Cici did not hesitate for even a second. The moment she saw her brother standing there with a suitcase, she broke into a wide grin and stepped aside to let him in, as if his arrival alone had already lifted something heavy off her chest.
"Come in," she said, her voice warmer than it had been in a long time.
Lian Yu walked past her casually, as though this was a place he had always belonged to. Once inside, he barely spared a glance for formalities before dropping himself onto the sofa with a relaxed ease that contrasted sharply with the tension quietly hanging in the air.
If he had to be honest, the place was comfortable.
The living room was spacious, designed with a modern, open layout that flowed seamlessly into the kitchen. The lighting was soft, casting a warm glow across polished surfaces and neatly arranged furniture. The entire space carried that distinctly Western influence—minimalistic, clean, and practical.
It reminded him immediately of American-style apartments.
He let his gaze wander lazily around the room, taking in the details without much expression.
Well, it made sense.
Bai Jingsi had been born and raised in America. This kind of setting would naturally feel like home to him.
Lian Yu tilted his head slightly, a faint, almost amused thought passing through his mind.
Was that why he behaved the way he did?
Was that why he was such an insufferable man?
He dismissed the thought just as quickly. That kind of conclusion would be too simple. People like Bai Jingsi were not shaped by just one thing.
"What happened? Where is Mom?"
Cici's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. She had followed him in, her eyes instinctively scanning the space behind him, even though it was obvious he had come alone.
Lian Yu shifted slightly on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other, completely at ease.
"Mom?" he repeated lightly. "That is a conversation for when we are alone."
Then, without even looking at her, he added with a faint grin, "But I think your husband wants to talk to you. You should not keep him waiting."
The grin he wore was effortless, almost playful, but there was something beneath it that made it difficult to ignore.
Cici paused for a moment. Then she smiled.
There was a softness in her expression that had not been there before. For a fleeting second, a ridiculous thought crossed her mind—if they were not siblings, she might have actually fallen for someone like him.
She shook it off quickly and turned away.
"I will be back," she said, before heading toward the bedroom.
The moment she stepped inside, the atmosphere changed completely.
The room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn halfway, allowing only a faint trace of light to slip in. Bai Jingsi was already seated on the bed, his posture rigid, his expression cold. It was clear he had been waiting.
Cici's smile disappeared instantly.
Her face hardened, the warmth she had shown moments ago replaced by something far more guarded.
"Look," she began, her tone firm but controlled, "I did not bring him here. I did not tell him to come. You should try smiling a little."
Bai Jingsi did not respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on her, sharp and unyielding.
"And yet," he said finally, his voice carrying that familiar authoritative edge, "you allowed him in."
He leaned back slightly, his expression darkening.
"I told you before. I do not want any of your family in my house."
Cici flinched.
It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but it was there. No matter how much she tried to understand this man, he remained the same—difficult, unpredictable, impossible to read fully. Living with him felt like walking through a maze where every turn led to another dead end.
And yet, this time… something felt different.
Because this was not just anyone. This was her brother. Her younger brother.
The same boy who had once stood before her, crying, apologizing, holding onto her as though she was the only person he had left.
He was not perfect. He was stubborn, reckless, and often careless with his words.
But he was hers.
And this man sitting in front of her was trying to push him out like he meant nothing.
"Why?" she asked.
The question was simple, but it carried weight. Bai Jingsi's brows furrowed slightly, caught off guard.
"What?" he said, a hint of surprise slipping through. "Are you talking back to me now?"
Cici met his gaze without backing down.
"Yes," she said. "I think I should."
Her voice was steady now, no longer hesitant.
"You can invite your entire family to stay here. You can bring people into this house and turn me into a servant for them. You can even bring your so-called mistress, and I said nothing."
Her eyes sharpened.
"So why can my brother not stay?"
Bai Jingsi's expression hardened.
"Because I decide who stays and who does not," he replied coldly. "The people you mentioned have been with me since I was young. They matter."
He paused briefly before adding, almost dismissively, "You cannot compare them to your foolish brother."
Something inside Cici snapped. The shift was immediate. The restraint she had been holding onto for so long finally broke.
"And he is the only brother I have," she said, her voice rising slightly, emotion breaking through. "You have many people. I do not."
She took a step forward.
"You brought your mistress and her children into this house, and there was no argument. You expect me to accept everything you do, no matter how unreasonable."
Her eyes burned with a mix of anger and hurt.
"But the moment it is someone important to me, it becomes a problem?"
Bai Jingsi stared at her, clearly not expecting this reaction.
"Wow," he said slowly. "You are really talking back now."
"No," Cici replied, her voice sharp and unwavering. "I am not talking back."
She held his gaze firmly. "I am standing up to you."
The room fell into a tense silence.
"I will sleep in the other room," she continued, her tone leaving no room for argument. "My brother will stay there with me."
She turned slightly toward the door. "And that is my decision."
"You do not get to—"
"Yes, I do," she cut in immediately. "I am your wife. I have the right to make decisions too."
Her voice softened slightly, but the firmness remained.
"If I send him away, then you send your family away as well. Otherwise…"
She did not finish the sentence. She did not need to.
With that, she turned and walked out, leaving him sitting there in stunned silence.
For the first time since their marriage, Bai Jingsi realized something he had never considered before.
Silence was not submission. It was absence. And when that silence was broken—when someone finally found the courage to speak—it was no longer something that could be easily controlled.
That realization unsettled him.
Because for the first time, he understood that the woman he thought he could manage so easily…
Was no longer someone he could predict.
___
Outside the bedroom, Lian Yu stood quietly by the floor-to-ceiling window, his figure outlined by the soft glow of the city lights beyond the glass. From this height, Shanghai stretched endlessly, a sea of moving lights and distant sounds that never truly slept. Cars flowed like streams of gold beneath him, and neon signs flickered in the distance, painting the night in shifting colors.
He slipped one hand into his pocket, his posture relaxed, but his eyes were far from calm.
He had always known his sister had married into wealth. This apartment alone was enough proof of that. Everything about it spoke of money and status, from the polished floors to the carefully chosen furniture, from the quiet hum of expensive appliances to the view that most people could only dream of.
But he also knew something else now.
This life… was his fault.
If not for his foolishness in the past, if not for the way he had pushed things forward without understanding the consequences, she would never have ended up here, trapped in a place that looked perfect on the outside but felt suffocating within.
The thought began to creep in, slow and insidious, threatening to drag him deeper into a spiral he knew too well.
He exhaled quietly, his gaze dimming slightly as the weight of it pressed against him.
Then his phone rang.
The sharp sound cut through his thoughts instantly. He blinked, as if waking from something, and pulled the phone out of his pocket before answering.
"Yeah?"
"Where the hell are you?"
The voice on the other end was loud and unmistakably irritated.
Lian Yu raised a brow slightly. "Luo? What is it?"
"What do you mean what is it?" Luo snapped. "Are you trying to make me do our project alone? Where are you?"
The frustration in his voice was obvious, but Lian Yu could not help the small smile that tugged at his lips.
"What is the rush?" he replied, his tone light, almost amused. "The project is due a week after the Golden Jubilee. We still have time."
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sharp exhale.
"This bastard," Luo muttered, though there was no real heat behind it. "You really know how to annoy people."
Then, after a moment, his tone shifted slightly. "Seriously, where are you?"
Lian Yu opened his mouth to answer, but stopped midway. A thought crossed his mind.
Slowly, a grin spread across his face, one that carried a hint of mischief.
On the other end, Luo immediately caught it.
"Is my question that funny?" he asked suspiciously.
"No," Lian Yu said, his voice steady but laced with something playful. "I just have something more important than that project right now."
There was a brief pause.
"Listen carefully, okay?" he added.
Luo snorted lightly. "Fine. What is it?"
Before Lian Yu could respond, the bedroom door opened.
Cici stepped out.
Her gaze landed on him immediately, and she paused, watching him with a curious expression. The grin on his face made him look like someone up to no good, and for a moment, she could not help but smile.
"Who are you talking to?" she asked.
Lian Yu turned toward her, his expression softening instantly. "Jie? It is just school stuff. What is it?"
"Nothing," she replied, still smiling. "I was just wondering why you suddenly showed up. Is there something I should know?"
For a brief moment, he simply looked at her.
And in that moment, something in his expression changed.
There was a quiet heaviness in his eyes, something deep and unspoken, like a storm held tightly beneath the surface. It was the look of someone carrying too many thoughts, too many regrets, with no place to put them down.
"Jie…" he said finally, his voice lower now.
"I sent Mom away."
The words came out before he could stop them.
For a second, even he seemed surprised that he had said it. He had not planned to say it like this. Not so suddenly, not so carelessly.
He had expected anger. Or shock. Or at least some form of accusation.But instead—
Cici smiled.
"Because of Dad?" she asked gently.
Lian Yu nodded, swallowing hard as a lump formed in his throat.
"I am sure you have a reason," she continued. "But whatever it is… can you tell me?"
He stared at her, disbelief flickering across his face.
"Aren't you angry?" he asked, his voice tightening slightly. "You should be. You should yell at me. I sent her away. I… I just…"
He could not finish the sentence.
The words felt stuck, tangled somewhere between guilt and justification.
Cici stepped closer to him, her expression calm but firm.
"A'Yu, listen to me," she said softly. "I do not know what happened to you. One day, you suddenly changed. You cried, you apologized, and you started acting like a completely different person."
She paused, studying his face carefully.
"But I realized something," she continued. "Even if you act like an idiot sometimes, you still have a heart."
A faint smile touched her lips. "You are a good brother."
Her voice softened even more. "And if you made this decision… then I believe there is a reason for it."
Lian Yu shook his head slightly, still struggling to accept it.
"But—"
She did not let him continue. Instead, she lifted her arms slightly, a small, almost shy gesture.
"I know we might be too old for this," she said with a gentle laugh, "but… can I get a hug?"
For a second, Lian Yu just stood there.
Then he shook his head, a quiet, almost helpless smile forming as he stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.
He held onto her firmly, as if afraid she might disappear if he let go too soon.
In that moment, all the weight he had been carrying felt just a little lighter. How foolish he had been. How blind.
But now, standing there, holding onto the one person who still believed in him without question, he felt something settle deep within him.
A decision. A promise. No matter what it took.He would protect them.
At all costs.