Chapter 113 Is it not enough for me to just be your little brother?
When Nianxi sat alone, she recalled many things from her childhood.
At first, Zhou Yanli was aloof and difficult to get along with.
She was kind enough to share her treasured candy with him, but he would dislike the candy because it was melted by her little hands and throw it on the ground;
She introduced her good friends to him, and the next day both boys and girls were bullied by him and cried;
When she told him funny stories about her family, he would frown and refuse to laugh, as if others owed him a few gold ingots...
But little Nianxi at that time lived too naively.
She couldn't believe that anyone could dislike her.
So she approached Zhou Yanli again and again, stubbornly holding his hand, and even if he shook her off again and again, she insisted on playing with him.
At that time, she would share her happiness with her family every day, "Yanli was very obedient today. He didn't ignore Yu Niang when she talked to him."
Li was a kindhearted woman. She felt sorry for Zhou Yanli who was too young to have a mother to teach him. She would patiently tell Nianxi, "You are his elder sister. You should be more tolerant and understanding of him and be nice to him."
Nian Xi took it seriously in her heart.
So when the boys nearby scolded Zhou Yanli as a motherless child and Yanli rushed up to fight with the group of people, she would rush forward to help without hesitation, regardless of her ladylike image.
But girls are too weak after all.
She didn't know who pushed her down, and the stone scratched her palm, causing her to cry bitterly.
The boys saw what had happened and scattered.
Only the little Yanli crawled up and walked to her side, stretched out a dirty hand, and pulled her up from the ground.
"It's okay. It doesn't hurt at all."
Yan Li lowered her long eyelashes, stared at the wound on her palm, and said nothing.
She, who was always coquettish, put her hands behind her back for the first time. Even though there were still tears on her cheeks, she still blinked her clear almond eyes and told an insignificant lie -
“It really doesn’t hurt at all.”
Since then, Zhou Yanli really became her caring brother.
They became closer and closer.
At this moment, when Nian Xi heard Yan Li say "Sister hates waiting for people the most", her eyelashes trembled slightly.
"I was ignorant at that time and developed many bad habits."
People tend to change slowly over the course of repeated days.
It was as if she was not an arrogant person, but under the habit of being tolerated and spoiled by Yan Li, she became a little willful and arrogant.
Even his brother Wen Qingheng couldn't stand it any more, "Only Yan Li can stand you like this."
That's why she fell seriously ill when she first came to the capital after parting with Yan Li.
But in her past and present lives, she met Pei Jian and Gu Ci respectively. Her childhood playmates were quickly replaced and she forgot...
Only Zhou Yanli remained where he was.
Nian Xi felt a little heavy in her heart.
He didn't rush to explain his purpose, but motioned for him to sit down and called the wine doctor to serve the food.
She was more mature and tolerant than before, and more calm. She talked to him considerately about several famous dishes, with familiarity and ease.
She is no longer the girl with cheerful eyes in my memory.
That's the look he liked back then.
Zhou Yanli almost subconsciously wanted to find traces of the past, her habits, or small expressions.
He didn't know whether all her changes were because of Nianxi herself or because of others.
And which of these bystanders has the greatest influence on her?
His sister Nianxi was wearing a pink brocade double-breasted jacket today. She had a pearl-pin brocade hairpin of the same color on her hair and pearl earrings on her ears. As she spoke, her hair swayed slightly, creating a soft curve and a faint fragrance that was almost captivating.
She was charming enough in Jinling.
Those boys who bullied him were just using a stupid way to attract her attention.
Now, she has shed her youthful look, and is now soft and fragrant, with sparkling eyes that reveal boundless charm.
My sister has really changed a lot.
Zhou Yanli replaced the tea that Nianxi had been drinking and poured another cup from the stove. He then raised his eyes and asked, "Sister, you asked me out today. Is there something you want to tell me?"
Nian Xi watched his actions. Since when did her sister become the one being taken care of?
"Recently, when I recalled the time in Jinling, I realized that I, as your elder sister, was always careless. It was you who took care of me more."
Nian Xi raised her lips to smile, and said seriously and solemnly, "Now that I'm older, it's still my turn to take care of you in the future. If you have any problems, just come to me."
Zhou Yanli lowered his eyes, with a faint smile on his face, but veins on his forehead were throbbing, as if he was trying his best to endure something. However, the loss of composure only lasted for a moment, and was quickly covered up. Nian Xi almost thought she was dazzled.
"Is that why my sister distanced herself from me?"
"Sister, don't you want me to take care of you?"
"Is it because of the resignation?"
He did not raise his head and asked several questions in a low voice.
Nian Xi was slightly startled, then shook her head, "No."
This is nobody's business.
She just didn't want there to be someone in this world who silently endured loneliness day after day for years with no end in sight.
She just found it difficult to respond to the surging affection behind this loneliness.
She just hopes that the well-behaved and beautiful brother in her memory will have a bright future, and that they can look back on their years and grow old together with deep affection.
Nian Xi's voice was soft and slightly moved, both to Yan Li in front of her and to the powerful official in red more than ten years later, "Yan Li, I'm sorry, I don't mean to distance myself from you, but I have ignored you for a long time.
From the moment I found you behind the rockery and you called me sister, I have always been your sister. This will never change."
But apart from her role as a sister, she could no longer respond to his other emotions.
"Sister, I know that in your heart, I will never be as important as him."
Zhou Yanli's clear gaze fell on Nian Xi. His eyes were gentle and delicate, with a unique sense of concentration.
At this moment, such a delicate look was mixed with humble begging, "But he is not here now, sister, can you let me stay with you? I don't want to replace him, even if he comes back one day, I will leave you."
"Sister, I treat you as my own family."
Nian Xi looked back at him and repeated, "Relatives?"
"Yes. At that time, I lost my mother, and it was my sister who sang terrible songs to me to cheer me up, and it was also my sister who often played with me. I like my sister and her family, and I want to be by your side for the rest of my life."
Zhou Yanli was smart and sensitive, and he understood what she meant.
Then he whispered, "Is it not enough for me to just be your little brother?"
It is hard to refuse this thought.