In the end, Su Yuzhe forced himself to finish all the breakfast on the table.

He didn’t leave a single bite.

Zixiao had only eaten two slices of bread and a bite of scrambled eggs the whole time!

The breathtakingly beautiful boy pressed a hand to his slightly swollen belly and offered his suggestion with some difficulty.

“Um... Zixiao, from now on, I’ll tell you the night before what I’m having for breakfast. You don’t have to go to all this trouble. See... getting to sleep a little longer is always nice.”

“Mm, I understand, big brother. I’ll do as you say.”

Watching her brother eat his fill, well-behaved Zixiao felt a strange sense of satisfaction. But sleeping in was out of the question. If she saved some time making breakfast, she’d have more time to admire her brother’s sleeping face!

Now that was a huge win!

“Sigh...”

Su Yuzhe watched Zixiao’s big eyes blink and knew she definitely wasn’t thinking about anything good.

He looked around the place he’d been living in for a month: a three-bedroom, one-living-room, one-bathroom apartment. It had all the basics, like a TV and a sofa, as well as a very large kitchen. It wasn’t too close to Zixiao’s high school in the western district, nor was it too far away.

Whenever Su Yuzhe looked around like this, he felt quite satisfied.

Compared to the family estate, with its enormous mansion grounds spanning more than ten thousand square meters, gardens and paths included, this place was worlds apart. But to Yuzhe, a little house like this felt more like home. He knew he didn’t belong here, but surely he could enjoy this rare experience...

The boy propped his chin on one hand and pulled the curtains at the side of the table open a little. They were on the twelfth floor, with a view of the steady stream of cars outside and the occasional passerby.

Then he turned his gaze to Su Zixiao, who was looking at him with a deeply satisfied smile, the morning sun slanting across her face. Unlike him, her eyes held no thoughts of all the possibilities the future might bring. When Su Yuzhe looked into them, all he saw was himself.

This girl, whose eyes held only Yuzhe, had been looking at him all along, as if he were all the happiness she needed.

Perhaps this was what it meant for life to be peaceful and beautiful.

Su Yuzhe smiled back. His smile grew even brighter, bringing out all the beauty and lively charm of the boy. Zixiao’s face instantly turned crimson, and she slowly lowered her head.

That’s cheating... Big brother’s smile, and that silver hair—he looks so beautiful in the soft sunlight...

Seeing his little sister acting as adorably as a hamster, Su Yuzhe nodded with satisfaction. Just as he thought: Zixiao and Yuche were the cutest in the world! Mm, he couldn’t leave Yuche out. Besides, they really were both super cute.

They each held their milk and slowly finished it.

Only then did Su Yuzhe finally ask the question he’d wanted to ask earlier.

“Zixiao, classes at your school started a while ago, didn’t they? Is it really okay if you don’t leave now?”

Yuzhe glanced at the time on his phone: 8:10. He was used to Zixiao never panicking, no matter what happened, but he still had to ask. She was a sophomore in high school this year and deserved to make the most of her school life.

Incidentally, Yuzhe had transferred Zixiao to Fenghai No. 1 High School in West City a month ago. It was close by, after all. Before that, she and Yuzhe, like Yuche, had both attended Qifeng No. 1 High School in East City.

The two high schools had one thing in common: they were both among the best in Fenghai City and famous throughout the country.

Of course, there was one other thing they had in common that Su Yuzhe didn’t much want to mention: both schools had been built with funding from the Su Family...

Su Zixiao, however, looked only confused.

“Huh? But I don’t have to go to school according to the class schedule, do I? Isn’t that the school rule you helped change for me, big brother?”

As she said this, Zixiao looked at Yuzhe with even more gratitude.

“Me? What did I change?”

Su Yuzhe had been thinking about a lot of things lately, and he hadn’t been getting up this early. He’d completely forgotten about the school rule he’d casually changed while handling Zixiao’s transfer a month ago.

“I mean the rules at Fenghai No. 1 High School. The top student in each grade can choose when to go to school, according to their own schedule. And that... was something big brother helped change because he didn’t want me to have to get up so early!”

Zixiao looked utterly proud, as if she were showing off how much her big brother doted on her.

Are you showing off how much I spoil you, or showing off that you’re top of your grade?

Su Yuzhe smiled indulgently.

Of course, there was no question which one it was.

As far as Zixiao was concerned, showing off her grades in front of her big brother was pointless. To geniuses like him and Yuche, being top of the grade was just a number. For her, though, it was something she’d earned by studying hard.

At that thought, Zixiao suddenly felt a little mischievous, though her voice held a hint of seriousness.

“Did you ask because you don’t want me to go to school, big brother? That’s fine. If you don’t want me to go, I won’t. I can stay home with you all day, and then... Ow, that hurts!”

Before she could finish, Yuzhe stood up and gave the little head leaning toward him a light karate-chop. He didn’t use any real force, of course.

Zixiao clutched her head, looking a little aggrieved.

“Big brother, what was that for?!”

Still trying to act cute?

But Su Yuzhe wasn’t falling for it.

“Heh. Just giving a disobedient little kitten a lesson. Let’s see if she dares to say things like that again.” As he spoke, Yuzhe’s expression grew serious, with a hint of sternness. “Zixiao, we agreed on this beforehand. I’d let you leave the family home and come live with me in West City, but only if you kept up your usual school routine. If being with me starts affecting that, then you can go back to the family home right now.”

Su Yuzhe hadn’t expected one remark to upset Zixiao so badly.

“No!”

The little cat instantly bristled. She hurried around the table, grabbed the hem of Yuzhe’s clothes, and crouched on the floor, tears glimmering in her eyes. “I won’t say things like that again. I’ll go to school like I’m supposed to! As long as I can stay by your side, that’s enough... So please don’t send me away, okay?”

Ah... He’d made his little sister cry again.

“You silly girl... I’m not sending you away.” Yuzhe sighed helplessly and stroked Zixiao’s trembling head with his right hand. “I’m only thinking of what’s best for you. Why would I send you away? Besides, I couldn’t bear to.”

Zixiao was still crouched on the floor, looking frightened. Yuzhe helplessly scratched the back of his head, then stood up and expertly slipped one arm beneath her thighs and the other behind her back. He lifted her in a bridal carry and walked steadily toward her bedroom.

Ahem. He wasn’t actually that steady. Zixiao was light, but she was about as tall as Yuzhe, and his arms and legs were so slender that he was actually trembling a little as he carried her.

But he had to hold her steady! He couldn’t drop her! Where would his big-brotherly authority be then?

Zixiao didn’t say a word, just buried her face against Yuzhe’s chest. That was the only way she could feel safe.

At first, she’d only meant to put on an act so her big brother wouldn’t even think about sending her away. But the longer she kept it up, the more frightened she really became. What if he truly didn’t want her anymore?

Su Yuzhe hadn’t thought that far. This girl was so sensitive. Whenever something concerned him, Zixiao got anxious and insecure. He’d gotten used to it over the years; a little comforting was all it took to make her feel better.

Besides, Yuzhe more or less understood why she was like this. She’d been adopted by his family, so of course she might not feel secure... And he was the only person she relied on: her big brother.

Once they were in the pink-themed bedroom, Yuzhe gently set Zixiao on the bed, helping her sit near the headboard before sitting beside her. He wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, then softly asked, “So, can you forgive me now?”

“I’m not mad at you, big brother... It’s... it’s my own fault.”

Her voice was a little choked, but she sounded more self-reproachful than anything.

Now that she’d calmed down, Zixiao was a little surprised by how irrational she’d been. She’d caused her big brother trouble again... She really was useless.

“All right, let’s not talk about that anymore.” Yuzhe picked up the Fenghai No. 1 High School uniform, neatly folded on the bedside table, and held it out to Zixiao. “I’ll head out first. Get changed quickly, okay? You can go whenever you want, but if there’s nothing keeping you, it’s better to get to school early. I’ll take you today.”

But instead of taking the uniform, Zixiao shyly began to speak.

“Um... my uniform... Could you help me get changed, big brother...?”

“You can change that yourself!!”