At the critical moment, Yao Zuizui thought of a desperate plan—playing dead!
Holding her breath, she closed her eyes, went limp, and stopped struggling or gasping for air.
She, Zhai Zuozuo, was now a corpse.
*Brother, please spare me!*
Sure enough, Zhai Mo thought she was dead and removed the pillow from her face.
Just as he reached out to check her breath, Yao Zuizui’s chest heaved violently again.
*Sorry, not a very professional corpse here.*
She simply couldn’t hold it any longer! Breathing fresh air again was like a fish leaping back into water after being stranded—every cell in her body trembled with excitement.
“Hah! Back from the dead? Let’s see how many lives you have!” Zhai Mo’s eyes burned with murderous intent, staining the darkness with a bloody hue.
He grabbed the pillow again, ready to smother her.
“Brother! If I die, you’ll die too!” Yao Zuizui blurted out at lightning speed.
*Ah, the power of life-and-death situations—truly brings out one’s potential!*
Zhai Mo’s hand froze midair.
He didn’t want to die—at least, not over killing a useless waste like Zhai Zuozuo.
Yao Zuizui kept talking like a machine gun, not pausing for a second, terrified that Zhai Mo would cover her face again before she finished.
“We’re still at home! Mom and Dad will be back soon. If I die, you’ll go to jail—or worse, get the death penalty! Brother, spare me, and I’ll pretend nothing happened. From now on, we’ll stay out of each other’s way. I won’t cause you any trouble! You know I never lie!” Like a drowning person, she clung to this last lifeline.
Seeing her fear, a flicker of satisfaction crossed Zhai Mo’s dark eyes.
In his view, this pathetic waste had countless flaws, but at least she kept her word.
Today wasn’t the right time. If she dared go back on her promise, he had plenty of ways to deal with her.
Zhai Mo realized he’d acted impulsively—he needed a more calculated plan.
Still, he couldn’t shake the question: *Why did this waste try to kill me?*
She’d invited him to her room, claiming she had something to say. Yet, he’d caught her secretly drugging his water.
He’d switched their cups effortlessly—she hadn’t noticed, only to end up knocked out by her own sedative.
At first, Zhai Mo couldn’t understand why she’d target him. She’d always played the obedient sibling, never showing hostility.
But with her unconscious, he saw an opportunity too good to pass up.
So he’d tried to kill her—only to find her stubbornly clinging to life.
But… *she* wanted *him* dead?
That was the question gnawing at him in the darkness.
A mocking smile curled his lips. *Finally making your move, huh?*
“You wanted to kill me?” Zhai Mo picked up the water glass from the table, swirling it. The liquid rippled silently in the dark.
Yao Zuizui paled, cursing the original host in her mind.
*Zhai Zuozuo, you absolute idiot!*
Even crushes start with confessions—but she’d skipped straight to *drugging* him?
Zhai Zuozuo had always been impulsive, acting without considering consequences.
Seeing Zhai Mo alone at home, she’d seized the moment…
But how could Yao Zuizui explain this to him now?
*Oh, I just wanted to sleep with you?*
That might just piss him off enough to kill her again.
If she were a delicate beauty, maybe. But right now, she looked like a handsome, androgynous guy.
Drugging him would imply she expected *him* to bottom—a humiliation he’d never tolerate!
He’d be furious, disgusted, and might just carve her into pieces.
Yao Zuizui coughed awkwardly. “I swear! I never wanted to kill you! I’d stake my life on it!”
*I just wanted to sleep with you—no ulterior motives, I promise!*
Zhai Mo’s gaze bore into her, dark and merciless like a demon from hell.
She felt like prey under a serpent’s stare, that suffocating terror creeping back.
Gasping, she clutched her chest. “Brother… I can’t breathe again… Could you give me CPR?”
“…” Zhai Mo’s pupils contracted. *Did the lack of oxygen fry her brain?*
“Brother! Y-you don’t want me to die, right? I’m really struggling here…” She panted dramatically.
*Come on, just a little CPR—don’t be stingy!*
*The more physical contact, the faster you’ll fall for me, and the sooner I can return to the immortal realm as my master’s disciple!*
Her answer came in the shattering of glass and the slam of a door.
Silence returned. The oppressive air lifted as Yao Zuizui gulped in oxygen greedily.
*Survived another close call.*
But winning over Suhei in this world? *Seems tough.*
After all… he’s a psycho who just tried to murder me!
——
Zhai Mo stormed back to his room, face dark. Too much had happened—he needed to process it all.
Giving that waste CPR? Never. He’d rather she dropped dead.
But… if she died, how would he explain it? How would he convince Zhai Tianlin to hand the company over to him?
No, she couldn’t die.
Yet, recalling her desperate pleas, a twisted satisfaction flickered in his eyes.
Maybe he’d check on her.
If she groveled at his feet… *maybe* he’d save her.
Returning to her room, he found the lights on—Zhai Zuozuo had regained enough strength to turn them on herself.
The fluorescent glow highlighted her limp, flaxen hair and paper-pale face, making her look even more pitiful.
The obsidian earring on her left ear reflected the light, glaring sharply.
Zhai Mo narrowed his eyes against the sting.
To Yao Zuizui, though, his squint made him look like a vengeful ghost from hell.
She shrank back but mustered the courage to tease the big bad wolf: “Brother, here to give me CPR?”
The door slammed shut again.
Clearly, she was breathing just fine—no need for rescue.
*Why the obsession with CPR?*
*What’s her game?*
These questions haunted Zhai Mo for days.
That look in her eyes—fear mixed with hope—was so contradictory.
Her pale, glassy brown irises lingered in his mind, appearing in his dreams and waking thoughts alike.
——
“Brother! Mom and Dad are back—come down for dinner!” Zhai Zuozuo’s refreshed voice chimed outside his door, accompanied by relentless knocking.
Her tone was crisp and pleasant, carrying an inexplicable charm.
Zhai Mo closed his laptop, masking his murderous aura.
*This waste really never drops the act.*
Even after what he’d just done, she still pretended to be the doting sibling in front of their parents.
That was what he hated most about her.
Zhai Zuozuo always played the affectionate younger brother—warm, respectful, adoring.
Meanwhile, he couldn’t fake the same warmth.
This made Zhai Tianlin despise his eldest son even more.
In his eyes, Zhai Mo was narrow-minded, petty, and unfit to inherit the family business.
Zhai Mo saw her as a master manipulator, performing for their parents.
He didn’t know her kindness stemmed from genuine affection.
If she treated him well privately, their mother would notice—and they’d *both* pay the price.
He didn’t understand her struggles; she didn’t know his scars.
Bound by this twisted dynamic, they grew up side by side—now working together under the same roof.
Zhai Mo left his room without acknowledging her, heading straight to the dining table.
Yao Zuizui didn’t mind. She chuckled lightly to ease the tension and picked up her chopsticks.
*This was how Zhai Zuozuo always acted—can’t break character now.*
Zhai Tianlin sighed, watching the chasm between his sons.
Though Zhai Mo was his biological child and Zhai Zuozuo wasn’t, he favored the latter—enough to entrust him with his life’s work.
“Zuozuo, your dad asked Aunt Liu to make your favorite dish. Try it.” Left Fang placed a crab on Zhai Zuozuo’s plate.
“Eat up! You’ll need energy for your business meetings!” Zhai Tianlin boomed.
“Zuozuo, have some soup.”
“Zuozuo, I’ve handed the Zheng account to your division. Don’t disappoint me.”
“Zuozuo, no picky eating—finish your peppers.”
“Zuozuo, managing the subsidiary is just training. In a few years, you’ll take over completely. Then your mother and I can travel.”
*Zuozuo, Zuozuo, Zuozuo.*
Not a single word for Zhai Mo.
He ate quickly and left, invisible as ever.
His parents, too busy doting on Zuozuo, didn’t even glance his way.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage