In the end, Qin Zhaoyue agreed to accompany her foster brother to his birthday celebration.
Xiao Qiang did not go straight home. Instead, he walked down the wide street alone, lost in thought as he recalled the recent string of events. His relationship with Qin Zhaoyue had been rock-solid until the appearance of Chen Zihao three months ago. Chen Zihao was a massage therapist at the Dark Horse Massage Parlor in Haizhou. Qin Zhaoyue had gone in for a massage to relieve some neck and shoulder pain and happened to be assigned to him. One thing led to another, and the two grew close, eventually declaring themselves foster sister and brother.
Ever since this "foster brother" appeared, Xiao Qiang felt as though Qin Zhaoyue had changed. Every night when she returned home, she would spend hours chatting with him on WeChat. When Xiao Qiang urged her to be cautious, reminding her that there should be boundaries between a man and a woman and that she was a married woman in all but name, Qin Zhaoyue would brush it off. "He’s my foster brother. He’s all alone in Haizhou; he’s lonely, and I’m just keeping him company. You’re even jealous of a foster brother?" She would ignore Xiao Qiang’s advice and continue to chat with Chen Zihao with undiminished fervor.
There was even a time when Xiao Qiang and Qin Zhaoyue went to see a romantic movie on a weekend, only to run into Chen Zihao by chance. To Xiao Qiang’s disbelief, Qin Zhaoyue left him sitting alone in his seat while she went to sit with her foster brother. At the time, she had explained, "I rarely get to see my brother during the week. Since we ran into each other, I’m just going to go chat with him for a while." Throughout the entire film, Xiao Qiang felt like he was chewing on wax, while Qin Zhaoyue and Chen Zihao chatted away happily.
Thinking of these things, a suffocating pressure built up in Xiao Qiang’s chest, as if a thousand-pound boulder were crushing him. "Ah!" Xiao Qiang let out a long, anguished roar toward the sky, venting the stifled emotions in his heart. "Qin Zhaoyue, you certainly are a 'dedicated' foster sister. I just wonder if Chen Zihao sees the word 'foster' as an adjective or a verb."
By the time he returned home, it was eleven in the morning. Xiao Qiang had prepared Qin Zhaoyue’s favorite dish: white truffle and black pepper chicken linguine. Yet, from twelve o’clock to one, there was no sign of her. Xiao Qiang let out a cold laugh, pulled out a bottle of high-proof liquor and two packs of cigarettes. Cigarettes and alcohol—the only way to drown a thousand sorrows. He didn't know how much time had passed, but by the time the bottle was empty and both packs of cigarettes were gone, Xiao Qiang had fallen into a deep sleep on the living room sofa.
It was past seven in the evening. When Qin Zhaoyue returned to the villa, the thick, lingering smell of smoke and alcohol hit her, and she immediately covered her nose. She kicked off her shoes, revealing her delicate, jade-like feet, and hurried to the sofa, shaking Xiao Qiang awake. "Get up. Wake up right now!"
After a moment, Xiao Qiang finally opened his bleary eyes. "You... you finally decided to come home."
Qin Zhaoyue furrowed her brows. "Xiao Qiang, don't you know I'm allergic to smoke and alcohol? How many times do I have to tell you—don't smoke, don't drink! How many times do I have to say it? Why won't you listen?"
Xiao Qiang rubbed his throbbing temples and replied dismissively, "I’ve told you, too—draw a line between yourself and your foster brother. You’re a woman with a home and a partner, but haven't you ignored me? You're still acting just as ambiguous with him."
"You... how can that be the same? Zihao is my foster brother. Isn't it normal for me to care about him? Why are you so narrow-minded? I’ve explained this to you so many times. Why do you keep bringing it up?" Qin Zhaoyue was getting annoyed. When had Xiao Qiang become so petty? He hadn't been like this before!
"Qin Zhaoyue, you really are a hypocrite. When you make demands, I’m expected to obey, but when I make a request, you always have a thousand sophistries to counter it. Maybe you don't mean anything by it, but the world is full of ulterior motives. Can you guarantee your foster brother doesn't have other ideas about you?"
"Xiao Qiang, why is your mind so dirty? What kind of warped intentions could my foster brother possibly have? Can you stop thinking of people so poorly?" Qin Zhaoyue practically roared the words. In her view, Chen Zihao was just her brother; there was only the bond of siblings between them. It was impossible, and there was absolutely nothing else going on. And yet, Xiao Qiang was actually suspecting her brother of having those kinds of thoughts!
Xiao Qiang shook his head helplessly. Qin Zhaoyue was usually brilliant, but on this subject, she was incredibly thick-headed. He didn't want to argue anymore—they had fought over this at least ten times recently. He picked up his iPad and opened *Peace Elite*, hoping to find some escape in another dimension.
"I’m talking to you, and you’re playing games?" Qin Zhaoyue was furious at his attitude. *So, you can’t win the argument, so you’re just going to avoid it?* She reached out to snatch the iPad from his hands. Just then, a WeChat notification sounded, and Xiao Qiang tapped the dialogue box by reflex.
A photo appeared on the screen. When Qin Zhaoyue saw it, her hand froze in mid-air. A flash of panic crossed her eyes. In the photo, Chen Zihao was wearing a birthday hat, with Qin Zhaoyue sitting beside him. On the table in front of them sat a cake. Both were smiling, and Chen Zihao’s hand was resting on Qin Zhaoyue’s bare shoulder—the gesture was intimate in the extreme.
*Ding.* Another notification sounded. "Sister, thank you for coming to celebrate my twentieth birthday with me today! I’m so happy!"
When Qin Zhaoyue saw this message, her heart plummeted. She looked at Xiao Qiang’s cold, emotionless eyes and felt a sharp pang of dread. "Honey, let me explain..."
Before she could finish, a flurry of *ding-ding-ding* notifications rang out. Qin Zhaoyue’s heart raced even faster. *Foster brother, are you trying to kill me? Please, stop sending messages!*
Xiao Qiang turned his head and began scrolling through the messages Chen Zihao had sent. Qin Zhaoyue stared at the screen, paralyzed with tension. When she saw the first image, her heart turned sour with absolute bitterness. The events of the afternoon flashed through her mind. After eating at the restaurant near his dorm, Chen Zihao had insisted she come up to see his room. She couldn't refuse, and once inside, he insisted on giving her a massage. A massage was one thing, but then the boy had started gushing about how beautiful her feet and back were, insisting on taking pictures. Qin Zhaoyue had simply assumed her foster brother was being innocent and childlike, so she had agreed.
There were seven or eight photos—all of her bare feet and exposed back.
The final message read: "Sister, I’m so envious of your husband, being able to possess a woman as ethereal as you!"
"Qin Zhaoyue, you really do have a deep 'bond' with your foster brother. We could have gotten our marriage license in twenty minutes, but you couldn't wait. You went to see your foster brother—and the result was that you stayed to celebrate his birthday!"
Veins bulged on Xiao Qiang’s forehead as he spoke, his struggle to suppress his rage evident. Qin Zhaoyue looked at his cold gaze, her mind in a state of chaos. "Honey, you heard it yourself when he called—he really said he had fainted. I didn't want to lie to you! But when I got there, I realized he had tricked me into coming to celebrate his birthday. I thought about how he was all alone in Haizhou with no one to rely on, so I agreed to stay. I’m sorry, honey..."
It was rare for Qin Zhaoyue to explain herself so softly; having lived with her for two years, Xiao Qiang was used to her being the dominant one.
"Right. He’s alone, so you can stay for his birthday. He’s pitiful, so you charge your membership card with a hundred thousand just to boost his sales figures! I won't even mention the rest! But today was the day we were supposed to get our marriage license, and you... you stripped down like this, lying on his bed, letting him massage you, and even taking photos as a souvenir! Qin Zhaoyue, are you out of your mind?"