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

The commotion in the audience hadn't even had a chance to spread.

"when--"

The first note fell.

Like jade beads falling onto a plate, crisp and ethereal.

Immediately afterwards, a series of arpeggios flowed from his fingertips like water. It was not the rousing sound of Western music, but rather the distant and profound quality of a guqin played on the piano.

As the piano music played, the lights in the center of the stage slowly came on.

Amidst the swirling mist created by dry ice, a red figure kneels on the ground.

Su Xiaoruan moved.

She slowly raised her head, and the look in her eyes instantly captivated the entire audience.

No longer the girl next door, she is now the goddess Luo, graceful as a startled swan and a swimming dragon.

As Jiang Che's piano playing became more urgent, she suddenly flung out her long sleeves.

The crimson sleeves drew a sharp and graceful arc in the air, like the sunset on the horizon.

Spin, jump.

Every movement she made was precisely timed to Jiang Che's piano notes.

Jiang Che's gaze never left the figure in the center of the stage. His fingers danced across the piano keys, sometimes as gentle as a breeze rustling willows, sometimes as passionate as a surging river.

He was communicating with her through music.

He was using the music to lift her up, to help her fly higher.

On stage, Su Xiaoruan felt she had never been in such a good state.

She could feel her brother's gaze, and the protection and strength in his music.

She twirled, her skirt blooming like flower petals.

At that moment, she felt as if she had truly become the goddess of the Luo River, dancing the dance called "Admiration" for the one she loved on the banks of the Luo River.

She looked toward the piano.

The man in the black sweater appeared so distant yet so close in the interplay of light and shadow.

"elder brother……"

Su Xiaoruan silently recited in her heart:

"If this moment could last forever, I would give anything to have it."

The climax.

Jiang Che's hands slammed down a set of chords on the piano keys with tremendous force.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Su Xiaoruan leaped into the air, executing a perfect "big jump," lingering in the air for a second before landing steadily, followed by a series of spins.

Her skirt fluttered, her hair danced in the air.

Finally, the music faded, eventually turning into a long, lingering note.

Su Xiaoruan slowly stopped her movements, knelt down again, and looked back at the piano.

That look in his eyes.

It contains too many emotions.

There is attachment, there is admiration, and there is a deep-seated, unknown love.

The lights went out.

The entire venue was completely silent for a full three seconds.

"boom--!!!"

The applause erupted like thunder, nearly lifting the roof off the auditorium.

"So beautiful! So beautiful!"

"That teamwork! Absolutely amazing!"

"Jiang Che's piano playing is absolutely captivating!"

"Su Xiaoruan must be a goddess!"

The lights came back on.

Jiang Che stood up and walked to the center of the stage.

Su Xiaoruan also stood up, slightly out of breath, her forehead covered in sweat, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

Jiang Che took her hand, and the two of them bowed deeply to the audience.

Below the stage, Shen Qingge sat in the first row, watching the two radiant figures on stage.

She wasn't jealous or possessive.

She just smiled and clapped enthusiastically.

Her gaze fell on Jiang Che, filled with pride. Then it fell on Su Xiaoruan, filled with satisfaction.

"very nice."

Shen Qingge thought to herself:

"This is family."

It was already 10:30 when the party ended.

After finally shaking off the enthusiastic school leaders and fans, the three of them got back into the black Cullinan.

Inside the carriage, the noise from outside was kept at bay.

Su Xiaoruan hadn't removed her makeup yet, and was wearing Jiang Che's suit jacket. She was slumped in the back seat, rubbing her legs without any regard for her image.

"I'm exhausted... my legs feel like they're going to break."

Su Xiaoruan complained, but her face was beaming with excitement: "But it was so awesome! Bro, you played the piano so cool! I think I'm almost in love with you!"

This is a joke, but it's also the truth.

Jiang Che, driving, glanced at her through the rearview mirror and chuckled, "Stop being so cheeky. Who was it that was shaking with nervousness on stage just now?"

"No way!" Su Xiaoruan blushed and quickly changed the subject, "I'm hungry! I want a midnight snack! I want hairy crabs! The crabs are at their fattest right now!"

"Okay, let's eat hairy crabs."

Jiang Che replied indulgently, "Let's go to 'Crab Venerable Garden,' I've already made a reservation."

Shen Qingge sat in the passenger seat, holding makeup remover wipes in her hand. She turned around and helped Su Xiaoruan wipe off her somewhat heavy stage makeup.

"Don't move, the hair ornaments are about to be ruined."

Shen Qingge's movements were very light, her fingertips carrying a faint coolness.

Su Xiaoruan obediently tilted her head back, letting Shen Qingge do as she pleased.

She looked at Shen Qingge, who was so close to her.

Shen Qingge has such good skin; the fine lines around her eyes are almost invisible, and her eyes always exude a composure that Su Xiaoruan envies.

"Sister," Su Xiaoruan suddenly spoke.

"Um?"

"When are you and my brother getting married?"

This question came out of the blue.

Jiang Che, who was driving, tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly.

Shen Qingge paused for a moment as she spoke.

She looked into Su Xiaoruan's clear, big eyes, smiled, and threw the makeup remover wipe into the trash bag.

"What? Are you in such a hurry to marry us off?"

"No..." Su Xiaoruan lowered her head, her voice a little muffled, "I just think... you two are such a good match, you should get married sooner."

"Once I'm married, I guess I'll... finally give up completely."

She kept those words to herself.

"No rush."

Jiang Che's voice came from the front, calm and gentle:

"When you graduate from university, when you're truly grown up and can stand on your own two feet, how about we celebrate this double joyous occasion?"

"Double happiness?" Su Xiaoruan was stunned for a moment.

"Yes," Jiang Che laughed, "my wedding with your sister-in-law, and your... victory celebration, or graduation ceremony."

Su Xiaoruan didn't say anything.

She turned her head to look at the fleeting night view outside the window.

The autumn nights in Jianghai City are brightly lit.

Her somewhat forlorn face was reflected in the glass window.

"Four years..."

"We still have to wait four years."

"Brother, don't you really know? I don't want to attend your wedding."

"Not at all."

The car drove into the bustling city center.

Inside the "Crab Palace Garden," the lights were on.

Jiang Che skillfully disassembled the crabs for the two women.

Golden crab roe, snow-white crab meat, paired with warm Shaoxing wine.

This night seemed perfect and warm.

Su Xiaoruan ate a lot and laughed loudly.

But under the table, she lightly kicked Jiang Che's heel with her toe.

one more time.

That was a secret touch that she dared not utter aloud.

Jiang Che seemed to sense it, but he neither dodged nor looked down.

He simply and silently pushed a whole bowl of peeled crab meat in front of Su Xiaoruan.

"Eat more. You need to grow."

Su Xiaoruan looked at the bowl of crab meat, and tears almost fell into the bowl.

She ate heartily, swallowing the salty tears mixed with the delicious crab meat.

"Thank you, brother."

"I will grow up."

"Grow into a woman...so that you can no longer treat me like a child."

……

Late at night.

The lights of the Clear Lane Manor came on again.

Su Xiaoruan returned to her room, took off her gorgeous dance dress, and changed into her pajamas.

She didn't go to sleep immediately.

She opened her phone and tapped on the memo app titled "Plan to Chase My Brother".

After a long pause, my finger finally typed out a line:

"September 28th. Also the day I shared the stage with him."

"He plays the piano in the light, and I dance in the light."

"At that moment, I even felt that we were the most perfect couple in the world."

"Even if it was only for that one moment."

"But it's enough for me to savor for a very long time."

Su Xiaoruan turned off her phone, hugged the teddy bear in her arms tightly, and fell into a deep sleep.

In the dream, there was no Shen Qingge, and no audience.

There was only that piano, and that man in the black sweater.

He turned his head, extended his hand to her, and said:

"Little Softie, come here."

...

...

In October, Jianghai City finally bid farewell to the lingering summer heat.

On the first day of the National Day holiday, the sky was a vast, clear blue, like a huge, meticulously polished sapphire. A distinct chill was in the air, and the leaves of the plane trees lining the streets began to turn yellow, swirling and falling with the autumn wind, carpeting the ground with golden fragments.

At six o'clock in the morning, a black Mercedes-Benz V-Class van was already parked in front of the main building of Qingcheli Manor.

Han Xiao was directing the servants to load things into the trunk. In addition to the usual suitcases, there were two large boxes of ingredients that Jiang Che had specially prepared, as well as Shen Qingge's usual set of silk bedding—she was a bit picky about beds and preferred to use her own even when staying in top-tier hotels.

In the bedroom on the second floor, Shen Qingge was sitting in front of the dressing table.

Today she wore a beige cashmere knit maxi dress, the hem reaching her ankles. The loose fit didn't make her look bulky; instead, it exuded a慵懒的高级感 (a sense of effortless sophistication). A thin, dark brown leather belt cinched her waist, gently accentuating her slender figure. Over this, she wore a matching trench coat, the sleeves rolled up to reveal the magnolia-shaped jade bracelet Jiang Che had given her on her wrist.

She looked at herself in the mirror, holding a lipstick in her hand, but hesitated to put it on.

"What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Che appeared behind her without her noticing. He was wearing a dark gray turtleneck sweater and black casual pants, looking tall and warm, like a pine tree standing silently in autumn.

He reached out and naturally took the lipstick from her hand, bent down, lifted her chin with one hand, and delicately applied it to her lips with the other.

Shen Qingge tilted her head slightly, looking at the man so close to her. His gaze was focused, and his gentle breath brushed against her face.

"I was wondering if Xiaoruan has been cooped up at school these past few days." Shen Qingge's voice was a little lazy, with the husky quality that comes with early morning. "I called her yesterday, and she said she was going to sleep the whole way in the car and asked us not to disturb her."

"She's trying to slack off." Jiang Che finished applying his lipstick, gently wiped away a little red stain from the corner of her mouth with his fingertip, and examined her with satisfaction. "Alright, very beautiful."

"Let's go, don't keep the young lady waiting."

……

The three of them were headed to a private hot spring resort nestled deep in the Mogan Mountains near Jianghai City. It was not open to the public; only a very limited number of members could make reservations, ensuring excellent privacy—perfect for families who wanted to avoid disturbances.

As the car drove out of the city and onto the highway, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from reinforced concrete to rolling green hills.

Just as she said, Su Xiaoruan put on an eye mask as soon as she got on the bus, wrapped herself in a blanket, and slept soundly in her airline seat. She was wearing a pink hoodie and sweatpants, with a hat on her head, and she curled up like a pink daifuku (a traditional Chinese amulet).

Shen Qingge and Jiang Che sat in the back row.

Shen Qingge felt a little tired, so she leaned against Jiang Che's shoulder, holding a book in her hand, but didn't turn a page for a long time.

"Take a nap if you're tired." Jiang Che adjusted his posture to make her more comfortable, holding her hand with one hand and gently rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Not tired." Shen Qingge shook her head, her gaze falling on Su Xiaoruan, who was fast asleep in the front row. Her eyes softened. "It just feels like time flies. In the blink of an eye, this girl is already in college. I used to think of her as a child, but now, looking at her, sometimes I feel... she seems to have her own worries."

Jiang Che's fingers paused slightly.

He recalled the scene in the study when he was explaining problems to Su Xiaoruan, and the look in her eyes at the welcome party.

"She'll naturally have her own worries as she grows up," Jiang Che said calmly. "As long as she doesn't go astray, there are some paths she has to walk on her own."

Shen Qingge raised her head and gave Jiang Che a deep look.

A complex emotion flashed in her phoenix eyes, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated, but it ultimately turned into a faint smile: "That's true. With you here, what wrong path could she possibly take?"

……

At noon, the car arrived at the "Yunyin" Manor in Moganshan.

Located halfway up the mountain, surrounded by bamboo forests and shrouded in mist, several Chinese-style villas with black tiles and white walls are hidden among the verdant bamboo groves. A clear stream flows past the front of the houses, its murmuring waters evoking a sense of secluded tranquility reminiscent of the poem "Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence."

The manor's butler had been waiting for a long time and respectfully took the luggage.

Wow—the air feels so fresh!

As soon as she got off the bus, Su Xiaoruan, who had been sleeping like a log, instantly perked up. She took off her eye mask, took a deep breath of the fresh, bamboo-scented air, and spun around with her arms outstretched: "It's so much more comfortable in the mountains! The beds in the school dorms were so hard I almost got a herniated disc!"

"So delicate." Jiang Che chuckled, reaching out to straighten her disheveled hat. "Go choose a room; the biggest one is for you."

"Really? You're the best, bro!" Su Xiaoruan cheered and rushed inside with her bag.

Shen Qingge watched her retreating figure, shook her head helplessly, and took Jiang Che's arm: "Look, she's still just a child."

Lunch was served on the estate's viewing terrace.

Jiang Che personally cooked several simple farm-style dishes.

Stir-fried bamboo shoots are fresh and crisp; free-range chicken soup is golden and glistening; and there's also braised river fish with delicate flesh.

Su Xiaoruan ate with gusto, her mouth greasy, completely unconcerned about being a female celebrity.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Shen Qingge handed her a tissue. "If the media takes pictures of you like this, your goddess image will be ruined."

"So what if it crashes?" Su Xiaoruan swallowed the fish and mumbled, "Anyway, I fight for the cafeteria every day at school, so I've long since lost all sense of decorum. Besides..."

She stole a glance at Jiang Che and muttered under her breath, "Why pretend to be a goddess in front of your own family?"

After lunch, it was the most lazy time of the afternoon.

Shen Qingge was a little sleepy, so she went back to her room for a nap.

Su Xiaoruan then pulled Jiang Che to play badminton in the yard.

"Bro! Catch the ball!"

Su Xiaoruan swung her racket, radiating energy. Sunlight shone on her face, making the fine downy hairs clearly visible. She smiled happily, each jump carrying the rhythm of youth.

Jiang Che played with her for a while. Although he just dealt with the ball casually, he fed her every ball comfortably, and it landed right in a position that Su Xiaoruan could catch.

After playing for half an hour, Su Xiaoruan was so tired that she was panting heavily and sat down on the grass.

"I can't take it anymore... I'm getting old..." Su Xiaoruan wiped her sweat. "Brother, why aren't you breathing? Did you secretly practice some kind of magical skill?"

Jiang Che walked over, handed her a bottle of water, and sat down next to her.

"You're just not getting enough exercise." Jiang Che looked at the bamboo forest in the distance, his expression relaxed. "Don't skip physical education classes in college, go for a run more often."

Su Xiaoruan took a sip of water and turned to look at Jiang Che's profile.

Sweat trickled down her temples, making her feel a little itchy.

She looked at her brother's sharply defined jawline and his eyelashes, which were edged with gold by the sunlight.

My heartbeat slowly spiraled out of control.

"elder brother."

"Um?"

"Will you... take my sister-in-law and me out often in the future?"

"Of course. Whenever I'm free, and whenever you want to come."

"Then..." Su Xiaoruan bit her straw, her voice becoming very soft, "If you have children in the future, will you still take me with you?"

Jiang Che turned his head and looked at her.

Su Xiaoruan's eyes flickered, carrying a hint of probing and a well-hidden panic.

Jiang Che reached out and flicked her forehead.

"What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Che smiled, his smile full of doting affection: "No matter how many people come in the future, you will always be a part of this family. No one can take your place."

Su Xiaoruan covered her forehead, looking at her brother's smiling face.

She smiled too.

But there was a hint of bitterness in that smile.

"A part of... my forever little sister?"

"But brother, I don't want to just be a little sister."

……

As evening approached, the temperature in the mountains dropped rapidly.

As the sun set, it dyed the clouds on the horizon a magnificent purplish-red.

The backyard of the manor is an open-air private hot spring.

The hot spring pool is built with natural mountain stones and surrounded by maple trees. At this moment, red leaves are falling and sprinkling on the steaming spring water, creating a dreamlike and beautiful scene.

"Let's soak in the hot springs!"

Su Xiaoruan's voice came from the locker room.

Jiang Che changed his clothes first. He was wearing simple black swim trunks and a white bathrobe draped over his upper body, the ties loosely tied, revealing his muscular chest and well-defined abs.

He sat on a deck chair by the pool, holding a glass of sake in his hand, quietly watching the water.

After a while, the locker room door opened.

Shen Qingge came out.

Jiang Che looked up, his breath catching slightly.

She chose a black one-piece swimsuit.

This swimsuit features a minimalist design with a deep V-neck in the front, revealing a deep cleavage and delicate collarbones. The back, however, is largely openwork, with several thin straps crisscrossing and cinching her smooth, white back, creating a striking visual contrast.

The black color accentuated the cool whiteness of her skin, making it resemble the finest white jade.

She had her long hair piled high, revealing her slender neck. Her face was flushed with a faint blush from the heat, and her eyes were dreamy and languid.

She didn't rush into the water. Instead, she walked up to Jiang Che, bent down slightly, took the cup of sake from his hand, and drank a sip from his hand.

"How's the water temperature?" she asked, her voice low and hoarse.

"Perfect."

Jiang Che looked at her, his eyes hotter than hot spring water.

Shen Qingge smiled, unbuttoned her bathrobe, revealing her breathtakingly beautiful figure. She took a long stride and gracefully stepped into the water.

The warm spring water instantly enveloped her body.

She let out a comfortable sigh, leaned against the rock by the pool, closed her eyes, and looked like a languid mermaid.

Jiang Che also took off his bathrobe, went into the water, and sat down next to her.

He reached out and gently massaged her shoulders.

"Is the pressure okay?"

"Mmm... a little to the left..." Shen Qingge hummed contentedly, "My shoulders have been so sore these past few days."

The two leaned close together, their skin touching.

In the misty steam, the atmosphere became ambiguous and viscous.

Just then.

"Ahem!"

A deliberately amplified cough shattered the idyllic scene.

Su Xiaoruan came out wrapped in a huge pink bath towel, looking like a rice dumpling.

She saw the two people sitting close together in the pool, and a clear hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes, but she quickly put on an expression that said, "I'm proud to be a third wheel."

"I said... could you please consider the feelings of elderly people living alone?"

Su Xiaoruan stood by the pool, reluctantly untying her bath towel.

Jiang Che and Shen Qingge were both stunned for a moment when the bath towel slipped off.

Has this girl changed her personality?

In the past, when Su Xiaoruan went to hot springs, she always wore conservative swimsuits with skirts that covered her neck.

But today, she wore a white two-piece swimsuit.

Although it's not very revealing, it's a bikini style.

The top is a strapless top with ruffles, and the bottom is high-waisted briefs.

The pure white color, combined with her abundant collagen and youthful body lines, exudes a pure and alluring charm that lies between girlhood and womanhood.

Her waist was very slender, without an ounce of excess fat. Although her legs weren't as long as Shen Qingge's, they were still straight, well-proportioned, and radiantly white.

She covered her chest shyly, clearly it was the first time she had worn this style.

"What are you looking at! Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before?"

Su Xiaoruan blushed and glared at Jiang Che, then jumped into the water with a "plop" like a bomb.

Water splashed everywhere.

It splashed directly onto Jiang Che and Shen Qingge's faces.

"Su Xiaoruan!" Shen Qingge wiped the water from her face, a mixture of amusement and helplessness in her voice. "Did you come down here to take a bath or to fry fish?"

"Hehe, that's called livening up the atmosphere!"

Su Xiaoruan swam between the two and squeezed in.

"Brother, I want to drink that."

Su Xiaoruan pointed to the sake that Jiang Che had placed on the tray by the pool.

"No way." Jiang Che refused. "You're underage... oh no, you just turned 18, you can't hold your liquor, you'll get dizzy if you drink."

"Just one sip!" Su Xiaoruan pleaded, clinging to Jiang Che's arm like a koala. "I'm eighteen! I'm a grown-up! Besides, it's sake, not very strong!"

Jiang Che was so bothered by her that he had no choice but to pick up a small cup, pour a little bit of water, and hand it to her.

Just this one bite.

Su Xiaoruan took the cup and, as if drinking poison, tilted her head back and gulped it down.

"Cough cough cough... It's so spicy!"

She stuck out her tongue, her little face instantly scrunching up: "It doesn't taste good at all! It's not even as good as cola!"

Jiang Che and Shen Qingge both laughed.

"I told you you were a kid." Jiang Che took a warm towel and put it on her head.

Su Xiaoruan, with a towel over her head, blushed rapidly due to the alcohol and heat.

She looked at Jiang Che's profile, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

Perhaps it was the alcohol taking effect, or perhaps the atmosphere was just too good.

She suddenly became bolder.