The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

Zhi Qiu's words, tinged with a hint of jealousy, fell gently into the living room like a feather, then vanished.

She didn't speak again, but remained in that position, her breathing gradually becoming steady. The grip on Ye Shu's hand slowly loosened, but her fingers remained between his, not separating.

Ye Shu sat motionless, letting her lean against him. The sound of her breathing filled his ears, giving Ye Shu a heavy feeling.

It wasn't about the weight, but the feeling in his heart. He thought about what Zhi Qiu had just said, "I'm afraid that when I close my eyes this time and wake up again, I won't be myself anymore." His heart felt both sore and swollen, and he couldn't express it.

He tilted his head slightly, and could only see Zhi Qiu's eyelashes and the corners of her lips that seemed to still hold a hint of a smile.

At this moment, she is leaning on herself so realistically, but this tenderness, this aura that belongs to "Zhi Qiu", will soon fade away like the sunset outside the window, and be replaced by another color that is equally familiar but different.

There was nothing he could do; he couldn't stop them, he couldn't intervene, and he couldn't predict when their next encounter would be.

All he could do was, like now, offer her a shoulder to lean on when she needed it. To make sure he was there whenever she woke up, fulfilling his promise that "you can find me as long as you open your eyes."

The sky outside the window had completely darkened, and the lights in the living room gradually pushed away the last trace of the sunset.

After an unknown amount of time, perhaps more than twenty minutes, or even longer, Ye Shu felt the person on his shoulder move slightly.

His heart tightened, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him—a mixture of anticipation and disappointment.

Has it been switched? Who is it? Xiaoxue? Xiaonuan? Or Xia Qing?

The person leaning on his shoulder slowly raised their head, blinking with a slightly dazed look in their eyes as they had just woken up. They looked at Ye Shu's face, then at their surroundings, seemingly not realizing where they were for a moment.

Just as Ye Shu was about to say something, she saw the corners of his slightly pursed lips curve upwards like petals brushed by a spring breeze, and then his eyes also curved upwards.

"oops!"

She spoke, her voice still a little hoarse from just waking up, but the joy in it was undeniable:

"Little Shu, are you a little brother or a big sister?"

"Huh?!"

Ye Shu was completely taken aback by this answer. She blinked and looked at Zhi Qiu, who was smiling at her.

Seeing his stunned expression, Zhi Qiu's smile deepened. She slightly opened her narrowed eyes, moved their still intertwined hands, and deliberately asked:

"Little Shu, what's with that expression? Are you happy... or unhappy? Hmm?"

As she spoke, instead of sitting up straight, she leaned forward. The two were already close, and now Ye Shu could see his own complex expression and the smile in her squinted eyes.

That's the smile! This smile, which appears gentle on the surface but clearly carries a mischievous glint in her eye, is the signature smile of Sister Zhi Qiu when she wants to tease herself.

Ye Shu's mood was like a rollercoaster ride~

For the past twenty minutes or so, I've been feeling depressed, my mind racing, imagining all sorts of possibilities, and secretly grieving... In the end, all my suffering was for nothing; I didn't change anyone at all.

Seeing Ye Shu's face half crying and half laughing, like Ji Gong, Zhi Qiu couldn't hide her amusement. Instead of restraining herself, she intensified her actions, leaning even closer to Ye Shu.

Ye Shu instinctively wanted to move back a little, to create some distance. Because Zhi Qiu was too terrifying right now!

But as soon as he moved, half of his body went numb from maintaining the same posture for so long, causing him to hiss involuntarily. Moreover, his hand was still being held by Zhi Qiu, their fingers intertwined—where could he possibly retreat to?

He could only lean back to avoid the warm breath and alluring gaze.

But for every inch he moved back, Zhi Qiu would smile and move forward an inch as well. Soon, Ye Shu was forced to form an...obtuse angle with the sofa, and if he leaned back any further, he would be lying down.

Zhi Qiu nestled against Ye Shu's chest, lowered her voice, clasped one hand with his, and gently tickled his Adam's apple with the other, asking:

"Little Shu, let me guess... when you saw me wake up just now... were you a little disappointed? Did you feel like you missed out because you didn't see the others?"

"No! I didn't!"

Ye Shu shook his head in denial, his upper body was supported entirely by his waist and abdominal strength, and now there was someone lying on his chest, causing his upper body to tremble.

What is all this about?! He was clearly just now...

"Really not?"

Zhi Qiu didn't give him a chance to explain. She tilted her head back slightly, her eyes seeming to widen a little more, and that faint purple light reappeared:

"Then what are you sad about? Could it be...?"

Zhi Qiu's words trailed off, as if they had a hook at the end:

"Could it be that you can't bear to part with your sister? Hmm?"

Zhi Qiu leaned close to Ye Shu's ear and whispered:

"Little Shu...do you really want to be with your sister that much?"

These words were incredibly damaging. Ye Shu, a virgin who had been in the industry for over twenty years, instantly felt his blood rush to his head, his waist relaxed, and he collapsed onto the sofa with a thud.

She's flirting with me! She must be flirting with me!!!

Zhi Qiu, who was originally lying on his chest, seemed to be startled and let out a cry. However, she did not get up. Instead, she relaxed her body in that position, stretched out her arms and hugged him, and lay on Ye Shu's body.

"Hmph..."

A soft, triumphant chuckle reached Ye Shu's ears. Then he heard Zhi Qiu whisper contentedly in his ear:

"Little Shu is a good boy and keeps his word. He's been waiting here for his sister. He's so good."

Then, in a voice only the two of them could hear, with a hint of command, she softly said:

"Little Shu, hug your sister."

Ye Shu's reason told him that this position was inappropriate, but his body refused to listen to his advice. His arms had already acted before his brain could, obediently wrapping around Zhi Qiu's waist.

But just as his hands grasped it, he heard a sound:

"Brother, are you alright? You...?"

Tang Xiaotao had just heard Zhi Qiu's exclamation and was worried something might have happened, so she thought of coming out to see what was going on. But before she could finish speaking, she saw two people embracing on the sofa.

"I......!"

Tang Xiaotao was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to go there or go back.

Upon hearing his sister's voice, Ye Shu froze, momentarily forgetting that he should first loosen his grip on her arm, and opened his mouth to explain:

"Xiaotao, we..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Zhi Qiu lift her head off him, but she didn't get off him. In this very ambiguous position, she turned her head and glanced at Tang Xiaotao standing next to her.

Ye Shu saw it clearly: Zhi Qiu's lips slowly curled upwards. She even winked at him—she was about to cause trouble!

Immediately afterward, Zhi Qiu turned to Tang Xiao Tao, her expression changing as well, a blush rising between shyness and helplessness. It was unclear how her face had turned so red so suddenly. She spoke softly, with a hint of reproach:

"Oh dear, little Shu, really! Little Tao is right here, how could you... do this?"

As he spoke, he symbolically pushed Ye Shu's chest, but he didn't put any force into it.

???

Ye Shu was dumbfounded. What was going on? What did "How could I do this?" mean? Wasn't it you who started it...?!

Before he could react, Zhi Qiu frowned slightly and continued in that "I really can't do anything with you" tone:

"She's holding me so tightly, I can't get up..."

!!!

Ye Shu was shocked. This... this was the legendary "the villain accuses first," wasn't it? He instinctively wanted to refute, but as soon as he opened his mouth:

"No, Sister Zhi Qiu, um..."

A hand quietly covered his mouth, then Zhi Qiu raised his head and gave Tang Xiaotao, who was staring in disbelief, a very gentle, and slightly apologetic smile:

"I'm sorry, little peach sister, for letting you see this."

As he spoke, he patted Ye Shu's chest, glanced affectionately at the person beneath him, and said softly:

"I know you love me, okay? You've been saying it for so long, haven't you said it enough? Be good, stop fooling around."

Tang Xiaotao looked at the two people on the sofa, hugging and flirting, and instantly understood everything.

Well, it's just a little trick by the young couple, and I've become part of their game too.

She turned around expressionlessly and went back to her room. She didn't want to be there!

Hearing the door close, Zhi Qiu's shy and helpless expression instantly transformed into an irrepressible, mischievous smile. She released her hand from Ye Shu's mouth and looked at him, waiting for him to speak first.

As expected, the first thing Ye Shu did after letting go was to look at the smiling Zhi Qiu:

"Sister Zhi Qiu! You...you did this on purpose?!"

"Yes."

Her answer was crisp and clear. She reached out and pinched Ye Shu's still-steaming cheek, which was as round as a freshly steamed bun.

"Who can blame us for having such a funny reaction? His blushing face and the way he tries to explain but can't quite put his finger on it is just so adorable."

"You can't do that in front of Xiaotao...!"

"What are you afraid of?"

Zhi Qiu tilted her head, as if she truly didn't understand, but the smile in her eyes didn't diminish in the slightest:

"Isn't what my sister said... the truth?"

As she spoke, she slowly lowered her head, their noses almost touching, and she stared into Ye Shu's eyes, asking softly:

"Could it be... Little Shu, you don't love me? Hmm? Tell your sister, do you love me or not?"

She did it on purpose! She did it on purpose! After framing herself, she still wanted to press her advantage like this.

However, when she looked at him like that and asked him in that tone, he couldn't utter a single word of complaint.

Finally, Ye Shu could only give up resisting. She turned her head away, avoiding her eyes, and with a flushed face, mumbled a single word, tinged with frustration:

"like......"