Zhuang Yuhua originally wanted to drive, but Zhou Ze unceremoniously shoved him into the passenger seat. “You were tired all night. Rest for a while.”
Huh? Was that a dig at his stamina?
He was just about to retort, but upon meeting the smile in Zhou Ze’s eyes, he closed his mouth. Why pick a fight with the bigwig? Better be careful lest a single wrong word causes the cannon fodder character to meet an untimely demise.
As they neared the house, Zhou Ze slowed the car down significantly. His expression grew solemn, and he gripped the steering wheel exceptionally tight. “Xiao Hua, the old man has a fondness for alcohol, and his temper gets a bit rough when he drinks. No matter what he says, do not argue back. Just agree with him first. Bear with it for a little while. He will not stay long.”
Zhuang Yuhua was busy plotting his hot spring getaway and answered absentmindedly, “Mm.”
The moment they stepped inside, the oppressive aura of the head of the household pressed down upon them. A deeply scrutinizing gaze followed him all the way to the dining table.
He was a seasoned expert at acting obedient. Curving his eyes into crescents, he gave a slight bow. “Dad, I am back.”
Zhou Qin’s brow relaxed. A long-absent form of address brought a few crinkles of a smile to the corners of his eyes. He beckoned Xiao Hua over and pointed to the seat closest to him. “Come here, Xiao Hua. Let Dad take a look at you.”
Zhou Ze was far more reserved. He stood rigidly straight, resembling a petty official awaiting punishment, with his head hung very low as he respectfully called out, “Old Man.”
Acting as though he heard nothing, Zhou Qin pulled Xiao Hua by the hand and asked him all sorts of questions, such as whether he was adapting well and if there was anything he needed.
Aunt Wang served the dishes exceptionally fast, acting with extreme caution and daring not to linger.
He looked at the table full of Sichuan cuisine. It was completely numb and spicy, with red and green chilies covering the entire spread.
His gaze swept over the bizarrely tense atmosphere between the adoptive father and son. He genuinely could not tell whether the old man was setting a trap for Zhou Ze, or if he simply had no idea that Zhou Ze could not handle spicy food.
At that moment, the sound of high heels echoed from the staircase. Xiao Hua looked up and saw a graceful young woman wearing a strapless, high-slit dress, swaying side to side as she walked down.
“Xiao Hua is back, then.”
He found himself in a dilemma inside. This woman looked barely older than him. Should he call her Aunt or Elder Sister?
Perhaps sensing his awkwardness, Zhou Ze spoke up first. “Hello, Aunt Bai.”
Xiao Hua was just about to echo the greeting when he saw the woman’s mouth twitch. “The eldest young master has remembered incorrectly. My surname is Liu.”
“Oh.” Zhou Ze smiled, the depths of his eyes murky and unreadable. “You look quite similar to Aunt Bai, so I accidentally mistook you. My apologies.”
“Clap!” Zhou Qin slammed a palm onto the table, his eyes wide with fury.
Startled, Xiao Hua gave a slight shudder and hurriedly patted Zhou Qin’s back to help him smooth his breath. “Dad, I just came home today. We should be happy instead of getting angry over unimportant people. Ruining your health over it is not worth it.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Zhou Ze’s hand clenched tightly by his side, his complexion growing even gloomier.
Fortunately, he did not say anything else. Zhou Ze pushed away the furthest chair, sat down, and stared blankly with a lowered head.
Aunt Liu also tried to soothe Zhou Qin, pouring him a glass of wine. “Don’t mind him. It is rare for our family to reunite, so we cannot let our moods be ruined.”
Zhou Qin’s mouth twitched, letting out a mocking scoff.
Having drunk a bit too much alcohol, Zhou Qin grabbed Xiao Hua’s hand. “All these years, you and your mother suffered wandering outside. Now that she is gone, you should change your surname back and enter the Zhou family genealogy.”
“I am not changing it,” Xiao Hua blurted out.
Instantly, a look of worry landed upon him. He looked up to see Zhou Ze giving him a tiny, subtle shake of his head.
Zhou Qin showed faint signs of a brewing outburst, his voice raising an octave. “Say that again!”
Xiao Hua’s brain spun at lightning speed, and he offered an obedient smile. “I just came back and want to make some achievements first before changing my surname. Otherwise, people in the company might gossip and say I am living off a free ride.”
“Good! You have backbone! As expected of my, Zhou Qin’s, son!” Zhou Qin lost control of the strength in his grip, squeezing a little too hard.
Xiao Hua forced a fake smile, unobservedly shooting a glance at Zhou Ze. Seeing his tightened jaw, he felt a bad premonition.
According to the original plot, Zhou Ze entered the Zhou family at age seven, sweeping every first place and championship throughout his school years, entering the company as a low-level employee, and fighting his way up step by step to reach his current position.
For twenty years, he never dared to relax, yet in Zhou Qin’s eyes, he was worth nothing.
Xiao Hua vowed internally to give the protagonist a sweet romance to warm that cold little heart.
“That… Zhou Ze,” Zhou Qin suddenly spoke up.
Zhou Ze instinctively tensed his body, lowering his head slightly.
“Do you have a cooperative project with the Qi family in your hands? Hand it over to Xiao Hua so he can get some training.”
Zhou Ze smiled faintly, though his eyes were pitch-black inside. “Alright.”
Thinking this worked out perfectly, Xiao Hua hurriedly chimed in, “Dad, I do not know how to do anything yet. Let Zhou… Older Brother teach me.”
He found the words “Older Brother” exceptionally awkward to say.
Zhou Ze’s eyes lit up, looking at him with mild astonishment.
“Zhou Ze, guide Xiao Hua well.”
Finding the interaction displeasing to listen to, Zhou Qin drained his glass of alcohol, wiped his mouth, and stood up. The woman hooked her arm around his as quick as a flash.
As the two of them sauntered out the door arm-in-arm, Aunt Wang instantly brought over a food tray and placed it before Zhou Ze. “The eldest young master must not have eaten comfortably. I prepared something light, so eat up quickly.”
Zhou Ze relaxed his posture and smiled gently. “Thank you, Aunt Wang.”
Stirring the chopped pepper fish head while occasionally lifting his eyelids to glance at him, Xiao Hua asked 999 if his current emotions were real or fake.
999 advertised that completing side quests would unlock the ability to listen to the protagonist’s inner thoughts.
How difficult. The protagonist Shou’s hatred value had not moved at all, so he could only start from the silly pig.
Quickly formulating a plan in his mind, he said to Zhou Ze, “Let us invite Qin Lin over tonight to discuss the project.”
Zhou Ze smiled gently. “Alright.”
When they walked into the meeting room, Qin Lin was already waiting. The moment he saw Zhou Ze, he immediately put away his crossed legs, straightened his tie, and said, “President Zhou, we meet again.”
The location was chosen by the system: four solid walls, no windows that could be forced open, a small brightly colored sofa, and a bouquet of passionate red roses on the glass coffee table, serving as a carefully curated romance lockdown room.
Taking advantage of their polite exchange, Xiao Hua pretended to look around while secretly twisting loose a crucial screw on the door lock behind his back, planning for the moment when—
Suddenly, Zhou Ze turned his head and smiled. “Xiao Hua.”
“Ah?” Caught in the act of shady behavior, Xiao Hua jumped in fright, his grip slipping from the edge of the door, and with a loud clack, the door slammed shut!
Along with it, his heart shattered.
No, no, no! He was supposed to wait until he walked out before shutting it!
Crying without tears, he knocked on the system, but 999 was equally helpless, stating that due to the host’s subjective actions causing a plot error, the system could not modify it and he must improvise accordingly.
He chuckled dryly and shook hands with Qin Lin, saying, “Aha… Please guide me…”
For the remaining hour or so of project discussion, he sat on pins and needles, dozing off while groggily propping up his arm. Just as his hand slipped and his face was about to smash onto the table, a cool hand caught him before he could even register it.
He snapped his eyes wide open, meeting Zhou Ze’s smile.
Shifting his gaze, he locked eyes with Qin Lin’s murderous glare.
999 broadcasted that the protagonist Gong’s hatred value increased by 10 and emotional progress increased by 5.
Qin Lin could no longer take it. A world of three was far too crowded, and this light bulb was entirely too blinding! Throughout the entire session, Zhou Ze had not looked at him even once!
Rising to his feet, Qin Lin addressed Zhou Ze, “I look forward to our next meeting. Make sure there are no light bulbs next time!”
Xiao Hua covered his face. Qin Lin had used every ounce of his strength, yet failed to pull the door open. He hurriedly went to feel for his phone, only to grab empty air. “My phone is lost!”
At that moment, the fluorescent light tube emitted a crackle of electrical current, flickered a few times, and died completely, leaving only the glowing night-light vase casting an eerie, phosphorescent shimmer.
“Is anyone there? Someone is trapped in here!” Qin Lin shouted while pounding on the door.
Xiao Hua desperately wanted to strangle himself.
The system was far too thorough in executing tasks, arranging for a pickpocket to steal the protagonist’s phone beforehand, and quite dutifully stealing his as well. It had cleared out the entire floor of people and ensured no one would come by for the entire night.
Once Qin Lin grew tired of shouting, the three of them fell into an eerie silence, the room growing so quiet that only their alternating, overlapping breathing remained.
Suddenly, a fumbling sensation grazed his hand, and Zhou Ze asked with concern, “Xiao Hua, are you alright?”
“I am fine…” Xiao Hua wanted to cry without tears.
According to his original plan, the protagonist Gong and Shou should already be engaging in physical contact under the cover of the dim shadows.
At that moment, someone’s stomach began to rumble loudly.
With a hypocritical low cough, Xiao Hua clutched his uncooperative stomach and turned away.
Unable to hold back a chuckle, Zhou Ze stood up by feeling his way around. Guided by the faint blue glow, he began rummaging through things, and before long, the aroma of food wafted through the air.
With his sharp sense of smell, Qin Lin lunged toward him, ignoring the coffee table he bumped into as he stood up. “Zhou Ze, it smells so good. What did you find?”
“Self-heating hot pot.” Perhaps sharing hardships made him overlook the issue of address, Zhou Ze placed the steaming hot pot in front of Xiao Hua. “I prepared this for you. Eat up.”
Then, unscrewing a bottle of water, he tightened the cap back on and placed it aside out of fear that someone might knock it over.
Xiao Hua ate with a guilty conscience, feeling Zhou Ze’s gaze lingering on him. Even without seeing his face, he could guess that Zhou Ze must be smiling.
Was that kind of affectionate, older-brotherly smile toward a younger brother? It seemed like it, yet it also seemed different.
Staring wide-eyed, Qin Lin resumed rummaging like a destructive Husky, making an exceptionally noisy clatter.
Before long, he crawled out from a cabinet, banged his head hard against the top shelf, and wailed while clutching his head. “There is only one portion! And the water is gone too!”
Xiao Hua paused his swallowing motion and immediately choked in his panic. Zhou Ze patted his back with one hand while unscrewing a water bottle to hand it over with the other.
Qin Lin’s eyes reddened. “That is the last bottle of water, and you are still giving it to him to drink!”
Zhou Ze’s voice remained unhurried. “My company, my younger brother. I am willing.”
Xiao Hua would rather have choked to death than watch the protagonist Gong and Shou fighting over him. No…
999 broadcasted that the protagonist Gong’s hatred value increased by 10, and warned the host-dada to be careful due to detecting emotional agitation from him.
By the faint moonlight filtering through the window, he caught sight of Qin Lin’s furious expression. When he turned his head, Zhou Ze gave him a gentle smile, asking with care, “Are you still uncomfortable? Eat slowly, it is all yours.”
Growing increasingly agitated, Qin Lin stared fixedly at Xiao Hua with eyes that practically shot venom, gritting his teeth. “All three of us are here, yet all the supplies go to just one person. It is not like he will die if he does not get to eat his fill. Zhou Ze, what on earth are you thinking?”
Without sparing him a single glance, Zhou Ze coldly replied, “You will not die from starving a bit either.”
[Warning, protagonist Gong emotional progress decreased by 5]
“Do not fight, do not fight. There is enough for everyone. Three people going slightly hungry is better than two starving,” Xiao Hua urged, pushing the self-heating hot pot further away. “I am full. You guys eat.”
He looked toward the protagonist Gong expectantly. True to his straightforward mindset, he should have started wolfing it down, but Qin Lin remained standing rigidly without moving.
The protagonist Gong and Shou remained deadlocked, one standing and one sitting, arms crossed in confrontation just like the sharp standoff of a business negotiation.
Except Qin Lin was watching Zhou Ze, Zhou Ze was watching Xiao Hua, and Xiao Hua was watching Qin Lin.
[Warning: Protagonist Gong emotional progress decreased by 3]
Panicking in circles, Xiao Hua wondered how the hard-earned ambiguous atmosphere had deteriorated into this, making their relationship even worse!
“Older Brother, Older Brother, I am begging you, eat a couple of bites.” Cradling the self-heating hot pot, Xiao Hua picked up a pair of chopsticks and brought them to Zhou Ze’s lips. “If your stomach acts up again later, we will not have any medicine this time.”
That is right. If the wife eats, the silly pig will eat too.
Hearing that “Older Brother,” Zhou Ze instantly reined in his sharp edges, taking a small bite.
Seeing that it worked, Xiao Hua picked up a bit more and fed it to him again.
Qin Lin’s brow smoothed out before tightening once more, recalling that the other person’s complexion indeed did not look too good last night, and his hand had remained hidden beneath the table the whole time, so could it be…
Ceasing his cries of hunger, he sat quietly on the sofa and watched them, unconsciously curving the corner of his lips at the sight of him eating everything in such tiny little bites like a little rabbit.
It was just that the light bulb next to them was exceedingly annoying.
System 999 cheered up that the protagonist Gong’s emotional progress recovered by 10 and hatred value increased by 5.
Breaking out in a sweat, Xiao Hua shuddered in relaxation, suddenly feeling a bit chilly.
He looked suspiciously toward the air conditioning vent, where cold air was hissing out!
The self-heating hot pot had been divided cleanly, and the tiny bit of accumulated warmth instantly dissipated. Rubbing his hands together, he suggested that the three of us should sit a bit closer since it was a little cold.
Producing a small blanket from somewhere, Zhou Ze draped it around his neck and shoulders, sitting down right beside him and asking if he was feeling better.
Before Xiao Hua could finish nodding, his mouth twitched as he wondered if this was the only blanket left.
It definitely was.
Seizing the opportunity, Qin Lin took off his own jacket to drape over Zhou Ze, but Zhou Ze intercepted it with a raised hand and a cold rejection, stating he had his own.
“I am strong and resilient against the cold. Look, your hands are frozen blue.” Qin Lin grabbed that pale hand, rubbing and blowing warm air onto it.
Unable to suppress his disgust, Zhou Ze batted his hand away with a slap to break free, pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands, and casually tossed Qin Lin’s jacket far away.
Looking somewhat embarrassed, Qin Lin scratched his head and looked left and right.
Xiao Hua buried his head inside the blanket to play dead, attempting to hide within the ambiguous bubbles, but why did the sound outside feel somewhat off?
Should they not be tightly embracing each other for warmth?
Once again, he felt a deep sense of exasperation, thinking that the protagonist Gong should show some backbone and keep pressing forward even when his wife pushed him away.
For a long time, amid his drowsiness, he heard intermittent, muffled coughs, the sound not being loud and remaining entirely hidden beneath Qin Lin’s earth-shattering snoring.
Pulling down the blanket to take a peek, he was so frightened his soul flew three miles away.
Zhou Ze was curled up in the corner of the sofa, hugging his body and shivering violently. With his mouth open, he struggled to breathe, his throat too distressed to cough loudly, choking himself until he grew increasingly short of breath.
When Xiao Hua felt his forehead, it was burning hot.
He hurriedly draped the body-warmed blanket back over him, tucked in the corners, and gave him a gentle shake, asking if he could hear him.
Zhou Ze opened his eyes, wanting to say he was fine, but the moment he opened his mouth, a fit of coughing burst forth, causing him to cover his mouth while clutching his throat to suppress it and grow even more short of breath.
Finding it unbearable to watch him torture himself, Xiao Hua pulled his hand down and told him to cough it out instead of holding it in if it hurt.
That hand was ice-cold, even colder than the glass in the air-conditioned room.
After a bout of coughing, Zhou Ze forced a smile and said he was fine.
Stripping off his own jacket to wrap around him, Xiao Hua gave Qin Lin a kick, snatched Qin Lin’s jacket to cover Zhou Ze as well, and pinned him down from both sides so he could not move, telling him not to move unless he wanted to burn out his brain and leave no one to make money for him.
Though he thought his words sounded harsh and biting, they were actually tender beyond measure.