Chapter Sixteen: My Brother’s Kiss

“Jiujiu, do you miss your uncle and aunt?” Mu Qin smiled as she hugged the girl.

The girl returned her hug warmly, for over the years, the Mu couple had truly treated her as their own, and she was deeply grateful for it.

“Auntie, even if I miss you, I wouldn’t dare disturb you and uncle’s alone time…” the girl replied with a laugh, covering her lips.

Her words made Mu Junze burst out laughing, and Mu Qin immediately shot her husband a shy glare.

“Oh, so you’ve learned to tease your uncle and aunt now,” she said, raising her hand as if to playfully smack the girl.

She was already grown up—why did her aunt still want to spank her? How embarrassing.

Out of habit, she slipped behind Brother Zichen for protection. But as she sat down, she found herself startled by her reflex and quickly glanced at Mu Zichen beside her, cautiously gauging his expression. Would Brother Zichen be angry?

Of course Mu Zichen noticed her gaze; a flicker of pain and self-doubt flashed in his eyes.

He had simply wanted the girl to become aware of her feelings for him, not to make her afraid. Had he gone about it the wrong way?

Mu Qin, knowing how close the two were, teased helplessly, “Every time I try to hit you, you always hide behind your Brother Zichen.”

This drew back memories for both of them. Mu Zichen’s expression softened for a moment before returning to normal, and he gave a slight, silent smile.

The girl twisted her pale fingers together, flustered, sneaking glances at Mu Zichen now and then.

Mu Qin sensed something odd between the pair but didn’t dwell on it.

“Jiujiu, aren’t you going to university in B City? Your uncle and I don’t feel at ease with you living so far away. Luckily, your Uncle Tingye is there, so you’ll stay with him. I’ve already spoken to him—he’ll look after you.”

Jiujiu had chosen a school so far from home, which made Mu Qin deeply reluctant. Although the girl had been taken in, after all these years she was as dear as a daughter. The child had always been obedient and sensible, but for some reason was stubborn about this matter—perhaps it was out of genuine fondness for the place. There was nothing more to say, especially since the school had a good reputation, strong faculty, and was safe. With her third brother there to look after her, Mu Qin could be at ease.

The girl was astonished. She had chosen this university after careful consideration—to put some distance between herself and her brother, and to pursue the aloof senior, Cheng Yanran. She never expected her uncle to lend a helping hand—placing her right under Uncle Tingye’s roof.

So, she would have to pursue two targets at once—Uncle Tingye included.

How interesting!

“All right, I’ll do as you and Auntie say.” She turned to look at Mu Zichen.

You want to be away from me? I’ll give you the chance. Are you happy now?

Mu Zichen felt as though a needle had pierced his heart, leaving it raw and bleeding.

He couldn’t bear for the little girl to go so far away for school. Could she take care of herself alone? Would she eat and sleep well?

She was so petite and fragile, and if he wasn’t by her side, what if she encountered danger?

But most of all, what if she met someone she liked? What then?

So many worries crowded his mind that it felt ready to burst; his heart ached to the point he could barely breathe…

Whenever it concerned the girl, his usual composure abandoned him—he simply couldn’t be objective, because he loved her to his very core. He was always biased toward her, always wanting to indulge her.

And with his own filming schedule taking him away for months at a time, they would be at opposite ends of the country. Was it fate itself that refused to let him be with her?

The more he thought, the more unsettled he became. He got up and left.

He left Mu Qin and Mu Junze puzzled.

“What’s wrong with that child?” Mu Qin asked, perplexed.

“They’ve been close since childhood. Knowing Jiujiu is going so far away, he must be upset,” Mu Junze reasoned.

Mu Qin considered it and found it plausible.

“Uncle, Auntie, I’ll go check on Brother Zichen,” the girl said, then hurried upstairs.

She stood at Mu Zichen’s bedroom door, not knocking, just standing there dumbly.

Her system was confused. [Why don’t you just knock and go in?]

She rolled her eyes. [I’m building up my emotions…]

The system sighed. [I overestimated you…]

“Brother Zichen, are you there?” Her voice, sweet yet tinged with nervousness, accompanied her knock.

Mu Zichen was standing by the window, smoking. At the sound of her voice, his hand trembled slightly, scattering a trail of ash into the air.

“Come in,” his voice was icy cold.

She opened the door to find the room shrouded in darkness. Mu Zichen hadn’t turned on the lights. He stood by the window in a white shirt, slender fingers pinching a cigarette, his body half-turned. The moonlight poured through the glass, bathing half of him in silver while the other half was lost to shadow, smoke curling around him, making him seem all the more dangerous.

She had never seen Brother Zichen like this before. She didn’t know why, but suddenly felt afraid, wanting to retreat.

“Why aren’t you coming in?” the man’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“I…” Her heart quivered with fear and confusion, her voice trembling as she tried to look away, but his aura held her captive.

Brother Zichen’s face was expressionless.

So intimidating.

Seeing her frozen, the man strode towards her, his long legs carrying him through the moonlight, a hint of wickedness in his step.

The look in his eyes was suffocating, and she swallowed hard, wanting to flee.

In fact, she tried…

But how could a gentle kitten escape a fierce lion?

Mu Zichen reached out, grabbed her arm, and yanked her back, closing the door with a swift motion, trapping her between himself and the door.

She struggled, but his strength was overwhelming; she could only look up at him in panic.

“Brother Zichen,” she stammered, her voice trembling in fright.

The system grumbled, [What’s with Mu Zichen? He avoided you before, and now he’s making such ambiguous moves.]

Mu Zichen, nearly six feet tall, braced his arm against the door and bent down, his fringe falling in messy strands over sharp features, his lean frame completely overshadowing her. His overpowering presence pressed her tightly against the door.

She wanted to leave, but his grip on her wrist was unyielding.

The wild, feverish look in his eyes left her mind blank, filled only with a buzzing hum.

His slender, calloused fingers pressed against her soft lips, kneading and caressing. “Jiujiu, your brother has been poisoned.”

“Ah, Brother Zichen, how could you be poisoned? I’ll go tell Uncle and Auntie,” she exclaimed, trying to rush out, but he held her fast.

“No need to worry. Your brother has the antidote.”

His dark eyes grew deeper—she was his cure.

“Then hurry up and take your medicine!” she urged, her eyes full of anxiety.

Take it? Could he?

He wanted to. Because then, she would be his.