Sheng Ran returned to the empty villa, tossing his coat onto the sofa before sinking into the soft bed.
He lay on his back, his golden curls splayed across the dark bedsheet, accentuating the deep contours of his mixed-race features.
His eyes stared at the ceiling, a restless agitation swirling in their depths.
As he turned over, a glimpse of faded floral print caught his eye from the pillow—it was the long-eared rabbit plushie.
Tilted to one side, it gazed at him with an endearing, silly expression.
The rabbit’s floral dress had been washed to a pale hue, the hem even slightly pilled.
He grabbed the rabbit, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the faded hem.
A memory from a rainy night three years ago suddenly flooded back—
That day, Jing Nian’an had been invited by Sheng Ran’s mother to stay for dinner. Outside, rain poured down in torrents. Sheng Ran’s mother, being Russian, had urged in her accented Chinese:
“The guest room is all ready, An’an should stay.”
The girl had glanced at the heavy rain outside, hesitating.
—But when Jing Lüyan appeared at the door holding a black umbrella, she immediately darted into the man’s arms like a small animal finding shelter, without looking back.
Thump! Sheng Ran suddenly pressed the rabbit against his face, the fabric absorbing his rapid breaths.
The plushie’s silly, endearing expression was exactly like hers.
The scene from the school gate flashed before his eyes again—the way she had instantly burrowed into Jing Lüyan’s embrace…
Even siblings shouldn’t be that intimate!
“Damn it.”
Sheng Ran abruptly sat up, grabbed the rabbit plushie, and strode toward the wardrobe.
With a sharp rustle, he yanked the wardrobe door open, roughly shoved the plushie into the farthest corner, and childishly turned it to face the wall.
~
Meanwhile, in the Jing family study.
As dusk deepened, the study was bathed in a warm, yellow glow.
Jing Lüyan sat upright at the ebony desk, his slender fingers tapping on the keyboard, the screen’s cold light reflecting on the side of his face.
He had changed into black loungewear, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his sturdy forearms.
The collar was slightly open, hinting at the outline of his collarbone.
A soft click sounded as the study door handle was quietly turned.
A small, fluffy head peeked through the crack. Jing Nian’an blinked her shimmering eyes and asked tentatively:
“Brother, are you busy?”
Jing Lüyan looked up, his narrow phoenix eyes sweeping over the porcelain-white face in the doorway.
“What is it?” His voice was low, his fingertip lightly tapping the keyboard.
“Then I’m coming in~” The girl’s tone rose slightly at the end, and without waiting for a response, she pushed the door open.
As the door swung wide, Jing Lüyan got a full view of his sister.
A few blades of grass clung to her hair, and her dark green uniform skirt was dotted with stray dog hairs.
She looked like a wild cat that had just rolled around in the grass.
As she stepped inside, a particularly “intelligent” dog face appeared behind her.
—Jing Lei was panting with his tongue out, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Wait.”
Jing Lüyan suddenly raised a hand, his knuckles pressed against his temple. “What did you just say?”
“I… I’m coming in~?”
“The previous sentence.”
Jing Nian’an froze, her red lips parting slightly as she obediently repeated, “Brother, are you… busy?”
“Hmm, I’m busy. Go out.”
Jing Lüyan withdrew his gaze, not looking at her, his tone indifferent.
“Brother—”
Realizing she was being teased, Jing Nian’an immediately dragged out her soft, sweet tone and trotted inside.
She made as if to throw herself into the man’s arms.
Behind her, Jing Lei cooperatively let out a howl-like “Awoo awoo~”A slender finger pressed against the girl’s smooth forehead, stopping her from getting any closer.
Jing Lüyan lowered his gaze to examine his grimy little sister, then glanced at the foolish dog beside her, a vein twitching faintly at his temple.
“Make it quiet first.” The man gritted his teeth, his voice laced with restrained anger.
Jing Nian’an immediately turned around and waved her small fist at the husky.
Jing Lei snorted twice through his dog nose, then flopped down on the ground like a pressed duck, though his blue eyes still darted around mischievously.
Only then did the girl turn back, tilting her porcelain-white face up to gaze at her brother with eager anticipation, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with hope.
Jing Lüyan finally sighed helplessly, refusing to look at the dog hair clinging to his sister’s skirt.
He reached under her arms and effortlessly lifted her up, settling her on his lap.
The girl naturally wrapped her arms around his neck, her slender legs swaying gently in the air.
A few strands of dog hair immediately clung to his black loungewear, making his eye twitch.
“No sweets next week, or a weekend dentist appointment.”
The man’s voice was low, his warm breath brushing against her ear. “Choose one.”
“But… I don’t want either.”
“Then take your sled dog outside.”
As soon as Jing Lüyan finished speaking and made to set her down, the girl in his arms immediately clung to him like an octopus, wrapping herself around his waist and neck.
Her soft body pressed tightly against him, the top of her head brushing against his chin. “I choose no sweets!”
Although Jing Nian’an said this, she was already secretly scheming in her heart—even if she sneaked some treats next week, her brother would never know!
The man looked down at her, as if seeing right through her little plan. “If I find out…”
He deliberately drew out his words, his fingertips tightening slightly at her waist. “There will be punishment.”
“Absolutely not!” Jing Nian’an vowed earnestly.
A moment later, Jing Lüyan ultimately couldn’t bear the thought of working while holding his grimy little sister.
Unable to endure it any longer, he picked her up and headed toward the bathroom.
~
The night was as dark as ink. The lights in the Sheng family’s main residence gradually went out one by one, leaving only a faint, dim glow seeping from the window of the third-floor nanny’s room.
Song Mei drew the curtains tightly shut, then turned to look at her daughter, Qiu Qing’er.
“Qing’er, the young master came back early today. Why didn’t you go bring him a bowl of sweet soup?”
Song Mei lowered her voice, her tone carrying an unmistakable note of reproach.
Her rough fingers unconsciously rubbed against her apron—a habit left from years of using cleaning agents.
Qiu Qing’er was applying lip balm in front of a palm-sized mirror. At her mother’s words, her fingers paused slightly.
The mirror reflected her meticulously groomed features—her eyebrows finely shaped, her eyeliner perfectly applied, leaving no trace that she was a nanny’s daughter.
“It’s too late. It would just annoy people,” she replied softly, though her eyes were as cold as ice.
Song Mei unconsciously pursed her lips, the wrinkles on her face deepening under the light.
She moved closer to her daughter, still carrying the scent of kitchen grease on her.
“You silly child, why are you so thoughtless?”
She reached out to tidy the stray hairs at Qiu Qing’er’s temples, but her daughter subtly avoided her touch.
Unwilling to let it go, Song Mei grabbed her daughter’s slender wrist.
“Your father owed so much debt. Right now, I’m counting on you.”
Her voice dropped even lower, growing more urgent.
“You must seize the opportunity at that elite school. Build good relationships with those young ladies and gentlemen…”
Qiu Qing’er felt a familiar sense of suffocation.
Her father’s face, bloated from alcohol, floated before her eyes once more.
That man had been dead for two years, yet he still haunted her and her mother like a ghost.She took a deep breath, her nails digging deeply into her palms. “I understand.”
Only then did Song Mei release her hand with satisfaction, turning to tidy her own bed, unaware of the fleeting cold glint in her daughter’s eyes.
Qiu Qing’er stood with her back to her mother, a silent, cold smile curling her lips.
Of course, she remembered the outcome of the last time she had followed her mother’s advice.
That evening, after meticulously dressing up, she had knocked on Sheng Ran’s study door, holding a bowl of silver ear soup, only to be frozen in place by a single icy word: “Get out.”
The young man had looked at her with cold eyes, his handsome face filled with impatience. “Who allowed you to come to the second floor? Don’t ever come up here again.”
The humiliation of that moment had seared into her heart like a branding iron.
For an entire month afterward, she had secretly resented Song Mei for her foolish suggestion.
However, the conversation she had overheard by chance this morning had rekindled a new hope within her.
Qiu Qing’er had originally thought that Sheng Ran liked that troublesome Jing Nian’an, but…
The young man had said it himself today: he doesn’t like spoiled, willful girls. He likes… gentle ones.