The train journey takes about eight hours.

Meng Beiyan only managed to get a hard-seat ticket.

After finding her seat, Ying Qian immediately went to sleep without saying a word.

She tilted her head to the side, almost supporting herself on her spine.

Meng Beiyan glanced up and saw it, feeling both helpless and inexplicably heartbroken. He leaned over and supported her with half of his shoulder to prevent her from getting a stiff neck after waking up.

Before long, drowsiness came over me.

At this time, everyone on the train was resting, and very few people asked the train attendants to buy food. The entire carriage was unusually quiet.

Around four in the morning, the train was about to arrive at the station.

Ying Qian groggily woke up, her neck felt sore, and that familiar scent was so close.

Meng Beiyan has good bone structure and skin appearance. His jawline is clear and sharp, and his long and thick eyelashes are like butterflies falling on his eyelids. There is a small mole in the crease of his double eyelids, which makes people unable to help but notice him.

Ying Qian took note of it.

She rarely got so close to see Meng Beiyan's sleeping face; their noses seemed to almost touch. If he woke up and tilted his head slightly, their lips would be pressed together without any gap.

"..."

The only sound in the carriage was the intermittent snoring.

"Awake?" Meng Beiyan opened his eyes, his voice weak.

Ying Qian was startled, and Meng Beiyan moved his neck.

Their noses touched.

Meng Beiyan smiled tenderly, raised his hand to ruffle Ying Qian's messy hair, and then turned his head to check the time.

It's still early.

"Sleep a little longer?" His gaze fell on Ying Qian's sleepy eyes.

"No."

Meng Beiyan had no choice but to say, "Then don't play on your phone, it's bad for your eyes. I'll handle things for your dad these next few days, you can stay at the hotel and sleep."

“How tragic…” Ying Qian smiled bitterly, “I’m actually homeless.”

Meng Beiyan turned his head, their foreheads touching, making sure he was completely conscious. "Ying Qian, as long as I'm here, I'll give you a home, a place to stay."

“It’s a lie,” she said.

"How did I lie to you?" Meng Beiyan frowned.

"Brother, I don't feel at home anywhere, and maybe I never will again."

Meng Beiyan put his arm around her shoulder from behind, and gently touched her shoulder with his hand.

Ying Qian hissed in pain.

Meng Beiyan noticed something was wrong, "What happened to your shoulder?"

"I bumped into something."

“…Hmm.” Meng Beiyan put his hand on her shoulder. “Once you have your own family, you’ll be able to find the warmth of home. There will be such a day.”

His eyes were filled with complex emotions, and a ridiculous thought lingered in his mind: Even if I'm not the one you marry in the future, we'll still be siblings in name only. At your wedding, I might be the one leading you by the hand to the groom, and you should still come home to see me often...

“That’s different,” Ying Qian explained. “In the family you’re talking about, I’m a wife and a mother, but in the family I want right now, I’m a daughter.”

Meng Beiyan had no rebuttal.

"Why can't it be my sister?" he joked.

“It is possible.” Ying Qian said each word earnestly.

Meng Beiyan didn't know if those words were true, nor did he know if he could bring the girl any joy.

The train has arrived at the station.

The sky was still dark; in winter, dawn comes later.

By the time we arrived at the hotel, the sky was finally beginning to lighten.

"Sleep a little longer. As for the wedding... do as you please. Go if you want, don't go if you don't want to..."

"He's my dad, why do you have to help me with everything?" Ying Qian stubbornly grabbed Meng Beiyan's cold hand and asked.

Meng Beiyan gripped her hand, leaned down to look her in the eye, and said, word by word, "Because he is your father."

It's a very simple sentence.

Ying Qian was stunned for a long time.

“I’ve been quite busy with work lately, and I know you might be a little resentful,” he said earnestly. “But I hope you won’t retaliate by distancing yourself from me. It will hurt me, you understand?”

I didn't expect him to be so direct.

Ying Qian lowered her eyes and hummed in agreement.

Meng Beiyan was satisfied. He pushed Ying Qian into the room and then went back to his own room.

Ying Qian took a shower first, then lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, closing her eyes and meditating. Before long, she had already fallen asleep.

When I woke up again, it was already morning at the hotel.

Xu Tiantian sent her eight voice messages, each lasting 59 seconds.

Ying Qian was dumbfounded. What could she say? So much?

Is it because I opened it incorrectly?

Ying Qian turned her phone screen off and then on again, and found that there was another message.

Xu Meinu [Ying Qian! Are you still sleeping? You little sleepyhead~]

Ying Qian [just woke up.]

She still savored Xu Tiantian's voice every day.

Xu Tiantian shared the stories of how a group of handsome guys broke up, how she comforted them, how she rose to their positions, and how she became their confidante. The eight audio messages, neither too long nor too short, clearly summarized everything.

So much has happened in just a few days.

Ying Qian exclaimed, "Huh? Really? Don't let that scumbag fool you!"

Ms. Xu [Trust me, I have excellent taste.]

Ying Qian [For example, Gu Xinan?]

Xu Meinu: [Get lost! My new boyfriend is named Jing Yun!]

Ying Qian: [Never heard of him, and haven't really paid attention. Is he handsome?]

Xu Meinu [I'm a looks-obsessed person, what would I like if someone wasn't handsome?]

Ying Qian: [If you judge handsome by your standards, then I guess I wouldn't like him.]

Xu Meinu [I didn't expect you to like it~ Don't you feel like I've become a lot more assertive since I stopped liking Gu Xinan!]

Ying Qian: [Yes, yes, yes!]

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!