It feels like something is starting to deteriorate.

Su Qi hesitated for two seconds.

It was almost like fleeing in panic.

His steps faltered slightly, carrying a sense of fluster he had never experienced before.

He pulled open the door, slipped out, then gently closed it behind him.

"Click."

The soft sound of the door shutting separated the two of them.

It also cut off the scent that had nearly threatened to swallow him whole.

Su Qi leaned against the wall outside the door.

He raised his hand, only to realize his palm was drenched in sweat.

But it wasn’t his own.

Uneasy, he paced back and forth in front of the door a couple of times.

In the end, he didn’t dare push the door open again to check on the situation.

Instead, he pressed his ear against the door, trying to catch any sounds from inside.

Yet, he heard nothing.

……

Inside the room.

Liu Yuan was like a little fish washed ashore by the waves, left dazed on the sand.

Her consciousness was hazy.

Her vision was blurred.

A persistent buzzing filled her ears, as if countless bees had built a hive in her mind.

Because she had noticed one thing…

Su Qi’s behavior had been far too deliberate.

He wasn’t the type to barge into someone else’s room without reason or warning.

So, his unusual actions could only mean one thing…

He had been confirming something…

Shame.

It burned like a branding iron against her heart.

She’d been discovered…

Even if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he must have guessed!

"Ugh…"

A faint sob escaped her as she buried her face deep into the pillow.

The lingering scent of her shampoo on the pillowcase did nothing to calm her down.

She felt as if she really had fallen ill.

Her entire body was weak and limp, and even trying to move her fingers felt exhausting.

A long time passed—maybe five minutes, maybe ten—before the dizziness finally subsided a little.

Propping herself up on her elbows, Liu Yuan slowly, painstakingly, lifted her upper body from the bed.

The heat in her cheeks was still unbearable.

She tugged at the blanket in frustration.

"Idiot… idiot… Liu Yuan, you big idiot…"

Why had she tried on something like that?

Why had her brother guessed?

Why had she…

With great effort, she finally peeled off the offending garment, crumpling it into a messy ball.

She sat there on the bed, hugging her knees, resting her chin on them as she stared blankly at a spot on the floor.

She remained like that, motionless, for a long time.

Only when the heat in her body gradually faded and some strength returned to her limbs did she stir.

The dizzying sensation had completely vanished.

All that remained was… an indescribable mix of humiliation and resentment.

Su Qi!

That jerk of a brother!

A surge of anger, mingled with grievance and embarrassment, rose like a delayed tide.

How could her stupid brother do that?!

He knew she couldn’t face the light right now!

Yet he’d deliberately said those things, even reaching out to pull the blanket!

He’d absolutely done it on purpose!

The more Liu Yuan thought about it, the angrier she became.

No, she couldn’t just let this slide!

She had to confront him!

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Liu Yuan jumped off the bed.

The sudden movement made her sway, nearly causing her to stumble.

She marched to the wardrobe, grabbed a loose white T-shirt at random, and pulled it on.

Then she checked herself in the mirror.

She smoothed down her slightly disheveled hair.

Once she confirmed everything was in order, she puffed out her cheeks, putting on her most intimidating expression.

But as she reached the door, her hand hovering over the handle, she hesitated again.

Wait… what was she even going to say?

Should she storm over and demand why Su Qi had embarrassed her like that…?

No, no—if I say that, wouldn’t it be admitting that my reaction just now was completely unreasonable?

Or… maybe I should scold him for barging into a girl’s room?

But I already yelled at him earlier.

Liu Yuan stood behind the door, her delicate face scrunched up in frustration, her mind a battlefield of conflicting thoughts.

The fiery anger that had surged within her moments ago, just before she was about to push the door open, was now smothered by the deep-seated embarrassment creeping through her bones.

But… just let Su Qi off the hook like this?

No way!

Liu Yuan gritted her teeth and finally steeled herself.

Even if she wasn’t sure exactly how to "settle the score," she had to go out there and make her stance clear!

At the very least, she had to let him know—she was furious! Absolutely livid!

She yanked the door open.

Stomping loudly, she marched straight to the living room.

The living room was quiet.

Su Qi sat at the dining table, his back turned to her.

In front of him were two sets of bowls and chopsticks, a few simple home-cooked dishes still steaming faintly, and beside them, two bowls of… what looked like freshly served rice.

Hearing her footsteps, Su Qi turned around.

His expression… seemed somewhat…

Liu Yuan struggled to find the right word for it.

His eyes held something like… caution?

And a hint of… guilt?

His voice, too, was oddly stiff, almost tentative: "Uh… food?"

Liu Yuan had been ready to unleash a torrent of anger and accusations, but the sight of Su Qi like this—and the meal clearly prepared for her—somehow deflated her rage before it could fully erupt.

She opened her mouth, but none of the scolding words she’d rehearsed came out.

All she managed was a petulant mutter: "Food, food, is that all you ever think about?"

Su Qi: "…"

Yep, she was definitely mad.

Seeing his sister standing there in silence, her gaze a storm of unreadable emotions, Su Qi grew even more uneasy.

He stood up, gesturing to the food on the table, his tone almost placating: "I… reheated it. It should still be warm…"

"…Who wants to eat your food?!"

Liu Yuan finally found her voice again.

But the defiance rang hollow, more like a stubborn front than genuine anger.

Her eyes, however, betrayed her as they flickered toward the dishes.

Su Qi wasn’t the type to cook, yet he’d gone out of his way to make a meal for her!

And because she’d taken so long, letting the food go cold, he’d even reheated it for her!

And… her stomach was growling a little.

After all that… earlier commotion, she’d burned through a lot of energy.

The lingering humiliation and frustration in her heart softened ever so slightly.

She studied Su Qi.

His face wore an expression she’d never seen before—solemn, with a trace of… barely concealed regret.

Did he… actually realize he’d messed up?

"From now on, you are absolutely—absolutely—not allowed to enter my room without my permission!"

"Got it, got it." Su Qi nodded immediately, his agreement swift and almost relieved, as if a weight had been lifted.

His readiness to apologize left Liu Yuan’s prepared tirade stuck in her throat.

It was like throwing a punch with all her strength, only to hit a cushion—unsatisfying and frustrating.

"Hmph." She let out a small, dismissive sound, turning her face away.

But the tension in her shoulders eased just a fraction.

Right on cue, her stomach emitted a tiny, betraying growl.

The sound wasn't loud, but in the quiet living room, it was startlingly clear.

Her cheeks burned hot again in an instant.

Of all times—why now?

She shot Su Qi an annoyed glare, as if the noise were somehow his fault too.

But Su Qi acted as though he hadn’t heard, merely pulling out the chair beside him a little further.

Liu Yuan pressed her lips together, her gaze darting between Su Qi and the dining table twice.

She shuffled reluctantly to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

Every movement carried a hint of unwillingness, as if to emphasize she was only doing this "under protest."

Su Qi exhaled inwardly in relief and nudged the still-warm bowl of rice toward Liu Yuan.

Neither of them spoke.

The living room was filled only with the occasional clink of chopsticks against bowls and the quiet sounds of chewing.

The silence was almost oppressive.

Liu Yuan could feel Su Qi’s gaze lingering on her now and then—searching, and with a trace of something she couldn’t quite decipher.

It made her movements stiffen as she ate.

She kept her head down, pretending to focus entirely on her food, but her ears were perked, catching every faint rustle from Su Qi’s direction.

Su Qi, meanwhile, was secretly watching his sister.

She ate in small, careful bites, though the tips of her ears still carried a faint pink tinge.

Her eyes no longer held the panic and indignation from earlier, but they were… evasive, avoiding his gaze.

Half the weight in his chest finally eased.

At least she was unharmed, still able to eat—she hadn’t been truly "scared" into some irreversible state.

But the other half of that weight remained, heavy and suffocating.

What had just happened replayed in his mind like a slow-motion scene.

His unintentional action seemed to have brushed against some forbidden boundary…

Liu Yuan quickly shoveled the last of her rice into her mouth, set her chopsticks down with a soft click, and stood abruptly.

"I'm done."

Her voice was clipped as she hurried toward her room.

At the door, her hand paused on the knob. She seemed to hesitate, as if considering saying something—but in the end, she said nothing. She slipped inside and slammed the door shut behind her.

The sound of the lock clicking into place followed.

"……"

Su Qi stared at the closed door.

Something between them was beginning to change.