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

"To celebrate our Xiaoxue's historic and successful completion of her first outing and independent expression of shopping intentions, let's give her a round of applause!!!"

In the living room, Ye Shu stood in front of the sofa and clapped enthusiastically at An Suxue, who was sitting on the sofa.

An Suxue was still wearing Ye Shu's windbreaker, which was a bit too big; the sleeves covered half of her hand. She had taken off her mask and sunglasses, revealing her face, which was now flushed red.

She held onto Ye Shu's arm with one hand and covered his mouth with the other, both anxious and embarrassed.

"No...don't do this...Ye Shu..."

"What's wrong? This is remarkable progress!"

Ye Shu took out her phone and showed An Suxue a video:

"Look, I captured this historic moment! Although I was the one who paid in the end, the fact that you walked to the cashier with your drink, stood there, didn't turn around and run away, and didn't cry is already amazing!"

The video was taken just now in the convenience store. The footage is a bit shaky, probably because Ye Shu was excited.

In the video, An Suxue, carrying three bottles of drinks, slowly made her way to the cashier, constantly looking back at the camera. Ye Shu can also be heard saying:

"Keep going, hang in there!"

The cashier, with a standard smile on her face, said:

"Hello, do you have a membership card?"

An Suxue froze as if someone had struck her pressure points from afar. Her arms, which were holding the drink, began to tremble slightly. She lowered her head, wishing she could bury her face in her chest.

The cashier seemed to ask something again, and An Suxue shuddered, immediately looking up at the camera.

Ye Shu's phone camera was indeed good; the image clearly showed that An Suxue's eyes were red, her mouth opened but no sound came out, and she was about to cry.

Immediately afterwards, the camera moved, zoomed in, and Ye Shu's hand took the drink. Then the camera turned to the ground, and the video ended.

Although Ye Shu handled the final payment, for An Suxue, being able to walk alone to a stranger with the chosen items and persist for so long was already a first for her.

"Stop talking..."

Looking at her own cowardly appearance in the video, An Suxue slapped her hands over her face, revealing only her burning red ears.

That was quite a force; Ye Shu even heard that shout.

How embarrassing... How could I have been shaking like that...

Ye Shu looked at An Suxue, who was huddled on the sofa, practically singing a song of utter embarrassment, and comforted her:

"What's wrong with saying this? Your aunt and uncle will be so happy if they knew."

An Suxue peeked at him through her fingers, blinking rapidly. She didn't say anything, but her eyes seemed to say, "Really?"

Ye Shu waved her phone and continued:

"So, I just casually sent this precious historical footage to your mother."

"Huh?!"

An Suxue looked up, her eyes wide open, her face showing complete surprise.

"Yeah, not only did she send it, but her aunt replied instantly! Guess what she said?"

"Huh?!!"

"Auntie sent several crying emojis and said, 'Our Xiaoxue is so amazing! Mommy even cried when she saw it! Xiaoshu, thank you! Praise her well!' See, Auntie is so happy."

"Huh?!!!!"

An Suxue turned around and buried her face in the sofa cushions, leaving only the back of her head facing Ye Shu. She hunched her shoulders tightly, as if trying to squeeze her whole body into the sofa crack.

"No...don't say it...it's so embarrassing..."

At this moment, Tang Xiaotao, who had been sitting on the side, sipping her juice, finally couldn't resist anymore.

She looked at Xiao Nuan, who, though shy, was clearly extremely dependent on Ye Shu, then glanced at her older brother's fatherly expression, and recalled their first meeting yesterday...

The difference is too big! Moreover, she noticed from the beginning that her brother seemed to keep calling her "Xiaoxue"?

Tang Xiaotao put down her drink, stood up, walked to Ye Shu's side, and gestured with her chin towards the bedroom:

"Brother, come here for a second, I have something I want to ask you."

Ye Shu was still comforting An Suxue when he heard his sister call him. He said to An Suxue:

"Xiaoxue, I need to talk to Xiaotao about something. I'll be right back. Can you stay by yourself for a while?"

An Suxue peeked out from under the cushion, glanced at Ye Shu, nodded, and then buried her face back down.

Ye Shu followed Tang Xiaotao into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. Tang Xiaotao sat down on the bed, while Ye Shu leaned against the wardrobe with her arms crossed, waiting for her sister to speak first.

Tang Xiaotao didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the core question:

"Brother, that girl outside... is the sister Xiaonuan I met yesterday, right? But why did you call her Xiaoxue? And..."

She organized her thoughts to describe this sense of contrast:

"Moreover, her personality, the emotions she expresses when she speaks, and... well, her aura, are completely different from the Xiao Nuan I met yesterday."

It was inevitable; Ye Shu glanced at his sleeves, knowing there was no escaping it. His smile faded, and he became serious. He didn't answer directly, but instead stated his conditions:

"Xiaotao, you have to promise me that no matter what you hear, you absolutely, positively cannot tell anyone in the family before you get my permission. Nobody can tell anyone. It's not the right time yet."

Seeing her brother so serious, Tang Xiaotao unconsciously became nervous as well and nodded:

"Okay, you say it, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Ye Shu took a deep breath, pointed to the door, and said in a low voice:

"Actually, the person in the living room now is not the Xiao Nuan you met yesterday, but in a sense, she is also that Xiao Nuan."

Tang Xiaotao blinked, not understanding.

Ye Shu looked at her and directly gave a keyword:

"Xiaotao, have you ever heard of... multiple personality disorder?"

Tang Xiaotao's eyes widened slightly. They were all young people, and they had all come across this term to some extent. Moreover, the key words had been given. It was obvious what was going on.

"You mean...?"

Tang Xiaotao also lowered her voice, somewhat incredulous:

"Does Sister Xiaonuan... have multiple personalities?"

"Yes. The one you saw yesterday was Xiao Nuan, and the one outside now is called Xiao Xue. There are also two other personalities, but it's uncertain when they will emerge."

Tang Xiaotao sat on the bed, looking up at her older brother, her mouth slightly open, but she couldn't say a word for a long time.

Multiple personality disorder—this term might not seem like much normally, but now that it's happening right next to me, it feels kind of exciting.

It was a complex feeling. First came shock, then a sudden realization, followed by curiosity, sympathy, excitement, and a heavy sense of unease. All these feelings were mixed together.

"Brother, then..."

Tang Xiaotao hesitated for a long time, unsure of what to say. Asking why she was like this would be too abrupt. Asking if it could be cured seemed inappropriate as well. In the end, she simply said:

"I see. That explains why you seem like a completely different person after just one night's sleep."

She winked at Ye Shu, looking at this older brother she had inexplicably admired since childhood, her heart filled with mixed feelings:

"Brother, don't worry, I definitely won't tell the family."

But then, she abruptly changed the subject and asked a very practical question:

"But...brother, this can't go on forever. Our family will find out sooner or later, won't they? You can't keep it a secret forever, can you?"

This is precisely the problem that Ye Shu is most troubled by.

He can accept and is willing to love every different "she", but he is not sure what his family thinks, and whether they can accept multiple "she" as he does.

"We'll see."

Ye Shu sighed and scratched her hair:

"It's definitely not the right time to tell them yet. Their situation is complicated and needs time. This matter must be kept secret until we are both ready. Xiao Tao, I'm telling you because I trust you. Understand?"

Tang Xiaotao nodded, suddenly feeling that her brother's image had become even more impressive in her eyes. He silently bore everything for love. Wow, wasn't he just like a male protagonist in a novel?

Although about 80% of this tall and imposing figure is due to Tang Xiaotao's innate "brother complex filter," it's still amazing.

"I understand, brother."

Tang Xiaotao stood up, walked to Ye Shu's side, and patted him on the shoulder, imitating the way those retired cadres on TV do:

"You don't seem to be under too much pressure. If there's anything you need my help with, just let me know."

Ye Shu was amused by her feigned maturity:

"You don't need anything, you just need to make sure you don't let anything slip."