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

Late at night.

Only a floor lamp in the corner of the living room was left on, emitting a dim light.

Ye Shu lay on the sofa, covered with a thin blanket, with her arms behind her head, staring intently at the chandelier on the ceiling.

My mind kept replaying the scene that had happened in my bedroom a few hours earlier, like a movie.

Xiao Nuan stood in front of him, less than a meter away, her face still flushed, but her eyes were unusually bright.

"Ye Shu, I understand, I like you."

Ye Shu's heart trembled at those words. Although he had heard them once before in the taxi, and although the hug earlier had already made him flustered, this time, he seemed to sense that something was different.

Because Tang Xiaotao was right next to him, staring wide-eyed, Ye Shu's face flushed. The embarrassment mixed with the excitement brought by Xiao Nuan's confession made his ears burn.

But he still managed to compose himself and nodded to Xiao Nuan:

"Yes, I know."

But Xiao Nuan shook her head:

"No, this conclusion was not drawn from your behavioral patterns or risk assessment."

She paused, as if sensing or confirming, before continuing:

"That's what I felt here."

She raised her hand, not pointing to her temple, but gently pressing it on her left chest where her heart was.

"I want to stay by your side forever, I want to keep watching you. When I can't see you, I'll count down the days until you come back. I just called my mom, and she said that this is what it means to like someone."

"So, Ye Shu, I like you."

She tilted her head slightly, as if observing Ye Shu's expression:

"Do you get me?"

That's terrible.

Ye Shu felt that if this moment were in an anime, the scene would definitely be Xiao Nuan holding up a huge heart and smashing it hard on him.

He felt a lump in his throat and inexplicably wanted to cry.

This was more impactful than any meticulously planned romantic confession, because Xiaonuan's personality prevented her from using such sweet talk. She was stating an objective fact about herself that she had just discovered and verified.

Ye Shu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he felt a tightness in his throat. He nodded vigorously. This wasn't the time to worry about whether anyone was around; if he didn't respond now, would he even be human?

"I understand, I..."

He wanted to say, "Me too...I actually..."

It wasn't the kind of sudden realization of liking that she had just had, but rather an emotion that had sprouted earlier, was deeper, and was more complex and tangled.

He wanted to tell him that he heard, that he understood, and that he was so happy—so happy he felt like crying, and also like laughing.

But right after he said "I understand," Xiao Nuan stared at his eyes and blinked, not giving him any time to continue.

Just as the hotel's food delivery robot brought the meal, Ye Shu turned around decisively while her "I..." was still hanging in mid-air.

gone.

Without lingering for even a second, and without expressing any curiosity or question about what Ye Shu hadn't yet said, she went straight to her room, opened the door, went in, and closed the door in one smooth motion.

Ye Shu: "..."

The rest of his words were choked in his throat, his outstretched hand, as if trying to grab something, hung in mid-air, and he stood frozen in place like a statue waiting for his wife.

"Holy crap."

After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a "damn" through gritted teeth, a sound that was hard to tell whether he was happy or frustrated. He then lowered his arms and slumped his shoulders.

He felt a sense of helplessness, as if he had prepared himself to unleash a powerful punch, only to have his opponent surrender after a long and arduous process.

But after living together for so long, he should have gotten used to it by now... more or less.

I'm used to Xiaonuan's efficient style of getting straight to the point, leaving once the goal is achieved, without any regard for the atmosphere or what happens afterward.

Although each encounter is still so impactful.

Ye Shu raised her hand and rubbed her face vigorously.

Beside her, Tang Xiaotao, who had been frozen in place since the beginning, was still clutching the pajamas she had just pulled from her suitcase. Her mouth was slightly open, and her eyes were wide open. She looked at her older brother's complex expression, which seemed like he had been struck by lightning but hadn't quite died. He looked at the tightly closed bedroom door opposite her.

She blinked.

Blinked again.

What just happened...?

He confessed his feelings, or I think it was a confession?

Isn't something wrong with this plot development? According to the TV series, shouldn't the older brother also reply "I like you too" at this point, and then the two of them hug, kiss, play music, the camera rotates, and pink heart bubbles appear?

How come these two people, one said "I like you" and the other said "I understand," and then... that was it?

Tang Xiaotao lowered her head, looked at the pajamas in her hand, then looked up at Ye Shu, who was still standing there disheveled, smacked her lips, and savored the scene that had just unfolded:

"Brother... so... what's the situation now? You two... are you officially together? Or not?"

Ye Shu looked at his younger sister with a helpless expression:

"It's...it's done, right...I guess so..."

Ye Shu lay on the sofa, looked at the chandelier above her head, and suddenly smiled. Her smile contained a hint of helplessness, but more than anything, it was a sweet smile from the bottom of her heart.

It should be considered a success.

He let out a long sigh, exhaling all the jumbled thoughts in his mind, then closed his eyes, the day's journey dragging him into a hazy sleep.

In Ye Shu's bedroom, Tang Xiaotao had already finished showering and was wearing a light pink nightgown with a childish design and a bear pattern printed on it.

She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, holding a pillow in her arms, her phone resting against the folded blankets, the screen showing the face of her mother, Ye Shu's aunt.

"Xiao Tao, have you arrived at the hotel? Since you're staying alone, remember to lock the door and check the windows."

Aunt Ye Shu's voice came through the phone, carrying the nagging tone typical of a mother.

"Mom, I'm not at the hotel, I'm at my brother's house."

"Your brother's house? What are you doing at your brother's house? Didn't you book a hotel?"

Tang Xiaotao recounted her hotel adventures that afternoon, from the room malfunction and the surrounding area being fully booked, to her wandering around with her suitcase and finally having no choice but to seek refuge with her brother. She didn't complain much; on the contrary, she was a little proud of having made a small amount of money.

"Oh, is that so...?"

After listening, Aunt Ye Shu nodded, but then immediately followed with instructions:

"Since you're staying at someone else's house, you'd better be considerate and not cause them any trouble, understand? Be quick and efficient, and have some sense."

"Mom, I know how old I am!"

Tang Xiaotao pouted, a little unconvinced.

That's not what I meant.

Aunt Ye Shu waved her hand on the other end of the phone, lowered her voice, and instructed:

"What I mean is, watch yourself. Don't act like you did when you were little, always clinging to your brother. You're a grown woman now, and your brother has a girlfriend. If people see this, they'll start to overthink things, and that's not good."

"oh......"

Tang Xiaotao responded, her mind flashing back to the look in Xiaonuan's eyes when she tried to hug Ye Shu's arm at the train station entrance earlier today. It seemed... not so good.

Aunt Ye Shu didn't notice that her daughter was lost in thought and continued talking to herself:

"You met your brother's girlfriend, right? Isn't she great? When your brother brought her home last time, your grandma, your uncle, and I all thought she was wonderful. This girl is not only beautiful, but more importantly, she has such a refined air about her, and her way of speaking is so gentle and polite. You can tell she comes from a good family and is very well-educated."

After praising her daughter, Aunt Ye Shu suddenly changed the subject, turning her attention to her own daughter:

"You should learn from others. Don't be so restless and energetic all the time, like a tomboy. You can't sit still."

"Ah...yes, it's quite good..."

After listening to her mother's praise, Tang Xiaotao's eyes unconsciously drifted towards the door.

She tried hard to connect the "refined and well-mannered" image her mother had described with the Xiaonuan she had just seen who turned and left after finishing her report...

No, this is too difficult.

Her lips trembled slightly.

"Okay...I, I'll learn..."

Can I learn this? How can I learn it? How can I learn to say the most powerful things with the calmest face? How can I learn to approach dating with the attitude of conducting scientific research?

Tang Xiaotao felt that her worldview had been slightly shaken.

"Alright, you know that's good. It's getting late, go to sleep early, don't stay up late, you hear? Your stomach aches all night because you've been staying up late."

Aunt Ye Shu gave her final words of advice.

"Okay, Mom. You should go to sleep early too. Goodnight."

Tang Xiaotao readily agreed and quickly hung up the video call.

The call ended, the phone screen went dark, reflecting her own face filled with complex emotions.

"Knowledgeable and reasonable...refined and cultured..."

She went through her mother's words one by one in her mind, and then recalled all of Xiaonuan's words and actions that day.

Mom...

The sister-in-law you mentioned, and this warm-hearted girl I met with my own eyes...

What we were talking about...

Is it really the same person?!