The man was tall, broad-shouldered, long-legged, with a handsome yet stern face. In short, he was a good-looking yet unapproachable heartthrob.
Gu Miaomiao clung to her second brother, glanced once, then glanced again.
This man's facial structure was similar to her second brother's, but their temperaments were entirely different.
Her second brother had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. Although he appeared cold and standoffish, he actually had a range of expressions and emotions. But the one in front of her gave off the vibe of an emotionless statue, with a stern face.
Thinking this, Tuanzi couldn't help but stick closer to her second brother, her curious gaze fixed on the man.
"The workaholic finally decided to come back?"
Seeing Gu Cheng appear unexpectedly and thinking about how he had meddled in Zhou Yan's affairs, Gu Che started with sarcasm.
Seeing him dressed in a suit, with tightly pressed thin lips, he sarcastically added, "Dressed like that, are you back for a cocktail party? Yo, what major investor's cocktail party is so important that you'd rush back from afar?"
Gu Cheng looked at him expressionlessly, "Open the door, let's talk inside."
Gu Che 'hummed' and opened the door.
"Miaomiao, you go in first."
No one moved. When he looked back, he found his sister tilting her head, scrutinizing their eldest brother, with a strange expression on her delicate face.
"Miaomiao?"
Tuanzi shuffled with small steps over to Gu Che, hugged his leg, turned her head to look at Gu Cheng, and softly asked, "Are you the eldest brother?"
Gu Che: ▼_▼
Gu Cheng walked closer, "Yes, go inside first."
The siblings were meeting for the first time, and the director had no clue that his sister was someone who liked to take advantage of opportunities.
She let go of him and hugged Gu Cheng's leg, lifting her chubby face, smiling and squinting, "You're dressed like this, are you going to work?"
Gu Cheng: "..."
Not at all.
He had bought an apartment downstairs, calculated the time the two of them would return, and changed into a suit almost out of instinct.
For a first meeting, one should leave a good impression.
The director who wasn't good with words silently emitted a cold aura.
Tuanzi shivered, "It's great to have an elder brother in summer."
Gu Cheng: "?"
Tuanzi swayed, "This way, there's always a cool breeze."
Gu Cheng: "..."
Gu Che didn't hold back and burst into laughter, then jealously scooped Tuanzi up and was the first to step inside the house.
He felt a sense of urgency, pinched his sister's cheek, and whispered very quietly, "Do you like me more, or do you like the elder brother more?"
Tuanzi: OoO
This feeling was like when her master asked her if she preferred beggar's chicken or roast duck.
Couldn't she like both?
Tuanzi quickly turned her head to meet Gu Che's attractive eyes.
The top star pressed his lips together, looking at her anxiously yet expectantly.
Tuanzi quickly turned her head back, seeing that Gu Cheng was already inside, closing the door, bending down to change his shoes, seemingly not hearing Gu Che's question.
As if.
Gu Cheng paused in place.
Since when did his second brother start saying such embarrassing things out loud?
And, what would her sister's answer be?
By the time Gu Cheng nonchalantly changed his shoes, Tuanzi had already scampered off to the refrigerator to look for food.
Gu Che was all smiles.
Gu Cheng: "..."
"Make yourself at home, anyway, the layout here is the same as the one downstairs."
Gu Cheng: "…You knew?"
"Hehe, in this building, most owners won't sell their units. Once someone does, everyone will find out who the new buyer is."
This was a high-end apartment complex, where security was the primary selling point. Residents here were either artists avoiding reporters like him or some very wealthy individuals.
For them, the neighbors' profession was crucial.
If a paparazzi were to splurge on a unit here, that would be catastrophic. After all, the money spent on the apartment would inevitably be earned back at the expense of the artists living here.
When the apartment downstairs from the top star was up for sale, he had already asked the property management to keep an eye out.
Upon finding out the buyer was Gu Cheng, he was speechless.
"I have plenty of rooms here, offered you a key but you insisted on buying a unit. Do you have too much money…"
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Tuanzi couldn't find anything to eat and had to settle for washing a batch of peaches from the farmer. She came over carrying a plate and he quickly shut his mouth.
The good-brother persona couldn't collapse!
Tuanzi happily held the plate, "Do you want to eat?"
Gu Che casually took one, seeing Tuanzi excitedly run over to Gu Cheng, he clicked his tongue.
Gu Cheng took one, "Thanks."
Tuanzi paused, her big watery eyes staring at him.
A few seconds later, she leaned closer for a good look.
Gu Cheng had never been this close to anyone before and leaned back.
The more he acted this way, the more Tuanzi became intrigued, 'slamming' the plate down, plastered a serious little face, and even poked his face.
Gu Cheng froze, his expression subconsciously grew colder.
Tuanzi wasn't afraid. No matter how stern the elder brother's face got, it wasn't as scary as her master's. Back when she accidentally broke her master's favorite teacup during martial arts practice, her master's face was much scarier than this.
Brave Tuanzi, not afraid of cold faces!
"Why say thank you?" Tuanzi asked sternly.
"You gave me a peach."
"No need to thank among family."
Tuanzi gave him a peculiar look, "If you always say thank you, Miaomiao will feel like you don't like Miaomiao and are treating Miaomiao as an outsider."
His thin lips opened and closed, but he couldn't speak a word.
Gu Che, with one hand in his pocket and a peach in the other, took a bite.
On hearing this, he snickered, "He's always been like this since young, an annoying little old man."
Gu Cheng: "..."
The man glanced at him, "You didn't wash your hands."
Gu Che: "..."
The top star suddenly seemed very nervous.
Tuanzi hurriedly stretched out her chubby paw.
"Miaomiao washed them~"
After a pause, she looked at the hand Gu Cheng used to hold the peach, "But you didn't wash yours."
Gu Cheng: "..."
The two brothers went to wash their hands, walking side by side, but it felt as if they lived in two different worlds. The left side was carefree and relaxed, the right side was tense and proper. One went to the bathroom, the other to the kitchen.
Gu Che, not having finished his peach, received a call from Jin Tong.
Worried it was about Zhou Yan, Gu Che didn't want his sister to hear it, so he went out to the balcony.
Walking a few steps, he looked back, saw his sister at one end of the sofa, and the eldest brother at the other, with a good distance between them.
Walking a few more steps, he looked back again, seeing his sister eating a peach, still far from the eldest brother.
What Gu Che didn't know, was that as soon as he left the living room, Tuanzi busied herself munching the peach, shuffled over to Gu Cheng, snuggled up next to him, and lifted her little smiling face.
"Why aren't you eating? It's super delicious~"
Gu Cheng glanced at her peach-juice-covered face, bent down, pulled out a tissue, and held it out to her. He said nothing, the intention was clear.
Tuanzi didn't take it, continued munching on her peach, and casually mumbled, "Miaomiao is too busy to wipe."
The director froze again.
No one could tell he was flustered.
He barely knew how to banter with his brother, let alone how to interact with his sister.
No one taught him.
Gu Cheng cautiously leaned over, gently dabbed once, feeling the soft little face through the tissue, he suddenly recalled netizens' comments.
[Miaomiao's face looks so soft, I just want to pinch it]