Sweetie, don't look at him, kiss me.

Ji Xingye did not deny it, but silently turned around and walked back into the door.

Ji Xingqing followed behind him, nagging, "You know perfectly well that Mianmian is my uncle's woman now. If you try anything irrational, I'll be the first to object."

"I know." Ji Xingye paused, turned to look at her, and said in a soft, slightly bitter tone, "I didn't mean to do anything."

"It... will take a little time."

Seeing the undisguised weariness in his eyes, Ji Xingqing sighed and patted his shoulder. "Then take good care of yourself. I'll head back now."

Ji Xingye nodded and watched her leave.

The old Ji family mansion was as quiet as a sleeping island late at night. Ji Xingye didn't go straight back to his room, but instead stood under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard for a long time.

The moonlight cast his shadow long and faint, and the wind rustled the leaves, as if they were saying something he couldn't understand.

He remembered many years ago, when Lin Qingmian first returned to the Ji family's old house with him, they stood right here. She looked up at the tree full of golden osmanthus blossoms, her eyes sparkling: "Ji Xingye, this tree in your house smells so good."

He said, "If you like, we'll come back every autumn to pick osmanthus flowers."

She smiled brightly and nodded vigorously.

But they never picked osmanthus flowers together again. Two years of separation, and everything had changed.

He looked down at his empty palm, clenched it gently, and then let go.

A few days later, Ji Xingye received a new job—to shoot a city-themed cover for a magazine. The shooting location was chosen on an old street in the center of Fuzhou, with a style that leaned towards artistic and retro.

When he arrived at the film set, he was getting his hair and makeup done in the dressing room when his assistant suddenly pushed the door open, looking rather strange: "Brother Xingye, outside... President Ji and Mrs. Ji are shooting materials for the design exhibition at that coffee shop across the street."

Ji Xingye's fingers, which were holding the phone, paused slightly.

He didn't look up, just gave a faint "hmm," and continued looking at the magazine shooting outline on his phone screen.

After his makeup and styling were finished, he went outside to begin the photoshoot. The photographer guided him through several poses under the plane trees in the old street, capturing his expressions from various angles. He professionally and cooperatively completed every request, his facial expressions perfectly controlled.

But his peripheral vision still involuntarily swept across the street.

The café had spacious floor-to-ceiling windows, and he could see people inside from across the street. Lin Qingmian, wearing a light blue dress and with her hair down, was standing by the window talking to a man. She was holding a tablet computer, seemingly showing something.

And that man... was Ji Linzhou.

He sat in a booth by the window, a cup of coffee in his hand, looking up at her with his head slightly tilted back. His gaze remained fixed on her, his eyes carrying a focused and patient warmth.

Lin Qingmian seemed to get stuck on a word halfway through her sentence, and looked down at her tablet. Ji Linzhou then gestured in a certain direction, as if pointing out something to her.

Then Lin Qingmian showed a look of sudden realization, lowered her head to make a few corrections on the tablet, and when she looked up again, her eyes were smiling.

Ji Xingye stood across the street, watching their every move from across the busy road.

He saw Ji Linzhou reach out and tuck a stray strand of Lin Qingmian's hair behind her ear, saw Lin Qingmian naturally pick up the cup of coffee in front of him and take a sip, and saw the tacit understanding between the two that didn't need words.

The photographer called to him, telling him to turn slightly to the left. He did as instructed, but his gaze remained fixed on the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Hoshino-nii?" The assistant followed his gaze, then hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Should we go over and say hello?"

"No need." Ji Xingye looked away and adjusted his pose towards the photographer: "Let's take the picture."

The filming lasted for nearly two hours. When they wrapped up, the people in the coffee shop across the street had changed. As Ji Xingye walked to the van, he unconsciously paused for a moment.

He turned around and glanced in the opposite direction.

Lin Qingmian and Ji Linzhou were no longer there.

He lowered his head, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and then opened the car door and got in.

"Back to the company," he said.

As the car rounded the corner of the old street, he glanced one last time at the café's floor-to-ceiling windows in the rearview mirror. Sunlight slanted across the glass, reflecting a blinding white light.

He raised his hand to shield his eyes, leaned back in his seat, and let out a long breath.

A few days later, Lin Qingmian went to Fang Shiyang's company to discuss the details of the cooperation.

Ji Xingye had heard the news from somewhere and said he happened to be in the vicinity handling some business, so he drove over to congratulate her in person. He was carrying a bouquet of white lilies of the valley and was waiting in the lobby of the company building.

Seeing her emerge from the elevator, he stepped forward and handed her the flowers: "Mianmian."

Lin Qingmian was slightly taken aback when she saw him, and her brows furrowed subconsciously: "What are you doing here?"

"Just passing by." Ji Xingye pushed the flowers forward a little further: "I heard your design was picked up by an Italian buyer, congratulations."

Lin Qingmian looked at the bouquet of lilies of the valley, remained silent for a moment, and did not immediately reach out to take it.

The atmosphere froze awkwardly for a few seconds.

Then a deep, steady male voice came from behind her: "She's allergic to pollen."

Ji Linzhou had arrived unnoticed, passing by Ji Xingye and naturally standing in front of Lin Qingmian. He glanced down at the bouquet of flowers, then looked up at Ji Xingye, his gaze indifferent and devoid of emotion: "Xingye, you've come at the right time. I happen to have a project I want to discuss with you."

"It's about investing in your new movie."

Ji Xingye's hand, holding the bouquet of flowers, froze in mid-air for a moment before slowly withdrawing. He glanced at Lin Qingmian, whose gaze was fixed on Ji Linzhou, seemingly oblivious to the whereabouts of the flowers.

"...Okay." Ji Xingye placed the bouquet of flowers on the reception table beside him and nodded slightly to Ji Linzhou: "Uncle, please speak."

Ji Linzhou glanced at Lin Qingmian: "The car is waiting for me outside. Get in first."

Lin Qingmian nodded, walked past him, and headed towards the building entrance. She didn't look at Ji Xingye, nor at the bouquet of lilies of the valley left on the reception desk.

Her steps were light and quick, as if she had put down something insignificant.

Ji Xingye stood in the foyer, watching her figure disappear outside the door, before turning his gaze back to Ji Linzhou.

Ji Linzhou was looking at him, his gaze calm and deep, carrying a subtle yet extremely clear sense of demarcation.

"Hoshino." He spoke, his voice soft, yet it felt like a stone was pressing on Ji Xingye's heart: "The past is the past."

"If you still want to call her 'Little Aunt,' then you should learn to keep your distance."