Yu Xiaxing agreed with Yu Zheng’s suggestion and said to Yu Zhining, “I think it’ll work. You’re out of options anyway, so let Chen Jiaxin give it a try. You can pay her a bonus.”
Yu Zhining looked at the two people in front of him who had risked their lives for him just last night. There was no way they would hurt him, right? He nodded. “All right.”
Yu Zheng immediately messaged Chen Jiaxin: “Are you free today? Help an elderly woman move, and while you’re at it, teach her in-laws a lesson for taking over her home.”
He sent the information over.
Chen Jiaxin replied, “I’m on my way! I love doing this kind of thing!”
Yu Zheng put down his phone and looked at Yu Xiaxing again. “What about your task? Are you really giving up the fight?”
Yu Xiaxing answered calmly, “I’ve won plenty of times already. I’m deliberately losing once to give you two a chance. Besides, Chen Jiaxin may not be able to solve the problem. The yellow card might still go to Yu Zhining.”
Yu Zheng laughed. “My little sister sure knows how to think big!”
Yu Zhining looked at her. After a moment of silence, he said quietly, “Next time, let me help you. I won’t let you get eliminated after receiving three yellow cards.”
Yu Zheng immediately joined in. “Exactly. We’re competitors, and the family business will ultimately go to the champion, but none of us should get left behind along the way.”
“…” Yu Xiaxing secretly rolled her eyes. Can you two not make this so difficult for me?
Hurry up and eliminate me already. I want to get out of here.
Before long, the servers began bringing out breakfast.
They were having a Cantonese-style breakfast today: shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, steamed custard buns, rice noodle rolls, sampan congee, barbecue pork buns… The table was soon covered with food.
When they were almost finished eating, Yu Xiaxing suddenly picked up the last shrimp dumpling.
After hesitating for a moment, she brought it to Yu Zhining’s mouth and lifted her chin. “Mm.”
The meaning was obvious.
Eat. I’ll feed you.
Yu Zhining stared at the shrimp dumpling held out to him, a hint of confusion rising in his eyes.
He could tell that although his sister had said she forgave him, they still hadn’t returned to the close, inseparable relationship they’d shared as children.
She still hadn’t called him “brother” even once. She continued to address him by his full name.
So what was she doing now?
Yu Xiaxing urged him, “Hurry up. My hand’s getting tired.”
Yu Zhining studied her for a long moment.
Although he had a feeling she was definitely up to something, he still lowered his head and ate the shrimp dumpling.
The moment he finished it, Yu Zheng slapped his chopsticks down and stared at Yu Xiaxing in disbelief. “What are the two of you doing?”
Yu Xiaxing turned toward him. “What’s wrong?”
Yu Zheng looked deeply wounded, his voice heavy with sorrow. “I’m your actual brother. He’s only your cousin. You won’t feed me, but you’ll feed him?!”
The more Yu Zheng thought about it, the angrier he became. He suddenly stood up. “Fine, fine, fine! I won’t get in the way of your touching sibling reunion! Goodbye!”
With that, he turned and headed out of the private room.
Yu Xiaxing immediately put down her chopsticks and chased after him. “Bro!”
The private-room door slammed shut.
Yu Zhining sat at the table, staring at the two empty seats across from him.
Two seconds later, he suddenly realized what had happened.
He’d been played.
—
Outside the teahouse.
Yu Xiaxing and Yu Zheng ran some distance away.
They looked at each other and burst out laughing. At the same time, they raised their hands and high-fived.
Smack!
Yu Xiaxing said excitedly, “Let’s do the same thing next time we dine and dash!”
“Deal!” Yu Zheng replied.
He knew perfectly well that even if they hadn’t run out on the bill, Yu Zhining would most likely have paid for breakfast anyway.
But that wasn’t the point. The two of them simply enjoyed the thrill of doing something mischievous!
After eating their fill, they hurried home to sleep.
—
By the time Yu Zhining came out of the teahouse, Yu Zheng’s car was already gone. He guessed that Yu Zheng and Yu Xiaxing had already gone home.
Their car had been temporarily parked by the roadside.
Yu Zhining walked over to his own car and was just about to get in when a voice suddenly came from beside him.
“Sir.”
Yu Zhining looked up.
A traffic officer was standing beside the car, holding a body camera. “You can’t park here. This vehicle is illegally parked.”
“All right,” Yu Zhining said. “Give me the ticket.”
“No need,” the officer replied. “I checked your record. You’ve been driving for six years, and this is your first violation, so there’s no need to record it or issue a fine. Our focus is education. Take a photo and post it to your social media. Once you get fifty likes, you won’t be fined.”
“Just give me the ticket!”
“That’s not allowed! Our enforcement policy in Pu City emphasizes education. We don’t use fines as a substitute for management. You have to post it, or you can’t drive the car away!”
“…”
The problem was, Yu Zhining didn’t even have fifty people on his entire contact list!
He had added some classmates to a group chat the night before, but after asking the Yu family’s lawyer to contact one of his former classmates who was also a lawyer, he’d left the group.
Quite a few classmates had sent him friend requests afterward, but he had rejected every single one.
Now, he had no choice but to message a few important subordinates, Bai Xian among them.
He also messaged several doctors in the hospital departments he absolutely needed to stay in contact with.
Altogether, that still amounted to fewer than thirty people.
Next, he sent a message to the family group chat, “Loving Each Other as One Family.”
Yu Zhining: I parked illegally. Could everyone please help me like the post on my social media?
Second Aunt: What happened? You actually committed a traffic violation? Oh my goodness! The most upright child in the Yu family, the child who never once arrived late for school from the time he was little, actually committed a violation!
Yu Lingyi: [snickering]
Mom: I liked it. Be careful on the road…
Grandpa: I’ll go take a look.
Yu Yuanchen: Liked it.
Yu Zhining found Yu Yuanchen utterly exasperating.
He himself had never lied from childhood to adulthood. Xingxing was chaotic evil and lied occasionally. But Yu Yuanchen never spoke a single truthful sentence!
Yu Yuanchen, neither of us has each other added as a friend. What exactly did you like? You’re just making things up again.
But since he needed the help, Yu Zhining had no choice but to add him.
After a grueling effort, the number of likes stopped at forty-eight.
So exhausting…
Studying medicine had never been this tiring.
He had no connections left to use.
Yu Zheng was probably driving. He’d call him later and ask him to help.
Just one more…
He opened Yu Xiaxing’s profile from the family group chat. Her profile picture was of Diandian.
Yu Zhining tapped Add Friend.
—
Meanwhile.
Yu Xiaxing was sitting in Yu Zheng’s car. She had seen Yu Zhining’s message as soon as he posted it in the group chat.
A few minutes later, she received his friend request.
Yu Xiaxing expressionlessly tapped Reject.
Should’ve thought of this sooner. Now that you’ve gotten a ticket, you remember to add me?
The moment she rejected it, he sent another request.
[Yu Zhining: Xingxing, accept it.]
Yu Xiaxing rejected it again.
He didn’t send another request.
The phone in Yu Zheng’s hand rang as he drove.
He pulled over briefly and answered it. “Hello?”
Yu Zhining’s helpless voice came from the other end. “Is Xingxing with you?”
“She is.”
“She won’t accept my friend request… I need fifty likes, and it’s urgent. You should give me a like too.”
Yu Zheng held back a laugh. “Sure, I can like it for you. But you’re a grown man. You don’t have fifty people on your contact list? What about your old classmates?”
“I deleted them all after graduation.”
“…” Yu Zheng was speechless. “What is wrong with you?”
After complaining, he glanced at Yu Xiaxing. She was already reading the news, making it obvious that she had no intention of getting involved.
Yu Zheng sighed. “Then find someone else to give you that last like. Why don’t you add the traffic cop in front of you and ask him to like it? I can’t do anything about my sister’s temper. I’m hanging up.”
With that, he hung up without hesitation and started driving home again.
Yu Xiaxing had assumed the interruption was over and that Yu Zhining had surely gone to find someone else.
Unexpectedly, a message popped up on her phone the very next second.
