Chapter 28: The Lace Is Yours

At the moment Zhao Jichuan caught Han Rao’s gaze, a sense of foreboding surged in his heart.

The two had already been together for nearly a year, and having just bared their hearts to each other, he believed he could easily interpret the signals conveyed by her every glance.

The man cupped her face, deliberately covering her eyes with his hand.

Han Rao sighed and pushed his hand away, “My younger brother is worried about me and will come to see me soon. He’s already on the high-speed train.”

Zhao Jichuan knew Han Rao had a younger brother—she had mentioned it in passing when he visited her home last time.

The building blocks and puzzles given by his younger brother were carefully preserved by her, which shows that the siblings have a good relationship.

“Yeah, it’s really late. Staying for a few days? Have you booked a room? I’ll have Sun Hao…”

Zhao Jichuan truly took on the role of “brother-in-law” to handle everything for Han Ting. His reasoning was simple—it was merely a case of loving the house and its crow.

He liked Han Rao, so naturally he had to take care of her younger brother as well.

But these words were interrupted by Han Rao.

Tonight was already a mess, and Han Rao didn’t want to beat around the bush or hide things from Zhao Jichuan anymore, so she said bluntly, “My brother doesn’t know about our relationship, and he has no idea you even exist.”

She tentatively looked at him, “So, I don’t want him to run into you—it would put me in a difficult position. I wouldn’t know how to explain.”

“He won’t be staying here for long. Probably just overnight, then I’ll accompany him for a meal before he takes the high-speed train back to school tomorrow morning.”

At this point, Han Rao suddenly remembered to ask him, “By the way, how many days are you planning to stay this time?”

Zhao Jichuan listened as she organized her words quite logically, but his expression involuntarily darkened.

It can be said that Han Rao’s words completely shattered the hard-won harmony between the two.

In an instant, Zhao Jichuan couldn’t decide whether to praise her for her honesty or to be angry that she had once again pushed him away on such a sensitive topic as their relationship.

It seemed she was never within the scope of his intimate relationships, making her brother avoid him like the plague.

Yet just ten minutes ago, they had just finished a passionate lovemaking session.

He had been closer to her than anyone else.

Zhao Jichuan’s gaze drifted downward. Han Rao was still covered by the blanket, revealing her fair neck and lotus-white arms. While speaking to him, she kept her head lowered, fiddling with her phone—probably booking a room for Han Ting.

He really wanted to tear off that blanket, peel back that protective layer, and see—see if she even had a heart.

This malicious thought was promptly stopped by Zhao Jichuan.

Because Han Rao had thrown her phone aside, she snuggled closer to him under the blanket and wrapped her arms around his waist.

She nestled into his arms and said gloomily, “Zhao Jichuan, just do me a favor, okay? You just said that if I needed anything, I could ask you. In this matter, I don’t want to deceive you. You know, I could’ve easily made up an excuse to send you away. But I didn’t.”

She kissed the corner of his lips, where the skin still carried the warmth of their recent intimacy.

“I don’t want to lie to you. I just feel like I don’t have the energy or capacity to handle such a complicated relationship right now—just like how you can’t or won’t patiently explain our situation to your sister either.”

Zhao Jichuan’s throat suddenly tightened upon hearing this.

Indeed, he was so perfunctory in handling their relationship—how could he expect her to comply with his every wish in all matters?

That’s too domineering, too unfair to her.

Zhao Jichuan didn’t even realize it himself, but from this moment on, he had begun to truly empathize—to put himself in her shoes and understand her struggles.

The man reached up and pinched her earlobe, lowering his gaze to Han Rao as he suddenly found it hard to distinguish how much sincerity and how much flattery lay in her lengthy words.

When he didn’t want to make things difficult for her, he surprisingly nodded and agreed.

Han Rao’s heart trembled upon receiving the affirmative answer.

She had thought this would be a tough battle, after all, Zhao Jichuan wasn’t easy to fool.

Han Rao almost instinctively cupped his face, closing her eyes to kiss his lips. Zhao Jichuan couldn’t help but deepen the kiss, gripping the back of her neck and entwining his tongue with hers.

Soft, lingering kisses, just a few seconds, and they parted.

Han Rao smiled at him, planted another kiss on his right cheek, then shamelessly said, “Could you grab my clothes for me? They should be in the suitcase.”

Zhao Jichuan looked up and noticed a suitcase still standing by the balcony. He stood up, bending down casually to pick up her clothes for her. Her garments were scattered all over the floor, creating a rather chaotic visual effect. Zhao Jichuan first grabbed the shirt and trousers, tossing them onto the back of the chair, only to glance down the next moment and spot that black lace underwear.

His throat tightened slightly, and he felt a bit thirsty. Without showing any emotion, he hooked it with his fingertips and asked her where to put it.

Han Rao’s face flushed crimson in an instant, spreading down to her neck and the roots of her ears.

She felt her mindset had subtly changed; she no longer resorted to blatantly seductive words to lure him as she once did.

At this very moment, she actually felt shy and somewhat at a loss.

The more I think about it, the more embarrassed I feel.

Han Rao scolded herself in her heart for being so weak-willed, then feigned composure the next second and said, “It’s yours.”

Zhao Jichuan chuckled quietly, his chest vibrating as if declaring just how pleased he was.

The man overturned the suitcase on the balcony, unzipped it, and turned back to ask which clothes she wanted.

Han Rao casually asked him to grab a pair of jeans for her, paired with a white shirt.

He tossed the clothes onto the bed for her, and Han Rao caught them in one swift motion. She quickly dressed and immediately got out of bed, snatching the black lace stockings back from his hand. “I changed my mind. I’m not giving them to you.”

She looked at him smugly, almost sticking her tongue out at him.

Zhao Jichuan wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed his lips to hers once more. “Asking for trouble.”

Han Rao grinned broadly, then winced from the pain in her face, grimacing as she said, “So how many days are you staying? But I’m almost done with filming too.”

Zhao Jichuan seemed to think of something and said, “No rush, there are still matters left unresolved.”

He gently touched her little face and said somewhat helplessly, “As you wish, I’ll go first. After seeing your brother off, you can contact me.”

Han Rao: “Thank you.”

After Zhao Jichuan left, Han Rao quickly tidied up the room again. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she faintly felt the lingering scent of mischief was particularly strong in the room.

Han Rao wrinkled her nose and opened the window again. After some thought, she first called Han Ting to ask what he’d like to eat, then entrusted this important task to Vivi, asking her to find a restaurant where the three of them could have a meal together.

After finishing work, Han Rao and Vivi hadn’t eaten yet and were genuinely feeling a bit hungry now.

Han Rao quickly changed into a fresh set of bedsheets and pillowcases, then spritzed on some perfume.

Perhaps because she felt somewhat guilty, after much deliberation, she decided against having Han Ting come over. She would simply treat him to a meal and then let him return to his hotel to rest. Tomorrow morning, she could just pack him off directly.

Han Rao thought this way and acted accordingly—she directly sent Han Ting the location of the all-you-can-eat barbecue restaurant Vivi had found, telling him to just take a taxi there.

Then Han Rao and Vivi calculated the time and immediately took a taxi to set off.

When getting in the car, Vivi wore an expression that said, “I have something to say but don’t know if I should.” Han Rao glanced at her and straightforwardly said, “Just say it if you have something to say.”

Vivi chuckled and said, “Sis, brother-in-law—no, I mean, President Zhao—isn’t he coming with us?”

Han Rao raised an eyebrow, “Do you want him to come with us or not?”

Vivi puffed out her cheeks, shrugged her shoulders, and shook her head. Of course she didn’t want to—she always felt Zhao Jichuan exuded an overwhelming aura. With his stern face and lack of expression, he truly seemed rather intimidating.

Han Rao reached out to adjust Vivi’s collar. “It’s fine, he’s not coming with us. One more thing—don’t mention anything about him to others, especially my brother. Can you do that?”

Vivi nodded slowly, increasingly feeling that the relationship between Han Rao and Zhao Jichuan was somewhat enigmatic. A vague idea surfaced in her mind, but she also thought Han Rao was too proud a person to do such a thing.

Is that perhaps a fuck buddy?

Vivi took a deep breath, silently praising Han Rao’s taste in her heart. She thought, if it’s just a fuck buddy, then being a bit rough isn’t so bad—at least the looks and figure are decent.

Vivi was quite open-minded herself, feeling that in today’s society, having a stable bed partner wasn’t such a bad thing. At least there’d be no emotional entanglements to deal with, while still satisfying physical needs.

So she silently gave Han Rao a thumbs-up in her heart again.

Han Rao, of course, had no idea about Vivi’s messy thoughts. As soon as they got out of the car, she pulled Vivi into the barbecue restaurant—Han Ting had just texted her saying he had already arrived.

It had been over three months since they last met, and Han Rao genuinely missed Han Ting.

But this mood didn’t last long, because the moment she looked up, she saw Han Ting lounging like a boss with his legs crossed, playing on his phone. The Han Ting on the phone had sounded urgent, yet when he saw Han Rao, he was completely unfazed. He glanced up at her, called her “sis,” then immediately lowered his head to continue gaming.

Han Rao sat down, took off her hat and mask, then kicked him again to stop playing games, and introduced Vivi to her in passing.

Han Ting threw his phone onto the table. He had been quite calm initially, intending to banter with Han Rao for a bit. But the moment he saw her face, the fire in his chest flared up instantly.

Since childhood, Han Rao had never suffered such humiliation. Her family had always doted on her—Su Zhiyu said that even when Han Rao was at her most mischievous as a child, neither she nor Xu Lianqiu had ever laid a hand on her, at most making her stand in the corner as punishment.

Han Ting’s eyes burned with anger, his curses still unspoken, when Han Rao, as if anticipating his reaction, quickly grabbed his arm. “Alright, alright, I’m fine,” she said.

Han Ting: “Su Wan, right? I’m gonna fucking kill her!”

Han Rao’s nose tingled with emotion as she gently stroked his hair. “There, there, don’t be angry anymore. It really didn’t hurt that much. My skin is just too sensitive—it swelled up after just two slaps. If I had skin as thick as yours, it probably wouldn’t even have turned red.”

Han Ting found Han Rao’s joke not the least bit amusing. He turned his head away, sulking in silence, angry at his own uselessness—capable of nothing but empty talk.

Could it be that he, like those obsessive fans, went to ambush Su Wan? And then what? Should he slap her twice?

Han Ting didn’t know.

He was afraid that he might actually do something that would cause trouble for Han Rao.

In short, he was caught between a rock and a hard place, stuck in limbo as if being fried in a vat of boiling oil.

Han Rao wrapped her arms around his shoulders and whispered, “It really doesn’t hurt. It’s just acting—they know their limits and hold back. Besides, the director discussed it with me before filming, and I agreed to the real hits. So, it’s really fine. If you don’t believe me, ask Vivi—she was on set the whole time.”

Han Rao glanced up at Vivi, signaling her with her eyes. Vivi immediately picked up on Han Rao’s cue and chimed in to agree with Han Ting, even adding a few compliments about Su Wan—saying that Teacher Su Wan was usually very kind and took good care of everyone, treating the whole crew to coffee as soon as she joined the set.

It’s unclear whether Han Ting ultimately believed it or not, but in the end, he sniffled, stood up to switch seats with Han Rao, went to prepare the dipping sauce, and then took on the responsibility of grilling the meat.

Han Rao kept praising Han Ting while eating with Vivi, “My brother’s barbecue skills are amazing. I always tell him if he hadn’t studied computer science, he could just go to New Oriental and learn cooking instead.”

Han Ting listened with a stern face as Han Rao flattered him.

He knew that Han Rao was talking so much nonsense today just to avoid awkwardness and prevent him from dwelling too much on the fact that she had been beaten.

Han Rao didn’t eat much, not daring to indulge too freely. After reaching about sixty percent full, she took the barbecue tools from Han Ting’s hands and started grilling meat for him.

Han Tingguang wasn’t satisfied with just eating. Perhaps because he was in a bad mood, he opened two bottles of alcohol and casually asked Vivi beside him if she could drink.

Vivi: “Of course, I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.”

So the two started drinking while chatting. Han Ting clinked glasses with Vivi and said, “Vivi, let’s exchange WeChat contacts. If you notice anything unusual about my sister in the future, do me a favor and give me a heads-up.”

Han Rao said coldly, “You’ve grown bold, thinking of poaching my people to spy on my privacy?”

What’s most infuriating is that they said it right to her face.

Vivi was particularly bold, “Alright, since you called me ‘Sister Wei’ today, I’ve got to show some loyalty. If anything ever happens to our sister in the future, I’ll be the first to tell you.”

Han Rao: “…”

She furrowed her brows, worried about Han Ting’s poor drinking ability, and stopped him from drinking more.

“Sis! This is a buffet, a buffet, you get it? It’s eighty-nine per person, I gotta eat my money’s worth with my girl Wei.”

Han Rao looked at Han Ting and Vivi’s interaction and felt a headache coming on—they were acting like long-lost soulmates.

Her gaze fell on Han Ting again, and she sighed inwardly, knowing full well he was deliberately feigning composure.

Han Rao knew Han Ting was feeling down, and at this moment, he seemed to be drowning his sorrows in alcohol. She was aware that Han Ting wasn’t much of a drinker, but she didn’t stop him, thinking that a little wine might help ease his heartache.

In the end, she wasn’t strong enough as an elder sister—now even her younger brother had to worry about her being bullied.

Han Ting and Vivi drank quite a bit, and by the end, Han Ting couldn’t even speak clearly. Vivi was much better off, calmly letting out two hiccups without seeming the least bit drunk.

“Sis, should I call a car first?” Vivi said.

Han Rao nodded, stood up to return the power bank for Han Ting, and then helped him pack his things.

When they were done, the three of them went to the roadside to wait for a car.

Han Ting’s face was flushed red as he leaned drunkenly against Han Rao’s shoulder, while Vivi held her phone in one hand and helped support Han Ting with the other.

After a while, Vivi cursed, “Why the hell is this car stuck here and not moving!”

Han Rao leaned over to take a glance and calmly said, “If it really doesn’t work out, just cancel the order and hail another one.”

After saying that, she patted Han Ting on the back and asked him if it hurt.

Han Ting shook his head and closed his eyes again. Han Yao guessed that he was really tired and wanted to sleep.

Han Yao took out her phone and took two ugly photos of Han Ting to keep, smiling and saying to Vivi, “Keep some of his embarrassing moments. We’ll tease him tomorrow and see if he dares to drink again.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a message popped up on WeChat.

Zhao Jichuan: [Get in the car, I’ll take you back.]

Han Rao raised her eyes,

A black car had just pulled over by the roadside, hazard lights flashing. As the window slowly rolled down, she saw Zhao Jichuan’s face.

Han Yao pretended not to notice and sent him a message saying that she was already hailing a taxi.

Zhao Jichuan: [Why does it take so long to hail a cab?]

Han Rao was speechless.

At that moment, Vivi looked up and happened to see Zhao Jichuan sitting in the back seat. She glanced down at the ride-hailing app and said, “Sis, this car will take over ten more minutes to arrive—probably stuck in traffic somewhere. Let’s just get in this one. Han Ting looks like he’s about to fall asleep.”

As soon as the words were spoken, Han Ting’s head, which had been resting on Han Rao’s shoulder, tilted slightly and missed its support. Dazed, he let out a groggy “Hmm.”

Han Rao rubbed his hair and made up her mind, giving Zhao Jichuan a slight nod.

Seeing her nod, Sun Hao immediately got out of the driver’s seat and helped Han Rao assist Han Ting into the car.

Vivi saw Zhao Jichuan sitting in the back and immediately took the passenger seat as if avoiding the plague.

At the back of the car, since Han Tingxian got in first, he sat in the middle. He fell asleep as soon as he got in, swaying like a roly-poly doll—sometimes leaning toward Han Rao, other times tilting toward Zhao Jichuan.

Zhao Jichuan endured the cheap alcohol and smoky smell of grilled meat on Han Ting’s body for Han Yao’s sake, but he couldn’t help turning his head away.

When Han Ting leaned on his shoulder again, the man finally couldn’t take it anymore and said to Han Yao with a dark face, “Take his head away.”

Han Yao regretted it so much that she felt sick to her stomach. She shouldn’t have listened to Vivi’s persuasion and been tempted by a small gain that ended up costing her dearly.

She called softly, “Xiao Ting,” and pulled his arm toward her, “Lie down in my arms and sleep.”

Han Ting was dazed and turned right again, leaning against Han Yao’s shoulder. Han Yao seemed afraid that he would move around again, so she held his arm with one hand and grabbed his hand with the other.

Zhao Jichuan turned his head slightly to glance at the intimate scene between the siblings, then looked out the window again, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.

At last, the car slowly came to a stop outside the hotel.

Sun Hao immediately got out of the car to help Han Rao open the door, and also assisted her in supporting Han Ting down.

Han Rao repeatedly expressed her thanks, then gently pinched Han Ting’s cheek to wake him up. Han Ting, drowsy, called out, “Sis.”

“Let’s go, we’re going home.”

After getting out of the car, Han Ting vaguely sensed something was amiss. As he walked, he tilted his head slightly to glance at Zhao Jichuan, who remained calmly seated in the vehicle, and furrowed his brows. “Sis, why is there an extra person?” he asked

Han Rao casually lied, “It’s too much trouble to hail a cab at this hour, so I just shared a ride with someone.”

Han Ting gave an “Mmm” in response, suddenly recalling that time during New Year’s when Han Rao had sneaked back to Beicheng. With a hint of alcohol loosening his tongue, the words almost slipped out: “I thought he was your boyfriend.”

Han Rao tapped his head and glanced at Vivi. “We celebrities don’t fall in love easily.”

Han Ting teased her, “Idols don’t date, and you’re not one anyway. Your dancing is passable, but you’ve got no talent for singing.”

Han Rao kicked him. “Can’t you speak properly? Believe it or not, I’ll leave you here to sleep on the street.”

Han Ting grinned mischievously and shamelessly wrapped his arm around her waist.

This scene was fully captured by Zhao Jichuan. For some reason, he suddenly found it rather glaring.

I also felt a bit envious of her and Han Ting’s natural way of interacting.

Han Rao and Vivi exhausted all their strength to throw Han Ting onto the bed, barely catching their breath when the phone rang.

Han Rao pressed the answer button, and the man on the other end said in a deep voice, “Come down and find me.”