Qi Shen's expression remained calm and unwavering. His deep black eyes, which stared at her, were like a stagnant pool, concealing a ferocious and terrifying beast capable of devouring people, even though they were unseen by the naked eye.

Fang Zhi couldn't help but shudder.

She hadn't felt cold when the rain drizzled on her, but standing in the temperature-controlled villa, she felt a chill run down her spine.

“Brother…” She took a small step, then stopped, not daring to go forward. Her beautiful and serene face forced a smile that was more painful than crying. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come back late. It was raining, and it was hard to get a taxi in the city, so I asked Uncle Zhang to take Siyi home first.”

"Hmm." Qi Shen slowly took off his glasses. "Of course I know that Zhizhi cares about her friends, and I'll take her home when it rains."

"Zhizhi doesn't need to apologize to her brother for such a simple thing as giving a gift to a friend."

The man spoke very softly, sounding incredibly gentle, and seemed perfectly normal.

But Fang Zhi hadn't missed the hint of coldness emanating from his refined and scholarly eyes. His appearance had left a deep impression on her because of Jiang Yuze's matter.

She is afraid of her current brother, very afraid.

If it's not this reason, what else could it be?

Fang Zhi couldn't understand it.

Seeing that the girl still wouldn't move, Qi Shen's patience wore thin. He pursed his lips into a straight line and said casually, "Zhizhi, do you want to come over by yourself, or do you want your brother to carry you over?"

Fang Zhi's eyelashes trembled. After all these days, she knew what it meant when she saw Qi Shen take off his glasses.

Whenever he took off his glasses, he would inevitably snuggle up to her, and finally greedily and endlessly kiss her until she could no longer breathe.

"come over."

A deep, resonant voice delivered the final ultimatum.

Fang Zhi suppressed her panic and tiptoed toward him, finally standing in front of him.

Their eyes met, and Qi Shen leaned back slightly against the sofa, staring at Fang Zhi without saying a word.

The girl was like a sculpture, with beautiful and captivating curves. Her exposed neck was long and slender, as delicate and smooth as white jade, and it emitted a faint halo under the light.

Beneath her slightly arched eyebrows were eyes that resembled autumn water, radiating an aura of purity and gentleness.

Her hands, clutching the doll, were clenched tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white, revealing her unease.

Qi Shen's eyebrows twitched slightly, and his long, slender fingers tapped rhythmically on his knees, the meaning of which was self-evident.

He wanted her to sit on his lap.

They remained frozen in place, and time seemed to drag on endlessly, like an eternity. In the magnificent and bright living room, the two stood and sat, one tall and one short.

Despite being in a lower position, his aura and innate sense of oppression did not diminish but rather increased, silently spreading towards Fang Zhi.

After playing non-stop all afternoon, I only realized how sore my calves were after standing for just a short while.

Moreover, she never won against her brother; in the end, it was always either her own choice or his subtle way of getting her to compromise.

Fang Zhi pursed her upper lip against her lower lip, gently biting her cheek with her pearly teeth, suppressing her shame. Under the man's unwavering gaze, she slowly sat on his lap.

The moment her full hips and legs touched, Qi Shen pulled her tightly into his arms, saying, "Good girl." His high nose touched the back of her ear, and his hair smelled sweet, but he could detect a spicy scent in the middle.

Have you had dinner yet?

Fang Zhi gave a soft "hmm," then belatedly realized her answer was too brief, and explained in a low voice, "Those dolls were a birthday gift from Siyi."

“She felt that the bag my brother bought was too expensive, and it was inappropriate to only give me some dolls, so she treated me to a hot pot meal.”

Qi Shen gave an ambiguous "hmm," his eyes as black as ink, swirling with layers of gloom.

It's good that she ate; he had no appetite anyway.

He had booked a restaurant to celebrate her birthday, but Zhizhi caught him completely off guard.

He pulled the doll out of the girl's arms and threw it aside.

With his fingertips gently stroking her chin, Qi Shen said calmly, "Zhizhi, the origami cranes in your drawer are quite nice. When are you going to fold one for your brother?"

As he spoke, Fang Zhi's pupils constricted sharply, her mind racing in an instant. Her brother had seen it...

So, does he know something by asking that question?

Regret and fear take over all the senses.

During her time in Nangong, she neglected the fact that her brother would occasionally enter her bedroom when they were in the Qi family.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" He chuckled softly, picking up a lock of the girl's beautiful black hair with his fingertips. "Relax, Zhizhi. I just asked you to fold some origami cranes. Why are you so tense? Do you have some secret that you can't let me know?"

The man's voice continued to echo in my ears, low, soft, and magnetic, like the flirtatious whispers between lovers, but upon closer listening, a chilling undertone lingered in the rising intonation.

He then realized his breathing was becoming labored, and he had the illusion that a cold, slippery snake was tightly coiling around his neck.

She slightly raised her eyelids, trying to discern something from Qi Shen's face.

The man's gentle and refined demeanor vanished, revealing a sinister and malicious side hidden beneath his skin.

Then he realized his head was buzzing and he made the worst-case scenario plan.

My brother is the kind of person who can remain calm and smiling even if Mount Tai collapses before him. The fact that he's not even putting on a show now is enough to prove how terrible he is right now.

He already knew the whole story; he didn't want her to fold origami cranes—

Instead, he came to confront her and demand an explanation.

Remembering Qi Shen's warning to her last time, Fang Zhi frantically grabbed his arm, "Brother..." "It's not what you think, let me explain..."

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