After dance class, students left in twos and threes, but Zhou Peiyu looked at Wan Qiu.

He stared at it for a long time.

Wan Qiu seemed to have noticed that Zhou Peiyu had something to say, and stood there without leaving immediately.

When Yang Ze saw that Wan Qiu hadn't come out yet, he wanted to go over, but Chu Yigui suddenly stopped him.

After thinking for a long time, Zhou Peiyu finally said, "Wanqiu, would you like to come to my house to play?"

"...?" Wan Qiu's eyes widened, filled with disbelief.

"Are you busy later?" Zhou Peiyu asked.

“It’s nothing…” Wan Qiu murmured.

"Are you going or not?" Zhou Peiyu pressed.

However, Wan Qiu's face gradually turned red, and he lowered his head.

Zhou Peiyu was taken aback by Wan Qiu's expression.

"But you are a girl."

Jiang Chengfeng said that men and women are different and should maintain a certain distance.

“…Ah.” Zhou Peiyu suddenly realized that Wan Qiu was actually a boy. Because she was so familiar with Wan Qiu, and because of Wan Qiu’s intellectual disability, she had almost forgotten that there was a difference between men and women.

"It should be fine, you're my dance partner, and I always tell my parents about you."

Wan Qiu blinked.

His heart began to race involuntarily.

Zhou Peiyu wasn't very good at reading people's expressions, and didn't notice Wan Qiu's expression. She tilted her head and asked, "Are you going or not? If you are, I'll call home now."

Wan Qiu was in a daze, feeling unusually flustered because she had been suddenly invited to a friend's house.

Although Zhou Peiyu had visited his home, Wan Qiu had never been to his friend's house.

Wanqiu was incredibly excited.

“I…really want to go,” Wan Qiu said.

Zhou Peiyu looked at Wan Qiu.

Wow... Wanqiu actually said she really wants to go.

Zhou Peiyu rarely heard Wan Qiu talk about what he wanted to do, but during this time he seemed to be getting clearer about what he wanted to do.

Although it was his own suggestion, Zhou Peiyu felt a little embarrassed by the high expectations placed upon him.

"Then come to my house this afternoon? We can have dinner together tonight?" Zhou Peiyu said, glancing furtively at the two people waiting not far away. "But your brother can't come."

Wan Qiu was taken aback.

“I’m friends with you, but not with your brother. We’re not familiar with each other, so it would be awkward to have them come.”

Zhou Peiyu felt a little guilty. She really admired Chu Yigui's looks and naturally wanted to invite him over to show her parents the handsome man.

It's heartbreaking, but I can't do it.

This time, she still wanted Wanqiu to see what an ordinary family was like.

She felt that constantly watching Wanqiu without giving her any personal space would suffocate her if it were her.

However, when Wan Qiu heard that Chu Yigui and the others were not allowed to go together, his gradually heating interest was suddenly doused with a bucket of cold water, cooling him down from head to toe.

Wanqiu is always surrounded by family members; if he were alone, his family would be very worried.

Wan Qiu still remembers what happened before very clearly, and he doesn't want to see that happen again.

Even though everyone told him it was nothing...

But Yang Ze still left a very deep impression on Wan Qiu, and Wan Qiu did not want to repeat that incident.

"I'm sorry, I can't go." Wan Qiu's disappointment was evident.

"You..." Zhou Peiyu was exasperated by Wan Qiu's lack of self-confidence. "Fine, fine, I'll just go home and rest too."

Zhou Peiyu was a little unhappy, but she knew that her unhappiness was unreasonable.

She was angry because her kind invitation was rejected, but Wanqiu really had no reason to accept her invitation.

Zhou Peiyu and Wan Qiu walked towards the entrance of the dance studio together, one in front of the other.

Wan Qiu carefully observed Zhou Peiyu, who muttered that she was in a bad mood.

"What's wrong, brother?" Chu Yigui noticed Wan Qiu's unusual mood the moment he put down his headphones after seeing Wan Qiu come out.

Wan Qiu said, like a child who had unintentionally done something wrong: "I made Zhou Peiyu angry."

Chu Yigui looked toward Zhou Peiyu.

"No, I'm not angry, Wanqiu, don't talk nonsense! You're making it sound like I'm petty!" Zhou Peiyu immediately turned around and yelled at Wanqiu.

Chu Yigui asked patiently, "What's wrong?"

Zhou Peiyu turned his head away, refusing to admit that he was a little annoyed, and said, "I invited Wan Qiu to my house, but he refused."

"Why? Brother should really want to go." Chu Yigui knew very well how Wan Qiu would react to this matter.

Wan Qiu lowered his head and, under the pressure of Wan Qiu's gaze, finally answered slowly, "I can only go by myself."

Yang noticed something and looked at Wan Qiu.

Chu Yigui and Yang Ze immediately understood why Wan Qiu hesitated.

Yang frowned, clearly hesitant.

Chu Yigui observed Yang Ze and suddenly said, "Brother will go."

Wan Qiu suddenly looked up at Chu Yigui, somewhat bewildered.

Yet, amidst the confusion, there was also anticipation and joy.

"I'm sorry, brother rejected you because of us, please don't take it to heart." Chu Yigui apologized to Zhou Peiyu first.

Zhou Peiyu, who has a huge crush on handsome men, could never blame Chu Yigui. He waved his hand to show that he really didn't care at all.

Chu Yigui turned to Wan Qiu and said, "Brother, go if you want to. We won't follow you. Just remember to wear your bracelet and don't take it off again."

Chu Yigui's decision was clearly somewhat arbitrary, but Yang Ze did not object.

Zhou Peiyu was somewhat surprised.

She thought that no one in the Chu family wanted to leave Wanqiu alone.

Wan Qiu gripped the bracelet tightly in her hand, cherishing it, and solemnly promised Chu Yigui, "I will absolutely not take it off."

Chu Yigui seemed amused by Wan Qiu's behavior and said to Wan Qiu, "We don't want to imprison your brother, we just want to make sure he's safe. It's okay if the bracelet is lost, and it's okay if the phone isn't lost either. Don't feel too much pressure."

Wan Qiu nodded.

Chu Yigui reminded him, "If you're coming back tonight, call your second brother and he'll come pick you up."

“Mm,” Wan Qiu replied.

Chu Yigui stood up and gently patted Wan Qiu on the back: "Brother, I'll be waiting for you at home."

Wan Qiu stared longingly at Chu Yigui.

He nodded.

Under Wan Qiu's gaze, Chu Yigui smiled and said, "Brother, have fun."

"Okay." Wan Qiu smiled along with Chu Yigui, as if what had just been a discussion had transformed into joy at the unknown.

Zhou Peiyu, who was watching from the side, thought the scene was very pleasing to the eye, but for some reason, he always felt that the younger brother was taking care of the older brother.

Wan Qiu went to change his own clothes and gave his dance costume and other items to Chu Yigui.

Yang stared intently at Wan Qiu for a long time, and Zhou Peiyu, standing to the side, felt a chill run down his spine.

In the end, Yang simply gave Wan Qiu the milk and the sweet corn cup, and then put all the cash he had on him into Wan Qiu's bag.

Yang watched Wan Qiu and Zhou Peiyu's backs as they got on the elevator together.

Until they completely disappeared.

Chu Yigui turned her head to look at Yang Ze and asked, "Second Brother, will you be angry that I made this decision on my own?"

Yang did not answer.

The bright daylight contrasted sharply with the cold, sleet-filled weather of that night, creating a clear dividing line in Yang Ze's memory.

but……

It was probably through that day that, even though it was a passive outburst, once I had truly vented, I actually felt a bit lighter.

"I'm not angry," Yang finally said.

"Are you still worried?" Chu Yigui asked directly.

Yang did not answer. His silence was enough to prove that he had not put his mind at ease, but it also meant that he did not really want to imprison Wanqiu.

Chu Yigui said, "Second brother, I will always be independent."

“I know.” Yang Ze didn’t really want to outline Wanqiu’s future of independence. “I just think that Wanqiu doesn’t have to be independent.”

“My brother isn’t trying to be independent right now; he just wants to have his own life,” Chu Yigui said.

Although Yang Ze's expression remained serious, it gradually turned somewhat helpless.

"Yes, I know, I'm worrying too much." Yang sighed. "Fourth brother, I'm probably a very useless older brother. I need you to comfort me."

“Everyone needs to be understood, regardless of age.” Chu Yigui smiled. “I just hope my second brother doesn’t think I’m meddling.”

Yang would relax a bit more when facing Chu Yigui.

His intelligent younger brother always managed to infect those around him with anxiety in the most peaceful way.

"I'll take you back," Yang said.

"Then will Second Brother come to this area to wait for Brother?" Chu Yigui directly exposed Yang Ze's thoughts.

This made Yang feel somewhat embarrassed.

However, Chu Yigui laughed: "At least Second Brother didn't stop Brother from going to his friend's house alone, which is already a big improvement."

Yang thought that Chu Yigui was probably praising him.

Yang couldn't help but say, "Fourth brother, sometimes I really feel that you don't match your age."

"Perhaps it's a personality issue?" Chu Yigui did not deny it.

Yang sighed, "Sometimes I wonder what you'll be like when you grow up. Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"

Yang was just asking casually; he and Chu Zhang already knew that they would inherit their parents' assets in the future.

However, for Chu Yigui, the future remains a very uncertain issue.

"No matter what you do in the future, at least your second brother will fully support you." Yang Ze has always liked Chu Yigui, because Chu Yigui's existence gave him a space to breathe.

Chu Yigui suddenly said, "She'll probably become the secretary or assistant of the eldest or second eldest brother."

Yang was taken aback: "Fourth brother, you are very talented. Rather than assisting others, you are more suited to creating your own world."

Yang Ze felt that Chu Yigui's excellence was so great that it would be a great pity if it were buried.

However, Chu Yigui said, "I think I am very suitable for the job of a secretary."

Yang was quite surprised.

Chu Yigui has always been a very insightful person, one could even describe him as self-aware. Why would he think that what he needs is a secretary's job?

"Fourth brother, you have plenty of time to think things through. Don't confine yourself to one position," Yang Ze said.

However, Chu Yigui laughed, her laughter clear and bright.

As Yang looked at it, he vaguely seemed to see places that were different from before.

It was a strange thought, yet it lingered in Yang Ze's mind.

"Whether in the past or now, I have been seriously considering this matter," Chu Yigui replied to Yang Ze.

Before and now?

Yang grasped the meaning of this word, implying whether Chu Yigui's state of mind had changed.

Suddenly, a word flashed into Yang's mind.

--lively.

The word that was not originally suitable to be applied to Chu Yigui seemed to appear in Chu Yigui's laughter.

——

Zhou Peiyu looked back several times from afar, and finally let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Ah, your second brother looks really fierce. For a moment just now, I thought he was going to kill me."

Wan Qiu shook his head: "Second brother won't."

"That's an exaggeration, an exaggeration." Although Zhou Peiyu felt that Wan Qiu was tied up, it didn't seem as serious as he had imagined.

Is she overthinking it?

Zhou Peiyu looked at Wan Qiu's small waist bag and suddenly asked, "People use mobile payments nowadays, why are you still using cash?"

Wan Qiu unconsciously stroked the small waist bag containing cash and said, "I won't."

"Then shall I teach you?"

Zhou Peiyu simply sat down on the flower bed next to her. It was a dance class, so it wouldn't be like school letting out so late. It didn't matter if they lingered outside a little longer.

"Nowadays, people use mobile payments, so it's easy for you to get robbed if you always carry cash with you."

Wan Qiu thought of the stacks of money in his safe. He preferred counting them himself to using his phone, as it gave him a greater sense of security.

However, if a mobile phone is less likely to be stolen, Wanqiu chooses the mobile phone.

Zhou Peiyu taught Wanqiu step by step, and when Wanqiu was thinking about binding the card, she took out a card from her small handbag.

Zhou Peiyu tried binding the card and succeeded on the first try.

"See, you just need to do this when you pay the bill..."

Zhou Peiyu patiently taught Wanqiu how to set a password, and Wanqiu also patiently learned.

"Then scan this now, and transfer one cent to me. If it works, you'll know how."

Zhou Peiyu looked up at the handsome boy passing by, then looked down and saw Wan Qiu enter a six-digit amount and press transfer.

"Ah, no, what you're entering is the password. You enter the password here," Zhou Peiyu immediately reminded him.

Wan Qiu stared at the password input screen, while Zhou Peiyu looked up at the sky helplessly. He realized that such a large transfer usually wouldn't succeed; there wouldn't be that much money in the card…

But then, thinking of the Chu family's vast wealth, Zhou Peiyu suddenly covered Wan Qiu's hand as he entered the password.

"Let's try again." Zhou Peiyu had a strong premonition that the six-figure sum in Wan Qiu's card could definitely be transferred successfully, so it was better not to let Wan Qiu make any mistakes.

Zhou Peiyu had Wan Qiu repeat the operation ten times and explained it very clearly before sending Wan Qiu to the convenience store.

The two chose their drinks, and Wanqiu took out his phone to scan the QR code.

When Wan Qiu heard the beep indicating successful payment, he stood in front of the counter, holding his phone, his eyes wide with shock.

Zhou Peiyu chuckled to himself, glancing at Wan Qiu's wide-eyed stare.

"You can also transfer money to others. For example, on Valentine's Day, you can transfer 520 to express 'I love you,' 1314 to express 'forever,' or 666, 888, and so on. You can send money as a gift even if you are far away. Isn't that interesting?"

Zhou Peiyu was overjoyed and explained the benefits of paying with a mobile phone to Wan Qiu.

Wanqiu listened attentively the whole time, diligently learning how to use the various functions of the phone.

Zhou Peiyu usually takes the bus home, but today she was probably in a good mood, so they walked home together.

Zhou Peiyu's home is three or four bus stops away from the dance studio, passing by a small square.

Wanqiu saw many people playing and dancing in the square.

“My mom comes here to dance when she’s bored at night,” Zhou Peiyu and Wan Qiu said. “I taught my mom all her dances. I teach her and then she goes to the square to teach others, and she gets taught by others as well.”

Wan Qiu blinked and said, "My mother is also a very good dancer, and other people at home will accompany me to practice dancing."

"Your family members all studied that, right?" Zhou Peiyu asked.

Wan Qiu nodded.

“My mom just practices blindly,” Zhou Peiyu shrugged. “Her dancing isn’t very good either; she’s only slightly better than the old men and women in the square.”

Wan Qiu looked at Zhou Peiyu. Although these words didn't sound like praise, the occasional bursts of happiness emanating from Zhou Peiyu as he spoke still attracted Wan Qiu.

"This place has delicious pull-apart cake. Wait for me to buy a box so we can share it."

"I really like this ice cream too. I'll buy one and we can share it... never mind, I'll buy two!"

"I love this cheese chicken cutlet the most! We'll each have half!"

...

Wanqiu had more and more food in her hands, and she ate the ice cream first.

It was indeed very delicious.

Wan Qiu felt that Zhou Peiyu seemed to be overly happy.

Under Wan Qiu's puzzled yet curious gaze, Zhou Peiyu finally couldn't help but chuckle twice.

“My mom usually doesn’t let me eat too much, saying it will make me fat and affect my figure. I finally brought my friends home, so she can’t just say I’m eating snacks in front of them, can she?”

Zhou Peiyu had his own ulterior motives.

"Can I not listen to my mother?" In Wan Qiu's mind, even now, she basically listens to Yang Xiaoyu's words as commands.

"It's not like she's doing anything bad. Besides, can you guarantee that everything your mother does is right?" Zhou Peiyu pouted.

Although Wan Qiu felt that doing things this way was wrong, Zhou Peiyu was really happy right now.

Just like the little windmill Wanqiu once saw tied to a bicycle by the roadside, spinning in the wind and creating a beautiful, illusory flower shape.

Zhou Peiyu lives in a residential complex, which is also a high-rise building, but Zhou Peiyu's home is a seven-story building.

The low-rise building has one apartment per floor, leading directly to Zhou Peiyu's door.

At that moment, a sweet aroma was wafting from the open door.

"Mom, I'm home!"

Wan Qiu heard Zhou Peiyu shouting loudly into the room and casually tossing his backpack onto the sofa.

Wan Qiu stood at the door, and when he saw Zhou Peiyu, Zhou Peiyu kicked a pair of slippers in front of him: "You wear these."

This was Wanqiu's first time visiting a friend's house.

My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it's going to jump out of my chest.

Zhou Peiyu's home and Wan Qiuchuyi's current house near the school are similar in size, but their decoration styles are completely different.

Not far away is a photo wall displaying wedding photos.

The bright orange sofa also has some stain-resistant cushions and sofa covers.

The family's three coats hung messily on the wall.

There are cabinets everywhere, and quite a few flowers are grown on the balcony.

Looking around, Wan Qiu deeply felt that he was in a completely new space.

Amidst these slightly cluttered decorations and furnishings, one can see the noisy, clamorous presence of life.

"Mom, where's Dad?" Zhou Peiyu asked.

"Your dad went out to buy some groceries and hasn't come back yet." A bright female voice came from the kitchen, and then Wan Qiu saw Zhou Peiyu's mother come out.

Zhou's mother and Yang Xiaoyu are completely different types of women. She looks older, but she is still very slender. She is not wearing makeup and is very plain. She is wearing an apron and smiling at Wan Qiu.

"Welcome! Come in and have a seat. Auntie heard you were coming and prepared some snacks, they'll be ready soon."

Zhou's mother greeted Wanqiu kindly, while Wanqiu sat stiffly on the sofa.

"Don't sit here, come to my room." With that, Zhou Peiyu grabbed Wan Qiu's arm, making Wan Qiu, who had just sat down, stand up again.

Upon hearing this, Zhou's mother simply instructed, "Don't close the door."

"I know, I know." Zhou Peiyu's tone was full of impatience, which made Wan Qiu's eyes widen.

Wan Qiu was caught off guard and dragged directly into Zhou Peiyu's bedroom, his whole body stiffening.

Zhou Peiyu didn't think there was anything wrong with it at all. He gave Wan Qiu a swivel chair, and Wan Qiu sat down quietly in the swivel chair.

Wan Qiu subconsciously observed his surroundings.

Zhou Peiyu's room was bright, with a warm overall color scheme.

Although it was a bit messy, you could see all sorts of beautiful things all around, like decorations.

The feeling here...

Just like the boutique that Wan Qiu had visited with Fu Zhengyu, there were many things that he had never even seen before.

"Look!" Suddenly, a long scroll appeared in front of Wan Qiu, and Zhou Peiyu spread the contents on the bed.

Wan Qiu's first thought was that this must be a poster.

Upon seeing the person on the poster, Wan Qiu realized it was his elder brother's poster.

"I'm a huge fan of Chu Zhang, I've bought a lot of his stuff!"

As he spoke, Zhou Peiyu showed Wan Qiu a large pile of items bearing the portrait of Chu Zhang.

Wan Qiu blinked as Zhou Peiyu took out a box of brooches: "I made all of these myself!"

Wan Qiu was surprised, looking at those beautiful brooches of various shapes.

"I also keep a bullet journal!"

Zhou Peiyu showed Wan Qiu a great deal of things, which dazzled Wan Qiu.

Zhou Peiyu also makes some things herself, which look very beautiful.

"How about that? Aren't I amazing?" Zhou Peiyu looked at the spoils that covered the entire bed and said proudly to Wan Qiu, "I put in a lot of effort!"

Wan Qiu indeed thought it was very impressive.

These exquisite, beautiful things showed Wanqiu her love.

"Chu Zhang's autograph is very hard to get. The one you gave me before, I even framed it!"

As he spoke, Zhou Peiyu handed a photo frame directly to Wan Qiu.

Wan Qiu looked at the flawless Chu Zhang and the arrogant signature on it, and his feelings were complicated.

He also liked his older brother.

But for some reason, he felt that his affection for his elder brother was overshadowed by Zhou Peiyu's.

If given the opportunity, he would like to spend more time with his older brother and get to know him better.