"Can you hold my hand and walk with me?"
The boy lowered his head, his eyes gleaming.
When they were little, Mu Yiran often saw him from this perspective, but now it's the other way around.
"...Holding hands?"
The music on the radio was too loud, Mu Yiran asked uncertainly.
Besides, wasn't this kid just complaining about it to death?
Why is she now taking the initiative to come closer, and even holding hands?
But Shi Youxi was very clear that he had taken another step forward, his slender fingers already unable to resist touching Mu Yiran's other hand that wasn't holding a bag.
His index finger brushed against the woman's rounded little finger, tentatively attacking other areas in an attempt to conquer them all.
Shi Youxi: "Yes, let's hold hands."
"May I?"
Shi Youxi suppressed her emotions a little, and the smile on her lips grew wider and wider.
He knew it, even though it had been a very long time since he had laughed like that.
He also knew that his sister couldn't stand his pleading smile.
If this person really is the older sister...
As he expected, the woman smiled.
Then Mu Yiran raised her hand and slapped away his hands that were touching her.
"Of course not!"
Shi Youxi: "..."
Mu Yiran didn't know why Shi Youxi was acting on a whim, but she was now Shi Youxi's stepmother, and at the school.
Holding hands?
And then tomorrow we'll all be making headlines as gossip about the rich and powerful in the capital?
Shi Yan: I treated you as a business partner, but you actually want to be my daughter-in-law?
If this were filmed and Shi Yan saw it, he might just shoot me dead and then find Shi Youxi another fake stepmother.
“You’re 16 years old, not a child anymore,” Mu Yiran said, enunciating each word clearly.
How could she hold hands and hug Shi Youxi like before? It wouldn't be appropriate given her current status.
"Besides, you should know that this is a sham marriage. I signed a legitimate contract with your father. Although it's a sham marriage, I still have to abide by the rules and regulations during the contract period," Mu Yiran explained, opening the skylight.
This can also be seen as a hint to Shi Youxi that regardless of whether he likes Cheng Ran or not, he still has to put on an act when necessary.
With each word she spoke, the light in Shi Youxi's eyes dimmed a little. Finally, when Mu Yiran finished speaking and was about to leave...
Shi Youxi could no longer control herself and grabbed her hand, "I feel unwell... Auntie."
Shi Youxi stared intently at her, "Auntie knows, right... I'm sick."
"..."
That one sentence left Mu Yiran completely bewildered.
She gripped it back, her worry barely concealed. "You...you're really sick?"
Shi Youxi wrinkled her nose, her long eyelashes drooping, looking utterly aggrieved.
"If a stepson is in pain, shouldn't a stepmother help him up? That's what a stepmother should do, right?"
Since he had said that, how could Mu Yiran possibly refuse?
Recalling his unusual expression when he first arrived in the office, the boy's hands were still trembling slightly.
Mu Yiran sensed that he was truly in pain.
"Let's go back quickly."
Shi Youxi followed the woman, looking down at his wrist that was being held.
That's it, that's how it feels.
But that's not enough...
The boy's slender fingers reached up, completely enveloping that warm and soft touch. Six years had passed, and his hands, which had been cold for six years, were experiencing this warmth again.
The two walked away hand in hand, the tall boy following beside the petite woman.
This scene, however, was imprinted in the eyes of another person.
"Yu Ning! Yu Ning is Shi Youxi. Didn't you say he was going to walk home from school with you? Why did he leave first?"
Bai Yuning and her best friend Chen Tingting stood on a path among cherry blossom trees, and through the pink blossoms, they could see two figures walking further and further away.
And those hands clasped together.
Bai Yuning bit her lip hard, her eyes filled with deep resentment. Thinking of something, she took out her phone, opened the photo album, zoomed in, and took pictures of the two of them holding hands.
Then, in a relaxed tone, he said, "That's his stepmother. She was called to school today, so the senior student just walked with her."
Lin Tingting: "They seem to have a pretty good relationship. Shi Youxi... he's actually holding hands with a woman?!"
Bai Yuning frowned deeply. She hadn't even exchanged a few words with Shi Youxi, let alone touched him.
Although Bai Yuning was able to strike up a conversation with Shi Youxi because of their cousin relationship.
But in reality, she was just Bai Shengsheng's only living relative, the stepdaughter that Bai Shengsheng's uncle brought with him after his second marriage.
More than a year ago, Bai Yuning went with her stepfather to see Bai Shengsheng, who was still lucid at the time. It was on that occasion that she met Shi Youxi.
The Bai family was just an ordinary scholarly family in the capital, nowhere near as powerful and wealthy as the Shi family.
Now I live a completely different life than before, and I even attend a school like Jingyi.
As Bai Yuning enjoyed herself, her desires grew stronger.
Her cousin wasn't enough... she wanted to be Shi Youxi's girlfriend!
She had put so much effort into impersonating the woman in Shi Youxi's sketchbook, but she still hadn't made any progress.
Shi Youxi remained cold and didn't say a word to her.
Sometimes, looking at Guan Shiyan who is inseparable from Shi Youxi, Bai Yuning even wonders if Shi Youxi's sexual orientation is normal!
How could Cheng Ran, who had just married into the Shi family, actually get Shi Youxi to hold her hand?
Why...
She sent the photos she had just taken to someone's WeChat. Shi Youxi was about to take an exam, and once he passed and went abroad, Bai Yuning would have no chance.
"Have you prepared everything I asked you to prepare?"
Lin Tingting blinked: "Don't worry, I'll make sure you have an unforgettable birthday."
Bai Yuning gripped her phone tightly, a calculating look creeping into her eyes.
Little did they know that their conversation in the woods was being meticulously recorded by another pair of eyes.
...
When they got into the car, the tattooed man was quite surprised to see Shi Youxi with Mu Yiran. The two of them were actually getting along so well.
It was definitely an act.
That's right. The young master has always been very sensible in his actions. After all, she's only nominally his stepmother, so he'll definitely give her the respect she deserves in public.
Previously, the full-arm tattoo was too small in scale.
The tattooed man watched with satisfaction as Shi Youxi followed Mu Yiran into the car. The back seat of the Cullinan was incredibly spacious, yet the two of them sat close together.
Tattooed arm: "?"
Is it that they look down on the Cullinan's leather seats, or that they dislike the car's heating system for not being warm enough?
Just as he was about to say something, the rearview mirror showed the two of them holding hands.
Tattooed arm: "......"
Is this even considered acting?!
This portrayal of motherly love is a bit over the top!
"Sleeve tattoo".
The tattooed man focused his attention: "Huh?"
Mu Yiran released Shi Youxi's hand. "Young Master said he feels unwell. Is there any medicine in the car?"
Mu Yiran originally wanted to use this opportunity to probe what kind of mental illness Shi Youxi had and how serious it was.
But the tattooed arm keeps his mouth shut.
"Young master sometimes does this, it's a minor issue, just drink some hot water and he'll be fine."
"Really..." Mu Yiran turned to ask the boy sitting next to her, "Is it a minor problem? No need for medicine or anything."
Shi Youxi was still staring at her loosened hand when he heard her words. He glanced at her tattooed arm and said, "Well, you don't need to take medicine in this situation. You'll be fine after a rest."
Mu Yiran was skeptical. It seemed that although she and Shi Yan were allies, she would not be allowed to know anything too private.
Is it because they're afraid of finding the report confirming Shi Youxi's mental illness, thus betraying Shi Yan?
The person with the tattooed arm was probably following him around that day to keep an eye on Mu Yiran.
If it were Cheng Ran, there might still be a chance.
But now Cheng Ran is Mu Yi Ran, and Mu Yi Ran only cares about Shi You Xi's health and has no ulterior motives.
They remained silent on the road.
Mu Yiran closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, her mind filled with thoughts of what Shi Youxi's illness was like, and whether it would be as serious as Bai Shengsheng's...
Unaware that the boy's eyes were fixed on the woman, he remained silent.
…
The two returned to the garden villa, and as soon as they got out of the car, Mu Yiran saw an old acquaintance.
Shi Si, dressed in a suit, stood at the door. When Mu Yiran got out of the car and came to greet him, he said, "Hello, Madam. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Shi Si."
"Hello."
Mu Yiran looked at the other person curiously.
Shi Si should be 21 years old now. Just a few months ago, he was a naive and immature teenager, but now he has become a man.
Handsome and composed.
Recalling the last time she traveled through time, in the tunnel, how Shi Si desperately saved Shi Youxi, Mu Yiran felt much more favorably disposed towards Shi Si.
Shi Youxi also has people around him who truly care about him.
"You're much more handsome than before."
Shi Si didn't react: "What?"
Mu Yiran immediately changed her tune: "I meant you're quite handsome."
She wanted to look at Shi Si again, but her view was blocked by a school uniform.
Shi Youxi stood in front of Mu Yiran, blocking her completely. With a dark expression, he said to Shi Si, "You go in first."
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