Bai Ye's state of mind at this moment was as complicated as a tangled mess.

For a long time, he sincerely hoped to regard Luo Qingyan as his own younger sister.

The reason for this is quite simple: he is the youngest in his family, with only one older sister. As for the other relatives, they are all male cousins, and he doesn't even have a female cousin.

As a seasoned otaku who has been obsessed with the world of anime for many years, having a cute little sister—or "Ichimokuta" in Japanese—has become a long-cherished desire in his heart.

However, fate always likes to play tricks on people.

When Bai Ye discovered that Luo Qingyan was the same person he had known in the game for a long time, but whom he had mistaken for a man and affectionately called brother, he felt a mix of emotions and a sense of embarrassment welled up inside him.

But after that brief moment of embarrassment, a sense of relief quietly crept into my heart.

It turns out that in his previous interactions with Luo Qingyan, he had always presented himself as a kind and understanding older brother.

Now that he knows the other party is actually a girl, isn't this just fulfilling his dream of being a brother?

That's why Bai Ye cherishes this hard-won "family bond" and takes great care of it.

However, there was no real blood tie between them, and since he was young and full of vigor, the originally pure brother-sister relationship was subtly changing as time quietly passed.

It should be understood that human desires are like an insurmountable chasm. If a person loses his desires, he will be like a lifeless salted fish, living his life in a daze.

When that greed surged into his heart like a tide, he clearly realized that he could no longer continue to be so close to Luo Qingyan.

However, ideals are often lofty, while reality is often harsh and frustrating.

Despite his repeated warnings to himself that he must use various means to deliberately distance himself from Luo Qingyan and make her understand the proper boundaries and limits between men and women.

However, every time he tried to do something, he would be defeated by Luo Qingyan's coquettishness, playful cuteness, and pitiful appearance.

Imagine having such an incredibly lovely girl by your side, always so passionate and proactive. She doesn't have many entanglements with others, and her social circle is simple and pure.

More importantly, it seems that you are the only person left in her entire world.

Faced with this situation, how many people in the world could remain calm and unmoved?

This is simply a rare and priceless treasure! How could anyone not be captivated and thrilled?

At this moment, the girl in front of me had tears welling up in her eyes, tears about to spill over.

Those once bright and lively eyes were now dull and lifeless, revealing endless sorrow and despair. That sorrowful gaze was like an extremely sharp blade, piercing deep into his heart, causing him excruciating pain.

His subconscious kept screaming in his heart: If he let this girl down, he would regret it for the rest of his life!

At the same time, the last shred of reason in his mind constantly reminded him like a resounding bell—don't forget, you already have a girlfriend, you must draw a clear line with other women and maintain an appropriate distance!

Thus, the inner struggle was like a surging sea, rising and falling, churning repeatedly in his heart.

This tangled and contradictory emotion plunged him into unprecedented pain and distress.

Never before had he been so tightly entangled in a whirlpool of emotions, unable to extricate himself as he was today.

The anxieties of studying pale in comparison to this emotional struggle.

Luo Qingyan stood there blankly, her eyes empty and lifeless, as if she had lost her soul.

Suddenly, as if she had grasped a crucial point, the tears she had been holding back burst forth like a flood.

Crystal-clear tears slid down her fair and delicate cheeks, forming two clearly visible tear tracks.

Her pretty face looked pitiful because of extreme sadness, which aroused people's pity.

This sight struck Bai Ye like a heavy blow, causing him immense pain.

Luo Qingyan had already realized that there was no point in her staying here any longer.

Without hesitation, she turned around and staggered away from this heartbreaking place.

She longed to escape back to her own room and hide in that little world.

There, the soft glow of candlelight would no longer fall upon her shoulders, nor would bright light illuminate her. And no one would extend a helping hand to rescue her from that endless sea of ​​suffering.

At this moment, she looked around and everything seemed so familiar.

The strange looks from those around him, intertwined with the unpleasant gossip of the past; the painful memories of being bullied were constantly replayed and reenacted before his eyes like a mirror.

These images haunted her, clinging to her and making her feel suffocated.

Just as Luo Qingyan was trying her best to escape the shadow and turned to run away, a strong hand suddenly reached out and firmly grabbed her arm.

Immediately afterwards, a powerful and invisible force suddenly struck, forcefully pulling her into a warm embrace.

Luo Qingyan was immediately thrown into a panic. She desperately twisted her body, trying to break free from the other person's restraint.

However, those arms remained as still as if they were made of steel.

She looked up at Bai Ye's face, which was so close to hers, and felt that the light emanating from him was so dazzling that she could hardly open her eyes.

"Qingyan, be good!" Bai Ye said softly, his tone full of concern and tenderness.

He reached out a strong, powerful hand and gently embraced her slender, supple waist.

At the same time, another hand gently brushed through her hair like a breeze, eventually resting on the back of her head.

Then, with a slight effort, he gently pulled her petite head into his broad, warm embrace.

It was as if he had practiced this action thousands of times, making it both skillful and natural.

He held her tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, she would vanish like smoke.

He could feel her heartbeat and breathing, which gradually merged with his own rhythm, forming a beautiful and harmonious melody.

This intimate contact made the distance between the two disappear instantly.