He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

The time after dinner always seems to pass exceptionally long.

The rain outside the window showed no sign of stopping; in fact, it intensified with a few muffled claps of thunder. Raindrops pattered against the French windows, making a crackling sound.

In the living room, the 100-inch Sony TV, which had hardly ever been turned on, was playing a boring variety show.

The three sat on the huge Italian leather sofa, creating a subtle "Chu River and Han Boundary" situation.

Shen Qingge occupied one end of the sofa, a laptop on her lap, her slender fingers tapping on the keyboard, processing emails she had missed during the day. Although she appeared to be completely focused on her work, her gaze would occasionally drift to the other side through the edge of her blue light blocking glasses.

The other end of the sofa.

Su Xiaoruan sat close to Jiang Che like a boneless human pendant. She hugged a cushion, watching TV and giggling, while occasionally grabbing a handful of cherries from the coffee table and feeding them to Jiang Che.

"Brother, open your mouth~ Ah~"

"I have my own hands." Jiang Che helplessly pushed her hand away.

"Oh, peel it for me, please. These nails are so hard to peel," Su Xiaoruan said coquettishly, stretching out her bare, neatly trimmed fingers.

Jiang Che sighed and resignedly picked up a cherry.

Shen Qingge paused for a moment while typing, then her typing became noticeably heavier, the "tap tap tap" sound particularly jarring in the quiet living room.

Su Xiaoruan, with her sharp ears, immediately shrank her neck and burrowed even deeper into Jiang Che's arms.

Time slips away, bit by bit.

The clock on the wall pointed to eleven o'clock.

Shen Qingge closed her laptop, rubbed her sore neck, and stood up.

"It's late, everyone go to sleep."

This is the lady of the house issuing the order to turn off the lights.

Although Su Xiaoruan wanted to linger, under Shen Qingge's oppressive gaze, she could only reluctantly stand up, looking at Jiang Che with lingering reluctance.

"Goodnight, brother..."

"Okay, goodnight." Jiang Che turned off the TV.

Seeing this scene, Shen Qingge felt that inexplicable sense of crisis well up inside her again. She took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the master bedroom.

When she reached the door, she didn't go in and lock it like she had done the night before.

She paused, her hand gripping the doorknob for two seconds, then, with her back to Jiang Che, she spoke in a seemingly casual but actually extremely stiff tone:

"That... Jiang Che."

Jiang Che was tidying up the fruit pits on the coffee table when he heard this and looked up: "What's wrong?"

Shen Qingge didn't turn around, but raised her voice slightly:

"It's been raining a lot these past few days, and the door lock seems a bit damp and stiff, making it difficult to lock. Tonight... I won't double-lock it."

After saying that, her ears turned bright red instantly.

For the proud Shen Qingge, this was already the biggest concession and hint she could make.

—The door isn't locked, you can come in.

This was a way of giving Jiang Che a way out after locking him out last night and even forcing him to sit on the sofa; it was also an invitation to her husband to "come home" on this threatening night.

Jiang Che paused for a moment, then looked at Shen Qingge's slightly stiff back and a smile appeared on his lips.

This proud woman is so hesitant to even try to make peace.

"Okay, I understand," Jiang Che replied gently.

Shen Qingge breathed a sigh of relief, pushed open the door to the master bedroom, and deliberately left it ajar.

however.

Just as Jiang Che was about to get up and go back to the master bedroom to ease the tension between the couple.

"BOOM—!!!"

A sudden clap of thunder boomed outside the window.

The thunder was so loud, it seemed to explode right on the rooftop, and even the crystal chandelier trembled.

"ah!!!"

A scream shattered the tranquility of the living room.

Su Xiaoruan, who had already reached the door of the guest room, suddenly sprang back like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She rushed into Jiang Che's arms at top speed, hugged his waist tightly, and trembled violently.

"Waaaaah... Brother! It's thundering! I'm scared!"

Su Xiaoruan buried her face in Jiang Che's chest, her voice filled with extreme panic and a sob:

"I'm afraid of the dark... I'm afraid of thunder... Don't leave me to sleep alone..."

Jiang Che was jolted back a step by the sudden embrace and looked down at the trembling girl in his arms.

He could sense that three-tenths of Su Xiaoruan's fear was an act—in order to steal the opportunity; but seven-tenths was real—the countless stormy nights she had spent alone in that dilapidated rented room had left her with deep psychological trauma.

"Su Xiaoruan!"

The door to the master bedroom, which had been slightly ajar, was suddenly yanked open.

Shen Qingge stood there, her face ashen, her eyes blazing with fury.

She had already given such obvious hints! Jiang Che was almost in! And then this little green tea b*tch got to steal the show again?!

"How old are you? Do you still need someone to lull you to sleep?"

Shen Qingge pointed at Su Xiaoruan, her voice icy: "If you're afraid of the dark, sleep with the lights on! If you're afraid of thunder, wear earplugs! Stop playing tricks!"

"I won't...I won't..."

Su Xiaoruan didn't dare look at Shen Qingge at all, but just hugged Jiang Che even tighter, like a drowning person clinging to a piece of driftwood:

"Brother, don't go... Uncle used to get drunk and beat me when it thundered... I'm scared... really scared..."

She began to speak incoherently, her body trembling like a leaf.

This is no longer a simple competition for favor; it's a traumatic stress response.

Jiang Che looked at Su Xiaoruan, who was pale and sweating profusely, in his arms, and then at Shen Qingge, who was standing at the door of the master bedroom with a look of anger and a hint of expectation in her eyes.

This is a dilemma.

Going to the master bedroom might appease his wife, but Su Xiaoruan will definitely have a breakdown tonight.

Staying would appease Su Xiaoruan, but as for Shen Qingge... the cold war would probably escalate again.

Jiang Che remained silent for two seconds.

Finally, he raised his hand and gently patted Su Xiaoruan's back.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Then, he looked up at Shen Qingge, his eyes filled with a hint of apology, but even more so with helplessness:

"Qingge, something's not right with her. Tonight... I need to stay with her for a while, until she falls asleep."

"..."

Shen Qingge's expression froze.

Looking at Jiang Che's hand stroking Su Xiaoruan's back, she felt as if she had been slapped in the face.

She even put aside her pride and hinted that she had left the door open.

In the end, Jiang Che still chose that wild girl.

"it is good."

Shen Qingge nodded, the word squeezed out between her teeth, carrying a resolute chill:

"Jiang Che, this is your choice."

"You'd better stay with her for life!"

"Bang!!!"

The door to the master bedroom was slammed shut.

Followed by.

"Click, click."

Two crisp metallic clanging sounds rang out—she had not only locked the door from the inside, but also attached a security chain.

This is not just locking the door; it's completely locking Jiang Che out of his heart.

The living room fell silent again, with only the rumble of thunder outside the window.

Su Xiaoruan trembled when she heard the door slam, but she didn't let go. Instead, she rubbed her face against Jiang Che's chest, and a faint smile appeared on her lips in the darkness.

Sister, I'm so sorry.

My brother is mine tonight.

……

Inside the guest room.

Jiang Che didn't turn on the main light, but left on a warm yellow bedside lamp.

Su Xiaoruan curled up in the quilt, only her big eyes showing, clutching Jiang Che's clothes tightly, as if afraid he would run away.

Jiang Che sat on the carpet by the bed, leaning against the edge of the bed, holding a fairy tale book that he had found somewhere.

"Alright, stop pretending."

Jiang Che slammed the book shut in annoyance. "The thunder has already traveled eight hundred miles, and you're still shaking?"

Su Xiaoruan peeked out from under the covers, stuck out her tongue, and her face, which had been contorted with fear, now wore a smug, triumphant look.

"Hehe... I'm still a little scared."

"Are you scared? I think you're trying to make your Qingge sister angry to death." Jiang Che reached out and pinched her cheek. It felt very soft and smooth.

"It's her fault for taking you away from me."

Su Xiaoruan mumbled something, snuggled closer to Jiang Che, and rested her head on the edge of the bed, only a few centimeters away from Jiang Che's shoulder:

"Brother, you just chose me, is sister very angry?"

"What do you think?" Jiang Che rolled his eyes at her.

"Then...do you regret it?" Su Xiaoruan asked cautiously, her eyes filled with a hint of probing.

Jiang Che turned to look at her.

Under the lamplight, her eyes were crystal clear, reflecting his image.

No regrets.

Jiang Che said calmly, "Since I promised to sponsor you, how could I, as your older brother, abandon my sister who is afraid of the dark?"

Hearing this, Su Xiaoruan felt as if she had been filled with honey. She stopped talking and just quietly looked at Jiang Che's profile, smelling the faint scent of tobacco and shower gel on him.

This was the most peaceful sleep she had ever had in her life.

There was no leaky roof, no drunken uncle, and no thugs who might break in at any moment.

There was only a warm light, a soft bed, and an older brother who was like a guardian angel.

"Brother, tell me a story." Su Xiaoruan closed her eyes, her voice growing softer and softer.

"How old are you to still be listening to stories?"

Jiang Che feigned disdain, but still reopened the book in his hands, his voice becoming low and gentle:

Once upon a time, there was a stray kitten...

Half an hour later.

Su Xiaoruan made even breathing sounds.

Her hand was still tightly gripping Jiang Che's sleeve, her sleeping face serene, a smile playing on her lips.

【Ding! 】

[Detection indicates that Su Xiaoruan's dependence on the host has reached the "absolute trust" stage.]

[Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: God-level Sleep Aura.]

[Halo Effect: Upon activation, the host and people within a five-meter radius will enter a deep sleep state, possessing miraculous effects such as beautifying the skin, repairing physical fatigue, and relieving neurasthenia.]

Jiang Che raised an eyebrow as he looked at the reward.

This is simply a sleep aid!

and……

He glanced towards the tightly closed master bedroom. Shen Qingge had been suffering from insomnia and vivid dreams lately; with this aura, it might become a trump card to ease tensions in the future.

Jiang Che gently pulled out his sleeve and tucked the blanket around Su Xiaoruan.

He didn't go back to the master bedroom to avoid bad luck, nor did he sleep on the sofa.

He sat down on the bay window of the guest room, looked at the rainy night outside, and activated the [God-level Sleep Aura].

That night.

Su Xiaoruan had a beautiful dream in which she was wearing a wedding dress.

Shen Qingge stayed up half the night in the master bedroom in a huff, but somehow she ended up falling asleep and sleeping very soundly.