Lu Yang hesitated before asking, “Nian Nian, has anyone come to see you recently? Have you heard of Ning Sheng Capital?”

Lu Nian remained silent for a moment, still holding the door handle, her attitude cold. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Feng Xiaoran was displeased with Lu Nian’s attitude.

Originally a rich young lady, now reduced to relying on her looks.

Rumor had it that Ning Sheng’s mysterious boss was an old man with a greasy appearance.

Being his mistress and living off him was nothing to be proud of.

“What’s with the attitude?” Feng Xiaoran said. “Is this how you speak to your brother and sister-in-law? Haven’t your parents taught you manners?”

Lu Yang remained silent but did not stop Feng Xiaoran.

Lu Nian stood frozen.

She had always been gentle and rarely quarreled, especially with someone as aggressive as Feng Xiaoran.

Her face flushed red, and she couldn’t find words to respond.

Feng Xiaoran’s rant was cut short by approaching footsteps.

A tall young man appeared at the end of the corridor.

He shielded Lu Nian behind him and looked at Feng Xiaoran coldly, “Who are you to teach others?”

Lu Nian didn’t know why he was here at this moment.

Being caught in this situation by him felt like having her family’s disgrace exposed, leaving her embarrassed and ashamed.

Feng Xiaoran was momentarily stunned by his striking looks but quickly became angry again.

Just as she was about to lash out, Lu Yang’s look stopped her.

Lu Yang hadn’t seen Qin Si for a long time.

He wasn’t sure what Qin Si was doing now but instinctively felt cautious.

“Long time no see.” Lu Yang forced a smile. “When did you return to Ancheng? Where are you working now?”

Qin Si didn’t answer.

“Still have time to come here,” Qin Si remarked, a slight smile on his lips but none in his eyes. “Is Li Wenjun not enough to keep you busy, or has Qiu Fan not done his job, leaving you time to come here and cause trouble?”

Li Wenjun was exactly who Qiu Fan had been pestering Lu Yang about recently.

Lu Yang’s lips trembled, his face paling. “What… what is your relationship with Ning Sheng?”

Thinking of Qin Si’s past attitude towards Lu Nian, everything seemed to connect, though the truth seemed too absurd to believe.

Qin Si’s eyelashes lowered as he spoke indifferently, “Whatever relationship you think it is, it is.”

Lu Yang’s face turned grim, and Feng Xiaoran was also stunned.

The young man in the black coat stood tall, his demeanor as cool and serene as a snow-covered pine, exuding a unique cold elegance.

His striking looks and aloof aura made him particularly special, though his black eyes resembled a frozen lake, showing no emotions.

Feng Xiaoran’s mind was in chaos.

From their conversation, it seemed this young man was the rumored boss behind Ning Sheng? But wasn’t the boss supposed to be an old man? And judging by how he treated Lu Nian, it didn’t seem like a mere patronizing relationship but rather the opposite—he seemed to be subordinate to her.

Even though Lu Nian had fallen from grace, why could she still command such respect from him?

Lu Yang pulled Feng Xiaoran, “Apologize to Nian Nian.”

Feng Xiaoran bit her lip, unwilling but muttered, “Sorry.”

Lu Nian pursed her lips, unsure of what to say.

“Is that how you apologize?” Qin Si’s voice was cold. “Didn’t your parents teach you how to speak properly?”

Feng Xiaoran’s face turned red and white.

Qin Si could be very caustic, and when he was cold, he was genuinely intimidating.

“Forget it,” Lu Nian finally spoke, her voice soft as she tugged at his hand.

This was a public place; she didn’t want to stoop to Feng Xiaoran’s level.

Her fingers were soft.

The anger in him dissipated.

He gently held her hand, and when she didn’t pull away, he held it warmly in his palm.

Lu Yang hurriedly left with Feng Xiaoran, almost in a panic.

Lu Nian was surprised that Qin Si’s identity hadn’t been exposed, not even known to Lu Yang.

She wondered why he had chosen to reveal it here.

“Previously, I didn’t think it was necessary,” Qin Si said. “There’s nothing particularly secret about it.”

In those years, he lived under a false name, and now he was used to it. It was more convenient when he was out and about.

Lu Nian felt a bit uncomfortable and quickly let go of his hand.

Qin Si did not press the issue further.

He lowered his eyes and looked at her, quickly replaying their previous conversation in his mind.

He was afraid he might have said something wrong and upset her.

She was almost completely clueless about business matters and didn’t know what level Qin Si had reached now.

She suddenly remembered how, in the original world, he had reached such great heights in the end, and she thought it wasn’t surprising at all.

Lu Nian said, “Just now, thank you.”

“You don’t need to worry too much about me,” she said. “It might affect the company’s operations.”

She didn’t want to owe him too many favors.

“Lu Yang has long needed to be removed,” he said, pursing his lips. “It’s not all for you; Ning Sheng also has shares in the Lu family business.”

This man could never learn to say sweet things.

Rational, cold, like a blade.

It was still that familiar feeling.

Lu Nian smiled, feeling like laughing instead.

She hadn’t smiled like this in a long time.

He stared at her eyes and saw the familiar smile that filled them, like the moon.

It was the smile he had been dreaming about since his youth.

Lu Nian asked, “What’s wrong?”

His ears turned slightly red, and he looked away without saying anything.

Lu Zhihong’s condition was good.

Lu Nian returned to school in the afternoon and went back to Qingfeng Garden in the evening.

She thought Qin Si wouldn’t be there until she saw him in the living room.

She felt strange; why was he so free?

Shouldn’t Qin Si be very busy now?

After a whole afternoon of classes, she felt exhausted.

Her health was never good, and with the overload of recent times, both her body and mind were heavily burdened.

During dinner, seeing her pale face, he finally said, “You should rest early.”

Lu Nian shook her head. “I still have to work on my drawings tonight.”

He was silent.

Now he could take care of her and had the ability to protect her thoroughly, but would she accept it?

He suddenly understood how she felt back then when they were young, and she sent him gifts only to be coldly rejected.

Lu Nian didn’t eat much at dinner.

She barely touched up her previous drawing.

She couldn’t hold on any longer, feeling dizzy and with an uncomfortable stomach, so she washed up and went to bed.

In the middle of the night, she suddenly woke up, feeling a head full of sweat.

She coughed a couple of times, got up, and took her temperature.

Sure enough, she had a fever, but fortunately, it wasn’t too high.

She had felt a bit cold during the day, likely because she wore too little while sitting in the classroom and caught a chill.

She got up, intending to go to the living room to pour a cup of hot water.

The study door opened, and the man stood at the door, with the light from the study shining right on her.

Lu Nian, “…”

“Nothing’s wrong,” she said, a bit embarrassed. “I just woke up to get some water.”

Before she finished speaking, she coughed again.

“……”

Seeing her flushed cheeks and the sweat on her forehead, he pursed his lips and turned on the main light. “What’s your temperature?”

Lu Nian could only give a number. “It’s nothing, just a low fever.”

Every year during the change of seasons, she would catch a cold.

She was used to it, but now without Miao Miao by her side, she was accustomed to being a spoiled young lady with poor self-care abilities.

“We have fever medicine at home,” he said.

“You didn’t eat much dinner,” he added. “This medicine can irritate the stomach, so you shouldn’t take it on an empty stomach.”

Lu Nian said softly, “I want some porridge. I can’t eat anything else.”

Dinner had been delivered to their door, and it was well-cooked, but she really had no appetite.

But now it was late, already midnight.

Lu Nian couldn’t cook at all.

She stood at the kitchen door, watching the man roll up his shirt sleeves and handle the ingredients.

Even though she already knew Qin Si could cook, it was still unbelievable every time she saw it.

She always felt like there was nothing he couldn’t do.

“You should go rest,” he said a bit stiffly.

Being watched with her wide eyes like that, no matter how many times, he always felt uncomfortable.

“Mm.” Lu Nian held her cup, her steps light as she floated back to her room.

She dozed off for a little while.

Her phone received a message: “Can I come in?”

Right, Lu Nian remembered she had told him not to enter her bedroom, not to touch her, and to keep at least a meter away from her.

…

She bit her lip and replied, “Mm.”

The door opened.

She was still lying under the covers, sitting up slightly.

Her thick, long hair fell over her left shoulder, with a few strands resting on her collarbone.

The young man half-kneeled by her bed, placing the water and medicine beside her.

“I didn’t have much time to cook it,” he said, eyes downcast. “Just eat a little to get by.”

Though he said that, it looked pretty good, with two small plates of appetizing side dishes next to it.

When one is sick, they tend to feel especially weak.

Lu Nian obediently got out of bed to eat. Her fingers were weak, and as she held the porcelain spoon, her skin, white as snow, contrasted beautifully with the spoon.

Her lips, slightly parted and dry from the fever, were now moist and rosy again.

He took the empty bowl and set it aside, then handed her the warm water and medicine.

Lu Nian, now lacking strength, let him take care of her without resistance.

Her dependence on him gave him a somewhat unhealthy sense of satisfaction.

He was willing.

He wished for this to last a lifetime.

“Didn’t you used to say you wouldn’t provide service?” Lu Nian suddenly said, her tone leisurely. “You told me to find someone else, to love whoever I wanted.”

Back in their youth, Qin Si often made her furious with his sharp tongue and cold demeanor, like an ice block that couldn’t be warmed.

For a long time, she genuinely believed that Qin Si hated her, so she didn’t have the courage to seek him out during those years.

He lowered his eyes, remaining silent.

Lu Nian stared at the ceiling. “Now, why have you changed?”

Qin Si, “……”

“Did you practice?” She seemed to murmur to herself, “Or did your words mean nothing? Were you lying to me… trying to hide something?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed, his lean jaw tensing up, and his cheeks flushed uncontrollably.

She moved closer, her voice laced with a smile, “Is that it?”

The neckline of her loose sleepwear slipped down a bit, revealing almost her entire snow-white collarbone, with a faint sweet fragrance emanating from her.

Her almond eyes were alluring.

It was like something from those hazy dreams, where she pinned him down in that small motel, the dreams unfolding beyond that moment.

His body tensed, eyes downcast, unable to utter a single word.

This was so different from his usual demeanor, a side of Qin Si that only appeared when they were alone.

Having just eaten and taken medicine, Lu Nian’s symptoms weren’t severe.

Most of her discomfort stemmed from exhaustion, and she was now feeling much better.

She had always liked this side of Qin Si, but he hid it so well.

She had never figured out how to precisely hit his weak spot.

She had been studying this since her teenage years, but she never won an argument with him.

She wondered if he had changed now.

But before she could enjoy this side of him more, the room suddenly went dark.

He raised his hand and turned off the light, leaving only a dim nightlight, making the room incredibly dark, and she couldn’t see anything clearly.

“What are you doing?” Lu Nian was a bit annoyed.

Just now, she felt she had slightly regained the feeling of interacting with him from their younger days.

She could only make out a vague silhouette.

The sweat on her face from the fever was gently wiped away with a warm, damp towel.

His long, cool fingers and the scent of his presence were unmistakable.

His voice was low and hoarse, “…Taking care of you.”

In the dim light, Lu Nian couldn’t see his expression.

She felt as if she had turned into a big lobster from the heat.