He Was So Gentle and Patient

Chu Tianqing stood in the bathroom for a long while, recovering before she finally moved. She pulled off the suit jacket wrapped around her head and found it covered in grease.

She caught sight of the mirror out of the corner of her eye and slowly turned to examine herself. She nearly fainted.

What an ugly, wretched person. She shouldn't have existed in this world.

She had only been putting on a brave front outside. Now, all she wanted to do was cry.

Chu Tianqing pouted, and just as her face was about to crumple, someone suddenly knocked on the bathroom door.

She jumped in fright and hurriedly composed herself. Using a tissue to cover the handle, she opened the bathroom door a crack.

Her gaze slowly traveled upward until it met Shen Heng's stern face. She forced a smile. "Brother, what is it?"

Shen Heng said nothing and handed her a bag.

Chu Tianqing took a closer look and saw that it was flour. Puzzled, she wondered why he was giving her flour. Could she cook in the bathroom or something?

Shen Heng sighed and patiently explained, "Use the flour to soak up the oil on you first. Otherwise, how long will it take you to wash it all off?"

So that was it. Her good big brother was so thoughtful!

Chu Tianqing was deeply touched. Her nose prickled, and a tear fell with a plop.

Unable to control her emotions, she just wanted to have a good cry.

Shen Heng watched her quietly. After waiting a long while, he saw no sign of Chu Tianqing stopping and asked helplessly, "What are you crying for now? You were so fierce just now. Was that all an act?"

She would have been better off if he hadn't said anything. The moment he did, Chu Tianqing broke down even more, throwing back her head and wailing.

Yet Shen Heng couldn't help laughing at the sight of her. It wasn't that he was heartless; she was just... too funny.

After a moment's thought, Shen Heng raised a hand and pushed Chu Tianqing back into the bathroom, then began cleaning the grease from her hair himself.

Chu Tianqing grew tired of crying and gradually quieted down, letting Shen Heng tend to her while feeling a little awkward.

Unable to bear the silence in the bathroom, she said softly, "Brother, I'm sorry I got your suit dirty."

"Mm."

"It must have been expensive. I can't afford to pay you back, so don't count on me."

"I know."

Silence fell over the bathroom again. After applying the flour to the hair at the back of her head, Shen Heng ordered coldly, "Turn around."

Chu Tianqing obediently turned around and raised her eyes to sneak a look at Shen Heng.

Shen Heng remained expressionless and gave another order. "Close your eyes."

Chu Tianqing closed her eyes and felt a faint coolness. She could guess what her good big brother was doing: applying flour to the hair over her forehead, carefully spreading it evenly with his fingers, then shaking off the excess.

He was so gentle and patient that warmth spread through Chu Tianqing's heart. Awkwardly, she said, "Brother, you're not my real brother. You don't have to look after me."

Shen Heng's hands didn't stop as he said disdainfully, "You think I want to? If I don't look after you, Mom will be worried sick when she finds out you've been bullied. Then it'll be my problem anyway."

Chu Tianqing lowered her head guiltily and said softly, "Brother, you have to believe me. I don't want to cause you trouble either."

If anyone's to blame, it's the old Shen Xixi! She made this mess! I'm the one who has to carry the blame! I've been wronged!

The more Chu Tianqing spoke, the guiltier she felt. She had thought Shen Heng would scold her as he used to, telling her that everything she said was like a fart.

To her surprise, Shen Heng simply clapped the flour off his hands and said lightly, "All right, your hair's more or less done. Take care of the rest yourself. I'll go out and buy you some clothes."

With that, he washed his hands and went out, pulling the bathroom door shut behind him.

Chu Tianqing slowly opened her eyes, hardly able to believe that this time, Shen Heng hadn't scolded him.

So why hadn't Shen Heng scolded her? Because he had realized that his fake sister's knack for attracting trouble wasn't the only thing to blame. To solve the problem at its root, it would be best for the Shen family to step forward, publicly announce the identities of the real and fake sisters, and give the fake sister a suitable position.

As long as people in their circle knew she was still the Shen family's eldest young lady and had its protection, they wouldn't go looking for trouble with her at every turn.

Shen Heng dried his hands and instinctively reached for his phone to call Fang Ke and have her bring over an outfit as soon as possible.

But just as he took out his phone, he remembered that his fake sister had complained that Fang Ke disliked her and only bought her ugly clothes.

Shen Heng's lips curved into a smile. Seeing how miserable her night had been, he wouldn't buy her ugly clothes.

He used his personal connections to select a dress and a trench coat himself, and had them delivered as quickly as possible.

Once that was taken care of, he checked that there were no grease stains on him, then opened the door and went out to see his friends.

Yes, he had come here tonight to entertain friends.

They were also from Hong Kong, and they were the two who had shouted "Awesome" and "Bravo" earlier.

When Ye Mingchen and Qiao Ruhai saw him come in, both wore expressions of anticipation, eager for a good show.

Shen Heng deliberately pretended not to see them. He sat down and went straight to drinking.

Ye Mingchen clicked his tongue. "A-Heng, you're no fun. You know we're interested, yet you're deliberately keeping us in suspense."

Shen Heng glanced at them and said coolly, "There's nothing to say. Weren't you there when it happened? Do you need me to repeat it?"

"I'm not asking you to repeat it. I want your opinion." Ye Mingchen narrowed his eyes as he recalled it. "I remember meeting your fake sister a few times, but I really couldn't tell she was such a fierce girl. She actually took off her bra in public. Amazing. She's got so much personality."

As Ye Mingchen spoke, he suddenly changed the subject and turned to ask Shen Heng, "A-Heng, can I pursue her? Give me her contact information."

Shen Heng froze, then frowned. "Don't fool around. She's having a hard time right now. Don't add frost to the snow."

"What do you mean, add frost to the snow? I'd be delivering charcoal in the snow." Ye Mingchen put his hands behind his head and said confidently, "If she became Mrs. Ye, no one would dare bully her."

Shen Heng fell silent for a moment, then stared at Ye Mingchen. "Are you serious?"

Ye Mingchen lowered his hands and replied with utmost seriousness, "Of course. I came to Jincheng not just for you, but also because my grandma and mom kept pestering me to get married every day. That's why I fled to Jincheng. I'm in a real hurry to find a girlfriend, or I won't be able to go home."

Shen Heng laughed, unconvinced by Ye Mingchen's words. "You should find a young lady from a family that matches yours."

"I'm not interested in them. Every one of them is so fake and boring." Ye Mingchen grew more animated as he spoke. "I like girls like your fake sister. She's got personality and plenty of flavor."

Qiao Ruhai, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. "Exactly. What's so good about matching family backgrounds? People like us will never lack money in our lives anyway, so why can't we find someone we like?"

"Only old fogies and feudal relics would agree with that," Ye Mingchen said, pointing at Shen Heng with a smile. "Like our A-Heng, for example. He'll definitely marry a refined young lady from a prestigious family and be the perfect model student."

Shen Heng couldn't take their teasing anymore. "All right, all right, you're both right. Spare me."

Ye Mingchen moved closer and gestured for Shen Heng to take out his phone. "So? Hurry up and give me your sister's contact information!"