QTIMP -Chapter 136 Character Persona – Love Brained (Part 7)

They had already agreed on a time to come back and pick things out at the shop. The owner had said he’d just acquired a batch of Qingtian stone and Laotian stone. At this point in time, these materials weren’t expensive yet—but in the future, their prices would be driven sky-high.

In less than an hour, the three boys were already starting to regret coming along.

Just as Si Qiu reached out for an embroidered round fan, Zhou Chenyu grabbed her hand.

“Little sister, there’s really no need to buy this. If you like it, I can introduce you to a few embroiderers. Su embroidery, Xiang embroidery, Beijing embroidery—my mother knows quite a few people in this field. I guarantee the materials are solid and the craftsmanship is exquisite. There’s really no need to buy things like this—you wouldn’t even be able to show them off properly.”

Si Qiu withdrew her hand. “Alright then.”

But soon her eyes lit up again. “Then let’s go check out those bead bracelets over there.”

Without waiting for their reply, she grabbed Lin Zixiang with one hand and Zhou Chenyu with the other and pulled them along.

Both of their hands were already full of her purchases, and they couldn’t pull away too forcefully, so they could only stumble along after her.

When they arrived at the bead bracelet stall, Si Qiu realized she hadn’t studied such things before. But having lived through several lifetimes, she still had a basic eye for quality.

In the end, she picked out six or seven pieces. By then, the sky had gone from pitch black to faintly lit with dawn, and the crowd had gradually dispersed. Only then did Si Qiu and the others return to the car, arms laden with bags.

The moment they got into the car, the three boys instantly recovered from their half-dead state.

“Old Zhou, hurry up and drive—we’re heading to Uncle Wu’s shop!”

Hearing Shao Yang’s words, Lin Zixiang leaned over the seat as well. “Yeah, yeah! It’s been ages since I had his fried liver and meat buns. Sis, let me tell you—after eating breakfast from his place, nothing else tastes quite right.”

They hadn’t even arrived yet, but just listening to the three of them enthusiastically describing the variety, methods, and flavors of Beijing breakfasts made Si Qiu swallow repeatedly.

As expected of Beijing cuisine—you really need locals to guide you. Even from a distance, the small shop at the alley entrance was already filled with the rich aroma of braised food.

Once she tasted it, the flavors were fresh, fragrant, and intense. Si Qiu already had a good appetite, but this time she broke her own record. Instead, this made the three boys feel she was easy to get along with—not the pretentious type.

However, compared to the three of them, Si Qiu still felt like a small fry. She even began to feel sorry for Uncle Wu—what kind of bowls would he use to serve them tofu pudding? Maybe he should just bring out a basin!

Each of them drank three bowls of tofu pudding, and every time the owner refilled them, he did so cheerfully, even asking, “Want a few more buns?”

Seeing them nod, he happily went off to grab more buns.

“Half-grown boys can eat a family poor. If your household isn’t well-off, raising a few lads your age wouldn’t be easy.”

Lin Zixiang swallowed his mouthful of bun. “Sis, that’s not quite right. Sure, we eat a lot, but we can work too—we’re full of strength.”

Shao Yang nodded along. “Exactly, exactly! You can totally work us like donkeys.”

Zhou Chenyu smacked the back of his head. “If you don’t know how to talk, don’t drag me into it.”

Si Qiu couldn’t help but laugh whenever the three of them chatted. “By the way, should we exchange numbers? Maybe add each other on QQ?”

Shao Yang covered the back of his head with one hand while holding up his bun like a trophy with the other. “Yes, yes! I begged my mom forever before she bought me this PHS phone. It’ll be so much easier to stay in touch now.”

Zhou Chenyu took out a phone just like Si Qiu’s—both were Nokias. They exchanged numbers, then followed Si Qiu’s lead in sending their QQ IDs via text message.

After finishing their meal and paying the bill, they were about to leave. Since the car was parked some distance away, they had to walk a bit. But just as they turned around, someone emerged from the misty steam ahead…

The man was over 1.8 meters tall, with an excellent body proportion. A simple shirt and suit pants looked as refined on him as formal wear. A pair of half-rim gold glasses rested on his face, and a few loose strands of hair fell over his forehead.

His nose bridge was sharp and straight, his lips a deep red—though slightly thin.

The moment the three of them saw him, they immediately stopped in their tracks and stood up straight. As the man approached, Si Qiu could clearly feel their tension.

“Hello, Brother Zhou.”

“Morning, Brother Zhou.”

“Second Brother.”

The man nodded at the three of them. “Mm.”

He gave them a brief once-over before his gaze landed on Si Qiu. She blinked and smiled at him; he gave a slight nod in response.

Behind the lenses, Si Qiu couldn’t detect any sharpness in his eyes. His posture seemed somewhat casual, yet his presence alone created an unspoken pressure that felt almost suffocating.

Si Qiu took a step back—not because she was afraid, but because she didn’t want to deal with someone so domineering and imposing.

Lin Zixiang noticed her movement and quickly shifted slightly to the side, shielding half of her figure.

“Brother Zhou, this is my grandaunt’s younger relative. She just arrived in the capital, so the three of us are taking her around.”

The man withdrew his gaze and nodded. His voice was calm. “You’re up quite early today.”

The ending note of his voice lifted slightly, his tone as thin and cold as a strand of ice, slicing through the morning light—clear, yet carrying a trace of chill.

Zhou Chenyu lost some of his usual composure, scratching his head awkwardly. “We went to the ghost market earlier, wandered around, and just came here for breakfast. Second Brother, you’re up early too—but since you have work, it makes sense. We won’t disturb your breakfast then.”

Zhou Chengyu nodded. The two sides passed each other, his gaze only lightly sweeping over them, yet it was enough to make them suppress their restless energy and walk properly out of the alley.

As soon as they reached the car, they quickly got in. Then all of them let out a collective sigh of relief and exchanged glances.

Si Qiu licked her lips. “That was your second brother? His presence is so strong!”

Lin Zixiang leaned over the back seat, sticking his head forward. “He’s the eldest son of the main branch of their generation—Zhou Chengyu, his second cousin.”

Shao Yang’s head popped up from below. “He entered university at 14 and graduated with dual master’s degrees at 19.”

Lin Zixiang pushed his head back down and continued, “He first joined the Political Department as a confidential secretary. After two years, he was assigned to a county as the county party secretary—for another two years.”

Shao Yang suddenly pressed down on Lin Zixiang like Mount Tai, cutting in, “And then in just five years, he went from mayor all the way up to provincial party secretary.”

Zhou Chenyu’s voice drifted over leisurely, “He’s 28 this year. Came back at the beginning of the year, and now he’s a secretary of the Central Secretariat.”

He turned to look at Si Qiu. “He’s the most admired and doted-on figure of our generation—and also a mountain pressing down on all of us.”

Si Qiu could already imagine how the elders would use such a cousin as an example to lecture them. Just thinking about it felt suffocating.

She swallowed and laughed awkwardly. “Haha… let’s just admire him from afar.”

The three of them nodded in unison.
“Yeah, no comparison at all.”
“Better not wander around in front of Brother Zhou.”
“Too easy to feel inferior.”