Fang Zhi stared intently at the neatly dressed man.
She thought that what happened yesterday was over.
Even if she couldn't get through it, as long as she persisted, her brother couldn't do anything about it. But she never expected that he would punish her by suspending her from school.
When the little beast showed its claws to him for the first time, Qi Shen felt a slight surprise, but he didn't show it on his face.
His gaze lingered on her body, covered in the masterpieces he had created, and his eyes darkened.
Unlike Fang Zhi's excitement, Qi Shenqing's handsome features were gentle and calm, as if he were looking at a child who was being unreasonable and making a fuss. His voice was low and pleasant, "There's no need to mention the class anymore. Zhizhi should stay at home and rest and reflect on her actions."
After speaking, he slowly reached out his hand to her. Fang Zhi saw his movement and instinctively shrank back.
The thing I imagined didn't happen.
The man simply pulled the blanket up a little higher for her, covering her body that had been ravaged all day.
His gentle, refined, and courteous demeanor at this moment was completely different from the man of yesterday.
Just as Qi Shen was about to pull his arm away, Fang Zhi grabbed his sleeve as if it were a lifeline. Her eyes, which were clear and bright, were filled with tears as she looked at the man. Her words were pleading, "Brother, please let me go to school."
Qi Shen let her pull him along, and with his other hand he gently wiped away the tears from the corners of the girl's eyes, as if he felt extremely sorry for her.
"No good." The words that came out of his thin lips were extremely cold. "Tears are no longer an option. Are you sad that Zhizhi can't go to school? Your brother is even sadder than you."
Qi Shen paused, then reached back and grasped the soft little hand at the cuff of his sleeve, guiding it slowly to his chest. "Who told Zhizhi to hurt her brother by leaving? Do you know how your brother felt when you said you were leaving?"
He pressed Fang Zhi's hand down, staring into those captivating eyes, "It's like someone has carved a hole in here, and the wind keeps pouring in, tormenting me so much that I can't sleep at night."
Last night, when she was asleep, he watched her for a long time. Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, he became more and more uneasy. Even though she was right next to him, he had a feeling that he couldn't hold onto her.
Hearing the man say this, she then noticed the faint dark circles under his eyes and the weariness between his brows.
“No,” she tried to explain, “I don’t necessarily want to leave my brother. I… I just want him to stop controlling my life and give me some freedom…”
The phrase "there's no absolute necessity" is used so well, but Zhizhi still doesn't understand and keeps handing him the knife.
"Enough." Qi Shen interrupted her, his thin lips curving slightly with a hint of mockery. He glanced at her with his eyelids lifted. "I told you to stay home and rest during this time. Once Zhizhi has reflected on her actions and your brother has dealt with the online and school gossip, I will naturally let you go back to school."
Before Fang Zhi could close her lips, she closed her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again, she pulled the clothes next to her and put them on. After dressing, she threw off the covers. Her body, which had been severely exhausted, did not improve even after a night's rest. She got out of bed shakily.
Dragging her aching legs, she struggled to the bathroom door. Fang Zhi leaned against the doorframe to steady herself, her weak voice choked with sobs but firm, "I can go to school by myself. I don't need a driver to take me."
Qi Shen sat quietly in his original seat.
He didn't stop her.
His long legs, slender and crossed beneath his suit trousers, fluttered slightly behind his glasses. He slowly raised his eyes and spoke calmly to that delicate yet resolute figure:
"You can give it a try."
She suddenly stiffened, realizing there was a hidden meaning in the man's words.
Before she could ask, Qi Shen answered her question.
"Zhizhi's phone rang while she was asleep last night. It was a text message from her dance teacher..."
Fang Zhi's mind went blank for a moment. She leaned against the door and slowly turned around to meet the man's gaze.
Holding a rectangular object in his long, slender hand, Qi Shen slowly turned it around.
Fang Zhi stared intently at the object in his hand—small and exquisite, it was her phone. She hadn't realized when her phone, which she'd kept on the bedside table, had ended up in the man's hands.
Her mind was in turmoil. The next second, she heard her voice tremble with fear as she said, "Really? Maybe it's because I suddenly left school yesterday, and the teacher sent me a message to check on me."
Qi Shen smiled, clearly not believing her.
He walked up to her, placed one hand on her face and the other around her waist, looked down at her, and changed the subject, "Zhizhi, you must be exhausted, right? If you're tired, lie down, and I'll come downstairs to get you some food."
"Brother..." Fang Zhi was so tense that she thought she would have fallen to the ground if it weren't for the large hand around her waist. "Please...please don't touch her!"
"Why are you so nervous, Zhizhi?" He chuckled softly, a dark undercurrent swirling in his eyes. "Your brother didn't say he was going to do anything to your dance teacher, did he?"
His lips and throat were dry; he moved his lips but couldn't make a sound. He did nothing, said nothing, but who knew what he might do next?
“Brother…” It felt like a fishbone was stuck in her throat, making it painful and difficult for her to speak. Fang Zhi, who had been confronting the man all day, began to lower her head and admit defeat. “I know I was wrong. I will not leave you, brother.”
"Hmm." Qi Shen didn't ask for her opinion again, and simply picked her up and put her back on the bed.
After he covered her with the blanket, he realized it was the same phrase he had uttered, murmuring softly:
"Brother, please, please don't touch her!"
Gazing at the girl's pale and fragile face, Qi Shen's heart clenched. She was in pain, and he was in even more pain.
No matter how painful it was, he couldn't let go. In this war filled with smoke and fire, no one was an easy winner.
He hadn't yet had the time to investigate who was helping him behind the scenes. He only suspected that her teacher had played a role in the performance. However, judging from Fang Zhi's reaction, he was certain of his suspicions.
But punishment is always a means, not an end; the same goes for threats. Qi Shen understood the principle that too much of a good thing can be bad.
He would stop when she was willing to behave.
"Okay, I promise you."
-
After finishing breakfast, Qi Shen went to the company. Although all the videos on the internet had been deleted, many people still saved them due to the fermentation of public opinion.
It's difficult to completely erase any trace of the video, let alone if someone else kept it for their own selfish reasons. Qi Shen could only ask the platform to keep a close eye on it and prevent it from being leaked and spread online again.
The computer screen displayed a long list of names and information; these were the people who were most active in hurling insults.
After glancing at the list, Qi Shen's eyes gleamed with malice. He then sent the list to the company's legal department and demanded that they spare no time, effort, or expense in suing each of them.
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