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

Jiang Che put down the magazine, stood up, and slowly walked behind her.

He looked at her in the mirror, gently placing his hands on her rounded shoulders, his fingertips feeling the coolness of the velvet fabric and the warmth of her skin.

"It's beautiful."

Jiang Che's voice was deep and slightly hoarse: "Like a green rose blooming in the night. Dangerous, yet alluring."

Shen Qingge looked at their reflection in the mirror, her cheeks slightly flushed. She took Jiang Che's hand in hers, her eyes sparkling, "Isn't this a bit too revealing? After all, it's Xiaoruan's coming-of-age ceremony. Shouldn't I be more understated?"

"You are the mistress of the house." Jiang Che lowered his head and gently kissed the skin behind her ear. "No matter what, you don't need to be low-key."

Just as the two were enjoying their tender moment, another curtain was drawn open beside them.

"Um...brother, sister..."

Su Xiaoruan's voice was somewhat hesitant, carrying a hint of shyness she had never felt before.

Jiang Che and Shen Qingge turned their heads to look at the same time.

For a moment, Jiang Che was in a daze.

That carefree little girl who always wore her school uniform and only knew how to whine and ask for snacks seemed to have vanished in an instant.

Instead, there is a young girl whose bud is about to bloom.

Su Xiaoruan was wearing a champagne gold strapless dress.

The dress is made of layers of imported soft tulle, with tens of thousands of tiny crystals hand-sewn on it, sparkling like a galaxy under the lights. The skirt is large and fluffy like a cloud, yet it doesn't feel heavy.

Because of the strapless design, her rounded, fair shoulders and slender arms were fully exposed. Her originally slightly chubby face now showed a few of the unique contours of a young girl under the exquisite makeup (the makeup artist applied a simple base).

She tugged at her skirt a little awkwardly, her feet swaying slightly as she wore those not-so-high crystal heels.

"Isn't it... a little weird?" Su Xiaoruan lowered her head, not daring to look Jiang Che in the eye. "I feel like a child who has stolen and put on adult clothes."

Jiang Che released Shen Qingge and walked step by step to Su Xiaoruan.

He looked at the girl in front of him, who only reached his chin.

The little girl in my memory running around in Phuket in a floral dress, the little girl shivering in a windbreaker in the Kunlun Mountains, finally overlapped with the girl in the dress in front of me at this moment.

She has grown up.

They've really grown up.

Jiang Che's gaze softened, becoming like a deep pool of water.

He reached out and, instead of ruffling her hair as usual, very gentlemanly and gently tidied the stray hairs at her temples.

"No, it's not my fault."

Jiang Che looked into her eyes, his tone solemn and earnest:

"very beautiful."

"Little Softie, you are the most beautiful princess in the world."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoruan suddenly raised her head.

She met Jiang Che's eyes, which were full of admiration and doting.

At that moment, everything around me seemed to disappear. Only the sound of my heartbeat echoed in my ears like thunder.

She looked at Jiang Che, at the man she had loved deeply in her heart for so long.

His eyes were so gentle and so tolerant.

But... that gentleness was for his younger sister.

Su Xiaoruan's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She forced back the stinging sensation, forcing a bright smile, and twirled around, her skirt billowing in the air.

"Really? Then I'm going to wear this! I'm going to stun everyone at my coming-of-age ceremony! I'll shut up all those people who say I'm a bad student!"

"Okay." Jiang Che nodded with a smile. "Whatever you say."

Shen Qingge walked over and helped Su Xiaoruan adjust the zipper on her back.

"Xiao Ruan, turn around, the zipper seems to be getting your hair stuck," Shen Qingge said.

Su Xiaoruan obediently turned around.

Jiang Che stood aside and watched.

The girl's fair, jade-like back, and the butterfly-shaped shoulder blades that trembled slightly with nervousness, all proclaimed the beauty of youth.

"Brother." Su Xiaoruan, with her back to Jiang Che, suddenly spoke, her voice soft.

"Um?"

"When I'm an adult... will I be able to do many things... that I couldn't do before?"

Jiang Che assumed she was talking about drinking or taking the driving test, so he smiled and replied, "Of course. You can drink, you can drive, and you can go to many places you want to go."

"Then..." Su Xiaoruan bit her lip, her voice even lower, "Can we date?"

Jiang Che's smile faltered slightly.

For some reason, his heart tightened upon hearing those words.

But he quickly regained his composure, his tone remaining calm: "Of course. As long as the guy is good enough and treats you well, I won't object."

"Oh……"

Su Xiaoruan responded with a sound of agreement and then remained silent.

But her hands, hanging at her sides, gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.

"Good enough... good enough to me..."

"Brother, is there anyone in this world better than you, and kinder to me?"

[Afternoon: The Tranquility and Heartbeat of the Study]

It was already afternoon when I returned to Qingche.

Shen Qingge went straight to her study as soon as she got back from an urgent video conference at the company.

Su Xiaoruan, still wearing the dress she was reluctant to take off, sat on the sofa in the living room for a while in a daze, then ran back to her room to change back into her loose-fitting loungewear.

The magical moment is over, and Cinderella has to go back to facing her "wicked stepmother"—and start preparing for her college entrance exams.

3 PM.

Jiang Che, carrying a plate of sliced ​​fruit and a glass of warm milk, knocked on Su Xiaoruan's door.

"Enter."

I pushed open the door; the room was quiet.

The heavy curtains were half-drawn, leaving only a beam of light shining on the desk.

Su Xiaoruan was slumped over the table, pen in hand, with the dreaded physics exam paper spread out in front of her. She seemed to have encountered a difficult problem; her brows were furrowed, she was biting the pen tip, and her face was full of bitterness and resentment.

Jiang Che walked over quietly and placed the fruit plate on the corner of the table.

Which question do you not know how to answer?

Jiang Che's voice suddenly rang in her ears, startling Su Xiaoruan.

"Brother! Why do you walk so quietly?" Su Xiaoruan patted her chest.

"You're just too focused." Jiang Che pulled up a chair next to him and sat down, naturally leaning over to look at her test paper. "Electromagnetic induction?"

The distance between the two instantly closed.

Jiang Che's faint scent, a blend of coffee and woody aroma, unexpectedly entered Su Xiaoruan's nose.

Her body stiffened instantly.

Jiang Che didn't notice her odd behavior. He propped himself up on the table with one hand and picked up a pen with the other, drawing on the draft paper.

"Look, we need to analyze the forces acting on the system first. The direction of the Lorentz force is determined using the left-hand rule..."

Jiang Che spoke very seriously. His profile was well-defined, his eyelashes were long, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he spoke.

Su Xiaoruan couldn't listen to any of the Lorentz force theories.

Her gaze involuntarily fell on Jiang Che's hand. That hand was long and strong, with distinct knuckles, and it was holding a pen, writing formulas smoothly on the paper.

She remembered that hand had gently stroked her hair in the fitting room that morning.

She remembered that on New Year's Eve, this hand had placed the ring symbolizing a promise on Shen Qingge's finger.

A strong impulse surged within me.

"Do you understand?" Jiang Che finished speaking and turned to look at her.

The two faces were less than ten centimeters apart.

Su Xiaoruan snapped back to reality, hurriedly averting her gaze, her cheeks instantly turning bright red: "I...I understand..."

"Why is your face so red?" Jiang Che frowned, reaching out to touch her forehead. "Do you have a fever?"

A warm palm was placed on her forehead.

Su Xiaoruan recoiled as if burned, and the chair made a screeching sound.

"No! I don't have a fever!" Su Xiaoruan stood up, somewhat incoherently, "It's just... it's too hot in here! I'll go open the window!"

She ran to the window, breathing in large gulps of fresh air, trying to calm her racing heart.

Jiang Che watched her retreating figure, his brows furrowed slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Why has this girl been acting so strange lately?

But he didn't think much of it, assuming it was just pre-exam anxiety.

"Alright, take a break." Jiang Che stood up. "Don't push yourself too hard. What do you want to eat tonight? I'll make it for you."

Su Xiaoruan turned her back to him, took a deep breath, and tried her best to make her voice sound normal:

"I want to eat... sweet and sour pork ribs. The really, really sweet kind."

"Okay, as you wish."

Jiang Che watched her retreating figure, shook his head, turned around and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Only after hearing the door lock click shut did Su Xiaoruan slowly turn around.

She leaned against the windowsill, her body sliding down the wall until she squatted on the ground.

She buried her face in her knees, and tears streamed down her face silently.

Sweet and sour pork ribs...

"But brother... even the sweetest sweet and sour pork ribs can't hide the bitterness in my heart."

[Late at night: A monologue on the terrace and Shen Qingge's gaze]

One o'clock in the morning.

Jiang Che has already gone to sleep.

Shen Qingge, however, was having trouble sleeping. She put on her morning robe and tiptoed out of the master bedroom, intending to go downstairs to get a glass of water.

As she passed the second-floor terrace, she noticed a small flame there.

She stopped and looked through the glass door.

Su Xiaoruan was sitting on a rattan chair on the terrace, wearing only a thin nightgown.

She wasn't holding a book or a phone.

She was holding a lighter in her hand, striking it repeatedly.

The flames flickered in the night wind, illuminating her face, which was usually all smiles but now filled with loneliness.

Shen Qingge was stunned.

She had never seen Su Xiaoruan like this before.

So quiet, so sad, like a kitten that had been abandoned.

Su Xiaoruan didn't smoke; she just stared blankly at the cluster of flames.

After a while, she took something out of her pocket.

By the light of the fire, Shen Qingge could see clearly.

That was a photograph.

A solo photo of Jiang Che. It could be a sample photo from a magazine shoot, or it could be a candid snapshot of her daily life.

Su Xiaoruan gently stroked the person in the photo with her fingers, her eyes filled with a tenderness that was heartbreaking.

She lowered her head and, with utmost reverence, pressed her lips to the photograph.

We haven't been apart for a long time.

Shen Qingge, standing behind the door, felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

She covered her mouth, trying not to make a sound.

All the doubts and all the odd things went wrong, and at that moment, they were all answered.

Su Xiaoruan's talk of "puppy love," her question in the fitting room about "can we date," and the hesitant look in her eyes when she looked at Jiang Che...

It turned out to be the case.

It turns out that this silly girl had been guarding a secret that was destined to have no outcome all along, using this method.

Shen Qingge felt a mix of emotions.

There was shock, there was heartache, but no anger.

She knew Jiang Che's charm all too well. For a girl who had been protected by Jiang Che since childhood to fall in love with such a perfect "brother" was both a natural and a devastating thing.

On the terrace.

Su Xiaoruan put away the photos, looked up at the dark night sky.

"Soon..."

She murmured to herself, her voice drifting away on the wind:

"Twenty days left."

"At eighteen... I'm no longer a child."

"When that time comes... will I be qualified to stand before you, even if it's just to say... I like you?"

Shen Qingge did not go out.

She stood quietly for a while, then turned around silently and went back to her room.

She lay back on the bed and snuggled into Jiang Che's warm embrace.

Jiang Che was fast asleep, and he instinctively reached out and hugged her.

Shen Qingge looked at Jiang Che's sleeping face and gently traced his eyebrows and eyes with her fingers.

"Jiang Che..."

She sighed softly to herself:

"Your peach blossoms are blooming so beautifully, it's heartbreaking."

...

...

June 7th, the Awakening of Insects has passed, and the Grain in Ear has just arrived.

On this rare day, the sky over Jianghai City cleared away the gloom of the past few days, revealing a fresh, azure blue. At six in the morning, the Qingcheli Manor was still shrouded in a tranquil morning mist, with only the occasional waterbird skimming across the lake creating ripples.

The kitchen in the main building, however, was already filled with the aroma of cooking.

Jiang Che was wearing a plain white cotton T-shirt without any logo, gray casual trousers, and a dark blue apron tied around his waist. He stood in front of the steamer, his expression even more focused than when he rang the Nasdaq bell.

With a soft "ding," white steam rose up, instantly filling the entire space with a sweet and glutinous rice aroma.

Wearing heat-resistant gloves, Jiang Che carefully carried out the specially made bamboo cage.

Inside the bamboo basket are three delicate and adorable pastries—Ding Sheng Gao (定胜糕). This is a tradition from the Jiangnan region. They are large at both ends and thin in the middle, shaped like ingots, and light red in color, symbolizing "certain victory."

"morning."

I heard soft footsteps and the rustling of fabric behind me.

Jiang Che turned around, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.

Shen Qingge came down.

For today's exam escort, this female CEO, who usually only wears black, white, and gray haute couture business attire, unusually changed into a modified stand-up collar cheongsam.

The cheongsam is a true "scholar's red," not gaudy at all, but rather possessing a vermilion quality that has been refined over time. The fabric is top-grade heavy silk, embroidered with subtle auspicious cloud patterns in the same color thread, exuding understated luxury.

The cheongsam was extremely form-fitting, perfectly outlining her graceful figure. The high collar accentuated her long neck, making her appear even more elegant, and the tightly fastened buttons exuded a restrained beauty. The perfectly placed slits on both sides, as she moved, subtly revealed the lines of her fair and slender calves, adding a touch of oriental charm.

She wore her long hair in a low bun, adorned only with a single, warm white jade hairpin. Her face was lightly made up, her skin fair and radiant, her red lips slightly pursed. She looked both festive and dignified, resembling a refined lady from the Republican era.

"How's this outfit?"

Shen Qingge tugged at her skirt somewhat awkwardly, a rare hint of shyness on her face: "I heard that wearing a cheongsam to send off students to the exam symbolizes 'a successful start,' so I had one made overnight. Is it... too red?"

"Not famous."

Jiang Che walked over, his gaze fixed intently on her, and reached out to straighten the buttons on her collar: "Very beautiful. The red is just right. If I were the proctor, seeing such a beautiful parent, I'd probably be distracted."

"You're such a chatterbox." Shen Qingge gave him a reproachful glare, but her eyes and brows were full of laughter. She walked to the central island counter and looked at the few exquisite pastries: "Is this Ding Sheng Gao (a type of sweet rice cake)?"

"Yes, and there are zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), which symbolize 'passing the imperial examinations'." Jiang Che ladled a bowl of light millet porridge and handed it to her. "Where's Xiaoruan? Still not up?"

"She's up, pacing around in her room." Shen Qingge sighed helplessly. "She seems more nervous than walking a red carpet. I went in to check on her just now, and she was reciting ancient poems in front of the mirror with her Chinese textbook. She even wore her socks inside out."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a flurry of footsteps echoed down the stairs.

"My exam admission ticket! Where's my exam admission ticket?! My ID card! And my 2B pencils!"

Su Xiaoruan rushed down like a whirlwind.

She was wearing the most ordinary blue and white school uniform, her hair tied in a high ponytail, revealing her smooth and full forehead. Although she was without makeup, the collagen and youthful energy on her face were the best makeup. But at this moment, the words "as if facing a formidable enemy" were written all over the girl's face.

"Here it is."

Jiang Che picked up the transparent file bag from the shelf next to him and waved it in front of Su Xiaoruan: "I packed it all up for you last night. Your ID card, exam admission ticket, stationery bag, and a bottle of mineral water with the label torn off."

Su Xiaoruan saw the file folder, breathed a sigh of relief, and slumped into her chair like a deflated balloon: "I was so scared... I thought I had to repeat a year of high school."

"Pah! Children say the darndest things!" Shen Qingge immediately went over and gently patted her mouth. "Good luck, what are you talking about repeating a grade?"

"Come on, let's eat first."

Jiang Che pushed the Dingsheng cake in front of her: "Take a bite, and you'll be victorious. Take another bite of the zongzi, and you'll pass the imperial examination."

Su Xiaoruan looked at the pastry, picked up her chopsticks, but then put them down.

She raised her head, her large eyes brimming with tears, looking at Jiang Che and Shen Qingge, her voice trembling slightly:

"Brother, sister... I'm scared."

"What if... what if I fail the test? What if I only get 28 points in math again?"

The anxiety before the exam reached its peak at this moment. After all, she was just an eighteen-year-old girl, and even an award-winning actress would be afraid when facing this life-changing exam.

Jiang Che did not speak.

He walked around the central island, went to Su Xiaoruan's side, stretched out his arms, and gave her a tight hug.

"What's there to be afraid of?"

Jiang Che gently patted her back with his large hand, his voice steady and powerful, conveying himself through his chest:

"So what if you failed the exam? It's not like our family needs another diploma."

"You are Su Xiaoruan, the leading lady of Qingche Entertainment, the eldest daughter of the Rothschilds, and my sister, Jiang Che."

"This exam is just a small hurdle in your life. If you get through it, it'll be a bonus; if you don't, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life."

"And me too." Shen Qingge walked over and took her cold little hand in hers. "The doors of the Shen Group are always open for you. You can do whatever you want as long as you're happy."

Listening to their conversation, Su Xiaoruan sniffed and held back her tears.

"Who needs you to support me! I want to be an independent woman!"

She took a deep breath, grabbed the piece of Ding Sheng Gao (a type of sweet rice cake), and took a big bite:

"I'll give it my all! For Jianghai University! For my Performing Arts Department! Charge!"

The convoy set off at 7:30.

To keep a low profile (though it was difficult), Jiang Che didn't drive the flashy Rolls-Royce, but instead chose a black Toyota Alphard minivan.

Han Xiao drove at a very steady speed.

Su Xiaoruan sat in the back seat, listening to English listening exercises with headphones on, trying her best to keep going. Shen Qingge sat next to her, holding a small fan and gently blowing air on her, afraid that she would get too hot.

Jiang Che sat in the passenger seat, looking at the two women in the back through the rearview mirror, a faint smile on his lips.

At 8:10, the car arrived at the examination site of Jianghai No.1 Middle School.

At this moment, the school gate had turned into a sea of ​​red.

Countless parents, dressed in red cheongsams and red T-shirts, and even holding sunflowers (symbolizing success), surrounded the school gate, making it impossible to pass. Traffic police maintained order at the intersection, and the air was filled with a tense yet enthusiastic atmosphere.

"arrive."

The car slowly came to a stop outside the police cordon.

"I'm going down."

Su Xiaoruan took off her headphones, took a deep breath, and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"etc."

Shen Qingge called out to her, took out an exquisite amulet from her bag, and carefully pinned it to Su Xiaoruan's backpack zipper: "I got this from Jing'an Temple last week, and it's been blessed. Don't lose it."

"Thank you, sis!"

Jiang Che opened the car door, got out first, and then reached out to help Su Xiaoruan out.

As soon as I got out of the car, the surrounding noise instantly filled my ears.

"Keep going! Don't be nervous!"

"Read the questions carefully! Do the easy ones first!"

Jiang Che stood by the car, his posture as straight as a pine tree. He didn't say anything unnecessary, but simply reached out and straightened Su Xiaoruan's slightly crooked school uniform collar.

"Go in."

Jiang Che looked into her eyes, his gaze gentle yet firm:

"We'll wait for you outside."

"It's always been here."

Su Xiaoruan looked at her brother, then at Shen Qingge, who was cheering her on through the car window.

She suddenly felt that all the fear in her heart had disappeared.

"Okay! I'm going in!"

...

...

Su Xiaoruan nodded vigorously, turned around, and with firm steps, joined the torrent of examinees in school uniforms.

Sunlight shone on her back, and the little girl who used to follow him around crying for candy now seemed quite tall.

Jiang Che watched her until the figure with the ponytail completely disappeared around the corner of the teaching building before he looked away.

"Let's go."

Jiang Che returned to the car.

Shen Qingge looked at him, then suddenly reached out and grasped his hand: "What's wrong? Can't bear to part with it?"

"A little." Jiang Che chuckled self-deprecatingly. "It feels like I'm about to send my little cabbage, which I raised, to be eaten by someone else."

Shen Qingge chuckled at his words, leaning slightly against his shoulder: "That's what growing up is. She'll always grow up, she'll always fly away."

"Yes, growing up..."

Jiang Che looked out the window at the densely packed crowd of parents, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"After today, she will be an adult."