The bathroom also held toiletries and towels specially prepared for Ye Chang'an.

On the storage shelf, their matching couple-style toothbrush sets sat side by side—the packaging of one remained untouched.

But tomorrow morning, its waiting owner would finally use it to freshen up, sharing the fragrant dawn with Shi Xia.

After his shower, Chang'an slipped into the clothes Shi Xia had laid out. Perfectly fitted, stylish yet cozy in loose home-wear cut, they featured wide sleeves reminiscent of a kimono’s furisode and delicate cloud-like patterns.

Right then, Ye Chang'an looked like a small-town boy fresh from a hot spring—damp hair, a bright, easygoing smile lighting his face.

“Shi Xia really is so thoughtful,” he murmured sincerely.

She’d even prepared a glass of iced lemon black tea for him. Every detail of post-bath comfort was top-tier.

Not to mention being personally attended to by such a lovely girl.

Honestly, just watching her was a feast for the eyes.

“By the way… Shi Xia, are you not planning to continue your studies anymore?”

Leaning against the bathroom door, Chang'an took a sip of tea. The soft rustle of fabric being removed inside made him squint slightly, a flicker of guilt in his eyes.

“Though I’ve received offers from prestigious universities abroad,” her voice drifted out, “I have no intention of leaving the Chang’an Orphanage… and even less of leaving Chang’an.”

That last line made Chang’an’s cheeks flush crimson.

*Prestigious offers?* He’d been puzzled at first—but quickly understood. Top universities worldwide often fast-track exceptional young talents. Someone like Shi Xia, a rising star in charity work, would naturally be highly sought after.

So Ye Shixia was practically a confirmed college student already.

*College girl…* A title that sparked quiet daydreams.

He wondered how campus life would treat her—especially knowing she was right now in the very shower he’d just used, water cascading like gentle rain over her flawless, relaxed form.

Splash.

Followed by Shi Xia’s soft, involuntary hum of contentment:

“Mmm~”

*Nope. Can’t handle this. Nope.*

“Dad… are you still there?”

“Mm…”

“What are your plans after coming back?”

It was a question Ye Chang’an himself had been turning over.

What should he, a shut-in at heart, even do in this world?

But one thing was certain: he needed to see the other kids at the orphanage again. No—his family. The ones bound not by blood.

Ye Chang’an and the ten children had quietly woven a true family bond.

Each had lost or been failed by their birth families, never tasting warmth or belonging—until Ye Chang’an and the Chang’an Orphanage gave them both.

They were, irrevocably, each other’s family.

He leaned his head back against the cool, smooth tiles.

Ye Chang’an smiled.

“Maybe… I’ll feel like going back to school.”

“Qianqian and the others should all be studying. Let me think… Cinderella, that little dummy, is in eighth grade; Qianqian, sixteen, should be in tenth; and Yan Ye…”

Gu Qianqian, Ye Shixia, Cinderella, Yan Ye—the four still residing in Anyang City.

Inside the bathroom, Shi Xia listened in silence, translucent droplets tracing paths down her jade-smooth skin.

“If it’s about enrollment,” she said lightly, “that’d be effortless for Dad. Even an all-girls school would admit you without exams, right?”

“Cough… cough…” Chang’an’s face burned. *Shi Xia, you’re really asking for it—teasing me again.*

Still, she wasn’t wrong. For now, she alone held his presence.

But beyond them waited his true family—or rather, his clan.

He would return to the Ye Clan someday. No matter the title, time, or place, his seat there remained the most honored.

Such a colossal entity.

Arranging a school enrollment? A mere footnote. Not even worth a thought.

*Even an all-girls school?*

Worth noting: Gu Qianqian attended exactly that—the Chang’an Noble Girls’ Academy.