Having just finished showering, Su Ziqing was wearing cute, fluffy pajamas, her hair freshly dried and draped over her shoulders. Hearing Gong Chengjue speak, she walked to the doorway and asked, "Are you finished talking?"

Her eyes, however, were constantly scrutinizing Gong Chengjue, as if she were afraid he had suffered a great loss and dared not utter a word.

Gong Chengjue was amused by her expression, and the unpleasantness he felt while chatting with Feng Xixuan just now completely disappeared under her caring gaze.

Silly boy, are you really afraid he'll be bullied by Feng Xixuan?

"Yes, we've finished talking." Feng Xixuan coughed heavily. "It's late, Mr. Gong, please go back."

"Mr. Feng is staying here?" He hadn't forgotten their previous conversation.

Feng Xixuan nodded. "That's right."

Gong Chengjue frowned. "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

“Mr. Gong, given my relationship with Ziqing, it wouldn’t matter if we lived together for a lifetime, right, Ziqing?” Feng Xixuan said, looking at Su Ziqing.

Su Ziqing nodded, but then, seeing Gong Chengjue's unhappy look, she quickly added, "Senior brother is my family."

Family, do you understand?

“No, it’s not just family,” Feng Xixuan added bluntly.

Su Ziqing: "..." These sandwich cookies are really not that easy to make.

"Then what about Mr. Lu?" Gong Chengjue was very unhappy at the thought that he had left while Feng Xixuan and Lu Linghong were left behind.

Yes, I'm extremely annoyed.

"Ling Hong, you should go back too," Feng Xixuan said.

Lu Linghong: "..." So that's why he hates Gong Chengjue, the kind of person who can't eat meat himself and won't let others have soup either.

"Senior brother, I have something to discuss with you." Lu Linghong had no intention of leaving at this moment.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow, it's late." Feng Xixuan didn't want to chat.

In the end, both Gong Chengjue and Lu Linghong had to leave. With Feng Xixuan around, Su Ziqing didn't dare to make any intimate gestures towards Gong Chengjue, and even her gaze had to be carefully controlled.

"Bang." The door was finally closed, and Su Ziqing blinked her clear black and white eyes at Feng Xixuan, as if she was trying to be cute.

Feng Xixuan immediately took off her coat and said, "Come here, I'll apply the medicine for you."

Su Ziqing obediently walked over and sat down like a child.

Feng Xixuan took out the ointment and applied it to her, his head lowered, but he didn't stop talking, "I broke up with Gong Chengjue."

"Senior brother..." Su Ziqing became disobedient upon hearing this.

"Don't move." Feng Xixuan finished applying the medicine, then screwed on the cap, sat up straight, and looked up at Su Ziqing. "He has ulterior motives towards you."

"I also have ulterior motives towards him," she blurted out.

Yes, she and Gong Chengjue did start out with their own agendas, which is called getting what they needed, but later, they fell in love.

Su Ziqing pursed her lips slightly, like a young girl experiencing her first love, "Senior brother, I like him."

"Does he like you?" Feng Xixuan sneered.

"I like it," she answered affirmatively.

"Su Ziqing, has your brain rusted?" Feng Xixuan really wanted to knock her head open when he saw her so engrossed in her love life that her IQ seemed to be in the negative.

"His status, his background—you can't outmaneuver him. He likes you? You'd be foolish to like you."

Su Ziqing was speechless. This senior brother was really one of her own; he didn't hold back when it came to criticizing people.

"us……"

“Listen to your senior brother, break it off with him.” Feng Xixuan looked at her and earnestly advised her.

Su Ziqing also put aside all her thoughts and looked at him seriously, "No."

Feng Xixuan frowned. "The Gong family is so complicated. Even if you marry him, are you sure you want to be trapped in the center of those whirlpools for the rest of your life?"

Before Su Ziqing could say anything, he added, "What about the freedom you wanted?"

The Su Ziqing he knew was a staunch non-marriage advocate!

How come this little girl has even overturned her own 'faith' after only a few months?

Su Ziqing picked up a cushion from the side, hugged it, rested her chin on it, and looked at the carpet with its intricate patterns on the floor. "Senior brother, my grandfather is dead."

"I know."

“My so-called freedom and rights were all based on my grandfather’s pampering. I didn’t have to worry about the economy or employment. As long as I didn’t go back to China, I could travel freely anywhere in the world.”

“You can do it now, and you can do it in the future,” Feng Xixuan said.

"No." Su Ziqing shook her head. "Grandpa is gone. The person who loved me unconditionally in this world is gone too."

Feng Xixuan frowned. "And me, I said..."

"I know you love me like a little sister, but I can't shirk the responsibilities I have to bear." Su Ziqing looked at Feng Xixuan.

Feng Xixuan really felt like her older brother; no, she felt that even if she had a biological brother, he wouldn't be this close to her.

"So, this is your reason for not contacting us when you get into trouble?" Feng Xixuan really wanted to knock her head.

Su Ziqing lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, senior brother. I just... have to take responsibility myself."

“Even if I said I wouldn’t easily set foot in China, you can still tell Ling Hong.” Feng Xixuan looked at her.

Su Ziqing did not speak.

"Alright, I won't say anything more to you." Feng Xixuan couldn't bear to scold her.

He still felt sorry for her, thinking about how she had endured these past few months all by herself.

Su Ziqing looked at him with bright eyes, "Thank you, senior brother."

"I'll just say one thing: if Gong Chengjue dares to hurt you, I'll be your backup." Feng Xixuan made her stance clear.

He disliked Gong Chengjue, but he couldn't help liking her.

Even though they're only a few years apart, why does he feel like an old father who's worried sick about his daughter?

"Thank you, senior brother. You're the best." Su Ziqing was really afraid that he would dig deeper. She wasn't even sure if she could hide the fact that she and Gong Chengjue had signed an agreement before.

If he knew, he probably would really challenge Gong Chengjue to a duel, right?

"By the way, senior brother, what brings you to the capital?" He said he wouldn't easily set foot in China, so what important matter has brought him here?

"Confidential." Feng Xixuan glanced at her. "Where's the guest room? I'm going to sleep."

Knowing it was confidential, she stood up and said, "Everything in the guest room is clean, the sheets and such are on the cabinet."

"Alright, you can go back to your room now." Feng Xixuan helped her up. "I'll pack up myself."

Looking at Feng Xixuan's profile, Su Ziqing couldn't help but ask, "Senior brother, is there still no news about her?"

She was a taboo subject for Feng Xixuan.

They didn't even dare to say his name easily, for fear that if they did, they would touch upon Feng Xixuan's deepest pain.

Feng Xixuan looked at her.

"Ah, I, I'm going to sleep." Su Ziqing realized she had said too much.

Feng Xixuan really tapped her on the head this time, "You little rascal, you know you shouldn't ask, but you still do."