As dusk deepened, Xia Qingyue groggily opened her eyes and looked around.

I was in my room, and my little brother wasn't there. I didn't know if he had gone out or somewhere else.

She stretched and then got up and went to the living room.

The living room was quiet; Bai Ye was nowhere to be seen.

Xia Qingyue frowned slightly, muttering to herself, "Where has that brat of a brother run off to?"

As she thought about it, she walked to the sofa and sat down, then picked up her phone and sent Bai Ye a few messages, asking about his whereabouts.

After sending the message, Xia Qingyue leaned back on the sofa, turned on the TV, and casually watched the programs while waiting for Bai Ye's reply.

The television program didn't interest Xia Qingyue much, and her thoughts drifted away.

She began to think about how to arrange her sleep tonight: should she sleep alone in her own room, or go to Baiye's room and sleep with him?

This question troubled Xia Qingyue, and she couldn't help but think of the tender time she spent with Bai Ye last night.

After some thought, Xia Qingyue finally decided to send Bai Ye another message, asking him to bring something back with him when he returned.

...

Bai Ye had no idea what had gotten into Ye Qingcheng, this little tsundere, that she had cornered him.

Ye Qingcheng's cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked a little awkward: "Come over tomorrow afternoon and video chat with me."

Bai Ye said speechlessly, "So what if you're taking pictures? You're the boss, why should I go against you? What are you trying to do by cornering me?"

Ye Qingcheng turned her head to the side and snorted, "Don't you know what I want to do?"

A big question mark appeared on Bai Ye's face: Should I understand?

Ye Qingcheng slowly reached out and gently wrapped her arms around Bai Ye's neck, as if afraid of waking him. She leaned forward slightly, naturally resting her body in Bai Ye's broad embrace.

Bai Ye was completely caught off guard by this scene. His eyes widened, his face filled with astonishment and bewilderment. While he was still in a daze, Ye Qingcheng offered her lips without hesitation.

In that instant, Bai Ye felt a warm breath rush towards him, and then his lips were gently covered by Ye Qingcheng's soft lips.

The sudden kiss caught Bai Ye completely off guard; his mind went blank, and he even forgot to breathe.

However, Bai Ye recovered from his shock in just a moment.

He realized he should push Ye Qingcheng away, but when he saw the corner of the table not far behind her, his heart tightened.

He was worried that if he pushed her away, he might not control the force well enough and cause her to accidentally bump into the corner of the table, thus injuring or hurting her.

After a long while, Ye Qingcheng finally took a few steps back, then stopped, staring intently at him with a burning gaze that seemed to pierce through his soul.

“I don’t know how deeply you liked her in the past,” Ye Qingcheng took a deep breath and continued, “but now, I hope you can let go of the past and stop focusing all your attention on her. Because… besides her, there is someone else waiting for you silently.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Qingcheng's cheeks flushed bright red, as if they were about to bleed. She lowered her head shyly, not daring to look into Bai Ye's eyes again.

She finally said it; these words were like seeds buried deep in the ground, silently growing in her heart for a very long time.

Her feelings for Bai Ye were always deeply hidden. So, when exactly did these feelings begin?

Perhaps it was after learning about Bai Ye's relationship last semester that their interactions gradually decreased.

When she heard the news, it was as if her whole world had collapsed in an instant.

Her mood plummeted, and she felt listless all day long, as if her soul had been ripped out.

She kept telling herself that she and Bai Ye were just friends and that she absolutely could not cross that line.

However, deep down, she could never suppress her expectations of Bai Ye, hoping that the girl he cared about was her.

In order to stay in touch with Bai Ye, she chose to bury her burning love deep in her heart, not daring to let it show in the slightest.

Not only that, she would even give Bai Ye advice and teach him how to win a girl's heart. All of this was simply so that she could have even a little bit of interaction with Bai Ye.

Unrequited love is ultimately a one-sided love with no future. She once thought that her feelings would be buried deep in her heart forever, never to blossom and bear fruit.

However, after Bai Ye broke up with her ex, her long-lost love seemed to start stirring again in her heart... as if it were about to reignite.

She prayed silently, hoping that her words would make Bai Ye understand her feelings.

Bai Ye trembled violently upon hearing Ye Qingcheng's words. He looked at Ye Qingcheng in surprise, seemingly not expecting her to say such a thing.

He slowly raised his hand and touched the corner of his lips, where the warmth of Ye Qingcheng's kiss still lingered.

Ye Qingcheng's words kept echoing in his mind. Her words were undisguised and unreserved, almost as if she had directly said that the person waiting for him was herself.

A surge of emotion welled up in Bai Ye's heart, and he involuntarily clenched his fists, his palms slightly sweaty.

From a rational perspective, since he already has Qingyue, he should maintain a proper distance from other women; it would be better for everyone.

However, from an emotional perspective, Bai Ye found himself gradually getting used to the presence of Ye Qingcheng and others around him.

Asking him to suddenly say a complete goodbye to the past is something he finds hard to accept right now.

For a moment, both of them fell silent.

Ye Qingcheng's emotions fluctuated in an instant.

"Do you still remember the promise you made to me when we first met online?"

promise?

Bai Ye's mind went into overdrive as he began to recall what he had said.

Finally, he couldn't remember anything, and stammered, "What did I say?"

Ye Qingcheng took a deep breath, turned away from him, and said, "You said that no matter what, you would always stay by my side as an audience member or a listener, you would always be watching me."