At the award ceremony, Tang Jingci used her strength to slap some people’s faces, especially Qiao Xiyan’s…

Because now, people were starting to question that his skills were not as good as Tang Jingci’s.

After the banquet ended, the school leaders invited the sponsors and judges to dinner. The host was the dean of the art school, so he naturally called Qiao Xiyan over.

Song Fengwan still had class the next day. Even though someone invited her to go with them, she declined. Just as she was about to walk out of the auditorium, Jiang Ershao rushed out from the side. “Miss Song.”

Song Fengwan nodded and smiled at him.

He just wanted to congratulate Song Fengwan. But facing her, his face flushed red, and he scratched his ears and cheeks, unable to say a word, looking very shy and innocent.

“What’s the matter?” Song Fengwan looked at him doubtfully.

“I… I…” Jiang Ershao stammered, his palms sweating in nervousness.

“Wanwan!” Hu Xinyue and Miao Yating, standing in front of them, called out to her.

“It’s nothing. You can go ahead.”

After Jiang Ershao finished speaking, he wished he could slap himself.

F*ck!

I’m such a disappointment.

Song Fengwan looked at his aggrieved and helpless expression and seemed to guess something. She smiled and said goodbye to him before turning around to leave.

Jiang Ershao stared at her departing back. Vexed, he pounded his chest and stamped his feet.

“She’s already far away. Why are you still looking?” The man waiting for him in the distance walked over.

“She’s really good-looking.” Jiang Ershao didn’t know what else to say.

“Do you just like her face?”

“Of course not. She’s my type on the outside and inside.”

“Unfortunately, she’s someone else’s, not yours.”

Jiang Ershao’s heart instantly turned cold. “You’re definitely not my biological brother.”

“I hope not.” The man snorted coldly. “I have to go to the company later, so I won’t be going to dinner with everyone.”

“It’s already half past nine. Why are you still going to the company?”

“It’s an emergency. Don’t drink too much.”

Jiang Ershao scratched his head. “I knew you still cared about me.”

“I’m afraid you’ll get drunk and be an embarrassment.” The man mercilessly burst his fantasy.

“F*ck, you… Argh—” Before Jiang Ershao could finish speaking, the man kicked him hard.

“Are you going to curse again?”

Jiang Ershao shut his mouth resentfully.

“When you turned eighteen, you invited a group of scoundrels to go out and have fun. In the middle of the night, if your friends hadn’t stopped you, you would have gone out naked.”

Jiang Ershao cursed in his heart.

“Do you want to walk around naked?!”

“Big Brother—” Jiang Ershao was really about to cry.

“I’m going back first.” With that, he left.

At this moment, everyone was leaving the auditorium, and there were many people at the various exits. When he went out, he happened to meet Song Fengwan, who was playing with her roommates. The three girls were huddled together and smiling exceptionally brightly.

Song Fengwan also saw him and smiled at him.

“Congratulations on winning the award,” he said frankly.

“Thank you.”

Then there was no more conversation. The feeling this person gave Song Fengwan was that he was refined, scholarly, restrained, and polite. He might be sizing Song Fengwan up, but his gaze didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. She really couldn’t imagine that he was actually Jiang Ershao’s biological brother.

***

On another side…

Jiang Ershao took Duan Linbai’s drive to a hotel. When they entered the private room, everyone was basically already here.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” Duan Linbai was still as showy as ever.

“You’re not late. Come and sit down.” Everyone beckoned Duan Linbai and Jiang Ershao to sit down.

Tang Jingci was sitting beside a female professor, at an oblique angle from Qiao Xiyan.

Qiao Xiyan leaned back in his chair. He was dressed casually today, and his expression was as cold as usual. The light in the private room was dim, covering him in a faint haze. Someone was talking to him, but the corners of his eyes were looking around. He looked casual, but his gaze kept landing on Tang Jingci.

She winked at him mischievously.

His cold facial features instantly became lively.

Qiao Xiyan rubbed his fingers slightly and had the urge to pounce on her.

Before drinking and eating, there were naturally all kinds of pleasantries. Tonight, Tang Jingci shone brightly, and everyone’s topics centered around her.

After everyone praised her craftsmanship, the female professor beside her changed the topic.

“Little Ci, are you in a relationship?”

Although many of the professors present were in their fifties or sixties, their children were young, and many of them were in university. They had gotten married relatively late. They weren’t in school now, so it was impossible for everyone to exchange academic knowledge. In the end, the topic revolved around her personal life.

Tang Jingci knew very well that some people here had connections with her father. She and Qiao Xiyan had planned to tell her father at the end of the year, so she couldn’t expose herself yet. She shook her head guiltily. “Not yet.”

“You have to hurry. Look at the many young talents present. Isn’t there anyone you like?”

There were some PhD students and a few young teachers from the art school present. The older ones were in their early thirties.

“There’s no hurry.” Tang Jingci felt increasingly guilty and didn’t dare to look at Qiao Xiyan.

“You can’t have this kind of mentality. It’s time for you to get into a relationship. How much of an age difference can you accept? My son graduates next year. Would you mind?”

Tang Jingci kept drinking water and glanced at Qiao Xiyan from the corner of her eye. A certain someone was staring at her with a smile in his eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She really couldn’t withstand these enthusiastic professors and directly went to the restroom.

“Hey, Big Brother, she and…” Jiang Ershao was dumbfounded. When he went to the Jing residence previously, he had seen Tang Jingci. She was Song Fengwan’s cousin-in-law. Moreover, her cousin was here. Weren’t these two a couple?

Song Fengwan had more than one cousin?

Just as he was about to say something, Duan Linbai kicked him hard under the table. “Speak less and eat more.”

“Okay.” Jiang Ershao coughed.

***

After Tang Jingci washed her face and came out, she saw Qiao Xiyan leaning against the wall and smoking.

He hadn’t completely quit smoking yet, and he was obviously waiting for her.

He had one hand in his pocket and the other hanging by his side. With a cigarette between his fingers, he raised his head slightly and stared straight ahead, puffing away. When he heard footsteps, he turned his head.

Under the hazy smoke, his black eyes became even deeper and brighter.

Tang Jingci walked out with wet hands. She took out a tissue from her bag and wiped her hands slowly.

When she passed by him…

Qiao Xiyan, who was leaning against the wall, leaned forward slightly. He stood up straight, reached out to hold her wrist, and pulled her back.

His palm was strong, dry, and warm. But her arm was cold and soft, and he felt as though he almost couldn’t hold back.

When Qiao Xiyan was young, he had held Song Fengwan’s hand and walked through the streets. At the time, he had felt that her hand was soft, but he didn’t think much of it. At this moment, he felt that Tang Jingci’s entire body was unbelievably soft…

It was so soft and tender that he wanted to take a bite.

“You’re smoking again?” Tang Jingci frowned.

With a cigarette in his mouth, Qiao Xiyan grabbed her hand and looked down at her.

He was lazy and even a little casual. Tang Jingci approached him slightly, took the cigarette from his mouth, and placed it on her lips.

She wanted to know what kind of magic this thing had.

She had never smoked before. So when she suddenly took a deep puff, she inhaled too hard, and the thick choking taste instantly filled her mouth, nose, and lungs. It made her cough violently, and her tears were about to flow out.

Qiao Xiyan smiled faintly and took the cigarette from her hand. He extinguished it in the trash can and reached out to support her waist while patting her back gently with his other hand.

Tang Jingci coughed violently. The flavor was too irritating. After a long time, she felt better.

“Are you feeling better?” Qiao Xiyan smiled.

“Yeah.” Tang Jingci’s eyes were watery.

Qiao Xiyan rubbed her hair and pressed her into his embrace. His voice was close to her ear. “You amazed me tonight…”

Actually, Tang Jingci had thought of many arguments to question him.

But after being rubbed and hugged by him, her body went limp, so she naturally couldn’t get angry.

“Many people want to know who has better skills between us.

“I want to know too. Why don’t we try another day?

“Since you didn’t shake the knife, why did I see you…” Qiao Xiyan’s fingers gently pinched her earlobe. His fingers were full of calluses, making her ear hurt a little.

Tang Jingci’s ears gradually turned red, and she didn’t say anything.

Qiao Xiyan whispered something into her ear, successfully making a certain someone’s entire body heat up.

After returning to the private room, Tang Jingci’s body temperature didn’t decrease, and her face was still red.

“Little Ci, are you alright?” the female professor beside her asked in concern.

“I’m fine.” Tang Jingci smiled bitterly and drank a glass of wine to calm herself down.

When this man first met me, he was clearly not like this. Why does he dare to say all kinds of flirtatious words now?

He actually said: When it comes to skills, we’ll only know who’s better after going to bed. Should we give it a try when we get home tonight?

He’s simply a hooligan.