Reborn in the 80s: My Whole Family Secretly Hears My Thoughts and Goes Wild with Success! - Chapter 99

“Zhiqiu-jie.”

“Big sis.”

As Shen Zhiqiu pushed her bicycle out of the Cultural Troupe’s gate, she spotted Ye Jiawu and Shen Xiang waiting not far away, waving enthusiastically at her.

“What are you two doing here?” Shen Zhiqiu walked up to them, ruffling Ye Jiawu’s hair. Beside them, Shen Xiang couldn’t hide his dejected expression.

“Mom and Dad were worried, so they sent me to pick you up.”

Ye Jiawu turned and glared at Shen Xiang. “And this guy shamelessly tagged along!”

Shen Xiang stepped forward, positioning himself on Shen Zhiqiu’s other side, and shot back defiantly, “What? You’re the only one allowed to care? She’s my sister too!”

“Cut the crap. Where was this act of concern when your parents and your real sister were bullying Zhiqiu-jie? You’re all birds of a feather!”

Ye Jiawu pulled Shen Zhiqiu closer, eyeing Shen Xiang with suspicion. “Zhiqiu-jie, stay away from him. Who knows what he’s really after?”

“I—”

Shen Xiang wanted to argue but found himself at a loss. Frustrated and hurt, he lowered his head, his eyes reddening.

“Xiaowu, Xiaoxiang had nothing to do with any of that.”

Shen Zhiqiu wrapped an arm around Shen Xiang’s shoulders and gave him a reassuring pat. “Xiaoxiang, Xiaowu’s just standing up for me. Don’t take his harsh words to heart.”

“Big sis… he’s not wrong.”

Shen Xiang roughly wiped his tears with the back of his hand. “I overheard Mom and Second Sister plotting against you… but I didn’t tell you.”

“I should’ve warned you, but I didn’t want to betray my mom.”

“Now Dad, Mom, and Second Sister have all been arrested. The neighbors point and whisper when they see me. I was scared… I didn’t know where else to go, so I came to you.”

Shen Xiang broke down, clinging to Shen Zhiqiu as he sobbed. “Big sis, I was wrong… I was so wrong.”

“Xiaoxiang, I know how hard this has been for you. Some things are just too much for you to handle, and you didn’t know what to do.”

Shen Zhiqiu gently lifted his face, wiping his tears away. “All I ever asked was that you didn’t follow their lead. Even if you didn’t tell me, it’s okay.”

“It’s late now. Let’s go home.”

She turned to practical matters. “Xiaowu, I’ll ride with Xiaoxiang.”

“Zhiqiu-jie, let me take him instead. He’s heavy!” Ye Jiawu yanked Shen Xiang over and pointed at the bike’s rear seat. “Hop on!”

Shen Xiang resisted, but Ye Jiawu lifted his chin, taunting, “What, forgot already? Winner takes all. You gonna disobey your boss? Can’t handle losing?”

“Who says I can’t?!” Shen Xiang jumped onto the seat, turning his face away stubbornly.

Ye Jiawu rolled his eyes and muttered, “Like I even want to give you a ride.”

Back at Fu’an Alley, Shen Xiang leaped off the bike and dashed inside without a word. Ye Jiawu pointed at his retreating figure, complaining to Shen Zhiqiu, “Zhiqiu-jie, see how rude he is?”

Shen Zhiqiu lightly tapped Ye Jiawu’s head. “Didn’t we agree? After your fight, everything’s settled. Why are you still giving him a hard time?”

Ye Jiawu stiffened his neck. “I just don’t like him.”

Shen Zhiqiu teased, “Well, if that’s the case, you shouldn’t have claimed him as your little brother. A real boss looks out for his underlings. How can you protect someone you dislike?”

“No way! I worked hard to beat him!”

Grudgingly, Ye Jiawu relented. “Fine, fine. I’ll try to tolerate him more.”

“Xiaowu, haven’t you noticed? Xiaoxiang has his good points too.”

Ye Jiawu counted them off. “Yeah, I guess. He owns up to his mistakes and honors his bets. That’s pretty manly.”

“He’s had a rough time. As his boss, you should take care of him.”

Ye Jiawu frowned. “Zhiqiu-jie, why do you keep defending him?”

Shen Zhiqiu glanced toward Shen Xiang’s room. “Because in that house, he was the only one who truly treated me like family. He saw me as his sister, so I see him as my brother. To me, he’s just as important as you are.”

She met Ye Jiawu’s gaze. “I hope you two can get along, but don’t force it. If you really can’t stand him, just ignore each other.”

Ye Jiawu grinned sheepishly. “As long as he never hurt you, Zhiqiu-jie, I won’t hate him.”

“Are you hungry? I’ll heat up some food. Want to eat with me?”

“I’ll go get Shen Xiang.”

“Alright.”

After dinner, Shen Zhiqiu checked on Yaya first. The little girl was fast asleep, clutching the jade pendant Huo Jiusi had given her.

She bent down, kissing Yaya’s cheek, then turned to the family portrait on the wall. Her gaze lingered on Yue Mingyuan, and a smile tugged at her lips.

The moment she learned she’d be studying under Professor Tang Xuejun, she’d wanted to share the news with him.

But was he even awake at this hour?

Picking up the receiver, she dialed the familiar number, her heartbeat quickening.

After three long rings, she was about to hang up when someone answered. “Hello?”

It wasn’t Yue Mingyuan’s voice. “Ling Hang?”

“Yeah, it’s me. You looking for Mingyuan?”

“Yes.”

“Hold on, he’ll be back soon.”

Ling Hang gestured to a nearby soldier to fetch Yue Mingyuan.

“Um, Zhiqiu-jie… can I ask…?” Ling Hang hesitated.

Amused by his rare awkwardness, Shen Zhiqiu chuckled. “Xiaohang, you want to ask about my cousin Jiawen, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” He laughed sheepishly. “Is she… okay?”

“Just minor injuries.” Shen Zhiqiu decided to nudge things along. “She told me to thank you.”

Ling Hang sounded surprised. “She knows? Did she… say anything else?”

“That’s all.”

His disappointment was palpable. “Ah. Well, Mingyuan’s here now. I’ll pass the phone.”

Handing the receiver over, Ling Hang slipped out of the office.

“Hello, Zhiqiu.”

“Mingyuan.”

Hearing his voice, warmth bloomed in both their chests.

“Are you busy?” Shen Zhiqiu asked softly. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all. I was just doing rounds.” Yue Mingyuan’s tone softened. “You can call me anytime.”

“I went back to the troupe today. Our director told me I’ll soon be studying under Professor Tang Xuejun.”

Yue Mingyuan could picture her now—eyes sparkling, smiling radiantly.

“Zhiqiu, congratulations. Your dream’s come true. Studying with Professor Tang has always been your goal.”

Shen Zhiqiu froze. “Mingyuan… how did you know?”

The fact that Tang Xuejun was her idol was something only the director and Xiaomei knew. She’d never mentioned it to anyone else.