Around seven o'clock, the temperature gradually dropped, and Ying Qian shrank her neck and followed behind Meng Xuhe.

When he got home, Meng Xuhe took out his key and opened the door.

Upon entering, you'll see a bottle of red wine standing upright on the dining table.

Meng Xuhe was a little stunned, and he and Ying Qian looked at each other in bewilderment.

Hearing the door open, a woman with her hair tied up came out of the kitchen.

She affectionately hugged Ying Qian and Meng Xuhe, "You're back? How did your exams go today, my darlings?"

"Not bad," they both replied in unison.

Tang Yawen's expression was gentle as she released the two girls from her arms, reminding them, "I bought you snacks, they're in your room. Also, your brother went to buy salt, he'll be back soon!"

"Brother?" Meng Xuhe was dumbfounded. Had the sun risen in the west today?

This brother, with whom I've almost never eaten, is actually coming back today?

"Meng Beiyan is back?" Ying Qian approached Meng Xuhe.

She and this older brother were unusually close.

After a long day of exams, Ying Qian was exhausted. She yawned and turned to go back to her room.

What catches the eye is a large bag full of snacks on the desk, and a wrapped rose in the corner.

Ying Qian was surprised that Aunt Tang was so romantic, even sending flowers, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She casually tossed her schoolbag onto the bed, then placed the vibrant red rose into the empty vase.

Looking at the bright red flowers, she was instantly filled with warmth. Through the window, she saw the bright lights and couldn't help but look forward to her future life.

She's going back to school next week; she hasn't been to school for six months.

The doorbell rang. Ying Qian's heart skipped a beat.

This older brother was not close to Meng Xuhe; he seemed to reject his younger sister, to the point that Meng Xuhe was afraid of him.

Meng Xuhe sat at his desk, unmoved, pursed his lips, and put on his headphones.

Ying Qian ran over to open the door.

The moment the door opened, the girl's silly smile was reflected in the man's eyes, and his expression suddenly softened, the seriousness between his brows turning into a deep smile.

The man had sharp facial features, half-closed phoenix eyes, and wore a black trench coat. With his height of 190 cm, he gave off a strong sense of pressure.

"Hello, brother!" Ying Qian said respectfully, pushing Meng Beiyan inside.

The man patted her head. "You're a grown woman now, stop fooling around."

Ying Qian was disappointed and ran back to her room to hug the table full of snacks.

Meng Beiyan went to the kitchen first and handed several bags of salt to Tang Yawen.

He then went to wash his hands, and asked casually, "Mom, how have you been lately?"

"You're fine." Tang Ya-wen felt a pang of heartache seeing how thin he had become, and reached out to cup his face. "Why are you working so hard? You can't ruin your health..."

As she spoke, she began to sob, "Tell me, all these years, how much suffering you've endured alone out there... I shouldn't have listened to your father..."

"Mom, don't blame Dad. It was all my own choice." His eyes were full of disdain, and every word he spoke sounded sarcastic. "I know you meant well."

Whether Tang Ya-wen genuinely didn't understand or was feigning ignorance, she seemed completely absorbed in her precious son, saying, "He's grown up and become sensible."

"Your father and I are very proud of you."

"By the way, how is Ying Qian's health?" He didn't want to hear about that, so he changed the subject and steered the conversation to what he wanted to hear.

At this point, a hint of sympathy flashed in Tang Yawen's eyes, "Sigh, this girl... I really don't know what sins she committed in her past life..."

"Which school does she attend?" Meng Beiyan interrupted Tang Yawen.

"Third Middle School," Tang Yawen said. "The school is good, but it's too far from Xiaohe's school, so it's not very convenient to pick her up and drop her off."

Meng Beiyan lowered his eyes and scoffed lightly, then tentatively asked, "Are you going to arrange for her to live at school?"

Tang Ya-wen sighed, "There's nothing I can do... I have to work too, and I can't take care of both children."

Upon hearing this, Meng Beiyan's smile gradually froze, but he quickly came up with another good idea: "If she's going to school, she can stay at my place."

"What!" Tang Ya-wen looked at her incredulously. "How can a little girl like her live with you?"

“My apartment is near No. 3 Middle School, and I don’t usually go back to live there. It’s perfectly fine for Ying Qian to live there; it’s better than living at school.” Without waiting for Tang Yawen’s reply, he turned and left the kitchen.

Tang Ya-wen rubbed her forehead, feeling utterly helpless with him.

As he was about to go upstairs, Meng Beiyan stopped in front of Ying Qian's room. He saw the rose in the vase and was slightly taken aback, then let out a soft hum.

It seems she still really likes roses.

The girl, wearing a thin black coat, sat in front of the computer watching online classes, occasionally yawning, her sleepy-eyed appearance was extremely cute.

Meng Beiyan couldn't look away, his heart seemed to skip a few beats, and in a daze, he felt as if he had returned to the time a few years ago when he lived with his family in Qincheng.