A mouse as a cat's bridesmaid-a love rival turned lover!

"Qin Ci!" Xie Zhitan grabbed Qin Ci's arm. "What the hell is wrong with you now?"

"Wait, Young Master Qin, you really don't recognize me? I'm Hua Jian, the little tagalong!"

Qin Ci stopped dead in his tracks, a look of pure stupidity flashing across his face.

He repeated, "The little tagalong?"

Hua Jian stared at him suspiciously, then gave Xie Zhitan a strange look.

He muttered inwardly, Holy shit, my gaydar's going off. This idiot Qin Ci isn't interested in my Second Brother, is he?

Xie Zhitan's eyelid twitched, and he immediately let go of Qin Ci as if his hand had been scalded.

Qin Ci, meanwhile, looked like a chicken that had been scalded alive. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Little tagalong, so it was you. Sooner or later, I'm going to teach you a proper lesson."

Hah. This was getting even fishier.

Hua Jian was numb. This goddamn gay world was fucking insane.

A mouse as a cat's bridesmaid-a love rival turned lover!

"Fine, Young Master Qin, but you need a reason to teach me a lesson. What have I done to offend you this time?"

"Oh? Let me guess. Surely you didn't think I was my Second Brother's pretty boy, and that's why...? Tsk!"

As Hua Jian's words grew increasingly outrageous, Xie Zhitan's expression turned stern.

"Hua Jian! Stop talking nonsense!"

Hua Jian held back a laugh as he looked at Qin Ci.

This fearless Young Master Qin simply refused to turn around and look at Xie Zhitan.

In the original novel, Qin Ci lost it because Shu Yao liked Second Brother, and did everything he could to crush him!

But looking at him now, Qin Ci was clearly insanely jealous because Second Brother treated Shu Yao differently!

Tsk, he's just like an elementary school kid. He doesn't even know who he likes. Fuck, someone with a negative IQ doesn't deserve my Second Brother!

Hua Jian had originally wanted to get on good terms with Qin Ci so he could help Xie Zhitan indirectly when the time came.

But now, Hua Jian didn't even want to spare him another glance.

What the hell? Did an unprincipled asshole like him deserve to be anywhere near his Second Brother?

"Let's go, Second Brother. Time to eat!"

Hua Jian stepped forward and pushed Xie Zhitan away.

Xie Zhitan gave a quiet assent and went with him.

Before getting into the car, Xie Zhitan frowned and glanced at Qin Ci.

Qin Ci seemed to be looking their way too!

He coolly withdrew his gaze and was about to close the car door when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that figure running toward them.

Xie Zhitan abruptly looked up. In the blink of an eye, Qin Ci was already beside his car.

A hand blocked the door. Xie Zhitan held his breath and leaned back. "Qin Ci, whatever you have to say, say it calmly!"

Qin Ci said expressionlessly, "I need to talk to you. Tell the little tagalong to get lost!"

"Qin Ci!"

"Otherwise, nobody's leaving!"

Xie Zhitan was furious. He hated being threatened. His greatest regret now was that he hadn't moved away immediately after meeting his new neighbor Qin Ci during his doctoral studies!

"Xiao Jian, get out. Come to my office tomorrow at 10:30!"

Hua Jian ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth. Qin Ci's sheer assholery had truly reached new heights.

After Hua Jian got out, Qin Ci sneered at him and casually pointed a finger his way. "Just you wait. I'm not done with you!"

"You..."

Qin Ci's slamming door was the only answer Hua Jian got.

The car was quiet. Xie Zhitan drove onto the main road and headed for the Xie Family's home without even asking Qin Ci where he wanted to go.

"Dick Poulton. Do you remember him?"

Qin Ci broke the silence, only to bring up a completely unrelated name.

"Yes. Your classmate back when we were studying. You were two of a kind-drinking together, chasing women together, racing cars together."

Qin Ci clenched his jaw and decided to put up with him for now.

"Poulton's coming to China. You and I are the only people he knows here. You'll help me host him."

Xie Zhitan flatly refused. "I really dislike him. You threw a party, and he got drunk and banged on my door all night."

Qin Ci's gaze flickered. "That was all a misunderstanding."

Xie Zhitan pressed his lips together and asked, "Did you come looking for me today because of Poulton?"

"Yeah."

Not even close!

As soon as Qin Ci learned that something had happened to the Xie Family, he rushed to the police station where Cui Zhao was being held.

Only then did he learn that Xie Zhitan wasn't the one who had been beaten.

Since he no longer had Xie Zhitan's contact information, it had taken him an enormous amount of effort to track him down here.

Who could have known he would suffer another devastating blow, hearing all that nonsense in Hua Jian's thoughts?

Liking someone? Jealousy? It was enough to make him sick!

Right now, he was too disgusted to say any of that aloud, so he could only use Poulton as a flimsy excuse.

Watching the road, Xie Zhitan switched on his right indicator, slowed down, and pulled over.

"I won't help you host Poulton. If there's nothing else, get out. Once I turn up ahead, I'll be on the elevated highway."

Qin Ci didn't move, showing Xie Zhitan only the back of his head.

Xie Zhitan pressed a finger between his brows. "Qin Ci, we've never really had any major conflict. We lived next door to each other when we were studying, but we were only nodding acquaintances."

"Since coming back to China, aside from the matter with Shu Yao, I don't think I've done anything to offend you."

Qin Ci still said nothing.

Xie Zhitan had no choice but to compromise. "I've agreed to arrange a Class Attendance Pass for Shu Yao, all right?"

"You're the Qin Family's eldest young master. I'm just a teacher. I don't want to make an enemy of you. Hua Jian is still young and doesn't know better, so I hope you'll let him off too."

"Let's put this behind us. From now on, my little brother and I will stay out of your way whenever we see you, all right?"

Xie Zhitan had never been this patient, yet for some reason, Qin Ci suddenly exploded!

He whipped around and shouted, "What fucking Class Attendance Pass? When the fuck did I say anything about a Class Attendance Pass? I'm talking to you about hosting Poulton!"

"Qin Ci, I'm not..."

"No! You have to help me host him when he comes!"

With that, Qin Ci opened the door and got out. He quickly hailed a taxi and disappeared.

Even Xie Zhitan, who rarely swore, was provoked into a fury and let loose several vicious curses inside the car.

Meanwhile, in the taxi, the driver asked Qin Ci where he wanted to go, but Qin Ci never answered.

The driver asked again, "Sir, you..."

"Fuck! Damn it, I forgot to tell Xie Zhitan to unblock me! Damn it! Why did I bring up that idiot Poulton? I wasted my chance!"

The driver was speechless.

He looked rich and not too bright. The driver might as well just keep going.

Hua Jian went straight back to his apartment and casually tossed the brown paper bag Xie Zhitan had given him onto the table.

When he came out of the bathroom, he noticed a new unread message on his phone.

To his surprise, it was from Bo Lin.

Hadn't he rushed abroad because something had gone wrong at an overseas branch?

Had he already arrived?

With that thought, he opened the message. Bo Lin had sent only a single picture.

It showed a shopping street lined with old local buildings, with all kinds of goods for sale.

He lowered his head and typed, "Bo Lin, have you arrived already? Things are going smoothly at the Exhibition Hall, so you don't need to worry while you're over there."

When the message arrived, it was still broad daylight where Bo Lin was.

He put away his phone and told the sales assistant in fluent foreign speech, "Please pack up two of every color of all the paints. Thank you."