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

His voice was hoarse, as if it had been ground by rough sand.

He didn't just consider it a one-night stand that was over and done with, nor did he want to shirk responsibility.

Fu Sichen probably has no idea how he felt when he received her miscarriage certificate; he couldn't understand why anyone would send him her miscarriage certificate.

She and Han Yi had already finalized their marriage, and she could have easily kept the child, so why...?

Most importantly, why was it mailed to him? Even if it was a miscarriage, it should have been mailed to Han Yi.

At that moment, countless thoughts rushed into his mind, but even so, he didn't think about himself. He just thought about her previous phone call and had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

If the Silver Bay Hotel hadn't reviewed the surveillance footage to investigate the missing items, he probably wouldn't have found out so quickly.

Yu Shinan could no longer describe his feelings at the time—shock and disbelief. When he pieced everything together, when everything formed a complete line in his mind, Yu Shinan couldn't sleep a wink that night in his private suite at the Silver Bay Hotel.

This room had never been wary of her before, but she never expected that it would cause her to suffer all of this.

What Wei Jingwu made him drink wasn't exactly clean; to put it bluntly, it was a subtle but effective way of putting him in his place.

He was out of consciousness and out of control, but that didn't mean he didn't know what he had done. Yu Shinan was shocked. The more he thought about it, the more his chest tightened. He felt like he was being crushed by a boulder and could hardly breathe.

The girl who called him Brother Nan with a smile kept chattering away playfully. She went to great lengths to try something new, researching for a long time, but only ate one bite in the end, and the rest went into his stomach.

She tilted her chin up proudly and asked him if the recipe she found was particularly interesting and delicious.

Yu Shinan was both helpless and amused. He reached out and flicked her forehead, "What are you so smug about? Here's how you did it."

She played very lightly, but she insisted on covering her forehead and groaning for ages, almost rolling around on the ground. She was so dramatic.

Just thinking about it makes his lips curl into a smile. Yu Shinan rubbed his face hard. It was his oversight. No wonder she had seemed depressed and quiet lately. He had thought it was because of a breakup.

He never considered her a woman because she was young; he treated her like a younger sister. But in recent years, he had to admit that as she grew up, becoming more and more beautiful and charming, the magic emanating from that ripening fruit began to increasingly entice him.

Yu Shinan also consciously avoided it, treating it as a physiological instinct, which he found shameful but also reasonable.

Even so, he never considered any possibility of a relationship between the two of them. This girl, who grew up in the sunshine, was showered with love and affection. She belonged to the sunshine, radiant and dazzling.

He is moss, which thrives in cool, damp places under eaves.

The boundaries between them were never crossed, and he was happy to have a younger sister, so he didn't think it was wrong for her to throw tantrums and act childishly sometimes. Little girls should be pampered.

The more love you give her from childhood to adulthood, the less likely she is to be fooled by sweet talk from boys when she grows up.

But the cruelest harm he inflicted on the girl he had always doted on was the most cruel thing a woman could do.

Yu Shinan felt cold from the inside out, a cold that seeped into her very being. It was unimaginable how many agonizing days and nights she had endured, yet she still tried her best to put on a smile.

Is it because you're worried about him and don't want to cause him trouble that you don't say anything?

It was because she found it too embarrassing to say, so she didn't.

Is it because she has a lover and doesn't want to show her embarrassing side to him, so she doesn't say anything?

Every possibility exists, but he can no longer pretend he doesn't know.

Yu Shinan didn't even have time to think further, and found an excuse to find out about Si Chen's situation from Fu Jingting.

He went abroad to find her, not knowing if he could make amends, but he wanted to see her one more time.

Even if she scolds or beats me, it doesn't matter.

Or, or perhaps, if she were willing, he could... cherish her for a lifetime.

However, there was no beating or scolding, no accusation. She simply told him calmly that she and Han Yi had already registered their marriage, and she didn't want to mention the past anymore.

This completely silenced him.

She even told him not to feel guilty, that she should just treat it as an illness, and once she recovered, she wouldn't remember the discomfort and pain.

She was so calm at the time, unwilling to mention it at all. Perhaps it was the new marriage that improved her mood, but she seemed much more cheerful and kept mentioning Han Yi.

He can only, and must, bury the mistakes that have occurred deep within his heart, preferably never to see the light of day again.

As long as she can truly let go and stop being heartbroken, as long as Han Yi treats her well, as long as she is happy.

She came back to visit her mother. When she saw him in her mother's garden, he felt as if he had been under a spell; she had suddenly appeared and unexpectedly entered his field of vision.

Three years later, she was even more charming, having completely shed her childishness, but still retaining the most tender beauty, like a ripe, swaying fruit, full of fragrance.

He was grateful that she could still smile at him and call him Brother Nan.

They thought that even if they couldn't go back to the way things were, things could still be a little better than when they were strangers...

It turns out that all her ease was feigned, and her smiles towards him were forced.

In reality, she felt disgusted, repulsed, and resistant.

She didn't want to see him.

He had too many expectations and overlooked her deep-seated fears and resistance.

Yu Shinan walked past her and headed out, his eyes darkening as he desperately suppressed the pain that was hard to relieve.

not see?

He doesn't want to see her anymore?

Is it really gone?!

Fu Sichen was stunned. She watched him walk out, his clothes soaked, leaving a wet footprint on the floor.

Fu Sichen suddenly burst into uncontrollable sobs, squatting down and hugging herself as she cried loudly, "You just left like that? You just disappear like that? What right do you have? If you go out like this, people will say you left my room! And you're still wearing wet clothes, all disheveled! Han Yi lives here, what will he think of me? How could you do this?!"

Fu Sichen cried as he made accusations, feeling distressed, panicked, and confused. He could refuse to see her, but not because of the hurtful things she said.

How could she say such things! That's clearly not what she thought!

The key question is, how could he just leave like that, and disappear without a trace?

Fu Sichen had no doubt that he would not see her, and that he really had a way to prevent her from seeing him.

Even if it were true, even if there was no real need for them to meet, it would be easier to avoid each other altogether. But she couldn't even think about it anymore; she just felt incredibly wronged!

Yu Shinan had barely stepped out of the bathroom when she stopped him in her tracks with her tearful accusations.

He turned to look at her.

Fu Sichen cried miserably, the hem of her nightgown sweeping the floor as she squatted down, getting even more soaked by the water on the bathroom floor. She looked up at him, looking utterly pitiful.

The teeth marks he left on her shoulder were glaringly obvious. The strap of her pajamas, which had slipped off one shoulder, partially revealed her chest. The pajamas, soaked through, clung to her body curves. Her face was covered in tears, her eyes were red, and her little nose was also red. She looked pitiful, like an abandoned fawn.

No one has ever blended innocence and sexiness, spoiledness and pitifulness so thoroughly as she has.

Yu Shinan stood there, his jaw clenched so tightly that his jaw muscles were taut. She was right, it wasn't good for him to go out like this, but who would dare to say anything in his territory?

But seeing her like this, looking so pitiful, he simply couldn't bring himself to take a step.

They did eventually come back.

"Get up, don't squat here." He reached out and pulled her arm, but gently, afraid of hurting her.

Fu Sichen stopped throwing a tantrum and took the opportunity to stand up with his strength, not caring how tempting or inappropriate she looked.

The bath towel she had been wrapped in had fallen to the floor and was now soaking wet. Seeing her stand up, Yu Shinan let go of her arm and started to leave, but Fu Sichen grabbed his arm. "You're leaving already?"

Her delicate fingers gripped his arm, her nails adorned with pretty, cute nail tips with sparkling little decorations. They were adorable, and with a slight pressure, her nail tips left a small mark on his arm.

"You'll catch a cold like this. Go take a hot shower and change your clothes."

The man looked away from her, not at all. He could see right through her at that moment.

But his tense expression and refusal to look at her clearly showed he was angry. Fu Sichen's tears fell in a steady stream, she felt utterly wronged. "You're the one who bullied me, I didn't do anything wrong to you. Can't I get angry? Can't I complain and vent? You get angry over this? What right do you have to be angry? I haven't even really tried to avoid seeing you, and you... you just won't see me?"

"..."

She can throw a tantrum, she can complain and vent, and he has no right to say yes or no in this matter. But if she doesn't want to see him, he'll go along with it. But right now she's crying so sadly...

The man sighed, reached out and pulled the slipped shoulder strap of her nightgown back onto her shoulder, barely concealing her undisguised charm.

Yu Shinan's gaze lingered on her face, seeing her tear-streaked cheeks. His fingers almost instinctively reached out to touch her tears, but he hastily withdrew them. "I'm not leaving. I'm just going to get you a bathrobe."

Fu Sichen then let go of her hand and walked out. She followed behind him. She had already thrown off her slippers when he picked her up, so she simply went out barefoot, leaving a footprint on the soft carpet in the living room, along with water droplets dripping around it.

Yu Shinan handed her a bathrobe from the room and told her to take a hot shower, but Fu Sichen ignored him. She took the bathrobe he offered, put it on, wrapped herself in it, and looked at him with teary eyes, "What about you? Are you going out dressed like this?"

"Here, no one dares to gossip, so it won't reach Han Yi's ears, and..." Yu Shinan paused slightly, "Indeed, it's nothing."

He said this against his will.

The man's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he met her misty gaze. "There won't be any messy rumors, don't worry."

Who would trust this!

He was probably afraid of being questioned by Lin Yuanqing.

"Have someone send you some clothes." Fu Sichen sobbed softly. He had just cried so hard that he trembled like a child, and his voice was shaking.

It's especially cute when it falls into your ear.

Yu Shinan couldn't help but glance at her. She looked pitiful, yet she couldn't suppress the imperious tone in her voice, making her seem particularly... coquettish.

He wanted to laugh, wanted to wipe away her tears, but...

Just thinking about it.

Yu Shinan called Yu Qian, sounding relieved. "Brother, they've all left. They didn't find anything. It was a false alarm."

"Hmm." Yu Shinan said calmly, "Did Yan Huai leave a message?"

"Leave a message? I didn't leave a message intentionally."

Yu Shinan's forehead was taut as he suppressed his temper. "Tell me exactly what he said, word for word."

"Oh." Yu Qian realized, "Yes, there's a saying that this place might not be compatible with the Yu family, and that it's easy for others to have designs on it."

Yu Shinan frowned. Yan Huai wouldn't say such a thing without reason, which meant that Wei Jingwu hadn't given up on this place yet.

He chose this place purely because of the environment, but Wei Jingwu's persistence must not be for the environment.

After exchanging a few more words, Yu Shinan instructed, "Bring me some clothes."

"You don't have anything in your room? I've already sent everything over! And..." Yu Qian chuckled, "there's definitely a surprise in store."

Yu Shinan was disgusted by his malicious tone. "Stop talking nonsense all day long, do your job well, and don't cause any more trouble."

"I was in my original suite; this is the place I just checked."

Yu Qian realized what was happening, "Oh, is Si Chen here? Were you scared?"

Yu Shinan stopped arguing with him, only telling him to hurry up, and then hung up the phone.

Turning around, he saw Fu Sichen standing motionless, staring at him. "Brother Nan, you..."

"No. Someone framed me. Don't worry, it has nothing to do with me."

He said no, and that means no.

Fu Sichen had no reason to believe him on this point.

She pursed her lips. "Brother Nan, don't get involved in anything illegal."

"No. The Yu family will not repeat the mistakes of the past."

"Not the Yu family," Fu Sichen whispered, his voice low, "but even if it is you, don't... Achoo!"

Suddenly, I sneezed several times.

The damp pajamas against my body felt chilly, and even with a robe over them, the coolness still seeped into my skin.

Fu Sichen even shivered.

"Go take a shower and change your clothes." Yu Shinan frowned. "You have a cold and need a shot."

"I don't want a shot!" Fu Sichen stubbornly refused, but couldn't stop the constant sneezing.

"Then go take a shower and change your clothes." The man looked at her. "None of your worries will happen. I promise."

I've already hurt her once; I won't let her hurt me a second time.

Whether it's him or anyone else.

Fu Sichen felt a burning sensation in his nose, and tears began to fall again.

Actually, she wasn't worried about those things; she just made up some excuses because she didn't know what to say.

What she was truly worried about was something she couldn't articulate.

Fu Sichen took his clothes and went into the bathroom.

When she came out after taking a shower, the room was empty.

Fu Sichen sat dejectedly on the bed, covering her face with her hands. She felt sad about her loss of control, but what's said can't be taken back.

My phone rang; it was a video message from Xu Qingcheng.

Fu Sichen quickly wiped away her tears and answered the phone.

"Little Aunt." Xiao Ruchu's voice came first.

The camera lens was packed with the faces of three children.