Su Ze sat down beside Uesugi Akizuki and handed her the freshly delivered milk tea, already inserted with a straw.
Cang Yu sat across from the two, slightly surprised. "And this is…?"
Su Ze thought for a moment. "…My sister, Uesugi Akizuki. She's not much of a talker."
Cang Yu was a bit puzzled. "Your sister… with the last name Uesugi? She does seem to have some… Japanese features… Are you pulling my leg?"
You guessed right, Su Ze thought to himself. Straight men really are simple-minded. No wonder Cang Yu gets teased by Zhi Xu.
Su Ze smiled. "Oh, we're siblings by bond, not by blood."
"…Oh." Cang Yu pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized, looking utterly confused. "Siblings by bond, not by blood… but still siblings?"
His slow thinking amused Su Ze, who couldn't help but cover his mouth to stifle his laughter.
Seeing this, Cang Yu finally caught on. "You were definitely messing with me!"
Su Ze turned his head away, his white hair and body shaking with suppressed laughter.
Cang Yu didn't get angry; instead, he started laughing along, finding the situation a bit funny himself.
A phone rang. Su Ze pulled out his phone, seeing an unfamiliar number. He took a deep breath and stepped outside to answer.
"Su Ze." The voice on the other end was cold.
Su Ze's hair stood on end! He responded somewhat unnaturally, "Are you… the leader of the Uesugi Group, Uesugi Akizuki?"
"You're quick to react and think." Uesugi Akizuki praised. "How is my daughter, Akizuki?"
Su Ze gradually calmed down. "She's great, in every way."
"What do you mean, 'in every way'?" Uesugi Akizuki felt something was off. "Have you overstepped my warning?"
"Uh… You're misinterpreting me. What I mean is, she's very happy in her daily life. You don't need to worry about her being here with me."
"…Do you find her annoying?" Uesugi Akizuki began probing.
"How could I find her annoying? She's so cute and obedient. I treat her like a little sister to spoil." Su Ze smiled, and this was true.
"Just as a sister?" Uesugi Akizuki frowned. "Never thought about… taking it to another level?"
"No! Absolutely not! I recite the Diamond Sutra every day. My mind is already empty of worldly desires!" Su Ze quickly clarified, trying to save his own skin.
Uesugi Akizuki's expression grew more serious. Did he really not like Akizuki? Last time he sent her back so decisively. If he didn't like her… then why was she staying in his house without any formal arrangement?
Should he bring Akizuki back and cut off her thoughts early, to prevent her from falling deeper the longer she stayed with Su Ze?
And Su Ze, reciting the Diamond Sutra… was he about to become a monk?
If he became a monk, Akizuki would have even less of a chance.
…Forget it, let’s wait a while longer.
He had to go to Japan soon and wasn't sure when he'd return to Huaxia. If Su Ze still showed no emotional progress with Akizuki, he'd bring her back then, take her to Japan, and cut off her thoughts.
After a moment of silence, Uesugi Akizuki said, "My other daughter, Uesugi Chigenki, you know her. She's coming to Huaxia University to study. She'll be at the school gate soon. Go pick her up, and take care of her living arrangements and everything else."
Su Ze was about to say something when the call ended with a dial tone.
Su Ze was dumbfounded. Uesugi Chigenki was also coming to study? Huaxia University's backdoor must be worn out!
He had worked so hard to pass multiple courses, self-taught eight languages, yet it wasn't as effective as a single phone call!
Was this the power of capital?
Su Ze returned dejectedly to the milk tea shop and told the little cutie who was sipping her milk tea, "Let's go, your sister is also coming to study here. We need to go pick her up now."
Hearing this, the little cutie's eyes lit up and she nearly jumped out of her seat, grabbing Su Ze's hand and pulling him to leave.
"Good boy," Su Ze teased, patting Cang Yu's shoulder. "Come along, too."
"What… good boy?" Cang Yu's mouth twitched, but he followed Su Ze and the two.
As they walked, Su Ze pondered and made a phone call.
"What's up?" Meng Xingyao's lazy voice came through, as if she was stretching.
"A new student has arrived at our school, a pretty junior. I thought you might be interested." Su Ze's words carried a hidden meaning.
"No thanks~"
Meng Xingyao's voice remained lazy. "I've realized that I can't keep messing with other girls. They have their own lives and will have boys they like. I can't do such a despicable thing."
"Such resentment. Seems like she came to see you yesterday."
“Yeah.” Meng Xingyao was feeling depressed.
"Well, since you're not interested, I'll arrange for Uesugi Chigenki's dorm to be close to ours, so it's easier to take care of her."
Meng Xingyao frowned. "Put her in my dorm. I'll take care of her! Where are you now?"
"Weren't you saying you won't mess with the girl?" Su Ze chuckled.
Meng Xingyao's brow furrowed, and she said seriously, "For the sake of the country, I must nurture talent!"
"That's quite a leap in perspective." Su Ze marveled.
Meng Xingyao, along with Gu Qingqing and others, soon caught up with Su Ze and the others who were on their way.
"Hey! Little darling!"
Cang Yu was chatting with Su Ze when suddenly a pair of hands hugged him from behind. He was startled and turned to see his girlfriend peeking out, grinning.
"Gotcha! Carry me now."
Zhi Xu cupped his cheeks and pinched them.
Cang Yu had long gotten used to his girlfriend's playful antics. He turned and lifted her onto his back. As he subconsciously looked around, he noticed that Su Ze had moved quite far away.
"Darling, darling." Zhi Xu's arms wrapped around his shoulders, poking his chest with her fingers.
"What is it?" Cang Yu asked.
"Do you know what makes a good boyfriend?" Zhi Xu asked mysteriously.
"What?"
"Not leaving me, silly." Zhi Xu laughed, pinching his earlobe. "Do you love me?"
"I do." Cang Yu dutifully answered his girlfriend's question, day after day.
"Here's your reward." A lollipop was handed to his mouth.
Cang Yu instinctively took it, then paused: "You've already eaten this, haven't you?"
"Yes!" Zhi Xu held the stick, not letting him spit it out.
In the conference room, Li Zhenlong, a high-ranking leader of the country, looked at the documents from the Huaxia Central Research Institute in his hand, his brow deeply furrowed. His gaze swept across the four commanders of the Huaxia organization seated at the conference table.
Li Zhenlong said, "The Central Research Institute has come to a conclusion. There's a high probability of a long night occurring within ten days."
"This is the enemy's usual invasion method."
"They believe the long night is caused by a spatial gate named the 'Realm of the Qiongnu,' which opened five days ago on the moon. The ruling species inside, the Qiongnu, are responsible."
"According to the data, they can cause the long night, but how they do it is unknown."
"But it's certain that their goal is to invade Huaxia."
"Gentlemen, any thoughts or suggestions?"