Reborn and awakened, this time I won't be a love-struck fool.

The sound of footsteps coming downstairs drew the attention of the two people on the sofa, who both looked over at the same time.

Xie Yanhuai called out to the nanny.

The nanny immediately came out of the kitchen, "Young Master."

Xie Yanhuai, the host, struck a pose and said, "Brew a pot of green tea."

Zou Xun raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling that there was something hidden in this person's words. Could this person be a two-faced schemer or a green tea b*tch?

"Okay," the nanny replied and went back into the kitchen.

Xie Yanhuai sat down on the sofa opposite him.

Xie Xingbang glanced at him, then smiled at Zou Xun, "Little Xun, this is your brother. You two haven't seen each other in a long time."

Zou Xun was also adept at feigning innocence. He looked at Xie Yanhuai and affectionately called him, "Brother."

Xie Yanhuai felt as if he had swallowed a fly, disgusted and nauseous. He pursed his lips and said, "There is only one me on my family's household registration book. There is no younger brother."

Zou Xun's eyelashes trembled, as if he were somewhat injured, and he looked helplessly at Xie Xingbang.

Xie Xingbang rarely saw his son, and as the saying goes, distance makes things interesting. He looked disapprovingly at Xie Yanhuai and said earnestly, "Yanhuai, no matter what, Xiaoxun is still your own brother. How can you say such a thing?"

"A younger brother? What younger brother?" Xie Yanhuai's hand, which was resting at his side, gradually clenched. His tone was exceptionally cold as he glanced at Zou Xun, who was feigning pitifulness. "My mother only gave birth to me."

"I'm sorry." Zou Xun took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed to Xie Xingbang. "You go ahead with your work, I'll be leaving now, and I won't bother you again."

A move that uses retreat as a strategy for advancement.

This was something Zou Xun learned from Zou Lian.

Zou Lian couldn't live without men. In Zou Xun's sixteen years of life, his mother had nearly twenty boyfriends, none of whom lasted more than a year. Many of them were already married. She was very good at pretending to be pitiful and weak.

Xie Xingbang quickly stood up and pulled Zou Xun aside, saying, "Xiao Xun, please sit down first."

Zou Xun cautiously glanced at Xie Yanhuai's expression.

Noticing this, Xie Xingbang's face darkened. "This is the Xie family home, and I'm in charge. You're my child. Even if you live here, you don't have to be subservient to others."

Xie Yanhuai felt as if his heart had been ripped out and placed in an ice cave. Although the weather had only just turned autumnal, he felt as if he were in the dead of winter.

His lips tightened. "What do you mean by that?"

"What do you mean? I'd like to ask you what you mean." Xie Xingbang looked at him intently. "No matter what, Xiao Xun is still your brother. Look at your attitude."

"A younger brother?" Xie Yanhuai sneered. He stood up and said, "I'll say it one last time: my mother only gave birth to me. I don't have a younger brother."

"You..." Xie Xingbang raised his hand.

The slap was about to land, but Xie Yanhuai neither dodged nor yielded, only looking at Xie Xingbang with disappointment.

Meeting his gaze, Xie Xingbang hesitated for a long time, but ultimately did not bring down the slap.

He gritted his teeth: "Your mother really raised a good son."

Xie Yanhuai sneered: "You have no right to mention her at this time."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Just as he stepped out of the courtyard, he bumped right into Lin Wu.

Because he was in a bad mood, Xie Yanhuai's expression worsened. "What are you doing here?"

Wow.

That temper...

It seems that he's been upset by that illegitimate child.

Lin Wu tried her best to suppress the urge to laugh, and casually made up an excuse, "I wanted to ask if you'd like to go out with me tomorrow?"

"I don't want to."

Perhaps harboring resentment and unable to vent it on anyone, Xie Yanhuai coldly stared at Lin Wu, a smirk playing on his lips, his tone extremely sarcastic, "I don't want to go out with you at all. A high-and-mighty young lady like you can never see other people's sadness, it's really... so annoying."

Lin Wu: "..."

She stared at Xie Yanhuai in disbelief, her expression full of shock, showing none of the sadness Xie Yanhuai had imagined.

"Are you crazy?!"

"What did I do to you? Go if you want, don't go if you don't!" Lin Wu barely swallowed the word "idiot." It wasn't time to break off relations yet, so he turned and left.

Xie Yanhuai stared at her retreating figure, chuckled, and took a taxi away.

There is a famous bar street in the capital. Xie Yanhuai walked along the street and randomly picked a bar that was open in the morning.

The atmosphere inside wasn't like the decadent, glittering nightlife of the evening.

The music was quiet and husky, and the lighting was dim, creating an extremely relaxing atmosphere.

He casually found a booth and ordered two bottles of wine.

When Xia Ruoruo came out of the bathroom, she received a call from Xu Pan.

"Ruo Ruo, are you coming back for lunch today?" Xu Pan's voice was as gentle as ever.

Xia Ruoruo stood in front of the sink, looked at her waitress uniform in the mirror, and said sweetly, "Mommy, I'm not going home to eat. They provide meals here."

"As long as meals are provided, that's fine, that's fine." Xu Pan felt relieved. "So, what time are you going home this afternoon?"

"I get off work at five o'clock," Xia Ruoruo said coquettishly. "I want to eat sweet and sour pork ribs tonight."

"Okay, okay," Xu Pan said. "Mom will go to the market to buy some pork ribs later."

Xia Ruoruo smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Mom."

Xu Pan was pleased with her coaxing, "Look at you, we have plenty of food and drink at home, why do you always go out to work? It's so hard."

Xia Ruoruo wanted to sigh when she heard this.

She clenched her fingers. It was all Lin Wu's fault that she now owed Xie Yanhuai 900,000 yuan.

Although Xie Yanhuai had said that she didn't need to pay it back, she couldn't live with herself.

She smiled, deliberately omitting the mention of 900,000, "Since I'm just idling around anyway, I want to save up some money so I can buy my mom a gift later."

"My dear child, Mommy doesn't need you to take me."

"I'm going to deliver it now," Xia Ruoruo said with a smile. "I'll hang up now, I'm busy."

"Okay, okay." Xu Pan hung up the phone.

Xia Ruoruo put her phone back in her pocket, straightened her clothes, and went out.

The supervisor called out to her, "Ruoruo, come here and take these drinks to booth number 14."

"Okay." Xia Ruoruo obediently replied and pushed the trolley to booth number 14.

Booth number 14 is quite secluded, and there was only one person there.

The man leaned back on the sofa, his head tilted slightly back. Even in the dim light, one could still see that he was tall and had a handsome face.

Xia Ruoruo felt he looked vaguely familiar. She stopped the stroller to the side, took a closer look, and exclaimed, "Xie Yanhuai, what are you doing here all alone?"

Hearing my own name called.

Having already finished two bottles of wine, Xie Yanhuai finally made a move. He straightened up slightly and looked at the girl's pure face with hazy, drunken eyes.

"Xia...Ruoruo?"