When I grew up

As the board meeting ended, Zong loosened his tie and tapped his knuckles lightly on the table twice. The sound was soft, but it instantly silenced the entire conference room.

"Any more questions?"

His gaze swept over everyone present, calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority. No one dared to utter a sound.

Three seconds later, he stood up, the wrinkles in his suit trousers falling neatly, and as he turned to leave, whispers of discussion arose behind him.

"He's only 25, but his aura is even more intimidating than his father's back then..."

"Nonsense, don't you even know whose son he is?"

---

On Zongye's first day at Zongshi Technology, the company's intranet exploded.

[Popular Post in Anonymous Forum]:

Holy crap! The new CEO is so handsome!!!

Attached is a candid photo: Zongye's profile is sharp, he is looking down to sign documents, and a section of his pale wrist is visible through his sleeve.

Comment 1: Wake up, I heard this guy is a notorious workaholic who didn't take a vacation for three years on Wall Street before taking office.

Comment 2: Addendum, it is said that when he was in college, he lived in the lab for two months in order to secure a project, and in the end, the professor begged him to go back and take a shower.

Comment 3: The person upstairs missed the key point—his sister is Zong Qing.

Zongye scrolled away from the notification and locked his screen with a blank expression.

Assistant Kobayashi said nervously, "The public relations department asked if we should handle this..."

“No need.” He flipped open the financial report. “Let them discuss it; it’ll save on marketing expenses.”

---

The celebration banquet for securing the Silicon Valley AI Lab was held at the Cloud Hotel. Amidst the clinking of glasses, the female representative from the partner company "accidentally" spilled red wine on his sleeve for the third time.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Zong~" She handed him a handkerchief, her fingertips lightly brushing against his watch.

Zongye took a half step back and directly took a new wine glass from the waiter's tray: "Director Wang, do I need to remind you of Article 3 of your company's confidentiality agreement?"

The woman's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Five minutes later, Xiaolin whispered, "We found out. She wanted to take private photos of you and sell them to the media."

“Acquire the shares of the laboratory held by her company.” Zong loosened his tie. “The premium shall not exceed 5%.”

As I turned around, I caught a glimpse of a corner of the banquet hall—

A figure wearing a black baseball cap was furtively piling macarons onto a plate, his fluffy chestnut curls peeking out from under the cap, looking like melted caramel in the warm light of the champagne tower.

Kobayashi gasped, "Isn't that Miss?!"

Zong also handed him the wine glass and strode over.

---

"The seventh one."

With slender fingers, Zong Qing suddenly pulled away the gilded porcelain plate. When she looked up, there was still cream on the corner of her mouth, and her mask had slipped down to her chin, revealing her face, which was worth hundreds of millions in insurance.

"Brother!" she tried to snatch the plate back. "I'm not weighing myself until tomorrow!"

Zong Ye pressed her head down with one hand and took out his phone with the other: "Do you need me to connect with Manager Zhou live?"

"You're ruthless!" Zong Qing stomped her foot in anger, then grabbed his arm. "Could you at least get me a glass of unsweetened sparkling water?"

Three minutes later, Zongye looked at the empty dessert table and his sister, who was raising her glass to him and walking away in the distance, and laughed in exasperation.

Kobayashi hesitated, then asked, "Should we go after her...?"

"Delete the hotel surveillance footage." Zongye unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down. "Also, have the kitchen make some low-sugar macarons, in the cherry blossom shape she liked when she was little."

Zong Qing never thought about becoming a star.

That day, she was just accompanying her best friend, Shen Tang, to an audition—for the third female lead in a youth campus drama. She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, with no makeup, sitting on a plastic chair outside the audition room scrolling through her phone, getting bored while waiting, and even yawning.

"Next, Shen Tang!" the casting director called out as he pushed open the door.

Shen Tang's palms were sweating with nervousness. She grabbed Zong Qing tightly, "Qingqing, come inside with me, okay? I... I'm scared..."

Zong Qing sighed, put her phone in her pocket, and took her best friend's hand as they walked into the audition room.

The room was brightly lit, and the director, producer, and screenwriter sat in a row with serious expressions. Shen Tang began to recite her lines haltingly, her voice barely audible.

"Stop." The director frowned. "Loosen up a bit more."

Shen Tang's eyes reddened, and she looked like she was about to cry. Zong Qing couldn't bear to watch any longer and stepped forward: "Director, could you demonstrate for her?"

Without waiting for a reply, she picked up the script and glanced at the scene—the female lead learns that her parents are divorcing and cries bitterly in the rain.

Zong Qing closed her eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, tears were already streaming down my face.

"You promised me..." Her voice trembled, her fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes, "You promised we'd be a family forever?"

The audition room was completely silent. Shen Tang stared in disbelief at her usually carefree best friend, who now seemed like a completely different person.

The director suddenly stood up: "What's your name?"

"Zong Qing." She wiped her face, instantly regaining her composure. "I'm just here to keep a friend company."

Three days later, the agency called the Jong family directly.

---

Zong Heng slammed the script onto the coffee table with a loud "bang".

"You want to act?" His voice was calm, but Zong Qing knew it was the calm before the storm.

Xu Ying looked at her daughter with concern: "Qingqing, this circle is very complicated..."

"Mom, I'm just giving it a try," Zong Qing said stubbornly, tilting her chin up. "If it doesn't work, I'll come back immediately and continue my studies."

Zong Heng sneered, "You think this is child's play?" He flipped open the script, "Kissing scenes, bed scenes, unspoken rules—"

"Dad!" Zong Qing's face flushed red. "This is a school drama!"

"All plays are the same." Zong Heng stood up, looking down at his daughter. "I'll turn them down tomorrow."

Zong Qing suddenly laughed.

She slowly stood up, half a head shorter than her father, but her gaze remained unwavering: "Didn't you also insist on being with Mom against Grandpa's wishes back then?"

Zong Heng's pupils contracted.

"I have your genes, Dad," she said softly. "Once I've made up my mind, I'll never look back, even if it means death."

Xu Ying suddenly covered her mouth—at this moment, her daughter looked exactly like Zong Heng when he was young.

---

On her first day on set, Zong Qing was so nervous that she had stomach cramps.

She hid in the dressing room, repeatedly studying the script, her fingers crumpling the edges of the pages. Suddenly, the door opened, and she looked up—

Zongye stood at the door, dressed in a sharp suit, carrying a takeout bag.

"Brother?" She was stunned. "What are you doing here?"

"Just passing by." He put down the bag expressionlessly. "Mom asked me to bring some soup."

Zong Qing opened the thermos, and a fragrant aroma wafted out—it was her favorite lotus root and pork rib soup. Suddenly, her nose tingled with emotion: "...Thank you."

Zongye glanced at her pale face: "Scared?"

"Who's afraid!" she immediately snapped, "I am..."

"Remember," he interrupted her softly, "don't force yourself to laugh when you don't feel like it."

Zong Qing was stunned.

This was what her brother said to her when she first performed on stage as a child.

--

After the drama aired, Zong Qing became an overnight sensation.

What followed was a deluge of negative press: #ZongQingActsHighAndHigh# #ZongQingPlaysUnspokenRules#

The most serious incident involved a marketing account releasing a blurry video claiming she entered and exited a director's room late at night. Zong Qing was furious and went live to confront the account: "You can donate your eyes if you don't need them! That's my own brother!"

The live stream chat exploded instantly.

[Who is Zong Ye from the Zong Group?]

[Holy crap, so she's a rich heiress pursuing her dream of becoming an actress?]

[Those who previously claimed she was being kept by a sugar daddy should apologize!]

That evening, Zongye's Weibo account was unusually updated:

@Zongye: [Video Link] My sister brought me stomach medicine that night. Also, I have sued the person spreading the rumors.

The accompanying image is a receipt from the law firm.

Zong Qing yelled at him over the phone, "Who gave you permission to interfere! I can handle this myself!"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone: "The medicine is very bitter."

"ah?"

"Let's try something different next time."

She suddenly lost her temper.

---

When she received her first Best Actress award, Zong Qing burst into tears on stage.

"Thank you to everyone who criticized me," she smiled through her tears, "you made me work even harder."

In the first row, Zongye raised his phone to record. The camera was shaky—this young CEO, who was never timid at the negotiating table, couldn't even press the buttons accurately at this moment.

During the celebration banquet, Zong Qing secretly slipped away to the rooftop for some fresh air.

"What are you doing hiding here?" Zongye's voice came from behind.

She didn't turn around: "Brother, do you still remember my childhood dream?"

"To be a zookeeper."

"Pfft—" she laughed out loud, "Actually, I was just kidding."

The night wind tousled her long hair: "Back then, I thought, 'If only I could become someone else. I wouldn't have to be the 'daughter of the main family,' and I wouldn't have to live up to anyone's expectations.'"

Zong walked over to her, took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders: "And now?"

Zong Qing gazed at the dazzling city lights in the distance: "Now I understand—"

"No matter who I become, I'll always be your troublesome little sister."

Zongye gave a soft snort, but instead polished her trophy until it shone even brighter.

——

Zong Qing sat in the dressing room, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest.

The girl in the mirror wore a dark green velvet dress, her long hair slightly curled, and her red lips as bright as flames. The makeup artist was carefully applying the last cluster of rhinestones to her, and under the light, she looked as if she were enveloped in a galaxy.

Agent Lin entered, her expression grim: "Qingqing, Xu Mengyao's team just released a message saying that your dress tonight is a borrowed, out-of-season piece."

Zong Qing raised an eyebrow, pulled a black velvet box from the vanity drawer, and opened it with a snap—inside lay a diamond necklace, the main stone a rare blue diamond, which refracted a dark, deep-sea-like glow under the light.

"Tell them," she said slowly, putting on the necklace, "that this is the 'Eye of the Sea,' a family heirloom. It was valued at 230 million at the last auction." She turned and winked at Sister Lin, "Oh, by the way, my brother just transferred it to my name."

Sister Lin gasped.

Zong Qing glanced at her phone as it vibrated.

Brother: Don't go too far.

Qing: Then don't worry about it~

She could almost picture Zongye's expression at that moment—his brows furrowed, his fingers tapping impatiently on the table, yet he still let her run wild.

---

When Zong Qing stepped onto the red carpet, all the cameras immediately turned to her.

Flashes of light rained down on her, but she suddenly stopped in the middle of the red carpet, her fingertips lightly brushing her earlobe—a gesture magnified on the live broadcast, immediately eliciting gasps from the audience.

Those earrings and necklace were actually a set!

"Zong Qing! Look here!"

"Could you reveal the source of the jewelry?"

Reporters frantically snapped photos, but Zong Qing simply smiled, her gaze sweeping over Xu Mengyao, whose face was ashen, at the other end of the red carpet. In a voice only the two of them could hear, she said, "Ms. Xu, what's borrowed must eventually be returned."

Just then, her skirt suddenly began to glow—countless tiny points of light flowed down from her waist, making the entire skirt seem as if it were filled with the Milky Way, shimmering in the night.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

"This is Zongshi Technology's unreleased 'Stardust' fabric!" a tech reporter exclaimed. "It's said to change its sheen according to body temperature!"

Zong Qing turned gracefully, her skirt tracing a dazzling arc. She had known her brother would pull this stunt—three days ago, when she sneaked into his study, she had discovered the design sketches for this dress.

---

"Best Actress at the 45th Golden Phoenix Awards – Zong Qing for 'Springtime'!"

Thunderous applause erupted. As Zong Qing walked onto the stage to accept the award, she tripped over her high heels. The camera immediately cut to the VIP area—Zong Ye abruptly stood up, then slumped back down, his fists clenched white.

"Thank you to the director for giving me this opportunity..." she read her thank-you speech routinely, then suddenly smiled slyly, "A special thank you to my brother, who once said I wouldn't survive more than three episodes as an actress."

On the big screen, Zongye pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses with a blank expression, but the moment the camera moved away, a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

In the backstage corridor, Zong Qing was jogging while lifting her skirt when she was suddenly stopped by several dark figures.

"Miss Zong," the girl in the lead said, holding up a banner supporting Xu Mengyao, "do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have money?"

A cold liquid splashed in my face—

Red paint seeped down her collarbone and into the front of her dress, like a hideous wound.

"Sister Qing!" the assistant screamed as she rushed over, "We're having an exclusive interview in fifteen minutes..."

Zong Qing, however, remained surprisingly calm. She wiped the paint off her face, stared at the retreating figures of the group, and suddenly smiled: "Sister Lin, bring me my suitcase from the changing room."

When Zong Qing reappeared in the media area, the reporters were collectively speechless.

She changed into a pure black strapless dress, and the parts stained with paint now "grew" large patches of blood-red roses—three-dimensional patterns instantly painted with special paint, each petal lifelike.

"This is..."

"The 'recycled fabric' from the Zong family lab." She gently stroked the hem of her skirt. "It triggers the pattern to appear when it comes into contact with acidic substances." She paused, then added, "It was my brother's birthday present."

The interview turned into a tech showcase. The host cautiously asked, "So...all of this...was prepared by your brother?"

"Not entirely." Zong Qing winked at the camera. "I designed the rose myself." She suddenly lowered her voice, "Actually, my brother's taste is pretty outdated. His original design was... a cartoon dinosaur."

The whole audience burst into laughter.

No one noticed that in the VIP passage, Zong Ye loosened his tie and said to his assistant, "Move forward the acquisition of Xu Mengyao and Starlight Entertainment."

---

Two o'clock in the morning, on the terrace of the ancestral house.

Zong Qing swirled her champagne glass, her bare feet resting on her brother's custom-made suit: "Having fun today, CEO?"

Zong also snatched her wine glass: "You knew someone was going to throw it at you."

"That's why I wore that dress," she tilted her head, "otherwise, how could I help you test the new fabric?"

Under the moonlight, Zongya suddenly grabbed the back of her neck and threatened her fiercely, just like when they were children: "If there's a next time..."

"You're just going to freeze my card? Put me in solitary confinement?" Zong Qing grinned and leaned closer. "Brother, you wouldn't do that."

She knew him too well—she knew every article about her that he kept in his bookshelf, she knew the deliberate way he pretended to visit her on set, and she knew the pride hidden deep in his eyes at this moment.

The night breeze rustled the rose-patterned skirt, and Zongye finally sighed, draping his coat over her shoulders: "Mom and Dad are going back to China tomorrow."

"Oh no!" Zong Qing jumped up. "I broke Dad's collection of Yixing teapots last month..."

Zongye pushed up his glasses: "I'll take the blame for you."

"condition?"

"I'm going on a blind date next week, so I'm faking illness."

Zong Qing laughed loudly, smearing champagne foam onto his tie: "Deal!"

Starlight falls into the picture frame—it was twenty years ago, when young Zong Heng and Xu Ying stood on the same terrace, with the rising sun behind them.

——

Backstage at a variety show.

The host asked Zong Qing, "What is your ideal type?"

She smiled brightly at the camera: "He's more handsome than my brother."

Afterwards, Zong Qing sat in front of the makeup mirror with her legs crossed, letting the stylist curl her hair, while scrolling through Weibo's trending topics—#ZongQingIdealType# had gone viral.

The comments section exploded:

[Netizen A]: Even more handsome than President Zong? That must be an AI-generated face, right?

[Netizen B]: This girl is destined to be single forever, hahaha!

Agent Lin rushed in, phone in hand: "My little darling! Your brother's on the phone!"

Zong Qing glanced at the flashing "[Creditor]" note on the screen and calmly hung up: "I'm recording a show, tell him to wait."

Three seconds later, Sister Lin's phone rang.

"Hello, Mr. Zong... Yes, yes, she just finished an interview... Ah? Now?" Sister Lin's face gradually turned pale, and she covered the microphone to mouth to Zong Qing: He is coming to the scene.

The mascara in Zong Qing's hand snapped with a "crack".

---

A commotion suddenly broke out outside the recording studio.

Zong Ye walked in wearing a dark gray haute couture suit, followed by six assistants carrying milk tea and desserts. The staff fell silent—this guy had just sued a marketing account that spread rumors about Zong Qing into bankruptcy last week.

"Just visiting the set," he explained briefly, his gaze fixed on his sister hiding behind the makeup artist. "What are you hiding for?"

Zong Qing reluctantly stepped forward, only to discover that he was holding a photo of her playing in the mud in dinosaur pajamas when she was in elementary school.

“Mom asked me to ask you,” Zongye slowly waved the photo, “whether we should play it on repeat at the next family banquet?”

The entire audience was shaking from trying not to laugh.

Zong Qing lunged to grab it, but he held her head down with one hand. She tried to grab it but couldn't reach it, and angrily stomped on his leather shoe: "Zong Ye, how childish are you!"

The man bent down and whispered in her ear: "You're more mature than the people who said my brother was ugly on variety shows."

The hot breath brushed against her earlobe, and Zong Qing instantly blushed from her neck to her forehead.

---

That evening, Zong Qing was added to a new group called "A Loving Family".

[Zong Heng]: @Zong Qing, your Uncle Li's son graduated from Harvard.

[Xu Ying]: @Zong Qing's mom thinks Director Lu's kids are pretty good too.

[Zongye]: Photo.jpg (Evidence of Zongqing drawing a map when she was three years old and wet the bed)

Zong Qing angrily slammed her phone down, then picked it up again three seconds later and frantically typed:

[Zong Qing]: @Zong Ye, you're finished! I'm going to tell Dad you received a love letter in junior high!

The group chat suddenly fell silent.

Five minutes later, Zong Heng sent her a private voice message with Zong Ye's screams in the background: "Qingqing, tell me in detail?"

---

When Zong Qing kicked open the study door, Zong Ye was in a video conference.

Wall Street elites stared in disbelief as a cushion burst into the camera's view and struck the CEO squarely on the head.

"Zong Ye! You actually sold my kindergarten performance of 'Little Rabbit, Be Good' to a fan site!" Zong Qing held up her phone, which showed a 4K restored version of her hopping around with bunny ears.

The man calmly turned off the camera: "Ten million."

"What?"

"A new project at the film studio has reserved a spot for you to sing the theme song." He twirled his pen. "Or..."

Zong Qing stepped back warily: "Or?"

"Next month is Dad's birthday, you wear dinosaur pajamas and sing 'Happy Birthday'."

"Deal!" She lunged forward to snatch the contract, unaware of the triumphant smile in her brother's eyes.

---

Late at night, Zong Qing sneaked into the wine cellar and stole Zong Heng's treasured 1982 Lafite.

Just as I poured it into the glass, a chilly voice came from behind me: "People with alcohol allergies are pretty brave."

Her hand trembled, and the wine spilled onto Zongye's shirt. The deep red wine stain spread across his chest like a decadent flower.

"I...I just want to smell it..."

Zongye snatched the glass and drank it all in one gulp, then suddenly frowned: "Grape juice?"

"Otherwise what?" Zong Qing pouted. "Do you think I'm like you, getting gout at 25?"

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating Zongya's slightly reddened earlobes. He reached out and ruffled her hair: "Idiot."

The cellar door was suddenly pushed open.

Xu Ying crossed her arms: "Your dad said there are rats in the wine cellar..." She squinted at her children who were standing very close to her, "Looks like there are two."

Zong Qing was instantly thrown three meters away.

Zongye calmly wiped his mouth and said, "Mom, she stole Dad's grape juice."

"Zongya!!!"

The whole family fell silent.

Zong Qing nudged her brother quietly: "How much of Dad's vengeful gene did you inherit?"

Zongye smiled and said, "You stole the chocolate from my championship medal when you were seven. I'll wait until you join the team before I tell on you."

"!!!"

Moonlight streamed through the French windows, casting long shadows of the playful figures.