Chapter 8

When Qiu Zhan came home from hanging out with friends, the first thing he saw after stepping out of the car was the faint glow from that annoying brat’s room window.
He sneered.
The moment he entered the house, he gave the servants a lazy nod and headed straight upstairs, only to slam his foot into Qiu Li’s door.
Inside, Qiu Li was working on his homework. Since Yan Xiao would be visiting tomorrow, he wanted to have his assignments finished beforehand. Tonight’s task was a craft project, a handmade poster, and he’d done plenty of those before, so he didn’t mind the work.
Under the warm yellow light of the desk lamp, he sat quietly cutting paper, face calm and focused.
Tonight’s theme was a little black lamb, he trimmed the edges carefully, the soft glow outlining his delicate profile, adding a fragile warmth to the still night.
That fragile calm shattered instantly with a thunderous bang.
He didn’t need to guess who it was. Only Qiu Zhan would kick his door like that.
Frowning slightly, Qiu Li set down his scissors and went to open the door.
“What, playing dead in there?” Qiu Zhan sneered from the doorway. “Took you long enough to answer!”
Qiu Li didn’t understand. He hadn’t done anything, why did his brother always come just to pick a fight?
Qiu Zhan looked down at him, eyes full of disdain. “Tomorrow, you stay in your room. Don’t show your face and embarrass the family.”
Qiu Li’s brow twitched. He bit his lip and said nothing.
Qiu Zhan scowled. “What, cat got your tongue?”
Still, Qiu Li remained silent.
The older boy’s irritation spiked. He didn’t bother saying more, only threw down one last warning: “You’d better remember what I said. Stay in your damn room tomorrow.”
Then he left, slamming the door behind him.
He knew Qiu Li wouldn’t dare disobey.
After the footsteps faded, Qiu Li stood there for a long time, the dim hallway lights flickering behind him.
Downstairs, the living room had gone dark. The whole villa felt vast, hollow, almost eerie.
In the shadows, his eyelashes trembled. A faint, cold defiance flickered in his gaze.
He’d done nothing wrong. So what right did Qiu Zhan have to treat him like this?
His small hands clenched into fists. Word by word, he told himself silently:
This time, I won’t give in.

Back at the Yan house, the three-year-old’s body could only stay up so long.
After her bath, Yan Xiao chattered to her parents about her first day of kindergarten, and before long, her yawns came one after another. Her mother tucked her into bed, and within minutes, she was fast asleep, tiny snores filling the quiet room.
By morning, the moment she opened her eyes, she remembered: today she was going to the Qiu house, her main battlefield for hate-point farming!
Not even the blankets could hold her down. She rolled out of bed and dashed straight to the bathroom.
When Chen Ziyi came in to wake her, she found her daughter already standing on a stool, toothbrush in hand, hair a messy puff. Smiling, she ran her fingers through it affectionately. “Up so early today? And brushing your teeth all by yourself? What a good girl.”
Yan Xiao spat out her rinse water, smiling brightly at her reflection in the mirror. As she smoothed down a few stubborn tufts of hair, she chirped, “I want to go see Qiu Yan! I wanna go early!”
Of course, she wasn’t going to admit that she was really eager to go pester Qiu Li. Even though she’d already explained it once yesterday, her mom still misunderstood, so today she had to double down on the cover story.
Normally, she wasn’t this excited to visit the Qiu family.
But today she’d gotten up early, washed up without being told, and even looked serious while talking about her plans. Chen Ziyi couldn’t help smiling, her daughter was trying so hard to hide her real motive.
She didn’t expose her. Instead, she played along. “Then you’d better finish your milk later, okay?”
Yan Xiao froze.
She’d been fighting against that all week, no more formula, and definitely not from a bottle.
But today…
She sighed at her reflection. “Fine.”
Sometimes, Chen Ziyi honestly wondered if her daughter really was only three. Teasing, she said, “Come on, not even your excitement about seeing your friend can make you drink it?”
That made Yan Xiao pause.
Right.
These “hate points” determined whether she’d live or die. What could be more important than that?
Her mother’s casual remark hit her like divine enlightenment. She realized her problem: she hadn’t been taking it seriously enough.
If she still hadn’t gathered enough points for the system to even display a number, that meant her progress was pathetic.
She needed to work harder.
Be bolder.
More aggressive.
This was a matter of life and death!
After reflecting deeply on her failures, Yan Xiao raised her head with firm conviction, staring up at her mother with deadly seriousness.
“From now on,” she declared solemnly, “I’ll always finish my milk!”
Her tone was so grave it was almost comical. Chen Ziyi bit back a laugh and gave her a thumbs-up.
“Good job, sweetheart.”
Of course, even with her newfound resolve, Yan Xiao still refused to drink from a baby bottle. In the end, the milk powder was served in a proper cup.
Once she’d downed it in one heroic gulp, like a tiny drinker knocking back a shot, she sprinted back to her room to change.
She pulled out a pair of denim overalls, a brown cardigan, and a white undershirt to match.
Watching her little daughter chug milk like a factory worker on a night shift and then dash off to change clothes, Chen Ziyi was so entertained she didn’t intervene. She simply stood aside, curious to see how long her daughter’s excitement would last.
A few minutes later, the little girl returned, hair completely disheveled, clutching a comb, looking furious.
Chen Ziyi nearly burst out laughing but quickly restrained herself. Knowing her daughter’s strange pride, she asked gently, “What’s wrong?”
Yan Xiao was mad.
All she’d wanted was to tie a ponytail, not exactly a complex engineering feat, yet after half a dozen tries, her hands had proven utterly useless. The less it worked, the more determined she became. Her stubborn little arms flailed like two short, clumsy props. Finally, defeated, she came downstairs to beg her mother for help.
Once her hair was neatly tied into a perky little ponytail, her mood instantly lifted again. She threw on her backpack, ready to head out.
Under her impatient urging, Yan Hao barely managed to finish breakfast in three bites before the family of three set off with gifts in hand, driving toward the Qiu residence.
Qiu Yan had won a gold prize in a children’s art competition. Though it was just a domestic event, the Qiu family took it very seriously. The celebration banquet was scheduled for six in the evening at one of their luxury hotels. Still, several close families planned to visit the Qiu estate that morning to congratulate them in person, the Yan family among them.
Thanks to a certain someone’s relentless nagging, they were the first to arrive.
Madam Xu Shuangrong personally came out to greet them. She’d only returned home at midnight after attending an elder’s birthday banquet in another city, yet this morning, with her youngest son’s first big event, she looked radiant and spirited, showing no trace of fatigue.
“Xiao-xiao, you came so early?” she said warmly after exchanging greetings with Mr. and Mrs. Yan.
She was quite fond of this little girl, pretty, polite, clever, and, most importantly, someone who could actually keep her son Yan company.
“Good morning, Auntie,” Yan Xiao said with practiced sweetness, playing her part to perfection. “Auntie looks especially beautiful today.”
Madam Xu chuckled, pinching her cheek. “Still such a honey-tongued little thing.”
“She’s been pestering us all morning about visiting her big brother,” Chen Ziyi explained with a smile. “We couldn’t say no.”
While the adults chatted, Yan Xiao’s attention wandered to the courtyard.
Last week, Qiu Li had been sitting there drinking milk, but today she couldn’t spot him anywhere.
Noticing her gaze sweeping around, Madam Xu asked with a teasing smile, “Who are you looking for, Xiao-xiao?”
Yan Xiao froze.
She knew Madam Xu didn’t like Qiu Li, everyone in the house knew, so she couldn’t possibly admit she was looking for him.
Besides, she’d just told her mother she was coming to see Qiu Yan. She had to stay consistent with her story.
With both women watching her, she quickly curved her lips into a smile. “Where’s brother Yan? What’s he doing?”
“He just finished breakfast,” Madam Xu replied, pointing toward the glass room at the side of the house. “He’s in the conservatory, go on ahead.”
“Thank you, Auntie!”
Yan Xiao let go of her mother’s hand and dashed away, her ponytail bouncing so high it almost pointed to the sky.
When she entered the house, only a few servants were tidying up the living room. No sign of Qiu Li. She tilted her head, glancing up the stairs.
His room was on the second floor. But barging up there and knocking on his door out of nowhere would be rude…
She hesitated, debating whether to head to the conservatory first and wait for an opening later.
Just then, the easternmost bedroom door opened.
Qiu Li stepped out, dressed in a blue tracksuit, holding a tray and an empty milk carton.
Yan Xiao: “!!!”
He’d gotten up extra early, before dawn, even. After washing up and changing, he’d carried a small stool to the window, where he sat watching the front gate in case she arrived and he somehow missed her.
Even breakfast had been taken to his room so he could eat while keeping watch.
The maid had come twice to collect his dishes, but each time he’d told her, “I’ll bring them down myself.” She’d found his behavior oddly slow that morning but hadn’t pressed.
Because he was stalling.
He wanted to time it perfectly, so that when she arrived, he could come downstairs with his tray and “just happen” to run into her.
By the time she finally appeared, he’d been waiting so long his eyes had gone dry. The moment he saw her being lifted out of the car, he wolfed down his now-cold eggs, wiped his mouth in a hurry, and gathered his dishes.
He was so excited that his hands shook as he held the tray.
Now, pushing open his door and seeing the little girl in the living room staring straight at him, Qiu Li couldn’t stop the faint smile that curved his lips.
Was she looking this way because she was looking for him?
He quickly schooled his expression and walked downstairs.
Yan Xiao’s burst of joy lasted only a second before battle mode took over.
The universe was definitely on her side, she’d barely started thinking about how to find him when he showed up! And the system still had the nerve to claim she didn’t have a cheat? Ha! She didn’t believe it for a second!
Brimming with fighting spirit, she prepared to make her move. She’d just decided to toss a bit of milk his way for maximum annoyance, but when she spotted the empty carton on his tray, her expression instantly fell.
“You…drank all your milk?” she blurted out, visibly deflated.
Qiu Li, about to greet her, froze mid-step.
He glanced at her tiny, puffed-up face, then down at the milk carton on his tray. That was the one Qiu Zhan had kicked into his room last night, forcing him to drink it all while standing right there.
She looked genuinely upset.
Was it because she wanted milk?
He immediately dismissed the thought.
If she wanted milk, her parents and aunt would give her as much as she liked. Why on earth would she need to come to his house for it?
The week before, when he’d been drinking milk, she hadn’t wanted to drink it at all, she’d snatched the carton right out of his hand and thrown it away.
He didn’t know how to explain that before she suddenly said, “Forget it.”
Qiu Li blinked. Forget it? What does that mean?
Yan Xiao’s heart ached. A perfectly good opportunity to earn hate points, wasted! But when she noticed the faint crease between his brows, that hint of discomfort on his face, her mood lifted again.
He didn’t seem too happy to see her.
Good. Very good.
“Here, this is for you!”
She reached into her tiny backpack and pulled out a candy. Since both of Qiu Li’s hands were busy holding the tray, she didn’t bother asking, just stuffed the candy right into his pocket.
Qiu Li was completely baffled now. She’d suddenly gotten cheerful again, and then given him candy? But he didn’t mind being confused. He was too happy to care.
“Good morning,” he said softly, voice slightly tight with nerves.
Seeing how reluctantly he greeted her, Yan Xiao beamed and shouted brightly, “Good morning to you too!”
Qiu Li: “…”
She smiled at him and actually said good morning back.
His eyes widened slightly, even his lashes trembling.
Yan Xiao nearly squealed in her head. One piece of candy and one “good morning” had already gotten him so flustered!
Perfect!
Qiu Li, on the other hand, felt awkward. He’d never had friends, never had anyone to talk to like other children did. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do with her. After hesitating, he looked down at the tray in his hands.
“I should put these back in the kitchen,” he murmured.
Then he turned and walked off.
Yan Xiao, still pleased with herself, didn’t notice his tone. She just assumed he was brushing her off to go put his dishes away and didn’t want to waste time talking to her. Watching him walk off so quickly, she called for her system in her mind.
She called and called, until 007 finally answered.
[What’s the hate value now? Has it reached the minimum level to show up?]
After a pause, the system’s flat, robotic voice replied:
[No.]
Yan Xiao’s joy was doused like a bucket of cold water over her head.
Still no?
[Correct.]
Her brows knitted together, lips pressing into a pout.
If there were still no visible numbers, that meant she wasn’t trying hard enough.
Today was a rare chance. She had to make progress, enough to hit the visible threshold!
That was today’s goal!
[Good luck.] said 007 mechanically.
Just as she was gearing up for battle, fists clenched, ready to “do great things,” a lazy voice came from upstairs.
“Well, well.”
Qiu Zhan had stepped out of his bedroom. Spotting her with her little fists raised and full of determination, he chuckled. “And what’s all this about?”
He reached down and tugged lightly on her high ponytail.
Yan Xiao hated people touching her hair. She clapped both hands over her head and glared. “Don’t pull my hair!”
The sight of the tiny girl puffing up in anger, cheeks round and flushed like a hamster guarding its food, amused Qiu Zhan so much that he laughed out loud.
“Okay, okay, I won’t.”
But as soon as he looked past her and saw Qiu Li walking out of the kitchen, the warmth vanished from his face.
A moment ago he’d been smiling, softly, almost kindly. Now, without even moving his lips, the smile froze and turned cold, his entire demeanor shifting in an instant.
Seeing him, Qiu Li’s expression hardened as well.
He still couldn’t fight back against Qiu Zhan. And knowing his brother’s temper, if Qiu Zhan realized that Yan Xiao treated him kindly, he might target her next.
So Qiu Li averted his gaze, pretending not to know her, and walked silently past, heading back upstairs.
Satisfied with his obedience, Qiu Zhan gave a quiet, derisive snort through his nose and turned his attention back to the little girl in front of him.
At twelve, Qiu Zhan already towered over Yan Xiao, she barely reached his chest, so she couldn’t see his expression clearly. And since his sneer had been low and quiet, she hadn’t heard it either.
To her, it simply looked like Qiu Li had spotted her, then turned away and left without saying a word.
So he really doesn’t want to see me, she thought gloomily.
“Xiao Yan’s in the conservatory,” Qiu Zhan said smoothly, his smile returning as if it had never left. “I’ll take you to him.”
Since Qiu Li had already gone back to his room, she had no excuse to follow.
“Okay,” she said with a nod.
Upstairs, behind the closed door, Qiu Li sat still for a long moment, staring at the sunlight falling across the carpet. Then, with furrowed brows, he returned to his seat by the window.
Meanwhile, in the glass conservatory, Qiu Yan wasn’t painting today. He sat quietly among the flowers, gaze distant, watching the sunlight spill through the glass.
The entire room shimmered in the red-gold glow of morning, and the boy in its center looked like he belonged to the light itself, delicate features outlined in soft radiance, every line of him as beautiful and serene as a painting.
Even Yan Xiao couldn’t help admiring him in awe. No wonder he’s the male lead!
Qiu Zhan, long used to seeing his brother like this, walked forward and snapped his fingers lightly in front of him.
“Xiao-xiao came to see you.”
The younger boy blinked, slowly returning from his reverie. Under the sunlight, his lashes fluttered like a butterfly’s wings, languid, graceful, almost too beautiful to disturb.
He turned his head toward her, features still composed and cool. “Hello,” he said.
Despite his chilly tone, there was something gentle about him, quiet, calm, well-behaved. Yan Xiao had always liked him as a character, and seeing him like this in person made her grin wide, eyes curved into crescents. “Good morning, Xiao Yan!” she chirped, waving her little hand.
Qiu Yan nodded in reply.
Qiu Zhan watched the exchange and sighed inwardly. His little brother ignored every other kid who tried to approach him, except this one. For the sake of preserving this one and only friendship, he bent down slightly and said indulgently, “What do you want to eat or play, Xiao-xiao? Tell me, I’ll get it for you.”
Glancing around to make sure her mother wasn’t nearby, Yan Xiao whispered, “I want cotton candy.”
Qiu Zhan hesitated, thinking it over. “How about blueberries instead? Or maybe a small cream cake?”
The Yan family was famously strict about sweets. Everyone knew it. You could spoil their daughter a little, sure, but not too much. If she ate candy here and her parents found out, they might stop bringing her over.
Yan Xiao’s face fell in disappointment.
She hadn’t had cotton candy in a week. She’d been saving her cravings for this exact opportunity, hoping to squeeze some extra hate points out of Qiu Zhan, but it turned out he was infuriatingly responsible.
Still, having a slice of cream cake wasn’t bad either.
After Qiu Zhan left, Qiu Yan seemed to recall something. He reached into his jacket pocket, hesitated for a moment, then pulled something out and handed it to Yan Xiao.
It was a lollipop.
Yan Xiao blinked. “?”
Qiu Yan’s expression didn’t change.
He explained calmly, “A little boy gave it to me yesterday at dinner.” Truthfully, he’d nearly forgotten it existed, until she mentioned candy just now.
Yan Xiao had known Qiu Yan for a little over a year, basically since she’d learned to walk. Everyone always said the two of them got along well, but this was the first time he had ever given her anything.
She pointed to herself, eyes wide. “For me?”
Qiu Yan nodded. “Mm.”
She took it carefully, peeled off the wrapper, and popped it into her mouth. “Thanks,” she mumbled around the candy.
Qiu Yan didn’t reply, just turned his face back toward the sunlight streaming through the glass.
Yan Xiao had no idea what he was looking at. The world of an artist, a prodigy, was one she could never enter. She was just a small, unlucky cannon fodder trying to survive.
By ten o’clock, several more families had arrived, each bringing children, if they didn’t have any of their own, they’d borrow a relative’s. Everyone wanted their kid to “make friends” with little genius Qiu Yan. With all the chatter and laughter, the once-quiet Qiu household grew lively.
Yan Xiao waited a long time, but Qiu Li still didn’t come downstairs. Knowing his reclusive personality, how much he hated noise and crowds, she realized she couldn’t just sit around waiting, she needed to act.
“The kids are playing soccer,” she said to Qiu Yan, who was flipping through a picture book. “Do you want to join?”
He looked up briefly. “No.”
“Then I’ll go,” she said. “It looks fun.”
He didn’t respond; his face didn’t even flicker with emotion. Yan Xiao knew she wouldn’t get much more out of him, so she hopped off her seat and ran outside.
When she left, Qiu Yan’s eyes followed her small figure, his brows pinching slightly.
Strange. She never liked silly games like that before.
It was true, Yan Xiao rarely played with kids her age. But today was a mission day. Once she joined the soccer game, her mind wasn’t on the ball at all, it was on how to find a way to drag Qiu Li into it.
Qiu Li hated noise, hated group games, and hated being around people who disliked him.
Three strikes, that made him the perfect target.
She was still thinking how to approach him when she turned and saw him sitting on the steps, quietly playing with a Transformer.
Her heart leapt. Forget the game, she abandoned the ball and sprinted straight toward him.
Inside the house, Qiu Li had been watching the garden through the window. When he finally saw her outside laughing and running with the others, he gripped the cotton candy in his hand and felt a little disappointed.
She had so many friends.
But the feeling didn’t last long.
Friendship went both ways.
She’d been the one reaching out again and again, he was a boy, he should take the initiative too.
So he’d rummaged through his drawers for a long while, finally pulling out a broken Transformer, its arm snapped clean off. It was something Qiu Zhan had broken and tossed to him in disdain. Qiu Li had always hated the toy and shoved it deep into a drawer.
But now, it could be useful.
He could use it as an excuse, ask if anyone knew how to fix it, and join the group.
When he came down, Yan Xiao was playing happily, her ponytail bouncing as she ran. He hesitated, wondering if he should interrupt, then she spotted him, dropped the ball, and ran over.
The sight of her bounding toward him, ponytail swaying like an antenna, eyes curved into crescents, it suddenly made the whole day brighter.
Yan Xiao had been planning to invite him to play soccer, but when she saw the Transformer in his hands, she abruptly changed her plan. She snatched it from him, then tossed it onto the ground.
The toy already had one broken arm; now, with that one throw, the entire arm popped off completely.
Yan Xiao stared in horror at the two separated pieces on the ground.
It, it broke?
She hadn’t even thrown it that hard!
Feeling guilty, she glanced up at Qiu Li. His face was blank, unreadable. A single thought flashed through her mind, and immediately, she straightened up, masking her guilt under an air of disdain.
“What kind of dumb toy is this?” she sniffed. “Breaks so easily. Must be cheap.”
Qiu Li hated when people talked down to him, whether it was about him or his things. And that tone, mocking, dismissive, made it even worse.
Watching his brows knit tightly together, Yan Xiao felt a thrill of triumph and pressed on.
“Forget it,” she said loftily. “I’ll give you a better one.”
Qiu Li, who’d just been wondering if she had a habit of throwing things, blinked in surprise.
Yan Xiao froze too, then grinned internally.
It worked!
He definitely hated people looking down on him, especially when they acted smug about it. Right now, he must really dislike her!
She could barely contain her excitement and called out in her mind:
[Did it work yet? Is the value showing?]
Her move had been seamless, surely it earned tons of points!
After a long pause, 007 finally replied:
[No visible number yet, but a strong data spike detected. Keep going.]
Yes!
Yan Xiao cheered silently.
A strong spike meant progress! The numbers might not be visible yet, but she was close. And once it started rising, it could only go up!
Encouraged, she added smugly, “What I’ll give you will be a thousand times better than this junk.”
Qiu Li: “…”
His lips parted slightly.
Because he was happy.
Too happy to know what to say. He just stared straight at her, eyes wide and sparkling.
Yan Xiao mistook his dazed expression for shock. Perfect. She told herself not to push too far, enough damage done for now. So instead of mentioning the toy again, she tilted her chin and said, “Come play soccer with us!”
Before he could refuse, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him toward the lawn.
Qiu Li hadn’t expected her to suddenly invite him. By the time he processed what was happening, he was already halfway across the yard.
He glanced down at the small hand holding his wrist, then at her ponytail bouncing with each determined step.
…Cute.

Author’s Note:
Little Qiu Li: She said she’ll give me a Transformer. I’m happy (#^.^#)
Xiao-xiao: He’s so easy to trigger, it’s TOO easy! I definitely have a cheat!
System: You don’t.