After that sentence was spoken, there was a moment of silence.

Lu Nian softly asked, “So, do you know any hotels around here?”

Qin Si answered bluntly, “No.”

Lu Nian casually said, “Oh, I thought you might go to them often.”

After all, Qin Si had left the Lu family for several years, living on his own.

He often did various part-time jobs during holidays, so in her impression, he was someone with a lot of life experience.

In the darkness, his expression was unclear. “…”

He coldly said, “I don’t stay in hotels often.”

“If you want to find a place to stay, look for one yourself.”

Lu Nian, “…” She didn’t know what she had done to offend him again, but as expected, the Qin Si she knew was back.

As they walked, they arrived at the attic where Qin Si used to live.

The Xu family’s three members might already be asleep; the house was pitch dark.

Lu Nian was surprised to see Qin Si take out a key and quickly open the door.

“I thought you threw it away long ago…” Afraid of waking up the Xu family, Lu Nian whispered, following behind him quietly.

In the darkness, the girl’s breath, soft like feathers, brushed against his ear.

Qin Si felt all the blood in his body rush to his ears.

He pressed his lips tightly together, distanced himself from Lu Nian, and didn’t answer her.

Lu Nian, “…”

Forget it, she knew Qin Si was a man of few words. As long as she knew he was there, it was enough; she didn’t need him to respond.

Lu Nian followed him upstairs, finally arriving at the attic door.

Qin Si opened the door.

It felt like a long-sealed time capsule was being opened.

The attic where he had lived as a little boy was now covered in dust, the light dim, cobwebs visible in the corners.

With his current height, he had to bend down to enter the door.

Qin Si didn’t let her in. “Wait outside.”

Lu Nian looked at him pitifully.

To be honest, she was a bit scared, standing alone in such a dark place. Tonight, she was unusually timid, unable to be alone.

Qin Si noticed this. After a moment of silence, he awkwardly said, “I’ll be out soon.”

“One minute?”

Qin Si, “…”

“Five minutes.”

“Okay.” Lu Nian pitifully said, “Don’t lie to me. I’ll time you.”

He was silent, then pushed the door open and went inside.

Lu Nian waited outside, bored. It didn’t take five minutes before Qin Si came out.

Lu Nian couldn’t see what he had taken, but she guessed it was something small, probably in his pocket.

But she didn’t plan to ask. Even if she did, Qin Si probably wouldn’t tell her.

Now, she only cared about one thing: after getting what he needed, was Qin Si going to leave?

It was already close to eleven o’clock.

The main house in the estate had turned off its lights.

Standing under the eaves outside the Xu family’s small building, she could see the distant Lu family residence, which looked more like a lurking beast in the darkness.

The cold rain continued, and only her room still showed a faint light.

It was like an eye in the darkness, watching her unblinkingly, day and night.

Lu Nian shivered and unconsciously moved a bit closer to Qin Si.

He noticed.

After a moment of silence.

He finally asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

The girl looked down at her toes and quietly said, “Before going to bed tonight, I accidentally watched a horror movie. It was about a girl around my age who saw a ghost come out of her wardrobe in her room, so I got scared.”

Something was obviously wrong with her.

Qin Si, “…” He didn’t expose this clumsy lie, his dark eyes quietly watching her.

“So I’m a bit scared to be alone in my room,” Lu Nian said softly. “I want someone to stay with me.”

Although she had to lie earlier, this part was completely sincere.

“Qin Si, where do you live now?” Lu Nian asked. “Is it a big place?”

They stood together under the eaves.

Lu Nian could almost feel the warmth radiating from him, making her, shivering from the cold, want to get closer.

She was still somewhat persistent, her words filled with hints.

Qin Si said coldly, “…don’t even think about it.”

He hadn’t settled on a place yet and was still staying at Ming Ge’s place.

There were only three rooms: one for him, one for Ming Ge, and one for two bartenders, all rough men.

He didn’t have new sheets or blankets, and his room…only had one bed.

Right now…he couldn’t take her back.

Lu Nian lowered her head. “You’re so stingy.”

She muttered, “But I’m not an adult yet, so I can’t get a hotel room.”

Qin Si was silent for a moment. “You can get one.”

“Huh?”

Qin Si looked away. “…a hotel room.”

Lu Nian blinked, her first thought was to silently complain, wasn’t it said that he didn’t know about these things?

But she was just speaking casually, never expecting Qin Si to respond like that.

His tone didn’t sound like he was joking.

Lu Nian was actually a bit tempted to just follow him.

The rain was getting heavier. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating the boy’s handsome profile, and at the same time, the towering Lu residence across the way in the darkness.

Lu Nian’s mind cleared suddenly.

If she wanted to stay in a hotel, even if money wasn’t an issue, even if Qin Si could get a room for her.

Thinking about the Lu family now sent chills down her spine.

For now, she had only sneaked out for a short while. It could still be covered up if she returned soon, but if she stayed out all night, Zhang Qiuping next door would definitely notice.

She would report to Lu Zhihong, and the entire family would mobilize to bring her back.

It might even cause trouble for Qin Si.

She had no way out, at least not yet.

Lu Nian said, “Thank you.”

The warmth from his body slowly faded. He said, “Suit yourself.”

Lu Nian suddenly felt very guilty, making him help her to this extent, only to back out at the last minute.

But she couldn’t explain to him why.

Feeling particularly anxious and troubled, with so many things tangled in her mind, she didn’t know where to begin.

After much hesitation, Lu Nian finally spoke, “Actually, two days ago, Zhao Yayuan told me something…”

She thought, if she really wanted to figure out what was going on, investigating from the Lu family would be very difficult. Another way was to ask Zhao Yayuan, but she wasn’t sure if he would be willing to talk.

Moreover, Lu Nian herself wasn’t ready to know the truth of the matter.

She felt very lost right now, not knowing what to do, like a boat lost in a storm, with no one to talk to or accompany her, feeling so lonely.

“Zhao Yayuan?”

Lu Nian nodded, “Yuan Ge’s younger brother.”

She suddenly realized that Qin Si might not know Zhao Yayuan.

Those things, she hadn’t fully figured out herself.

If she told Qin Si, it might cause trouble for him, given his sensitive situation.

She was somewhat afraid of Lu Zhihong and even more afraid of what he might do to Qin Si.

The boy was silent.

Lu Nian didn’t notice his change; her heart was anxious, and she fell silent again.

Time passed slowly, with only the sound of raindrops.

After a long while, Qin Si said, “I’m leaving.”

Lu Nian, wrapped in a large coat, stood in the rain, watching him leave with longing eyes.

On this early autumn rainy night, her poor circulation made her hands and feet particularly cold.

Though she was bundled up, it couldn’t ward off the chill, nothing as warm as human body heat.

She felt especially lonely.

Suddenly…

She really wanted someone to hug her.

But there was only Qin Si in front of her… She thought, maybe she could make do with him.

She felt that if Qin Si was willing to be a bit gentle and hug her, it would probably feel quite nice.

However, the cold reality was… he wouldn’t even let her touch his coat.

Yet, after saying he was leaving, he didn’t actually leave.

He just stood there, keeping a distance that was neither too far nor too close.

From the side, she could see his high nose and cold eyes.

The rain seemed to emphasize his aloofness.

Standing so far away, he was untouchable and unreadable.

Lu Nian clasped her hands together, still looking at her toes. “…Yeah, it’s late. You should go back early and be safe on the way.”

She didn’t want him to leave at all, but her rational mind returned.

She couldn’t possibly ask him to stay and stand in the rain with her all night.

Qin Si seemed to nod or maybe said nothing at all.

She sniffed, standing alone in the dark, watching his figure disappear into the night, just as it had come.

At the Zhao Residence

The Zhao residence was the family’s old home, located in the west of Ancheng.

It had a good location, but since the owners had moved out long ago, the decor was a bit outdated, and the old staff had either been dismissed or retired.

Now, most of the Zhao family wasn’t around, leaving the two brothers living there, making the place feel even emptier.

However, tonight, the Zhao residence was more lively than usual.

After a dinner for just two guests, Su Qingyou and Zhao Tingyuan sat in the living room chatting.

“Our chef usually makes dishes that suit our family’s taste,” Su Qingyou said. “I hope you liked it. If there’s anything you didn’t like, please let me know, and we can improve next time.”

“It was very good,” Zhao Tingyuan smiled. “I’m not picky about food, but Yayuan has a more discerning palate.”

But Zhao Yayuan wasn’t here tonight; he had gone to see a friend.

Su Qingyou smiled, “That’s good.”

She took a sip of tea and then casually asked, “I heard you met with someone from the Lu family recently?”

Zhao Tingyuan was surprised and then realized she must be referring to the time he and his brother had dinner with Lu Yang and Lu Nian.

He wondered how Su Qingyou knew about that. Before he could respond, there was a loud sound of a door slamming.

A boy with headphones walked in carrying a fruit plate.

“Yayuan, when did you get back?” Zhao Tingyuan asked in surprise.

Zhao Yayuan put the fruit plate heavily on the coffee table between them.

“Got back earlier,” Zhao Yayuan said, staring at Su Qingyou across the room with a rather unfriendly look. “Came to bring you some fruit.”

Zhao Tingyuan sighed, “Stop fooling around.”

Zhao Yayuan, a pampered young master, had never done such things as bringing fruit to anyone.

Su Qingyou pretended not to notice his attitude. “Thank you.”

“How about this: next week, come over to my place for a meal? My parents have been wanting to invite you for a long time,” Su Qingyou suggested. “Yayuan, you should come too and try our chef’s cooking.”

The Su and Zhao families had longstanding connections, mainly in business, but the parents also had a good personal relationship.

However, after the Su family’s decline, they nearly faced bankruptcy and were forced to seek help.

The Zhao family provided support, offering guarantees that allowed the Su family to secure bank loans and weather the crisis.

The Su family always remembered this kindness and, coincidentally, had a daughter around the same age as the Zhao sons, keeping the families close.

Zhao Tingyuan readily agreed, “Sure, when…”

“I’m not going,” Zhao Yayuan interrupted rudely.

Zhao Tingyuan scolded him, “Yayuan!”

Zhao Yayuan retorted, “I don’t have time. I need to attend extra classes next week.”

“Extra classes? You drove the last tutor away. Where are you going to find a new one now?”

“I’ll ask Lu Nian.”

Zhao Tingyuan looked incredulous, “Nian Nian?”

When did their relationship get so close? Had Lu Nian agreed to this?

Su Qingyou maintained her composure, though she was momentarily taken aback by the name.

She had heard about Zhao Yayuan’s peculiar temperament and wasn’t too surprised.

With grace, she nodded, “Studying is important. If Yayuan is busy, it’s okay if he doesn’t come.”

Zhao Tingyuan smiled apologetically at her, “I’ll see you out.”

They walked out together, and once Zhao Tingyuan returned, he immediately went to find Zhao Yayuan.

Loud rock music filled the room. Zhao Yayuan lay on the bed, flipping through a comic book.

Zhao Tingyuan turned off the music, “Yayuan, she’s a girl and older than you. You should show some respect.”

“I don’t like her,” Zhao Yayuan said. “She’s annoying.”

Zhao Tingyuan sighed, “Who do you like? If someone can make you like them, it would be a miracle.”

“When we had dinner with Nian Nian, you said all kinds of things.”

Zhao Yayuan muttered, “That’s different.”

His feelings for Lu Nian and Su Qingyou were entirely different.

Moreover, he didn’t dislike Lu Nian… exactly.

“Be careful, brother,” Zhao Yayuan suddenly said seriously. “If this woman wants to marry you and take our family’s money, I won’t just sit back and watch.”

Though Zhao Yayuan was only two years younger, his boyish appearance and immature behavior made Zhao Tingyuan dote on him, dismissing his words as childish nonsense. “That’s impossible. Qingyou is a good person. Don’t spread rumors.”

Zhao Yayuan snorted and returned to his bed, continuing to read his comic.

Zhao Tingyuan knew his brother acted tough in front of others but was actually quite affectionate and clingy with those he liked.

He ruffled his brother’s hair, “Yayuan, we didn’t spend much time with you when we were young…”

Zhao Yayuan pushed his hand away, “Alright, alright, stop it.” He’d heard this spiel before.

He shooed Zhao Tingyuan out of the room, closed the door, and lay back on the bed.

Zhao Yayuan’s room was a typical boy’s room, filled with model planes, basketball posters, rock CDs, and a heap of gaming consoles and discs. But there was one place that was particularly…