?Cai Wenxi, “You need to leave now!”

“Hm? Really? But wouldn’t all your careful preparations be wasted then?” Zhang Wei’s lips curled into a playful smirk as he feigned innocence, stepping back gracefully into the room and opening his arms wide.

“?? What preparations?” Cai Wenxi’s frown deepened, her head throbbing as she tried to figure out how to evict this persistent man and face whatever magical plot he was devising, yet again!

“This! Didn’t you decorate this entire room for me?” Zhang Wei teased, his eyes gleaming mischievously as he gestured expansively at the softly lit, elegantly adorned room.

Cai Wenxi, “…”

Her expression darkened as she realized he was toying with her.

Taking a deep breath, she restrained herself from wreaking havoc in the hotel room. “Zhang Wei—I will say this just one more time: whatever happened was a singular event, and I was alone responsible for my actions!”

“Don’t presume to exploit me again,” she declared, her voice trembling slightly with a mix of embarrassment and indignation.

She had never imagined that she would find herself in such an awkward conversation.

“…”

Zhang Wei’s smile fell momentarily, but quickly masked vy a mischievous grin.

“That will suffice, but first, I need a new shirt,” he quipped, slipping behind her and gently placing his hands on her shoulders.

!?

Frustration was etched deep on Cai Wenxi’s features.

Glancing down, she saw her shirt—ragged and worn as though she had borrowed it from a beggar.

The realization hit her hard; she was indeed the architect of its ruin.

With a resigned sigh, she led him towards the wardrobe. “Choose whatever you want and leave,” she said, her tone resolute yet weary.

Zhang Wei, “…”

He abruptly fell silent, his lips twitching as he scanned the wardrobe overflowing with an eclectic mix of women’s clothing.

The sight left him momentarily dumbfounded, a rare spectacle that coaxed a bright, amused smile from Cai Wenxi.

Zhang Wei, ‘To think, the formidable brother, at a loss for words over a wardrobe! Preposterous! ‘ he thought in resignation, as Cai Wenxi stiffled her laughter from echoing in the spacious room.

However, Zhang Wei was not one to easily admit defeat, especially not over something as trivial as clothing.

“Cough! It appears these garments are decidedly unworthy of my refined taste,” he declared with exaggerated disdain.

Peering skeptically at the array of dresses and blouses, he stepped backward, as if physically repelled by the thought of donning such attire.

“…”

Cai Wenxi’s eyes narrowed into slits as she watched him, her arms folded tightly across her chest.

His dramatics were both irritating and endearing in equal measure.

Zhang Wei, “We’ll even this out later! See ya,” he called back breezily, his voice carrying a hint of challenge.

Whoosh!

With a fluid motion that seemed too graceful for the casual dismissal in his tone, Zhang Wei pivoted on his heel and vaulted out of the window, disappearing into the bustling cityscape below.

Cai Wenxi stepped forward, peering out the window with a blend of bewilderment and admiration. 𝚏rewe𝚘vel.𝚌𝚘m

“Where did he vanish again? This is fourteenth floor…” she muttered in awe under her breath, her eyes still tracking the spot where he had vanished.

“…”

In the end, she gave up on uncovering the magic tricks of the bother!

Her room now — silent, Cai Wenxi let out a long, contemplative sigh, the faintest trace of a smile still lingering as she pondered the puzzle that was Zhang Wei.

_______

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

“Woahhh…”

“Mom! Look at the big brother!”

“Xiaomi, stop! Don’t point at strangers!”

“But Mom—he looks like a superhero! And he’s shirtless!”

“Xiaomi, manners!”

[Hehe, host, it seems you are pre-booking.]

“Enough already,” Zhang Wei muttered under his breath, barely suppressing a chuckle as he continued his morning jog through the unusually quiet neighborhood.

His choice of attire—or lack thereof—consisting of just loose pants and ceremonial shoes, made him stick out rather… Unique.

Everywhere he went, he could feel the curious stares which only widened his grin.

Zhang Wei, ‘Might as well be a runway model at this rate, Jiajia, that little bird could have some competition.’

He had long since ditched his tattered shirt, embracing the freedom of running shirtless, which, along with his peculiar footwear, certainly marked him as a spectacle.

But Zhang Wei wasn’t just running; he was practically showing off, each exaggerated stride and flex of his muscles more intense than the last.

Zhang Wei, ‘They’re staring anyway—might as well put on a proper show.’

“Big brother, you’re really cool!” Xiaomi exclaimed, escaping her mother’s grasp to jog a few steps alongside him.

Zhang Wei laughed heartily and eased his pace to jog alongside the little girl. “Stick with big brother, and I’ll teach you some tricks to dodge the bad boys when you grow up!”

“En! En! Big brother is funny!” Xiaomi’s eyes sparkled with delight as she clapped her hands and giggled.

“Xiaomi, come back here,” her mother called, her voice stern but the amused smile playing at the edges of her lips betraying her true feelings.

As Zhang Wei rounded the corner, his eyes briefly twitched with amusement at Xiaomi’s energetic bounce. ‘This little one is crafty’* he thought, chuckling internally as he watched her deftly dodge around him with surprising agility.

Yet, a surge of excitement shot through him when he saw her mother quickly catching up.

It was as if a mysterious force was calling out to him!

Someone!

No—something!

Was crying out for freedom!

And he felt destined to answer the call!

To liberate these two little bouncy and enthusiastic rabbits from their mundane constraints and herald the dawn of a liberated world.

This thought blossomed as Xiaomi’s mother joined them, gracefully dabbing her face with a sweat towel.

Her fair hair was neatly pulled back into a sleek, long ponytail, swaying gently with each graceful step she took.

Xiaomi’s mother caught up, her gaze flickering between Zhang Wei’s sculpted muscles, freezing for a second Before shifting upto her daughter.

She adjusted her pace to stay close, her expression tinged with wariness.