Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Shen Tingzhou began brainstorming, desperately searching his mind for that male voice.

Zhou Zitan had even gone to jail to help him before; this time, he had to save his little chrysanthemum.

Countless fragments of voices surged over and finally coalesced into a clear one.

Shen Tingzhou suddenly opened his eyes; he knew who that person was.

After hanging up on Zhou Zitan, Shen Tingzhou flipped through his contacts, found the number, and dialed it.

The phone rang for nearly ten seconds, and just as it was about to disconnect, someone finally answered.

Shen Tingzhou didn't exchange pleasantries but went straight to the point. "Mr. Yu, is Zhou Zitan beside you?"

Yu Jurong glanced at the newly bound Zhou Zitan, not responding directly but lazily asked, "What's the matter?"

Shen Tingzhou was very certain it was him. "I hope you can let him go."

"Let him go?" Yu Jurong chuckled softly. "After he drugged me and brought two men into my room, should I let him go?"

Shen Tingzhou's brows furrowed deeply.

How could Xiao Zhou still be a lawbreaker!

Yu Jurong lowered his gaze, playing with the silver ball stuffed in Zhou Zitan's mouth. "Doctor Shen, if I hadn't been exposed to these drugs since childhood and developed resistance, do you know what would have happened tonight?"

Hearing "Doctor Shen," Zhou Zitan's expression changed.

"Exposed since childhood"

"Drug resistance"

Goodness, what kind of den of tigers and dragons is Hu District, where they even have resistance to those kinds of drugs?

Shen Tingzhou closed his jaw in shock, choosing his words carefully. "Could you... give the phone to Xiao Zhou? I want to talk to him."

Before Yu Jurong could speak, Zhou Zitan, who had been listening intently, burst forth with divine strength, breaking free from the tie binding his wrists and tearing off the leather gag, snatching Yu Jurong's phone and jumping off the bed.

The entire sequence of actions was fluid and seamless.

Despite all the commotion, Zhou Zitan's breathing remained calm. "Doctor Shen."

Even the well-versed Yu Jurong was amazed by Zhou Zitan's vigorous physical strength.

Then, seemingly thinking of something, he smiled lightly and slowly.

Shen Tingzhou worriedly asked, "Are you okay?"

Zhou Zitan's lip had been scraped by the edge of the leather gag when he violently pulled it out, but he didn't care. "I'm fine, perfectly fine."

Hearing his energetic voice, Shen Tingzhou felt relieved but then became exasperated.

"How could you drug Yu Jurong? You even brought two men into his room. What were you trying to do?"

"He was the one who forced me that day. If he can force me, why can't I force him?"

Yu Jurong interjected slowly, "Are you sure I forced you that day?"

An irate Xiao Zhou raged online, "If not you, would I bend over for you?"

Yu Jurong wasn't that shameless. "While you didn't bend over, you were hugging me and calling me brother."

"I was calling my own brother!"

"How so? Do you usually do business with your brother in bed?"

"Bullshit, that day you took advantage of me when I was drunk..." The culturally barren Zhou Zitan struggled for a moment, then spat out three words, "Tricked me."

Feeling the weakness of these words, he angrily added, "If you have the guts, fight me fairly. If you win, I'll let you do whatever you want. If you lose, I'll break one of your arms and one of your legs, but you can't call the police."

Shen Tingzhou didn't know whether to be happy or frustrated.

He said he wouldn't let anyone call the police, yet he wanted to break someone's limbs.

Shen Tingzhou rubbed his forehead and called out, "Xiao Zhou."

Zhou Zitan tried to reassure Shen Tingzhou. "Doctor Shen, don't worry. I'll make him sign a life-or-death agreement and seal it so no one calls the police."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Zhou Zitan suddenly changed his tone and swore, "I told you to fight me, why are you touching me there? Take your dirty hands off me."

Yu Jurong chuckled and asked, "Does it feel uncomfortable?"

"What nonsense are you spouting..."

"This doesn't look uncomfortable; it's as hard as your mouth."

"Nonsense, it would be like that even if a dog licked it. Get away, damn it..."

Help! Help! Help!

Why did he have to listen to this!

Shen Tingzhou felt his ears were getting dirty and quickly hung up the phone.

Let them fight it out, whether in bed or out of bed.

Even though he said so, Shen Tingzhou was still a bit uneasy. After much deliberation, he decided to call Su Yu and inquire about Yu Jurong's personal situation.

Considering Zhou Zitan's privacy, Shen Tingzhou asked cautiously, "Yu Jurong... he..."

Before he could finish, Su Yu said, "He's not that great!"

Shen Tingzhou choked, "But he is Mr. Yu's brother..."

Su Yu: "But his character is far worse!"

Shen Tingzhou: "If someone offends him..."

Su Yu: "They're dead for sure!"

Shen Tingzhou: "Is there any possibility..."

Su Yu: "Absolutely not!"

Shen Tingzhou paused for a long moment before speaking again, "Can you let me..."

Su Yu interrupted once more, "No!"

Shen Tingzhou: "You know what I want to..."

Su Yu: "I know, but I just can't let you finish your sentence!"

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Shen Tingzhou glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table and felt a twinge of guilt, "Am I disturbing your sleep?"

Su Yu admitted he was angry, "I'm not angry because of that."

Shen Tingzhou cautiously asked, "Then why?"

Su Yu huffed lightly, his tone softening, "Forget it, I could never truly be angry with you. Dr. Shen, do you know what you're doing now..."

Shen Tingzhou listened attentively.

Su Yu said, "When you talk to me, the baby keeps moving. He probably misses you. Shall I have A Yan come pick you up?"

Shen Tingzhou: "..."

Shen Tingzhou played dumb to the fullest extent, "It's late. You should go to bed early too. I'm going to wash up. Good night."

Without waiting for a response, Shen Tingzhou hung up hurriedly.

Shen Tingzhou hesitated before sending a text message to Zhou Zitan, but received no reply.

Shen Tingzhou was in agony, but he didn't dare call again, fearing he might hear something he shouldn't.

In this state of torment, Shen Tingzhou spent the night.

The next morning, unexpectedly, Yu Jurong called him first.

Seeing the name, Shen Tingzhou prepared himself mentally before answering the call.

"Rest assured, he's fine," Yu Jurong said, then changed the subject, "But can you stop talking about me in front of Su Yu?"

Shen Tingzhou was momentarily confused, "What?"

Yu Jurong sounded exasperated, "If you don't know, let me tell you, Su Yu is extremely possessive. If he finds out that you're not his best friend, he'll make someone else suffer. Please stop mentioning me to him. If you need anything, contact me directly."

So that's why Su Yu was angry last night.

Shen Tingzhou found it hard to understand, "He gets angry if I'm close to anyone else?"

Yu Jurong replied coolly, "It depends on how he defines your relationship. If he considers you just a friend, you can date normally, but don't complain about your partner in front of him if you still care about them."

With that, Yu Jurong hung up.

Wait, why does Yu Jurong always leave things half-said?

Every time he leaves Shen Tingzhou hanging before disappearing.

-

Near noon, Zhou Zitan finally called to report his safety, his voice weak.

"Dr. Shen, I'm fine."

"Really... fine?"

His voice didn't sound fine at all.

Zhou Zitan seemed to change positions, and his usual arrogance returned as he cursed Yu Jurong, "That bastard played dirty yesterday..."

Shen Tingzhou's ears hurt, and he quickly said, "No need to go into details about the dirty tricks."

Zhou Zitan: ?

Shen Tingzhou implied, "As long as you're physically okay."

Zhou Zitan remained oblivious, "I'm physically fine, just a bit hungry."

Shen Tingzhou paused, "—then hurry up and eat. Don't act impulsively anymore. Think about your mother and your sister."

Zhou Zitan mumbled, "Got it."

-

After confirming that Zhou Zitan was safe, Shen Tingzhou pinched the bridge of his nose and finally relaxed on the sofa.

Browsing through his phone, he came across a video.

The video showed a disheveled homeless man sitting in a park, with many comments expressing sympathy. Soon, the tone changed, and everyone started commenting about karma.

Shen Tingzhou was puzzled by this sudden shift when a comment floated by, suggesting that those unfamiliar with the homeless man's identity should check the comment section.

Shen Tingzhou opened the comment section and saw the top comment had thousands of likes.

"Everyone, don't rush to feel sorry for him. This guy is a former colleague who installed cameras in the women's restroom and got fired."

Shen Tingzhou went back to watch the video again, feeling that the man looked familiar.

On his fifth viewing, he realized that this homeless man was the same person they had encountered at the mall.

At that time, Su Yu claimed the man had many private photos of women on his phone. Shen Tingzhou didn't believe it, so Su Yu rushed over, grabbed the phone, and opened the gallery, confirming the truth.

Underneath the top comment were numerous replies.

"Holy crap, is this real?"

"If the commenter is telling the truth, here's a song 'Karma' for the homeless man. If not, then 'Karma' for the commenter."

The commenter quickly responded.

"Oh my god, my phone kept buzzing, I thought it was just group messages, but it turns out this went viral."

"I swear by the twenty pounds of fat on me; what I said is absolutely true. This guy is disgusting. He always acted decent, but behind closed doors, he was vile. It's just a matter of time before karma catches up."

"Commenter, tell us more! How did he end up like this?"

"I don't know how he lost his mind. After he left the company, he deleted me. But I guess the pressure was too much. He was a minor leader in our company, earning tens of thousands a month. I don't know the exact amount, but he had a mortgage and car loan. Without a job, he probably couldn't pay them off."

"How could such a pervert even afford a house and a car!"

"I just asked around. A colleague who wasn't deleted from his contacts said he posted on social media half a month ago complaining about a burst pipe at home that flooded the apartment below. He must have had to pay a lot of money."

"Commenter, go find out more! In three minutes, I want to hear an even worse story."

"Is anyone curious how they found out he was a peeping tom?"

"It wasn't discovered by us. Someone must have been offended because they sent all his dirty deeds to everyone he knew."

"He also joined a pervert group chat. The content made even me, a man, feel sick. He talked about installing cameras in the women's restroom, scaring the female colleagues away. The company executives had all restrooms checked overnight."

"Soon after, he was kicked out of the company. They must have found something serious. I don't know the details, but he won't find another job easily. Depression is understandable given the high mortgage and car loans, plus the flooding incident."

Hearing the full story, netizens exploded—

"Well, he is pitiful, but I can't bear to look. God, take him away quickly."

"I see potential for deep-frying."

"Before reading the comments: young and insane, how sad. After reading the comments: Lord of Death, you're seriously slacking if you haven't issued a death certificate yet."

Shen Tingzhou felt this sentiment deeply.

Two months ago, the man seemed fine at the mall. Two months later, he was insane.

But no matter how miserable this man was, he didn't deserve sympathy. Shen Tingzhou wondered if the person who exposed him was Su Yu.

The doorbell suddenly rang.

Shen Tingzhou got up to open the door and was surprised to see who was there.

Was Su Yu like Cao Cao, appearing whenever he was thought of?

Su Yu wore a beige scarf, half of his face buried in its softness, making his eyes appear fuller and filled with a smile.

"Doctor Shen, are you busy today?"

"Not busy, come in."

Shen Tingzhou stepped aside to let Su Yu enter and asked while closing the door, "Why are you here?"

Su Yu took off the scarf, "Ah Yan is on a business trip. I was bored, so I came to find you. Let's go out for some milk tea later; it's on me."

Seeing Su Yu's bright eyes, Shen Tingzhou didn't want to disappoint him, "A small cup, okay?"

Su Yu nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes, even a tiny cup is fine."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Without responding, Shen Tingzhou went into the kitchen to get some fruit for Su Yu.

His phone was on the coffee table, still lit up, showing the image of the homeless man. As Shen Tingzhou placed the fruit down and reached for his phone, he hesitated and showed it to Su Yu instead.

Su Yu recognized the homeless man immediately, "The man from the mall."

Shen Tingzhou: "Yes."

Su Yu tilted his head, looking at Shen Tingzhou, "Are you asking if I did this?"

Shen Tingzhou: Uh...

Su Yu admitted, "It was me."

Shen Tingzhou supported him, "Good job!"

Su Yu was taken aback, then smiled happily at the praise, his lips curving upward.

Shen Tingzhou assumed Su Yu had only exposed the man's private behavior to those around him, "This kind of person is too good at pretending. Without you, many girls might have been deceived."

Even a seasoned social worker like Shen Tingzhou was fooled.

Su Yu cupped his chin, smiling as he listened to Shen Tingzhou praise himself.

Suddenly remembering what Yu Jurong had said, Shen Tingzhou's expression sobered slightly, and he asked cautiously, "Suppose, just suppose, I had a girlfriend..."

Su Yu immediately interrupted, "Impossible!"

Surprised by his intense reaction, Shen Tingzhou felt at a loss. "I mean, just suppose."

Su Yu looked at him seriously and said firmly, "Even if it were just a supposition, you wouldn't have a girlfriend. Unless... you say you have a boyfriend, then I'll answer your question."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Seeing that Shen Tingzhou was about to speak, Su Yu covered his ears. "I won't listen, I won't listen, unless you assume you have a boyfriend."

He shook his head, swaying his body back and forth, muttering, "I won't listen."

Shen Tingzhou relented, "Alright, suppose I have a boyfriend."

Su Yu finally lowered his hands, his beautiful eyes gleaming with a mischievous smile, "And then?"

Shen Tingzhou asked, "If I complained about him to you, what would you do?"

Su Yu rubbed his belly, "That would depend on whether you liked him or not. If you liked him, I'd talk to him and hope he treats you better."

There would be no talking.

If Shen Tingzhou still liked him, he would help Shen Tingzhou train that person into a dog that only listens and doesn't snarl.

Su Yu: "If you didn't like him, I wouldn't bother with him." Just bury him.

Shen Tingzhou: This doesn't sound unreasonable.

Su Yu suddenly asked, "Did Yu Jurong say something to you again?"

Shen Tingzhou glanced at him, wondering how he always guessed so accurately.

Su Yu pointed at his face, "It's written all over it."

Shen Tingzhou quickly composed himself, his face turning cold and hard.

Su Yu huffed loudly, "This Yu Jurong, always badmouthing me behind my back!"

Shen Tingzhou, feeling small and helpless, "He didn't..."

Su Yu: "He did! He must hate me for taking Ah Yan away."

Shen Tingzhou was shocked; there was such a thing!

So brothers are all obsessed with their older siblings?

Su Yu pouted, "Forget it, let's not talk about him."

Su Yu's lack of further probing made Shen Tingzhou feel relieved, but to be safe, he decided to set one thing straight.

"From our personalities to our backgrounds, we're different in many ways, so our approaches naturally vary. I hope we can find common ground. If I ever say something unintentionally that upsets you, please tell me, and I'll change."

"If I ever complain about something to you, my intention is to discuss it and find a solution together, not for you to take action on my behalf privately."

Though Shen Tingzhou spoke at length, Su Yu knew the core message was simple—

Don't solve problems for me without telling me.

Shen Tingzhou didn't want to hurt his feelings, so he wrapped his request in gentle words.

Shen Tingzhou was this kind of person—gentle yet principled, with a strong sense of empathy.

These were qualities Su Yu lacked.

Shen Tingzhou wasn't liked because of these traits, but because they were perfectly balanced.

Too much and he'd be a saint, too little and he'd be indifferent.

Su Yu gazed into Shen Tingzhou's sincere and clear eyes and nodded, "Alright."

-

Fu Yunyun's birthday was approaching, and Shen Tingzhou's contact with Qin Shiyao became more frequent.

According to Shen Tingzhou's aunt, a simple celebration at home would suffice, no need for extravagance.

But Fu Yunyun wanted to invite her high school friends over, as everyone had gone their separate ways after the college entrance exam, and they might never meet again.

Shen Tingzhou acted as a mediator and eventually secured permission for Fu Yunyun's birthday party.

He would rent the venue as a birthday gift for Fu Yunyun.

Qin Shiyao, upon hearing this, offered to decorate the party venue herself, saying that hotel arrangements were too generic and didn't match a girl's dreamy expectations.

At the mention of "dreamy," Shen Tingzhou had an ominous feeling.

Sure enough, since taking on this task, Qin Shiyao's extravagant style had made Shen Tingzhou regret agreeing to it countless times.

While trimming a kitten's nails, Shen Tingzhou received another call from Qin Shiyao.

Knowing she would try to convince him to get a castle-shaped cake, another extravagant idea following the flower sea design.

Shen Tingzhou firmly refused, now dreading her calls.

The phone kept buzzing, and when Shen Tingzhou answered, he immediately said, "No, it's not happening, absolutely not!"

Qin Shiyao was angry. "No CEO is as domineering as you. From now on, don't call you Dr. Shen anymore. You should be called CEO Shen."

Shen Tingzhou: "… I never called myself Dr. Shen in the first place."

Qin Shiyao hung up the phone directly.

Shen Tingzhou pressed his temples, exuding an air of fatigue.

A voice came from beside him, "Whose call was that?"

Shen Tingzhou finally found an outlet for his frustration. "Qin Shiyao. She insisted on getting a birthday cake worth tens of thousands for my cousin. Is that cake made of gold? Will eating it grant eternal life or make one smarter than Einstein?"

Just because it looks good and dreamy, she wanted to make this cake.

Shen Tingzhou didn’t understand and couldn’t accept it.

After venting his frustrations, Shen Tingzhou felt a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, I talked too much and got a bit emotional."

Xu Xun remained silent.

Shen Tingzhou turned his head and saw him plucking cat fur from the same spot.

Shen Tingzhou worried about the cat's appearance. "Hey, stop that. It'll go bald."

Xu Xun stopped and asked casually, "Your cousin’s birthday is coming up?"

Shen Tingzhou: "Yes, this Saturday. Actually, it’s Thursday, but she wants to gather with her high school friends."

Xu Xun: "Is Qin Shiyao going too?"

Shen Tingzhou: "She’s very close to my sister."

Xu Xun fell silent again.

Shen Tingzhou lowered his head to trim his nails. "By the way, are you coming? There will be many people, and I know you don’t like crowded places."

Xu Xun said, "I’ll come."

Shen Tingzhou looked at him in surprise. Xu Xun said nothing, lifting the orange cat’s paw to reveal its hidden claws.

"Clip them!"

"Oh, oh!"

Shen Tingzhou clipped the nails with the clippers while the orange cat ate its treats, ignoring him for the moment.

-

On Saturday, Fu Yunyun’s birthday.

As soon as Shen Tingzhou entered the venue and saw the dreamlike decorations, he felt his eye pressure spike.

For a moment, he wanted to approach Qin Shiyao and ask.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to order pink roses! It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to set up this cotton candy time machine! It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to bring this Christmas tree! It wasn’t that he didn’t want balloons floating everywhere!

Yesterday when Shen Tingzhou came to check, the venue was simple and plain. How did it turn into Disney in just one day?

Xu Xun glanced around. "The decorations are too flashy, extravagant, and not environmentally friendly."

These were all things Shen Tingzhou agreed with.

But when Fu Yunyun appeared in a beautiful dress, wearing jewelry given by Qin Shiyao, her hair styled and adorned with a pearl princess tiara, Shen Tingzhou decided not to play the annoying parent.

Qin Shiyao pulled Fu Yunyun over and pointed towards Shen Tingzhou and Xu Xun, whispering something.

Fu Yunyun quickly glanced at Xu Xun and whispered back to Qin Shiyao.

The two giggled and whispered to each other.

Shen Tingzhou’s temple twitched, knowing what they might be saying, and looked worriedly at Xu Xun.

Xu Xun also noticed the two whispering about him nearby and frowned, asking Shen Tingzhou, "Are they saying bad things about me?"

Shen Tingzhou couldn’t tell him that these two were likely gossiping about them.

He defended them, "They’re probably talking about me."

Xu Xun frowned even more. "Saying bad things about you?"

Shen Tingzhou didn’t know how to cover up the lie and mumbled, "Maybe they think my outfit today is ordinary."

Xu Xun looked at him. "Don’t you usually dress like this? You look great."

Shen Tingzhou was caught off guard by Xu Xun’s natural response.

At that moment, Fu Yunyun walked over, holding her dress. "Brother."

Shen Tingzhou looked at her, about to scold her for talking behind others’ backs, but then heard Fu Yunyun greet Xu Xun.

"Are you Brother Xu? Shiyao told me about you. You’re young and accomplished, and you’re so nice to my brother. And your name is super cool."

Everything was fine until Fu Yunyun mentioned Xu Xun’s name without knowing its origin.

Shen Tingzhou quickly changed the subject. "You look beautiful today."

Fu Yunyun couldn’t help but show off. "Right? Right? Sister Shiyao spent two hours doing my makeup. Look how natural my eyeshadow is."

Shen Tingzhou handed over his gift. "Happy birthday."

Fu Yunyun was pleasantly surprised. "Didn’t you say the venue was my birthday gift? Why did you buy me another one, Brother? You really love me…"

Unwrapping it revealed a book, Fu Yunyun fell silent for a moment, "Brother, I've already finished my college entrance exam."

Shen Tingzhou gently tapped her head, "That's exactly why I'm reminding you. You still need to work hard in university; don't think that you can slack off once you get there."

Fu Yunyun complained, "You sound so much like an older brother."

"Because I am your brother!"

"Hmph!"

"Hmph won't help."

Xu Xun looked at Shen Tingzhou, a Shen Tingzhou different from usual.

When Shen Tingzhou glanced over, Xu Xun averted his gaze and handed over his gift, "Happy birthday."

Seeing the gift, Fu Yunyun nervously rubbed her hands, "Such a substantial gift."

Shen Tingzhou was at a loss for words, "This..."

Anyone seeing a bank card at this moment would likely have a speechless reaction.

After a while, Shen Tingzhou found his voice again, "I told you to bring something simple, but not this kind of simple."

Xu Xun said, "I'm not Qin Shiyao; I don't know what your sister likes, so this is the most practical. She can buy whatever she wants with it."

Fu Yunyun shook her head vigorously in her mind.

Sister Shiyao was right; he's such a smooth operator, a major smooth operator.

Look at this passive-aggressive behavior, these subtle hints. Unfortunately, her brother is too dense to notice.

"Then..." Shen Tingzhou continued to be speechless, "How much money is on the card?"

Xu Xun: "Six sixes."

Shen Tingzhou's volume instantly rose, "How much? No, that's way too much."

Hearing it was over 600,000 yuan, Fu Yunyun also refused repeatedly, "Brother Xu, that's too much. You're trying to send me away."

Shen Tingzhou glared at her, "Don't talk nonsense."

Fu Yunyun: "Hehe."

Xu Xun didn't say much, put the card back, and then took out another one.

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Fu Yunyun: ...

Xu Xun said, "This one has less."

Shen Tingzhou: "How much less?"

Xu Xun: "Five sixes."

Fu Yunyun whimpered, "I still can't accept it."

Xu Xun put this one back as well and then pulled out another card.

Shen Tingzhou's lips twitched, "This one can't be four sixes, can it?"

Xu Xun nodded.

With over 6,000 yuan, Fu Yunyun felt she could handle it and reached out her hand.

Shen Tingzhou sighed, "It's still too much. What does a kid need with so much money?"

The 'kid' pouted, thinking: Of course you wouldn't know; you don't go to school. University is where you can spend money.

Xu Xun produced yet another bank card as if by magic.

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Fu Yunyun: ...

Shen Tingzhou suspected Xu Xun had more cards, "You don't have any more, do you?"

Xu Xun indeed took out another one, "This is the last one. Any less would be impolite."

Shen Tingzhou: You're quite considerate.

Fu Yunyun secretly tugged at Shen Tingzhou's sleeve, giving him a look that said, Brother, let me take one; it would be impolite not to.

Shen Tingzhou waved his hand, letting Fu Yunyun choose herself. He trusted she would pick a card with an appropriate amount.

Under Shen Tingzhou's trusting gaze, Fu Yunyun quickly grabbed the card with 6,666 yuan.

"Thank you, Brother Xu. I'm sure my brother will give you a great gift on your birthday." Fu Yunyun pushed Shen Tingzhou toward Xu Xun and quickly ran off, holding her skirt.

Shen Tingzhou stumbled slightly, and Xu Xun caught him.

Their bodies pressed together, and Shen Tingzhou could feel the contours of Xu Xun's tense muscles. He felt a bit hot in the ears and quickly distanced himself.

Shen Tingzhou tried to save face for Fu Yunyun, "Sorry, my sister isn't usually like this. She must be too excited today."

Xu Xun withdrew his arm and shook his head, "No problem."

There was a brief silence, and Shen Tingzhou broke it, "Are you hungry? There's food up ahead; there should be something you can eat."

Xu Xun glanced at him. "I can eat anything. I'm not picky."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

-

Fu Yunyun ran far away in one breath, hiding behind a pile of balloons to observe Shen Tingzhou and Xu Xun.

Seeing the two of them head to the food area together, Fu Yunyun grinned mischievously. She decided to fill her stomach first, and then...

Hehe.

While she was busy taking photos, Qin Shiyao's brother, Qin Yang, approached her reluctantly, handing over a gift box.

"What's this?" Fu Yunyun asked warily. "A prank?"

Qin Yang didn't know whether he was speechless or choked up. He held the box without speaking, his expression not looking good.

Fu Yunyun: "I asked you what this is. If you don't tell me, I won't take it. Who knows what kind of weird thing you're giving me? Is there a live spider inside?"

Qin Yang slapped the gift onto the table. "If you don't want it, just throw it away."

Seeing his arrogant attitude, Fu Yunyun would have exploded if it were any other day, but thinking of Qin Shiyao, she endured, muttering, "You've ruined my mood on my birthday."

Qin Yang paused upon hearing this.

After standing still for a few seconds, he turned back, picked up the box again, and said, "It's a hair clip."

Fu Yunyun looked as if she had seen a ghost, dumbly accepting it.

Feeling a bit awkward, Qin Yang apologized for his earlier attitude. "Sorry."

After awkwardly saying those three words, he turned and left.

Fu Yunyun finally reacted. "It's okay, Big Sister here is magnanimous."

Qin Yang couldn't help but turn around, wanting to argue about who was older, but Fu Yunyun's attention was already elsewhere.

Fu Yunyun stared at the cleaner outside who was wiping the glass. The cleaner noticed her gaze and smiled professionally, quickly cleaning the spot with ice cream.

Fu Yunyun, like a moth drawn to the flame, walked toward her unconsciously.

Through the glass, Fu Yunyun said, "Big Sister, your eyes are so beautiful."

This was the first time she truly understood what it meant when novels described a heroine's eyes as shining like stars.

The cleaner was taken aback, then shyly smiled, her long eyelashes fluttering. "Thank you."

After cleaning the glass, the cleaner was about to leave with her tools when she bumped into a woman.

The woman screamed dramatically, scaring the cleaner so much that the wet cloth dropped onto the woman's shoe.

The cleaner hurriedly apologized. "I'm sorry."

As soon as she finished speaking, a loud slap echoed across her face.

The well-dressed woman sneered, "This is a limited edition worldwide. Do you think an apology is enough? I'm going to report you."

Witnessing the whole scene, Fu Yunyun rushed out. "If it weren't for your screaming, this sister wouldn't have been scared. You want to report her? We'll call the police."

Fu Yunyun supported the cleaner's shoulder. "Are you okay? Let's call the police and not let her bully us!"

The cleaner shook her head, looking down. "I'm fine."

The woman arrogantly declared, "Of course you're fine; you're thick-skinned. My shoes are more delicate than you."

Fu Yunyun stepped in front of the cleaner. "Such delicate shoes, why don't you wear them on your face? It would cover up that ugly mouth of yours!"

The woman became furious. "You!"

Fu Yunyun: "What? You're all skin and bones, yet you act so high and mighty. Your mouth sounds like a demon's. No wonder this sister was scared by you. You should pay for her hearing damage, not try to extort money! Your slap is as poisonous as you are..."

Fu Yunyun's words came out fast and sharp.

For a full minute, the woman couldn't get a word in.

The woman was initially furious, but when she saw her partner return, she suddenly became weak and cried, running to him. "Gu Cheng."

Hearing this name, the cleaner's face turned pale.

Fu Yunyun scoffed, "What era is this? Still playing the damsel in distress when seeing a man. How outdated. Hey, where are you going, Big Sister?"

Seeing the cleaner trying to leave, Fu Yunyun held her back.

The cleaner tried to cover her face with her hair, her entire demeanor panicking. "I need to go; I have something else to do."

Fu Yunyun comforted her, holding her down. "Don't be afraid. I'm telling you, no one will bully us today. Even if it's Gu Cheng, with my brother and Shiyao here, he wouldn't dare to cause trouble!"

Shen Tingzhou, who had come out upon hearing the commotion, asked, "What's going on?"

Fu Yunyun immediately whined, "Brother, someone is bullying us."

When Qin Shiyao came out, Fu Yunyun repeated her complaint.

At this moment, another woman with a tall figure and a domineering aura walked out from another venue. "What's all the noise about? Qin Shiyao?"

Qin Shiyao raised an eyebrow. "Oh, how coincidental."

Ling Yun sneered, "Who's fated to be with you?"

Seeing the two of them appear at the same event, Shen Tingzhou couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. This was going to get noisy.

"Gu Cheng." A voice so coquettishly sweet that it made everyone's skin crawl dominated their ears.

The woman in the limited-edition high heels pointed at the nervous cleaner and said—

"Don't you think that cleaner looks a lot like your ex-girlfriend who was so materialistic that she left you for money?"

This comment successfully stopped Qin Shiyao and Ling Yun from arguing, and they both looked at the speaker in unison.

Qin Shiyao: "Poor men, aren't they just for playing around and then tossing aside?"

Ling Yun: "What, are you going to pay for his poverty for the rest of your life?"

Shen Tingzhou was pushed back two steps by their overwhelming presence.

Xu Xun asked, "What's wrong?"

Shen Tingzhou held onto the door, "I feel like something's not right."

If things went as expected, the man named Gu Cheng might not be able to leave here today.