That refined yet flamboyant young man was none other than Zhou Weiguo's eldest son, Zhou Wen, and Zhou Fan's own brother.

"Who bullied you? What exactly happened? Tell your brother properly, don't cry."

Zhou Wen looked gentle as he wiped away the tears from his sister's face.

"Brother, they all bully me, her, and her…"

Zhou Fan pointed at Li Ziqing, and then at Zhou Yuanyuan.

"Hehe, little sister, don't be silly. Aunt and Ziqing are just joking with you. We're all family, how could they bully you? Alright, Grandpa's birthday banquet is about to start, let's all hurry inside."

Zhou Wen smiled indulgently, patting his sister's head as if she were just a spoiled and willful little girl.

In reality, he just wanted to smooth things over, turn big problems into small ones, and small ones into nothing. After all, it was Grandpa's birthday banquet, and if anyone caused trouble, whether justified or not, it would displease Grandpa.

However, Zhou Wen clearly overestimated his sister's intelligence, because Zhou Fan wasn't buying his act at all.

She continued to make a scene, "Brother, why are you taking their side? I'm your own sister! They're the ones bullying me. If you don't do anything, I'm going to Dad!"

"Hehe, don't make a fuss, sister, give your brother some face."

Zhou Wen continued to say with a smile.

"I won't! You have to avenge me today!"

Zhou Fan said stubbornly.

"I said, don't make a fuss."

Zhou Wen's expression turned cold.

"I'm just making a fuss! Who told you all to ignore me? I'll make a fuss until someone avenges me…"

Zhou Fan was the type to take an inch and demand a mile. The more Zhou Wen doted on her, the more outrageous she became.

Zhou Wen understood this as well, so when his sister was halfway through her sentence, Zhou Wen slapped her.

*Slap*—

Zhou Fan was stunned for a moment. She hadn't expected her brother, who had always been so loving, to hit her.

Then, with a wail, she burst into tears again.

"Waa… Brother, you're helping them bully me too…"

*Slap*—

Zhou Wen slapped her again and said coldly, "Hold it back!"

Zhou Fan was still afraid of Zhou Wen, and she immediately suppressed her crying.

Zhou Wen scolded, "I've given you chances again and again, why don't you have any brains at all? Don't you know what day it is today? It's Grandpa's eightieth birthday! You're making such a scene, you're embarrassing the entire Zhou family!"

"I, Zhou Wen, am putting my foot down here. No matter who it is, no matter how wronged they are, no one is allowed to cause trouble today. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Zhou Wen's actions were clearly meant to kill the chicken to scare the monkey.

He was hitting Zhou Fan, but his words were directed at Li Ziqing, warning her not to cause trouble today.

Zhou Wen's sudden change stunned everyone around him.

As expected of the future helmsman of the Zhou family, he was indeed a figure to be reckoned with!

Li Ziqing, however, smiled coldly. Zhou Wen wanted to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, but little did he know that in Li Ziqing's eyes, he was the monkey.

Chen Xiao also curled his lips. This guy was acting too fake.

After lecturing his sister, Zhou Wen immediately put on a smiling face and came to Li Ziqing.

"Ziqing, I'm really sorry, your Zhou Fan *jie* is being insensible, don't take it to heart. But then again, we're all family after all, give your brother Wen some face, let's just let this matter go, don't let outsiders laugh at us!"

"And don't forget, when you were little, your brother Wen took you out to play a lot, hehe…"

"You think I'm right, Aunt?"

Zhou Wen said with a face full of smiles. Seeing that Li Ziqing wasn't paying him much attention, he wanted to take a roundabout route, starting with his aunt first.

Zhou Yuanyuan also wanted to smooth things over, so she nodded and said, "Yes, Xiao Wen is right, we're all family, arguing back and forth will only make outsiders laugh at us, Ziqing, let it go."

Li Ziqing scoffed and met Zhou Wen's gaze head-on.

"You think it's over just because you say so? Do you know how your stupid sister insulted me? If she doesn't apologize to me, this matter isn't over today!"

"What did she call you?"

"She said I'm a jinx!"

"…"

Zhou Wen was silent for three seconds before asking, "She really said that?"

"Go ask her yourself!"

Li Ziqing looked impatient.

Zhou Wen's face darkened as he looked at Zhou Fan, "Is what Ziqing said true?"

Zhou Fan's eyes darted around, "She insulted me too, she even said I ate shit!"

"I'm asking you, did you call your sister Ziqing a jinx!"

Zhou Wen's words were deliberate and forceful, the muscles in his cheeks bulging.

Zhou Fan bit the bullet and said, "So what if I said it? I was just telling the truth…"

*Slap!*

Zhou Wen slapped her again, knocking Zhou Fan's mouth crooked.

"I don't want to say much more. Apologize to your sister Ziqing immediately, or you'll bear the consequences!"

Zhou Wen's voice was frighteningly low.

"I refuse! You all hate me! Why don't you just kill me!"

Zhou Fan said angrily.

Zhou Wen said coldly, "You think I wouldn't dare?"

Zhou Fan froze, her face pale.

Although she was stupid, she wasn't so stupid that she didn't know her own brother's personality.

Zhou Wen always meant what he said…

"I'm sorry…"

Zhou Fan finally compromised, bowing her head to Li Ziqing in apology.

"Louder!"

Zhou Wen shouted.

"I'm sorry, Li Ziqing!"

Zhou Fan shouted loudly, her voice filled with sobs.

Li Ziqing snorted and looked at Zhou Wen playfully, then laughed out loud.

"Zhou Wen, oh Zhou Wen, aren't you tired of living such a hypocritical life?"

"You're clearly thinking about how to kill me, but on the surface, you put on this act. Alas, it's pathetic, I truly feel sorry for you."

"You're even more disgusting than your sister. Your sister is just a genuine idiot, but you, you're a complete hypocrite!"

After speaking, Li Ziqing stepped towards the hotel door, Chen Xiao and Zhou Yuanyuan followed.

Zhou Wen stood there without moving, including the expression on his face.

He didn't react at all to being called a hypocrite by Li Ziqing.

It wasn't until Li Ziqing and the others entered the hotel that Zhou Tai asked Zhou Xingguo incredulously, "Dad, how can Zhou Wen be so patient? Li Ziqing insulted him like that and he didn't even retort. Is he even a man?"

Zhou Xingguo snorted coldly, "A small impatience ruins great plans. That kid Zhou Wen is like your uncle, a dog that doesn't bark!"

"Dad, what do you mean?"

"A dog that doesn't bark bites the hardest!"

Zhou Xingguo said faintly, "Almost everyone is here, let's go in too!"

Outside the hotel door, only the Zhou Wen and Zhou Fan siblings remained. Zhou Wen's hand reached out towards Zhou Fan.

Zhou Fan was startled, but she didn't dare to dodge.

But to her surprise, her brother didn't hit her, but lovingly stroked her face and said softly, "I'm sorry, little sister, did brother hit you too hard?"