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

The secluded alley was dimly lit and deserted.

A series of hurried footprints were etched on the dusty stone bricks.

One large and one small, intricately intertwined.

The two stopped by a brick wall deep in the alley.

"Xu Xi, I'll ask you one more time, are you joking?"

After many years of getting along, this was the first time Xu Nian had called out Xu Xi's full name.

His brows were furrowed, and all traces of his usual gentleness were gone.

The girl's heart skipped a beat, and she almost bit her thin pink lips until they bled.

She had already anticipated that her brother might not like her.

But she still decided to charge forward without hesitation.

She should at least let her brother know that she likes him.

She firmly believed that with her talent and looks, it was only a matter of time before she won over the boy she spent every day with.

"No! I like you, this is from the bottom of my heart, and I'm not joking at all!"

"You can fall in love with anyone, but you absolutely cannot fall in love with me!"

Why?

The girl's pretty face was filled with unease and fear.

Her heart felt like it was being tightly gripped.

"You are an educated person, and you will have a bright future."

"But I've never been to school, and this is all I've accomplished in my life. Being with you will only make me a burden!"

"I don't care!"

The girl shouted, two lines of clear tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Brother, if you hadn't taken me in, raised me, protected me, and provided me with an education, I wouldn't have achieved what I have today."

"No matter what you become, I will still love you without hesitation."

Flowers bloom in the soil, and boats return to the harbor.

Xu Xi will only ever love Xu Nian in this lifetime.

"Brother, I want to be your real couple, just like Qi Yu and Lin Lin."

"From now on, I want to kiss you and hug you openly and legitimately, and go to the lakeside on the grassland together to wait for the migratory birds to return."

"Promise me you'll be my girlfriend, okay?"

She wrapped her arms around the boy's shoulders, pressed her toes against the ground, and tried to kiss his lips.

But a tremendous force pushed it to the ground.

The pristine white gauze was now stained with dirty dust, and the exquisite hairpins lay scattered in disarray.

The bouquets were scattered all over the ground, and petals fluttered down like snowflakes.

The poor white rose was brutally crushed on its very birthday, the day it bloomed fresh.

Along with the shattered roses, the girl's burning heart also broke.

"Xu Xi! Stop fooling around!"

Xu Nian's chest heaved up and down, his low, hoarse voice roaring with anger, his whole body trembling with rage.

"You call me brother, but I only see you as my sister."

"You should like someone better than you, not a useless loser like me!"

"If you're going to fall for me no matter what, then let's break up."

"I took you in for two years, and you saved my life with a blood transfusion. We're even now, neither of us owes the other anything!"

After saying that, he left the alley without looking back.

"Brother! Don't go!"

Xu Xi staggered to her feet, crying as she took her first steps, chasing after Xu Nian.

She had expected her brother to refuse, but she never imagined he would leave so resolutely.

Her steps grew lighter and lighter, while the boy's figure receded further and further into the distance, until he turned the corner and disappeared into the vast night.

Suddenly, the girl lost all her strength and collapsed to the ground like a kite with a broken string.

She coughed violently, her breathing becoming increasingly heavy, and looked desperately in the direction the boy had left, sobbing uncontrollably.

......

The cold wind from the north still howls, but the city lights remain bright.

Strolling through the bustling streets and alleys, Xu Nian's mind was in turmoil.

She was a lofty swan, while he was just a speck of dust in the fireworks.

How can a frog at the bottom of a well look up at the sky? How can a sparrow in a hut dare to soar into the clouds?

If it weren't for our similarly turbulent backgrounds, he probably would never have been able to be with such an outstanding girl in his life.

Even as his sibling, standing next to Xu Xi, he felt so dazzled by her brilliance that he felt ashamed.

Now, that girl actually says she wants to fall for him, this pile of rotten mud.

Xu Xi can be confused, but he cannot be confused.

Even a phoenix fallen to earth, though covered in wounds, cannot be compared to a sparrow.

She can soar to great heights, while he is only fit to remain confined to a cold pool, gazing at a corner of the sky.

If Xu Xi becomes trapped in her own quagmire due to long-term dependence...

Separation is the best option.

In any case, Xu Xi has already achieved something and has the ability to take care of herself.

His mission can be considered complete.

Xu Nian stopped at a crossroads.

Where should I go next?

Let's go to the shantytown.

That's where people like me belong.

Where do we come from, and where are we going?

......

The tall buildings around me became increasingly sparse, and the dazzling neon lights grew dimmer.

In Hoshino Pyongyang, he returned to the place where he had lived for nearly ten years.

The main themes here are the noisy din and the overwhelming stench.

A man in a suit walked into the area, immediately attracting a crowd of onlookers.

"Who is this?"

"He's dressed quite well, should we rip him off?"

"Hey, long time no see, Xu Nian."

A blond-haired man who was playing mahjong stood up and whistled at Xu Nian.

"Weren't you moving away? Why are you back? Didn't you do well?"

Xu Nian ignored him and went straight to the landlord.

"Looking to rent a room?"

The landlord, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, glanced at Xu Nian.

Xu Nian nodded.

"Eight hundred, one month's deposit and three months' rent in advance, pay up now."

"Eight hundred? That's so expensive?"

Xu Nian frowned.

"How come it's increased so much in just two years?"

"Stay or leave! If you're not staying, get out!"

The landlord smiled sarcastically, glanced at Xu Nian's suit, and thought to himself that this guy must be doing quite well.

"You left without even saying goodbye, and you even damaged my door. I haven't settled that score with you yet."

"Transfer me another two thousand yuan for door repairs."

Deceiving too much!

Xu Nian was furious, and his joints cracked as he pressed them.

"What are you going to do?"

The landlord spat out his cigarette and grabbed a kitchen knife menacingly.

Anyone who can collect rent in this area must be a formidable character.

"Damn it, if you don't have the money to rent, go borrow it. Stop messing around with me."

He pointed to the little GG on the utility pole next to him.

Need money urgently? Look no further! Lightning-fast loan disbursement! Any amount you need!

Xu Nian snorted coldly, waved her sleeve, and turned to leave the shantytown.

Standing at the crossroads once again, he was lost again.

Or... let's go see Grandpa Deng first.

But... how am I supposed to explain to him why I didn't bring Xu Xi back?

You should know that Grandpa Deng would call him every few days, always referring to Xu as "Little Xu".