He's not that kind of person." "He is that kind of person

He turned his head to look at the silly younger sister hiding behind him, clutching a pillow while peeking. Tentatively, he asked, "Want your brother to join a competition and win a 500-million-yuan prize?"

Liu Yuan's eyes instantly lit up, and she nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at rice. "Yes!"

Su Qi then revealed his true intention: "But the competition requires a team of ten, and I’m still one person short."

Hearing this, Liu Yuan’s excitement immediately deflated. She flopped backward onto the bed, hugging the pillow as she rolled around, mumbling incoherently.

"Ugh… so annoying…"

"Brother, should I wear that new black lace I bought tonight or just go without? So hard to decide…"

Su Qi: "…"

Alright, this silly sister was clearly unreliable.

He sighed helplessly and picked up his phone to call Wu Gong again.

"Wu—uh, Old Wu, I just checked the notice about the competition team…"

This whole thing was basically forced on him by Great Xia anyway—it wasn’t part of his original plan.

No way was he going to put in all the effort himself.

"Don’t worry, Brother Su!" Wu Gong immediately assured him over the phone. "I’ll handle the negotiations with those nine students—most of them will probably agree. And I’ll make sure the last spot is filled perfectly! But the competition isn’t starting right away, so no need to rush."

Wu Gong sounded unusually energetic.

"You know what they say—it’s all about the contrast. They’ll need at least ten days to a month of promotion before they even have enough participants."

Then, with a hint of schadenfreude, he added, "Especially those arrogant kids in our academy who think they’re the chosen ones. They won’t learn their place until they get a taste of reality. This is the perfect chance to show them what a real genius looks like."

Su Qi had zero interest in such matters. Listening to Wu Gong ramble on, he just found it noisy.

"Fine, as long as you get it done."

"Got it! Just sit back and relax!"

After hanging up, Su Qi tossed his phone aside.

The room fell silent again, save for the faint rustling of his sister still agonizing over whether to wear lace or not.

Su Qi closed his eyes, but his mind was far from at ease.

Competition. Genius. 500-million-yuan prize. To him, these words were no different from the discount flyers at the supermarket downstairs—equally dull.

……

Two days later, the weekend arrived.

Not that weekends meant much to Su Qi, who only attended two classes in eight days.

Today, he spent the entire day gaming in his room.

The screen flickered with vibrant colors as the crisp clicks of his keyboard and mouse filled the air.

Occasionally, his teammates’ barking interrupted the session.

And no, Su Qi wasn’t insulting them.

They were literally barking.

Seriously, listen.

"Mom, heal the puppy."

As for Liu Yuan, she had put on a new dress first thing in the morning and rushed out excitedly.

She said she hadn’t properly explored Shanghai yet.

Su Qi didn’t bother stopping her.

Before she left, he just transferred her 5,000 yuan with a warning: "Check the prices before buying anything. Don’t let them rip you off."

Liu Yuan giggled, planted a kiss on Su Qi’s cheek, and then dashed off like the wind.

She ended up wandering around until evening.

Su Qi stretched during a respawn timer.

Right then, his phone buzzed.

"0W0, Brother, can you come pick me up in half an hour? I’m lost~"

"Don’t you have navigation?" Su Qi leaned back in his chair, replying lazily.

"I think you’re the one who’s more unreliable… Come on, come on~ I sent you the address!"

Girls were truly impossible to understand.

Su Qi had no choice but to tell his teammates, "Guys, speed it up. I gotta go soon."

"What’s the rush?"

"Gotta pick up my sister."

"Pick up your sister, my ass. I bet you’re just jealous I’m about to get a new mom and don’t wanna hear me brag anymore…"

Su Qi: "…"

Su Qi was the one who really didn’t want to keep talking.

This guy was way too full of himself.

In the end, Su Qi had no choice but to activate his full potential—his millisecond-level reflexes allowed him to solo the entire match.

Then, amid his teammate’s furious "hacker" accusations (and desperate pleas for a new mom), he logged off.

Following the address, Su Qi arrived at the fifth floor of a large mall. The cinema entrance was bustling, mostly with young couples.

He bought two iced milk teas from a nearby shop, sat by the window, and scrolled through his phone while waiting.

Outside, the sky shifted from deep blue to hues of orange and red.

Before long, Liu Yuan appeared at the cinema entrance.

Except she wasn’t alone.

Beside her stood a girl with an aloof demeanor. Dressed in a simple white blouse and jeans, her long hair cascaded over her shoulders. Slender and quiet, she stood out starkly against the surrounding noise.

Yun Huang?

Honestly, after not seeing her all summer, she had changed quite a bit.

Su Qi had almost forgotten about her.

He stood up as the two approached, chatting and laughing. Liu Yuan even clung affectionately to Yun Huang’s arm, practically hanging off her.

"Brother!" Liu Yuan waved excitedly when she spotted Su Qi, dragging Yun Huang over.

"Sis Yun Huang, see? I told you my brother would come."

She tilted her head proudly as she introduced him.

Yun Huang gave Su Qi a slight nod, her expression as calm as ever. But in her clear eyes, there seemed to be a flicker of something complicated—almost imperceptible.

Her gaze lingered on Su Qi’s face for just a moment before shifting away.

"My sister can be a handful. Hope she didn’t cause you any trouble," Su Qi said politely, handing one milk tea to Liu Yuan and hesitating before offering the other to Yun Huang.

"Brother! You’re the handful!" Liu Yuan pouted, taking the drink before shaking Yun Huang’s arm like she was tattling. "Sis Yun Huang and I had a great time!"

A faint smile touched Yun Huang’s lips. "No trouble at all. Liu Yuan is adorable."

Her voice was soft, like a feather skimming water.

Dinnertime was approaching, and some popular restaurants already had lines forming.

Out of courtesy, Su Qi extended an invitation. "Want to grab dinner together?"

But Yun Huang shook her head. Glancing at the darkening sky, she said apologetically, "I should head back. The flowers on my windowsill haven’t been moved inside yet—they’ll wilt if left in the sun."

The excuse sounded odd, but her tone was sincere.

After a pause, as if reconsidering, she turned to Liu Yuan. "If you don’t mind, you could come to my place. I can cook something simple."

Su Qi and Liu Yuan exchanged glances.

Go to her house?

That was unexpected.

Liu Yuan, however, seemed thrilled by the idea.

Su Qi thought for a moment, studying Yun Huang’s composed expression, before finally nodding. "Alright."

The three of them took a taxi together, heading toward Yun Huang's residence.

As the car started moving, the neon lights outside the window rapidly receded, and the bustling streets gradually gave way to a quiet residential area.

The car drove further toward the outskirts of the city, where the buildings grew increasingly sparse.

Finally, it stopped in front of a run-down apartment complex in a rather remote location.

Behind the apartment, separated by an untamed stretch of wasteland, lay a range of rolling green mountains.

At the foot of the mountains, a solemn cemetery was faintly visible.

The surroundings were eerily tranquil, with very few residents. Most of the windows were dark, adding to the desolate atmosphere.

Entering the stairwell, a damp, chilly air greeted them, mixed with the scent of dust and the musty odor typical of old buildings.

Su Qi felt something was off.

No matter how far the Yun family had fallen, even if they were considered insignificant in the city, they shouldn’t be living in a place like this.

Yun Huang’s home was on the third floor.

She took out her key and opened the door. A rich yet not overpowering fragrance of lilies wafted out, instantly masking the unpleasant smell from the hallway.

"Brother, change your shoes."

Liu Yuan, as if she were at her own home, casually pulled out two pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet and handed Su Qi a pair of pink fuzzy ones—clearly meant for women.

Su Qi stared expressionlessly at the slippers, which were a size too small, then glanced at the properly fitting men’s slippers Liu Yuan was wearing. In the end, he silently changed into them.

The shoes were tight, making every step feel awkward.

Yun Huang didn’t seem to notice. She hurried to the balcony, carefully carrying two pots of blooming lilies and violets into the living room, murmuring softly, "Good, they weren’t damaged by the sun."

Her movements were gentle, as if handling rare treasures.

Soon after, she and Liu Yuan disappeared into the kitchen, clattering away as they prepared dinner, their hushed conversations and occasional laughter drifting out.

Su Qi took the opportunity to survey the apartment.

It was about seventy square meters—a standard one-bedroom, one-living-room layout with a kitchen and bathroom.

The furniture was old, clearly well-used. The edges of the wooden coffee table were worn, and the fabric sofa had faded, but everything was spotlessly clean and neatly arranged.

On the wooden flower stand beside the old-fashioned TV in the living room, pots of lilies and violets in full bloom were densely packed, their fragrance nearly overwhelming the entire space.

Su Qi recalled that the symbolism of these two flowers was tied to remembrance—they were often seen at memorials.

The lighting in the apartment was poor. Even with the lights on, shadows lingered in the corners, casting a gloomy tone over the place.

His gaze eventually settled on the wall above the TV.

There hung a framed black-and-white photograph of a bespectacled, scholarly-looking middle-aged man.

The man bore a striking resemblance to Yun Huang—about seventy percent—with gentle eyes and a faint smile on his lips.

Su Qi sat on the sofa for a while but couldn’t shake his discomfort.

He stood and walked to the balcony, pushing open the window.

The night breeze carried the scent of grass and soil, dispelling the stifling air inside.

Beyond the balcony stretched the silhouettes of the green mountains, and at their base, the quiet cemetery was faintly visible under the moonlight.

"Have some watermelon."

At some point, Yun Huang had walked over, holding a plate of neatly sliced watermelon arranged on a white porcelain dish. The fruit looked cool and refreshing.

Su Qi took a piece and thanked her.

Yun Huang didn’t leave. Instead, she leaned against the balcony railing, gazing at the distant mountains.

"The view here is nice," Su Qi remarked casually between bites of watermelon.

"Yeah," Yun Huang replied softly, "it’s peaceful."

Dinner was soon ready.

The three of them gathered around a small square table.

Three dishes and a soup were laid out—stir-fried pea shoots, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, a cold cucumber salad, and a bowl of seaweed egg drop soup. All vegetarian, but the colors were pleasingly arranged.

Yun Huang explained apologetically, "I usually live alone, so I don’t cook much, and I didn’t have any meat prepared."

Su Qi understood.

Most women preferred to watch their figures.

His foolish little sister, who loved meat but never gained weight, was a rare exception.

He picked up the rice bowl and served both girls.

"Yun Huang, try this! Your scrambled eggs with tomatoes are amazing!" Liu Yuan used serving chopsticks to place a large portion into Yun Huang’s bowl, then playfully bickered with Su Qi, complaining that he had piled her rice too high—as if trying to stuff her to death.

Yun Huang watched their sibling banter quietly, a faint smile on her lips. She ate in small, delicate bites, but deep in her eyes, a fleeting trace of envy and loneliness flickered.

It had been a long time since this home had felt so lively.

After dinner, Liu Yuan kept chattering away, holding Yun Huang’s hand, so Su Qi stood up, signaling it was time to leave.

Liu Yuan looked reluctant but obediently rose.

Yun Huang saw them to the door, where the dim light from inside stretched her shadow long across the floor.

"Be careful on your way back," she said softly.

"Bye, Yun Huang! I’ll visit again soon!" Liu Yuan waved enthusiastically.

Su Qi nodded, pulling Liu Yuan along as they descended the stairs.

At the landing, he instinctively glanced back.

Yun Huang was still standing there, unmoving, watching them leave.

Then the door gently closed, separating the two worlds inside and out.

A moment later, the bedroom door was flung open with a loud bang.

Yun Huang’s mother, Yun Ting, stormed out with a dark expression. "I told you to invite them here to catch up?"

"Did you forget what I taught you?"

Yun Huang remained silent, her eyes fixed on the portrait of the middle-aged man. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "Dad’s been gone for years now."

"It’s one thing for you to exploit his old connections—those people were at least his comrades."

"But there’s no need to guilt-trip Su Qi with Dad’s past achievements."

"He’s not the type to care about that."

"Talk about Dad’s glory days? His struggles? His sacrifices for Great Xia?"

"Is that really necessary?"

Yun Ting instantly lost her composure. "What the hell do you know?! This was hard-won intel from your uncle!"

"That kid Su Qi—somehow—caught Elder Feng’s favor!"

"Do you even know who Elder Feng is?"

"Back when your father and I were fighting our way up, he was already one of the nation’s pillars! Even now, retired and aging, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse!"

"Plenty of powerful figures today owe their rise to Elder Feng’s influence in their youth."

"That poor boy’s about to hit the big time!"

"I told you to seduce him—seduce him!"

"He’s not that kind of person."

"Oh, he is that kind of person!"