Zhou Hao didn't come back to the bedroom all night, so Chu Qi slept alone in the big bed for the entire night. She had a good sleep, but the only downside was the absence of sexual intimacy.

Because of this incident, the two of them didn't speak to each other the next morning. More accurately, it was Zhou Hao deliberately avoiding Chu Qi.

Early in the morning, Chu Qi came out of the bedroom with disheveled hair. When she looked downstairs, she happened to see Zhou Hao sitting at the dining table. They made eye contact for a moment, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Alcohol truly emboldens a person. Last night, my brain was completely out of control, and I did those shameless things without any sense of shame. Now that I've woken up this morning and realized my actions, I feel extremely embarrassed and can't face Zhou Hao.

Zhou Hao made a sound of agreement, and Chu Qi finished washing up and went to have a meal. Zhou Hao got up and left, the atmosphere was awkward to death, as if they had returned to the kind of rigid relationship they had before. Unless necessary, the two of them never ate at the same table.

With the start of the school just a few days away, Zhu Qi's mattress had already been cleaned. There was no longer any reason for him to sleep on Zhou Hao's bed. When he went to the coffee shop to study in the afternoon, Zhou Hao no longer came over to talk to him. Instead, a few other waitresses approached and struck up conversations with him, but they were all girls.

When returning home in the evening, Chu Qi quietly followed behind him. Because Zhou Hao was walking fast, he didn't even plan to stop and wait for him.

Chu Qi felt that this was not a solution. He didn't want to end up like this with Zhou Hao. Just say what needs to be said clearly. If that doesn't work, then let it be.

"Ge!" He hastily chased after him, and Zhou Hao stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him.

He was a little nervous, standing in front of Zhou Hao and dare not lift his head. The evening breeze of summer was somewhat cool, yet his back was sweaty. "Um... about that night...," his face turned red, and his tongue felt like it was tied in knots, not knowing what to say.

"After that incident, let's not bring it up again," said Zhou Hao.

Ah? Chuzhi looked up at Zhou Hao, who was standing under the streetlight, with a hint of surprise. Zhou Hao's expression was hidden in the shadows, making it difficult for Chuzhi to see clearly. "It's not... me..."

He clenched his clothes tightly as if he had made a big decision and said, "I really... like you, bro." His eyes suddenly became a little sore, and he lowered his head, anxiously staring at his own toes. "I really like you, I have liked you for a long time."

Zhou Hao frowned as he looked at the young man in front of him and said seriously, "Do you know what you're saying?"

"I know," Chu Qi nodded. "I know that we are brothers, but we don't have any blood relation. I can't control my feelings about this matter either..."

Zhou Hao stood there in silence for a long time, gazing at Chu Qi's spinning hair, before finally saying, "Don't say such things anymore in the future."

He turned around and walked away. Chu Qi hurriedly called out to him, "Brother! Don't you like me at all?"

Zhou Hao didn't turn around and said, "I have never liked you."

This statement was like numerous tiny needles, piercing straight into Chu Qi's heart, causing him to feel a pain so intense that he couldn't even catch his breath. It turned out that all this time, he had been deluding himself, thinking that he could somehow attract his attention. But in reality, the more he tried to get his attention, the more he despised himself.

Chu Qi locked herself in her room for two days, refusing to go anywhere. Even her meals were brought to her room by Aunt Chen. She barely ate, only taking a bite or two. Aunt Chen looked at her with heartache and asked what was wrong, but she didn't say anything except that she hadn't been feeling well lately.

Chen Ma, no matter how close she was to Chu Qi, was still just a servant. There were many things that she had no right to intervene in. Seeing that Chu Qi was unwilling to speak and looking extremely haggard, Chen Ma became extremely anxious. She hurriedly went to find Zhou Hao.

"Master, look at Young Master. He doesn't eat, go out, and lies in bed like he's sick. If he continues like this, his health will deteriorate. I've asked him many times but he won't say anything. You are his older brother, please go and persuade him. If there's something bothering him, he should speak up. It's not good to keep it bottled up inside."

Zhou Hao glanced at Chu Qi's room and said expressionlessly, "He can do whatever he wants."

The door was not closed, and Zhou Hao's words poured into Chu Qi's ears without missing a single word. He lay on the bed, his nose suddenly tingling, tears welled up and slid from the corner of his eye to the back of his ear, finally disappearing within his hairline.

"Stinky big brother."