Chapter 16: Little Note

When taking the photo with her brothers, Xue Qingdai’s smile was completely genuine—her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents like little moons. For the Xue brothers, this was only the second time they had ever taken a photo. Their expressions and posture were still stiff, their faces frozen in forced smiles.

A gust of cold wind blew her hair up and down the collar of her clothes, and she quickly ran to Xie Yan’s side.

“So, how was it? Should I take one of you?” With her brothers around, Xue Qingdai’s personality turned lively and relaxed. She let down her guard a little with Xie Yan. A pair of soft dimples appeared on her pale-pink cheeks.

Affected by her smile, Xie Yan nodded almost involuntarily. He bent down slightly to show her how to use the camera properly.

Xue Yongkang started to get restless—Xie Yan was standing way too close to his little sister. But Xue Fengrong shook his head and handed his younger brother an orange. “Eat. We can’t protect her forever. One more person looking out for her isn’t a bad thing.”

Xie Yan casually stood in an open area. His eyes were focused entirely on the camera. His expression was blank and his arms hung stiffly at his sides.

Watching Xie Yan’s awkwardness, Xue Yongkang held back a snide comment and kindly teased, “Come on, Xie Yan, give us a smile!”

Xie Yan usually kept a straight face. Smiling was harder for him than crying. Xue Qingdai reluctantly snapped a photo. “Here, Xie Yan. It might not look great.”

Only after hugging the heavy camera did Xie Yan seem to come back to life. Being stared at by someone he liked had made him so tense that even his limbs felt unfamiliar. He responded as calmly as he could, “It’s fine.”

As a grown man, he didn’t care much for photos—but this one, he would treasure. After all, it was taken by Xue Qingdai herself.

He leaned closer and asked, “Shall we keep walking?”

Xue Qingdai nodded decisively, chewing the orange her second brother fed her. The juice moistened her lips, which had started to dry. She commented, “Second Brother, it’s a little cold~”

Xie Yan subtly pressed his lips together and placed a still-warm thermos next to her hand.

Xue Qingdai looked to her second brother. Xue Fengrong’s eyes darkened slightly. “Drink it.”

Feeling reassured, Xie Yan tried to act casual as he looked around, masking the joy bubbling inside him. Just then, he spotted a familiar figure in the crowd and froze—his sharp jaw tightened. He shook his head desperately.

Zhang Shuying blew him a kiss from a distance, her smile radiant and unrestrained. Sons were the most fun—especially when they panicked.

She mouthed, “Wait for me~”

Zhang Shuying had recognized Xue Fengrong. Pretending to be just another tourist, she leisurely followed behind the group. From earlier, she realized the pretty little girl from the street must be Xue Qingdai, daughter of the Xue family.

Years ago, she had opposed the engagement arranged by her husband. But after seeing Xue Fengrong, she changed her mind. He was a good-looking, well-mannered young man. His little sister couldn’t be bad either.

She figured once she had a daughter-in-law, she’d have someone to shop with.

Xie Yan was terrified his mother would make a scene, so he stayed obedient and didn’t try anything bold. When the last roll of film ran out, the group had fully enjoyed their outing. Xie Yan felt like he had finally grown closer to Xue Qingdai.

When he dropped her off at the guesthouse, she was the last to get out of the car. She handed him a small, mysterious note. Xie Yan’s heart leapt with joy—he couldn’t wait to read it once he got home.

Meanwhile, Xue Yongkang planned to check out the electronics market the next day. He couldn’t take Xue Qingdai along to such a chaotic place—he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to protect her.

Second Brother Xue Fengrong had already returned to his unit. Tensions were rising along the southern border, and he had a full schedule of training ahead. That meant they had to leave their little sister alone in the guesthouse for a day.

In Xue Yongkang’s heart, his sister was still an innocent girl. He worried someone might trick her.

He instructed her carefully: “Little Sister, tomorrow Third Brother will get you your favorite breakfast—bean curd soup, meat buns, and that fermented mung drink you like.”

(He thought it tasted like grandma’s footwraps and couldn’t stand it—but since his sister liked it, of course he’d buy it.)

Xue Qingdai nodded obediently. “Don’t worry, Third Brother. I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay right here at the guesthouse and wait for you.”

He gently ruffled her hair. She’d been so obedient lately, it was a little disorienting.

Still concerned, he told the front desk clerk before leaving: “Sis, if my little sister leaves, please help keep an eye on her.”

The receptionist, holding two apples and grinning cheerfully, vowed, “Don’t worry, with me here, not even a fly will get into her room.”

Xue Yongkang pedaled away on his bicycle, the tires crunching over dry leaves.

Xie Yan stood waiting at the guesthouse, holding the note tightly. When he finally saw Xue Yongkang ride off, he opened the paper—her handwriting was elegant and flowing:

“See you at nine tomorrow. Wait until my brother leaves before coming up—I have something I want to tell you in person.”

Xie Yan read it over a dozen times, savoring the words. What would Daidai say? Something only the two of them could know… How thrilling.

He even rescheduled his long-awaited specialist medical appointment.

Inside the guesthouse, Xue Qingdai had already gone through a set of internal martial arts practice and was glowing with light sweat. She felt great.

Feeling hungry, she nibbled slowly on the breakfast her third brother had just brought her—still warm.

Though normally brash, Xue Yongkang could sometimes be more attentive than even her second brother.

Now that she had successfully broken off the engagement with the male lead, the next step was to find and take down the person pulling strings behind the scenes.

So far, she hadn’t discovered any suspicious individuals.

The knock at the door was light and rhythmic.

Xie Yan walked in, catching the faint, sweet scent she had left behind.

“Come in,” she said.

To him, she now seemed like a completely different person—no longer needing anyone’s protection, resilient and independent. Her eyes were emotionless, unmoved by anyone.

Not even him.

It felt like this was the real her—completely different from the Daidai who appeared in front of the Xue brothers. Xie Yan’s heart was once again shattered into pieces. He regretted not taking time earlier to write her letters, to send greetings—maybe then, she wouldn’t have been so cold and distant when left on her own.

“Sit,” she said.

He was invited to sit at the edge of her bed. Still tense, he sat carefully, a heavy feeling weighing down his chest. People often have a bad premonition before something unpleasant happens, but when the heart is already exhausted, there’s often nothing left to stop it.

Xue Qingdai said gently, “I’m sorry, I just woke up. I might not be the best company.”

Xie Yan instinctively swallowed with his parched throat. He knew Xue Qingdai had always been extremely polite to him—too polite.

She poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him, but he grabbed her hand, and she couldn’t pull away.

“Daidai, why are you always so polite with me?” Xie Yan, who was cold on the outside but warm within, asked the question with visible struggle and pain in his eyes.

Realizing he might have startled her, Xie Yan let go of her hand. There were only the two of them in the room—if she’d invited him in, it meant she must have trusted him.

Xue Qingdai had originally planned to ease into the conversation, but Xie Yan’s reaction threw her off.

“Xie Yan, I know you didn’t want the engagement between our families. You don’t have to pretend anymore.”

“Otherwise, you wouldn’t have treated me like I was invisible all these years. Not a single message, not a word.”

“Now, it’s just the two of us. We can each handle our own families and end this engagement clean and simple.”

“Each go back to their own homes, find their own happiness. Isn’t that nice?”

At home, she was coddled by her family. Outside, she had her third brother Xue Yongkang looking after her. This kind of life was truly too wonderful. She’d grown greedy for this kind of love and just wanted to protect it forever.

“Xie Yan, what do you think?” Xue Qingdai asked politely, pretending to seek his opinion—but in truth, she had no intention of accepting anything that went against her decision.