"Alright, Yanyan never said that.
It's too late. You can't eat anymore."
Lu Siye stood up and took away the bag of snacks from Ning Yan's bed.
Ning Yan had already eaten several pieces of chocolate and chips. If she ate any more, it would be very bad for her health. He couldn't indulge her too much.
Ning Yan sat on the bed unhappily, her face pulled into a pout, her head hanging low, with an expression that said, "Don't mess with me. I'm very upset."
After putting the snacks away, Lu Siye picked up the person on the bed and said softly, "Let me take you to brush your teeth."
"Mhm mhm."
If she didn't brush her teeth, they would hurt, and she definitely didn't want that.
Even when she was angry, she wouldn't mistreat herself.
Just as she finished brushing her teeth, a commotion of noisy sounds came from downstairs, as if someone was arguing.
"Someone's arguing downstairs!" Ning Yan's soft, gentle voice reminded Lu Siye.
"Then I'll go down and take a look." Lu Siye gently stroked the top of Ning Yan's head, his deep eyes filled with tenderness.
The moment Lu Siye took a step forward, Ning Yan grabbed his hand.
"What's wrong?"
Lu Siye's voice carried a tenderness and doting affection that had never been there before.
"I want to go down too." Ning Yan's delicate pink face was full of seriousness.
Lu Siye nodded, then turned his hand to interlace his fingers with hers. "Alright."
Lu Siye led Ning Yan downstairs by the hand.
As soon as they reached the bottom, a man rushed up and examined Ning Yan over and over again, as if searching for something.
"Yan'er, how are you? Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable?" Ning Ziqi asked Ning Yan with a grave, serious expression, his obsidian-like eyes filled with worry and heartache.
She was his one and only precious little sister. She hadn't wanted to marry Lu Siye in the first place, but to put Elder Lu's mind at ease, she had agreed to put on an act with him. But now? He had actually let his precious little sister get hurt.
"Who are you? I don't know you." Ning Yan hid behind Lu Siye, her eyes full of fear.
"Yan'er, what's wrong with you? I'm your big brother." Ning Ziqi's sword-like brows furrowed tightly, his obsidian-like eyes filled with confusion.
Ning Yan shook her head, not daring to step forward.
Ning Ziqi turned his gaze to Lu Siye, as if seeking an answer from him.
"Yanyan, why don't you go watch some TV, alright?" Lu Siye's tone was doting, so doting it was like coaxing a child.
Ning Yan obediently nodded and trotted into the living room.
Meanwhile, Lu Siye led Ning Ziqi up to the third floor.
"What's going on with Yan'er?" Ning Ziqi's icy cold voice was full of accusation, demanding to know why Lu Siye hadn't taken good care of Ning Yan.
"The injury on Yanyan's leg isn't serious, it's just…" Lu Siye didn't know how to begin explaining all of this to Ning Ziqi.
After all, if he hadn't gone to the bar to catch Ning Yan, she wouldn't have fallen down the stairs, and she wouldn't have gotten hurt.
"Just what?"
"Yanyan hit her head, and her memory has stopped at… six years old." Lu Siye's low voice forced out those difficult words, especially the last two.
Even he himself couldn't believe it, preferring to think she was just fooling him.
"What did you say?" Ning Ziqi's pupils were filled with shock.
"I don't want to believe this fact either, but Yanyan truly…"
"I'm taking Yan'er home." Ning Ziqi's slightly cold voice wasn't a discussion with Lu Siye.
"No, Yanyan is my wife, and right now she only relies on me." Lu Siye refused without a second thought.
"She bears the surname Ning, and she is a daughter of the Ning family." Ning Ziqi's voice rang out with force, leaving Lu Siye frozen in place.
His Yanyan didn't like him. If Ning Ziqi really wanted to take her away, would Yanyan go with him?
"Brother, you know I truly love Yanyan. My heart belongs only to her."
"But Yanyan doesn't like you."
"She will. Love grows with time—she definitely will."
Lu Siye's low, hoarse voice was filled with certainty.
"I'll take good care of Yanyan. I promise I won't let her get hurt again."
This was the first time Ning Ziqi had ever seen Lu Siye so humble and submissive.
He never smiled. It was as if he carried a refrigerator on him, radiating bone-chilling coldness.
Everyone knew that Lu Siye was ruthless in his methods, and no one who crossed him ever came to a good end.
Yet this icy, merciless man became infinitely gentle and humbled himself when facing his Yanyan.
After a moment of deliberation, Ning Ziqi spoke coldly, "Let's hear Yanyan's opinion."
Lu Siye nodded and said nothing more.
The two descended the stairs one after the other.
But when they reached the bottom, they found Ning Yan already asleep in bed.
Her petite frame was curled into a ball, and paired with her pink pajamas, she looked like a soft, pink little bear—so tender and adorable that Lu Siye's gaze instantly turned gentle.
"Yanyan's already asleep. Don't wake her." Lu Siye's eyes were full of tenderness.
Lu Siye walked to the sofa, bent down, and scooped Ning Yan into his arms.
Ning Yan instinctively reached out and clung tightly to Lu Siye's neck, murmuring two words in her soft, delicate voice, "Husband."
Ning Ziqi was taken aback. He clearly hadn't expected that Ning Yan, whose memories were stuck at age six, would be so dependent on Lu Siye—even murmuring his name unconsciously in her dreams.
"Forget it. Yanyan will stay here."
Ning Ziqi left those words behind and departed from Yunyue Villa.
Lu Siye carried the person in his arms upstairs and gently laid her on the bed, handling her like a precious piece of fine porcelain—cherishing her immensely, afraid of breaking her.
After tucking the blanket around Ning Yan, he placed a kiss on her smooth, fair forehead.
"Yanyan, good night, sweet dreams."
Ning Yan slept soundly through the night.
Meanwhile, in the study on the third floor, the lights blazed until dawn.
The next day.
When Ning Yan woke up and saw that Lu Siye wasn't beside her, she immediately jumped out of bed to look for him.
Downstairs.
There was no one left—only a few servants cleaning.
Seeing Ning Yan come downstairs, Bai Lang hurried forward to greet her. "Madam, you're awake."
Ning Yan nodded.
"Where's Lu Siye?" Ning Yan pouted, her face full of displeasure.
"Madam, the young master has gone to the company." Bai Lang answered softly, afraid of startling the person before him.
Bai Lang was an old hand in the Lu household, so Lu Siye naturally hadn't hidden the matter of Ning Yan's injury from him. After all, someone trustworthy needed to look after her in the villa.
"Your favorite dishes are kept warm in the kitchen. Shall I have them heat some up for you?"
Ning Yan shook her little head. "I don't want to eat."
"Then what would you like to eat? I'll have them make it." Bai Lang quickly urged.
If this little ancestor didn't eat and starved herself, he couldn't bear that responsibility.
"I don't want to eat. I don't want anything." Ning Yan pouted, looking unhappy.
"Why not?" Bai Lang asked patiently.
He had truly been worn out by this little girl's fussing. When things were good, she would want to eat this one moment and that the next.
But now?
She no longer made demands, yet she also refused to eat.