Ji Shileng choked on his words. “Wait, Shifeng. I’m no match for him, and you still want to set me up with him?”
“He’s a reasonably decent person” Even if he was a little too calculating.
“An international long-distance relationship doesn’t sound ideal either”
“The Federation recently signed a cooperation agreement with Sitejiala. Qin Si will probably be staying in the Federation for the next few years”
Ji Shileng suspected his brother had been planning to play matchmaker for some time.
Why else would he have paid such close attention?
“I think Qin Si and I are better suited to being friends” He had no plans to date anyone for now.
Ji Shiyun sneered. “Who don’t you think you’re suited to being friends with?”
The car passed through the Empire’s city center. Since the meeting had ended, the sun had slowly begun to set, its golden light falling against the towering buildings.
Outside, shops lined the streets, their displays overflowing with goods. Ji Shileng spoke up. “Could you stop up ahead? I want to buy a book”
Su Ke startled. “What book?”
Ji Shileng ground his teeth. “Graduate entrance exam textbooks for you. To help you become an outstanding graduate student”
Su Ke: “…”
He racked his brains for a way to stop Ji Shileng from wasting money on books.
Honesty was the ultimate weapon. “Honestly, Shileng, even if you buy them, I probably won’t read them. Let’s not waste the money”
Ji Shileng knew him all too well. Making Su Ke study was practically the same as asking for his life.
He said slowly, “Last time I was in a bookstore, I saw a book called Solve 50% of Your Life’s Troubles. I can’t wait until we get back to the Federation. I want to see if an Imperial bookstore has it”
“I feel like I have quite a few troubles right now. I’ll buy two copies and solve one hundred percent of them”
Su Ke suspected Ji Shileng was being deliberately absurd, but he had no proof.
In the front passenger seat, Ji Shiyun’s mood, dampened by an entire day of wrangling with Shang Jianli, unwittingly improved.
Taking the request seriously, the driver began looking for somewhere to park so Ji Shileng could buy his book.
Ji Shiyun told him, “No need to stop. He’s teasing you. Just drive back to the hotel”
Silently, the driver pressed the accelerator again.
Ji Shifeng went to rap his brother on the head. “What troubles do you have? I think having no troubles is your greatest trouble”
Ji Shileng spotted it and dodged quickly. “A gentleman uses words, not his fists. Have some elegance”
Su Ke caught Ji Shifeng’s arm too. “I know what Shileng’s biggest trouble is”
Everyone turned toward him. Even the driver pricked up his ears.
“Aren’t all his troubles caused by that man named Shang?”
That was not exactly wrong.
Not just his troubles—nearly all the hardship Ji Shileng had suffered in his otherwise privileged life had been because of Shang Jianli.
“On second thought, turn back and let me buy those two books”
Solve 50% of Your Life’s Troubles. The title alone made it sound like an excellent book.
He decided to buy a couple more copies and stuff all his troubles into them to be solved.
An extremely simple and blunt solution flashed through Ji Shifeng’s mind. It did not even require buying books.
“Hmm? We can solve the problem without buying any books?”
“Just get rid of the person causing it. Wouldn’t that do?”
Ji Shileng: “…”
He should never have expected anything sensible from his brother.
“All right, let’s discuss something serious” Ji Shiyun removed her glasses. “Are you two coming to the banquet the Empire invited us to tonight?”
Regardless, she and Ji Shifeng had to attend.
They owed their hosts that courtesy, at least.
Ji Shileng and Su Ke had considerably more freedom.
As expected, both shook their heads.
They would gladly pass on events like banquets.
Ji Shileng had no interest in Imperial banquets in particular. He had attended so many before. Weren’t they all the same?
His memories of them always consisted of cold, gleaming tiled floors, dazzling crystal chandeliers, and contemptuous looks from everyone around him.
His status might have changed, but human nature had not.
Any excessive warmth they showed him would merely be an act.
Attending another would be a waste of time.
He had little interest in watching a troupe of monkeys perform.
Ji Shiyun added, “Apparently there’s an auction tonight. Some of LILALI’s limited-edition glass dolls from a few years ago will be included”
Ji Shileng began to waver.
It was not that he did not own those earlier limited editions. They had all been left at Shang Jianli’s home.
If he had possessed an all-knowing, god’s-eye view of things, he would have packed up his little collection of odds and ends long ago and shipped every last piece back to his family home in the Federation.
Ji Shiyun dropped another bombshell. “The listing says they’re brand-new and unopened”
Ji Shileng slowly sat up straight. “Shiyun, I’m free tonight. I’ll come along and keep you company”
Back at the hotel, they parted in the hallway after agreeing on a time to leave for the banquet that evening.
Ji Shileng had just finished showering and washing his hair. Water was still dripping from it when the doorbell rang.
Draping a towel over his head, he yawned and went to answer the door.
The man outside was familiar enough. Carrying an insulated bag, he greeted Ji Shileng first. “Peach ice. Would you like some?”
It took Ji Shileng a moment to register who it was. Then he stepped aside and let the manager of Laienster Restaurant in.
He smiled. “You’ve brought it all the way here. What reason could I possibly have to refuse?”
“True” The manager took the peach ice out of the bag and placed it on the coffee table. “After I’ve delivered it personally, refusing would be a real snub”
Ji Shileng rubbed his hair haphazardly with the towel and sat cross-legged on the carpet.
Looking at the hotel name badge on the manager’s chest, he asked, “Weren’t you working at Laienster Restaurant? Why are you at the hotel now?”
“The restaurant and hotel have the same owner. The hotel was short-staffed, so they transferred me” The manager handed him a spoon.
Then he muttered, “No idea why they insisted on giving the hotel a new name. Laienster sounded perfectly good”
They both sat on the carpet, two servings of peach ice on the coffee table, chatting leisurely like old friends reunited.
“Whatever the people at the top are thinking, little nobodies like us just have to go along with it”
“Oh, stop. You hardly count as a nobody these days” The manager hurried to interrupt him.
“It’s all much the same. Aren’t we all just living our lives?”
Before fate, they were all insignificant.
“That’s true enough” The manager let out a long sigh. “How does the peach ice taste? I made today’s batch myself”
He had not made peach ice in a long time, mainly because it was such a nuisance to prepare.
“Do you want the truth or a lie?”
“The truth, obviously. We’ve been friends for so many years. Surely you wouldn’t lie to fool me?”
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