"Where? Where?"
The moment she caught a whiff of gossip, Li Sui immediately craned her neck in the direction He Xiaoyu was pointing. Sure enough, she spotted Zhou Jinghuai standing near the elevator with a beautiful woman.
The woman had her hair elegantly pinned up with a hairpin and wore a low-key black professional suit, but her striking, sculpted features made her anything but inconspicuous.
As for Zhou Jinghuai, there was no need to elaborate—wherever he went, his looks alone were enough to turn heads.
Customers in the lobby glanced their way, but fortunately, Li Sui and He Xiaoyu were seated in a secluded corner, and the pair seemed too engrossed in conversation to notice them.
"I’m telling you, your husband is seriously unreliable. First, he trends on social media with a beauty, and now he’s dining with one."
"You’re overthinking it," Li Sui took a sip of water, feeling oddly bored by the lack of real drama. "Who brings a folder on a date? And there’s, like, half a meter of space between them. My guess? Probably his secretary or subordinate."
He Xiaoyu studied Li Sui and clicked her tongue. "I’m convinced now—you genuinely don’t care about Zhou Jinghuai anymore."
"Just eat." Li Sui stuffed a piece of sweet and sour pork into He Xiaoyu’s mouth to shut her up.
An hour later, their plates were clean, and the meal concluded perfectly.
The two walked out of the restaurant side by side. He Xiaoyu hailed a cab home, while Li Sui headed toward the nearby subway station.
Still basking in the afterglow of a good meal, Li Sui’s steps were light and cheerful. As she turned a corner, a familiar black Maybach slowed to a stop beside her.
Tilting her head, she waited as the window rolled down, revealing an even more familiar profile.
"Get in."
By now, Li Sui had a pretty good grasp of Zhou Jinghuai’s temperament. He might seem easygoing, but once he made a decision, no amount of negotiation would change his mind.
She had a strong suspicion that if she refused, he’d step out and physically stuff her into the car.
Better to comply with dignity than be forced into submission.
Li Sui pulled open the door and smoothly settled into the passenger seat.
"You can just drop me at the subway station," she said while fastening her seatbelt, only to hear a soft voice from the backseat.
"Hello, Mrs. Zhou."
"…" The unfamiliar title made Li Sui stiffen. She turned around and saw the same woman who had been standing beside Zhou Jinghuai earlier.
Zhou Jinghuai introduced her. "My secretary, Sun Manqiu."
"Nice to meet you," Li Sui replied politely. "Just call me Li Sui."
Sun Manqiu smiled and nodded.
The ride was quiet with three people in the car. As they pulled up to the subway station, Li Sui reached for her seatbelt, only for Zhou Jinghuai’s hand to press down on hers.
Before she could react, the sound of a door opening came from behind.
Sun Manqiu had already stepped out, leaning down to wave at her. "Bye~"
"Bye—" Li Sui barely had time to lift her hand before the car was back on the road.
Confused, she asked, "Aren’t you going back to the office?"
"I am."
"But this isn’t on the way."
"How is it not? The Earth is round." Zhou Jinghuai’s slender fingers gripped the steering wheel as he smoothly merged onto the main road.
"…" Li Sui was momentarily speechless. She raised a thumbs-up and forced out a compliment. "Your geography knowledge is impeccable."
With Li Sui’s reluctant cooperation, the Maybach eventually came to a stop outside the southern gate of the market. Zhou Jinghuai rested his right hand on the wheel, the black bracelet on his wrist bathed in the warm glow of the streetlight, looking every bit like an exclusive high-end accessory—though no one would guess it cost only 35 yuan.
As if remembering something, he pulled a small box from his pocket and handed it to Li Sui.
She glanced down at the foreign text—not even in English. "What’s this?"
"Sun Manqiu recommended it. Supposedly great for scars." Zhou Jinghuai’s eyes flicked to the back of her hand. "Use it."
Li Sui hesitated before taking it, awkwardly mumbling, "Thanks."
Zhou Jinghuai didn’t dwell on it and asked instead, "Will you be at the shop tomorrow night?"
Li Sui tucked the small box into her pocket. "Probably. Why?"
"Zhou Jingcheng tried what you made last time and wants more. I’ll bring him by."
"Last time?" Li Sui wracked her brain but came up blank. "When did I make anything for him?"
"Your cursive masterpiece."
"…" So the sugar painting had ended up in Zhou Jingcheng’s hands.
Though she rarely saw Zhou Jingcheng indulge in sweets, Li Sui felt a flicker of warmth—finally, a glimpse of childishness in him.
She agreed without hesitation.
This time, the seatbelt came off smoothly, but before she could open the door, Zhou Jinghuai spoke again.
"There’s something else you might want to ask."
Li Sui turned. "What?"
"Sun Manqiu became my secretary because she scored first in both the written and interview rounds of the hiring process. Professionally, I had no reason not to hire her."
Li Sui reflexively asked, "And personally?"
Zhou Jinghuai met her gaze steadily. "There is no 'personally.'"
"Oh." Li Sui nodded and got out of the car.
As she walked along the cobblestone path, something nagged at her.
Halfway, she suddenly stopped and scratched her head in confusion.
Wait a minute.
When had she ever wanted to ask that?
Since when did she care?
The next evening, the brothers arrived as promised.
Under the night sky, Zhou Jinghuai was dressed casually—a loose white T-shirt and black sweatpants, a few strands of hair falling over his forehead. His right hand rested on his younger brother’s shoulder, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Zhou Jingcheng, meanwhile, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, expressionless, like a stern official on an inspection tour.
"Come in," Li Sui said, pulling on a pair of gloves. "I only do the twelve zodiac animals. Want me to make you a tiger?"
She remembered Zhou Jingcheng was born in the Year of the Tiger.
"I want words," Zhou Jingcheng said.
"That works too. What should I write?"
"'Peaceful years.'"
The phrase struck Li Sui as oddly familiar—she’d last seen it in Zhou Zhiyu’s social media posts.
Her lips twitched. Just how old was this kid? His tastes were… unexpectedly mature.
But Li Sui kept her thoughts to herself and swiftly crafted the sugar painting.
Zhou Jingcheng accepted it and announced he wanted to explore elsewhere. Zhou Jinghuai didn’t stop him.
Li Sui, however, was uneasy. "Shouldn’t you go with him? He’s just a kid—what if someone tries to snatch him?"
"He’s more likely to snatch someone else."
Watching Zhou Jingcheng’s composed retreating figure, Li Sui conceded the point. If anything, she should be worried about something else entirely.
Quietly, she pulled a face mask from a nearby drawer and handed it to Zhou Jinghuai. "Maybe… wear this?"
Zhou Jinghuai glanced down but kept his hands in his pockets, making no move to take it. "Do I embarrass you?"
"Not exactly," Li Sui lowered her voice. "But you were just in the news not long ago. The odds are low, but what if someone recognizes you?"
Zhou Jinghuai relented and put on the mask.
"Excuse me, boss?" A sweet voice piped up from behind. "Can you make a dragon?"
"Of course!" Li Sui immediately turned around, her eyes curving into crescents. "Simple designs are six yuan, complex ones are eleven."
"I'll take the six-yuan one."
"Alright." Li Sui scooped up the syrup with a copper spoon, fully focused as she painted on the stone slab.
With her head lowered the entire time, Li Sui didn’t notice the girl’s gaze lingering subtly on Zhou Jinghuai behind her—until the girl quietly asked, "Is that handsome guy your boyfriend?"
Handing over the sugar painting, Li Sui glanced back. Zhou Jinghuai was lounging leisurely on a wooden chair in the corner, playing on his phone. The black mask didn’t hide his looks; instead, it added an air of mystery, like "half-hidden behind a pipa."
Li Sui hesitated before finally shaking her head. "He’s my cousin."
"No wonder you two look a bit alike."
"?"
Li Sui protested, "I’m way better-looking than him."
The girl chuckled, leaning in to whisper, "Hey, is your cousin single?"
What was she supposed to say? Claiming he was single would be a lie, but saying he was married might ruin a potential match if Zhou Jinghuai actually liked her.
Li Sui felt like a wad of cotton was stuck in her throat. After a pause, she squeezed out, "He’s... currently married."
"Oh..." The girl dragged out the syllable, disappointed.
"But they might be divorced soon," Li Sui offered consolingly, speaking softly. "If you don’t mind a divorced man, maybe come back in two months?"
"..."
Zhou Jinghuai didn’t catch their hushed conversation, idly playing a game on his phone when a message suddenly popped up.
Zhou Jingcheng: [Bro, I want to buy this.]
Attached was a photo of an exquisitely crafted model of the Forbidden City’s corner tower—clearly expensive.
Zhou Jinghuai: [Ask Mom.]
Zhou Jingcheng sent another photo: the sugar painting Li Sui had just made.
Zhou Jinghuai: [?]
Zhou Jingcheng: [I came up with a ship name for you and sis. Want it? If not, I’ll eat it.]
"..."
Zhou Jinghuai: [Transfer: 10,000.00 yuan.]
Zhou Jingcheng took the money and vanished without another word.
That little rascal.
Zhou Jinghuai opened the image, but before he could get a good look—snap—the shop suddenly plunged into darkness.
Li Sui jumped, instinctively looking outside. The other shops remained brightly lit—this was clearly an issue with their own wiring.
In two months, she’d never encountered this before. Setting down her spoon, she said, "I’ll go check."
Before Zhou Jinghuai could respond, she dashed out, turning on her phone’s flashlight to inspect the wiring at the back of the shop.
The alley was pitch-black beyond the flashlight’s beam. As Li Sui moved cautiously forward, someone suddenly grabbed her arm.
Startled, she whirled around, the flashlight casting an eerie upward glow on Zhou Jinghuai’s face.
Even the most handsome face could send chills down your spine in that lighting.
"Ah!" Li Sui stumbled back, forgetting the wall behind her. Her head nearly slammed into it, but Zhou Jinghuai, as if foreseeing it, cushioned the impact with his hand.
Heart still racing, she gasped, "Why did you follow me?"
"Just tagging along."
Zhou Jinghuai withdrew his hand and walked to the back. Sure enough, the electrical box was open, a black wire severed in two.
Kneeling on the grass, he examined the break under her flashlight.
"Doesn’t look like natural wear."
"Sabotage?" Li Sui’s mind raced with possibilities. "Could it be that greasy guy from last time getting revenge? Or some shady business rivalry?"
"Doesn’t seem cut either. We’ll check the footage later." Zhou Jinghuai turned, casually tapping a bamboo pole.
"Bargain price—fifty. I’ll fix it for you now."
