The study fell silent for a fleeting moment before Xu Qizhi let out a sigh and continued, “It is not about money. No matter how much you spend, just how much could you possibly burn through? Your older brother can earn it all back. Whatever you want to spend, however much you wish to use, as long as it makes you happy.”
Oh goodness! What an incredible, world-class, overwhelmingly wonderful big brother!
“It is just… there is something I need to tell you.” Xu Qizhi’s expression gradually grew solemn.
This naturally made Xu Qiduo grow nervous as well.
What kind of matter could possibly make his eldest brother wear an expression like that? It had to be something extremely serious!
Gazing deeply at him, Xu Qizhi finally spoke, “I received reliable information. The Wang family is preparing to arrange a political marriage with the Chen family. Chen’s youngest daughter is returning to the country next month specifically to go on blind dates with Wang Shuo.”
What!
What?! There was such a wonderful piece of good news in the world!
Watching Xu Qiduo’s eyes slowly widen in sheer astonishment, Xu Qizhi assumed his younger brother was simply finding it difficult to accept.
Yet reality was what it was. He knew Xu Qiduo had spent five whole years loving Wang Shuo, while the other person offered zero affection in return. He simply did not want his younger brother trapped inside this one-sided attachment any longer.
As the eldest brother, perhaps he had no business interfering in Xu Qiduo’s romantic life. But if Xu Qiduo’s affections had ever received any genuine response from that person, Xu Qizhi would never have gone out of his way to meddle behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, Xu Qiduo, who had just been struck by this explosive piece of news, had a mind full of virtual bullet comments flying past.
What blind date? What political marriage? Wasn’t this supposed to be a pure romance novel? Could the male protagonist Wang Shuo really do something like this? Did this plot point even exist in the original story? Why had he never heard of it? That damn system didn’t even give him a heads-up about such a dramatic turning point!
“Therefore…” Xu Qizhi prompted, frowning slightly as he looked at his younger brother’s dazed expression. “Therefore, if you wish to find someone to anchor your emotions to, Zhou Mengxing will do nicely.”
“What?” Xu Qiduo had not yet snapped out of the revelation about the male protagonist’s secret blind-date subplot before the conversation abruptly pivoted back to Zhou Mengxing.
Xu Qizhi went on to explain, “Second uncle is currently arranging his household registration, and we have already investigated his past. That kid has genuine tenacity. Back when his stepmother fell ill, all of those medical bills were earned through his own backbreaking labor. He is willing to endure hardship and possesses real drive. Once he graduates and enters the company, he will be one of us. With a little guidance, he will be able to stand on his own.”
“Huh?” Weren’t they veering wildly off course here? Why were they suddenly talking about Zhou Mengxing again?
“He also carries a strong desire to repay kindness, so a person like that can naturally be kept close.” Seeing that Xu Qiduo still wore a blank expression, Xu Qizhi stopped beating around the bush altogether.
He stated flatly, “My meaning as your older brother is that I hope you will stop wasting your feelings and time on Wang Shuo. There is no future or tomorrow for the two of you. He simply does not care for you, does he?”
Though phrased as a question, the tone carried absolute certainty.
Even Xu Qizhi knew that Wang Shuo had zero affection for Xu Qiduo.
So why on earth was the original “Xu Qiduo” stubborn enough to keep acting like a shameless doormat?
If he himself were the real Xu Qiduo, he would have wagged his tail and agreed instantly under his big brother’s comforting words, promising never to interact with Wang Shuo ever again.
Then he would unleash his inner ambition, graduate, work hard, and dedicate his life to repaying his eldest brother for the privilege of swiping black cards whenever he pleased.
The problem was that he was not the real Xu Qiduo!
How was he supposed to drive the plot forward if he cut all ties with Wang Shuo? What would happen if he failed to push the story along and the system decided to terminate him?
His eldest brother was truly a fantastic older brother, but he simply lacked the fortune of deserving such a great sibling!
No matter how much he wished he could cooperate in his heart, reality left him completely powerless.
Xu Qiduo could only lower his head in dismay and murmur a defeated, “Yes.”
His disappointment, of course, had nothing to do with mourning Wang Shuo’s lack of affection.
He was mourning and grieving because his wonderful older brother had already paved a smooth path for him, yet he was barred from walking down it!
What sane person actually wanted to be a doormat? He was doing this purely under duress!
“Do not feel too sad. We will adjust to it gradually.”
Fortunately, his great older brother did not force him to immediately declare things like “I am breaking off relations with Wang Shuo right this instant.”
Instead, he gave him ample time and space to slowly pull himself out of the haze.
It was only later, after Xu Qiduo had left the study and mentally replayed everything Xu Qizhi had said, that he suddenly realized what kind of role Zhou Mengxing had been assigned in that conversation.
An emotional anchor…
In other words… Zhou Mengxing hadn’t been chosen by second uncle to become a son-in-law candidate after all. His eldest brother had picked him out as a companion for him!
He wondered if Zhou Mengxing had any idea about this.
If he did know, judging by Xu Qizhi’s evaluation of Zhou Mengxing’s character, Zhou Mengxing was a person of immense pride and backbone.
He had spent his youth working hard to pay for the medical expenses of a stepmother who shared no blood relation with him; there was no way he would ever lower himself to selling his dignity after his stepmother passed away.
Besides, Zhou Mengxing had mentioned earlier that evening that as long as Uncle Xu did not drive him out, he intended to stay within the Xu family.
Thus, the person Zhou Mengxing truly intended to repay was second uncle.
Did that mean the Xu family members had essentially conspired together to sell Zhou Mengxing off?
That felt a bit too unfair to Zhou Mengxing, didn’t it?
He had initially assumed the youth was just an ordinary NPC in a novel, someone he could be friends with, someone in front of whom he could let his guard down and just be himself…
If Zhou Mengxing ended up chained to the Xu family because of him, wouldn’t his own sins be far too heavy?
When he returned to his quarters, the bedroom was completely empty.
Xu Duoduo was gone, and Zhou Mengxing was nowhere to be seen.
After asking one of the estate housekeepers who had already returned, he learned that Zhou Mengxing had been picked up by the domestic staff from second uncle’s household.
Outside, the rain was still falling in a steady, pattering drizzle.
It mirrored the melancholic state of his own mind.
…
The rain continued through the entire night without stopping, washing away the joyful anticipation that a Saturday morning holiday should have brought.
Xu Qiduo spent the entire morning lounging in bed, only getting up when lunchtime arrived to head over to the main dining hall.
The rain carried a biting chill with it, making short sleeves completely unviable.
Pulling on a long-sleeved shirt, he made his way to the main hall, where he happened to catch sight of Zhou Mengxing walking toward him from the opposite direction.
Zhou Mengxing was trailing right behind Xu Min, flanked by Xu Min’s three daughters.
The phone resting in his pocket kept vibrating persistently. Someone was calling him.
Pulling out his phone, Xu Qiduo answered without even glancing at the caller ID.
Wang Shuo’s voice instantly echoed from the speaker.
[Come to the polo club and pick me up.]
Across the hall, the three girls surrounding Zhou Mengxing were chatting and laughing with him. True enough, Zhou Mengxing possessed striking good looks; even Xu Qiduo found himself staring whenever he saw him, let alone a group of teenage girls.
[Did you hear me?]
Receiving no immediate reply, the voice on the other end prompted him again.
Watching the family party step inside the main dining hall, Xu Qiduo turned sideways to face the open windows along the corridor.
Through the glass panes, the flowers in the backyard stood tall and straight against the pelting rain, blooming with vibrant splendor.
Clutching his phone tightly, Xu Qiduo felt a wave of genuine emotion wash over him for the first time as he fired back, “If you want to go home, call your own driver and have them pick you up. Why are you calling me? Am I your personal chauffeur?”
The other end of the line fell silent for a few seconds before Wang Shuo replied flatly, without a trace of emotion, [Never mind if you’re not coming.]
Hearing that, Xu Qiduo promptly hung up the phone.