Maybe.
If it could help her brother, perhaps she would do it.
She had known since childhood that love was the most extravagant luxury of all.
All she wanted was to live a peaceful life with her brother and keep the Zhou family and her brother from repeating the same tragic mistakes.
The elevator rose smoothly and stopped at the top floor.
Zhou Suisui composed herself before stepping out. The moment she looked up, she saw her brother standing outside the elevator.
He was dressed in a light-colored trench coat, tall and elegant. Joy and anticipation were written plainly across his handsome face.
“Little sister, what brings you here?”
The moment she entered the company, the receptionist had notified his assistant, who had informed him immediately.
The meeting had nearly ended anyway, so Zhou Sui'an had deliberately come to the elevator to welcome her.
“Brother, I brought you lunch.”
Zhou Suisui curved her lips into a faint smile and lifted the insulated lunch box in her hand.
Zhou Sui'an reached out to take it and teased her, “My little sister has grown up. You finally know how to care about your brother.”
A dull ache spread through Zhou Suisui’s chest. She blinked her bright, starry eyes and said, “You’re my brother. If I don’t care about you, who else would I care about?”
Zhou Sui'an affectionately tapped her on the nose and gave an arrogant little snort. “I like the sound of that.”
The two of them walked into the office side by side.
The moment the door opened, the familiar high-tech atmosphere washed over them.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows lay the bustling city. Several crabapple trees—the flowers she loved most—stood in the corner.
The most prominent spot on the wall displayed an artistic portrait of her at the age of ten.
Her short hair was a wild mess, one of her front teeth was missing, and her grin made her look like a monkey that had just rolled around in the mud.
Zhou Suisui couldn’t help curving her lips, though her eyes grew slightly misty.
In her previous life, she had always thought the picture was ugly and thrown a tantrum, demanding that her brother take it down. But he had simply ruffled her hair with a smile and said, “Why take it down when you look so adorable?”
He would point at the picture and show it off to everyone he met. “My little sister is beautiful, isn’t she?”
Back then, she had only felt embarrassed. Now, she finally understood what her brother had meant.
All these years, her brother had been her pride—and she had been his.
Zhou Sui'an followed her gaze. Clearly remembering those days as well, he teased her with a laugh.
“Come to think of it, you really did look like a little black monkey back then. But now that my little sister has grown up, she’s even more beautiful than a goddess.”
Zhou Suisui pouted. “You have the nerve to bring that up? You were the one who went around telling everyone I was a fairy, but I wasn’t pretty at all. I was dark, too.”
Zhou Sui'an immediately objected, sticking out his chin. “Who would dare say my little sister isn’t pretty? Their eyes must be the problem.”
He set a pair of chopsticks in front of her. “You must be hungry. Hurry up and eat.”
“Okay.”
Zhou Suisui pulled her gaze away, sat down, and picked up the chopsticks.
After exchanging a few playful remarks with her brother, the tension in her expression eased somewhat.
But just as she picked up her chopsticks, she saw her brother staring blankly at the dishes on the table.
A faint mist rose in his dark eyes.
This six-foot-one grown man simply stared fixedly at the food. His Adam’s apple bobbed several times, and before he knew it, his eyes had reddened.
“Brother, what’s wrong?” Zhou Suisui asked, her heart suddenly tightening.
“Little sister, I’m just happy.” Zhou Sui'an wiped at his eyes, his voice slightly choked. “These are all my favorite dishes.”
In the past, he had always instructed the kitchen to prepare his sister’s favorite foods with great care. As for himself, he was a rough-and-ready sort of man and could eat anything.
Now, his life was finally getting better, and his little sister had learned to care about him.
“Suisui, this is the first time you’ve brought me lunch. I have to take a picture and post it on my social media so everyone knows how thoughtful and capable my little sister has become.”
Zhou Suisui laughed. “It’s only one meal. I’ll bring you lunch every day from now on and let you show off to your heart’s content.”
Zhou Sui'an immediately pulled out his phone and took several pictures of the dishes. He even secretly snapped one of her with her head lowered as she picked up food.
“My little sister made lunch herself. The best food in the entire world.”
After posting it, he looked as pleased as a child who had received candy during the New Year.
Watching him, Zhou Suisui felt a bitter ache in her heart, along with both emotion and guilt.
In her previous life, she had been spoiled into a willful and selfish girl by her brother. She had only ever taken from him and had never cared about how hard he worked. When Su Wan had deceived him and led him into a desperate situation, she had not even been able to help.
In this life, she would never become his burden again.
She would protect him, protect the Zhous, and protect the only family they had left.
Just then, the smile on Zhou Sui'an’s face faltered.
“Uncle Wang? Why has he called me so many times?”
He exited WeChat, and several missed calls were clearly displayed on the screen.
He looked at Zhou Suisui in confusion. “Suisui, Uncle Wang was the one who brought you here, wasn’t he? He’s called me so many times. Is there something you wanted to discuss with me?”
Uncle Wang normally never contacted him on his own unless it involved his sister.
Zhou Suisui set down her chopsticks and straightened her back, her tone serious.
“No. I fired him. He wants to come to you and demand justice.”
“What?”
Zhou Sui'an abruptly raised his eyes, his face full of surprise. “Why? What happened?”
Looking at the concern in her brother’s eyes, Zhou Suisui sighed inwardly.
Her brother was simply too kind and soft-hearted. That was why these people had him wrapped around their fingers.
“Brother, he used taking time off as an excuse to drive your car out and earn money on the side. This has happened more than once or twice.”
Zhou Sui'an froze for a moment. “I didn’t know about this…”
Just as she had expected.
Her brother was too busy with work to oversee every little detail.
After all, one person could only devote so much energy to so many things.
That only strengthened her resolve.
“Brother, you’re not angry that I made the decision on my own, are you?”
“How could I be? You’re the Zhou family’s eldest daughter—and my sister. Do you really need anyone’s permission to fire a driver?”
His words warmed Zhou Suisui’s heart.
There was still hope for her brother!
She said, “That car is registered under your name, and you’re the president of the Zhou Group. Everything you do is watched by countless people. If anything happens, the media will only pour dirty water on you. Who will care about the truth?”
She suddenly remembered what had happened in her previous life. Her fingers tightened around the chopsticks and began to tremble with agitation.
Uncle Wang had driven her brother’s car around arrogantly and accidentally hit a pregnant woman.
The woman had suffered massive blood loss at the scene, but Uncle Wang, afraid of being held responsible, had chosen to flee instead of even calling an ambulance. In the end, the woman miscarried and had to have her uterus removed to save her life, losing the ability to ever become a mother.
After the accident, the media had dumped all the blame on her brother.
Unwilling to let him be falsely accused, she had spent money defending him online, only to be attacked by the media in return. They accused the Zhou family of treating human life with contempt and of using the driver as a scapegoat whenever something went wrong. They called them despicable and shameless.
That single incident had destroyed the Zhous’ reputation and even dragged the Jiang family’s parents, who had spoken up for her brother, into the center of the storm.
Those painful memories pierced her heart like needles.
Zhou Suisui’s breathing quickened, and her voice trembled slightly. “Brother, this man isn’t worth your sympathy. You must not go soft on him.”
Seeing how agitated she was, Zhou Sui'an panicked. He quickly reached out and ruffled her hair, soothing her. “You can make the decision yourself. Your brother has no objections.”
Zhou Suisui sniffed and forced a smile.
Zhou Sui'an placed some food in her bowl and said with a hint of emotion, “You're right. I didn't think it through. As the president of the Zhous, I have to take responsibility not only for myself but for the company as well. I need to be careful with everything I do.”
“Mm.”
Now that her brother had come around, the weight in Zhou Suisui's heart finally lifted, and she found her appetite returning.
The siblings ate quietly, the office filled with a warm, peaceful atmosphere.
But the warmth didn't last long. It was soon shattered by the urgent ringing of a phone.
He glanced at the caller ID, then instinctively looked at his sister sitting across from him—
