"Bang!"
"Whoosh!"
After a series of chaotic noises, Zhu Jinzhao was already lying under the table.
"..." Zhu Mingyue's expression froze on her face.
Girl, you think I'm playing mind games with you?
"Every morning!"
Zhu Xingye was closest to Zhu Jinzhao. He pushed back his chair, stood up, and dragged Zhu Jinzhao out from under the table.
"Why did you fall again? Are you hurt?"
Zhu Jinzhao took a bite of the egg in her hand, shook her head unsurprised, and said, "No, the egg isn't dirty at all."
She's been like this since she was little; she's always tripping and falling, or bumping her head. She's not very bright, doesn't do well in school, and has terrible luck. Nobody in her family likes her.
"Is the egg more important than the person?" Zhu Qian walked over and put a chair for her, then asked the aunt to bring her a clean pair of chopsticks. "You just fell last night and fell again this morning. What's wrong with you these past two days?"
Zhu Jinchao is always looking for a chance to work: "Maybe I've been staying at home for too long and my brain has deteriorated. I need to go out and work to fix it."
Zhu Xingye: "...Try nagging me again about going to do that lousy job."
"..." Zhu Jinzhao stuffed the egg into his mouth in one gulp, then dared not speak.
"...Chaochao, are you alright?" Zhu Mingyue asked her sincerely, seeing that she seemed to have some mental issues.
"It's alright, it's alright!" Zhu Jinzhao waved his hands repeatedly. "I'm fine. Did I scare you? If I did, then I'm sorry."
Zhu Mingyue: "No, you don't need to do that."
Zhu Jinzhao was finally relieved: "Okay."
Zhu Mingyue smiled at her, then turned back to continue eating.
What is Zhu Jinchao up to...?
She bit into the toast with jam on it, her mind filled with doubt.
She had only just returned to the Zhu family home and hadn't even had a chance to give Zhu Jinchao any warning, yet Zhu Jinchao was already packing his things and trying to run away? And he was running away so resolutely and persistently, it didn't seem like he was just putting on an act at all.
Furthermore, were these two falls coincidences or were they intentional on Zhu Jinzhao's part? If they were coincidences, then she was incredibly lucky; a light fall was enough to easily neutralize her attack.
But if it was intentional, then her intelligence is frighteningly high. She could perfectly anticipate and respond to Zhu Jinzhao's every move; such a mind is not easy to deal with.
Two possibilities were swirling in Zhu Mingyue's mind. Knowing she shouldn't underestimate her opponent, she decisively chose the latter.
Zhu Jinzhao is a smart woman; if she wants to get rid of her from the Zhu family in a legitimate way, she can no longer resort to such petty tricks.
She needs to increase the intensity!
Today is Sunday, and there are no classes at Teikyo University. I hope I have nothing to do after breakfast today.
Having been turned back by Zhu Xingye both times she tried to run away, she thought about it and decided to have a serious talk with him.
Zhu Xingye didn't go to the company today; he stayed in his study after breakfast to handle some matters.
Zhu Jinzhao lingered outside his study several times, but never mustered the courage to knock on his door.
She was terrified.
Zhu Xingye's aura was too fierce, and in the original novel, he bullied the fake heiress particularly badly, so Zhu Jinchao really didn't have the courage to take the initiative to approach him...
"What are you doing wandering around outside? Come in and talk if you need anything."
Presumably guessing that Zhu Jinzhao wouldn't dare to come in herself, Zhu Xingye spoke up for her.
"Huh?" She was a little stunned, and it took her a while to come to her senses before she nodded. "Oh."
The study door wasn't closed properly, and she opened it with a gentle push.
"Phew..." She took several deep breaths, reassuring herself that everything was alright, and then stepped into the study.
In the study, Zhu Xingye slowly raised his head and stared intently at Zhu Jinzhao, his amber eyes filled with a visible tenderness.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.
"I think……"
"If you still want to work, then there's no need to say anything more."
Before Zhu Jinzhao could finish speaking, Zhu Xingye cut off her path.
"..." She buried her head, bit her lip, and remained silent.
Seeing her looking so wronged, Zhu Xingye couldn't help but soften his heart.
"Come here." He slid his chair around and patted the table next to him.
Zhu Jinzhao didn't want to go, but dared not refuse. After hesitating for a few seconds, she meekly obeyed.
She shuffled over to Zhu Xingye and whispered, "Big Brother."
Zhu Xingye: "Hmm. Why do you suddenly want to go out and work? Is it because you don't have enough living expenses or something else?"
Zhu Jinzhao stared at the floor beneath her feet: "None of them..."
Zhu Xingye frowned slightly: "That is..."
Zhu Jinzhao: "It's myself..."
“Look at me when you talk,” Zhu Xingye interrupted her.
"..." She timidly raised her eyes and met Zhu Xingye's cold eyes. "It's my own idea to go out and gain some experience. I'm about to start my senior year of college, and it's time for me to go out and find a job or internship."
"Is it really that simple?" Zhu Xingye clearly didn't believe it.
Zhu Jinchao lied: "Yes, it's that simple."
Zhu Xingye suddenly laughed: "Your idea came at a good time. As soon as Mingyue got home, you wanted to go out and gain experience, and you even packed your luggage so quickly."
The meaning was quite clear; even if Zhu Jinzhao wasn't very bright, he would understand what he meant.
She originally wanted to play dumb, but she was afraid that playing dumb would anger Zhu Xingye, so after thinking about it, she confessed instead.
"Since you know what I'm thinking, why won't you let me go?"
Zhu Xingye: "Why should I let you go? You are also a woman of the Zhu family...you are also a member of the Zhu family."
Zhu Jinzhao forced a bitter smile: "Brother, I have already monopolized Mingyue's life for twenty years. If I continue to stay in the Zhu family, it will be very unfair to Mingyue."
Zhu Xingye: "But Mingyue has already agreed to let you stay."
"..."
They were just being polite, why did you take it so seriously?
“Mingyue agreed because she is kind, and I can’t take advantage of her kindness to pretend I don’t know.” Zhu Jinzhao racked his brains and said all the nice things he could think of. “Big brother, I’m already very grateful that you didn’t send me back to my biological parents. I can’t shamelessly stay here any longer.”
"Let me go. I'm all grown up now. I can earn money and support myself. I'll be fine on my own! Mingyue is the Zhu family's true and only daughter. She should enjoy all of this."
"..."
After saying this, the few remaining smiles in Zhu Xingye's eyes vanished instantly.
He stared at Zhu Jinzhao for a long time without saying anything more.
Zhu Jinzhao couldn't stand his gaze, and her head drooped down uncontrollably.
...
The study was silent, and Zhu Jinzhao felt suffocated by the silence.
"Whoosh—"
After an unknown amount of time, Zhu Xingye's chair suddenly slid on the floor.
He stood up from his chair and walked slowly and deliberately to Zhu Jinzhao.
I held my breath this morning, feeling like I was about to die.
“Zhu Jinzhao.” Zhu Xingye grabbed Zhu Jinzhao’s chin, forcing her to look up into his eyes.
"Don't let me hear those words again."
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