Xie Zhuzhou had no idea how many people he had inadvertently steamrolled, but he knew his classmates were gritting their teeth at him and really wanted to beat him up.
The more they provoked, disparaged, and mocked him, the more satisfied Xie Zhuzhou became.
Dinner was harmonious. They treated Xie Zhuzhou as an equal, even asking him to help fetch tissues and open wine bottles. By the end, they were slinging arms around his shoulders and saying, "Little Xie, listen to me."
Xie Zhuzhou: ...
Xie Zhuzhou somewhat regretted treating them to dinner. They chattered away like Ji Wangyun squared.
A week later.
Xie Zhuzhou's treasures finally went up for auction, and he received an invitation as the Ji Family's youngest son. Xiao Nan could not accompany him inside. While he was hesitating, Ji Wangchen hauled him into the car.
"Looking forward to it?"
"Not particularly."
From his tone, Xie Zhuzhou guessed that Ji Wangchen knew what he had been doing. After all, the bodyguards around him were his eldest brother's people. He got protection without spending a penny, so he might as well consider that little bit of privacy sold, Xie Zhuzhou thought aggrievedly.
"Your final exams are in another month. How is your revision going?"
Xie Zhuzhou's scalp suddenly prickled, but fortunately, he had prepared for this long ago. "I can probably pass."
Ji Wangchen chuckled softly, the curve of his lips seeming to be the result of considerable restraint. "Sometimes I feel like you're pretending to be an adult."
"I'm already an adult."
"When you first came back a while ago, I thought you were an overgrown baby." After all, he needed people to wait on him when he ate, servants to draw his bath, and servants and the butler handled almost everything, from dressing him to styling him.
None of them knew how to enjoy life quite as well as Xie Zhuzhou.
Ever since he was a child living with the Sheng Family, Ji Wangchen had done everything himself. Wherever he was, he always maintained a flawless image.
Everyone in their circle knew Ji Wangchen was outstanding, capable, and decisive. Faced with the wolves and tigers of the Ji Family, he had forcibly fought his way through, assisted Ji Wuqiu, and taken half the power into his own hands. He was the Ji Family's next head.
In front of Xie Zhuzhou, he was merely a strict older brother. Occasionally, he enjoyed these peaceful moments, but it would have been nice if his younger brother could be a little more normal.
"You're right, big brother. Although I'm an adult, I am occasionally an overgrown baby," Xie Zhuzhou admitted.
Ji Wangchen: ...
Special Assistant Chen, who was driving: ...
"If the sky fell, would that mouth of yours hold it up?"
"At least until then, I have you to hold it up, big brother."
Ji Wangchen: ...
Xie Xiaozhou, would it kill you to lose once?
Xie Zhuzhou successfully rendered his domineering CEO brother speechless. For the first time, Ji Wangchen silently reminded himself that this younger brother shared only half his blood, so he could not hit him.
Only after enjoying his verbal victory did Xie Zhuzhou remember to be scared. But the words were already out, so he could only give himself a way out. "Big brother, you won't get angry, right?"
"Now you're trying to guilt-trip me?"
"Not at all. I just don't want you to get angry. I heard you still have to go back and work overtime tonight. If you're angry, you won't be able to focus on the documents."
Ji Wangchen: ...
Should I call you considerate?
Half an hour later, the brothers arrived at the auction. Xie Zhuzhou found it novel, and also planned to bid on a few things for his eldest brother to salvage their precarious brotherly bond.
The auction hall was resplendent, its lights glittering like stars. The moment they entered, it felt as though they had stepped into a lavish, dreamlike den of extravagance.
Xie Zhuzhou followed behind Ji Wangchen. Just as he was about to ask where Ji Wangchen was taking him, he was handed a little frog mask.
Xie Zhuzhou: ...
This is big brother's way of getting back at me, right?
The brothers walked side by side to their seats in the front row. Almost every gaze around them converged on them. Xie Zhuzhou asked his brother quietly, "Big brother, aren't there any private boxes?"
Ji Wangchen glanced at him.
A readily apparent flicker of disappointment crossed Xie Zhuzhou's eyes, as though he were saying, "You're really useless, big brother. You can't even get a private box."
Ji Wangchen rubbed his brow, finally understanding why everyone wanted to beat this fellow up. He had no idea how he had survived this long.
He consoled himself that it was all their father's fault. This was what came of letting a child run wild.
Ji Wangchen looked at his rotten little brother with a faint, ambiguous smile. "Next time, I'll build you a castle in the air at the auction."
The corner of Xie Zhuzhou's mouth twitched. "There's really no need to go that far."
The auction was about to begin, and the atmosphere was lively. The bidders in the back rows withdrew their gazes from Xie Zhuzhou and rubbed their hands in anticipation, ready to choose something they liked from the many treasures.
Perhaps he had seen too much gold, silver, and jewelry. Although modern jewelry and gemstones were dazzling, they completely lacked the sense of rarity they had possessed in ancient times.
Gemstones, necklaces, and the like were now the very things there was no shortage of.
What they lacked was the story behind them, and whether their creator was a master.
Watching made him so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyelids open. Accustomed to Meditation, Xie Zhuzhou began nodding off like a chick pecking at grain.
Ji Wangchen: ...
Just how sleep-deprived is he?
In the end, he had someone bring over a small blanket. With practice came familiarity; he even prepared a shoulder pillow for him.
It was hard for the people in the back rows not to notice.
They were not merely horrified by Ji Wangchen's thoughtfulness, but even more so because the person he was looking after might be the legendary Xie Zhuzhou, who "kicked his way through the Mount Nan nursing home"!
Even the lofty, untouchable Ji Wangchen was... swallowing humiliation and bearing the burden. It seemed Xie Zhuzhou really did run completely wild in the Ji Family! Everyone inwardly scorned and condemned him.
With those present distracted, the atmosphere at the auction suddenly grew somewhat subdued.
Lot 21 had a starting price alone of five million.
Ji Wangchen lowered his eyes to look at this younger brother, who hid his talents so well.