“Why bring up that name all of a sudden?”

There was a chill in Yuche’s voice.

But Yuzhe couldn’t back down now. The key to this whole thing was whether Yuche could soften her attitude, even a little.

“Well, Sister Ye... Ah, no, I mean Qi Xinye. She came to see me today and said she actually wants to make peace with us. It’s been so many years, and it wasn’t her fault to begin with. So listen to your brother and let it go, okay?”

Yuche fell silent.

After a while, she set down her spoon and sighed softly. “Sigh... Fine. I’ll tell you a little about it. I didn’t want to bother you with this again, but that woman actually had the nerve to come see you...”

Then she gently patted Yuzhe’s thigh. “Brother, put me down first. Let’s talk about this properly. Besides, someone from outside is coming soon.”

She put extra emphasis on the words “someone from outside.” It seemed she really couldn’t stand Qi Xinye.

Yuzhe didn’t say anything. He slipped both hands under Yuche’s arms, lifted the little girl off his lap, and set her down on the ivory-white chair beside him.

He even straightened the wrinkles in Yuche’s little black shirt and plaid skirt. She’d been squirming all over him just now, without a care for how easily those clothes creased.

Yuche clearly enjoyed it. She didn’t resist at all, letting her brother smooth out the wrinkles in her clothes—and even leaned a little closer.

That was just how things usually were between the two of them.

Across from them, Zixiao was blushing. What was with those two?! She’d seen it plenty of times, but it still felt strange.

Why were they so completely comfortable around each other?!

After Yuzhe had fussed over her for a while—cough, I mean, fussed with her clothes—Yuche finally straightened her expression and voiced her question.

But whenever Yuche started talking business with Yuzhe, the two of them switched into genius-to-genius conversation mode, and things tended to take a pretty big leap.

“Brother, you think I’m the key to this, right?”

“Right, under normal circumstances. But I don’t think this is that simple.”

“Phew... I knew it. Brother wouldn’t think I was unreasonable or petty.”

“So there’s more to it, then?”

“Exactly.”

Watching Yuche and her brother ponder things, nod, and say stuff she couldn’t understand, Zixiao—the “ordinary person”—was completely lost. “C-could you explain what’s going on...?”

Zixiao felt miserable, but she could only blame herself for being slow.

Yuche didn’t answer. Yuzhe turned around, braced one arm on the edge of the chair, and rested his chin on his hand. “Ah, well... It looks like things aren’t quite how I thought. Yuche doesn’t dislike Qi Xinye just because she’s holding a grudge.”

As he finished, he glanced at Yuche to signal that she should explain.

Yuche rested her chin in both hands and carefully recalled what had happened five years ago.

“Five years ago, on the day that woman, Qi Xinye, came to see Brother, do you remember why we didn’t go to the amusement park with him?”

Zixiao thought back. Because her brother had been injured, she remembered that day clearly too.

She answered promptly. “I had a school club event that day, and you, Yuche... you had some kind of business meeting to attend, right?”

“That’s right.” Yuche confirmed Zixiao’s answer.

It was worth mentioning that, even though Yuche and Yuzhe had only been around thirteen at the time, they’d already shown astonishing business acumen. Yuche in particular could bring the Su Family enormous benefits through business negotiations. Yuzhe, on the other hand, wasn’t interested, so he took part less often.

So even at a young age, Yuche often represented the Su Family’s main branch in business negotiations. Though she looked like just a little kid, no one dared underestimate her. For a time, she even struck awe into Fenghai City’s entire business world.

That day was no different. Yuche had an important business meeting and couldn’t go to the amusement park with her brother.

But so what? What did that have to do with Qi Xinye?

Seeing that Zixiao still hadn’t grasped the heart of the matter, Yuche continued. “I attended a business meeting that day. Do you remember what it was about?”

“How would I know? I was at school almost the whole day. Stop keeping me in suspense.”

Zixiao looked anxious. When it came to her brother, she didn’t want to be left in the dark.

Yuche looked unusually serious as she enunciated her next words, one by one.

“The meeting was about the bidding war between the Su Family and the Qi Family for the amusement park construction project in the city center.”

Those words hit Zixiao like a time bomb, leaving her stunned.

Yuzhe was no exception. This was completely beyond his expectations.

Because it meant that this whole matter was definitely not as simple as they’d thought.

Yuche continued. “Before Qi Xinye came that day, the outcome of the bidding for the operating rights was basically settled. The Su Family had all but crushed the Qi Family. But...”

“But that wasn’t the final result, right? Something must have changed before it was finalized—something that left the Su Family unable to deal with it.”

Yuzhe’s eyes held a rare trace of anger as he finished what Yuche had left unsaid.

“Just like Brother said. I was taking part in the final negotiations for that project that day. And then there was that car accident at the same time. If it was a coincidence, isn’t that a little too coincidental?”

Yuche’s voice trembled. She was even angrier than Yuzhe.

After all, someone had hurt the brother she loved most!

Zixiao was furious too, and a wave of fear washed over her. If the impact had been any worse, the consequences would’ve been catastrophic.

But then she noticed something that didn’t add up. “That’s a little strange, though. If the Qi Family deliberately caused the accident, Qi Xinye was in the car too. Would they really not care whether their own young lady lived or died?”

“I don’t know.” Yuche shrugged. “I only know it definitely wasn’t a coincidence. The Qi Family deserves to die for hurting Brother!”

Yuzhe reached over and patted Yuche on the head to calm her down. Then he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me back then, Yuche? Why are you only telling us now?”

“I... I... um...”

Yuche stammered, seeming reluctant to explain why.

“It’s okay. Go ahead. Is there anything you can’t tell me?”

“Mm... All right. Actually, I hid it from you on purpose because I didn’t want to put you in a difficult position.”

Zixiao didn’t understand. “Why would it put Brother in a difficult position?”

Yuzhe seemed to have figured it out already, so Yuche explained it to Zixiao.

“Because if I told you, it would put the Qi Family directly at odds with the Su Family. From then on, you’d be enemies—including Qi Xinye. Brother cares about his relationships, so even with that woman, Qi Xinye, I don’t think you’d want to burn that bridge. So I thought it’d be better to...”

Before she could finish, Yuzhe cut her off. “Better for you to hide it from me, deal with it yourself, and burn that bridge with Qi Xinye on your own? Were you planning to keep quiet unless I asked, and carry the whole burden by yourself?”

Looking at Yuzhe’s handsome profile, edged with anger, Yuche was deeply moved—and frightened. “B-Brother, are you angry?”

“That’s right. I’m angry. I’m really angry right now.”

Even Yuche panicked this time. She threw herself into Yuzhe’s arms again. “Please don’t be mad... okay?”

“Everyone says you’re so clever... but you really are a silly girl...” He gently pinched Yuche’s soft cheek. When he saw the moisture gathering at the corners of her eyes, Yuzhe relented.

“Don’t do this again, understand? You have to tell me if something happens. More than what happens with them, I care about you and Zixiao. Do you understand?”

“I hear you! I understand!”

Seeing that her brother seemed to have forgiven her, Yuche broke into her cute smile again.

Zixiao, meanwhile, was taken aback.

Yuche... she really does think of her brother more than I’d imagined. Is this what it means to care for someone with all your heart?

I really do have a long way to go.

“So? What did you find out in the end?”

Yuzhe was asking what Yuche had done after she first suspected the Qi Family back then.

Now that she’d calmed down, Yuche honestly told Yuzhe what she’d found.

“The Su Family still won the amusement park’s operating rights. After that, I had people secretly investigate the Qi Family for several months, but we found no evidence linking them to the car accident.”

“So the only thing I could do was make the Qi Family cut ties with you themselves, to keep you safe. That meant keeping Qi Xinye away from you. Whether she was innocent or not, as long as she was around, the Qi Family remained a source of instability.”

“I’ve also kept people investigating the details of that car accident. One day, when we find the evidence, I’ll make everyone who hurt you pay!”

Yuzhe pulled Yuche a little closer. “You’ve had a hard time. Leave the investigation to me from now on, okay?”

Wrapped in his warmth, Yuche nodded. “Okay... I’ll do whatever you say, Brother.”

Now that he had her agreement, Yuzhe had a rough plan in mind. They had to get to the bottom of this.

“Still, Yuche, do you think Qi Xinye had anything to do with this?”

“Whether she did or not doesn’t matter. I only know she failed to protect you back then. Or maybe it doesn’t matter whether she was at fault—if you got hurt, then it’s her fault as far as I’m concerned!”

“That’s not how logic works...”

Yuzhe felt a little helpless, but also a little happy.

Yuche was really cute when she was being “unreasonable.”

Still, Yuzhe had a hunch that Qi Xinye had nothing to do with this.

Zixiao was thinking it over too, trying to figure out how to handle things. They’d have to start with Qi Xinye when she arrived.

Yuzhe thought so too, and got up to clear the dishes from the table.

He also reminded the two of them what they should do next.

“It’s about time. Qi Xinye should be here soon. Yuche, try to keep your temper in check, okay? Don’t just yell at her and drive her away. I have a few things I need to ask her...”