"What's wrong?" Chen Yunqi tilted his head.

"It's nothing." Jiang Nan glanced at him, swallowed back the question she wanted to ask, and smiled at him. "I'll leave it here."

Only now does she realize that she isn't as carefree as she thought—

They also lack the courage to face the fear of rejection and the possibility of losing even a friendship.

“It’s not like it’s a matter of just a couple of steps,” Chen Yunqi said.

"Your godfather might not be asleep yet."

Chen Yunqi fell silent. Jiang Nan waved gently at him and turned to leave.

Only after watching the girl's figure disappear into the distance did he slowly loosen his clenched fist.

Every time he tries to muster the courage to confess his feelings, a bunch of questions overwhelm him.

If his sister is so good to him, is it really just because she sees him as a younger brother she grew up with?

After all, his sister had been so good to him even before he knew what love was...

If he still doesn't catch up with his sister's score, does he really have to watch helplessly as his sister argues with their parents to the point of chaos, just to appease him?

After an unknown amount of time, the boy, who had been standing there like a statue, gave a self-deprecating bitter smile and sighed with a sense of loss.

He tiptoed home and found the house completely dark, which put him at ease.

It's already past 11 PM, and this is the latest he's ever gotten home in his life. Luckily, his parents are already asleep, and as long as he insists he forgot what time he got home tomorrow, it'll be fine.

Just as he was about to push open the door and slip into the bedroom, Chen Lu's soft voice came from the sofa again.

"Just got back?"

"Dad, what are you doing here!" He shuddered, looking at Chen Lu as if he'd seen a ghost. "It's so late, aren't you asleep yet...?"

Chen Luxin thought to himself, "Why do you think your dad isn't asleep?" But he still casually made up a story: "Your mom kicked him out to sleep on the sofa."

This unfilial son only just got back, and he still has the nerve to ask why he's not asleep yet. Damn it, I'm ready to punch him.

No wonder everyone says sons are like spinning tops.

"My friend drank too much, and then..." Chen Yunqi fidgeted with his fingers, trying to explain.

"Take a break. The excuses you can come up with now are all the same ones your father used back then."

"oh."

late at night.

Chen Yunqi lay on the bed and slowly opened his eyes.

He actually had insomnia.

The scene of their parting just now lingered in his mind; he kept feeling that when they parted under the streetlights, Jiang Nan's eyes were glistening with tears.

He originally planned to wait until the admission results came out before confessing his feelings, but now he doesn't want to wait any longer.

What if... his sister really is waiting for him?

When he came to his senses, he had already run to Jiang Nan's doorstep, forgetting to change out of his pajamas.