LNTSWJLY Chapter 68

The warm, sweet fragrance of the milk had not yet faded. At his fingertips, Lan Jingzhi could feel the cool air from the air conditioner where the cup had just been. His fingers curled slightly, almost involuntarily.

A faint tremor stirred the air, creating an invisible ripple, as though it came from the heart that had begun to tremble without him realizing it. The movement was tiny and silent, yet undeniably real.

Lan Jingzhi thought Yu Zhi was truly a cunning person. Even at a moment like this, he still used a hypothetical question such as if.

He refused to make his meaning clear, yet he knew exactly how to stir someone’s heart. This made Lan Jingzhi’s heart, which had never been particularly good at resisting temptation, stir restlessly even more.

His lips parted and closed again. He tried to keep his voice steady, but a slight tremor slipped into it, revealing the turmoil inside him.

“You… What do you mean?”

Yu Zhi looked at him. He neither denied it nor offered an explanation, merely replying ambiguously, “It means exactly what you think it means.”

Lan Jingzhi was both anxious and annoyed. This man… this man!

Did he really not know that he should go a little easier on him?

But as Lan Jingzhi glared at Yu Zhi in embarrassment and irritation, his gaze met Yu Zhi’s. There was something serious yet subtle in the other man’s eyes, and suddenly, Lan Jingzhi began to understand many things.

Why should Yu Zhi go easy on him?

It wasn’t as though Yu Zhi owed him anything.

In this world, matters like these were the hardest to define in terms of how much one should give or who was right and wrong.

Lan Jingzhi understood better than anyone that no one in this world was obligated to give to others or treat them well simply because they were expected to.

If you wanted something, you had to give something in return.

Yu Zhi was telling him that if he wanted Yu Zhi’s sincerity, he had to take the initiative and offer his own sincerity in exchange.

Take the initiative.

He could clearly feel his heart pounding heavily in his chest. The feelings he had previously ignored, suppressed, and pretended not to notice were now breaking free of their restraints and rushing out. They were almost too much for him to hold back…

“I…”

Yu Zhi kept his eyes on Lan Jingzhi’s, never looking away. In those eyes, he saw joy, nervousness, longing, fear, hesitation, restraint, and inner conflict…

It was complicated, yet somehow, he could see every bit of it with perfect clarity.

Sometimes, seeing through a person requires more than just using your eyes. You have to use your heart.

“You’re hesitating.” Yu Zhi stated it plainly, without concealing anything or avoiding the subject.

Lan Jingzhi quietly lowered his eyes, unable to meet Yu Zhi’s gaze.

Yu Zhi knew that tonight had only been a warm-up. It was enough to shake Lan Jingzhi’s resolve, but not enough to make him follow Yu Zhi without hesitation, no matter what it might cost him.

But Yu Zhi also knew that the road lay right ahead of them, and the day he wanted to see was not far away.

“I won’t force you. What I said just now will remain true until the day I tell you otherwise.”

“However, I don’t want to wait too long. You should understand that many things in this world aren’t eternal.”

Lan Jingzhi’s heart tightened. He looked up at Yu Zhi, whose eyes remained just as they had always been, as though nothing had ever changed.

Yet a person like him was saying that nothing lasted forever.

For a moment, Lan Jingzhi felt anxious, his emotions tangled and complicated. There were a thousand things he wanted to blurt out, but just before the words could leave his mouth, they all seemed to get stuck at once. In the end, he couldn’t utter a single word.

The door opened, and Yu Zhi’s retreating figure grew farther and farther away. In the end, Lan Jingzhi could no longer hold himself back. He opened his mouth and called out, “Yu Zhi!”

“You said you wouldn’t force me, yet you also said nothing lasts forever. Isn’t that forcing me?”

He was tempting him with something wonderful, only to hang a Limited-Time Offer sign on it. This man… He really was cunning and devious!

Yu Zhi turned back to look at him. “The premise of being forced is that you desire something. So, do you want it?”

In the end, they had returned to the fundamental question. Did he want it?

If this had happened earlier, he might have stubbornly insisted that he didn’t. But now, did he really need to lie to himself, too?

He wanted it.

Deep in his heart, he knew it clearly. He wanted it.

Yu Zhi smiled at him. Then, without saying anything more, he turned and left.

Bang!

The door closed. Along with it, the words Lan Jingzhi had almost managed to say just moments ago were shut away, too.

I want it.

He swallowed the words back down.

Perhaps the warm milk had finally begun to work. Still feeling both annoyed and delighted, Lan Jingzhi fell into a deep sleep and enjoyed a peaceful night of dreams.

In his dream, all the candies and desserts in the entire world were spread out before him. But they were all behind glass, and each display bore a sign that read: Exchange everything you have for these.

Unable to resist the temptation in his dream, Lan Jingzhi traded his own emotions and desires— his joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, and all his other feelings— for his favorite candies. They were sweet and fragrant.

He kept trading, over and over, until he had even traded away his reason and his sense of self.

“Lan Jingzhi” disappeared.

And then he jolted awake.

……………… 

Yu Zhi stepped out of Lan Jingzhi’s room and was about to enter the room opposite when he came face-to-face with Yu Chen, who had just come out of the neighboring room.

The two stared at each other.

Yu Zhi had just come out of his older brother’s fiancé’s room, so, by all rights, he should have been the one feeling awkward.

Yet he greeted Yu Chen with a perfectly natural smile. “Good evening, Big Brother. Why are you still awake at this hour?”

On the other hand, Yu Chen stared at his younger brother with wide eyes, looking bewildered and suspicious. For a long moment, he couldn’t quite put his feelings into words. What was he supposed to say about his younger brother coming out of his own fiancé’s room so late at night?

“You…”

Yu Zhi spoke first. “Don’t misunderstand, Big Brother. Brother-in-law couldn’t sleep well, so I just brought him a cup of warm milk.”

How do you know he couldn’t sleep well?

And why did you have to bring him warm milk?

Why would he even accept warm milk from you?

And is that really just warm milk?

Countless questions sprang up in Yu Chen’s mind, leaving him unsure which one to ask first.

His instincts told him that something was wrong, but he had no proof. Before seeing it with his own eyes, no one was willing to admit that they might be getting cheated on.

Even if he had never particularly wanted this relationship in the first place.

Yu Chen frowned. “It’s so late. Don’t disturb him in the future. Don’t you know you should keep your distance to avoid suspicion?”

Yu Zhi smiled and readily agreed. “Mm, I understand, Big Brother.”

Knowing that he should keep his distance was one thing. It didn’t mean he had agreed to do so.

Yu Chen failed to notice the verbal trap. Instead, he suddenly felt more at ease. Looking at Yu Zhi, he said, “You talked to me while I was unconscious some time ago, didn’t you? Thank you.” He still remembered hearing his younger brother’s voice, hoping that he would wake up.

So much time had passed, and only now had Yu Chen remembered to say thank you. Even then, those words were probably nothing more than a casual remark.

“Mm, there’s no need. You were simply lucky, Big Brother. It had nothing to do with my blessing,” Yu Zhi replied casually.

Yu Chen: “…”

He couldn’t argue with the logic, so why did it sound so wrong coming from Yu Zhi?

Looking at his younger brother, Yu Chen couldn’t shake the feeling that the other person had changed a lot since he woke up.

He was less sharp-edged, but he was also less easy to get along with.

“By the way, you should be taking the national college entrance examination this year. How did you do? Which university are you planning to attend?” Yu Chen asked, showing concern for his younger brother’s studies as a proper older brother should.

But a proper older brother wouldn’t wait so long after waking up before even bringing up his younger brother. Nor would he only remember to ask a few casual questions when they happened to meet.

Yu Zhi glanced at him. “I haven’t been going to school. Do you have any suggestions, Big Brother?”

Yu Chen frowned. “If you’re not going to school, what are you planning to do in the future?”

Yu Zhi pressed his lips together in a smile and deliberately said, “Dad said I could join the company and help him out.”

That was a lie.

“Don’t worry, Big Brother. I won’t end up without a job.”

Yu Chen instinctively frowned. Having spent several years navigating the business world, he was used to thinking several steps ahead. In that instant, all sorts of conspiracy theories sprang into his mind.

Yu Zhi waited until he had finished imagining things, then spoke at just the right moment.

“Don’t worry, Big Brother. I was only joking just now. I won’t compete with you for the company. After all, the company means so much to you.”

Then he added meaningfully, “However, there are certain things that aren’t important to Big Brother…”

He didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, he gave a soft laugh and went into his room.

Yu Chen frowned at Yu Zhi’s closed door, turning over his younger brother’s words in his mind.

He had only been asleep for a while. So why did his younger brother seem like a completely different person now that he had woken up?

And then there was his relationship with Lan Jingzhi…

With his suspicions already aroused, Yu Chen began paying closer attention. As it turned out, he really did notice a few suspicious signs.

For example, during meals, Yu Zhi would pay attention to Lan Jingzhi’s preferences and cater to them. In everyday conversations, he would also speak almost exclusively to Lan Jingzhi, barely bothering to acknowledge their parents or Yu Chen himself.

And Lan Jingzhi? He readily accepted all of Yu Zhi’s attention and care. When talking to Yu Zhi, he also seemed more relaxed and familiar than he was with other people. It was the sort of attitude someone would only show toward a person they were close to.

For a moment, Yu Chen even felt that Lan Jingzhi was actually closer to Yu Zhi than he was to him.

But as soon as the thought surfaced, Yu Chen dismissed it.

How was that even possible?

Forget the fact that Lan Jingzhi liked him, perhaps even loved him deeply. Compared with Yu Chen, what did his younger brother have that was better? In what way was he superior?

Yu Chen refused to believe that someone as discerning and high-minded as Lan Jingzhi would take an interest in his younger brother, who hadn’t even attended university. Nor could he believe that a good-for-nothing who used to spend his days getting into fights, consistently ranked near the bottom of his class, and had accomplished nothing could win Lan Jingzhi’s favor and affection.

That was simply absurd.

Yet Yu Chen couldn’t deny that a sense of crisis and irritation had begun to grow inside him.

Even if he didn’t like Lan Jingzhi, Lan Jingzhi was still his fiancé. He would absolutely not allow Lan Jingzhi to develop feelings for someone else while they were engaged.

That was a provocation and an insult to his dignity.

It had nothing to do with feelings. It was a matter of pride.

Watching Lan Jingzhi eat quietly, Yu Chen thought for a moment before picking up the serving spoon and scooping a spoonful of garlic lobster into Lan Jingzhi’s bowl.

“Go ahead and eat.”

Lan Jingzhi: “…”

Looking at the generous amount of finely chopped garlic in his bowl, Lan Jingzhi immediately felt full. The overpowering aroma of garlic rushed into his nose like a disaster.

Glancing at the small amount of rice remaining in his bowl, he knew he couldn’t bear to waste the food. Gritting his teeth and holding his breath, he forced himself to shovel the garlic lobster and rice into his stomach in just a few mouthfuls. Then he hurriedly gulped down several mouthfuls of water, only managing to suppress the urge to throw up.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Yu Zhi’s eyes, which had curved into a smile. Anger surged through Lan Jingzhi, and humiliation mingled with his fury until he was practically beside himself.

Yu Zhi noticed. He parted his lips and silently mouthed a sentence.

Lan Jingzhi’s face, already flushed red with embarrassment and anger, grew even redder. This time, however, only embarrassment remained. His anger had completely vanished.

I know you don’t like scallions, ginger, or garlic.

Yes. Yu Zhi knew what he liked and disliked, ten thousand times better than Yu Chen’s half-hearted attention.

But…

Was it worth it?

Usually, people forgot their dreams completely once they woke up. Yet the dream Lan Jingzhi had the previous night remained crystal clear in his mind.

Would he end up being deceived into losing himself, just as he had in that dream?

Yu Zhi had only just reached adulthood, while Lan Jingzhi was five years older than him. Was he really going to stake the happiness of the rest of his life on this younger man?

After his parents died, Lan Jingzhi had lost all the love he had ever known. All he could do was seek more money to fill the emptiness where his sense of security should have been.

When love finally came and was placed right in front of him, he seemed to have lost the courage to pursue it.

He was a coward.

Lan Jingzhi was torn by indecision, Yu Zhi was waiting, and Yu Chen was busy thinking of how to soothe and warn them for the sake of his own dignity.

After making several attempts to show Lan Jingzhi some goodwill, only to have each one brushed aside with lukewarm indifference, Yu Chen finally couldn’t take it anymore. He called Lan Jingzhi into his room.

“I want you to keep your distance from Yu Zhi,” he said pointedly.

Lan Jingzhi stared at him in surprise. “Brother Yu Chen, what are you talking about? Do you think I’ve been cheating on you with your younger brother?!”

He looked utterly offended, as though Yu Chen had insulted him. Seeing this, Yu Chen suddenly felt a little embarrassed. Had he really misunderstood the situation?

“Brother Yu Chen, how could you misunderstand us like this? Little Brother Yu and I have always had a perfectly innocent relationship. You can’t deliberately smear my reputation just because you want to dump me!”

Yu Chen had been turned into the guilty party, and the accusation had struck a little too close to home. He immediately felt uneasy. “Y-What are you talking about? When did I ever say I wanted to dump you?!”

“Isn’t that exactly what you want?” Lan Jingzhi looked at him with righteous indignation, stubbornness and hurt still lingering in his eyes. “Isn’t Brother Yu Chen slandering me like this because you want to drive me away and make room for Mr. Xia?”

Yu Chen immediately forgot all about questioning Lan Jingzhi’s relationship with Yu Zhi. His mind was filled with just one thought: How does he know?! How did he figure it out?!

How could he…

“I know you never liked me from the beginning. You only dated me because of Mr. Xia. And all the times I treated you well and stayed by your side without giving up were just wishful thinking on my part. But no matter what, you shouldn’t have gone so far as to slander me just to drive me away.”

With that, Lan Jingzhi left Yu Chen’s room looking deeply hurt, leaving Yu Chen no chance to say another word.

Once he was outside, Lan Jingzhi’s sorrow turned into a smile. Just then, he met Yu Zhi’s gaze as the younger man came upstairs.

Lan Jingzhi’s face flushed first. He quickly looked away, went into his room, and shut the door.

Watching Lan Jingzhi’s happy expression, Yu Zhi silently counted down the days until he could take him away.

And waited for the right opportunity.

Although Yu Zhi was confident that he could get the current Lan Jingzhi to leave with him, some things were better left for Lan Jingzhi to see clearly and decide for himself.

A few days later, Xia Ningyang came to visit again. This time, he brought some major news with him.

The fortune-teller who had previously read Yu Chen’s fortune had been arrested! The charge was fraud!

Mother Yu froze in shock when she heard this.

Fraud?

That man had been a swindler?!

H-How could that be possible?!

“Why wouldn’t it be possible? Several families joined forces to report him to the police. Apparently, he swindled quite a lot of money from people. Auntie, didn’t you also ask him to tell Yu Chen’s fortune? If you pursue the matter now, you might still be able to get some of the money back.”

The man had indeed swindled some money from the Yu family. The amount was insignificant to them, but what they had lost was their dignity. They had been fooled by a fraudster, and if word got out, they would surely become a laughingstock.

Mother Yu’s expression darkened.

Lan Jingzhi’s was no better. Almost as soon as Xia Ningyang began speaking, he sensed the other man’s intention. This was aimed at him.

Xia Ningyang had finally made his move, and he had managed to get his hands on such a serious piece of leverage.

Forget whether Lan Jingzhi had played any role in Yu Chen’s awakening. They might even suspect that he had colluded with the swindler to find a way into the Yu family.

The Yu family would no longer tolerate him.

Lan Jingzhi could accept leaving the Yu family of his own accord, but he refused to be driven out by someone else. He could never allow himself to be seen in such a humiliating, miserable state.

Xia Ningyang seemed to have only just noticed him. At just the right moment, he added, “Oh, right, Auntie. That man even took your money by telling you that Brother Chen would have a better chance of waking up if he was with the person he loved. Now that we know the man was a fraud, that claim must have been a lie too, right? Doesn’t that mean we’ve treated Mr. Lan unfairly?”

Unfairly treated? What unfair treatment! He had lived in their home for so long, yet it turned out that he had nothing to do with Chenchen waking up! Weren’t they the ones who had been wronged?

Mother Yu’s expression darkened even further. But she was, after all, someone who cared about saving face. She was unwilling to make an ugly scene in front of everyone, so she suppressed her anger and frustration and went into the kitchen. Forcing a smile, she said, “I’ll prepare some fruit for you all.”

Yu Chen was still undergoing rehabilitation, and his body had not fully recovered. He went inside to rest. Lan Jingzhi was about to head downstairs, but just as he reached the top of the stairs, he heard a voice behind him.

“Mr. Lan, now that everything has been exposed, don’t you feel ashamed? Don’t you think you should leave of your own accord?”

Lan Jingzhi raised an eyebrow and turned around, looking surprised. “Ashamed? What do I have to be ashamed of?”

“Brother Chen’s awakening had nothing to do with you, yet you’ve been acting like his benefactor while living in the Yu family’s home. Don’t you think you should be ashamed of that?”

Lan Jingzhi chuckled softly. “Mr. Xia, I think you’ve misunderstood something. Auntie was the one who invited me to join the Yu family. Auntie was the one who begged me to get engaged. And Yu Chen himself personally acknowledged me as his fiancé. What? Are you planning to speak on their behalf and admit that they were the ones who made a mistake?”

“I’m a good person. Although Auntie and the others did something stupid—wrong, I mean— I’m kindhearted, so I won’t deliberately bring it up or hold it against them. But now, it seems that you’re even more eager than I am to pursue this matter, Mr. Xia. As expected, I don’t have your insistence on getting to the bottom of things, nor your noble willingness to expose even your own family’s wrongdoing. I’m so ashamed of myself.”

Xia Ningyang’s face flushed red, then turned pale with anger.

Seeing that Lan Jingzhi was about to leave, he grew furious. “You’re not allowed to leave! You’re a fraud! You should leave the Yu family of your own accord. I know everything now. Brother Chen is in love with me! He doesn’t like you at all. He only dated you to make me jealous!”

He had only learned all of this a few days ago. Knowing the truth had instantly given him confidence, and even the guilt he had felt over causing Yu Chen to become a vegetable had faded away. Brother Chen belonged to him! What did Lan Jingzhi matter? He was the unnecessary third party who had intruded on their relationship!

Hearing this, Lan Jingzhi raised an eyebrow in surprise. Then he saw Xia Ningyang reach toward him. He instinctively recoiled and tried to move out of the way, but failed to notice where he was stepping.

His foot missed the step!

His heart lurched.

In his panic, he hurriedly grabbed the handrail and managed to steady himself just in time. But once he was standing firmly again, a piercing pain shot through the ankle of his left foot, the one that had missed the step. He couldn’t help grimacing, silently enduring the pain!

“What are you arguing about? I could hear you from far away. Ningyang, tell me what happened.”

Mother Yu had returned. Already in a bad mood, her tone was unpleasant as well. She looked at the two people before her: one was Xia Ningyang, with whom the Yu family had a close relationship; the other was Lan Jingzhi, whom she was already wondering when they could send away. Without even realizing it, her instincts favored Xia Ningyang.

Xia Ningyang had initially been startled when Lan Jingzhi missed the step. But now that he saw Lan Jingzhi wasn’t seriously hurt, his fear and guilt disappeared. He immediately said, “A-Auntie, it’s nothing. Mr. Lan and I just disagreed about something and exchanged a few sharp words.”

Lan Jingzhi smiled. Enduring the pain, he lifted his head and looked at Xia Ningyang. “We certainly do disagree. Mr. Xia thinks I shouldn’t have come to the Yu family, shouldn’t have gotten together with Brother Yu Chen, and certainly shouldn’t have gotten engaged to him. But when I think about it, weren’t these things you all asked me to do, Auntie? Even if they were mistakes, shouldn’t the blame fall on you and Brother Yu Chen instead?”

Mother Yu’s expression immediately turned awkward and mortified. The very thing she had been trying to avoid admitting had been brought up repeatedly. She was now extremely angry, not only with Lan Jingzhi, but with Xia Ningyang as well.

“This matter… It was all a misunderstanding. We’ll find a time to resolve it properly, so let’s not bring it up again.”

Xia Ningyang was growing anxious. How could they possibly just let the matter drop?!

Lan Jingzhi caught the implication behind Mother Yu’s words. She wanted to explain everything away as a “misunderstanding” and restore things to how they had been before? Well, that would depend on whether he was willing to let her.

He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, Yu Chen, who had been unable to fall asleep and had heard the commotion, came out again. Frowning at them, he said, “Mom, Ningyang, what are you arguing about? Don’t worry about that fraud. We didn’t lose that much money anyway. We should learn from the experience and be more careful next time.”

He had deliberately ignored Lan Jingzhi.

Watching him, Lan Jingzhi suddenly laughed again. The sound rang out so clearly in the room that Yu Chen could no longer pretend not to notice him.

Looking at Yu Chen, Lan Jingzhi spoke in an affected, aggrieved tone. “Brother Yu Chen, Mr. Xia says I’m not worthy of being here and that I’m not good enough for you. So does that mean you were blind when you were the one who approached me first?”

Yu Chen frowned.

Xia Ningyang hurriedly explained, “Brother Chen, that’s not what I meant!”

“There’s more than one person in this family who’s blind. You’re leaving someone out.”

A familiar voice suddenly reached Lan Jingzhi’s ears. He quickly turned around and saw Yu Zhi standing at the foot of the stairs leading into the living room. He had no idea when Yu Zhi had arrived. The younger man tilted his head slightly to look up at everyone, wearing a relaxed, casual smile. His tone was light and unconcerned.

“Is there?” Lan Jingzhi looked at him, unable to suppress the joy rising in his heart. He couldn’t help playing along.

“Of course.” Yu Zhi’s gaze passed over Yu Chen, Mother Yu, and Xia Ningyang one by one, then settled briefly on Father Yu, who had come out to see what all the noise was about. It was as though Yu Zhi were sizing them up, scrutinizing them, or merely glancing at them casually, yet somehow, he seemed to have taken everything in.

“Among the people here, some are selfish and willing to harm others for their own benefit. Some are blind in both sight and heart. Some are hypocritical and pretentious. And some have no regard for the law…” Yu Zhi smiled faintly. “Compared with them, you’re the most lovable one.”

Lan Jingzhi, who had been angry just moments ago, suddenly burst into laughter. It wasn’t a forced smile meant for other people to see. It was a genuine, delighted laugh that came straight from his heart.

Looking at Yu Zhi, Lan Jingzhi felt that he had never looked so good before.

Xia Ningyang was utterly confused. Yet Yu Zhi’s remark about having no regard for the law made him feel inexplicably guilty. Did this man… know that I had stood by and let someone die without helping?

Father Yu and Mother Yu had initially looked completely bewildered. But after being so openly mocked and insulted by Yu Zhi, their faces turned livid.

“Yu Zhi, what nonsense are you spouting?! Have you grown so bold that you think this family can no longer control you?!”

Yu Chen knew better than anyone that his younger brother was clearly up to something with Lan Jingzhi. He was also the one who least wanted Yu Zhi to speak, so he tried to stop him. Unfortunately, Yu Zhi gave him no chance.

“I have never denied that you raised me financially, nor will I shirk my responsibility to support you. But that is all there is to it.”

“I’m not here to argue with you today.”

He raised his head and looked at Lan Jingzhi with a serious expression. Then, smiling, he asked, “Looking at them, what do you think?”

Meeting Yu Zhi’s gaze, Lan Jingzhi unexpectedly found that he didn’t want to hide his true feelings. He answered honestly, “Annoying.”

Yes, they were really annoying.

Scheming against one another was annoying. Their hypocritical smiles were annoying. Having to swallow his anger and put up with everything was even more annoying.

Yu Zhi seemed very satisfied with that answer. He continued, “My offer from that day still stands. Will you accept it?”

Yu Chen was burning with anger. “Yu Zhi!”

After shouting his brother’s name, he turned to Lan Jingzhi. “Jingzhi, don’t act on impulse. You need to remember that you’re my fiancé now.”

Those words—my fiancé—made Lan Jingzhi feel nothing but disgust and revulsion.

He replied indifferently, “Oh? So what?”

Yu Chen was stunned. “Y-You don’t you like me?”

Lan Jingzhi laughed. His smile was bright and carefree, as though he had finally let go of a great burden.

“I was lying to you. And you actually believed me? You’re allowed to be hypocritical, but no one else is? Don’t be such a hypocrite. That’s not a good way to live.”

Father Yu, Mother Yu, Yu Chen, and Xia Ningyang: “……!!!”

Father Yu and Mother Yu refused to believe that Lan Jingzhi had been putting on an act for so long. Meanwhile, Yu Chen was so devastated that he began questioning his entire life. As for Xia Ningyang, he found the whole thing absurd. Yu Chen didn’t like Lan Jingzhi, and Lan Jingzhi didn’t like Yu Chen either. So what on earth had Xia been agonizing and making such a fuss over all this time? And he had even let someone get hold of something that could be used against him?!

However, at that very moment, Lan Jingzhi had no interest whatsoever in what any of them were thinking.

After speaking, Lan Jingzhi turned to look at Yu Zhi. He clenched his fists, as though he were gathering his courage for something or eagerly anticipating something.

The corners of Yu Zhi’s lips curved slightly. His eyes and brows softened with tenderness, and his voice was clear and gentle, like jade and flowing water. He held out a hand toward Lan Jingzhi.

“Come down. I’ll catch you.”

At that moment, it was as though Lan Jingzhi had been filled with boundless courage. Strength surged through his entire body. He looked at Yu Zhi and slowly began making his way toward him, limping down the stairs one step at a time.

His ankle hurt, but he seemed unable to feel the pain. His steps grew faster and faster.

The only sound in the entire hall was that of his footsteps. There were only a little over thirty steps in the staircase, with two turns along the way. The uneven rhythm of his footsteps, light and heavy, gradually descended, one step at a time…

It took only a brief moment, yet it felt as though he had journeyed through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, through long, endless years.

Until they were within arm’s reach.

Until their hands met.

Until the embrace that seemed to have crossed a thousand mountains and rivers, traversed the earth and sky, and passed through the sun and moon finally arrived…

In the end, it was like a floating leaf drifting weightlessly into a clear spring.

There had been no path leading here, yet at last, there was a place to call home.

A low voice, little more than a whisper, carried undisguised joy and the peaceful certainty of everything finally falling into place. Amid a soft sigh, there seemed to be a hint of laughter.

“I’ve got you.”

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