“Sister” and “neighbor’s sister” were quite different expressions, and his irritation, after subsiding only momentarily, flared up again. Looking at the casual man in front of him, Zhou Tingzhao suddenly felt as if he had seen him somewhere before.

“Do you like her?” the man asked.

Zhou Tingzhao smiled sarcastically: “Does a neighbor care about such things?”

Luo He laughed: “Why are high school students so confrontational these days? Is a bit of gossip not allowed?”

Seeing that Zhou Tingzhao remained silent, Luo He didn’t press further. He glanced at what remained in the IV bag and said seriously: “Call me when it’s almost finished.”

“Of course, as long as the doctor isn’t playing with his phone while crossing his legs.”

Luo He swallowed a curse, smiled helplessly, and walked away.

Zhou Tingzhao sat back on the sofa to continue his watch, and finally remembered where he had seen that doctor before.

He had indeed seen him, downstairs at the company.

Between casual partners, arrangements to meet inevitably involve the question of who initiates the invitation. However, Sang Ru and he never had conflicts on this issue. They almost tacitly agreed that you take the initiative once, then I take the initiative once, never going a step further.

That time, when he left her company as a client, while waiting for the elevator, his mind was full of how she pretended not to know him in front of everyone, addressing him as “Mr. Zhou” repeatedly, in a manner that truly made his heart itch.

The urge to pull her into his arms was hard to suppress. As Zhou Tingzhao stepped into the elevator, he sent her a message: “Shall we meet today?”

“Didn’t you just leave, Mr. Zhou?”

“That was work.”

“For personal matters, ask during personal time. Goodbye, Mr. Zhou.”

She seemed angry, upset that he had concealed his identity as a client and only let her know when he showed up, catching her off guard.

Zhou Tingzhao knew he was in the wrong. When it was time for her to get off work, he made an exception and sent a second invitation: “Shall we meet?”

After a while, she replied: “No, I’m busy.”

Zhou Tingzhao wasn’t angry; instead, he smiled.

Whether she was genuinely busy or just making excuses, she was adorable this way.

Zhou Tingzhao put away his phone, preparing to go downstairs to buy a coffee and a sandwich, but encountered her again in the elevator.

She rarely left work exactly on time. There were other people in the elevator. Zhou Tingzhao silently watched her standing in front with her back to him, without speaking to her.

After exiting, he quickly walked to Sang Ru’s side, walking shoulder to shoulder with her, and awkwardly said: “What a coincidence.”

Sang Ru seemed to give a light snort: “It’s Mr. Zhou. Indeed, what a coincidence.”

Zhou Tingzhao smiled: “I didn’t mean to keep it from you.”

She finally gave him a proper look and said, “What is Mr. Zhou explaining? You giving money to our small company is certainly a good thing.”

Her high heels made quite a noise with every step. Zhou Tingzhao said, “But you’re angry.”

“You’re overthinking it,” she said as they reached the revolving door. “Someone’s here to pick me up. Goodbye, Mr. Zhou.”

With that, she stepped out first.

Zhou Tingzhao watched her retreating figure and saw through the revolving layers of glass as she threw herself into another man’s arms.

Someone opened the side door, and cool wind rushed in, making Zhou Tingzhao more clearheaded.

What kind of relationship could he have with Sang Ru?

Only one of mutual non-recognition.

And who was that person who could embrace her in front of everyone?

Zhou Tingzhao finally remembered—that man, if a few years younger, was the same young doctor who had just been neglecting his duties and claiming to be her neighbor’s brother.

Recalling this, Zhou Tingzhao’s fingers involuntarily tightened.

The person on the sickbed suddenly stirred, frowning as if uncomfortable, making some vague nasal sounds.

His tension dissipated as he quickly stepped forward, reaching out to feel her forehead—not as hot anymore. He relaxed, gently patting her blanket until her frown gradually smoothed out.

Zhou Tingzhao was about to stand up when he heard her soft whimper. He leaned closer and heard her murmuring: “Zhou Tingzhao…”

Something seemed to hit his chest. Zhou Tingzhao raised his hand to gently stroke the top of her head, saying in an extremely quiet and gentle voice: “I’m here, I’m here…”

She seemed satisfied and made another docile nasal sound.

Suddenly, a thought came to his mind.

He wanted to know.

Zhou Tingzhao softly called to her: “Zai zai.”

With her eyes still closed, Sang Ru unconsciously answered: “Hmm?”

“How… old are you?”

She began to answer, though her mumbling was caught in her throat. Zhou Tingzhao only heard her say something like: “…six years old now, no, I’m sixteen, sixteen…”

And then her voice gradually faded.

Zhou Tingzhao thought for a moment, then called another name: “Sarah?”

She still answered with: “Hmm?”

Zhou Tingzhao’s heart began to race. This was her English name, generally used only in the advertising company.

Although in his memory, Sang Ru didn’t have an English name in high school, he wasn’t certain whether it was simply because she didn’t use it often that he had never heard it.

So Zhou Tingzhao leaned in even closer, looking at her full lips, and said in a low voice: “Mr. Zhou needs your proposal.”

Suddenly, in this corner behind the screen, there was a loud “smack.” Zhou Tingzhao was stunned.

The person with her eyes still closed had delivered a slap to his face, and this time her words were clear: “Tell him to go to hell!”

Zhou Tingzhao pressed his tongue against his left cheek, regarding her with complex emotions, before breaking into a smile after a while.

It really is you.

It’s definitely you—