The man nodded gravely, as if confiding a royal secret. "Yes, Su Shen and I go way back—war buddies, you know. We've literally had each other's backs in life-or-death situations. These days, we dabble in business together from time to time, make a little money here and there. So you—" he jabbed a finger for emphasis, "—you'd better treat Su Shen like your own blood brother. Show him proper respect."
Chen Xi rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh please. Life-and-death, my foot. You sold him this dump, didn't you? Real touching friendship. You're nothing but a profiteer!"
Just then, Gu Zi, who had noticed Su Li taking a suspiciously long time to answer the door, wandered out to investigate. Her perfectly arched brows drew together as she caught the end of Chen Xi's critique. "What's wrong with the house?" she asked, voice clipped. "Su Li, who's here?"
Su Li jumped in quickly, "Mom, it's Dad's army buddy. And that guy who lost to Big Brother on the train—Chen Xi."
