The sky gradually brightened.
Her throat was dry and parched, and she realized that her face was contorted in pain. Her delicate makeup had become smudged after a night's rest. As soon as she opened her eyes, before her vision had cleared, she could vaguely make out the man's figure and outline.
"Hiss." It felt like her head was being torn in two, and the pain made her cry out.
Almost at the same time, Qi Shen opened his eyes, which he had just closed, and said calmly, "You're awake."
He didn't lie down after returning from his study last night, but sat on the edge of the bed watching the sleeping girl. She woke up shortly after he closed his eyes just before dawn.
He didn't change his clothes, only took off his coat, and the top button of the collar of the well-made gray shirt underneath was unbuttoned, revealing his pale chest.
The man's handsome face, framed by short, jet-black hair, looked slightly tired; he had stayed up all night and had grown stubble.
However, this does not affect his good looks at all.
Instead, he transforms from a refined and cultured young nobleman into a man brimming with sexual tension and a wild, untamed aura.
"Hmm." Fang Zhi had just woken up and was still lingering in his consciousness from the alcohol. He rubbed his head against the pillow and mumbled, "Brother, I want to drink water."
"Wait." Before leaving, Qi Shen gave her a deep look, his handsome face displaying an inscrutable expression.
Fang Zhi was so focused on his physical discomfort that he didn't notice the chilling tone in the man's voice.
While he went downstairs to get her some water, she began to recall what had happened the night before. She couldn't remember how she got home, what time it ended, or any of that.
My mind is filled with only fragmented images.
Fang Zhi stretched out his curled-up body, lay flat, looked at the ceiling, and muttered to himself, "I never want to drink again."
Sister An only said that alcohol is a good thing, but she didn't tell her that drinking too much would make her feel so bad the next day.
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Shen returned to the bedroom with a glass full of water. He sat down on the edge of the bed and called her name. Fang Zhi slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard to take the glass.
The moment she looked up, she noticed that the man wasn't wearing glasses and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Brother, didn't you sleep last night?"
The girl's soft, gentle voice was tinged with shock.
"Do you think your brother can sleep?" Qi Shen's voice was hoarse with a hint of femininity. After speaking, he slightly curled his lips, the upward curve of his thin lips as sharp as a knife.
Fang Zhi's heart suddenly raced as he watched, a strong sense of unease surging up his spine to his brain.
Yes, judging from how drunk she was, her brother probably already knew about her going to the bar last night without her even being told.
Qi Shen didn't miss a single expression on her face, and said in a low, indifferent voice, "Drink some water first. After you finish, I have some things to ask Zhizhi."
The man deliberately emphasized the word "ask for advice," realizing that his unease was growing stronger.
......
Fang Zhi nervously finished drinking the water, and then, at the man's instruction, washed off her makeup, revealing a face that was still beautiful and flawless even without any makeup.
The two sat facing each other on the bed.
Qi Shen glanced down at the little girl's fingers, which were tangled together in a state of anxiety.
He chuckled softly, his voice low and gentle, like a sharp blade wrapped in cotton, tender yet capable of wounding.
Even in a room with a warm and comfortable temperature, I still felt a chill run down my spine.
She heard his deep, indifferent voice say calmly, "Zhizhi is going to the National Theater, right?"
When the words "National Theater" came out of the man's mouth, it was as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and a chill instantly spread throughout his body.
Looking at his handsome face, so close yet filled with a deep gloom, she realized she couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"Why are you trembling?" Qi Shen pulled her into his arms, brushed aside her stray hairs, and spoke in a deep, mellow voice in her ear, his thin lips lingering on the girl's delicate, smooth cheek. "Why didn't you discuss such a big thing with your brother before making the decision on your own?"
"I..." Fang Zhi's lips moved slightly, then closed again.
He pressed on, asking, "What?"
A suffocating sense of oppression washed over me.
Perhaps it was at the very last moment that courage sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, bursting forth from the earth: "Yes!"
The softest voice delivers the most resolute answer.
Fang Zhi closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, meeting the man's gaze without flinching. Her words were clear and distinct: "Brother, now that you know, I won't hide it from you anymore. I will be going to the National Theater for closed training after the New Year this year."
"I don't want to live my whole life in the world you've built for me, where I need your permission to do everything. I want a normal life like Sister Lin and Sister An. I want to go out and pursue my dreams, to see the world, to experience a bigger stage. I want the right to equality and freedom!"
Qi Shen's expression remained unchanged, but the emotion in his eyes grew increasingly cold. He had listened to so much from the young girl—her ideals, her freedom, her friends—but he was nowhere to be found.
A low, deep laugh carried an endless chill and self-mockery. He heard himself ask, "And what about me?"
With a slender, well-defined hand, Qi Shen lifted her chin and stared at her. "Zhizhi, have you planned out the next few years for yourself? Where do you put your brother?"
Fang Zhi's expression froze for a moment, clearly not expecting him to ask such a question, and then a feeling of tenderness and sadness welled up in her heart.
She bit her lip and slowly said, "If brother agrees to my conditions..." She realized her feelings for him. If he agreed, it would be a win-win situation, and she would be willing to stay.
Before she could say these words, the man interrupted her.
"What a pity."
He had the ability to keep her, so why should he be the last one left behind by the little girl he longed for?
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