Chapter 104

The Xiangguo Temple wasn’t far from the capital, and since it was cold in the winter, Zhou Yanli, being considerate, only came to Yiqiao Street to pick up Nianxi in the afternoon.

Madam Li, of course, had to exchange a few polite words.

Zhou Yanli, with a pleasing smile, said, “I heard that the sugar-coated snowballs outside Xiangguo Temple taste very good. I remember Auntie used to love them, so I’ll buy some with Sister to bring back later.”

Madam Li smiled and agreed.

Zhou Yanli had made thorough preparations. The carriage was equipped with everything, including an extra hand warmer, for fear that Nianxi might feel cold. Not to mention, the snacks he had bought were all flavors Nianxi used to love when she was in the south.

However, Zhou Yanli’s considerate gestures made a peculiar feeling flash through Nianxi’s heart.

The young man, dressed in a sapphire blue narrow-sleeved robe with a round collar, stood by the carriage, smiling as he extended his hand to her. He no longer seemed like the companion she played with in her childhood, but rather, overlapped with a scene from years later in her memory, becoming that carefree yet serious young political figure.

Nianxi was not a dull person. She simply did not want to think further about what that umbrella held over her head by the snow-covered lakeside symbolized—such deep and heavy emotions.

“Sister?” Zhou Yanli raised his brows slightly, indicating that he intended to help her into the carriage. He was slender and clean, exuding the carefree spirit of youth, with every movement precise and unobtrusive.

Nianxi set aside her wandering thoughts, avoided his hand, and held onto his arm instead as she stepped into the carriage.

Zhou Yanli glanced down at the place where her hand had just rested, lowered his eyes with a faint smile, and followed her into the carriage.

The atmosphere in the carriage was somewhat silent.

Nianxi had already forgotten how she interacted with Zhou Yanli during their childhood. To him, they had been apart for just a year, but to Nianxi, it felt like an entire lifetime had passed.

Zhou Yanli also noticed Nianxi’s unfamiliarity. He wasn’t someone who spoke much, and even his personality wasn’t as harmless as he appeared to be in front of her. But before Nianxi turned fifteen, she liked it, so he had always played the role of an obedient younger brother. However, the current Nianxi had become somewhat inscrutable.

Was it because of Gu Ci? That man who had already gone to the battlefield. Had Nianxi changed because of that man?

Changed to the point where she now seemed unfamiliar to him.

Zhou Yanli’s delicate features clouded slightly.

It didn’t matter.

He told himself.

How could Sister ever lack love?

When he wasn’t there, naturally, pests would gather around her. But now that he was here, he wouldn’t let anyone have the chance to approach her or take her away. Back when Nianxi wanted to dress him up, they made a promise—no matter the time, they would always be the closest.

He belonged to Sister, and Sister belonged to him.

“Sister still hasn’t changed. Whenever she gets lost in thought, she bites her lip.” Zhou Yanli smiled as he picked up a piece of pea cake. “The air in the capital is dry. If you keep biting your lips, they’ll start to peel. If you really can’t help it, why not bite this instead?”

Nianxi snapped out of her thoughts. Hearing him mention her lips peeling, she instinctively stuck out her tongue to lick them. She was naturally beautiful and cared about her appearance. She earnestly explained, “They won’t peel. I apply lip balm every night before bed to keep them moisturized.”

Zhou Yanli’s gaze darkened slightly as he stared at her lips, red and soft like petals kissed by dew. He quickly averted his eyes, pretending nothing had happened. “I knew if I brought this up, you’d stop daydreaming.”

Nianxi hadn’t been thinking about anything in particular; she was reminiscing about her childhood.

Back then, Zhou Yanli’s mother was gravely ill. Nianxi had accompanied Madam Li to visit her and found Zhou Yanli hiding behind a rockery, crying alone. He cried so beautifully, so pitifully, that she couldn’t bear it and approached him to try and comfort him.

But Zhou Yanli wasn’t as well-behaved as he is now. Tears still hung on his pale little face as he glared at her fiercely. Nianxi, with good intentions, crouched down beside him, but he insisted on pushing her over, causing the gravel to scrape her palm.

Angered, Nianxi started crying too. “If you weren’t so good-looking, I wouldn’t bother with you.”

Seeing her cry, Zhou Yanli stomped off on his own.

Not long after came his mother’s funeral. As expected, Nianxi found him crying in secret again behind the rockery.

Nianxi was the cherished daughter of her family, unable to truly empathize with the boy’s tears at that moment, but that didn’t stop her from feeling pity for him. So she forgot their earlier quarrel, crouched down beside him once more, and used her soft little hand to pat his thin, frail back gently. She even mimicked her mother, softly humming the lullabies her mother used to sing to soothe her to sleep.

Gradually, the boy’s thin shoulders stopped trembling. Nianxi became more enthusiastic and kept singing the tune repeatedly, even as her mouth grew dry until the boy finally lifted his head. His eyes were intensely red, resembling the most beautiful yet pitiable rabbit Nianxi had ever seen.

But this rabbit spoke harshly, “So awful. You were off-key.”

As a result, Nianxi herself turned into a red-eyed rabbit.

How outrageous.

She had sung so earnestly, only to be told it sounded awful!

Crying, she ran back home to tell her parents about her grievance.

Her father, unwilling to believe that his clever and beautiful daughter could sing poorly, boldly suggested, “That rascal was just sad and confused. My dear daughter, let’s not stoop to his level. Sing for me instead. Daddy loves listening to you.”

Nianxi wiped away her tears and sang with heartfelt emotion, then looked at her father hopefully. “Daddy, does it sound good?”

Father Wen paused for a moment before pulling her close and saying, “It’s lovely, but girls shouldn’t sing casually for others. It’s not proper.”

Nianxi realized that her singing was awful, and she cried even harder.

But after that, Nianxi and Zhou Yanli gradually became familiar with each other. The boy who had been so temperamental and difficult turned into a younger brother who catered to her every whim.

At this moment, teased by Zhou Yanli, Nianxi casually replied, “What girl doesn’t love beauty?”

Zhou Yanli immediately chimed in, “Absolutely, Sister Wen is the most beautiful in the world!”

This was an old game they used to play. Even Wen Qingheng had said that Zhou Yanli was Nianxi’s most loyal follower.

Even if Nianxi claimed that the sun rose in the west, Zhou Yanli would affirm without hesitation, “No doubt about it.”

The memories closed the distance between them, and Nianxi couldn’t help but ask, “Was my singing really that terrible?”

Zhou Yanli, as elegant as a jade tree in a forest, with features like a painting and a smile in his eyes, responded, “It’s been a long time since I heard it. Why not sing again, Sister, and let me evaluate?”

“You wish~”

This undoubtedly counted as one of Nianxi’s “black marks.” How could her mother’s singing be so melodious, yet hers so dreadful?

Nianxi issued a verbal threat, “Don’t bring this up again.”

Zhou Yanli laughed even more freely. “I always listen to Sister.”

As long as it was something Nianxi liked, whether it was playing the obedient little brother or something else, he was willing to do it.

Opportunities are fleeting, and he would seize them firmly, never letting go again.