As soon as Fang Zhi finished speaking, Qi Shen chuckled lightly, his expression unreadable, a hint of sarcasm appearing in his eyes behind his glasses.

Upon hearing the man's laughter, Fang Zhi's first reaction was that she thought there was something wrong with her ears, before she realized that her brother had actually laughed out loud.

She was a little angry. Teacher Xia's experience was already very difficult, so how could he still laugh out loud?

"Brother, what are you laughing at?" Fang Zhi stared at him with wide eyes, her clear black and white eyes filled with displeasure.

She cared about other people's business, while Qi Shen glanced at the sulking girl with a lukewarm look. He pinched the soft flesh on her waist, curled his lips unhappily, and said in a low voice, "I laugh at that man for being a good-for-nothing."

Fang Zhi stared blankly at his handsome face.

She never imagined that the man, with his handsome and gentle appearance, would speak such sharp and venomous words.

She had only witnessed this situation once or twice, when her brother was with his friends, and he shed his pretense to reveal some of his true thoughts and personality.

It turned out she had misunderstood him.

He wasn't laughing at Senior Xia, but rather mocking Senior Xia's former lover.

"Brother..." Fang Zhi pursed his lips and said dryly, "How do you know he's a good-for-nothing?"

Qi Shen's eyes narrowed slightly, and his handsome face revealed a half-smile. "I don't want to understand the thoughts of this good-for-nothing, nor do I want to explain them to Zhizhi."

Arranged marriages are one of the means by which most families in this circle consolidate their position, but they are only one of them.

In a man's eyes, power, status, family property, and love are all important, with love usually being the last priority.

But who says you can't have all of these at the same time?

Qi Shen's eyes darkened. He could not accept a marriage that only involved physical intimacy but lacked spiritual resonance.

Nestled in his arms, Fang Zhi's hidden thoughts stirred, but she didn't notice the strange look in the man's eyes.

Fang Zhi feigned calmness, "Brother, what do you think about Teacher Xia giving up her career for her lover?"

After asking the question, her long, flowing eyelashes fluttered, and she said to herself, "I think Senior Xia shouldn't have given up dancing. I feel sorry for her in that respect."

“That’s someone else’s problem, their choice, it has nothing to do with us.” Qi Shen answered irrelevantly, his narrow eyes gripping Fang Zhi’s eyes tightly, as if he could see through what the girl was thinking. He said, word by word, “I don’t accept the existence of such a hypothesis. Zhi Zhi and I will not separate.”

After a muffled thud, Fang Zhi suddenly exclaimed softly, "Ah!" Her exposed slender neck and face quickly turned red.

It turned out that the man had slapped her buttocks as punishment.

Qi Shen lifted his eyelids slightly, a cold smile playing on his thin lips, and said calmly, "I've said this to Zhizhi more than once, so Zhizhi, please stop testing your brother, okay?"

"If there's a next time..." He paused, then lowered his head and gently bit Fang Zhi's ear, murmuring in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Do you want to get beaten up again here? Are you addicted to it because you got beaten up once before?"

Fang Zhi rested her chin on the man's shoulder, feeling both embarrassed and scared. She hadn't expected her brother to be so sensitive; the slightest thing seemed to change him completely.

After the conversation ended, Fang Zhi didn't initiate another word with Qi Shen the rest of the way. When the man asked her questions, she would only give a perfunctory "uh-huh" or "oh."

The gentle, soft little figure was now exuding an aura that said, "I don't want to talk to you, don't talk to me."

Qi Shen assumed she was angry with him because the driver had taken pictures of her in the car, and the child was starting to care about her image. He chuckled and rubbed his forehead, while his other hand tightened his embrace around the little girl.

Fang Zhi was actually thinking about Xia Mianyi's words. According to Senior Xia, after the Lunar New Year this year, he would pack his things and go to the National Theater for closed training.

Fang Zhi, out of the man's sight, helplessly closed her eyes. She could already imagine what kind of situation would arise between her and her brother at that time.

It might not be an exaggeration to describe it as a cataclysmic event.

As the car entered the Nangong villa area, Qi Shen glanced at the silent girl with a leisurely air. "Still angry?"

Fang Zhi lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and said, "No."

She didn't look at him, so Qi Shen moved his face closer and asked, "Hmm? If you're not angry, why don't you talk to your brother?"

The man's handsome face suddenly appeared below her, and Fang Zhi leaned back slightly before slowly saying, "I'm really not angry. I didn't reply to what you just said, brother?"

"Is that so?" Qi Shen's words carried a hint of amusement as he raised an eyebrow, displaying a rather roguish air. "Those monosyllabic words don't count as replies, and anything under three hundred words doesn't count as a reply."

Fang Zhi: "..."

Does he think she's writing an essay or drafting a plan?

Entries under 300 words are not considered reasonable.

Fang Zhi gazed quietly at the man's deep-set, sculpted face and suddenly realized that he had changed recently.

They were joking around more often, and he was becoming more shameless in his attempts to coax people.

She wondered if it was just her imagination, but he didn't seem so domineering anymore.

When exactly did it begin?

It was after she ran away from Nangong and was taken back by him... Is this a good sign?

The little girl's eyes were empty; it was obvious she was daydreaming again. Qi Shen frowned slightly. "Zhizhi?"

"Hmm?" Fang Zhi shook her head slightly, then looked down to see the man's face so close to hers. He stared at her intently, his deep eyes demanding an explanation for her distraction.

"I feel like my brother has changed."

Qi Shen's eyes flickered imperceptibly. "What has changed?"

"I..." Fang Zhi didn't know how to say it.

The black, ornately carved gate opened, and the car pulled up in front of the villa. She breathed a sigh of relief, gently nudged the man, and reminded him, "Brother, it's time to get out of the car."

Qi Shen gave her a deep look. "Okay."

He has indeed changed.

He drew some inspiration from the chaotic yet enviable relationship between Cheng Shiyan and Lin Yisheng.

......

The day before Xia Mianyi left, Fang Zhi gave her a reply.

As the weather in Haicheng grew colder, she gradually realized through daily contact that her brother's changes were not just her imagination.

He is changing for the better.

Moreover, during this period, she had her own time to go out and about, and she would spend time with Lin Yisheng on certain days. She also met her good friend who raised fish, Anuo.

It was as if a hole had been torn open in the enclosed space, and light was streaming in from the outside. She had been truly happy lately.