Running Over The Head Of My Ex [Rebirth]

Chapter 33

“Alright, alright,” Grandma He said it with a kind smile. “Let’s go inside and talk.”

He Qingqi held Grandma He’s arm with her left hand and pulled Zhuo Zhiwei with her right, bringing her home for the first time since her rebirth.

“Xiao Xi, you’re back!”

He Qingqi looked over and smiled. “Aunt Zhang.”

Aunt Zhang was forty this year and had been working with the He family for ten years. She’d watched He Qingqi grow up. Even ten years later, Aunt Zhang was still with the He family, helping to take care of Grandma He.

“Knowing you were coming back today, I had someone make your favorite sweet and sour ribs.”

Aunt Zhang suddenly paused, her gaze shifting to Zhuo Zhiwei. She then exclaimed in surprise, “Is this Zhiwei? I’ve seen you on TV!”

“Yes, Aunt Zhang, let me introduce you. This is my” He Qingqi hesitated, unsure whether to call Zhuo Zhiwei her good friend or teammate. After a moment’s thought, she settled on the more intimate term, “good friend, Zhuo Zhiwei.”

“Hello, hello, I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Zhiwei, this is Aunt Zhang.”

Zhuo Zhiwei nodded slightly. “Hello, Aunt Zhang.”

“Dad!” He Qingqi called upstairs. “Put Zhiwei’s luggage in the room next to mine!”

“Got it!” He Dongche replied from the staircase.

No sooner had he spoken than a large German Shepherd suddenly pounced over, jumping at He Qingqi excitedly.

When its gaze landed on Zhuo Zhiwei, it couldn’t help but let out a low growl.

“Chairman!” He Qingqi worried that the dog might hurt its knees from jumping too much. She bent down slightly, letting it place its paws on her shoulders. If it kept jumping, she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

At the right height, the German Shepherd got even more excited, wagging its tail so hard it thudded loudly. Layers of slobber covered He Qingqi’s face, and it kept glaring at Zhuo Zhiwei, wary and occasionally pausing its tail.

He Qingqi tightly pressed her lips together, afraid the chairman might stick its tongue into her mouth—something that had happened before.

The chairman had been fifteen years old and still healthy before she died, but his beard had turned white. The He family always worried about him, fearing he might pass away any day.

But he hadn’t, and He Qingqi had gone first. Observing his increased energy, He Qingqi experienced a tingling sensation in her nose and affectionately patted his paw. The chairman got even more excited.

Just as she was struggling to manage him, another slightly younger but more energetic German Shepherd appeared from behind, placing its big paws on her back.

“Manager!”

A rare hint of confusion crossed Zhuo Zhiwei’s usually calm face. “Manager?”

One big dog was already overwhelming for He Qingqi; two were too much. Aunt Zhang and Grandma He rushed over to help, pulling the dogs away from He Qingqi.

“Manager He!” Grandma He scolded. “Look at what you’ve done to your aunt!”

Grandma He tenderly touched the scratches on He Qingqi’s neck. “Oh dear, look at this. And you, Chairman! How could you let your son do this?”

Finally, He Qingqi exhaled a breath of relief, caressed her neck, and smiled at Grandma He. “It’s okay, Grandma. It’ll be fine in a few days.”

She adjusted her clothes and turned to see Zhuo Zhiwei’s teasing gaze.

She cleared her throat, feeling a bit embarrassed, and touched her nose. “Zhiwei, do you remember the story I told you before?”

Zhuo Zhiwei nodded, smiling. “So, there’s more to it?”

He Qingqi blushed slightly, sticking out her tongue. “Then Assistant Han asked me, ‘Is Manager He here?’ Manager He is… is my brother, He Qingzhou.”

Grandma He and Aunt Zhang exchanged surprised glances.

He Qingqi continued, “I thought for a moment and told him, ‘Not born yet!’ Assistant Han was stunned and asked, ‘Not born yet?’ And I said, ‘Our chairman’s wife is just pregnant with Manager He. Is there a problem?’ That left Assistant Han completely baffled.”

Zhuo Zhiwei couldn’t help but laugh, and Grandma He added, “Oh, Xiao Xi didn’t tell the whole story. That assistant Han somehow found the courage to ask Xiao Xi.”

Grandma He imitated Assistant Han’s tone: “So, what is the chairman’s wife’s surname?”

“Xiao Xi glared at him and said, ‘Definitely not Jiang… oh, right, Xiao Xi’s mother is surnamed Jiang.'”

Zhuo Zhiwei hadn’t expected He Qingqi to have such a mischievous side and couldn’t help but tease her, stroking her ponytail. “So there’s a chairman, a Manager He, and is there a Xiao Xi too?”

“Hey, I was just a kid then! Alright, enough of that!” He Qingqi, slightly embarrassed, pulled Zhuo Zhiwei along. “Grandma, I’m taking Zhiwei upstairs to see the room.”

“Go on, go on.”

The He family villa consisted of four floors. Grandpa and Grandma lived on the second floor, He Qingzhou and He Dongche on the third, and He Qingqi on the top floor, where she had a skylight installed to occasionally watch the stars.

He Qingqi opened her door. “Zhiwei, this is my room.”

He Qingqi’s room had a blue ocean theme, clearly decorated when she was still young. She then took Zhuo Zhiwei to an adjacent room. “There’s a computer and a bathroom here. You’ll stay here tonight. How is it?”

“It’s great,” Zhuo Zhiwei replied.

“This whole fourth floor is our domain.” Perhaps it was because she hadn’t been back in a long time. He Qingqi seemed particularly excited, showing Zhuo Zhiwei around.

“This is the gym; this is the dance practice room. We can practice here later. This is the game room my dad built for me, and here’s the karaoke room! You have a landline in your room. If you need anything, you can call downstairs and ask Aunt Zhang and the others to prepare it.”

He Qingqi turned and smiled at Zhuo Zhiwei, placing her arm around her shoulder. “Why don’t you stay for a few more days? I’ll introduce you to some friends later.”

Last night, after getting her phone back, Zhuo Zhiwei eagerly checked all the topics about them. She thought for a moment and asked, “You mean Chai Xu and Gu Mingrui, right?”

He Qingqi blinked. “Zhiwei, how did you know?”

“The photo Chai Xu posted. Your relationship is so close, it was easy to guess.”

“Alright.” He Qingqi smiled warmly. “We grew up together. They are close friends to me, and so are you. I’d like to introduce you to them. Is that okay?”

Zhuo Zhiwei pursed her lips, looking a bit shy, and nodded slightly.

He Qingqi suddenly noticed Zhuo Zhiwei’s delicate, petite earlobe hidden behind her hair and impulsively reached out to touch it, gently rubbing it a couple of times.

Instantly, a blush spread from Zhuo Zhiwei’s cheeks to the roots of her ears. She bit her lip and murmured, “Qing… Qingqi.”

He Qingqi’s heart inexplicably pounded like a drum. Just like Zhuo Zhiwei, her fair face turned rosy. She stared at Zhuo Zhiwei, who was blushing deeply, and was momentarily dazed.

Their eyes met for a brief second before He Qingqi, as if electrified, quickly looked away. She blinked rapidly, coming back to her senses, and hastily withdrew her fingers, stammering, “Zhi-Zhi-Zhi-Zhiwei, your earlobe feels so nice.”

Inwardly, He Qingqi cursed herself. Tao Jinghan had been right—she was indeed a sucker for good looks!

Zhuo Zhiwei’s eyes showed a hint of panic. She quivered her lips and stammered, “They… they all say that.”

He Qingqi awkwardly grinned, and the two of them pretended nothing had happened and continued walking, circling the fourth floor again and again until Grandma He noticed something was off.

“Xiao Xi! You’ve walked so many circles already; haven’t you finished yet?”

“Huh? Oh! We-We’ve finished. Are we going to eat now?”

“Yes, come down quickly. We’ll eat once your brother gets back!”

“Okay!”

He Qingqi suddenly stopped, belatedly remembering Zhuo Zhiwei’s earlier words… They? Which they?

For some inexplicable reason, her mood dampened.

Who else had touched Zhiwei’s earlobe? Zhiwei clearly didn’t like being touched by others!

He Qingqi pressed her lips together and glanced at Zhuo Zhiwei. She thought for a moment but decided not to ask anything.

Before long, He Qingzhou came home from work. As soon as he saw He Qingqi, his eyes filled with joy, and he seemed at a loss, moving his arms before putting them back down.

He pursed his lips, stepped forward half a step, and then stepped back. “Xiao… Xiao Xi, you’re back.”

He Qingqi glanced at him. Years of cold indifference had made it difficult for her to change, even if she wanted to now.

She awkwardly responded with a hum.

He Qingzhou’s eyes brightened. This was already a positive response, unlike in the past when He Qingqi would treat him as if he were invisible, at best rolling her eyes at him.

“Bro-Bro missed you a lot.” He Qingzhou suddenly stammered loudly, “Yes! Grandpa, Grandma, and Dad all missed you! So did the chairman and manager!”

He Qingqi pretended to be annoyed. “I know, can we eat now?”

Then she muttered under her breath, “So mushy.”

Zhuo Zhiwei watched their interaction, noticing He Qingqi’s reddened ears. Her calm eyes suddenly held a trace of amusement.

Such a tsundere little lion.

“Oh, right, sorry.” He Qingzhou suddenly remembered something and looked at Zhuo Zhiwei. “Let me introduce myself. I’m He Qingzhou, He Qingqi’s.” He paused, glancing at He Qingqi. Seeing she wasn’t showing any sign of displeasure, he continued, “brother.”

Zhuo Zhiwei felt a tinge of confusion. She could discern that He Qingzhou was He Qingqi’s brother, and their relationship had previously experienced strain. But why? He Qingzhou seemed to care about He Qingqi.

And earlier, when Grandma He mentioned that He Qingqi said the chairman’s wife, Manager He’s mother, wasn’t surnamed Jiang.

So, they were half siblings?

Half-siblings.

Zhuo Zhiwei’s eyes dimmed for a moment. She then looked at He Qingzhou again, regaining her composure. With her usual calm demeanor, she extended her hand. “Zhuo Zhiwei.”

He Qingzhou shook her hand, equally composed. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Not at all.”

He Qingqi walked to her usual seat, pulling out the chair next to hers. She smiled brightly. “Zhiwei, sit next to me, okay?”

Zhuo Zhiwei nodded. “As you wish.”

He Qingqi’s eyes lit up at the sight of her favorite dishes. Just as she was about to dig in, the doorbell rang.

Aunt Zhang said, “I’ll get it.”

He Qingqi looked around, puzzled. “Everyone’s here, right? Is anyone expecting a guest?”

Everyone shook their heads. He Qingqi thought for a moment. “Could it be for me?”

Her eyes brightened. “Could it be my grandparents?”

“No,” she said, dismissing the idea. Her grandparents wouldn’t visit as long as He Dongche was present. “It must be Chai Xu and the others!”

Aunt Zhang opened the door and exclaimed in surprise, “Miss Fang!”

“Xiao Xi! Miss Fang is here!”

He Qingqi’s smile froze, her lips pressing into a thin line, and her grip on the chopsticks tightened.