The Zhou family villa, second-floor master bedroom.
A crystal chandelier shaped like flower petals hung from the ceiling, draping the entire European-style room in a warm, gentle glow.
After returning to her room, Zhou Suisui kicked off her shoes and leaped onto the bed.
She couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened at the hotel.
Because of her, Jiang Zongyan had taken an undeserved punch from her brother. She felt terribly guilty.
She wondered how badly he had been hurt.
Zhou Suisui took out her phone, intending to message him and ask how he was doing.
Only then did she remember that she didn’t have any way to contact him at all.
Thinking back to how she had confidently vowed to get his WeChat contact, only to be defeated every single time, she couldn’t help feeling embarrassed on her own behalf.
He had never intended to give her his contact information in the first place.
Recalling Jiang Zongyan’s meaningful expression, Zhou Suisui’s delicate brows drew together slightly.
Why did his expression seem so… subtle? A little surprised, and a little angry?
What was he angry about?
She scratched her head, unable to figure it out.
Forget it. There was no point thinking about it. He was a scheming man to begin with…
After a moment’s thought, she sent Jiang Ruitian a message.
[Tiantian, send me your brother’s WeChat.]
[Thanks, sweetheart! You’re the best! (づ￣3￣)づ╭～]
She had given up on using the crude method of adding him on WeChat just to make her presence known in front of him.
As it turned out, he really was an old iron tree—impossible to stir easily.
But that was just as well. It suited her perfectly if he couldn’t be moved.
If he fell for her after the slightest tease, he might chase after her and demand that she take responsibility. She couldn’t afford that.
Just then, her brother’s concerned knock sounded from outside the door.
“Little sis, are you asleep?”
“Not yet.”
“Then I’m coming in.”
Zhou Suisui quickly put down her phone and went to open the door.
“Brother, why aren’t you resting yet?”
“I brought you some burn ointment.”
“There’s no need. It doesn’t really hurt anymore…”
The moment Zhou Suisui saw the ointment in her brother’s hand, she instinctively felt a wave of dread.
She had already endured the pain once.
Applying the medicine meant enduring it all over again.
Noticing her face turn slightly pale, Zhou Sui’an knew exactly what she was thinking. With some helplessness, he coaxed her gently, “A burn can be serious or minor. Your hands are so pretty—what if it leaves a scar?”
“Th-then… all right~”
She was afraid of pain, but she was even more afraid of being scarred.
Frowning, Zhou Suisui reached out to take the ointment.
“I’ll apply it for you. Don’t I know you by now? The moment I leave, you’ll throw the ointment away.”
Zhou Sui’an led her to sit on the sofa nearby.
Embarrassed, Zhou Suisui obediently held out her hand. “Am I really that incorrigible?”
“What do you think?”
Zhou Sui’an snorted, his eyes full of affection.
First, he disinfected the blister with a cotton swab. Then he opened the ointment, scooped out a small amount with a clean swab, and gently spread it over the wound.
Zhou Suisui’s skin was fair, with faint blue veins clearly visible beneath it. Since the blister had not been treated promptly, it looked somewhat inflamed and swollen.
The sight made the concern in Zhou Sui’an’s eyes almost overflow.
“Bear with it… and don’t do something like this again.”
Pressing her lips together, Zhou Suisui said, “But I wanted to cook for you. I thought you’d be happy if you got to eat something I made myself.”
Zhou Sui’an paused, then raised a hand and gently brushed the stray hairs from her forehead.
“As long as my little sister is healthy and happy, I’ll be happy.”
His handsome face was utterly serious.
“I work so hard to make money so you can live an easier life—not so you can go into the kitchen and do all this.”
Warmth spread through Zhou Suisui’s heart. “I know.”
The bedroom fell quiet once more.
The light from the crystal chandelier cast the siblings’ silhouettes onto the expensive imported cashmere carpeting.
The ointment was somewhat irritating, and it still stung as it touched the inflamed, swollen blister.
To distract herself, Zhou Suisui shifted her gaze from the back of her hand and let it rest softly on her brother’s face.
Her brother’s head was lowered, his finely sculpted brows and eyes slightly furrowed.
He applied the medicine with great care, as though he were handling a priceless treasure, afraid that he might hurt her.
Warmth filled Zhou Suisui’s heart.
Her slender lashes trembled lightly.
Suddenly, she thought of the scene at the hotel when Jiang Zongyan had knelt on one knee in front of her and applied medicine to her knee…
The man’s expression had been indifferent, but his movements had been exceptionally gentle.
The gentle features before her gradually blurred, replaced by Jiang Zongyan’s proud, cold, sharply handsome face.
“All done. Don’t get it wet.”
Her brother’s clear voice reached her ears. Unlike Jiang Zongyan’s deep, steady voice, which carried a faint, alluring rasp, his brother’s voice was entirely different.
Zhou Suisui snapped back to reality, the tips of her fair ears instantly burning.
She had actually been reliving the memory of Jiang Zongyan applying medicine to her…
“Suisui, what’s wrong?”
“N-nothing. Thanks, Brother. I’ll be careful.”
“Mm.”
As usual, Zhou Sui’an reached out to ruffle his sister’s hair.
He had been away on a business trip for three days, and there was a mountain of work waiting for him at the company.
He withdrew his hand and was just about to go to the study to work overtime when Cui Wu appeared in the doorway.
“Miss, Young Master Jiang just sent someone to deliver something to you.”
“What is it?”
Before Zhou Suisui could answer, Zhou Sui’an immediately asked warily, “Young Master Jiang sent her something?”
Zhou Suisui was puzzled too.
But the moment she saw the familiar, exquisitely made gift bag in Cui Wu’s hands, her brows shot up.
Wasn’t this the clothing Jiang Zongyan had prepared for her at the hotel?
The bag contained not only a dress to wear outside, but also a set of underwear.
Zhou Suisui’s cheeks heated up, and she hurriedly waved at Cui Wu.
“It’s nothing important. Sister Wu, take it downstairs and put it away somewhere with the other miscellaneous things.”
“Miss, shouldn’t you at least take a look first? This is what you—”
Cui Wu wanted to tell her that this was the dress she had been longing for.
“No, no, don’t look at it.”
Zhou Suisui kept signaling frantically at her.
Go, go!
If her brother found out that Jiang Zongyan had bought her clothes—and even bought her underwear—he would probably explode again.
Her brother had only just agreed to cut off contact with Su Wan.
She didn’t want to provoke him again at a moment like this.
“All right, then. I’ll take it away and put it somewhere safe.”
Although Cui Wu was confused, she still carried the items back downstairs.
Watching her leave, Zhou Suisui quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Zhou Sui’an assumed that something of hers had been left at the hotel and didn’t think much of it.
Besides, he really did have work waiting for him, so he didn’t ask any further questions.
“Get some rest early.”
After reminding his sister, Zhou Sui’an left the bedroom.
Only after he was gone did Zhou Suisui pat her chest in lingering fear.
That was close.
Just then, Jiang Ruitian hurriedly called her.
“Suisui, why didn’t you reply to my message just now? I’ve already sent you my brother’s WeChat contact. Take a look.”
Zhou Suisui opened their WeChat chat.
Sure enough, Jiang Ruitian had sent her a WeChat contact card.
The profile picture showed a snow-covered mountain in Switzerland, its sunlit peaks glowing brilliantly. The man in the picture wore a black ski suit, and only one-third of his back was visible, his tall, straight figure unmistakable. His face could not be seen.
But on closer inspection, the curve of his shoulders and back was easy to recognize.
It was Jiang Zongyan himself.
“Thanks, darling. My best friend is the best person in the whole world.”
Jiang Ruitian said smugly, “Of course. We’ve been friends since kindergarten. We’re closer than actual sisters… But still… after all this time, you haven’t even managed to get my brother’s WeChat? Don’t say I’m looking down on you, but you’re seriously hopeless. What’s the point of having that pretty face if you can’t even get a WeChat account?”
“…”
Yep. Their fake sisterhood had officially been exposed.
The worst part was, she was telling the truth.
“Um, your brother’s difficulty level is pretty high.”
Zhou Suisui hurried to defend herself, absolutely refusing to admit that she had no appeal whatsoever in front of him.
“With your brother’s devastatingly handsome face, if he gave his WeChat to just any woman, his future sisters-in-law would already be lining up all the way overseas.”
Jiang Ruitian suddenly saw her point. “I can’t believe I actually have no way to argue with that nonsense of yours.”
Zhou Suisui suddenly thought of that little dress.
She had only been joking at the time. She never expected him to admit it outright.
“Tiantian, are you sure your brother really doesn’t have a girlfriend?”
“Of course.”
Jiang Ruitian paused, then asked curiously, “Do you know something?”
Zhou Suisui said, “Do you remember that dress from last time? You really liked it, but you ordered it too late and couldn’t get one.”
“I remember!” Jiang Ruitian grew excited. “That was—”
