Fang Zhi and Qi Chen both stiffened simultaneously, and the thin banknotes fell silently to the ground from mid-air. They looked at each other, neither daring to look towards the door.

The oppressive feeling was omnipresent, almost tangible, pressing heavily on one's heart with the approaching footsteps of the man.

Both of them lowered their heads and stared at the ground. The neat, wrinkle-free trousers came into view out of the corner of their eye. The man's voice rang out above them again, "Xiao Chen, Zhi Zhi, it's basic courtesy to look at him when others are talking. Look up."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them raised their heads like quails.

Qi Chen: "Brother..."

Fang Zhi: "Brother..."

They looked at Qi Shen's face and spoke at the same time.

The man's handsome face held a half-smile, his outward appearance gentle yet revealing no emotion. Behind his glasses, a pair of dark eyes gleamed with a deep, eerie light, like the biting cold wind of a harsh winter.

It's as if looking at it too closely would cause you to be scratched by its power.

She was all too familiar with the man's appearance; it was exactly the same as when he caught her and Jiang Yuze back then. Only then did she realize that he had turned his head slightly.

Qi Chen, however, gritted his teeth and faced the challenge head-on.

Qi Shen glanced at Fang Zhi first, then looked at his younger brother and asked calmly, "Don't you have anything to explain to me? Like, why are you in the dance studio at this time?"

Qi Chen always held Qi Shen in awe.

What's more, his gentle and refined older brother has completely changed at this moment, his aura so oppressive that it's hard to breathe.

After a long pause, Qi Chen slowly began to speak:

"Brother, I've come to ask my sister-in-law for money."

Qi Chen's gaze fell on his right hand; he knew he had come to borrow money.

He had clearly seen the two of them passing money back and forth.

Knowing he had no other feelings for Zhizhi and was her own brother, otherwise—

He broke his hand long ago.

The money was lying on the ground, but Qi Shen pretended not to see it. A subtle smile played on his lips as he casually asked, "Did you borrow it?"

"No, it's impossible to borrow any money." Qi Chen looked at his brother with boldness. "You know perfectly well that your sister-in-law is even poorer than me. Not only did I not borrow any money, but I'm also about to have to pay out of my own pocket."

"Brother, this won't do. It's understandable that you only make money and don't let me spend it, but it's not right to not let your wife spend it. Are you planning to take your wealth underground?"

The boy's reply was exceptionally honest, with a kind of unpretentious simplicity that suggests a lack of intellectual depth.

If the timing hadn't been so inappropriate, Fang Zhi felt she could have laughed out loud. Her shoulders trembled slightly as she struggled to hold it in.

Qi Shen subtly observed her reaction and said to them, "Both of you come with me to the study."

After saying those words, the man turned and walked ahead, his steps unhurried, his tall and slender figure exuding elegance and nobility.

Qi Chen was about to pick up the money from the ground when his brother interrupted him as soon as he bent down. It was as if the man had eyes in the back of his head.

Helpless, he could only follow closely behind the man with Fang Zhihe, like conscripts temporarily conscripted, surrounded by a sense of despair as they were about to be sent to the battlefield and face death.

-

The study was so quiet it was suffocating; you could hear a pin drop.

After Fang Zhi entered, the man led him behind the desk and made him sit to his left. Another person stood upright in the empty space in front of the desk, as if being punished.

Speaking with a silver spoon in his mouth, the young master who has never suffered hardship has been standing for half an hour. Since he came in, his brother has not paid any attention to him, and his legs are so sore that they can't stand it anymore.

He had long since realized that his brother saw him as worthless, but now he knew he was a treasure. This blatant treatment was truly infuriating.

All three of them could sit, but he was punished by standing.

Qi Chen finally couldn't resist trying to please him:

“Brother, I shouldn’t have said you were old. My brother is the youngest. A twenty-seven-year-old man is still in his prime, and he’s still going strong.”

He spoke fluently, while the man and woman behind the desk had different expressions. Qi Shen's aura was noticeably gloomy, but it vanished in an instant, so quickly that it was almost imperceptible.

His thin lips curved into a gentle smile, his features refined and elegant, yet deceptively charming. His words, however, struck Qi Chen like a bolt from the blue: "Xiao Chen, besides work, you should enroll in a Chinese class to learn some Chinese. It was my oversight. You've been abroad for so long, your grasp of poetry and culture isn't quite accurate. Let's start tomorrow."

"Brother, please don't." Qi Chen was still unaware of what he had said wrong again. "I have no problem communicating normally in Chinese."

He's already exhausted from working 9 to 5 every day, and then he has to teach on weekends... Even the landlord's donkey isn't this busy...

With the man beside her, Fang Zhi closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and stopped listening to their conversation. She kept repeating to herself:

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

The phrases "old but vigorous" and "endure" were locked in a fierce battle in her mind.

She was trying her best to hide it, but little did she know that Qi Shen's attention remained focused on her the whole time.

He glanced at the girl who was pretending to be nonchalant.

A moment later, a hand slowly caressed her leg.

The moment the warm palm touched her, Fang Zhi's body trembled slightly. She suddenly opened her eyes wide, looking at the man pleadingly, yet dared not make any sudden movements.

Qi Shen ignored her gaze and methodically traced his index finger up her thigh from her calf.

Fang Zhi watched as he acted recklessly while calmly taking a card from the drawer and throwing it to the very edge of the table, closest to Qi Chen.

With the desk providing cover, Qi Chen's attention was entirely focused on the card, and he didn't notice the faint blush on the girl's cheeks.

And the actions of men who appear refined and proper.

Qi Chen asked excitedly, "Brother, is this my allowance? Or is it reimbursement for the car fare?"

"Neither." Qi Shen's fingertips were fragrant, and his deep eyes looked directly at Qi Chen, who could not hide his joy.

He smiled slightly, his handsome face radiating elegance and refinement, his gentle voice carrying a hint of desire and huskiness, "One gas card, only for refueling, no extra pocket money."

"Huh?" The young man not far away lowered his head.

Qi Shen raised an eyebrow slightly. "If you don't want it, then forget it."

"Yes, yes," Qi Chen quickly said, "and the gas card too."

He happened to have plans to go racing in Qishan Park tonight, otherwise he wouldn't have had to borrow money from his sister-in-law to pay for gas.

Just as he was about to walk to the desk, Fang Zhi, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly called out, "Brother." The girl's usually gentle voice had become a little sharp.

Qi Chen was startled and stood frozen in place.

"What's wrong, Zhizhi?" Qi Shen's handsome and deep face was extremely serious. He slowly withdrew his hand and hid it under the desk, then leaned close to the girl's ear as if to ask with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"

A double entendre.