Chapter 300: No Overnight Grudges Between Good Brothers
Sang Zhe was actually quite sad.
Or rather, not so much sad as a bit regretful.
Sang Zhe’s attitude toward Bai Ming was always one of both rivalry and camaraderie, a mutual appreciation.
As the only fellow townsman, while dealing with Bai Ming, Sang Zhe couldn’t help but plot all sorts of schemes, trying to swindle his brother in every possible way.
But most of the time, as long as it wasn’t about business, their interactions were relatively relaxed.
After all, not everyone can get drunk together while jokingly roasting “You are too beautiful,” and still laugh about it.
As one of his few male friends in this world, being with Bai Ming made Sang Zhe feel a genuine joy akin to hanging out and goofing off with his buddies.
Bai Ming’s carefree and lively personality also suited Sang Zhe’s tastes quite well.
So Sang Zhe always thought that as soon as he wrapped up his business with Floating Splendor Commerce, he’d definitely get Bai Ming out for some drinks.
The two would share heartfelt conversations under the moon, without any ulterior motives, calling each other “Sang brother” and “Bai brother.”
…
But.
But!
Now you tell me that my good brother, whom I usually call brother-in-arms,
Is actually a woman!
In that instant, Sang Zhe couldn’t even begin to describe his complex and tangled feelings.
You could say it was sad; a good brother becoming a woman seemed quite thrilling.
You could say it was happy; yet, there was always a nagging emptiness in his heart.
In a moment, Sang Zhe’s brain went totally haywire, staring at Bai Ming silently for a long while without being able to utter a word.
Finally, after forcing out a sentence after a long pause, he said:
“I took you as a brother, and you actually wanted to come on to me?”
“…”
Bai Ming fell silent for a moment, somewhat speechless: “Did Sang brother only want to say this?”
“Not just that.”
Sang Zhe thought for a moment and asked, “When you’re Bai Ming, and when you’re Gongzi Shuiming, which one is the real you?”
“Can’t it be both?”
Bai Ming sighed: “When I was little, my parents always wanted me to inherit the family business, so I was raised like a boy from a young age.”
“So I grew up being very boyish, carefree, like a little rascal.”
“But oddly enough, I only attended girls’ schools from childhood to adulthood.”
“So in front of others, I’ve always had the poised and graceful demeanor of Gongzi Shuiming. But privately, I still prefer wearing the Sad Frog hood and being my true, unrestrained self.”
Sang Zhe was silent for a long while before he sighed bitterly: “Sigh.”
“I thought I could actually meet a good brother with whom I could chat and joke around without a care.”
“Why not!” Bai Ming pouted, “Can’t a girl be a good buddy?”
“As long as you want, I can put on the Sad Frog hood again at any time to continue drinking and chatting with you. Just pretend you don’t know my identity.”
“It’s possible, but it might take some time.”
Sang Zhe thought silently: “To connect Miss Shuiming and Bai brother in my mind, it’s likely not something that can be accomplished overnight.”
After all, for Sang Zhe, the gap between their two images was just too big.
On one side was the carefree, suave slacker, and on the other was the delicate, elegant, and sexy beauty.
Sang Zhe always felt like this kind of plot only existed in certain scripts, the type where childhood buddies become a pretty girl after growing up.
Even if you asked Sang Zhe to imagine the refined and elegant Gongzi Shuiming saying something scandalous, he honestly couldn’t picture it.
“It needs time, huh?”
Bai Ming thought for a moment and then looked at Sang Zhe with a gentle smile.
“I have a way to speed things up.”
Just as Sang Zhe was about to ask what the method was.
He saw a fist gradually enlarging in his line of sight.
“Bang!”
The next moment, Sang Zhe found himself laying on the ground, staring blankly at the sky as his brain crashed.
“Girls can’t be brothers, huh?”
Bai Ming slowly kicked off her high heels, took off her gold-rimmed glasses, loosened her collar, and swung her fist again toward Sang Zhe’s face: “You think I want to go through such a roundabout way to get close to you?”
“You jerk, always trying to be cute to swindle my money with the most ridiculous excuses. You think all my money comes from thin air?”
“And then you threaten me with those little steamy novels I write! I love writing! So what! It drives you crazy, right?”
“And why did it take you so long to realize what the godly jade I gifted you represented? You blockheaded, straight man, here’s a punch!”
“Why can’t I be your brother? Why can’t I be by your side? Is being a girl a problem?”
At that moment, Bai Ming was no longer the elegantly refined image as before; she pounced on Sang Zhe like a fierce tiger, her powdery fists raining down on him without mercy.
Only after she vented her frustration did she let out a long sigh of relief, slowly standing up and saying, “Phew… So this is what it feels like to punch a high-status person. Totally worth it in this lifetime.”
“What are you still doing frozen there?”
“… I still don’t get why you hit me,” Sang Zhe lay on the ground, stunned.
“What’s there to not understand?”
Bai Ming casually sat down on the ground: “Isn’t there no overnight grudge between boys? When we have a conflict, we just fight it out and then patch things up the next day.”
“I already hit you; now it’s your turn to hit me.”
After saying that, she freely opened her arms, closed her eyes: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Just don’t hit the face, okay? Come on.”
Sang Zhe stared blankly at Bai Ming for a long time.
Suddenly, he burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Bai Ming was a bit annoyed.
“Nothing.” Sang Zhe chuckled, “Just suddenly remembered our first meeting.”
“We were fighting back then too, no holds barred. But surprisingly, it was quite exhilarating.”
“You’re right. Being good brothers really seems to be gender-neutral.”
“You’re still the Bai brother I’m familiar with.”
Bai Ming blinked, slowly shifting her gaze away.
“So… can we still be friends later on?”
“Of course.”
Sang Zhe sat up, gently brushing off the dust on his clothes: “Whether you’re Bai Ming or Gongzi Shuiming, it doesn’t matter. It was me who got a bit carried away.”
“We’re still good brothers. Don’t forget, I owe you money.”
Only then did Bai Ming finally let out a breath.
Honestly, what she feared the most was Sang Zhe refusing to acknowledge her after learning her true identity.
Sang Zhe treated her as a rare good brother.
She too regarded Sang Zhe as a unique existence in her life.
“Well then, since we’re here, let’s swing by my place for some tea—”
“Wait.” Sang Zhe suddenly stopped her, “Did you forget something?”
“You just said it’s my turn to hit you now.”
Bai Ming looked at Sang Zhe. Sang Zhe smiled back at her.
“Uh, y-you’re not actually going to do it, right?”
“Good brothers settle accounts clearly; how can we not hit if we’re buddies?”
Watching Sang Zhe slowly clench his fists, Bai Ming awkwardly swallowed, chuckling: “Can we… not hit the face?”
“Sure.”
Sang Zhe grinned mischievously: “But where to hit is up to me, okay?”
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