Soon after the dishes were served, Zhang Zhen pulled out his chair and stood up.
Jiaobai called him in confusion, speaking incoherently: "Brother, where are you going?"
Zhang Zhen pushed the chair back: "Go downstairs."
Jiaobai swallowed the food in his mouth: "You don't want to eat here?"
"I'm going to talk to my brothers about something." Zhang Zhen hurried towards the exit, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to be a light bulb.
Downstairs, a group of Qi family bodyguards sat on tall lemons, drinking, eating and watching TV.
When everyone heard the sound of someone coming down the stairs, they all looked over, and then without surprise, they stretched out their hands and beckoned, "Come on, Brother Zhen, the seat is reserved for you."
Zhang Zhen sat over and a glass of cold beer was stuffed into his hand. He threw it aside and said, "I'm driving, I don't want to drink."
"Just drink it. If there are people who don't drink alcohol, just let them open the door." Qi Er nodded in the direction of the restaurant entrance.
Zhang Zhen moved his gaze over and looked back at Qi Huai, who was standing at the door looking at the busy traffic.
The two of them exchanged glances and looked away. One of them was a scholar, who had just finished his studies and was well-educated, and was valued by the master of the family. The other was a martial artist, who had only studied for a few years and grew up with the master of the family, so they had no common topics.
"Brother Zhen, did Master Qi ask you to book a room?" a brother burped.
Zhang Zhen's mind was still confused: "What room do you want to book?"
The brothers winked at each other ambiguously.
The peanuts on Zhang Zhen's chopsticks shook and rolled onto the table: "Get lost, my Baibai is still young."
He was influenced by his brother and would occasionally swear, but the tone was almost the same.
Qi Er talked about the scene where Bai Shao picked flowers for Qi Ye, mixed with a lot of his imagination. After he finished speaking, he patted the eldest brother on the shoulder and said, "You can't keep your son when he grows up, Brother Zhen."
"Yes, yes." The people at the table were already thinking about how much money they had in their cards and how much red envelopes they could give.
Zhang Zhen glared and said, "Eat yours."
Everybody was laughing and joking, not being serious at all, and when they were not doing anything, they were just like half-grown children.
"Well," Zhang Zhen ate some peanuts, "did you guys check the internet for the wedding news of the prince of the Cen family?"
The noise at the table paused for a moment, and the brothers began to talk at once.
"Why didn't you see it? There are all kinds of push notifications today."
"Me too. It's there as soon as I turn on my phone. It's hard not to see it."
“It’s a huge noise.”
"I didn't expect that the prince likes a little loli with a low IQ. I really didn't expect it."
"… "
"I feel like I've seen the future wife of the Cen family before somewhere." Zhang Zhen slowed down his speech, "Do you have that feeling?"
Everyone shook their heads and said no.
Before Zhang Zhen could say anything, Qi Er grabbed a spoonful of beef stew for him and said, "Brother Zhen, eat some vegetables."
There were only Jiao Bai and Qi Yiliao occupying the entire top floor, and the waiters had all left.
It was Jiaobai's first time to dine in an open-air restaurant. His mind wandered from one moment to the starry sky, from the bright spots of the skyscrapers, to the candlelight, and he could not calm down at all.
"Third brother, although Li Jue has become Wang Yu, he just dressed up as a woman. His face is still the same. He didn't have any plastic surgery." Jiao Bai tried to find a topic in the overly beautiful atmosphere. "If my brother sees someone, he will definitely..."
Qi Yiliao cut the steak elegantly: "His condition has improved. He will be fine if he pays attention."
Jiaobai thought, that's right. It's much better now than a few months ago.
"Then will you attend the wedding?" Jiaobai dropped his knife and fork, leaned forward with his hand on the napkin on his lap, his eyes sparkling, hinting not to be too obvious.
Qi Yiliao put a steak into his mouth and chewed it slowly: "Logically, I should be present."
Jiaobai waited for a long time and said impatiently: "I will go with you?"
Qi Yiliao raised his eyelids.
Jiaobai suddenly took a breath. The man in front of him looked at him with a look of sadness and regret, which disappeared in an instant. It was like an illusion.
As for the cat, it hasn't opened its eyes for a long time.
Jiaobai firmly believed that it was not dead, but just fell asleep. When its master's emotions fluctuated greatly, it would definitely react.
I don’t know when it started, but Qi Yilao’s activity level kept rising and stopped at 49.9.
When other friends' activity reached that number, Jiaobai would think about the opportunity to break 50. When it came to Qi Yiliao, Jiaobai didn't think about it. He subconsciously avoided it and didn't want to calculate what kind of bloody events would happen.
But if he doesn't plan and actively strive for opportunities, big and small, how can he complete the task
After all the hard work, only two of the eight goals were left to be accomplished. Victory was within reach.
After completing the task, no matter what happens next, it will be a new starting point.
Jiaobai's contradiction is sometimes strong and sometimes weak. When it is weak, he will ignore it, live his life peacefully, and think about the progress of his other friend. Once the contradiction becomes strong, he will become very annoyed.
For example, now.
Jiaobai grabbed the napkin and put it on the table: "I don't want to eat anymore."
"Eat more." Qi Yiliao nodded, "Otherwise you'll be hungry at night."
"I ate it all, but I was still hungry at night." Jiaobai curled his lips, "Western food is not about the amount of food, but about the atmosphere filled with money."
Qi Yiliao jokingly asked, "What kind of atmosphere are you eating in?"
Jiaobai looked at him: "What do you think?"
There was a smile in the corner of Qi Yilao's eyes, and his gaze at him was gentle and deep.
Jiaobai stood up: "I'm going to the bathroom."
As soon as the young man left, Qi Yiliao put his fork aside, picked up the napkin, slowly wiped the oil stains on the corner of his lips, picked up the wine glass and took a sip of wine.
The next moment, Qi Yiliao covered his lips with the clean part of the napkin and coughed a few times.
The napkin was crumpled into a ball by him, and there was a spot of bright red blood seeping out.
On summer nights, there are so many people walking that their toes touch their heels.
Jiaobai and Qi Yilao were strolling on a quiet street.
Qi Huai drove the car a few meters away. Among all the people, he was the only one who didn't drink a drop of alcohol. The task of sending the two masters back to Lan Mo Mansion fell on his shoulders.
"You haven't agreed to what I asked you at the restaurant." Jiaobai quickened his pace and walked to the front. He turned around and looked at Qi Yilao while looking back.
Qi Yiliao seemed to be thinking about some official business, and was rarely distracted: "Hmm?"
Jiaobai stopped and waited for Qi Yiliao to walk towards him, then he repeated the question about the restaurant.
"Go if you want to." Qi Yiliao pinched Jiaobai's neck and turned him over. His big hand fell on his back and pushed him forward. "If you go, don't put on a sour face when others approach you to please you and ask about your relationship with me."
Wild rice: “…”
"I just said it casually?" Jiaobai wanted to look back, but his neck was pinched and he was forced to move forward.
Qi Yiliao whispered in his ear: "It's up to you."
Jiaobai walked for a while and found that the strength on his neck weakened. The temperature of the fingers pinching his flesh began to cool down. He was sweating. He turned his head and asked, "What's wrong?"
Qi Yiliao's chest rested against his back, and the breath in his throat was a little heavy and rapid: "Uncle is tired, let's find a place to rest for a while."
Jiaobai looked around and didn't see any benches, so he simply pulled Qi Yilao to sit down on the lawn by the roadside.
Below is a lake, and the moon is bathing in the water, sparkling.
Jiaobai lay down, resting his head on the green quilt, and tugged at Qi Yiliao's gray shirt: "How do you feel now?"
"It's okay. I've been working overtime recently and I'm a little tired." Qi Yilao rubbed his forehead.
"Is the company so busy?" Jiaobai didn't understand.
Qi Yiliao smiled and sighed, his voice so low that it could not be heard: "Time is running out."
The sound of a tricycle came from an old man selling popsicles. Jiaobai then remembered that there was a scenic spot not far away and a temple on the mountain.
"You want some popsicles?" Qi Yiliao lowered his head and looked at him for a long time. "Get up and buy some."
I don't really want to eat wild rice stem.
"Go ahead." Qi Yiliao said hoarsely, "Buy me one too. I've never had a popsicle in my life, I want to try something new."
The wild rice stem is gone.
The old man's tricycle was parked on the side of the road. He only sold one kind of popsicles, the old-fashioned ones that cost one yuan each.
Jiao Bai scanned the QR code to pay, and halfway through entering the password, he felt uneasy for no reason. Then, a terrible uneasiness rushed into his heart, and he turned around and ran.
The old man hurriedly shouted: "Young man, you haven't got your popsicle yet."
"No more!" Jiaobai returned the same way under the witness of Qi Huai. There was no trace of Qi Yiliao on the lawn. He was lying by the lake below, motionless.
The brain of the wild rice was congested: "Qi Yi Liao!"
He rushed down the slope, lost his balance and fell beside Qi Yiliao, with a mouthful of grass and mud in his mouth.
Everything that happened afterwards was very confusing, until he was standing in the cold white corridor of the research institute and Dean Qi slapped him. Only then did he regain consciousness and reflexively avoid it.
At the same time, Zhang Zhen also stopped Dean Qi's hand. The smell of alcohol in his mouth was suppressed by the murderous aura around him. His other hand was clenched into a fist, and veins bulged on the back of his hand.
Dean Qi broke free from Kai Zhangzhen's grip and shouted to the person standing behind her: "Xiao Huai, come with me!"
Qi Huai's clothes were a little messy, which happened when he was helping Jiao Bai to rescue the chairman. At this time, he heard Dean Qi calling him and followed him without saying anything.
The茭白 lowered its head and picked the mud from its fingernails.
Zhang Zhen hugged him tightly, "How's Third Brother's health... Last year, when you were imprisoned by Shen Ji, Third Brother fainted twice. Each time, he was sent to the Research Institute for treatment in time. Later, you were saved. He vomited blood, and Dean Qi prescribed him a lot of medicine. He hasn't had that kind of condition in the past six months. I thought the medicine he took was useful..."
The incoherent voice suddenly stopped. Zhang Zhen's breathing was tense. Was it not the first time that his third brother fainted this year? He had fainted before, but not in front of him.
Jiao Bai's shoulder was scratched so hard by Zhang Zhen that it hurt. His whole body was shaking, not because of the pain, but because of anger.
"Brother, why didn't you tell me that he vomited blood?" Jiaobai asked.
Zhang Zhen avoided her gaze: "I was afraid you would worry."
"So I'm like an idiot now, not on guard at all!" Jiao Bai's eyelids suddenly twitched. He was on guard. From a certain perspective, he might know Qi Yilao's situation better than anyone else in the world.
Beneath Qi Yilao's gentle and elegant appearance, there was a trapped, bloody and cold body.
"Karen..." Jiaobai touched his pocket, his phone fell somewhere in the car, he grabbed Zhang Zhen's arm, "Contact Karen quickly!"
Zhang Zhen was startled and quickly called Karen.
Jiaobai discovered something and his face turned livid. Qi Yiliao's head was getting whiter, and Jiaobai gritted his teeth to prevent himself from cursing.
The cat still looks the same.
Jiaobai said in his heart, Cat, be strong, I haven't untied the thin wire for you yet, give me a chance.
The cat did not wag its tail, did not open its eyes, and did not ask him for help.
Jiaobai was wiping his face against the wall, his disordered breath filled with the smell of earth. This was the avatar of his third friend with a white line.
The first one is Qi Zizhi, he only has an extra white circle and no flowers.
The second one is Li Jue, who was half hooked by Bai Hua. Jiao Bai was panicked at that time, knowing that Li Jue would not die because of the protagonist's aura, and would only trick him, but he still rushed to the mountain. It was Zhang Zhen who stopped him, and the dog blood happened anyway.
This time it was Qi Yilao's turn. Jiaobai couldn't tell what he was feeling, he couldn't describe it. He thought a lot, but it seemed like he was thinking of nothing, and he forgot where he was.
Karen didn't come, but Qi's lawyer came with a thick stack of documents.
The lawyer walked towards Jiaobai. At that moment, some old plot rushed into Jiaobai's mind. At the same time, a piercing cold touch pierced into the center of his head, instantly climbed up the back of his head, and flowed to his shoulders. His whole body was cold and he couldn't stand up.
The lawyer stopped in front of Jiaobai and called out politely, "Hello, Mr. Bai."
Wild rice is white and expressionless.
The door of one of the rooms in the corridor opened, and Dean Qi walked out quickly: "Lawyer Zhou, why are you here?" She wanted to know why the research institute let a lawyer in without notifying her.
Lawyer Zhou did not answer. His boss had informed the research institute and would let him in at some point.
Now is that time.
At this moment, there were quick and frequent footsteps at one end of the corridor, and all the executives of Qi Corporation appeared here. An hour ago, they received an email from the chairman.
No wonder the company has been working overtime frequently during this period, and no wonder the chairman was so anxious to decide on the company's major projects this year, to launch them all in a hurry, and to avoid major risks.
The chairman is paving the way for the person he chooses. Only when the way is paved can he feel at ease.
Jiaobai looked at the executives, his head was spinning and he didn't want to say a word. He had eaten a lot of dog blood before, thick and thin, with all kinds of flavors, but for this one, he just wanted to shut up and not touch it at all.
Soon, in the nearby room, Lawyer Zhou took out the documents one by one. He opened and closed his lips, and a huge amount of wealth popped out.
This is Qi Yilao's will.
All of it was for茭白, and everything was left to him.
Jiaobai flipped through the documents quickly. He flipped through several copies in a row, pinched the paper in his hand, and threw it to the ground the next second: "The name is my name, but I have no... "
Jiao Bai didn't say anything else. He realized a fact from Lawyer Zhou's eyes: no matter under what circumstances his name was signed, he must be the heir of this will.
Jiao Bai didn't have time to think about which night Qi Yiliao grabbed his hand to sign while he was asleep, or which nights. He glared at Lawyer Zhou and the executives: "You are just employees. I won't fight with you. I just want to know what to do now."
"What the chairman means is that before he wakes up, you, Mr. Bai, will help him look after the company." The fat uncle spoke on behalf of everyone, relying on the fact that he had sat with the future chairman's wife.
"How can I help?" Jiaobai wanted to smile, but his mouth was too heavy to open. "You know, I was a college entrance examination candidate last year, right?"
"The company has already finished its busy schedule. It will not be busy from now on. There are no urgent matters unless nothing unexpected happens." said the fat uncle.
Jiaobai thought of Qi Yilao's continuous overtime work, he took a deep breath and controlled his emotions.
"When the document needs to be signed, Mr. Bai can directly stamp it with the chairman's seal." The fat uncle added under the guidance of his colleagues' eyes.
Jiaobai stood in the light, his face turning pale: "Seal? I don't know where it is."
"It's usually in the chairman's safe. As for the password..."
Jiaobai shook his head: "He never told me."
The fat uncle didn't believe it: "Why don't you go to Qi's and give it a try?"
Jiao Bai suspected that it was also a dual authentication of iris and fingerprint, and he stopped talking immediately. I don't know how much Qi Yiliao, that old man, has planned.
"Won't it arouse suspicion if every document is stamped?" Jiaobai glanced at the elites who were all staring at him.
This time another executive spoke up: "It would be best if you could imitate the chairman's handwriting so that ordinary people can't tell."
Just as Jiaobai was about to say that he couldn't do it, a picture of him and Qi Yiliao carving characters together flashed before his eyes. He knew Qi Yiliao's handwriting too well and had imitated it unconsciously. Qi Yiliao had also taught him how to write.
He sat down on the chair.
"Unless it's absolutely necessary, it's best not to imitate handwriting. It's illegal and will cause trouble in the future." Lawyer Zhou, who was sorting out the documents, interrupted.
Jiaobai chuckled: "Why is the scene getting bigger and bigger? Your boss might wake up soon."
"The chairman has woken up, and everyone is happy. We have to prepare for the worst." The fat uncle swallowed his saliva under Jiao Bai's sharp eyes, "Mr. Bai, last year Shen released a lot of unfavorable reports about the Qi family, and the Qi family suffered a lot because of this. We can't let it be traumatized again."
The wild rice plant doesn't speak.
Zhang Zhen pushed the door open and came in, followed by Qi Huai. They had argued outside and the former's face turned red and the latter's eyeglasses were broken.
"The only male member of the Qi family is the third brother. Dean Qi doesn't do business, and the third brother's aunt doesn't understand it." Zhang Zhen held his brother's thin shoulders and his voice was dry. Qi Huai analyzed the situation for him. He took a few pills before he recovered. "There are some good people in the side branches, but they are difficult to take on major responsibilities."
Jiaobai pointed at Qi Huai: "He can do it."
Qi Huai took off his broken glasses and raised his thin eyelids: "I can't do it."
Jiaobai glared at him and said, "That's enough for me. Others are crazy, so you're going to follow them?"
Qi Huai bent down: "I will assist you."
Jiaobai suddenly had an inspiration, and Qi Huai was also arranged by Qi Yilao.
Damn it!
"Are you done talking?" Dean Qi's cold voice came from outside the door.
Jiaobai thought that the lady didn't like him and would definitely not agree with their approach.
Unexpectedly, when Dean Qi came in, he said, "Last year, Shen's released some news about the health problems of the Qi family's patriarch, some true and some false. Later, news came out that he fainted during a social event. There have been rumors for a long time, and this time we can't hide it. It's better to take the initiative to release the news and seize the initiative.
"Tell the public that he was injured and needs to rest. Do not attend any events for the time being." Dean Qi stroked his short hair, which almost revealed his green scalp, and turned his face to Jiao Bai, "You pretend to be him to handle the company's affairs."
Dean Qi took out a few photos from his white coat and said, "These are the children that your chairman has selected this year to be trained as successors. The candidates have not been determined yet, and these children are all in class."
"You should spread the news that Qi Group already has an heir to let the outside world know that even if the chairman is sick, Qi Group is still in good shape." She pressed the photo on the table, and every word was clear.
Jiaobai rubbed the back of Bingbing's neck. Zhou Lanlan's mother was indeed a member of the Qi family and the head of a hospital. Even at this time, her mind was still so clear.
"The first thing we need to deal with right now is the Cen family's wedding banquet next week." Dean Qi's face was tense. "It's too grand, and the outside world is watching. The Qi family must attend. Even if the chairman is recovering from an injury, we will send someone over."
She looked at the wild rice stem and estimated the price of the goods to be average. She looked down on them but had to use them, so she could only make do with them for the time being: "Zhang Zhen and Xiao Huai will accompany you to get through this hurdle of the Cen family."
Jiao Bai felt his spine scraped by Dean Qi's gaze. He smiled with a fake smile: "What's the reason for me to go there?"
The fat uncle's voice rang out from the executives' team: "Future Madam Qi?"
Jiaobai squinted: "Who would believe it?"
No one, including Zhang Zhen, said a word.
No one disbelieves it; it was a recognized fact in the circle last year.
The room suddenly became quiet, so quiet that it was hard to breathe. Jiao Bai grabbed Zhang Zhen's arm and stood up with his help: "Dean Qi, I want to go in and see my third brother."
Dean Qi stared at the茭白.
"What? I can't even watch it?" Jiao Bai mocked, "Then why do you want me to take care of Qi family?"
Dean Qi took off his glasses and pinched his swollen eyelids: "One minute."
"What can I do in one minute? I can barely say a few words." Jiaobai said, "It's not a prison visit. Don't limit me by the time limit. I'll be out after I see him."
Dean Qi wanted to throw the glasses at him, but she was afraid of the half-crazy person next to the young man, so she endured it.
Amidst a pile of blindingly white unfamiliar instruments, Qi Yiliao lay flat on the hospital bed. Apart from the bloodless face and purple bruises on his forehead from falling down the slope, there was nothing else unusual about him. It was as if he had been tired for a long time and finally fell asleep.
"Old pervert."
Jiaobai stood in front of the bed, his limbs trembling. The temperature here was too low, even lower than the ward he stayed in last year. He rubbed his stiff fingers and said, "Don't force yourself to wake up this time. Take good care of yourself."
"Even if I have something else to do, don't wake up." Jiaobai said, "I can handle it myself, don't worry about me, don't worry about it."
"Your second sister, lawyer secretary, trusted subordinates, all of them pushed the duck to the shelf, and I am the duck." Jiaobai paused, "No, it's not them who pushed the duck, it's you who pushed the duck."
"Since you have prepared so much, I will carry it for you for a while." Jiaobai snorted.
"Live longer, you old pervert."
"That night in the cemetery, didn't you deliberately let me touch the metal cage and lead me to discover your biggest secret, so that I would be forced to share your pain? You dragged me into the water, and I'm still soaking in the water. Think about me."
"… "
"Shit, it's cold."
"… "
"My phone is in the car, and my keys are still in the car. I'll go get my phone back later."
"…" "Hold on, we'll play games again. You always say next time. Play when you wake up. I have a secret to tell you."
"I have a secret. I thought about it and now I will tell you."
"Although it's not a secret to you."
There was only the intermittent sound of茭白 in front of the bed. He was so cold that his teeth were chattering, his voice was trembling, and ice was formed on his eyebrows.
Dean Qi didn't tell him that the temperature inside was so low. The researchers would definitely wear special clothes when they came in.
"Old pervert," Jiaobai bent down and placed his frozen black hands on Qi Yiliao's heart, feeling the faint rise and fall, "I know you like me."
"I like you, too." He hummed, "Just like you like me."
Jiaobai's cold lips moved closer, like a child playing house, clumsily pressing on Qi Yiliao's lips and licking them: "I like you."
The ups and downs of his hands are gone.
Qi Yiliao's heart stopped beating.
At that moment, an electronic reminder sounded in Jiaobai's mind.
Congratulations to player Jiaobai, the activity level of your seventh friend has exceeded 50. Victory is closer to you, keep going!