Chapter 114

A younger brother represents a position of weakness, someone who needs care and protection.

This role transcends gender. Whether it’s a younger brother or sister to an elder sister, it is always a relationship of care flowing from above to below.

Zhou Yanli did not like this feeling. He desired more—a role as the protector. But it was impossible. His Nian Xi only permitted him to be a younger brother, one without any improper intentions.

She had guessed his thoughts but did not like them.

It’s fine.

Zhou Yanli told himself. He could temporarily bury his true feelings deep inside. He could pretend as if nothing had happened. As long as he could stay by her side—as her younger brother or otherwise—what did it matter?

Nianxi hoped he could move on, but she did not know that ever since that winter when she walked into the dark rockery and reached out her hand to him, he had been unable to move past it.

If he loves someone, he will love them till the end.

That small rockery became his most beautiful view in this world.

“Elder Sister, are you going to abandon me, just like Mother did?”

Steam curled from the tea on the table, and the bright light filtering into the spacious room illuminated his handsome features. His beautiful eyes, rimmed with a faint blush, gazed at her.

If Nianxi had not experienced so many years of longing and unattainable desires, or if she had not witnessed the focus hidden behind the nonchalant gaze of that red-robed minister, she might have truly believed him. But now, as she looked into those ink-clear eyes, she hesitated.

Nianxi stared at him.

Zhou Yanli averted his gaze and smiled at her. “I won’t upset Elder Sister anymore. I’ll avoid anything you dislike.” So, please, don’t distance yourself from me anymore.

After a moment of silence, Nianxi finally relented. Everyone has their moments of pain and hardship.

Nianxi herself had once struggled through torment. The loneliness that burned the heart, unattainable desires, heartbreak, and hurt… none of this was tied to anyone else; it was simply about oneself.

Every person is an independent individual.

Everyone has the right to choose what they hold onto.

Whether Zhou Yanli’s words were genuine or not, they were his choice.

Advising him to let go is, in a way, another form of insistence. However, she would not give him a response.

“I’m not actually that easily angered.” She looked at him with a smile. “Hurry and eat, or the food will get cold, and then you won’t want it anymore.”

“Yanli, would you like some wine?” The girl’s voice remained gentle and warm, carrying a touch of earthly charm.

Zhou Yanli shook his head slightly. “No.”

She didn’t like the smell of alcohol on those around her, and he had always remembered that.

After a brief moment of silence, Nianxi raised her eyebrows and smiled again. “When you were thirteen, you secretly drank wine. Despite being absolutely drunk, you insisted I teach you embroidery. I refused, and you resorted to whining and acting spoiled.”

“Elder Sister, you promised not to bring that up again.” Zhou Yanli, slender and upright with the unique leanness of youth, uncharacteristically showed some embarrassment as he protested to Nianxi, “I drink much less now.”

Zhou Yanli was especially clingy when drunk, refusing to relent until Nianxi taught him to embroider a pair of mandarin ducks. Helpless, Nianxi finally brought out an embroidery frame to appease him.

Drunken words are the least reliable. As soon as he picked up the needle and thread, he grew dizzy and nauseated, ultimately vomiting onto the sachet Nianxi had spent half a year embroidering. Disgusted, Nianxi refused to speak to him for a whole month.

Recalling the embarrassing incident from the past, Zhou Yanli’s expression grew uncharacteristically lighthearted and cheerful.

With a smile, Nianxi said, “That’s good. I was just testing you. With your tolerance for alcohol, you shouldn’t drink outside.”

“Back then, Elder Sister went through a phase of being obsessed with sweet cakes, making me buy them every day,” Zhou Yanli retorted playfully, quick to reveal a secret. “We ate sweet cakes together for over half a year, and one day you—”

“Zhou Yanli, you are not allowed to say it!”

Blushing, Nianxi cut him off. Of course, she knew exactly what he was about to mention.

During that time, she had gained a lot of weight from eating too many sweet cakes. One day, she wore a new outfit and, being vain, had cinched her waist tightly. As the outfit had been tailored earlier, and she had since gained an inch or so, the tight fit left her struggling to breathe. She thought she had fallen ill and, crying, called for a doctor, only for it to turn into a complete farce.

Nianxi was utterly embarrassed. From then on, no matter how much she craved sweets, she only dared to have a taste and refrained from overindulging.

Childhood friends always held countless secrets about each other.

Zhou Yanli, with an innocent tone, said, “I was just kindly reminding Sister.”

As the two shared silly memories of the past, it truly felt like they had returned to their younger days.

When they stepped out of Panlou, they coincidentally encountered another group walking out noisily. The crowd surrounded one person at the front, like stars clustering around the moon, following closely behind.

Nianxi and Zhou Yanli didn’t want to compete with them, so they naturally stepped aside to let the group pass. However, the leader of that group unexpectedly stopped in his tracks.

A pair of deep, profound eyes met Nianxi’s gaze directly.

Today, Lu Wensheng wore a golden coronet. Unlike the casual attire she had seen before, his dark robe shimmered with intricate patterns on the black satin, making him appear even more elegant and composed.

The steward had already lifted the curtain, allowing a breeze to flow in from outside, gently swaying the jade-green ribbon on his sleeve. His calm and steady eyes remained unchanged as he quietly gazed at her.

Across the vast hall of Panlou, Nianxi offered him a slight bow.

His eyes seemed to hold a faint smile as he nodded at her before resuming his steps, the crowd around him following him out.

“Elder Sister, do you know Uncle Lu?” Zhou Yanli raised his eyes, watching the man’s departing figure. There was a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his face, but his aura was filled with coldness.

“Uncle?”

Zhou Yanli’s tone was flat. “He calls my aunt ‘sister-in-law.'”

It was only then that Nianxi remembered that Zhou Yanli’s aunt was married to Lu Wensheng’s second brother. The two were indeed separated by a generation. However, hearing Yanli call him “Uncle” felt as absurd as Lu Huai calling Gu Ci “Elder Uncle.”

“Do you know Lu Huai, Elder Sister?” Zhou Yanli spoke as if casually, “He is Uncle Lu’s only son and is very cherished in his family.”

Nianxi glanced at Zhou Yanli indifferently and said, “Not only do I know him, but I’ve even treated Lu Huai to some refreshments at the shop.”

Zhou Yanli’s expression stiffened slightly. Realizing he had misspoken, he dared not mention the Lu family father and son again. Instead, he asked, “Elder Sister, are you heading back now? I’ll escort you.”

Lu Wensheng sat in a spacious carriage, gazing outside. The graceful girl and the handsome young man painted a scene of beauty, even from their backs alone. The young man seemed to have upset her. His head tilted slightly as he spoke, his demeanor wholly cautious and careful.

Lu Wensheng let out a soft chuckle.

Today, she wore a cloud-patterned brocade jacket and a crimson pleated skirt. Her fair complexion complemented the vibrant colors, creating a striking appearance imbued with grace and elegance—like an orchid blooming in winter.

Lu Wensheng suddenly turned his head, coughing softly twice. Each winter, his chronic cough would recur. At times, his throat would itch uncontrollably, and the condition would worsen if he caught a cold.

“My lord, the wind is strong today. It’s better to lower the soft curtain,” the attendant gently advised, “Your illness has just improved.”

Lu Wensheng held back for a moment, waiting for the cough to pass, then leaned against the carriage wall and quietly closed his eyes.

Understanding the situation, the attendant lowered the wind-blocking curtain inside the carriage.

The cabin fell into silence.