A skin-thirsty episode occurred, in her brother's arms.

Qin Ge grabbed Xu Xingchen's hand, his eyes bloodshot. "Just a meal?"

"This is a meal, what happens next?"

Qin Ge's cold smile grew more pronounced. "No replies to messages, no going home, busy with research."

"What's next?"

Qin Ge gripped Xu Xingchen's hand and couldn't help but tighten his grip.

He couldn't hold on; he watched helplessly as Xu Xingchen left him, and he couldn't find a solution.

Silently, without any warning.

It could even be described as mild.

They are still good brothers, and Xu Xingchen's attitude towards him has not changed in many ways.

Something has changed, and no matter how gently or quietly Xu Xingchen does it, he can still sense it.

Qin Ge insisted that Xu Xingchen give him a result.

The two of them stood out so much at the school gate that many people were looking in their direction.

Xu Xingchen didn't want to argue with Qin Ge in this place, so she led him to the car.

There aren't many people around here, so he and Qin Ge can have a good talk.

Xu Xingchen, "What are you thinking about?"

"Is anything different between us now compared to before?"

If Qin Ge were to actually speak, he wouldn't be able to say anything. Xu Xingchen had been too discreet; he had even distanced himself without a sound.

There were no drastic measures.

He simply detached himself from all aspects of life.

This was what made Qin Ge most uneasy; he simply couldn't stop Xu Xingchen from leaving.

It's like holding a handful of sand in your palm; the harder you try, the faster it slips away.

Qin Ge was very anxious, and his eyes became even redder.

Qin Ge took Xu Xingchen's hand and placed it on a certain spot. "We're not as close as we used to be. We should take things a step further. We haven't helped each other in a long time."

Qin Ge was eager to prove something.

The moment his hand touched it, a subtle change occurred in an unseen area.

Qin Ge was greatly encouraged. "Look at the stars, you miss me too."

"I can help you, and I'll do it even better than before."

On sleepless nights, he relived countless times the moment when Xu Xingchen kissed him that night.

The soft, sweet scent was fleeting; what came first, even before the nausea and vomiting, was the fragrance emanating from Xu Xingchen.

He regretted countless times why he had pushed Xu Xingchen away. He tried to explain afterward, but Xu Xingchen's attitude was indifferent. He just smiled and explained that Qin Ge was too serious and he didn't take it to heart at all.

Qin Ge desperately wanted to get closer to Xu Xingchen to eliminate the invisible barriers between them.

When Qin Ge noticed the change, his eyes lit up, and he lowered his head anxiously.

Xu Xingchen grabbed his hair. "Qin Ge, it's alright."

I don't want to tonight.

The light in Qin Ge's eyes was dim. "The stars are much more honest than you. They're thinking of me."

Xu Xingchen changed his posture. "This doesn't prove anything. You're a man too, you know that people react like this when they're stimulated."

"I'll help you."

The darkness in Qin Ge's eyes was almost spreading outwards.

"Qin Ge, I said I don't want to."

"You should go back now. We really have something to do tonight, so I'll just go straight back to the dorm."

"Why?" The expression in Qin Ge's eyes was completely unreadable, and his low voice seemed to be coming from his throat.

Xu Xingchen said, "These kinds of things should be done together with your partner. What we're doing is wrong."

He pulled Qin Ge up.

He was both gentle and cruel, leaving Qin Ge no room for maneuver. "You know I'm going to get married in the future. To be responsible for my partner, I can't do things like this anymore."

Qin Ge's eyes were red at the corners.

Xu Xingchen's voice remained gentle, "Aside from this, there are still many things we can do together, aren't there?"

Qin Ge gripped Xu Xingchen's hand tightly, the veins on his arm bulging.

"Qin Ge, you're hurting me."

Qin Ge subconsciously let go of his hand. Xu Xingchen got out of the car and waved to him, "Let's go back."

"See you tomorrow."

He smiled gently and pushed him away.

Xu Xingchen turned around, trembling as he took out a bottle of medicine from his pocket, poured out a few pills, and swallowed them without water.

He waited for a while until things calmed down before heading towards the place he had arranged to meet his senior brothers and sisters.

He didn't lie to Qin Ge; they did have a team-building activity tonight, and he had no reason to lie to Qin Ge about it.

The senior students had a harmonious relationship and often had team-building activities. Xu Xingchen rarely participated in these activities before, as Qin Ge kept a close eye on him and didn't like him eating with other people.

He would be jealous for two or three days after having a meal with his senior classmates.

Xu Xingchen indulged him, only going there occasionally.

When his senior asked in the group chat today, he hesitated for a moment before signing up.

He couldn't bear to see Qin Ge heartbroken the other day. The plan was progressing too slowly, and he really didn't have much time left.

He hasn't received a reply to the message he sent to Dr. Lin yet, and he's unsure if there's still a month left.

Given his situation, he should prepare for the worst.

When the senior students saw Xu Xingchen approaching, they burst into loud cheers.

"What a rare guest! Our senior sister is truly influential; she can even get Xingxing to come."

"We have to thank Xingxing for finally having time to come out and get together with us."

"Hey, try to understand your junior brother, his girlfriend is such a pest."

Xu Xingchen smiled apologetically, "I was indeed too busy recently."

He paused, then continued, "Senior brothers and sisters, please don't say that anymore. Qin Ge and I are just good brothers."

As soon as he said that, the surroundings fell silent for a moment.

They all knew that Xu Xingchen and Qin Ge weren't officially together, but after seeing how they interacted, everyone believed that they would definitely get together in the future.

There's simply no room for anyone else to get in between them.

They usually joked around, and Xu Xingchen would just tacitly agree. This was the first time he had explicitly brought it up.

"Ah, it's all our fault for having such big mouths."

Xu Xingchen said, "It's not that I blame you, I just don't want everyone to misunderstand anymore."

After Xu Xingchen finished speaking, the atmosphere remained a bit strange.

His senior sister, with whom he had a fairly good relationship, leaned close to him and whispered, "Did something happen between you and Qin Ge? Do you need any help?"

Xu Xingchen's eyes curved slightly. "It's nothing. I just realized that a lifelong brotherhood is more reliable than a temporary romantic relationship."

He crossed the line; he was too greedy, wanting too much, and almost lost even what he already had.

Fortunately, he has now realized his mistake and returned to the right path.

The eldest sister looked at Xu Xingchen several times to make sure he was telling the truth before she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thinking that way isn't wrong."

Who says friendship and family ties can't compare to romantic love?

It would be such a pity if Xu Xingchen and Qin Ge's relationship of so many years were to end because of a romantic relationship. The way it is now is just fine.

Xu Xingchen smiled and said, "Yes."

It's his fault for realizing this too late, but thankfully it's not too late now.