Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

Zhong Wanxiu was tidying up the ornaments on the display shelf when she suddenly heard these words. She almost dropped what she was holding. The little girl who had never grown up suddenly said that she had someone she liked. Zhong Wanxiu was completely stunned.

"How old are you? Do you even know what liking someone means?"

"Why can't I like someone?" Fu Sichen had been holding it in all day, feeling incredibly frustrated. Her mother's words only made her feel worse. "I'm already twenty-one! So many of my classmates have several boyfriends, and I don't have a single one. Even high school students secretly date. Why can't I!"

"No. This is so sudden. Who do you like?" Zhong Wanxiu was completely baffled.

Twenty-one is not young anymore, and it's not a big deal for her to have a boyfriend. Their family doesn't expect their daughter to marry into a particularly good family, but at least he should be reliable.

Fu Sichen pursed his lips, remaining silent, but tears streamed down his face, making him look utterly pitiful.

Zhong Wanxiu sat down beside her. "I've never heard you mention anyone before. Did you break up with someone?"

"Having never been in a relationship, does that count as heartbreak?" Fu Sichen asked.

Zhong Wanxiu: "...You have a crush on someone?"

"Which boy is good enough for my daughter to have a crush on?" Zhong Wanxiu asked curiously. In fact, her family never treated her like an adult, and at twenty-one, she was still young. It was just a child's little squabble. She would be depressed for a few days and then it would be over.

Zhong Wanxiu wasn't in a hurry. She could introduce friends in three or four years when she was twenty-four or twenty-five, since she was still studying.

"He has a girlfriend." Fu Sichen looked at Zhong Wanxiu with teary eyes. "Mom, do I have no chance?"

"He already has a girlfriend, what more do you want? There's more than one person in the world."

Fu Sichen pursed her lips and remained silent. There might be more than one person in the world, but she only loved that one person.

I love it so much, I've loved it for so many years.

I look forward to growing up every day, so that I can openly like people and kiss and hug them.

How could he like someone else?

He also wants to have sex with other women.

The thought of Nan Ge having had affairs with other women was unbearable for her; she wanted to drive away all the women around him.

Also, Nan-ge doesn't like her, but she's with him like this. What will she do in the future?

Si Chen's thoughts became increasingly tangled.

Many of her classmates have had one, two, three, or four boyfriends, and they even sleep in hotels together, without seeming to care much.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with what other people did, but it wouldn't work on her.

What Nan Ge did to her was beyond her imagination. The primal and savage rhythm could only be performed by the closest people, and she could not accept changing to someone other than Nan Ge.

She vaguely began to realize that her feelings for Nan Ge were different, and it has been five years since then.

Five years is not a short time; it's not something she can just let go of whenever she wants.

Tears welled in her eyes, and she pursed her lips, remaining silent. She looked incredibly pitiful.

Zhong Wanxiu couldn't help but comfort him, "It's his loss that he doesn't like you. You'll definitely meet someone better."

Fu Sichen got up and went back to his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Zhong Wanxiu grabbed Fu Pinghui, "Pinghui, Sichen has broken up with his girlfriend."

"what?"

"The girl's crush got a girlfriend and she cried her eyes out. I was wondering why Qingcheng wouldn't come out today; she was holed up in her bedroom, looking so down." Zhong Wanxiu paused. "Really, I didn't even realize that Sichen is old enough to be dating."

"Who is it? Which brat has such poor taste?" Fu Pinghui asked with a stern face.

"She didn't say, probably some classmate. She'll be fine in a couple of days." Zhong Wanxiu didn't take it seriously; it's just a child crying like this over a relationship.

"She's still young, what's the point of talking about love? Can she even tell the difference between good and bad relationships?" Fu Pinghui snorted, clearly disapproving.

"Oh dear, kids these days mature so early. Si Chen is not young anymore; you should be grateful you haven't started dating yet."

Fu Pinghui frowned. "We need to look around for suitable children beforehand. We need to carefully select one. Si Chen has been inexperienced since childhood; she's too naive. A complicated background isn't suitable for her. With our two sons settled, things are pretty much settled. Si Chen doesn't need to be incredibly wealthy. I just want her to live a simple and happy life, without any complications."

On this point, the couple were of one mind.

Fu Sichen was an accident. She hadn't originally planned to have another child, but she unexpectedly became pregnant and decided to keep it.

She was young and a girl, so the whole family doted on her. She didn't need to worry about important matters in her two older brothers' families, and everyone even avoided her, hoping she would grow up carefree like a little idiot.

"Any suitable ones?" Zhong Wanxiu asked Fu Pinghui. Since he said that, he probably had something in mind.

"Academician Peng's youngest son, Peng Zhuo, is two or three years older than Si Chen. He returned from his master's studies at the University of Pennsylvania." Fu Pinghui pondered. "I ran into Academician Peng at an event a while ago, and Peng Zhuo was with him. We chatted for a bit, and the young man was quite eloquent and articulate. The Peng family has been a scholarly family for generations; they are simple and well-mannered."

Zhong Wanxiu nodded, thinking it was excellent, "Then let's arrange for them to meet right away."

"She's definitely not in the mood right now. Let's wait until she calms down." Fu Pinghui smiled and put his arm around Zhong Wanxiu's shoulder. "She's still young. I'd like to keep her for a few more years. It's not like we can't afford to raise her."

Zhong Wanxiu glanced at him, "Thinking about your little sweetheart getting married, you're reluctant to let her go, aren't you?"

"It's hard to let her go. She's getting married, and then it'll just be the two of us left in this house." Fu Pinghui reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Zhong Wanxiu's ear, looking at the streaks of white in her hair. He ran his fingers along her cheek. "A lifetime goes by pretty fast."

I wasted too many precious days when I was young, and only now do I realize how much I regret it.

Zhong Wanxiu rubbed her cheek against his palm, a gentle smile in her eyes. "Seeing Pinxiu and Jingting so loving today made me happy. It reminded me of our time."

"Pinghui, thank you for being with me."

Fu Pinghui chuckled, "I'll stay with you until the very end. I'll try to see you off first, then I'll go."

I can't bear to leave you all alone in this world, so I want to walk behind you.

Zhong Wanxiu's eyes welled up with tears, and she buried her face in his chest, saying, "What are you saying?"

……

Fu Sichen lay in her bedroom for a day and a night until Tao Xi called the next day to ask why she hadn't returned to school yet. Only then did she get up, tidy herself up, and prepare to go to school.

Seeing that Sichen was still listless, Zhong Wanxiu couldn't help but advise her, "Sichen, don't force things in relationships. Don't get stuck on one thing. If someone doesn't like you, don't force it. There will definitely be someone who likes you in the future."

Fu Sichen hummed in agreement, offering no rebuttal.

Zhong Wanxiu looked at her, fully armed with long-sleeved sun protection clothing, a sun hat, and sunglasses. "Aren't you going back to school? Why are you doing this?"

"My eyes are swollen and look awful, I need to cover them up," Fu Sichen sniffed.

The bruises on her body hadn't faded yet, and she had changed from pants to a skirt, but she didn't dare show them, afraid of being discovered.

She wasn't afraid of being scolded by her parents for not respecting herself, but she was afraid of being asked who she was.

If they knew it was Brother Nan, his family definitely wouldn't let him off the hook.

Fu Sichen didn't want things to come to that point, and she didn't want to put Nan Ge in a difficult position.

This is difficult.

Liking her is difficult.

This realization made Fu Sichen feel very embarrassed.

Brother Nan probably doesn't know her, otherwise he would have called to ask her.

Fu Sichen felt a pain in her chest, but she didn't dare to call Yu Shinan.

She couldn't bring herself to say it, she didn't dare to directly tell him that she had slept with him. Nor did she dare to ask him what he and Lin Yuanqing were really thinking.

She knew his mother wasn't very happy with Lin Yuanqing, but he hadn't completely broken off his relationship with her.

Tao Xi was startled to see Fu Sichen like this. "What's wrong with you? Your face is as white as a ghost!"

"fine."

Fu Sichen felt a burning pain in that area whenever she walked. She had been in pain for the past two days, but she didn't dare to get it checked. She would secretly look at herself in the mirror and blush with embarrassment. She couldn't bear to let others see her like that.

I searched online for information and bought some ointment from an online pharmacy. I then had it delivered to the school by express mail.

Tao Xi picked up her packages from the school's parcel locker and immediately opened them. Several of the packages contained accessories that she and Si Chen had bought for their next cosplay event.

Tao Xi looked at a small silver bottle. "What's this?"

Fu Sichen reacted quickly and rushed over to snatch it away.

But it was too late.

Tao Xi's mouth gaped slightly, she was surprised.

"You, you, how can you use this?"

Fu Sichen glared at her and warned, "You didn't see anything, you don't know anything."

"No, Si Chen, you have a boyfriend?" Tao Xi was shocked. "How come I didn't know? You've never mentioned it before? You two slept together? I told you about my first time with my boyfriend. You're so unfair..."

Tao Xi's face was also red. She had used that kind of product before, so she knew where to apply it.

Fu Sichen quickly covered Tao Xi's mouth, "This is a school, what are you shouting for?"

Tao Xi's voice lowered, "So, who is it?"

"Don't ask anymore. He's not my boyfriend."

"Not my boyfriend? Then...then..." Tao Xi stammered.

Fu Sichen was too lazy to say anything more. Since everything was a mess, she put the small bottle in her bag.

The two of them carried their things back to the dormitory together.

Whether you are happy or sad, the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west, and time moves forward in a very regular manner.

A few days later, the pain subsided, and the marks on her body faded until they disappeared.

That incident is over, like a dream, leaving no trace.

……

Yu Shinan was always in the kitchen, which made the head chef a little disheartened. He didn't serve the guests and instead occupied the stove.

It's unclear what kind of dish he was trying to make, but he was seen dumping plate after plate of experimental ingredients into the trash can, wasting excellent ingredients, which was heartbreaking to see.

His presence was really slowing down the food service, so the head chef, unable to bear it any longer, approached Yu Shinan and politely asked him to leave the kitchen temporarily, saying he could come back after the mealtime.

Yu Shinan nodded and left the kitchen shortly afterward.

He went to the back of the hotel and smoked a cigarette.

In the sweltering summer heat, at midday there's not a breath of wind, and you'll be sweating profusely in the time it takes to smoke a cigarette.

His arms were covered in a fine layer of sweat. He lowered his eyes, and the scratches on his forearms were no longer visible.

But a voice that seemed out of control kept calling "Help me" and wouldn't go away.

His forehead bulged, and the veins on his temples throbbed faintly. Lin Yuanqing wouldn't cry for help; she would only yell at him not to stop.

The ultimate joy awaited her; how could she bear to miss it?

But one voice lingered in his mind, clear, pitiful, and terrifyingly devastating.

He could even interpret those two words: she was truly afraid, afraid of being out of control, afraid of feeling something completely unfamiliar.

Authentic and adorable.

Yu Shinan took a deep breath, clenching his back teeth and tensing his entire jawline, exuding a chilling aura.

He slammed his fist into the marble pillar with brute force, drawing blood from his knuckles. The pain barely kept his mind clear.

What on earth has gone wrong with him? Ever since Wei Jingwu drugged him, he hasn't been able to shake off those taboo images from his mind.

The more it is suppressed, the more it is remembered.

Like a shameless voyeur, he deliberately placed her face on Lin Yuanqing's body.

Even the kitchen couldn't completely quiet him down.

"Brother Nan."

A crisp sound suddenly rang in my ears.

Yu Shinan thought he was hallucinating and didn't move.

"They said you just came out of the kitchen and didn't go far. You didn't go to the office, so I knew you might be here."

Fu Sichen leaned closer. She was wearing a white T-shirt and a green overall dress, with white chunky sneakers. Her long hair was styled into a cute bun, with four or five adorable fruit-shaped hair clips on one side. Her wispy bangs framed her face, and when she smiled, she exuded a fresh and youthful vibe.

During this time, he did not contact her.

She didn't have any either.

Then the two of them seemed to lose contact.

Soon, ten days or so had passed.

When she got home yesterday, she overheard her parents discussing visiting Sister Qingcheng's parents. They casually mentioned that Brother Nan's mother had given her approval and that Brother Nan and Lin Yuanqing's wedding date would be set.

My parents are very happy for Nan Ge.

But she was in a lot of pain.

Fu Sichen tried to hold back, but couldn't resist and ran over.

We can't just stay strangers forever.

Yu Shinan glanced at the fruit she was carrying and asked, "You brought something with you when you came here?"

His voice was somewhat deep, as he hadn't fully recovered from his emotions.

"I want to eat white jade matcha milk pudding and cucumber jelly. The ones outside are too greasy and not tasty at all," Fu Sichen said with a smile. "Brother Nan, do you have time to make them for me?"

Yu Shinan didn't immediately agree. He remained silent for a while before saying, "Yuan Qing will be here in a bit."

She froze on the spot, her smile almost bursting, and touched the bridge of her nose as if to cover it up. "Then I'll borrow your kitchen and do it myself."

He hummed in agreement.

He swiped his fingerprint to open the door and said, "Come in."

Fu Sichen skipped over, her steps so light that there was no sign of any impact.

She walked past him, carrying a sweet fragrance. She had drawn delicate eyebrows and applied lipstick, a soft pink hue.

She must have been wearing perfume.

It's subtle and barely noticeable, which suits her perfectly.

He took the two bags of fruit from her hands, carrying them easily. He noticed two red marks on her delicate white palms. "How much can you eat? Why did you buy so much?"

"They looked fresh, so I bought more."

"The fruit here isn't as fresh as what you get outside, but just have the kitchen send you whatever you want."

"You have no idea how much your head chef cherishes his ingredients." Fu Sichen stuck out his tongue, a playful glint in his eyes.

Yu Shinan smiled as well.

The two took the elevator at the back and went directly up to his private suite.

When Fu Sichen entered, he hesitated for a moment, appearing somewhat nervous.

She instinctively looked back as the door behind her closed.

It was daytime, the sun was shining brightly, the curtains were open, and the sunlight streamed in, illuminating everything clearly.

Unlike that night, when it was so dark he couldn't see her clearly.

"What's wrong?" Yu Shinan put down the fruit and saw her turn around and stare at the door.

"It's nothing." Fu Sichen went over.

Then I saw him take ice cubes and some jelly from the refrigerator.

Most young girls love desserts, and Fu Sichen is no exception. She not only wants them to taste good, but also to look pretty so that she can easily take photos and post them on social media.

He had all the necessary tools and ingredients to serve her, even though some of the dishes were not available at the Silver Bay Hotel.

He picked out a few of the fruits she bought and washed them in the sink.

The man had large hands; the pear, which she couldn't hold in one hand, was just the right size in his.

Fu Sichen looked down at his chest, remembering him...

She bit her lip, her face flushed red with heat rising from her lips.

She fanned herself a few times with her hand, just in time to meet his gaze.

"Is it hot?" Yu Shinan asked, glancing at the indoor temperature, 23°C, which was fine.

"It's hot outside." Fu Sichen squeezed next to him, banishing all the romantic atmosphere. She held back her tears. "I can do it myself. You're busy, aren't you?"

Yu Shinan checked the time. "No rush. It'll be a little while. I should be able to make one for you. You can do the rest yourself."

He broke the ice and cut the cucumber into chunks with practiced ease and excellent knife skills.

She loved seeing him like this, looking so handsome with his serious expression on the cutting board.

He had a minor injury on his finger joints, but it wouldn't heal easily if it got wet. Fu Sichen offered him gloves, but he refused.

inconvenient.

Fu Sichen stepped back and stood to his right. "I heard from my mom that you two are getting engaged first. Has the date been set?"