"..."

Ning Shi's expression froze instantly: "What did you say?"

Zhu Jinzhao raised her hand shakily and pointed towards the private room: "He just walked past me and went to the private room."

"..."

These two seemingly casual remarks terrified Ning Shi and Jiang Jingwen.

"……ah!!"

The two of them clenched their fists and let out a suppressed, yet devastating scream.

"What should I do? What should I do?" Zhu Jinzhao stamped her feet anxiously. "What should I do now?"

"Don't panic!" Ning Shi's voice cracked with anxiety, but she didn't forget to comfort Zhu Jinzhao immediately.

"I'll call Shi Jing right now and ask him to check which private room your brother went into."

As she spoke, Ning Shi unlocked her phone and made a WeChat call to Shi Jing.

Shi Jing answered quickly.

"What are you doing?"

Ning Shi said briefly, "Chaochao's older brother is also eating at this restaurant. Go to the front desk and see where their private room is!"

"...Holy crap?" Shi Jing's voice immediately became unsettled. "How could it be such a coincidence? Chao Chao's older brother is also in this restaurant?"

Zhu Jinzhao: "He really is here! I almost bumped into him just now!"

"Then he didn't notice you, did he?" Shi Jing's voice softened instantly.

Zhu Jinchao shook his head: "No, he didn't see me."

"Whoosh—"

The sound of a chair being dragged on the floor was brief, and Shi Jing said softly, "Chao Chao, don't rush. I'll go to the front desk now to see which private room they're in. You guys stay in the restroom and don't come out yet."

“Okay!” Zhu Jinchao obediently agreed.

"This is so unlucky..." Jiang Jingwen frowned and couldn't laugh anymore.

Ning Shi raised an arm and put it on Zhu Jinzhao's shoulder, frowning as she said, "This restaurant is almost a hundred kilometers away from your home. Why would your older brother come here to eat?"

Zhu Jinchao said with a bitter face, "He seems to be here to discuss business."

"...I give up." Jiang Jingwen slapped her forehead in exasperation. "How could we have run into something with such a low probability of happening?"

Zhu Jinzhao lowered her head guiltily: "Maybe I'm just unlucky..."

Ning Shi: "Don't talk nonsense!"

Shi Jing called three minutes later, and he first delivered bad news.

"Chaochao, your older brother's private room is right next to ours."

"..." Zhu Jinzhao pouted, feeling like she was about to shatter.

"But the good news is—" Shi Jing abruptly changed the subject, pulling Zhu Jinzhao back just in time, "I've already sent a waiter to their private room to spy on them. The waiter told me they're all sitting there obediently and won't be coming out anytime soon. You hurry up and escape from the restroom; I'll meet you outside."

Zhu Jinzhao dared not delay and turned around to run out.

Shi Jing stood at the end of the corridor, and as soon as Zhu Jinzhao ran over, he opened his arms and hugged her.

"Don't be afraid." He patted the back of Zhu Jinzhao's head and whispered comforting words in her ear, "I'm here, I won't let you be taken back."

Zhu Jinchao huddled in his arms, too afraid to move, her hands gripping his clothes tightly: "Quick, quick, back to the private room!"

Shi Jing hid her beside him and walked into the private room with his arm around her.

"Go back now."

Everyone in the private room knew about Zhu Jinzhao's situation. As soon as Zhu Jinzhao returned, they started racking their brains and frantically giving her advice.

Xie Lang: "If we unfortunately run into your older brother when we go out later, you immediately lie down and pretend you're drunk, then have Shi Jing carry you out. As long as you lie on Shi Jing's back and hide your face well, your older brother will definitely not be able to find you!"

"...Assessment complete, here's a terrible idea!" Shen Yichuan rolled his eyes at him and solemnly offered his suggestion, "Today, I think the most reliable thing for you is to pretend to be Shi Jing's girlfriend!"

"Ahem..." Shi Jing coughed deliberately, his eyes full of laughter.

Zhu Jinchao had no interest in looking at him and simply asked, "Why?"

Shen Yichuan said in a serious tone, "Because if you were Shi Jing's girlfriend, you could lean against him when we go out, and as you walk out, you could punch his chest with your little fists and say 'I hate you'."

"Then Shi Jing can immediately press your head down so your face is pressed against his chest. That way, your older brother won't be able to see you!"

"..."

The others remained silent.

Only Shi Jing thought this method seemed pretty good.

“Zhao Chao.” He turned to look at Zhu Jinchao, his eyes filled with hope, “Actually, I think…”

"Smack!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Jinzhao raised her hand and covered his mouth.

"Do you have a solution, Zhang Lingyue?"

"...It's Song Lingyue!" Song Lingyue emphasized his name for the fifth time tonight.

"Ah..." Zhu Jinzhao smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, Song Lingyue, so do you have a solution?"

Song Lingyue adjusted his glasses and gave a confident wry smile: "Of course I have a way."

Zhu Jinzhao: "Tell me about it."

Song Lingyue: "My method is very simple! Today, when you go out later, just dress up as a man and cosplay as one of our buddies! I guarantee that even if your big brother stood right in front of you, he wouldn't recognize who you are!"

"...Cosplay?" Zhu Jinchao frowned. "But we don't have any equipment, how are we supposed to cosplay?"

"That's easy!" Song Lingyue took out his phone. "I'll just have someone deliver a cosplay outfit over. You can put it on and go out confidently!"

"Please tell me your height and weight so I can help you choose the right size."

Zhu Jinchao: "160 cm tall, weighing 82 catties".

"My God, you're so thin!" Song Lingyue exclaimed, her slender fingers tapping incessantly on her phone screen.

“Sigh…” Ning Shi sighed, “There’s nothing we can do. Being a female celebrity means you have to be thin. Besides, Chaochao originally weighed only 79 pounds. She gained three pounds for variety shows and got to 82 pounds.”

Zhu Jinzhao gave a bitter laugh: "I can't reach 82 pounds because Sister Yang sent me a WeChat message last night, ordering me to lose another two pounds."

"You still want to lose weight?" Xie Lang couldn't understand. "What kind of distorted aesthetics do these agents have? A height of 160cm and a weight of 100 pounds wouldn't be unreasonable. You're already only 80 pounds and you still want to lose weight?"

"No, I won't lose any more weight." Shi Jing frowned, somewhat displeased. "82 pounds is already too thin. Losing any more weight would just be torture."

Zhu Jinzhao: "I don't want to lose weight either, but it's not up to me to say."

Shi Jing: "If you can't decide, then I'll do it! I'll take you out for a late-night snack in a bit; we need to get you back in shape!"

Zhu Jinzhao pouted, "Sister Yang won't agree..."

"Damn it, the plan has changed!" Song Lingyue put down his phone, his tone suddenly turning serious. "Jinzhao is too thin; we can't find men's clothing in such a small size!"