At the dinner table, when Xiang Zhinian coughed twice and announced the matter to everyone, Xiang Chisong raised his voice and asked first: "Whose idea was this?"

When Xiang Zhinian slowly raised her hand to indicate that it was her idea, Xiang Chisong was so angry that he laughed. He felt as if the truth was kept from him until the last minute. His tone unconsciously became stern: "Xiang Zhinian! Look at it yourself. There are still a few days left until next Saturday. Why didn't you tell us on Friday?!"

How do they prepare for this?

Or did everyone else know it, but I was the last one to know?

Pop.

Thinking of this, he slammed his chopsticks on the table. He glanced at Xiang Wanning who was timidly standing beside him. He also thought about how his sister was deceived by someone just because she participated in a variety show. He even knew about this from his assistant. He felt even more depressed. He got up from the table in anger and said, "I'm not eating anymore. I'm full of anger."

Xiang Chisong rarely gets angry with them. He has always been accustomed to playing the role of a protector. In order to create better living conditions for his family, he continued to expand the scale of the Xiang Group after taking over, making it appreciate several times.

Xiang Chisong is very busy, with endless meetings and negotiations, plans and reports. Many things in the company require his judgment, but even so, Xiang Chisong tries to eat every meal at home.

In order to have more time to spend with his family, he squeezed his time like crazy, often staying up until four or five in the morning, drinking cup after cup of coffee. Only when the day's battle ended with the dawn, could he take some time to catch up on his sleep, and he had to set a time to have breakfast with them.

Therefore, when he learned about the urgent engagement party from Xiang Zhinian and about Xiang Wanning's appearance on the variety show from his assistant, Xiang Chisong felt sad that he didn't get to know these things from them first, and a sense of loss of being forgotten suddenly surged over his body.

He silently returned to the room and lit a cigarette, letting the sparks burn his fingertips, but he remained motionless as if he didn't feel the heat. Thinking of how they relied on him when they were young, Xiang Chisong was a little puzzled: Why did they always hide it from him when they grew up?

He frowned again and thought: Did I really do something wrong? Was it because I was too controlling? Was it because I pushed them too hard?

——If it’s not the case, why don’t they want to tell me this? …

"What should we do? Brother won't be angry with us, right?"

"Who is sulking in there and ignoring us?"

Just when he was alone in the room thinking, someone suddenly knocked on the door. Two hoarse and pretentious voices overlapped at the door and fell into Xiang Chisong's ears, making him laugh.

The door was opened a crack by them, and two little bear puppets appeared in front of his eyes. One of the little bears covered his eyes and said, "Let me see what my brother is doing in there. He's smoking and he doesn't care about his body!"

The other little bear covered his nose and said in a muffled voice: "Brother promised us not to smoke before, but he didn't keep his word!"

Xiang Chisong saw the two bear puppets clinging to the crack of the door, as if they saw the pitiful appearance of the two of them standing at the door, so he pinched out his cigarette helplessly, and while letting them in, he couldn't help but muttered, "You have a sharper nose than a dog, I just lit it."

The two of them then chuckled and came in through the door. They looked at each other and sat on both sides of Xiang Chisong.

Xiang Wanning raised her left hand and imitated the cute voice of Little Bear and asked, "Brother, can you tell me why I'm sad? I'm just Little Bear, I promise I won't tell anyone else!"

What are you sad about? He couldn't help but reach out and poke the little bear's head, but he seemed to think that this action was too childish, so he took it back. Xiang Chisong thought about his thoughts just now, and felt that his action was a bit jealous. He didn't want to admit it, but it was really hard to say it, so he just hummed and said the word "no" stubbornly.

"Really?" Little Bear turned around and rubbed Chi Song's cheek: "Okay, Brother won't lie to Little Bear, but Little Bear also has a secret to tell Brother."

Xiang Wanning was wearing a bear puppet, with curved eyebrows and a faint smile in her eyes. As if to set the mood, she deliberately lowered her voice: "Actually, Xiaoxiong has someone she likes, and she wants you to help her choose. Are you willing?"

After she finished speaking, Xiang Wanning heard his muffled voice, like a heavy sigh, as if he had thought deeply for a long time before finally deciding to let out the frustration and anxiety hidden in his heart. He tried to restrain himself, but there was still a sour breath in his words: "Really? Do you still need my approval? Aren't you very happy in the variety show? Since you have already decided, why do you still ask for my opinion?"

Xiang Chisong's series of questions interrupted Xiang Wanning's original thoughts. She suddenly froze in place. Even though she had many guesses in her heart before coming in, it was not until she heard his words that she suddenly realized that these were the things the other party cared about.

So she put away the bear puppet, looked at Xiang Chisong very seriously, and explained to him: "Of course, because my brother is very important. I did develop feelings for him on the variety show, but I didn't tell my brother because I wanted him to visit me later. Is my brother unhappy about this?"

Xiang Chisong was actually very easy to coax. For example, his originally sad mood was swept away immediately, and he was very happy because of the words "brothers are very important". But he was not very good at expressing his feelings, and was a little embarrassed to admit that he would be unhappy about such a small thing as "sister fell in love without telling him", so he pursed his lips and could only spit out one sentence: "I know."

But Xiang Wan Ning did not stop talking because of what he said. She thought that since he was so busy, he probably had no time to watch her variety show live broadcast. So her performance on the variety show must have been told to him by others. As if she understood the key point, she said again: "I didn't want to hide it from my brother. I just felt that my brother was always busy. I didn't know whether I should bother you with this matter."

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Xiang Chisong's disapproving look. When she met his eyes, Xiang Wanning could clearly see the red bloodshot in his eyes. She couldn't help but ask, "...Because brother looks very tired, how long have you not had a good rest?"

Xiang Chisong did not answer. He seemed as if someone had caught him. He looked away guiltily, but happened to meet Xiang Zhinian's gaze.

The latter continued with what Xiang Wanning had said, "I also decided on the engagement party at the last minute. I didn't intend to hide it from my brother. I just wanted to test what Yu Quezhou mentioned casually. But the words have already been spoken, and it's hard to take them back."

Xiang Wanning stared at her in surprise and heard Xiang Zhinian explain seriously: "Just like my brother is worried about me, I am also worried about Wanning. I stubbornly believe that her hastily developed relationship may not be as beautiful as she imagined. I always feel that she is still too young. As a sister, I always have to pay more attention to her."

"I heard that Yu's Group was targeting Miss Company for bankruptcy, so I took the opportunity to meet him. I thought that if Yu Quezhou was really such a selfish person, then even if Wan Ning was reluctant, I would break up the couple."

Xiang Wanning listened and laughed softly. The atmosphere in the room became harmonious as Xiang Zhinian confessed. Xiang Chisong no longer forced himself to put on a cold expression. He would nod in agreement with what she said, and sometimes frown, and then ask, "And then?"

Xiang Chisong always felt that her words were hinting at something, and he snorted softly. However, after their consolation, he was no longer as depressed as he was at the beginning. Instead, he stroked the surface of the aluminum can, letting the steam moisten his palms. He hesitated for a while before speaking: "You are right, maybe I am a little too worried. Why should I think so much? After all, I am still here, and no matter what you do, I can cover you up."

It was like he had walked into a dead end after insisting on his own way, or like a thick fog had risen in the place where he was, in which Xiang Chisong could not see the road ahead. When he misunderstood their intentions and felt discouraged, he received their explanations and consolation, and gradually got better.

Suddenly, there was light at the end of the road. The sunlight dispelled the fog in front of him, allowing Xiang Chisong to finally stand from the perspective of an observer and look rationally at his childish behavior.

"That's not the reason." Xiang Zhinian said, "It's because my brother is the most important person to us. He will not be replaced by anyone."

"If brother can rest on time..." Xiang Wanning pressed iced cola against his face and continued with a smile, "Then brother will be the best brother in the world."

* After they left, only Mo Yin, Xiang Tingye, and Grandpa Xiang, who couldn't wait to finish eating and go out to find his friends to go fishing, were left at the dinner table.

Xiang Tingye saw that Mo Yin didn't look anxious at all, so he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Chi Song has never been so angry before, so aren't you worried?"

"What are you worried about? Do you think your two precious daughters can't coax him?" Mo Yin sneered, and saw through Xiang Chisong's thoughts at a glance. He said, "It's nothing more than that he feels that his two sisters don't need him anymore, and as a brother, he is inevitably unbalanced."

At this time, Mr. Xiang spoke up: "Why, Chi Song also wants to fall in love? Introduce some girls to him!"

Now it was Mo Yin and Xiang Tingye who started sneering.

Mo Yin said, "Arrange a blind date for him? He can stay in the company 364 days out of 365 days a year. Several friends have been asking me about his love life, asking if he has a girlfriend... Ha, forget it."

Xiang Tingye said: "I asked him to contact the daughter of the Li Group before. He negotiated the contract with her for three days and insisted on getting investment. He was unwilling to give a penny and refused to give in. If there is no interest, he should go with the Xiang Group!"

To the old man: ...

He sighed, put down the bowl, and walked to the door with his cane: "I'd better go fishing."

…

I don’t know if it was because of the heart-to-heart talk with them during the day, but Xiang Wanning suddenly had a strange dream tonight: in the dream, she woke up from her bed, but found that the layout of the room was slightly different from her own room, and she had no entity, and could float everywhere like a ghost.

But Xiang Wanning was sure that this was her room because she saw a photo of herself on the table. In the photo, she was wearing a school uniform, smiling with her eyes curved and winking at the camera.

She stopped to admire it for a while and wanted to pick up the frame to look at it, but her hand suddenly passed through it, which made her think: I am the one in it anyway, why can't I touch it? "But why is it black and white?" Xiang Wanning murmured in confusion: "Retro style?"

She didn't wonder for long, because she heard the door being pushed open. Xiang Wanning turned her head and looked out the window. It was late at night, and she looked up at Xiang Zhinian with some curiosity. Even though Xiang Zhinian couldn't hear her, it didn't stop her from talking to herself.

"What are you doing in my room so late at night, sister?"

"Sister, can you see me?" Xiang Wanning stretched out her hand and waved it. Seeing that she couldn't see her, she rolled her eyes, suddenly jumped onto her back, and laughed for a long time.

But she soon realized something was wrong.

Warm liquid dripped onto the back of her hand as she was holding Xiang Zhinian's neck, one drop, two drops, penetrating her soul and dripping onto the ground. Although it didn't actually fall on her, it made her withdraw her hand as if she was burned.

Xiang Wanning jumped off her back and saw Xiang Zhinian crying silently. Her eyes were dark and lifeless, but a strong hatred was burning from the bottom of her eyes like a flame. As she took steps forward, Xiang Wanning watched her come to the table.

The next second, the photo frame that she had just stroked was touched slowly and carefully by Xiang Zhinian. Xiang Wanning stood there in a daze, not knowing how to react. She heard Xiang Zhinian narrating recent events in a tone and manner she had never heard before, with a mixture of nostalgia and self-blame.

"It's been a year, and there are so many forces abroad protecting him that he has escaped from international prisons several times. He is such a waste. It would be better to put him in a prison in China."

"I joined the Chinese research team, but I still feel my memory fading. I don't know what to do, so I can only work hard to do more research... I just want to stand higher. When I am important enough to have a place in the international community, will they give the Alcott family a more fair trial for my sake?"

"I don't believe them, I don't believe them! But I have no choice. It turns out that the power of one person is so small, but I don't want my family to take risks with me, but I am unwilling... What should I do?"

She picked up the photo frame and reached out to touch the person in the photo, as if this would allow her to touch the person she really wanted to see. Xiang Zhinian's tears dripped onto it, as if the person in the photo was also crying like her, leaving behind meandering tears.

"Wan Ning, I'm fine. I just... just missed you a little bit."

"You should come back to see me." She said, "But you never came to see me once. Why? Is it because I did something wrong?"

It was a mistake, but it will work tomorrow!