The Zuo brothers’ rules of engagement.
When necessary, present a united front.
In times of peace, constant internal warfare.
Any toy they liked had to be snatched up and held tight, by any means necessary.
Besides, some things were just more satisfying when you had to fight for them.
Zuo Mubai lifted Bai Tao, settling her between his legs.
He lowered his body, willingly placing himself beneath her.
“Little Taotao, you should know what I want to do next, right?”
“But I’m not Sen.
I won’t force you.”
His chin rested lightly against Bai Tao’s chest.
His dark lashes fluttered, the corners of his eyes downturned.
He had been so aggressive just a moment ago, yet now he had softened completely.
He looked incredibly pitiful.
Like a little puppy snake.
He tilted his head up slightly, his soft lips brushing against her chin.
“Little Taotao…
do you want to kiss me?”
‘Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form,’ Bai Tao chanted silently in her mind.
But as she recited it, the words twisted into, ‘Human nature is, at its core, lustful.’
‘This hunk of meat is practically jumping into my mouth.
Who am I to refuse?’
‘That’s cheating!
This is totally cheating!’
Still, she had to at least pretend to be demure.
She turned her head, avoiding Zuo Mubai’s gaze.
“I…
I don’t know how.
I don’t have any experience.”
Zuo Mubai’s fingertips took hold of her chin.
“I don’t have any experience either.”
“Then shall we learn together?”
His voice was low and hoarse, laced with a restrained breathiness.
His other hand snaked up her waist and through her hair, cupping the back of her head.
He pressed down.
BANG!
The window shattered.
Shards of glass were completely intercepted by Ming, forming layered walls that encircled the two of them.
“He caught up pretty fast.”
“And made such a big scene.” Zuo Mubai gently rubbed the base of Bai Tao’s ear as if comforting a child.
“Little Taotao, were you scared?”
In her private life, she dealt with things like grenades and landmines, so of course a measly broken window wouldn’t scare her.
It was just…
Bai Tao felt him gently rubbing her ear.
His fingertips were cool, but the sensation was surprisingly comforting.
Even if it was an act, it was still the first time someone had been so gentle with her.
Seeing that Bai Tao didn’t reply, Zuo Mubai patted her head again, indicating she could rest her head on his shoulder.
He glanced to the side.
“Sen, you’re interrupting us.”
“Interrupting?” Zuo Senye leaped down from Cang’s head.
“Did I say you could go first?”
Zuo Mubai’s fingers gently combed through the hair of the girl in his arms.
“Didn’t a certain someone let go first just a moment ago?”
“The outcome is decided.
Don’t be a sore loser, Sen.”
“A sneak attack counts as a decided outcome?” Zuo Senye sneered.
Cang, echoing its master’s disdain, let out a threatening shriek, instantly shattering the remaining windows in the room.
“Have you two had enough?” a cold voice came from outside the window.
Si Hansu stood atop a dark gray Giant-toothed Shark, gently rubbing his temples.
“Will you two only be satisfied once you’ve smashed Heslington to pieces?”
He was only gone for a few minutes, and the two brothers were already causing trouble for him again.
Zuo Senye gritted his teeth.
“Chairman Si, Mu started it this time.”
“I only made a small commotion in the auditorium.
You’re the one who smashed this entire floor, aren’t you?” Zuo Mubai had no intention of letting Bai Tao go, instead holding her even tighter.
“Little Taotao, you saw it too…”
Before Zuo Mubai could finish speaking, he was hauled onto the back of the Giant-toothed Shark by Si Hansu.
“In any case, the damage is done.” Si Hansu pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses.
He shot a cold glance at Zuo Senye, who was standing to the side.
“You, get out here too.
You’re coming with me to apologize to the council.”
“Otherwise, I’ll have Jing Wang put you both on inhibitors for three days and in solitary confinement.”
Bai Tao was still in a daze when a large, fluffy, snow-white tail gently wrapped around her, lifting her directly off Zuo Mubai’s bed.
She landed steadily in a spot clear of glass shards.
Turning her head, she saw Qi Heting holding a key, having appeared at the doorway at some point.
He still had that detached look, as if it was none of his business, but two red markings had appeared on his white eyelashes, making the corners of his fox-like eyes curve up even more.
“I didn’t expect such a huge commotion this time.”
He was like an incorruptible official, about to pass judgment on a family dispute.
“What are you two fighting over this time?”
The two of them recalled Cang and Ming to their wrists and sat cross-legged on the back of Si Hansu’s Beast Mimicry, replying in unison:
“Who gets to be Little Taotao’s boyfriend first.”
“Perfect.
Qi Heting, you have good eyes.
You tell us.”
“Whose badge was pinned on Little Taotao’s collar first?”
Qi Heting’s golden eyes glinted with amusement.
“Well, that’s hard for me to say.”
Isn’t that right?”
Zuo Senye and Zuo Mubai gulped and fell silent.
“So, Little Taotao, who do you choose?”
Si Hansu frowned.
“We can discuss this later.”
“Keto, let’s go.”
With the command, the Giant-toothed Shark at the man’s feet whipped its tail, kicking up a virtual splash of water higher than the entire floor before disappearing from sight.
Qi Heting leaned against the doorframe.
“How many times has it been this month?
They’re so restless.”
It seemed like he was talking to her, and yet it also seemed like he was talking to himself.
He turned his head.
“Sorry about that.
Those two brothers often throw childish tantrums.
They love fighting over toys.”
Bai Tao stared at the half-demolished wall, the corner of her mouth twitching.
‘This…
is a childish tantrum?’
‘Wait a minute.’
‘This month?
The month just started a few days ago!’
‘And what does he mean by “often”?’
‘Don’t tell me they fight over women often?’
‘Oh, god.
So much for them being completely pure in body and mind.’
Qi Heting’s lips curved, making the soft contours beneath his eyes even more pronounced.
“You aren’t thinking, ‘Do they often fight over women like this?’, are you?”
“Don’t worry, you’re the first.”
“Last time, they were fighting over a new game cartridge released by Hero Company.
There was only one copy, so they flattened the central garden fighting over who got to play it first.”
“The time before that, it was over some cream puffs I’d made.
I accidentally made one too many, and while they were fighting over the last bite, their venom accidentally poisoned the school director’s thousand-year-old camphor tree.”
“And before…”
“Okay, stop,” Bai Tao said.
She truly hadn’t expected the brothers’ childishness could reach such levels.
“In short, I just wanted to tell you that you’re the first human they’ve fought over.”
“It would be bad if you got the wrong idea and Sen and Mu took their anger out on me.”
Qi Heting seemed lost in thought.
“But I have to say, I didn’t expect Mu to make the first move this time.”
“I always thought Sen was the more aggressive one of the two.”
The red lines at the corners of his eyes vanished, and the big, fluffy tail slowly receded.
His phone buzzed twice.
It was a picture of the incident sent from the council.
“This is a problem.
The damage they caused this time is really significant.
That auditorium was preserved in memory of the previous headmaster.”
“The Agarwood used for the skylight decorations costs tens of thousands for a single gram, I believe.”
“And the glass, this half of the wall…” He took out his phone, tapping away at it.
“All told, the damages should be no less than twenty million.”
“They really know how to make trouble for me, the one who manages the finances.”
Qi Heting drew out the last syllable.
Suddenly, he closed the distance between them.
He smiled, his eyes narrowed, the molten-gold depths of his pupils flashing for just a glimpse between his white lashes.
“Speaking of which, this incident started because of Bai.”
“So, Bai, how much of the responsibility do you plan to take?”
“But given your status, I imagine that would be a bit difficult, wouldn’t it?”
“What should we do?
Will you pay with your body?”