Five minutes had passed before Shi Xia received another message from Xiaoxian.

Glancing at the notification bar, she realized Xiaoxian had switched to a new phone.

Shi Xia couldn’t help but laugh.

Xiaoxian’s shock had exceeded her expectations.

Had she seen the photo, completely shattered, frozen in place—smashing her phone in the process?

"AAAAAAAH!"

"AAAAAAAH!!!"

...

No need to read further. On Shi Xia’s screen, Xiaoxian was flooding the chat at three hundred words per minute—

all just "AAAAAH..." to voice her overwhelmed emotions.

She’d turned into a squealing groundhog. A pink, girly one.

This message barrage—and the incoming call barrage—left Shi Xia with a helpless, wry smile.

*Why did I provoke this brother-complex girl?*

Still… that vain, boastful thrill had felt dangerously close to exploding.

Shi Xia never understood women flaunting luxury bags, sports cars, or glittering lifestyles online.

But the moment *she* showed off *her* man? She got it instantly.

Everyone’s got a little vanity.

Gazing at Chang’an’s sleeping face, Shi Xia felt like she was guarding a treasure.

*So tempting…*

She even fantasized about becoming a dragon—hoarding him deep in her cave, keeping herself and Chang’an… together forever.

After a while, Shi Xia noticed the "repeat offender" had gone silent.

No more "AAAAAH"—or groundhog squeals.

*Did she smash another phone?*

Nah. Modern phones can take millions of taps.

Finally, after a long pause: *"Xiaoxian is typing…"*

— "Th-th-that… Is he really… a *real*… *real*… older brother?"

*Why stuttering again?!*

Ye Xiaoxian: N-not a clone or something?

Ye Xiaoxian: Or did *you*, Shi Xia, buy an inflatable…

Ye Shixia: Of course not! Why would I buy that?!

Wait—*you’re* sixteen and know *that*?!

Precocious little thing!

Ye Xiaoxian: Br-bro… Older brother… Older brother!

Repeat offender? Confirmed.

For a long while after, Ye Xiaoxian stayed utterly airheaded—

a silly, adorably dazed girl. Shi Xia half-expected steam to puff from her ears, brain fully fried.

And she was right. Ye Xiaoxian had completely crashed.

So much so that Xiyan—the tall maid with a single ponytail and katana at her waist—thumped Xiaoxian’s steaming head like an old TV. No reaction.

Xiyan smirked, amused.

*Rare. To see the young mistress like this.*

That "older brother"… piqued her curiosity.

The legendary former Ye family head—Ye Chang’an?

Five years ago, nearly everyone believed he’d died, likely by suicide. He vanished without a trace.

Rumors said he’d been shrouded in gloom before disappearing.

But to the ten children at the orphanage? He was always warm, gentle, sunlit.

What could make him abandon them?

Chang’an’s disappearance became Anyang City’s greatest urban legend of the decade.

Suddenly, the young mistress snapped back—

puffing up like a tiny beast, baring adorably fierce claws at Xiyan.

"Don’t pat my head! Older Brother said it makes you dumb! Dummy Xiyan, go away!"

*(When did she pick up that " Older Brother said" tic? Brother complex fully activated the second he returned…)*

Every other word: "Older Brother said this," "Older Brother said that"…

Was this really the "Imperial Princess of the Ye Family"—feared by rivals, adored for her soft charm?

"Omoshiroi~" *(Interesting~)*

"Hmm… Looks like a playboy," Xiyan murmured, peering over Xiaoxian’s shoulder at the screen.

—Right on that photo of Shi Xia and Chang’an… *cough cough*…

"N-no! Don’t look!" Xiaoxian yelped, kicking Xiyan’s knee.

Xiyan dropped to one knee, clutching her leg, hand flying to her nose to hide the blush creeping across her cheeks.

"Damn… so cute."