The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

"Brother, what's wrong with you?"

Hearing the sound of a plate breaking in the kitchen, Xu Xi instantly snapped out of her daze and rushed to Xu Nian's side, who was washing dishes, to help him clean up the broken pieces on the floor.

"My hand slipped, I couldn't hold it."

Xu Nian rubbed her temples and said in a low voice.

"Let me wash it, brother."

Xu Xi took the sponge from the side and started washing the empty plates in the sink, taking over from Xu Nian.

Watching Xu Nian leave in silence, Xu Xi felt extremely uncomfortable.

Even though she was very sleepy and her mind was foggy, she noticed that her brother seemed like a different person today.

Maybe something unpleasant happened to you?

Forget it, I'll skip studying tonight and go ask my brother for clarification.

But when she tried to open Xu Nian's door as usual, she found it locked.

Xu Xi's face turned pale instantly.

She stared blankly, looking at the tightly closed door lock in disbelief.

This was the first time her brother had locked the door since they started living together.

"Brother! Open the door! What happened? Tell Xiaoxi!"

She pounded on the door, calling out to her brother repeatedly, her voice growing increasingly anxious.

But there was no response from inside the room.

Xu Xi slumped to the ground, leaning against the wall, her arms hanging limply.

In an instant, a sense of panic and helplessness surged into her heart.

My brother has never been so cold to me before.

What exactly happened? Did I do something wrong...?

In the room, Xu Nian lay on her side on the bed, her back against the door, her eyes fixed on the window.

He heard Xu Xi knocking on the door.

But he didn't dare to face Xu Xi.

If others knew that the reason he was so absent-minded today was because he saw love letters that other boys gave to their younger sisters.

Will people think I'm crazy?

My sister is already an adult, so even if she does have a boyfriend, it's perfectly normal.

Why did his older brother react so strongly?

The more Xu Nian thought about it, the more confused she became.

He thought about it a lot.

Before meeting Xu Xi, he was a bedbug in the sewers, huddled in the dirtiest corner of the city, living in a daze every day, not knowing why he was living.

Xu Xi's arrival brought about a dramatic change in his life.

With something to care about, they gained the motivation to live a good life, their circumstances gradually improved, and smiles began to appear on their faces.

After living like this for so long, Xu Nian seemed to have naively believed that he and Xu Xi would remain in this state forever, depending on each other for life.

But it was only after seeing the love letter that Xu Nian realized what was going on.

Xu Xi will also have someone she likes, and in the future she will get married in front of him and form a family with someone else. In the end, she will leave him.

Their lives were like a dreamlike bubble, which had once captivated Xu Nian, leaving her lost in a fantasy that was now being brutally pierced by a sharp sword.

Xu Nian turned to the side and looked at the photo on the bedside table of him and Xu Xi holding hands on the mountaintop. He smiled bitterly.

How ridiculous! After having a sweet dream for a while, I imagined it would last forever.

...

sleepless nights.

At dawn, the early birds chirped and roused Yuncheng from its slumber.

Xu Nian rubbed her dark circles and got up wearily.

It's time to take Xiaoxi to school.

He numbly put on his slippers, walked to the door, turned the lock, and opened the door.

Xu Xi's small body was curled up outside the door, her back against the wall, her hands tightly hugging her thighs, trembling slightly.

"Little Stream? Are you crazy! Why are you sitting here?"

A look of horror flashed in Xu Nian's tired eyes.

In a daze, he recalled the rainy night when he met Xu Xi.

After the emaciated Xu Xi stubbornly followed him back to the shantytown, she squatted at his doorstep looking like this.

Upon hearing Xu Nian's voice, Xu Xi slightly raised her head.

Her face looked terrible, with dark circles under her eyes and what appeared to be tear stains still clinging to the corners of her eyes.

For a moment, Xu Nian's heart skipped a beat.

"What's wrong? Why don't you go back to your room to sleep?"

He knelt down, picked up Xu Xi, and gently placed her on her bed.

Xu Xi clung to his arm, refusing to let go, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed and poured out the grievances she had accumulated all night.

"Brother...brother...what did Xiaoxi do wrong?...Xiaoxi wants to apologize to you...please...don't leave Xiaoxi behind...okay..."

Her tearful appearance plunged Xu Nian into deep self-blame and guilt.

"No, don't overthink it. It was my brother who did something wrong; it has nothing to do with you."

He reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of Xu Xi's eyes.

"Take the day off and rest at home."

Xu Xi nodded, her voice choked with emotion.

Given her current condition, she is no longer able to focus on learning.

"Go to sleep, I'm going out to work."

Xu Nian gently smoothed Xu Xi's messy hair, then turned and left her room.

I took a half-day off yesterday, but I have to go to work today no matter what.

...

"Brother Xu, you stayed up all night last night?"

Qi Yu noticed the dark circles under Xu Nian's eyes.

"No, I just didn't sleep well."

Xu Nian rubbed her sore eyes and lied.

Qi Yu looked at him with a puzzled expression, sighed silently, and didn't say anything more.

He knew that Xu Nian hadn't recovered from yesterday's state, but she always pretended to be nonchalant.

Today's delivery route was also very bumpy. Although Xu Nian forced herself to concentrate, she made frequent mistakes and was still late quite a few times.

After the evening rush hour, Xu Hu, unable to bear it any longer, called Xu Nian again.

"No, Xu Nian, are you possessed by a ghost? You made me go overtime three times again today, what's going on?"

Xu Nian remained silent for a while, unsure how to explain.

"Sorry, Tiger, we won't be going over time again tomorrow."

"No, no, no, you're my brother, please, go home and rest. Come back when you're feeling better."

Xu Hu's helpless voice came from the other end of the phone.

"For each timeout, the platform deducted fifty yuan from my account. Including the order cancellations, you've lost over five hundred yuan in the past two days."

"You've worked for me for so long, do you think it's fair for me to ask you to pay this money as a penalty?"

"Go back and rest. Come find me when you feel better."

Xu Nian's Adam's apple bobbed, as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't utter a word.

"Understood, Tiger."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Nian shook her head to clear her mind.

He looked at his insulated box; there was still one meal left to be delivered.

After you finish delivering this meal, go home.

Xu Nian glanced at the address on the order and drove towards a residential area.

The scenery along the street gradually blurred, and my heartbeat quickened.

Having not slept for nearly a day and a half, Xu Nian's nerve reflexes were becoming increasingly sluggish.

He felt a sudden dizziness, and the car horns beside him grew louder and louder.

The scene before my eyes began to tilt.

When Xu Nian opened her eyes again, she was lying on the ground, a piercing pain shooting through her calf.