However, all of this was merely Mrs. Lu's wishful thinking—her son was twenty-eight this year and had never had a formal girlfriend before, a matter that constantly weighed on the mother's heart. Now that Lu Wei had given his ancestral ring to a girl, it was clear how important she was to him. Moreover, she was a kind and lovely girl, a situation Mrs. Lu was more than happy to see.
With this pleasant mood, Mrs. Lu kindly expressed her concern for Qiqi and then left, fully satisfied. As for Qiqi, the silly girl remained clueless, sensing nothing.
Half an hour later, the IV drip finally finished. Qiqi sat up, ready to remove the needle herself, when the door suddenly opened—Lu Wei had returned.
His expression had regained its calm, and his smile was as gentle as a spring breeze.
He stepped forward to support Qiqi and said, "Don't move. Let me do it."
Qiqi let out an "Oh" and sat still obediently. Lu Wei moved with practiced skill, swiftly removing the needle from the back of her hand and gently pressing a sterile cotton swab over her vein to stop the bleeding, his technique quite professional.
They were very close, and Qiqi couldn't help studying his demeanor, wondering what was on his mind. At that moment, Lu Wei happened to look up, meeting Qiqi's gaze—their eyes locked. A flicker of light passed through Lu Wei's eyes, like a pebble tossed into a calm lake. Then, the surface rippled, and watery rings spread outward—the tender ripples in Lu Wei's eyes.
"Senior Brother?"
"Qiqi."
They both spoke at once, then stopped simultaneously. Qiqi paused and nodded at Lu Wei, signaling him to go first. But after a very brief silence, Lu Wei suddenly tossed aside the cotton swab and pulled the girl into a tight embrace.
His chin rested on the top of her head as he whispered with a sigh, "Junior Sister, I've finally found you... Junior Sister, after all these years, have you ever thought of me?"
Huh?
Qiqi's body stiffened, and she froze. "S-Senior Brother?"
She felt Lu Wei's breath was scorching hot, and his heart pounded loudly, right against her ear.
What was going on? Why was Senior Brother asking such strange questions?
Qiqi felt uneasy and struggled, but Lu Wei held her so tightly that she couldn't escape. Moreover, in an instant, he radiated an overwhelmingly sorrowful aura, like a sigh from the heavens—ethereal, lingering, yet so intense, as if all the sadness in the world had gathered in that moment, forming a powerful barrier. Anyone caught within it would be instantly infected.
Qiqi immediately thought of the most heartbreaking thing in her heart—the passing of her adoptive parents. Her adoptive father had called out for his wife and daughter in his final illness, and her adoptive mother had solemnly entrusted her to Qin Chen before her death. In their last moments, they had bestowed upon her the ultimate, most loving blessings in the world...
Why did a sour, bitter feeling suddenly surge in her heart? It was like being hit with tear gas, making her so sad she wanted to cry.
Tears fell from Qiqi's eyes, yet she didn't understand why she suddenly thought of these things or why she felt so sad.
Perhaps it was because she had been infected by Senior Brother Lu's emotions?
"Senior Brother? Senior Brother!" Qiqi struggled hard and finally broke free.