Fang Buxia’s gaze was something she would never forget.

Regret, numbness, despair.

It turned out that from the very beginning, he had never been tainted—she was the one who had dirtied him.

Something seemed to lodge in her throat, and Chen Qingtian couldn’t speak for a long time.

By the time her voice returned, it had turned hoarse.

“I was wrong… I was the one who dirtied him…”

Chen Qingtian’s shoulders trembled as she wept for the three years she had missed.

For the little brother who broke her heart.

“I… need to find him.”

(To be honest, while writing this part, the author had to hold back to avoid making it too heartbreaking for many readers. Let’s shake it off now and move on to joy and sweetness. I don’t think this counts as a knife, right?)

The evening breeze brushed through her hair, carrying a hint of spring’s warmth.

Chen Qingtian finally got her wish—to see this man again.

Fang Buxia’s heart was restless. The fact that Qingtian-jie had agreed to meet him at all felt like a mercy. He didn’t dare ask for more.

Because he was dirty.

So he had scrubbed himself clean for an entire hour before leaving.

“Xiaxia, what are you thinking about?”

A lively woman suddenly appeared behind him, her familiar scent sending a shiver down Fang Buxia’s spine.

“Jiejie… long time no see.”

It was the greeting he hadn’t managed to say that day outside the old tavern.

“Why won’t you look at me? Do you think I’m ugly now?” Chen Qingtian’s emotions were tangled—sorrow, guilt, heartache—but she forced herself back into the role of the bright, cheerful older sister.

After a long silence, Fang Buxia still couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes. If he did, he might lose the will to live.

If not for that sliver of hope, he might not even be here anymore.

“Jiejie is… beautiful. I… I washed myself clean today to see you.”

Chen Qingtian leaned in to look at his face, then, to Fang Buxia’s shock, rose onto her toes and pressed closer.

She gently blew on the bruise on his cheek. “Does it still hurt?”

Her warmth sent Fang Buxia into complete rigidity, his heart threatening to burst.

After all these years, he still couldn’t resist Chen Qingtian.

“Don’t touch me… I’m dirty…”

Jiejie, your poison will really be the death of me.

Chen Qingtian froze. She hadn’t realized how deeply those words had wounded him—or how deeply they had rooted in his mind.

Back then, she had believed only what she saw, leaving no room for explanation—not even for Fang Buxia.

No one could have guessed the truth hidden beneath.

Now she understood what she had missed—

A boy who clung to her with such devotion.

It truly broke her heart.

“You’re not dirty. I was the one who dirtied you… I’m sorry.”

With those words, Chen Qingtian wrapped her arms around the little brother who had always followed her, burying her face in his chest.

“For the rest of our lives… I’ll love you properly.”

Tears were strange things—they flowed when you didn’t want them to, yet refused to fall when you needed to cry.

They simply pooled in the boy’s eyes, unshed.

He didn’t dare speak, afraid this was all a dream.

Uncle Fu stood at a distance, quietly wiping the corner of his eye. The wind felt unusually cold today.

He wasn’t an emotional man, but lately, that had changed.

Back at the estate, Uncle Fu reported everything to Luo Yao and Lin Ran, relaying the Chen family’s gratitude (with the exception of Chen Xiao).

Chen Xiao thought Lin Ran and Luo Yao had gone too far by absolving Chen Qingtian, the perpetrator, of blame—it was a challenge to both law and morality.

But he kept his thoughts to himself, silently accepting the outcome.

“Ah, Cousin owes us big time now,” Lin Ran mused.

Luo Yao peeled an apple and handed it to him. “Here, A’Ran.”

They shared it in halves.

“Wifey (munch munch), I used your connections this time (chew chew chew). You’re not mad, are you?”

Luo Yao’s expression instantly darkened, her chewing halting mid-bite.

“Asking that makes me angry. What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. Use whatever you want—why would I be mad?”

Realizing she was upset, Lin Ran silenced her with a kiss, slipping her a sweet bite of apple.

Only then did Luo Yao soften, resuming her chewing with a sweet murmur.

“When we were kids (chew chew), I promised you (chew chew)… I’d earn lots of money to spoil you (swallow). Everything I have is yours. If you don’t use it, I’ll go crazy.”

What Luo Yao wanted was for Lin Ran to rely on her—her wealth, her influence, her love.

If he insisted on doing everything alone, never spending her money, she’d feel insecure.

“Damn, how did I land such an amazing wife?”

“Then you’d better cherish me.”

Lin Ran affectionately ruffled her hair. “Of course. My wife, my responsibility to pamper.”

“A’Ran, tomorrow’s your follow-up checkup. I’ll go with you.”

“Okay.”

The next morning, shortly after Lin Ran and Luo Yao left, Chen Qingtian arrived with Fang Buxia.

Learning they had just missed them, Chen Qingtian cursed herself for not calling ahead.

Love must have addled her brain.

“Can we wait here? Uncle Fu, you don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all. Make yourselves comfortable.”

Suddenly struck by an idea, Chen Qingtian added, “Can I take Xiaxia to wait in Villa No. 3?”

“Of course, Miss Chen.”

She patted Fang Buxia’s head. “Come on, let me show you the fancy bedroom I used to live in.”

For some reason, Chen Qingtian felt more at ease here than in her own home.

“Xiaxia, listen—we owe my cousin and his wife everything for helping us reunite. When they get back, we’ll thank them properly.”

“But my sister-in-law has a bit of a dislike for men, so keep your distance to avoid trouble.”

Fang Buxia’s face flushed. After mustering his courage, he whispered, “I’ll only stay by jiejie’s side.”

Well, well—she’d gotten herself an utterly devoted puppy.

Chen Qingtian’s heart swelled with joy, but also a pang of sorrow.

Because Fang Buxia had changed.

The old Fang Buxia, though sweet-natured, had been cheerful and outgoing.

This Fang Buxia… carried traces of isolation.

If not for her, she doubted he’d speak more than a few words to anyone in a year.

But it didn’t matter. She would pour all her love into reviving the boy he used to be.

To make up for her mistakes…

Hospital.

After another checkup, Dean Yi confirmed Lin Ran’s injuries had fully healed—just no reinjury.

Lin Ran simply smiled. The only one who could hurt him now was Luo Yao.