She hadn't even had a sip of water before he was busy helping her sneak back home. Ji Jie thought this brother was quite loyal and dependable, felt a touch of gratitude, and tried to curry favor again. "Why are you dressed so handsomely today?"
"I went to a ribbon-cutting ceremony this afternoon," Huo Zhenyan said. "Needed to dress formally. There were media present."
"Oh, oh."
He didn't look particularly pleased with himself. Ji Jie figured he was probably used to compliments and had long since become immune.
No matter. She gave herself credit for her social effort.
A small gesture is still a gesture. A tiny bit of currying favor is still currying favor. As long as her heart was in it, that was enough.
The driver drove very slowly. She cracked the window open a sliver to let the breeze in, squinting her eyes in comfort.
She was just an ordinary person. Because she couldn't afford the cost of straying from the path, she spent most of her time playing by the rules and climbing upward.
Even something as common as cutting class among university students made her nervous when she did it.
She remembered the first time a friend dragged her to skip evening self-study. The clouds that day were as bright and dazzling as the ones before her now, dyeing the sky to its edges.
They went to eat ice cream bowls together. Before that, she hadn't even realized that her life of repeating part-time jobs and classes was dull and flavorless.
Thankfully. A life only needs to be lit up once, and after that, she learned to find that little bit of sweetness for herself.
Huo Zhenyan watched her for a moment. "This happy just because you don't have to stay in the hospital?"
"Yeah." Ji Jie was indeed in a good mood and spoke carelessly. "Can't help it. I was born yearning for freedom."
"…"
Like a little bird that's been caged too long.
Huo Zhenyan added in his mind.
"Can I have an ice cream?" the little bird asked him. And very sensibly added, "I'll eat it after dinner."
"I'll think about it," Huo Zhenyan said. "Depends on your behavior."
Tonight Huo Jinge went to a cocktail party, and Duan Feihong accompanied him to socialize. He Lingfeng was off fooling around with his buddies again, and Huo Yuxi's whereabouts remained a mystery as always.
Dinner was just the two of them. She ate very seriously, with a heart full of gratitude, diligently working through her food.
Huo Zhenyan was amused by her reverent expression. After dinner, he came to the kitchen, crouched in front of the refrigerator looking for ice cream for her. "Which kind? Only two scoops."
"Vanilla," she answered quickly. "And matcha."
Huo Zhenyan scooped two balls of ice cream as requested, drizzled a few circles of pistachio sauce over them, and found a bag of crushed nuts, pouring some in. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he did everything methodically—it was a sight to behold.
The ice cream was served in a stemmed dessert glass, so it wouldn't be too cold to hold. That meant she didn't have to sit there stiffly to eat it—she could take it to the yard and stroll around contentedly while eating.
The koi in the pond were huge. Even when Huo Zhenyan scattered fish food, they didn't rush up to snatch it like the fish in public parks.
As if certain they would always be well cared for, that food would never run short. They simply swam over unbothered and leisurely, swiftly swallowed the food, then leisurely flicked their tails and swam away, stirring up beautiful splashes.
Ji Jie asked, "Have they been raised here for a long time?"
"Same age as me," Huo Zhenyan said.
She was very surprised. "Then they're almost thirty!"
"…"
"Haha," she let out a stilted, awkward laugh, trying to make up for it. "I didn't know koi could live that long. I always thought pet fish had short lifespans."
"Yes, this species can live a very long time." Huo Zhenyan didn't bother arguing with her. "If it's well cared for, it can live up to two hundred years."
"Then it could be a family heirloom, right? If all goes well, even your children's children could inherit it."
"It certainly could," he said. "If there are any."
Today was the weekly allowance day. Remembering this, Huo Zhenyan took out his phone and transferred the money to her.
Ji Jie noticed it was still fifty thousand and looked puzzled. "Didn't you say it would be the same as theirs from now on?"
She didn't seem as happy as he'd imagined.
Huo Zhenyan deliberately said, "Too much? Then send it back."
"Oh," she actually did as he said. "Fine."
"…"
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, unsure what she was really thinking. Did she genuinely love money, or was she just putting on a show while not actually caring that much?
Ji Jie wasn't entirely without heartache sending it back—after all, it was no small sum. But she felt more at ease only taking what she deserved. After transferring it back, she looked at him with pleading eyes.
Huo Zhenyan transferred her twenty thousand. "This is from your brother."
"Mhm mhm." Ji Jie accepted it instantly.
But it wasn't over yet. He transferred the rest as well. "This is from me."
"…"
Her fingertip hovered hesitantly over the screen. She didn't tap it right away and asked, "Is it because I'm still sick? You're pitying me."
Did there have to be a reason? He said, "If I said yes, would you start hoping to get sick often?"
"Hmm… maybe." She answered honestly.
Huo Zhenyan let out an almost inaudible sigh, thinking she was a child who carried too much on her mind. "It's not pity."
"Then what is it?"
"It's because you only ate two scoops of ice cream," he said. "It's a reward for being obedient."
Ji Jie was momentarily stunned, unsure whether he was serious or joking. She pressed her cold lips together and accepted the money.
Forget it, whatever the reason was.
Wasn't it good that the boss was giving her money? Why be so precious about it?
"But if you give me this much money," she couldn't help asking again, "aren't you afraid I'll spend it recklessly?"
At least in the original story, Duan Baoni had spent recklessly and had never received this kind of trust.
She was at an age where she wanted everything she saw that was nice, and she felt most teenagers didn't have that kind of self-control.
But Huo Zhenyan just smiled and said, "Since I gave it to you, it's for you to spend recklessly."
What a heart-fluttering thing to say.
Ji Jie smiled too, finishing the last spoonful of ice cream. "Alright then. I promise I'll only ever eat two scoops from now on."
Huo Zhenyan leaned against the railing of the pavilion, continuing to feed the fish. The night breeze blew past, carrying away the oppressive, decisive and formidable aura he carried during the day. His focused eyes even looked somewhat melancholic.
She suddenly felt that Huo Zhenyan was actually just an ordinary person—not that he was truly ordinary, but rather that someone like him could, at certain moments, feel very close to her.
She asked Huo Zhenyan, "Why don't you get yourself a place to stay?"
"What?" He didn't quite follow.
"I mean, Huo Yuxi has an entire building as a secret base, and He Lingfeng has his own arcade." She said, "Why don't you make your own living space more comfortable too?"
She spoke as if she'd been inside Huo Zhenyan's room before. There was a strange hint of pity in her voice.
This would normally have made him uncomfortable. But she showed no exaggerated emotion—it was as if she had simply thought of it and asked lightly.
Huo Zhenyan only said, "There's no need."
She had guessed right. His room was indeed very ordinary—basically however it was when first built, it remained the same now. Apart from some extra personal belongings, there were no additional decorations.
He simply felt there was no need.
"You're a bit negligent of your own needs," Ji Jie remarked.
Not negligent in a material sense, but unwilling to invest too much effort in himself.
He didn't put effort into tidying up his house, nor did he put effort into finding a partner.
Though perhaps steering the family ship had already left him utterly exhausted. Ji Jie thought.
When she was tired from working overtime, she indeed wouldn't notice what pattern the wallpaper was when she got home.
As for her running home from the hospital without a word, Duan Feihong mildly chided her about it when she found out the next day.
But since Huo Zhenyan had brought her back, no one dared say much.
Anyway, her body had shown no problems in the examination, so after a few sniffs she went back to school for classes.
She also took a moment to ask Auntie Ping what brand of pajamas Huo Zhenyan wore at home. Auntie Ping led her to the walk-in closet to look. "Which one?"
…Every single one.
Ji Jie looked at the two rows, top and bottom, in shock. Each one was beautiful. "How much does this set cost?"
Auntie Ping explained with a smile that these were all bespoke pieces made by brand designers, not mass-produced, so she could only estimate a rough price. She also lifted a corner of the fabric to show her—his initials were embroidered on each one in artistic lettering.
"Alright," Ji Jie said. "I was just asking casually."
The price of these pajamas was one zero more than she had expected.
After struggling all night between "What kind of fancy pajamas are these, pure vanity tax—are the fabric made of gold or the buttons made of gold" and "But being reborn for a lifetime is not easy, isn't living meant for enjoyment, self-love," she still gave up.
Although she could afford them by saving a month's allowance, she couldn't bring herself to spend that much money on a set of pajamas. It felt like a terrible deal.
Dear self, it's not that I don't love you.
You certainly deserve nice things. But something this expensive seems a bit much.
Just moments ago she had said Huo Zhenyan was negligent of his own needs. When it came to her turn, she couldn't bring herself to be generous either.
Mainly, Ji Jie thought, she still had to pick out a birthday gift for Huo Zhenyan—that was another expense. Who told her to ask that extra question?
Lesson learned—from now on, ask less about things she shouldn't be prying into.
Auntie Ping could also tell she liked them.
Actually, Huo Zhenyan didn't particularly treasure his own things. If it were anything else, a word later and he would have given it to her. But pajamas were such intimate, personal clothing—it wouldn't be appropriate to give them to his sister.
Plus, her reaction wasn't strong—it seemed like just a mild liking, not that she particularly wanted them. So Auntie Ping didn't bring it up.
To pick out a gift, Ji Jie asked Qiao Ling to go shopping. The final major examination was coming up soon, so she didn't set aside a whole rest day to go out and have fun—she only arranged to meet after school on Friday afternoon to browse together, have dinner, and then go home.
When school let out, the two walked downstairs together and ran into a barely acquainted person halfway down.
Lin Shu stopped in front of her. "Ah, it's you."
Ji Jie nodded. "Hello, it's me."
Qiao Ling: "…"
Talking past each other.
Ji Jie then remembered. "I still haven't added you as a friend."
That night, an urgent assignment had come up, and the days that followed had been chaotic. She had forgotten.
"I thought you didn't want to get to know me." Lin Shu smiled shyly, a little introverted.
"No, I was interrupted by something else at the time."
Ji Jie took out her phone and added him as a friend on the spot. He added, "Actually, I didn't mean anything by it—I just wanted to thank you for your help that day."
"Do you have time tonight? There's a band performance, and I'd like to give you two tickets." Lin Shu pulled out reserved floor tickets from his backpack and handed them to her. "It's tonight. If you're busy, you can give them to a friend."
"Sure, we were planning to go shopping tonight anyway." Ji Jie accepted graciously. "We'll see if we can make it after we're done—we'll come show our support if we can."
Lin Shu let out a relieved breath. "Great, I'll get going then. You two have fun."
"Okay, goodbye."
"Goodbye." Qiao Ling also waved, then turned to her with a teasing look and asked, "We're actually going to the show?"
"We'll see. Only if we still have energy after shopping." Ji Jie said.
His gaze was pure, not with any intention of hitting on her. Ji Jie understood this kind of mindset well—when you owe someone a favor, you have to find a way to repay it, or it just doesn't sit right.
Accepting the tickets was enough. Whether she actually showed up or not, Lin Shu wouldn't mind much.
Her main focus was still on buying the gift.
Since it was for the big boss, she couldn't buy anything too cheap. But she also couldn't afford those top-tier designer pieces, so she explored the mall, aiming for maximum value for money.
She wandered around, searching here and there. In the end, she spotted a pair of glasses at a high-end brand store.
Cheaper than the pajamas, and much more practical. She genuinely liked them, so she picked out a pair for herself too.
Qiao Ling had been wincing at the price tag, but when she saw Ji Jie put them on, her eyes lit up. "You know what, that silver frame is really classy. It matches your cool-toned porcelain skin perfectly."
Her bangs had grown out quite a bit, no longer cut straight across—they were now thinned and shaped to follow the curve of her face. Her long black hair was silky and smooth, tied into a low ponytail with a metal half-ring hair tie.
"You've got that… that aloof elegance when you wear them! Yes. You look like you have a super high IQ."
Ji Jie decisively took them. "Alright, I'll take these two."
Satisfied.
Consider it a New Year's gift.
Self-love.
**
Friday evening at dinner time, Ji Jie didn't forget to check in at home, letting them know she'd be eating out with a friend.
【With Qiao Ling?】
【Yes】
【Got it】
Huo Zhenyan put down his phone and walked toward the dining room.
As usual, his parents were absent, and so were his younger siblings. Tonight, only he sat at the table.
Auntie Ping brought over a bowl of pear soup and, to avoid the loneliness, deliberately stayed to chat with him.
When she mentioned Ji Jie, she expressed approval, saying the girl had a gentle temperament, was hardworking and ambitious, and would accomplish great things in the future.
"That day you weren't home, she had dinner by herself, so I came over to keep her company." Auntie Ping recalled with a smile. "We talked about you—how you have to fly so far to inspect projects. I said it must be really tough."
"She even said then that she'd always wished she had an older brother like you, and that she wanted to use you as her role model."
"…Mm."
Huo Zhenyan sat up straight and asked casually, "What else did she say?"