Chapter 4 Thank you, brother
Chapter 4 Thank you, brother
It was almost midnight when Yan Zhen returned home.
Aunt Cui had already gone to bed, the living room light still on for her. She changed her shoes, and Chocolate heard some noises in the hallway and sleepily ran over to rub against her legs.
She leaned over and kneaded Chocolate, coaxing him to sleep, then went upstairs to her room.
After taking a shower and drying her hair, she lay on the bed and played with her cell phone for a while. She heard the curtains rustling in the wind, so she got up to close the window.
Pulling open the curtains, she glanced out the window inadvertently and found that Chen Huaixu had not left yet.
A black car stopped at the gate of the villa. He leaned against the car and smoked, the little light at his fingertips appearing and disappearing in the darkness.
His eyes seemed to always be on her room. When he saw her open the curtains, he lowered his head and sent her a message: Why aren't you sleeping yet?
Yan Zhen asked back: "Shouldn't I be the one asking you this? Why aren't you leaving?"
Chen Huaixu replied: Right away.
However, the man stood there, with no intention of moving.
He didn't move, and neither did Yan Zhen. The two of them stood in a standoff for a while, until Chen Huaixu gave in first, straightened up, and gently waved at her.
This time, when the call came in, Chen Huaixu's voice seemed a little softer in the night wind: "I'm going on a business trip the day after tomorrow to City Z. It will take about a week."
Yan Zhen didn't know how to reply. She unconsciously tugged at the curtains with her fingertips and uttered "Oh" softly after a while.
He paused and asked in a low voice, "Will you miss me?"
The sound was so light that it seemed as if it would be blown away by the wind.
However, before Yan Zhen could reply, he continued speaking, as if the words he had just spoken were just a hallucination: "I'm leaving. Good night."
The car quickly drove into the night, disappearing into the winding mountain road. Yan Zhen drew the curtains, feeling a wave of confusion.
She paced around the room for a while and decided to go downstairs to get some wine. Unexpectedly, as soon as she opened the door, she ran into Yan Zhao coming out of the study.
Yan Zhen was surprised and asked, "What time is it? Why haven't you slept yet?"
"Work." Yan Zhao casually changed the subject. "Is the classmate who sent you back quite wealthy? This car looks familiar to me."
She panicked and asked, "Did you see it?"
"The car has been parked in front of my house for so long. If it doesn't leave, I'm going to call security."
Yan Zhen replied vaguely: "Maybe the car broke down."
"Really? That's really unlucky." Yan Zhao didn't expose her, but turned around and pushed open his own door. When he was about to go in, he glanced at Yan Zhen who was standing there in a daze, "Are you still not sleeping?"
"I can't sleep," she followed him into the room, "Let's go to your room and play some games."
"Yan Zhen, I have to go to work tomorrow morning."
"You sleep, I fight."
Yan Zhao: "..."
Yan Zhen went to his cabinet to look for game cartridges and accidentally saw Yan Zhao’s high school graduation photo.
She studied it curiously, as if she had discovered a new world. Everyone in the photo was wearing the same blue and white school uniform, packed so closely together that it was impossible to make out their faces unless you looked closely.
But Yan Zhen still recognized Yan Zhao. He was tall, and his face was so handsome that he even wore the formal school uniform with a somewhat uninhibited and casual feeling.
Standing next to Yan Zhao was Chen Huaixu.
That face had a completely different temperament from Yan Zhao's, yet it was no less impressive. His face was expressionless, his eyes calmly staring at the camera, his back straight, standing there like a straight pine tree.
Seeing Yan Zhen sitting there motionless for a long time, Yan Zhao leaned over to take a look and said, "It's just a high school graduation photo, what's so good about it?"
Yan Zhen pointed at Chen Huaixu and asked, "Why do I remember you two weren't in the same class in high school?"
"This was filmed by two experimental classes together."
Yan Zhao and Chen Huaixu were in different classes in high school and didn't know each other at first, but because of competing for the first place in the grade, they gradually became friends from rivals.
Yan Zhen continued searching through the group photo, her eyes lighting up as she said, "There's a beauty in your class!"
Yan Zhao took a glance and smiled: "She asked me to pass a love letter to Chen Huaixu."
Yan Zhen's fingertips trembled and she asked, "Is this true?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Yan Zhao asked lazily.
"Did Chen Huaixu agree?"
"Of course not. He said he doesn't have relationships at school, but I guess he doesn't like this kind of thing."
"Which one does he like?"
Yan Zhen asked almost reflexively, only to realize she was a bit too concerned after asking, and quickly explained, "I'm just curious, just asking casually."
"Hmm." Yan Zhao glanced at her with a smile, pretending to think deeply for a moment, "He probably likes the kind that's not very smart and creates trouble for themselves."
"What's the meaning?"
"That's what I mean now." Yan Zhao pulled her up from the floor, "Miss Yan, please be kind. I, your brother, really need to go to bed. I don't want to be tired driving tomorrow morning."
Yan Zhen was half-pushed by him to walk out the door. When Yan Zhao was about to close the door, he couldn't help but ask, "One last question!"
Yan Zhao supported the door frame with one hand and said, "You speak."
"I have a friend, a friend!" Yan Zhen poured out her inner doubts. "The man she wasn't getting along with suddenly became strange... and began to show her kindness. Does he have ulterior motives? How can I tell?"
The smile on Yan Zhao's lips deepened, and he said, "That depends on the situation."
Yan Zhen was a little confused.
"If he's nice to you just to take advantage of you, he's a complete scumbag. I suggest you slap him."
Three days later, Yan Zhen received an invitation from her best friend Ying Shu to go to a star's concert.
"How's it going? I'll cover the airfare, hotel, and tickets. All you have to do is show up." The two of them applied facial masks side by side. Ying Shu closed his eyes and enjoyed the technician's gentle massage. "You're not busy lately anyway."
Yan Zhen asked: "How come I didn't know you were chasing stars recently?"
"Just have some fun." Ying Shu pressed the edge of the mask with his fingertips. "Just tell me whether you're going or not."
"Where is it?"
"Z City, this weekend."
She felt that the name of the city sounded familiar, so she thought about it carefully for a while before remembering that it was the city where Chen Huaixu was on a business trip.
How could such a coincidence happen?
Yan Zhen opened his eyes, looked at the ceiling for a while, and asked, "When is the concert?"
"It's open for two days, but we'll only go on the first day. After we're done, we can take a stroll around Z City."
Yan Zhen nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go with you."
The temperature in Z City was much higher than in Ningchuan. As soon as the plane landed, the scorching sun pierced through the windows. The two people disembarked and got into the car that came to pick them up. The driver was a young man who kept calling her "Sister Ying Shu," which made Yan Zhen feel a little strange.
"Do you know each other?"
Ying Shu wore sunglasses and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and saying, "It's Qin Chu's assistant."
Qin Chu is the protagonist of this concert.
Yan Zhen sensed something fishy.
The sea view along the way was refreshing. Yan Zhen took a few photos of the scenery. After arriving at the hotel, he took a few photos of the buildings, added some simple text, and prepared to post them on WeChat Moments.
However, within a minute of posting it, a friend left a comment: "Going to City Z? This hotel is quite unique and nice. I recommend you try their breakfast."
Can you recognize this?
Yan Zhen panicked and deleted the post in her circle of friends.
After deleting it, she realized that this friend was not a mutual friend of her and Chen Huaixu, and he could not see the message at all.
No, he never posts on WeChat Moments. Maybe he doesn’t even read this stuff?
Yan Zhen was troubled by her own fuss for a long time before finally snorting, "I'm not here to steal, why are you being so secretive? If he comes to City Z, can't I come too? I'm not here to look for him, I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea."
"What are you doing talking to yourself there?" Ying Shu shoved the room card into her hand and said, "Let's go. Put your luggage down first."
The concert was in the evening, and after the two of them put their luggage down, they decided to go out and have some fun. Ying Shuwan refused her assistant's request to follow them: "The concert is going to start tonight, and you guys are busy. Leave me alone and go help him prepare."
After the assistant walked away, Yan Zhen glanced at her and said, "I've been wanting to ask for a long time, what's going on? The celebrity assistant came to pick you up?"
"It's just as you think." Ying Shu blinked at Yan Zhen, "But don't tell anyone. No one knows about it yet."
Yan Zhen's first reaction was: "Will your father agree?"
"Isn't it too early to talk about this now? I don't plan to develop a relationship with him to that point yet."
"Ms. Ying, your speech sounds really bad."
Ying Shu poked her with his elbow in displeasure, and the two of them started laughing and playing around in the hotel corridor.
The evening concert was packed. Yan Zhen sat in the box and glanced outside. The cheers from the audience seemed to overturn the entire stadium.
On the stage, Qin Chu was singing with all his might, his handsome features magnified on the giant screen. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and he casually wiped it away, flicking his drooping black hair back with a sensual, seductive gesture that drew wild screams from the venue.
Infected by the atmosphere, Yan Zhen also became excited and joined in the chanting. Although she had never heard a single song, it didn't stop her from being a lively contestant.
Ying Shu had found one of those sparkly headbands from somewhere and put one on her, then on himself. The two couldn't help but laugh at each other's silly, childish looks, and soon they were both immersed in the powerful rhythm of the music, completely drowned out by the surging sound.
The concert ended and the noise gradually subsided.
I had just sweated so much that when I walked out of the gym and was blown by the wind, I felt a little cold.
"Qin Chu's car is here to pick us up, but it can't park in front of the gymnasium. We have to walk a distance outside."
In the darkness of the night, two people walked against the flow of people on the roadside, the headbands on their heads flashing, they made eye contact with the girls passing by, and smiled at each other tacitly.
"I didn't expect you to be in love too." Yan Zhen sighed sadly, "I'm left alone. I might not even be able to find anyone to go out with in the future."
Ying Shu rolled his eyes at her and said, "If you really want to fall in love, why can't you find someone? There are so many boys chasing you in school, why don't you just pick one?"
"How can you be so casual?" Yan Zhen glared at her, "We're not buying vegetables at the market."
"Let me tell you, love isn't about being too particular. It's just a feeling. Sometimes you can't stop it." Ying Shu lowered his head and typed. "If you want to experience it, I'll let Qin Chu introduce you to a few. They have a lot of high-quality talent in their company, and they have all kinds of options."
Yan Zhen snorted softly, "Thank you, but I'm not worthy enough to enjoy it. I'll leave it to you."
The two chatted and laughed as they walked to the side of the road. A car stopped there, and the assistant got out to open the door for them. The two got in and quickly drove away.
In the darkness of the night, a car was speeding, and after entering a certain section of the road, its speed suddenly slowed down.
"Why are there so many people? The road is so congested." Mo Cheng sat in the passenger seat and looked out. "What's going on tonight?"
The driver explained, "There's a stadium nearby that holds concerts every few days. Judging by the number of people here tonight, and the fact that they're all young girls, there must be a concert there as well."
Mo Cheng muttered, "If only we had taken another route. This traffic jam will last forever..."
Chen Huaixu, who was sitting in the back seat, supported his head with one hand, leaned against the car window, lowered his eyes and swiped the tablet on his lap, looking a little tired.
The colorful lights outside the window were reflected on the car window, flashing with blurry colors.
This time, Chen Huaixu personally led the team on a business trip with Xia's core team members. They were busy for the better part of a week, spending their time in hotels and offices, not even getting a close look at Mayor Z. Today was a rare day without overtime, and on the way back to the hotel to rest, the group clamored to go to Dengji, City Z's most famous late-night snack restaurant.
Mo Cheng held up the speakerphone and reached for the back seat.
"Boss, we're having a late-night snack at Dengji tonight. Do you want to go?"
As the boss, Chen Huaixu naturally wanted to reward his employees, so he nodded and said, "Eat as much as you want, it's my treat tonight."
There was a loud cheer from the other end of the phone, and everyone began to think about how to give Chen Huaixu a good beating tonight.
After he hung up, the car just stopped. While waiting for the red light, he looked out the window as if by telepathy.
There was a black nanny car parked on the opposite side of the road. Two young girls were standing by the road, wearing shiny headbands from concerts on their heads. They got into the car one after another while playing and joking.
He was a little stunned.
Although it was only a moment, he seemed to see Yan Zhen.
How is that possible?
Chen Huaixu put down the tablet, closed his eyes, leaned back, and gently pinched his eyebrows.
How could she be here?
The two-hour concert was a bit exhausting. Yan Zhen went back to her room, took a shower, and rested on the bed for a while before receiving a call from Ying Shu, who said he wanted to go out for a midnight snack.
"I'm telling you, when you come to City Z, you absolutely must go to Dengji for a late-night snack," Ying Shu strongly recommended over the phone. "If you don't, it's like you've come for nothing. Qin Chu and I will go first. Assistant Xiao Zhao is waiting for you downstairs. Once you're ready, come with him."
Yan Zhen changed her clothes, put on makeup, and went downstairs to the hotel lobby.
Assistant Xiao Zhao was the boy who had picked them up during the day. He was young, but extremely stubborn, and insisted on helping Yan Zhen carry her bag. She couldn't persuade him, so she had to hand the bag to him. The two of them got in the car and rushed to the hotel.
When Yan Zhen walked into the private room, Qin Chu and Ying Shu were huddled together. Seeing her coming, the two immediately separated, trying to hide their feelings.
Yan Zhen was speechless and said, "Why don't you two just come and eat? Why do you have to ask me to be a light bulb?"
"How can I leave you alone in the room?" Ying Shu came over and took her arm. "I'm not the kind of person who forgets about friends when I have a lover."
Qin Chu smiled with his lips pursed.
He was completely different in private and on stage. He was bold and outgoing on stage, but a bit reserved off stage. He was about the same age as Yan Zhen, and was a complete boy.
The three of them drank a little wine. Yan Zhen used the excuse of going to the bathroom to leave the young couple some private space, while he wandered around the hotel curiously. When he walked to the corner of a secluded corridor, he unexpectedly saw a familiar figure.
It is written by Chen Huai.
City Z is obviously very big, but for the first time she felt that this city was so small.
He stood at the door of the emergency passage, his back to Yan Zhen, and was talking on the phone.
She stood on tiptoe and crept over.
"No, I'm not in Ningchuan. I'm on a business trip."
"Um."
"Probably next week."
Chen Huaixu was concentrating on talking on the phone and didn't notice that someone was quietly approaching him from behind.
Yan Zhen held her breath and listened for a while. Although she didn't know who was on the other end, judging from Chen Huaixu's relaxed tone, he should be his good friend.
Yan Zhen had a few drinks and was starting to feel playful. It should be okay to play a trick on him a little, to destroy his image as a gentleman, aloof and abstinent in front of his friends.
So she deliberately pinched her throat and called out to the other end of the phone in a delicate voice: "Honey, when will you be back? I'm waiting anxiously."
The tone was so artificial that even she got goosebumps, but fortunately, the killing power was very strong. Chen Huaixu and the person on the other end of the phone paused at the same time, and the air fell into a strange silence.
He turned around and saw Yan Zhen, with obvious surprise on his face.
Yan Zhen gave him a triumphant smile, stuck out her tongue, turned around and was about to run, but he grabbed her arm with one hand and pulled her closer to his side.
Chen Huaixu said with a hint of laughter in his voice: "Well...my girlfriend...is quite naughty."
Who is your girlfriend? You are quite good at making amends for yourself.
Yan Zhen bent his fingers, turned around and glared at him, silently condemning him with her mouth.
"Yes, we've been together for a while.
"If there's a chance, definitely."
Yan Zhen resisted, and the rustling sound of the fabric rubbing against each other fell into the other end of the phone, and was completely misinterpreted by the other party.
"You guys are just... I'm being tactless. I won't bother you anymore. I'm hanging up now."
Yan Zhen: “…”
Why do I feel like I've shot myself in the foot?
After Chen Huaixu hung up the phone, Yan Zhen struggled and said, "Let me go!"
They were the only two left in the hallway. The overhead light cast a soft glow on her face. She had clearly been drinking, with a strange blush etched on her cheeks. To match the night's atmosphere, she had also deliberately applied heavy eyeshadow, completely obscuring her natural spirit. The makeup didn't suit her, but she was still breathtakingly beautiful.
It turned out that he was not mistaken tonight, Yan Zhen really came to City Z.
He loosened his hand and asked, "Did you drink?"
She gestured and said, "Only a little."
He raised his eyes to look behind her and asked again: "Are you here alone?"
"With Ying Shu."
"Yeah." He changed the subject, "What did you call me just now?"
She played dumb and said, "I forgot."
Chen Huaixu lowered his eyes to look at her and suddenly laughed.
She was frightened by the stare and turned to leave, but she didn't expect to take two steps before her shoulder was held down. She was a little caught off guard, and her back hit the warm and hard chest. The coolness of a man came from behind, covering her completely.
"What do you want to do! It's just a joke!"
The usually cold voice sounded beside her ears, pouring deep words into her ears: "I have a strong desire for revenge. Didn't you know it a long time ago?"
Although Yan Zhen often goes against Chen Huaixu and occasionally teases him like today, she dares to be so unscrupulous because she relies entirely on the fact that Chen Huaixu has never really argued with her. She is becoming more and more daring, and is a bit arrogant because of her favor.
Once you put all that aside, he is five years older than her after all, with a cold, tough and difficult to approach personality. When he doesn't smile, a sense of distance arises, which makes her feel a little afraid.
Yan Zhen thought he was really angry, so her momentum weakened a bit, but she still said with all her might, "Well, call him again and I'll explain it to him."
"How do you want to explain it?"
"Just say I was joking."
"Are you trying to say that I'm lying too?"
"Who told you to come up with such an excuse..." Yan Zhen muttered, "Then what do you want? I can't just conjure up a girlfriend for you, right?"
Seeing Chen Huaixu remained silent, she suddenly had an idea and said, "I've got it! If your friends ask again in a few days, just say you've broken up. That'll be all!"
He asked back, "Do I look like you're being casual? Did you break up after just a short time?"
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold.
“Snap!”
Suddenly, there was a dull thud in my ears.
Yan Zhen was startled and subconsciously shrank behind Chen Huaixu, then looked over his shoulder.
A young man is looking this way.
"Boss... I..." The man hurriedly picked up the trash can that had been knocked over, "I just saw that you hadn't come back for so long..."
He was obviously very curious about the relationship between the two, and his eyes kept drifting towards Yan Zhen.
Chen Huaixu stepped aside to block Yan Zhen, frowning and giving Mo Cheng a look. Mo Cheng immediately understood and quickly fled. Soon, the corridor returned to silence, and they were alone again.
Yan Zhen looked at the empty corner and asked in a low voice with lingering fear: "Who is he?"
"My assistant."
"He won't misunderstand, will he?"
"What misunderstanding?" He raised his eyebrows.
He asked knowingly. Yan Zhen refused to answer and said, "I won't argue with you anymore. I'm leaving first."
Chen Huaixu grabbed her arm again. She turned around and asked, "Is there anything else?"
"What are your plans for tomorrow?"
"Go out and play with Ying Shu."
"Okay," he said, slowly releasing his hand and smiling, "Have fun."
Yan Zhen returned to the private room. Ying Shu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You're finally back. You've been gone for so long, and you didn't even bring your phone. I almost wanted to check the surveillance and call the police."
She made up an excuse and said, "I went out for a walk and got some fresh air."
Ying Shu looked at her inquiringly and asked, "Did you meet a peach blossom? Why do you look so bright and cheerful?"
Yan Zhen touched his face and said, "No way! The light is bad, you must have seen it wrong!"
She pulled out a chair and sat down, quickly changing the subject: "I'm a little hungry, let me see if there's anything to eat."
"Since you haven't been back for so long, I was worried that the food would get cold, so I asked the waiter to keep it warm. If you don't want to eat it, just order it again."
"It's okay, just eat something casually." Yan Zhen didn't really want to have a midnight snack. She picked up the chopsticks and took a few simple bites. It took her a long time to calm down before she could barely digest what had just happened.
After sitting for a while, Qin Chu asked the waiter to pay the bill.
The waiter replied: "Sir, someone has already paid for your room."
"Bought it? Who bought it?" Qin Chu was a little stunned.
"It's Box 236, a Mr. Chen."
Yan Zhen's hand trembled and the chopsticks fell onto the table with a "click".
Ying Shu glanced over but didn't pay much attention. He frowned and asked Qin Chu, "Your friend?"
"I don't know," Qin Chu was obviously confused. "I don't have any friends coming over for supper tonight."
"Is the person who paid the bill still here?"
"Just left."
"How strange," Ying Shu muttered to himself, "Could I have bought the wrong one?"
Yan Zhen took out her cell phone and sent a WeChat message to Chen Huaixu under the table.
Yan Zhen: Did you pay for it?
Chen Huaixu: Yes.
Yan Zhen: Why?
Chen Huaixu: It’s a rare opportunity to meet you, so I’ll just treat it to a meal.
Yan Zhen: I don't want you to treat me! I don't want to owe you a favor.
Chen Huaixu: Okay, please invite me back when we return to Ningchuan.
Yan Zhen put the phone on the table and hummed softly, "How can there be such a person as you?"
Chen Huaixu and his group left the restaurant and got on a business car back to the hotel.
The car was waiting at the red light at the intersection. He looked out the window and suddenly remembered seeing Yan Zhen last night.
"Is there anyone holding a concert here these two days?"
A subordinate familiar with the entertainment industry responded, "Yes, there's a male singer who's become quite popular recently, named Qin Chu. My niece, who's in junior high school, is a huge fan of him and has a bunch of his posters at home."
The subordinate pointed out the window at a giant advertising banner hanging on a building and said, "That's it."
Mo Cheng stuck his head out to take a look outside and sighed, "Young girls nowadays love this, calling him 'boyfriend' and 'husband' all the time. It's so corny."
"Really?" Chen Huaixu withdrew his gaze and leaned back in his chair, not knowing what he was thinking.
The next day, Yan Zhen and Ying Shu went to the famous temple scenic area in City Z.
This temple is nestled on a hill, surrounded by verdant greenery and shrouded in incense. Every morning, the clear and distant toll of the bell echoes through the serene forest, washing away the worldly concerns of the visitors.
The two donated money and went to worship in the Temple of the God of Wealth. When they came out, they saw a tall tree hung with red silk standing in the middle of the courtyard.
"Is this a marriage tree?" Ying Shu suddenly became interested. "I want to make one for Xiao Qin and me too."
She wrote her name on a piece of red silk and tied it to the tree. After she was done, she took a photo and sent a sweet voice message to tell Qin Chu where she was. The tone of her voice gave Yan Zhen goosebumps: "Can you please speak normally?"
Being rejected, Ying Shu said unhappily, "This is how relationships are. Singles are not allowed to speak. Besides, you just don't have a boyfriend. When you do have one, you'll definitely be even more clingy than me."
"I won't!"
Ying Shucai didn't believe her stubbornness, so he turned around and walked to the door and said, "Take a picture for me."
This is how it is between best friends. Even if they were bickering one second, the topic will turn to something else the next second and the two of them can naturally pick up the conversation again.
Yan Zhen snorted, raised her phone, pointed it at Ying Shu, and was about to press the shutter button when someone bumped into her from behind. The phone slipped from her hand, fell to the ground with a "bang", and rolled down the stairs.
Yan Zhen hurriedly caught up, and when she found the phone, the screen was shattered into pieces and completely scrapped. No matter how she pressed the power button, there was no response.
Ying Shu followed and asked, "What's wrong? Did your phone fall and break?"
She looked back and saw tourists coming and going. She could no longer see the person who had bumped into her. She could only blame herself for her bad luck.
Ying Shu patted her shoulder and comforted her: "It's okay, I'll go with you to buy another one when we get home."
However, changes always happen faster than planned.
On their way back, they learned that Qin Chu had cut his leg on a prop while rehearsing and was now in the hospital receiving treatment.
Ying Shu was very anxious, and Yan Zhen couldn't bear to let her accompany him to buy a phone at this time, so she had to say, "You go to the hospital first, and just leave me at the hotel."
"I'll definitely arrange the phone for you," Ying Shu said solemnly. "Don't worry, if it doesn't work out, I'll go with you to buy it tomorrow morning."
"Okay, go ahead."
Yan Zhen returned to the hotel and rummaged through her luggage first.
This trip was completely spur of the moment, and she didn't prepare much. She didn't bring any cards, let alone cash.
The consequence of over-reliance on mobile payments is that when you lose your phone, you will become a person who can do nothing.
In modern society, without a mobile phone, she seemed to be isolated from the world. She couldn't check her Moments, couldn't look up maps or locate herself, couldn't call a taxi, and couldn't even report to Yan Zhao.
She fell on the bed in frustration, rolled a few times, and suddenly saw the landline on the bedside.
It seems there is another way.
Colleagues gathered in a private room for dinner. Chen Huaixu was sitting at the table when his cell phone suddenly rang. A call came from an unfamiliar number.
"Hello, who is this?"
"It's me, Yan Zhen."
He took the phone away, glanced at the screen and said, "Why are you calling me from this number?"
"My phone was broken, so I used the hotel landline."
He paused thoughtfully for a moment, then stood up and walked out of the box.
"What do you want from me?"
"Of course I want you to buy me a cell phone."
"You need my help?" He leaned against the wall and said slowly, "Can you please call me brother first?"
As expected, Yan Zhen's embarrassed and annoyed voice came from the other end of the phone: "You're dreaming! I won't scream!"
Chen Huaixu was not surprised by her answer and said, "It is indeed him."
She was confused and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Nothing, it's just that there are a lot of AI synthetic voice scams these days, so I have to be careful."
Yan Zhen had never thought of such a possibility and said, "You are too smart... If I were a liar, I would definitely not lie to you."
"How will I know if I don't try? I might get fooled."
"Not interested." She refused decisively and changed the subject. "Are you free now? Come with me to buy a mobile phone. I don't have any bank cards or cash with me."
The pitiful tone of her voice immediately brought to mind her frustrated expression with a frown on her face.
Chen Huaixu asked: "Where are you?"
Yan Zhen told him the hotel address. He searched the map and replied, "It will take me about twenty minutes to get here. Come downstairs in twenty-five minutes. I'll be waiting for you at the door."
Yan Zhen had never expected that Chen Huaixu would agree so readily. When the time came, she went downstairs doubtfully, until she saw the man standing at the hotel door from a distance, and then she was completely relieved.
She walked forward and asked politely, "Have you had dinner?"
"Half eaten."
"Half?" She frowned. "You can finish it first and then come back."
"They wanted to drink, and by the time they were done eating the mall was closed."
Even though she said that, Yan Zhen was asking for help after all, so she still felt a little guilty, so she said, "After you buy the phone, if you're hungry, I'll treat you to another meal."
Chen Huaixu responded calmly: "Okay, then I will look forward to Miss Yan's feast."
The mall was packed, so Yan Zhen went straight to the mobile phone store and bought an identical phone to hers. Chen Huaixu paid the bill, and she wrote down the price, saying, "I'll transfer it to you via WeChat later."
"No rush."
The clerk activated Yan Zhen's phone system, and the two of them waited on the side. Yan Zhen felt that Chen Huaixu was in a particularly good mood tonight, unlike his usual cold attitude, so she held her chin and couldn't help asking, "Did you win the lottery? You look very happy."
Chen Huaixu half-leaned at the counter, looked into her sparkling eyes, and replied, "I just didn't expect that you would remember my phone number and be able to call me even if your phone was broken."
There was a faint smile in his voice, as if to express how much she missed him. Yan Zhen naturally refused to admit it and immediately retorted: "I have a good memory and I remember everything I see. I remember everyone's phone number. Is that a problem?"
"Good habit, please keep it up."
She frowned in dissatisfaction and said, "Don't talk to me like a parent in that tone. And if Ying Shu hadn't been in trouble and couldn't find anyone else in Z City, I wouldn't have come to you for help."
Chen Huaixu said slowly, "But I did help you now. How do you want to thank me?"
"I'll treat you to a meal."
He raised his eyebrows, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.
She held up two fingers and said, "Then... two meals?"
He still didn't speak.
"Three meals, no more. My time is precious."
He folded her fingers back and said, "The number of times is not important, what matters is sincerity."
"If treating you to a meal isn't enough, how else can I express my sincerity?"
He demanded, "Say, thank you, brother."
Yan Zhen: “Ah?”
"I don't ask for much, just a thank you, isn't that too much?"
Yan Zhen felt as if her throat was being strangled. She opened her lips and could only utter "thank you".
"Hmm?" he prompted. "Thank who?"
She lowered her head, feeling a little embarrassed to speak, but had to obey and said, "Thank you, brother."
"I'll take it." He rubbed the top of her head. "Next time, thank you according to this."
After buying the phone, the two went shopping in the mall. Yan Zhen felt addicted to shopping and pulled Chen Huaixu to buy a bunch of clothes. Then he carried the bags in both hands and took her back to the hotel.
As they exited the elevator, his phone suddenly rang. Yan Zhen helped him take it out of his pocket and asked, "Do you want to answer it?"
Chen Huaixu glanced at the caller and said, "Answer it."
She stood on tiptoe and brought the phone to his ear.
"Boss, we're done eating, everyone's going back to the hotel."
"Well, go to bed early."
"You didn't eat much tonight, so we packed some food to bring back. When will you be back? I'll bring it to you."
Because they were close, Yan Zhen could vaguely hear the voice in the microphone and thought that this assistant was really thoughtful.
"No, I've already eaten. You can have it as a midnight snack."
She felt a little tired from holding her hands up, and gradually lost her focus. He reminded her, "Hold the things in my right hand, and I'll get the phone."
"Oh, okay."
When he reached the door, he just hung up the phone. Yan Zhen opened the door and said casually, "I thought you would be very harsh to the people in the company."
"What kind of image do I have in your eyes?"
"Annoying, dishonest, and malicious..." Seeing his expression, she quickly changed her words, "But you helped me tonight, so that might give me some points in my impression. I can barely treat you as a half-brother."
Now he should be satisfied.
"Brother?" He raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he had heard something outrageous. He paused, then turned and walked towards her, forcing Yan Zhen to retreat again and again until she was against the wall.
Something doesn't seem right.
Chen Huaixu bent down slightly, lowered his head, looked at her at eye level, and stared into her eyes without saying a word.
"Yan Zhen, can you kiss your brother?"
Something exploded in my mind.
Her heart was beating wildly, and she turned her head away hurriedly, refusing to admit it: "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Chen Huaixu ordered: "Look at me."
She refused, and saw out of the corner of her eye that he took another step forward, which completely closed the distance between them.
Yan Zhen subconsciously raised her head. His face was so close to her. The pressure brought by his tall stature made her lose her composure for a moment, and she even forgot how to breathe.
She was a little afraid of his state and said, "You asked me to call you brother, and then you were unhappy. You are being unreasonable—"
He lowered his eyes, pinched her chin, lowered his head and kissed her.
Yan Zhen struggled in vain, and there were tears in her eyes when it was over.
His voice was a little hoarse, and he said against her nose, "Do you understand the difference?"
Yan Zhen could only catch his breath.
"You are Yan Zhao's sister, not mine." He looked at her and said slowly and clearly, "It's okay to call me brother. I like to hear it, but don't really think of me as your brother, understand?"
He didn't want her affection, but wanted her to treat him as a man.
How could he be content to just be her brother?
She moved her lips but didn't say anything, obviously still a little confused.
Chen Huaixu stepped back and whispered, "Go to bed early."
He left the room. Yan Zhen stopped where she was, watching the door slowly close, her mind in a mess.
There was still residual heat on her cheeks, but her ears were filled with the coolness of his tone.
She slid down to sit on the floor, buried her cheek in her knees, and said, "What brother or not? It's so annoying!"
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