Chapter 26: The Brother She Had Never Met

“Brother Lin, was it you who took me home last night?”

The message was from Xia Qingqing.

Given what had happened the night before, Lin Feng felt that, at least for now, he should keep his distance from them.

“Yes.”

He replied with a single, rather indifferent word, and left it at that.

Xia Qingqing replied quickly, “Thank you, Brother Lin. I really don’t know what happened last night. I thought I hadn’t drunk that much, but as soon as I reached the restroom door, I blacked out.”

No sooner had her message appeared than the chat window indicated she was still typing.

Lin Feng’s lips twitched. This little sister really was naïve—she’d been knocked out, yet still thought she’d only had too much to drink...

With such innocence, it was a wonder her family had let her travel so far for work on her own...

Before he could finish his thoughts, another message appeared, “To show my gratitude, I’d like to buy you lunch this afternoon...”

Lin Feng didn’t want any further involvement with her. Even without Chu Lingshuang, they were merely colleagues—there was no need to get closer.

“No need.”

He sent his reply and switched over to a short video app.

Meanwhile, in her hotel room, Xia Qingqing’s fingers flew over her phone, typing several lines and then deleting them.

Ever since Lin Feng had helped her last time, she had been paying attention to him.

She was new at the company, and didn’t know many colleagues—most treated her as free labor, and only Uncle Wang at the entrance exchanged more than a word or two with her.

Her encounter with Lin Feng had been pure chance, and only after he helped her did she truly take notice of his looks.

Though he was just a security guard, his figure and features stood out—he could easily outshine a crowd just by standing there. Especially when he stood next to the slightly chubby Li Hao, the contrast was obvious.

He looked like a movie star: sharp, chiseled features, a cold demeanor.

His often tightly pressed lips paired with his high-collared sweaters gave him an air of restrained asceticism, making people hesitate to approach.

After a few days of interaction, Li Hao proved to be straightforward and outspoken, but Lin Feng always kept others at arm’s length with his cool indifference.

Perhaps it was this quality that made him seem special to her, and she found her gaze drifting toward him again and again.

He stood there, detached, as if nothing around him concerned him in the slightest.

Faced with such a persistently aloof man, Xia Qingqing herself didn’t know what had come over her—she kept feeling a strange urge to make him smile...

He was so handsome; his smile must be beautiful!

She couldn’t explain why she felt this way. Sometimes after staring at his face for a while, she even felt a strange sense of familiarity...

Staring at Lin Feng’s curt reply, Xia Qingqing’s hand trembled slightly.

Just as she was about to send another message, her mother’s call came through.

She hurried to answer.

“Qingqing, how’s work going? Are you settling in?” Her mother, Xia Cailian, spoke on the other end.

Xia Qingqing replied quickly, “Everything’s great, Mom, you don’t need to worry about me. Your darling daughter is very capable!”

Her mother’s cheerful laughter came through, “That’s good, that’s good. I was worried you’d have trouble adjusting on your own in the capital. Do you have enough money? If not, tell me. I’m working at your grandpa’s factory now, earning a little every month!”

“I have plenty!” Xia Qingqing assured her repeatedly, then grumbled, “Mom, you’re not fully recovered yet—why are you working? I can earn money now. Didn’t I say I’d take care of you once I got my salary?”

“Oh, come on! I’m a grown woman; how can I take your money? Besides, apart from your grandparents, it’s just the two of us. I have to save a dowry for you, don’t I?”

“I just graduated! I don’t want to get married yet!”

Xia Qingqing pouted. Hearing her mother’s laughter, she couldn’t help but smile as well.

“Mom, did you call for something in particular?”

At her question, silence fell on the line.

After a moment, Xia Cailian spoke in a choked voice, as if holding back something, “It’s almost your brother’s birthday at the end of the month...”

Hearing this, Xia Qingqing’s smile vanished.

Holding her phone with trembling hands, she asked quietly, “Will... will he be coming back too?”

The silence on the other end was answer enough.

Xia Qingqing said directly, “Mom, I understand. I’ll ask for leave and come home early then.”

Her eyes darkened as she hung up.

Her fingers moved quickly across the screen, opening the notepad and creating a new entry.

She counted on her fingers, then frowned and typed:

“Celebrating my brother’s birthday for the 23rd time! Wishing my 25-year-old brother, whom I’ve never met, a happy birthday!”

...

Time slipped by, and by afternoon Lin Feng had long since finished lunch and was scrolling idly on his phone.

The courtyard was enormous—standing at the villa entrance, the gate to the estate seemed a world away.

If he’d had a car, it would be fine, but without one, he couldn’t be bothered wandering the grounds.

He went upstairs, curled up on the bed, and watched a few episodes of a drama. His body, tense for days, gradually relaxed, and fatigue drew him into a deep sleep.

He didn’t even go down for dinner; when he woke up briefly and checked his phone, he drifted off again.

It wasn’t until early the next morning that he finally woke up, feeling completely refreshed after nearly two days of sleep.

For the first time in a long while, he felt truly rested.

He glanced at the clock—it was 7:10 a.m. After washing up, he went downstairs.

Aunt Wang had breakfast brought out for him.

As he ate, Lin Feng learned from Aunt Wang that Chu Lingshuang hadn’t come back the night before.

He also found out that Chu Lingshuang usually stayed at her villa in the city, only returning here for special occasions.

He considered talking to her again about his terms—maybe he could find a place to live in the city. This place was too far; just commuting each day took two hours.

After breakfast, Liu Tianhan was already waiting outside.

Lin Feng got in the car and headed to work as usual.

No sooner had he entered than Li Hao, who’d arrived early, grumbled at him, “Hey, you just left me at the company the other night! I woke up before dawn and had to take the bus home. Is that how you treat a brother?!”

Lin Feng’s lips twitched. “You were out cold that night—I didn’t even know your address...”

“That’s no excuse! What if someone with bad intentions came along?”

Li Hao hugged himself dramatically, looking terrified.

Lin Feng could barely keep from laughing out loud.

With a guy his size, it was hard to imagine anyone would be desperate enough to try anything...

He’d already decided not to get too involved with them, so he didn’t say more.

Fortunately, Li Hao was assigned to another patrol group that morning and didn’t have a chance to chat further.

Soon, it was lunchtime.

Just as Lin Feng picked up his lunchbox and stepped out of the security room, he saw Xia Qingqing limping toward him in her professional attire—a sharp contrast to her cute, innocent face, clicking along in high heels...