The man on the bed smiled, barefoot, reached out to pull her.
He Dongli immediately lowered her voice sharply, warning and scolding him, “It’s despicable and ill-mannered to disrespect the customs of the place you visit.”
Zong Chi loved how flustered she got.
He teased her, “I’m not coming back to your old He family anyway, what do I care about manners or decency?”
He easily lifted her onto the desk.
Maybe because of the newlywed atmosphere or because He Dongli hadn’t disciplined herself to heed her cousin’s advice, or simply because she looked so gentle running to take care of him in his room, Zong Chi tilted her chin, teasing but sincerely wanting to suck out all the sweet words he loved to hear from her.
Like how she ate tangerines — biting one end to make a small opening and then sipping the juice inside carefully.
Zong Chi had seen her on video suck the segments until only the fibrous skin was left.
Today, he wanted to try it himself.
As he bit down, someone bit into his hand in pain and pushed him back from her chest.
He grabbed her hand to stop her from moving or pulling it away.
Pulling away his lips, he saw the transparent strings stretching between them.
Light and fleeting, they kissed again near He Dongli’s chin.
She grimaced slightly, tilted her head away, and with one hand wiped it off without care for appearances.
Before Zong Chi’s smile could reach her ear, the door knocked.
It was Yu Xiaohan.
She knocked several times, called out to A Li and Xi Xi, saying their aunt from the bride’s side wanted to see them soon.
He Dongli quickly responded to go downstairs, but Zong Chi didn’t allow it, wrapping one arm tightly around her waist.
When he tried to continue his rebellious behavior, He Dongli quickly pushed his face away.
Zong Chi laughed uncontrollably, and He Dongli instinctively covered his mouth, only for him to bite part of her finger.
He Dongli pulled her hand back as if accidentally feeding it to a dog and warned him, “You’re here to celebrate a wedding, so you should behave like a guest.”
“Behave like what?”
Zong Chi asked.
“Behave yourself and put away your master mentality.”
Zong Chi smiled in her ear, “So if it’s my home turf, can my master mentality awaken?”
He Dongli refused all his playful teasing.
Having no other way, she slightly extended her index finger and used a childish gesture to suppress all rebellious thoughts.
When Zong Chi tidied up and accompanied her out to meet her aunt from her mother’s side, he quietly asked, “Was what you said to your cousin sincere?”
“Which part?”
“Believe me.”
Zong Chi, I’m not as clever as you think.
On the contrary, I make many stupid mistakes.
And before the right answer is announced, I believe wholeheartedly.
The flame on the match tilted as the dormant memory only spread and burned to the fingertips.
Back in the hotel room, Zong Chi finally had to throw away the burnt black branches, pausing his thoughts.
He failed to light a cigarette as a video call came through on his computer.
He casually dropped the cigarette and cast the video onto the white screen in the study.
Zong Jingzhou’s image appeared after a delay of a few seconds, the call stabilizing.
Father and son only talked about work on weekdays.
Zong Chi leaned back in the swivel chair with eyes closed, resting his head but still delivering his report.
Zong Jingzhou asked again about the timeline for the case, “When will you be back?”
The man with his head resting remained silent for a moment.
The man on the screen pressed the question, “Zong Representative?”
With eyes still closed, Zong Chi gave a rough estimate, “Trying to make it before New Year’s Day.”
“Before Christmas,” Old Zong bargained, “That way you can catch Zhou Shuxing’s concert.”
The man in the swivel chair seemed either asleep or dead, silent.
After a moment, with the territorial awareness of someone who just found his father’s smelly socks thrown in his room, he promptly threw them back, “So, what legal but socially improper good news do you want to share with me?”
“What kind of talk is that?”
Zong Jingzhou detected some wit.
“If not, why would you be rushing me back? Isn’t it your good news?”
Zong Chi said leisurely.
Zong Jingzhou nearly choked on his breath, calling Zong Chi a little bastard and saying that Shuxing just graduated from university, and it wasn’t right for him to spread rumors like this.
Zong Chi didn’t feel guilty and immediately retorted, “Oh, then give me a reason why I must come back and make it in time for Zhou Shuxing’s concert? Setting aside the wedding and your personal fondness for her which is why you call her Shuxing affectionately.”
The man on the other end laughed bitterly, more approving than angry, “Stop beating around the bush. If you don’t like the Zhou family, just say so. If you offend me again, you’ll really be isolated.”
Zong Chi didn’t even raise his head or soften his tone.
He reminded Zong Jingzhou, “If there’s business, say it during work hours. Otherwise, hang up. And stop pretending you’re the good guy everyone follows. I’ll be frank: I don’t dislike the Zhou family. I’ve simply never looked at them. Of course, if you and my mom have a reason to force me, I can marry into the Zhou family. But the ending will be similar to your first marriage — only worse, never better.”
The screen paused for a long time, the tension thick.
Zong Jingzhou scoffed and finally broke the deadlock, “So you’re purposely avoiding the marriage arrangement your mom gave you by running off to S City?”
“Director Zong, you clearly didn’t understand my last topic.”
“I understood perfectly. I’m not that old yet. You’re trying to scare me. You can marry, but you won’t take responsibility for a marriage you’re not satisfied with, right?”
Zong Chi said nothing.
Over the years, he learned that it was better to let others guess what he wanted than to say it outright.
Zong Jingzhou, who raised a wolf cub by hand, certainly knew how to find his soft spots.
“Hmm, as long as you’re willing to marry, feelings can be slowly nurtured. Miss Zhou — she’s set her heart on you, and the Zhou family is helpless. If you marry her and live well, have two kids, you’ll see in a few years that marriage is the same with anyone.”
“If it’s the same with anyone, then why must it be the Zhou family?”
“I told you, Zhou Shuxing is wholeheartedly in love with you.”
“Just because she loves me, does that mean she has to marry me or I have to marry her? What kind of twisted logic is that?”
“Don’t talk to me about forced marriages — no one knows that better than you!”
Zong Jingzhou, who was originally sitting in his study during the video call, suddenly got so angry he stood up and paced back and forth off camera.
After a while, he came back, leaned close to the camera, and shouted, “You look down on the Zhou family? I told your mom, anyone who likes you must be blind.”
“Right, so with your philanthropy and humanitarianism, you shouldn’t let the Zhou family fall into my trap.”
Zong Chi responded smoothly.
“What’s wrong with Zhou Shuxing? Tell me.”
“Oh, there’s plenty. Out of politeness, I won’t list them.”
Zong Chi said without even lifting his eyelids.
Zong Jingzhou slammed the desk hard.
Father and son, hiding their understanding no longer, revealed their thoughts, “Zong Chi, don’t think I don’t know why you went to S City! You didn’t like the girl your mom picked for you, but remember, when you repeatedly insisted on staying in China, we never disagreed. What happened? You almost made the girl’s side call the police. The world works on cause and effect.”
“You don’t know how to love, so someone will torment you. That’s why the Zhou family wanted you as a son-in-law. You call it forced marriage, but Zong Chi, when you like someone, do you think after years of effort they have to agree and obey without a single no? Tell me, what rule did you break this time? I thought you’d never come back to S City again.”
“What rules? We broke up years ago. Just because she settled here doesn’t mean I can’t come here. Ridiculous. I’m here for business and will leave once it’s done. Nothing to do with her.”
“I’m just asking why you broke the rules, not saying she’s your ex!”
Zong Jingzhou revealed his true intentions.
Sure enough, the man in the swivel chair was silent for a few seconds.
Then he opened his eyes, sat up straight, and was about to hang up when Zong Jingzhou, after his verbal attack, added, “Shuxing is younger and prettier than that He Doctor…”
“I don’t have a preference for younger girls, and it’s not hereditary. I also don’t think she’s pretty. Old men always mention women’s youth — it’s just a form of mental compensation!”
Old Zong was ruthlessly played with by his own son but took no offense and kept pushing, “Yeah, how can a violinist compare to someone who serves the people with a scalpel? But I remember He’s grades weren’t bad either? Your school orchestra rehearsals are still in your alumni album. Don’t think I don’t know you commissioned an agent in Hong Kong to buy a painting for an eight-figure sum including commission. I and your mom have never seen a trace of it.”
“Really your favorite, huh? Pretty? Just average to slightly above average,” Zong Jingzhou put on a worldly face like he’d seen all kinds of beauty.
But Zong Chi was the opposite kind of rebellious child.
Since he was young, whenever Old Zong bragged that he ate more salt than Zong Chi ate rice, Zong Chi would jab, “Why eat so much salt? Aren’t you afraid your heart can’t take it?”
Before Old Zong could finish, Zong Chi fiddled with a device in his hand — a voice recorder — and replayed the segment where Zong Jingzhou said marriage was the same with anyone.
He declared, “If I send this to my mom, who do you think will keep quiet first?”
Zong Jingzhou cursed, “You’re playing dirty with me! I’ll cover your business in S City for you. Don’t stir up trouble with the wrong people. Your mom’s health isn’t good lately. If you upset her seriously, I won’t forgive you.”
Zong Chi repeatedly played the clip: marriage is the same with anyone.
Zong Jingzhou frowned and put on a calm upper-hand demeanor, briefly saying he hoped Zong Chi could return before New Year’s Day and then ended the call.
Meanwhile, Lin Jiaoyu’s inquiry bore fruit.
He called Zong Chi to ask whether someone should come over or if Zong Chi should go to his side.
Zong Chi had another video meeting soon, so he got up to change clothes.
Suddenly, he lost interest in the background check he’d asked Lin Jiaoyu to do a few days ago.
He lazily told him over the phone that it wasn’t necessary to come and to pay him double instead.
Lin Jiaoyu tried to say something, but Zong Chi pretended to be busy and said he would talk later.
After hanging up the WeChat call, Zong Chi looked at a pending friend request in his contacts and eventually exited.
He called his secretary in Hong Kong, apologizing and asking her to do him a favor while on leave.
Huang Secretary didn’t refuse.
After getting a rough contact direction, she asked, “Who is the other party?”
Zong Chi, choosing clothes in his walk-in closet, replied casually, “Someone I owe a broken favor to, the kind money can’t pay off.” Then he ended the call.
When he came out dressed, he immediately spotted the stuffed rabbit on the bed.
Having decided to settle accounts with her, he walked over, grabbed the rabbit by the ears, and begrudgingly shoved it into the jewelry safe next to the walk-in closet.
The rabbit lay face down, cramped.
He left it there without care.