Chu Yigui had dinner with them.

After dinner, Wan Qiu followed behind Chu Yigui, wanting to go back to the room with her.

However, Chu Yigui turned to Wan Qiu and said, "Brother, I'm doing quite well, and I even plan to go back to class tomorrow."

Wan Qiu nodded.

"I can sleep by myself tonight," Chu Yigui said with a light smile. "Brother, you should rest too."

Wan Qiu stood beside Chu Yigui, but showed no sign of leaving.

Wan Qiu still had balloons hanging from her body.

Although it felt strange to have balloons hanging in the house, Wan Qiu didn't seem to want to just leave the gift Yang Ze gave him somewhere else.

Chu Yigui looked at the colorful balloons floating above Wan Qiu's head.

"Brother, if you're going to see Second Brother, please pass on a message for me: please apologize to Second Brother."

Wan Qiu's eyes slowly widened. Although he wanted to find Yang Ze, he had not yet made up his mind.

Chu Yigui's expression softened: "I'll leave the door open tonight, brother can come in to visit at any time."

Wan Qiu nodded hesitantly.

Watching Chu Yigui walk towards her room, Wan Qiu quietly leaned against the wall.

Wanqiu took the balloons off the clothes and looked at them; there was more than one balloon.

The characters in "Fruit World" always have big grins and exaggerated smiles, and they're always making a lot of noise when they fight.

But Wanqiu liked it very much.

It's lively and cheerful, and everyone laughs, even on the balloons.

The balloons looked somewhat deformed, making their smiling faces look even stranger.

Wan Qiu led the balloon to Yang Ze's room.

Wan Qiu knocked on the door.

Wanqiu stood at the door for a long time before knocking again.

Wan Qiu knew that Yang Ze was in the room, and he had been secretly keeping an eye on Yang Ze's movements.

Although Yang Zeping usually has a cold and serious expression, he would try his best to soften his expression and even smile whenever he looked into Yang Zeping's eyes.

Even though sometimes her smiles look as strange as those of the characters in "Fruit World".

But what Wanqiu wanted to see was her second brother with a strange smile.

Instead of his second brother, who didn't even glance at him once from beginning to end.

Wan Qiu knocked on the door again: "Second Brother."

This time, Yang opened the door.

Wan Qiu, holding the balloon, looked up at Yang Ze.

"I'm sorry, I'm only opening the door now," Yang said, without explaining why he hadn't opened it yet.

Wan Qiu looked up at Yang Ze, but Yang Ze looked away.

Wan Qiu wanted to find Yang Ze, but didn't know what to say to him.

"Come in." If Yang Ze's tall figure blocked the doorway, Wan Qiu wouldn't be able to get in.

Yang has now stepped aside.

Wan Qiu entered Yang Ze's room and felt a chill.

It's a bit chilly.

Wan Qiu saw the curtains at the edge of the French windows swaying slowly in the breeze, and the cool air flowing into the room through the open windows made it too cold.

Yang bypassed Wan Qiu and closed the French windows.

Wan Qiu sat on the sofa in Yang Ze's room and saw Yang Ze take milk out of his refrigerator.

Wan Qiu noticed that Yang Ze's refrigerator contained a lot of milk, which seemed out of place with the wine inside.

Yang heated the milk, poured it into a cup, and placed it in front of Wanqiu.

Wanqiu held the milk in both hands, the slightly hot cup taking away the coolness from her hands.

Yang Ze's expression remained serious, making it difficult to guess his thoughts.

Wan Qiu simply sat on the sofa.

I can't find any topics to start a conversation with.

At times like these, Wan Qiu would always think of Chu Yigui first.

Therefore, he thought of Chu Yigui's request.

"My brother asked me to tell you that he wants to apologize to you."

Wan Qiu didn't know what the apology contained, but Yang Ze seemed to know.

Yang said, "He did a good job and shouldn't apologize to me. I should be the one apologizing."

Wanqiu was puzzled.

Yang sat opposite Wan Qiu. Even with his back bent and his eyes fixed on the table, his tall and muscular figure still exuded a commanding presence.

"It was my fault yesterday, I shouldn't have scared you." Yang Ze closed his eyes and said to Wan Qiu, "I will control myself."

Wanqiu wouldn't say anything to comfort him.

He didn't even understand what words of comfort meant.

But Wanqiu hoped that his family members standing in front of him would make him feel better.

Wan Qiu thought of Chu Yigui's words and, mimicking Chu Yigui's tone, said to Yang Ze, "It was I who made Second Brother worry. If Second Brother apologizes to me, then it is my fault."

Wan Qiu was somewhat uneasy.

Is that correct?

Will Yang have it easier like him?

Wan Qiu was very nervous.

His back was ramrod straight.

Yang knew that Wan Qiu was comforting him.

Yang closed his eyes, and the look in Wan Qiu's eyes when he looked at him could still be seen before him.

Shock, helplessness, bewilderment, and...fear.

Yang remembered how tightly he had gripped Wan Qiu's shoulders and how he had vented his anger on Wan Qiu.

Yang can still recall the day Wanqiu went missing.

He didn't actually love his younger brother that much back then.

When he was young, and also when he was vying for his father's and mother's love, he was jealous of his youngest brother.

She harbors a slight desire for revenge against her younger brother, who can act as he pleases because of his young age.

He is...

He deliberately left Wanqiu alone.

I just wanted to scare him.

That was the day Yang Xiaoyu had promised to go out and have fun with them.

Yang Xiaoyu canceled her trip due to work, while Chu Zhang immediately went to play with his friends.

Wanqiu insisted on going out, but Yang Ze, who was with his younger brother, couldn't remember what he was thinking when he took Wanqiu out.

He did something wrong.

He did something unforgivable.

He didn't even have time to react immediately when Wanqiu was lost.

Even as Wanqiu remained missing, he didn't yet feel that Wanqiu was lost.

I even vaguely feel...

It doesn't matter whether this family has Wanqiu or not.

All of this finally changed dramatically after Yang Xiaoyu's breakdown.

In times of blame and pain...

He once harbored resentment towards Wanqiu.

These narrow, selfish, and childish thoughts, like seeds of weeds sown, kept taking root and sprouting in his consciousness, and no matter how hard he tried to clear them away, he could not get rid of them.

The more Yang Ze knew what kind of person he had been, and the more clearly he remembered what he had thought back then, the less he could forgive himself.

The weeds grew wildly and luxuriantly, tangled together in a messy mess, feeding on his guilt and spreading rapidly.

It distorted his emotions.

The better, purer, clearer, and more steadfast Wanqiu is, the more he is condemning his past sins.

It was because of him that Wanqiu suffered hardships she shouldn't have had.

He wanted to cherish Wanqiu.

But who knows if this affection is a way of punishing their past selfishness and wickedness, or an attempt to atone for their actions.

This impurity made him loathe himself.

Yang was afraid of Wanqiu.

However, he tried his best to have a better relationship with Wanqiu.

The moment she learned that Wanqiu was nowhere to be found, the emotions she had been suppressing and unable to express finally turned towards the person she should never have turned to.

Yang was not comforted by Wanqiu's words.

Yang didn't even feel that he deserved to be comforted.

Suddenly, a helium balloon with a strange smiling face appeared in Yang Ze's field of vision.

Yang stared at the strangely ugly balloon, his mind momentarily blank.

Yang raised his head and looked at Wan Qiu in front of him.

Wan Qiu looked bewildered, but his worry, anxiety, and probing were all clearly written on his face.

“My second brother’s smile is like this balloon.” Wan Qiu pushed the balloon in front of Yang Ze. “I really like this balloon.”

Yang Ze stared blankly at Wan Qiu in front of him.

"I...like my second brother's smile."

Wanqiu didn't know what to say.

That's all he could think of.

Regardless of how strange his smile looked, Wan Qiu liked Yang Ze's smile.

"I'm sorry..." Yang Ze moved his lips, but unconsciously clenched his teeth. He lowered his head, not wanting Wan Qiu, who was standing in front of him, to see his expression. "I'm sorry, Wan Qiu, I..."

Yang didn't even have the courage to tell the whole story.

It seems that no matter what was said, Wanqiu did not notice that Wanqiu's mood had improved.

“Then…then I forgive you?” Wan Qiu said.

Wan Qiu tried very hard to understand Yang Ze.

But he didn't know how to find out.

The second brother looks like this now...

Like an overflowing glass, it can no longer withstand the tension of even a single drop of water.

Yang tried hard to suppress his surging emotions and said, "Wanqiu, do you know why I'm apologizing?"

Wanqiu shook his head blankly.

"So you forgive me?" Yang asked.

Wan Qiu was taken aback, thought for a moment, and said, "Since you apologized, I will forgive you."

"Is it really that simple?" Yang asked.

"Hmm..." Wan Qiu responded without any hesitation.

Yang opened his mouth.

Yang then grasped Wan Qiu's wrist.

He was fragile, like a younger brother who would break at the slightest touch.

But he was more resilient than him.

"It's alright." Yang gave a rather awkward smile. "Don't worry, Second Brother is fine."

Wanqiu stared blankly.

The second brother's smile was even uglier than before.

This time, however, Wanqiu couldn't sense that his second brother was happy.

Wan Qiu didn't know how to make Yang Ze happy.

He didn't even know why Yang Ze was unhappy.

Wan Qiu sat down next to Yang Ze. When she was close to Yang Ze, she felt that Yang Ze's body temperature was very warm in the slightly cool room.

Wan Qiu quietly leaned against Yang Ze, and Yang Ze did not refuse her.

Wanqiu nestled close to Yang Ze, absorbing the warmth emanating from him.

Wan Qiu didn't know what he should do or what he could do.

But Chu Yigui said that he didn't actually need to do anything.

Wan Qiu's vision was somewhat blurry; standing next to Yang Ze, everything in the room seemed a little harder to see clearly.

Perhaps it was because Yang Ze didn't speak, and also because Yang Ze's body temperature was too warm.

Wan Qiu leaned against Yang Ze, drifting off to sleep.

Yang sat on the sofa and finally turned his head to look at Wan Qiu.

The child, who was already asleep, was much healthier than when we first met.

Yang Ze remembered that Yang Xiaoyu always liked to rub Wanqiu.

As if possessed, Yang placed his fingers on Wanqiu's cheek and pinched it.

A touch as warm as a cloud.

Yang Ze had also wondered what he should do if Wan Qiu returned here and accused him, resented him, and was filled with anger and hatred.

But Yang could never have imagined such an outcome.

The world filled with darkness and despair did not arrive.

Yang turned to the side and gently embraced Wanqiu.

He placed Wanqiu on his bed and looked up to see Wanqiu's balloon floating to the ceiling.

Yang hooked the balloon down from the ceiling and tied it to the foot of the bed in the room.

Balloons floated in mid-air, and strange cartoon characters grinned with odd smiles, adding a peculiar touch to his room.

Wan Qiu's voice still seems to echo in my ears.

Yang stared at the balloon for a long time, but in the end, he simply turned around and left the bedroom.

Yang then contacted Butler Bai and asked him to prepare a guest room for him.

Although Butler Bai didn't understand why, he still complied with Yang Ze's request and tidied up.

Yang Xiaoyu left her bedroom and eventually headed towards Wan Qiu's room.

He knocked on the door but there was no answer. Frowning, he saw Butler Bai standing to the side and heard the news that Yang Ze would be staying in the guest room.

Yang Xiaoyu pondered for a moment, looked at Yang Ze's door, and ultimately did not go in to confirm.

Although she was quite tired after a whole day of running around, for some reason, her steps, which were meant to return to her room, turned towards the living room.

From afar, Yang Xiaoyu saw Yang Ze on the sofa in the living room.

He sat quietly in the living room, not looking at his phone or making any other movement, like a statue.

The soft slippers made no sound on the ground, but as soon as Yang Xiaoyu approached, she met Yang Ze's gaze, which immediately opened.

These eyes were dark and deep, appearing like a starless night under the lamplight.

“Mom.” Yang Ze stood up in front of Yang Xiaoyu.

Overly respectful and polite behavior.

Yang Xiaoyu asked, "Is Wan Qiu sleeping in your room?"

"Mm," Yang replied.

For some reason, Yang Xiaoyu sat down on the separate sofa and gestured for Yang Ze to sit down as well.

Yang sat down quietly, his heavy weight pressing the sofa down even lower.

Yang Xiaoyu asked, "What does Wan Qiu want with you?"

Yang replied, "He was very worried about my condition."

Yang Ze's answer was cold and hard, as was Yang Xiaoyu's question.

The two are clearly family, but they spend very little time alone together.

Yang Xiaoyu also knew that her past rejection of Yang Ze had ultimately led to this outcome.

Yang Xiaoyu didn't believe that losing Wanqiu was entirely Yang Ze's fault, if she hadn't broken her promise to her child...

If Chu Zhang hadn't left because she broke her promise.

It was all a series of coincidences that ultimately led to Wanqiu's loss.

Looking back now, this series of mistakes seems less like a coincidence and more like an arrangement of fate.

Yang Xiaoyu couldn't untangle the knot in her heart that had been there for so long in a short time, but she could see Yang Ze as he was now.

She could see Yang Ze's worry for Wan Qiu.

You can see Yang Ze's strong protectiveness towards Wan Qiu.

You can see Yang Ze's caution and care when facing Wan Qiu.

He could also see the lingering fear that his actions had left on Yang Ze, a fear that he still couldn't shake off.

The moment I saw Yang Ze today, it was as if I saw myself standing in the shadows, unwilling to take a step into the light that was so close at hand.

That tall man, who was beginning to show signs of maturity, was actually still that naive, bewildered child.

"Aze." Yang Xiaoyu opened her mouth, but in the quiet space, her voice sounded as if it had lost its usual crisp vitality, "I haven't been a good mother to you."

Yang Ze kept his eyes down the whole time and didn't look at Yang Xiaoyu.

However, upon hearing these words, her eyelashes trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, and Yang Xiaoyu didn't notice it in the dim light.

"I don't know how to talk to you about the past." Yang Xiaoyu brushed her long curly hair aside, feeling very uncomfortable with the overly awkward atmosphere. "But you have always been very important to me."

Yang Xiaoyu sometimes wonders if she was actually being protected by Yang Ze.

Yang had been tolerating her temper and rejection, and had accepted her emotional outbursts.

"I..." Yang Xiaoyu's disheveled hair made her a little upset, but she still said, "Maybe I... made a mistake before."

Yang Xiaoyu has a very strong personality. It is precisely because she is too strong-willed, loves to get stuck on details, and is too self-centered that she has ended up in the current situation.

Wanqiu returned to this home and restored the family together.

She is paying attention to Wanqiu, and gradually she will also reflect on herself.

Everything hidden in her actions seemed to be reflected in Wanqiu's clear eyes, which seemed to contain an ethereal world.

Wan Qiu would act according to all of her ideas, and it was precisely because of this excessive obedience that Yang Xiaoyu began to reflect on whether her behavior was inappropriate.

You're overthinking it...

What was once overlooked is now right in front of us, and can no longer be ignored.

“Mom might need a little more time, but…” Yang Xiaoyu stammered, “I’m sorry, Aze.”

Yang Xiaoyu did not expect this apology to ease the tension between her and Yang Ze.

But at least it can be a start for them to make up.

Yang remained silent for a long time, and Yang Xiaoyu felt that this silence brought her pressure, which she believed she had to bear.

"I'm sorry, Mom, I'm still a bit confused today," Yang finally said.

Yang Xiaoyu clasped her hands together, and finally stood up, saying, "It's okay, I just wanted to tell you this. Aze, you've worked hard too, get some rest."

Yang Xiaoyu did not stay for long.

They seemed to be fleeing, their steps were very fast.

Butler Bai, who had been waiting nearby, approached Yang Ze and said, "The guest room is ready."

Butler Bai had no intention of listening to everything; it was just an accident.

It was expected that Yang Ze would not reply to Yang Xiaoyu immediately.

but……

Butler Bai secretly observed Yang Ze.

It seems that I wasn't completely unmoved.

I hope things will get better for this family soon.

——

When Wanqiu woke up, he was still groggy. The room was pitch black. Instinctively, Wanqiu reached out to turn on the bedside lamp, but he couldn't find it.

Wanqiu's memories gradually returned, and he remembered that he seemed to have fallen asleep next to his second brother.

Is this my second brother's room now?

Wanqiu drew back the curtains, and the starry sky and streetlights outside illuminated the room.

This is Yang Ze's room.

But Yang Ze was not there.

Wanqiu opened the door and went out.

I returned to my room in a daze to wash up.

As she washed, she became more awake and suddenly wondered where Yang Ze had gone.

Wan Qiu circled around but couldn't find Yang Ze.

Wan Qiu turned and went to Chu Yigui's room. Just as Chu Yigui had said, he hadn't closed the door.

When Wan Qiu went inside, he saw that the lights were on.

Chu Yigui did not sleep.

In the quiet and comfortable room, Chu Yigui leaned against the bed, seemingly reading a book that Wan Qiu had never seen before.

Under the light, Chu Yigui, engrossed in her book, seemed to have her skin illuminated by the lamplight, like a beautiful painting, making Wan Qiu dare not approach.

It seemed that as soon as he walked over and stepped into the canvas, he would shatter the tranquility and walk behind the canvas to see an empty space.

Chu Yigui closed the book in her hand and looked up at Wan Qiu: "Brother."

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Wan Qiu still remembered that Chu Yigui was a patient.

"I slept too much during the day, and I really don't want to sleep anymore," Chu Yigui said, putting her books aside.

Wan Qiu sat down beside Chu Yigui's bed and curiously looked at the book.

What book is this?

The book is thick and heavy, with a beautiful cover. It's a very simple book, but it's in English.

“It’s a collection of stories,” Chu Yigui said.

"Is it pretty?" Wan Qiu asked curiously.

"Not bad," Chu Yigui said.

Wan Qiu didn't want to open that book; it belonged to Chu Yigui.

Chu Yigui's books are always very clean, as if they have been in such a brand-new state ever since he bought them, even though he often flips through them.

No matter how hard Wanqiu tried to cherish his books, they would still get dirty.

"I just fell asleep in my second brother's room," Wan Qiu said.

"Yes, I know." Chu Yigui appeared calm in the quiet night. "I heard my second brother and Butler Bai tell him to prepare a guest room."

Wan Qiu was taken aback. Had Yang gone to sleep in the guest room?

"Does my second brother not want to sleep with me?" For some reason, Wan Qiu felt a little sad when she thought of this.

However, Chu Yigui said, "I think it might not be like that. If you care, you can ask Second Brother tomorrow."

Wanqiu stood by the bed, hugging her legs, but remained silent for a while.

The boy, whose features were gradually becoming more refined, seemed to have even his eyelashes coated with a faint glow under the light, making his lost eyes appear even more clearly visible.

Wan Qiu said, "I didn't make my second brother happy."

Chu Yigui was clearly not surprised, and simply said, "It's alright, it's not my brother's fault."

Wan Qiu's toes were curled up, and finally, Wan Qiu looked up at Chu Yigui.

Somewhat fragile.

"Little brother, does your second brother not like me?"

Chu Yigui knew that Wan Qiu would always notice anything unusual.

It's not surprising that he could come up with such an answer given that he didn't understand the current situation.

"Yes and no," Chu Yigui said, looking at Wan Qiu's wide, bewildered gaze, "I once told my brother that feelings cannot be simply judged as right or wrong."

Wan Qiu nodded; he remembered.

“The same goes for Second Brother,” Chu Yigui said.

For Yang Ze, his feelings for Wan Qiu are probably extremely complex. Over time, they have accumulated to the point that they can no longer be simply summarized as liking or disliking.

but……

“Second brother likes older brother,” Chu Yigui said.

Whether now or in the future, Chu Yigui can find evidence that Yang Ze likes Wan Qiu whenever he looks at Yang Ze.