Falling into the rain

Wen Huaixu was still angry at first last night, but when he saw Yu Tingyu hesitating at the door and not daring to come in, his anger suddenly disappeared.

He couldn't bear to see the person he had always cherished grow up with such a forlorn expression.

And the culprit was him.

He acted as if the argument that night had never happened, and that he hadn't heard the hurtful things she said.

Yu Tingyu pouted, her expression unchanged, with a childlike coquettishness befitting her age: "What nonsense are you spouting?"

But no one knew that her expectations had suddenly plummeted to rock bottom.

She only has this one small wish, can't it even be fulfilled?

Wen Huaixu didn't answer, but changed the subject, staring at her with his dark eyes and asking, "Why don't you come up and sleep? Why do you have to squeeze onto the chair?"

Yu Tingyu lowered her head, unconsciously clutching the blanket with the hand that wasn't covered in ointment, and said casually, "I'm already twenty years old."

She paused, not saying what she was going to say next, because she thought Wen Huaixu could guess it.

Wen Huaixu felt a slight pause upon hearing these words.

That's true, men and women are different after all.

He was also drunk last night, thinking about how he used to coax her to sleep when she couldn't sleep when she was little. But he forgot that time flies by too fast. The little girl from back then has grown into a graceful young woman and even has a boyfriend. Naturally, she can no longer squeeze into the same bed with him without any scruples, just like before.

Yu Tingyu looked up at the room, which was filled with a cool atmosphere. Every breath she took was filled with his familiar, refreshing scent, and it felt as if she was about to be tainted by his fragrance.

She threw back the covers and got out of bed.

"I'm going back to my room."

As Wen Huaixu watched her slender figure retreat, he casually remarked, "Not moving out?"

Yu Tingyu paused in her steps.

Moving is definitely necessary, but Wen Huaixu's current stance on this matter is too firm, so she can only postpone it for now. However, she herself doesn't know how long she can suppress the surging emotions within her.

She turned around and looked at him with her bright, clear eyes. Instead of answering him directly, she said, "I want crab rice, braised pork ribs, and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for lunch."

"Aunt Jing isn't home," Wen Huaixu casually reminded her.

Yu Tingyu walked forward without looking back, leaving only two words: "I don't care!"

When her spoiled voice reached Wen Huaixu's ears, his usually composed expression softened, and a soft chuckle escaped his throat.

Yu Tingyu is still the same as before, it's good that she hasn't changed.

But this Zhao Xiao...

The warmth in Wen Huaixu's eyes instantly faded, and his gaze turned cold and stern.

He wanted to see what methods Zhao Xiao had used to make Yu Tingyu fall so deeply in love with him.

-

Later, when Yu Tingyu talked to Shen Sihe about the reason why Wen Huaixu was angry, Shen Sihe almost choked on the water she had just drunk.

"You mean, Brother Huaixu thinks you're dating someone, specifically Zhao Xiao?"

Shen Sihe wiped her mouth, looking utterly shocked.

"It should be, otherwise, since there are no other men around me, who else could he suspect?"

Yu Tingyu sat in the coffee shop, watching the cars coming and going outside the window, and spoke softly.

Over the years, any man who showed interest in her had long been swept away by Wen Huaixu, leaving only Zhao Xiao. This was mainly because they were the same age, entered the same school, and were even in the same college. No matter how strong Wen Huaixu's desire for control was, he couldn't forcibly separate the two of them.

"But no matter how much you suspect someone, you shouldn't suspect Zhao Xiao, right?" Shen Sihe took an awkward sip of coffee and muttered softly, "Brother Huaixu is really getting senile."

Yu Tingyu looked at her strangely, and said with a hint of defensiveness, "...I'm not that old."

Shen Sihe burst into laughter and winked at her, "Not old at all, only seven years older than you. These days, the 'older man/older woman' thing is all the rage, so why don't you try harder and win over your second brother!"

Yu Tingyu waved her hand: "Come on, how am I supposed to win him over? I can't even look him in the eye."

Unrequited love makes even the brave timid; she considered herself a person who was neither arrogant nor humble, but straightforward and honest.

But when it came to liking Wen Huaixu, she truly became a coward.

Just then, a message came through her phone. Yu Tingyu opened it and saw that it was from Wen Huaixu. After reading it, she immediately bit her lip.

[Second Brother]: I'll be back later, don't wait for me.

I'll be going home later again.

Yu Tingyu was already tired of hearing this sentence. The last few times he came back, it was after midnight. She waited for him in the living room and was inevitably scolded by him for not staying up so late.

She typed reluctantly.

[Become a happy fish]: Got it.

"What's wrong?" Shen Sihe asked, noticing her downcast mood.

Yu Tingyu showed her the chat history, and Shen Sihe suddenly smiled amusedly, raising an eyebrow and teasingly saying, "Does this count as reporting to Brother Huaixu?"

"..." Yu Tingyu turned off her phone: "This is a normal notification, how does it involve reporting?"

Shen Sihe shook her head calmly: "Life is too hard, you have to find your own happiness. Just think about it that way, will it make you feel better?"

Yu Tingyu lowered her eyelashes, pondered seriously for two seconds, and just as the corners of her lips were about to turn up, she pursed them into a straight line and whispered, "No."

It's just self-deception.

"If he comes back late, so be it. You should also come back a little later. Zhao Xiao managed to get two tickets to a play, so let's go see it together," Shen Sihe said.

"Why are there only two?"

Yu Tingyu was puzzled. The three of them used to do everything together. Now that one ticket was missing, it felt wrong to have anyone missing.

Shen Sihe touched her nose. "Maybe the tickets are hard to get? This troupe only performs six shows a year, so they're rare and valuable."

Yu Tingyu believed it and made another phone call to get another ticket. It has to be said that Wen Huaixu's connections were quite useful. As soon as others heard that it was Yu Tingyu who wanted tickets, they immediately sent her several VIP box tickets. She didn't want to owe too many favors, so she only took one.

-

"You seem to be in a better mood lately. Have you made up with Tingyu?" Chu Lingyu sat down beside him, deftly opened a bottle of red wine and poured it into a decanter. "And you, you're such a grown man, why are you so angry? You were really drunk."

As he spoke, he gently pushed a wine glass toward Wen Huaixu.

The atmosphere in the private room at "Jingyuan" wasn't as gloomy as it was last time.

Wen Huaixu leaned back in his chair with his long legs crossed, glanced casually at the glass of wine, and said in a low voice, "Xiaoyu won't let me drink it."

Zhang Qi'an scoffed, "Tingyu told you not to drink, and you really didn't? When have I ever seen you so obedient? That's strange."

He paused, then added a hint of teasing in his voice, "I see now, everyone else is henpecked, you're henpecked by your sister."

Wen Huaixu listened without raising an eyebrow, neither refuting nor responding, which seemed to be an admission of agreement.

Chu Lingyu laughed, "Whoever becomes your wife will be jealous of Tingyu."

This might not sound like the truth, but upon closer inspection, it is indeed true. Given how much Wen Huaixu cares about Yu Tingyu, both of their future partners will be jealous of each other.

Wen Huaixu narrowed his eyes and retorted, "What wife did you come from?"

"Miss Chen," Chu Lingyu blurted out almost instinctively. He turned to look at Zhang Qi'an and asked, "Do you believe she'll come over again tonight?"