Chapter 113

When Nian Xi sat alone, she thought of many things from her childhood. In the beginning, Zhou Yanli was reclusive and difficult to get along with.

She kindly shared her treasured candies with him, but he would disdainfully throw them on the ground, complaining that they had melted in her little hands.

She introduced her good friends to him, but the next day, the boys and girls would all end up being bullied by him, leaving them in tears.

She told him amusing stories about her family, but he would sulk, refusing to smile as though others owed him a fortune.

But back then, young Nianxi was far too naive. She couldn’t believe there was anyone who wouldn’t like her.

She approached again and again, stubbornly holding Zhou Yanli’s hand. Even if he repeatedly shook her off, she insisted on playing with him.

At that time, she would share her happiness with her family every day, saying, “Today, Yanli was very obedient. When Yuniang spoke to him, he didn’t ignore her.”

Madam Li, a kind-hearted woman, felt sorry for Zhou Yanli, who had lost his mother’s guidance at such a young age. She patiently told Nianxi, “You are the elder sister. You should be more understanding and considerate of him and treat him better.”

Nianxi took this advice to heart.

So, when the local boys mocked Zhou Yanli for being a motherless child, and Yanli pounced on them to fight, she would rush forward without hesitation, disregarding her ladylike image, to help him.

However, a girl’s strength was ultimately too small. She didn’t know who pushed her down, but a stone cut her palm, and the pain made her cry out loud.

The boys, realizing they were in trouble, scattered in all directions.

Only the little Yanli got up, walked to her side, and stretched out a dirty hand to pull her up from the ground.

“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt at all.” Yanli, with his long eyelashes lowered, stared silently at the wound on her palm.

Always spoiled, she surprisingly hid her hand behind her back, even though tears were still streaked across her cheeks. She blinked her clear, innocent almond-shaped eyes and told a harmless lie—”It really doesn’t hurt at all.”

From that moment on, Zhou Yanli became her caring little brother.

They grew closer and closer.

At this moment, hearing Yanli say, “Elder Sister dislikes waiting the most,” Nianxi’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

“Back then, I was immature and developed so many bad habits.”

People often change gradually through repetitive, cyclical days. She was not naturally arrogant but became somewhat willful and spoiled under Yanli’s constant tolerance and pampering. Even her brother Wen Qingheng couldn’t help but remark, “Only Yanli could put up with you like this.”

So, after parting with Yanli and first arriving in the capital, she fell seriously ill. In both her past and present lives, she encountered Pei Jian and Gu Ci, and her childhood companions were soon replaced and forgotten.

Only Zhou Yanli remained where he was, unchanged.

Nianxi felt a heaviness in her heart. She did not rush to bring up her purpose but instead gestured for him to sit down and called for the waiter to serve the dishes. She was more mature and tolerant than before, exuding a calm and composed demeanor. She thoughtfully introduced him to a few renowned dishes, her manner familiar and graceful. She was no longer the girl with bright and lively eyes from his memories—the kind he used to like.

Zhou Yanli almost instinctively tried to search for traces of the past—her habits or subtle expressions. He couldn’t tell if all her changes were because of Nianxi herself or someone else’s influence.

And if it was someone else, who exactly had impacted her the most?

His Elder Sister, Nianxi, is dressed in a delicate pink silk brocade jacket with matching embellishments today. In her hair, a pearl hairpin shimmered softly with matching earrings that swayed gently as she spoke, radiating a quiet charm, accompanied by a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance that captivated those around her.

Back in Jinling, she was already mesmerizing. The boys who bullied him did so only to attract her attention. Now, she has shed her youthful naivety. Like soft jade and warm fragrance, her every glance holds an irresistible charm. She has indeed changed a great deal.

Zhou Yanli replaced the slightly cooled tea at Nianxi’s side with a fresh cup from the stove before raising his eyes and asking, “Elder Sister, is there something you wanted to tell me by inviting me here today?”

Watching his gesture, Nianxi thought to herself—since when did the roles reverse, and the elder sister become the one being cared for?

“Looking back to the days in Jinling, I’ve realized that, as an elder sister, I was not attentive enough, and you took care of me much more.” Nianxi’s lips curved into a thoughtful and solemn smile, “Now I’ve grown, and it’s my turn to take care of you. If you ever need anything, feel free to come to me.”

Zhou Yanli lowered his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips, yet the veins on his forehead pulsed as if he were desperately restraining something. However, his loss of composure lasted only a fleeting moment before being hidden again, to the point where Nianxi almost thought she had imagined it.

“So, is that why Elder Sister has distanced herself from me?”

“Does Elder Sister not want me to care for you?”

“Is it because of Gu Ci?”

He kept his head down, asking these questions one after another in a low, deep voice.

Nianxi was slightly startled but quickly shook her head. “No.”

This had nothing to do with anyone else.

She could not bear the thought of someone quietly enduring endless loneliness, day after day, year after year, without any end in sight.

She found it difficult to respond to the overwhelming, passionate feelings hidden behind such loneliness.

She wished for the clever and beautiful younger brother from her memories to have a bright and promising future, to look back on a well-lived life, and to share deep affection into old age.

Nianxi’s voice was gentle, with a hint of emotion directed at Yanli in front of her and the red-robed minister he would become years later. “Yanli, I’m sorry. I never intended to distance myself from you; it’s just that, many times, I have overlooked you. From the moment I found you behind the rockery, when you called me elder sister, I have always been your elder sister. That will never change.”

But beyond the role of an elder sister, she could no longer respond to any other emotions he might have.

“Elder Sister, I know that in your heart, I will never compare to him.” Zhou Yanli’s clear and gentle gaze rested on Nianxi. When he looked at someone, his eyes were tender and meticulous, with a unique sense of focus. That meticulous expression was tinged with a trace of humble pleading at this moment. “But he’s not here now. Elder Sister, please let me stay by your side, will you? I don’t want to take his place. Even if one day he comes back, I’ll leave your side.”

“Elder Sister, I regard you as family.”

Nianxi looked back at him and repeated, “Family?”

“Yes. Back then, when I lost my mother, it was you who sang those terribly off-tune songs to cheer me up. You were the one who always played with me. I liked you, Elder Sister, and your family. I wanted to stay by your side forever.”

Zhou Yanli, being intelligent and sensitive, understood her underlying meaning. And so, he softly added, “Can’t I just be your little brother by your side?”

Nianxi found it hard to refuse.