Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Being stared at like this, Shi Mengwanâs exposed shoulders and skin inexplicably felt as if they were covered with a layer of coldness.
She shrank her shoulders and looked at Zhan Haoze with uncertainty.
âDear Brother?â
Zhan Haoze turned over and pressed her under his body. He looked down at her face.
âDear Brother?â He raised his hand and gently pinched her chin. âWho are you calling?â
âDear Brother?â He was very heavy, and Shi Mengwan could barely breathe under his weight. âIâm calling you. Arenât you my dear brother?â
Shi Mengwan didnât understand. She also didnât know why he didnât remember her and didnât recognize her.
However, that scar and his appearance had long been engraved in her heart. She would never forget them.
âDear Brother, have you forgotten? Iâm Wanwan.â
Zhan Haoze stared at her face. He moved closer and looked into her eyes while his hands slightly exerted force.
âSo, you thought I was someone elseâs substitute yesterday?â
What substitute?
Shi Mengwan froze for a moment and didnât snap back to reality until after awhile. After she realized what Zhan Haoze meant, she quickly shook her head.
âNo, Dear Brother, I didnât. I didnât think you were someone else.â
She only knew clearly that the person in front of her was the Dear Brother that she had been thinking about all along. Why? Why didnât Zhan Haoze admit it?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
He was obviously Dear Brother, but he didnât admit it.
He forgot about her and everything that had happened between the two of them. She felt hurt and anxious at the same time.
They were already like this, so she wanted to awaken his memories and remind him of their past.
âDear Brother. Look at me. Iâm Shi Mengwan. Your Wanwan.â
Her jaw was pinched,
Zhan Haoze looked at her face and his voice was as cold as the ice of December. âSo, you like to play games like this?â
âThis isnât a game. I didnât mistake you for someone else.â He was Dear Brother, not someone else.
âYou didnât mistake me for someone else?â
Zhan Haoze sneered. Did she think he would believe her?
âThen who is the Dear Brother you called?â
âItâs you.â Shi Mengwan looked at him with determination. âThe Dear Brother I called is you. Youâre my Dear Brother.â
âPfft.â She felt pain on her lips from being bitten by him. Shi Mengwan blinked at him. âDear Brother...â
Her voice drifted off because Zhan Haoze had already kissed her lips.
âIâm not your Dear Brother. Donât call me that.â
âDear ââ Shi Mengwanâs big words were swallowed up again. This time, Zhan Haoze bit even harder than before. âIâll say it again. Donât call me Dear Brother.â
â...âShi Mengwan bit her lips and looked at Zhan Haoze. Her expression changed from anticipation to disappointment, from determination to confusion.
For a moment, she even suspected that she was wrong. Zhan Haozeâs arm was propped up beside her, and the scar was clear.
Shi Mengwan didnât know why he didnât recognize her, nor did she know why he forgot, but she did feel a lot of negative emotions because he forgot.
He wasnât wearing any clothes, so she could feel the warmth of his skin. That temperature made her lose her focus again.
âDear Brother?â
Zhan Haoze didnât treat her politely this time. His devouring lips and tongue robbed her of her breath. His big hand reached into the quilt.
Soon, Shi Mengwan couldnât call him Dear Brother anymore.
Under the effects of alcohol, drug residue, and anger from the fact that Shi Mengwan mistook him as another man, he took everything from her unceremoniously.
In the end, Shi Mengwan could only say what she wanted to say. Under his attacks, she was defeated.
... ..
Her face full of anger, Chen Feifei threw the cup in her hand to the ground.
Her eyes gloomy, she glared at the maid in front of her. âWhat do you mean? What do you mean brother Hao didnât come back yesterday? Tell me clearly.â
The maid shivered. Chen Feifeiâs big temper was all on them.
âYoung Madam, Young Master Zhan didnât come back yesterday. His room was empty.â
Chen Feifei certainly knew that Zhan Haozeâs room was empty, but she didnât give up. She just thought that Zhan Haoze had gone out early.
Zhan Haoze had the habit of doing morning exercises. He had to get up to do steps every morning. She thought that he went out for a run.
âAsk Xiao Chen to drive the car over. Iâm going out.â
Chen Feifei knew how to drive, but her health wasnât good, so her family was worried. For the sake of his daughterâs convenience, Chen Yongchang assigned her a driver.
âYes.â
Before Chen Feifei went out, she first called Chen Yongchang and asked him what Zhan Haoze had planned yesterday.
Chen Yongchang didnât know what his precious daughter wanted to do, so he told him about Zhan Haozeâs whereabouts yesterday.
After asking, Chen Feifei went directly to the company. The Chen family was also very famous in Lin City.
Chen Yongchang started out as a seafood distributor, but he saw an opportunity later and started to speculate in real estate. It was also good luck that he encountered a good opportunity, and for several years, his business was very big.
He also had his own business in the neighboring city. In the past few years, with Zhan Haozeâs participation, he listened to his words and started to expand into other industries. Now, that company was also quite large.
Chen Feifeiâs car stopped at the companyâs building. Everyone in the company knew Chen Feifei and knew that this young madam couldnât be offended. The front desk receptionist came out early in the morning to lead the way for Chen Feifei.
Chen Feifei went up the stairs with an intimidating vibe and went straight to Zhan Haozeâs office.
However, Zhan Haoze wasnât in the office. This made Chen Feifeiâs expression even more unsightly. She began to call Zhan Haoze repeatedly.
... ..
Zhan Haoze was woken up by the ringtone of his phone. He didnât pick up the call. Instead, he turned off his phone. When he got up, he looked at the unfamiliar environment before him and finally realized where he was.
Under the blanket, he couldnât see anything. He looked at Shi Mengwan, who was sleeping at the side.
The womanâs blanket was barely covering her chest. The skin on her shoulders, which wasnât covered by the blanket, was covered with bruises.
Zhan Haoze rarely lost control. No, it could be said that he had never lost control. Last night, he had lost control.
The drug Ling Xue had given him was indeed powerful. Mixed with alcohol, although it was quite difficult for him to resist, it wasnât that he really couldnât resist.
But he had lost control. As he rubbed the space between his brows, Zhan Haozeâs expression didnât look good.
His gaze fell on Shi Mengwanâs face. She was still sleeping soundly. There were faint dark circles beneath her eyes, and her face was a little pale.
Zhan Haozeâs expression became even uglier. His loss of control was mostly due to the scent of this woman.
He rubbed his glabella and quickly got up. When he found his wet clothes in the bathroom, his phone rang again. He looked at the phone and picked it up.
âDrive the car to the Yayuan Apartment to pick me up. Oh right, bring me a set of clothes, from the inside to the outside.â
After hanging up, Zhan Haoze took a shower. When he came out of the bathroom, he only had a towel around his waist.
Shi Mengwan was still asleep and showed no signs of waking up. He stood by the bed and stared at her face for a long time. When there was a knock on the door, he left the room.
The person standing outside the door was Tang Hua, his personal assistant.
He didnât have any doubts about Zhan Haoze appearing in an unfamiliar place. He just handed the bag in his hand to Zhan Haoze.
From inside to outside, he had shoes and clothes. Zhan Haoze turned around and pulled the towel, then started to change his clothes.
âYoung Master Zhan, the Young Madam had been looking for you since the morning. She seems to have gone to the office now.â
âYes.â
âYoung Master Zhan, you were ââ Tang Hua wasnât a talkative person, but there were some things that he was really concerned about.
âThat woman, Ling Xue, drugged me.â Zhan Haoze put on his clothes and turned to look at Tang Hua. âIâll leave the Ling family to you. I donât want to see this company again in the business world.â
âYes.â Tang Hua had always obeyed Zhan Haozeâs orders.
Zhan Haoze had already tidied himself up and looked at Tang Hua. âLetâs go. Letâs go to the company first.â
âYes.â Tang Hua followed Zhan Haoze and the two of them left together.
The moment the door closed, Zhan Haoze looked in the direction of the room, but he quickly averted his gaze.
Coincidentally, Shi Mengwanâs apartment was very close to the company. Before going upstairs, Zhan Haoze instructed Tang Hua on a few things.
Tang Huaâs eyes flashed with surprise, but it only lasted for a moment before he quickly lowered his head. âYes. I understand.â
âGo.â He was very relieved to leave the matter to Tang Hua.
Tang Hua drove off and Zhan Haoze entered the company hall. Just as he entered, secretary Le Xin came over.
âGeneral Manager Zhan, the Young Madam is throwing a tantrum upstairs. Look ââ
âI got it. Go do your thing. Find the contract from yesterday and file it with Secretary Zhao.â
When Zhan Haoze entered, Chen Feifei sat behind his desk, sulking.
âBrother Hao.â Upon seeing Zhan Haoze, even though Chen Feifei tried her best to control her anger, she still couldnât hide the anger on her face.
âHmm. Why did you come to the company?â
âBrother Hao.â His nonchalant expression made Chen Feifei even angrier, but the angrier she was, the more aggrieved she looked.
âBrother Hao, where did you go yesterday? Why didnât you go home?â
She said it with extreme grievance. Even though she was furious, in front of her sweetheart, she didnât want the other party to see her bad side.
In fact, when Zhan Haoze was in university, he made a lot of money by trading stocks and futures. Then, he bought a house near the university town.
There was a time when he used the excuse that he had a lot of studies and was busy with company matters, so he didnât want to go back and forth and live and wanted to stay in his apartment, but Chen Feifei refused.
She said that if Zhan Haoze wanted to live in an apartment, she would follow him. Later, Chen Yongchang had no choice but to buy the apartment across from Zhan Haozeâs.
But Chen Feifeiâs health wasnât good, so she couldnât be alone. No matter how big the apartment was, it wasnât as comfortable as home.
Chen Yongchang loved his daughter dearly. He could only ask Zhan Haoze to agree to move back home.
Zhan Haoze finally took a step back, but he asked to wait until he graduated from university. This request wasnât overboard. Chen Yongchang had no choice but to agree.
After Zhan Haoze graduated from university, he entered Chen Yongchangâs company. He moved back to the Chen family. Occasionally, he would stay in the apartment for two days, but every time, it would make Chen Feifei unhappy.
âI was too busy last night, so I slept in the apartment.â
âBrother Hao, is what you said true?â Chen Feifei looked like she was about to cry. âWhy did you lie to me? You didnât come back yesterday, so I asked the cleaning lady to go to the apartment. You didnât go back at all yesterday.â
The apartment was regularly cleaned, and the person who arranged it was Chen Feifei.
His expression unfathomable, Zhan Haoze simply looked at her. Chen Feifei was getting angrier.
The angrier she was, the more aggrieved she looked. Her eyes were red, and with her current expression, she looked fragile.
âBrother Hao, you lied to me? You never lied to me before. Do you not care about me anymore? You didnât go home yesterday, and you werenât at the apartment. Brother Hao, I wasnât checking up on you, I was just concerned about you. Donât you know how worried I was about you because you didnât go home? I...â
âI didnât go home yesterday.â
Zhan Haoze looked at Chen Feifeiâs face and thought of Ling Xue.
âBrother Hao...â Chen Feifei stopped complaining and looked at him with red eyes.
âBut there was a reason.â Zhan Haoze walked to the sofa and sat down. He lowered his eyes and looked at the financial magazine on the coffee table.
Chen Feifei didnât say anything. She just looked at him with concern.
âYesterday, your father asked me to sign the contract with Chairman Ling.â
âI know. I asked my father.â Chen Feifei was angry, but she looked like she understood. âI know that youâve worked hard for the company these few years, but, do you have to sign the contract for an entire night?â
She pouted, and her eyes were still red as she looked at Zhan Haoze.
A delicate beauty showed such complete trust and gratitude in front of a man.
If it were another man, he would probably want to hug Chen Feifei and comfort her.
âFeifei, I didnât sign the contract for an entire night, but something happened yesterday.â
Zhan Haoze looked up at Chen Feifei with an ambivalent expression. âSomething happened yesterday.â
âWhat happened? Can you tell me?â
âChairman Lingâs daughter, Ling Xue, was there yesterday. She was very interested in me.â
âWhat did you say?â Chen Feifei stood up and looked at Zhan Haoze. She realized that she had lost control. She sat down in front of Zhan Haoze again and resumed her worried expression. âDoesnât she know my relationship with you?â
âShe knows, but I think she probably doesnât care, right?â
âBut...â Chen Feifei almost broke her fingers, but she forced herself to look like a victim. âBrother Hao, youâre mine. Donât tell me you fell in love with her, did you?â
âFeifei, I didnât fall in love with her, but I did do something wrong to you yesterday.â
âBrother Hao?â Chen Feifei could barely sit still.
Zhan Haoze seemed to be a little helpless. âShe drugged me yesterday, and I drank some wine.â
âBrother Hao.â Chen Feifeiâs face completely changed. Her face pale, she sat there, as if she would collapse at any moment. âYou, what do you mean?â
âFeifei, Iâm sorry.â Zhan Haoze didnât say anything more. What else did Chen Feifei not understand?
âYou, she, you guys. You guys really? Really?â Chen Feifeiâs face was pale, as if she had been struck a blow.
Zhan Haoze lowered his head, as if he didnât want to say anything more. Chen Feifei stretched out her hand and hugged Zhan Haoze tightly.
âBrother Hao, itâs okay. Itâs okay. I know you didnât do it on purpose. You had no choice. I wonât blame you.â
If there was anyone to blame, it was that damn woman.
Chen Feifei raised her head to look at Zhan Haoze. âBrother Hao, donât worry. Iâm really not angry. Iâll tell dad to arrange less work for you in the future. Even if he wants to talk about cooperation with others, Iâll tell him to arrange more people for you.â
âFeifei, thereâs no need. Not everyone is likee Ling Xue.â
Of course, it was impossible for everyone to be as shameless as that woman. Chen Feifei was so angry that her gums were starting to hurt.
Holding Zhan Haozeâs arm, she said in very soft voice, âBrother Hao, thank you. Youâve been enduring it for me. I wonât take this matter to heart, and I wonât be angry. Donât worry.â
âOkay.â
Zhan Haoze nodded and didnât intend to continue this topic. âYou came so early. Did you eat breakfast?â
âI didnât eat. You didnât come back for an entire night. How could I have the mood to eat breakfast?â
âIâll get someone to bring breakfast in. You should eat first.â
âOkay.â
Chen Feifei nodded but wasnât in a hurry to leave. After eating with Zhan Haoze and telling Zhan Haoze not to work too hard, she got up and left.
However, she didnât go home like she had said to Zhan Haoze just now. Instead, she went around to Chen Yongchangâs office.
That damned woman, that damned Ling Xue. She dared to snatch her man. She wanted to teach her a lesson.
After Chen Feifei left, Zhan Haoze didnât have the same expression on his face. He stood up expressionlessly and walked to the back of the office desk to sit down.
Tang Hua needed some time to acquire the company of that man surnamed Ling. Before that, someone as insignificant as Ling Xue would be left for Chen Feifei to deal with.
After all, after all these years, he knew Chen Feifeiâs true colors very clearly.
Chen Feifei thought that she could disguise herself well in front of him, but she didnât know that no matter how she disguised herself, her true nature would be revealed.
After getting rid of Chen Feifei and Ling Xue, Zhan Haoze was in a good mood.
The moment he opened the document, Shi Mengwanâs sleeping face suddenly flashed through his mind. She was exhausted yesterday. At this time, she should still be sleeping, right?
Zhan Haoze, who realized what he was thinking, had an ugly expression on his face. He withdrew his thoughts and focused all his attention on work.
..
When Shi Mengwan woke up, it was already past afternoon.
The room was empty and there wasnât a single sound. Zhan Haoze had already left.
Shi Mengwan bit her lip and turned her body over. Even such a simple action made her feel uncomfortable. She felt wronged and disappointed.
Zhan Haoze ran away without any scruples after having s*x with her. That was her first time.
This realization made her feel uncomfortable, not just physically, but also mentally. Her heart felt even worse.
Dear Brother didnât acknowledge her and forgot about her. Now, he treated her like an antidote, throwing her away after using her.
All of this filled Shi Mengwan with disappointment.
Her disappointment didnât last long. After realizing what time it was, Shi Mengwan quickly got up and went to look for her phone.
Her phone had been left in the study next door yesterday. As expected, there were at least dozens of missed calls since morning.
Most of them were from her colleagues in the studio, and one of them was from Qingsang.
She was still feeling unwell and didnât plan to go out today. She told Xiao Ji that she was sick and wasnât feeling well. She wanted to rest at home for two days. If there was anything, she could send her an email or call her.
She also called Su Qingsang. She asked her to go to her place for a meal.
After telling her that there was an event at the company, Shi Mengwan hung up the phone. She went to the kitchen and prepared a bowl of noodles for herself.
She was still feeling unwell, so she went back to sleep after taking a shower.
Shi Mengwan, who was asleep, once again dreamed of the winter when she was 12. It rarely snowed in Lin City, but the winter here could be considered cold.
They lived in a small bungalow. There was no heater, air conditioner, or convector.
Qiao Ze only had one blanket at home. In the summer, Shi Mengwan, who slept on the sofa, used to sleep under a blanket.
Now that the weather was cold, it was impossible to sleep under only a blanket. Shi Mengwan was woken up by the cold for several nights. Then, she could only wrap herself tightly in a blanket, but it was useless.
On the third night, Qiao Ze woke up. He looked at Shi Mengwan and told her to sleep on the bed.
âDear Brother, Iâll sleep on the bed. Donât tell me you want to sleep on the sofa, do you?â
At that time, Shi Mengwan was still very naive.
However, Qiao Ze was only a teenager. Compared to her, the sofa was even smaller for him. He couldnât even stretch his legs when he slept on it.
After Shi Mengwan saw how Qiao Ze slept, she took the initiative to ask.
âAre you going to sleep?â
âYes.â Shi Mengwan was really afraid of the cold. At that time, it was already past the mid-autumn festival in the lunar calendar. It was even colder later on. She didnât want to be cold.
However, she didnât expect that Qiao Ze would sleep on the same bed as her. Shi Mengwan was a little embarrassed and uncomfortable at first, but after sleeping for two days, she was completely at ease.
The teenagerâs gaze was calm, while Shi Mengwanâs gaze was clear. One treated the other as a younger sister, while the other treated the other as an older brother.
The pure friendship between siblings wouldnât have any impurity.
Shi Mengwan dreamed of the first night Ah-Ze slept with her. She still remembered that she was a little embarrassed.
She got into bed early, then curled up on one side of the bed and took up a very small space. Dear Brother, on the other hand, slept in the middle of the bed unceremoniously. At that time, he didnât sleep very well. Sometimes, when he fell asleep, he would squeeze over to her side.
At this time, Shi Mengwan could only move outside more carefully. She also had to be careful not to fall under the bed.
Later..
The knocking on the door woke Shi Mengwan up from her dream. She was very tired and sleepy. She didnât want to open the door after being woken up by someone.
But the knocking on the door didnât seem to give up. It continued.
Shi Mengwan could only get up and put on a jacket to open the door. Unexpectedly, the person standing outside was Zhan Haoze.
âYou...â
Zhan Haoze looked at Shi Mengwan. After sleeping for a day, her face had regained some color, but it still didnât look good.
He silently entered the door. His attitude was as relaxed, as if he was returning to his own home.
âZhan Haoze.â
He didnât like to call her Dear Brother, so she didnât. But what did he mean now?
Didnât he leave? Didnât he only treat her as antidote? If that was the case, then why did he come back?
Looking at him with vigilance and confusion, Shi Mengwan stood at the door.