Lu Nian, “… Alright, maybe because of my limited exposure, I don’t understand this at all.”

Ming Ge said, “He’s really good.”

“Back then, when he played at my bar, no one wanted to play with him anymore.” Ming Ge exposed his past.

“Really?” Lu Nian sighed. “I had no idea you used to do all these…”

“I did everything,” the young man said, his long eyelashes drooping. “As long as it could make money.”

“Later, with some capital, you could do many other things.”

“All those were gambling tricks, lowly tricks, nothing to admire.” He, who grew up on the streets, had learned too many things to survive.

Lu Nian felt uncomfortable. “Back then, you didn’t want my money.”

She remembered many things, her entire teenage years spent chasing after Qin Si’s footsteps, trying every means possible to make his life better.

But from the pair of cashmere gloves to later tuition fees, he always stubbornly rejected her goodwill.

“No,” the night wind whispered, his fingers tightening.

He finally spoke, his voice slightly hoarse. “…I did want it.”

Lu Nian insisted on giving him money every month, and he later returned every cent, even though the amount was very small.

But at the time, the proud young man felt nothing but shame and no dignity at all.

Although Lu Nian didn’t know about these things and had never taken advantage of him, he didn’t dare to face his own feelings directly.

He could only maintain his meager self-esteem by keeping his distance and coldness towards her.

Lu Nian muttered, obviously not caring and not admitting, “Where, you didn’t really want it. You returned it all to me, and I’m not a loan shark. I even went for check-ups regularly.”

Qin Si remained silent.

Past events had always been a knot in his heart.

The two walked side by side, Lu Nian holding his hand, her fingers soft, illuminated by the moonlight.

Back then, he was so distant, especially to her.

And now they could be so intimate; Lu Nian found it somewhat unbelievable.

Moreover, today, hearing Ming Ge talk about some past events, she realized how difficult his life had been back then.

He felt embarrassed that she knew those things. “I didn’t live so miserably back then.”

Ming Ge tended to exaggerate.

He had a place to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear.

Although it was a bit harder, it was still a relatively good life.

But all that was in the past.

The two returned home.

They mostly slept in separate beds now. Occasionally, when Lu Nian was in the mood, she would go over to tease him, keeping him awake all night.

Lu Nian felt that the time for intimacy had naturally come.

However, Qin Si felt that if she didn’t agree to marry him, without a solemn commitment, he wouldn’t engage in such activities.

Their ideologies didn’t match, so even though they were close, they hadn’t crossed any boundaries.

“By the way, Qiao Li will come over for dinner tomorrow,” Lu Nian said.

Qin Si didn’t want him to go to Qiao Li’s place but preferred him to stay with her.

Therefore, Lu Nian had no choice but to indulge her boyfriend a bit and only go to see Qiao Li on the same day.

Because of the incident with Lu Zhihong, Lu Nian always felt uneasy about Qiao Li, so she wanted to check on him frequently.

After that day, Lu Zhihong surprisingly didn’t come over to harass Qiao Li again, which felt abnormal to Lu Nian, making her uneasy.

So, she always wanted to go and check on him.

Later, it was Qiao Li who found it tiring for her to go back and forth, so he suggested he come over instead.

Qin Si remained silent, not expressing any objections.

Qiao Li was Lu Nian’s brother, fraternal twins.

After being separated for so many years, they finally met again, and Qiao Li loved to stick to his sister.

The two had a unique intimacy that outsiders couldn’t interfere with.

Because of Lu Zhihong’s situation, they couldn’t publicly announce their relationship, making Qin Si feel uncomfortable every time he saw them together.

In the end, it was still the lack of security that was haunting him.

He always felt that he meant nothing to her, and Lu Nian could leave him at any time.

…

The siblings hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and Lu Nian was in a good mood.

She went to order groceries early.

He asked about dinner, wondering if they should go out to eat.

“No worries, Qiao Li said he’ll come over and cook,” Lu Nian smiled. “He’s a great cook.”

He pursed his lips, nodded in acknowledgment, and went back to his study to work.

Qiao Li arrived on time, considering it was someone else’s house, and mainly, he came to see Lu Nian.

He was gentle and reserved by nature, polite to Qin Si.

“I heard that Zhao’s grandson has been born recently?” Lu Nian asked curiously.

When chatting with Qiao Li, he would sometimes mention the Zhao family, so Lu Nian naturally remembered this gossip.

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” Qiao Li nodded, hesitated, glanced at Qin Si, and seeing that he didn’t react much, he continued, “Yayuan has been very upset recently.”

“The tourism development project between the Zhao family and Nanqiao has always been Yayuan’s responsibility. Recently, after Su Qingyou gave birth, Zhao Tingyuan said he wants to come back and take over the project instead of Yayuan.”

“Why?” Lu Nian asked, biting her chopsticks. “Yayuan has done half of it already, and it’s in Nanqiao. Does Zhao Tingyuan understand Nanqiao?”

“Because Yayuan hasn’t been feeling well recently…”

Lu Nian was startled. “What’s wrong with him?”

“A while ago, he had acute appendicitis, just a minor surgery, but he didn’t have a good health foundation to begin with, so he stayed in the hospital for quite a while.”

“I had no idea,” Lu Nian didn’t know what to say, feeling somewhat guilty.

“Yayuan is now recuperating at home.”

“Xiao Li, why don’t you invite Yayuan to your place?” Lu Nian suggested. “It’s really unsafe for him to stay at home right now.”

She remembered Zhao Yayuan’s original fate, which made her increasingly uncomfortable.

“I’ve already arranged it. I’ll go to the Zhao family to see him on Friday,” Qiao Li said. “If he’s willing, I’ll ask him to come over and stay.”

He glanced at Qin Si.

Qiao Li remembered that Qin Si had asked him to take care of Zhao Yayuan before.

Qiao Li found it quite troublesome.

With so much business to handle and so many personnel matters to deal with, he grew up in Nanqiao and was used to living transparently.

Now, he just felt exhausted.

He didn’t know how he managed to cope with everything.

Qiao Li raised his eyes and looked at the man opposite him.

Qin Si’s expression was very subdued.

He was already a man of few words, and when chatting with the Lu siblings, he was even more silent.

For Qin Si to take over the Lu family… his abilities were really not enough now.

After dinner, Qiao Li earnestly asked, “Mr. Qin, can I stay here for a few days? I have some questions I’d like to ask you.”

Lu Nian quickly answered in his place, “Qiao Li, you can stay a few more days.”

Qiao Li wasn’t someone who was thick-skinned.

He looked at Qin Si’s expression and added, “It won’t be more than four days at most. Once I’m done asking, I’ll leave, and I’ll help with the housework.”

After all, he was her beloved younger brother.

“Suit yourself,” Qin Si replied, his expression very neutral.

Qin Si actually had a strong sense of territory, so he didn’t like the feeling of having one more person in the house.

But he couldn’t help it, so he could only let Qiao Li stay temporarily.

He stayed because he wanted to learn and understand more about the Lu family’s affairs.

Usually quiet and diligent, not causing any trouble for their lives, and with a clear time frame of just a few days.

But…

He came out of the study silently and found the living room lit, with Lu Nian rushing to finish her manuscript.

Qiao Li and Lu Nian were chatting, sitting together on the sofa.

Qiao Li was looking at some documents.

Lu Nian must have said something encouraging, as he had a gleam in his eyes.

They were chatting and laughing, appearing intimate with each other.

They could talk about many topics, and they naturally got along well, with great chemistry.

Suddenly, he felt like an outsider.

He had been keeping an eye on the Zhao family’s affairs, waiting for the right moment.

However, he didn’t want to turn Qiao Li into a useless person.

Growth comes from challenges, and if there were things Qiao Li needed to do on his own, he wouldn’t interfere.

In this matter, what he needed to be careful about was ensuring Lu Nian wouldn’t be upset.

The man closed the study door and stood silently in the room.

In the past, when it was just the two of them, the atmosphere at home was very casual.

At least when she was home, besides her comics, she could also pay attention to him.

She liked to tease him and engage in some couple-like activities.

Now… all of that was gone.

Lu Nian, though a bit slow to notice, also realized something was off with Qin Si these past few days.

When Qiao Li asked him about things, he would answer, his tone and expression similar to usual.

When she talked to him, it was the same, with a cold and distant tone, and fewer words.

Although he typically had this personality, it felt a bit off to Lu Nian.

That noon, after Qiao Li went back to his room to nap, Lu Nian had just finished drawing her manuscript and felt her eyes were tired.

She rubbed her eyes and thought she should talk to him.

The living room was quiet, and sure enough, the study door was closed.

He was in the study, with a straight back, writing a document.

Lu Nian tiptoed over, wanting to startle him, but he had already noticed her.

Turning around, he looked at her with his dark eyes. “What is it?”

She actually took the initiative to come find him.

Lu Nian leaned against the back of his chair, looking up at him. “Are you upset?”

His brows furrowed slightly, his expression pale. “No.”

Lu Nian “…”

Was this conversation going nowhere?

“You should go back,” he turned around, his voice cold. “Qiao Li should be awake by now.”

Lu Nian “?”

“Qiao Li is not a five-year-old child. Does he still need someone to take care of him when he wakes up?”

She couldn’t help but chuckle. “He has his own things to do. He doesn’t need me to accompany him all the time.”

He pursed his lips lightly. “You both enjoy it, so what’s wrong with that?”

Lu Nian “…”

She pondered over this conversation.

Lu Nian asked, “…Are you jealous?”

Did he feel that she had spent too much time with Xiao Li these past few days, neglecting him, and that’s why he was upset?

She really hadn’t noticed, and he clearly knew the situation.

Zhao Yayuan was one thing, but Xiao Li was her real younger brother, so Lu Nian really hadn’t thought in that direction before.

“Why would I be jealous?” He replied coldly.

Lu Nian “…”

“You’re different from him,” Lu Nian said, “You’re my boyfriend, and Qiao Li is my family.”

He replied flatly, “Boyfriends can break up, but family can’t.”

“It’s great that you and him will be family for life, never apart,” Lu Nian said.

Lu Nian paused for a moment before realizing the sarcasm in his words. “Are you suggesting breaking up?”

Of course, he didn’t want to break up.

His face turned pale, lips pursed, and he didn’t say anything.

He stood up, shut down his computer, and turned to leave, wanting to end the conversation.

But then he hesitated…

Lu Nian was utterly exasperated with his temperament.

She couldn’t help but try to comfort him. “Come back.”

He paused his steps but remained distant, unlike his usual self.

As Lu Nian carefully recalled, these past few days had indeed been different.

When they were alone at home, the atmosphere was usually intimate.

She liked teasing him, and there were many affectionate gestures.

Qin Si didn’t say much, but his reactions were honest.

He liked her being close to him like this.

Now, it seemed like he was deliberately setting boundaries, silently indicating, “I don’t need to be so close to you.”

“They can’t be the same,” Lu Nian said.

Not letting him leave, Lu Nian closed the door and pressed him against it.

Standing on her tiptoes, she sighed lightly. “Would I treat him like this?”

She pecked him lightly on the lips, her arm around his neck, playing with his hair, her soft fingers lingering on his neck, gently stroking behind his ear.

She knew where his sensitive spots were.

Usually, when they were together, she loved playing with his black hair like this.

Sure enough, he became much more docile.

With his eyes lowered, the corners of his eyes were red, and his lips looked particularly beautiful and moist.

She felt like kissing him.

With that thought, she was ready to do just that.

Reflecting for a moment, she realized she had indeed acted poorly these past few days.

Sincerely apologizing, she kissed him again and softly said, “I like you, in a different way from how I like Qiao Li.”

She felt his body stiffen.

Then… she was overwhelmed by his passionate response.

Maybe he had been holding back for too long these past few days.

With Qiao Li here for a few days, Qin Si had been particularly difficult to handle.

He appeared proud and distant, didn’t come to her unless she called him, and if she didn’t initiate, he would just hold back.

But as long as she dealt with it a little, it would be fine.

Looking at the hands that were now tightly wrapped around her slender waist, Lu Nian thought to herself.

“You really know how to be jealous,” she smiled with a twinkle in her eyes, deliberately speaking loud enough for him to hear.