That Disabled Overbearing CEO Male Lead (11)

“You’re eating spicy hotpot with no soul at all,” Si Jiu sighed from the depths of her soul as she watched Shen Huai pick up a slice of lotus root, first rinse it in a small bowl of warm water, and only then put it in his mouth.

Shen Huai looked apologetic and said awkwardly, “It’s just… way too spicy for me.”

And wasn’t it just too spicy? Si Jiu had ordered the spiciest level without hesitation, true to her own tastes. Seeing Shen Huai’s face, white as jade, now flushed red from the heat, she not only felt no guilt, but even regarded him with a touch of disdain.

“If you can’t handle it, then—”

“Tang You, what do you mean by that!”

A furious interruption cut Si Jiu off. She turned her head, and in a blink, Tang Xin was standing before them.

“Where have you been? You don’t go home, you don’t answer your phone, you ignore my messages—I’ve gone looking for you so many times, do you even realize that?”

Her tone was harsh, her posture aggressive. Shen Huai frowned.

“What do you want with me?”

“Have you forgotten that you promised to buy me a new phone?”

Si Jiu gave a mocking laugh. “Oh, and here I thought you were concerned about me. Turns out, you’re just worried about your new phone. Besides, when did I ever promise you that?”

The classmates who had come with Tang Xin, perhaps fearing she might suffer a loss or perhaps just eager for gossip, had all tagged along. Some eyed Tang Xin’s famously notorious sister with curiosity, while others focused their attention on Shen Huai.

Then Xiao Mei sucked in a quiet breath.

Wait… isn’t that Shen Huai?

But what was he doing in a place like this, eating spicy hotpot, of all things?

What kind of surreal, magical realism novel was this?

Tang Xin hadn’t expected Tang You to “snap back” at her like that, especially not in front of their classmates. Her face instantly darkened.

Si Jiu thought, So this is all it takes to upset her?

“What’s more, whether I promised or not, didn’t you already get your new phone?” She shot a glance at the phone clutched in Tang Xin’s hand.

“Why did you report that card lost?” Tang Xin leaned in, lowering her voice as much as possible. “Do you know how embarrassed I was just now when I tried to pay?”

“I know,” Si Jiu replied earnestly with a nod. “That’s exactly why I did it.”

Tang Xin glared. “You! Is this how you treat your own sister?”

“If you weren’t my sister, I wouldn’t have just reported the card lost—I would have called the police.” Si Jiu crossed her arms and put some distance between them, her voice ringing clear, “There won’t be a next time.”

“And, just so you know, out of humanitarian concern, I’m letting you know now: I won’t give you another cent in the future.”

Tang Xin stared at her in disbelief, too stunned even to care about what her classmates might think. All she could feel was how absurd this was. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, my precious darling, all five foot five of you, kindly roll out of my sight.”

Overgrown baby, get lost!

“You…you…Tang You! Have you forgotten what you promised our parents?”

“Oh. Sorry—I’ve forgotten.”

Tang Xin choked on her words.

Si Jiu asked, “Anything else?”

Seeing Tang You’s expression—one that clearly said, “You’re standing here ruining my appetite”—Tang Xin felt not just angry but utterly bewildered.

How had her useless, ever-compliant sister suddenly turned into this?

Was it because she was angry about the “emergency funds” being spent without permission? Or… had someone taught her to be this way?

“So, this is what you’ve been doing, not coming home these days—hanging around with people like this?” Tang Xin tried to regain the upper hand, but unfortunately, she picked the wrong target.

Because at those words, Shen Huai finally gave up his battle with the spicy hotpot and lifted his head.

That finely sculpted face, no matter how you looked at it, could never be associated with any negative adjective.

“People like… like…” Tang Xin searched for words, then finally blurted, “People of ill repute!”

Si Jiu raised an eyebrow. Shen Huai showed no reaction. Xiao Mei, however, grew visibly uneasy. “Tang Xin.”

“I’m not wrong,” Tang Xin shot a glare at Xiao Mei, thinking, Why are you butting in? Enjoying the spectacle, are you?

“You spend all your time with these kinds of people, don’t go home, ignore your sister—do you really think you’ll have a good life like this? Don’t be stupid.”

No more money from her? Absolutely not!

“Big sister, have you been duped by his sweet talk? No matter how far you fall, you can’t stoop to getting involved with a cripple. What can he give you, huh? A seat in his wheelchair?”

Xiao Mei: !!!

Si Jiu’s fingers twitched, a hint of irritation showing.

Just then, a cool hand gently took hers. She looked down to see Shen Huai, calm as ever, say, “Let’s go.”

A long, luxurious car glided to a silent stop beside them. The driver stepped out, bowed slightly, and waited for Si Jiu and Shen Huai.

Tang Xin: …