It fell from his fingertips

"Brother Zhou..."

Su Leqi stammered, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, looking very nervous.

Old Chen also stopped in his tracks and stood still, not daring to move.

Zhou Jinbai was one of the two people they feared most among their group of peers.

One is Su Leqi's older sister, who is a witch among witches. Not only is she frighteningly cold, but she is also ruthless and has a whole repertoire of ways to torment people.

The other one is Zhou Jinbai.

This person didn't talk much, but his aura was terrifyingly strong; with just one glance, an invisible sense of oppression swept over him.

At this moment, Zhou Jinbai stood there, his posture upright. Although he was wearing a black casual outfit, his aura was very strong and frighteningly cold.

"Hello, Brother Zhou."

Old Chen also nervously greeted them, his voice tense.

Zhou Jinbai nodded slightly, raising his chin slightly. The movement was small, but it carried a great deal of authority.

That look in her eyes made Su Leqi feel uneasy.

But after hesitating for a moment, she couldn't help but speak up.

"Brother Zhou, Yan Chen..."

The girl gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with her fingers, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Before she could finish speaking, she met Zhou Jinbai's indifferent gaze, and Su Leqi felt a chill in her heart, the rest of her words stuck in her throat.

Su Leqi: "..."

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Tang Luoqing walking towards her. Her expression changed, and she quickly said, "No, it's nothing."

Su Leqi quickly waved her hand, forcing a smile, but the smile looked stiff no matter how she looked at it: "Brother Zhou, we have something to do, shall we go first?"

Before she could finish speaking, Su Leqi grabbed Old Chen and turned to run away.

They disappeared in a flash.

Tang Luoqing walked over and watched Su Leqi and the others disappear into the distance, her brows furrowing even more.

Why are they running?

Why do you run away as soon as you see her?

Is it...

Zhou Yanchen...didn't fly here specifically to find her at all?

He came to vacation with Su Leqi and the others, but she happened to see him, so he lied and said he was looking for her.

Tang Luoqing pursed her lips tightly.

"Have you got a meal yet?"

A clear, cold voice reached Tang Luoqing's ears.

Tang Luoqing snapped out of her daze and saw Zhou Jinbai standing in front of her. She quickly composed herself and nodded to him, "Big brother, we were just about to go eat."

The girl forced a faint smile.

Zhou Jinbai looked at Tang Luoqing, his gaze deepening.

"Um."

Zhou Jinbai responded lightly, paused for a moment, and then spoke for the first time, his voice low and slightly magnetic: "What are the plans for today?"

Tang Luoqing blinked, somewhat surprised that her older brother would ask about her plans for the day, but she quickly recovered and replied:

"ah,"

"Today, I want to go out for a walk."

Tang Luoqing came here originally to paint the waves at night, but after painting for most of yesterday, she was too tired to paint anymore when she got back to the hotel. Her original plan was to go out for a stroll this morning, rest in the afternoon, and then paint in the evening.

"Um."

Zhou Jinbai nodded slightly, but showed no intention of leaving.

It was really inappropriate for two people, one of whom was a tall and imposing man who easily attracted attention, to stand together at the door.

So Tang Luoqing casually made up an excuse: "Then I'll go make breakfast."

"Um."

Zhou Jinbai responded again.

Tang Luoqing felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly turned around and walked towards the noodle stall.

She walked quickly, breathed a sigh of relief, and felt that her older brother seemed a little different today. It seemed that he wasn't as cold as before.

But his aura is really too strong. Being with him always makes me feel uncomfortable, like I'm being watched by my homeroom teacher.

Tang Luoqing rushed to the noodle stall and ordered a bowl of braised beef and shrimp noodles.

The staff member smiled politely and said, "Okay, please wait a moment."

"Okay, thank you."

Tang Luoqing stood aside and waited.

Her mind was wandering at this moment. Her long eyelashes drooped down, and she kept thinking about Zhou Yanchen and Su Leqi. Her mind was full of what had just happened.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of a staff member.

"Madam, your noodles are ready."

"Oh? Oh, okay, thank you."

Tang Luoqing snapped out of her daze and quickly raised her hand to prepare to touch the face, but when she looked up, her brows immediately furrowed.

Because there was a lot of cilantro sprinkled in the bowl.

Tang Luoqing suddenly realized that she had forgotten to tell the staff that she didn't eat cilantro.

It's all her fault for spacing out just now.

Tang Luoqing looked at the cilantro in the bowl, hesitated for a moment, and decided to take it with her and eat it anyway, or at worst pick the cilantro aside.

As Tang Luoqing was thinking this, she prepared to pick up the tray, when suddenly a deep male voice sounded behind her.

"Give this one to me."

Tang Luoqing turned her head and saw that Zhou Jinbai was standing behind her at some point, and she didn't know how long he had been standing there.

The man stood tall and straight, his expression as calm as ever, but his gaze was deep as he stared intently at Tang Luoqing.

especially,

"I eat cilantro."

Zhou Jinbai's voice rang out again. He turned his gaze to the staff member and spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if he were talking about a trivial matter: "Could you please give this lady a bowl of noodles without cilantro?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man reached out and picked up the tray from Tang Luoqing's hands.

Zhou Jinbai's fingers are long and slender with distinct knuckles, very beautiful. He moves very naturally when carrying the tray, as if this is how it should be done.

Tang Luoqing watched as Zhou Jinbai took her noodles away, and stood there stunned for a long time before she reacted.

Did your older brother say he eats cilantro? Did he even order another one for her without cilantro?

Could it be... that he knew she didn't eat cilantro?

But... how did he know?

Tang Luoqing thought for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.

Before long, another bowl of noodles was cooked.

Tang Luoqing picked up the noodles, stood in the open space, and couldn't help but look in Zhou Jinbai's direction.

He sat at an empty table not far away, eating noodles with elegant, slow movements, as if he were enjoying some rare delicacy. Sunlight streamed in from the window, falling on him and giving him a slightly rough edge, making him look... less cold.

After thinking for a moment, Tang Luoqing carried the new noodles to Zhou Jinbai's table. She hesitated for a second before mustering her courage and asking, "Big brother, may I sit here?"

Zhou Jinbai raised his head, glanced at Tang Luoqing, and nodded slightly: "Mm."

Tang Luoqing then sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and ate her noodles.

The surroundings weren't too quiet, and the atmosphere wasn't awkward, but there was one question she was really curious about.

Tang Luoqing ate her noodles while pondering. After a while, she gripped her chopsticks tightly, as if she had made a great decision, and finally spoke: "Big brother, how...how did you know I don't eat cilantro? Did Yan Chen tell you?"

Tang Luoqing could only think of this reason. After all, every time she went back to the Zhou family, some of her favorite dishes would not have cilantro, or the cilantro would be specially made into large pieces so that she could pick it out easily. After her first visit to the Zhou family, she asked Zhou Yanchen about it, and it was Zhou Yanchen who repeatedly told Zhou's mother to do so.

So it makes sense that Zhou Jinbai knows a little about it.

Zhou Jinbai paused slightly while eating his noodles.

He didn't look up, staring at the noodles in the bowl. His prominent Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long while, he let out a very low "hmm".

Tang Luoqing understood; it was indeed the case.

After finishing their meal, Tang Luoqing said goodbye to Zhou Jinbai and left the restaurant first, taking a taxi to the city center.

She sat in the taxi, looking at the scenery outside the window, strolled around the streets, bought some small souvenirs, and ate some local snacks.

Time flies, and it's noon before we know it.

Tang Luoqing checked the time; it was already past midnight, but there was still no message from Zhou Yanchen on her phone.

Tang Luoqing looked disappointed and decided not to wait any longer, so she dialed Zhou Yanchen's number directly.

The phone rang several times before it was answered.

"Feed..."

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Yanchen's voice came through, sounding groggy and a bit nasal, as if he had just woken up.

Hearing Zhou Yanchen's voice, Tang Luoqing knew he had been sleeping all along. A little disappointment eased, and her tense mood relaxed slightly: "Are you still sleeping?"

"Um……"

Zhou Yanchen responded again, explaining in a hoarse voice, "I stayed up all night writing the project report last night, and didn't go to sleep until 5 a.m. I'm exhausted."

Tang Luoqing was somewhat surprised. It turned out that Zhou Yanchen really hadn't gone back to find her because he stayed up late writing a report last night.

So, did she misunderstand him?

"Are you hungry now? Do you want to get up and eat something?"

"Okay, wait for me..."

Tang Luoqing made an appointment with Zhou Yanchen to have a buffet lunch on the 13th floor and then hung up the phone.

After half an hour,

Zhou Yanchen appeared opposite Tang Luoqing.

Zhou Yanchen had obviously tidied himself up. He changed into clean clothes, looking neat and handsome, but his eyes were dark and he looked quite haggard.

Tang Luoqing's slight dissatisfaction vanished instantly, and she offered, "What would you like to eat? I'll get it for you."

"it is good."

Zhou Yanchen smiled brightly: "Whatever you bring, I'll eat."

Tang Luoqing turned around to get some food.

She felt much more relaxed and took Zhou Yanchen's favorite steak, some vegetables and meat, and his favorite juice.

Tang Luoqing carried the tray back, her mind torn between whether or not to continue asking Su Leqi and the others why they were there.

Just as Tang Luoqing was about to take her seat, she paused.

Zhou Yanchen, who was sitting with his back to her, was anxiously urging Su Leqi and Lao Chen, "Are you still sitting? Hurry up and leave. If my girlfriend comes back and sees you two, I'll have to coax her again. Don't cause me any trouble, get out of here."

Su Leqi and Lao Chen sat opposite him, rolling their eyes in disgust. Tang Luoqing stood there, feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. His initial rollercoaster of relief turned to coldness from head to toe.

Her long eyelashes trembled, her eyes welled up with tears, the corners of her eyes reddened, and her fingers gripped the edge of the tray tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Before Zhou Yanchen could finish speaking, he suddenly sensed something was wrong behind him. He turned around and saw Tang Luoqing standing next to him.

Their eyes met, and the man's expression changed slightly.