Even as a "normie," I'm completely oblivious to it.

But at some point, Yu Zhe gradually stopped doing that.

Is it because we've grown up and find it childish? Or is it because our attention has been diverted to other people?

It's also possible that both are true.

But Yu Zhe is now reflecting deeply and has covered Zi Xiao with the blanket again.

Moreover, his gaze was firm, and he had just made a decision.

"Zixiao, do you remember when you were twelve years old, when you went to play in the back mountain of the villa?" Yu Zhe's words came out somewhat abruptly.

"It wasn't a game..." Zixiao rubbed her cheek against Yuzhe's chest, tears welling up in her eyes. "I was clearly... I was clearly going to pick wild vegetables for you. Yuche said that brother likes the taste of those wild vegetables the most, so I went to the back mountain to look for them, but in the end... I didn't find many."

"But the supermarket on the next street sells them?"

"I didn't know that back then..."

"puff."

Zixiao is really cute.

Having only heard that Yu Zhe liked that wild vegetable, and having happened to see it when she went for a walk in the back mountain before, she secretly set off with a small shovel and a small burlap sack, intending to give Yu Zhe a surprise.

She did manage to find some wild vegetables, not many, but she really tried her best.

I remember when Yu Zhe picked her up, her hands were covered in cuts. She really did her best so that Yu Zhe could have something good to eat.

This is not the reason why Yu Zhe remembers this moment most vividly.

The real reason... was that it rained heavily that day.

Yu Zhe had not yet fully accepted Zi Xiao's existence, but as darkness fell, he could not find Zi Xiao in the villa, which made him a little panicked.

He asked the bodyguards who were guarding the gate, and they said they saw Miss Zixiao go towards the back mountain in the afternoon.

Yu Zhe was really anxious at the time!

He ordered all the maids and bodyguards in the villa to search the back mountain, and even rushed over there himself without holding an umbrella.

Fortunately... Yu Zhe finally found Zi Xiao under a rock where he could temporarily take shelter from the rain, but water would still drip down.

That was a place I used to bring her for walks and outings.

She looked panicked, but even in that state, she still protected the wild vegetables she had picked with her hands. She didn't know much about food back then; she thought that if the wild vegetables got wet from the rain, they wouldn't be fresh, and Yu Zhe wouldn't like her anymore...

I still remember that time when Yu Zhe gave her a good scolding.

Zixiao cried loudly, but still hugged Yuzhe tightly, still holding the wild vegetables in her hands.

Yu Zhe recalled, his thoughts returning to reality.

"At that time you said... thank me for saving you, and you also told me that you wanted to become my family."

"I remember it all..." Zixiao's voice was full of nostalgia, "It's just a pity that I was cruelly rejected back then..."

Yu Zhe nodded and smiled, "Yes... but who knew that we, who were so at odds back then, would become such good friends now?"

Zixiao remained silent.

She hugged Yuzhe even tighter, just like on that rainy day.

Just like ever since she came to the Su family, Zixiao has never let go.

Yu Zhe is her everything, from the moment Yang Qiuyun brought her to the Su family and she first met Yu Zhe.

Zixiao knew that her life had found its direction.

I have a home now.

In this perfectly timed recollection, Yu Zhe moved his hands from Zi Xiao's back and placed them on her shoulders, bringing her face directly towards his.

I asked this question long ago, a question I had already decided to ask.

"Zixiao, now I'm asking you, do you want to be my family?"

"Huh? But...aren't we already family?"

"No... Before, it was my mother who brought you here on her own initiative. Now, I'm asking if you want to become my family in the true sense."

"what..."

Tears welled up in Zixiao's eyes once again.

She understood what Yu Zhe meant.

Rather... she had been waiting for this day for far too long.

But despite her joy, she still had a concern.

"But...but wasn't there a one-year agreement? There are still two months left..."

Didn't you say you were afraid that once you started, you wouldn't be able to stop...?

"It's okay, I can make an exception for you, since you're the first one." Yu Zhe tilted his head and smiled, his silver hair swaying and shimmering with a captivating light. "You know, Zi Xiao, tomorrow our journey will take us through a section of road at a very high latitude with very low temperatures. The low temperature will allow us to go for a walk, which will help me calm down. So... it's okay if we go a little too far now, okay? So now I'm just waiting for your answer, is it good or bad?"

"!"

special case...

You are the first...

These words all turned into tears of emotion that streamed down Zixiao's cheeks.

Her answer required absolutely no hesitation.

"Hmm...Okay!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Zhe tightened his grip on her wrist considerably.

"Hey...you said it yourself, right? It'll be too late to back out when it gets light."

"I won't regret it..."

Both of them have received a response from the other.

The night before the trip.

Sleepless nights are inevitable.

17. Before the trip

Dawn breaks.

The curtains were tightly closed, but the first rays of morning sunlight shone through, illuminating Yu Zhe's beautiful sleeping face.

In this dim light and warm temperature, Yu Zhe slowly opened his hazy eyes.

As his consciousness gradually focused, Yu Zhe realized a problem.

This sliver of dawn light was absolutely insufficient to wake him; even the usual ringing alarm clock couldn't do that.

The only explanation is... Yu Zhe was never actually asleep.

Rather, he had just closed his eyes half an hour ago and woke up after only a short nap.

Last night was really... a bit too much. We agreed to finish at 2 AM, but it was already 3 AM. We said it had to be finished by 3 AM, but it was already 4 AM.

Zixiao finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep; it was already getting light.

But Yuzhe can't sleep!

He now knew exactly how agonizing it was to be so exhausted and desperately want to sleep, yet suffer from insomnia due to lingering emotions...

But it's okay, it was worth it, because in the past few hours, Yu Zhe had a wonderful feeling, and Zi Xiao looked very happy too.

That should do it.

Yu Zhe's gaze shifted from the shimmering curtains to his side. (Monthly membership group 694936135)

That was Zixiao, who was still smiling even in her sleep.

She curled up beside Yu Zhe, her breathing even and steady, her soft exhalations clearly conveying to Yu Zhe that she was in a great mood.

Yu Zhe reached out from under the covers and affectionately stroked her hair.

I'm sorry it's taken you so long to respond to my feelings. You must have been very anxious waiting.

From Zixiao's unusually proactive behavior just now, Yuzhe could tell that she had been suppressing her feelings for a long time.

Thinking back on these things, Yu Zhe cast a helpless glance at the bedside table.

There was an open "chewing gum box" there.

Well, it's definitely not chewing gum.

Fortunately, Yu Zhe had anticipated this situation and had prepared this protective measure in advance, placing it in the drawer. It proved its worth yesterday.

It's absolutely necessary to use this. Yu Zhe doesn't want to raise a child at such a young age, and that would be very bad for Zi Xiao. This is definitely something we need to consider in a few years!

Yu Zhe tried closing his eyes again to see if he could sleep a little longer before the alarm went off.

Hmm... no chance.

I'm not sleepy at all.

I was still sleepy, but the pounding feeling in my heart completely overwhelmed that insignificant drowsiness.

It's not that I haven't slept in the same bed with Zixiao before, but that was just sleeping. In the past, when Zixiao occasionally wanted to act cute like Yuche, she would want to sleep with Yuzhe.

But this time it's different.

The most fundamental difference is that they used to wear pajamas, but this time they were both completely naked!

Zixiao's blanket wasn't covering her too tightly, so Yuzhe only needed to look down slightly to see a great view.

cough...

Yu Zhe thoughtfully covered Zi Xiao with a blanket.

But as soon as the cover was placed on her, Zixiao's body trembled, and her eyes moved, showing signs of wanting to wake up.

Well... come to think of it, Yu Zhe has poor sleep quality, and Zi Xiao probably does too.

Sure enough, she slowly opened her eyes.

Her still sleepy, red eyes, like rubies, exuded a captivating charm.

I'm awake now, there's nothing I can do about it.