Pei Jishen · Chat

It's three in the afternoon, and the sun is just right. Your brother has rented out an entire mountain manor, covering the slopes with red roses. The floral team started setting up three days ago. At the entrance is an arch made of 99,999 flowers. Halfway up the mountain, the name "Jiang Tian" is spelled out in white petals. The mountaintop observation deck is equipped with lights and speakers, turning the entire manor into the site of a grand confession ceremony. The media has arrived. Over twenty entertainment platforms, a dozen live-streaming teams, and hundreds of reporters with their cameras are stationed in the media area at the foot of the mountain, waiting to record this high-society public confession. Jiang Tian, wearing a white dress and light makeup, stands waiting on the observation deck. She has already rehearsed the script with her team—after your brother's public confession, she will take the microphone, her eyes slightly red, and reject him, saying, "I'm sorry, I don't want to rely on anyone, I want to reach my destination on my own," then she'll turn and walk down the mountain, leaving behind the beautiful image of a clear-headed, independent woman. Instant fame, perfect. And your brother is currently standing under the floral arch halfway up the mountain, holding a bouquet of Ecuadorian red roses, facing a live camera, preparing to say the lines he's been practicing all day. Ji Lin is nearby with his phone, coordinating the event, whispering a reminder that the live stream has over three million viewers and he can begin. Your brother takes a deep breath, adjusts his gold-rimmed glasses, and puts on his signature gentle smile. Just as he's about to step out from backstage—his phone vibrates. It's a video call from you. He intended to hang up, but seeing your name, he hesitates for half a second—after all, he really has been ignoring you lately because of Jiang Tian, so answering his sister's call before the public confession feels like a form of compensation. He hits answer, holding the phone next to the bouquet, and subconsciously straightens his tie. "What is it? I'm busy—" The screen lights up. In the video, you're crouching in your walk-in closet, the camera close to your face. Your eyes are curved, smiling like a little fox that just stole a chicken, as you call out "Brother" in a sweet, drawn-out tone. Your brother freezes, sensing something is off—the last time you called him "Brother" so cutely was when you were seven and wanted him to buy you a pony. He urges you to speak quickly, as the live stream is waiting. Then you tell him that Pei Jishen invited you to the Kimberly Hotel and you're just reporting in. Your brother's expression freezes, and he demands to know who you're talking about. You repeat Pei Jishen's name as if it's the most natural thing in the world, then turn the camera around— The screen shows your messy king-sized bed, covered in a pile of items. Beautifully wrapped gift boxes are scattered everywhere, some half-opened, some still sealed, creating a massive visual impact. You tilt your head with a sweet smile and tell him that "Brother Jishen" gave you all these things and asked you to meet him at the hotel. Your tone is light and proud, like you're showing off some incredible spoils of war. There's also a box of... items, of course, that you bought online yourself, specifically choosing expensive ones with nice packaging, spilling a few out onto the bed just to make your brother's blood pressure spike. But your brother doesn't know that; he only sees the bed full of things and his sister's smiling face. Before he can react, you say "Bye-bye" with a smile and hang up. Your brother stands in the middle of the vast sea of roses, his mind blank for a full five seconds. Ji Lin approaches, watching his boss's face turn from white to red, red to green, and green to purple, and takes a step back in fear. Without a word of explanation, your brother shoves the bouquet into Ji Lin's arms and bolts toward his car, his steps fast and urgent. Ji Lin stands there stunned, holding the roses, with the confused media and a forced-smiling Jiang Tian behind him. The scene is absolute chaos. He rushes to the parking lot, his hands shaking as he closes the car door and tells the driver to go home. While speeding back, he pulls out his phone and finds Pei Jishen's number, his finger practically stabbing the screen—Video Call. Meanwhile, at the Kimberly Hotel, Lincheng. Pei Jishen has just flown back from Europe. After a flight of over ten hours, his head is throbbing from jet lag. He just finished showering and is wearing only a bathrobe. Droplets of water still cling to his hair, rolling down his collarbone and along the muscular lines of his chest and abdomen, giving him a damp, post-shower heat. As he pulls a towel to dry his hair, the phone on the nightstand lights up. The caller ID shows your brother's name. Pei Jishen frowns at the call—this man never makes private video calls unless it's for business, so he answers. The moment the call connects, before he can even speak— "Pei Jishen, you mother—!!" A roar erupts from the phone. Pei Jishen's eyebrow twitches, and he moves the phone ten centimeters away. On the screen is your brother's face, with a background of a fast-moving highway, clearly calling from a car. His face is flushed red, veins nearly popping out, as he launches into a rapid-fire interrogation: "Tell me exactly what you did to my sister! How dare you invite her to a hotel! You old bastard, to a girl like her—are you—" Pei Jishen listens to this string of illogical questions expressionlessly, not even lifting an eyelid. With the towel draped over his shoulder, his voice is as cold as an ice pick: "Are you drunk?" "Who the hell is drunk! I saw all those filthy things! Why did you invite her to a hotel? What are you trying to do?! I'm telling you, Pei Jishen, if you dare touch a single hair on her head..." “If you're sick, find a doctor. Don't throw a tantrum at me.” Pei Jishen's patience has run out. He looks down at the raging man on the screen for two seconds, presses the end call button with his thumb, and the screen goes dark. Silence returns to the room. He tosses the phone back onto the bed and knits his brows. “That little girl 你... is she in trouble for dating early and trying to use me as a shield?” Meanwhile, you're humming a tune as you leisurely get up, putting the gifts back in their places and stuffing that small box of items into the deepest corner of the closet. You smooth out the bedsheets, hiding what needs to be hidden and tidying what needs to be tidied, then sit down calmly on the bedroom sofa to wait for your brother to return. But arriving before your brother is a video call from Pei Jishen. His voice is slightly raspy, carrying a hint of helplessness: “Little girl, what kind of mischief are you up to now, hmm?”