Returning to his office, Fang Yingyou was about to start working when his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he froze momentarily before frowning and answering, as if realizing something.
Fang Zhiyi's voice came through: "Hey."
Fang Yingyou pressed his fingers against his temples. "She's at work now, seems fine. I’m busy, so if there’s nothing else—"
"Hold on, that’s not why I called."
"Oh?" Fang Yingyou was surprised. For years, every call from his younger brother had been about Fang Ningxi. This time, he claimed otherwise?
"Let’s have dinner tonight. No—you treat me to dinner?"
Fang Yingyou’s brows furrowed. A face-to-face talk? What did he want this time? After a brief hesitation, he sighed in resignation. "Fine. That Chinese restaurant on Nanhua Street. I have work to do."
"Great, see you tonight, bro."
The dial tone left Fang Yingyou momentarily stunned. What had he just called him? "Bro"? That term hadn’t been used in years.
"Must be something big you’re after this time," Fang Yingyou muttered with a heavy sigh.
Meanwhile, Fang Ningxi, who had endured a frustrating day at work, returned home hoping to vent to her second brother. Maybe even convince him to accompany her to the company tomorrow—since their eldest brother wouldn’t lift a finger, Fang Zhiyi was her only hope. But… where was he?
The house was pitch-black, not even the usual housekeeper or cook in sight.
Unbeknownst to her, Fang Zhiyi had given the staff the day off.
With their parents staying at their grandparents’ place, Fang Ningxi felt utterly abandoned. Tears finally spilled over, and she pulled out her phone—not to call Fang Zhiyi, but Zheng Shikai.
"Wait for me," the man said before hanging up. Twenty minutes later, he arrived at the Fang family villa. Gently helping the crouched Fang Ningxi to her feet, he led her to his car and drove off—unaware that Fang Zhiyi, hidden across the street, captured everything on camera.
At the restaurant, Fang Yingyou stared blankly at the woman seated opposite him. "When did you get back?"
Fang Zhiqing looked equally confused. "Zhiyi called and said there was something important to discuss." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "He hasn’t reached out in so long. If he sounded serious, it must be urgent."
Fang Yingyou scoffed. "Probably just another demand for that adopted sister of his." He steeled himself to reject any request.
Just then, someone rushed in, panting. "Sorry—sorry, got held up by something."
Fang Yingyou eyed him. "Had dinner with your sister first, didn’t you?"
Fang Zhiyi plopped into his seat. "Ugh, shut up."
Fang Yingyou blinked.
Fang Zhiqing quickly interjected, "Enough bickering. Eat before the food gets cold."
Watching Fang Zhiyi wolf down his meal like a starved man, his siblings couldn’t help but chuckle. If word got out, people might think the Fang family couldn’t afford meals.
"Oh, right." Fang Zhiyi spoke through a mouthful of food, wiping his greasy hands before pulling out his phone. "Check this out." He tapped open a video.
The casual "bro" and "sis" stunned them, but their attention soon shifted to the footage.
Fang Yingyou’s expression darkened. "That’s… Zheng Shikai, the heir to Zheng Corporation?" As a rival, he knew the man well.
Fang Zhiqing, though mostly abroad, recognized him too. "So he’s dating Ningxi? Or…" She hesitated, glancing at Fang Zhiyi, who was still devouring his food. "Is he using her?"
Fang Zhiyi slammed his palm on the table.
Fang Yingyou sighed inwardly. Here we go—the moment Fang Ningxi’s mentioned, he loses it.
"Bingo! But not entirely!"
"See, I told you—wait, what?" Fang Yingyou faltered.
Fang Zhiyi leaned in conspiratorially. "Fang Ningxi and Zheng Shikai have been scheming since college. Their goal? To ruin the Fang family."
Fang Yingyou ignored that. "Hold on, you—"
Fang Zhiyi waved off their bewildered looks. "Me? Eh, I can handle a little suffering."
That left them speechless.
He continued, "From the moment Chen Guodong convinced me to bring Fang Ningxi home as a sister, something felt off. So I played along—for years—until I finally pieced it together."
The sheer nonchalance of his delivery left them reeling.
"You, a kid, faked it all these years?" Fang Yingyou was skeptical.
Fang Zhiqing zeroed in on his wording. "You called Dad by his full name? You’re saying he pushed you to adopt Fang Ningxi?"
Fang Zhiyi motioned for calm. "No time. Listen."
"I’ve been investigating undercover for years. And yes, bro—" He shot Fang Yingyou a look. "I swore an oath: if I didn’t crack this, I’d keep acting the fool."
"Sounds like the kind of dumb vow you’d make."
"Focus! Fang Ningxi is actually Chen Guodong’s biological daughter—Chen Ningxi."
Fang Yingyou’s eyes widened. "What?!"
Fang Zhiyi hushed him. "There’s more. Chen Ningxi and Chen Guodong aim to destroy our family. Why? Dad’s bitter about Mom’s dominance—prefers his mistress. And Chen Ningxi? She’s avenging her grandparents, the old couple who drank pesticide during the west district development."
Fang Yingyou’s doubt wavered. Fang Zhiyi couldn’t have known about that incident at his age. Back then, their grandparents had shielded him as the heir—but Fang Yingyou remembered.
"Grandfather said they were extorting money, blocking construction. Their son signed the compensation papers," Fang Yingyou countered.
But Fang Zhiqing suddenly reached out, touching Fang Zhiyi’s head. "How much did you endure alone to uncover all this?"
Fang Zhiyi flushed slightly—partly from the colossal lie, partly because, in the original timeline, he’d contributed to her accident.
"No choice. They’d never slip up otherwise." He kept his tone steady. "Now, the real bombshell: Chen Guodong, Chen Ningxi, and Zheng Shikai are working together."
Fang Yingyou grew grave. "Little brother, you’re accusing our father. Are you certain?"
In response, Fang Zhiyi rummaged in his pockets and produced two red envelopes. "All I could grab from home. This one has Chen Guodong’s hair, the other Fang Ningxi’s. Test them if you don’t believe me."