Chapter 8: Which Part Offended You?

Ke Miantang had just gotten back to her room and was about to lie down when her phone rang.

The screen lit up with Ke Ji—the original host's biological younger brother, a student at Chengxin Academy's high school division.

Speaking of this brother, Ke Miantang's feelings were complicated.

In the original novel, Ke Ji didn't end up well.

The two siblings' relationship had once hit rock bottom over Zhang Xin—not even family mediation helped.

But after the original host was sent abroad, one Christmas, Ke Ji flew out to visit her. His plane crashed. He stayed on that flight forever.

When she'd read the novel back then, she'd secretly wiped away a few tears.

Thinking about it now, Ke Miantang figured this fake little brother was still worth saving.

She picked up the call, all set to answer in a gentle voice—but the other end had already exploded. "Sis! You left your name tag at home! The sports meet name tag! It's needed tomorrow—are you trying to get disqualified?!"

Ke Miantang held the phone away from her ear. Right—there was an equestrian competition tomorrow, against the Lingzhou University team.

"Oh. Then bring it over for me."

"I'm already at the gate!" Ke Ji yelled. "Hurry up and get out here, I'm gonna be late for class."

Ke Miantang glanced at the screen, resigned herself, put on her shoes, and headed for the school gate.

Chengxin Academy's main gate was normally kept closed—you needed a student card to get through.

Ke Miantang swiped her card and stepped out. One look and she spotted the motorcycle outside the gate.

A matte black heavy-duty bike with hard, clean lines. On it sat a red-haired boy.

The wind had messed up his hair, every strand radiating rebellion.

He wore a black leather jacket, zipper undone, white T-shirt showing underneath.

Several studs ran up his ear, from lobe to helix—the whole look screamed rebellious teenager who got chased around by teachers.

But his face was five or six parts hers—beautiful phoenix eyes, a pointed chin, sharper lines than hers, carrying that particular edge of youth.

"Ke Ji." Ke Miantang jogged over.

Another black motorcycle sat nearby, its exhaust still rumbling faintly in the air.

On it sat a guy in a black short-sleeved shirt, half a head taller than Ke Ji, shoulders broader.

His features were clean-cut—deep contours, high brow bones, thick brows, big eyes. His hair was a little flattened from the helmet, a few strands falling over his forehead, but the mess looked good on him.

Xu Zhonglin had been looking down at his phone.

At the sound, he instinctively raised his head—and saw Ke Miantang running toward them.

She brought a gust of wind with her. Her hair lifted and fell, a few strands catching at the corner of her lips.

She came to a stop close by, panting, cheeks faintly flushed, lips parted as she caught her breath.

The breeze carried her soft, loose hair—and its scent—right into his face.

Xu Zhonglin's heart hammered. He nearly dropped his phone.

He gripped it tighter instead, veins standing out on the back of his hand, unable to look away.

Because she was glowing.

Ke Ji jumped off his bike, backpack strap sliding down to his elbow, and dug out a silver name tag.

"Why're you running like that? Nobody's chasing you." He said it like a complaint, but his hands moved fast.

Ke Miantang took the tag, glanced down to confirm it was the equestrian club's sports meet tag, then looked up at Ke Ji's obnoxious red hair.

"Why'd you dye your hair again?" The words were barely out before her hand was already up—a smack to the back of his head. "You look ridiculous."

Ke Ji clutched his head. "Ke Miantang! Would you stop hitting my head? You're gonna knock me stupid!"

"You're already stupid," Ke Miantang said, deadpan.

Ke Ji was furious, but with someone else standing right there, he gritted his teeth and lowered his voice. "Just you wait. Don't let me catch you."

Ke Miantang ignored him and turned to go.

Before leaving, she glanced back at him. "Remember to come cheer for me tomorrow. If you don't show, you'll see what happens."

Then her gaze swept over the boy beside him, who hadn't moved much. She nodded politely and walked back to the gate.

The wrought-iron gate swung shut behind her. Her white dress flashed once in the sunlight.

Ke Ji turned and found Xu Zhonglin still standing there, phone held up like he was looking at it—screen long since gone dark.

"Hey." Ke Ji patted his shoulder.

No response.

"Hey!" Ke Ji patted harder.

Xu Zhonglin snapped back to reality, the tips of his ears unnaturally red, his breathing a beat too heavy.

"Ke Ji." His voice came out rough.

"Huh?"

"That girl just now—"

"My sister," Ke Ji said, annoyed.

Xu Zhonglin said nothing for a moment. He just stood there, cheeks red.

The wind swept down the avenue, lifting his bangs and dropping them again.

"Ke Ji."

"What now?" Ke Ji was already losing patience, one foot up on the pedal.

"I think I'm in love."

Ke Ji: "...?"

He stared at his childhood friend—Xu Zhonglin, big man on campus at Chengxin Academy's affiliated high school. Good looks, good grades, good family. Girls lined up to hand him love letters, and he'd never acknowledged a single one.

Now he says he's in love. And the girl is his sister!

He sucked in a breath, stepped off the bike, walked up to Xu Zhonglin, raised his hand, and smacked him on the back of the head.

*Smack.*

"You little shit, you wanna be my brother-in-law?" Ke Ji cursed as he climbed back on, buckled his helmet, pulled down the visor, and shouted, muffled: "Dream on!"

The engine roared. The black motorcycle shot off like an arrow, gone in a trail of dust.

Xu Zhonglin stood there, rubbing the back of his head. It still stung.

-

That evening, Gao Ruoxi suggested trying the newly opened Japanese place.

Ke Miantang didn't have much of an appetite. Over the past month, Rong She had taken her to the best restaurants in all of Lingzhou City. Her palate had been spoiled.

So now, hearing about a new restaurant, her first reaction wasn't anticipation—it was, *Can it possibly be as good as what he takes me to?*

The moment that thought surfaced, it startled her.

"Come on, come on." Cui Lina had already hooked an arm through hers. "I heard the chef was brought in from Tokyo—twenty years in Ginza. Super hard to book. Ruoxi went through a lot to get us in."

And so Ke Miantang was dragged out the door.

The restaurant sat in a quiet alley in Jiangnan District, its storefront so understated you could almost walk right past it.

Inside, it opened up into something else entirely—only eight seats at the counter, and tonight they had the whole place to themselves.

Ke Miantang sat at the far end, where she could see the entire counter and every detail of the chef's knife work.

The chef lifted a piece of tuna chutoro from a wooden box, slid the blade into the fish, and a single slice landed silently on the ceramic plate in front of her.

She picked it up and put it in her mouth. The fat melted on her tongue, fresh sweetness spreading from the base of her tongue through her whole mouth.

Delicious.

But somehow, something felt missing.

The System spoke up, leisurely. [You're thinking about Rong She.]

Ke Miantang nearly choked on the sashimi. "I am not."

[You are. Your chewing slowed by one second just now, your gaze went vacant, and the corners of your mouth turned slightly down. That is your standard expression when you're thinking about Rong She.]

"...Why are you analyzing my micro-expressions?"

[One of this System's duties.]

Ke Miantang was speechless.

She picked up her teacup and took a sip, trying to drive that face out of her head.

She was *not* thinking about him.

She just... wasn't used to it yet.