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

"Hey, can't you be as open and generous as your brother?" Chu Ruoyin looked at Chu Yi standing next to her with a disappointed expression.

After speaking, he turned around and looked at Cheng Yanqing with an appreciative gaze, who was moving around among the guests with ease, exchanging toasts and drinks.

Standing next to Chu Ruoyin, Chu Yi held a half-empty glass of red wine, remaining silent and nodding, trying to minimize his presence as much as possible.

"Second Brother, Aunt Chu." Cheng Yunshu, wearing a pale yellow dress, ran up from behind and greeted them with a smile.

Chu Yi nodded slightly and remained unchanged.

"I don't know who he takes after, his face is so dark~ He looks like he owes everyone money. He's just unlucky to look at."

It was clear that Chu Ruoyin was genuinely angry. She rolled her eyes at Chu Yi's unyielding attitude and turned to walk towards Cheng Yanqing, adopting an attitude of "out of sight, out of mind."

Hearing Chu Ruoyin's sarcastic remarks, Cheng Yunshu stuck out her tongue and only dared to approach Chu Yi after the other woman had walked away.

"Second Brother, it's been a long time."

Chu Yi smiled, a gentler smile than before. "When did you get back?"

"Last week."

Cheng Yunshu was five years younger than Chu Yi, and still had the nature of a child. Although her handsome second brother didn't talk much, Cheng Yunshu still liked him very much.

In the Cheng family, everyone except Chu Yi, who takes her mother's surname, must bear the surname Cheng.

The deeper meaning behind it is clear to everyone.

Chu Yi is not only a surname, but also a name that implies that one must always give way to one's elder brother, Cheng Yanqing, in everything one does.

Cheng Yunshu quietly tugged at Chu Yi's sleeve and lowered her voice, "Second Brother, I brought a Switch. Do you want to go play in the backyard?" She blinked, "It's much better than being a statue here."

Chu Yi glanced at his watch; there was still half an hour until the banquet ceremony ended. He nodded slightly and placed his wine glass on the waiter's tray.

Just as the two turned to leave, Cheng Yanqing's voice came from behind: "Yun Shu, Grandpa is looking for you."

Cheng Yunshu's shoulders stiffened, and she reluctantly turned around: "Big brother..."

Cheng Yanqing's gaze lingered on Chu Yi for a moment, a polite smile playing on his lips: "Ayi, Mr. Li from Nancheng wants to meet you. He has considerable investments in the medical field."

Chu Yi narrowed his eyes slightly. "I have no interest in business collaborations."

"This isn't a matter of business," Cheng Yanqing stepped forward, his voice low but each word clear, "it's about the Cheng family's reputation."

The sound of the fountain in the courtyard suddenly became very loud.

Chu Yi looked at the sapphire lapel pin on Cheng Yanqing's suit, a birthday gift that his father, Cheng Zhi, had bought for him at a Hong Kong auction last year.

"I understand." Chu Yi straightened his cuffs and turned around, hearing Cheng Yunshu whisper, "Go, Second Brother."

After Cheng Yunshu left, Cheng Yanqing took the decanted red wine from the tray in the waiter's hand and filled Chu Yi's glass, but Chu Yi stopped him after he had only poured a third of it.

"That's enough, big brother." Chu Yi's slender fingers stopped Cheng Yanqing from pouring the wine. Cheng Yanqing paused, then smiled and put the red wine back on the tray.

"Ah Yi, what do you mean by 'enough'? Is it my request just now? Or the red wine?"

The saying "the drunkard's heart is not in the wine" is something Cheng Yanqing excels at.

But Chu Yi excels at playing straight-up.

"I was just talking about red wine, nothing more." Chu Yi said, swirling the wine in her glass before downing it in one gulp. She added, "I have to go to work tomorrow, so let's stop here."

Cheng Yanqing suddenly chuckled softly, raising his hand to straighten Chu Yi's already neat tie. "Why do I feel like you've become quite distant from me? Yi?"

Chu Yi took a slight step back, just in time to avoid Cheng Yanqing's touch, and spoke in an unusually calm voice, "No, elder brother."

"Is it because I pushed you too hard?" Cheng Yanqing's gaze was fixed firmly on Chu Yi.

But the younger brother in front of him remained calm and didn't shed a single drop of water.

"I'm quite content with my life now, brother." Chu Yi looked up, his gaze flashing over the brooch on Cheng Yanqing's chest, before finally meeting Cheng Yanqing's gaze at eye level, speaking neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Cheng Yanqing believed that Chu Yi's "satisfaction" was genuine.

No one understands "contentment" better than Chu Yi.

From childhood, Chu Yi was strictly required by her father and family not to compete or fight, and everyone thought that Chu Yi was obedient.

But Cheng Yanqing knew that his younger brother had no interest in snatching these "showy but impractical" things; Chu Yi was too easily satisfied.

Chu Yi felt the alcohol taking effect and patted Cheng Yanqing on the shoulder, "I'm leaving now. Please tell my father for me."

"Okay, be careful." Cheng Yanqing nodded and watched Chu Yi leave.

Moonlight streamed down from the glass roof of the courtyard corridor, casting a cool hue over Chu Yi.

His tall, slender figure was encased in a silver-gray suit, with straight shoulders and a lean waist. His steps were somewhat unsteady, but it did not diminish the innate elegance he exuded from behind as he walked.

As Cheng Yanqing watched Chu Yi's departing figure, he recalled how Chu Yi's toys were taken away by his uncle's children when he was a child. While other children would cry and make a fuss, Chu Yi would quietly stand in the corner of the garden watching the ants move their house.

At that time, he thought his younger brother was cowardly, until one day he saw Chu Yi corner the child who was snatching the toy in the music room, pressing the child's fingers down with the piano lid and asking, "Still want to snatch it?"

Chu Yi has never been incapable of fighting; he simply disdains to fight.

As Chu Yi walked through the rose garden, she casually unbuttoned two buttons on her collar. The night breeze, carrying the fragrance of flowers, blew in, easing the burning sensation of alcohol in her throat.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. The group chat was discussing the treatment plan for today's patients. Chu Yi stopped and leaned against the artificial hill to reply to the message. The cold light from the screen reflected on his delicate profile.

A soft rustling sound came from behind the artificial hill. Chu Yi looked up and saw Cheng Yunshu sneaking out, lifting her skirt, and sure enough, she was holding a Switch in her hand.

"Second brother ran away even faster than me!" The girl's eyes sparkled, and she suddenly leaned closer to her collar and sniffed. "You drank the wine your eldest brother poured? Why hasn't he broken his old habit of mixing strong liquor into it..."

Chu Yi was taken aback. No wonder he felt dizzy and lightheaded when he left the table earlier; he had thought it was because he was too tired from work lately.

Cheng Yunshu had already tiptoed to stuff the game console into his suit's inner pocket. The cold metal body pressed against his chest, making him gasp for breath.

Chu Yi looked down and pulled out the game console, only to see Cheng Yunshu wink at him mischievously, "Want to play a game with me?"

---

Cheng Yunshu sat cross-legged on the sofa in the courtyard guest room, shoving the Switch controller into Chu Yi's hand, her eyes sparkling: "Second brother, do you play it sometimes?"

Chu Yi lowered his eyes to look at the unfamiliar game controller in his palm, gently rubbing the texture of the buttons with his fingertips, and shook his head, saying, "First time playing."

"You're lying!" Cheng Yunshu's eyes widened. "You're so skilled at it!"

Chu Yi didn't explain, but just slightly curled the corners of his lips. He really hadn't played it before.

After three rounds, Cheng Yunshu threw down the controller in despair and slumped onto the stone table, puffing out her cheeks: "I'm not playing anymore! Second brother, you were definitely faking it!"

Chu Yi paused the game, tapped the screen twice with her fingertips, and glanced at her sideways: "Why did you decide to play this?"

Cheng Yunshu suddenly perked up, pulled her phone out of her pocket, swiped the screen a few times, opened Weibo, and proudly held it up to him: "Look! I only started using it because I saw Zhou Ai using it!"

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the vine-covered flower trellis, falling into Cheng Yunshu's eyes like a handful of shattered stars.

Chu Yi's gaze fell on her phone screen—Zhou Ai's Weibo post from last week, accompanied by a picture of him sitting cross-legged on the carpet playing Switch. He was wearing loose loungewear, his hair was slightly messy, a faint smile played on his lips, and an orange cat was curled up beside him.

"PLAY."

The word was simple, but Chu Yi reacted as if burned, her Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily twice, and she let out a low "hmm".

Alcohol slowed his thoughts, yet it also brought forth with remarkable clarity those memories he had deliberately suppressed.

He used to read every single one of Zhou Ai's Weibo posts over and over again, and he could even tell how Zhou Ai was feeling that day from a blurry profile or a subtle expression.

He later realized that this attention had long since gone beyond the scope of "fans".

So he forced himself to stop looking and stop thinking.

But at that moment, that photo unexpectedly came into his view.

Chu Yi tilted his head back and closed his eyes. The night breeze brushed past a few strands of hair on his forehead, also blowing away the emotions that had been inadvertently revealed in that instant.

"Second Brother?" Cheng Yunshu tilted her head to look at him. "Do you know Zhou Ai?"

Chu Yi paused for a moment before saying calmly, "...I've met you."

Cheng Yunshu wanted to ask where she had seen him before, but then her Weibo profile showed a notification.

"Ahhh, Zhou Ai posted on Weibo again. Second brother, let me show you."

Cheng Yunshu handed the phone screen to Chu Yi; it was a Weibo post that Zhou Ai had made just one minute earlier.

【霭你个头】：Drinking milk tea on the day of Liqiu (the beginning of autumn).

The accompanying picture is a selfie.

In the picture, Zhou Ai is wearing a pure white short-sleeved shirt, with the left sleeve casually rolled up halfway, revealing her well-defined biceps. She stares at the screen with half-closed eyes, exuding a lazy, roguish charm, and a few beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.

Chu Yi's gaze fell on Zhou Ai's Weibo profile picture again. It was a picture taken by Chu Yi when Zhou Ai first debuted.

I haven't replaced it after using it for so many years.

Chu Yi remembers that the first time she went to meet Zhou Ai in person, she had to mentally prepare herself for a long time. But when she arrived at the airport and saw Zhou Ai, she inexplicably raised her camera.

Zhou Ai seemed to notice the camera and suddenly turned her head to look over.

Chu Yi pressed the shutter the moment their eyes met.

The lighting, the angle, and the boy's unguarded expression at that moment formed the starting point of a debut photo that fans later hailed as a "divine image".

"Second brother? You also think this profile picture is super cool, right?" Cheng Yunshu's voice carried a hint of smugness, pulling Chu Yi back from her reverie.

Chu Yi's Adam's apple bobbed, the cold liquor slid down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the sudden surge of bitterness in his heart.

He unconsciously exerted force with his fingertips, making the slender stem of the glass appear fragile between his fingers.

"Hmm," he managed a weak reply, his voice strained.

"By the way, Second Brother, when did you meet Zhou Ai?"

Chu Yi paused, but this time did not answer.

Cheng Yunshu didn't mind and continued talking to herself, "I saw him once, it was at Yingzhi's birthday party last time, Zhou Ai seemed to be there."

Chu Yi listened quietly to Chu Yunshu without expressing any opinion.

"If the young master of the Zhou family weren't a celebrity, how would we ordinary people ever get to see him? Sigh... In ancient times, this would be like being separated by heaven and earth." Cheng Yunshu said to herself, unaware that Chu Yi's expression beside her was a little strange.

"Second Brother?" Cheng Yunshu poked his stiff arm in confusion.

Chu Yi snapped back to reality. "What's wrong?"

"Second brother, are you too tired?"

Cheng Yunshu glanced at Chu Yi with some concern.

"It's nothing. Just a slight cold."

Cheng Yunshu only then noticed that Chu Yi's voice was a little hoarse, and quickly pushed Chu Yi to get up, "Go inside and rest for a while, I'll call you later."