“Big Sister, come with me. I’ll take care of you when you’re old. Let me tell you, my brother has all kinds of flaws, and besides, he’s completely broke now. You’d be better off staying with me. I’m rich, you know. Spend as much as you want.”
Qi Junlin spoke ill of Huo Zhiyuan without the slightest hint of guilt.
The main reason was that he was a little jealous of him.
Not the romantic kind of jealousy, but the sort that existed between family members.
Before becoming part of the Huo family, Qi Junlin had always envied his older brother.
Huo Zhiyuan had also lost his parents at a young age, but the old master had always protected him, and his uncle had remained by his side. He had never lacked family, nor had he ever lacked material comforts.
Qi Junlin, on the other hand, had had nothing.
Fortunately, he later gained something his brother did not have.
A system.
Although she was merely a system, she had taught him countless skills, guided him through life’s difficulties, and helped him overcome his emotional struggles.
Long ago, she had become someone he regarded as family.
She had been the source of the confidence and courage that allowed him to face all the challenges awaiting him in the Huo family.
And now, the person who had once been the closest to him had become his brother’s wife.
Everything good seemed to belong to Huo Zhiyuan.
How could he not feel at least a little bitter?
Of course, it was only a little bitterness.
After all, Huo Zhiyuan had always been willing to share everything he had with him.
There was no way Qi Junlin could truly resent him.
Before, he had found Xue Yanxin unpleasant in every possible way. He had thought that she was a lump of cow dung ruining the flower that was his brother.
Now, however, he felt that his brother was the pig who had snatched away the cabbage that was his beloved sister.
The thought left him relieved and miserable at the same time.
Xue Yanxin’s expression turned serious.
“Tell me honestly. Did Huo Zhiyuan’s downfall really have nothing to do with you?”
Qi Junlin fell silent.
Huo Zhiyuan’s bankruptcy had been part of their plan.
Qi Junlin himself had participated in it.
How could he possibly claim that he had nothing to do with it?
Among adults, there were times when silence said everything.
Xue Yanxin understood immediately.
“I don’t care whether you encouraged it or simply stood by and watched. As long as you had anything to do with it, I’m partly responsible too. I taught you everything you know. If you’ve done something wrong, at least half the blame belongs to me.”
She paused.
“Until Huo Zhiyuan rises again, I’ll stand on his side.”
Then she added, “For my sake, I hope you won’t continue targeting him. At the very least, stop blacklisting him in the business world.”
Qi Junlin stared at her blankly.
“When have I ever blacklisted him? Did my brother tell you that?”
Damn it.
My brother really is a scheming little green tea.
If I let him stay around my sister any longer, I’ll lose my place in her heart altogether.
“Did he really need to tell me?” Xue Yanxin replied. “If he could work comfortably in an office, why would he go to a construction site and earn money through hard labor?”
Because he chose to!
Qi Junlin nearly blurted out the answer.
“Big Sister, why don’t I secretly find him a proper job? Annual salary, at least a million yuan. Then you can come back with me. I’ll be the president, and you can be the vice president. How does that sound?”
Anyway, his brother had already finished investigating matters at the construction site. They had been planning to transfer him somewhere else.
Xue Yanxin rolled her eyes.
“I’m still a minor. Why do you keep telling me to come with you?”
Qi Junlin narrowed his eyes.
“Big Sister, why won’t you answer my question directly? You don’t want to leave because you’ve fallen for my brother, haven’t you?”
Xue Yanxin’s heart skipped a beat.
Huo Zhiyuan’s face immediately appeared in her mind.
His smiling face.
His serious expression.
His cold, emotionless gaze.
She had to admit that she really did like his looks.
But it wasn’t as though…
Qi Junlin saw the smile that suddenly appeared on her face, and his heart sank.
It’s over.
My brother really is going to trick her into becoming my sister-in-law.
Xue Yanxin, oblivious to his thoughts, continued, “This isn’t about whether I want to leave. I’m keeping an escape route open for both of us. If Huo Zhiyuan could build Starlight from nothing without relying on the Huo family, then he can build a second company and a third one. It’s only a matter of time before he makes a comeback.”
She smiled.
“And when the time comes, if you lose everything and get thrown out with nowhere to go, you can come to me. I’ll support you with Huo Zhiyuan’s money.”
Naturally, whether Huo Zhiyuan would agree was another matter entirely.
Qi Junlin burst out laughing.
“Big Sister, you’re wonderful. I’m still your favorite, aren’t I?”
“Of course you are.”
Smiling fondly, Xue Yanxin ruffled his hair.
“Meeting you was the reason I came here, and now my goal has been accomplished. You’re all grown up now, and I respect whatever choices you make. But I still hope you’ll stay on the right path and avoid doing anything reckless.”
Her expression softened.
“I’m just an ordinary person now. I don’t even have a proper job. I can’t provide you with cheats or special abilities the way I used to when I was your system. If something happens to you, all I can do is worry.”
Qi Junlin grinned.
“Then from now on, I’ll be your cheat code. If anyone gives you trouble, just mention my name.”
Xue Yanxin chuckled.
“It’s better if we keep things low-key. Our relationship is difficult enough to explain already.”
“Then just tell people that I’m your hopeless admirer, someone who shamelessly follows you around. Tell them I’m so ruthless that I even want to steal the last precious thing my brother has left.”
“That’s enough. I’m leaving. It’s not safe to stay out too late.”
“What do you mean, it’s late? Stay here tonight. I’ll reserve the presidential suite for you so that you can enjoy a life of luxury. Anyway, my brother…”
He suddenly stopped speaking.
He had almost blurted out the fact that his brother wouldn’t be coming home that night.
If he said that, he would reveal that he knew exactly where Huo Zhiyuan was.
“…Anyway, with Huo Zhiyuan’s current financial situation, he couldn’t possibly afford something like this. Stay a little longer, and I’ll drive you home later.”
“No need. I drove here myself.”
Having achieved her objective, Xue Yanxin had no intention of lingering.
She still needed to get up early the next morning to buy ingredients for the boxed meals she planned to sell.
“Wait a moment, Big Sister.”
Qi Junlin stopped her and took out a bank card from his wallet.
“I’ve been saving this for a long time. I thought I’d never have the chance to give it to you. If you ever get sick, go to the hospital immediately and call me right away.”
Xue Yanxin stared at the card in silence as memories flooded back.
I’m going to save all this money. When you finally become human, you’ll have enough money for treatment if you ever get sick.
Those were the words Qi Junlin had spoken after earning his very first paycheck.
“You silly little brother. You still remembered?”
Xue Yanxin was deeply touched as she carefully slipped the card into her handbag.
“How much money is in it?”
“I’ve added a little every time I got paid, but I don’t know the exact amount.”
In truth, it wasn’t just his salary.
Bonuses.
Dividends.
Every trip he took.
Every movie he watched.
Every outing he enjoyed.
Each time, he found himself thinking that it would have been even better if his System Sister had been there too.
When he remembered that she had died from illness in her previous life, his heart ached.
Because of that, he had gradually lost interest in indulging himself.
Instead, he kept depositing money into the card, hoping that one day she would return.
Then he would hand it to her personally and accompany her through all the joys of life.
Now that his wish had finally come true, he unexpectedly found himself on the verge of tears.
Stepping forward, he embraced her.
“Big Sister, drive carefully.”
Xue Yanxin patted his shoulder.
“I know. I’m leaving now.”
Driving her unsold Porsche Panamera through the city, Xue Yanxin happened to pass a bank that operated twenty-four hours a day.
On a whim, she decided to check the balance of the card Qi Junlin had given her.
“Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousand…”
Her eyes widened.
“It’s nine digits!”
She sucked in a sharp breath.
She was rich!
Who needed to sell boxed meals anymore?
As soon as the workers finished the construction project, she would close her stall for good and never go back.