Collapse? No, this is just everyday life.

"Huh?! Is that okay?!" Kiana exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course, that's no problem. Give one to your sister and parents too, so they can go see it together."

"Yay, love you, Yu!!!" Kiana and Sirin cheered, and Bianca was also pleasantly surprised.

"I got one too? Thank you so much."

That was Eden's concert, and even with their status, tickets were extremely hard to come by. It was only because Nangong Yu lived with Eden and was already very familiar with him that she felt it was easy.

At this moment, Kiana suddenly asked curiously, "Seele and the others are downstairs too. Why are you upstairs, Ayu? And where is Mei? I can't see her."

Upon hearing this, Mei, who had been squatting below quietly listening to the conversation above, instantly tensed up and couldn't help but hug Yu's legs, pressing her entire body against his lower body.

This action made Nangong Yu's body tremble, and she almost dropped the phone in her hand.

After all, given the height Mei was at when she squatted down, and with her face pressed so tightly against the wall, the area directly facing her was...

Nangong Yu's eye twitched, and she took a breath and said casually, "Yayi wasn't feeling well, so she came upstairs to rest. I'm here to keep her company."

"Not feeling well?! Is Mei alright?!"

Kiana immediately panicked, and Sirin also showed a worried expression.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I just haven't rested well. I'll just lie there and rest for a while."

His gaze unconsciously drifted downwards, and that glance nearly made his heart skip a beat.

Mei seemed to sense something; her face remained flushed, and she stared blankly ahead, lost in thought.

His warm breaths seeped through the fabric, forcing him to grit his teeth and endure it.

"That's good, that's good. I was so scared. I thought something had happened to Mei."

Kiana breathed a long sigh of relief, and the topic was quickly changed.

As for Mei, when she got close, the dim light made her feel something was off; the texture on her cheek felt strange, like something abruptly present, with a strange shape...

She was stunned when she stepped back a little and used the sliver of light that shone in to see what was in front of her.

A rush of heat to her head instantly threw her thoughts into a state of confusion.

This...this isn't...

Her breathing gradually became heavy. Whether it was due to psychological reasons or something else, she caught a strange smell. This smell made her thoughts even more hazy, and her whole body felt somewhat strange.

Moreover, with each breath she took, the things in front of her seemed to expand slightly—was it just her imagination...?

Should we open it and take a look?

Strange thoughts flooded my mind, and once they appeared, I couldn't suppress them anymore.

......

"Yu, let me tell you, Mom cooked a big meal today, and she's really disappointed that you couldn't come!"

Kiana spread her arms out, gesturing as if to demonstrate to him just how big the feast was.

"That's a real shame. I was thinking of saying hello to Cecilia."

"Yeah, anyway, our houses aren't far from each other, so we can get together on the weekend!"

At this point, Kiana looked at her older sister beside her: "Sister, do you have time this weekend?"

Bianca thought for a moment, then said seriously, "If you're coming, let me know in advance and I'll arrange the time accordingly."

"Sister, you take your work way too seriously!!"

"Alright then, in that case, I'll... head over there later..."

Nangong Yu was speaking when she suddenly gasped uncomfortably and bent down slightly, which puzzled the three people on the screen.

"Ayu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Yu's lips twitched, and she tried to speak calmly: "It's nothing, it's just that I probably ate a lot of spicy and cold food tonight, and my stomach suddenly feels a little uncomfortable."

"Huh?! Well, Ah Yu, go drink some hot water and rest. Remember to have Xi'er rub your tummy. If you're still not feeling well, be sure to take your medicine!!"

As soon as Kiana finished speaking, Bianca frowned and said, "You must be careful about your diet. You can't eat too much spicy or cold food just because you crave it, especially since it's winter now..."

"Sister, please stop lecturing me!!!"

Kiana quickly held her phone up to her, muttered a complaint about her older sister, and then rapidly said to the screen, "See you tomorrow, Yu! Make sure you get some rest! Goodbye, mua~"

Kiana blew a final kiss to the camera before quickly hanging up the phone.

Holding her phone, Nangong Yu let out a long sigh.

He lowered his head and looked at Mei with a deep, melancholic gaze.

Mei realized something at that moment. She didn't know whether to raise her hand or not. Just as she was panicking, she suddenly felt a light tap on her face, and the sensation in her palm changed dramatically.

"Mei..."

The suppressed sound made Mei feel even hotter. She didn't dare to look up and even closed her eyes.

With heavy breathing and the gradually rising temperature, Mei felt weak all over and slowly opened her eyes with great courage.

The sight before her was so different from what she had just seen that she was instantly shocked, her mouth agape. She wanted to say something, but soon, she was speechless.

Chapter 279 Happy New Year

The climax of the song drowned out the strained sobs coming from the balcony. By the time Eden's last song ended, the balcony was empty, and the two of them were nowhere to be seen.

When it was time to rest, the children were a little reluctant to leave, but under Aponia's gentle voice, they all obediently tidied up their little stools and returned to their respective rooms.

The sound of hurried footsteps coming from the stairwell led Nangong Yu to turn around in the corridor and see a group of girls walking up together.

"Brother~"

Upon seeing Nangong Yu, Xi'er's eyes lit up, and she quickly approached him.

She affectionately hugged his arm, looked around with her cute little head, and asked curiously, "Where's Mei? Isn't she with her brother?"

Mei...

Recalling the sensation from earlier, he felt a strange unease and gestured towards the brightly lit restroom not far away.

"I'm washing up now."

"Washing up? Are you getting ready to rest?" Seele tilted her head in confusion.

"That won't do!"

Suddenly, a pink-haired girl darted up, carrying several boxes in her arms, and said with a happy laugh, "Tonight, no one will be allowed to sleep!"

Click.

At that moment, the bathroom door opened.

Mei had actually rinsed her mouth and brushed her teeth long ago, but since only Nangong Yu was there, she was too shy to come out and be alone with him. She only opened the door after hearing Xi'er and the others' voices.

A blush still lingered on her face, her lips were also red, and she avoided eye contact with Yu, walking quickly over with her head down.

Seeing this, Airi paused for a moment, then chuckled and went to Mei's side: "Mei, Mei, quickly get me some~"

"Huh? Oh oh."

Mei quickly stepped forward to take it.

Just as her hand touched the box, Ellie suddenly leaned forward, her lips slightly parted.

Her voice was very soft, and no one except Mei could hear it clearly.

Mei's eyes widened instantly, her face turning bright red, which made Airi burst out laughing. She placed half of the board game box in Mei's hand and turned to look at everyone.

"Everyone, gather at Ayu's room!"

As she spoke, she was the first to walk towards Nangong Yu's room.

"Hey, what's my opinion?" Nangong Yu said with a laugh.

"My brother's opinion doesn't matter~"

Xi'er, who was beside him, also said something with a mischievous smile, which made Nangong Yu unable to resist pinching her cute little face.

Looking out the window and noticing the figure still standing in the courtyard, Nangong Yu pulled his arm out of Xi'er's embrace and patted her head as she looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Xi'er, you two go ahead. I'll go downstairs for a bit."

"Ok?"

She tilted her head in confusion, but quickly said, "Okay, brother, hurry up and come up!"

He waved and walked downstairs in the opposite direction from the girls.

Halfway there, a figure walking towards him made him stop in his tracks. He immediately greeted her with a smile, "Sister Aponia, are you going back to your room to rest?"

"Yes, the children are all asleep now."

Her voice is still so gentle, making you want to immerse yourself in it.

"But what about you? Aren't you going to rest?"

"Everyone's got plans to play board games together today, looks like we'll be staying up all night."

He replied briefly, then joked, "It's a pity I won't be able to enjoy Aponia's lap pillow."

"Heh~ I'm always ready to open my arms to you whenever you want~"

She said it softly, then suddenly took a step forward.

"Since we don't have lap pillows, let's use these instead this year."

Before Nangong Yu could realize what she was about to do, he was enveloped in the softest embrace he had ever experienced in his life.

My head was pressed into an incredibly soft spot, and I felt as if I were drowning in a sweet ocean of cotton candy.

May your future be smooth and peaceful.

He heard a soft whisper in his ear, but the tenderness lasted only a dozen seconds before it was released, leaving a trace of regret in his eyes.

"It's getting late, I'll head back now."

"Huh? Oh..."

Somewhat stunned, Nangong Yu nodded and stood there watching Aponia walk towards a room on the second floor until she opened the door and her figure completely disappeared before he gradually came back to his senses.

this......