After the divorce, he went on a motorcycle trip, and his ex-wife and daughter were filled with regre

The moment Han Qingru slipped, she felt as if the whole world had lost its balance. However, the expected pain did not come.

Jiang Ye reacted with lightning speed, almost instinctively, turning around abruptly. His powerful arms, like iron clamps, swept her slender waist around his chest, catching her steadily and firmly in his broad embrace. In the instant they fell, he even instinctively used his large hands to protect the back of her head, leaving his own back to the hard ground.

The immense inertia caused them both to fall down.

In a dizzying moment, the two rolled twice on the soft grass covered with unknown wildflowers before finally coming to a stop.

Jiang Ye was below, his broad back pressed tightly against the grass, fragrant with the scent of earth and cool with the night dew. Han Qingru was above, her entire body nestled tightly against Jiang Ye's strong chest.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The sound was so loud that it was impossible to tell whether it was his or hers, or whether it was a fateful resonance between their heartbeats at that moment.

Han Qingru seemed to wake from a dream and tried to struggle to get up.

She suddenly realized that the person beneath her was no longer the thin, frail boy who needed her to hold his hand to cross the street. He had grown into a towering tree, strong enough to shelter her from the wind and rain.

However, Jiang Ye did not let go.

One of his hands remained tightly, yet restrainedly, around her waist, as if afraid that if he loosened his grip she would fly away like a butterfly, or that he would hurt her. His other hand slowly rose, with an almost reverent devotion, reaching towards Han Qingru's face.

Jiang Ye's slender fingers trembled slightly, a physiological reaction born from a mixture of extreme restraint and intense desire. He gently, bit by bit, untied the ribbons behind the fox mask.

The mask slipped silently and fell into the grass nearby. This mask, like the disguise they wore as "siblings," was finally completely stripped away at this moment.

The moonlight poured down without reservation, revealing Han Qingru's exquisitely beautiful face, flushed from the slight intoxication of alcohol and the vigorous exercise she had just undergone.

Her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and a few damp strands of hair clung messily to her fair cheeks, adding to her fragile beauty. Her usually clear and rational, watery peach blossom eyes now seemed to be veiled with mist, filled with panic, confusion, and a kind of tremor that she herself was unaware of.

The air seemed to freeze completely at that moment, and even time seemed to stop flowing.

Seven years have passed.

Seven whole years! From the day he first fell in love, this feeling was like a seed that took root and sprouted in his heart, growing into a towering tree that tightly bound his heart. He carefully hid it, disguised it, afraid that revealing even the slightest bit would lead to utter ruin, afraid that he would even lose the right to stay by her side.

But now, he could no longer suppress it.

"Big sister..."

"I don't want to be your brother anymore."

"We're not related by blood, but we grew up together!"

"I'm fed up with the constraints of this identity! I'm fed up with only being able to look at you as your younger brother every day, fed up with watching others fawn over you while I don't even have the right to be jealous! I'm even more fed up with this torment of being so close yet unable to openly embrace you!"

Han Qingru's body trembled violently, like a leaf swaying in a storm.

She looked at Jiang Ye, who was so close to her, and saw his bloodshot eyes, as if he wanted to offer her his soul. A strong sense of panic and struggle flashed in her eyes.

Reason was rife in her mind. She was five years older than him; she was his older sister. They had grown up together in an orphanage, and everyone knew about their relationship.

Societal judgment, ethical constraints, the uncertainty of the future… these things weighed heavily on her heart like mountains. She was afraid, afraid to take that step. What if their relationship broke down in the future, and they couldn't even be the closest of family members anymore? She would lose him completely.

She pressed her hands against Jiang Ye's burning chest, making a final stand. Her voice was trembling with helpless sobs, as if pleading with him, or perhaps with herself:

"Ono, no... calm down, you're drunk..."

"I'm five years older than you, I'm your older sister... If we take this step, what if things happen in the future..."

"There's no 'what if'!"

Jiang Ye interrupted her gently but firmly. He didn't forcefully hold her hand down, but slowly lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers. Their noses almost touched, and their breaths mingled completely.

"In my life, Jiang Ye, I can give up everything. I can give up an empire with hundreds of billions in capital, I can give up the Cloud Wilderness Realm that others dream of, and even my life. If you need it, I can give it to you anytime."

His voice echoed in the night wind, carrying a resolute determination, yet as gentle as if he were reciting a most sacred vow.

"But I can't live without you."

"What do you think I've been striving so hard to climb to the top for? Why do you think I've fought my way through the treacherous world of business? I just want to become strong enough to shield you from all the storms, strong enough to silence all worldly opinions! You are my Cloud Wasteland, you are the only refuge of my soul. Without you, what meaning do I have of everything in this world?"

Jiang Ye's words were like a warm spring breeze, instantly dispelling all the gloom and fear in Han Qingru's heart.

Yes, what is she still worried about?

The man before her was no longer the frail boy who followed her around needing her protection. He would risk his life for her; to give her a stable world, he single-handedly built a business miracle that everyone looked up to. He spent seven years, countless days and nights, striving just to earn the right to stand shoulder to shoulder with her.

And what about herself?

Han Qingru asked herself this question in her heart. In these seven years, had she never been moved by him?

The heart-pounding moments in the dead of night because of a single message from him, the bittersweet feeling that welled up when I saw him getting close to other girls, the countless times I wanted to reach out and hug him but held back...

She clearly loved him too, deeply and silently. She used her role as his "older sister" as a shield to protect him, but also to confine herself. She always thought she was doing it for his own good, afraid of hindering his bright future, afraid that worldly gossip would hurt him.

But she forgot that true love is a two-way street, a courage to face everything side by side. He had already declared war on the world for her, so why should she be that cowardly deserter?

What does age matter?

What does identity matter?

What do worldly views matter?

In this vast universe, to meet someone whose soul resonates so deeply, someone willing to give everything for you, is such a luxurious miracle. How could she, how could she bear to push him away again?

Han Qingru slowly closed her eyes, a single, crystal-clear tear sliding down her cheek. The tear reflected the moonlight, slid down her fair cheek, and finally disappeared into the hair at her temple. This tear carried away all her worries, anxieties, and seven years of suppressed emotions.

Her hand, which had been pressed against Jiang Ye's chest, slowly loosened its resistance.

Then, to Jiang Ye's astonished yet ecstatic gaze, she took the initiative. Her hands moved upwards, passing through his soft, short hair, and tightly encircled Jiang Ye's neck.

She opened her eyes, and those peach blossom eyes no longer held coldness and hesitation; instead, they were filled with gentle tenderness and unreserved love.

"Ono..." she murmured softly.

This sentence is like the final incantation to break the seal.

Jiang Ye kissed him.

The kiss was as gentle as touching a rare treasure, yet as passionate as if it wanted to crush and merge their souls together. In this kiss, they poured out seven years of longing, seven years of forbearance, seven years of pain, and the ecstatic joy of finally overcoming all obstacles to be together.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

Jiang Ye suddenly straightened up, and with a strong effort, lifted Han Qingru steadily from the grass in his arms. His movements were so gentle, yet so firm, as if he were holding her entire world in his arms.

He strode towards the highest point of the town. There, nestled halfway up the mountain, was a secluded wooden villa, not open to the public, exclusively his own.

Han Qingru gently pressed her cheek against Jiang Ye's broad, warm chest, listening to his strong, powerful heartbeat and feeling his steady steps. At this moment, she felt an unprecedented peace and tranquility in her heart.

Reaching the wooden house, Jiang Ye gently pushed open the slightly ajar door with his shoulder. After carrying Han Qingru inside, he turned and gently closed the heavy solid wood door with his foot.

On this quiet summer night, two hearts that had wandered for many years finally crossed the mountains and rivers of worldly affairs and completely possessed each other in the most intimate way.