Why did another “brother” suddenly appear?

Yu Mingxi’s temples throbbed slightly at the sound.

The joy in that voice was no less than the happiness little Yuanyuan felt whenever she saw him.

A strange sense of crisis welled up within Yu Mingxi, causing him to shift his attention to the boy standing in the corner.

In the small gap behind a billboard, there was just enough space for someone to hide.

The teenager stood tall, leaning against the wall. His handsome features were half-covered by the shadow cast by the billboard, as if trying to stay hidden from view.

He stared down at the empty ground, his expression blank and bored.

Even though there was no threat or hostility in the surroundings, the teenager’s eyes held a faint coldness, as if keeping his distance was the only way to shield himself from anything that made him uncomfortable.

“Brother Shen Ji, I finally found you!” A small figure, Yuanyuan, stepped into the light, her bright black eyes full of delight as she gazed at him. “Why did you leave without waiting for me?”

Shen Ji was startled, clearly not expecting the little one to find him in such an obscure spot.

“I was with someone else…” Shen Ji stammered, his explanation tinged with slight panic.

Yu Yuanyuan turned to glance at the entrance gate, then curiously asked, “Are you here to watch the dolphin show? Why aren’t you going inside?”

“I’m not watching. I’m waiting for them to come out,” Shen Ji replied.

The “others” he mentioned seemed irrelevant, as the coldness in his eyes remained unchanged.

The little one rummaged through her bag, suddenly pulling out a ticket and eagerly handing it to him. “Brother Shen Ji, I have an extra ticket! I won it in a lottery earlier.”

Shen Ji glanced at it quickly.

It was a VIP ticket, very expensive. He could never afford something like that.

“No need. You go ahead and enjoy the show.” After saying that, Shen Ji deliberately took two steps back into the shadows, turning his head away so he wouldn’t have to look into her eyes.

Those round, dark eyes seemed to possess a magical power. Every time their gazes met, Shen Ji found himself unintentionally wanting to talk.

He wasn’t someone who enjoyed communicating with others, but whenever he encountered Yu Yuanyuan, he couldn’t ignore anything she said or did.

He always felt an inexplicable urge to respond.

There was something special about this little girl, a unique warmth that radiated from her.

“But if I don’t use the ticket today, it’ll expire,” Yu Yuanyuan murmured, standing there pitifully, her small hand holding the ticket like a fragile little seedling swaying in the wind. “Brother Shen Ji, will you come with me to the show? Please?”

Shen Ji hated owing anyone favors, especially emotional ones.

He disliked entangling himself with others.

At first, he was unmoved by her invitation. That is, until the show was about to start.

The music began playing inside the venue, and Gao Zhou and Yu Mingxi were urging them to join, even looking like they might come over to fetch him themselves.

The thought of being surrounded by all these people sent a shiver down Shen Ji’s spine.

“Hey, kid,” Gao Zhou whispered, sneaking a bite of popcorn while Yu Yuanyuan wasn’t looking. “The ticket was won in a lottery, no charge. As long as Miss Yuanyuan is happy, that’s all that matters.”

“Really, really,” Yu Yuanyuan chimed in, waving her arm enthusiastically. “I won that one, and this one too, and that one over there!”

The music in the venue began to fade, signaling that the show would start in about five minutes.

Shen Ji felt like a fish on a grill. Especially under Yuanyuan’s expectant gaze, it was as if anyone who rejected her would become the world’s most wicked person—destined for a special place in the nineteenth level of hell.

“Alright, fine,” Shen Ji agreed reluctantly, his voice cold. “But you can’t hold my hand.”