Once An Che's injuries improved slightly, An Ruo mentioned moving him into the seaside villa to live with her. Initially, he was reluctant to move, worried about disrupting their lives. Seeing his hesitation, An Ruo relayed Shen Xiaoxing's words to him.
An Che blinked his bright black eyes. "Did he really say that?"
An Ruo poured him a glass of water and chuckled softly. "Yeah, he even specifically had the housekeeper clean out a room for you. Knowing you love reading, he set up a separate study for you."
An Che was overjoyed, gulping down several mouthfuls of water, feeling a deep fondness for this brother-in-law he had yet to meet.
Two days later, Han Chong arrived with a few bodyguards to escort An Che into the seaside villa. Aside from the An family estate, this was the most impressive and luxurious villa An Che had ever seen—blue tiles, white walls, and intricately carved patterns in a light, opulent French style.
Housekeeper Xu and a crowd of servants and bodyguards greeted them in the courtyard. An Che, never having witnessed such a grand reception, nervously tugged at An Ruo's sleeve.
"Sis..."
An Ruo patted his hand reassuringly. "Relax, they're all very nice. You're just not used to it yet; you'll get better with time."
"Young Master, your room has been prepared. If anything's not to your liking, feel free to let us know."
An Che stood in the French-style bedroom, complete with its own bathroom and study. The walk-in closet was filled with clothes in his size for all seasons—all designer brands! The study was immaculately arranged, with bookshelves stocked with various genres and a redwood desk holding the latest computer. The entire setup was exactly like his dream room.
Seeing the joy shining in his eyes, An Ruo asked softly, "How is it?"
"Amazing, I love it!"
Housekeeper Xu was efficient; the man had only given orders a few days ago, and he had already executed them so well. Shen Xiaoxing had specifically instructed that high-end soundproofing be added to An Che's study to avoid disrupting his studies. Each bookshelf was organized by genre for easy access, and the computer was meant to provide a better learning platform.
An Che secretly tugged at An Ruo's sleeve again. "Sis, you have to thank Mr. Shen for me. Everything he set up, I really like."
An Ruo hadn't expected Shen Xiaoxing to arrange such a nice room for An Che, especially given how busy he was with work lately, yet he still made time to care about this.
"Why don't you thank him yourself?" An Ruo smiled lightly. "You'll be living here from now on, shouldn't you properly greet him?"
An Che wanted to, but his inherent timidity and inferiority complex made him afraid to initiate conversation. A doctor had once diagnosed him with moderate autism. As his sister, An Ruo often protected him and slowly worked to heal his psychological barriers.
...
Han Chong pushed the man into the living room. Housekeeper Xu came over to take his coat. "Young Master, should I have the kitchen prepare dinner now?"
The man nodded slightly and asked in a deep voice, "Where's the young mistress?"
"The young mistress is in the room tutoring the young master. She said his injury set back his studies, and since he's in his senior year of high school, the workload is intense."
Shen Xiaoxing nodded. "Go ahead and attend to your duties."
He maneuvered his wheelchair up to the second floor, stopping outside An Che's room. After a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand and knocked.
The study door was open. An Ruo had just finished explaining a tough problem to An Che when she heard the knock, assuming it was a servant bringing fruit.
"Keep reviewing, I'll get the door."
She opened it to find Shen Xiaoxing outside and froze for a second. "Didn't you say you'd be home late today?"
"Work finished early, so I came back ahead of schedule." The man raised his sharply defined brows, a smile tugging at his thin lips. "What, Mrs. Shen doesn't seem too happy I'm back so soon?"
He pouted. "Fine, I'll leave then."
"..."
Seeing him feign a pout and turn his wheelchair, An Ruo quickly blocked him. "No, I clearly—"
She stopped herself mid-sentence.
"Clearly what?"
The girl lowered her gaze, biting her lip. "Clearly, I really missed you coming back."
"Too quiet, didn't catch that."
"..." An Ruo knew he was teasing her. She leaned in and whispered near his ear, "I said I missed you."
Her cheeks flushed red, her warm breath brushing against his face. His ears instantly turned a sensitive pink, and a sweet, lingering warmth filled his chest.
The man reached out, pulling her slender waist into his arms. An Ruo lightly looped her arms around his neck, and as their emotions deepened, they slowly drew closer...
"Sis, this problem—"
An Che, holding his exercise book, stumbled upon the scene and froze, eyes wide for several seconds!
An Ruo had forgotten he was still there. She scrambled off the man, awkwardly running her fingers through her hair, her cheeks tinged with red.
"I, I..." An Che clutched his book tightly, suddenly bowed to them both, and scurried frantically into the study.
"..."
Shen Xiaoxing, seeing his reaction so similar to An Ruo's, chuckled softly. The girl beside him shot him a glance. "And you can still laugh."
He rubbed his nose. "The little brother-in-law is quite amusing."
An Ruo pushed him into the study. An Che was bent over his desk, solving problems with intense focus, seemingly deaf to the world.
"Xiao Che."
An Che looked up at the sound and saw them sitting across from him.
"Sis..." He glanced at the man, intimidated by his imposing aura, and lowered his head, unsure how to address him.
The atmosphere grew awkward. An Ruo wanted to give them space to bond. Smiling, she said, "I'll go cut some fruit. You two chat."
Before leaving, she gave An Che a look, signaling him to thank the man for his kindness.
Once she was gone, An Che grew even more nervous. He sat upright in his chair, hands on his knees like an obedient elementary school student.
Shen Xiaoxing crossed his hands lightly on his lap. "Are you satisfied with the room?"
"Ye-yes..." An Che gripped his pen, stammering from nerves.
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen..."
The man nodded slightly. A year younger than Shen Xingrou, but both in their senior year.
"Which problem is giving you trouble?"
"Huh?"
"Weren't you about to ask your sister about one? Let me take a look."
An Che, almost as if compelled, handed over the marked difficult problem.
To Shen Xiaoxing, this type of problem was a breeze. He reached for a pen, highlighting key points and listing several solution methods beside it...
An Che took it back, stunned, seeing how clear his reasoning was—more straightforward and easier to grasp than An Ruo's.
Downstairs, An Ruo had finished cutting the fruit. Wanting to give them more time, she waited by the door for a while. When she felt enough time had passed, she pushed it open.
But as she reached the doorway, she found them getting along perfectly. The man sat beside An Che, pen in hand, quietly explaining a problem—one listening intently, the other teaching earnestly.
She stepped in softly, placing the fruit on the table without either of them noticing.
"So this problem is simplest and most direct with this method."
An Ruo hesitated to interrupt. "How about some fruit?"
"Xiao Che, here you go." She picked up a slice of apple with a toothpick and offered it to him, only to feel the man's deep gaze fixed on her.
None for him?
An Ruo paused, seeing him staring, and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"I want some too."