Lu Tao’s eyes went wide as saucers, and she quickly cut her off. “Oh my, Zhizhi, what kind of wild talk is that…”
Fu Zhi silently scooped all her taro balls into Lu Tao’s bowl. “It’s bound to happen sooner or later, but as your old mother, I can’t help feeling like my cabbage got rooted by a pig.”
Lu Tao chewed and chewed, and hearing Fu Zhi call Gu Xingzhi a pig was just too comical.
Suddenly she remembered that she’d grabbed something good from that sack earlier—it would make the perfect gift for President Gu.
“Weren’t you always into mixed-race kids? President Gu has foreign genes in his ancestry, so he totally fits your requirements.”
Fu Zhi knew Lu Tao’s tastes well—on Douyin, she liked watching cats and dogs, and also adorable little kids.
Lu Tao nodded in agreement, bobbing her head as she ate.
“Slow down, no one’s fighting you for it.” Fu Zhi propped her elbow on the back of the chair, looking utterly languid and slouchy. “So when are you planning to make your move? Want me to teach you a few tricks?”
The scene seemed to hit pause. Lu Tao was speechless—when you’re at peak speechlessness, there’s just nothing to say.
Zhizhi was single herself, and she was going to teach tricks? “I’ll do it around the time I’m about to leave. The bump will start showing in three or four months. If I do it too early, I’m afraid I won’t be able to get away.”
The two were chatting while eating their desserts.
A man wearing a white cardigan with khaki pants walked in. He was like a summer breeze, carrying a touch of freshness.
He paused for a moment, then his gaze landed on a certain corner, and he walked straight over to Fu Zhi and Lu Tao’s table.
“Zhizhi.”
Fu Zhi looked up. The teardrop mole at the corner of this handsome guy’s eye looked oddly familiar. “Who are you?”
The guy smiled. “I’m your brother.”
Fu Zhi shot back, “And I’m your grandma.”
Lu Tao quickly tugged at Fu Zhi. Seeing that the man still had a smile on his face and wasn’t angry, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In the book, Fu Zhi had an extremely doting older brother named Fu Li, different from her original world.
Looking at the man before her, he had the same teardrop mole as Fu Zhi—except Fu Zhi’s was below her eyelid, adding a touch of allure.
His was at the corner of his eye, and it was almost certainly him.
That teardrop mole added a hint of boldness to a girl’s face, and a touch of gentleness to a boy’s.
It was truly the perfect finishing touch.
Fu Li recognized the disguised Fu Zhi at a glance. As for Lu Tao, her pure, unadorned look was even harder to ignore. He asked in surprise, “How are you two together?”
Lu Tao had been the fake daughter of the Qiao family, and the Fu family was Mother Qiao’s natal family. Lu Tao would have called Fu Zhi and Fu Li her cousin and cousin-brother.
Lu Tao and Fu Zhi had never gotten along since childhood.
And Qiao Zhixing had originally been on good terms with Fu Zhi. After returning to the Qiao family, that relationship grew even warmer—better on top of better. So Lu Tao and Fu Zhi’s relationship went from bad to worse.
However, Fu Li had always been kind to Lu Tao, the fake daughter.
Back when Lu Tao was still in the Qiao family, every time Fu Li went abroad on business trips, if he brought a gift for Fu Zhi, he would always bring one for Lu Tao too.
That habit had continued even after she left the Qiao family—
Seeing his hesitant gaze, Lu Tao was worrying about how to brush it off. Was she supposed to flip the table?
But she’d barely eaten a few bites of this taro ball, red bean, and pearl bowl.
She was so torn! (┬＿┬)
Fu Li first glanced around to see if there were any fallen hairs or scattered items. It looked like they hadn’t gotten into a fight yet.
Now that he was here, it should be fine.
He stopped dwelling on it and handed over a ticket. “This is what you wanted. Don’t be mad anymore.”
Then he handed Lu Tao an identical one.
Lu Tao put down her spoon, placed her hands on her knees, and said obediently and solemnly, “Thank you, cousin.”
Fu Li nodded and smiled. “You’re welcome.”
This kid had been sensible since she was little. He really couldn’t understand why Zhizhi didn’t like her.
Lu Tao picked up the paper, her eyes sparkling. This was a ticket to Yu Xi’s concert! She didn’t expect the book to have it too!
Back in the real world, she and Zhizhi had saved up money for a long time to go. They’d set an alarm, and at the exact moment, used a massage gun to try and grab tickets—but they still couldn’t get any!
She never expected this regret to be fulfilled in the book, and it was a VIP seat in the front row, center position.
She hugged it to her chest excitedly, then stood up and bowed to Fu Li again and again—a full three bows, her bangs flipping up with each one. “Thank you, big cousin!”
Fu Li: “…”
This kid…
Back when Lu Tao was in the Qiao family, she only had a younger brother.
The Qiao family never gave her the treatment of a Qiao princess. He could see no one doted on her, so every time he bought a gift for Fu Zhi, he’d get one for her too.
Now that she’d gone to the Lu family, he was still used to it—every time he bought something for Fu Zhi, he’d habitually buy two.
He’d long since come to see her as a true cousin from the bottom of his heart, as unchangeable as breathing.
Yu Xi was his good friend, and this was just a concert ticket. Yet she was this excited.
Sigh. It seemed this kid really hadn’t seen much of the good stuff.
Fu Zhi, meanwhile, was expressionlessly running her fingers over the ticket.
She wasn’t really a fan of celebrities to begin with—she’d only gone along for her best friend.
Since Lu Tao loved watching them, she’d accompany her, scrimping and saving for months to afford the tickets, even staying up all night with her to fight for them during the presale rush.
Now that she saw Lu Tao getting her wish, she merely curved her lips slightly.
Fu Li looked at his younger sister’s indifferent demeanor, somewhat taken aback. It had been his sister who’d thrown a fit demanding tickets—crying, throwing tantrums, even threatening to hang herself over it.
But he’d been afraid her obsession with Yu Xi would cause a scene at the venue, so he’d refused to give her one.
Now he’d only caved because she’d worn him down, yet here she was, acting all calm instead?
Rubbing his chin in thought, he figured his sister was the tsundere type—she probably didn’t want to be outdone by Lu Tao.
Lu Tao had been thrilled at first, but the moment she saw the seat number on Fu Zhi’s ticket, she deflated instantly.
Fu Zhi’s ticket was in Section A; hers was in Section D. One in the east, one in the south—practically half the world apart.
What was this? A peacock flying southeast?
Though she could understand—her cousin had pulled this move to keep them from tearing each other’s hair out.
Fu Zhi shot Lu Tao a look.
Lu Tao shot one back.
The two communicated entirely through years of honed telepathic brainwaves—
Fu Zhi: “What’s there to worry about? Money’s no object. We’ll just buy the seats next to you.”
Lu Tao: “Just afraid they won’t be willing to part with them.”
Fu Li beamed. “Zhizhi, I specially arranged for Zhizhi to sit right next to you. Satisfied?”