What's wrong with this man? Is he some kind of stubborn, persistent leech?

She's already fled to Country A, but he still won't let her go. It's endless.

Lu Ci gently smoothed her messy hair, his voice still relatively gentle, "Didn't I tell you to wait for me obediently? Why are you being so disobedient?"

She slapped his hand away and said sarcastically, "I don't even know your name, what are you waiting for?"

"If you want to know my name, just ask me. Why come all this way?"

"I think you misunderstood me. What I meant was that we're not close enough for me to tell you where I'm going."

Who gave him this confidence? Just because she slept with him for one night, he was going to report every single thing she did to him.

"Hua Yinyou, deliberately provoking me won't do you any good. Be a good girl and listen to me. Also, remember, my name is... Lu Ci."

"Lu Ci is Lu Ci, why are you shouting like that? Wait, Lu...Ci? Your name is Lu Ci?"

A rare bitter smile appeared on Hua Yinyou's face. There are so many people with the same name; it must just be a coincidence.

"What, you know someone else named Lu Ci?"

"Do you also have a younger sister named Ji Fuying?"

He frowned, remained silent for a long time, then turned to confirm, "It seems you do know my sister."

"It's over, I'm really finished." Hua Yinyou lay on the bed, listlessly staring at the ceiling. "Yingying, I'm so sorry."

The world is so big, how could it be such a coincidence that the man she slept with turned out to be Yingying's own brother?

How is she going to explain this to her best friend?

Before she could react, Lu Ci flipped over and covered her with his lips, sealing hers with the ones he had longed for so much.

"It would be even better if you knew my sister; we could become family again through marriage."

Hua Yinyou tried to resist, but ultimately, due to the disparity in strength, he succeeded.

A long time passed before Lu Ci finally emerged wrapped in a bath towel, water droplets trickling down his V-line.

Hua Yinyou swallowed hard, then immediately turned her head away and said seriously, "Lu Ci, I haven't had enough fun yet. You think you can tie me down for life? Impossible."

She was used to being free and didn't want to experience the feeling of being restrained, even though she had feelings for Lu Ci.

But that little bit of affection wasn't enough for her to give up the freedom she had always longed for.

Lu Ci noticed a change in her emotions. She was actually serious. She really disliked him that much and didn't want to be associated with him. Was Lu Ci really that annoying to her?

In an instant, his face darkened, and his eyes became more sincere. "Hua Yinyou, look into my eyes. Do you really not like me at all?"

"I..." She stared intently at the man gripping her shoulders, unable to utter a word that didn't come from her heart, "I kind of like him."

"I know we haven't had much contact, and you know very little about me, but I hope you can give me a chance to get to know each other better, okay?"

“Lu Ci, I don’t think this is appropriate. Yingying is my best friend, and you are her brother. If we were to separate one day, then…”

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Ci pulled her into his arms. "Don't talk nonsense. Once I've chosen someone, it's for life. No matter what happens, I will never let go of your hand."

If she originally had a 30% positive impression of Lu Ci, now it's 60%.

Who could resist such a heartfelt confession? In the end, she nodded in agreement, tilting her head slightly to look at him. "Then let's give it a try, but don't tell Yingying yet, okay?"

She also had her own concerns. If she and Lu Ci really did fall apart, at least Yingying wouldn't feel embarrassed.

Lu Ci could see her worries. He wouldn't let her fears happen, but to reassure her, he agreed anyway.

"Now tell me why you came to my room in the middle of the night. Is the security here really that bad?"

Hua Yinyou still couldn't understand how Lu Ci could have gotten in if the hotel hadn't opened the door for him without permission.

“This resort is my property; you’ve just walked into the lion’s den.”

"So that's how it is. Tell me, do you do this kind of thing often?" She held up her index finger and pressed it against the tip of his nose.

Lu Ci gently bit her hand, looking at her with deep affection, "Never before, you are the first and the last."

Hua Yinyou felt her heart beating faster and faster, so... is this what it means to fall in love?

Country C.

Ji Yan woke up the next afternoon and refused Zhou Yunshen's offer to stay, insisting on returning to Country A.

Having no other option, Zhou Yunshen could only see him off to the plane and then tentatively ask, "Do you remember what happened last night?"

"What is it?" Ji Yan's mind was completely blank about last night.

He came back after drinking last night, so what happened that he doesn't know about?

Zhou Yunshen smiled with relief and patted his shoulder. "It's good that you don't remember. It's not a big deal. But I still advise you, if you have any shame, try not to forget things in the future. After all, times have changed."

No one had ever made him so absent-minded before, someone he thought about during the day and at night.

After hearing his explanation, Ji Yan guessed that he must have drunk too much and lost control last night.

"Keep your mouth shut. If any rumors get out, I'll hold you responsible."

He had already decided to let Yingying be, so he would completely erase their past and not let those things disturb her.

"Sure, but you have to tell me who Yingying is, and whether she's already more important to you than Xingchu."

Zhou Yunshen peeked over with a sly look on his face; he was extremely interested in Yingying, the woman Ji Yan had mentioned.

After all, he once thought that without Xing Chu, Ji Yan would be alone for the rest of his life and would never get married or have children.

Upon hearing Zhou Yunshen's teasing, Ji Yan's face turned cold, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.

"Yun Shen, those who know too much are destined to die young. Are you sure you really want to know?"

"I don't want to think about it anymore. You can keep your secret to yourself."

Zhou Yunshen chuckled, turned and left quickly, muttering to himself as he went, "If a person's character gets worse and worse, he'll have no friends sooner or later."

When Ji Yan returned to the old house, the sun had already set, and the sky was ablaze with the glow of the setting sun.

He walked into the hall and found it unusually quiet today; it seemed like no one was home.

A strange sense of panic welled up inside him, and he rushed to Ji Fuying's bedroom door and knocked.

After a long time without any movement, he raised his slightly trembling hand, turned the doorknob, and then pushed it hard.

The bed was made perfectly, as if her return was just a dream, and now that the dream is over, she's gone.

"She still left. Didn't she say she would let go? Ji Yan, what are you doing now?"