The engagement was with the younger brother, but I've fallen for the older brother.

He Nanxian frowned, not understanding.

"What's wrong with it?"

He looked at Si Yimian again, his tone resolute.

"Mianmian isn't an outsider, so the house is just sitting empty anyway."

"Could you keep an eye on her for me when you have time? It's not safe for her to be out alone."

"Besides, I know what kind of person you are, brother."

He Sichen didn't reply, but picked up his water glass and took a sip.

Who is it?

He himself didn't even know.

Si Yimian lowered her eyes, secretly calculating in her mind.

This man is a reincarnation of a clam spirit; his mouth is harder than his shell.

If he won't take the direct approach, then try adding a little vinegar (a metaphor for being irritated).

He Nanxian is a ready-made tool, so why not use him?

Anyway, he's a bit dim-witted, but he works pretty well.

"I know Dr. He values ​​privacy and doesn't like being disturbed."

"What would happen if I moved there?"

He Sichen's knuckles loosened for a moment.

The words were kind, and they sounded sensible.

But something just feels off.

Every time she speaks in this tone, there's a trap hidden behind it.

Sure enough, Si Yimian changed the subject and turned to He Nanxian.

"Brother Nanxian, how about I move in with you?"

"Your neighborhood is only half an hour from the hospital, closer than my home."

She counted on her fingers, her attitude serious.

"And you can give me a ride to and from get off work on your way, saving me the trouble of going through all that trouble."

He Nanxian paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Sure, my guest room has been empty."

"Have the housekeeper clean it up tomorrow."

He Sichen paused abruptly in his glass, causing ripples to spread across the surface.

Go stay at He Nanxian's place?

Do we leave home together every day, come and go from get off work together, and always go in and out together?

The images started playing automatically in his mind.

No.

He didn't want to watch a single frame.

It's better to live across the hall from him, at least under his nose.

"no."

He spoke, his voice cold and hard.

"With her workload, she spends an extra hour commuting every day, which halves her efficiency."

"How can we proceed with the data re-verification?"

"My apartment is just sitting empty anyway, I can lend it to her to live in."

He Nanxian was stunned.

"Brother, didn't you just say..."

He Sichen interrupted him, glancing over at him.

"I said it was inappropriate, not that we couldn't stay there."

"Work requirements are a different matter."

"Providing Miss Si with a transition period is Yu'an's way of providing logistical support to its partners."

He told his lie so smoothly that he almost believed it himself.

He started to mentally prepare himself.

He Sichen, you're thirty now.

calm.

I was only considering it from a project perspective.

It's a waste to leave the apartment across the hall empty. He's the client, she's the contractor; living close by makes communication easier.

Yes, it's all for work, nothing else.

He Nanxian scratched his head, feeling that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"That's fine too. Living across from your brother is definitely more convenient than living at my place."

"Mianmian, what do you think?"

Si Yimian was drinking miso soup with her head down, her lips curling up in an uncontrollable smile.

It's done again.

She used this trick eight hundred times, and it worked every time.

He Sichen is the kind of person who, with a little bit of jealousy, can win over himself.

She doesn't even need to rack her brains for new ideas; she just puts new vinegar in old bottles, and it works instantly.

Si Yimian put down her spoon, bit her lower lip, and pretended to hesitate.

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for Dr. He?"

He Sichen put down his cup, met her gaze, and concealed his emotions in his eyes.

"The less trouble you cause, the less trouble you'll cause me."

"Living across the hall saves me from being late or leaving early every day, which would delay the project's progress."

"After all, my time is very valuable."

Si Yimian smiled at him.

"Thank you for taking me in, Dr. He."

"Don't thank me yet."

"There are three rules for living there."

Si Yimian nodded vigorously.

"Dr. He, please speak."

He Sichen's voice deepened.

"First, you are not allowed to bring anyone back."

"Second, no noise is allowed in the middle of the night."

"Thirdly, I value privacy and don't want to be disturbed unless necessary."

"Is it possible?"

He spoke these words in a cold tone and with a distant expression.

Si Yimian's eyes suddenly lit up.

"able!"

She agreed quickly and readily.

If you need something, knock on the door; if not... then why not just create some trouble?

She's already come up with all the scripts, enough to perform a different one every day for a month.

Looking at her smiling face, He Sichen suddenly felt that he had agreed a bit hastily.

It's like digging a bottomless pit for yourself.

Letting her move in is no different from inviting a vixen into the ancestral hall.

He hated this version of himself.

Watching themselves sink into depravity with clear awareness, yet unwilling to save themselves.

……

After they finished eating, He Nanxian offered to take Si Yimian home.

He Sichen didn't say anything, but his expression was clearly unpleasant.

in the car.

The rain had subsided, and the whole city was sparkling clean.

Si Yimian nestled in the passenger seat, looking down at her phone.

He Nanxian turned the steering wheel with one hand and remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"Mianmian".

"I was quite surprised that my brother agreed to let you live across the hall today."

Si Yimian looked up from her phone screen.

"How so?"

He Nanxian spoke casually, as if they were chatting about everyday things.

"He's abnormally obsessed with his personal space."

"I've never even put a pair of slippers in his house."

"He bought both apartments on that floor in Guanlan, just for some peace and quiet."

Si Yimian turned her head to look at him.

"So why did he give in today?"

He Nanxian thought about it and came to a conclusion.

"I guess they think you're less of a worry."

Si Yimian raised an eyebrow.

Worry-free?

Once she moved in, He Sichen would never have a moment's peace of mind again.

"Aren't you afraid he'll get annoyed if you keep pushing me towards your older brother?"

He Nanxian was silent for a moment, then spoke the truth.

"He wouldn't do something even with a knife to his throat if he didn't want to."

"He might not agree to help you if you ask, but if he does, he will definitely do it well."

Si Yimian couldn't help but laugh, but didn't reply.

That's true.

He Sichen may have a sharp tongue, but he never hesitates to keep his promises.

He verbally wished he could push her far away, but he never actually pushed her away once.

"Oh, right."

He Nanxian changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming softer.

"I'm sorry about that day at the banquet."

"I came back from Ning You's place, but you've already left."

I know you're unhappy.

Si Yimian smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"It's okay, it's not the first time you've stood me up anyway."

He Nanxian choked.

"Mianmian, I know that sometimes you feel that I'm biased."

"But Ning You, she..."

Si Yimian took over the conversation, her tone relaxed.

"She shielded you from a car, suffered a fractured transverse process in her lumbar vertebra, and her left kidney was shattered and had to be removed."

"She saved your life, and you owe her a kidney. I know all that."

Since that incident, He Nanxian has been burdened with an indebted conscience that he can never repay.

But he didn't know that in the original story, Si Ningyou had congenital kidney atrophy and was destined to die within a few years.

The car accident simply provided a convenient opportunity for removal, and incidentally, it also tied a sucker to the situation.

He Nanxian nodded, his voice heavy as if it were filled with lead.

"So I feel indebted to her, and every time she's sad, I want to make it up to her."

"Only when she's happy do I deserve to be happy."

"Especially after you came back, the engagement was changed to you."

"You were born into the Si family; this is what you deserve."

"But it wasn't fair to her; she felt abandoned."

"You still have some things, but she has nothing."

"Over the years, I've been thinking about how to have the best of both worlds."

I want Ning You to not be wronged, but I also don't want you to be sad.

He Nanxian gave a wry smile.

"In the end, neither end was done well."

Si Yimian turned her head and smiled at him, her face full of sincerity.

"Brother Nanxian, don't feel guilty."

"Look, you go to take care of Sister Ningyou, and then you turn around and have my older brother take care of me."

"Doesn't that mean you're taking care of me too?"

"It's better for the four of us to make a good living than anything else."