The obedient girl glances up, and the tyrannical tycoon kneels down to pamper her.

Luo Huai braved the heavy rain to rush back to the Pei family villa, where the Pei family members who had taken her in were sitting on the sofa coaxing their little princess.

Pei Youyou had been crying for four days straight; her eyes were swollen like two red peaches, and her cheeks were also red.

The Xing and Pei families are getting married. Young Master Xing is gentle, noble, tall, and handsome. Pei Youyou fell in love with him at their first meeting and will marry him next month.

Just at this critical juncture, the Xing family is embroiled in a scandal involving a real and a fake young master.

This gentle and refined young master Xing is a fake.

The real one was just brought back last week, and as soon as he got back to the Xing family home, he kicked the fake young master, sending him straight to the hospital.

A week has passed, and the story of the real and fake young masters is still being discussed in entertainment gossip.

The young master grew up in the countryside, dropped out of high school to work, had a bad temper, spoke in a rude manner, and even when dressed in designer brands, he didn't look like a rich young master, but rather like a gangster.

This is all that Luo Huai learned online. The Xing family intentionally kept it hidden, and the photos and names were not circulated.

The two families are arranging a marriage, and Pei Youyou is to marry the real one. Upon learning this, she fainted from crying once.

The whole family was busy comforting her, but only Pei Yuanzhou noticed that Luo Huai had returned. When he got up and went over, he was holding a towel and personally wiped her head.

Luo Huai pursed her lips, her eyelashes trembling slightly as she lowered her eyes, her heart softening.

She lost both her parents when she was five and lived with the Pei family. Uncle Pei and Aunt Pei never skimped on her food or clothing, but they had a biological daughter they doted on, so they inevitably neglected her.

Only Pei Yuanzhou cares about her and worries about her.

“Brother Yuanzhou…” Luo Huai reached out and took the towel, saying obediently, “I can do it myself.”

"You're all soaked. Go change into dry clothes so you don't catch a cold." Pei Yuanzhou reached out and patted her head, smiling gently.

Every time Luo Huai had his head patted, he felt very comfortable and would subconsciously squint his eyes, like a cat that had been petted and enjoyed it.

The Pei family villa has five floors including the basement. Pei's parents live on the second floor, Pei Yuanzhou lives on the third floor, and Pei Youyou lives on the fourth floor. When Luo Huai first arrived at the Pei family, he was originally going to live on the fourth floor with Pei Youyou.

Pei Youyou kept crying and refused to listen to anything.

Luo Huai offered to stay on the first floor, where the family's housekeeper lived. She didn't mind; she was already very grateful that the Pei family had taken her in for so many years.

Luo Huai headed towards her room, but halfway there she remembered that she had left her bag on the shoe cabinet. The bag was wet, and her thesis proposal was inside.

As she turned back and reached the entrance, she heard Pei Youyou ask her brother, "Brother, you won't miss Sister Luo Huai, will you?"

Luo Huai subconsciously stopped in his tracks.

What is it about her that I can't bear to part with?

Pei's mother chimed in, "Ever since Luo Huai started high school, you've skipped class every year to attend her parent-teacher conferences. You personally took her to college, treated her roommates to meals, and even made arrangements with her counselor. You always think of buying her the best things. Luo Huai listens to you the most, and she always blushes when she sees you. No one would believe there's nothing going on between you two."

Luo Huai was a little nervous, but also a little expectant, wondering what Brother Yuanzhou would say.

Although she was raised by the Pei family, and Uncle Pei and Aunt Pei publicly referred to her as their adopted daughter, she didn't have the surname Pei, nor was she registered in the Pei family's household register. She and Brother Yuanzhou could be together.

Pei Yuanzhou: "It's nothing, Xiao Huai and Youyou are both my sisters."

Luo Huai was taken aback, and the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.

There's really nothing wrong with it.

Yuanzhou kissed her, but it was just an accident when he was drunk, and he probably forgot about it when he woke up.

Luo Huai pursed her lips, feeling very sad.

Mother Pei: "That's good. Luo Huai always listens to you. Go talk to her about marrying the real young master of the Xing family on behalf of Youyou. Talk to her nicely and persuade her. There's only one month left until the wedding, time is tight."

Luo Huai froze, wondering if he had misheard.

Pei's mother said with a worried expression, "The marriage was arranged by the elders of both families and cannot be canceled. Your sister is a delicate young lady, and she is marrying a good-for-nothing from the countryside. That good-for-nothing is always threatening people and swearing. Youyou might not even make it back home safely after three days of marriage."

Pei Youyou collapsed into her mother's arms, sobbing and calling out "Brother" through her tearful eyes.

Pei Yuanzhou paused for a moment, then said, "I will talk to Xiao Huai."

Luo Huai had only felt stiff and cold before, but Pei Yuanzhou's words made her feel a chill run from the soles of her feet to her head, and her blood froze instantly.

My ears were buzzing again.

On one hand, the Pei family wants her to marry in place of Pei Youyou, and on the other hand, her brother Yuanzhou actually agrees and even tries to persuade her.

"Miss Luo Huai?" The nanny, Liu Ma, called out, and the Pei family all looked over. She also looked up and met Pei Yuanzhou's complicated expression.

His sword-like eyebrows were furrowed, and wrinkles appeared between his brows.

He always had this expression when he was in a dilemma. When Luo Huai saw it in high school, he would say, "Brother Yuanzhou, don't be unhappy."

Ever since Yuanzhou kissed her while drunk, she began to tentatively raise her hand to gently smooth it away. Yuanzhou did not refuse, and she continued to do so, thinking that her relationship with Yuanzhou had progressed further.

She even secretly wondered if this meant they were already together?

It turns out she was overthinking things.

Brother Yuanzhou only treats her as a younger sister, saying that she is the same as Pei Youyou, but completely different.

Yuanzhou's brother also agreed to let her marry in his place; otherwise, he wouldn't have personally called her back.

Luo Huai's mind was in complete turmoil.

"Xiao Huai." Pei Yuanzhou had already come to her and asked Liu Ma to bring a blanket so he could drape it over her himself.

Luo Huai kept her eyes downcast, seemingly resigned to her fate, but her body had already reacted; she took a step back.

Pei Yuanzhou was stunned.

Xiao Huai rejected him for the first time.

Everyone said she was gentle and had a pretty, easy-going face, but Pei Yuanzhou knew that she had a stubborn streak hidden in her bones.

Pei Yuanzhou withdrew his hand and asked, "Did you hear everything?"

Luo Huai didn't speak; she was afraid that if she did, her tears would start falling.

Mr. and Mrs. Pei, who were sitting on the sofa, got up and gestured for their son to move aside. Mrs. Pei took Luo Huai's hand and first asked him about his well-being.

"Why is it so cold, Aunt Liu? Hurry up and boil some ginger soup for Luo Huai to warm him up."

Aunt Liu responded and went into the kitchen.

Pei's mother rubbed Luo Huai's hands, but they wouldn't warm up no matter how much she rubbed them, so she knew that Luo Huai was holding a grudge and simply let go of her hands.

“Luo Huai, your aunt and uncle know they’re sorry, but they really have no other choice. Please do a good deed and help Youyou out; she’s your sister too.”

Does her half-sister constantly suppress her?

Luo Huai remained silent.

It was Pei's father's turn to speak: "Luo Huai, we will not treat you unfairly. Your dowry will be just like Youyou's."

Pei's mother wasn't happy about it, but for her daughter's happiness in her later years, she held back and said with a smile, "Yes, we'll do it according to Youyou's wishes. You won't be shortchanged at all. Look, we've raised you unconditionally all these years, don't you think..."

Shouldn't you repay us?

Some things don't need to be explicitly stated; everyone understands.

Luo Huai knew that she would have to repay the favors she had done for the Pei family over the years, but she never thought that she would have to do it herself. What she found hardest to accept was Pei Yuanzhou's silence and agreement.

I clearly said before that I would stand by her side no matter what happened.

She knew that men's words couldn't be trusted, but she thought Pei Yuanzhou was different.

It turns out that all men are the same.

Luo Huai looked up, her eyes also red-rimmed, and asked only, "Brother Yuanzhou, do you really want me to marry... marry into the Xing family?"

What she really wanted to ask was, "Brother Yuanzhou, do you really want me to marry someone else?"

Pei Yuanzhou hesitated.

Pei Youyou knew something was wrong and decided to give her brother a boost of confidence by throwing him to the ground with a thud.

"Youyou!" Pei's mother rushed over immediately, anxiously helping her daughter up. "Yuanzhou, your sister has fainted from crying! Quickly, take Youyou to the hospital!"