Chu Bai leaned against the railing, his phone screen still lit up; the call had just ended.

But Chu Chenzhou's icy voice still seemed to echo in my ears.

"Chu Baiyi, don't do anything stupid."

His tone was unhurried, yet every word was like a knife.

"You'd better think carefully about what happened to the young master of the Jiang family. If you don't want to be friends with him, there are plenty of other people who do."

"You think the good life you want comes from somewhere? Only when the Chu family prospers will you prosper, and only then will the good life you desire exist. Conversely, if the Chu family falls on hard times, you won't have a good life either."

"I don't want to repeat myself, but you must bring Bai Zixi back with you to the charity gala next weekend."

The wind whipped up dust from the rooftop, and Chu Baiyi gripped her phone tightly.

Her knuckles turned white. She knew her brother wasn't discussing it with her, but rather that she had no choice but to obey.

As long as she wants to return to the Chu family, she must comply.

What will happen if she doesn't do as the Chu family wants?

Being cut off from pocket money is a minor issue; the more likely scenario is that he'll be sent straight back to his so-called hometown in the countryside!

She bit her lip and looked down at the building again.

Jiang Yanli was standing at the entrance of the convenience store, holding a bag of snacks in her hand, her eyes following Bai Zixi not far away.

The sunlight fell on him, and this arrogant man seemed unusually gentle at that moment.

Chu Baiyi suddenly laughed, a cold and sarcastic laugh.

How ridiculous.

The Chu family wanted to use her to curry favor with Jiang Yanli, but in Jiang Yanli's eyes, there was only Bai Zixi, that damned poor wretch.

They were poor bastards from a completely different world from the upper echelons of society like the Jiang family.

She took a deep breath, picked up her phone, and sent Chu Chenzhou a message: 【I understand, brother.】

After sending the message, she stared at the screen for a few seconds, then added: "Could you please ask my mom to stop withholding my allowance?"

Chu Chenzhou transferred 200,000 directly, without any response.

But Chu Baiyi didn't care whether he replied or not; getting the money was the only thing that mattered!

*

Zi Xi was organizing her notes for the next class when her old phone suddenly vibrated in her desk.

The unfamiliar number on the screen made her pause, but she still swiped to answer.

"It's been a long time, Zixi. How are you doing over there all by yourself?"

"It's been a bit hot lately, so girls should avoid drinking cold drinks..."

The receiver carried Madam Chu's deliberately softened voice, which sounded like that of a mother concerned about her daughter.

"Yes, thank you very much for your concern, Mrs. Chu. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Zi Xi closed the notebook with one hand, genuinely curious about the purpose of her call.

"Oh, there's a charity gala in S City next Saturday. Your brother just got back from overseas and specifically asked me to invite you to attend."

"And while you're at it, bring your boyfriend along to meet us. After all, we've raised you for over a decade, so we should help you choose the right one..."

Halfway through her speech, Chu's mother changed the subject, becoming quite self-satisfied.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I'm not available."

"And I don't have a boyfriend either."