SWTHTC - 21

Chapter 21: “What Are You Laughing At?”

Hou Zihao’s father was incredibly handsome, the kind of man who could step straight into a TV drama. He fit the archetype of an elite CEO perfectly—every inch the dignified, commanding figure you’d see on screen.

He was as tall as Hou Zihao, with similarly sharp, chiseled features. When he walked in, his hurried steps and attire—a pair of black trousers and a light blue shirt—were exactly what you’d expect from a classic TV CEO. The only difference was that his hair and collar were slightly disheveled, making him look less composed than the suave executives typically portrayed on television.

The resemblance between the two was so striking that Zhou Leqi immediately recognized the man walking into the office as Hou Zihao’s father. She quickly stood up.

Hou Zihao followed suit and called out, “Dad.”

His father, Hou Feng, hadn’t had it easy either. In the middle of the night, he’d received a call from his son saying he was at the police station and needed to be bailed out. Dropping everything, he rushed over only to find his son sitting there holding hands with a strange girl—and looking quite pleased about it.

...What kind of crime was this? Lewd behavior?

Zhou Leqi hadn’t realized she was still holding Hou Zihao’s hand until Hou Feng’s piercing gaze made her aware of it. She quickly pulled her hand away, her face flushing red all the way down to her neck.

Her fair skin made the blush particularly noticeable. Hou Zihao, who had initially felt a pang of irritation when she let go of his hand, turned his head and saw her blushing. It was so beautiful that it sent a tingling sensation through him, and suddenly he no longer cared about whether they were holding hands or not.

While the two of them were busy with their little gestures, the adults weren’t as carefree. Hou Feng first apologized to the police, then to the middle-aged man involved, and finally began discussing compensation.

He glanced at the man’s arm—it was clearly dislocated. Rolling up his sleeves, Hou Feng startled the man, who asked warily, “What are you going to do?”

With a polite smile, Hou Feng replied, “Don’t worry, I’m a doctor. I can set your arm back in place.”

The man hesitated but eventually, unable to bear the pain any longer, extended his arm. Hou Feng examined it carefully, measured with his hands, and with a gentle movement, there was a faint crack. The man let out a loud cry of pain that drew stares from everyone in the office, including the police officers and even the other offenders.

Only Hou Feng remained calm. Rolling his sleeves back down, he smiled and said, “There, it’s fine now.”

Zhou Leqi blinked in amazement.

...So impressive.

Hou Zihao was used to his father’s habit of treating any ailment he came across, so he didn’t react much. However, Zhou Leqi was visibly awestruck, her eyes wide with admiration.

Hou Zihao sighed internally, feeling both exasperated and a bit jealous. After a moment of silence, he couldn’t help but mutter, “It’s just a dislocation. What’s so impressive about that?”

Zhou Leqi heard him and glanced up but ignored him completely.

Fifteen minutes later, Hou Feng had taken care of everything, even compensating the middle-aged man with 2,000 yuan for “emotional distress.”

Initially, the man might not have demanded such a large sum. A few hundred yuan would likely have sufficed after some negotiation. But Hou Feng didn’t quibble over the amount, considering the trouble had been caused by two kids. He feared the man might harbor ill intentions and cause further harm if provoked.

This was beyond Zhou Leqi’s ability to handle. She hadn’t expected the cost to be so high; she’d only brought 500 yuan with her. Moreover, given her family’s current financial situation—which wasn’t great—she had no idea how to ask Yu Qing for the money.

But regardless, this was her responsibility. As they left the police station, she followed Hou Feng, cautiously and politely calling out, “Uncle.” She thanked him and then offered to repay him.

Hou Feng was affable, nodding with a smile. “Your gratitude is appreciated, but this incident was caused by Hou Zihao. Strictly speaking, I can’t accept your money.”

Zhou Leqi felt uneasy at this and shook her head repeatedly. “No, no, no. This whole thing started because of me. He got into trouble trying to help me. I must repay this money…”

Hou Feng tried to persuade her again, but Zhou Leqi remained insistent. Eventually, he shot a glare at his son, silently conveying: You, fix this.

Hou Zihao sighed inwardly, responding with a look that said: I can’t fix her. She’s the one fixing me.

Hou Feng: … Useless.

Hou Zihao: Whatever.

Hou Feng: ?

The seamless telepathy between father and son was completely lost on Zhou Leqi. She assumed Hou Feng’s silence meant tacit agreement. A moment later, she heard Hou Zihao say, “Let’s get in the car. We’ll take you home.”

He gestured toward a black Audi A8 parked in the police station courtyard.

Coincidentally, Zhou Lei also drove an A8. Once upon a time, Zhou Leqi had been happily chauffeured to and from school by her parents in that car. But now, many things had changed. The life she had once taken for granted was now out of reach, something she could only look up to.

She didn’t feel sad or envious—just a slight bitterness. She shook her head at Hou Zihao and said, “It’s okay, I can go home by myself. My house is very close.”

The gentle Hou Feng disagreed. “It’s too late. It’s not safe for a girl to walk alone at night. If anything happens, I wouldn’t be able to explain it to your parents. Let Uncle drive you home.”

He was worried Zhou Leqi would decline again and had planned to have Hou Zihao persuade her further. But before he could say anything, his son had already grabbed the girl’s wrist and started leading her toward the car.

...Who does this kid take after? How shameless.

Sigh.

The distance from the police station to Zhou Leqi’s home was indeed short—only about seven or eight hundred meters. It took less than two minutes by car.

Given the age and congestion of her neighborhood, driving in might mean getting stuck, so Zhou Leqi repeatedly declined Hou Feng’s offer to drop her off at her doorstep.

Hou Feng didn’t insist too much. He simply told Hou Zihao, “Go and escort your classmate home.”

As if Hou Zihao needed reminding. Before his father could finish saying the word “you,” Hou Zihao had already unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

Hou Feng: ...

The residential area was eerily quiet at night.

There were few streetlights, and half of them were broken, plunging the area into darkness. Hou Zihao turned on his phone’s flashlight to illuminate the path, which barely made it possible to see where they were going.

He walked beside her the entire way.

Zhou Leqi had walked this route home countless times alone, but never once had she dared to stroll as slowly as she did now. Normally, she would sprint through, afraid that someone dangerous might be lurking in the shadows.

In the deep silence of the night, their footsteps echoed clearly. The faint beam of light from his phone swayed slightly, carving a straight path through the darkness. Zhou Leqi stared at the beam, feeling oddly dazed.

Amid the silence, she suddenly heard him ask, “…Are you mad at me?”

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him.

In the darkness, she couldn’t see his face clearly, only the outline. Yet somehow, she could imagine his expression—it probably resembled that of a German Shepherd who had reined in its temper and was now attentively watching for signs of approval.

“No,” she shook her head. “Why would I be mad?”

He fell silent for a moment, as if assessing whether her claim of not being angry was genuine. After a few seconds, he spoke again. “I didn’t mean to meddle. That guy really had bad intentions toward you. I was just worried something might happen.”

“Oh,” Zhou Leqi said.

He was left speechless.

For some reason, Zhou Leqi’s mood had improved slightly.

After a moment’s thought, she asked, “So… did you take a taxi to the final stop and wait for me today?”

He coughed lightly, his voice dropping a notch, as if feeling a bit guilty. Still, he answered, “Yeah.”

“Is this the first time you’ve done this?”

“Yes.”

“Are you telling the truth?”

“…No.”

Zhou Leqi couldn’t hold back and laughed.

He heard her laughter and perked up like an eager dog. Initially prepared to accept scolding, he felt as though he’d been pardoned when his master suddenly laughed, seeing an opportunity to regain favor.

True to form, he seized the moment and asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Zhou Leqi wasn’t about to let him get carried away. She quickly stopped laughing and said flatly, “Nothing.” Then she added, “So, when did you start doing this?”

Realizing she wasn’t easily fooled and had turned serious again, he felt a bit deflated. His voice grew quieter, almost muffled. “Since the day you got mad at me.”

“What?” She hadn’t heard him clearly.

He gave up, resigned. “The day I confessed to you and you rejected me.”

He had never let her walk home alone since then.

Zhou Leqi: …

She suddenly felt tongue-tied and… a little flustered.

If he had been scheming against her or harboring ill intentions, she might not have felt so unsettled. After all, life in recent years had honed her ability to handle difficult situations. But his generosity—his willingness to give her all the control and security while leaving nothing for himself—left her unsure of how to respond.

Meanwhile, the silence was unbearable for Hou Zihao. He didn’t realize she was feeling awkward; he thought she was angry again because he had brought up the past.

Thus, he heard himself say quietly, “Don’t be mad. I won’t mention it again, okay?”

His voice was soft and low, tinged with a hint of sadness.

Zhou Leqi suddenly believed that he truly liked her.

To her, it was absurd—they had only just met. Yet beneath that absurdity, another indescribable emotion stirred within her, like the gentle waves of summer washing over her, offering a fleeting sense of peace.

Her heart was calm.

“The money,” she changed the subject. “Can I pay you in two installments?”

Her earlier awkwardness was broken by this question. She pulled 500 yuan from her pocket and handed it to him, saying, “Take this 500 for now. I’ll give you the remaining 1,500 next week.”

She needed to think about how to bring this up to Yu Qing. If necessary, she might even have to find a part-time job.

Hou Zihao frowned. “You don’t need to. I’m the one who hit him. What does it have to do with you?”

Zhou Leqi furrowed her brow as well. “Are you going to take it or not?”

Hou Zihao: …

Why did he feel like she was angry again…?

Why did she get angry so easily?

Author’s Note: After Zhou’s outburst, Hou has developed PTSD. He constantly feels like she’s mad at him.