A promise made is a promise kept. His promise to her that he could go away for a few days each month stands.

Qi Shen nodded in agreement, "Okay."

However, he set a time limit for Fang Zhi to return in the evening, and she could not stay out so late for dinner like this time. She was not allowed to take detours in the middle of the night, and he would pick her up when the dinner was over.

Fang Zhi's lips curled up slightly, her smile becoming more genuine, and she said in a gentle voice, "Thank you, brother."

Qi Shen stared at her intently. "I told you, Zhizhi, you never need to say thank you to your brother." He paused, his gaze becoming meaningful. "Rather than a thank you from Zhizhi, I'd much rather hear you say you love me."

The fact that such words came out of the mouth of this usually composed and reserved man was as surprising to Fang Zhi as if a bomb had been dropped on him.

She was scorched and blushed, the rosy blush creeping up her slender neck to her fair face.

It's no wonder she overthinks things; she sensed there was something more to her brother's words.

It hasn't been long since then, and he suddenly brought up this topic just last night. It's hard for her not to be suspicious.

Qi Shen admired the shyness that she couldn't hide in her beautiful eyes, and then subtly curled his lips.

He had witnessed Shi Yan's shameless and brazen behavior in front of Lin Yisheng at the restaurant, and he couldn't stand it.

However, he was feeling quite good at the moment.

The man remained impassive, his expression gentle and serious, as if he hadn't just said those words. "Why is Zhizhi blushing?" He reached out and gently pinched her small earlobe, then leaned closer to her, lowering his voice, "You already said last night that you needed your brother to help you get back..."

"No." Fang Zhi's eyes widened, and she hurriedly covered the man's mouth. "Brother, don't say it."

Fang Zhi was annoyed. Why was this man blurting out everything? Had he been possessed?!

"Alright, brother won't say anymore." Qi Shen took the initiative, grasped her wrist, placed her palm on top, and gently kissed her palm with his thin lips.

It felt as if a feather had brushed against her palm, a tingling, slightly numbing sensation mixed with a subtle joy. Fang Zhi stared blankly at the man who had lowered his head, a very subtle feeling suddenly rising in her heart.

What if... what if... one day, she would be the one who has the final say between the two of them?

The kiss, devoid of any eroticism, set a serene and peaceful atmosphere for this moment.

When Qi Shen looked up, he met the girl's unfocused gaze. He squeezed her wrist, his voice like a fine, mellow wine, possessing an intoxicating charm, "What are you thinking about?"

"No..." Fang Zhi shook her head slightly as she came back to her senses. Having spent some time with Lin Yisheng, she was quick-witted. "My eyes were a little blurry just now, and I thought my brother had gray hair. But when I looked closely, it was just because of the reflection outside that I saw it wrong."

Qi Shen: "......"

The driver, who was pretending to be invisible, barely managed to suppress his laughter, as the pleasant atmosphere in the carriage was completely interrupted by Fang Zhi's words.

The man's handsome face stiffened, and his deep, dark eyes behind his glasses stared at Fang Zhi with a complex expression.

He didn't consider himself a romantic, sentimental person, but he was more knowledgeable about romance than his clueless friend Bai Chuan. However, it seemed that Bai Chuan was no match for him now.

His woman was the most clueless about romance; her lack of understanding of romance could be described in four words: blockhead.

Fang knew nothing of what the man was thinking about her, but she secretly laughed at herself for overthinking things.

A man who has been accustomed to and in control of her daily life, including her food, clothing, and shelter, for over a decade would consider giving her a little freedom a compromise; how could he possibly relinquish his control over her?

"By the way, brother," Fang Zhi looked up into the man's eyes, "I heard that my classmate, Fang Zhen, was involved in the school forum incident..."

Qi Shen rubbed her head and casually picked up where she left off, "I've already taken care of it. They won't appear in front of you again, nor will they have any chance to harm Zhizhi, including Fang Zhen's parents."

Thinking of this family, Qi Shen felt that he hadn't been lenient with them.

As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Shen cupped the girl's small face in his hands, his eyes filled with a barely perceptible seriousness and scrutiny. "Don't you want to ask what your brother did to them?"

Fang Zhi was taken aback for a moment, then said, "No."

Guo Shuyao apologized and dropped out of school, leaving Fang Zhen at a loss. Her intuition told her that they might be facing something serious. But so what?

Is she going to argue with the person who hurt her and the brother who helped her solve her problems just because she's soft-hearted?

She won't.

Qi Shen was somewhat surprised by the little girl's reaction, but more than that, he felt relieved. Her reaction was, at least for her, a good sign.

He was never a soft-hearted person, nor did he believe that good people necessarily get good rewards. In this world, overly kind people are only seen as weak, and are eventually exploited until they have no value left before being abandoned.

Qi Shen released her face and pulled the girl into his arms.

Fang Zhi let him hold her, and the two nestled together in a tacit and practiced embrace. They looked like lovers who had been together for many years, and indeed they had been together for many years, having already spent a sixth of their lives together.

-

On Monday, when she learned that her classes were the second period in the morning and the afternoon, she got up very early.

When she was getting ready to get up, Qi Shen had just woken up as well.

The man, already dressed, sat quietly on the edge of the bed, watching the young girl bustling back and forth in the dressing room like a bee. He could hardly ignore the discomfort in his heart.

The weariness she felt yesterday, the exhaustion from working until the very end, was nowhere to be seen in her eyes; instead, she radiated energy.

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