Shi Luyu's brain raced for a moment, and then the image flashed by... Xu Yuanjia was standing alone in the bathroom, the hot water was on, and steam filled the air.

He saw the small white thing in the laundry basket and picked it up. Then…and then…she dared not think any further!

"Xu Yuanjia!" Her voice was a mixture of shame and anger, and she wished she could disappear into the ground.

"Call me brother," he slowly corrected, draping the small bra over the back of the chair and walking over barefoot. His wet footprints were left on the floor, row upon row, stretching from the bathroom doorway to the sofa.

He walked up to her, looked down at her flushed face, reached out, and gently brushed the bridge of her nose with his index finger knuckle:

"Sweetie, is the medicine ready yet?"

Shi Luyu was pulled back to reality by his words. She picked up the bowl of medicine from the coffee table and handed it to him. Xu Yuanjia took it, glanced down at the dark, murky liquid, and deliberately frowned. He brought the bowl to his lips and took a sip, his eyes squinting from the bitterness.

Shi Luyu quickly handed him the dish of candy. He picked one up, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and slowly swallowed it.

"It's still bitter," he said.

"Good medicine tastes bitter." She puffed out her cheeks.

"A kiss will make it less bitter." He acted like a scoundrel.

"No..." She tried to get up, but was pressed back down.

Just one bite, sweetie.

"Guailu?"

"Baby……"

She fled into the bedroom: "It's really no good! My brother is sick, he needs to take his medicine and rest!"

She quickly added, "My brother is still sleeping on the sofa!"

……

-

The next morning, Shi Luyu returned to the village to continue filming the documentary with the project team.

A thin layer of mist shrouded the border village in the early morning, and the eaves of the bamboo houses dripped with the remnants of last night's rain.

An early morning market was set up on both sides of the path, with hot soup pots bubbling and steaming. An old woman selling dyed cloth unfolded a piece of handwoven fabric with a blue background and red patterns, the colors dazzlingly bright in the morning light.

The project team has already begun dividing up the tasks.

Some people went to photograph the silver jewelry of the mountain tribes, some went to the old railway to add some empty shots, and some followed the local guide to interview cross-border vendors. Xu Jia stood next to the temporary meeting point, holding a breakfast and a hot coffee in her hand.

Upon seeing Shi Luyu return to the team, he took the initiative to step forward and hand her the things.

"Haven't had breakfast yet?"

Shi Luyu paused for a moment, then took it and smiled politely, "Thank you, Assistant Professor Xu."

Xu Jia looked at her. She noticed that she was in much better shape today than yesterday. Although her eyes were still a little red, she looked much more relaxed, radiant, and gentle.

He said gently, "You seem to be in a good mood."

Shi Luyu recalled that she was anxious and in a bad state when she asked Xu Jia for leave yesterday, and she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you yesterday, Teaching Assistant Xu."

Upon hearing this polite address, Xu Jia's eyes dimmed slightly for a moment. However, he quickly regained his composure, his expression gentle and serene, as if nothing had happened.

"Have you taken care of everything at home?" he asked.

Shi Luyu nodded and said earnestly, "Don't worry, I guarantee it won't affect the rest of the filming."

Xu Jia smiled and said, "That's good. Be careful."

"Okay!" Shi Luyu, holding her camera, quickly joined the filming group.

The morning's filming focused on the daily life of the village.

She followed her team members across the slope behind the village and began to record the scene with her camera.

In the footage, a woman returns from fetching water in the early morning, a man mends fishing nets under a wooden building, and several children squat by the irrigation ditch washing their mud-covered rubber shoes.

Further ahead was a makeshift shed, with wicker baskets piled with spices, dried fruit, herbs, and bundles of old cloth.

With her delicate photographic techniques, she documented that the border was not just a place of dangerous rumors, but also a place of ordinary, everyday life.

This place is damp and chaotic; some people make a living here, while others hide their secrets in every bag of goods.

At noon, they went to the pagoda behind the village.

Locals say that merchants from the old river port area come here every month to offer lamps and pray for a safe journey. Shi Luyu photographed the profile of a monk chanting sutras in a low voice, and also photographed the wind chimes hanging with red and yellow ribbons under the pagoda.

The shot is beautiful.

But she still occasionally thinks of that photo from last night.

Xu Yuanjia sat in the main seat, while the mayor stood and lit his cigarette and poured him tea.

But soon, she would recall the morning when she pushed open the door and saw him lying on the ground, pale-faced, his frail appearance so vivid that it made her heart ache.

Perhaps she really misunderstood.

Perhaps he was only sitting with those important figures because of company business.

After all, although Jiajia's brother is carefree and occasionally a scoundrel, he has never really harmed her... right?

The filming wrapped up in the evening.

The project team gave everyone half an hour of free time before returning to camp to organize their materials. Shi Luyu, camera in hand, strolled slowly along the village's tourist street. Not far along, she suddenly saw familiar words on a sign ahead—

Snow Honey Ice City.

She froze for a moment.

How could there be a milk tea shop in such a border village?

Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is not just an ordinary village road, but a small tourist street that has been developed in recent years in the old river port area.

It wasn't overtly commercialized, but it was lively enough.

Shi Luyu looked down at the camera in her hand. It was a camera that Xu Yuanjia had bought for her before.

She suddenly remembered that when she had just reunited with Jiajia, he had bought her a lot of cameras. At that time, she had wanted to treat him to milk tea, but in the end, she didn't manage to.

She recalled how he had asked her in a low voice last night why she hadn't come to see him.

She pursed her lips, and her heart suddenly softened.

Half an hour later.

Shi Luyu came out of the milk tea shop, pushing a small cart with several layers of milk tea on it.

Following the route she took the night before, she arrived near the guild hall behind the old river port.

As she reached the door, she called Xu Yuanjia.

"Brother, are you free now?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

Xu Yuanjia seemed to chuckle, his voice languid: "What, missed me?"

Shi Luyu's ears burned: "I bought milk tea."

"Give me?"

"Um...but brother, don't misunderstand, there are also people from your company."

He chuckled softly: "Come in."

The doors to the guild hall were opened quickly.

The building, which looked dark and secluded last night, has a completely different appearance during the day.

The lobby is high-ceilinged, with ebony wood and brass lines intersecting, and a large electronic light screen embedded in the wall, showcasing urban design, smart port models, and cross-border logistics visual systems.

The space retains traditional Southeast Asian wood-carved windows and water features, while also featuring a cool, silver-gray metal structure.

This is a top-tier technology design company.

As soon as Shi Luyu entered, someone who looked like an assistant came to greet her.

The other person was dressed in a well-tailored suit and spoke in a gentle and polite tone: "Ms. Shi, Mr. Xu is already waiting for you."

"President Xu?" Shi Luyu blinked.

The assistant smiled and said, "Yes."

She was led inside.

Along the way, she was surrounded by well-dressed professionals; some were holding tablets, others were having meetings in hushed tones. Whenever people passed by and saw her, they would stop and nod politely.

"Hello, Miss Shi."

Good evening, Ms. Shi.

"Miss Shi, you can leave the milk tea to us."

Shi Luyu was somewhat flattered.

The cart she had brought was quickly taken over by several assistants and distributed to various office areas. The seemingly shrewd and capable executives, upon receiving the milk tea, all thanked her politely.

"Thank you, Ms. Shi."

"President Xu should be in a good mood today."

"Miss Shi, would you like to try some of our snacks in the break room?"

Shi Luyu blushed as they surrounded her, and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "No need, no need, I just happened to be passing by."

She was treated like a little princess and led to the top-floor office.

Xu Yuanjia sat behind a large desk, with a floor-to-ceiling window behind him, through which he could see the old river port and the tropical mountains in the distance.

He wore an ivory-white silk shirt with the collar wide open, the soft, draping fabric accentuating his cool and noble shoulder and neck lines. A string of black jade prayer beads dangled from his pale wrist, and he leaned back lazily in his chair, with several documents and a tablet beside him.

Here, he certainly appears to be a young, powerful, and dazzling tech company president.

Shi Luyu's last remaining doubts were finally dispelled.

She walked over, placed the milk tea on the table, and whispered, "Brother."

Xu Yuanjia looked up: "They're here."

Shi Luyu lowered her head, her fingers twisting together, and her voice became softer.

"I'm sorry, brother."

"It's because I always overthink things and don't trust you enough."

Xu Yuanjia raised an eyebrow slightly, a lazy smile playing on his lips. "So, how does Lulu plan to make it up to her brother?"

This person... is always good at taking advantage of others' misfortunes! Shi Luyu pursed her lips.

She glanced around to make sure no one was in the office before taking a step forward, her face flushed.

Xu Yuanjia slowly narrowed his eyes, and then the girl timidly raised her head and took the initiative to kiss his lips.

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