Chapter 17: Too Bad His Brother Doesn

And Rong Ci also noticed that even the composed and aloof Feng Tingshen now clearly showed expressions of awe and admiration.

Feng Jingxin and Qi Yuming leapt to their feet from their seats.

The competition had entered its most intense phase.

Feng Tingyi took the binoculars back again.

Whether or not Feng Tingyi’s attention was entirely fixed on Lin Wu, he failed to notice that Feng Tingshen and the others were also there.

The competition paused for a moment.

Lin Wu was currently ranked first.

Rong Ci asked Feng Tingyi for the binoculars.

Feng Tingyi was delighted: “Sister-in-law, you’re also captivated by my goddess, right?! I told you—no one, man or woman, could possibly not love my goddess!”

Rong Ci smiled faintly, lowering her gaze, and said nothing.

She wanted to take out her phone and call Feng Tingshen.

She wondered what his reaction would be if he received her call right now—most likely, he’d see her name and hang up immediately.

After all, Feng Tingshen had always treated her this way.

Thinking of this, she decided the call was no longer necessary.

She didn’t want to call at all.

It felt pointless.

But just this once, let it be the last.

With that thought, Rong Ci still picked up her phone and called Feng Tingshen, then lifted the binoculars again.

Then, she watched with her own eyes as Feng Tingshen saw her call and hung up without hesitation—afterward, his gaze returned instantly to Lin Wu.

His eyes held only Lin Wu.

Rong Ci took a deep breath, smiled, and calmly returned the binoculars to Feng Tingyi.

For the rest of the competition, Rong Ci no longer watched, nor paid any attention to Feng Tingshen’s side.

All matches were over.

Lin Wu was the first-place winner.

Feng Tingyi was ecstatic; he and his friends were eager to find her for autographs.

“But it’s said CC is both a Haomen heiress and a Ph.D. graduate from a top university—racing is just her hobby. She doesn’t need fans, never flatters them, and almost always leaves right after the race without signing anything. So getting her autograph is basically impossible.”

“Yeah, this was a private event, so getting an autograph photo was more likely—but there’s a private driver-only passage inside the venue, and we have no connections to get in… sigh…”

As Feng Tingyi and his friends were discussing this, they heard that Lin Wu had already left with her friends to celebrate.

Sang Qian had called to urge her; Rong Ci rejected Feng Tingyi’s request to go out with his friends and prepared to take him home.

Before leaving, Rong Ci went to the restroom.

When she came out, she collided with someone.

“Sorry.”

“My apologies.”

Rong Ci and the other both stepped back one pace and apologized simultaneously.

When she looked up, Rong Ci froze.

He Zhangbai.

Feng Tingshen’s other close friend.

He Zhangbai naturally knew her too.

Seeing her, his already cold expression grew even colder.

Rong Ci naturally noticed.

She had met Feng Tingshen when she was ten.

Feng Tingshen and He Zhangbai, however, had grown up together since childhood, with an extremely close bond.

As children, they went to school and played together; as adults, they collaborated on projects and gathered regularly.

Whether as a child or after marriage, Feng Tingshen had always excluded her from his circle.

So although she had known He Zhangbai, Qi Yuming, and others for over a decade, they were no more than strangers who barely acknowledged her.

Yet shortly after meeting Lin Wu, he introduced her to He Zhangbai and the others.

So when Lin Wu had her birthday, Feng Tingshen had He Zhangbai and the others throw her a celebration; now, for her race, He Zhangbai and the others had come to watch…

It was said that Lin Wu had become very close with He Zhangbai and the others.

So close that even when Feng Tingshen wasn’t around, they’d always invite Lin Wu to their gatherings.

He Zhangbai and the others treated her as one of their own.

Perhaps precisely because of this, over the past two years, He Zhangbai and the others had grown even colder toward her.

She had once tried to build a better relationship with He Zhangbai and the others, but they looked down on her.

They gave her no opportunity at all.

They had always been cold toward her.

She had her pride; since they made their attitude clear, she stopped forcing herself.

But when they met in passing, if necessary, she still greeted them politely.

Yet often, she received nothing but their indifference—or even contempt.

This time, Rong Ci had no intention of speaking.

She stepped past him and walked away.

But He Zhangbai spoke: “Miss Rong is also interested in racing?”

His tone was cold.

Rong Ci sensed his implication—he suspected she had followed Feng Tingshen here.

She turned back, voice icy: “What are you trying to say?”

He Zhangbai showed no shame at being read so easily: “I just find it odd that someone like you would be interested in racing. I’m curious.”

“Someone like me?” Rong Ci met his gaze directly: “Mr. He, are we that familiar? Do you really know me? If you think you understand me so well, then tell me—what kind of person is ‘someone like me’?”

He Zhangbai had always perceived Rong Ci as quiet, gentle, even shy and timid—he believed this was merely her facade; in truth, she was deeply calculating, otherwise she wouldn’t have done such a despicable thing to win Feng Tingshen back then.

Yet afterward, she pretended innocence, and still refuses to admit she was behind that incident.

He Zhangbai said nothing, only stared at Rong Ci.

He was too lazy to judge her.

Too disdainful to judge her.

But Rong Ci’s manner today, speaking to him, was different from how she had acted around them before.

As if she had torn off her mask and no longer wished to pretend.

But not quite.

Because her gaze at him was cold, sharp, and clean—but with a hint of mockery, as if mocking his self-righteous belief that he had seen through her, and thus stood on a moral high ground to judge her without knowing the truth.

Rong Ci didn’t care what He Zhangbai thought. She withdrew her gaze and turned away.

Sang Qian had rented an apartment for Feng Tingyi near campus.

Rong Ci dropped him off near campus; it was already eleven at night.

Feng Tingyi was still growing; though he had eaten dinner, he was already hungry again.

He said: “Sister-in-law, the late-night snacks over there are great—I’ll treat you.”

Rong Ci hadn’t eaten dinner either and wanted something warm to fill her stomach, so she agreed.

As soon as they sat down, her stomach growled.

Feng Tingyi blinked, then realized: “Sister-in-law… you didn’t eat dinner?”

“Mm.”

Feng Tingyi immediately felt guilty: “Sorry, sister-in-law, it’s all my fault…”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t hungry before.”

Watching Rong Ci’s gentle smile, Feng Tingyi felt a pang in his chest.

He truly thought Rong Ci was wonderful.

Too bad his brother just doesn’t like her…