Shen Xue glanced at his brother sitting across him, only to see his heaven-defying face expressionless. If Shen Yi was bothered that he would soon be alone after the twins and Sister Xinxin left, Shen Xue couldn’t tell.

“Aren’t you sad?” Shen Xue couldn’t help but ask. If his brother switched back on his old self before meeting Lu Xinyi, Shen Xue wouldn’t be able to take it.

“Why would I be sad? The twins have reunited with Auntie An, and Xinxin is doing well.”

Shen Xue followed his brother’s gaze, watching Lu Xinyi bid goodbye to their dogs and talk to them as if they were young kids being left with a guardian.

He bitterly began saying, “Bro, you know this wouldn’t be easy…”

“It never had been easy since the start,” Shen Yi replied, taking a sip from his teacup.

“But you…”

Shen Yi cast a side glance on his younger brother, obviously thinking that Shen Xue might be seeing Lu Xinyi’s absence as a loss of an unlimited supply of good food.

“Why are you so worried about? It isn’t like you are the one being left alone.”

Shen Xue shrugged his shoulders, taking his own cup from the table. -.

“I’m just worried about you. Sister Xinxin is a rare beauty. Men will try to get her attention while you aren’t around,” he said before taking a sip.

Shen Yi stared blankly at his brother for a moment before shaking his head.

“A single dog like you wouldn’t understand.”

“Ahhh… hot, hot, hot. Too hot!” Shen Xue almost scalded his tongue from his drink. He then turned to his older brother and glared fiercely.

“Who the hell are you calling a single dog?!”

The demon king arched a brow on him as if taunting him further.

“Who else but you? Is there someone else here who doesn’t have a partner?”

“You…” Shen Xue couldn’t believe that his brother would jump in for a kill. “You don’t have to rub salt in the wound! For your information, it’s my choice to be single.” He huffed.

“It isn’t like you have any other choice.” Shen Yi retorted, earning a scowl from his brother. Shen Xue almost choked on what he said.

Too evil. His brother was just evil. How could he get a woman like Lu Xinyi? Shen Xue mentally took note of the possibilities especially bribery.

Yes! There could be no other way for his sister Xinxin to marry such an evil man if Shen Yi hadn’t bribe her! He knew it wasn’t money. His sister-in-law didn’t seem like a gold digger, but what Shen Yi bribed her with was beyond Shen Xue’s expectation.

“Yes, I do have a choice! Women can be scary. One moment, they’re good; the next moment she would want to strangle the life out of you. I can never understand them.” Shen Xue retorted.

If he could, he wouldn’t subject himself to a woman. Although some of them were pretty and charismatic, he hadn’t really seen a woman that could get his attention. Maybe this was why his brother never went on dates and had a girlfriend after Li Qiao.

His mind then strayed to a certain woman. His sister-in-law’s cousin. What was her name again?

Hearing the brothers arguing, Lu Xinyi let their dogs play; and she walked towards them.

“Arguing again, I see? Is this how you show your love to each other?” She giggled as she settled next to her husband and poured herself a cup of tea.

“Sister Xinxin, I beg you. Don’t make me puke.” Shen Xue begged.

Lu Xinyi gave him a pointed stare. “You don’t believe your brother loves you?”

Shen Xue looked away; his cheeks reddened. He mumbled something incoherent that the couple couldn’t understand, but Lu Xinyi was sure that he was just embarrassed about it.

“Ah, this is too much. Let’s not talk about it, or else I’ll lose my sanity!” Shen Xue exploded.

Lu Xinyi laughed at him before offering some xiao long bao that she made earlier. Today was the day she was to move to the women’s dormitory at Silver Leaf, and Shen Xue was to bring her there because Shen Yi had an important meeting in the afternoon.

Shen Yi touched her cheek, surprising her and making her whole body stiff. The next moment, he ran his fingers on her loose hair. Lu Xinyi was certain he was pleased with how fast her hair grew, judging by how often he touched it.

“Xue has already moved the things you need in your room at the academy so you wouldn’t have to worry about it.” Shen Yi said, leaning back on his seat, but didn’t withdraw his hand from her hair.

“He did?” Lu Xinyi turned to his brother-in-law who was smiling like he’d just hit the jackpot in the lottery. Ah, he indeed received an expensive amount for his ‘kindness’ to help his brother.

“Sis, your room is ready for occupancy. You have nothing to worry about your stay. Everything will be on our tab, including the payment for the ingredients you will need while staying at Silver Leaf.”

Lu Xinyi was totally speechless. She should have known that her husband could go overboard, but she had this feeling that this wasn’t the end of it.

Shen Yi took something from his pocket and placed it on her hand.

“Here. Don’t forget about your brooch.”

Lu Xinyi opened the box and saw the same plum blossom brooch that Shen Yi bestowed on her after the entrance exams.

“You know, I’ve been wanting to ask… why plum blossom?” she asked her husband.

“Because plum blossoms are friends with winter. It also represents the value of endurance. Plum blossoms are known to be indomitable and constantly striving to become stronger. These are the values that the Shen family believes in,” Shen Yi explained.

“Oh, and do not forget the poem that goes ‘the fragrance of the plum blossom comes from bitterness and coldness’. Other people may not understand what we have to endure to get where we are now.”

Shen Xue added. He really was eager to explain the history of their family emblem as not everyone was interested to know the story behind it.

“Human souls are tempered through the sufferings, growing in inner strength and unbending spirit. Attending Silver Leaf and participating with the bet are both new for you and the Shen family. We hope you can endure the hardships and trials inside while we try to lessen the burden and pressure from the outside.”

Her husband’s words were clear and cold like the waters of a river. It was such a pleasant voice that made her feel warm but was enough for others to freeze the Pacific once Shen Yi talked to them.

Shen Xue kept on eating his breakfast. The dumplings vanished from his plate one by one. Other people might have thought Shen Yi was starving him on his place as Shen Xue asked another serving from his sister-in-law.

“Calm down, Xue. No one will take your food,” Lu Xinyi laughed when Shen Xue almost choked, but he was able to push down the food by drinking his tea in one go.

“Xue, what are you doing?” Shen Yi inquired. He was starting to get irritated by his brother’s presence. He was hoping to spend the rest of the morning with his wife before she goes, but Shen Xue decided to trespass their kitchen once again, joining them for breakfast.

“What? I cannot miss this opportunity to eat Big Sis’s meals. It might take a while before I eat them again.”

“I thought you’ll stick with your instant ramen than eat outside.”

“There’s an exemption for everything, brother!”

Shen Yi tapped his fingers on the table, quickly getting his brother’s attention. His eyes were ablaze. Shen Xue froze. His chopsticks stopped midway, halting his attempt to get the dumplings from Shen Yi’s plate.

“Xue, if you don’t leave this instant…”

“Why?”

“You are in the way. If you don’t leave, I swear you’ll never see that car again.”

“Oh no! You can’t take it back! Don’t take my baby away from me! Okay! Okay! I’ll go!”

All of a sudden, Shen Xue stood up, knocking his chair on the ground. His food was forgotten as he ran for his life to save his ‘baby’.

Shen Xue felt helpless. His brother was really mean and hard to please! He’d already help him, and yet Shen Yi still looked at him like he wanted to murder someone.