked for a second before looking away. When he looked back, he looked down and asked, "Your leg doesn't hurt anymore?"

Cen Sibao steadied herself by holding onto his arm and turned to look at the bag she had left by the door.

Remembering her purpose, her eyes lit up. "Oh right, I almost forgot. Mr. Qi, thank you to your assistant for coming all this way to buy me food."

Qi Ji paused, but didn't argue. He simply said, "I will convey your gratitude to him."

He was worried that she might refuse to accept it because she was angry with him.

It's fine if he's just using the title of assistant.

Cen Sibao looked at him, a hint of anger gradually creeping into her brows: "Really? You're really magnanimous."

Qi Ji's hand, which was hanging by his side, twitched slightly as he looked into her eyes. "Are you angry?"

He calmly walked towards the two bags, picked them up, and said in a neither-light-nor-light tone, "I'm not angry that my girlfriend is someone else's when I come back from my business trip."

Cen Sibao shrugged and shut his mouth.

Qi Ji opened the bag containing the ice packs and walked over. Then, he put one arm around her waist and, with a little effort, lifted her onto the table.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Cen Sibao exclaimed in surprise.

Qi Ji had already half-squatted in front of her, stroking her slightly swollen legs. "Relax."

His well-defined fingers effortlessly relaxed her muscles. "There's still an afternoon left. Don't you want your legs anymore?"

The fiery sunset instantly spread from Cen Sibao's cheeks to her neck. She tried to dodge, but Qi Ji, though seemingly without using much force, was enough to firmly restrain her.

"Let go first, I can press it myself," she said through gritted teeth.

Qi Ji knew that she was just saying it for show and would probably only be giving perfunctory answers.

He tilted his head back and chuckled, "Just think of it as... Cen Heng asking me to do a favor."

Cen Sibao could tell that her face must be very red at that moment, so she immediately covered her face the moment he looked up, not wanting him to see it. "How can I accept this after you've said that?"

Even her fingertips were red.

Qi Ji didn't expose her, and continued to help her stretch her calves, hiding his smile under his eyelashes.

Cen Sibao slowly lowered her hand and looked at the man who was focused on her legs.

Her eyebrows were perfectly thick and thin, her nose bridge was perfectly high, her eyelids had just the right amount of wrinkles, and her facial contours were perfectly defined—she tilted her head back and gripped the edge of the table tightly.

It's damn perfect, it just matches her aesthetic perfectly.

Qi Ji felt the tension in her body and looked up. "Does it hurt?"

She immediately let go, and said awkwardly, "It doesn't hurt, it's okay. Your technique is quite good."

It's definitely not as sore as before.

"What are you laughing at?" Cen Sibao keenly noticed the slight movement at the corner of his mouth.

Qi Ji hesitated for two seconds: "Having received affirmation from the first and only guest, you can't laugh?"

"Hmph." Cen Sibao remained silent.

Because it was so comfortable, Cen Sibao gradually relaxed and became sleepy.

She yawned and stared at his face, lost in thought.

Therefore, without realizing it, Qi Ji had unknowingly stopped moving.

By the time she realized it, the frog had already been boiled in warm water.

Qi Ji had already stood up, took a long stride, and slowly placed his hands on either side of her, encircling her completely between the table and his heart.

Cen Sibao stared at him blankly, and he said slowly, "I've had enough fun, it's time to break up with that Ding Yaozu."

Cen Sibao didn't know whether she should laugh or not. Her lips twitched up and then fell back down. "What Ding Yaozu? His name is Ding Yaoguang."

Qi Ji remained unmoved, a hint of contempt in his voice. "What his name is has nothing to do with me."

Cen Sibao remained silent for a long time.

She had originally planned to break up with Ding Yaoguang in the next couple of days, but seeing Qi Ji's expression now, she suddenly didn't want to say it directly and asked instead, "Why?"

He was certain: "You don't like him."

Cen Sibao looked back at him defiantly, "How did you know?"

"My memory isn't so bad that I could forget a confession I received a week ago."

Cen Sibao's expression cooled slightly. She turned her face away and muttered, "At least Ding Yaoguang likes me."

Qi Ji stared at her expressive profile, listening to her continue muttering, "You don't like me."

"I've been pursuing you for a long time, how can I lose face like this?"

"Really."

After he finished speaking, Qi Ji did not react for a long time.

She cautiously turned her head to look, only to meet Qi Ji's deep eyes. But he seemed to be staring at her blankly. She said "Hey" unhappily.

Qi Ji then snapped out of his daze from her adorable face and chuckled, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention just now. Can you repeat it again?"

Cen Sibao was speechless. "Then what were you looking at just now?"

“I’m telling you, I’ve been chasing you for so long, it’s so embarrassing! If my brother finds out, he’ll definitely feel sorry for me.”

As she spoke, she blinked, "I remember every single thing I've ever done for you."

"You lost something, and I spent a long time looking for it for you."

"Your car broke down, I'll come pick you up right away."

"You're sick, I was so worried, so I rushed over to take care of you."

"There are so many more... but what about you?"

Cen Sibao's voice gradually lowered.

She felt so pathetic, having sacrificed so much for a man, which was completely contrary to the Cen family's precepts.

Qi Ji supported the back of her neck, looking at her pitiful expression, and lowered his voice: "Yes, Miss."

“I remember everything you’ve done for me clearly.”

"I lost one of my left cufflinks. Could you help me find it by comparing it to the one on the right? I've been looking for ten minutes, and the one on the right is also lost."

"My car broke down in the city, and you drove to pick me up. In the end, we drove to the suburbs and ran out of gas."

"When I had a fever of 39 degrees, you came to take care of me. After you took care of me, my fever reached 40 degrees."

"There are so many more. I'm sorry to trouble you by pursuing me," he sighed softly.

Cen Sibao's eyes darted around, and she changed the subject: "Hmm? Is that so? I don't remember the rest of the story being like this."

He cupped her face in one hand and gently kneaded her cheeks a couple of times. "Didn't you remember it quite clearly just now?"

Cen Sibao: "I clearly only remember pursuing you intensely."

Qi Ji's lips curled into a smile, and a pool of spring water rippled in his eyes. "It's a fierce pursuit, isn't it?"

Cen Sibao's eyebrows stood on end: "?!"

“Sorry, it is indeed a pursuit—” he backed down, raising an eyebrow: “All told, it’s a long-term pursuit that will last for a week.”

Cen Sibao was utterly embarrassed and angry, and she put on a stern face: "Oh, I'm really sorry, even if it's only been a week, it must have caused you a lot of trouble."

She turned her face away casually, saying, "No wonder you don't like me, I understand now."

"I thought you at least had a little bit of affection for me, but it turns out I was just being delusional."

"Don't worry, I won't bother you again."

After saying that, she took Qi Ji's hand away and pushed hard against his chest, preparing to leave.

Qi Ji didn't move. Instead, he grabbed her hand, kissed it, and chuckled softly, "The fact that I didn't call the police proves that I like you, doesn't it?"

Chapter 11

Cen Sibao's heart trembled at the gentle touch of the hand.

She quickly withdrew her hand, only then realizing the meaning behind his words.

She looked up and once again met Qi Ji's eyes.

She instinctively held her breath to slow her heartbeat and avoid his ears.

From childhood to adulthood, countless people have confessed their love to her face to face, but she has never experienced any physical reaction such as her heart racing.

The only one to blame is Qi Ji, who used his good looks to seduce her.

Qi Ji, perhaps having heard her thoughts, smiled even more deeply. "Miss, can we break up now?"

His biggest mistake to date was letting go of the thread in his attempt to seduce her. Regardless of whether it was just a passing fancy or how much she liked him, he should have held her firmly in his grasp.

Cen Sibao regained her senses, pushed him away, jumped off the table, turned around, and said like a heartless woman who casually tossed money around: "Whether we break up or not, I don't want to be with you."

Qi Ji narrowed his eyes: "Why?"

“I’m doing this for your own good,” Cen Sibao said seriously. “If we get together, my brother might beat you to death.”

Qi Ji chuckled: "I'm not that weak."

"So you mean you're going to fight back against my brother?" Cen Sibao sneered.

Qi Ji: "..." He was speechless for a moment.

Cen Sibao glanced at the time and stopped him from speaking: "It's getting late, I have to go back to the shop. Goodbye, there might be a tough battle to fight this afternoon."

"Did you suffer a grievance?" Qi Ji pressed.

Cen Sibao proudly raised her chin: "Me, suffer the injustice of that kind of person? It's more like he's suffering the injustice of me."

After saying that, Qi Ji watched her leave the office without looking back.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to take the bag of fresh meat mooncakes with him.

Qi Ji sat back in his office chair, rubbed his forehead and pondered for a long time before chuckling softly.

The door wasn't closed properly, and his laughter reached Assistant Yu, who had come to the door again to report on his work.

He pushed up the cold frames of his glasses once more.

That's wonderful!

Cen Sibao returned to the store just as the afternoon shift was about to start; the people on the night shift had already arrived.

Seeing her travel-worn appearance, Sister Zhou frowned. "Xiao Cen, you should come back earlier next time..."

Halfway through her sentence, Cen Sibao opened the bag with a smile. "Sister Zhou, take one. I heard you say at noon that you have a child at home? Here, just heat it up when you get home. It's delicious."

Qi Ji bought too many fresh meat mooncakes; even she and Zhang Man couldn't finish them all.

Sister Zhou stopped talking, "Oh? I can't accept that."

"Don't be shy." Cen Sibao handed it forward again. "It would be a waste if I couldn't finish it. Take it quickly, I have to go to work in a minute."

Sister Zhou's expression softened considerably. "Well, thank you."

"You're welcome."

She took a box somewhat sheepishly, and seeing the label, asked curiously, "But, is this Lianji? Did they open a branch nearby?"

"No, I don't think so." Cen Sibao put the bag into the cabinet.

Sister Zhou was taken aback: "Isn't that very far? You spent your entire noon running over there to buy this?" Her face clearly showed her disapproval.

Cen Sibao casually said, "Of course I didn't buy it; someone gave it to me as a gift."

Seeing that her expression was noticeably more cheerful than in the morning, and noticing that she had changed her shoes, Sister Zhou smiled meaningfully and said, "Oh, I see."

Cen Sibao turned her face away. "What do you understand?"

"It's nothing." The young girl was shy, so she didn't say anything more.

The two people on the night shift work from afternoon to evening, and are about the same age as Sister Zhou.

Sister Zhou must have already introduced Cen Sibao to them. Apart from glancing at her a few more times, they didn't exchange any other words and remained indifferent.

There are slightly more customers entering the store in the afternoon, but the customer traffic is still far lower than that of the sign across the street.

By the time Cen Sibao finished get off work, not a single piece of jewelry had been sold, and everyone had become accustomed to it.

As it approached the end of the workday and there were no customers, Sister Zhou took Cen Sibao to inventory the goods.

Zhang Man also got off work and asked Cen Sibao if she wanted her to wait for her. She shook her head and said, "No need, you go back first. I still need to go see Ding Yaoguang after get off work."

Zhang Man understood what she wanted to do by talking to him, and replied tacitly, "Okay, I'll talk to him about it properly later."

Cen Sibao returned to the store as if nothing had happened, only to see the store manager walking towards her aggressively: "I just received a notification that we received a complaint about our service attitude. Did you cause trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Sister Zhou's expression changed, and she looked at Cen Sibao with concern, but Cen Sibao remained calm.

The store manager paced around twice before decisively saying, "Immediately contact the customer who filed the complaint and apologize!"

Cen Sibao raised her face: "An apology is impossible."

"Otherwise, you can just wait to leave!"

Zhang Man boarded the subway alone, scrolling through her phone.

Perhaps because it was Cen Sibao's first day at work, they mentioned it briefly, and the microphone in the background picked it up and identified it. The social media platform actually pushed a video of a customer complaining about a jewelry store to her.

She smiled and planned to read it and forward it to Cen Sibao to see if there were any lessons to be learned from it.

The video was just posted and doesn't have many comments yet, so the fact that it was recommended to her might also be due to the fact that we live in the same city.

Upon opening the app, she saw an ordinary-looking man who angrily said, "Brothers, something happened today that I have to get off my chest. I'm also giving you a heads-up so you don't step on any landmines."

"The saleswoman at Yufeng Jewelry ruined my wedding."

Zhang Man was taken aback, then frowned.

The man continued, "Well, here's what happened. My wife and I are about to get our marriage certificate, and we took the day off today, so we planned to go and buy the three gold pieces together. We were going to go happily, and we specifically chose a well-established jewelry store, thinking it would be reliable. But in the end, we ended up feeling very frustrated."

“I don’t have enough money, so I thought I’d use gold-plated silver as a temporary measure. I’ll definitely make up for it with something better for my wife later, no doubt about it. But because of that, I’ve been subjected to sarcastic remarks.”

"The saleswoman's implication was that I was poor and cheap, so I didn't deserve to get married. She even encouraged my wife to find another husband. She was incredibly condescending."

"I just asked, is this how Yufeng Jewelry treats its customers?!"

"Now my wife has also been bewitched by her and is making a fuss about canceling our engagement."

"Another saleswoman apologized to me, saying that the person was new and unfamiliar with the business. You see, they're trying to fool us ordinary people with that temporary worker excuse again. Who would believe that?"

"Is this your Yufeng's value system? You only give a good face to rich people, and we poor people are not good enough for your store? Anyway, I have already filed a complaint. I will not rest until that saleswoman is fired and I am compensated for my mental distress."

Zhang Man frowned. These descriptions—Yufeng, same city, newcomer—almost immediately made her think of Cen Sibao.

Even more coincidentally, during lunch, Cen Sibao also mentioned that she had encountered a strange customer that day.

However, she said she didn't want to ruin her appetite and planned to talk to her about it later that evening.

At this point, the comments section below the video was filled with people who shared the blogger's feelings and joined in condemning Yufeng Jewelry.

[The "little pinks" are now in awe: "I totally understand the streamer. Most young women in our country are like this—they fawn over rich men and are sarcastic and cynical towards ordinary people. But in the end, they still want to find an honest man to settle down with. Let me be frank, the streamer's wife isn't any better. She's materialistic and greedy. Good riddance! A real man doesn't need to worry about not having a wife."]

[Very Men: What the hell? I'm blocking Yufeng from now on. Don't even think about making a penny off me. If my wife dares to go there, I'll divorce her.]

[A slightly handsome guy: Which store is it? Let's just open the box. The streamer is from the same city as me, and I'm bored anyway, so I'll go teach that sales assistant a lesson [evil grin.jpg]]

[Add me if you're interested: Just post the address, let's all go team building! [doge.jpg][doge.jpg][doge.jpg] Let her see the power of us poor people!]

Zhang Man was furious when she saw these vulgar words that exposed a lack of intelligence, culture, and manners.

She was about to contact Cen Sibao to see if she was being talked about, but Cen Sibao did not answer the phone.

Then, the original video was deleted.

Some netizens asked in the comments section of this blogger's other videos whether Yufeng had paid them money or whether they had been lobbied by the public relations team, but the person immediately set their account to private.

Some people were not satisfied and went to Yufeng Jewelry's official account, which had not posted any updates for a long time, to question and insult them.

However, less than ten minutes later, Yu Fung Jewelry also released an audio clip.

It must have been copied from the surveillance footage. Amid the slightly noisy static, a male voice could be clearly heard: "Wife, pick whatever you like, but don't try to save me money."

...

"Hey, do you have any gold-plated silver designs here?"

"Here's the thing, I wanted to tell you beforehand that later you should bring me some gold-plated silver designs, but don't tell me."

There was a two-second pause in the audio, then a clear female voice rang out: "Sir, do you mean you want me to provide you with some gold-plated silver jewelry, but to deceive your fiancée into thinking it's pure gold?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

Some people have already started deleting their comments.

After a few words, the woman's voice did not stop her. Instead, she smiled and said, "How about I find you a few moissanite rings too, and then tell your fiancée that they are real diamonds?"

The onlookers began to frown.

[The little pinks are thrilled: I thought there was a real plot twist! The man does have some issues, but this saleswoman isn't a good person either. They're all birds of a feather. I didn't insult the wrong person.]

[Stay away from me, you guy: I've never understood people like you who are unwilling to listen and understand before making a judgment—is it because your brain has atrophied too much and can't receive enough information, or is it a congenital developmental abnormality like anaencephaly?]

In the audio, a woman's voice, filled with a soothing smile, asked, "Sir, do you see that supermarket over there?"

"If you want to buy a diamond ring, we sell diamond candies inside, with ring bands. Even if you wear them on all ten fingers, it won't cost more than ten dollars. The aspartame added to them is as sweet as your love."

"If you want to buy three gold items, just buy a few gold coin chocolates. They're sold by weight, five cents each. Peel off the outer skin, knead it a bit, and it'll look almost like gold. It's like getting a few pieces of cocoa butter substitute chocolates for free, just like your love, so rich and intense."

"How wonderful."

[An apple a day: This is hilarious! This saleswoman's angle when she insults people is so unique!]

[The internet is not a lawless place: Hahahaha, I've listened to this over and over again, it's so satisfying to hear! That guy couldn't even get a word in edgewise.]

The original video of condemnation hadn't even gained traction yet, but because of these few words, it spread like wildfire.

[Snake Dingdong: On a side note, this saleswoman has a very nice voice; you can tell she's a beautiful woman with strong moral values.]

[I really want to quit my job: You're so eloquent! I've always thought of Yu Feng as a very old-fashioned brand, and I wasn't very interested in it. The saleswomen there also seemed to be mostly older, and their aesthetic sense didn't suit young people. I never expected to find such trendy saleswomen, haha.]

[My temper is short: I saw Yu Feng say he would pursue legal action against that man and the disgusting men in the comments section who were cursing him. I've already screenshotted those comments and sent them to Yu Feng via private message, so deleting them won't help.]

[Calm and collected: What about the guy who was clamoring to go on a team-building trip? Is he still going? Birds of a feather flock together. He said Yu Feng wouldn't make any money off him, lol. The truth is, he can't even afford diamond candy and gold coin chocolate. The only time he'll ever touch gold in his life is when he's burned as gold ingots after he dies—and who knows if anyone will even burn them for him.]

[Ya Li: Waaah, I really want to meet this sharp-tongued saleswoman! I'll place an order online first to show my support.]

[Overnight Riches: Yu Feng's response was swift and satisfying. How could this man have the nerve to distort the facts and post them online, and then demand compensation? Does he think Yu Feng's style is too old-fashioned, only capable of apologizing?]

Seeing the comment section quickly turn around and filled with normal people, Zhang Man felt relieved.

But the punishment wasn't enough. She stared blankly at the comments that were being deleted out of guilt, and then contacted the netizen who claimed to have taken screenshots.

"Sister, what are you taking screenshots for? It's not like what those people are saying about opening boxes and doxxing people, is it? That's illegal, don't break the law for those trash."

Zhang Man: "No, don't worry."

"Oh, so you're going to take screenshots and send them private messages to slap them in the face? Haha, I agree. I've already done it, and there are still a lot of people. Their private messages are probably overflowing."

After obtaining the screenshots, Zhang Man logged into her alternate account and opened the profiles of these people one by one.

Without much effort, she easily found these people's relatives and friends on her following list: elders, brothers, classmates...

Then, screenshots of the comments were sent to the relatives and friends of the respective individuals.

Send messages saying you want to divorce your wife to the other person's wife; send messages that are vulgar and extreme to the other person's online romantic interest...

After sending the messages one by one, she calmly deleted her alternate account and closed the software.

I just received a call back from Cen Sibao.

Cen Sibao: "What's wrong? Why did you suddenly call me?"

Zhang Man smiled and said, "Oh, it's nothing. I just wanted to ask if you wanted me to get you some dinner from the school cafeteria."

She wasn't a good person, but there was no need for Cen Sibao to know about this.

"By the way, why didn't you answer the phone just now?"

Cen Sibao paused, she had just been arguing with the store manager, "It's nothing, it just took a little time to take inventory."

Although the person suddenly withdrew the complaint, there was no need for Zhang Man to worry about such a thing.

"No need to pack it for me, I'll eat out. I'll bring you some late-night snacks later."

"Then I'll wait."

Back in the shop, no one had left; they were all whispering among themselves.

The store manager frowned and stared at his phone for a long time before walking up to Cen Sibao. His expression was much gentler than before: "Yufeng headquarters has already helped clarify things, and the current online sentiment is very favorable to us."

She said awkwardly, "This time, I was a little too hasty. Don't take it too seriously. I apologize."

"In our line of work, the customer is king, especially when he posted it online. Even the smallest public opinion storm can destroy a brand."

Cen Sibao raised the corners of her mouth, not pressing the issue further: "I understand, store manager, I won't blame you. However, this matter can't be resolved with just an apology."

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going home now. Goodbye." Cen Sibao waved to her colleagues.

The group watched as she left with an air of nonchalance.

Sister Zhou murmured, "Do you think she'll come tomorrow?"

"A difficult customer, legs swollen from standing. I originally thought that after today, she would definitely give up. But now, I seem to be looking at her with new eyes."

The store manager's expression was complicated: "If we're talking about the former, I think she might be more difficult to deal with than the customer."

"Speaking of the latter... I didn't notice her legs were swollen at all," she said, puzzled. "Is it because her legs are too thin?"

Sitting in the back seat of the car, Cen Sibao finally humbled herself and added Qi Ji's account back.

The other side passed by quickly, as if they had been guarding it all along.

Cen Sibao typed rapidly: "Who told you to interfere? I was thinking of waiting until things got a bit bigger before dealing with it, which would have saved me a lot of marketing expenses. You've ruined my plans!"

The seed was nipped in the bud before it even sprouted, and she knew immediately who did it.

Qi Ji: "The campaign to refute the rumors has been stretched too thin, which has damaged the brand image. In addition, we have saved a lot of marketing expenses now."

Cen Sibao wasn't so ungrateful as to send a thank you message.

Qi Ji considered it for a moment and replied with an emoji that Zhang Cen Si Bao had sent before.

Cen Sibao's eyes widened as she read his message.

Qi Ji had sent her a smiling emoji before, which she criticized harshly, so she never sent any emojis after that.

"Stop showing your screen! [smiling face emoji]"

Looking at the screen, Qi Ji's lips curled slightly.

At the same time, he also received a message.

Cen Liang: "Thanks for reminding me. I didn't expect you to come across that disgusting video. What a coincidence. Are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to dinner."

Qi Ji paused slightly: "Only you?"

Cen Liang didn't think much of it: "Well, Xiao Bao seems to have something else to do, but it's okay if she doesn't come. After all, we're closer than each other."

Qi Ji agreed and asked Assistant Yu to postpone the unimportant schedule for the evening.

Cen Sibao was in a good mood and got out of the car at the restaurant entrance.

Ding Yaoguang arrived just then. When he saw Cen Sibao, his eyes lit up. He walked over and complained, "Why did you choose this place? It's so high-end. It must be very expensive."

Cen Sibao held out her hand: "Don't worry, it's on me."

Ding Yaoguang walked behind her, muttering to himself as he listened to the melodious piano music: "Sigh, she spent so much money on a date, what will she do in the future..."

Arriving at the pre-booked table, Cen Sibao was about to order when Ding Yaoguang suddenly said, "Wait a minute."

Cen Sibao: "What's wrong?"

He opened his phone and said, "Let me see if this store has any cheap group-buying deals that can save you some money."

"Wow, this meal for two is so expensive! Is it made of gold? And they even charge a service fee!" Ding Yaoguang exclaimed in surprise.

He flipped through the pages again, then leaned closer and said, "How about we order two kids' meals? I don't see any age restrictions listed, so the portions will be smaller, but the price will be half. We're here mainly for the atmosphere, to take some photos, and to post on social media, right?"

Cen Sibao was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "Senior, you're pretty amazing."

Ding Yaoguang said embarrassedly, "Really?"

"Well, there aren't many people who can leave me speechless."

Ding Yaoguang was puzzled, but Cen Sibao had already grabbed his phone and pulled it aside, saying, "I told you I'd treat you, don't worry about saving me money."

Ding Yaoguang did not refuse again. While waiting for the dishes to be served, he looked at Cen Sibao and said, "I have something else I want to ask you."

He whispered, "This afternoon, I came across an audio clip posted by Yufeng Jewelry. The saleswoman's voice in it sounds a lot like yours, but it probably isn't you, right?"

Meanwhile, outside the restaurant, Cen Liang, Qi Ji, and Bo Le got out of the car.

Bo Le was just about to discuss a collaboration with Qi Ji when he heard that the two were going out to dinner, so he shamelessly joined the thank-you banquet.

Bo Le looked Qi Ji up and down; he was dressed appropriately and had an elegant demeanor, just as always.

He scratched his chin and said, "Mr. Qi, you seem to be in a good mood lately?"

On the day we were at the gallery, his face was so somber it could have dripped water.

Cen Liang thought so too.

What's even stranger is Qi Ji's attitude towards him; it's hard to explain, and he always feels a chill down his spine.

"I remember you used to be really hard to get an appointment with, but now you're always available. Is it because business has slowed down? Has R&D stalled? Or is your cash flow on the verge of collapse?"

Bo Le clicked his tongue: "Say something nice."

Faced with their questions, Qi Ji only smiled and remained silent.

Upon entering, he paused slightly, and the smile on his lips faded.

"What are you looking at?"

The two people behind him had barely uttered their questions when a shocked voice rang out in the quiet restaurant: "You? You actually became a sales clerk?!"

Bo Le looked in the direction of the familiar voice: "Hey, isn't that Ding Yaoguang?"

Across from him, sitting with her back to the door, was a girl with a graceful figure and a straight back; her striking profile also looked familiar…

Cen Liang's expression also changed, and he said, slowly and deliberately, "Cen Sibao."

Bo Le was shocked: "How did these two people end up together?"

Those sitting near the two men all turned their disgruntled gazes toward Ding Yaoguang.

He couldn't care less anymore, and could only manage to lower his voice a little: "Are you crazy? You're a top student, and you actually went to be a sales clerk? It's not something I can talk about."

Even though the surrounding gazes were subtly scrutinizing her, Cen Sibao felt no shame whatsoever. She simply tilted her head, looked at Ding Yaoguang opposite her, and sighed, "Don't worry, it's none of your business what I do, and you don't need to worry about whether it sounds good or bad."

"Why?" He was bewildered.

"I called you out because I wanted to break up with you. I just felt that we should see things through to the end and take it seriously, so I chose this place."

The three people who had deliberately sat down next to each other paused again, their interesting expressions hidden by two large green plants.

Compared to the shock of Cen Liang and Bo Le, Qi Ji raised his cup, took a sip of water, and subtly curled his lips into a smile.

Ding Yaoguang stared in disbelief at the face he had fallen for at first sight: "What did you say? Break up?"

"No, why would you break up with me for no reason? We've only been together for a little over a week, and we've gotten along really well. We haven't even had a single argument."

Cen Sibao succinctly stated: "I feel that your personality is not very compatible with mine."

"Then who gets along with you?" As soon as he finished speaking, a figure flashed through his mind.

He suddenly realized: "I know, it's because of your dentist, isn't it? You've chosen your dentist, haven't you!"

"Okay, I figured it out before, there was definitely something fishy going on between you two! If I hadn't been there back then, would you two have already kissed?"

The people sitting next to them froze once again.

Cen Liang's expression was particularly shocked.

“Her dentist…” he murmured, “wasn’t she a woman in her fifties?”

Qi Ji slowly raised his head.

Chapter 12

Cen Liang rested his forehead on his hand, lost in deep confusion, unaware of Qi Ji's gaze.

There was a moment of silence behind the greenery. Cen Sibao didn't answer immediately, but looked at Ding Yaoguang, who was still furious, and said with her last bit of patience, "It has nothing to do with anyone else."

She increasingly regretted agreeing to Ding Yaoguang's request.

You can know a person's face but not their heart; he was completely unaware of his own problem.

"I'll say it again, your personality and the things you've said make me uncomfortable, and that's why I broke up with you."

Seeing her serious expression, Ding Yaoguang panicked: "I know I might be a little stingy, but it's all for our future."

Cen Sibao tilted her head: "Our future? Aren't you a little..." She hesitated for a moment, "...overthinking it?"

Ding Yaoguang kept apologizing: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you just now. I didn't think before I spoke. Please, don't break up with me."

He once thought he could control Cen Sibao because of her family background, and felt that he was better than her and could easily give her up in matters of marriage.

Now, however, I can't muster even a hint of disgust.

Despite his pleas, Cen Sibao remained unmoved.

"But I really like you. Don't you like me too? Otherwise, why would you agree to be with me?" he asked, clinging to a sliver of hope.

Cen Sibao stirred the glass straw in her cup, then looked up with some difficulty: "Actually, if it wasn't you, it would have been someone else."

He was no different from her other suitors. These words dealt Ding Yaoguang the final blow, and he lowered his head. "I don't believe it."

Cen Sibao began to grow impatient. He opened his mouth, then stood up and said, "Think about it again, okay?"

After saying that, as if afraid that Cen Sibao would say something that would embarrass him, he rushed out of the restaurant as if fleeing.

Cen Sibao watched his retreating figure, speechless: "At that speed, why don't you go act out breaking out of the Amazon?"

For her, there was no room for further thought. From this moment on, Ding Yaoguang was a thing of the past that she would never think of again.

Not far away, Cen Liang frowned, his disgust for Ding Yaoguang written all over his face. He was about to walk over when Qi Ji pressed down on his shoulder.

Cen Liang turned to look at him: "?"

Qi Ji said calmly, "It's better not to go, it'll embarrass her."

Cen Liang thought about it and agreed.

Cen Sibao didn't tell him, probably because she wanted to handle it alone. Now that things have turned sour, if he went over there, she would probably be furious.

Especially since those three grown men had just been eavesdropping, which was a major taboo for her.

He barely managed to suppress his urge to ask questions, then realized something was amiss and looked at Qi Ji: "How do you know so much about her?"

Qi Ji calmly replied, "Is it really that hard to guess what she's thinking?"

“That’s true, after all, she’s so naive.” Cen Liang’s doubts were dispelled, and he sighed, “She’s so easily hurt by men, that’s why I’m worried about her.”

Qi Ji and Bo Le didn't respond, keeping their eyes down and taking a sip of water.

It's unclear who hurt whom.

They all ran out of the restaurant heartbroken, and she was there suggesting that they go and act out an episode of "Out of the Amazon."

A slight smile appeared on Qi Ji's lips.

Cen Sibao, who was alone next door, didn't stay. She packed up her food and left the restaurant.

Watching her light steps, Cen Liang could tell that she was not affected by the breakup at all, and only then did he feel completely relieved.

He was immediately relieved: "It's better to get rid of that stingy Doraemon sooner rather than later."

But then, as if remembering something, he looked at Bo Le and asked, "Judging from what you just said, that man is one of yours?"

Hearing the way he was calculating, Bo Le chuckled dryly: "Don't say such ambiguous things, okay? He's just one of my employees."

Cen Liang frowned, crossed his arms, and looked somewhat fierce. "Your men lied to my sister about dating, and you didn't even tell me?"

"I'm innocent!" Bo Le immediately denied it, his face contorted with anxiety. "I knew nothing about this. He told me his girlfriend's parents were both dead, which immediately ruled out our sister, didn't it?"

"Hmm?" Cen Liang showed the same confused expression as Qi Ji before.

He knew Cen Sibao. She never publicized her family background, but she didn't hide her identity from those close to her either. She preferred to be upfront about it and only become friends with those she got along with.

Even if Ding Yaoguang didn't know Cen Sibao's family situation, he shouldn't have thought in the completely opposite direction.

Bo Le pondered for a moment, then said softly, "I suddenly realized... is he deliberately telling me that his girlfriend's family is poor because he's wary of me?"

He looked up and said, "This kid is too damn cunning."

Qi Ji, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "What's going on with her dentist?"

Thinking of Ding Yaoguang's earlier accusation, "Are you two planning to kiss?", his jaw tightened.

Cen Liang leaned back, also perplexed: "I don't know either. Logically speaking, how could there be anything between her and her dentist? That female dentist's hair is almost all white."

"She does have a kind and gentle appearance... but she doesn't lack maternal love either."

He pondered for a long time, "Am I already experiencing a generation gap with girls her age?"

Qi Ji fell silent again, lost in thought.

After a long while, he picked up his coat, stood up calmly, and said, "I'm leaving."

Both of them were taken aback. Bo Le said, "Hey, aren't you going to eat? What about my business?"

"Let's talk online."

Cen Sibao sat in the back seat of the car, looking at the snow scene outside the window.

Having accomplished one task, she felt incredibly relieved.

If Qi Ji knew, he would probably jump for joy, she deliberately thought so.

Before the chibi version of Qi Ji in her mind could even jump, she jumped up first.

The car jolted, followed by a crash. If Cen Sibao hadn't been wearing a seatbelt, she probably would have been thrown to the front.

She steadied herself and leaned over to ask the driver, bewildered, "What's wrong?"

The driver looked distressed. "The car in front suddenly braked, the road was slippery, and we rear-ended it."

Cen Sibao frowned, got out of the car, and saw that there had been a car accident ahead. Due to the heavy traffic during the evening rush hour, the cars behind did not keep a safe distance, resulting in a chain collision.

Qi Ji was driving alone when he reached the intersection. He glanced out the window and immediately saw the scene of the car accident, where a large crowd had already gathered.

Just as he was about to look away, he noticed Cen Sibao standing by the car behind him, tiptoeing and looking ahead.

Looking at the deformed front of the car, his brows furrowed.

Cen Sibao was observing the accident scene. She wasn't tall enough and wanted to go to the front to see the casualties, but she was afraid of seeing some bloody and mangled scene.

Just as she was hesitating, she suddenly felt a gust of wind beside her. When she looked up, she saw Qi Ji's face.

His expression was rather unpleasant. He turned her to face him and looked her up and down.

Cen Sibao realized what he was worried about, "I'm fine, please don't tell my brother."

"You're not injured?"

"No, not at all." She paused, then added, her eyes darting around, "It's not entirely nothing, but when the driver braked suddenly, the seatbelt caught on me, and it still hurts a little." She rubbed her chest as she spoke.

Qi Ji's expression tightened again. "Get in the car."

Cen Sibao did not refuse. She told the driver and got into Qi Ji's car.

There was a hospital a few hundred meters away, and Qi Ji quickly took her there, took a mask out of the car, and put it on her.

Cen Sibao tugged at the strap behind her ear and followed him into the hospital.

The emergency room was crowded, and the two patiently waited in line.

"What are you doing here? Leaving get off work so early is really unfair to your hardworking employees," Cen Sibao said deliberately.

Qi Ji glanced at her and could tell that she was probably alright, so he finally felt a little relieved. "Your brother is treating me to dinner."

Cen Sibao immediately sat up straight: "Cen Liang?"

Qi Ji chuckled lightly, "Otherwise, could it be Cen Heng?"

"Why didn't he tell me? He just asked if I was free tonight," Cen Sibao muttered.

Qi Ji heard this and asked in return, "You want to have dinner with me?"

Cen Sibao turned her face away, "You wish! I just wanted to have dinner with my brother without having to pay."

Qi Ji seemed to be thinking: "Not enough money?"

Cen Sibao snorted, "It's enough, but I just like having someone pay for me, so what?"

"It's nothing." Qi Ji smiled faintly. "In that case, you can invite me next time. I'd be happy to pay for you."

Cen Sibao pursed her lips, looked out the window, and tried to hide her smile.

Qi Ji looked at her profile and suddenly asked, "You came out tonight...is there something you need?"

After thinking for a moment, Cen Sibao still didn't want to immediately reveal that she had broken up with Ding Yaoguang, lest Qi Ji be too smug. So she simply said, "It's nothing, we just came out for a meal."

As they were talking, they called Cen Sibao's number.

Cen Sibao was in pain in a sensitive area, so Qi Ji didn't go in, instead pondering the matter of the dentist.

Although the conjecture was absurd and funny, when applied to Cen Sibao, a young lady who never played by the rules, he found that anything was possible.

After a while, Cen Sibao came out, saying, "It's just some minor bruises."

Qi Ji carefully reviewed the diagnosis, got her the medicine, and then drove her to school.

In the car, Cen Sibao emphasized again, "Don't tell my brother about this."

Otherwise, her whole family would find out, and she wouldn't be able to stay in the dormitory anymore.

Qi Ji neither agreed nor disagreed.

The car stopped at the traffic light, and Qi Ji touched his cheek.

Cen Sibao noticed that he had been subtly touching his cheek since he was in the hospital, even though it wasn't red or swollen.

After staring at him for a while, she couldn't help but ask, "What happened to your face?"

Qi Ji's hand naturally fell on the steering wheel, and he said casually, "It's nothing, my tooth hurts a little."

Cen Sibao's eyes widened in surprise: "You? Toothache?"

"Hmm." Qi Ji looked at her. "Do you have any reliable dentists you'd recommend?"

Cen Sibao had no doubts and earnestly recommended: "My dentist is pretty good, very responsible and patient."

"A man?"

"No, it's a female doctor, she's older, and very gentle."

Qi Ji looked into her eyes. "You like her a lot?"

"Of course, if I didn't like it, I wouldn't have recommended it to you." Cen Sibao gave him an expression that said, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Qi Ji looked him over for a while, then suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

When she mentioned liking someone, the emotion in her eyes clearly indicated that she was referring to a close elder.

Fortunately, it was just an absurd conjecture.

In the latter half of the journey, Qi Ji focused on driving, while Cen Sibao would occasionally steal a glance at him, countless images flashing through her mind.

After registering, the car drove into the school and finally stopped at the entrance of the dormitory area.

Cen Sibao immediately leaned forward, expressing all her curiosity from the journey: "Let me see your teeth!"

She simply couldn't imagine what it would be like for a mature and refined CEO like Qi Ji to have a cavity or an impacted wisdom tooth.

Just imagining the chibi version of Qi Ji covering his mouth, screaming and rolling around on the ground made her lips curl into a smug smile.

Even you have days when you can't stay calm.

Qi Ji stared at her for a moment, then nodded and beckoned to her, "Come here."

Cen Sibao immediately moved closer to him with anticipation, but was caught by the seatbelt that she had forgotten to unfasten.

The next second, a long arm reached out and the buckle came undone.

The taut seatbelt snapped up instantly, but before it could reach Cen Sibao, Qi Ji caught the end and gently put it back.

It was only then that Cen Sibao realized that the two of them were too close.

Qi Ji didn't retract his hand, nor did he soften his gaze as he tempted her, "Want to see more?"

Cen Sibao couldn't help but look at his smiling lips, which were a healthy red, soft, and slightly parted as he spoke—just the right size to fit a finger inside.

Qi Ji looked at Cen Sibao, whose fair face had turned bright red in an instant, blinked slowly, and asked in a hoarse voice, "What did you think of?"

The next moment, Cen Sibao pulled open the car door and jumped out, saying, "Of course I knew it was because you're sneaking snacks every night that your toothache is so bad!!"

After saying that, he slammed the car door shut and, with his red ears shining through the light, walked towards the dormitory door without looking back.

Under the streetlights, a series of brand-new footprints were left on the snow, with very large gaps between them.

Qi Ji sat back down and calmly tapped the steering wheel.

Ten seconds later, Cen Sibao realized she had forgotten her things and returned the way she came.

New footprints were left in the snow, with wider spacing between them.

She clenched her fists, feeling ashamed, and didn't want him to see her like this at all.

So she resolved that when he looked over, she would deliberately put on a cold and arrogant face; before he laughed at her, she would first use a cold and arrogant tone to get her things back.

Before she could even speak, the car window in front of her slowly rolled down.

The person in the driver's seat didn't show their face or look at her. Instead, a long, strong hand reached out from the car window, its fingertips hooking the bag she had dropped and gently shaking it.

Chapter 13

Cen Sibao looked at those beautiful hands, and her heart suddenly calmed down.

She slowly reached out and took the bag.

As they touched, his fingertips brushed against Qi Ji's palm, like goose down falling. He suddenly tightened his grip and caught the goose down.

But only for a moment, and then it loosened again.

Snowflakes fell softly, like crushed stars scattered on the slender figure in the warm glow of the streetlights.

She was wrapped in a honey-colored coat, her steps unsteady, and the gaps between her footprints in the snow became smaller.

Cen Sibao walked very slowly, and she could feel that the person sitting in the car behind her was watching her.

Her entire focus was on what was behind her. One end of her scarf was gradually blown down by the wind, and the soft tassels swayed in the wind, almost dragging on the snow.

Just before it was about to hit the ground, a tall figure slowly bent down and caught the other end.

Cen Sibao felt a slight tug and turned around. Sure enough, it was Qi Ji.

He shook his head: "Not walking properly."

Cen Sibao looked at his hand and said in a muffled voice, "Thank you for getting out of the car to pick up my scarf."

Qi Ji chuckled softly: "It's not for that."

He wrapped the scarf around her again and said calmly, "Don't worry about losing face in front of me."

"Alright, let's go in."

Cen Sibao's lower face was hidden in her scarf, only her bright eyes looked up at him, then she waved and finally walked into the dormitory.

Once inside and around the corner, making sure Qi Ji behind her couldn't see her anymore, Cen Sibao immediately started running.

Back in her dorm room, she ran to the window and looked down, just in time to see Qi Ji looking up in that direction.

The branches blocked his view, so his eyes were not visible; only his shadow, elongated by the streetlights, could be seen.

Zhang Man blinked and smiled as she looked at her radiant roommate.

"Tsk tsk tsk."

Upon hearing the voice, Cen Sibao turned around abruptly, her body stiffening. "Why are you standing behind me?"

Zhang Man was silent for a while, "Little Cen, I watched you rush in like a gust of wind, and then I watched you rush to the window like a gust of wind. I've been standing here the whole time."

As she spoke, she pinched Cen Sibao's flushed cheeks: "By the way, should I tell you? Just now, I saw someone downstairs deliberately loosen their scarf while walking, and sway it so much it almost touched the ground..."

Cen Sibao couldn't help but laugh, "You actually saw it."

Zhang Man nodded: "I'm really impressed with you now. You're quite the charmer when it comes to teasing President Qi."

Cen Sibao said generously, "Of course."

"So you and Qi Ji are together?"

She shook her head: "Not yet."

"Why? Now you should know that he likes you too, right?"

Cen Sibao changed out of her coat and leaned lazily against the bed: "Do you think I could win him over so easily? I chased him for three whole days back then. Since he didn't seize the opportunity back then, he can only swallow the bitter pill now."

Zhang Man thought for a moment and said, "That's right, we should make things difficult for him."

Looking at the takeout box Cen Sibao had placed on the table, Zhang Man asked again, "By the way, have you explained things clearly to Ding Yaoguang?"

The time saved from eating was filled by the time spent going to the hospital, and she didn't notice anything unusual.

"Probably, who cares?" Cen Sibao was too lazy to think about unimportant people. "Let's eat."

After washing up and before going to bed, Cen Sibao received another call from Cen Heng.

She felt a little guilty.

Although Ding Yaoguang's matter was resolved before he found out, there was still Qi Ji's matter. When she told Qi Ji that she was afraid her brother would beat him to death if he found out, she was serious.

Thinking of this, Cen Sibao became somewhat troubled again.

However, he managed to keep up a good act on the phone and didn't let Cen Heng notice anything amiss.

Because of the online discussions, Cen Heng asked a few more questions, but he also knew she should go to sleep, so he only talked for ten minutes, saying, "Okay, you can hang up now. Go to sleep early."

Cen Sibao's distress was limited to the time of this one phone call.

After hanging up the phone, she immediately forgot about it again.

Anyway, things will work themselves out in the end; even if the sky falls, Qi Ji will hold it up.

The next day, Cen Sibao got up feeling refreshed and went out with Zhang Man.

Inside the shop, Sister Zhou and the shop manager were discussing whether Cen Sibao would come again today. Just then, Cen Sibao walked into the shop.

She looked even better than yesterday, and greeted them with a smile: "Good morning."

The two exchanged a glance, their smiles even more genuine than yesterday: "Good morning, Xiao Cen."

Looking at their fluctuating expressions, Cen Sibao grinned mischievously and said, "Before I came here, were you thinking that I definitely wouldn't come to work today?"

The store manager coughed lightly: "How could that be? You didn't mention resigning to me."

Cen Sibao said seriously, "You don't need to treat me like some delicate young lady. If you have any problems, just tell me and I will change. Besides, it's not like I can't endure hardship."

After saying that, she turned and went to the staff break room to change into her uniform. After taking only two steps, she turned back and added, "Of course, don't make me suffer all kinds of hardships."

Sister Zhou and the store manager couldn't help but laugh.

Overnight, Cen Sibao's audio of arguing with others went viral online, and Yufeng Jewelry also gained a lot of attention.

Although their identities were not made public, they benefited from this favorable trend, and the sales of all their stores across the country, including the one in the CBD, increased.

Cen Sibao could sense that his new colleagues had become genuinely warmer towards him.

At the same time, perhaps spurred on by the minor car accident, Qi Ji began to offer to pick up and drop off Cen Sibao from get off work.

Cen Sibao was worried about being discovered by Cen Liang and the others. She wanted to refuse, but she couldn't. So she had to ask him to park the car further away.

She originally wanted to bring Zhang Man along, but Zhang Man ran away quickly, determined not to be a third wheel.

However, most of the time after dropping her off at her dorm, he still had to go back to the company to continue working.

Cen Sibao didn't think she was that fragile and needed his constant care: "Isn't there a driver?"

Qi Ji looked at the road ahead and calmly asked, "Are you going to take away the only time I can spend alone with you?"

Although her tone was calm, Cen Sibao could vaguely detect a hint of grievance in her voice.

She crossed her arms and pretended to be generous, saying, "Alright, then I'll reluctantly give you this chance."

With the year-end approaching, the store needed to prepare gifts for important guests and maintain customer relationships, so Cen Sibao was called in to help with the list.

She initially skimmed through the list, but then her gaze was suddenly drawn to a name.

"Qi Ji?"

Hearing her murmur, Sister Zhou thought she was talking to her, so she said, "Yes, this Mr. Qi has ordered quite a lot of cufflinks, tie clips and the like from our store. Although he has never shown up and they are all shipped, he is still a very important customer."

But one of the records seemed out of place with the others, and Cen Sibao stared intently.

That was a watch produced by Yu Feng, a mother-of-pearl inlaid design. It wasn't cheap, and production wasn't very high.

It's not unusual for him to buy watches, but they are a pair of matching watches for couples.

Qi Ji actually ordered a pair of couple watches.

Cen Sibao's gaze shifted to the time, and she paused again. That was before she began "pursuing" Qi Ji.

Was it bought as a gift for her?

But he never mentioned it to her.

"Xiao Cen?" Sister Zhou called to her, "What did you see? Why do you look like that?"

Cen Sibao snapped out of her daze and smiled, "It's nothing."

She put the matter aside for the time being and continued working.

At noon, Cen Sibao and Zhang Man went to the employee cafeteria of Rhinoceros Hornbill Technology for lunch again.

As soon as she entered, Zhang Man's eyes lit up.

Pointing to a newly opened dim sum window at the far end, she nudged Cen Sibao: "Wow, they actually partnered with Lianji? That's incredibly fast."

At this moment, long queues formed in front of the new window, and employees were all talking about it, mainly praising the company for its generosity.

Cen Sibao's lips curled up for a second, then slowly fell back down.

Although Zhang Man and Cen Sibao both knew perfectly well who the questionnaire was for, it wasn't a case of using public office for private gain; the other employees' constructive opinions were all taken into consideration. The menu and ambiance were both modified and upgraded.

The two chose a corner seat and sat down.

“I’m increasingly supporting President Qi’s rise to power,” Zhang Man said with a smile.

Cen Sibao rested her chin on her hand: "Then you're too easily bribed."

"That's how it is..."

"Manager Sheng, over here!" A shout rang out from afar.

Cen Sibao inadvertently looked up following the sound and saw a woman in a business suit walking towards her. She responded warmly.

She stared at the figure for two seconds, but the other person didn't notice her.

Zhang Man glanced at him too and asked, "What's wrong? Do you know that person?"

Cen Sibao nodded slightly. "I have a vague impression of them. They should be a classmate from junior high or high school, but I can't recall their name."

Her gaze lingered for two seconds on the woman's wrist as she walked, which Zhang Man noticed. "What's wrong with that watch?"

Cen Sibao stated frankly, "I discovered this morning that Qi Ji had previously ordered a pair of couple watches from Yufeng, and the women's watch was this style. Quite few people buy this watch."

Zhang Man couldn't help but frown: "You mean... President Qi might have given her this watch?"

She looked at Cen Sibao, whose expression was inscrutable, and became worried: "You're not going to go find her, are you? I don't think it's that much of a coincidence."

Cen Sibao looked away, took a sip of soup, and casually said, "You're overthinking it. There's nothing wrong with my head. Why would I go looking for someone for no reason?"

“Those people just called her Manager Sheng. She must have some status at Hornbill.”

"Even if Qi Ji and I were already together, if there were something between them, Qi Ji is not someone I would bother to make things difficult for a woman who is on the rise."

"If it's just a coincidence and nothing happened, then I have even less reason to hurt innocent people."

After saying that, Cen Sibao raised her chin: "Besides, those ten thousand steps haven't been retreated yet, so I can't control that."

Zhang Man smiled, almost forgetting her temperament, "It's probably just a coincidence. Yufeng just happens to be located near this company. Maybe she just thought it looked nice and bought it to wear."

Cen Sibao nodded.

Zhang Man added, "As for the couple's watches that President Qi ordered from your store, they were probably a gift for you. How could it be impossible that he liked you before you even started pursuing him?"

Cen Sibao smiled and said, "That style doesn't suit my taste."

“Yes, he got to know you better later and discovered this, which is why he didn’t give it to you.” Zhang Man found it increasingly reasonable as she spoke.

"Or, why don't you just ask him directly?" she suggested with a smile.

Cen Sibao put on a stern face, "I won't ask. Asking about this on purpose would make it seem like I'm jealous of him."

"Okay, okay, then don't overthink it."

Cen Sibao wasn't the type to create trouble for herself, and she spent the whole afternoon working without thinking about Qi Ji.

It wasn't until I saw Qi Ji's car after get off work that I remembered this incident again.

Although she didn't intend to ask directly, she was also curious and a little bit awkward.

So as soon as she got into the car, she looked at Qi Ji with a thoughtful expression.

He noticed it, but instead of driving, he simply raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

Cen Sibao avoided his gaze, thought for a moment, and asked meaningfully, "President Qi, do you... have anything to give me?"

Qi Ji looked surprised: "How did you know?"

Cen Sibao's eyes widened immediately. Had she really been tricked into revealing her secret so easily?

Qi Ji looked at her expression, shook his head and chuckled, and said in a low voice, "When will you look back?"

Cen Sibao turned her head blankly, and in an instant her eyes lit up when she saw the beautiful flowers filling the back seat.

They were all her favorite varieties and colors, which she had never told him before, and she didn't know how he found out.

She was so focused on observing Qi Ji as soon as she got in the car that she didn't even notice how obvious it was. How silly of her.

She felt a mix of surprise and disappointment. "It's a flower?"

Qi Ji noticed something amiss in her expression and pondered, "Disappointed?"

Cen Sibao immediately retorted, "How could that be? I really like flowers."

As she spoke, she unconsciously rubbed her wrist.

Qi Ji probably didn't catch her hint, but she couldn't resist her curiosity about the watch's whereabouts, so she raised her hand and waved it in front of him, beginning to suggest, "Don't you think something's missing?"

Qi Ji gazed at that slender, snow-white wrist, devoid of any adornments.

As he pondered, something occurred to him, and a wolfish glint gradually appeared in his eyes.

He said in a low voice, "Hmm. Something is definitely missing."

Cen Sibao felt that his eyes were shining abnormally, and that what he was thinking seemed to contradict what she was really implying.

"No, I was just joking." She shakily tried to pull her hand away, but Qi Ji had already firmly grasped it.

As darkness fell, the car became increasingly cramped, and the towering heat source in front of them gradually drew closer, casting a shadow. Cen Sibao had only a pitiful seatbelt for protection.

She unconsciously gripped the thin seatbelt, her shoulders and back pressed against the seat, her hands encircled and wrapped around it. Then she heard a low voice whisper in her ear, as if there were undercurrents flowing within it:

"So, it's time to give her the ring?"

Chapter 14

Cen Sibao's heart skipped a beat when Qi Ji uttered that word.

“Of course not!” she immediately retorted, even forgetting to push him away.

Qi Ji looked at her beautiful, swaying pupils and couldn't help but laugh, moving even closer: "What's that?"

Cen Sibao turned his hands behind his back and tried to run away by grabbing the car door handle, repeating his previous trick.

However, it wouldn't budge; it was locked.

Looking at Qi Ji again, he was smiling as he watched her hand quietly touch the car door, his smile a mixture of understanding and teasing.

Cen Sibao said in a low voice, "Cunning."

After she finished speaking, Qi Ji lifted her face. Inside the warm car, a chilling aura rushed out.

Just then, there was a knock on the car window.

As their faces met, they looked outside and saw it was Zhang Man.

Cen Sibao coughed and said in a low voice, "They're looking for me. Let me out quickly."

Qi Ji paused, then opened the car door, and Cen Sibao immediately jumped out.

The cold wind dispelled some of the restlessness in her heart.

Zhang Man had received Cen Sibao's message beforehand and came over. Seeing Cen Sibao's eagerness, her gaze swept over Cen Sibao's lips.

Then, with some regret, I looked away.

There was no trace whatsoever.

She was standing on the side just now and saw that the car had been parked for quite a while, so the two of them were just having a long talk inside.

Qi Ji nodded politely to her, then slowly looked at Cen Sibao's hand.

Cen Sibao instinctively hid her hands behind her back, then bent down to pick up the flowers from the back seat, blocking his view.

After saying goodbye, Zhang Man helped her carry the bouquet upstairs.

"What were you two talking about in the car just now? Did you ask him about the watch?" she asked softly.

"Don't even mention it." Cen Sibao's words were almost squeezed out between her teeth: "It feels like I've been set up. As for the watch, let him give it to whomever he wants. Let's move on from this and never ask about it again."

Zhang Man responded with an "oh".

After a while, she said again, "But you two are really honest, sitting in the car, you didn't even kiss once?" As she spoke, she noticed that Cen Sibao's face above the scarf was faintly red.

It seems... not quite, Cen Sibao thought.

Just now, Qi Ji seemed to want to kiss me.

Cen Sibao couldn't help but turn around and take a look.

Before the car window was rolled up, Qi Ji turned his head and stared at her, as if he was certain that she would turn around and look at him.

Actually, if he had really kissed her just now, she probably wouldn't have resisted.

Once they were completely out of sight, Qi Ji put away his smile, glanced at his hands, and seemed lost in thought.

On Friday evening, Qi Ji drove to pick up Cen Sibao from get off work as usual. The store manager took care of her and did not schedule any shifts for her on the weekend.

Cen Sibao was already used to Qi Ji's pick-up and drop-off service, so she subconsciously walked towards that car, but in the blink of an eye, she saw another familiar car.

Cen Liang was sitting in the car, looking at her with some confusion.

Cen Sibao was immediately startled and broke out in a cold sweat. She quickly twisted her toes, changed direction, and walked towards him.

"Brother." After she got into the car, Cen Liang still looked in that direction suspiciously: "Which way did you walk just now? I think you waved. Was someone you knew waiting there?"

Cen Sibao pretended to be stupid and said, "No, what waving? You must have misread it. And why didn't you tell me you were coming to pick me up?"

Cen Liang turned to look at her, and touched her forehead. "Didn't Cen Heng and I take turns picking you up from school every week before? Are you crazy?"

"Oh right, I was busy with work and almost forgot." Cen Sibao said regretfully, she was used to Qi Ji picking her up and dropping her off, and she had completely forgotten about it.

Fortunately, she specifically told Qi Ji to stop further away, so Cen Liang didn't find out.

Cen Liang sighed softly: "I suggest you go home and live there. At least someone will take care of you. Look at you, you've been acting more and more strange lately. Are you too tired?"

"You're the one who's weird. Weird people see everyone as weird."

On the other side, Qi Ji sat in the car, watching Cen Sibao smile at him one moment and then get into Cen Liang's car the next, without giving him another glance.

He tapped the steering wheel with his fingertips and took out his phone.

Soon, Cen Liang received a call. "Hello, is there something you need?"

Cen Sibao listlessly fiddled with his sleeve.

"Dinner? Why did you suddenly decide to have me treat you tonight?"

"That won't do, I need to pick up my sister tonight."

After hearing what was said on the other end, Cen Liang laughed and said, "What are you doing at my house? We're having a family meal."

Cen Sibao looked up abruptly and immediately guessed who was calling. Her hands clenched tightly.

Then, in his mind, he mentally smashed the chibi version of Qi Ji.

She looked out the window, trying to find him, but couldn't see Qi Ji's car at all.

In her mind, the smiling chibi-style figure was kicked away again.

As Cen Liang was speaking, he noticed Cen Sibao's slightly stiff posture and her erratic facial features through the rearview mirror. He looked at her a couple more times, then came to his senses and asked, "What did you just say?"

A few seconds later, he chuckled again, "Are you really that desperate for that one meal?"

"Oh, okay, then let's do it another day."

Upon hearing this, Cen Sibao deflated like a punctured balloon, slowly letting out all the air she had been holding in.

But he didn't forget to send Qi Ji dozens of lines of questioning exclamation marks.

The reply came quickly: "I'm so sorry I couldn't have dinner at your house?"

Cen Sibao tapped on the screen, saying, "You've misunderstood me!"

The reply from the other end was only four words: "It's only a matter of time."

"Are you feeling unwell?" Cen Liang put down his phone and asked her with concern, "Your face looks a little red. Come here and let me take a look."

Cen Sibao slumped in her seat. "It's nothing, I'm just hungry. Let's drive."

We're not even together yet, and I'm already so terrified.

Seeing that she seemed to be alright, Cen Liang started the car.

"Brother, who were you talking to on the phone just now?" Cen Sibao asked cautiously.

“Qi Ji,” Cen Liang said directly, “I wanted to thank him for his help last time and invited him to dinner, but we didn’t end up having dinner. Now he’s inexplicably asking me to treat him back. He must have a lot of free time on his hands.”

Cen Sibao was relieved; it seemed that Cen Liang hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Thinking about why they couldn't eat together that time, Cen Liang glanced at Cen Sibao and asked, "By the way, how are things going between you and that Doraemon guy?"

Although they knew perfectly well that the two had probably broken up, they still had to pretend on the surface.

Cen Sibao sat up straight and boasted, "Don't worry, I've officially broken up with Doraemon. Are you relieved now?"

Cen Liang nodded and muttered, "Yes, I knew it wouldn't last. But to be honest... I don't know why, but I still feel a chill down my spine."

Cen Sibao shut her mouth.

His intuition was indeed very accurate.

Worried that he might continue questioning her and bring up some taboo topics, Cen Sibao simply closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, sleeping all the way home.

Cen Liang parked the car and was about to wake her up when she had already slipped out of the car in a flash.

The family had been waiting for her, and Cen Sibao rushed up and shouted, "Grandma! I'm back!"

The kind-faced old lady hugged her tightly, saying, "You're finally back. I can tell you've gotten thinner."

"Oh, you're here again. I just saw you last week. And I've been eating really well lately, I haven't lost any weight at all, look."

Cen Sibao snuggled against her with a grin, pinching the soft flesh on her face.

Cen Liang glanced at her and said, "Yes, she's eating at Qi Ji's company's staff cafeteria now, and she has a great appetite. Grandma, don't worry, she'll grow into a little piglet sooner or later."

Cen Sibao turned around and his expression changed. He punched him hard, and several adults nearby also glared at him.

Cen Liang touched his nose in acknowledgment of his mistake, then urged, "Go wash your hands and eat. Weren't you saying you were hungry on the way here?"

The family dinner is held once a week. Recently, Cen Sibao's parents are out of town and her older brother is on a business trip, so her uncle and aunt specially turned down their work and came back.

"You've started working, you're going to be an adult now, it must be tough." A group of people put food on her plate with expressions of concern.

Cen Sibao shook her head and thanked them. "Actually, it's not that tiring. You don't need to worry. I'm used to it. Everyone goes through this."

Auntie smiled and said, "Amazing, our little Bao is remarkable. Girls who work hard are all remarkable."

Cen Liang laughed and said, "Yes, after she arrived, Yu Feng's turnover increased significantly, which I didn't expect."

Grandma looked at Cen Sibao with pride, "We all know. Speaking of which, the year Xiaobao was born was also the year Yufeng expanded its territory."

Cen Sibao swallowed the food in her mouth. "Speaking of this, Grandma, during the time I was in the store, I was constantly comparing us with other brands."

“Yufeng is too old-fashioned now. It only cares about stability and seems to be living in the last century. It can’t keep up with the market at all. I think it needs to inject some fresh blood.”

The old lady said decisively, "Go ahead and do it. Grandma will support you no matter what you do. As for those old fogies, they are no problem."

They completely forgot that they were also part of the old-fashioned generation.

Cen Sibao nodded emphatically.

Seeing that she was only focused on talking to her grandmother, Cen Liang felt a pang of sadness: "She's really grown up. She's not the little girl who needed her brother to help her with everything anymore."

I still remember Cen Sibao when she was little. Even when she ate a banana, her brother had to peel it for her.

Then Cen Liang or Cen Heng would deliberately eat most of the banana, causing her to cry, and then another person would replace it with a banana to appease her.

But next time, she'll still ask her brother to peel the skin for her.

Cen Liang snapped out of his reverie and saw his father glance at him. "You're lucky you're not leading your sister astray. I heard you even took her to meet your bunch of shady friends."

Cen Liang touched his nose, knowing immediately that it was Cen Heng who had complained. "It wasn't intentional, it was just a coincidence."

Cen Sibao looked at him. At least Cen Liang had helped her keep Ding Yaoguang's matter a secret from her family, so she decided to return the favor and speak up for him: "No, my brother's friends are all good people, not bad people. Besides, knowing more people will also help me."

Cen Liang immediately chimed in, "Yes, for example... Qi Ji is a pretty good guy, you all know that."

Upon hearing this name, Cen Sibao choked for a moment.

Even though he wasn't physically present, it seemed like everything he did led to conversations about him.

Cen Liang quickly patted her back, "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

"I'm fine, cough cough cough." Cen Sibao took a sip of soup to calm down. "I think you're just trying to take it from me. You still have the nerve to call me a pig. You clearly eat much more than me. You've been taking my snacks and fruit since we were little."

Her interruption finally steered the conversation around the topic of the three of them, bringing it back to their childhood.

After dinner, the family gathered together to chat. Cen Sibao wandered around the house to digest her food. Just then, her phone rang.

She looked down and saw it was Qi Ji.

She glanced at the others who hadn't noticed her movements yet, then sneaked onto the balcony and answered the phone like a thief.

Qi Ji stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. The last rays of twilight had long since dissipated, and the horizon was illuminated by the lights of countless homes. He gazed at them, perhaps one of those lights belonged to her family.

Qi Ji asked gently, "Have you finished eating?"

Her voice sounded normal. Cen Sibao replied, "Yes, have you eaten?"

"not yet."

She was taken aback. "Why haven't you eaten yet? What time is it? Have you gone home yet?"

Qi Ji turned around, walked back to the edge of his desk, and gently touched it. The touch was warm but slightly cool. "No. I saw you leave without looking back, so I went back to the company to work overtime."

He spoke casually, making Cen Sibao feel both guilty and heartbroken. She couldn't care less about him deliberately calling Cen Liang. "How could I dare to look back at that time? My brother has a very keen sense of smell."

What is our relationship?

Qi Ji's question startled Cen Sibao.

Why don't you dare to look back?

"If we have no connection, why are we afraid to look back?"

"If we have a relationship, why are we afraid to look back?"

The questioning words struck her heart, and Cen Sibao finally understood that he was demanding recognition and status.

On the other end of the receiver, Qi Ji's voice was like long-accumulated ice and snow, tinged with jealousy, "You clearly don't have any official status, but the way you're avoiding your brother makes it seem like you're already his brother-in-law."

Cen Sibao pressed her palm against her warm face and softened her voice: "Then I'll need to examine it further."

Qi Ji sensed the softening in her tone and smiled silently.

There was a knock on the office door, and it was Assistant Yu who came in.

Cen Sibao also heard the noise: "Hurry up and eat, it's so late. By the way, is Assistant Yu also working overtime?"

"Um."

"If your boss doesn't eat, won't he feel embarrassed to eat too? That's not good."

Qi Ji's tone softened a bit, "I understand."

Assistant Yu, who was passing by and bringing him food, lowered his head in shame.

He was very comfortable eating it.

He had already finished eating.

After all, protecting your boss's love requires a good physique.

Unlike President Qi, who, no matter how busy he is, can still rank among the top in the city's CEO health status survey white paper.

If it weren't for Miss Cen's well-intentioned care during his hospital stay a while ago, his health would be on par with the other two CEOs, Mr. Gu and Mr. Qu.

Unfortunately, we're slightly behind now. Sigh.

Cen Sibao lay on the small table on the balcony, gazing at the towering buildings in the distance.

The interlaced lights weave together a continuous, undulating tapestry of prosperity; I wonder if his company is part of that tapestry.

She asked, "Have you started eating yet?"

Qi Ji sat down: "Right away."

Cen Sibao thought for a moment and then asked, "Bo Le is your friend, right?"

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

Could you please send me your contact information?

Qi Ji clenched his fists, his eyes filled with a murderous intent towards Bo Le.

Cen Sibao continued slowly, "I want to discuss a business deal with him, to have Yufeng collaborate with Lin Zishen on a joint venture. I've inquired, and Lin Zishen is now under his management."

Qi Ji loosened his grip.

The other end of the line softened its tone: "Qi Ji, would you like to hear my thoughts?"

Hearing her call his name so formally, Qi Ji's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he sat up straight. "Okay."

Cen Sibao's tone became serious: "As everyone knows, our Yufeng customer base is relatively homogeneous, and our market share has been declining over the years. So I have been thinking about expanding Yufeng's product categories, and it would be best to break away from the traditional scenarios of weddings and collections, and launch some light jewelry that is more suitable for the consumption habits of young people and has a moderate cost performance."

"Secondly, taking advantage of the fact that Yufeng is gaining some popularity among young people, I want to use the influence of online painters to shed Yufeng's old-fashioned stereotype. Even if we can't shed it immediately, it's at least a start. Being able to reach the new generation of customers is also a way to capture the main consumer force of the future."

"in addition……"

The clear, crisp voice was transmitted to the other side of the city via the signal current.

Qi Ji listened quietly, appreciating a side of Cen Sibao that he had never shown before, a side even more glamorous than her glamorous appearance.

Cen Sibao spoke whatever came to mind, talking until his throat was dry, and walked from one end of the balcony to the other, completely absorbed in his thoughts.

A few minutes later, after resting for a while, she stretched out her finger and slowly drew a smiley face on the railing. "Also, I've done my research, and people who like deep forests generally have a high spending power, which also fits our target market."

After I finished speaking, there was no sound from the other end of the phone.

Cen Sibao glanced at the screen to confirm the call was still going on. "How is it? Hey, you didn't fall asleep, did you?"

Unbeknownst to her, Qi Ji was deeply regretting his actions at that moment.

I regret not having the nerve to go to her house for dinner tonight, even just as a regular friend, to listen to her and see her in person. That would have been better than the current struggle of not being able to immediately make her a part of me.

Right now, Qi Ji could only suppress his extremely urgent desire for the time being, his voice hoarse: "It sounds like your cooperation proposal is already written."

He concealed it well, and Cen Sibao did not notice the ripples beneath the calm surface: "It's almost done. I was doing research while I was at school recently because I wasn't working."

She paused, her tone changing as if entrusting someone with something important: "Qi Ji, I haven't told anyone about this plan yet, except you."

She repeated herself earnestly, "So, you're the first one to hear it."

The first one—and not far from being the only one.

Qi Ji's eyes twitched, and his heart seemed to melt into a pool of water. The resentment he had been harboring earlier had long since vanished into the distance.

Fortunately, he had already asked Assistant Yu to leave, so there was no one else tied for first place with him.

“I’m very happy,” he said in a deep voice.

Cen Sibao's lips curled up.

Suddenly remembering something, Qi Ji asked, "You asked Cen Liang for Lin Zishen's painting, also for research purposes?"

Cen Sibao nodded, "Yes, I saw a lot of his paintings during that period. When they asked me, I found it troublesome to explain, so I just said that I liked his paintings."

“I know that from childhood to adulthood, many people thought I was just a pretty face when they first met me. Did you think so too? Now, do you think that I, this pretty face, can actually hold something, and am not empty?”

Hearing her proud tone, Qi Ji felt a dryness in his throat: "I've never thought of you as just a pretty face."

"Even if you call me a pretty face, I won't be angry. I've always believed that everything created has value, and a pretty face is not something cheap."

The phone call had been going on for a long time, and Cen Sibao was worried that her family would find out, so she said, "Okay, remember to give me Bo Le's contact information, but don't say anything else to him."

"The first step of my reform plan, this small thread, will be started by you, Qi Ji."

It was clearly a very small matter, and the entire collaboration plan wasn't particularly remarkable, but she spoke of it with great seriousness.

Qi Ji knew perfectly well what she was trying to do to coax him, but he was still willing to jump into the lava and melt into her sweet words.

"That's all for now, I'll hang up then." As soon as Cen Sibao finished speaking, she turned her head and saw Cen Liang push open the glass door and walk over, holding a glass of milk in his hand.

She was startled and quickly turned off the screen.

"Who were you talking to on the phone just now? Why did you come to the balcony without saying a word? I've been looking for you for ages." Cen Liang frowned.

He recalled Cen Sibao's expression when she was walking around unconsciously earlier. He had never seen it before and couldn't tell if it was gentleness or coquetry; it was just very strange.

"Oh, it's Zhang Man on the phone. We're chatting, gossiping, and sharing some of the little-known secrets of those CEOs."

Seeing Cen Liang's inquisitive expression, Cen Sibao lowered her voice again: "By the way, brother, do you have Bo Le's contact information?"

Cen Liang immediately became alert. "Why do you need his contact information? He might not be a playboy, but he's not a good person either. Stay away from him if you don't want to."

Cen Sibao was speechless: "Isn't he your friend? Why are you saying such things about him? Besides, I have important business with him. Has Lin Zishen signed a contract with his gallery?"

Cen Liang nodded. "I think so."

“I want to collaborate with Lin Zishen on a co-branded jewelry line. Of course, this is just an innovative sub-line and will not shake our classic design system. We are looking to you for a small favor to help us connect with our old customers.”

"After all, among my friends, you and Bo Le are the closest. With you, things will definitely be twice as easy."

Cen Sibao rested her chin on her hand, looked up at him, and blinked her big eyes: "Brother will still help me like he did when we were little, right?"

Realizing that he was still useful to his sister, Cen Liang's previously conflicted heart suddenly felt less sour. "Of course, I'll push it for you right now."

Cen Sibao smiled and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, don't tell him anything else, just let me handle it myself."

"Okay, don't worry." Cen Liang patted her head. "It's quite late. Drink your milk and go back to sleep."

After saying goodnight to her family, Cen Sibao returned to her room, skipped a few steps, then fell backward onto the bed and rolled over.

She held up her phone, and on the screen, Qi Ji and Cen Liang had both sent her the same person's contact information.

She let out a leisurely breath and tapped the screen: "Cen Xiaobao, you little genius, no wonder everyone likes you."

For her, coaxing people was a piece of cake.

With her grandmother's support and a detailed plan, Cen Sibao's proposal was quickly approved, and she also contacted Bo Le for further discussion.

A delicate balance has been reached among all parties. Cen Sibao is in high spirits during this period. The only unpleasant thing is Ding Yaoguang's persistent harassment.

"Don't go yet, I haven't agreed to break up yet. Let's talk it over properly." He blocked Cen Sibao at the store entrance, having searched for her for who knows how long.

"Over this period of time, I've become more and more certain that I truly want to be with you, and I don't care about what you have..."

Cen Sibao pulled him to a secluded corner, feeling a headache coming on: "Stop, stop with your long-winded explanations. I thought I had explained myself clearly. What kind of creature are you? How come you can't understand human language?"

Seeing that reasoning with her wouldn't work, she resorted to a simple and blunt approach: "If my brother sees you like this, you'll get beaten up."

Ding Yaoguang's eyes lit up immediately: "You still care about me?"

"No, I'm afraid my brother will get into some trouble because of hitting you."

"..." However, Ding Yaoguang didn't take her brother, who worked illegally, to heart. "I really like you."

"What does it matter to me if you like me?" Cen Sibao tilted her head and asked, "From beginning to end, have I ever told you once that I like you? I'm sure I don't have this dark history."

Ding Yaoguang choked.

Indeed, no. He had always believed that Cen Sibao liked him too, and he was convinced of this. He felt there was still a chance to win her back, but that belief collapsed at this moment.

She actually called it a dark history.

He really couldn't understand how Cen Sibao, who was so delicate and cute and always smiled at him, could say such cold words overnight. Was it just an act before?

"I really don't like you at all, so stop bothering me." Cen Sibao's face was unusually cold.

Ding Yaoguang's face was hidden in the shadows. "Do you have someone else you like?"

Cen Sibao hesitated for a moment and did not answer immediately.

Ding Yaoguang understood, gritting his teeth, "Fine, let's split it then."

She couldn't even see that all the other suitors were only after her beautiful appearance.

With her family in such a poor state, and having lost both parents, she's considered an unlucky figure in the marriage market. Who else but him would be so genuinely concerned about their future together?

Where else can she find someone with such good qualities, similar age, and who doesn't care about her background?

Who else can give her a home?

Although Ding Yaoguang didn't say it aloud, these words were reflected in his eyes as he looked at Cen Sibao, burning with fierce passion.

In the end, the flames transformed into a deeply resentful statement: "Do you know, my family is already planning to pay the down payment for me to buy a house in the city center with a loan. The property deed is currently in my name, but my wife's name may be added in the future."

“I’ve only been out of school for a year.” He stared intently at Cen Sibao, waiting for her to be shocked, hesitant, and regretful.

Cen Sibao was baffled by his deliberately profound gaze. "Well, congratulations! You're already taking on a mortgage just one year after graduation."

Ding Yaoguang: "..."

Cen Sibao is now beginning to suspect that Ding Yaoguang's constant pursuit of her is an attempt to get her to help pay off the mortgage.

"Stop having any unrealistic thoughts." After saying that, she took two steps back, turned around and left, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Bo Le hummed a song and walked out of the office in a good mood, just as she bumped into Ding Yaoguang, who looked completely lost.

Ding Yaoguang bumped into the wall. Realizing his mistake, he stepped aside and apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, boss, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Bo Le straightened the wrinkles in his clothes, looked at him, and frowned.

During this period, Ding Yaoguang has been in a bad state and has made frequent mistakes at work. Considering his character, it is definitely not someone I want to keep by my side.

After considering it for a moment, he said, "Xiao Ding, you've been like this lately..."

Ding Yaoguang, oblivious to the coldness in his eyes, said wearily, "My girlfriend has been threatening to break up with me lately."

Bo Le immediately frowned. "Oh, so he still calls her his girlfriend. It seems this guy is still up to no good."

He became even more annoyed.

On one hand, she has such a wonderful and sweet younger sister, and this scheming man is really not worthy of her. On the other hand, if Cen Liang finds out, as his boss, he will probably be implicated as well.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "I'm going to Hornbill Technology in a bit, you'll come with me."

Bo Le did it on purpose. He planned to let Ding Yaoguang know what kind of men Cen Sibao was surrounded by, so that Ding would back down.

He was self-aware, but Qi Ji was the best among them. Meeting Qi Ji would surely make Ding Yaoguang feel ashamed of himself.

Ding Yaoguang didn't realize his true intentions. He just thought that his boss valued him, which was somewhat comforting. He perked up and nodded, "Okay."

In the car, the driver drove smoothly. Bo Le looked at the passing scenery outside the window and suddenly asked, "Do you know President Qi?"

Ding Yaoguang quickly replied, "Of course I've heard of him, but he doesn't seem to appear in public very often."

Bo Le nodded: "Yes, he's an excellent yet low-key person, and quite good-looking too. Actually, I think most girls would prefer this type."

His tone was meaningful, as if he wanted Ding Yaoguang to realize the gap between them.

Upon hearing this, Ding Yaoguang's gaze turned fierce: "Speaking of which, boss, my girlfriend wants to break up with me, probably because she's fallen for someone else."

Bo Le turned her back and secretly rolled her eyes.

Ding Yaoguang continued, "If the other person were someone as outstanding as President Qi, I would accept it, but unfortunately, the person she likes is just a dentist."

"A dentist who's roughly on par with me in every way." He clenched his fists and growled, "I admit, he and my girlfriend are somewhat compatible, but I'm not bad either! Why is he the only one who gets the credit!"

Bo Le paused for a moment.

She glanced at him, thought about the female dentist in her fifties with half-gray hair that Cen Liang had mentioned, bit her nails, and fell into another period of bewildered silence.

Ding Yaoguang wiped his face: "Sorry, boss, I was a little out of line just now."

Bo Le remained silent.

He felt that Ding Yaoguang was not just out of control, but rather a bit abnormal.

Fortunately, the silence didn't last long; we arrived at our destination.

The driver parked the car, and Assistant Yu had already activated the necessary permissions. Bo Le took Ding Yaoguang in the elevator, going directly up from the basement level.

Staring at the fluctuating numbers above his head, Ding Yaoguang hesitated for a moment before speaking again: "Boss, can you do me a favor?"

Bo Le pressed his impatiently, "What kind of help?"

The elevator doors opened, and the two people stepped out one after the other.

Ding Yaoguang followed up, "It's like this, could you help me find that dentist? I really can't swallow this insult, I'm determined to make him pay..."

Bo Le suddenly waved casually ahead: "Oh, President Qi, you came out to greet me specially?"

Ding Yaoguang slowly raised his head, then his pupils contracted.

Chapter 15

Assistant Yu led everyone into the reception room.

"By the way, who did you say you were looking for?" Bo Le greeted Qi Ji warmly, then turned to ask Ding Yaoguang.

“There’s no need to look anymore,” Ding Yaoguang murmured.

Across from him, Qi Ji also looked at Ding Yaoguang with a cold gaze.

Assistant Yu, standing beside him, also looked Ding Yaoguang up and down.

Even though he had never met Ding Yaoguang before, Qi Ji's intelligent assistant immediately understood the other party's identity from his perspective.

Miss Cen is a good person in every way, except that she has poor taste.

Oh, no, that's not right either. He glanced at Qi Ji. It's sometimes good and sometimes bad.

Bo Le felt the atmosphere become somewhat tense and was about to say something when Ding Yaoguang suddenly broke down and exclaimed, "You're not Cen Sibao's dentist at all?!"

"What dentist?" Bo Le was startled by his sudden outburst, and after hearing what he said, she was stunned.

Why does he suddenly seem unable to understand Chinese? How could Ding Yaoguang think that Cen Sibao's dentist is Qi Ji?

Qi Ji was taken aback at first, then suddenly understood everything. His eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his eyes shone with light.

“So that’s what you are… No wonder, no wonder…” Ding Yaoguang put on an expression of sudden realization and muttered to himself, “No wonder she insisted on breaking up with me, it turns out she hooked up with a really rich guy.”

When he thought Qi Ji was a dentist, he could still manage to deceive himself with a kind of mental victory, believing that the two could fight to a draw. But now, it was clear that he was far from being a match for him.

Just in terms of sheer presence, she was completely outmatched.

But that wasn't his fault.

He glared angrily at Qi Ji, momentarily forgetting the occasion, filled only with resentment at being chosen: "That's right, it's normal to be materialistic and prejudiced against the poor, I understand."

"Snobbish and greedy?" Qi Ji was half a head taller than Ding Yaoguang, and he reached the other side in just a few steps.

He lowered his gaze to look at him, a cold, disdainful smile playing on his lips: "You've got it backwards. She dumped me for you; that's called being a snob and loving the poor."

At the same time, Assistant Yu looked at the two of them, a certain light flashing in his eyes, and quietly walked to a corner.

It was almost noon when Cen Sibao came outside. She looked around to make sure Ding Yaoguang wasn't waiting nearby.

I guess after saying that this morning, they really gave up.

She then walked forward, intending to wait for Zhang Man under the tree, but before she had taken a few steps, she suddenly received a call from Assistant Yu.

She remembered that the number was the one she gave to Assistant Yu when she was planning to pursue Qi Ji. At that time, she asked him to set it as Qi Ji's emergency contact.

Thinking of this, Cen Sibao chuckled to himself.

Who would have thought that Qi Ji's later emergency situation was all caused by her.

In a good mood, she answered the phone: "Hello, Assistant Yu? Is there something you need?"

Assistant Yu's voice was as serious as ever, and he spoke rapidly: "Ms. Cen, something terrible has happened. Mr. Qi is in trouble. You are Mr. Qi's emergency contact, so I called you immediately."

"Hmm?" Cen Sibao's nerves tensed up as well, countless tragic images flashing through her mind. Her voice was hoarse: "What happened to him? Tell me quickly!"

Assistant Yu omitted the details and added some artistic embellishment: "It's your ex-boyfriend, who came to our door with some people."

Cen Sibao's face instantly turned cold. She hadn't expected Ding Yaoguang to actually go to find Qi Ji, and with men at that. "Did the man surnamed Ding bring people to beat him up?"

Zhang Man had already arrived. Cen Sibao didn't have time to explain, so he waved to her and they ran towards Rhinoceros Bird Technology together.

Assistant Yu's voice came through the phone again: "Ah, no, Mr. Qi is strong and healthy. Ordinary thugs can't get close to him. Even if many people come, he's not afraid, but..."

Assistant Yu thought for a moment and said, "He insulted President Qi's character."

Cen Sibao went to the roadside, looked around, saw no cars, and immediately ran over, asking, "How did he insult me?"

Assistant Yu held the phone up behind her back.

Cen Sibao didn't hear Ding Yaoguang speak; instead, she heard Qi Ji's indifferent voice: "You should thank her for being a snob, which gave you the opportunity to steal the fairy's clothes."

"Fortunately, she has a lot of clothes, so even if she loses one, it won't have much of an impact."

"She just doesn't pursue the matter, but you're holding onto a stolen piece of clothing and thinking you deserve it."

Cen Sibao vaguely heard Ding Yaoguang get so angry that he couldn't utter another word for a long time.

Assistant Yu immediately retrieved the phone, and Cen Sibao also stopped running, glanced at the phone, and asked, "What did you just say? Who was insulting whom?"

Assistant Yu, without changing her expression, continued to defend her superior: "That's not how it is. Please don't misunderstand. President Qi was just wronged and was fighting back. The truth is, the other party started the verbal attack first."

Cen Sibao breathed a sigh of relief: "I know, there's no misunderstanding."

Moreover, Qi Ji's words were quite good. She curled the corners of her lips slightly.

Knowing that Qi Ji wasn't the one who was upset, she slowed down, relieved. "Thank you for telling me, I'll be there soon."

Zhang Man rested for a moment before asking, "What happened? Why were you running?"

Cen Sibao put away her phone and explained, "It was Qi Ji's assistant who called me, saying that Ding Yaoguang went to see Qi Ji."

Zhang Man clicked her tongue in surprise: "He's really brave! He doesn't seem like it at all."

Cen Sibao nodded, "Yes, I didn't expect it either. They said they brought people with them, so it sounds like they were prepared."

In the chaotic reception room, only Bo Le stood aside, as if he were an outsider.

He looked at Qi Ji with a shocked expression, then at Ding Yaoguang, and slowly covered his mouth.

The image of Qi Ji rushing to meet me at the gallery flashed through my mind.

He studied Lin Zishen's paintings, but said that he didn't like the paintings of himself. He also acted strangely after hearing Cen Liang mention that Cen Sibao was in a relationship.

Then, in the restaurant, he deliberately pushed past him and sat next to Cen Sibao.

Later, Cen Sibao did not return for a long time; he left even faster than her own brother.

There's also the strange atmosphere between the two of them, and so on.

Besides that, there was also the man he asked him to find late at night, named Ding Yaozu.

Ah, I see. Everything makes sense now.

Oh right, and Qi Ji hung up on him too. Now it seems he really learned it from Cen Sibao.

Speaking of which, Qi Ji's sarcastic remarks were truly a direct descendant of Cen Sibao's.

Having figured everything out, Bo Le slowly took two steps back, like a concubine in the cold palace who had suddenly learned the emperor's secrets.

Ding Yaoguang's ambition to seize power is audacious, but Qi Ji's clandestine scheme is no less audacious.

What a gentleman! This guy is such a good actor; he even pretended to be Cen Sibao's dentist to lower Cen Liang's guard.

It turns out he was the one who was truly cunning.

After expressing his feelings, Bo Le became troubled again: should he tell Cen Liang?

If we don't say anything, Cen Liang will find out later, and he probably won't be able to escape being held accountable. Right now, there's already Ding Yaoguang as an example.

But if Cen Liang finds out, Cen Heng definitely won't be able to keep it from him either, and then it will truly be a cataclysmic event.

Before Cen Heng left, he probably specifically asked Qi Ji to take care of his sister, and now Qi Ji has become his brother-in-law...

While Bo Le's mind was in a complete mess, he suddenly remembered what Qi Ji had said earlier: Cen Sibao had abandoned him and chosen Ding Yaoguang.

Does this mean that Cen Sibao once dumped Qi Ji?

Bo Le couldn't help but burst out laughing.

His untimely laughter drew the attention of three pairs of eyes to him.

Bo Le wiped her face, trying her best to suppress her smile, "You guys continue, don't mind me."

After saying that, he sat down, crossed his legs, picked up his water glass, and casually blew on the tea leaves.

If this news were told to Cen Liang, Cen Liang would likely give him a break.

Ding Yaoguang was panting heavily, his chest feeling like a broken bellows, clearly furious with Qi Ji.

At this critical moment, he suddenly calmed down.

Since Boss Bo Le is Qi Ji's good friend, and things have come to this point, it's unlikely that he will stay under Qi Ji's wing in the future.

Since I'm going to lose my job anyway, I might as well vent.

He was ready to throw caution to the wind and bluntly said, "President Qi, you can fool a naive young girl like Cen Sibao, but you can't fool me. You don't really like her at all."

Qi Ji raised his eyebrows.

"Hmph, it's nothing more than a short-lived transaction of exchanging money for youth and beauty," Ding Yaoguang said emphatically. "Anyone with eyes can see what really happened."

The group paused.

"With her family background and kinship ties, even her job is in the service industry where she has to smile and fawn over people. She's a materialistic and vain Cinderella who's completely out of your league. I wouldn't even look at her. How could she possibly fit into your circle? In the end, it'll all be for nothing."

After making those harsh remarks, Ding Yaoguang watched with satisfaction as the reception room fell into a deathly silence.

Qi Ji lifted his eyelids and slowly took off the wristwatch on his wrist.

Bo Le accidentally swallowed a mouthful of tea leaves after being teased by Ding Yaoguang. She spat it out and looked up blankly, "Am I... also experiencing a generation gap with you...?"

"An unequal Cinderella? Who are you talking about?"

Ding Yaoguang chuckled and said, "Who else could it be but Cen Sibao!"

After he blurted it out, he saw Bo Le's expression become incredibly complicated. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out for a long time, as if he had nothing to say.

For some reason, he suddenly had a bad feeling.

Bo Le rubbed his temples: "No, you called the heiress of Yufeng Jewelry Cinderella..."

"You've rewritten a new version of Grimm's Fairy Tales?"

Chapter 16

This time, Ding Yaoguang was speechless.

The heir to Yu Fung Jewelry?

He knew every single word of the sentence, but when put together, he suddenly couldn't understand its meaning.

He forced himself to remain calm and retorted, "What heir? Don't try to fool me. She's clearly just a saleswoman! She told me that herself!"

"A saleswoman?" Bo Le scoffed. "That's her family's shop, of course they can do whatever they want. Her brother was there on the gallery's opening day too, would I lie to you?"

Hearing the other party's unequivocal words, Ding Yaoguang's mind was struck as if by a thunderbolt.

He shook his head helplessly, repeating over and over, "How could she be that kind of rich heiress? She told me herself..."

If she really was that kind of person, how could she not be arrogant and domineering when facing him?

If he were the heir to Yufeng Jewelry, he certainly wouldn't act like Cen Sibao, who seems completely indifferent to his status.

But then again, they didn't seem to have gotten along very well. He didn't know her well enough. Her clothes didn't have any obvious brands, so he assumed they were just cheap knock-offs.

"How could this happen? If it's true, if I had known earlier..." Ding Yaoguang's world began to crumble.

The next second, his collar was suddenly pulled up.

He looked up in a daze. Across from him, Qi Ji's gaze was like a frozen abyss, his voice equally unwavering, "If you had known earlier, you would have clung to her desperately, wouldn't you?"

Yes, if he had known earlier that Cen Sibao's family was so well-off, he definitely wouldn't have broken up with her.

He will hold onto her tightly, even if she falls for some other dentist or CEO.

Just as I was thinking this, a sharp pain shot through my cheek, and the world before my eyes became distorted.

Bo Le jumped to his feet and watched as Qi Ji threw a punch at Ding Yaoguang without any mercy.

This was the first time he had ever seen Qi Ji resort to violence.

Ding Yaoguang collapsed to the ground, his eyes tightly shut in pain, groaning and unable to speak.

Assistant Yu was also startled for a moment, but quickly recovered and stepped forward to mediate the fight—he restrained Ding Yaoguang and calmly shouted, "Don't fight, let's talk this out."

Bo Le: "..."

When Cen Sibao stepped into the room, what she saw was Assistant Yu holding down the struggling Ding Yaoguang and constantly persuading him not to make a move.

She was both shocked and furious, and rushed forward in a few steps: "Ding Yaoguang, you actually did it?"

But when she saw Ding Yaoguang's face clearly, she noticed that his cheek was red, indicating that he had just been beaten.

Turning to look at Qi Ji again, he was unharmed and exuded an extraordinary air.

She hesitated for a moment, then whispered to Qi Ji, "Did he lay a hand on you?"

Qi Ji lowered his eyes, stepped forward, pressed his hand on her shoulder, and sighed, "He had work done on his face."

Beside him, Bo Le's eyes were wide open like copper bells.

Cen Sibao also fell silent for a moment.

Even if she was naive, she now knew who had hit whom, and asked in bewilderment, "Just now, Assistant Yu told me that Ding Yaoguang brought people over to cause trouble. How come it was you who hit him?"

Qi Ji didn't want any of Ding Yaoguang's words to reach her ears, so she only said, "He did bring people with him."

After speaking, he glanced at Bo Le.

Bo Le pointed to himself: "?"

Ding Yaoguang, who had been ignored from the side, finally broke free from Assistant Yu's restraints when he saw Cen Sibao.

Clinging to his last glimmer of hope, he hurriedly asked, "Cen Sibao, are you really the heir to Yufeng Jewelry?"

Cen Sibao paused, then asked with some confusion, "You're only finding out now?"

Ding Yaoguang suddenly felt his vision go black.

The confirmation of this news was a hundred times more painful than being beaten. He blurted out, "Why did you keep lying to me?! You didn't believe me?"

Cen Sibao frowned. "What are you talking about? Who lied to you? Didn't I tell you this already?"

"When did you tell me that?" Ding Yaoguang's eyes were bloodshot.

Cen Sibao: "I showed you Yufeng's brochure. The first page has a photo of Yufeng donating money to subsidize grassroots workers who work in high temperatures, and the chairman personally visiting them. Didn't I point to the chairman in the photo and tell you that she was my grandmother?"

Ding Yaoguang's eyes were completely black.

He covered his eyes in despair: "Aren't you pointing towards the row of cleaners sitting across from us?!"

Qi Ji and Bo Le: "..."

Cen Sibao was also stunned. "You can't blame me for that. You just misread it."

Ding Yaoguang continued his accusation: "But you clearly stated that your parents passed away overnight, leaving only you and your brother at home!"

Cen Sibao: "Yes, they've gone on their honeymoon again. Every year they just decide to go out and play on a whim without telling us."

Qi Ji and Bo Le: "..."

Ding Yaoguang's eyes were completely black.

His voice was hoarse from shouting: "You still say that your brother had to go abroad to work, and to a mine!"

Cen Sibao: "Yes, the new supplier is overseas, so he has to go abroad to inspect the gem mining areas."

Qi Ji and Bo Le: "..."

Ding Yaoguang collapsed to the ground, muttering repeatedly, "How could you do this? How could you do this?"

Cen Sibao belatedly realized the misunderstanding between the two, "I'm sorry, I thought you were naturally calm and regarded money as dirt."

Qi Ji pulled her to his side and rubbed his forehead: "Why are you apologizing to him?"

Bo Le watched a dramatic and unpredictable show, his emotions were more turbulent than ever before, and he was truly amazed.

For Ding Yaoguang, for Qi Ji, and especially for Cen Sibao.

But he still had to help clean up the mess, so he lifted Ding Yaoguang up and said, "Alright, it's too late to regret it now. If you want to save face, you'd better leave as soon as possible."

Ding Yaoguang only glanced at Cen Sibao before being blocked by Qi Ji.

Now that he could no longer cling to them no matter what, he felt utterly hopeless and staggered out.

Bo Le rubbed his swollen head: "Forget it, I'll go out and keep an eye on him. I don't want him to get into trouble on the way and cause trouble between you two again."

Immediately afterwards, Assistant Yu tactfully withdrew.

Cen Sibao suddenly realized, "What did Bo Le just say?"

Qi Ji sat down calmly. "He already knows."

Cen Sibao rushed up to him and shook his shoulders violently: "What does he know! What did you say to him!"

Qi Ji smiled and gently pulled her, causing her to lose her balance and fall directly into his arms.

Just as she was about to get up, she was surrounded tightly, and a deep voice came from above her head: "Shh, don't move, your hand hurts."

Cen Sibao paused for a moment, then asked softly, "Really?"

"Um."

"Then I'll go find Assistant Yu and ask if they have any medicine?"

"No need, just leave it like this, it'll be done in a bit."

Cen Sibao waited quietly for a while.

"Okay? Stop acting, I know you're lying to me."

The sturdy chest against which his face rested resonated and vibrated with the sound of its owner's laughter.

Cen Sibao pressed her fingers against his shoulder and slowly pushed him away. Then she looked down at him and said arrogantly, "I like you today, so I won't hold it against you for borrowing my charger without asking."

"Thank you." Qi Ji propped his chin on his hand and looked at her. "May I have dinner with you?"

Cen Sibao coldly rejected his invitation: "No, I'm going to find Zhang Man. She's eating downstairs."

Qi Ji did not stop her.

Just as Zhang Man was about to send a message to Cen Sibao, she appeared in front of her.

Seeing her relaxed expression, Zhang Man knew nothing serious had happened. "Ding Yaoguang is gone?"

Cen Sibao hummed in agreement.

"They didn't fight, did they?"

Cen Sibao didn't think Qi Ji's punch counted as a hit at all. "No, and even if a fight broke out, Ding Yaoguang would be at a disadvantage. I think Qi Ji's assistant is particularly good at taking sides."

“But I thought you would stay up there and have dinner with President Qi,” Zhang Man said, winking.

Cen Sibao waved her hand, "Am I the kind of person who would forget friends for the sake of a pretty face? Since you're here, I'll naturally keep you company first."

Zhang Man clutched her heart with emotion, "I knew I hadn't misjudged you, Xiao Cen."

Cen Sibao's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Of course." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that manager surnamed Sheng again.

She was still wearing that watch on her wrist.

The dark green color and the fair wrist complemented each other perfectly. Cen Sibao nodded in approval to herself.

Zhang Man also noticed her and looked at Cen Sibao: "Didn't you plan to forget about the watch?"

Cen Sibao shook her head. "No, it's just that seeing her suddenly reminded me that our school's anniversary celebration is coming up soon."

"The No. 1 Middle School of the city?"

"Um."

The school is divided into a junior high school and a senior high school. Students can directly enter the senior high school from the junior high school, so Cen Sibao spent six years there.

Zhang Man wasn't a student at No. 1 High School, but she became interested upon hearing this. "You're going?"

Cen Sibao nodded, "If I have time, I should. I'll also go back and visit my teacher."

"That's great, unlike our school, which is relatively unknown and can't possibly hold any anniversary celebrations."

Zhang Man rested her chin on her hand and looked at her, "You must have been quite famous at school back then, right?"

Cen Sibao thought for a moment, then said shamelessly, "I don't know, but my teachers and classmates all like me."

Zhang Man nodded in deep agreement: "I've never met anyone who doesn't like you."

Cen Sibao folded the tissue neatly. "Not really. Qi Ji didn't like me from the beginning. But in the end, I still won him over with my personal charm."

As she spoke, she nodded smugly.

Zhang Man laughed and said, "I should really record this and play it for President Qi."

Cen Sibao said generously, "Let it go, he'll have to admit it himself anyway."

After finishing her meal, Cen Sibao got up and indicated that she needed to go to the restroom.

Zhang Man nodded, "Okay, go ahead, I'll wait for you outside."

Cen Sibao got up happily and walked around the potted plant at the corner.

As she entered the restroom, she lowered her head, straightened the hem of her clothes, and brushed past the woman hurrying past her.

"In full bloom".

Hearing the shout, Cen Sibao subconsciously turned around and saw that the person who brushed past her was Manager Sheng, whom she had just glimpsed. The person with her was calling her.

The other person went to the outer room to wash their hands, rolling up their sleeves. Another person's voice, muffled through half a wall, reached Cen Sibao's ears: "This watch... the one President Qi gave you? It's nice... your skin is fair... it suits you very well."

Cen Sibao stopped in her tracks.

Manager Sheng sounded somewhat surprised: "You found out too?"

"I didn't know before... but now everyone knows... President Qi... I never expected... that he's such a love-obsessed person."

Manager Sheng said helplessly, "He really is something else."

"Yeah, you can't tell at all," the person outside said with a laugh as they left the restroom.

Cen Sibao slowly turned around.

Zhang Man waited outside for a while, and then Cen Sibao came out with a blank expression.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Zhang Man asked, noticing that her complexion was off.

Cen Sibao wiped the water droplets off her hands with a tissue and replied calmly, "I'm fine, Manman. You can go back now. I still have some things to do."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the elevator.

Zhang Man followed her blankly and asked, "Where are you going? And what are you doing?"

Cen Sibao smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just suddenly remembered that I need to give someone something."

"Huh? What are you giving me?"

"hand."

Chapter 17

Zhang Man didn't understand what was happening, but the last-minute work notice forced her to go back immediately.

Cen Sibao casually indicated that it was just a joke, a small problem to deal with, and that she didn't need to come along, and then pushed her away.

Stepping into the elevator, Cen Sibao's face became completely expressionless.

Staring directly at the cold, golden mirror opposite her, the corners of her mouth gradually drooped, and a subtle bitterness welled up in her heart.

The words she had overheard in the restroom kept echoing in her ears.

Although she had told herself before that it was unnecessary, if Qi Ji really was a scumbag who was two-timing her, she didn't need to put in too much effort and could just get out of it in time.

Not making things difficult for herself has always been her life motto.

But when the time actually came, she discovered that everything was different from what she had expected. It turned out she wasn't as carefree as she had imagined.

She couldn't help but imagine what if the other person wasn't Qi Ji, but Ding Yaoguang?

She might feel disgusted, a little angry, or roll her eyes, but she certainly wouldn't be in this state of mind.

It was only then that she realized she might like Qi Ji a little more than she had imagined.

But her brother was right; her taste really wasn't very good.

The little boy in kindergarten couldn't pass his older brother's test of a bag of candy and immediately agreed to "break up" with her. Not long ago, there was Ding Yaoguang, a lunatic; now, there's Qi Ji, a scumbag.

Cen Sibao looked at herself in the mirror and gave a self-deprecating smile.

But she had already made up her mind. She wouldn't cry. After slapping him, she would leave and never see him again.

Cen Sibao strode out of the elevator, like a female warrior.

"Miss Cen?"

Cen Sibao saw Assistant Yu walking towards her, who had probably just come out of Qi Ji's office.

Seeing the unfamiliar coldness in her eyes, he looked bewildered. "Miss Cen, why are you back again?"

“I’m looking for Qi Ji.” Cen Sibao’s voice was also somewhat stiff and hoarse.

In just half an hour, Cen Sibao's expression changed, and Assistant Yu immediately sensed something was wrong.

Why do I suddenly have this feeling that my favorite couple is going to break up?

But he didn't know how to handle it for a moment, so he could only say, "President Qi is still in his office."

After saying that, he followed behind Cen Sibao, ready to improvise.

Cen Sibao didn't knock; she just pushed the door open.

Qi Ji looked up and saw Cen Sibao returning. His surprise had only just begun when he noticed her unusual behavior.

He glanced questioningly at Assistant Yu behind him, then shook his head, indicating that he was also unable to help.

"What's wrong?"

Qi Ji got up and came to her side. He had just reached out his hand when she shoved him away.

The unexpected movement caused Qi Ji to take a step back, causing the pen on the edge of the table to fall to the ground, the sound absorbed by the thick carpet.

Qi Ji looked at Cen Sibao with a slightly surprised expression.

Cen Sibao simply lowered her head and did not look at him.

She wanted to slap the opponent cleanly and decisively, but when she got close, she found it difficult to raise her hand, and even speaking was difficult.

The room fell silent.

Trembling with fear, Assistant Yu mentally raised the danger level by one level. Then, mustering her courage, she squatted down, picked up the pen, and placed it back on the table.

Just as he reached out, a glimpse of green on his wrist, visible through his sleeve, caught Cen Sibao's eye.

The tears in her eyes froze instantly.

That was the men's version, matching the mother-of-pearl inlaid watch on Manager Sheng's wrist.

"Your watch..." she blurted out in a daze.

Assistant Yu glanced at it, her straightforward tone tinged with a hint of boasting: "This? This is an engagement gift that President Qi gave me not long ago."

Cen Sibao's heart immediately jumped, and she asked cautiously, "Assistant Yu, is your fiancé also from this company?"

"Yes, her surname is Sheng, and she's a product manager... cough, could it be that even Miss Cen has heard of her?"

Assistant Yu scratched the back of his head, and a hint of shyness finally appeared on his usually expressionless face. "It seems like the new intern on her team is interested in her. To nip the risk in the bud, I subtly asserted my ownership."

Cen Sibao's body stiffened.

In an instant, the conversation in the bathroom echoed in her ears again, but this time, it was the complete version.

"You found out too?"

"I didn't know at first, but after you were pursued by Xiao Feng, who doesn't know now? Assistant Yu is so angry that she's showing off everywhere the engagement watch that President Qi gave you two. I never expected that Assistant Yu would be so love-struck."

"Sigh, I'm really speechless."

"Yeah, haha, they seem so proper on the surface, you can't tell at all."

Cen Sibao fell silent.

It's really hard to tell.

Yu Huanhuan, how many little surprises are you hiding in private?

That really ruined her life.

After listening to their conversation, Qi Ji narrowed his eyes and looked at Cen Sibao's wrist again.

Combining her words with his own, he finally understood the implication she had made that night.

He lowered his face, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly, as if he were seeing a seed he had nurtured for a long time sprouting.

Cen Sibao controlled her breathing, closed her eyes, and asked slowly and deliberately, "Assistant Yu, why haven't I seen you wearing this watch before?"

Assistant Yu explained apologetically, "I accidentally bumped the watch face before and sent it to be repaired. I only got it back yesterday."

Even now, Assistant Yu has no idea what happened, let alone why the topic suddenly shifted to his watch.

However, he could tell that both Cen Sibao and Qi Ji had changed their auras, and the atmosphere was no longer as tense as before.

Qi Ji glanced at Assistant Yu, immediately understood, turned around and left, then carefully closed the door behind him.

The office that occupied the entire floor was suddenly empty. Cen Sibao curled her fingers, lowered her head, and tried to leave, but Qi Ji had already come in front of her, waiting for her to walk into his trap.

She reached out to push him away, but his hand held her firmly, and she heard his magnetic voice above her head:

"You saw the watch on Manager Sheng's hand, and later found out it was a gift from me. You misunderstood?"

Cen Sibao's face was flushed red, and she remained silent.

Qi Ji then said sincerely, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were talking about this that night. The watch was given directly to Assistant Yu, so I didn't expect you to misunderstand."

"Were you trying to slap me just now?"

"But no, did you still soften your heart?"

He lowered his eyes gently and asked, "So, you still like me, don't you?"

After he finished speaking, he saw that Cen Sibao was still looking down and not moving.

But he could feel the subtle tremor in her fingertips.

He paused, then used his left hand to lift her face—

She was biting her lower lip tightly, her eyes brimming with tears.

Qi Ji frowned and gently rubbed the corner of her lips. "Don't bite."

He then sighed softly, "It's alright if you don't want to tell me."

Meeting his tolerant gaze, Cen Sibao finally spoke with a desperate urge, her voice choked with emotion: "Okay, I admit it, I really like you! I misunderstood, I was just jealous!"

After saying that, she covered her eyes, feeling wronged: "But I was really upset just now. It's so embarrassing to be jealous of the wrong person. I've never been so embarrassed in my life. How could I do this..."

Qi Ji carried her into the rest room and wiped away her tears.

He ruffled her hair. "I told you, you don't need to worry about losing face in front of me."

Qi Ji gazed intently at her. "I'm glad you'll be angry and come looking for trouble with me."

He made no attempt to hide his joy.

"If being jealous is shameful, then I've lost far more face than you have."

Cen Sibao raised her eyes.

"I got jealous when I saw that you liked Lin Zishen's paintings. When I heard that you were in a relationship, I became even more confused and couldn't stay rational."

"By the way, I heard from your brother that you've had boyfriends since kindergarten. Even if it's just playing around, I can't laugh at all."

He dissected his own dark side without a care in the world.

"There are many more sections in between, right? I've been deliberately avoiding thinking about them because I'm afraid you'll see my ugly expression of jealousy."

Cen Sibao sniffed and said in a nasal tone, "None of those count."

Qi Ji chuckled softly, "Yes, none of that matters. What matters is that I like you, and I'm sure I like you more than you like me."

Upon hearing this, Cen Sibao's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he lowered his head to gently lick away the last drop of water on them, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

Then his gaze slowly moved down and settled on Cen Sibao's lips, which were bitten red.

That was what he had longed for day and night for so long.

Qi Ji's Adam's apple twitched slightly.

Before Cen Sibao could react, the person in front of her suddenly leaned down.

Her waist was gripped tightly, and in a moment of dizziness, she heard Qi Ji say, "Open your mouth."

Then came a low chuckle, "Didn't you say I was your dentist?"

Her lips were pried open, and then she felt her teeth being gently brushed against, bringing a ticklish sensation that spread straight to her heart.

An overwhelming sense of drowning made Cen Sibao tilt her head back to rest, panting as she said, "You're not my dentist."

The man opposite her pulled her back in front of him and said in a deep voice, "Then you can be my dentist and take a look at my deepest tooth."

Assistant Yu was lost in thought in his office.

At this moment, Sheng Fang sent him a message, telling him to be more reserved and stop spreading the news that the two of them were engaged.

Assistant Yu replied earnestly, "Okay, honey. I didn't expect even Miss Cen to know. It seems the news has spread far enough; we can stop now. By the way, do you remember Miss Cen?"

Sheng Fang's tone was also unusually enthusiastic: "Of course, didn't I tell you before? Miss Cen is my junior, she used to be quite famous at school. Actually, you could also say she's President Qi's junior, so it's quite a coincidence that the two of you are connected."

Assistant Yu was taken aback and asked, "What? President Qi also went to your school?"

"Yes, I only found out recently, but I remember he only stayed at No. 1 High School for a short time. Don't go around spreading it around, I guess President Qi doesn't want to talk about that experience either."

Ten minutes later, Assistant Yu checked the time and went to the top-floor office again, just as Cen Sibao and Qi Ji came out.

He observed carefully and confirmed that the storm had passed between the two and that their relationship had made a significant breakthrough. He breathed a long sigh of relief.

But thinking of Sheng Fang's words, he couldn't help but glance at Qi Ji again.

At that moment, he only had eyes for Cen Sibao and didn't look at him.

"Alright, I have to go back to work." Cen Sibao waved goodbye to Qi Ji and whispered, "Remember, you have to act the same way in front of others."

Qi Ji nodded helplessly.

Cen Sibao returned to the store happily and on time. Zhang Man also sent a message during her work break to ask if she was alright.

Cen Sibao sent her a spinning emoji, "It's okay, I'll tell you the details tonight."

Sister Zhou quickly noticed her change in mood and teased, "Your smile is practically flying to the sky, did something good happen?"

Cen Sibao put her hands behind her back, smiled, and did not answer.

Looking at her lips, which seemed to have changed to a different lipstick shade, Sister Zhou suddenly understood, and everything was clear without words.

In Cen Sibao's opinion, the afternoon passed exceptionally quickly; in the blink of an eye, it was time to get off work.

Once outside, Cen Sibao headed straight for where Qi Ji had parked his car.

Qi Ji stood outside the car, leaning lazily against the door, waiting for her.

His face was as handsome as ever, but the moment he looked at her, the emotions in his eyes melted, and it seemed that every feature of his face became more profound and more in line with her wishes.

Cen Sibao looked around to make sure there were no acquaintances, then immediately pounced on them.

Qi Ji opened his arms and caught her steadily, then pulled her tightly into his arms as if they hadn't seen each other for many years.

In contrast to Cen Sibao, Qi Ji's work efficiency was unusually poor this afternoon.

He had been controlling many tiny employees in his mind, who had been doing their jobs methodically and without making any mistakes, but things went awry that afternoon.

The little figure in the reply email occasionally stares blankly.

The little figure that signs documents occasionally stops working.

Listening to the technical executives' lengthy presentations piling up numbers, the stern-minded person, who should have sharply interrupted halfway through, listened until the very end before offering any comments, while openly daydreaming about someone else in between.

Before meeting Cen Sibao, he never imagined that someone could have such a big influence on him.

But now, as Cen Sibao came into his arms, these chibi-style figures with Qi Ji's faces finally regained their senses completely.

The little creatures raised their hands and solemnly issued the most correct instruction in his mind at that moment—it's time to kiss her!

Chapter 18

A little version of her also lingers in Cen Sibao's heart.

Xiao Cen was even faster; before Qi Ji could even move, she had already directed her to give him a kiss.

Faced with the first act of intimacy from someone he liked, the little figures in Qi Ji's mind all blushed.

However, he did not show it on his face. He gently led her into the car first, and then took the initiative.

After a brief kiss, Cen Sibao was about to fasten her seatbelt when she suddenly touched a smooth, cold object.

Looking down, I saw it was an exquisite walnut box, which looked like a jewelry box.

Cen Sibao picked it up and gestured to Qi Ji, "This, was it left behind by someone else?"

He just shook his head. "No one but you has ever sat in the passenger seat of this car."

Cen Sibao understood; then it must be a gift for her.

But she still feigned modesty and asked, "What's inside the box? Can I open it now?"

He smiled and said, "There's nothing you can't see."

So Cen Sibao couldn't wait to lift the lid, and a ring came into view.

The first thing she noticed was the black opal that served as the main stone.

With its deep base color, the stone reveals a vibrant array of colors within with just a slight rotation.

Blue and green, red and purple, it's like sealing away a vast expanse of aurora, only for specific people to see at specific times.

Her eyes lit up, and she quickly turned to look at Qi Ji, "Hmm?"

Qi Ji lowered his eyes slightly, revealing that he was not as calm as he appeared. "That night, didn't you say that something was missing from your hand?"

She suddenly realized, "And then you actually went to buy a ring?"

Cen Sibao couldn't help but chuckle, pinching the ring that perfectly matched her aesthetic sense and dangling it in mid-air. "Well, you've got a good eye for choosing. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were proposing."

Qi Ji shook his head. "This isn't for wearing on your ring finger; it's just for decorating your finger."

Cen Sibao deliberately said, "But there's only one, so it can't decorate much."

Qi Ji smiled but did not answer immediately.

Cen Sibao sensed something from his smile, and then suddenly noticed that there was also a dark-colored box in the storage compartment below the door.

She opened it, and inside was another ring of a different style.

The perfectly round Tahitian black pearl, with its delicate surface shimmering with a peacock green iridescence, clearly reflected her slightly stunned expression.

She then looked at Qi Ji, "There are two?"

Qi Ji lifted his eyelashes and glanced at her with a smile. "Perhaps, let's look again?"

Then Cen Sibao found another one on the center console.

Cen Sibao herself had many rings, but she wasn't usually interested in wearing them. However, now, she leaned forward, resting her chin on Qi Ji's broad shoulder, and laughed for a long time. "Are you playing a treasure hunt with me? I love it!"

Qi Ji kissed the top of her head, and tenderness flowed between them.

He embraced her, took her hand in his other hand, and slowly reached into his shirt pocket.

Suddenly, Cen Sibao's fingertips unexpectedly touched another small box.

She took it out and looked at it with delight, then remembered something, looked up at Qi Ji, and asked, "You don't have one in your office, do you?"

It was only then that she remembered that when she was in his lounge at noon, she seemed to have seen a leather box on the table out of the corner of her eye.

However, I was too busy playing the dentist game with him at the time to pay much attention to it.

Qi Ji smiled and said frankly, "It's a pity you didn't notice today."

She retorted, "How would I have had a chance to look for it? Besides, why didn't you remind me back then?"

Qi Ji's smile deepened. "Because I'm waiting for you to go find me again next time."

"Oh, so it was intentional." Cen Sibao felt he was cunning again and began to list his many misdeeds.

Qi Ji wiped her eyes, which were filled with joy, and there was no trace of redness left, but he could still see the image of her crying in his mind.

He leaned down and kissed her tenderly over and over again.

It was a cold winter outside, but the temperature inside the car seemed to be getting higher and higher.

Cen Sibao's hair, which had been styled in a bun, gradually came loose, revealing a few long fingertips that were partially visible as they moved downwards.

When she was moved, Cen Sibao's eyes were misty with tears, like a pool of spring water being held by Qi Ji.

Her fingertips lingered on Qi Ji's body, and her mind flashed back to some topics that she had discussed with Zhang Man that would be censored.

Now it's certain that Qi Ji can perfectly capture her heart, whether it's his face, his body, or even the scent of his aftershave.

In contrast, Qi Ji held her tightly in front of him, his nose pressed against her fragrant neck, unable to suppress his increasingly heavy breathing, his strong arms pressed against the soft, undulating edges of her body.

Then Cen Sibao's phone screen lit up, displaying a message from Zhang Man: "Little Cen, aren't you back yet? I've already finished working overtime and am back in the dorm."

She suddenly woke up, glanced at the time, and was shocked, wondering if she and Qi Ji had just been in the sky.

Aside from the fact that a day in heaven is equivalent to a year on earth, there is really no other explanation for how time passes so quickly.

Qi Ji glanced at the time, showing no surprise whatsoever. He calmly buttoned up her collar, tidied her hair, and then started the car.

Cen Sibao replied to Zhang Man: "Still on the way, almost there."

On the messaging screen, Zhang Man quickly sent the most stern question: "That's really fast. I worked overtime for more than an hour, and if you include the time it took to get back, you and President Qi... also worked overtime for almost two hours on the road?"

It's obvious something's wrong.

Cen Sibao's face flushed instantly, and she could only whine, "Oh well, you've already guessed it, so don't ask for so many details."

Zhang Man couldn't help but exclaim, "So, you finally gave in and let President Qi have his way?"

Upon seeing this sentence, Cen Sibao suddenly recalled the scene at noon in Qi Ji's lounge.

"Do you remember what I said? When I come back, you won't have a chance to go back on your word."

Qi Ji brought it up again, this time with a greater weight in his voice.

Cen Sibao snorted: "If you had just said back then that you liked me very, very much, without all that other unnecessary nonsense, there wouldn't have been all this trouble later."

Qi Ji looked at her intently: "I'm making you think it through because I don't want to be abandoned by your fleeting enthusiasm so quickly."

He simply suppressed his emotions and waited for her complete affirmation.

Cen Sibao wanted to refute that she wasn't that kind of person, but after thinking about it carefully, she felt that she didn't have enough confidence to completely refute it.

However, she put on a serious expression: "But I don't want any reserved love. From childhood to adulthood, my family has given me so much love. Maybe that has raised my threshold. You have to show it very obviously so that I can see it."

Therefore, when faced with Qi Ji's temporary concession that night, allowing her to think things through, she felt that he didn't like her enough.

For Qi Ji, it was his oversight, a misstep that he could not regret.

Cen Sibao asked again, "So now you're not afraid of being abandoned by me?"

Qi Ji glanced at her indifferently, "I've already abandoned you once."

When this was mentioned, Cen Sibao did feel a little guilty.

Qi Ji: "So I won't make the same mistake twice."

Returning to the present, Cen Sibao rested her chin on her hand and finished typing: "That's it, I agree."

Zhang Man was also happy for her and breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, she benefited from Xiao Cen's influence and ate at his staff canteen for so long. Now, as a member of the "family," she feels a bit more legitimate.

"Great, you're finally free of any obstacles."

Cen Sibao hesitated for a moment, "That's not entirely true."

“You’re already together, what obstacles are there?” Zhang Man asked, puzzled.

“And my brother too.”

Zhang Man also remembered, "Yes, that's indeed a difficult hurdle to overcome. Even if we don't mention your own brother, cousin, or other relatives, there's still your maternal cousin. Mr. Qi, good luck."

Cen Sibao's only solution to this problem was to escape.

Anyway, let's wait until her brother finds out before we talk about it. Until then, everything will be fine.

The car pulled up to the parking space in front of the dormitory area and the engine was turned off.

"Then I'm off," Cen Sibao said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

There was no sound behind him.

She turned her face, and Qi Ji tilted his head, looking at her. Then he stretched out his long arm and pulled her back.

I don't want to break up.

Cen Sibao was also discovering for the first time how addictive Qi Ji's embrace was.

Perhaps Qi Ji thought the same thing.

After maintaining this position for a long time, the sound of a cell phone vibrating suddenly rang out in the cramped space.

The two didn't notice whose phone was making the sound until Cen Sibao's phone swiped out, revealing the two large characters "Cen Heng" clearly in front of them.

Qi Ji raised an eyebrow, picked up her phone, answered the call, and held the phone to her ear.

"Why haven't you answered for so long? Have you gone back to your dorm?"

Cen Heng's deep, mellow voice rang out, immediately rousing Cen Sibao from her reverie.

She replied without changing her expression, "Of course I'm back. Don't you even know what time it is?"

Cen Heng frowned: "What's wrong with your voice?"

Noticing Qi Ji's slight upturn of the lips, Cen Sibao glared at him, then cleared her throat, "I was watching a variety show with my roommate just now, it was so funny, I laughed until my throat was hoarse."

Qi Ji smiled silently again.

Cen Heng: "So engrossed in your work that you forgot to answer the phone?"

Worried that Cen Heng might suspect something, she continued, "I just didn't see clearly that it was my brother calling, otherwise I would have answered immediately. I've missed you so much since you've been away on business for so long."

After calculating the days, she continued, "It's just a pity that I have to wait a few more days to see you."

As she spoke, Cen Sibao actually got a little involved and sniffed.

Qi Ji listened expressionlessly, but couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness in his heart.

Upon hearing this, Cen Heng's gaze softened. "Do you really miss your brother that much?"

"Of course!"

"Then I'll give you a surprise."

"Wow!" Cen Sibao exclaimed expectantly, "Did you bring me a gift? What is it?"

"Want to know? Come downstairs."

Cen Sibao's smile vanished abruptly. "Huh?"

“I came back early, right at the entrance of the dormitory area.”

"Don't worry, you'll see your brother right now."

Chapter 19

"Aren't you surprised?" Cen Heng's voice was melodious.

Yang De Cen Si Bao felt a chill run down his spine.

Riding high on the spring breeze, the horse gallops swiftly; like a precious steed, it stumbles and falls.

She slowly shifted her gaze to the window and, sure enough, saw a tall figure blocking the entrance.

He had his back to this side, so he didn't notice the familiar car behind him, with two familiar people sitting inside.

On the phone, Cen Heng noticed she hadn't responded for a while and asked sharply, "What's wrong?"

Cen Sibao didn't know what to say, so she looked to Qi Ji for help.

Qi Ji had already heard Cen Heng's words.

He really wanted to get off the bus now, confess everything, and be open about his life, so he wouldn't have to hide anymore.

But seeing Cen Sibao's panicked eyes, he gave up.

Under Qi Ji's guidance, Cen Sibao replied in a cheerful tone, "I was so happy I couldn't speak! It was such a pleasant surprise! Brother, wait a moment, I'll be right there."

Cen Heng was relieved. "It's okay, take it easy."

He put down his phone and began waiting for his sister to appear.

Qi Ji picked up his phone, found his friend's number, and dialed it.

Cen Heng heard the ringtone quickly, glanced at the caller ID, and asked with some surprise, "Qi Ji? Why are you calling at this hour? Is something wrong?"

However, he did not hear a sound from the other side for a long time.

Cen Heng hesitated for a moment, "Qi Ji?"

Then a broken voice came from the other end: "Can't you hear me...? Is the signal bad?"

Cen Heng called out again, "Hello? Qi Ji?"

He was puzzled. "Is it a problem with my signal?"

He tried moving around a bit and was able to hear more sounds from the other end, so it seemed to be a signal problem on his end.

But it's still not clear enough.

So Cen Heng took his phone and began to focus on finding a signal, gradually leaving the gate.

Cen Sibao leaned against the window, watching cautiously.

Seeing Cen Heng's attention gradually shift, she excitedly turned back and silently mouthed praise to Qi Ji: "You! A genius at luring the tiger away from the mountain!"

Qi Ji looked at her, and continued to utter the words one by one, pretending that the signal was bad, with a helpless yet amused expression.

After praising her, Cen Sibao immediately got out of the car quietly and ran towards the dormitory gate.

The moment she stepped through the door, Cen Heng finally heard Qi Ji's voice clearly on his phone.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Qi Ji? What happened?"

Qi Ji paused for a moment, then said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to ask when you're coming back to China so I can pick you up."

Cen Heng was speechless: "Just for this?"

Faced with this sudden display of "concern" from someone he considered a gentleman with a relationship as distant as water, he felt a chill run down his spine and his eyebrow twitched slightly. "No need," he said, "I'm already back."

"Never mind then." After saying that, Qi Ji hung up the phone, leaving Cen Heng standing there bewildered.

With a narrow escape, Cen Sibao secretly carried out her plan right under her brother's nose.

Then, pretending to have just left the dormitory, she hurriedly ran out in Cen Heng's sight.

Cen Heng went up to him, "Didn't I tell you to slow down?"

"I was just worried you'd be waiting." Cen Sibao smiled without any sign of anything amiss, then looked behind her and gave Qi Ji a look, signaling him to leave quickly.

Who knows, Cen Heng might recognize his car.

But some doubts remained. Cen Heng asked, "You changed your clothes before coming down?"

Cen Sibao paused for two seconds, "Yes—to welcome you who have come from afar."

Cen Heng smiled and said, "You're so quirky."

He had never been away for this long before on a business trip, and since his parents were not around, the first thing he did upon returning was to see his younger sister.

Seeing that she was still radiant, he was completely relieved and pushed out the huge box next to him, which was full of gifts he had brought for her.

Cen Sibao couldn't help but open it and take a look. It had everything from precious jewelry to strange wood carvings, as well as food and household items.

She looked up and said, "Brother, you look like a small shop owner who's out buying supplies."

Cen Heng's lips curled up again. He patted her head and said patiently, "Didn't you make a wish when you were little that your family owned a chain of supermarkets?"

Although she denied it the next day.

Cen Sibao said seriously, "Brother, Cen Liang is wrong. You are the real Doraemon."

Cen Heng asked, puzzled, "Who did he say was Doraemon?"

Realizing she had let something slip, Cen Sibao quickly shut up, "Nobody, it was just a little joke."

Cen Heng didn't take it to heart. "Alright, it's getting late. Go back to your dorm. Tomorrow's Friday. I'll take you to work and then pick you up tonight."

"Okay, then you should go back and rest too, and get over your jet lag." Cen Sibao looked at the shadows under his eyes and nudged him.

After happily saying goodbye to Cen Heng and returning to her dormitory, Cen Sibao was subjected to another round of questioning by Zhang Man.

I gave her a portion of the gift, which shut her up.

A perfect night.

However, Cen Sibao did not see Qi Ji again from Friday to the weekend.

Her brief career as a saleswoman came to an end, and through a collaboration, Yu Feng is about to launch a brand new sub-brand, which she will be fully in charge of.

Since she was about to officially join the company, Cen Heng and Cen Liang took her out to play these past few days, taking advantage of the ample time they had.

On the evening of the weekend, Qi Jiyou sent a message: "Now that you've won me over, you don't cherish me anymore?"

Cen Sibao then remembered that she had hung up on Qi Ji twice in the past few days.

Because her brother lived right across the street, and she was so tired when she got home that night that she fell asleep immediately, she completely forgot about calling back.

Qi Ji was also very "sensible" and did not urge them.

Cen Sibao felt increasingly guilty as she thought about it, and at the same time, longing for him welled up in her heart.

I didn't realize it when I wasn't thinking about it, but now that it's late at night and all is quiet, the longing suddenly bursts forth.

She immediately dialed the number, and before the other end could speak, she said, "I miss you so much."

After a few seconds of silence, a laugh rang out, "Looks like my trip wasn't in vain."

"What do you mean?" Cen Sibao was stunned at first, then realized what was going on, and immediately rushed to the window, lifted the curtain and looked outside.

Sure enough, she saw the car not far from the garden.

A tall figure stood beside the car, looking this way.

She couldn't see his expression, but she could easily imagine it.

She was overjoyed and wanted to turn around and go down to find him, but Qi Ji stopped her: "No need to come out, it's cold outside."

Cen Sibao said hurriedly, "Then you're still standing outside, why don't you get in the car too?"

She craned her neck to look around and said to be sure, "Don't worry, even if you're sitting in the car, I can still see you clearly."

Qi Ji then got into the car.

Cen Sibao was already a little sleepy, but she perked up and told Qi Ji about her itinerary over the past two days, as well as her anxieties about work that she hadn't told her family.

Qi Ji listened quietly, offering suggestions from time to time.

Time has started to fly by again without warning.

Cen Sibao's voice was a little hoarse as she spoke, and she finally softened her voice: "Qi Ji, I really missed you, and this time I'm not just trying to coax you."

Qi Ji smiled. "So, you were just trying to appease me before?"

"You're not allowed to nitpick over words!"

Qi Ji lowered his gaze, composed himself, and said, "I miss you too."

Cen Sibao rolled over contentedly. "It's okay, we can meet tomorrow."

But she didn't see him the next day either, because Cen Heng was going to take her directly to the headquarters to work.

And naturally, she no longer needed to go to the hornbill nests further away for lunch.

At the same time, Cen Sibao also started working overtime frequently. For convenience, and also because of the winter vacation, she moved back home.

As a result, she had even fewer opportunities to meet Qi Ji.

But on nights when no one knows, Qi Ji would often take a detour after finishing overtime, drive to the Cen family's house, and then talk to her through two windows.

We chat about trivial things that make us both happy.

For example, the story of Assistant Yu and his love rival.

This time, Cen Sibao's affection seems to be more than just a fleeting infatuation.

Aside from her family, she had never liked anyone so much, to the point of almost overflowing.

On the day of the school anniversary celebration, Cen Sibao changed her clothes and prepared to go out.

Although Cen Heng and Cen Liang were both students at No. 1 Middle School, they each had more important things to do today.

Moreover, unlike Cen Sibao, they weren't "powerful" figures at school and didn't have such deep feelings for the school, so they only sent flower baskets.

Cen Sibao outwardly stated that her family driver would take her, but in reality, once they reached a place where no one could see her, she secretly got into a car.

Qi Ji looked at her, who resembled someone from an underground rendezvous, and asked, resting his chin on his hand, "When can I see the light of day?"

Cen Sibao thought for a moment, "Let's wait a bit longer. When you guys got together the other day, my brother's attitude was still very firm, wasn't it? Let's wait until I'm a little older."

Qi Ji sighed softly, "I'm afraid even when you're eighty years old, your brother still won't want you to get married."

Cen Sibao laughed out loud: "That's too exaggerated, I don't believe it."

"Let's not talk about that anymore. Look at my brooch, isn't it pretty?"

Knowing she was changing the subject, Qi Ji still looked her over carefully before saying, "It looks good, it goes well with this dress, and it suits you very well too."

"Right? This is my favorite brooch."

We chatted casually along the way, and soon the car arrived at the entrance of No. 1 Middle School.

"Why don't you go in and take a look around? See my old campus , you might even see the trophies I won in competitions."

Cen Sibao said smugly, "I used to have excellent grades and be very smart."

Qi Ji raised an eyebrow. "You're still very smart now."

"That's right."

After laughing, Qi Ji glanced at his watch but didn't go inside with her. He simply said, "I have an online meeting later. I'll come pick you up after it's over."

"Okay then, see you later."

Cen Sibao got out of the car, waved to him, declined the guidance of the volunteer students, and walked into the school alone.

Despite it being the weekend, the campus was bustling with people, and banners and colorful flags were everywhere.

The list of distinguished alumni scrolled across the big screen, and as expected, she saw her own name, followed by Cen Heng and Cen Liang.

She nodded in satisfaction and was about to leave when she suddenly noticed another name she knew by heart on the next line—Qi Ji.

With the addition of "Hornbird Technology" at the end, it's impossible to mistake it.

She was taken aback. Could it be that Qi Ji was also a student at this middle school?

How come she's never heard of it before?

Cen Sibao thought carefully for a moment and confirmed that she did not have this name in her memory.

Judging by their ages, even if they went to the same school, it must have been when she was in junior high, while he was probably a senior in high school. It's normal that they didn't have any interaction.

However, she shouldn't have been completely unaware of someone as outstanding as Qi Ji. Besides, why didn't Qi Ji tell her about it earlier?

Just then, she suddenly heard someone call her name: "Cen Sibao?"

Cen Sibao turned her head and saw a delicate-looking girl wearing rimless glasses smiling at her.

"You are, Peng..." A somewhat vague name flashed through her mind. After hesitating for a moment, she finally had a flash of inspiration: "Peng Xiao'an?"

The girl was pleasantly surprised. "It's me! You still remember my name? We were only in the saame class for one year in junior high."

Cen Sibao raised her chin: "Of course, I have a very good memory."

He then waved to her enthusiastically: "Let's go together?"

Peng Xiaoan quickly walked a few steps and caught up with her.

Cen Sibao's gaze inadvertently drifted to below her collar, and she reminded her, "Your clothes are dirty."

Peng Xiaoan nodded. "I know. I accidentally bumped into someone and spilled some of my drink."

Cen Sibao glanced at it, took the brooch off her chest, and handed it to her: "Here, wearing it will cover it up."

Peng Xiaoan looked at the brooch, which was clearly very valuable, then looked at her and smiled: "You really haven't changed."

Cen Sibao looked at her in confusion: "Hmm?"

"Do you remember? Back in junior high, you gave me something really valuable."

In Cen Sibao's memory, she and Peng Xiaoan had almost no interaction, except...

She vaguely remembered that when she had her first period, she was trapped in the bathroom and helpless, and it was Peng Xiaoan who helped her.

"Yes, that was the time."

"After you came out of the restroom, you said you wanted to thank me, and then you casually handed me a gold watch."

Peng Xiaoan gestured, "It's so heavy, it scared me."

Cen Sibao also saw herself as she was when she was just over ten years old.

To this day, she doesn't quite remember why she brought the watch to school, but for a while, she was fascinated by intricately designed objects, perhaps just for the purpose of disassembling them.

Studying is not difficult for her; she has plenty of time at school.

Later, Peng Xiaoan helped her out. Knowing that Peng Xiaoan was receiving a poverty subsidy from the school, she felt that the watch could ease her burden, so she gave it to him without thinking.

Peng Xiaoan's expression was somewhat complicated. "You probably don't know, but at that moment, I really disliked you a little."

Cen Sibao was somewhat bewildered by this unfamiliar word, "Hate me? Why?"

"Because I really wanted to accept it at the time. I was old enough to understand, and your watch might be worth several months' income for my parents."

"The temptation is too great, but I'm also in a dilemma. What will happen after I accept it?"

“My parents are very strict and principled people. They would never be greedy for small gains. They would scold me for such a large sum of money, make me pay it back, and might even have to grovel and apologize in front of my family. I can’t handle that.”

"At the same time, I was also wondering if you would regret it later? What would your family think of me? It's so awkward."

"It's not just the trouble that will follow if I accept it, but more importantly, you've just placed such a huge temptation right in front of me."

"In that moment, my wavering seemed to reveal my greed. How embarrassing, in front of classmates who should be my equals."

Peng Xiaoan did not say these words at the time; after a moment of silence, he simply rejected her with a few words.

At that moment, Cen Sibao's face flushed, and she lowered her hands, saying, "I'm sorry."

Peng Xiaoan shook his head. "No need to apologize to me. We were just kids back then, and it was just a small thing. You didn't understand social etiquette back then, but ultimately, the problem was with me. I was too sensitive because of poverty."

She blinked: "You can't imagine, even when I ask my parents for tuition fees, I feel a sense of shame for letting them down."

Cen Sibao had never experienced that level of sensitivity before, but she knew clearly that she had hurt a little girl.

She was just being presumptuous.

Cen Sibao became increasingly upset as she thought about it.

Seeing her bewildered expression, Peng Xiaoan smiled with relief: "Don't cry, it's all in the past. That moment of dislike was probably mixed with a bit of envy."

"Now, through hard work, I've found a good job and can afford a gold watch, so all those sensitivities have vanished."

"I even think it's silly of me when I was a kid. If it were now, I would have just stuffed the gold watch you gave me into my pocket, regardless of whether you wanted it back or not. The more the merrier," Peng Xiaoan joked.

Cen Sibao pursed her lips, unable to feel happy.

Peng Xiaoan suddenly remembered something, "My matter is nothing, but back then, you, with such good intentions, impulsively and recklessly barged into someone else's life, which did cause trouble for that person."

"I wonder if you talked to that senior student to clear things up later? He's the one who's really pitiful." She sighed.

Cen Sibao was stunned, then felt as if the sky had fallen. "You mean, I've done even more serious stupid things to others?"

"I don't think you can call it stupid," Peng Xiaoan said, somewhat surprised. "But have you forgotten?"

Cen Sibao's eyes reddened, and she nodded. "I really don't remember. What's the name of the person you're talking about? I'll go find him and apologize to him."

Peng Xiaoan thought for a moment, "I only remember that the person's surname seems to be Qi."

Chapter 20

The school anniversary celebration went smoothly, but Cen Sibao was absent-minded throughout.

Her memory kept rewinding until, in a corner, she arrived at the eve of the school sports meet, which was also what Peng Xiaoan said: "One day, I saw you rush back to the classroom, take two hundred yuan from your wallet and run away."

Cen Sibao vaguely remembered this incident.

During recess that day, she ran to the high school section to find Cen Heng. He was playing basketball with someone on the playground, so she sat down and waited.

She vaguely heard someone next to her talking about the class buying class uniforms for the opening ceremony of the sports meet. All the students raised their hands to approve it, except for one transfer student who refused.

He said he wouldn't buy class uniforms, and it wouldn't matter even if he didn't attend the opening ceremony.

Cen Sibao's inner thoughts were the same as those of the other student she was chatting with: "Said it in public? Why? That would be so antisocial! I'm already a transfer student."

"Because I don't have money," the boy said casually.

"Seriously? How much did your class uniforms cost? You can't even afford that?"

"It's not expensive, only a little over a hundred yuan. Not to mention class uniforms, even the usual material fees, everyone else pays, but he doesn't. He just borrows the books and copies them by hand."

"Such a thick stack of exercises, I'm impressed. I don't know where they get the patience. They're probably copying them by hand in the classroom right now."

The boy changed the subject, "But even though he's not a social butterfly, he's actually a pretty nice guy. Last time my model airplane motor broke, he wanted to borrow it, but I thought it was useless and offered to give it to him. But he actually fixed it and returned it to me."

"In this sports meet, there were several of the most tiring events that no one wanted to sign up for, but he ended up taking them on."

Another person asked, "Is his family very poor?"

“I overheard a bit of it once when I passed by the teacher’s office. The teacher had never seen his parents. He’s a day student, and it seems he’s staying with a relative, probably not a very close one. No one ever attends parent-teacher conferences for him; he always does it on his own…”

The boy stopped talking and suddenly noticed a slender figure watching them from the side.

He looked over and saw a pretty girl with a chubby face that hadn't fully developed yet, but at that moment, her expression was like that of a puppy that had been soaked by the rain.

He exchanged a flustered glance with his companion, wondering why she was looking at them like that, and then realized she looked vaguely familiar.

Just then, another boy on the field walked towards her, and his bright eyes suddenly sharpened when he saw her face: "Why are you crying?"

They all recognized him; it was Cen Heng from Class 1, the top student in the grade.

From his words, they also remembered that the girl must be his younger sister, Cen Sibao from the junior high school, who was famous for taking first place in all subjects in the beginning-of-term exams.

Seeing his hostile gaze sweep over them, and realizing that he might think they were the ones who made his precious little sister cry, the two of them became uneasy.

Although it seems that they really were the ones who made her cry.

It's a real injustice.

Fortunately, Cen Sibao stopped him in time, rubbed her eyes, and said, "Brother, I'm fine. I just suddenly remembered the TV series I watched yesterday."

Cen Heng then took her back to his class.

There are three classes on the first floor of the teaching building. Cen Heng's class is at the end of the corridor. When she passed by the third class at the other end, she casually glanced inside from the back door.

Those two boys just now, it seems they were talking about Class 3.

She spotted him immediately in the corner of the empty classroom.

The shoulders were broad yet thin, with the shoulder blades drawn in beneath the school uniform. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting delicate shadows.

A gust of wind blew by, pressing the school uniform tightly against the straight back, revealing the straight bone line in the middle.

Cen Sibao unconsciously stopped in her tracks.

The boy's sleeves were a little short, revealing a section of his slender wrist bone, which was moving slightly as he wrote.

It must be him.

Since he's willing to participate in the sports meet, he probably isn't really antisocial.

If he doesn't attend the opening ceremony, while others are rehearsing enthusiastically and cheering for the collective memory and honor, he will once again become an outcast and an oddball standing alone on the sidelines.

Will you feel a sense of disappointment?

Ahead, Cen Heng turned back, puzzled: "What's wrong?"

Cen Sibao suddenly looked up, "Brother, I suddenly remembered something, I'll go back first!"

After saying that, she turned and ran away under Cen Heng's confused gaze, running all the way back to the junior high school.

She opened her wallet, took out two bills, and without pausing, turned around and ran back, panting.

When she arrived at the classroom door of Class 3, she was so exhausted she felt like her lungs were about to explode.

At this moment, the classroom was empty; the boy had disappeared.

Cen Sibao came to his seat and saw a stack of papers with handwritten questions. The handwriting was neat and tidy, with the characters penetrating the paper.

She slipped the money between the papers, closed the box, and then quietly left.

She thought he would be very happy when he saw the money that had suddenly appeared.

She seems to have watched too many chivalrous dramas and thinks she can help everyone.

Looking back now, she was such an arrogant fool.

After that, Cen Sibao put the matter out of her mind until today, when Peng Xiaoan brought it up again.

She didn't get a good look at the boy's face, nor did she know his name.

But the surname is Qi… Cen Sibao couldn’t help but think of Qi Ji.

After leaving the auditorium, she met her former high school math teacher and they chatted about the teacher's former students.

Coincidentally, this teacher had taught her, Cen Heng, and Cen Liang at the same time.

"All three children in your Cen family are excellent at math, have good personalities, and make things easy for the teachers," the math teacher said with a smile.

Among the people he then listed, Cen Sibao heard the name Qi Ji.

“I was also very impressed with him. He transferred to the school midway through the semester. He was smart and quick to catch up. If he hadn’t been weak in certain subjects, he could have competed with your brother for first place in the overall ranking.”

Cen Sibao asked cautiously, "Teacher, which class is he in?"

The math teacher thought for a moment and said, "From Class 3."

Cen Sibao's heart sank. "Are there any other people with the surname Qi in their class?"

The teacher found the question a bit strange, but after thinking about it, she said confidently, "No, in your brother's year, he was the only one with the surname Qi."

Cen Sibao slowly lowered her head.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" the teacher asked.

Cen Sibao shook her head. "It's nothing."

On her phone, Qi Ji sent a message asking if the school anniversary celebration was over.

She did not reply immediately.

It turns out she had indirectly hurt Qi Ji in that way.

That day, shortly after she left the money, the long break ended and all the students returned to their classrooms.

Taking advantage of the little time before class, the class monitor called on everyone to hand over the money for their class uniforms.

This was none of Qi Ji's business; he calmly continued copying the remaining questions.

Beside him, his deskmate was rummaging through the desk. Only when the class monitor came to the desk did he look up and say urgently, "The two hundred yuan I brought is gone."

"Don't rush, take your time looking," the squad leader reassured him.

"I'm sure I put it in the desk drawer before I went down to do the exercises."

The squad leader raised his voice and shouted to the others, "Everyone, quickly look at the ground, is there any extra money?"

Everyone around looked at it cooperatively.

"I don't know."

"I didn't see it."

"I don't have any here either."

"Could someone have taken it?"

At the same time, Qi Ji also turned to the page of the book.

Two bright red banknotes, which did not belong to him, appeared before his eyes.

Two anxious gazes from his deskmates suddenly fixed on his desk.

He couldn't explain it.

Peng Xiaoan had contact with a senior student who was also from a poor family, and one day she heard about the incident.

For some reason, she suddenly thought of that morning when she saw Cen Sibao rush back and take away the two hundred yuan.

With her personality...

Peng Xiaoan shared his guess with his senior, who was also somewhat taken aback.

But she could only shrug. "I don't know if their class ever found out the truth about this. Maybe your classmate has already explained it to them?"

"But anyway, there's no point in talking about it now. That person is no longer in school. I think they transferred schools? I don't know the specifics."

Peng Xiaoan could empathize with the similar economic conditions, but since the person had already left the school, she didn't delve into it further.

Now, when she met Cen Sibao again, she remembered this somewhat poignant past event.

In her eyes, Cen Sibao was a soft-hearted person.

What's remarkable is that she doesn't flaunt her softness; everything is hidden beneath her spoiled and willful exterior.

But as I said before, her meddling in other people's lives isn't always a good thing.

When she spoke, she was unaware of the relationship between Qi Ji and Cen Sibao.

Seeing that Cen Sibao's expression was not quite right, she comforted her, "Now that people have achieved success and fame, the weight of the past has become lighter. Just like me, I can now face the past with a smile."

Cen Sibao forced a smile but said nothing.

After the event ended, she declined invitations from her former classmates and spent some time alone.

She sent Qi Ji a message: "A classmate I was close to in junior high asked me to have dinner and catch up. I couldn't refuse his invitation, so we're going together. You can go back first; you don't need to pick me up."

She sent him her usual coquettish emoji, but Qi Ji didn't notice anything amiss. He simply told her to tell him after she finished eating.

When Cen Heng finished his work and returned home, he discovered that the driver had not taken Cen Sibao to school.

He frowned and called Cen Sibao.

The call was answered quickly.

Before Cen Sibao could say more than a few words, Cen Heng could hear the trembling in her voice, which she was trying her best to suppress.

Cen Heng didn't say anything, but calmly asked for her address. After ending the call, he picked up his car keys and got into the car.

When the car arrived at the school gate, he got out and looked around, where he saw Cen Sibao sitting by the flower bed.

She kept her head down and remained motionless.

My pretty dress was stained with the dust from the flowerbed, and the brooch I wore before we parted that morning was gone.

The weather was sunny today, but it felt as if a torrential downpour had just struck her.

Cen Heng paused, stepped forward, pressed his palm on her shoulder, and then extended his warm hand to measure the temperature of her cheek.

It felt cold to the touch, and was damp.

A light rain was falling from her eyes, and raindrops were dripping onto the back of his hand.

In that instant, Cen Heng recalled his childhood.

He went to school, and his younger sister, who was not yet of school age, cried her heart out, not wanting her brother to leave.

She would cry loudly if her brother deliberately ate her banana.

Real crying, fake crying, heartbroken crying, pitiful crying—Cen Heng's growth revolves around his younger sister, and his sister always revolves around him; neither can live without the other.

It was only now that Cen Heng suddenly realized that his sister could also cry for someone else.

This is definitely not a pleasant feeling.

Cen Sibao didn't go to see, but she knew that the person who came was her brother.

She lifted her face and buried it in her brother's shoulder, her voice fading away with it.

"Brother, am I actually pretty bad?"

Chapter 21

For Cen Sibao, although she has made many close friends and has many beloved relatives along the way, at this moment, it seems that only her older brother, who has accompanied her through her childhood, can let her vent her emotions with peace of mind.

Cen Heng felt the burning dampness on his shoulder, and his heart clenched slightly.

He leaned over to shield her from the wind blowing from another direction before asking, "What happened? Tell me."

Cen Sibao's voice became unclear due to sobs, and she said intermittently, "Brother, I always thought that everyone would like me."

"But it turns out, there were people who hated me."

"I always thought that helping others was a good thing, but it turns out I was just being presumptuous. My help ended up causing innocent people to be misunderstood..."

Even if the person who was misunderstood because of her wasn't Qi Ji, but someone else, she would still feel sad, guilty, and regretful.

But when it was him, this emotion surged up twice as much, mixed with heartache, and completely overwhelmed her.

When they first met, the boy left her with only his lonely back. It wasn't until he was an adult that that upright figure turned around, faced her, and let her see him clearly.

As for the adult Qi Ji, it seems he never let her see his back; when the two parted, he always watched her leave.

Never before had she seen Qi Ji's affection for her so clearly.

But the better he was, the more guilty she felt about that incident.

He must have been a very proud person when he was young.

Following the feeling of guilt, a wave of panic immediately followed.

She wondered if Qi Ji knew about this.

If he finds out now, will he be disappointed in her?

Cen Heng heard her sobs clearly and gently stroked her head with his warm hand. "Who said you're bad?"

Cen Sibao just kept shaking her head.

Cen Heng sighed softly, his usually cold and hard tone softening as he suddenly asked, "Do you remember your first day of kindergarten?"

Cen Sibao's thoughts paused slightly as she subconsciously began to recall.

However, it didn't seem to be anything special, and she couldn't remember.

Cen Heng said, "That day, everyone in the family was prepared for you to cry and make a fuss, but you went in very well, like a little adult."

“Cen Liang and I are already in elementary school. As the older brother, I am always worried that you will not adapt well. So I deliberately skipped class and secretly went to your kindergarten to see you.”

“Your class was having an outdoor activity class at the time, and you were surrounded by many children. We thought you were being bullied and wanted to go in, but then we heard you loudly tell the girl next to you to push another child.”

Hearing this made Cen Sibao even more upset, and tears welled up in her eyes again: "What? Was I that bad when I was little?"

Cen Heng wiped away her tears, "Why do you think so much about yourself?"

"Later we understood that another child pushed the girl first, and you noticed, so you told her to push back."

"But that girl seemed quite timid. She glanced at the teacher and said she didn't dare."

Cen Heng's lips curled up slightly. "Then you tell her that you will be watching the teacher, so she can push with confidence."

"But just then, the teacher was walking towards you, and we saw you suddenly rush out, grab the teacher's leg tightly, and prevent her from moving, shouting, 'I've grabbed the teacher for you, push her away quickly!'"

Cen Heng softened his tone, deliberately mimicking the voice of little Cen Sibao from back then.

Cen Sibao smiled.

"I guess seeing how hard you worked, and not wanting to let you down, the little girl finally mustered up the courage to gently push it back."

"Only then did you let go of the teacher, and then you ran to the crying child and told him that if there is a next time, you should not only make the victim push back, but also push him back."

“And every child in the class pushed.”

"Even the security guard at the entrance was pushing."

"You should also ask your two older brothers, who are in elementary school and push people very hard, to do the same."

“Push him to Siberia.”

"When the teacher walked up to him, not knowing what had happened, he tried to comfort him and stop him from crying. Then you added fiercely, 'Teacher, you have to push him too.'"

Cen Sibao, who had been a wicked girl since childhood, sniffed shyly.

"We were worried that you would be targeted because of this, so we secretly went to see you for a long time afterwards."

"However, you are surprisingly popular. Even the little kid who pushed you ended up becoming your follower."

Cen Heng's gaze was calm and tolerant as he brushed away the hair that was wet with tears from her forehead. "We happened to be there at that time and happened to see that scene. If we hadn't understood the cause and effect, we probably would have thought that you and that little girl were bullying someone."

"If we misunderstood you, whose fault is it? Your fault?"

Cen Sibao was taken aback, then shook her head and said in a hoarse voice, "I don't know."

"If you knew from the beginning that you would be misunderstood, would you still have helped others?"

Cen Sibao paused for a moment, then said, "Probably, but it might be done in a different way."

"That's enough."

Cen Sibao looked up and met his eyes. "Brother, thank you."

Cen Heng patted her head, then changed his tone, "The person you mentioned who was misunderstood because of you, is he a boy?"

Cen Sibao nodded subconsciously.

"You met him today?"

Cen Sibao paused, then shook his head.

"Oh," Cen Heng said in a flat tone, "I thought that person was someone you liked, which is why you were crying so hard."

His calm words seemed to contain immense power.

Cen Sibao's gaze froze, and he made no move.

Cen Heng looked away and smiled, "If you find someone you like, don't forget to tell your brother."

"Okay," Cen Sibao said softly.

Cen Heng stood up. "Are you hungry? Didn't you eat a good lunch?"

He then took Cen Sibao into the car.

Not long after, Cen Sibao's phone rang. It was the branch manager calling.

Before she left, everyone in the shop learned her true identity, and they were both shocked and excited.

From a practical point of view, I'm also glad that I've maintained a good relationship with her.

The store manager sounded pleased: "Xiao Cen, Miss Liao has arrived and is in the store now."

After a moment of reaction, the store manager continued, "It's that one, 'Aspartame's' ex-fiancée."

Cen Sibao then remembered who the other person was, "What is she doing at the store?"

"She came looking for you, but you're not working at the store anymore."

There was a rustling sound on the other end. "Wait a minute, I'll give her the phone so she can talk to you directly."

"Hello." Another soft female voice rang out.

"I came here specifically to thank you, but unfortunately you're not here."

Cen Sibao's brows relaxed. "It's alright, no need to thank me. No one else would have agreed to his request either, as that would violate company rules."

"That's not how it works."

"If you were the type to avoid trouble, or were afraid of retaliation, or worried about the impact on the shop, and simply rejected him without confronting him on the spot, I probably would still be in the dark, even though we were about to get our marriage certificate. You really helped me."

"Of course, even if you hadn't done that, I could completely understand. But you did it anyway. Meeting you before we got our marriage certificate and seeing his true character was my good fortune. How could I not be grateful?"

Cen Sibao said softly, "You two are completely separated now, aren't you?"

"Well, it took a while to break up the relationship, so I'm only coming to thank you now."

"That's good news," Cen Sibao smiled.

The person on the other end continued, "I later found out that he had actually taken out loans outside without my knowledge. Suddenly, the creditors came forward and exposed him. He lost his job, and everyone around him knew what kind of person he was. This prevented him from harming other girls. It's all because you spoke up for him back then."

After hanging up the phone, Cen Sibao finally felt a little better.

She glanced at Cen Heng. "Brother, did you handle that guy's creditor situation?"

Cen Heng shook his head. "I haven't had time yet."

Cen Sibao's heart skipped a beat, and a figure flashed through her mind.

In the office, Qi Ji looked at his phone.

There has been no news of Cen Sibao.

He frowned and called her.

Cen Sibao glanced at the caller ID and subconsciously looked at Cen Heng, who was driving next to her. Her phone felt so hot that she almost dropped it.

At the same time, that mixed feeling of discomfort once again took hold of her mind, and the panic she couldn't face made her subconsciously press the hang-up button.

Qi Ji listened intently to the mechanical prompts in his ear.

A while later, he received a message from Cen Sibao, which was only one line long: "My brother has picked me up and taken me home, so I don't need to come over."

When the two arrived home, Cen Liang also happened to be back.

Cen Heng and Cen Liang usually live in their own house, but now that Cen Sibao is living at home, they come back more often.

Cen Liang immediately noticed her red eyes, walked over, and looked down at her: "What's wrong? Did you run into an old enemy at the school anniversary celebration?"

"What?" Cen Sibao turned her face away. "Don't guess. Just now, I suddenly felt a little sentimental, but I'm fine now."

Cen Liang frowned and looked at Cen Heng, who simply took off his coat and tossed it to him, saying, "If she doesn't want to talk about it, then don't ask."

Cen Liang gave a cold laugh, tinged with feigned resentment: "What little secrets could I not know? Yes, in the end, it can't compare to the fact that you two are siblings. The thin layer of blood ties between us is actually an insurmountable chasm. It's just wishful thinking on my part."

Cen Sibao was amused by his expression and pushed him forward.

Cen Heng watched the two of them talk, glanced at his phone, gave the chef a few instructions, and then went outside to answer the phone.

"Qi Ji, is something the matter?"

Qi Ji paused.

The prepared words lingered on his lips, but in the end he only said, "I bought a new racket, and I increased the tension. Want to try it out?"

Cen Heng refused: "I'm not going out today. I'll stay home with my sister."

"What's wrong with her?" Qi Ji asked casually.

Cen Heng didn't want to say much in front of others, and only replied, "She's in a bad mood."

After eating something, the exhaustion from crying overwhelmed her. Cen Sibao said a few words to her brother and then went back to her bedroom.

Her chaotic thoughts were temporarily cleared by exhaustion, and she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

When I woke up again, it was completely dark outside through the gap in the curtains.

She sat up, her mind sluggish. After a couple of seconds of adjustment, she turned on the bedside lamp and glanced at the time.

It was past dinner time, but her family members were considerate enough not to disturb her.

As her gaze gradually moved down from the phone, Cen Sibao's eyes widened suddenly.

The screen displayed several missed calls and messages, all from Qi Ji.

She immediately got out of bed and went to the window, and sure enough, she saw the car, still in the same spot.

The tall figure parked beside the car seemed to be gazing out her window, having stood there in the wind for who knows how long.

He must have thought she was deliberately ignoring his calls.

Cen Sibao's heart skipped a beat.

She rushed to the door, paused for two seconds on the doorknob, and finally pressed it down.

You can't keep playing the ostrich forever; you have to talk to him about it eventually.

I definitely need to apologize to him.

Regardless of what he thinks, whether he's disappointed or angry with her, she has to accept it.

Under the streetlights, a slender figure ran towards Qi Ji, wearing slippers and staggering slightly.

She hesitated and stopped two meters away from him.

Qi Ji's raised hand paused, and he lowered it.

Cen Sibao spoke up first to explain, "Qi Ji, I went to sleep after I got home, that's why I didn't hear your call. I didn't mean to not answer."

"And one more thing," she said, lowering her head and speaking heavily, "I'm sorry."

Qi Ji saw her clenched hands reflected in his eyes and said, "I'm not angry, there's no need to apologize."

"No, I'm not saying sorry for that." Her voice was soft and choked with sobs.

Qi Ji's eyes moved slowly, then slowly, "What was it for?"

For… Cen Sibao was in a state of utter confusion. In the dead silence, she finally mustered her courage and raised her voice to say:

"When you were in high school, were you ever wrongly accused of taking money from a classmate? That money was actually left on your desk by me."

“I thought I could help you integrate into the group, but I only realized today that this has actually caused you trouble.”

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault." Cen Sibao's eyes were glistening with tears, and she kept her head down the whole time, not daring to look at his expression.

Qi Ji remained silent for a few seconds, then gradually loosened his clenched fingers.

He then took a step back, released the tension in his shoulders and back, and stood there leaning against the car door.

Like a prisoner suspended high awaiting trial who has suddenly had his ropes loosened, he chuckled, "That's all?"

Cen Sibao looked up blankly and saw his slightly raised face and a faint smile on his lips.

"I thought you were planning to abandon me again."

Chapter 22

Cen Sibao stared blankly at Qi Ji.

He just said, "That's all?"

He seemed completely unconcerned.

This was completely beyond Cen Sibao's expectations.

"Aren't you surprised that this was caused by me? Aren't you angry with me? Aren't you disappointed? Aren't you angry?"

She asked a string of questions in a hurry, her eyes gleaming.

Qi Ji took a scarf from the car and carefully wrapped it around her before thinking about her question.

Contrary to Cen Sibao's expectations, he remained calm and said, "I already knew."

These words froze Cen Sibao in place. She struggled to lift her face from the warmth of her scarf and murmured, "You knew all along?"

Qi Ji bent down, looked at her, and said with certainty, "Yes, I knew it was you back in high school."

After saying that, he pulled Cen Sibao into his arms, "So, there's nothing to be surprised about."

Cen Sibao lay on his chest, her eyes filled with tears from the shock: "Qi Ji, you didn't just get together with me to get revenge on me, did you? That's how it's written in many revenge novels with male protagonists: first, they secretly transfer my family's assets, and then they abandon me."

Qi Ji: "..."

He squeezed her shoulder tightly, looked down at her, and said, "Don't worry about that. After we get married, you can draw up a prenuptial agreement. I'll agree to any conditions."

Cen Sibao quickly changed her tune: "I was just talking nonsense. But since you knew about this, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Qi Ji chuckled self-deprecatingly, "You've probably forgotten about that incident long ago, so why bring it up? Besides, if I told you, you'd probably cry just like you are today, wouldn't you?"

Cen Sibao buried her head even deeper in the ground, somewhat hesitant to ask, but still unable to ignore it: "So, was your sudden transfer to another school because of the false accusation?"

Qi Ji shook his head. "How could that be? It's just a change in a family member's job."

Cen Sibao breathed a slight sigh of relief; at least it was better than the betrayal and abandonment she had imagined, forcing her to leave for a distant land.

She then asked, "Did you later prove your innocence? Also, did you ever for a moment at that time feel that someone was deliberately framing you?"

Qi Ji tilted his head. "Did you think that when I was in school, I was a pitiful wretch who would be bullied?"

Cen Sibao muttered, "I didn't say that."

But that's really what she thought.

The image of Qi Ji's impoverished and lonely childhood, along with the stories she heard from his classmates about him being out of place and unable to integrate into the group, lingered in her mind.

That's why she feels so guilty.

She recalled how, when she was pursuing him, he treated her as someone he was trying to kill.

Is she his nemesis?

Seeing her lost in her memories, her head bowed as if she were about to disappear into the ground, Qi Ji smiled and simply squatted down, tilting his head up to meet her gaze.

He raised his eyebrows: "You're just repeating hearsay, why don't you listen to a more complete version?"

Cen Sibao looked at him pitifully.

Qi Ji recalled, "When they saw the money I had tucked into my book, they did suspect me, after all, for a period of time, I was the only one in the class."

Cen Sibao tensed up, worried that he would be condemned by everyone.

Qi Jiping stated frankly: "I immediately asked him how he kept his money."

“He described it as being folded twice and placed on the inner edge of the table, while the money you tucked in my book had no creases. From this, we can tell that it wasn’t his money.”

"Of course, this still doesn't completely rule out my suspicion."

"But then I remembered that the window was left open during break and a breeze had blown in. Based on the wind direction, I eventually found his money in the gap between the diagonal wall and the desk."

Cen Sibao was taken aback. "It's that simple?"

Qi Ji stood up and patted her head. "How much more complicated do you want it to be? To be made into a whole episode of a TV series?"

Most of the students at No. 1 Middle School come from well-off families, and no one would cross the line for a mere two hundred yuan.

Cen Sibao was still a little scared. What if the money was blown to a more hidden place by the wind and couldn't be found for a while?

That's hard to say, but Qi Ji might still have to bear a stigma.

Qi Ji speaks of it so easily now, but the situation back then must have been far more complex.

After all, the news had reached the ears of students in other classes. At that time, he had not yet been cleared of suspicion and must have been under a lot of pressure.

Cen Sibao still felt guilty, but fortunately, the final result was good. Even as a teenager, Qi Ji possessed a calmness and problem-solving ability that were no less than those of an adult.

The biggest weight on her heart was lifted.

Then, curiously, she looked up and asked, "Then how did you know it was me who put the money in?"

Qi Ji draped the scarf back over her shoulders as she moved, and said with a smile, "Just as you said, at first, I thought someone was deliberately framing me."

Cen Sibao couldn't help but laugh.

"Whether it's out of good intentions or bad intentions, I didn't want to accept money from shady sources, so I went to the teacher and asked the teacher to check the surveillance footage. Although there were no cameras in the classroom, there were cameras installed in the hallway."

Qi Ji tapped her on the forehead. "The surveillance footage clearly shows a child sneaking into the classroom with money in his pocket."

"Who sneaked in?" Cen Sibao covered her forehead and recalled. She must have gone in openly and honestly because she felt that she was doing a good deed and was very noble.

Qi Ji continued, "The security guards in the monitoring room know you. They said you greet the security guards at the gate enthusiastically every day when you go to and from school. They know you well and know your name and class."

Qi Ji stopped there.

"And then what?" Cen Sibao asked impatiently, "Did you come to find me?"

She completely forgot that she had never met Qi Ji before, as if she were listening to someone else's story.

Qi Ji's eyes flickered slightly. "I did go to see you before I transferred schools."

"However, your classmate said that you took a week off and didn't come to school. So I put the money in an envelope and asked your classmate to give it to you."

Cen Sibao was stunned. "Speaking of taking a week off, I seem to remember, but I don't recall your letter?"

Qi Ji said calmly, "It's normal. You get a lot of guys looking for you every day, right? When I mentioned your name, the first thing your classmate said was, 'Another guy confessed to Cen Sibao!'"

“When I told him I needed to pass something on to him, he thought it was a love letter.”

Hearing his calm and indifferent tone, Cen Sibao leaned closer, carefully observing the changes in his expression, and asked directly, "Are you jealous too?"

Qi Ji asked in surprise, "Isn't it obvious?"

“I did receive a lot of letters, all wanting to be friends with me, but I rejected them all.” Cen Sibao stamped her foot. “But I swear, when I went back to school, I really didn’t receive a single letter with money in it.”

"What color was the envelope you sent?" Cen Sibao asked, unwilling to give up, trying to rummage through the nooks and crannies of her memory.

"White, the envelope is blank."

Cen Sibao spread his hands, speechless: "There are no blank envelopes, but there are a lot of blank exam papers."

Qi Ji patted her head. "Perhaps, that letter was also blown away by the wind and ended up in some crevice."

Cen Sibao looked dejected. "It's such a pity. If only I had seen it then..."

What a coincidence! She just happened to be on leave at that time, and he just happened to transfer schools at that time.

Their lives unexpectedly intersected, but ultimately they missed each other.

"What would happen if they saw it?" Qi Ji suddenly asked.

Cen Sibao was speechless for a moment.

Yes, even if we saw it, what could we do?

He had already transferred schools by then, and their next meeting would be many years later. Before that, they would have no further contact.

Even after receiving the money, she would probably only regret that she still couldn't help him, and that he still hadn't integrated into the group.

But having not seen the letter, when she occasionally thought about it, she could only think of the positive side.

Qi Ji smiled and said, "It's fine that I didn't receive it."

Cen Sibao thought for a moment, "Don't you blame me even a little bit? If you tell me the truth, I won't be angry. Even when I think about it myself, I feel that I was really stupid back then."

Qi Ji answered decisively: "No, and there's no need for that. At most, I just find it a little funny."

After saying that, his smile faded. "I know your intentions were good, and I wanted to thank you when I contacted you. So, there's no need for you to be sad for me now."

Cen Sibao hugged him tightly. "You didn't tell me because you were afraid I would blame myself, right? Thank you too."

Qi Ji let her hug him for a while before saying, "Is that all?"

Cen Sibao thought for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed, but added firmly, "Also, I only realized today that I like you even more than I thought."

Qi Ji was greatly amused by these words and could hardly suppress a smile, but he still shook his head, "That's not what I meant."

Cen Sibao raised her face, puzzled, and asked, "Then what do you want to hear?"

Qi Ji touched the corner of her delicate eye, lowered his voice, and sounded somewhat serious: "You're in a bad mood because of me, but I only found out through your brother."

"I couldn't reach you all afternoon, and in your text messages you acted like nothing was wrong. Did you really go out to a class reunion? That's just an excuse, isn't it? Were you crying all afternoon?"

“I admit, I did lie to you.” Cen Sibao pressed her face against his chest and shook him vigorously, avoiding the topic of crying. “That’s because I had just heard about it and was a little confused. I didn’t know how to face you, and I subconsciously didn’t dare to see you.”

Qi Ji listened patiently and said in a deep voice, "No matter what happens, you can come to me directly for answers. I don't want any misunderstandings between us, and I don't want to see you suffer alone."

Cen Sibao inhaled his pleasant scent and felt a sense of relief. "I understand. If I have any more problems in the future, I'll contact you immediately."

After the two talked things out, Cen Sibao felt completely relieved.

After hugging for a while, she reluctantly got up, glanced at the time, and said, "It's getting late, I have to go home."

She ran away quietly, and she has to sneak back again.

Cen Sibao was about to take off the scarf and return it to him, but Qi Ji grabbed her hand and put it back on.

He smoothed her messy hair. "You don't need to give it to me anymore. Go back."

After speaking, he casually raised his eyes, and his gaze suddenly fixed on something.

Cen Sibao loosely tied her scarf in a knot, looked up at him cheerfully to say goodbye, and noticed his gaze, blurting out, "What are you looking at?"

As soon as I finished speaking, a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in my heart.

Cen Sibao prayed silently, for she had done so many good deeds; Heaven had eyes and would protect her, and surely not let it be what she feared…

Then, she slowly turned her head.

Cen Heng was standing at the door, watching the two of them.

Heaven has eyes, but those eyes have fallen on Cen Heng.

Chapter 23

A shadow fell on Cen Heng's face by the door, obscuring his expression.

However, Cen Sibao dared not meet his gaze at all.

She slowly looked at Qi Ji, her voice trembling: "Do you know how long my brother has been standing there?"

“I don’t know, but,” Qi Ji pondered for a moment, “judging from his posture and aura, it’s very likely that he followed you out.”

"...Stop analyzing, it's too scary."

Just then, Cen Heng moved.

He stepped out of the shadows and walked towards the two of them.

The streetlights illuminated his face clearly; it wasn't gloomy, and he looked no different from usual.

But Cen Sibao still took a step back.

Qi Ji pressed down on her shoulder, "Don't worry, even if he starts hitting me, he'll only hit me, not you."

"Why do you sound so happy? Stop touching me!" Cen Sibao spat out through gritted teeth, "Be careful he really hits you!"

Cen Heng had already walked up to her, turned his head, and glanced at the hand that rested calmly on her shoulder.

His expression remained calm and almost serene, but it was more like the stillness before a storm.

Qi Ji then slowly withdrew his hand.

"Why are you out here instead of sleeping at night?" Cen Heng said, then looked at Qi Ji, "Why are you here? You two, do you have something to talk about?"

The exposure was so sudden that Cen Sibao was completely unprepared.

“I…” she took a breath, “Yes, I was talking business with President Qi.”

Qi Ji and Cen Heng both fell silent for a moment.

"Talking business?" Cen Heng countered. "You and him?"

Cen Sibao said without changing his expression, "That's right, brother. As you know, many jewelry brands are now building AI platforms, such as AIGC-assisted design and data analysis."

"I always felt that Yufeng was a bit behind in this area. We mostly used production-side quality control and online platform shopping assistants, etc., as for anything deeper..."

She paused for a moment, and Qi Ji suddenly cooperated tacitly: "Full-chain traceability."

Cen Sibao nodded, "Yes, I want to accelerate the rollout and improve efficiency. However, the initial costs will be very high, including algorithm training, hardware investment, and data issues. These are not things that can be accomplished overnight, so we have been discussing them together frequently lately."

She spoke faster and faster, as if she really was just discussing this topic with Qi Ji.

Of course, she wasn't entirely unaware of the possibility. "Although the cost is high and the system is complex, I think it's worth it. When the technology matures and is scaled up in the future, we might even be the ones to set the industry standards for AI in jewelry."

Cen Heng listened quietly, and finally nodded. "So, it's just business?"

Cen Sibao breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed there was hope of getting away with it. "Yeah, when we get excited chatting, some physical contact is inevitable."

At this point, she tugged at Cen Heng's arm, playing the strongest emotional card.

"Actually, what attracts me most is the part about cooperating with the mining area. It is very helpful for inspecting the raw ore, so you won't have to travel for so long in the future."

Cen Heng's pupils flickered slightly. "So, it's for me?"

"Uh-huh."

A complex expression appeared on Cen Heng's face, which Cen Sibao thought was probably due to being moved.

Do you think I look like a fool?

Cen Sibao: "..."

At this moment, Qi Ji actually chuckled, showing no sign of guilt whatsoever.

Cen Sibao glared at him, while Cen Heng narrowed his eyes and looked at him, his dark eyes swirling with unsettling emotions.

Qi Ji stopped smiling and met his gaze: "Shall we talk?"

Cen Heng nodded calmly; they really should have a proper talk.

However, the look in her eyes when she looked at Qi Ji was completely devoid of the ease she had shown towards her former friend.

He took out his phone.

When Cen Sibao saw the chat window with Cen Liang pop up on the screen, her eyes widened. "Brother!"

Cen Heng easily removed the phone, giving her no chance to snatch it back.

He simply typed a few words: "Meet Cen Sibao's boyfriend."

Cen Liang called almost immediately.

Cen Heng coldly hung up on him, saying, "Let's go."

Cen Sibao was dumbfounded, "Where are we going?"

“Of course I’m going home.” Cen Heng looked down at her. “What, you’re not planning to go back? Are you going to wander the world with him?”

"Brother, stop being so sarcastic. Didn't we want to talk to him?"

Cen Heng had already put his hand on her shoulder and was leading her toward the door. "Yes, let's talk properly when we get home. I think everyone in the family is quite willing to talk."

Cen Sibao felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.

She simply couldn't understand how any of this had happened.

Why did it fast forward to meeting the parents?

Cen Heng didn't use much force, but Cen Sibao couldn't even turn around to look at Qi Ji.

She had only taken a couple of steps when she heard Qi Ji say, "Can you wait a moment?"

Cen Heng turned his head, a mocking glint in his eyes, "Scared?"

"No." Qi Ji said calmly, "Since you invited me to visit, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to come empty-handed on my first visit."

Cen Sibao and Cen Heng were both taken aback.

Then he watched as Qi Ji walked towards his car and opened the trunk.

Then they took things out one by one, carrying them up and down, box after box.

It's like they're planning to open a shop at her house.

Cen Sibao looked on blankly, but Qi Ji looked at Cen Heng and raised an eyebrow: "Help me move this?"

For a moment, Cen Sibao thought she heard Cen Heng's breathing suddenly become heavier.

In this round, it seems that he was outmaneuvered by Qi Ji and became his stepping stone instead.

Cen Sibao gradually came to her senses and exclaimed in shock, "When did you prepare all this? Today?"

Qi Ji chuckled softly, "No, a long time ago. Later, I would add it as I thought of something."

Cen Sibao's mouth was slightly open.

Does he actually keep a gift in the trunk of his car every time he comes to see her at night?

Cen Sibao suddenly realized that he had been hoping to be discovered by Cen Heng or her other family members.

“You…” Cen Sibao didn’t know what to say for a moment.

The living room lights had been turned back on, and the elders, still somewhat disoriented, sat on the sofa, ready for anything.

When Cen Liang saw Cen Heng's message, he initially thought that Doraemon had shamelessly tried to get back together with Cen Sibao.

But the moment she saw Qi Ji, her disgust turned into shock and bewilderment.

In the end, it all turned into gritted teeth: "How...is...it...you?"

Qi Ji smiled at him in a friendly manner, "I remember you said that of all your friends, you felt most at ease with me and your sister being together. Your wish has come true."

Cen Liang was amused by his words: "Did I mean that at the time?? Where's your face??"

Grandma slapped him on the back, "How can you be so rude to a guest? Your status is different now."

Several elders knew Qi Ji and had a good impression of him. When they saw that it was him, they all relaxed a little.

"Alright, please sit down. We also have some questions for you."

Just as Qi Ji was about to walk to Cen Sibao's side, Cen Heng raised an eyebrow and said, "Why are you sitting?"

Cen Liang raised his chin, "You're not even part of this family yet, don't be so familiar."

Qi Ji smiled and accepted their difficult questions without hesitation, simply standing on the opposite side.

Cen Sibao is now only grateful that there is no gallows in her home.

Cen Sibao's parents had not returned yet. Cen Heng, as the eldest brother, had always taken care of Cen Sibao like a father, and the other elders had turned a blind eye and did not let Qi Ji sit down again.

Grandma asked sternly, "How long have you two been together?"

Cen Sibao muttered, "It didn't take long before you guys found out."

Cen Heng looked at her coldly, "Does his mouth belong to you?"

Qi Ji answered, "Before the New Year."

“Ha,” Cen Liang laughed, his voice as cold as ice, “You call this not long? You’re quite good at hiding it.”

"Did you two have something going on around the time she broke up with her ex-boyfriend?"

Qi Ji's gaze gave him the answer.

Cen Sibao was startled and cautiously glanced to the side. Sure enough, Cen Heng gave her a cryptic look after hearing those words.

Fortunately, he didn't dwell on the issue of Cen Liang's ex-boyfriend.

“Morally corrupt.” Cen Liang’s smile vanished. “Then it must be you who instigated her to not tell us.”

Cen Sibao hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Qi Ji did not refute, taking the blame and maintaining a proper posture: "I'm sorry, I had my own selfish reasons, so I didn't inform you in advance."

Cen Heng was much calmer than Cen Liang, and he knew from the fact that the gift he had prepared long in advance was enough to tell whether his words were true or false.

He stared at Qi Ji, his eyes like a cheetah hunting its prey: "You were together before the New Year? You've only met her a few times, do you really like her?"

Cen Sibao quickly said, "Brother, it's not just a few times. Actually, we had a... a brief encounter at school a long time ago."

Cen Heng turned his head. "Did I ask you?"

Auntie clicked her tongue and waved her hand, "Don't be so fierce to Xiaobao."

The uncle frowned as well: "You two need to clarify this first. Did you know each other back in school? Why haven't you mentioned it before?"

Under Cen Heng's gaze, Cen Sibao immediately jumped to the side of her more approachable aunt and briefly explained the whole story.

Qi Ji closed his eyes slightly.

As expected, Cen Heng's expression gradually darkened, his eyes sharpening. "So, you sat in front of the school gate and cried on the day of the school anniversary because of him?"

Cen Sibao's outpouring of emotion abruptly ceased.

I forgot about that.

Cen Liang clenched his fists. "Qi Ji, you're approaching her now and provoking her. Is it for revenge?"

Cen Sibao weakly propped up her forehead.

Just like her first reaction, no wonder he's her brother by blood.

But even though she thought that way, she still wanted to defend the innocent Qi Ji: "That's not how it is, brother. He didn't flirt with me. Actually, I was the one who pursued him!"

As soon as they finished speaking, Cen Liang and Cen Heng simultaneously let out a somewhat sinister laugh, the laughter not reaching their eyes at all: "You even let her take the initiative to pursue you?"

Cen Sibao: "..."

It seems that Qi Ji's guilt is getting heavier and heavier with her explanations.

If vision could materialize, Qi Ji would probably be similar to Squirrel Mandarin Fish now.

Qi Ji opened his eyes and comforted her, "Don't say anything for now."

He then repeated the explanation he had given Cen Sibao that evening: "Knowing that someone had worried about me, I couldn't blame her."

Cen Heng looked at him, his brows furrowed, and suddenly said, "You know, right? From childhood to adulthood, Cen Sibao would play with her favorite toys for a few days and then throw them away. She would wear a dress she liked for a few days and then never wear it again."

"She might like you, but it's probably no different from liking those other things. Maybe she'll get tired of you in a few days. Would you be worried? Could you accept that? Would you still be good to her?"

Everyone thought these words were harsh, but they reminded Cen Sibao of the similar words Qi Ji had said to her in the hospital room.

He was indeed worried.

She lowered her head.

From her innocent childhood, because she received too much love and material things, she never really learned to cherish them.

But now, facing this question, she seems to suddenly have an answer.

Before she could speak, Qi Ji gave her a deep look, then looked at Cen Heng and said, "I know."

"Things are inanimate; they can only possess the qualities she liked at the last moment, but people are alive."

Therefore, he can cater to her preferences, keeping things fresh and exciting for her, and never getting bored.

Hearing his answer, Cen Sibao suddenly raised her head, her eyes glistening with tears. "No, I know now that some feelings of liking are short-lived, while others are long-lasting."

Perhaps it can be called love.

"I can confirm that my feelings for Qi Ji are the latter, and I don't need him to change them."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Her tears were heartbreaking, and the interrogation seemed to come to an abrupt halt.

Cen Heng stood up and calmly looked at Qi Ji, "Let's talk alone."

"Okay." Qi Ji walked over.

Cen Sibao watched with some concern as the two went upstairs to the study.

Cen Liang blocked her gaze and asked with a stern face, "You better explain yourself clearly, how exactly did you two get together? He went to the gallery after his business trip, and when you two ran into each other, you pretended not to know each other in front of me, didn't you?"

The atmosphere in the study was not as tense and confrontational as Cen Sibao had imagined.

"I asked you to take care of my sister, and this is how you take care of her?"

Cen Heng's eyes seemed to have spread out like a swamp, even deeper and colder than when they were downstairs, carrying an unyielding chill that made it hard to breathe.

Faced with his scrutiny, Qi Ji remained unyielding, offering a brief apology, but without much genuine remorse.

"To keep someone under your wing, to have them by your side, to have them ingrained in your very being, and to do everything personally for them—isn't that the best way to take care of them?"

They can become friends, of course, because they share similar views in many ways.

While answering the questions from downstairs, Cen Sibao was distracted, constantly watching the commotion upstairs.

In case she hears any cracking or explosion, she can quickly go up and try to calm things down.

But perhaps because the soundproofing is too good, it's very quiet upstairs.

A while later, she received a message from Cen Heng: "Come up."

Cen Sibao hurried upstairs.

Pushing open the door to the study, the furnishings inside were perfectly orderly, everything was quiet and peaceful.

She resisted the urge to look at Qi Ji and rushed to Cen Heng's side first: "Brother, he didn't hit you, did he!"

The two: "..."

Cen Heng said irritably, "Let go, stop pretending."

Cen Sibao then looked at Qi Ji and observed him.

He didn't appear to be injured, so there probably wasn't a fight.

She let out a long sigh of relief.

"You like him that much?" Cen Heng glanced at her every move.

Cen Sibao nodded and lowered her face. "But, but, if you're really unhappy and can't accept it, then I'll still..."

Cen Heng caught her stealing glances at him.

"Then what will you do?" he asked in a chilling tone.

Qi Ji was also staring straight at her, and Cen Sibao bit her lip, unable to utter the next sentence.

After a long while, she whispered, "Brother, to me, you will always be the most important person, no matter who I like, that will never change."

Cen Heng paused, reached out and ruffled Cen Sibao's hair, then stopped pressuring her.

Of course he knew.

When they were little, even though he and Cen Liang would often playfully eat a big bite of Cen Sibao's bananas, she would still carelessly ask them to peel them for her the next time.

He later learned that she did remember.

She just really wanted her brother to be the first to eat it.

Cen Heng sighed and sat down. "Let's go out."

Cen Sibao looked up and asked, "Then, brother, you don't object to me dating Qi Ji?"

Cen Heng leaned back, resting his elbow on the armrest, and said casually, "What good would my objection do? Let's talk."

Cen Sibao smiled with delight.

"Anyway, dating doesn't have any legal effect."

Cen Sibao was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Cen Heng tapped the armrest and said, "When you were little, a fortune teller predicted that you would marry late."

She wasn't foolish enough to ask if it was true or not; she simply asked cautiously, "How late was it?"

Cen Heng thought for a moment, "Forty?"

"..."

Cen Heng glanced at Qi Ji's gloomy face, and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

This time, he turned the tables.

Cen Sibao pulled Qi Ji out of the study. "It's impossible for him to really be forty. My brother was just saying that out of anger. My parents are here too. It's impossible."

Qi Ji let her pull him along, his expression unchanged, but he still seemed to want to go back and fight Cen Heng.

Cen Sibao: "Don't worry, at the latest, I think it'll be fine after my brother gets married."

Qi Ji laughed coldly, "Then you'll never be able to get married in your entire life."

Cen Sibao: "...Tone down your aggression a bit."

He offered quiet words of comfort, but as he reached the top of the stairs, Qi Ji suddenly stopped.

He pulled Cen Sibao back, and she fell into his arms.

"Hey, what's wrong with you—"

"I have to leave once I get downstairs."

After Qi Ji finished speaking, Cen Sibao fell silent and let him hold her.

It was a chaotic night, and only now has her mood truly calmed down.

However, this peace was soon shattered.

Cen Liang stood at the top of the stairs, poked his head out, and glared angrily at the two embracing: "An outsider like you shouldn't be staying at someone else's house so late at night."

Qi Ji stood on the high place, glanced down at him, said nothing, let go of Cen Sibao, and led her downstairs.

He stopped and turned his head as he passed Cen Liang.

"Let's go upstairs and check on Cen Heng."

Cen Liang frowned. "What?"

"Two brothers, crying together, having each other for company."

After saying that, Qi Ji smiled calmly and continued walking forward.

Cen Liang was left standing there in disbelief: "Qi Ji, you??"

How blind he must have been to think that Qi Ji was some kind of upright and elegant gentleman?

It's all an act!

Cen Sibao escorted Qi Ji to the door.

Qi Ji's childish aggression had vanished. He glanced at the elders behind her who were watching them, then put his arm around her and said in a deep voice, "I had a very happy evening."

Cen Sibao hugged his waist back, "Me too."

Regardless of the process, at least the result is what matters.

Urged on by Cen Liang, Qi Ji walked into the night.

As Cen Sibao watched his retreating figure, a sudden feeling of reluctance and sadness welled up in her heart.

She still wanted to be with him.

Just then, he stopped and turned around.

Cen Sibao heard this and his voice was filled with laughter: "I'll take you to the company tomorrow morning. From now on, I'll continue to pick you up and drop you off."

"What do you mean by 'continue'? Are you provoking me?" Cen Liang had only shouted halfway when Cen Sibao pulled him back by his clothes.

Her eyes sparkled, automatically silencing any background noise: "Okay!"

The reluctance to part gradually faded because of his words.

Because from now on, they will be together at sunrise and sunset.

-----------------------