After her younger sister lost her memory, she and her older brother started trying to conceive.

Bai Xu remained silent.

Her eyes were red, a mixture of bloodshot veins from a lingering high fever and the red of heartbreak.

It's impossible to distinguish between cause and effect.

He remembered the summer when she was sixteen, wearing a floral dress and chasing butterflies in the yard.

He stood in the corridor watching her.

Tired from chasing him, she ran back to his side, held up the cabbage white butterfly she was holding in front of him, and said, "Brother Xu, look, aren't its wings beautiful?"

He wasn't even looking at the butterfly; he was looking at her sweat-dampened, tousled hair sticking to her forehead.

He should have told her then, "You are a hundred times more beautiful than a butterfly, and I love you."

But he didn't say it.

He always felt there was still tomorrow, and countless more tomorrows.

Now, she's given the butterfly to someone else.

She used to like him.

Now everything has changed.

It was his fault.

He pushed her away.

Now, if you ask him to say "I wish you happiness," he can't bring himself to say it; he really can't.

Chu Yanyan paused for a few seconds, then continued.

"I'm here today to supervise you taking your medicine, but I also want to make it clear to you that we can only be brother and sister, and we can't go any further. Brother Xu, no matter whether I regain my memory or not, my feelings for you will never change; it's just a sister's affection for her brother."

I remember your kindness to me, and I will be kind to you in the future, as a younger sister. You deserve someone who loves you wholeheartedly, and that person is not me.

Bai Xu neither spoke nor nodded.

He turned to look at her, his reddened eyes churning with emotions she couldn't decipher.

Unwilling to accept defeat, heartbroken, and belated regret.

There was also a stubborn streak of not giving up, even though he knew it was futile.

He knew that saying anything now would be futile.

Chu Yanyan stood up, walked up to him, and extended her hand.

Give me the thermometer.

He took the thermometer out from under his arm and placed it in her palm, lingering for a moment when his fingertips touched her palm.

That moment was his last act of greed for the day.

She looked down at the screen, her brows furrowing again.

Thirty-eight degrees two.

It's gone down a bit, but it's still burning.

"Your fever hasn't gone down yet, you must take your medicine properly."

She placed the thermometer on the coffee table, took out a vial of medicine from the medicine bag, and squatted down in front of the coffee table.

She divided the evening and the next morning's medications into different colored compartments according to dosage.

"Eat according to this. The date and time are written on it. Eat at the appointed time and don't miss a meal. I've marked each section. Eat three times a day, morning, noon, and night."

Bai Xu took the medicine box and held it in his hand.

He suddenly felt a tightness in his throat.

He looked up at her, his voice hoarse, knowing he would be rejected but still unable to resist asking.

"Are you coming again tomorrow?"

Chu Yanyan shook her head, "I'm not coming."

She can't come anymore.

I've come here today under immense pressure.

If Bai Zhiyuan knew, he'd be furious.

Bai Xu lowered his eyelids and sighed softly.

"If they don't come, I won't eat. Anyway, nobody cares."

"You..." Chu Yanyan was speechless for a moment, staring at him for several seconds.

Is this being coquettish?

She took a deep breath and said firmly, "You have to eat."

After saying that, he turned around, walked to the shoe cabinet, bent down, and began to change his shoes.

Now all she wants is to leave this villa and return to the estate.

Before the vinegar jar is discovered, pretend you just went shopping.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

One step, two steps, three steps, varying in weight, swaying unsteadily.

Bai Xu walked up to her, his body swaying slightly.

A thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"I'll take you back."

"No need, I can go back by myself."

As soon as he finished speaking, he fell forward.

His body pressed straight down on her.

His forehead rested on her shoulder, and the two were pressed together.

Chu Yanyan was forced back half a step by the sudden weight.

She groaned softly and instinctively reached out to support his waist.

His face was buried in the hollow of her shoulder, his eyelashes brushing against her collarbone, tickling her.

His breathing was rapid and shallow, and he murmured softly, "Yanyan... I'm dizzy."

The sound was intermittent and muffled.

He wanted to stay close to her a little longer, before she pushed him away.

In this embrace that doesn't belong to him, he'll be a last thief, stealing a few more seconds.

Chu Yanyan was a little flustered; his hands were clenched so tightly.

He was burning up like a furnace.

She gritted her teeth, put one hand on his waist, and said, "I'll help you to the bedroom to lie down for a while."

Bai Xu nodded in satisfaction.

He managed to lift his head, his forehead brushing against her neck as he left.

She helped him walk step by step toward the bedroom.

He was putting half his weight on her.

His breath was hot and ragged on her head.

Push open the bedroom door.

Chu Yanyan helped him to the bedside, bent down and lifted the blanket, "Lie down, I'll get you a glass of water."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Bai Xu reached out and grabbed her wrist, his fingers tightening around hers.

His palms were still so hot, but the force he used was astonishing.

"Yanyan, stay with me a little longer."

Chu Yanyan looked up at the sky outside the window.

It had gone completely dark, and the streetlights had been on for quite some time.

By this time, Bai Zhiyuan had already arrived home.

He had probably already showered and was sitting in his study looking at documents, his phone next to the keyboard, waiting for her message.

That text message was still in his chat box.

He didn't ask any further questions, but he definitely glanced at the screen every few minutes.

She was so anxious, it felt like a hundred ants were crawling all over her.

"Close your eyes and go to sleep."

Bai Xu nodded and closed his eyes.

His breathing slowed, his fingers still wrapped around her wrist.

She would leave as soon as Bai Xu fell asleep.

Once home, she took the initiative and threw herself into Bai Zhiyuan's arms, saying, "Shopping is so tiring, I missed you so much."

Give him a few kisses first; it's much safer to initiate a kiss than to be interrogated passively.

Time passed second by second.

His breathing gradually became even, deep, and steady.

She thought he must be asleep.

So she gently pulled her hand out from under his fingers.

One millimeter, two millimeters...

Bai Xu's fingers tightened suddenly, pulling her hand back.

This time the force was greater than before.

She lost her balance, her upper body leaned forward, and she landed directly on his chest.

Bai Xu opened his eyes.

There was no sign of sleepiness in his reddened eyes.

He was not asleep.

He was just waiting, waiting for the moment she wanted to leave to pull her back.

His chest heaved violently beneath her palm.

Her eyes were burning with a hint of resentment. "Yanyan, can't you wait to go back and see your older brother?"

Bai Xu was unwilling to accept this.

Instead of loosening his grip, he increased the pressure on his hands.

His other hand reached out from under the blanket and grabbed her waist.

"I'm younger than your older brother, so I can stay with you for a very, very long time."

His voice was hoarse and hurried, "Can't you look at me too?"

Chu Yanyan frowned, looked directly into his eyes, and said, "Bai Xu, I really don't have time to argue with you. I'm going back."

Bai Xu was stunned for a moment.

Laughed.

His eyes shone with barely suppressed light. "You finally called me by my name."

Chu Yanyan didn't react immediately, "What?"

"You always called me Brother Xu, and you never called me by my name."

"Your full name sounds more familiar, that's what you call your older brother too."

Does this prove that her place in his heart has changed a little bit?

He was thinking about it with great satisfaction.

Suddenly.

My phone is beeping with a message notification.

The screen is lit, and an unread message is displayed on the lock screen.

It was posted by Bai Zhiyuan.

He questioned sternly, "You didn't swipe your card at all, so what kind of shopping were you doing?"

Oh no, Bai Zhiyuan is going to find out.