Xiao Ziyue continued speaking but suddenly noticed her brother’s expression wasn’t quite right.
She glanced back and found that the twins didn’t look too happy either, especially Xiao Yixi, whose pout could probably hold a bottle of oil.
Realizing her mistake, Xiao Ziyue quickly stopped herself. She shouldn’t be sharing embarrassing stories about her brother in front of their younger relatives.
“Actually, it’s nothing serious. You were just too tired. Brother, you have to take care of your health,” she said, trying to smooth things over.
Xiao Cheng suppressed the complex emotions swirling in his mind and gave her a small smile. “I’m fine.”
He’d always avoided bringing up his past in front of his family, as he lacked his previous memories and feared raising suspicions.
But Xiao Ziyue’s words just now had given him an idea. Perhaps he didn’t need to avoid the topic entirely—he could treat it as a joke and mention it casually.
The atmosphere in the car grew quiet until they arrived home. Only then did Xiao Ziyue breathe a sigh of relief.
“I’m going to call someone to help carry the stuff,” she said, quickly running inside.
Xiao Cheng opened the trunk, only to find that the twins had somehow flanked him again, standing on either side of him.
“Brother Cheng,” Xiao Yixi tentatively called out. Seeing that Xiao Cheng’s expression didn’t change, he cautiously continued, “Was I too out of line earlier? Did I upset you?”
At least he was self-aware enough to know he’d been too much. Xiao Cheng shot him a sidelong glance. “What are you trying to say?”
After a long ride to reflect, Xiao Yixi’s emotions had calmed. Though he still felt jealous, he was determined not to question Xiao Cheng about it again.
“Don’t be mad at me. If you don’t like what I said, I won’t say things like that anymore. I won’t ask who you’ve dated, either,” he said, his voice small and aggrieved, his eyes reddening as if he’d suffered a great injustice.
Xiao Yinan added, “We’ll behave ourselves, just like you said before.”
Xiao Cheng’s thoughts shifted. Something he’d overlooked clicked into place—this wasn’t the first time the twins had confessed to him.
How had he handled this before?
Keeping his face neutral, Xiao Cheng asked calmly, “What did I say to you before?”
His tone was so even, his gaze so unreadable, that it seemed like an offhanded question.
But to the twins, it felt more like a scolding. It was as if Xiao Cheng wanted them to repeat his rules back to him, much like a parent making a child recite the house rules before reprimanding them.
Despite knowing this, they obediently answered, “You said we’re just brothers, and we have no right to meddle in your affairs. You told us never to mention liking you again.”
That certainly sounded like something he’d say.
Xiao Cheng had no reason to doubt it.
“And then?” he asked again.
Xiao Yinan hesitated before quietly adding, “You also said if we didn’t want to lose even the chance to be your brothers, we shouldn’t come near you.”
So he’d been that harsh.
Xiao Cheng finally realized where he’d gone wrong—he should never have shown these two any kindness.
Things wouldn’t have escalated like this if he had ignored them outright this morning.
He mentally berated himself but kept his expression calm. “So you remember, huh?”
The twins were left speechless.
“Brother Cheng, we’ll control ourselves. Just don’t push us away, okay?” Xiao Yinan’s eyes reddened slightly.
Xiao Yixi, cautious as ever, tugged at Xiao Cheng’s sleeve and added, “And don’t ignore our messages for an entire year again.”
From their words, Xiao Cheng pieced together how he had handled them before. Now he had a clearer idea of how to proceed, though his expression remained cold.
“We’ll see how you behave,” he replied.
After a moment, he added, “And I was joking in the mall earlier. Don’t take it seriously or target Mr. Bai again.”
Even if Xiao Yixi had misunderstood his earlier remark, he seemed to have figured it out by now. If Xiao Cheng truly liked someone like Bai Yiheng, then Luo Jingshu wouldn’t look the way he did.
So, Brother Cheng’s original statement about his type must have been true.
He preferred delicate, attractive people.
Even after being rejected again, Xiao Yixi didn’t feel as dejected as before.
“Brother Cheng, we’ll control ourselves, but please don’t distance yourself from us,” he pleaded.
Xiao Cheng neither agrees nor disagrees. He was, however, reminded of something Luo Jingshu had said. He sternly warned, “One thing is for certain: no one else can know about this.”
According to Luo Jingshu, these two had become so reckless that they had even angered He An to the point of illness.
Xiao Cheng didn’t want history to repeat itself.
Perhaps his previous approach had been too harsh, pushing the twins to the extreme. Now he was trying to find a balance—neither giving them false hope nor letting them act as they pleased.
He massaged his temples, a thought surfacing that felt almost like a confession: Dealing with them is such a headache.
Refusing outright was easy, but keeping the peace while managing their emotions felt like walking a tightrope.
In his frustration, Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but think: ‘If only they weren’t my cousins. Then I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble.’
If they were unrelated, he could have cut ties entirely without hesitation.
If rejected and they still dared to cling to him, at least he could beat them up without hesitation, unlike now, where he felt completely restrained.
Because of the unpleasant events earlier, they didn’t spend much time shopping and returned home by mid-afternoon.
Having not seen each other in a long time, he An and Feng Yi had endless things to discuss. The living room still looked the same as when Xiao Cheng had left.
“Cheng Cheng, you’re back already? Why so soon?”
Xiao Cheng remembered what Xiao Ziyue had said earlier and rubbed his temple in front of He An. “I’ve got a bit of a headache.”
He An immediately looked concerned. “Why are you having a headache again? Did you not sleep well last night?”
Xiao Cheng sighed, his eyes slightly lowered to hide his inner emotions. “I don’t know. I’ve just been feeling really tired lately.”
Pretending to be casual, he asked, “Mom, do you still have my medical report from before? The one from when I fainted.”
When he mentioned the fainting episode, He An immediately understood. “I do.” She frowned. “You should go for a thorough check-up again. Could it be something wrong with your health?”
Xiao Cheng nodded along with her suggestion. “I’ll go when I have time. Can you get me the report to take a look?”
He An began mumbling, “Young people these days don’t take care of themselves; they always stay up late…”
Xiao Cheng suddenly realized where Xiao Ziyue had picked up that nagging habit.
The medical report was in the study.
Since coming into this world, Xiao Cheng had only been to the study twice, and he hadn’t spent much time there on either occasion. This was the first time he carefully examined the layout of the room.
As He An searched for the document, Xiao Cheng took the opportunity to scrutinize the study.
The more he looked, the more familiar it felt.
But before he could fully grasp the fleeting memory, it slipped away again, no matter how hard he tried to recall it.
Previously, he thought these flashes of familiarity stemmed from the original owner’s memories. Now he understood they were his own.
Perhaps he had entered this study countless times before—reading, studying, or chatting with Xiao Yu.
But unfortunately, all of that is gone from his memory now.
A sense of melancholy and loss crept into Xiao Cheng’s heart.
Before he transmigrated into this book, his parents had passed away early, and he’d barely felt familial love. Now that he finally had loving parents and a sweet sister, he had lost the precious memories that came with them.
It was like chasing after something he’d yearned for, finally catching it, only for it to slip away through his fingers.
His desire to recover those memories grew stronger. Perhaps the key lay with Luo Jingshu—or that apartment.
Xiao Cheng had resisted taking Luo Jingshu to the apartment, not wanting to relive his desperate behavior as Luo Jingshu’s admirer, and even more so to keep Luo Jingshu from knowing the foolish things he had done.
But in that moment, he suddenly let go of that resistance.
The things one had done would never disappear just because they were avoided. Moreover, pursuing someone you like is never shameful. He had done so openly and honestly, without betraying anyone.
If anything, Luo Jingshu should be the one feeling ashamed.
In his previous life, he had treated Xiao Cheng with disdain; now, he refuses to let go.
It was like an over-the-top soap opera.
Xiao Cheng steadied himself and thought, ‘Compared to the warmth and love I’ve lost, these messy and dramatic feelings are insignificant.’
He almost made the wrong choice again.
While Xiao Cheng was lost in thought, He An found the report in a drawer.
“Here it is.”
She handed the report to Xiao Cheng. “At the time, the results showed you were just too exhausted, and your body was fine.”
Xiao Cheng was lively the next day, so He An hadn’t thought much of it.
“In hindsight, I should’ve insisted you get a thorough check-up,” she sighed.
Xiao Cheng felt a pang of guilt.
He remembered how, upon waking up and realizing he had transmigrated, he’d feared being exposed during a medical examination and had been particularly averse to hospitals.
He An had suggested a detailed check-up back then, but he’d dodged the issue and brushed it off.
He An placed a hand on his forehead and said worriedly, “Do you still feel unwell?”
“A little. Maybe I’m just overtired,” Xiao Cheng murmured, clutching the paper report tightly in his hand.
He An wasn’t convinced. “Was the shopping trip not enjoyable?”
With the study door closed, the mother and son finally had a private moment to talk.
“Not really,” Xiao Cheng replied, unsure how she had figured out his mood. He’d clearly smiled when entering earlier.
“Did you argue with Xiao Xi and Xiao Nan?” He An asked gently, her tone slow and comforting. “During lunch, you kept avoiding their gaze.”
Though she didn’t know what had happened, she had keenly noticed Xiao Cheng’s unease.
Although He An loved the twins, no one could surpass her own son in her heart.
“Something happened,” Xiao Cheng admitted, feeling a knot tighten in his chest. He wasn’t sure how much He An had figured out.
“Mom, no matter what happens someday, please hear me out first, okay?” His eyes reddened, stubbornly locking onto hers.
What he referred to wasn’t just the twins’ feelings for him but also his lost memories and the secret of his transmigration.
At the root of it all, his biggest fear was losing his family’s trust and the warmth he now had.
“I’m your mother,” He An said, wrapping her arms around him. “I’ll always stand by you. Cheng Cheng, you need to trust me more.”
Xiao Cheng’s nose tingled, and tears involuntarily streamed down his face.
He quickly wiped them away and buried his head in her neck, unwilling to let her see him so vulnerable.
He An patted his shoulder, soothing him gently. “It’s okay. Don’t be scared.”
Her comfort gave Xiao Cheng a new sense of determination to resolve the situation.
But before that could happen, a minor incident occurred.
After reviewing the report and finding no helpful information, Xiao Cheng messaged Luo Jingshu, asking when he’d be available to visit the apartment together.
There was still time before they’d return to school after the new year. Xiao Cheng would likely go back to A City with Bai Yiheng. If possible, he wanted to settle this before then.
He and Luo Jingshu needed a chance to lay everything on the table.
Luo Jingshu responded quickly, scheduling a time to revisit the apartment.
But then he brought up something else.
Luo Jingshu: [Brother Cheng, I’ve temporarily handled those twins for you.]
Xiao Cheng held his phone in one hand and a cup in the other, filling it with water. By the time the water reached the brim and spilled over, the heat jolted him back to reality.
Xiao Cheng: [What did you do?]
Luo Jingshu sent a few photos.
Xiao Cheng could roughly guess what they were—things the twins wouldn’t want others to know.
He almost asked, [How did you know?] but realized that question was unnecessary.
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Cheng asked only one thing.
Xiao Cheng: [You won’t hurt my family, right]
Luo Jingshu: [I won’t.]
Xiao Cheng felt reassured. Luo Jingshu wasn’t likely to lie about this. He replied with a simple [Oh.]
The conversation could’ve ended there, but before Xiao Cheng put his phone away, another message came in from Luo Jingshu.
Luo Jingshu: [If those twins cause trouble and come after me, Brother Cheng, whose side will you take?]
