He tricked the female lead into becoming his boyfriend, but then went on to criticize the male lead.

Before they knew it, it was lunchtime. The villa's dining room was filled with the rich aroma of food. Wang Ma, wearing a clean apron, deftly brought out plate after plate of carefully prepared home-style dishes.

The dishes weren't luxurious, but each one was exquisite and delicious. The steamed fish was tender and juicy, the braised pork was fatty but not greasy, the sweet and sour pork ribs were coated with a glossy caramel color, and there were several refreshing seasonal vegetables. All of them were carefully paired according to Sang Jiuning and Fu Xulan's tastes, making them look very appetizing.

Sang Jiuning sat at the dining table, her gaze immediately falling on her favorite sweet and sour pork ribs. She picked up her chopsticks, steadily picked up a piece, the bone was small and the meat was thick, the sweet and sour aroma went straight into her nose. Just as she brought it to her lips, her eyes inadvertently swept to the side.

Fu Yanchen was holding serving chopsticks, his movements calm and natural as he picked up a piece of soft tofu for Fu Xulan across from him. His actions were so practiced that they seemed to be ingrained in his bones, without any deliberate effort, as ordinary as breathing.

Fu Xulan smiled gently and pushed the stir-fried vegetables in front of her toward Fu Yanchen, her tone full of concern: "Achen, eat more of these vegetables. They're light, nourishing, and good for your eyes."

Sang Jiuning's hand, which was holding sweet and sour pork ribs, froze in mid-air. She was silently admiring how considerate her mother was to her nephew when she saw Fu Yanchen's eyebrows twitch slightly. Without even shifting his gaze, he quietly moved the plate of vegetables that had been pushed towards him to his side and placed it precisely in front of Sang Jiuning.

"Eat more." He said in a flat tone, revealing little emotion, as if it were just a casual remark.

Sang Jiuning lowered her head, looking at the glossy green vegetables in front of her that looked so refreshing. Her lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and a small sense of grievance and complaint welled up in her heart: Please, she is clearly a carnivore who can't live without meat and can't go a day without it. The thing she hates the most is stir-fried vegetables.

Before, Sang Jiuning thought this older brother was a lucky charm, handsome and rich. But at this moment, her goodwill towards him dropped by more than half. She couldn't help but think to herself: Now, he's suddenly not so appealing anymore.

It wasn't about getting her to fix her eyes; it was clearly about deliberately planting a nail in her heart! Why force her to eat vegetables she doesn't like when there's perfectly good sweet and sour pork ribs?

Although she felt a little awkward, Sang Jiuning didn't show it in public. She ate her meal quietly, occasionally responding to Fu Xulan's concern. Fu Yanchen remained quiet, but subtly moved the meat dishes on the table closer to her, as a silent compensation.

The lunch was peaceful and warm, without any major incidents.

After dinner, the servants quickly cleared the table. Fu Xulan took Sang Jiuning for a walk in the villa's living room, chatting casually about everyday things, mostly about her life at school and her daily hobbies.

Not long after, Fu Xulan felt sleepy, as she was used to taking a nap in the afternoon. She gave Sang Jiuning a few instructions and then went back to her room for a nap.

Sang Jiuning has never taken a nap. Usually at this time, she is either reading at school or going out for a stroll. Now, in this villa, she doesn't have much to do for the moment.

Remembering that there was a large garden behind the villa, she got up and slowly walked towards the backyard.

It was the height of summer, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows. The garden was meticulously maintained by the housekeeper, Uncle De, with all kinds of flowers and plants blooming in full glory. Roses were vibrant, jasmine was fragrant, and the lawn was neatly trimmed. Everywhere you looked was lush and green, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers and plants, making everyone feel relaxed and happy.

Sang Jiuning walked slowly along the stone path in the garden, and suddenly stopped in front of a lush lemon tree.

The tree trunk is upright, the branches and leaves are green, and a few unripe lemons are hanging on the branches. When the wind blows, the leaves sway gently, and you can faintly smell the lemon fragrance.

Sang Jiuning was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected that there would be a lemon tree in the garden of this villa, which was one of her favorite plants.

She was staring intently at the lemon tree when a deep, magnetic male voice suddenly came from behind her, carrying a hint of gentleness: "You like lemon trees?"

The familiar voice made Sang Jiuning's heart skip a beat. She turned around abruptly and found that Fu Yanchen had appeared behind her at some point. He was dressed in a simple black casual outfit, with a tall and straight posture and deep-set eyes. He was quietly looking at her, and his aura was calm and reserved.

Sang Jiuning calmed her surprise slightly, nodded gently, and said frankly, "Yes, I like it. Lemon trees are refreshing and make people feel comfortable just looking at them."

Fu Yanchen walked to her side, his gaze sweeping over the lemon tree in front of him before landing on Sang Jiuning. His expression gradually became serious, and his tone became more solemn: "Brother has something to tell you."

Seeing his solemn expression, Sang Jiuning was slightly surprised, wondering what important thing her brother wanted to say. She simply put away her carefree thoughts, looked up at him, and said in a straightforward tone, "Brother, just say what you want to say, there's no need to be polite with me."

Fu Yanchen was silent for a few seconds, his deep eyes fixed on her. Without beating around the bush, he spoke directly, his tone firm and unwavering: "Break up with Wen Zhaoci."

Upon hearing this, Sang Jiuning froze, her eyes filled with confusion.

She did intend to break up with Wen Zhaoci. After all, she hadn't been very sincere in the relationship, and she knew in her heart that Wen Zhaoci belonged to the female lead, so breaking up was inevitable.

But she never expected that Fu Yanchen would suddenly suggest that she break up with Wen Zhaoci. Why would he suddenly care about this?

Filled with confusion, Sang Jiuning instinctively asked, "Why? Brother, why did you suddenly make me break up with him?"

Fu Yanchen's brows furrowed slightly, his eyes showing a hint of dissatisfaction with Wen Zhaoci, as well as a protective affection for his sister. He said firmly, "You are my sister, Fu Yanchen's sister. You deserve the best people and love in the world. Wen Zhaoci is not good enough for you."

Hearing this, Sang Jiuning understood. This was clearly her brother's protective filter; in his eyes, no one was worthy of her.

But she didn't understand Fu Yanchen. She made a hasty conclusion based solely on her subjective preferences and insisted that she break up with him. There must be other reasons behind this that she didn't know.

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Sang Jiuning decided to test the waters. She pretended to agree with Wen Zhaoci and said softly, "But I think Wen Zhaoci is great. He's handsome, and he's really good to me. He always goes along with me and takes good care of me."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yanchen's expression darkened, and he fell into a brief silence, the atmosphere around him slightly lessening.