“Eat.”
The white porcelain plate was pushed in front of her.
The crabmeat had been picked out rather poorly, unevenly piled inside the shell. One glance was enough to tell that whoever had done it was no expert.
Zhou Suisui smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. “Thank you, Brother Yan.”
Jiang Zongyan didn’t respond. He removed his gloves, pulled out a wet wipe, and leisurely wiped his fingers. Not a hint of emotion could be seen on his handsome, chiseled face.
“Pfft.”
Beside them, Jiang Ruitian covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, only to receive a sharp glance from him.
Mrs. Jiang nodded in satisfaction and placed the most tender piece of meat from the fish’s cheek into Zhou Suisui’s bowl.
“If you want to eat anything in the future, just tell Zongyan. He may be sharp-tongued, but he’s quite useful when you need someone to boss around.”
“Mom!”
“Am I wrong?” Mrs. Jiang shot back, perfectly justified.
Jiang Zongyan took a deep breath, lifted the tea in front of him, and downed a mouthful, deciding not to argue with his own mother.
Zhou Suisui bit into the crabmeat, and a fresh, sweet flavor spread across her tongue.
She sneaked a glance at the man beside her.
For just a moment, she thought she saw the faintest hint of… grievance on the sculpted face of the Jiang family’s heir.
Perhaps because he had noticed her staring so openly, Jiang Zongyan suddenly set down his chopsticks and pushed back his chair.
“I’m full. Take your time eating.”
With that, he turned and headed upstairs.
“Brother, you haven’t even touched your chopsticks. How are you already full?”
Jiang Ruitian lifted her head from her bowl and blinked. Her little face, plump with youthful collagen, was filled with confusion.
Zhou Suisui couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.
Jiang Zongyan stopped in his tracks, his cold gaze landing on her face.
“…”
Zhou Suisui immediately fell silent and lowered her head to continue eating.
“Mind your own business!”
Jiang Zongyan raised his eyes and glared fiercely at Jiang Ruitian.
“…”
Under his threatening stare, Jiang Ruitian shuddered like a startled kitten.
Then, as if venting her frustration, she stuffed a large mouthful of rice into her mouth.
What a lousy brother! She was only showing concern for him, okay? He was nothing like Brother Sui'an, who actually knew how to dote on his little sister. Hmph!
She was angry now. From this day forward, she was ignoring him.
—
After dinner, Mrs. Jiang was in high spirits and insisted on showing Zhou Suisui photos of Jiang Zongyan when he was a child.
Zhou Suisui had expected nothing more than a few ordinary childhood pictures. But the moment the album was opened, she immediately perked up.
Oh, wow. They were all embarrassing photos.
There was one of him with a mournful expression, wearing a dress and his hair tied into pigtails. In another, someone had drawn a tortoise on his face, and he was crying so hard that bubbles of snot were coming out of his nose. There was even one of him at around two or three years old, asleep on the floor in a one-piece pajama suit, with a cartoon monkey printed on his bottom.
Zhou Suisui’s eyes shone as she looked through them. While Mrs. Jiang wasn’t paying attention, she secretly pulled out her phone.
As she took picture after picture, she thought to herself: Any one of these photos going public would make the financial news headlines.
Especially the one with the snot bubbles… It was way too cute, wasn’t it?
Who would have guessed that such an adorable little boy would grow up to become a domineering, cool-faced CEO?
The more Zhou Suisui looked, the happier she became. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes as she opened Jiang Zongyan’s WeChat and sent him the photo of his snot bubbles.
So cute, Mr. Jiang.
Mrs. Jiang was sitting beside her and noticed her furtive movements, as well as the smug little smile on her face. It was clearly just a bit of playful teasing between a couple.
“Suisui, do you want to go upstairs and play with A-Yan?”
Worried that Zhou Suisui might be bored keeping her company, Mrs. Jiang closed the album and made the suggestion with a beaming smile.
Go play with Jiang Zongyan?
Zhou Suisui’s eyes widened in instant horror, and she shook her head so vigorously that it blurred.
She had just sent him a provocative message. Was she trying to get herself killed by delivering herself right to his door?
“There’s nothing for me to do with him.”
Mrs. Jiang, however, seemed to understand everything. She patted the back of Zhou Suisui’s hand and said, “He didn’t eat anything at lunch. You can take him some fruit while you’re up there.”
“Okay… Okay, then…”
Since Aunt Jiang had put it that way, refusing would make her seem inconsiderate.
Zhou Suisui picked up the fruit plate Mrs. Jiang handed her. With a miserable expression, she resigned herself to her fate and headed upstairs.
Jiang Zongyan valued peace and quiet. The rest of the Jiang family lived on the west side of the house, while he alone occupied the east wing.
This was the first time Zhou Suisui had entered Jiang Zongyan’s bedroom since she was old enough to remember things.
After climbing the stairs and turning the corner, she was instantly captivated by the view before her.
An entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows stretched from the ground to the ceiling. Double-layered low-E soundproof glass shut out all the noise from the outside world. Beyond the windows was a huge wraparound balcony, offering a sweeping view of the Jiang family’s private estate and the river in the distance.
The mountains were lush and dark green, while willows swayed amid blooming flowers.
This man really knew how to enjoy himself. He had claimed the best view in the entire Jiang residence for himself.
But where was he?
Zhou Suisui searched the room with her eyes but didn’t see him anywhere. She let out a sigh of relief and quickly set down the fruit plate.
She was just about to go downstairs and report back to Mrs. Jiang when she reached the corner and turned around.
A hand suddenly seized her wrist.
The force was so strong that her body stumbled backward, nearly sending her to the floor.
“Ah…”
Before she could react, that powerful hand yanked her forward again, slamming her back against the cold wall.
A tall, straight figure loomed over her, blocking her path and leaving her nowhere to escape.
Zhou Suisui looked up in alarm. The corners of her eyes were damp and tinged red, making her look like a frightened little rabbit.
Meeting the man’s stern gaze, a trace of embarrassment and irritation crept into her soft voice.
“Jiang Zongyan, what are you doing?”
Jiang Zongyan stood in front of her. One hand was braced against the wall beside her ear, while the other kept a firm hold on her wrist. He had her trapped between his broad chest and the wall.
At her words, a low, cold laugh rumbled from his throat.
“You’re not calling me Mr. Jiang anymore? And not Brother Yan either? Now you’re calling me by my full name?”
The sunlight from the hallway streamed in from behind him.
His face was cast in shadow, making his expression difficult to read. But in his eyes, fixed arrogantly upon her, a suppressed fury seemed to flicker.
Zhou Suisui’s breath caught, and her heartbeat instantly leaped into her throat.
Knowing when to yield was the mark of a wise person.
She immediately put on a wounded expression. “Brother Yan, I was only joking around.”
“Joking around?!”
Jiang Zongyan’s sharp gaze locked onto the girl’s palm-sized face, lingering on the two tiny dimples beside her cheeks.
A bright glint flashed in his eyes, like a hunter studying his prey and considering how best to take it apart and devour it.
Zhou Suisui was almost unable to breathe. Every time she inhaled, the commanding scent of cold cedar from his body filled her nose, making her cheeks flush and her heart race.
“Zhou Suisui.”
His voice dropped low, as though the words were being forced through clenched teeth. “What exactly are you trying to do?”
Zhou Suisui pressed her back firmly against the wall. Her heart thundered, but she still forced herself to appear calm.
“I only took a few pictures of you when you were little. Is that really such a big deal?”
“Stop fooling around.”
Jiang Zongyan didn’t respond to her excuse. He simply looked down at her from above for several long seconds before suddenly asking, “You’re in front of me every day. Aren’t you afraid your little boyfriend will get jealous?”
