Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

He stared intently at the large screen, but upon closer inspection, one could see that his gaze was vacant.

All my attention was focused on...

"what!"

The sound of girls screaming, high and low, came from next door.

Shen Shiyan suddenly jolted awake and looked back to find that it was just a close-up of the female ghost on the screen.

Almost instinctively, Shen Shiyan pulled Liu Yunshu closer to his arms and gently covered her eyes with his other hand.

"Don't, don't be afraid~"

Liu Yunshu was pulled into his arms by his sudden movement, and the faint scent of cedar on his shirt brushed against her nose, making her chuckle softly.

"Brother, you still remember to protect me at a time like this. Yun Shu is really touched~"

As she spoke, she gently pried away the hand covering her eyes with one hand, and gently...

"Liu! Yun! Shu!"

Shen Shiyan gritted his teeth, his voice trembling slightly: "If you keep making trouble, I'll deal with you when we get out of here."

Liu Yunshu wasn't afraid at all. Instead, she took advantage of the situation and snuggled closer to him, resting her chin on his shoulder and breathing warm air onto his neck.

"How are we going to pack it up? Will my brother be able to bear it?"

As soon as the words were spoken, another chilling sound effect flashed on the screen.

"Aaaaaah!!!"

Another wave of screams from the girls rose and fell.

Liu Yunshu deliberately snuggled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her voice as soft as cotton candy: "It's so scary, brother, hold me tighter."

Shen Shiyan knew she was doing it on purpose, but he still smiled helplessly, tightened his arms and held her tightly in his embrace, gently patting her back with his other hand to comfort her.

His fingertips unconsciously brushed against her shoulder under her shawl, still worried that she was cold.

"Don't be afraid, it's all fake." He lowered his head and rubbed his head against her head.

"If you're really scared, just bury yourself in my arms and don't look."

She secretly glanced up at his taut jawline and the way he was so protective of her; this feeling of being the only one he doted on was truly addictive.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and couldn't resist gently biting his chin.

"Hiss..." Shen Shiyan hissed softly, his eyes meeting her bright, sly gaze as he looked down.

He reached out and pinched the back of her neck, his fingertips gently caressing her soft skin, his voice hoarse and strained: "Liu Yunshu, you're getting bolder and bolder."

She turned her head away, snuggling closer to him, deliberately pressing her cheek against his burning neck: "Who told you to be so easy to bully, brother?"

"You, you~" Shen Shiyan tapped her nose helplessly.

Liu Yunshu leaned close to his ear, her breath sweet as orchids: "Brother, do you want to...?"

The screams that filled the movie theater drowned out Liu Yunshu's words.

But Shen Shiyan heard it clearly, and the arm around her waist tightened instantly, locking her firmly in his arms.

"Liu Yunshu, don't even think about it tonight..."

The thrilling scenes on the screen continued, and gasps of alarm rose and fell from the seats next to us.

Liu Yunshu laughed so hard her shoulders trembled in his arms, and deliberately tickled his palm with her fingertips: "Yunshu is so scared~"

Looking at the cunning little fox in his arms, Shen Shiyan was both angry and amused, and finally could only let out a helpless sigh.

He was completely and utterly captivated by her, yet he was perfectly content with it.

He gently kissed the top of her head, his voice so tender it could melt your heart: "If you're scared, just stay put. If you keep making a fuss..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Yunshu suddenly looked up and gave him a quick peck on the corner of his lips.

She immediately shrank back into his arms, only her bright eyes showing: "Brother can't bear to part with me~"

The lights and shadows on the screen were still flickering, and the eerie sound effects mixed with the whispers around them seemed to have become background noise.

Shen Shiyan tightened his arms, holding the person in his arms even tighter, his fingertips gently tracing the shoulder line under her shawl, his heart melting completely.

Yes, how could I bear to part with it?

In this lifetime, he is destined to be completely dominated by this little girl named Liu Yunshu.

After the movie ended, the lights in the theater came on. Shen Shiyan tied his coat around his waist, and Liu Yunshu covered her mouth and secretly laughed when she saw this.

Shen Shiyan helplessly held her hand, gently pinching her reddened earlobe with his fingertips: "What are you laughing at? It's all because of someone."

Liu Yunshu tiptoed and whispered in his ear, "Who told you to react so strongly, brother?"

As she spoke, she deliberately shook her wrist, her fingertips brushing against his palm.

"Okay, shall we go back to the dorm or..." Shen Shiyan held her hand, looking at her expectantly.

A hint of a smile flashed in Liu Yunshu's eyes. She pretended to ponder for a moment, then said, "Of course, I'll go back to the dorm."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Shen Shiyan's eyes, but he still said softly, "Okay, I'll take you back to your dorm."

Liu Yunshu chuckled and reached out to hook his wrist and shake it.

"Just kidding! With a brother this... alluring, how could Yun Shu possibly want to go back to the dorm?"

As she spoke, she grabbed his hand and ran towards the car, the blue crystal star on the side of her head shimmering with tiny sparkles as she moved.

As Shen Shiyan was being pulled along, he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When they arrived at the apartment building, Shen Shiyan parked the car and had just unbuckled his seatbelt when Liu Yunshu took a long stride and straddled him.

Before Shen Shiyan could react, Liu Yunshu cupped his cheeks in her hands and kissed him.

Shen Shiyan then reached out and held her waist, taking the initiative to deepen the kiss.

After a long while, the two finally separated.

"Brother, I'll treat you to some green plums~ as a return gift for the hair clip you gave me~"

"Okay~ When did Yunshu buy the green plums? The taste this time..."

"What's wrong? Is it still sour this time? Did I get tricked again?!"

Liu Yunshu frowned as she looked at the green plum in her hand.

Shen Shiyan looked at her face, which was scrunched up like a little bun, and chuckled softly.

He reached out and gently smoothed the wrinkles between her brows, then pinched her flushed cheeks with his fingertips.

"I'm not kidding you, these plums are sweeter than the last ones."

He leaned down, his nose brushing against hers, his voice still hoarse from the kiss: "Perhaps it's because the person who gave me the green plums was sweeter than last time."

"Okay! Brother, you're talking so breathlessly!"

A light drizzle began to fall outside the window, and then gradually intensified.

Raindrops tapped against the car window, blurring the view with a hazy trail of water.

There was a small, cute handprint on the car window.

"Yunshu, listen to the sound of rain outside. Is it heavy? Why don't we wait until the rain subsides a bit before going back to the apartment?"

Shen Shiyan looked at Liu Yunshu, whose forehead was covered in sweat, reached out and picked up a tissue, gently wiping it away for her.

"Why are you suddenly sweating? Is it too stuffy in the car?"

"My stomach is so bloated~" Liu Yunshu said, holding onto the car window with one hand and her stomach with the other.

Shen Shiyan tensed up instantly, covering her hand that was clutching her stomach with his large hand and gently rubbing it with his palm.

"Was it because you ate too much pasta? Or was the plum too sour and irritating?"

"It's okay~ I ate a bit too much tonight, I'm too full~" Liu Yunshu clutched her stomach and hissed softly. She ate too much and it made her feel stuffed.

Shen Shiyan patted her head helplessly, "Why are you eating so much? If you can't eat anymore, you don't have to."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yunshu immediately perked up, crossed her arms, looked down at him, and scoffed, "Haven't you ever heard a saying, brother?"

"What did you say?"

"Wasting food is shameful! I don't want to be a shameful person!"

Shen Shiyan chuckled and tapped her nose. "Yes, yes, yes! Yun Shu is right. Just next time, if you can't finish your food, don't force yourself. Your brother will eat it for you."

After a while, the rain finally stopped, and the two quickly got out of the car and walked into the apartment.

With a "click," the door opened, and as soon as she stepped inside, Shen Shiyan gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

He rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice still damp from the rain: "Let's change your clothes first, you're all soaked."

Liu Yunshu obediently went into her room to change her clothes, while Shen Shiyan went to the kitchen to make ginger tea for her.

When Liu Yunshu came out wearing a loose, off-white loungewear dress, a faint aroma of ginger tea was already wafting from the kitchen.

Shen Shiyan, wearing a light gray apron, was bending down and gently stirring the tea soup in the pot with a small spoon.

"You look so homey wearing an apron, brother." She tiptoed over, wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, and pressed her cheek against his warm back.

Shen Shiyan reached out and patted the top of her head. "Sit down for a while. The ginger tea will warm your stomach once it's ready."

He strained the brewed ginger tea into a white porcelain cup, added a piece of rock sugar and stirred it until dissolved, before placing it on the coffee table in the living room.

Liu Yunshu held the cup and sipped slowly. The spiciness of the ginger mixed with the sweetness of the rock sugar, and the warmth slowly spread in her stomach.

Shen Shiyan sat beside her, gently rubbing her lower abdomen with his fingertips, his movements as tender as if he were afraid of breaking fragile porcelain.

"Is it still swollen?" He looked down at her, his eyes filled with heartache.

Liu Yunshu shook her head and held the cup to his lips: "Brother, have a sip too, to ward off the cold."

The warm ginger tea touched her lips before being offered to him.

Without hesitation, Shen Shiyan lowered her head and took a big gulp. As her Adam's apple bobbed, even her fingertips felt warm.

After drinking the ginger tea, Liu Yunshu pulled Shen Shiyan to look at the scented candles she had made during the day.

Two candle cups were placed side by side on the windowsill. The stars and moon glowed softly under the night light, and the fragrance of gardenias mixed with the scent of cedar filled the room.

She reached out and gently touched the solidified wax surface; the blue crystal fragments shimmered faintly under the light.

"Let's put them on our bedside table tomorrow after they've dried, okay? When we go to sleep at night, smelling the fragrance and looking at the stars and moon, it'll feel like... we're always together."

Shen Shiyan gently wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, his gaze fixed on the two candle cups, his voice soft and gentle: "Okay, from now on, there will always be stars and the moon in our room."