Chapter 72 [VIP]

Pei Xingzhi hates winter.

He was walking along the road perfectly fine, carrying a cake that Uncle Ge had just developed for Chu Ling and Hei Miao, thinking that the two of them, who loved sweets, would be very happy to see the cake.

But his excitement didn't last long before he slipped and fell flat on his face on the icy ground.

Pei Xingzhi rubbed his sore bottom and got up, covering his face and sighing as he looked at the box lying on the ground beside him.

You don't even need to open it to see; the cake inside is definitely already misshapen.

So, he really hates winter!

"Um... this is the new product you brought us?" Black Cat rested his chin on the table, looking at the unidentified object in front of him. After examining it for a long time, he looked up and asked Pei Xingzhi his question.

"I already said I accidentally fell and that's why I'm like this. Were you even listening to me?" Pei Xingzhi said, glaring at Hei Miao with annoyance, and took off his coat, which was covered in ice shards, and handed it to Chu Ling to help him clean it.

Chu Ling took his coat, turned to look at the black cat holding a fork, eagerly eyeing the cake, and couldn't help but chuckle. "His mind is probably only on the cake, you shouldn't be so strict with him."

Upon hearing this, Pei Xingzhi could only sigh and walk to the chair opposite Black Cat to sit down. "I shouldn't have brought you the cake. I fell so badly, and all you cared about was whether the cake was broken."

"Huh? Are you talking about me?" Black Cat looked up while biting his fork, his innocent expression clearly indicating that he hadn't been listening to Pei Xingzhi either.

"..."

"Looks like you really aren't as important as the cake." Seeing this, Chu Ling shook his head and concluded.

"What? No! Boss, don't listen to him! You're much more important to me!"

"Really?" Pei Xingzhi raised his chin with satisfaction and winked at Chu Ling. "That's more like it."

"They're both shameless," Chu Ling commented.

Pei Xingzhi ignored his sarcasm and pushed the cake toward the black cat.

"You can eat it yourself. I'll make up for Chu Ling's portion next time."

"As expected, the boss really cares about me. When can you learn from the boss, Brother Chu Ling?" Black Cat unceremoniously circled the cake around herself and ate it in big bites, not forgetting to leave a moment to catch her breath before saying a few words.

"Huo Miao, do you still want your living expenses next month?" Chu Ling looked up at him and asked softly.

"...Brother Chu Ling, I was wrong. I won't say anything more. You guys talk!" Black Cat, who was being threatened with the money, swallowed her anger and apologized before running back upstairs with the cake.

"Why did you scare him? The poor little black cat is too scared to speak." Pei Xingzhi rested his chin on his hand, watching Huo Miao skip upstairs, and then walked to Chu Ling's side and said.

Black Cat's real name is Huo Miao. Pei Xingzhi felt that his real name sounded too awkward, so he chose to continue calling him by his online name, Black Cat.

"Don't spoil him too much. He's become more and more disobedient lately." Chu Ling didn't quite understand where Pei Xingzhi's affection for Huo Miao came from. Just how much did he spoil him to have turned the black cat into this in just two years?

"Really?" Pei Xingzhi tilted his head, pretending not to understand. "I think Black Cat is quite obedient."

Unlike Pei Xingzhi, who had no relatives or friends in this place, Ningbei was Chu Ling's hometown. He grew up here and although he didn't have many relatives, he had a few close ones. Huo Miao was one of Chu Ling's few relatives.

They are not blood brothers. Huo Miao's mother was Chu Ling's aunt, who passed away when Huo Miao was a little over one year old. After that, Huo Miao lived with Chu Ling's family. Although they are not blood brothers, their relationship is no different from that of blood brothers.

Pei Xingzhi had only been here a short time when he casually mentioned his current city in the game. Upon hearing that the two lived nearby, Huo Miao immediately asked to meet. Pei Xingzhi had just agreed to tutor Chu Ling's younger brother, and considering that Hei Miao and Chu Ling happened to be in the same city, and that he had known Hei Miao for a long time, it wasn't unreasonable to meet someone he knew in such a place.

Pei Xingzhi had chosen that day to meet Hei Miao. However, when he arrived at the place they had agreed upon in Ningbei, he unexpectedly spotted Chu Ling nearby.

Pei Xingzhi subconsciously pulled Chu Ling aside to greet him, and then learned that Chu Ling and Hei Miao were brothers.

Chu Ling assumed Pei Xingzhi had come to see him, but then noticed Huo Miao standing to the side, looking dejected and unsure whether to come over. He pulled the two over and introduced them to each other before being called away by his boss on the phone. Pei Xingzhi and Hei Miao, who had unexpectedly run into his brother, exchanged a glance, but neither of them mentioned the truth behind their meeting.

Chu Ling assumed Pei Xingzhi was kind to Huo Miao because he liked children, but what he didn't know was that Pei Xingzhi had known Hei Miao in the game for five years, even longer than they had known each other. However, they both had their own ulterior motives, and Chu Ling didn't ask, nor did he or Hei Miao want to tell him about their relationship.

Pei Xingzhi didn't want to make his embarrassing moments in the game and with Pumpkin Party known to the world, so he could only bribe Huo Miao in real life to keep quiet.

Chu Ling witnessed what happened between him and Xie Nanyi, and Huo Miao witnessed what happened between him and Pumpkin Party. He felt as if his life was living in the shadow of these two brothers.

Chu Ling's threat regarding living expenses only lasted a few minutes. Before the two could exchange more than a few words, Huo Miao finished her cake and ran downstairs. She even moved a stool and sat down next to the two, muttering something under her breath from time to time.

Pei Xingzhi and Chu Ling were busy looking at the program, and neither of them had the time to pay attention to Huo Miao, who was complaining about something.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Huo Miao stared at the two of them on his computer for a while, then his eyes lit up with another mischievous idea.

"Brother Xingzhi, do you know how much a plane ticket to the capital costs?" Huo Miao knew that asking her older brother was useless, so she launched the first attack on Pei Xingzhi.

"I don't know." What he didn't know was that Pei Xingzhi couldn't stand this kind of topic. Not only did he not generously provide the travel expenses Huo Miao had expected, but he didn't even reply. Chu Ling, however, unusually spoke up.

"Why are you asking this? Do you want to go to the capital?" Chu Ling's sharp gaze swept over Huo Miao, making her shiver involuntarily.

This was the first time he had ever seen his brother with this expression.

"No...no...I was just asking..." Huo Miao quickly changed the subject, coughed twice, and then changed the subject.

"Um... Xingzhi, do you know that the game we've been playing recently is going to hold an offline event?"

"What event? I haven't been paying much attention to these lately." Pei Xingzhi certainly knew about this event. Not only did he know about it, but he had also been harassed by Pumpkin Party for a week. This person was begging him to participate every day and even got guest tickets from the organizers, insisting that Pei Xingzhi meet him in person.

If it were anyone else who wanted to meet Pei Xingzhi, he might have agreed, but that person happened to be Pumpkin Party, and Pei Xingzhi would never agree no matter what. Pumpkin Party pleaded and begged for over a week, but Pei Xingzhi still wouldn't budge. Now, hearing Huo Miao mention this matter, Pei Xingzhi felt as if he was about to face something bad again.

"It's an offline event, and I've wanted to go for a long time..."

"You can't go."

Before Huo Miao could finish speaking, Chu Ling interrupted her, his cold and hard voice leaving no room for argument: "Don't even think about persuading Pei Xingzhi to take you. I said no, so don't even think about it anymore."

"I don't necessarily need Brother Xingzhi to take me. I have my own money!" Huo Miao immediately became anxious upon hearing Chu Ling's words. He had planned for a long time and even spent most of his allowance. If Chu Ling disagreed, all his effort and money would be wasted. "I've already saved up the money. I don't need you to give me any. I've already bought the tickets. Please let me go! Brother, it's okay if you don't come with me. I can go by myself!"

"No way." Chu Ling's attitude was firm; she refused to let Huo Miao participate in this so-called offline event no matter what.

"But!"

"Alright, alright, since your brother doesn't want you to go, then don't bother him anymore. You know your brother is usually very busy, how could he have time to accompany you to any offline events?" Seeing the two brothers at each other's throats, Pei Xingzhi could only take the initiative to ease the atmosphere between them, and secretly winked at Huo Miao, indicating that he would talk about it later.

Unfortunately, Huo Miao, caught up in her emotions, didn't understand his hint. Provoked by Chu Ling, she slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "Why are you making decisions for me! I'm going!"

"Huo Miao!" Chu Ling also slammed his hand on the table and stood up. Fortunately, Pei Xingzhi was quick enough to prevent him from hitting the computer on the table, otherwise their hard work today would have been in vain.

"Alright, alright, you two calm down, okay? Stop arguing. Can you talk things out?" Pei Xingzhi said helplessly, holding his laptop. Although he also had an older brother, he had always been obedient. This was the first time he had ever seen brothers argue like this.

It's really scary when two people who can't speak seriously get together.

"Chu Ling, why don't you want Huo Miao to participate in the event? Huo Miao, why do you insist on participating? Explain your reasons clearly and see who can convince the other, okay?"

With Pei Xingzhi, the only rational person present, speaking up to dissuade them, the two brothers finally calmed down a little.

He pressed down Chu Ling, who had a cold face, and then looked at Huo Miao, who was puffing up her cheeks and sulking, and asked them who would speak first.

Chu Ling pursed her lips and gestured with her chin towards Huo Miao. Huo Miao glanced at Pei Xingzhi and said sullenly, "I made plans to meet my friend at an offline event... He's already prepared a gift for me. We've known each other for a long time, and I don't want to break my promise..."

Huo Miao's reasoning was hard to refuse. If Pei Xingzhi wasn't mistaken, the friend Huo Miao mentioned was most likely Kuro.

"Your turn." Pei Xingzhi looked at Chu Ling.

"You've only just differentiated into an Omega, and your pheromones are at their most unstable right now. For your safety, you can't travel far." Chu Ling's reasoning was even more compelling; safety is always the most important thing, no matter what.

"I will protect myself!"

How do you protect yourself?

"Then you can come with me!"

"I don't have time to go with you."

"Then let Xingzhi come with me!"

"I don't have time either." Seeing that the topic had turned to him, Pei Xingzhi quickly declined. He didn't really want to go back to the capital right now.

"You..." Huo Miao was no match for two people and could only slam the door and flee in panic, leaving behind a sentence before running away.

"It's all your fault! That's why the winter in Ningbei has been so long this year! It's all your fault! I hate Ningbei! I'm going to go to the capital! I want to stay far away from you!"

"The winter is extended? What's going on?" Pei Xingzhi, who had been indifferent just moments before, suddenly perked up at Huo Miao's words. He glanced at Huo Miao, who had run upstairs, closed the door, and shut herself in, leaving the question to Chu Ling.

As one of the central secret bases, Ningbei's weather is directly controlled by the central government. The number of days and temperatures for each season must be strictly adhered to. The sudden extension of the winter season clearly indicates that the central government is about to take action. Pei Xingzhi's workplace is not in Ningbei, so he is unaware of this matter, but Chu Ling certainly knows. Why hasn't he told him?

Given his personality, he certainly wouldn't forget, so it can only mean that he deliberately hid this from me.

Why didn't you tell me?

"It's not that I deliberately didn't tell you." Chu Ling turned her head away, a rare hint of guilt in her voice. "I just think it's better if you don't know."

"Something's going to happen in the capital... and your brother is probably involved too."

A note from the author:

We'll meet again in the next chapter.