After everyone was reborn, I was strictly disciplined.

As soon as he finished speaking, his fingers trembled even more violently, and even the arm holding Xie Xingran was shaking slightly.

In his past life, as an orthopedic surgeon, he was devastated when he saw Xie Xingran's corpse.

A broken skull, how painful that must be.

He has a strong aversion to romantic relationships and knows that his personality is not suitable for marriage and having children, so over the years, he has raised Xie Xingran as his own child.

How could his carefully nurtured child suddenly die?

She had already made an appointment with him to give him a check-up, and she knew that she would be able to see him soon.

How could he have died so suddenly?

He should go pick him up himself.

Xie Ciwen looked at Xie Xingran's body and thought to himself.

That bone-deep regret gnawed at him day and night. Now, looking at Ranran, who was alive and well and could still act cute towards him, his heart felt like it was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and the pain was so intense that he could hardly breathe.

He was so afraid, so afraid that this was just another illusion, so afraid that the child in his arms would disappear in the next second.

Upon hearing this, Xie Xingran couldn't hold back the grievances he had felt before his death in his previous life, and his eyes instantly reddened.

His second brother's question, filled with endless tenderness, was like a key that suddenly unlocked the floodgates sealed deep within his past life's memories. The grievances and pain that had been forcibly suppressed and deliberately forgotten burst forth like a flood, instantly shattering all his pretenses.

The little face that had been obediently pressed against Xie Ciwen's warm hand suddenly tensed up, and her long eyelashes trembled violently, as if she could not hold back the tears that were about to fall.

The next second, her eyes turned as red as ripe cherries, and crystal tears fell without warning, landing on Xie Ciwen's hand, which was surprisingly hot.

"Waaah—"

A suppressed sob escaped from her throat. Xie Xingran could no longer hold back. Her small body lunged forward, her arms tightly wrapped around Xie Ciwen's neck, and she buried her face in his cool shirt collar.

Immediately afterwards, a heart-wrenching wail echoed throughout the room. The cry was filled with the grievances, helplessness, and pain accumulated over a long period of time in both past and present lives. The childish voice became hoarse due to extreme sadness, trembling and making people's hearts tighten.

"Waaaaah! Second brother! It hurts so much! It hurts so much!"

He cried as he clenched Xie Ciwen's clothes tightly with his little fists, his knuckles turning white from the force. He buried his face in Xie Ciwen's neck and rubbed against him, his tears and snot soaking a large patch of fabric.

"It's Xie Weiyao! And Bai Yueyue! They both bullied me! Waaah... They forced me to do it! That's why I fell down the stairs!"

Xie Xingran choked up as she spoke, her accusations broken and intermittent. Each word was accompanied by violent sobs, her chest heaving as if she couldn't breathe.

He remembered clearly that on that day in his past life, Xie Weiyao took away his cane, and Bai Yueyue kept forcing him to make a choice and confront everyone.

He was so scared, and he begged Bai Yueyue so much, but Bai Yueyue still insisted on making the matter known to everyone.

It's just an embryo, right? Just get rid of it, is it really that serious?

In the end, he caused himself to die such a miserable death! He came into this world, but he couldn't do anything.

"This world is terrible! Nobody cares about me, nobody loves me!"

He suddenly raised his head, his little face a mess from crying, his eyes swollen and red like walnuts, his nose bright red, and glistening tears still clinging to the corners of his mouth, looking extremely pitiful.

Those once clear and innocent eyes were now filled with despair and resentment beyond their years, making Xie Ciwen's heart feel as if it had been struck hard by a blunt object, causing him unbearable pain.

"My adoptive parents... abandoned me the moment I was born! Waaah... They only liked that Jiang Huaijin who came later, and spoiled him rotten! They just bullied me, so I slapped my own hand..."

Xie Xingran's voice became shrill from crying, filled with deep resentment.

"They never showed me any care or love! I felt like an outsider, living cautiously in this holy place. The servants were snobbish and didn't listen to me..."

"Especially that Bai Zhi, she's always tattling!"

These words had been bottled up inside him for too long. He dared not speak them, and there was no one else he could speak to. He could only bear them silently by himself.

Now, in my second brother's warm and strong embrace, and in the face of this tenderness I've never felt before, all my pretense has crumbled.

"And that damn system!"

Xie Xingran trembled with anger, her small fists pounding Xie Ciwen's back. The force wasn't great, but it was full of grievance and fury.

"It keeps scaring me! It says I'm a cannon fodder villain destined to die, and it forces me to go through those disgusting storylines!"

"Those so-called chosen ones bully me, humiliate me, and won't even let me fight back! They say if I disobey, they'll make my soul disappear... Waaaaah..."

If the system were awake at this moment, upon hearing Xie Xingran's words, it would definitely break down and shout: "Nonsense! You've been bullying them all along, and you even tried to kill the Chosen One!"

Unfortunately, the system was asleep and didn't hear this distorted truth!

"Second brother... They all bully me... Everyone bullies me..."

Xie Xingran buried herself in Xie Ciwen's arms again, her sobs gradually subsiding into pitiful whimpers, her voice soft and heartbreaking, "Ranran is so pitiful... so pitiful..."

He held Xie Ciwen tightly, as if Xie Ciwen was his only support and warmth in this world.

His small body trembled incessantly from crying, each sob sounding like he was swallowing endless suffering, making Xie Ciwen, who was holding him, stiffen.

The grief and regret in his eyes surged to their peak in an instant, almost threatening to engulf him.

But as Xie Xingran continued to weep, the extreme grief and regret gradually faded away.

Dusk seeped into the room through the window, bathing it in a soft, warm yellow hue.

Xie Ciwen lowered his eyes to look at the little person curled up in his arms. His fine eyelashes cast a light shadow under his eyelids. Finally, he slowly closed his eyes, all the emotions surging in his eyes were suppressed, leaving only a trace of helplessness that was hard to detect, like snow falling on plum branches on a winter night, so light that it left no trace.

Sure enough, Xie Xingran is still the same, unchanged.

He always twists the truth and talks nonsense, never mentioning what he did. He only feels wronged and then, like a wounded cub, hides his soft belly, only showing his wet eyes and choked sobs, complaining to others. He is both hateful and fragile.

But so what?

This is the child he raised, and moreover, the child he lost once.

He raised his hand to gather the disheveled hair of the person in his arms, and with a little effort, stood up steadily.

His white robes cascaded down with his movements, the silver patterns embroidered on the fabric shimmering in the dim light, intertwining with his thick, flowing black hair, making his features appear even more handsome.

She exuded a cold, aloof aura that kept strangers at bay, yet her demeanor softened slightly when she touched the child in her arms.

Xie Ciwen steadily supported Xie Xingran's buttocks with his left hand, freeing his right hand to place his palm on Xie Xingran's slender back, the force as light as brushing against flower petals, patting slowly and rhythmically.

"Ranran has suffered a lot of injustice, hasn't she?"

"Um……"

Xie Xingran's voice was muffled by heavy sobs, like downy feathers dampened by rain.

He buried his face in Xie Ciwen's clothes, carrying the unique milky scent of a child and a faint air of grievance.

His shoulders trembled violently, his small hands gripping Xie Ciwen's robes tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. He choked back sobs as he repeated, "This world is no good at all... Nobody loves me..."

"They all bully me... Waaaaah..."

Xie Ciwen held him in her arms and slowly paced around the room, which was covered with soft cushions.

He looked down at the red, swollen eyes of the person in his arms, at the glistening tears clinging to their long eyelashes, and pursed his slightly cool lips. His tone remained gentle, yet held a hint of probing:

"Ranran, would you like to come home with me?"

"don't want!"

Xie Xingran suddenly raised his head, tears blurring his vision, but this did not diminish his resolute refusal.

Those usually clear and bright eyes were now filled with tears, with stubborn red blood vessels, like a cat that had been provoked. Even though it was trembling all over, it still held its neck straight and blurted out without thinking.

The moment he finished speaking, he seemed afraid that his tone was too harsh, and his shoulders shrank slightly. However, he still stubbornly turned his face away, refusing to look into Xie Ciwen's eyes, leaving only a reddened and stubborn profile.