Pei Shangyue’s breath hitched. He immediately turned off the stove, grabbed her wrist, and lifted her onto the counter in one smooth motion.
Whether it was the lingering heat from the stove or his own body temperature—
The wrist he held burned hot.
“Song Fuxue.”
Pei Shangyue suddenly called her by her full name.
She tensed and responded, “W-what is it?”
Pei Shangyue looked at her.
His eyes carried a flicker of ambiguous thoughts, desire quietly surging.
But in Song Fuxue’s beautiful eyes, there was nothing but pure innocence.
Pei Shangyue sighed helplessly. “You can’t even cook a meal without making eight hundred little moves. Do you still want to eat or not?”
“Yes, of course I want to eat!”
Song Fuxue helped him button his shirt back up, smiling awkwardly. “I was just curious, that’s all. If I can’t touch, then I won’t. Older Brother is really stingy.”
Pei Shangyue: “……”
“Go wash your hands and eat.”
“Okay, Older Brother.”
Song Fuxue was genuinely hungry now and finally settled down, obediently going to the dining room.
The fish congee suited her taste perfectly—fresh and light. The side dishes were also appetizing.
Without realizing it, she ate quite a lot. Only after finishing did she notice she was stuffed.
“Oh my gosh, I actually ate so much for dinner!”
“This is such a guilty feeling!”
“Older Brother, it’s all your fault. Why do you cook so well? Ugh, I’m going to gain weight!”
“No, no, I need to move around and burn it off.”
She bundled herself up like a penguin, grabbed a small shovel and bucket, and ran outside to play in the snow again.
Soon, a sixth snowman appeared in the elegant, tranquil Chinese-style courtyard.
Along the long steps, rows of little snow ducks were neatly lined up.
Though lively and noisy, the scene felt especially warm and cozy.
Pei Shangyue watched Song Fuxue for a long time, until the snowfall grew heavier.
“It’s late. Come back inside.”
“Got it!”
Song Fuxue had played enough and ran back in. She accidentally tripped over herself and shouted in panic, “Older Brother, Older Brother!”
“Catch me, quick! I’m going to fall!”
Pei Shangyue sighed and simply scooped her up in a princess carry, bringing her back to the room.
“Go to bed early.”
“I need to take a work call. I’ll come back later.”
Song Fuxue nodded.
Alright—Older Brother would still stay with her tonight.
She went to the bathroom to wash up, then changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed, rolling around twice, her face flushed.
When Pei Shangyue came in and saw this, a trace of a smile flickered in his eyes.
“Feeling better?”
he asked.
Song Fuxue did look more energetic now, no longer as listless as she had been earlier.
“Not bad!”
She took a couple of sips of water he handed her and licked her lips.
Pei Shangyue’s gaze darkened slightly. He pulled her into his arms and applied lip balm to her lips, tracing their shape again and again…
“Mmm…”
“Older Brother, that’s enough, that’s enough—you’ve put too much…”
Pei Shangyue cupped her face, wiping away the excess from the corner of her lips.
Song Fuxue pressed her lips together, then crawled over to the bedside table and grabbed a jar of moisturizer.
“Older Brother, help me apply some on my back too. I couldn’t reach properly in the bathroom just now, and Aunt Xu has already gone home, so I can only ask you.”
Song Fuxue took off her top, leaving only a sleeveless camisole.
She obediently lay face-down across Older Brother’s lap.
A large expanse of her smooth, delicate skin was exposed before Pei Shangyue’s eyes.
For a long moment, he did not move.
Song Fuxue, lying on his lap, was so sleepy she was about to doze off.
She tilted her head to look at him.
“What’s wrong?”
She sat up, confused.
“Is Older Brother embarrassed?”
“Or…”
“Are you having some improper thoughts about me?”
Her mind wandered freely, words slipping out without restraint.
“That’s not allowed, Older Brother.”
“Even though Aunt Xu said we’re not related by blood…”
“A younger sister can’t become a wife!”
Song Fuxue shook her head, joking.
But this time, Pei Shangyue did not brush off her teasing.
He simply stared at her, his gaze dark, emotions unreadable.
Song Fuxue didn’t notice. Her eyes were half-closed, sleep weighing them down until tears nearly formed.
“Forget it, I’ll do it myself…”
“Such an annoying Older Brother, won’t even help with something this small…”
She muttered softly as she opened the moisturizer.
But in the next second, Pei Shangyue grabbed her waist and pressed her down onto the bed.
“Hey, you’re ambushing me!”
Song Fuxue lay against the pillow, trying to get up and retaliate, but she couldn’t move, couldn’t even turn back to look at him.
Pei Shangyue looked at the dazzlingly fair skin exposed outside her camisole.
Silently, he applied the moisturizer to her back.
A sudden cool sensation made Song Fuxue shiver. “Brother, you—”
“If you keep talking, you won’t be sleeping tonight.”
Pei Shangyue’s voice was hoarse, restrained.
Song Fuxue pouted. “Older Brother is嫌弃 me for being talkative. Hmph, tomorrow I’ll become a mute Younger Sister—I won’t talk to you at all…”
Her voice grew softer and softer as her eyes slowly closed.
Perhaps it was the way Older Brother’s large, warm hands gently moved across her back, making her feel especially comfortable and at ease.
Before long, Song Fuxue fell completely asleep.
Her breathing became even and steady. Pei Shangyue covered her with a blanket, left a small night light on, and then turned to go into the bathroom of the next room…