Dream Making

"I'll go back when I feel like it, but not for the auction. I'm going home."

"What? So you'd rather marry that old man from Y Country than pick a young noble here? Have you lost your mind?"

Daisy had already seen through Adel and those so-called nobles. With a despondent gaze fixed out the window, she murmured softly:

"Marrying anyone makes no difference—none of them are the one I love. Whether he's 60 or 20 changes nothing."

Adel never expected such words to come from Daisy's lips.

"Who on earth has brainwashed you? Do you really think I'd harm you?"

"You're the one who brainwashed me. To you, I'm just a gift, a pitiful stepping stone."

Adel tried to argue further, but Daisy cut him off.

"I will return, but not with you. And I'll tell Father everything you've done. Goodbye, Adel."

Adel frantically called out Daisy's name, but she had already hung up.

Staggering back in dismay, Adel muttered, "It's over..."

When Zhou Yi returned, Daisy was obediently sitting on the sofa watching TV.

Zhou Yi had bought medicine, band-aids, and some food—practically treating Daisy like his own daughter.

"Here, give me your foot."

Zhou Yi sat beside her, and Daisy rested her foot on his lap as he carefully applied the ointment.

"Ouch... it stings a little, Brother."

"Then I'll be gentler."

Zhou Yi blew softly on the injured spot.

Daisy, sucking on a lollipop, studied Zhou Yi intently.

"When are you going back, Brother?"

Zhou Yi glanced up with a smile. "Is Daisy eager to go home with me already?"

"Mm! I want to see the place where you grew up."

"My hometown is called Huaihai—just an ordinary city."

"That's okay. As long as you're there, Daisy will be happy."

"Soon, I'll be moving to the most bustling city in our country. There's a girl there who's quite interesting—maybe you'll become friends."

Zhou Yi suddenly thought of Little Jia.

She and Daisy seemed around the same age. Perhaps they'd hit it off.

Daisy daydreamed about the places Zhou Yi described. He had woven a beautiful dream for her, one she never wanted to wake from.

"So, which day exactly are you leaving?"

"In two days."

"Got it."

With only two days left, Daisy knew their time together was running short.

That night, Zhou Yi, for once, played the gentleman and let Daisy sleep on the other single bed.

But Daisy clung to him, refusing to let go—she insisted on sharing his bed.

Though Zhou Yi knew she meant nothing by it, he was no saint. Holding such a fragrant, soft beauty in his arms wasn't exactly easy to ignore.

"Daisy, I thought you hated men."

"You're Brother. You're different. They're all perverts—you're not."

Zhou Yi: I am too...

He scooted aside, but Daisy followed, determined to stay close.

Zhou Yi hadn't expected Daisy to be this clingy. It was sweet torture.

Finally, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his embrace.

"Alright, sleep now."

"Brother, tell me a fairy tale? I want to hear one."

"How about this—you tell me an adventure story first, then I'll tell you The Little Mermaid."

Zhou Yi's "adventure story" could only be about Wagner Island. His motives weren't exactly pure.

But Daisy didn't notice—boys liking adventure tales was normal.

She'd never heard The Little Mermaid before, so she agreed eagerly.

Her mother had told her the Wagner Island story many times, so Daisy recounted it flawlessly.

Zhou Yi memorized every detail. Once back, he'd send someone to investigate that place.

After finishing, Daisy blinked up at him. "Your turn, Brother. The Little Mermaid!"

This world's fairy tales differed from Zhou Yi's past life, so Daisy hadn't heard any of his versions.

He narrated three classics: Snow White, Cinderella, and The Little Mermaid.

"So the mermaid turned into foam? She didn't end up with the Prince..."

"Right. So don't blindly fall for someone or sacrifice everything for them."

"But isn't that what love is? People in love aren't rational. If you won't give, is it even real love?"

Zhou Yi met Daisy's clear eyes and found himself speechless.

For him, self-love always came first. Everyone else was secondary.

Daisy and Zhou Yi defined love differently.

Maybe he understood, but he'd never truly love someone the way Daisy described.

He'd never wholly loved anyone.

"Before loving others, learn to love yourself. Otherwise, you'll get hurt."

"Love makes you helpless. Love overrides logic."

Daisy said this with conviction.

Zhou Yi chuckled. "How would Daisy know? Have you fallen for someone?"

She hugged him tightly, muffling her voice. "Mom said so."

Perhaps she didn't fully grasp it either—but in Daisy's heart, Mom was always right.

Zhou Yi didn't argue, just patted her head soothingly. "Mm, your mom has a point."

But it's what foolish women do.

Like You Man and all his exes.

Smart women learned self-love.

"Sleep now. It's late. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the aquarium. Doesn't Daisy love the ocean?"

"Yes! I want to see dolphins~"

"Goodnight."

"Brother, where's my goodnight kiss?"

Daisy gazed at him expectantly. Zhou Yi felt he'd replaced her mother as the person she relied on most.

He kissed her forehead—pure, without a trace of desire.

"Goodnight, Daisy. Sweet dreams."

"Then you have to visit my dreams, Brother. That way, they'll be sweet."

Zhou Yi's heart melted.

He hummed softly, rubbing her back until she drifted off in his arms.

Watching her peaceful face, he asked his system:

"System, can you craft a dream for her?"

077: "What, finally grew a conscience?"

Zhou Yi: "No. I need her to dream of marrying me—to shift her view from 'brother' to 'man.'"

"I can't stay her 'brother' forever. My goal is to win her over, not play the saint."

077: "Thought you'd forgotten your mission."

Zhou Yi: "Name the price."

077: "Cheap. Just 10,000 attribute points."

Zhou Yi gritted his teeth. "Deal!"