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

The door was pushed open, and the crisp sandalwood scent mixed with the warm aroma of tea wafted in.

The first thing Bai Ci saw was the man sitting in the rosewood armchair.

His features were cold and hard, his lines sharp, and his whole body exuded the aura of "keep away." His presence was frighteningly heavy, even more oppressive than the cold voice on the phone.

Bai Ci couldn't help but shudder inwardly.

"It looks more like a white falcon than the carved white falcon totem; it's exactly like an eagle chasing its prey in the sky."

"Bai Bai, this Bai Yanzhi looks so fierce." Xiao Qi's voice was very low as she timidly spoke in Bai Ci's mind.

Bai Yanzhi's gaze first fell on Zhou Yan. Zhou Yan coughed lightly, a cough that hid a hint of guilt. After all, he had just taken a picture of Bai Ci in the corridor and sent it over, intending to see his old friend make a fool of himself.

Bai Yanzhi didn't argue with him. He turned his gaze and looked at Bai Ci with a scrutinizing look.

This was the first time he had seen Bai Ci like this. She had cut her hair short, revealing her entire face, and her eyebrows and eyes were surprisingly gentle. She looked... rather well-behaved.

Moving my gaze downwards, I saw a dark gray hoodie with a cartoon tiger and four large characters next to it. The pants had a row of small dinosaurs on them. It was an oversized children's outfit, with different colored shoelaces on each side. The person was also carrying a crumpled plastic bag.

His understanding was immediately refreshed.

In the phone photo, the impact of this outfit is still limited.

But when the real person stands in front of you, vivid, real, and with extreme contrast, the impact instantly increases more than tenfold.

The tiger in the photo, about the size of a palm, is now three meters away, baring its teeth and looking adorable, as if openly mocking his earlier advice on the phone to "dress more presentably."

The rows of playful little dinosaurs seemed to be mocking his strict and orderly family rules.

Bai Yanzhi's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his temples began to throb faintly.

He raised his hand and set down the celadon teacup, the bottom of which struck the sandalwood with a crisp, abrupt "tap." It was like a dull thud striking the air.

As soon as the sound fell, the huge tea room fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that even the faint crackling of burning sandalwood could be heard clearly.

The atmosphere froze; for several seconds, no one dared to utter a sound.

Bai Yanzhi stared at the boy at the door, his eyes as dark as the sky before a storm.

"Come in."

Just two words, neither too light nor too heavy, but each word carries an unyielding sense of pressure.

Bai Ci followed Zhou Yan in.

Zhou Yan glanced around the tea room, then walked confidently to the rosewood tea table, pulled out a round-backed chair, and sat down as relaxed as if he were in his own home.

Then he turned his head to look at Bai Ci and patted the empty armchair next to him.

"Bai Ci, sit here."

Bai Ci did not sit down immediately. He walked to the tea table and stood opposite Bai Yanzhi. Then, he slightly raised his chin, met those cold and sharp eyes, and called out.

"Big brother."

His voice was clear and steady, the volume just right, and his tone perfectly balanced. Neither humble nor ingratiating, neither defiant nor provocative, it was both frank and distant, like addressing someone he knew but wasn't very close to.

The meaning was written all over his face—you are Bai Yanzhi, and I am Bai Ci. You called me back for dinner, and I'm back.

Bai Yanzhi paused for a moment upon hearing this form of address.

What did his younger brother call him before? He searched through his memory and found that he had never called him anything.

Bai Ci never dared to speak to him first. If she couldn't avoid it, she would lower her head and mumble a reply, never daring to call him "Big Brother".

But now?

The person stood in front of him, with short hair, his face showing, and wearing ridiculously outrageous children's clothes. He looked at him openly and called him "Big Brother".

"Hmm," Bai Yanzhi responded, his tone devoid of emotion.

He raised his chin, his gaze falling on Bai Ci's face. "Sit down."

Bai Ci sat down opposite him, her back ramrod straight, her hands on her knees, and her ankles neatly together.

His face was expressionless, but his fingers, resting on his knees, were slightly curled, indicating a hint of nervousness.

But he didn't lower his head, nor did he avoid Bai Yanzhi's gaze. His light brown eyes met Bai Yanzhi's gaze calmly, like a pool of shallow water warmed by the sun, with no undercurrents and crystal clear.

Zhou Yan, holding a teacup beside him, glanced back and forth between the two brothers, a slight smile playing on his lips. He then covered his mouth with his teacup, pretending to be focused on sipping his tea.

Uncle Chen quietly stepped aside, his gaze lingering for a moment on the few drops of tea that had splashed out on the tea table and a very shallow scratch.

That was something the young master had stumbled upon while looking at a photo. He knew it all too well, so he casually looked away and stood there, holding his breath.

Bai Yanzhi did not speak immediately.

His slender fingers picked up the purple clay teapot, tilted it slightly, and filled the empty cup in front of Zhou Yan.

The tea soup is emerald green and clear, with white downy hairs floating on the surface, and wisps of steam rising gently.

Then he took a new cup, filled it to seven-tenths full, and pushed it in front of Bai Ci.

Bai Ci looked down at the tea. The liquid in the cup was bright green and clear, with a delicate aroma, completely different from the stream water he used to drink in the mountains.

He swallowed hard. He had been walking on the mountain road for most of the day and was starving. His mouth was dry and his legs were aching terribly.

He picked up the teacup, drank it all in one gulp; it was sweet and quite thirst-quenching.

The kettle Bai Yanzhi was pouring water from was still suspended in mid-air; he hadn't had time to put it down.

He had planned to start questioning after pouring the tea. He had already prepared his questions in his mind, starting with "What are you wearing?" and gradually pushing forward, applying pressure until he finally forced an explanation.

As a result, his younger brother, who was not his brother's brother, gulped down a cup of Yunjianxue (a type of cold drink) as if it were plain water, then held up the empty cup in front of him and stared at him expectantly.

"It's empty."

The voice was clear and crisp, with a slight upward inflection at the end, as if it were simply stating an objective fact: the tea in the cup was gone and needed to be refilled.

Bai Yanzhi glanced at the empty cup, then at the boy holding it.

Those light brown eyes were looking up at him, almost imperceptibly clean. There was no intention to provoke him, nor was there any attempt to curry favor.

She simply and straightforwardly waited for him to refill her cup.

Bai Yanzhi took a deep breath, calmly tilted the purple clay teapot, and poured another cup for Bai Ci.

Never mind, let him drink if he's thirsty, and ask him again after he's finished.

Bai Ci picked up her second cup of tea and happily downed it in one gulp.

Then the cup was raised again, its eyes sparkling as it stared intently at the purple clay teapot in his hand, like a rabbit eyeing a carrot.

Bai Yanzhi's eyelids twitched, and he suppressed the throbbing vein in his temple as he patiently poured him a third full cup.

Bai Ci drank it all in one gulp for the third time, then raised the cup again.

Zhou Yan froze in mid-air, holding his teacup, forgetting even to drink the tea.

His gaze shifted back and forth between Bai Ci's cup and Bai Yanzhi's purple clay teapot, his lips pressed into a thin line, trembling violently, as he used all his self-control to suppress a laugh.

Uncle Chen stood in the corner, his face ashen, his professionalism impeccable, but his fingers, clasped in front of him, unconsciously rubbed against each other.

He had never seen anyone drink Yunjianxue tea like that in front of the young master, treating him like a tea servant.

Bai Yanzhi tightened his grip on the purple clay teapot slightly. He didn't pour any more tea, but instead placed the teapot on the rosewood table.

With a "thud," it felt a bit heavier than when the teacup was placed down.

Bai Ci glanced at the teapot, then at the empty cup in her hand, pursed her lips, and asked softly, "...Aren't you going to give it to me?"