"Where's Xiaoyu! Where's Xiaoyu? Who bullied you!" A familiar voice came from the corridor; it was Zhou Yue.

Qin Xiaoyu opened the door to greet her, but who was this woman in front of her? Her hair was messy, her face was yellowish, her eyes were swollen into slits, there were two patches of red on her cheeks, and clear snot was hanging from her nose.

Is this country girl the commander's darling?

"What's wrong? Don't you recognize me? I'm asking you, I heard you were bullied, who was it?" Zhou Yue grabbed Qin Xiaoyu.

"Who? Who bullied me?" Qin Xiaoyu was still so engrossed in Zhou Yue's new look that she hadn't realized what was going on.

“How would I know? Zhou Xing said you were being bullied. He even brought it up at the dinner table, talking about some kind of underworld force. He talked for ages, and no matter how much my mom tried to signal him, it didn’t work. In the end, my dad got so angry that he slammed his fist on the table and told me to come and ask you what happened. If it was true, he would step in and take care of it.”

"Zhou Xing said that?" Qin Xiaoyu never expected Zhou Xing to say such things; he seemed like someone who didn't meddle in other people's business.

"I'm wondering the same thing. He's usually so quiet at home, he doesn't even fart." Zhou Yue looked puzzled, then asked after a moment's thought, "Are you really that close to my brother?"

"We're not close." After Qin Xiaoyu finished speaking, seeing that Zhou Yue didn't believe her at all, she had no choice but to add, "He's a classmate of my sister-in-law. Maybe my sister-in-law said something to him."

"Oh..." Zhou Yue nodded meaningfully, then asked with concern, "Is your sister-in-law pretty? Does she have a boyfriend?"

So all older sisters are the same, Qin Xiaoyu chuckled and said, "She has a boyfriend."

Master Wang had been pacing around Zhou Yue ever since she started talking about her brother, and only walked away with a disappointed look when he heard that she had asked her sister-in-law.

"Master, you're getting more and more..." Qin Xiaoyu really couldn't say anything to her.

"What did I do wrong?" Master Wang asked innocently.

"Little Fish, you still haven't told me what happened?" Zhou Yue had just washed her hair and was sitting on the swivel chair with her hair still wet.

"It's alright, don't worry," Qin Xiaoyu said softly, gently stroking her messy hair with a dry towel. Qi Si hadn't shown up since the last dinner party.

"If you need anything in the future, just come to me. Don't be afraid, I'll protect you. Even if I'm not home, you can go directly to my dad. Don't worry about my mom; she may have a bad face, but she's not a bad person at heart." Zhou Yue's quick and straightforward words made everyone in the room laugh.

"With Sister Xiaoyue taking care of me, what am I afraid of? Sister, didn't you say you were going to spend the Spring Festival in your hometown?" Qin Xiaoyu felt warm inside. She dried Zhou Yue's hair until it was about 80% dry and gently combed it with a wide comb.

"Don't even mention it. I caught a cold as soon as I got there, and had a high fever that wouldn't go down. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore, so I came back to see a doctor. My hair... I haven't washed it in ages. Even if there's water, I can't wash it because it's always covered in ice." Zhou Yue felt a pang of sadness when she thought about her life back in her hometown.

"You're sick? That explains why you came back early. You must have suffered a lot."

“When I came in like that, my dad was so scared he almost cried. He immediately called my father-in-law. He was on the first floor and he was yelling so loudly that people on the second floor could hear him. He said that no matter what happens, I am not allowed to go back to my hometown for the New Year.”

Zhou Yue smiled, pursing her lips. Qin Xiaoyu felt a pang of jealousy; this was someone else's father. So jealous!

"But with your father like this, you won't be able to get along with your in-laws, will you?" Qin Xiaoyu was still worried.

"They are old comrades-in-arms, with a relationship spanning many years, they can't be broken up by arguments."

"And what about your spouse?" Having such a domineering father-in-law isn't a good thing.

"Him? He's so happy he'd practically call me 'ancestor' now. Do you think he wants to go back to his hometown for the New Year? He gets chilblains every year, and he's already thinking of calling my dad 'father'?"

Well, Zhou Yue has just showered us with another dose of PDA. Qin Xiaoyu feels so full that she doesn't even need to eat lunch.

Someone, oblivious to her presence, stood between the window and her, blocking all the light. She looked up angrily, then froze, her smile gradually fading away.

Qi Si arrived. The room fell silent.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Yue also noticed something was wrong. Her Mandarin, which she had been speaking perfectly well, was now completely broken.

It must have taken Qi Si some effort to recognize the Commander's daughter, and he couldn't help but look on with surprise.

“It’s just an old customer. No problem, Fourth Brother, please sit and wait a moment. I’ll be right there.”

Qin Xiaoyu didn't want to escalate the situation. Although Commander Zhou said he would protect her, he couldn't protect her forever. If they really became enemies, she would have to be careful in everything she did in the future, which would be exhausting. She decided to try to resolve the issue herself.

Qi Si understood what she meant and didn't say much. He walked to a chair not far away and sat down. Everyone in the room became cautious.

Qin Xiaoyu quickly finished Zhou Yue's hair, sent her away, and then came over to greet her: "Fourth Brother, you're so free?"

"I'm here for a haircut." Qi Si stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and was so tall that Qin Xiaoyu felt instantly smaller.

"Okay, I'll comb Fourth Brother's hair." Qin Xiaoyu smiled faintly and let Qi Si sit down again. After soaking Qi Si's hair in the basin, as she gently pressed her fingers on each of his acupoints, she finally found a sense of equality.

Negotiation is the best option at this time, as Qi Si can relax.

"I haven't thanked Fourth Brother for treating me to dinner last time. I'll treat him another day," Qin Xiaoyu said, testing the waters, unsure of his purpose.

"No need, you don't drink either, it's no fun eating with you." Qi Si refused directly, and Qin Xiaoyu's heart jumped again.

"That's too much trouble. Let's find some time. Opening a steamed bun shop at the street corner would be nice." Qin Xiaoyu really didn't want to take out the three thousand yuan; she still wanted to try her luck.

"I heard you got some cards for the Commander's wife and the others. Just get me one too." Qi Si closed his eyes to rest, seemingly quite fond of using it.

"Great!" Qin Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief; this was the best solution.

Before she could control her expression, Qi Si had already opened his eyes, his gaze piercing. Qin Xiaoyu could only quickly shut her mouth, roll her eyes upward, and pretend nothing was wrong.

"Why are you like a little imp, changing shape all the time?" Qi Si's question came a bit suddenly, leaving Qin Xiaoyu speechless.

"What do you mean?" she asked cautiously.

"The first time I met you, you were so arrogant, like the world was yours, so cocky that I wanted to chop you up with a knife. The second time I met you, you were disheveled, looking like a housewife struggling to survive, and I felt sorry for you. This time, you're so generous and open, well... it's hard to say, but it's definitely different." Qi Si's summary was quite accurate.

"People say one thing at a time, don't they? Everyone has their ups and downs. When you're on top, you hold your head high; when you're on the bottom, you bend your back." Qin Xiaoyu said casually, but Qi Si actually took it to heart.

Qi Si was very satisfied with the hairstyle, but he didn't leave immediately, staring at Qin Xiaoyu until she felt uneasy.