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

Lying in bed, Xu Nian was exhausted, hungry, and felt extremely upset.

He believed in Qi Yu's character, and he also believed in the little guy's character.

Knowing that the two had eaten together and that he hadn't even left a bite of food, Xu Nian still felt a pang of jealousy.

As for lying to the little one that he had already eaten out, it was simply because he didn't want to trouble her to cook another meal for him.

Xu Nian knew that cooking was a very tiring task.

The little one has been studying all day; she should get some rest.

But the waves of hunger in his stomach kept him awake.

He hunched over, clamped the pillow between his legs, and forced himself to close his eyes and fall asleep as quickly as possible.

Go to sleep, you won't be hungry once you fall asleep.

The door was quietly pushed open.

Xu Xi, clutching a pillow, tiptoed into the room.

She skillfully slipped into Xu Nian's bed and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Ahem!"

Xu Nian coughed forcefully twice.

Xu Xi was so frightened that she quickly let go of his hand.

"Brother...brother, you're still awake?"

Xu Nian remained silent, her back to Xu Xi, staring blankly out the window.

"What's wrong, brother? Are you unhappy?"

Xu Xi stretched out her little hand and placed it on her brother's shoulder to massage him.

Her strength was just right, neither too forceful nor too weak, making Xu Nian feel very comfortable.

"no."

Xu Nian replied somewhat irritably.

Xu Xi pressed her ear close to her brother's back, held her breath, and listened intently.

"What are you doing?"

Xu Nian felt an itch on her back.

"Brother, you're lying."

"When you're unhappy, your heartbeat becomes irregular."

Xu Nian remained silent and did not answer.

"Let me guess, what's making you unhappy, brother?"

Xu Nian turned around helplessly and stared at Xu Xi's fair face.

He planned to change the subject and stop the little guy from overthinking it.

"How was your lesson with Brother Qi Yu?"

For some reason, he still blurted out Qi Yu's name.

"Hmm...it's great. Brother Qi Yu explained things in great detail and taught very well. I even made a promise with Brother Qi Yu that he'll come and teach me again tomorrow night."

Xu Xi lightly touched her lips with her finger, noticing that her brother's expression darkened with each time she mentioned Qi Yu.

She smiled, a very happy smile.

"What are you laughing at?"

Xu Xi snuggled into her brother's arms, smiled, and looked up at his face.

"Brother~ Are you angry because you think I'm getting too close to Brother Qi Yu?"

"What...what nonsense are you talking about?"

Xu Nian pinched the little guy's cheek, pretending to be angry.

"You're learning from Qi Yu, why...why should I be angry?"

Although he thought he was acting very convincingly angry, his inexplicable stuttering betrayed his guilty conscience.

Xu Xi revealed her curved eyes and snuggled against her brother like a spoiled ragdoll cat.

"I'm sorry, brother. Next time, I won't eat alone with Brother Qi Yu anymore. I'll only eat with you."

"It's your freedom to eat with whomever you want; you don't need to tell me."

Although he still acted arrogantly, the little guy's words made Xu Nian feel much better.

Lying on Xu Nian's chest, hearing his heartbeat become regular again, Xu Xi stuck out her tongue and giggled.

She grabbed her brother's wrist and fiddled with something.

"What are you doing?"

Xu Nian felt an itch on her wrist.

"Shh, wait a minute."

The little guy made a shushing gesture and covered his brother's eyes with one hand.

Her little hands are very nimble; even with only one hand available, it doesn't hinder her swift movements.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Xu Nian raised her arm and saw a red string tied to it.

There appears to be a Vajra knot on the wrist.

"Brother, Xiaoxi wove this herself, so you're not allowed to take it off."

Xu Xi also raised her arm and placed it next to Xu Nian's arm.

One is long and the other is short, one is thick and the other is thin, one is black and the other is white; they are completely different.

What they had in common was that there was an identical red string at the wrists of both arms.

"How did you come up with the idea to do this?"

Xu Nian fiddled with the red rope, her voice unconsciously softening.

"Because the Vajra knot symbolizes warding off evil and disaster, and praying for peace."

As she spoke, Xu Xi grasped her brother's large hand with her small hand, and the Vajra knots on their wrists overlapped.

"If the two of us wear them together, it symbolizes mutual protection."

"My brother is traveling around outside, and Xiaoxi is at home. I'm so worried, so worried."

"The happiest moment for Xiaoxi every day is when she sees her brother come home safely and appear in front of her."

"Because, the little stream lost everything before it met its brother."

"If one day even my brother leaves the stream, then the stream will truly have nothing left."

The little guy moved closer to Xu Nian's ear.

The breath she exhaled was warm and ticklish.

"In the past, it was always the older brother who protected the stream, but now the stream wants to protect the older brother too."

Xu Nian's eyes reddened.

He turned around, pretending to draw the curtains, and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes while his back was to Xu Xi.

"Thank you, Little Creek."

"Hehe, I'm glad you like it, brother."

Xu Xi smiled happily.

"Brother, you must promise me you will never take it off."

"Only when you wear it can Xiaoxi feel her brother's heartbeat, know that her brother is safe, and then she will feel at ease."

Xu Nian affectionately ruffled her hair.

"Okay, I promise."

Xu Xi snuggled into her brother's arms again, wrapped her arms around his waist, and murmured softly.

This time, Xu Nian didn't interrupt with a cough, but instead gently put her arm around the little one's shoulder and patted her back softly.

Just then, his stomach made an inappropriate protesting noise.

"Coo coo~"

"Hmph! Brother, I knew you didn't eat dinner tonight."

Xu Xi got out of bed angrily and put on her slippers.

"Brother lied to Xiaoxi again! Wait until Xiaoxi finishes cooking for him, then we'll deal with him!"

After saying that, she put her hands on her hips and walked towards the kitchen.

Xu Nian sat up and sighed helplessly.

He looked in the direction Xu Xi had left, and a smile quietly crept onto his lips.

The resentment in my heart had long since vanished, replaced by a warm, gentle stream.

Even Xu Nian herself didn't realize that at this moment, the most sensitive nerve in a certain part of her heart, which had been sealed away for a long time, experienced its first beat in its life.

In the kitchen, Xu Xi was making soup. While stirring the soup in the clay pot with a ladle, she raised her other arm, which was tied with a red rope.

She looked at the diamond knot she had painstakingly woven herself on her wrist and smiled happily.

"Little sister, the Vajra Knot symbolizes warding off evil and disaster and praying for peace."

"If couples wear them together, it symbolizes mutual protection."