The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

As Uncle Chen walked along the corridor leading to the reception area, his heart was in turmoil, but his face remained remarkably calm.

Having worked for the Bai family for thirty years, what storms hadn't he seen?

When the young master was in power at a young age, a group of old foxes at the board meeting forced him to step down. But he just leisurely made tea and drank it without even raising his eyelids, which scared everyone in the room so much that they dared not breathe.

This cold-faced devil just looked at a photo—

First, he forgot about the tea he had brewed himself, then he placed his phone face down on the table, and finally managed to utter, "It's rather special."

As Uncle Chen walked, he wondered to himself, "Just what kind of clothes will the young master wear?"

He served two generations of the Bai family and watched several young masters grow up. What outrageous scene hasn't he cleaned up?

The young master spilled tea all over the business partner, and then he wiped the table.

The second young master's pet python slithered into the banquet hall; he had caught the snake.

The third young master flew a helicopter and blew the old man's precious orchids until he was bald, but he was kind enough to get away with it.

The Bai family patriarchs are all capable of causing trouble. He has experienced their adolescence, rebellion, and ignorant youth. What kind of mischief haven't he seen?

The eldest young master, Bai Yanzhi, is a cold-faced devil with an intellect that crushes others; a single glance from him can send chills down your spine.

The second young master, Bai Luochen, is obsessive and focused. He keeps pythons as a collectible and acts in a way that is different from ordinary people. Uncle Chen still remembers his expression when the python hung down from the crystal chandelier in the banquet hall. It wasn't fear, but rather, "Look how beautiful it is."

The third young master, Bai Jiheng, is flamboyant and unrestrained. He enjoys helicopters, sports cars, and extreme sports. On the day he blew the old man's orchids away, he casually said, "Out with the old, in with the new," which was both infuriating and self-righteous.

To be honest, of the four young masters, his impression of the youngest young master was the most vague.

It's not fair to blame him for not caring; the young master's presence in the Bai family is simply too weak.

So low that when he thinks back, all he can remember is a quiet figure sitting in the corner, never speaking, never causing trouble, always the first to arrive at family dinners, the last to be noticed, and the first to leave.

He stepped forward to refill the tea, and the young master would whisper "thank you," then continue to keep his head down, as if afraid of being seen.

He began to quickly rehearse in his mind: With such a quiet nature, how special could the young master's clothes be?

The suit doesn't fit? At most, it's half a size too big, and the sleeves cover your hands.

The colors are a bit too bright? At most, she's wearing a bright-colored shirt. Fluorescent pink or fluorescent green? Young people, their aesthetic sense is still developing.

To take it a step further, sportswear? Sneakers? Although the Bai family banquet requires formal attire, the young master is still young, so it's perfectly acceptable for him to wear casual clothes occasionally.

Compared to the eldest, second, and third young masters, the difficulty level for the young master is approximately zero.

Uncle Chen straightened his clothes, his back ramrod straight, his steps unhurried, and even a faint, professional smile that suggested he was in control of the situation appeared on his lips.

......

the other side.

The reception corridor was much longer than Bai Ci had anticipated.

Stained glass spreads overhead, and light shines through from behind, bathing the entire corridor in a soft, warm hue.

Bai Ci walked down the steps in the light and shadow, the little tiger on his hoodie was dyed in a light and shadow that seemed to be really going down a mountain.

Zhou Yan walked to his left, his hands in his trouser pockets, his steps leisurely, his eyes and brows exuding a natural composure.

Wherever this person stands, he acts as if he doesn't care about anything, as if he doesn't care about anything, yet he also seems to have everything under control.

When Bai Ci was stopped by a young waiter at the manor gate, it was Zhou Yan who took the initiative to help her out.

But after taking the photos, the two didn't talk much. They've been silent for most of the way, and the atmosphere is heavy.

Bai Ci mentally nudged Xiao Qi and asked curiously, "Is he going to stay silent the whole time?"

Xiaoqi's voice carried a sarcastic tone: "Based on my observation, this human is in a contradictory state of 'wanting to speak but feeling that speaking up isn't cool enough.' Look at the curve of his lips; he's trying to suppress it, but he can't. Bye-bye, he's definitely secretly amused."

Bai Ci subconsciously turned her head to glance at Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan spoke up at that very moment.

"That photo from earlier," he said, his tone carrying a barely suppressed sense of relief, "your older brother should have already seen it."

"You seem to be looking forward to it?" Bai Ci asked, puzzled.

"Expecting?" Zhou Yan didn't deny it, repeating the word as if savoring its accuracy. "That's a good word. I've known your older brother for over ten years, and I've never done anything to make him lose his composure or show any emotional fluctuations."

He glanced at Bai Ci, a sly glint in his eyes: "Today, you'll be the first."

Bai Ci merely twitched her brow upon hearing this, but did not respond.

Zhou Yan waited for two seconds, and seeing that he had no intention of responding, he calmly continued, "Your older brother lives like a precision instrument."

"He can instantly deduce and accurately output the optimal solution from any input. I've known him for over a decade and have never seen him encounter a variable he couldn't analyze—his life, career, and social life are all meticulously planned."

His gaze fell on Bai Ci, and the corners of his mouth curved into a deeper smile: "And you are the only unknown variable in his life, an unexpected event outside his script."

"You used to be quiet, well-behaved, and low-key, and he had long been used to treating you as his 'younger brother.' But today is different. You cut your hair short, your temperament has changed drastically, and your outfit has completely deviated from his expectations."

"I've waited over a decade, and finally, I've found something that can cause this perfect, precise instrument of his to malfunction and go out of control. How could I not be excited?"

Xiao Qi was mentally ranting: "Bai Bai! The way he's looking at you right now is pure excitement like he's discovered a major bug! He's definitely enjoying the drama!"

Bai Ci didn't respond, but simply followed Zhou Yan's pace.

The next moment, Zhou Yan's playful expression vanished, and his tone became more serious and earnest: "Besides, I don't just want to watch the show."

"I have an even more fervent expectation."

Bai Ci looked up: "What?"

"I'm curious to see how he'll treat his younger brother who's defied all his expectations." Zhou Yan's gaze was open and gentle, his words clear and distinct. "I'm not just watching the spectacle; as his friend of over a decade, I know his weaknesses all too well."

"Bai Yanzhi excels in everything, is a master strategist and decisive in killing, but he is not good at getting close to people, especially his family."

He paused slightly, then asked softly, "And do you know what it's like to be friends with someone who's always half a lap ahead of you, someone who always has the upper hand?"

Bai Ci thought for a moment, then nodded seriously: "I know a little bit."

He was thinking of Shen Tinglan, the person who could always spot him climbing out the window, picking up his shoes, or cooking noodles in the first instant.

A moment later, Bai Ci suddenly spoke up and exposed the truth: "So when you took my picture and sent it to him, it was a form of retaliation."

Zhou Yan suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Xiaoqi burst out laughing: "Bye-bye! You got a perfect score on your reading comprehension! You grasped the core points perfectly!"

"It's not just a counterattack, but also because we've been manipulated by him for so many years, we have to find an opportunity to turn the tables." Bai Ci added, his tone flat, but he explained the intricacies of the situation very clearly.

Zhou Yan coughed lightly, a rare hint of embarrassment appearing on his usually composed face: "...It's not just me. Anyone who has dealt with Bai Yanzhi, who hasn't been completely controlled by him?"

"Aren't you afraid he'll settle scores with you later?" Bai Ci asked, looking up with a hint of serious curiosity in her eyes.

"I'm scared." Zhou Yan frankly admitted without any concealment, "He seems gentle and calm, but he actually holds grudges very much. He will definitely seek revenge and is extremely patient."

"You can never guess when he'll strike. Maybe in three to five days, maybe in a week, just when you've completely forgotten about it, he'll find a way to make up for it and precisely exploit your weaknesses."

Bai Ci then asked, "For example?"

When this matter was mentioned, a subtle expression of embarrassment and amusement flashed across Zhou Yan's face, full of helplessness.

"You know what? Last time I came to visit, I got lost in the orange grove." Zhou Yan recalled with a wry smile, "This little thing was turned into a formal teaching case, and he talked about it seriously for a whole hour in front of more than two hundred corporate executives at an exchange seminar."

"He didn't mention my name once during the whole presentation, but the slides clearly showed the route I took when I got lost, with a note underneath that read: 'A typical case of path misjudgment by a friend from the Executive Bureau in a known and familiar environment.'"

Xiao Qi burst out laughing: "Hahahaha! This is insane! Isn't this just a public execution?! Subtle yet precise, a friend who works in the Enforcement Bureau—isn't this just naming names?! They're too good at this!"

Bai Ci's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile as she pressed on, "And then?"

"Later, I sat in the audience and listened to his 'corporate failure case study' the whole time, and in the end, I even had to applaud along with all the executives in the room." Zhou Yan said with a helpless yet amused tone, "The key point is that his analysis was completely correct."

"The time I got lost was indeed due to insufficient information gathering and misjudgment, a typical strategic miscalculation. I was only focused on moving forward and didn't pay attention to the road signs at all. He used me as a case study, and I really have nothing to say about that."

He paused, as if savoring the final blow: "After class, he even sent me the complete course materials privately, along with a piece of advice—next time you come to my house, remember to look for the road signs."

The corridor fell into a brief silence. Bai Ci looked at Zhou Yan, while Zhou Yan stared at the light and shadow ahead, creating a strangely comical scene.

Xiaoqi said, "The friendship between these two high-level players is too funny. One fabricates a case to publicly execute someone, and the other is executed but still thinks the other is right."

"So this has always been your dynamic," Bai Ci said softly. "He uses your embarrassing moments as examples to manipulate you, and you get the short end of the stick, yet you have to admit he's professional?"

"If you say I don't care at all," Zhou Yan suppressed the smile in his eyes, his tone self-assured, "that's not true. Today, I finally caught a chance to make him break down, so of course I have to seize it."

Xiao Qi instantly understood: "Got it! In short: Bai Yanzhi has been manipulating Zhou Yan for years, and Captain Zhou has been patient for over a decade. Today, he finally got the chance to turn the tables against all odds with Bai Yanzhi! Even if he's likely to be defeated afterward, just seeing the cold-faced boss break down and lose his composure makes this a huge win!"

Bai Ci suddenly looked up at Zhou Yan, her tone laced with barely suppressed laughter: "So now, you can draw a map of the Bai family manor with your eyes closed, right?"

Then, very cautiously, he added, "If I ever get lost in the future, I can't let him know, lest it be turned into teaching materials too."

Zhou Yan turned his head and said casually, "Really scared? If you were really scared, you wouldn't be making fun of me about not knowing the way. Even if Bai Yanzhi finds out you don't know the way, what can he do to you?" His tone was slightly teasing at the end.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a series of steady, orderly footsteps came from the corner at the end of the corridor.

Their unhurried pace instantly swept away the relaxed and playful atmosphere in the corridor.

Bai Ci subconsciously looked up.

Zhou Yan slightly raised his chin, a hint of amusement in his eyes, and said softly, "Someone's here."