Lu Yuxuan’s cry attracted Lu Ruizhou’s attention. When he saw Lu Yuxuan grabbing the hem of Li Linlin’s clothes and crying so hard, his eyebrows jumped slightly. “Lu Yuxuan, what are you doing?”

Lu Yuxuan looked back at him and said nothing. Li Linlin touched Lu Yuxuan’s head and told Lu Ruizhou, “It’s okay, it’s okay, let’s go in and talk.”

As she said that, she led Lu Yuxuan into the house and closed the door with a bang.

Chen Yiran outside the door: “……”

He looked at the closed door and was no longer in the mood to go shopping. He paced back and forth in the corridor twice, before finally walking back into his own house and closing the door with a bang.

At Lu Ruizhou’s house, Li Linlin took a towel and wiped Lu Yuxuan’s face. Lu Ruizhou stood on the side, looking down at Lu Yuxuan, who was sitting obediently on the sofa and had stopped crying. After Li Linlin wiped his face, he gave her a cute smile. “Thank you, Sister Linlin.”

“It’s okay.” Li Linlin smiled back at him. She then turned his head and said to Lu Ruizhou, “I’m sorry, my friend may look a little fierce.”

Lu Ruizhou shook his head, looked at Lu Yuxuan and said, “Lu Yuxuan is also very naughty.”

Lu Yuxuan curled his lips in derision. Who was he assisting? Someone didn’t even appreciate it.

“Then let’s get some snacks and go inside to study.” Li Linlin pulled Lu Yuxuan up. The two picked out a few bags of snacks and went to Lu Yuxuan’s room to catch up with his lessons. Lu Ruizhou cut some fruits and brought them in.

“Wow, thanks, Brother.” Lu Yuxuan wanted to get something to eat, but Li Linlin stopped him.

“You can only eat after you finish that page.” After saying that, she picked up a piece of fruit and put it into her mouth.

Lu Yuxuan: “……”

He had no choice but to pick up his pen and continue writing on the exercise book while Li Linlin watched from the side. Lu Yuxuan raised his head and glanced at her and Lu Ruizhou. “Brother, Sister Linlin, it makes me nervous with you both staring at me like this. Why don’t you go out and sit out there for a while? After I finish writing, I will come out to find you.”

Li Linlin thought about it, then nodded. “Okay.”

She stood up and picked up the snacks and fruits on the table, with no intention of leaving them for Lu Yuxuan. “I’m taking the food as well.”

Lu Yuxuan: “……”

Sister Linlin really loves eating more than him.

“Let me carry it.” Lu Ruizhou took out the fruits he had just brought in.

Both Nick and Henry were working that day, and only Lu Ruizhou was off. Lu Yuxuan was doing homework in his room so only Lu Ruizhou and Li Linlin were left in the huge living room.

In order to avoid being too quiet and causing awkwardness, Lu Ruizhou first turned on the TV and found a drama to put on. Li Linlin sat on the sofa and watched TV while eating. She didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

Lu Ruizhou sat next to her, but not too close, carefully maintaining a sense of boundary. A costume idol drama was playing on TV but he didn’t pay much attention to it. He felt that the female lead wasn’t as good as Li Linlin.

“You should eat some too.” Li Linlin moved the plate of fruits towards Lu Ruizhou, as if she was the owner of the house.

Lu Ruizhou was also receptive. He picked up a cherry politely and told her, “Thank you.”

Li Linlin spit out the cherry pit in her mouth on a small plate and smiled at him. “You bought the fruits and you washed them too. Why are you thanking me?”

“Uh……”

Li Linlin forked another piece of cut mango and ate it, looking at him with interest. “Aren’t you guys usually very good at talking? Why do you seem to be shy in private?”

“……” Lu Ruizhou was silent for a moment, then said, “I usually don’t talk much. Nick and Henry are better at talking.”

After he said this, Li Linlin thought about it carefully. It seemed that he does belong to the colder type.

“But you have a handsome face, which is enough to please people.” Li Linlin said, then forked another piece of mango for herself. “This mango is so sweet, where did you buy it?”

“At the supermarket downstairs.”

“Oh, I remember. Lu Yuxuan told me that the things there are very expensive, so he prefers to go to the wet market.”

Lu Ruizhou chuckled and nodded. “That’s right. Sometimes I think he’s so mature that he appears like my older brother.”

“Hahahaha, I think so too.” Li Linlin looked at him and asked curiously, “Where about your parents? Lu Yuxuan is still so young but they just left him to you?”

Lu Ruizhou rarely mentioned his family affairs to others, but when Li Linlin asked about this question, he spoke very naturally, “My parents divorced and each started a new family. I was already an adult at that time, so it didn’t matter to me as I can live on my own, but Lu Yuxuan was still small……”

“Then they don’t care about him?” Li Linlin was a little surprised. Both of them had started their own families and their new partners might mind taking the child from their previous marriage with them. However, Lu Yuxan’s a boy. According to their country’s mindset, girls were more likely to be disliked.

Lu Ruizhou said, “They both mentioned that they wanted take Lu Yuxuan with them, but Lu Yuxuan refused to go and said he want to stay with me.”

Li Linlin nodded slowly. “I see. It seems that you brothers have a good relationship.”

Lu Ruizhou smiled and said, “It’s not that good. It’s mainly because that kid is shrewd enough to know that he definitely won’t feel comfortable when he comes to his stepmother or stepfather’s house, so he insists on sticking to me.”

“That’s because he trusts you too. But your parents have to pay child support, right? They can’t just leave him to you and ignore their obligation?”

“They do pay a sum of money every month and occasionally come to pick Lu Yuxuan up for the weekend.”

“So you don’t go with them?”

“I’m such a big person now but you want me to go with Lu Yuxuan to eat a children’s set meal and play with toys?”

“Hahahaha, it’s not impossible.”

Lu Yuxuan listened to the laugher outside and thought to himself that he should do one more page.

When Li Linlin left Lu Ruizhou’s house, it was already past ten o’clock. As soon as she closed the door, the door opposite opened. Chen Yiran walked out of his house and looked at her with a bad expression. “Li Linlin, do you know what time it is? You’ve been staying at a single man’s house until now. Do you have any sense of caution?”

Chen Yiran had been paying attention to the movements on the other side made, simply couldn’t do anything else. It was already ten o’clock but he hadn’t heard Li Linlin leaving yet. If it was any later, he would’ve gone up and knock on the door.

Li Linlin was stunned when she saw him. She didn’t expect him to be listening. She walked to the elevator and pressed the button. “I’m just helping a child with his homework. Don’t speculate on others with such malice, okay?”

“Am I malicious? You may know a man’s exterior but not his heart. How long have you known each other and yet you trust him so much?”

Li Linlin looked at him. “Just because you’ve known someone for a long time doesn’t necessarily mean you know them well.”

“……” Chen Yiran choked. The elevator came up at this time and Li Linlin was about to go upstairs, but Chen Yiran suddenly stepped forward, grabbed her hand and pulled her into his home.

The door slammed shut behind her. Li Linlin was dumbfounded for a moment before looking at Chen Yiran angrily. “What are you doing? You’re not planning to do something bad, right?”

“I’m planning something bad?” Chen Yiran let out an exasperated laugh.

Li Linlin imitated his tone and repeated what he just said, “Do you know what time it is? It’s dangerous to stay in an adult male’s house this late.”

She made slight modifications. After all, Chen Yiran wasn’t a single man anymore.

When Chen Yiran was in the company, no one dared to argue with him like this. If he encountered people who intentionally challenged him in the business world, he could also retaliate. But facing Li Linlin, he could only take a deep breath and suppress the anger in his heart. “Linlin, I know you’re upset with me—”

“I’m not.” Li Linlin quickly denied. “I just don’t want to have any further involvement with you.”

Chen Yiran looked at her. “If you don’t want any involvement, then that’s just it?”

“Why not? You and I have nothing to do with each other in first place. I’m not your real sister, so why do you always have to come and worry about me?”

“Is it okay if I don’t worry about you?”

“Why won’t it be?” Li Linlin asked him back. “And aren’t I following your words and getting to know more boys of similar age?”

“……” Chen Yiran was silent for a moment before saying, “If you want to get to know boys, you must look for proper ones, unlike the people in the opposite house.”

“Why aren’t they proper? Then does President Chen think I’m not a proper girl for going to the KTV?”

“……You’re twisting my words.”

Li Linlin pursed her lips and leaned against the door without speaking. Her eyes were elsewhere, not staying at Chen Yiran for even a moment.

Chen Yiran was also silent for a while. He tried to soften his tone, “Let’s not discuss this issue for now. The kid living across here, I didn’t frighten him just now. He cried on his own.”

“……” President Chen was still unexpectedly thinking about this matter. “President Chen always has an air of authority. Look how scared Wu Hui’er is of you. It’s not impossible that you inadvertently scared the little kid into tears.”

“Do you think I’m the big bad wolf?” Chen Yiran pursed his lips. “That kid is very clever. He’s playing assist for his brother.”

Li Linlin laughed. “You know that as well?”

“Of course I know. That’s how I treated Sister Zhen Tian when I was a child, and now she has become my aunt.”

Li Linlin: “……”

“Linlin—” Chen Yiran called her, seemingly wanting to say something, when a knocked suddenly came from the door.

“Brother Yiran, are you there?” Chen Xi continued knocking on the door outside. “Is Linlin with you?”

Chen Yiran glanced at the door and slightly distanced himself from Li Linlin, who took the opportunity to turn around and open it. Chen Xi saw the two of them standing at the door and was startled for a moment before patting her heart and saying, “That scared me. So Linlin is really here.”

Chen Yiran looked at her and asked, “Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just that Linlin hasn’t come back yet. Lu Yuxuan told me that Linlin has already left so I became a little worried.” Che Xi said.

“I’m fine. President Chen is just teaching me ideological education.” Li Linlin walked out while pulling Chen Xi’s hand. “Let’s go up, Xixi.”

“Oh, okay.” Chen Xi turned her head around and waved to Chen Yiran with her other hand. “Bye-bye, Brother Yiran.”

“Mm, take an early rest.” Chen Yiran waited for them to enter the elevator before closing the door and retreating inside.

In the elevator, Chen Xi looked at Li Linlin beside her and asked, “What did my brother say to you?”

Li Linlin said, “He said that Lu Ruizhou and the others aren’t proper and told me to find proper boys to be friends with.”

Chen Xi: “……”

He probably thinks that except for himself, no other men were proper.