Chu Yang curled his lips and clicked his tongue twice. "Look at you, is it really necessary to laugh like that? I was originally planning to come here to sound out if you could still take in a refugee like me. Now look at how smug you are, I know you've already hooked up with that little policeman. It seems there's definitely no place for me here."
Xiao Xiao came over and tapped Chu Yang on the head with a folder, laughing and scolding, "You disrespectful girl! Did you say that? What nonsense is Zhang Jingzhi spouting now? Don't follow her example!"
Chu Yang smiled, thinking to himself that his older sister was really wronged. She didn't say anything about whether she ate it or not. She just said that it was pitiful for someone like the police officer to fall into Xiao Xiao's hands, and that there was a high chance that things would go wrong if he fell into Xiao Xiao's hands!
Xiao Xiao gestured with her chin toward the door and asked, "Looking for him?"
He said there was some kind of private party that night and asked me to come with him.
"So you're dressed like this?" Xiao Xiao looked at Chu Yang's outfit: a chunky knit sweater, dirty-looking jeans, and sneakers. No matter how you looked at it, it didn't look like the kind of outfit you'd wear to a private party, let alone a party for someone like Fang Yi. Xiao Xiao was also a little confused. Why would Fang Yi want such a stark contrast to suddenly appear in a party full of beautiful women?
"Alright, time to get back to work!" Chu Yang sighed, clapped his hands, stood up from his chair, and walked out. Reaching the door, he turned back to Xiao Xiao with a serious expression and said, "Oh, by the way, my sister told me to tell you, don't just keep cleaning Officer Jiang's gun, be careful it doesn't go off accidentally!"
She slammed the door shut after saying that, followed by a loud bang from behind—the sound of a folder hitting the door. Then, Xiao Xiao's voice faintly came from inside the door, "You brat, you'll get what's coming to you sooner or later!"
Chu Yang (revised)
"What's so great about foreign girls? Huh? Fifth Brother!" Huang Fei slapped the man next to him hard on the shoulder, sat down beside him, his eyes still fixed on the graceful figure carrying a wine glass, looking completely intoxicated. "How can they compare to our domestic girls? Whether you look at them or touch them, they're so comfortable!"
The man known as Fifth Brother gently swirled the red wine in his glass, smiling without saying a word.
Huang Fei's face changed to one of indignation again. "How did the third and fourth brothers fall into the hands of capitalism? Damn it, twenty years of socialist education have been wasted. Only you, the fifth brother, have a conscience and know to come back to serve your country. Good brother, it's good that you came back! Let's drink to the happiness of our motherland's sisters!"
"Okay, good! Cheers!" the fifth brother replied, and the two clinked their glasses and laughed.
"Think back to the five of us in the Han Gang, those were real brothers! Looking around, who dared to disobey us?" Huang Fei was immersed in old memories, becoming more and more excited as he spoke. The fifth brother didn't reply, just listened to his rambling with a smile. In truth, the so-called Han Gang, despite its impressive appearance, was nothing more than a circle of privileged children.
"...Suddenly you were sent to Canada by your mom. Before the rest of us even understood what was going on, the third and fourth brothers went to Australia and America, respectively. Even me, if I hadn't clung to the doorframe, I probably would have been airdropped into England by our old man to aid our proletarian sisters there. What were those old men thinking? Did they really intend to spread the seeds of our proletariat across all five continents?" Huang Fei asked, then shuddered and said with lingering fear, "Luckily I held on, otherwise I might be like the third and fourth brothers, blindly hugging foreign women!"
The fifth brother chuckled twice, "Second brother, foreign girls aren't bad either, not as bad as you think!"
Huang Fei pursed his lips and shook his head, then leaned closer to Lao Wu with a wicked grin and whispered, "You better tell me honestly, how many foreign beauties have you made appreciate the goodness of our socialism these past few years?"
"Get lost!" Old Five laughed and punched Huang Fei, who laughed and fell onto the sofa, quickly dodging the wine glass in his hand. "Be careful, your brother just changed his clothes!"
The fifth brother glanced at his watch. "Second brother, let's go downstairs. Big brother should be here soon."
"When your brother arrives, he'll come up. Do you think he can stand being with those people downstairs? He's counting on you to give him a surprise, so don't be so impatient! By the way, you don't know what kind of sister-in-law your brother found for us. When you meet her later, remember to hold your chin up a bit. I really don't understand what your brother is thinking. Ask him, and guess what he'll say?"
"How so?" the fifth brother asked with a light laugh.
Huang Fei chuckled and said, "Big Brother said that girl can make him feel the passion of his youth! Did you hear that? The passion of his youth! Haha, that girl, passion? Haha, she's just a green cucumber, with no breasts, waist, or butt. I don't know what Big Brother is so passionate about!"
The fifth brother was still gently swirling the red wine in his hand, his eyes drifting towards the doorway of the small living room. His eyes lit up, and a wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Second brother, if you talk bad about sister-in-law here, be careful, or eldest brother will skin you alive."
"That's impossible!" Huang Fei laughed heartily, his hand swinging dramatically from left to right. "Big Brother would never make things difficult for us brothers over a woman, do you believe me?"
"I don't believe it." Fang Yi's calm voice came from the doorway.
Huang Fei's smile froze. He turned his head and saw Fang Yi already standing at the door of the small living room. He quickly chuckled again, and Lao Wu beside him stood up to greet him.
"Big Brother!" the fifth brother called out, his voice trembling with excitement.
Fang Yi gave Lao Wu's shoulder a hard hug. "Good lad, you've gotten a lot stronger!"
When he left, he was a slender and stubborn boy; when he returned, he had become a tall and sturdy young man. Six years passed so quickly that it was hard to even catch a glimpse of it.
Seeing Chu Yang following Fang Yi upstairs, Huang Fei was afraid that she had overheard his earlier "cucumber" comment. He gave Chu Yang a guilty laugh and said ingratiatingly, "Hehe, sister-in-law, you look really beautiful today!"
Chu Yang wore a dark green satin cocktail dress with black shoulder straps. A few casual pleats at the chest gathered at the waist and extended down to the hem, exuding elegance with a touch of playfulness. This was an outfit Fang Yiqiang had hastily bought for her before she arrived. Accustomed to sweaters and jeans, Chu Yang felt incredibly uncomfortable. She used to be able to leap up three steps at a time, but now she could only shuffle up the stairs, one step at a time! She couldn't understand why anyone would dress like this in the dead of winter; it was ridiculous! Stepping outside felt like winter, but once she took off her coat, it was summer!
Upon hearing this, Lao Wu looked up at Chu Yang, his body stiffening involuntarily. Huang Fei came over and slapped Lao Wu hard on the shoulder, saying, "Lao Wu, hurry up and call her sister-in-law!" He then winked at Lao Wu.
The fifth brother stood there watching Chu Yang, his eyes flashing with a variety of complex emotions, pursing his lips and refusing to speak.
Fang Yi sensed something was off, his brows furrowed slightly, and he glanced at Chu Yang before looking at Lao Wu.
Huang Fei thought Lao Wu was stunned and was afraid that Lao Wu would say something that would offend Chu Yang, so he quickly put his arm around Lao Wu's shoulder and introduced him to Chu Yang, saying, "Hey, sister-in-law, this is our Lao Wu, He Yiqian. He just came back from Canada and hasn't adjusted to the time difference yet, so he looks a little silly. But, sister-in-law, don't be fooled by this guy. He's really bad! He's caused a lot of trouble for the Canadian people these past few years!"
The fifth brother finally reacted, nodding and curving his handsome lips into a faint, subtly sarcastic smile for Chu Yang.
Chu Yang glanced at him indifferently, walked straight to the sofa and sat down. He bent down and took off his shoes, grimaced and gasped, and reached out to rub his feet, which were sore from being pinched by those hateful high heels.
Seeing Chu Yang's appearance, Fang Yi found it somewhat amusing. Under Huang Fei's dumbfounded gaze, he walked over to Chu Yang, squatted down, put her shoes back on, and laughed, "Bear with it, at least you should pay attention to your image! Although we don't really have any image left."
Huang Fei dramatically covered his eyes and shouted, "I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything!"
Fang Yi turned around and sneered at Huang Fei, "Shut up, you brat!"
"Alright, alright, let's go!" Huang Fei pulled He Yiqian's arm and walked out. "See? Big Brother has truly grasped the essence of 'the one who forgets his brother when there's a woman'! You've come all this way back, and he doesn't even bother to catch up with you, all he does is worry about his sister-in-law! Haha!"
He Yiqian didn't move, still smiling as he looked at Fang Yi and Chu Yang, but the temperature in his eyes was frighteningly low!
"You guys go down and take a look around first. Lao Wu has finally come back. Huang Fei, you take him down for a walk. I'll go down now," Fang Yi said, then turned to Chu Yang and said, "You stay here. No one comes up. If you get bored, go to the study next door and find some books to read. Old Master Huang Fei has quite a collection of books."
Chu Yang nodded, watching Fang Yi's figure disappear around the corner of the stairs. She felt as if He Yiqian's cold gaze was still piercing her. She sat quietly for a moment, then suddenly threw the cushion next to her away fiercely. "Bastard!" All the strength in her body was drained away, and Chu Yang collapsed weakly onto the sofa. Only then did her body begin to tremble uncontrollably.
Soft music and the low laughter of people drifted faintly from downstairs, creating an unreal illusion. The open doorway of the small hall was like a bottomless abyss, as if a ferocious beast could leap out at any moment. Chu Yang glanced at the doorway, feeling increasingly uneasy. He closed his eyes and stayed there for a while, but his mind was still in turmoil.
In the past, when I tried to close the door, it would be pushed open forcefully as soon as my hand touched the handle.
"Trying to run away?" He Yiqian sneered.
Chu Yang was startled, but his expression remained calm as he watched He Yiqian close the door. Involuntarily, however, he took a step back.
He Yiqian smiled mockingly and reached out to grab Chu Yang, who was retreating.
"Let go!" Chu Yang shouted angrily.
"Let go?" He Yiqian sneered, ignoring Chu Yang's struggles, he forcefully slammed Chu Yang against the door, wrapped his arms around her, a flash of anger in his eyes, but a cold smile on his face as he approached Chu Yang, "Girl, you've grown up, you've finally grown up!"
Chu Yang (revised)
Chu Yang bit his lower lip hard and tried to push He Yiqian's arm away, but He Yiqian's arm was as if nailed to the door and wouldn't budge.
Chu Yang gritted his teeth and said, "Let go!"
He Yiqian did not react. Chu Yang raised his eyes and stared fiercely at He Yiqian. He Yiqian's face was also filled with obsessive ruthlessness. The two of them looked like ferocious beasts, wishing they could tear each other apart.
He Yiqian was the first to recover from his rage. In the blink of an eye, he wiped away the violence and ferocity in his eyes, looking at Chu Yang with only a hint of mockery. He sneered, "You've been preparing for this scene for a long time, haven't you? Hmm? You must be very excited to see me here this time, right?"
Chu Yang laughed dismissively, as if he had heard an extremely funny joke.
He Yiqian paused for a moment when he saw Chu Yang's short hair, then smiled mockingly and reached out to fiddle with Chu Yang's short hair. "Did you still cut it?"
Chu Yang turned his head away in disgust, avoiding his hand. He Yiqian's eyes narrowed, his hand paused awkwardly in mid-air, then clenched into a fist and slammed it heavily against the side of Chu Yang's head, making a "thud" as it hit the heavy wooden door.
Chu Yang smirked and said calmly, "Let go, or I'll call for help."
"Calling for help again?" He Yiqian sneered. "Here? What are you shouting for? That I molested you? Or that I raped you? Hmm? Go ahead and shout. There are a lot of people downstairs this time. I'd like to see who you can call out this time!"
Chu Yang stared at him coldly. For a long while, neither of them spoke, just staring at each other coldly. Suddenly, Chu Yang screamed, "Ah—!"
He Yiqian stared at Chu Yang in shock, not expecting her to actually scream like that. He was stunned for a moment. Taking advantage of his momentary daze, Chu Yang suddenly pushed his arm away, forcefully opened the door of the small hall, and rushed outside.
Huang Fei was getting annoyed by the elders downstairs. He hadn't even circled around halfway when his fifth brother disappeared. He was about to say a few words to Fang Yi when he saw that Fang Yi had been caught by his father. Huang Fei was always afraid of his father, so he didn't dare to get close. He could only look around boredly, wondering where his fifth brother had run off to. Just then, he saw the second daughter of his mother's old classmate's colleague's cousin, whom his mother's former best friend had introduced to him, walking towards him with a smile. She walked with such charm!
Huang Fei likes beautiful women, that's true, but he doesn't like beautiful women who can be associated with his family! Seeing the woman coming towards him, Huang Fei hurriedly turned around and rushed upstairs like his pants were on fire. Just as he reached the corner of the stairs, he heard Chu Yang's scream coming from the small hall upstairs.
Chu Yang rushed out of the door and ran straight downstairs. Perhaps in her haste, she took one step down instead of one step, making it three or four steps. In fact, Chu Yang had run like this before. When she was in a hurry, she could dart down a ten-step staircase in two or three steps. But today she forgot that she was not wearing her usual jeans, but a gorgeous little dress.
As he took a step, before his legs were fully extended in mid-air, he felt something suddenly stop him. He heard a "bang" as the hem of his knee-length skirt was stretched open, and Chu Yang felt as if he had been tripped, causing him to fall downwards.
Before Huang Fei could even think, he instinctively reached out to catch the person who was jumping down from above. Chu Yang, who also had excellent motor skills, grabbed Huang Fei's shoulder and not only pulled him into his arms, but also used his weight and the momentum of his jump to slam Huang Fei heavily against the wall at the corner.
With a loud "thump!", Huang Fei landed squarely on a fleshy cushion, letting out a low "Ouch!" from his throat, a trembling sound tinged with pain, before squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth: "You brat!"
Upon hearing Chu Yang's scream, Fang Yi rushed out of the hall and arrived just in time to reach the stairs.
Huang Fei's first glance fell on He Yiqian, who was standing on top with a pale face. Then he turned his head and saw Fang Yi below with an anxious look on his face. He vaguely felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. When he came to his senses, he saw that Chu Yang was still being held tightly in his arms. His mind went blank. Oh no, this is his sister-in-law!
In his haste, Huang Fei casually threw Chu Yang out again, a move that stunned everyone.
Before Chu Yang could even catch his breath, he felt Huang Fei push him away again. His lower back slammed hard against the stair railing, his ankle twisted, and he felt a sharp pain as he fell sideways down the stairs.
"Damn it, I'm going to break a bone if I don't die from this fall. Damn the stairs, damn the skirt, damn Huang Fei!" Chu Yang cursed angrily, and could only place all his hopes on Fang Yi, stretching out his arm to reach Fang Yi.
The moment Fang Yi caught him, Chu Yang silently thanked God.
"How is it?" Fang Yi asked in a low voice.
Chu Yang's face was also somewhat pale, and he simply shook his head slightly.
The moment Huang Fei threw Chu Yang out, he regretted it, fearing that something might happen to Chu Yang and the boss would eat him alive. Seeing Fang Yi pick up Chu Yang, he hurriedly came over and asked, "Are you alright? What happened just now? What's your name?"
Chu Yang glanced at the people looking in their direction and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, I just saw a cockroach and screamed in fright. I'm really sorry."
Fang Yi smiled and turned to the group of people who had gathered around him, saying, "Little girls are so timid. A cockroach is enough to scare them like this."
Seeing that nothing was wrong, people smiled kindly and walked away. Some even saw Fang Yi looking nervous while holding Chu Yang and teased Fang Yi and Chu Yang a bit.
"Cockroaches?" Huang Fei looked puzzled. How could they possibly encounter cockroaches?
Fang Yi glanced at Huang Fei, then looked up at He Yiqian, who was standing at the top of the stairs with a pale face. His gaze turned cold, and a hint of sharpness and doubt crept in.
He Yiqian stood there stiffly, holding onto the stair railing. His gaze shifted from Chu Yang to Fang Yi, then back to Chu Yang. His lips were tightly pressed together, pale and bloodless.
"Hiss—" Chu Yang in his arms let out a low gasp. Fang Yi looked down at Chu Yang and saw that she was about to rub her left ankle, which was obviously swollen and much thicker than her slender right ankle.
"Don't move!" Fang Yi quickly whispered, "Try moving your feet and see if you can still move them."
Chu Yang grinned and endured the pain as he moved his left foot. Although it hurt a lot, he could still move it. It seemed that he had just twisted it and the bone should be fine.
Fang Yi breathed a sigh of relief, picked up Chu Yang, and headed out. Huang Fei glanced at He Yiqian hastily, not having time to say anything, and quickly followed Fang Yi out. After arriving at the hospital, seeing the doctor, and having X-rays taken, it was finally confirmed that it was just a sprain. Fang Yi was somewhat relieved, and his expression towards Huang Fei softened.
Huang Fei felt wronged and believed that the saying was true: "Once you have a wife, you forget your mother." If he could forget his mother, what about his brother?
"Brother, I really didn't mean to push this kid, ah, no, I mean sister-in-law, I didn't mean to push sister-in-law down!" Huang Fei said with a pained expression.
Fang Yi glanced at him, said nothing, and despite Chu Yang's objections, carried Chu Yang back to the car wrapped in his coat. Huang Fei, seeing this, hurriedly ran a few steps to open the back door so that Fang Yi could put Chu Yang in, and then took the initiative to be the driver.
"You two get out, I need to change my clothes!" Chu Yang suddenly said.
Fang Yi was taken aback, then realized that Chu Yang was afraid her family would find out about her affairs outside, especially about him. He frowned, turned his head and looked at Chu Yang silently, while Chu Yang met his gaze without showing any weakness.
Huang Fei peeked at the couple behind him in the rearview mirror, and could almost feel the crackling sound of their eyes colliding. Afraid that his boss would take his anger out on him again, he quickly lowered his head and pitifully drew circles on the steering wheel with his hand.
"Get out of the car!" Fang Yi shouted angrily at Huang Fei, and opened the car door and got out first. Huang Fei cried out in his heart that he was wronged, and hurriedly opened the car door and followed him out.