Trending topic alert: The mysterious fan site administrator of a top celebrity has been exposed.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting long patches of light on the floor.

When Chu Yi woke up, it was almost noon. The hangover Qi Yuan and the bizarre party of the previous night felt like a faded dream.

He habitually reached for his phone on the bedside table, his eyelids still feeling heavy.

As soon as the screen unlocks, push notifications from various news apps pop up one after another, densely filling the notification bar.

Most of the push notifications focus on the same issue—

Breaking News! Zhou Ai posts a late-night selfie, looking fantastic and causing a frenzy among fans!

[Hot Topic] Zhou Ai's makeup-free "Goodnight" photo: Does this man really never age?

The hashtag 【Zhou Ai Goodnight】 quickly climbed to the top of the trending searches!

While his brain was still in a state of confusion, as if it had just been turned on, Chu Yi's fingers had already clicked on one of the push notifications before his consciousness could even register it.

The page that had just finished loading was instantly filled with a large, high-resolution image.

In the photo, Zhou Ai is wearing the dark-colored top he vaguely remembers wearing when they parted the night before. Her hair is slightly damp, and she looks refreshed and relaxed. She flashes a faint smile at the camera that is enough to drive fans wild. The background is decorated in his familiar home style, and the lighting is warm.

Chu Yi's gaze immediately fell upon the same clothes—clearly from the same period as the intimate close-up photo of his wound that he had received last night. This realization caused his heart to skip a beat for no apparent reason.

His gaze unconsciously shifted downwards, landing on the simple two-word text Zhou Ai had provided:

good night.

boom--

It was as if a subtle yet incredibly clear electric current surged from the deepest part of his heart without warning, rapidly spreading along his nerve pathways and instantly piercing his fingertips, bringing a tingling, almost chilling sensation.

These two words were exactly the same as the last sentence he sent to Zhou Ai last night.

Is it a coincidence?

still is……

A strange, intense association and speculation suddenly seized him, leaving him feeling dizzy and helpless in his hazy awakening.

"Snapped!"

The phone he was holding suddenly slipped from his grasp and fell straight down, hitting him squarely on the bridge of his nose and cheek with a soft but clear crack.

"hiss--"

Chu Yi cried out in pain unexpectedly, instantly regaining full consciousness.

He sat up, covering his face, and picked up the culprit—the phone. The screen was still lit, and Zhou Ai's face with the "goodnight" smile was still dazzling.

Chu Yi walked to the bathroom mirror and saw a small, clear red mark on her cheek near the bridge of her nose, where the corner of her phone had hit her. It was slightly warm and a little painful.

He looked at the conspicuous red mark on his face in the mirror, then looked down at the photo and those two words on his phone that had caused the "accident"...

An extremely complex and indescribable emotion welled up inside me.

It was awkward, absurd, and a touch of panic and helplessness after being inexplicably stirred by those two words and that photo.

He rubbed his aching cheek; the red mark clearly wouldn't go away anytime soon.

Finally, looking at herself in the mirror and at the small red mark, Chu Yi came to a conclusion—

Zhou Ai is indeed... very troublesome.

---

On this rare day off, Chu Yi carried the nourishing gift box she had prepared into the old house. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass window of the living room, she could hear the clattering of mahjong tiles and the laughter of women.

He pushed open the door and entered. The living room was filled with smoke. Chu Ruoyin was facing away from the door, intently looking at the cards in her hand. She seemed not to have heard anyone come in, or perhaps she heard but couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

Chu Yi quietly walked to the sofa and gently placed the gift box on the coffee table without making a sound.

The other three well-dressed ladies at the card table noticed him first.

"Oh, Ruoyin, your Xiaoyi is back." An aunt with curly hair said with a smile.

Chu Ruoyin seemed to have just noticed, without turning her head, she just lazily hummed in agreement, picked up a card with her finger, and said in a flat tone: "You're back? Sit down by yourself."

His eyes never left the card game.

Chu Yi was already used to her mother's attitude and didn't care. She simply nodded slightly to the ladies as a greeting and then quietly sat down in a corner of the sofa.

The game continued, but the topic inevitably turned to him.

Another woman, dressed in a Xiangyun yarn cheongsam, looked Chu Yi up and down, her eyes full of admiration: "Ruoyin, I'm not saying this to be rude, but your two sons are truly impeccable, both of them are so handsome. Yan Qing goes without saying, he's now helping out with the family business and doing a great job. Even our little Yi, look at his temperament, so aloof and elegant, like someone who stepped out of a painting, he's clearly destined for greatness."

"That's right, that's right," the curly-haired aunt immediately chimed in, her tone envious. "Ruoyin, you're so lucky! Your son is so outstanding and filial, he even knows to come back to see you."

The third, seemingly younger woman added with a laugh, her tone exaggerated: "Excellent? I heard Xiao Yi was phenomenal in school! How many kids from families like ours can really focus on their studies? Your Xiao Yi went straight to his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, right? And from a top medical school! If word got out, who wouldn't envy you for having such a brilliant son!"

As Chu Ruoyin listened to her fellow card players praising her, a faint smile appeared on her face, but the smile did not reach her eyes.

She played a card, her tone deliberately nonchalant, even with a hint of barely perceptible disdain: "What's the use?"

She scoffed lightly, "Reading so many books, working yourself to the bone in a hospital, having to watch people's faces, you can see the end of your life before you die. How can that compare to..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the unspoken meaning was clear—nothing could compare to her brother, Cheng Yanqing, who took over the Cheng family business, enjoying immense prestige and a promising future.

There was a moment of subtle tension at the card table.

The ladies exchanged awkward glances, trying to smooth things over with laughter: "Oh dear, you can't say that. Doctors are so stable and respectable..."

"That's right, saving lives and healing the wounded, accumulating good karma..."

Chu Yi sat on the sofa, her eyelashes lowered, quietly watching the blurry light and shadow of the crystal chandelier reflected on the smooth floor tiles.

He was already used to it.

In his mother's eyes, all his choices, the life he worked hard for and felt satisfied with, seemed to be inferior to the "right path" under the Cheng family's halo.

He didn't refute them, nor did he show any displeasure. He just sat there quietly, as if they were discussing someone else who had nothing to do with him.

It wasn't until Chu Ruoyin won a hand of cards and smiled as she collected the money that she seemed to finally remember his existence. She turned her head, tapped the gift box on the coffee table with her chin, and said in a still cold tone, "What did you buy this time? I told you not to waste money. Keep that little bit of your salary for yourself."

Chu Yi raised her eyes, her voice calm and even: "Some bird's nest and donkey-hide gelatin, to nourish your body."

The card game lasted for nearly an hour before it ended. Chu Yi sat quietly to the side the whole time, occasionally getting up to refill the tea and water for the aunties. Her manners were impeccable, but she remained as silent as a shadow.

After seeing off the last mahjong player and closing the door, only the mother and son remained in the living room, along with the lingering smell of smoke and perfume.

The previous hustle and bustle suddenly fell silent, creating an awkward silence.

Chu Ruoyin walked to the coffee table, picked up a water glass, took a sip, and glanced at the beautifully packaged gift box before speaking unemotionally, as if she had finally had to fulfill some obligation: "How have you been lately?"

Chu Yi stood by the sofa, his eyelashes fluttering slightly upon hearing this. He remained silent for a few seconds before replying in an extremely flat and emotionless tone, "It's alright. Work continues as usual."

"Nothing went wrong at the hospital, right?" Chu Ruoyin asked again, still not looking at him, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the side of the cup.

"No," Chu Yi replied briefly.

"I heard you met with Mr. Li from Nancheng last week?" She finally glanced at him, her eyes scrutinizing him.

"Yes, it was arranged by my elder brother. We met briefly," Chu Yi answered truthfully, without uttering a single extra word.

Chu Ruoyin seemed to be used to his way of answering, but she couldn't help but feel a little impatient.

She put down her water glass, making a slight clinking sound, and finally fixed her gaze on him, looking him up and down as if assessing the condition of an object.

"You're 27 years old," she said, her tone becoming more forceful, carrying an undeniable air of reminder, "There are some things I don't need to nag you about all the time, right? It's time to put your love life on the agenda. The Cheng family doesn't expect you to marry into the family, but you still need to give them a proper explanation."

Chu Yi listened quietly, his expression unchanged. He walked to the coffee table, picked up the teapot, and poured himself half a cup of slightly cooled tea, his fingertips steady without a tremor.

He picked up the teacup, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip. The slightly astringent tea flowed down his throat, bringing a refreshing coolness.

Chu Yi put down her teacup, raised her head, and met her mother's gaze. Her eyes were as calm as a deep pool of water, without the slightest ripple.

He nodded, his tone remaining indifferent, even somewhat submissive: "It's good that you said so."

This statement sounded like an agreement, like obeying a command, but coupled with his emotionless expression and eyes, it seemed more like a silent, complete alienation and rejection.

It was as if Chu Ruoyin wasn't talking about his important life events, but rather a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him and only required her to make the decision.

Chu Ruoyin was momentarily speechless at his unyielding attitude, and the pent-up frustration in her chest began to rise again. Looking at Chu Yi's overly calm, even indifferent, face, she suddenly felt powerless.

She waved her hand, as if tired of this pointless conversation, her tone turning cold again: "Alright, that's enough. I've taken the things. If there's nothing else, you can go back. I'm tired."

Chu Yi nodded again, without pausing for a moment.

"I'll be going now, you should get some rest."

He turned and walked steadily toward the door, opened it, went out, and gently closed the door without looking back.