Chapter 6: Please Don’t Tease Me, Brother Zhixu

Meng Tang’s car was parked outside Zhao Baitong’s apartment the next afternoon.

The elongated luxury sedan looked completely out of place against the backdrop of the old apartment building.

Zhao Baitong had the day off and hadn’t left her apartment all day. She hadn’t checked the weather forecast either, so she was unprepared for the sudden drop in temperature in South City.

Dressed too lightly, she sneezed repeatedly as soon as she stepped outside, her nose reddened and tears lingering on her eyelashes, resembling a stray, pitiful kitten.

“Are you cold?” Fang Zhixu suddenly asked from the back seat.

Zhao Baitong was taken aback.

He wore a black suit, the setting sun casting a glow through the car window. The sapphire-blue lapel pin at his collar shimmered with a cool radiance, exuding an air of noble aloofness.

“You tend to be sensitive to cold. Should I ask Master Zhu to turn up the heat?” he offered.

Meng Tang obediently nestled into Fang Zhixu’s arms. Though usually independent and capable, in front of Fang Zhixu, she behaved like a demure woman. “You’re like a heater when you’re around me; I’m not cold.”

Fang Zhixu nodded without once glancing at Zhao Baitong. “Master Zhu, drive.”

So he had been asking Meng Tang if she was cold.

“Baitong, Zhixu personally came to pick you up. Aren’t you happy?” Meng Tang’s voice was lively, the most animated among the three.

Zhao Baitong’s eyes shifted away from the couples playing outside the window. Should she be happy?

Her expression was somewhat blank. “Happy.”

Meng Tang was the liveliest, “Zhixu, I think Zhao Baitong should make more friends; she’s too introverted.”

Fang Zhixu retracted his arm slightly, his voice hoarse yet gentle. “Then help her.”

“I will help her. I promised to take care of Baitong with you.”

Only then did Fang Zhixu cast a brief glance at Zhao Baitong. “Tang Tang says you’re lonely. She keeps telling me she wants to look after you.”

Meng Tang wanted to take care of her?

Zhao Baitong didn’t understand why he would believe such nonsense.

Even she herself thought it impossible for the current partner and the ex to coexist peacefully. Didn’t Fang Zhixu know this?

Or did they really believe that without Fang Zhixu, she was worthless?

In the eyes of these wealthy people, she couldn’t even sustain herself?

Zhao Baitong felt a flicker of anger but remained silent, staring out the car window.

…

The bridal shop had cleared out all customers early, knowing the Fang and Meng families would be visiting today.

The marriage alliance between the Fang and Meng families was a grand event in South City. The shop manager greeted them warmly. “Miss Meng is truly beautiful and elegant—a perfect match for Mr. Fang.”

Meng Tang was skilled at playing the part. “You flatter me. Let me introduce you—this is my sister. Take her to try on the bridesmaid dress.”

The manager glanced at Zhao Baitong. “Miss, do you share the surname Meng? You’re quite beautiful too. Please come with me.”

Zhao Baitong took a few steps forward. “My surname is Zhao.”

“Oh, Miss Zhao, you do resemble Miss Meng somewhat! But Miss Meng’s features are fuller, while you are slimmer and more defined—a refreshing, unique beauty.”

Receptionists always complimented customers, and Zhao Baitong smiled bitterly. “Thank you.”

If their features weren’t somewhat similar, how else would she have been a body double for three years?

She accepted the bridesmaid dress from the manager and went into the fitting room.

The dress was indeed tricky to wear.

At 1.7 meters tall, with slender limbs and no excess flesh, she still found the back zipper tight when pulling it up. Her arm could only reach halfway before it got stuck.

Unsure if the manager had left, she wanted to ask for help. “Could you please come in and help me zip this up?”

The fitting room door quietly opened.

Feeling a little embarrassed, she said, “This dress is a bit tight, I can’t quite—”

Seeing the figure in the mirror, her throat felt clogged with cotton, and her words caught in her mouth.

Fang Zhixu’s warm palm covered her exposed back, and with a swift sound, the zipper slid all the way up.

Undeniably, the dress fit perfectly, accentuating her curvaceous figure.

Her features were delicate and clear; her skin smooth; the contours of her face well-defined. Her lips were a soft red, plump and lively, giving her a gentle appearance.

“Zhixu, you…” Zhao Baitong turned around nervously.

His brows were deep-set. “Why did you cut your hair short? Want to start over, huh?”

He closed in on her. The already cramped fitting room felt even more confined with him inside.

Her slender wrist brushed against his firm chest as he cornered her, forcing her to face him. His eyes glinted with desire, radiating danger.

“Zhixu…” Zhao Baitong had nowhere to retreat, her legs weakening. She stared at the crack in the fitting room door, terrified someone would barge in.

He was displeased—displeased that she was avoiding him, displeased that she cut her hair, displeased that she had become disobedient.

He grabbed her, his hand sliding down to her back. With a sharp rip, he pulled the zipper down.

A chill ran through her as the dress mercilessly slipped off.

For the fitting, she had only worn adhesive bras, leaving her chest soft and loose. His shirt pressed against her, the sudden squeeze revealing a clear cleavage.

Zhao Baitong’s eyes reddened, nearly on the verge of tears. “Stop playing with me, Zhixu.”

Her eyes were pure and innocent, the redness at the corners deeply alluring.

“Where else can you hide? Do you think I haven’t seen it?” The fire he’d been holding back now blazed fiercely.

“I’m leaving South City. I won’t be an obstacle between you and Meng Tang. I wish you happiness. Please, let me go, okay?”

Fang Zhixu’s gaze darkened intensely, the fire within him burning even hotter. “You’re leaving South City?”

Suppressing the choking sob in her voice, Zhao Baitong replied, “Yes. Once I’m gone, you and Meng Tang will be happy! Let’s just pretendI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.